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- 1. 2009-2010 EDITION In this issue: The GIS Certificate Program was introduced in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies in the Fall of 2009, after being approved unanimously at the college and university levels. Dr. Mihir took the lead in developing the curriculum with assistance from Dr. Howenstine throughout the process. The Department has two certificate programs - The Graduate Certificate Program and the Under- graduate Certificate Program. Students taking the Graduate Certificate Program must be admitted to the Graduate College, which requires an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 2.75. Baccalaureate students and students at large will be able to enroll in the Undergraduate Certificate Program. All students are expected to take three core courses and two electives to complete either certificate program. The core courses are geared towards conceptual and theoretical knowledge of GIS, along with hands-on experience with ArcGIS and GRASS, and their extensions. The electives expose students to various applications of Remote Sensing and GIS in urban and/or natural resource management applications. Preparation for the GIS Certificate pro- grams should include at least one course in statistics. For students beginning in the Fall, the program can be completed in one academic year. From its inception in 2009, 55 students have been admitted to the program. 47 students are currently working towards their certificate program. Two undergrads and 6 graduates have already completed the certificate. GIS Certificate Programs take off! PAGE 2 Note from the Chair PAGE 3 Belize trip a big success again PAGE 4 • Controlled prairie burn • Student wins multiple awards PAGE 5 • Student studies renewable energy in Iceland • Campus sustainability initiatives PAGE 6, 7 Faculty & Student News PAGE 8 • News from Alumni and Recent Grads • G&ES hosts speakers/event • Stay in touch Dr. Mihir took the lead in developing the curriculum with assistance from Dr. Howenstine throughout the process. GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES at NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO, IL
- 2. Note from the Chair 2009–2010 The Department has more than doubled in size since 2002, and in the beginning of Fall 2010 claimed 60 Environmental Studies majors, 37 Geography majors and 35 graduate students. Fall of 2009 also marked the beginning of two new programs – the GIS Certificate Programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. By the end of the year, approximately 50 students were working toward their GIS Certificate. Of these, 15 were not majors in the Department, meaning our entire student body was 148. We might attribute the growth to a number of factors. A heightened national interest in environmental issues generally – and the job market’s reflection of that trend – has certainly helped. And, although the Department has offered Geographic Information Systems (GIS) since 1990, spatial analytical software applications have become very popular among employers more recently. The hire of Dr. Monika Mihir in 2008 made it possible to offer the variety of courses necessary for the two certificates in GIS.Those courses have seemed to fill as fast as we can offer them. Students from other departments, such as biology and anthropology, are also enrolling. Also contributing to the growth is the sustained efforts by faculty and staff in past years toward major reorganization of curriculum. Substantial revisions to both undergraduate degrees have been successful in attracting students, as the graph shows. Faculty continue to tweak curriculum, add and revise courses, improve sequencing, and establish regular repeating course schedules to improve delivery, elevate content matter, and help students graduate sooner. Although all members of the faculty have contributed substantially, I would in particular like to acknowledge Dr. Grammenos regarding the graduate program, Dr. Banerjee for Environmental Studies, and Dr. Mihir for the GIS Certificates. Faculty member Emily Good has become a pioneer at NEIU in online instruction, with two popular courses now offered regularly, and was recognized with an award for teaching excellence. David Jones also developed a new course – Citizen Participation in Urban and Environmental Planning – based on his long experience at the former regional planning agency NIPC. And proficiency exams have been formalized to provide alternatives to new graduate and GIS students requiring Introduction to Geography, Introduction to Environmental Studies, or statistics. Many of our students have also been enriched by activities with the Green Cycle Group, the Green Fee Committee, and working with the campus GIS Vegetation Project, or burning the campus prairies. The department now has a Facebook presence and an annual picnic – these things all contribute to building community. It is gratifying to see the department grow this way, by all the effort and good work. G&ES Faculty & Staff Erick Howenstine Chair [email protected] Abhijit Banerjee Assistant Professor [email protected] Emily Good Instructor [email protected] Dennis Grammenos Graduate Coordinator Associate Professor [email protected] David Jones Instructor [email protected] Monika Mihir Assistant Professor [email protected] Jerome Mostek Instructor [email protected] Michael Partipilo Administrative Assistant [email protected] Musa Qutub Professor [email protected] Charles Schmidt Instructor [email protected] Newsletter Editor Abhijit Banerjee Newsletter Designer Michael Partipilo GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER 2009-20102 GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER
