1  

Geography  &  Environment  Department  of  Geography  &  Human  Environmental  Studies,  San  Francisco  State  University,  Spring  2013    Alumni  &  Department  Newsletter      This  newsletter  pulls   together  stories   from  a  truly  outstanding   set   of   department   alumni.     The  community   has   gone   on   to   great   things,   and   it's  good   to   hear   from   old   friends.     It   also   offers  updates   on   faculty   research   and   activities,   as  well  as  on  some  exciting  changes  in  our  department.      One   big   change   was   our   move   to   the   College   of  Science  &  Engineering  (CoSE)  in  the  Fall  of  2011,  a  result   of   major   university   restructuring.     We’ve  been   very   happy   with   the   move,   enjoying   much  better  support  for  our  research  and  teaching.    

   

Another   big   move   is   our   name   change.     As   of   July   1,   2013,   we’ll   be   the   Department   of   Geography   &  Environment,   giving   up   the   excessively   long   title   we’ve   used   since   1976.       This   name   reflects   the   long-­‐standing  environmental  emphasis  in  our  program.    We  offered  the  first  environmental  course  on  campus  back  in  1968  and  added  an  MA  Concentration  in  Resource  Management  &  Environmental  Planning  in  the  1980s.    As  always,   we   strive   to   maintain   a   healthy   mix   of   geographic   subdisciplines   and   a   strong   tradition   of  environmental   field  research.     I  appreciate  all   the  support  alumni  have  provided  for   the  design  of  a  new  BS  program  in  Environmental  Science  and  Management.      Some  big  news  about  facilities.    With  generous  support  from  alumni,  we’ve  furnished  a  new  Environmental  Geography   Teaching   Lab.   HSS   383,   formerly   the   BSS   Computer   Lab,   now   houses   classes   in   physical  geography   and   resource   management.   A   wet   lab   allows   soil   and   water   sample   analysis,   and   there   are  microscopes  and  lab  equipment  for  dendrochronology  studies  and  other  research.    Rolling  chairs  and  tables  allow  quick  rearrangement  for  seminars  and  small-­‐group  discussions.    We're   having   our   first-­‐ever   department   graduation   this  May   24,   featuring   a   speech   by   Frank   Dean   (BA  Geography,   SFSU  1976),   Superintendent   of  Golden  Gate  National  Recreation  Area.     A   couple   of   days   later,   I  hope  to  see  many  of  you  at  the  annual  spring  picnic  in  Golden  Gate  Park.        -­‐-­‐Jerry  Davis,  Department  Chair                  

 

  2  

Alumni  Updates  

Aariel   Rowan   Rocha   (MA  2011)  works   remotely  for   the   University   of   Southern   Illinois   as   a   spatial  ecologist   studying   the   effect   of   shifting   sea   ice   on  foraging   locations  of  Arctic  sea  ducks.    Aariel  uses  remote   imagery   to   determine   where   there   are  cracks   in   the   ice   for   these   diving   ducks   to   access  the   sea   floor.     Aariel   processes   data   and   prepares  maps   and   figures   for   papers   on   this   topic.     She  recently  moved   to   a   10-­‐acre   ranch   outside   Castro  Valley  to  foster  a  love  of  the  land  in  her  daughters.    Aaron   T.   Wolf   (BA   1983,   PhD   Wisconsin)   is   a  Professor  at  Oregon  State  University.  An  expert  on    water   science   and   water   policy,   he’s   acted   as  consultant   to   the  US  Department  of   State,  US-­‐AID,  the  World  Bank  and  several  governments  on  water  resources   and   dispute   resolution.     Aaron’s   books  include  Managing   &   Transforming  Water   Conflicts  (2009.)   Aaron   directs   the   Program   in   Water  Conflict  Management  and  Transformation,  offering  workshops,   facilitations   and   mediation   in   basins  around  the  world.    Adam  Ashton  (BA  2003)  covers  the  Army  for  The  Tacoma   News   Tribune.   In   2012,   he   spent   six  weeks   embedded   with   infantry   and   cavalry  soldiers   in  Afghanistan.    He  won  a  national  award  from  Military  Reporters  and  Editors   for  a  package  of  stories  about  a  war  crimes  investigation  at  Joint  Base   Lewis-­‐McChord   and   a   Northwest   regional  award   for   stories   he   wrote   from   Afghanistan   and  Tacoma  about  Army  families  coping  with  the  stress  of  multiple  combat  deployments.      Alan   Wiig   (MA   2009)   is   a   PhD   candidate   in  Geography  and  Urban  Studies  at  Temple  University  in   Philadelphia.   His   dissertation   examines   the  impact   of   smart   urbanism   projects,   the   utility   of  the   mobile   Internet   for   civic   participation,   and  electronic   government   initiatives   in   US   cities.   He  presented   a   paper   on   mobile   communication  infrastructure   and   the   urban   landscape   in   France  last  year  and  this  June  he’ll  present  his  dissertation  research  at  a  conference  on  Smart  Urbanism  in  the  United   Kingdom.   Alan   blogs   about   urban  infrastructure   and   digital   systems   –   check   out   his  thoughts  at  http://www.everydaystructures.com.    

