Geography Lives! Newsletter 2015

8/9/2019 Geography Lives! Newsletter 2015

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GEOGRAPHY LIVES! GRCC GEOGRAPHY NEWS Issue # 1 1 1

GEOGRAPHYLIVES!

GRCC Geography News

January 2015

2015 FACES OF AFRICAN WILDLIFE CALENDAR DECEMBER PHOTO IN THIS ISSUE

The GRCC chapter of the International

Geographical Honor Society (GTU)

partners with the Campaign for Female

Education (Camfed)

to

raise

funds

for

the education of girls in East Africa.

Camfed maintains that “When you

educate a girl in Africa, everything

changes. She’ll be three times less likely

to get HIV/AIDS, earn 25 percent more

income and have a smaller, healthier

family.” Moreover, as women become

empowered, towns and villages tend to

achieve higher levels of prosperity.

Economic and political stability are

enhanced and the threat of civil unrest

and war is reduced considerably. Raising

funds for Camfed is one way Geography

students at

GRCC

make

a difference

for

a better world. Since 2011, enough has

been raised to send 20 girls to school in

Zimbabwe and Zambia. This year’s goal

is to raise funds for the education of

three more girls. The GTU chapter is

selling t‐shirts, jewelry, and crafts on

campus, and this is the third consecutive

year the Faces of African Wildlife

calendar is being offered for donations

of $10.00.

Photographs in the calendar include

wild Africa’s “Magnificent Seven,” in

addition to a number of other

mammals, as well as the colorful Lilac‐

breasted roller (pictured above).

For more information, contact the

chapter officers: Jeremy Trent

( [email protected]),

Hannah Cluley

([email protected]),

or Lea Oliver

([email protected]).

Careers in Geography and GRCCAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the ave

salary for a Geographer is well over $74,000 a year. T

GRCC Geography program provides students with a

solid foundation, and many alumni have gone on to

pursue graduate studies with full funding. (Photo:

Alyson Mabie and Nicole Arce conducting fire ecolo

fieldwork in Yosemite National Park) Page 2

Alumni Success Stories

The South Pacific, Croatia, and Mexico are a few of t

places alumni have explored, following the award of

funds for fieldwork, as well as teaching assistantship

complete their graduate degrees. (Photo: Cadey

Korson) Page 4

GRCC GEOGRAPHY HONOR SOCIETYSENDS AFRICAN GIRLS TO SCHOOL



GEOGRAPHY LIVES! GRCC GEOGRAPHY NEWS | Issue #1

___________________

A Word from the

Social Sciences

Department Chair

Dear Friends and Alumni of

GRCC Geography,

I am pleased to introduce myself to you as the

chair of the Social Sciences Department, and

to bring you this edition of Geography Lives!,

our annual effort to keep you informed about

and connected to our work here. Our

department is very fortunate to have had a

long history of dedicated Geography faculty

and students since I arrived in 1999. These

pages report on events in the discipline over

the last year, and describe some of the

activities and accomplishments of our faculty,

students, and alumni. Some of you may not

know that

GRCC

is

a pioneer

in

the

field

of

geographic studies nationally. We were one of

the first community colleges to be awarded a

chapter of GTU, the prestigious geographical

honor society, and the only one to be awarded

“Honors.”

It is my hope that you find the information in

this newsletter to be informative and

enlightening. I wish you all the very best as

we move into another exciting year.

Mike Light, Professor of History

GTU/Camfed

Honor Roll

Lambda Upsilon recognizes

those listed below, as well as

many anonymous donors,

thanking them

all

for

their

contributions:

Laurie Chesley

Mike DeVivo

Rosemarie DeVivo

Jim Fox

Gilda Gely

Lisa Gloege

Timothy Gloege

Robert Hendershot

John Kennedy

Mike Light

Heather Richards

Ray Sumner

Waldo Tobler

Gordan Vurusic

Careers inGeography andGRCC

Geographers are known to employ a global

perspective. By possessing and applying

knowledge of how people, places, and

regions are linked by global networks and

processes (e.g., globalization, international

trade, immigration, Internet technology,

global climate), they are able to engage in

sound analysis critical for solving problems

facing humanity and the environment.

