5
LAURENCE CORNELL BECKER
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS)
104 CEOAS Administration Building
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Tel.: (541) 737-9504
Fax: (541) 737-1200
Email:
Education
· University of London, Ph.D., Geography 10/85-9/89
School of Oriental and African Studies
· Stanford University M.A., Education 6/81-6/82
· University of California, Berkeley B.A., Geography 9/77-6/81
Graduation with High Honors
Professional Positions
Professor, Geography, Oregon State University 9/13-Present
Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University 9/05-9/13
Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University 9/02-9/05
Invited Researcher (Chercheur invité), Migrations internationales, espaces et sociétés 8/10-7/11
(MIGRINTER), University of Poitiers, France (sabbatical year)
Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Nebraska at Kearney 8/01-8/02
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Nebraska at Kearney 8/95-8/01
Lecturer, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin at Madison (part-time) 8/93-5/95
Lecturer, Dept of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin at Madison (part-time)
Research Scientist (post-doc), West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) 1/90-4/92
Rockefeller Foundation, Social Science Research in Agriculture,
Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire
Guest Lecturer, Dept. of Geography, School of Oriental and African Studies, U. of London 10/85-4/86
Coordinator, Africa Project, Stanford University, California 9/82-8/85
Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE),
Outreach Coordinator for the African Studies Program (Title VI center)
English Teacher, 8th Grade, Encinal School, Menlo Park City School District, CA (part-time) 11/83-6/84
Contemporary World History, 10th Grade, Palo Alto High School, California (part-time) 9/81-6/82
Publications
Peer-Reviewed
Becker, Laurence C. 2013. “Land Sales and the Transformation of Social Relations and Landscape in
Peri-Urban Mali.” Geoforum, 46 (May): 113-123.
Mosley, William; Carney, Judith; and Becker, Laurence. 2010. “Neoliberal Policy, Rural Livelihoods,
and Urban Food Security in West Africa: a Comparative Study of The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire,
and Mali.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 107(13): 5774-5779.
Becker, Laurence C. and N’guessan Yoboué. 2009. “Rice Producer – Processor Networks in Côte
d’Ivoire.”Geographical Review, 99(2): 164-185.
Becker, Laurence C. and N’guessan Yoboué. 2004. “Le riz dans l’ancienne ‘Boucle du cacao’ de
Côte d’Ivoire.” Autrepart, 31: 133-150.
Becker, Laurence C. 2001. “Seeing Green in Mali’s Woods: Colonial Legacy, Forest Use and
Local Control.” Annals of Association of American Geographers, 91(3): 504-526.
Becker, Laurence C. 2000. “Garden Money Buys Grain: Food Procurement Patterns in a Malian
Village.” Human Ecology, 28(2): 219-250.
Becker, Laurence and Roger Diallo. 1996. “Cultural Diffusion of Rice Cropping in Côte d’Ivoire.”
Geographical Review, 86(4): 505-528.
Becker, Laurence C. 1996. “Access to Labor in Rural Mali.” Human Organization, 55(3): 279-288.
Becker, Laurence C. 1994. “An Early Experiment in the Reorganization of Agricultural Production
in the French Soudan (Mali), 1920-1940.” Africa, 64(3): 137-176.
Becker, Laurence C. 1990. “The Collapse of the Family Farm in West Africa? Evidence from Mali.”
The Geographical Journal, 156(3): 313-322.
Other Publications
Becker, Laurence. 2012. “Note de terrain: Migrations et transferts fonciers ruraux: étude villageoise
dans la zone péri-urbaine à Bamako.” E-Migrinter 8: 104-108.
https://webmail.oregonstate.edu/imp/view.php?actionID=compose_attach_preview&id=1&messageCache=21103906024f885a53335ba
Becker, Laurence. 2011. Les systèmes agraires au milieu bamanan: la vente de terre brise ce que la
migration a laissé. Final research report. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique, Bamako, Mali.
Becker, Laurence. 2010. Book Review: Fields-Black, Edda L. Deep Roots: Rice Farmers in West Africa
and the African Diaspora. African Studies Review, 53(1):169-170.
Becker, Laurence and N’Guessan Yoboué. 2002. “Developments in Ivorian Rice Systems During the
Decade 1992-2002: Preliminary Report,” Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire: West Africa Rice Development
Association (July).
Becker, Laurence. 1999. Book Review: Plotnicov, Leonard and Scaglion, Richard (eds.).
Consequences of Cultivar Diffusion. Journal of Political Ecology, vol. 6
http://www.library.arizona.edu/ej/jpe/vol6~1.htm
Becker, Laurence. 1998. Book Review: Stone, Glenn Davis. Settlement Ecology: The Social and Spatial
Organization of Kofyar Agriculture. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 88(4).
Becker, Laurence and Roger Diallo. 1997. Malosene Danyègafe: Lexicon of Rice Farming Terminology
in Mande (Malinké, Bambara, Dioula), English and French. Boston: Mother Tongue Editions.
Becker, Laurence and Roger Diallo. 1995. “Rice Growing in West Africa” Geography Review 8(5):11-
14.
Becker, Laurence and Roger Diallo. 1993. “Classification and Spatial Distribution of Rice-Based
Agroecosystems in West Africa: Côte d’Ivoire.” In Dvorak, Karen (ed.) Social Science
Research for Agricultural Technology Development: Spatial and Temporal
Dimensions, Wallingford (U.K.): CAB Intl., pp. 19-36.
Becker, Laurence and Roger Diallo. 1992. “Characterization and Classification of Rice Agroecosystems
in Côte d’Ivoire.” Research Report, Bouaké: WARDA, 254 p., 33 maps, translated into French.
