Geographers of Coffee

L-R: Geography majors Anne Williams and Nicole Petit;

Geography minors Ryan Dexter-Hansen and Nikki Sauber;

Geography Professor James Hayes-Bohanan

BSU geographers posed with a relief map in the museum at the Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya yesterday, near the end of the department's fifth study tour in Nicaragua. The subject of the study tour is the Geography of Coffee, which integrates human and physical geography. The trip included visits both to active volcanoes Masaya and Cerro Negro and dormant volcanoes in the heart of the coffeelands of Matagalpa and Jinotega.

As the students in the course learned, fine coffees are found on rich, volcanic soils throughout the world.

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY available in the spring

Note from Dr. Hayes-Boh:
Are you looking for a spring-semester course that counts toward the geography departmental electives? Are you interested in how economies work? Do you want to recommend a truly excellent course to a friend from another discipline? One of our very talented visiting lecturers (and a BSU geography graduate) Prof. Phil Birge-Liberman is offering a dynamic, challenging, and informative course in economic geography.


The description and objectives from his syllabus are provided below. Here is Hayes-Boh's shorter definition: Economics without the limiting assumptions.


Sign up today, and learn how the world really works.
~~JHB


GEOG 350: Economic Geography
Professor Phil Birge-Liberman
Class Meetings: Wednesday 1:50pm-4:30pm
Spring 2011

This course examines some of the historical and contemporary factors that shape the global economy and current spatial economic order. This entails studying processes—such as economic restructuring, changing production systems, and the internationalization of trade and industry as well as studying the role of various actors in the economy— including states, producers, organized labor and consumers. We will unpack the term ‘globalization,’ which is so widely used to explain contemporary economic relations and explore the causes, effects, representations, contradictions, costs and benefits of globalization.  We will begin the course by discussing economic geography as a concept, sub-discipline and discourse. We will then study the historical development of the capitalist economy, including the role of new technology in changing production systems and the geography of firms. We will learn that economic change is accompanied by increasing inequality both across and within regions. This will lead to a discussion of economic development as a product of globalization. According to the World Bank, 2.8 billion people live on less than $2 a day. We will explore the contradictions of globalization marked by record corporate executive earnings at the same time as falling real wages for the average worker; new technologies that improve production and yet inefficient and uneven distribution; U.S. economic dominance and yet a shortage of secure well- paid jobs in the United States. The course will conclude with an examination of the current challenges facing the global economy including the greening of the economy and the role of consumption in changing our society.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• To develop an understanding of the political economy approach within economic geography.
• To connect the historical development of the capitalist economy to contemporary shifts in the spatial organization of production and consumption.
• To critically analyze globalization and be able to explore the connections between economic,
political and social processes shaping our globe.
• To examine how local and regional economies are implicated in global economic restructuring.
• To investigate the causes and patterns of spatial inequality.
• To develop critical thinking skills to examine the world around us and representations thereof.

Student Help w/ US Environmental Protection Agency - Narragansett, RI

Current Status: Solicitation posted December 14, 2010. All responses are due 01/03/11, 12:00 p.m., ET. See the Announcement file at the website for more information.

Brazil's Rising Star

Nobody who has been around the BSU Geography Department the past few years is likely to be surprised by the 60 Minutes segment on Brazil that aired yesterday, in which Steve Kroft described the achievements -- and challenges -- of this rising power. From its remarkable economic growth and narrowing social chasm to its upcoming role as host of the World Cup and Olympics, this 13-minute video makes the case that we already understand in the BSU Geography Department: learning about Brazil is as important as it is enjoyable.

In the past decade, BSU has received two grants from the prestigious Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) of the U.S. Department of Education and CAPES, its Brazilian counterpart. The first of these was in the area of special education (under the leadership of Dr. Lidia Silveira) and the second in geography (with Dr. James Hayes-Bohanan). The grants allowed for in-coming and out-going, semester-long exchanges with university partners in southern Brazil, and greatly enriched our campus.