According

to

the

U.S.

Bureau

of

Labor

Statistics

(BLS),

Geographers

earn

an

average of $74, 760 annually. Geography

positions are expected to grow 30 percent

or more by 2022, which is much faster than

the average rate of growth. The BLS

estimated

that

60

percent

of

geographers

worked for federal government agencies in

2010, 15 percent for architectural or

engineering firms and 9 percent for academic

institutions. The remaining 16 percent

worked for commercial research &

development firms or state‐government

agencies.

Geographers are often placed in leadership

roles and frequently tasked with integrating

complex information from a variety of

sources, analyzing it, and engaging in

effectual decision‐making. Many find that a

strong background in fields such as history,

anthropology, economics, international

relations, ecology, and computer science is

advantageous. Although geography

undergraduate and graduate programs are

located in

colleges

and

universities

across

t

country, and the position of GEOGRAPHER

held by a number of federal government

employees, most geographers hold positio

with other job titles. The GRCC Geography

program is considered to be among the bes

community college geography programs in

North America. Of the 300 chapters of the

International Geographical Honor Society,

2013, the GRCC chapter became one of onl

eight distinguished with the award of

“Honors.” Moreover, GRCC Geography

alumni have a strong record of success in

gaining fellowships and assistantships of

$13,000 to

$23,000

annually

for

the

completion of graduate degrees in

Geography. In this manner, alumni have

been funded to pursue M.A. and Ph.D.

degrees at the University of Texas, Univers

of Missouri, Ohio University, Kent State,

Western Michigan, Rutgers, and Syracuse.

Current GRCC students interested in

pursuing Geography as a major are

encouraged to contact Professor DeVivo at

[email protected].

Below is a list of occupations that are suitab

for individuals with academic degrees in

Geography in reference to specific fields. T

list is not intended to be conclusive; it’s

simply designed to show many of the

opportunities that are available.

Environmental

Geography

Knowing and applying information about t

natural environment and the ways in which

Welcome t o t he inaugural issue of

GEOGRAPHY LIVES! --- a

newslett er designed t o provi de

t he Gr and Rapi ds Communit y

College st udent body, f acult y,

admin ist ra t ion , st a f f , andt rust ees wi t h in format ion and

news about t he inst i t u t i on’ s

Geography pr ogram and it s

alumni.

Inquiries and comments may be directed to theSocial Sciences Department Educational SupportProfessional, Ms. Stacey Herrick:[email protected], the Social SciencesDepartment Chair, Professor Mike Light:[email protected], or the Professor of Geography,Dr. M.S. DeVivo: [email protected].

The photo to the right illustrates geographical

research

in

the

Sierra

Nevada

Mountains,

funded

by

the National Geographic Society.

Jobs forGeographers




they are interconnected, as well as the

manner in which humans create impacts on

environmental phenomena

Natural Resource Manager

Park Ranger

Water Resources Analyst

Environmental Scientist

Climatologist

Physical Scientist

Environmental Conservationist Field Guide

Natural

Hazards

Knowing and applying geographic

information about natural hazards (e.g.,

hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fire)

Emergency Management Specialist

Forest Fire Inspector

Environmental Consultant

Ecological Risk Assessor

Geotechnical Engineer

Hazards Analyst

Regional

Geography

Possessing and applying knowledge of the

physical and human geography of a specific

country or world region

Military Intelligence Analyst

International Development Specialist

Foreign Service Officer

Urban and Regional Planner

Geointelligence Specialist

Tour Guide & Escort

Interpreter & Translator

Community Developer

Cultural

Geography


information about culture and cultural

processes (e.g., religion, language, ethnicity,

diffusion, meaning of landscapes, cultural

significance of place)

Tour Guide and Escort

Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teacher

Interpreter & Translator

Historic Preservationist

Writer/Editor

Journalist

Cultural Resource Manager

Fine Arts Director

Regional Development

Specialist

Human

Environmental

Interaction


information about relationships between

nature and society (e.g., pollution from

industrial development, economic effects of

drought)

