Department of Geography

College of Liberal Arts

California State University, Long Beach

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News as of 12 September 2001

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To the Memory of Those
Who Lost Their Lives
in New York and Washington, D.C.
11 September 2001
Among those known to be lost are the following geographers:
  • Joe Ferguson, of the National Geographic Society, who was on board the American Airlines flight that crashed into the Pentagon. He was accompanying three District of Columbia teachers and three D.C. students to a Sustainable Seas event in California.
  • Ann Judge of the National Geographic Society, who was on the same flight with Joe Ferguson.
  • Robert LeBlanc, 70, Professor emeritus of geography, University of New Hampshire. Bob was on his way to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers in Santa Barbara this week and weekend.
Ron Abler of the AAG reports that the Susan Hanson killed in one of the planes that struck the WTC was NOT the Clark geographer, Susan Hanson!

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[ Jobs ] [ Talks ] [ Changes ] [ Social ] [ Conferences ]
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Grad Student and Faculty Get-Together

There will be a graduate student and faculty kick off party this coming weekend in Long Beach, Sunday, 16 September, 5 p.m. Here's the flyer:

Hey All Geogeeks in the Cal State, Long Beach Geography Department!!!!
Announcing the:

Graduate Student - Faculty - Staff Mixer
(significant others welcome)


All Faculty and Graduate Students are
STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to attend!!!!!

The Place: EJ Malloy's on Broadway and Redondo in Long Beach
When: Sunday, September 16
Time: 6 PM - 9ish

We will have a full complement of meat and meatless entrees for all!!!!
That's right, FREE grub (a full dinner) --
No Grad Student can ever turn down free food!!!!

It's good to be a geographer!!! :-)
The bar will be cash!!! :-(
But the company will be the bomb!!! :-D

Once you get to EJ's just head out to the back patio
for hours of entertainment, intellectual discussion, and geographic banter.

For any more details, please contact Dr. Vincent Del Casino.

State Department of Water Resources Has a Good Part-Time Job

Geography alumnus, G.I. Bergquist, works at DWR, where he started in a student job back in 1980! He wanted to let his alma mater know that DWR is offering a student assistantship or graduate student assistant in their Glendale office. The full details are in the Jobs section below.

CSULB Geography Students Win ESRI Mapping Honors!!!

Graduate students, Mike Jenkins and Shaun Healy, and recent graduate, Caroline Kolb, were fêted at the ESRI International User Conference 2001 by earning second prize in the Map Gallery Best Cartographic Publication competition!!! Their entry was the City Street Map they had done for the City of Lakewood. Thanks to Dr. Frank Gossette for this news item, who remarked, "Map On!!!" We are way proud of your achievement, folks! For more details, check out http://www.esri.com/events/uc/results/map_gallery_results.html.

Our Newest Alumni!

The Department of Geography congratulates each and every one of you who persevered and earned your degree in geography. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Go out there and put geography on the map, folks (and we confess we're a little sad, too, because we're going to miss all of you -- please stay in touch)! Here are all our graduates this year:

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Bachelor of Arts in Geography
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Summer 2000

Alexandra R. Dichter
Shaun M. Healy
Christopher A. Johnson
Jason T. Knowles
Brian R. Sims

Fall 2000

Charlotte M. Arciniega
Agnes St. Pierre Arneaud
Karen M. Hemphill
Kerry S. Kline
Carolyn E. Kolb
Bridget E. Lynch
James E. McPherson
Gábor Potorke
Alexa K. Washburn
Matthew H. Yerxa

Winter 2001
James J. Hamilton
Raymond M. Stirling
David A. Welch

Spring 2001

Amanda R. Bajza
Nicholas J. Boesche
Jorge F. Campbell-Ulloa
Amy D. Eifler
Douglas N. Fauth
Robert A. Gonick
Mara G. Heikes
Emilline M. Hernández
Mark S.B. Im
Joseph D. Recker
Daniel N. Ryan
James F. Whitt
Summer 2001
Zachary R. Cudd

Fall 2001

Eric M. Albrecht
Tiffany N. Bush
Christiane R. Candelaria
Meredith L. Dikdan
Johnny W. Guest
Carrie Heavey
Michael L. Moody
Robin Vigil

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Master of Arts in Geography
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Summer 2000

Laarry M. Harlan
Deborah S. Morris-Williamson
Gabriel Sanfelice

Fall 2000

Michelle R. Walsh

Summer 2001

Edward G. Huefe
Naovaratana Subthanavin

Fall 2001

Richer M. Boudreau
Ronjack P. Menguita
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Check Out the Alumni News Page!

