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Kansas State University

 

Visiting Scholars and Colloquia

 

The Department of Geography at Kansas State University invites a number of nationally and internationally recognized scholars to our campus each year.  Recent speakers, along with short biographical sketches, are shown below.  A list of past visiting scholars, colloquia and other presentations can be found here. 

Note:  Hyperlinked presentation titles will start streaming multimedia files made using Microsoft Producer, which requires the use of Internet Explorer to view, or Real Audio.

University Visiting Scholars

 

The KSU Department of Geography sponsors, and works closely with the Provost, Vice Provost for Academic Service and Technology, Women in Engineering and Science Program (WESP), and the ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Program to co-sponsor, presentations by world class geography and allied educators and scientists.  Past speakers have included Dr. Keith C. Clarke (University of California at Santa Barbara), Dr. David Maidment (University of Texas-Austin), Dr. Emelio Moran (University of Indiana), Dr. Bill Turner (Clark University), and Dr. Dawn Wright (Oregon State University). 

Recent visiting scholars include:

 

Dr. Ruth DeFries, "Land Use Dynamics in Tropical Landscapes."
September 20, 2007 3:30 p.m. Fiedler Auditorium (Provost Lecture on Excellence in Scholarship)

Ruth DeFries is a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park with joint appointments in the Department of Geography and the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center.  Her research investigates the relationships between human activities, the land surface, and the biophysical and biogeochemical processes that regulate the Earth's habitability.  She is interested in observing land cover and land use change at regional and global scales with remotely sensed data and exploring the implications for ecological services such as climate regulation, the carbon cycle, and biodiversity.  Dr. DeFries obtained a Ph.D. in 1980 from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor's degree in 1976 from Washington University with a major in earth science.  She is a fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program and was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2006.

 

Jack Dangermond, "GIS Vision and Enabling Technology."
March 8, 2007 1:30-3:00 p.m. Fiedler Auditorium (Provost Lecture Series)

Jack Dangermond is the founder and president of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).  Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Redlands, California, ESRI is widely recognized as the technical and market leader in geographic information systems (GIS) software, pioneering innovative solutions for working with spatial data on the desktop, across the enterprise, in the field, and on the web.  ESRI has the largets GIS software install base in the world with more than one million users in more than 300,000 organizations worldwide.  He fostered the growth of ESRI from a small research group to an organization of over 3,100 employees, known internationally for GIS software development, training, and services.  Jack holds seven honorary doctorates from California Polytechnic University - Pomona, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of West Hungary, City University in London, University of Redlands in California, Ferris State University in Michigan, and Loma Linda University Medical Center.

 

Department Colloquia and Other Presentations

 

The Department of Geography also conducts several colloquia and special presentations that are designed to share current research being conducted by visiting researchers, geography faculty, students, and allied scientists.  Forums for these presentations include GEOG 800 Graduate Colloquium and the GTU-sponsored "Brown Bag" series held over the lunch hour. 

Presentations during the 2009-2010 academic year are listed below. 

 

Dr. John A. Harrington, Jr., "The Climate of the Central North American Grassland:  What We've Learned and Research Questions for the 21st Century."
August 21, 2009 3:00 pm Big 12 Room KSU Student Union

Dr. Harrington is a Professor of Geography at Kansas State University.  Sponsored by Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter and the Department of Geography.

Dr. Daniel Hirmas, "Soil Geomorphology of an Arid Mountain Bolson, Mojave Desert, USA."
September 11, 2009 3:30 pm Room 132 Seaton Hall

Dr. Hirmas is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Kansas.  Dr. Hirmas' primary research interests are in arid zone soils, specifically, genesis and biogeochemical cycling of soils in desert mountains.  Sponsored by the Department of Geography and Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter.

Dr. Sarah W. Bednarz, "Spatial Thinking:  Progress In and For Geography."
September 18, 2009 3:30 pm Little Theater KSU Student Union

Dr. Bednarz is a Professor of Geography and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University.  Dr. Bednarz’s primary research interests focus on cognition, geography education, and ways geospatial technologies support the development of spatial thinking.  Sponsored by the Department of Geography, Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter and the Center for Social Studies Education.

Dr. Milan Shrestha, "A Comparative Analysis of Land Fragmentation and Socioecological Gradients."
October 9, 2009 3:30 pm Room 132 Seaton Hall

Dr. Shrestha  is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate affiliated with the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University and contributes to the Central Arizona - Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Project's Land-use Framentation Study.  Sponsored by the Department of Geography and Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter.

Dr. Steven Kale, "Regional and Local Social Movements toward Renewable Energy Development and Energy Self-Sufficiency in Marginal Areas of the Pacific Northwest."
October 23, 2009 3:30 pm Room 132 Seaton Hall

Dr. Kale is a consultant with SR Kale Consulting LLC in Salem Oregon, which specializes in helping clients with freight, intermodal, and socioeconomic planning, research, and analysis.  Sponsored by the Department of Geography and Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter.

Dr. Charles W. Martin, "Heavy Metal Storage in the Lahn River Basin, Central Germany:  15 Years and Counting."
November 6, 2009 3:30 pm Room 132 Seaton Hall

Dr. Martin is an Associate Professor of Geography at Kansas State University.  Sponsored by Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter and the Department of Geography.

Dr. Lisa M.B. Harrington, "Conceptions of Sustainability."
November 13, 2009 3:30 pm Room 132 Seaton Hall

Dr. Harrington is a Professor of Geography at Kansas State University.  Sponsored by Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter and the Department of Geography.

Dr. Barney Warf, "Nationalism, Cosmopolitanism, and Geographical Imaginations."
November 20, 2009 3:30 pm Room 132 Seaton Hall

Dr. Warf is a Professor of Geography at the University of Kansas.  Sponsored by Gamma Theta Upsilon Beta Psi Chapter and the Department of Geography.