Tour Guide and Travel Consultant

Accredited Land Consultant

Manager of Sustainability

Environmental Impact Assessment Specialist

Environmental Affairs Specialist

Agricultural Food Supply Analyst

Journalist

Humanitarian Relief Worker

Economic

Geography


information about the economy and

economic processes (e.g., labor,

development, industry, agriculture,

transportation, trade, resources, land use, technology change)

Transportation Manager

Location Analyst

Market Researcher

Business Development Consultant

Real Estate Appraiser

Environmental Economist

Commodities Investment Analyst

Political

Geography


information about political systems and

processes

(e.g.,

governments,

political

activism, nongovernmental organizations,

nations, states, international relations,

nationalism)

Lobbyist

Diplomat

Community Organizer

Policy Consultant

Policy Researcher

Political Strategist

Foreign Service Officer

Geopolitical Specialist

Population Geography

Knowing

and

applying

geographic

information about population, demography,

and demographic processes (e.g., population

density, migration, birth and death rates,

fertility rates)

Market Analyst

Population, Real Estate, Community

Association Manager

Urban and Regional Planner

Demographer

Public Health Officer

Cartography

Designing and producing maps

Cartographer and Photogrammetrist

Surveying and

Mapping

Technician

Civil Drafter

Graphics Editor

Digital Cartographer

GIS

Using Geographic Information Systems to

acquire, manage, display, and analyze spatial

data in digital form

Geospatial Information Scientist and

Technologist

Geospatial Analyst

GIS Developer

Logistics Analyst

Transportation Planner

Public Utilities Analyst

Remote

Sensing

and

Photogrammetry

Recording, measuring, and interpreting

aerial photographs and remote sensing

satellite images

Defense Intelligence Analyst

Remote Sensing Scientist and Technologist Geointelligence Specialist

Remote Sensing Analyst

Sensor Specialist

Radar and Sonar Technician

Surveyor

Weather and Climate


information about weather, climate, and

atmospheric processes (e.g., temperature,

precipitation, air quality)

Climate Change Analyst

Air

Pollution

Analyst

Atmospheric and Space Scientist

Climatologist

Broadcast Meteorologist

Biogeography


information about ecosystems and

ecological processes (e.g., vegetation,

wildlife, natural habitats)

Soil and Plant Scientist

Natural Sciences Manager

Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist

Forester

Biological

Science

Technician

Environmental Conservation Officer

Ecologist

Field Guide

Park Ranger

Geomorphology


information about geology and the process

that shape physical landscapes (e.g. soils,

hydrology, topography, erosion)

Soil and Plant Specialist

Water Resources Specialist

Environmental Scientist

Geophysicist

Topographic Analyst

Sources: http://ga.lsu.edu/careers/,

http://jobs.aag.org/,

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life‐physical‐and‐

social‐science/geographers.htm




Geography Coursesat GRCCGRCC provides one of the widest selections

of Geography courses offered in a

community college, and courses are

scheduled every semester. GE 132: Physical

Geography and GE 135: World Regional

Geography are

offered

in

Fall,

Winter,

and

Summer terms. GE 210: Cultural Geography is

offered in Fall and Summer terms. GE 253:

Regional Geography of the U.S. and Canada is

scheduled in the Winter and Summer terms.

Plans are being made to offer GE 140:

Geography of Michigan in Fall 2015. Courses

on Immigration and Ethnicity and Sub‐

Saharan Africa are also being planned to be

offered again at a future date. All courses

foster high levels of critical thinking and

analysis, and seamless transfer to GRCC’s

principal transfer institutions is a given.

Although it can be challenging for some

students, online

or

hybrid

forms

of

instruction are offered for each course. This

provides those that are unable to attend

traditional classes optimal opportunities for

success. In fact, the record shows that

students who complete all assignments as

directed tend to be successful.

