2013 Geography Faculty Development Alliance Workshop

2013 Geography Faculty Development Alliance Workshop

Participants and Leaders

Lynn Brien,

I am a Ph.D. candidate at Kansas State University. I’ll begin my fourth year at KSU this coming fall and I am in the process of writing my dissertation. My research focus is modeling landscape changes, specifically vegetation productivity, in coastal Louisiana marshes using a remote sensing approach. I am particularly interested in human/environment interaction. I earned a B.S. in general studies in 1978, then worked and raised a family before rediscovering a love of Geography relatively recently. I earned an M.A. in Geography from the University of New Orleans in 2009 where I worked as a researcher at UNO’s Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences. I continue to collaborate with coastal scientists there as I complete my doctoral research. I’ve taught Physical Geography lecture on the junior college level, and Physical Geography lab, Remote Sensing lecture and lab, and World Regional Geography at KSU.

Chris Castagna,

Chris Castagna is a lecturer at CSU Sacramento, Sacramento City College, and CSU Stanislaus. The courses she teaches include introductory physical (lecture and lab), introductory cultural, world regional, regional geography of the Pacific, environmental studies, and geographic problems in the developing world. Her research addresses the impacts of colonialism on land use, land ownership, conservation, and Native connections to place in New Zealand. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 2012.

Brian Chaffin,

Brian is a Geography PhD candidate in the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. He received a BS and MS from the University of Idaho in Natural Resource Recreation and Environmental Science respectively. At Oregon State, his research lies at the intersection of social-ecological system governance and political ecology. Brian’s dissertation attempts to define the evolving concept of adaptive governance using the Klamath Basin water agreements (OR and CA) and associated conflict resolution processes as a case study. Brian strives to understand how theories of governance can be used to shape human relationships with natural resources, specifically the management and use of water resources given the uncertainties of climate change and population growth. In 2011, Brian received a USEPA STAR Fellowship to complete his dissertation work. Beyond the university, Brian is the founder and volunteer executive director of a non-profit called the Redside Foundation. His organization provides confidential health care services as well as educational and professional development opportunities for seasonal outdoor guides in Idaho. Brian spends his lack of free time searching out new rivers to float or fish, new trails to run or ski, and new breweries to sample.

Preston Cumming,

Preston Cumming is just finishing up his PhD in Geography at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Preston's interests lie in biogeography, soil and landscape ecology, and education. His dissertation research involves the spatio-temporal variation in biotic and abiotic conditions along the Front Range of Colorado and how this can affect plant species abundance. He received his M.A. at the University of Montana, Missoula where he studied the potential range expansion of a non-native species (Centaurea maculosa) using localized climate and elevation data. Preston will be starting a post-doctoral fellow position at the University of British Columbia Vancouver in Botany and the newly formed TerreWEB climate change education program. In this, he will be working on the effects of topography and climate change on two native grasses and several non-native species as well as developing novel methods for communication of climate change impacts on native grassland communities. Preston is married to his lovely wife, Helen, and has one son, Ronin, who just turned 3 as well as a second child due July 4!

Elvin Delgado,

Elvin Delgado is Assistant Professor of Geography, and Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty in the Resource Management Program at Central Washington University, where he also directs the Energy Studies Minor. His teaching and research interests lie in the areas of energy (both traditional and alternative), political ecology, political economy and nature, and critical resources geography. Dr. Delgado’s research critically explores changing patterns of human-environment interactions in the context of fossil fuel production in Venezuela. Empirically, his research analyzes processes of socio-political struggles over resource development, the multi-scalar interconnections of the material flows of natural resources, and the socio-ecological transformations associated with resource extraction industries in sensitive aquatic ecosystems. His regional specialization is Latin America with over ten years of research experience in Venezuela. Dr. Delgado holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Syracuse University (USA), an M.S. in Geography from The University of Akron, Ohio (USA) and a B.A. in Geography from the University of Puerto Rico.

Charles Fogelman,

Charles Fogelman is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Illinois. His academic interests include political ecology, development geography, land tenure and representations of the customary/traditional. His dissertation research focuses on gendered access to land and the role of local authorities in Lesotho, the site of a significant market-led land reform. With a project that examines the peri-urban structures and relationships that govern land access, his work extends from urban political ecology to agrarian livelihoods.

Charles's M.A. work was in history and also focused on Lesotho, where he served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2003-05. Outside of the academy, Charles's interests include his baby daughter, marathons and baseball.

Ken Foote,

I'm a professor of geography and former department chair at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I am interested in: landscape history and issues of public memory and commemoration; geographic information science and technologies; and learning and teaching geography in higher education, including instructional technology and issues of professional development for early career faculty. I have served as president of both the National Council for Geographic Education and the Association of American Geographers. At the time I became a geography professor, I had had far more experience teaching music than geography and wish I had more time to perform early music on flute, recorder, and viola da gamba. My wife, Isobel Stevenson, and I have twin boys, Andrew and Douglas Stevenson, born in February 2003.

