Skip to the content

Kansas State University

Students learning in the field
Center pivot irrigation in the high plains
Satellite image of Manhattan area

Geography at K-State


 

Discovery and dissemination of new knowledge are the cornerstones of the Department of Geography missions.  Drawing upon the research interests and experience of the faculty, the department's core areas of geographic inquiry are illustrated in the figure below.  Much of the research conducted by faculty and graduate students incorporates more than one of these themes and we accomplish these research activities in an atmosphere of open inquiry and academic freedom.

The department's research mission incorporates:

  • Research into human spatial behavior, regional and place identity, and the relationship between humans and the environment, such as societal adjustments to floods, population redistribution in the Great Plains, cultural, social, and ethnic change in the landscape, and assessments of migration decisions associated with residential satisfaction;
  • Studies that reinforce the land-grant mandate of the institution, including agricultural water management and rural community development, examination of the role on climatic variability on Great Plains ecosystems, and assessment of changes in stream systems and reservoirs related to human activity;
  • Examination of the applicability of new geographic knowledge and the emerging technologies associated with computer cartography, geographic information systems, and remote sensing; and
  • A symbiotic relationship among discovery of new knowledge, graduate and undergraduate education, and improvement in the quality of life through research application to societal issues.

In accomplishing the University's instructional mission, we stress quality teaching and advising and strive to provide all students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, understanding, and skills characteristic of an educated person. Our contributions include:

  • Providing undergraduate and graduate students with a thorough grounding in the discipline of geography from a liberal arts perspective;
  • Teaching service courses that provide students with an opportunity to meet a number of either general education or college distribution requirements with classes and seminars that deal with international awareness, social and cultural diversity, and human interactions with the physical environment;
  • Assisting in the training of elementary and secondary teachers so that geographical education programs can be strengthened;
  • Preparing students to better appreciate local, regional, and global affairs by promoting attainment of knowledge and modes of thought that will help individuals make meaningful lifetime decisions;
  • Educating students so that they are successful in either further academic study or professional employment;
  • Offering extracurricular learning experiences, including geographically oriented internships and seminars by internationally renowned geographic scholars, that promote academic excellence and cultural diversity; and
  • Using educational approaches that permit the communication and application of basic geographic concepts and techniques that have broad implications for other disciplines.