Even in the current era of declining student

numbers, with rare exception, sections tend

to reach capacity enrollment. At the dawn of

winter semester, no more than three seats

remained vacant in eight sections, making

geography courses overall 99% full. Students

interested in

any

of

the

courses

should

contact Professor DeVivo at:

[email protected]

AlumniSuccess StoriesAlthough they have continued their studies

in Geography elsewhere, most GRCC

Geography alumni have chosen to complete

their B.A. degrees at either Aquinas College

or Grand Valley State University (GVSU), and

they tend to pursue graduate degrees

afterward. Geography

is

unique

in

the

liberal

arts and sciences, as the demand for

geographers far exceeds the supply, so

assistantships and fellowships for graduate

study are plentiful. GRCC Geography alumni

that choose to go to graduate school not

only engage in their studies without paying

tuition, they are paid stipends to cover living

expenses and also often are awarded

additional funds for foreign area research.

In the past year, three alumni have been

awarded funding to conduct research

abroad. Marina Pavletic, who is completing

the M.A. at Western Michigan University,

received funding to conduct fieldwork in

Croatia devoted to organic farming and

tourism. Ben Gerlofs, a Ph.D. student at

Rutgers University, was awarded funding to

conduct research on the urban geography of

Mexico City. Cadey Korson, a Ph.D.

Candidate at Kent State University, was

funded to conduct fieldwork in the South

Pacific French territory of New Caledonia on

matters relating to political geography.

Cadey plans to complete all requirements for

the Ph.D. this year. Her pioneering article,

“Political Agency and Citizen Journalism:

Twitter as a Tool of Evaluation,” was recently

published in the highly acclaimed peer‐

reviewed scholarly journal, The Professional

Geographer . She conducted an analysis of

tweets about United Nations Peacekeeping

Operations in Haiti and C^ote d’Ivoire, which

revealed the usefulness of Twitter, as a

medium for

citizen

journalism,

in

evaluating

phenomena like peacekeeping missions.

Joining her at Kent State this year is Megan

Hornyak, who, like Cadey, is an Aquinas

alumna. Megan is studying the geography of

poverty in reference to educational

attainment in Midwestern cities.

(Photo: Megan Hornyak discussing the importance

of fostering women’s empowerment in Africa at the

California Geographical Society Annual Meeting in

2011)

Lindsey Harris, who was awarded the B.A. at

GVSU, has deferred her admission to

graduate school at Portland State University.

She accepted a position as the Lead GIS

Technician with Greenpeace in Washington, DC, after a year of service as an intern with

the environmental organization.

Three GRCC alumni, currently completing

the baccalaureate at GVSU, are examining

matters relating to urban geography. Nicole

Arce recently presented a highly regarded

senior thesis on urban blight in Grand Rapids

while Jessica TerVeen discussed the

economic geography of the creative class in

metropolitan areas. Alyson Mabie also

completed a senior thesis, which she

presented at the regional meeting of the

Association of American Geographers in

October, taking first place in the

undergraduate student paper competition.

She began her research last year with

funding from the GRCC GEOGRAPHY LIVES

Field Studies Award . Her paper, “Claiming

Turf: The Spatial Distribution of Three

Discrete Types of Graffiti/Street Art in

Southeast Grand Rapids, Michigan,” is considered one of the most comprehensive

explorations of urban graffiti in academic

geography.

Joining them at GVSU earlier this year was

another Geography alumnus from GRCC,

Gary Farris. Gary presented a paper at the

annual meeting of the California

Geographical Society in May titled: “Learni

Geography Online: A Student’s Perspective

It was very well received.

Regardless, related here is only a small

sample of

GRCC

Geography

alumni

success

stories. There are more. The separate articl

about Amanda Colegrove is an example.

Amanda Colegrove toSpeak Before theWorld Affairs Council

Amanda Colegrove, a GRCC and Aquinas

Geography alumna, has been invited to talk

before the World Affairs Council of Western

Michigan. She will be joined by Becky

McDonald, President of Women at Risk

International , and Michigan Senator Judy

Emmons to discuss “Human Trafficking: A

Local, National, and Global Problem!” as pa

of the

Great

Decisions

Lecture

Series.