BartoszGrudzinski,

I have just completed my third year as a Ph.D candidate at Kansas State University. My research focuses on the influence of bison and cattle grazing on stream geomorphology and water quality in the Flint Hills, Kansas. For my project I compare channel geometry along with suspended sediment, nutrient, and e.coli concentrations. I attained a M.S in geography from Northern Illinois in 2010 and a B.S in geography from Eastern Illinois University. During my pursuit of a doctoral degree I have taught an introductory environmental geography lab course along with the lecture. I am interested in learning how to attain the right job for me within academia. I would like to focus on both research and teaching. At this workshop I am most interested in learning about the best methods to attain grants along with places where to apply.

James W. (“JW”) Harrington,

JW is Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Washington’s Tacoma campus, where he has faculty appointments in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and Urban Studies.June 2012 will be his eighth year as a GFDA leader, a highlight of each year!An economic geographer, JW has taught, written,and researched regional economic development, international trade and retail geography,occupational attainment and workforce development. He served as department chair from 2000-05, spent three years representing the UW Faculty in Washington State legislative and educational policy matters, and is the immediate past chair of the UW Faculty Senate.He’s served as AAG Secretary and as executive director of the North American Regional Science Association, and spent three years directing the Geography and Regional Science Program (as it was called) at the National Science Foundation.

JW’s abiding interests are in organizational and leadership development, and his hobbies include cooking/entertaining and vocal music (as a trained baritone).He’s been very active in Unitarian-Universalist churches in Buffalo NY, Reston VA, and Seattle WA.

Steven Hick,

Steven Hick is the GIS Director and faculty member in the Department of Geography at the University of Denver. For nearly twenty years Steven has been directing the Geographic Information System (GIS) education and research activities in the Department. Steven is currently the Director of the GIS Certificate Program and was instrumental in the creation of one of the nation’s first Master of Science degrees in Geographic Information Science. Also for nearly fifteen years, Steven has been teaching crime mapping and analysis at the University of Denver. He also provides crime mapping and analysis technical assistance to law enforcement agencies across the country and volunteers with the Denver Police Department Crime Analysis Unit. Prior to joining the University of Denver, Steven was a Technical Consultant at UGC Consulting from 1989 until 1994. Prior to moving to Denver, Steven was a Cartographer with the Defense Mapping Agency, based at Fort Sam Houston, Texas between 1985 and 1988. While living in Texas, Steven taught in the University of Texas system on the San Antonio and Austin campuses.

Julia Hicks,

Julia is a second-year PhD Student in Geography at the University of Colorado. Her focus within the discipline is biogeography, conservation, forest dynamics, and avian ecology. Her dissertation will examine the impacts of spruce beetle outbreak on bird communities with a special focus on the American three-toed woodpecker in the San Juan Mountains, CO. She aims to identify how woodpeckers may constrain spruce beetle outbreaks via predation. Julia received her M.A. in Geography at CU in 2011 for her research in the Rocky Mountains. Her thesis explored invasion success of the exotic weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus) at high elevations in the Colorado Front Range. Julia hopes to one day become a professor and is passionate about teaching, especially if she gets to lecture about the birds of New Zealand. In her free time you might spot her at the dog park with her mini aussie, gardening, climbing, or drinking a cold IPA.

Jordan Hill,

I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the ASPECT Program (Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical and Cultural Thought) at Virginia Tech University. I teach in the departments of History, Religions Studies and American Studies, as well as having a research residency in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies. My dissertation investigates the recent emergence of a new commemorative tradition in the United States of creating permanent memory sites in the aftermath of events that are commonly referred to as “mass murder.” More generally, I am interested in the relationship between violence and the modernity, and my current research focuses on violence in terms of issues of public memory, ritual and the politics of commemoration. I draw heavily from critical theory. I also have training and personal interest in Eastern spiritual practice and philosophy. Throughout my graduate career I have put a significant amount of effort into my pedagogy, including studying at Naropa University’s School for Contemplative Education, Eastern Mennonite University’s Summer Peacebuilding Program, and Virginia Tech’s Preparing the Future Professoriate certification. I helped to organize VT’s “Contemplative Education in a Technological Society” conference in the Spring of 2013. I have strong connections in the community of international interdisciplinary scholars and recently published the second edition of my book “Intentionally Interdisciplinary: A Master’s Interdisciplinary Program Directory. I am a lover of all things outdoors, and am an avid rock climber, cyclist, traveler, yoga practitioner and meditation instructor.

