Matthew F. Kirk
Professor and University Outstanding Scholar
B.S., 2001, Bradley University
M.S., 2004, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ph.D., 2008, University of New Mexico
Postdoc, 2008-2009, Amherst College
Consultant, 2009-2010, John Shomaker and Associates, Inc.
Postdoc, 2010-2012, Sandia National Laboratories
Dr. Matthew Kirk’s research is mainly focused on the chemistry and microbiology of natural waters. Recent projects have examined factors controlling the distribution of known and emerging contaminants in private water wells, consequences of woody plant encroachment for water resources and critical zone processes in grasslands, variation in surface water-groundwater interactions in Kansas watersheds, and environmental controls on interactions among aquifer microorganisms.
- Anhold, C., Hatley, C., Alcantar-Velasquez, E., Keen, R.M., Sadayappan, K., Jarecke, K.M., Sullivan, P.L., Nippert, J.B., Li, L., Macpherson, G.L., Kirk, M.F., 2025. Grassland woody encroachment alters subsurface mineral weathering and groundwater composition in a carbonate system. Chemical Geology 673, 122522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122522
- Hatley, C.M., Armijo, B., Andrews, K., Anhold, C., Nippert, J.B., Kirk, M.F., 2023. Intermittent streamflow generation in a merokarst headwater catchment. Environ. Sci.: Adv. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2VA00191H
- Jarecke, K.M., Zhang, X., Keen, R., Dumont, M., Li, B., Sadayappan, K., Moreno, V., Ajami, H., Billings, S.A., Flores, A., Hirmas, D., Kirk, M.F., Li, L., Nippert, J., Singha, K., Sullivan, P., 2024. Woody Encroachment Modifies Subsurface Structure and Hydrological Function. Ecohydrology. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2731
- Kirk, M.F., 2023. Microbiology for Earth Scientists, 1st ed. New Prairie Press, Manhattan, KS.
- Lane, A.D., Kirk, M.F., Whittemore, D.O., Stotler, R., Hildebrand, J., Feril, O., 2020. Long-term (1970s-2016) changes in groundwater geochemistry in the High Plains aquifer in south-central Kansas, USA. Hydrogeology Journal 28, 491–501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-019-02083-z
- Loecke, T.D., Koenigsberger, S.N., Sikes, B., VanderPutten, M., Leininger, L., Avocat, H., Billings, S.A., Kirk, M.F., 2026. Soil anaerobic microsites mediate land use and precipitation effects on soil organic carbon on a regional scale. Science of The Total Environment 1046, 181960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181960
- Sadayappan, K., Jarecke, K.M., Keen, R.M., Puthalalth, S., Dodds, W.K., Kirk, M.F., Sullivan, P.L., Nippert, J.B., Seybold, E.C., Li, L., 2026. Flow or No-Flow: Does Discharge Regulate Water Chemistry in Intermittent Streams? Water Resources Research 62, e2025WR040321. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025WR040321
- Waterman, B.R., Hansen, A.T., Loecke, T.D., Kirk, M.F., 2026. Corn–soybean expansion nears threshold for adverse nitrogen effects in the Great Plains. Environmental Research Letters 21, 104033. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae6c39
GEOL 100 – Earth in Action
URES 300/400/600 – Groundwater Geopaths Vertically Integrated Project
GEOL 605 – Introduction to Aqueous Geochemistry
GEOL 611 – Hydrogeology
GEOL 650 – Geomicrobiology
GEOL 711 – Water Resources Geochemistry
GEOL 760 – Geochemical and Biogeochemical Reaction Modeling
Kansas Water Institute Working Group
Kansas Water Institute Water Quality Laboratory Advisory Board
K-State Environmental Science Program Advisory Board
K-State Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Secondary Major Governing Board
K-State School of Earth and Environment Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
K-State School of Earth and Environment Unit Document Committee
Dr. Matthew Kirk is a K-State University Outstanding Scholar and Fellow of the Geological Society of America. He joined Kansas State University in 2012 as a faculty member in the Department of Geology, which subsequently formed the School of Earth and Environment by merging with the Department of Geography and Geospatial Science and the K-State Environmental Science Program. Dr. Kirk’s teaching and research are informed by his training in geology, his experiences working in geotechnical consulting and water resources consulting, and his work as a postdoc in academia and a national laboratory.
Dr. Kirk’s research aims to better understand water quality, interactions between geochemistry and microbiology in aquifers and streams, and consequences of land management for water resources. He has carried out research on a wide range of topics over the course of his career, from studies examining water quality and geoscience recruiting to research related to energy geoscience. His studies typically emphasize geochemical tools including laboratory analyses and geochemical modeling calculations and have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Americal Chemical Society.
Alongside his research, Dr. Kirk is passionate about engaging the public and recruiting new students to geoscience. To that end, Dr. Kirk and his collaborators have sampled groundwater from hundreds of private wells in recent years, helping well owners learn about their water quality and providing students from K-State and local community colleges with hands-on career relevant training in groundwater science. Along with Dr. Helene Avocat, he is helping teach the first K-State Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) course, which is focused on private well testing and provides students with a chance to participate for multiple semesters and develop higher level skills as they go. He has also published an open textbook, Microbiology for Earth Scientists, in an effort to make his research and teaching broadly accessible.