In June 2011, we will build on this experience to provide BSU's first short-term study tour to Brazil. Dr. Hayes-Bohanan will lead a tour that explores the changes taking place in several key areas of Brazil, from coffee (in which "Brazilian gourmet coffee" is no longer a joke) to modern manufacturing and from transportation planning to hydroelectric power. More details about this trip will be available from the Office of Study Abroad in early January.

If the 60 Minutes segment whets your appetite to learn more about the dynamism that is today's Brazil, check out the Discovery Atlas DVD set that is available at the Maxwell Library Circulation Desk. It includes one DVD each on Brazil, China, Australia, and Italy. The Brazil volume illustrates the geographic variety of the country by focusing on the stories of seven very different individuals from disparate corners of the country. (Call number: PN1995.9.T73 D57 2007)

Reminiscence

Paulo Vela is one of eleven Brazilian students to have spent a semester at BSC (now BSU) as part of the department's US-Brazil Consortium on Urban Development, which was jointly supported by the United States Department of Education FIPSE program and CAPES, its Brazilian counterpart. Dr. Hayes-Bohanan will be leading a short-term study tour in Brazil next June. Details will be posted here in coming weeks.

The academic results of these exchanges (in which many of BSC students also spent semesters in Brazil) have been numerous, including regional and national conference presentations in both countries. Today we learned of an artistic legacy as well, as Paulo posted a music video based on his experience. The title can be translated as "Where I Walked" and it captures beautifully the joy of learning a new place.



(Go to YouTube for larger image.)

Geography Fair Success

The 24th Annual Geography Fair was a terrific success, with hundreds of students and family members learning about the geography of water. BSU students in Dr. Clark's Water Resources were among the volunteers who judged a hundred student projects.

While the judging took place, humanitarian Michael Cambra told the story of Mission to Liberia, an organization that he and Joseph Naranamie have created over the past several years to support recovery and development projects in Liberia, West Africa. This was the first time that the Geography Fair had such a focus on service learning, with t-shirt sales and donations being directed toward the creation of a fresh-water well in Liberia.

Near the end of the program, students and their families enjoyed the music of Khakatay, BSU's amazing West African Drumming ensemble. West Africa, of course, comprises many cultures and musical traditions, but the region as a whole is well-represented by the music of Khakatay (which means "laughing out loud"). This excellent connection was made even stronger by the appearance of educator Brigitte Ndikum-Nyada of Cameroon, whose grace and strength was a vivid reminder of something Michael Cambra had discussed earlier: in Cameroon, as in Liberia and much of the rest of the world, girls and women spend hours each day carrying water great distances, often on their heads.

Photo: Danielle Robidoux

All of the volunteers and students -- and particularly Dr. Domingo and the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance -- are to be commended for a program that was not only enjoyable and informative, but also of direct benefit to the people of Liberia.

Help with Grad School Letters

For many students, the most difficult part of applying to graduate or professional school is writing the dreaded "personal statement." What should be included? What is the appropriate style and tone? And how can you make the best use of this opportunity to sell yourself to admissions committees? 

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is here to help! "Writing an Impressive Personal Statement," a workshop for students, will be offered:


Tues, Nov 30, 3:15-4:30 in ECC 112 (appetizers served) and again on
Wed, Dec 8, 12:15-1:15 in the Heritage Room (lunch served). 
Students will learn practical guidelines for writing personal statements and see models of successful statements by recent BSU graduates who are now in law school, medical school, and master's and doctoral programs in various disciplines.

Food will be served at each workshop. A response is requested but not required. RSVP to Kathy Frederick in the Office of Undergraduate Research (kfrederick@bridgew.edu).

Focus on Sudan: December 3, 12 noon

Focus on Southern Sudan: January  Independence Referendum

 Friday December 3rd, 12 PM—2 PM

 Heritage Room, BSU Maxwell Library

Political boundaries in Africa could change again very soon, due to the independence referendum in Southern Sudan. Come learn about the important upcoming referendum in southern Sudan that will decide whether southern Sudan will become an independent country. “The future of Sudan is hanging in the balance,” Salva Kiir, president of southern Sudan .