Alumni have been responding to the Geography Department Newsletter that Dr. Ed Karabenick put together. As reports come in, they'll be shared on the brand-new alumni news page. So far, we have information on the doings of:

Send in those newsletter surveys or e-mail us to let us know what you've been up to, and we'll be happy to share your news with the entire CSULB Geography community.

Donations from Alumni and Parents: Thank You!

The Department wishes to thank the following alumni for their kindness in making recent donations to the Department's Special Project Account. Support from alumni is important and very much appreciated because it enables activities and resources that can't be funded through the regular State public university budget. Thank you very much!
  • Nancy Marie Joel (1981, now Nancy M. Yoho)
  • Steven W. Yoho (1982)
  • Margaret C. Turner (1973)
  • Amy Marie Rosenquist (1965, now Amy M. Davis)
  • Dennis T. Davis (1972)
  • Timothy P. Holmes (1994)
  • Diana L. Borden (1992, now Diana L. McCarthy)
  • Jared H. Richard (1971)
  • Sharon P. Richard (1977)
  • Lee Jester (1996)
  • Scott P. Lew
  • Robert E. Reynolds (1992)
  • John L. Sprague (1977)
  • Cynthia A. McCarty (1998)
  • Raymond Thomas Hiemstra (1998)
  • Gretchen M. Honan (1980)
  • Florine F. Lubkin (1978, now Florine F. Karabenick)
  • Dr. Edward Karabenick (parent)
  • Mr. and Mrs. Barry Neel (parent)
  • Mr. and Mrs. Robert Barone
  • Raymond Hetherington

Thank You for Donations to Specific Departmental Scholarships!

The Department is also very pleased to acknowledge donations made to specific scholarships. Thank you for making funds available for awards to outstanding students!
  • Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Diekmann (Burton T. Anderson scholarship)
  • Sonya J. Branson (Eileen Johansen Memorial Scholarship)
  • Katherine M. Higgins (Eileen Johansen Memorial Scholarship)
  • Shirley J. McFall (Eileen Johansen Memorial Scholarship)
  • First Union Corporation (matching Ms. McFall's donation to Eileen Johansen Memorial Scholarship)
  • Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue (Eileen Johansen Memorial Scholarship)
  • Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue (to fund the upcoming one time Robert Erving Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship with monies donated to her by his mother, Susan M. Erving, the late Robert Erving having been one of Dr. Rodrigue's graduate students at CSU Chico)

Spring Banquet and Awards Evening

The Geography Department held its annual Spring Banquet and Awards Evening on Saturday, the 12th of May, at Sam's Seafood. The students receiving scholarships, awards, and distinction are as follows:

  • Michael Moody received the Eileen Johanssen Scholarship
  • Thomas Ellrott received the Steiner Scholarship
  • Mayuko Yoshimoto received the Anderson Scholarship
  • Ed Huefe received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award
  • Mikki Walsh received the Outstanding Thesis Award
  • Joseph Recker received the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award
  • Amanda Bajza received the Distinguished Graduating Senior Award

The meritorious seniors honored this year are:

  • Mr. Nicholas Boesche
  • Ms. Tiffany Bush
  • Mr. Jorge Campbell-Ulloa
  • Ms. Christiane Candelaria
  • Ms. Amy Eifler
  • Mr. Robert Gonick

An unexpected development during the awards banquet was the stealthy organization of a "chair roast" by Drs. Vincent Del Casino and Chrys Rodrigue. Let's just say that Dr. Joel Splansky took all the jibes about "shrink wrap" and "surveying the landscape" in great good spirits! That's what happens to you when you step down as chair WAY too soon!!!

Meritorious Student Luncheon

The Geography Department was delighted to host several graduating students for lunch in the Chartroom on Wednesday the 9th of May in recognition of their high GPAs and other achievements in geography. Here is a photograph of, from left to right: Drs. Chris Lee and Chrys Rodrigue, Mr. Michael Moody, Dr. Suzanne Wechsler, and Ms. Amy Eifler and, standing, Messrs. Joseph Recker and Jorge Campbell. The Department is very proud of your accomplishments and honored that we were able to serve your educational goals. Go out there and do great things for geography!

Major NSF Grant Award!

Drs. Rodrigue and Wechsler and their collaborators in geology, archaeology, and science education have just learned that their $852,000 grant proposal to the National Science Foundation has been selected for funding! For more details, click here.

Our Grad Students Wow 'Em in Portland!