Becker, Laurence C. 1989. “Conflict and Complementarity in Bamana Farming: A Case Study of
Soro, Mali.” Dissertation. University of London.
Becker, Laurence C. and Joan Henley. 1986. Voici l’Afrique Francophone. Teaching
Unit. Stanford: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE).
Becker, Laurence C. 1985. Analyzing the Press. Teaching Unit. Stanford: SPICE.
Becker, Laurence C. 1985 Development Decisions: Ghana’s Volta River Project. Teaching Unit.
Stanford: SPICE.
Becker, Laurence C. 1985. What Is a Resource? Teaching Unit. Stanford: SPICE.
University Service
Oregon State University
· Director, Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Program (7/2012-present)
· Coordinator, Global Learning Initiative, Center for Teaching and Learning (2011-2015)
· Undergraduate Advisor, Geography Program, Department of Geosciences (2008-2011)
· Director, Geography Program, Department of Geosciences (2006-2009)
· Department/College Committees:
College Advisory Committee, CEOAS (9/2012-present)
Undergraduate Programs Committee, CEOAS (9/2012-present)
Strategic Planning and Hiring Committee, CEOAS (9/14-present)
Instructional Program Committee, CEOAS (2012-2015)
Undergraduate Committee, Dept. of Geosciences, (2005-2006, 2009-2011)
Advisory Committee, Dept. of Geosciences, (2005-2009)
Task Force on Graduate Teaching Certificate, College of Science (2005-2006)
Graduate Committee, Dept. of Geosciences, (2004-2005)
Fall Graduate Student Orientation and Graduate TAs in Classroom, presenter (2003-09, 2011)
· Search Committees:
Vice Provost for International Programs, OSU (2014-2015)
Assistant Professor, Geospatial Intelligence, Analytics/Physical/Social Science (2014-2015)
Assistant Professor, Geospatial Intelligence, Leader (2014-2015)
Coordinator, Experiential Learning, CEOAS (2014)
Advisor, Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Program, CEOAS (2013)
Director of Geospatial Intelligence and Planning, CEOAS (2012)
Associate Dean of Academic Programs, CEOAS (2012)
Instructor, Regional Geographer, Geosciences Dept. (2011)
Assistant Professor, Regional/Rural Economist, Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics
(2005-2006)
Assistant Professor, Resource/Land-Use Planning Geographer, Dept. of Geosciences. (2004-
2005)
· University-wide -- International Programs and Academic Affairs:
Africa Initiative, Co-Coordinator (6/2011-present)
Faculty Advisory Committee, Vice Provost & Dean, Undergraduate Studies (6/2015-present)
Global Learning Certificate Task Force, International Programs (2012-2016)
Oregon Geographic Education, Partner Universities (2012-2015)
Ad-Hoc Baccalaureate Core Review Committee, Academic Affairs (2011-2012)
Oregon Statewide African Studies Consortium, Steering Committee (2010-2015)
International Degree Committee, International Programs (2009-2011)
Selection Committee, International Programs: Fulbright, Boren Scholarships
University of Nebraska at Kearney
· Position Description Service:
Chair, Department of Geography, U. of Nebraska at Kearney (2001-2002)
· University-wide:
Planning Committee, Midwest Conference on World Affairs, (1996-2002)
Co-Chair for 1997-98 and 2001-02
Faculty Senate. Elected. (2001-2002)
International Education Committee (2000-2002)
Chancellor’s Advisory Board on Learning Communities, Faculty Senate Representative,
U. of Nebraska at Kearney (2000-2002)
Summer Orientation (1998, 1999)
Faculty Mentor, special admissions program (ASPIRE) (1998)
Faculty Advisor for “Ecology Now,” student organization (1998)
Cultural Diversity Subcommittee, General Studies Program (1996-97)
Planning Committee for conference: “Alternative Perspectives on Global Food Security,”
1998, U. of Nebraska, Lincoln
· College Committees:
Served on promotion and tenure review committees for faculty members in the History
Department (2000, 2001) and Political Science Department (2001)
Education Policy Committee, College of Natural and Social Sciences. Elected. (1998-2001)
External Review Committee for Dept. of Computer Science (2000)
Courses taught:
Oregon State University (2002-present)
Geography of the Non-Western World (GEO 105)
Geography of the Western World (GEO 106)
Human Geography (GEO 312)
Geography of Africa (GEO 325)
Geography of International Development and Globalization (GEO 330)
Global Resources and Development (GEO 426/526)
Geography of Food and Agriculture (GEO 449/559)
History and Philosophy of Geography (GEO 515)
Introduction to Environmental Sciences (ENSC 101)
Finding Yourself in the Watershed (ENSC 399)
U-Engage (Academic Learning Services 199)
Teaching Recognition: College of Science Loyd Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Graduate Teaching, 2006
University of Nebraska at Kearney (1995-2002)
World Regional Geography (Geography 104)
Human Geography (Geography 106)
Geography of Agriculture (Geography 320)
Developing Nations, Geography of Globalization (Geography 340)
Geography of Africa (Geography 347)
Environmental Consequences of Development (Geography 399)
University of Wisconsin at Madison (1993-1995)
Causes of World Hunger (Nutritional Sciences 350)
Cropping Systems of the Tropics (Agronomy 377)
Languages
French Fluent
Bambara/Dioula Conversational
Professional Memberships and Credentials
African Studies Association, Association of American Geographers, Mandé Studies Association, California Single Subject Teaching Credentials in Social Studies and Biology