Jordan P. Howell,

I recently earned my PhD from the Dept. of Geography at Michigan State University, and will start as an assistant professor in the Dept. of Geography & Environment at Rowan University in Fall 2013. Originally from the Detroit area, I earned a BA in Anthropology from the College of William & Mary in 2008. Since those undergraduate days, my research has focused on various aspects of the human-environment relationship, moving from questions about the impact of state regulations on electricity infrastructure to the barriers limiting adoption of waste-to-energy incinerators in the United States and even excursions into critical studies of oenology and viticulture. I enjoy working at the interface of human geography, environmental history, and science and technology studies (STS). At Rowan I will be teaching undergraduate courses in human geography and environmental studies. In addition, I am an avid tennis player, aspiring yogi, and pilates enthusiast.

Naomi Lazarus,

Naomi is a PhD candidate in geography at the University of Connecticut. Her interests relate to the social dimension of hazards and disasters with references to vulnerability, resilience, and risk. Her doctoral dissertation deals with community resilience in counties affected by the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Naomi received her B.A. and M.A. degrees in geography at the State University of New York in Binghamton. She has over eight years of work experience in her home country of Sri Lanka mainly in the private and not-for-profit sectors. Naomi has taught introductory geography courses with class sizes ranging from 30 to 150 students. She is eager to share her experiences in the classroom at the GFDA workshop as well as to learn new skills on balancing an effective career in academia. Naomi enjoys walking and in 2008, participated in the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco completing her first 13-mile walk. Naomi also loves to travel. Some of her most memorable destinations include the Grand Canyon, Big Island in Hawaii, Lisbon (Portugal), and Luxor (Egypt).

Jing Li,

Jing Li is an assistant professor of the Department of Geography and the Environment at University of Denver. Prior to this position, she earned her PhD in Earth System and Geoinformation Science at George Mason University (GMU) in August 2012. She also holds a Master degree in Earth System Science from GMU. Her research interests are: 1) multidimensional geovisualization and geovisual analytics; 2) spatiotemporal data modeling and analysis; and 3) high performance geocomputation. She teaches various courses in Geographic Information Science (GIS) at different levels.

Jen Mapes,

I’m finishing up my first year as Assistant Professor at Kent State University, having previously taught at SUNY Plattsburgh and University of Southern California.

I’ve taught 17 different courses, with a focus on human geography at the introductory level, and sustainable communities in upper-level courses. I work to incorporate digital technology into all of my courses, and this summer will be creating a “Google Mapping Tools” hybrid online/classroom course.

I am an avid photographer & cartographer, graphic designer, and former newspaper reporter. As such, my research and teaching work toward finding a balance between communication of scientific knowledge to students and the creation of useful end products for the communities where I work.

My dissertation (University of Southern California, May 2009) examined the effects of global contemporary change in small towns, connecting theoretical understandings of place and space to on-the-ground outcomes. I spent nine months in seven towns in the American West, interviewing local residents and key decision-makers to learn how their towns experience and react to socio-economic and environmental change.

Stephen A. McElroy,

Stephen McElroy is the GIS Program Chair at American Sentinel University where he oversees four degree programs and is directly involved in curriculum development and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Active in field of GIS for over 15 years, he most recently served as assistant director of cartography and geospatial technologies for Statistical Research, Inc., a cultural resource management firm specializing in archaeology, anthropology, history and historic architecture. Previously, he taught as an adjunct professor of geography at Pima Community College, West Campus, and the University of Arizona. He has also served as a senior research specialist for the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and the Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona and worked as a GIS technician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service – Southwest Watershed Research Center.

McElroy has extensive international travel experience in Latin America, Europe and India. He has published numerous articles on geographic and geospatial topics and is proficient in integrative research methodologies, the use of geo-spatial technologies in community projects, geographic information systems, and remote sensing. He earned a Ph.D. in Geography from the joint doctoral program at San Diego State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Cincinnati. He also holds a GIS professional certification from the GIS Certification Institute.

Leslie McLees,

Leslie has just finished her first year as an Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She is an urban geographer focused on postcolonial urban geography and informality in cities across regional contexts. Her dissertation at the University of Oregon examined open-space agriculture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and questioned the binaries (formal/ informal, urban/rural) and categorizations of space (through zoning) in cities that can limit our understanding of how these places function and develop. She is also working on a project with homeless population of Boone to take the ideas of informality learned in the 'global-south' to see what they can tell us in cities closer to home. She relies on qualitative methodologies, including interviews, photo voice and mental mapping and expects to further develop the methodological toolbox for qualitative researchers, including qualitative GIS. She teaches courses in urban geography, introductory courses, regional courses in Sub-Saharan Africa and the US, and a graduate course in urban informality and sustainability.

Max Miller,

I am a geography faculty member at Front Range Community College at our Westminster, Colorado campus. I did my undergraduate and graduate programs in geography at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. My master’s research focused on GIS, cartography, and climatology, specifically using geospatial technologies and geovisualizations as teaching tools. Currently, I am teaching all types of geography at the introductory level, and my major interests lie in bringing more geospatial technologies into my classrooms, as well as innovating in the classroom and generally being a better geography educator. Outside of school, I try to enjoy all of what Denver has to offer, as well as escaping into Colorado’s and Wyoming’s mountains whenever I can.