Website: http://geo.appstate.edu
Connection to Sustainability: Includes fields of Human Geography, Physical Geography, Geographic Information Science and Planning; Geography seeks to understand the spatial interactions between humans and the earth; Planning applies sustainable practices in building transportation systems, urban and green spaces, economic development, and overall resilient communities.
Teaching: Physical Geography (Humans & their Environment); World Regional Geography; Global Change of the Biosphere; Geography of Latin America; Environmental Issues in Appalachia; Geography of the American South; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Remote Sensing; Transportation Planning; Land Use Planning
Research: NSF-sponsored research related to climate change and how glacial recession impacts water systems in Peru and Bolivia; Spatiotemporal patterns of environmental health illnesses; Mardi Gras Indians and their cultural survival in New Orleans; Public transportation systems; Economic Development; Water systems (flooding, stream flow and temperature); Using tree rings to assess climate change and periods of past drought; Critiques of development.
Student Engagement and Outreach Activities: Students are involved with research projects. Student researchers attend state and national conferences (NC-APA, SEDAAG, AAG). Student internships include work with land trusts and conservation associations, town, city and regional planning organizations, major software developers and private industries. An ongoing outreach project brings local teachers to the Andes to study climate change and glacial recession. We oversee the North Carolina Geographic Alliance, funded by National Geographic, it provides high quality instructional resources to geography teachers throughout the state.