Amanda is currently the Coalition Organize

for the Coalition Against Trafficking &

Exploitation in St. Louis, Missouri. Among t

numerous honors and awards she has

received for her work is the Abolitionist

Award, given annually by the Central

Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition,

and the prestigious Tribute to University of

Missouri Women. Amanda was awarded the

M.A. in Geography from the University of

Missouri in 2013, following the completion

her thesis, “A Model for Assessing the Risk




Human Trafficking on the Local Level in

Missouri." While President of the GRCC

chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, she

worked tirelessly to inform the college

community about human trafficking issues

and presented papers on the subject at

regional and national conferences across the

U.S.The lecture will be held at the Aquinas

College Performing Arts Center on Monday,

February 23, at 6:00 p.m.

Pearson Educationand GeographySocieties FundDistinguished Lecture

Pearson Education, in addition to the

Association of American Geographers and

the International Geographical Honor

Society, have made it possible for this year’s

Visiting Geographical Scientist, Dr. Marie

Price, Professor of Geography at George

Washington University, to deliver a keynote

lecture at the annual GRCC Conference on

Race, Ethnicity, and Identity . Also serving as a

Professor in the Elliot School of International

Affairs, Dr. Price is one of the authors of

Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a

Changing World ,

the

textbook

used

in

all

World Regional Geography classes at GRCC,

which is published by Pearson. Highly

regarded for her research in geopolitics and

immigration, as well as being an exemplary

teacher, she has had a distinguished career in

Geography and is currently Vice‐President of

the American Geographical Society, founded

in 1851 as the oldest professional

geographical organization in the United

States.

This is the second time Dr. Price will be

visiting GRCC as part of the Visiting

Geographical Scientist

Program.

Her

2010

lecture can be viewed on GRCC TV’s Youtube

Channel, as can the lectures by other past

Visiting Geographical Scientists: Leon

Yacher, Kate Swanson, Rebecca Sheehan,

and Caroline Faria.

Dr. Price’s 2015 lecture, Diffusion, Deflection

and Diversity: A Geographic Perspective on

Immigration, will take place on Monday, 23

March at 7:00 p.m. in Sneden 108 on the

DeVos Campus.

Three Geographers,Three KeynoteLecturesIn addition to the Wednesday evening

Diversity Lecture Series talk offered by Rolling

Stone journalist, Matt Taibbi, and the

daytime

lectures

offered

by

Social

Sciences

professors Dillon Carr, Steve Abid and Cedric

Williams, the 2015 annual Conference on

Race, Ethnicity, and Identity will include

keynote lectures by three geographers. Dr.

Marie Price, Professor of Geography at

George Washington University, will deliver

the distinguished Visiting Geographical

Scientist lecture on Monday, 23 March at

7:00 p.m., titled: Diffusion, Deflection and

Diversity: A Geographic Perspective on

Immigration. Dr. Courtney Gallaher, Assistant

Professor of Geography at Northern Illinois

University, will present Linking environmental

justice

and

community

empowerment

through

urban agriculture in Southern/Eastern Africa

on Tuesday, 24 March at 7:00 pm.

. (Photos: Courtney Gallaher, left, and Anne Bonds,

right)

On

Thursday,

26

March

at

7:00

p.m.,

Dr.

Anne Bonds, Assistant Professor of

Geography at the University of Wisconsin‐

Milwaukee, will discuss Colorblindness and

Geographies of Racial Violence. All Geography

keynote lectures will take place in Sneden

108 on the DeVos campus.

Conversat ion wi t h a

Geographer OralHistory Series Beginsits Fifth Year

With the passing of Wes Dow in 2011,

Geography lost the architect of Geographers

on Film, one of the most significant oral

history resources in academia. Wes was

honored by the Association of American

Geographers for his contributions. He was

gifted in his knowledge of the field and

capable of talking with geographers of all

genres, genders, and eras, creating a record

of the discipline’s course throughout the

twentieth century, which was marked by rich

substance and impartiality.

Inspired by Wes, and in the tradition of

Geographers on Film, is the Conversation wi

a Geographer oral history series, which beg

with the Diversity Conversations interview o

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof

2011. Among other things, Kristof talked

much about his father, the distinguished

political geographer, Ladis Kristof.