Meanwhile, to learn more:

See the Washington Post article about the possibility that the vote will be delayed, a video from Al Jazeera English about preparations for the vote, and a second Al Jazeera video about fears of war in South Sudan.

Sponsored by the African Studies Program, BSU Chapter of  Free the Children, African Student Association, and Middle Eastern Culture Connection Association.

  

Light refreshments will be served.

Graduate Assistantships at Central Washington

WASHINGTON, ELLENSBURG.
Graduate Assistants in Resource Management. Central Washington University’s Resource Management (REM) Graduate Program will offer approximately ten (10) graduate assistantships for the 2011-2012 academic year. REM is an applied, interdisciplinary program that includes the Geography Department as a major participant. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in Geography, or related field at the time of enrollment. Assistantships will involve a combination of research and teaching in the Geography Department.
Apply online at: http://www.cwu.edu/~masters/forms/formsGraduate.html. Applications submitted before February 1 receive maximum consideration. For more information, please see http://www.cwu.edu/~rem/ or contact co-director Karl Lillquist at lillquis@cwu.edu.
CWU is an AA/EEO/Title IX Institution.

Graduate Opportunity at UNH

Funded Research Seeking Graduate Students Interested in Human-Environment Interactions


The University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH invites applications for a highly-motivated graduate student interested in linking human dimensions to ecosystem change to work on a new interdisciplinary project in northeastern Oregon.  This project, "Community and Forest:  Linked Human-Ecosystem Responses to Natural Disturbances in Oregon" is funded through the USDA's Disaster Resilience for Rural Communities Program.  In addition to thesis/dissertation research, this student will work closely with project directors in designing, implementing, and analyzing a household survey, will conduct field work in northeastern Oregon, and will work alongside other graduate students and community and agency partners in providing appropriate deliverables throughout the project (e.g., extension publications, briefs, conference papers, community presentations, refereed articles).  Funding is available - 2 years funding for a MS student and 3 years funding for a PhD student.

Project synopsis:
Forests in the Wallowa-Whitman Ecosystem (WWE) are threatened by the risk of catastrophic insect outbreaks and wildfire. Forecasted growth in these natural hazards implies dramatic socio-economic costs to communities that are dependent on forests and their ecosystems. Coupled with that risk is ongoing ecological deterioration concurrent with declining commodity timber-production and changing management goals on public lands, all of which has completely transformed the ways that forests are perceived, valued, and managed.  This research uses a multi-scalar, multi-disciplinary approach to examine risk perceptions and behavioral reactions to forest management with implications on land use and housing. Further, this work focuses on the dynamic feedbacks between landscape changes, land use conversion, parcelization, and the strategies people use to respond to risk in the WWE.

Application procedure:
Application is open to students from social science disciplines (e.g., sociology, geography), natural resources, landscape ecology, and related professional fields who will make significant contributions to linking social dynamics of land management and risk perception with ecological change the research project in the form of a master's thesis or PhD dissertation.  Preference will be given to individuals who have experience in statistics and GIS.  Optional qualifications include an interest in working in rural communities of the US West, rural sociology, landscape ecology, experience in satellite imagery analysis, and modeling.

Potential PhD students can apply to either to the Natural Resources and Earth Systems Science (www.unh.edu/nressphd/) or Sociology (www.unh.edu/sociology/) and potential MS students can apply to either the Department of Natural Resources & the Environment (http://www.nre.unh.edu/) or Sociology at UNH.  The student has the option to begin study in late January 2011 or September 2011.

Graduate students will also work closely with the Carsey Institute (www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/) while at UNH.

Send a CV and letter of application by December 15, 2010 to:

Joel Hartter
Department of Geography
University of New Hampshire
102 Huddleston Hall
73 Main Street
Durham, NH 03824  USA
Tel: 603-862-7052
Email: joel.hartter@unh.edu