- 3. The popular Belize Trip, as part of the GES 388 course, is now in its 16th year. Instructors Libby Hill and David Jones continue to take students deep into the small English-speaking former British colony, independent in 1981. Hill began leading this study trip after receiving an M.A. in G&ES in 1994. She meets with students as a class several times both before and after the 8-day travel. There are several texts, as- signments, and a major research project and presentation, most of which is completed before the trip itself. Then, most of the learning is done on the ground. In Belize, the group meets up with Wil Mahia (Belizean environmentalist, politician, and 1994 G&ES MA grad). Mahia accompanies the group for most of the time, accompanied by other Belizeans. They travel by bus and occasion- ally by boat. Her itinerary changes annually, as conditions shift in Belize and new opportunities become available, but the group focuses on areas west and south of Belize City – about 2/3 of the country is covered. In 2010, 14 students visited the Black Howler Monkey Reserve, where curious “baboons” came down from the trees and leaf cutter ants cut 5-inch wide trails through the jungle. At the small but well-stocked Belizean Zoo they saw a jaguar, alligators, and all manner of Belizean birds, reptiles, and mammals. There they also met the curator, Sharon Matola; biologist, environmentalist, and subject of a class text: Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw. Matola had spearheaded an effort to protect a vulnerable nesting area for the endangered bird, and in the process ran up against the complex political- social-economic forces in Belize. Students hiked through the large Jaguar Re- serve at night, through the forested mountains by day, climbed expansive Mayan ruins, toured an experimental organic farm, boated through mangroves and saw the rich coral underwater ecosystem on a private snorkelling cruise, where they spoke with the small coastal Port Honduras patrol, and climbed their watchtower. Students stayed at a Mayan village and also at a small Creole fishing town of 200, which had just been attached to the country’s electrical grid. They hiked well into a large karst cave and drove through a highly concentrated tourist development, stopping frequently. The trip is supported by the University’s Office of International Programs, which usually helps cover some of the expenses. We hope to continue to offer this course annually. Belize trip a big success again! Libby Hill (center) with students in Belize GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER 2009-2010 3
- 4. Kate Ekman (BA ES) made the department proud with her numerous achievements in 2008-2010. An Honors student, Kate is well known across campus for her many activities that included leadership positions in the Green Cycle Group (student environ- mental club) as well as the Green Fee Committee. Her crowning achievement was winning a $2,300 Fellowship from the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program for her proposal to conduct a Greenhouse Gas Inventory of NEIU. An ambitious project that required meticulous collection and analysis of mountains of data on every aspect of university operations, such as utilities, transportation, water, waste, grounds, etc., Kate managed the project single-handedly incredibly well (similar projects at other campuses are usually executed by teams). She presented her preliminary findings at the Illinois Geographical Society 2010 Conference, and her final report will be presented at future conferences. For her many outstanding achievements and contri- butions, Kate was awarded the Outstanding Senior in Geography by the Illinois Geographical Society and the Golden Eagle Award by the NEIU Student Activities Office, both in 2009. Student Kate Ekman wins multiple awards Department organizes successful burning of campus prairie again The Department of Geography & Environmental Studies periodically burns over the prairie areas near the Physical Education Building on campus, with required permits, permissions, and appropriate notifications. Since the Swamp White Oak area east of the P.E. Building was cordoned off in 1988, the department has burned it 10 times. Students from other departments are welcome to participate, and faculty sometimes do as well. In recent years Prof. Steve Frankel from Biology has lent his exper- tise, and brought his students. Areas burned include the tall grassy areas, short grasses and leaves under the Solitary Oak and the area beneath the Swamp White Oaks in the larger fenced-in area. Neither the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, nor NEIU, allows open burning without permission. Permits are required well in advance. Neighbors, who may be alarmed or affected by smoke, are also notified. Police and Fire departments are also made aware of the burn, which is done by creating a burned firebreak downwind, and then igniting grasses at the other end of the field. Depending on the weather and the condition of grasses, it can be quite a spectacular blaze. This first hand experience is a rare and exceptional learning opportunity for our students as well as the wider NEIU community. The next burn is tentatively planned for Fall 2011. Dr. Howenstine leading the controlled prairie burn GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER 2009-20104