Interviews of the Visiting Geographical

Scientists that were invited to speak at eac

annual Conference on Race, Ethnicity, and

Identity , as well as other visiting speakers,

also are included in the Conversation with a

Geographer series, which is broadcast on

GRCC TV’s Youtube Channel. In addition to

Kristof, the collection includes interviews o

Leon Yacher, Kate Swanson, Rebecca

Sheehan, Caroline Faria, Alicia Decker, Yae

Aronoff, and Jerry Redfern and Karen

Coates. In March, Marie Price, Courtney

Gallaher,

and

Anne

Bonds

are

scheduled

tobe interviewed and added to the oral histor

series, which Mike DeVivo hosts.

(Photos: Nicholas Kristof, above left, Caroline Fari

above right, Kate Swanson, below)

GRCC GTU

Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) was chartered

in 1928 as the International Geographical

Honor Society and currently includes more

than 300 chapters worldwide. In 2007, the

Lambda Upsilon chapter was chartered at

GRCC, and although one of the smallest in

terms of

membership,

it

has

consistently

been one of the most active chapters acros

the globe. In 2013, it was distinguished as

one of only eight chapters to receive the

award of “Honors.”

For the seventh consecutive year, the

chapter will host a Visiting Geographical

Scientist in March, partly supported by the

International Geographical Society and the

Association of American Geographers.

Moreover, for the past five years, Lambda

Upsilon members have raised funds for the




education of African girls. In May, Lambda

Upsilon members will be making

presentations at the annual meeting of the

California Geographical Society for the

fourth consecutive year.

GRCC GTU members also participate

regularly in other academic activities. For

example, in addition to their contributions to

GRCC’s annual

Conference

on

Race,

Ethnicity,

and Identity , they take part in regional

Geography conferences as well.

Pictured above is Hannah Cluley engaging in

the administration of the GRCC Social

Sciences Department exhibit at the annual

meeting of the Association of American

Geographers’ Midwestern regional divisions,

hosted by Western Michigan University this

past October. Throughout the conference,

Hannah discussed matters pertaining to

Asian geopolitics, as well as career

opportunities in Geography, with Geography

faculty

and

students

from

across

the

Midwest; among them were those that

graduated from GRCC.

Student Spotlight:Jeremy TrentExplores Chardonnay A number of exceptional students pursue

their education at GRCC, and many have

found their way into the Geography

program. Among them is Jeremy Trent,

President of the college’s GTU chapter.

Jeremy

is

a

non‐

traditional

student

who

works as the head chef in a local country club

and cares for his family when he’s not

engaging in his studies. Jeremy was

captivated by Geography when he took an

online class devoted to the Regional

Geography of the U.S. and Canada. He

subsequently decided to major in the field

and began plans to graduate from GRCC,

complete the B.A., and pursue graduate

studies.

Jeremy actively raises funds for Camfed, and

he’s currently involved in research associated

with the geography of viticulture and wine to

fulfill Honors program requirements. Jeremy

is comparing Chardonnay cultivation and

production in California and Michigan. He

has reported that the wine grape originated

in Lebanon and later diffused to France,

where it became the only grape allowed to

be grown in Chablis. Since the 1970s,

however, its popularity in the U.S. has

soared. California, which accounts for 90% of American wine production, devotes 16% of

its crop to Chardonnay , far more than any

other varietal. In Michigan, one of the top

four grape producing states in the country,

although Riesling and Pinot Noir have taken

the lead in the last 15 years, Chardonnay

remains important, and its acreage under

cultivation has steadily increased since the

1990s. Given the grape’s significance to

American viticulture, Jeremy is examining

not only the volume of production, but also

the quality of its production in relation to

climate

and

terroir,

as

well

as

the

projected

impact of climate change. Jeremy’s work,

Chardonnay’s Geography: A Glimpse of the

Most Popular Wine Grape in America, will be

presented at the annual meeting of the

California Geographical Society in May.

Alumni Voices

Megan Hornyak, Associate of Arts,

2011. “At Grand Rapids Community College, I walked into my first physical geography class

and was immediately challenged by the

material, work load, and the professor. The

professor had challenged me like no other had

challenged me

before.