Congratulations to the large contingent of graduate students who made their way to Portland in early February for the 5th Annual Western Geography Student Conference. This group, in fact, won the prize for the most highly represented department at the meeting (and thanks to Dr. Chris Lee for supporting his students' travel to this meeting). On top of the general great attendance, students presented two papers, entitled:

"In the Line of Fire: An Investigation into the Relationship between Aspect and Fire History in the Santa Monica Mountains, 1925-1997" by Lewis Francis, Romey Hagen, Shaun Healy, and Steve Newberg.

and

"Using GIS to Update 27 General Plan Maps" by Valerie Müller

Nice job!! The Department is really proud of you! For photographs of the delegation, check out the Portland Files.

Sigma Xi

Dr. Rodrigue was inducted into the local chapter of Sigma Xi, the science research honor society, on 15 May 2001. She joins Dr. Suzanne Wechsler, who was inducted in Syracuse back in 1996 and affiliated with the CSULB chapter last spring; Dr. Irisita Azary, who was inducted in 1998; and Dr. Chris Lee, who was inducted at Dominguez Hills. Dr. Azary mentioned that one of our graduates, Mr. Larry Harlan (M.A., 2000), is also an associate member at Dr. Azary's nomination!

Internship Web Page

Dr. Suzanne Wechsler would like to remind students and faculty to visit the Geography Internship web page, which has been redesigned and is being updated very frequently. There is always a list of new jobs available to students and the current speaker coming up in the "Jobs in Geography" lecture series.

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[ Jobs ] [ Talks ] [ Changes ] [ Social ] [ Conferences ]
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Jobs

Department of Water Resources

DWR's Southern District is offering employment: Student Assistant or Graduate Student Assistant, in the Urban and Agricultural Land Use Data Collection Program.

JOB DESCRIPTION: A part-time position assisting in the land use data collection program in the Water Conservation and Land and Water Use Section in the Department of Water Resources' Southern District offices in Glendale. Duties will include interpretation of aerial imagery for urban and agricultural land use identification, field inspection of land uses in a variety of settings, creating digitized maps, GIS applications, and other data collection assignments as directed. Overnight travel and extended periods of driving may be required. The selected candidate should expect to work approximately 24 hours per week.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: Current full-time enrollment in a college or university with a major field of study in Geography, Earth Science, Irrigation Science, Agriculture, Environmental Studies, or a related field. Coursework or exposure to most of the following areas is required: remote sensing and aerial photo interpretation, map reading, cartography, computer mapping, field methods in geography, database management, and GIS. Must have a valid California driver's license.

SALARY:

  • From $ 7.84 to $10.30 per hour for Student Assistants.
  • From $ 9.55 to $14.40 per hour for Graduate Student Assistants

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

  • G.I. Bergquist at (818) 543 4655 or
  • David Inouye at (818) 543 4654
    Department of Water Resources
    Southern District
    770 Fairmont Avenue
    GLENDALE, CA. 91203-1035

DEADLINE: All interested candidates must apply by Friday, Sept. 21, 2001.

Attention Graduate Students: Student Assistantships Available!

The Department of Geography at CSULB is offering part-time computer lab technician jobs in the Geography Instructional Lab. Lots of good hours (and some not so good) are still available. The pay ranges from $7.70 to $14.00/hour depending on qualifications!

Requirements:

You MUST be registered for 6 units. Knowledge of computers is expected. Knowledge of ArcView and CorelDraw programs is also expected.
Duties:

  • Produce maps and graphics as needed for faculty and staff using GIS and CADD software;
  • Monitor the lab;
  • Assist students with operations of computers (not their homework, however);
  • Maintain paper and toner in the printer;
  • Keep track of lab usage;
  • Make sure there is no food in the lab.
  • Other assignments may be given as needed.

To learn more or to apply, please e-mail Prof. Jim Woods at jwoods@csulb.edu, telephone him at (562) 985-2128, or visit him during his office hours (MW 5:30-6:30 pm) in LA4-206D.

Part-Time Lecturing at CSULB

The Department of Geography at CSULB is offering part-time lectureships for Spring 2002. For more information on the positions and the application process, please click here.

