The Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center (PAROC) provides hands-on learning opportunities on our campus! Emporia State University is the only university in Kansas with an aquatic research and outreach facility on campus.

The Goal

The PAROC enhances ESU's capacity for outreach education. The PAROC expands our ability to educate the public about the importance of water and aquatic environments and expand the opportunity for students and teachers to research aquatic organisms at Emporia State. During an academic school year, numerous students will use the PAROC for their research projects. Many of the elementary and secondary education science majors will also use the PAROC because they are required to take courses that prepare them to provide their students with opportunities for hands-on activities to learn about biology. The PAROC will provide a space for teaching portions of those courses that prepare teachers.

High-impact learning

Some of the goals of the PAROC are to increase the number of high-impact learning activities available to our students and individuals across the state; increase collaboration efforts with local K-12 schools to educate the state on the value of natural resources with a special focus on aquatic environments; and increase the number of professionals trained at Emporia State for careers in natural resources.

Research opportunities at PAROC will provide high-impact learning for students. The outreach efforts within the Emporia community and beyond will include but are not limited to working with and educating preschool children; K-12 students; Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts; 4-H members; prospective students; Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Nature Conservancy; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Evergy; and Wolf Creek employees.

The Facility

The PAROC is a facility built on the shores of ESU’s King Lake. The building is supported by poles that elevate the facility more than 6 feet above ground-level. The PAROC has three laboratories, a large flexible-use outreach classroom, and live animal exhibits featuring aquatic species native to our region. The largest laboratory space is designed to house experimental aquatic tanks that will provide opportunities for experimental studies on aquatic organisms. In addition, the Neosho River and a variety of outdoor learning spaces can be easily accessed via the Dale Greiner Nature Trail that winds through the ESU Campus Woods.