When

I was

assigned

to

read the book Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez I

realized that the world in which we lived in

was Art. I learned that understanding the

natural and socially ‐constructed world is the

way Art can be expressed. My geography

professor not only opened my eyes to the

unbelievable, but set me on a path of

enlightenment and passion for my work. Other

professors were beacons of light, challenging

me with new ideas. Gleaning from their

wisdom, I tried to seek ways to aid people in

southern Africa and here in the U.S. Today, I

am a graduate student at Kent State

University earning my Master’s degree in

Geography. I explore issues such as education

inequality, race and ethnic identity, and

gender geographies. Without the guidance and

encouragement received from my professors at

Grand Rapids Community College I would

have never achieved my goal, striving for more

and striving to be a better academic and

human being.”

Ben Gerlofs, Associate of Arts, 2008. “I came to GRCC in the hope that an education

would lead to job prospects, and that an

Associate’s degree was a good place to start

Among a broad smattering of classes, I

discovered the endlessly interesting field of

geography, and a professor whose advice an

support continue to guide my professional

career. At GRCC, I was shown the incredible

convergence of physical and social science th

is geography, a discipline that trains its

students to understand everything from fluv

geomorphology (the study of river systems a

erosion) to city planning, and from the

complexities of global geopolitics to the

intricacies of climate science. I was hooked! I

worked through the catalogue of geography

courses, staying on through summer terms in

order to take special offerings that included

field components. I became a charter membe

of GRCC’s GTU chapter and was introduced

the world of academic conferences and

colloquia. I could not have asked for a better

mentor ‐‐‐whose knowledge of the field,

passion for teaching, and pedagogical

creativity

seem

inexhaustible.

He

encourageme to explore multiple transfer options at th

end of my GRCC career, and helped me grea

in my pursuit of scholarships to three differen

four ‐ year institutions. He was also influentia

in my decision to attend Syracuse University

where I earned a Master of Arts degree, and

Rutgers University, where I am currently

pursuing a Ph.D. in geography, focusing on

contemporary struggles for human rights

among marginalized populations in Mexico

City. I also serve as an instructor at the City

University of New York, and I attribute much

my own passion for this work to Professor

DeVivo,

as

well

as

other

professors

in

the

Social Sciences Department, from whom I

learned so much at GRCC.”

About the FacultyWhen Richard Kurzhals was preparing to

retire in 2002, a search was made to hire an

academic geographer who was skilled in

teaching courses across the broad spectrum

of the discipline and willing to develop new

courses to meet the needs of GRCC studen

Kurzhals was highly regarded not only on t

GRCC faculty, but across the state, and he

was known as an exemplary teacher and a

solid scholar.

In

fact,

he

declined

an

offer

from Michigan State University, and soon

after retirement he was honored with the

GRCC Faculty Emeritus Award. He

established a scholarship that carries his

name. Unfortunately, Dr. Kurzhals passed

away in 2009 as a result of illness.

Regardless, Mike DeVivo, who was on the

faculty of a university in Pennsylvania, was

considering a move to Michigan for family

reasons. His daughter had just entered high

school in Michigan, and he believed it was




important for him to be close by. Thus,

shortly after interviewing for the opening, he

received an offer and immediately accepted

the faculty appointment. Mike had been

raised in various parts of Europe and North

America, and after attending high school in

Connecticut, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Following periods of service with the Marines

and the Navy, he was licensed as a U.S.

Merchant Marine Officer and took command

of a number of vessels for the mineral and oil

industry. He subsequently engaged in

university studies and entered academe.

Dr. DeVivo continues to be the sole faculty

member devoted to the Geography program

at GRCC. In recent years, in addition to his

teaching and advising duties, his role as

Professor of Geography has included

research and fieldwork, as well as giving a

number of lectures on the history of

geography, leadership, geopolitics,

sustainable development, and education in

Africa, Asia,

and

the

United

States.