Part-Time Lecturing at Banning High School for Harbor College

Los Angeles Harbor College needs to hire one or two people immediately to teach world regional geography to Banning High School students who are pursuing international business training. Two classes ar to be taught, and L.A. Harbor College will hire one person to teach both or two people to teach one each. The classes meet on TTh 2:50-4:50 pm or MW 2:50-4:50 pm. Instruction begins on the 8th of September and runs for 14 weeks. Pay rate is hourly and amount depends on credentials and experience. Banning High School is part of the Los Angeles School District and is located south of Carson in the Wilmington area to the east of Harbor College (just off the Harbor Freeway). Instructors last year found the students to be interested and did not experience behavior problems. Sustaining this geography instruction program has the potential to institutionalize geography instruction in the high school, be a model for other high schools, generate student interest in geography at the high school level, and encourage high school students to major in geography at the college level. Banning High School feeds Harbor College, CSUDH, and CSULB. If interested in learning more or applying for the position, please contact Laurel Woodley, Science Division Chair at L.A. Harbor College: (310) 543-4566 x-2414. Thanks to Dr. Melanie Renfrew Chair of Geography at Harbor College and our own Dr. Joel Splansky for getting the news out on this opportunity.

City of Lakewood

One of our spring 2001 alumni, Ms. Carolyn Kolb, has been hired to do GIS for the City of Lakewood. Not too surprising, given her GIS and cartography skills, which just earned her and her collaborators on a City of Lakewood mapping project an award from ESRI!

Port of Long Beach

The Department just learned that one of our graduate students, Mr. Steve Newberg, has been working as a GIS technician for the Port of Long Beach. He says he's been there a couple of months already and that it's a lot of fun applying GIS and the working environment is very nice and stimulating. Way to go, mountain lion webmeister! <G>

Isuzu

The Department is very pleased to announce that one of our newest alums, Mr. Jorge Campbell-Ulloa, was just hired for a position in GIS-based market area analysis for Isuzu Corporation. Congratulations!

Earth Science Associates

A small petroleum research/software development firm in Long Beach sought a part-time undergraduate or graduate student in geography or geology for administrative and research work. Earth Science Associates specializes in quantitative analysis in oil and gas exploration and development, GIS, and creation of spatial analysis tools. Projects range from model development through building add-on tools for spatial analysis to empirical, site-specific projects for clients. ESA's clients are mainly major oil and gas companies, but they also include other consulting firms and government agencies.

The Department is delighted to learn that our own Ms. Christiane Candelaria was the student chosen for this challenging position! Congratulations!

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[ Jobs ] [ Talks ] [ Changes ] [ Social ] [ Conferences ]
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Lectures and Field Trips

Guests from Thomas Brothers Maps

Two representatives from Thomas Bros. Maps visited our campus Thursday, 17 May. Mr. Rob Jesesko, Director of Human Resources, and Ms. Nancy Yoho, Vice- President (and one of our alums), were our guests. The purpose of their visit was to meet with students, talk about Thomas Bros., and collect resumés for possible future employment. Dr. Judith Tyner's Cartography class hosted their talk, and Dr. Suzanne Wechsler organized the visit.

Ms. Angela Wranic

Ms. Angela Wranic, a chemist on the scientific staff at Planet Earth Tech and a lecturer in the Department of Geography, discussed her work and educational experiences for the Jobs in Geography lecture series. The talk was held on Monday, 7 May. Ms. Wranic holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and teaches physical geography courses here and at other local colleges. The Jobs in Geography lecture series is part of the Geography Department Internship Program. For more information on internships and the lecture series, please contact Dr. Suzanne Wechsler.

Dr. Vincent Del Casino

Dr. Vincent Del Casino gave a talk to the College of Education Brown Bag Series on Monday, 23 April. The talk was entitled, "Social Protest, Spatial Praxis, and the Teaching of Radical Geography in World History." Dr. Del Casino reports that this talk is part of a larger paper that he is working on with Dr. Tim Keirn in the History Department, continuing the long tradition of interaction between the Geography and the History departments on this campus.

Dr. Suzanne Wechsler

Dean Abrahamse invited Dr. Wechsler to address the Emeritus Faculty Luncheon, which is a series of colloquia given to retired faculty and faculty participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program. The purpose of the luncheon series is "Informal conversation and a program where three new junior faculty discuss their research with time for discussion about their experiences at CSULB." Dr. Wechsler discussed what geographical information systems are, what they can do, and the work she does to improve GIS' rôle in predicting stream runoff and flood hazard. The Emeritus Faculty Luncheon was held on April 20th. It's a small world after all: Dr. Wechsler knows the other two speakers from other contexts. She was a classmate of Dr. Sherry Span (Psychology) back at Tufts University, and Dr. Sara Goering (Philosophy) is co-advisor with her of the CSULB Golden Key National Honor Society!