- 5. G&ES played a leading role in various initiatives related to campus sustainability in 2009-2010. Dr. Banerjee as well as several students including Nicholas Magrisso, Scott Garfinkel, Nicholas Brandt, and Mark Kenseth (at different times) served as voting members of the NEIU Green Fee Committee (www.neiu.edu/~greenfee) that executes campus sustainability projects with the $3-per- student green fee. Main initiatives in 2009-2010 included a lengthy Green Roof Feasibility Study for the Science Building, a solar hot water proposal, a biodiesel workshop, a campus recycling survey, and funding of tree planting on campus sponsored by the Green Cycle Group (GCG). The GCG, the only student environmental club on campus (heavily populated by G&ES majors), was extremely successful in 2009-2010, organizing numerous events that included Earth Week, tree planting, community clean- ups, workshops on bike commuting, permaculture, guest speakers and movie screenings, in addition to taking a leadership role in the Green Fee Committee. Long running GCG campaigns contributed to expan- sion of container recycling in the Science Building. In recognition of their impressive achievements, the GCG was awarded the NRichment Award by the NEIU Students Activities Office. The department continues to maintain the campus vegetation GIS map, which is heavily used by various departments as well as Facilities Management. After several years, the department successfully organized a controlled prairie burn in the southeastern part of campus. G&ES plays prominent role in campus sustainability initiatives Don’t Miss An Issue! Sign up for our email list from the department’s website at: www.ges.neiu.edu Student Nicholas Magrisso studies renewable energy in Iceland Nicholas Magrisso (BA ES) had developed a passion for renewable energy (RE) and wanted to expand his horizons beyond what he could learn at NEIU. So in the summer of 2009 he went to Iceland through the SIT Study Abroad program, an internationally recognized provider. Iceland is uniquely endowed with many RE resources and has gained worldwide fame as one of the highest users of RE as well as an ultimate laboratory for researching and deploying cutting edge RE technology. His summer program on RE technology, economics and policy consisted of traditional classroom and laboratory experience as well as field learning at hydropower, geothermal, wind and hydrogen installations. While the program was quite challenging, Nick completed it admirably, even as many of his fellow students were engineers, some from top-notch universities. In addition to enjoying the beautiful country, the most memorable experi- ence was when the student group was able to meet the President of Iceland who made a deep impression on the youth with his commitment to RE. Back home, Nick’s Iceland experience helped him to obtain an internship with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the most prominent environ- mental NGOs in the US, which ended up turning into a full-time job offer upon graduation! GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER 2009-2010 5
- 6. Faculty Achievements Publications Banerjee, Abhijit. 2010. Tourism in Protected Areas: Worsening Prospects for the Indian Tiger? Economic & Political Weekly XLV (10): 27-29. Conference/Symposium Presentations and Invited Lectures Prof. Banerjee: • April 2010. “Regional planning without political authority: Prospects for smart growth in the Chicago metropolitan region.” Paper presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. Washington, DC. • March 2010. “Economic liberalization and displacement in India: Implications for environmental justice.” Paper presented at the 15th Annual Asian American Heritage Conference. Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL. Prof. Howenstine: • June 2010. “Retention and Tenure Review.” Discussion leader, 2010 Department Leadership Workshop. Association of American Geographers. Boulder, CO. • July 2010. “Using a Wii Remote to create a $35 Whiteboard system.” Presentation for NEIU’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Prof. Jones: • April 2010. “Sustainable Cuba: Urban environmental transformation in Havana.” Presentation for NEIU Earth Week. Prof. Mihir: • March 2010. “Mangroves and vulnerability to coastal disasters.” Paper presented at the 15th Annual Asian American Heritage Conference. Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL. Prof. Qutub: • March, April 2010. “Geography of the Middle East.” Invited lecture at Maine West High School, Des Plaines, IL. Notable Service Accomplishments Prof. Banerjee: • Faculty advisor to the award winning student environmental club Green Cycle Group. • Faculty representative on the NEIU Green Fee Committee that funds campus sustainability projects with the $3 student green fee. • G&ES representative to the NEIU Environmental Science Task Force, an multidisciplinary team in charge of developing the proposed interdisciplinary Environmental Science major at NEIU. Prof. Good: • Continues to serve on the NEIU Task Force on Online Learning. • Board member of the Geographic Society of Chicago and serves as the Chair of its Education Advisory Panel. Prof. Grammenos: • Elected to NEIU Faculty Council on Academic Affairs. • Continues to serve on the NEIU Faculty Senate. • Continues to serve on the NEIU Global Studies Task Force and the NEIU Office of International Programs. • Continues to be part of the NEIU Latino and Latin American Studies Program. Prof. Howenstine: • Continues to serve as Building Liaison for the Science Building (BBH). • Served on the Search Committee for the University’s Director of Instructional Technology Strategy and Planning. Prof. Mihir: • Elected to the University Grade Appeals Committee again. GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER 2009-20106