(Photo: M.S. DeVivo, Angola, 2013)

Faculty ActivitiesIn 2014, Mike DeVivo gave a number of talks

throughout the year devoted to matters

geographic. In February, he spoke on

“Addressing a Vital American Interest: Global

Climate Change in Sub‐Saharan Africa” for

the World Affairs Council Great Decisions

Lecture Series. In May, he discussed

women’s roles among the Maasai in southern

Kenya at the annual meeting of the California

Geographical Society in a presentation titled,

“Conversation with a Maasai.” At the

conference of

the

Society

of

South

African

Geographers in June, he presented

“Reflections on World Leaders, Human

Behaviors, and the Shaping of Geopolitical

Landscapes,” which examined how the

leadership of Uganda’s Idi Amin in the 1970s

continues to influence geopolitics in the

Levant today. In October, he offered a brief

discussion of “Leadership in American

Academic Geography: A Sample Chapter” at

the annual meeting of the Association of

American Geographers’ East Lakes and West

Lakes divisions, as well as an invited lecture

at Calvin College titled, “A Tale of Duplicity

and Deception in American Geography.”

His book, Leadership in American Academic

Geography: The Twentieth Century was

published in November, and an article was

published in

Past

Place

titled,

“Pondering

the

Past in Kyoto” earlier in the year. He also

reviewed Mann and Kump’s Dire Predictions:

Understanding Global Warming for an

upcoming revised edition, and he produced

the 2015 Faces of African Wildlife calendar.

Additionally, Mike interviewed the Africanist

scholars, Caroline Faria and Alicia Decker, for

the Conversation with a Geographer oral

history series on GRCC TV’s Youtube

Channel.

For the past decade, Mike has conducted

fieldwork in southern Africa with special

reference to

sustainable

development,

and

2014 was not an exception. One aspect of his

research relates to the sustainability of rhino

populations in areas within close proximity of

impoverished communities (photo below).

With rhino horn valued at $5550 an ounce on

the Black Market, it’s little wonder that more

than a thousand rhinos were poached last

year in South Africa alone. Rhino horn is now

more valuable than gold, and about the same

value as cocaine. Mike intends to continue

his fieldwork in Africa in 2015.

Book Nominated forAwardLeadership in American Academic Geography:

The Twentieth

Century

by

Mike

DeVivo,

published in November by Rowman &

Littlefield’s Lexington Books , has been

nominated for the 2014 Association of

American Geographers Meridian Award for

Outstanding Scholarly Work in Geography.

Initial reviews of the book have been

favorable.

Professor Emeritus John Adams, a Past

President of the Association of American

Geographers and Geography Department

chair for many years at the University of

Minnesota, offers comments on the book’s

back cover: “Viewed through the lens of

James McGregor Burns’s concepts of

transformational and transactional

leadership models, DeVivo details how

transformational leaders made the difference in top‐tier American geography

doctoral departments. Here we have a vivid

page‐turner for anyone interested in

geographical thought and practice in the

United States, and the consequences of

individualism and group dynamics flowing

from leadership in the doctoral programs

that dominated the discipline during the pa

century.” Professor Kent Mathewson,

Editor‐in‐Chief of the AAG Review of Books

offers comments as well: “This

groundbreaking study of select geographer

and

their

departments

offers

a

treasure

troof anecdotes and insights into the discipline

in formation. The author spares neither rod

nor accolade in making revealing

assessments. Drawing on personal

conversations, filmed interviews, archival

materials, and general lore, Michael S.

DeVivo brings to life actors and episodes

central to American academic geography’s

history in its first century.”

The book is available for sale in hardcover

and electronic editions through Rowman &

Littlefield, as well as Amazon and Barnes a

Noble.



GEOGRAPHY LIVES! GRCC GEOGRAPHY NEWS Issue # 1

1 1

P

GEOGRAPHY

LIVES!GRCC

GeographyNews

White Hall

2nd Floor

DeVos Campus

Grand Rapids Community College

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Ms. Stacey HerrickEducational Support Professional

Department of Social Sciences

Grand Rapids Community College

143 Bostwick, NE

Grand Rapids,

MI

49503

USA

616 234 4283

[email protected]

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Geography Lives! Newsletter 2015

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