Dr. Yonni Schwartz

Dr. Yonni Schwartz gave a talk to Dr. Unna Lassiter's Geography 100 course on 18 April 2001. Mr. Schwartz is a traveler extraordinaire, who rode on a horse through South America for two years, has hiked in the Himalayas several times, and guided other adventurers through the Sinai Desert. For this presentation, he focussed on Nepal, with slides showing the adjustments made by the Nepalese people to their difficult living conditions, conditions that have barely improved in the last decade since democracy. He also discussed some of the negative impacts of tourism, such as massive deforestation and landslides set off by the need to provide wood fuel for small inns where most foreign trekkers overnight.

Dr. Ren Vasiliev

Dr. Ren Vasiliev was our visiting professor in Spring 2001. She is the chair of the Department of Geography at the State University of New York at Geneseo and is here to do her sabbatical research (on the historical derivation of place names in New York). She also normally lives here each summer! She is interested in maps and cartography, and she gave an invited guest lecture to the department on 17 April. The title of her presentation was "Maps in Art/Maps as Art." Her exciting and provocative devil's advocate argument that map-like art objects are in fact maps set off a lively exchange among the audience about what exactly qualifies a representation of the terrain as an authentic map. The debate brought out the different constructions of the "map" among the geographic and the artistic communities. This was such a well-attended talk that people were turned away at the door for lack of space.

Dr. Judith Tyner

Dr. Tyner conducted a field trip for her Geography 482 ("Principles of Thematic Map Design") class to the famous mapping company, Thomas Bros. Dr. Suzanne Wechsler accompanied the class, and she and Dr. Tyner met with the new head of Human Relations there to learn his expectations of new hires there, which may lead to even more internship opportunities there.

Mr. Kris Jones

Mr. Kris Jones gave a talk to the Los Angeles Geographical Society on Friday, 6 April, at Los Angeles City College (for future reference, LACC is at 855 N. Vermont Ave., Franklin Hall, right on Vermont, and the talks are always held in Room 101). The title of his talk was "Cuba 2000." The LAGS is a 48 year old public service organization, which promotes geography to the community in the form of free public lectures (with free cookies and beverages!), field trips, dinner talks, and a number of scholarships. For more information on this great organization, visit their web page at http://www.lageographic.com.

Mr. James Woods

Mr. James Woods gave a guest presentation on the 17th of April concerning his award-winning atlas project, "Membership Analysis of the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific."

Ms. Fay Mancebo

Ms. Fay Mancebo gave a guest lecture on the 4th of April. The topic of her presentation was "Overview of Remote Sensing and GIS in the Philippines."

Dr. Chrys Rodrigue

Dr. Chrys Rodrigue was one of a panel of eight hazards experts flown to St. Petersburg, Florida, by the Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. The panel reviewed 24 research proposals submitted for funding in order to recommend four or five that fit within the CDMHA budget. Dr. Rodrigue made presentations and moderated discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of three proposals.

Ms. Brandy Berker

Ms. Brandy Berker gave a talk in the "Jobs in Geography" series. Ms. Berker is a CSULB Geography Department alum, who now works for Earth Science Associates. ESA is a petroleum research and software development firm located in Long Beach, and Ms. Berker discussed her work and how her educational experiences relate to what she does now. ESA, by the way, is advertising for geography and geology students to work for them part-time and, later, full-time. Check out the announcement in the "Jobs" section above. Ms. Berker's talk is sponsored by the Geography Department Internship Program.

Dr. Frank Gossette

Dr. Frank Gossette gave a talk to the International Brown Bag Lunch Discussion Series on Wednesday, 14 March. His talk provided information about "Living in Salzburg, Austria." The International Brown Bag Lunches are hosted by the Center for International Education and the Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society.

Ms. Susanne Byrne-Dronkers

Ms. Susanne Byrne-Dronkers, presently a graduate student in geography, gave a talk on "Careers in GIS" to the "Jobs in Geography" lecture series on Tuesday the 27th of February. The Jobs in Geography guest lecture series is sponsored by the Geography Department Internship Program, which is coördinated by Dr. Suzanne Wechsler. For more information on the Internship Program, either contact Dr. Wechsler or visit the program's web page.

Ms. Robin Lee

Ms. Robin Lee is the Coördinator for Coöperative Education at the CSULB Career Development Center. On the 26th of February, she presented a talk, entitled, "How to Make the Most of Your Internship," to the Jobs in Geography lecture series organized by Dr. Suzanne Wechsler this semester.

Dr. Frank Gossette

Dr. Frank Gossette made a presentation on "Study and Teaching abroad as Part of the Liberal Arts Experience" to the College of Liberal Arts Faculty Retreat on February 9. The theme for the heavily-attended all-day retreat this year was "Teaching and Learning in the Liberal Arts: Different Formats, Different Paths."