- 7. GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER 2009-2010 Student Achievements Conference/Symposium Presentations Kate Ekman (May 2010). “The benefits and challenges of conducting Greenhouse Gas Inventories in institutions of higher education: Northeastern Illnois University’s experience.” Paper presented at the 2010 Illinois Geographical Society Annual Meeting. Rockford, IL. Lazar Ilic (May 2010). “The gentrification of Chicago’s East Village.”Paper presented at the 2010 Illinois Geographical Society Annual Meeting. Rockford, IL. Nicholas Magrisso (May 2010). “Water sales versus energy and water conservation: Evanston policies in conflict.” Paper presented at the 2010 Illinois Geographical Society Annual Meeting. Rockford, IL. Michael Premer (May 2010). “Landscape restoration in Northeastern Illlinois: Benefits, environmental impacts and public opinion.” Paper presented at the 2010 Illinois Geographical Society Annual Meeting. Rockford, IL. Nicholas Magrisso (April 2010). “Water sales versus energy and water conservation: Evanston policies in conflict.” Paper presented at the 18th Annual NEIU Student Research Symposium. Kimberly Blair (April 2010). “The new ‘Green’ Chicago: Urban ecotourism and an uneven playing field.” Paper presented at the 2010 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. Anja Claus (April 2010). “Protecting values of place: Efforts to develop democratic ecological citizenship in two North American communities.” Paper presented at the 2010 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. Paisly DiBianca (April 2010). “Bombing Bucktown and beyond: Graffiti tags in Logan Square, Chicago.” Poster presented at the 2010 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. Nina Roberts (April 2010). “The appropriation of indigenous culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico: Tourism and the production of place in the Land of Enchantment.” Paper presented at the 2010 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. Notable Service and Leadership Contributions Scott Garfinkel (MA G&ES) was elected Chair of the NEIU Green Fee Committee and served in that position during 2009-2010. Nicholas Magrisso (BA ES) was appointed as a student voting member to the NEIU Green Fee Committee by the G&ES Chair and served as its Secretary in 2009-2010. Whitney Behr (BA ES) served ably as the Secretary of the campus student environmental club, the Green Cycle Group. Nicholas Brandt (BA ES) served on both the Green Cycle Group and the NEIU Green Fee Committee during 2009-2010. He also volunteered for animal rescue and organic farming organizations in Ecuador in the summer of 2010. Honors and Awards Whitney Behr (BA ES) won the Eagle Eye Award from the NEIU Student Activities Office in 2010 for contributions to campus life. Nicholas Brandt (BA ES) won the Eagle Eye Award from the NEIU Student Activities Office in 2010 for contributions to campus life. Nicholas Magrisso (BA ES), a minor in Economics, was nominated for membership to Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Economics Honor Society in Spring 2010. Green Cycle Group, the campus student environmental club, was awarded the NRichment Award by the NEIU Student Activities Office for outstanding contributions to campus life. Congratulations to this year’s graduates Geography Sebastian Lukasik Nahid Bhagat Michael Buibas Kyle Jacobson Jeffrey Kahan Luis Pineda Steven Lotz Andrew Macdonald Sylwia Topor Daniel Wojtas Environmental Studies Kyle Jacobson Jason Tinkey Michael Premer Stephanie Swenson Whitney Behr Stephenie Creegan Brendon Gross Lauren Hairrell Shaindel Hirsch Nicholas Magrisso Holly Marigliano Mark Ruckauf Martin Tomov Keith Voelz MA Ileana Blauer Amy Houston Matthew Richards Adolfo Sanchez 7
- 8. The theme of the annual Asian American Heritage Conference in 2010 was human rights and social justice, and G&ES was asked by the conference organizing committee to organize several sessions on environmental justice. Prof. Banerjee led the effort, organizing sessions on globalization, climate change, disaster vulnerability and recovery, and displacement from large dams in India. Invited speakers included researchers from Portland State University, Northwestern University, Loyola University, as well as a sus- tainable development expert from a Washington DC based international NGO. The conference was very well attended by the entire NEIU community, not just G&ES, and was an excellent opportunity for our students to hear from national and international experts. The conference organizing committee has thanked the department and expressed desire to work with us on similar efforts in future. G&ES hosts speakers on environmental justice for the NEIU Asian American Heritage Conference GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER 2009-2010 News from Alumni and Recent Grads Matthew Anderson (MA 2009) is working on his PhD in Geography at the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign. He just published an article in Urban Geography based on his master’s thesis: “The discursive regime of the ‘American Dream’ and the new suburban frontier: The case of Kendall County, Illnois.” Urban Geography 31(8): 1080-1099. Brendon Gross (BA-ES 2009) is now Project Manager at GreenCorps Chicago currently leading teams working on community-based urban agriculture. Jessica Zich (BA-ES 2008) is volunteering with a wildlife center near La Paz, Bolivia. Roxanna Llanes (BA-ES 2009) is now Sustainability Coordinator at Jet Litho, Inc. in Downers Grove, IL. Kevin Whitney (BA-G 2008) is GIS Specialist with Municipal GIS Partners in Chicago. Susan Casey (MA 2007) is Project Coordinator for eZing, Inc., an energy audit company based in Oak Park, IL. Fiana Shapiro (BA-ES 2007) worked spring and summer 2010 with Sea Turtle Inc. protecting endangered sea turtles on South Padre Island, Texas. Keith Yearman (MA 2000) is Associate Professor of Geography at the College of DuPage, IL. 8 Northeastern Illinois University 5500 N. St. Louis Ave. Chicago, IL 60625 Phone: (773) 442-5640 Fax: (773) 442-5650 Email: [email protected] Sign up for our email list from the department’s website at: www.ges.neiu.edu