David J. Keeling is the Distinguished Professor of Cultural Geography Emeritus in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences at WKU. Between 1993 and 2021 he led multiple student study abroad programs to all six inhabited continents. David earned his Ph.D. at the University of Oregon in 1992 after retiring from 18 years in the business world as a corporate accountant working in Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. Previously, he enjoyed three years as a struggling musician in a rock band in England from 1967 to 1969 before emigrating to Australia in 1970.

He has published widely on urban development, cultural identity, rock and roll music, transportation, and political geography. His books and articles on Argentina have examined the impacts of the global economy, especially aviation, while his books and articles on Buenos Aires explored the city's aspirations of becoming a world city. David is a proud recipient of the Alan Hay Award from the Royal Geographical Society, London, in recognition of his services to transport geography. David is passionate about geography, about the why of where, and he delights in sharing his enthusiasm with others. He has lectured globally on over 40 expeditions and cruises since 1994, primarily on private jet trips with TCS World Travel.

Over the past six decades, David has visited about 2,000 unique destinations, including most of the world’s official political states.