Dr. Stan Trimble

Dr. Stan Trimble of UCLA was our guest for National Geography Awareness Week. The theme this year was conservation, and Dr. Trimble gave a guest lecture on this theme, focussing on "Human-Induced Soil Erosion and Sedimentation in the Upper Midwest." Many thanks to Dr. Suzanne Wechsler for organizing this talk.

Dr. Bryan Baker

Dr. Bryan Baker of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) out in Redlands, was our featured speaker for GIS Day 2000, a part of National Geography Awareness Week. His lecture addressed "Can GIS Survive the Internet?" This talk was organized by Dr. Suzanne Wechsler.

Dr. Peter Black

Dr. Peter Black of Syracuse University visited our campus on Thursday, 9 November, on his way to give presentations in New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, and Ethiopia. Dr. Black is a world-known expert in watershed hydrology and related land resources. He is the author of numerous books including Watershed Hydrology and Soil and Water Conservation Policy. He made a dynamic, accessible, and engaging presentation on how watersheds function in Dr. Suzanne Wechsler's class on Thursday, November 9th.

Dr. Chrys Rodrigue

Dr. Chrys Rodrigue took her biogeography students into the field for an all-day data-gathering expedition to Charmlee Park. Charmlee Park is in westernmost L.A. County, in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking Malibu (about 12 miles west of downtown Malibu and 4 miles up Encinal Canyon). It contains four distinct vegetation communities (coastal sage, chaparral, California prairie, and oak park) and the ruins of an old cattle ranch. Students examined soil compaction and severe gullying on trails and the change in vegetation as a trail is approached (using a transect sampling method). They got plenty of practice in the use of a floristic key to identify woody plants and composites. They then assembled two one square meter quadrat sampling frames (thanks to Dr. Jean Wheeler, recently retired, for those!) and used the grids to map three species of lichen on rock faces. Field data were brought back to class and analyzed statistically, the results presented in class and in group reports. A dividend on this trip was the bus driver, who turned out to be unexpectedly (and sometimes disconcertingly) entertaining!

Ms. Cecilia Padres

Ms. Cecilia Padres, Environmental Project Manager for Geotek, Inc., of Vista, California, spoke about her career in environmental assessment to the Jobs in Geography lecture series, being organized this semester by Dr. Suzanne Wechsler.

Dr. Stephen Pyne

Dr. Stephen Pyne, an expert on wildfire in America and on the Grand Canyon and author of numerous books, gave the Phi Beta Kappa lecture on Monday, 2 October. Dr. Pyne is an historian and professor in the Biology and Society Program at Arizona State University. His riveting talk was entitled, "Where Have All the Fires Gone? A Look at Why and How the American West Burns." The talk was co-sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Fellows and The Odyssey Project, hosted by Dean Dee Abrahamse, and was organized by Dr. Suzanne Wechsler and Mr. James Woods.

Dr. Jim Curtis

Dr. Jim Curtis conducted a field trip of the Long Beach area for new faculty at CSULB. Dr. Curtis has been offering this popular field trip for a few years now to help orient new faculty in all disciplines to the cultural and environmental riches of the area the campus serves. This year's trip was held on Saturday, 30 September..

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Changes among the Faculty

New Undergraduate Advisor!

Dr. Molly Debysingh will be assuming the position of Undergraduate Advisor during Fall of 2001. Dr. Debysingh's office is in LA4-103, and she can also be reached at (562) 985-4453 and debysing@csulb.edu. She will also serve as faculty advisor to the Geography Student Association.

New Graduate Advisor!

Dr. Chrys Rodrigue will serve as Graduate Advisor during 2001-02. Her office will be in LA4-105, and she can also be reached at (562) 985-4895 and rodrigue@csulb.edu.

Department Chair Changing of the Guard

Dr. Joel Splansky, who chairs the Department of Geography, has decided to enter the Faculty Early Retirement Plan (FERP). He will be taking every other semester off. As a result, he is stepping down as chair, effective late summer of 2001. In a triumph of democracy, Dr. Christine M. Rodrigue handily defeated Dr. Write-in Candidate to become the new department chair. On learning the results, Dr. Rodrigue commented, "Thank you. I think." She knows she has one tough act to follow! The department wishes to thank Dr. Splansky for his leadership in two years of unprecedented change and growth in the department.

Dr. Outwater Takes Administrative Leave

Dr. Richard Outwater has accepted appointment as the Associate Vice President, Academic Information Technology. He is responsible for technology planning and development for Academic Affairs. Academic Affairs includes all of the colleges and the campus-wide support services, such as Academic Computing Services and Audio Visual Services. He reports that his e-mail remains the same, outwater@csulb.edu, but his new office is in Brotman Hall (BH 308), and his new telephone number is (562) 985-4128. The department is very proud of Dr. Outwater's achievement and campus-wide recognition, and we wish him the best of luck in his new position. Very sadly for us, this is a full-time position, so he cannot continue to teach for us.

Geography Welcomes New Human Geography Lecturer!

The Department of Geography is delighted to report the appointment of a new full-time human geography lecturer, Dr. Terence Young. Dr. Young comes to us with a B.A. in Anthropology from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Biogeography from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Cultural-Environmental Geography from UCLA. His areas of specialization are the cultural aspects of North American recreational environments in urban, rural, and wildland settings. He has published in a range of academic journals and edited volumes, including a forthcoming article, "Moral Order, Language, and the Failure of the 1930 Recreation Plan for Los Angeles County" in Planning Perspectives and a book, The Parks of San Francisco, from the Johns Hopkins University Press. He has served as Acting Director of Studies in Landscape Architecture at Harvard University's Dumbarton Oaks and as a Project Manager in the Sustainable Cities Program at USC. He has also held fellowships at Dumbarton Oaks, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, and at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. Dr. Young also has ten years teaching experience at Clemson University, George Washington University, Mary Washington College, UCLA, and USC with courses in cultural geography, environmental geography, history and philosophy of geography, geography of the US and Canada, historical geography of the US, historical-environmental geography of European expansion, urban geography, and world regional geography. Professor Young will be with us for one year to replace Dr. Outwater. Next semester, he is scheduled to teach Geography 100 ("World Regional Geography"), Geography 160 ("Human Geography"), and Geography 466 ("Principles of Urban Geography"). We are pleased to welcome Dr. Young!

Geography Welcomes New Physical Geography Lecturer!

The Department of Geography is very pleased to report the hire of a new full-time physical geography lecturer, Mr. Noel Ludwig. Professor Ludwig will be with us for three semesters to replace Dr. Azary, who's on parental leave. Mr. Ludwig has a joint BS/BA degree in Geology and English from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an M.S. degree in Geophysics from the University of Hawaii. He is ABD (which means nearly done with his Ph.D., "all but dissertation") from the Department of Geography at the University of Hawaii. His area of specializaton is watershed science and management, and he also has a background in international environmental issues. He has published research articles on various topics in well-regarded academic journals. He served for five years as project manager of the Environmental Center at the University of Hawaii. He has taught courses in physical geography, statistics, water and society, and the geography of peace and war. He is teaching introductory physical geography and climatology this semester and will also be doing people as agents of environmental change next semester. Welcome aboard!!!

In Memoriam

Dr. Fred Scantling, Professor Emeritus of Geography, died of cancer on 31 July. He had joined the faculty in 1966, retiring in 1980. Dr. Splansky had this to say about him: "His most remarkable class was Geography of the Pacific area. Fred's knowledge of the region and his stylish delivery made the class an early favorite. We will all certainly miss his charm and ready smile, yet he has left us with many warm memories."

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Social Events

Dr. Unna Lassiter Visits Dr. Jean Wheeler

Dr. Unna Lassiter trekked out to Los Osos to visit Dr. Jean Wheeler, Professor Emerita, who retired in summer of 2000. The highlights of this visit were Dr. Wheeler's travel stories of heart-stopping adventures in the South Pacific, stepping over tiger snakes in Australia, and witnessing police brutality in Papua New Guinea. In Los Osos, Dr. Lassiter was also treated to a walk through Elfin Forest, a dense coastal grove of small oaks, that is home to rare and endangered species of plants and animals of the Morro Bay Estuary and that Dr. Wheeler has become active in protecting. While there, the two discussed Geography 326, Pacific Island Area, which Dr. Wheeler taught for many years and which Dr. Lassiter has been preparing lately.

Dr. Eugenie Rovai Visits Campus

Dr. Eugenie Rovai, incoming chair of the Department of Geography and Planning at California State University, Chico, is visiting Dr. Chrys Rodrigue this week (25 June through 28 June), so that the two of them can work on the anthology on earthquake hazards they are putting together for Routledge Press.

Dr. Azary's Husband, Roger Lee, Is Fêted by NASA

Dr. Irisita Azary reports that she, her husband, Roger Lee, and their son, Alexander Lee, trekked to Washington, D.C. While there, Roger Lee, was honored with a "Mid-Level Management" award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Congratulations! Dr. Azary took Alexander to the Museum of Natural History in D.C. Here is a picture of them at the museum, and is that kid ever a cutie! Dr. Azary comments that he's already half as tall as she is!

Distinguished Visitor

Dr. Frank Gossette reports that Dr. Josef Strobl, chair of Geography at the University of Salzburg visited our campus Monday, 5 March. He was treated to lunch at the Chart Room by Dr. Gossette and then shown around the campus and department.

Dr. Azary Becomes a Mom!!!
Dr. Irisita Azary is now a mom! She and her husband, Roger Lee, are really excited and very happy, as they have been looking forward to this for a very long time. She is taking two years of parental leave. Here's a picture of the adorable little guy (Alexander) and one way happy Dr. Azary. By the way, while she's on leave, she can still be reached at azary@csulb.edu. ¡¡¡FELICITACIÓNES!!!

A Brand-New Baby Menguita!!!

Graduate student, Ron Menguita is proud and happy to announce that he and his wife, Azin Menguita, have had a baby!!! Her name is Kiana, and she was born Saturday, February 10, 2001, at 1:58 pm. She weighed in at 6 pounds 10 ounces, and is 20 1/2 inches tall. Heavens -- is a Geography baby boom underway? You can congratulate them by e-mailing Ron and Azin. Here's a picture of Kiana taking a nap, and here's Kiana enjoying a big yawn! What a cute kid! CONGRATULATIONS!

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Upcoming Conferences, Calls for Papers, Contests

International Conference on Human Geography: The Third U.S. - China Symposium

The Department of Geography at California State University, Northridge, is hosting the International Conference on Human Geography: The Third U.S. - China Symposium, from the 8th through the 10th of November, at the Warner Center Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills (in the southwestern San Fernando Valley off the 101). Everyone is invited to attend.

So far, more than sixty Chinese geographers have registered for this conference. Their names and the abstracts of their papers can be read at: http://www.csun.edu/geography/conference.html.

The deadline for submitting abstracts for North American colleagues is 15 September 2001. Registration for North American colleagues is $50. For students, registration is only $30.

The preliminary program is:

  • Thursday, 8 November: One day tour of Los Angeles and evening reception
  • Friday, 9 November: Opening ceremony, paper session, evening banquet
  • Saturday, 10 November: Paper session, closing ceremony

For more information, please feel free to contact the organizer, Dr. I-Shou Wang.

URISA Conference

The Urban and Regional Information Systems Assocation (URISA) is holding its 39th annual conference here in Long Beach, 24-29 October 2001!!! It will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center. Registration is $132 for professional members of URISA and $68 for students (and there is a discounted membership program available if you join and register for the Long Beach meeting by the 17th of September). For more information, please visit: http://www.urisa.org/2001AnnualConference/program.htm.

NACIS Student Web Map Contest

The North American Cartographic Information Society is hosting its third Student Web Map Contest. It's free to enter, and EASY, besides. You just send in an e-mail with the URL where your web mapping effort resides. That's pretty much all there is to it. There are two categories: interactive web map and animated web map. And, the best part (besides adulation and recognition, of course), these puppies pack a $500 award. Each! Oh, your chances are so much the better, too, because prior winners are ineligible!

The deadline for submissions is 23 September 2001 (so they can dish out the awards at the October meeting, which is in Portland, OR, 3-6 October). To learn more about the rules and get the guidelines for entry, check out the Student Web Map Contest web page. To get the program and other information about the NACIS meeting, click here.

Association of Pacific Coast Geographers

The APCG will hold its annual meeting from September 12-15 at UC Santa Barbara.

Very importantly, the APCG has money available for travel grants to help student attendees defray some of the costs of travel and lodging (up to $100). This is made available on a first-come, first-served basis until they run out of money. To get an application form, e-mail Dr. Bill Preston. Dr. Splansky may also have a few copies.

Association of American Geographers

The AAG will be holding its annual national conference in Los Angeles (at the Westin Bonaventure downtown) next year from March 19-23! The call for papers is out now and available in the AAG Newsletter and at http://www.aag.org/PDF/cfp2002.pdf. The AAG looks to the geographers and geography departments in the area to develop field trips in the local area, so, if you have a great field trip you'd like to showcase nationally, you might start thinking about proposing it to the AAG. Also, there are a whole bunch of student competitions. You can learn more about the meeting at: http://www.aag.org/AnnualMeetings/Intro.html.
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Have Any News Items You Want to Share?

This news page is for everyone in the Department -- students, faculty, staff, and alumni. If you would like to tell folks about your accomplishments or notify us of something you think we'd like to know about, please contact Dr. Rodrigue (rodrigue@csulb.edu) or LA4 206D and she'll get your news up here.

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