Andrea   Dransfield   (MA   2012)   is   a   Sea   Grant  Fellow   with   the   Channel   Islands   National   Marine  Sanctuary,   working   to   prevent   ship   strikes   to  endangered  whales  in  the  Channel.  She  researches  and   conducts   outreach   on   an   array   of   marine  resource  management   issues  with   state   &   federal  agencies,  academic  institutions  &  stakeholders.      

   Anna   Davenport  (MA   2012)   is   the   original   SFSU  “Map  Ninja”  on  the  Apple  Geo  Team  that  includes  Will   Emigh   (BA,   2011),   Travis   Hohler   (MA   in  progress),   Kom   Siksamat   (BA   2012),   Chloe  Weiller   (BA  2011),  Adam   Pallin   (BA  2012),  Eric  Botcher   (BA   2012),   Pete   Christian   (MS   in  progress),   Sarah   Harling   (MA   2011),   Damian  Phelps   (BA   2013),   Jackie   Marquez   (MA   in  progress)  and  Paris  Good  Swan  (MA  2013.)      Anne  McTavish  (MA  2009)  is  the  CSU  system’s  GIS  Site  License  Administrator.   She continues   to  work  with  the  Winnemem  Wintu  tribe  to  oppose  raising  the  height  of  Shasta  Dam.    Brian   Cohen   (ABT   1996)   works   for   The   Nature  Conservancy’s   South   Coast   &   Deserts   program,  providing  GIS  support  services.  TNC  works  on  land  and   water   conservation   issues   ranging   from  floodplain   and   riparian   protection   in   LA   and  Ventura   counties,   to   protecting   the   desert   from  over-­‐development,   to   increasing   urban   awareness  of   nature   and   developing   spatial   predictions   of  how  climate  change  might  impact  local  species.      

  3  

   Brian   Harvey   (MA  2010)   is   a   PhD   student   in   the  Landscape   and   Ecosystem   Ecology   Lab   at   the  University  of  Wisconsin.  He  recently  published  two  papers   based   on   his   SFSU   thesis   examining   post-­‐fire   forest   dynamics   in   Point   Reyes   National  Seashore.  With  funding  from  the  Joint  Fire  Science  Program   and   the   National   Park   Service,   his  doctoral   research   examines   the   influence   of  climate,   bark   beetle   outbreaks,   and   wildfire   on  forest  resilience  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.      Brian  Johe  (BA  1984)  opened  a  photo  lab  in  Colma  after   graduation.     At   the   onset   of   the   digital  photography  age,  he  sold   the  business  and  moved  to   Alaska  where   he’s   kayaked   down   the   Koyukon  and   Johns   rivers,   climbed   Denali,   explored  Wrangell-­‐St   Elias   and   Katmai   national   parks   and  travelled  to  Pt.  Barrow.  On  the  Alaskan  side  of  the  Bering   Land   Bridge   around   Nome,   he   met   an  elderly   Inupiat   lady   and   ate   muktuk   (whale  blubber   dipped   in   seal   oil)   with   her   family.     He’s  dog  sledded  up  around  Galena  and  Anuktuvik  Pass  under   the   Northern   Lights.   He   now   lives   in  Vancouver,  Washington.    Cary   Karacas   (MA   2000,   PhD  UC   Berkeley)   is   an  Assistant  Professor  at   the  College  of  Staten  Island,  CUNY.   He’s   co-­‐editor   of   Cartographic   Japan:   A  Reader,   to   be   published   by   University   of   Chicago  Press  next  year,  which  features  short  essays  about  various   maps   throughout   Japan's   history.     Cary’s  co-­‐authored   paper,   "A   cartographic   fade   to   black:  mapping   the   destruction   of   urban   Japan   during  World  War   II,"  won   the   2012   Journal  of  Historical  Geography  prize  for  paper  of  the  year.    

Casey   Cleve   (MA   2008)   is   GIS   Administrator   at  Midpeninsula   Regional   Open   Space   District.     This  year’s   projects   include   redistricting   and   the  district’s  Vision  Plan.    

Charles   Brigham   (BA,   MA   2007)   has   worked   in  Technology  and  Development  for  institutions  such  as   NASA,   The   United   Nations,   World   Bank   and  CARICO   in   over   thirty   countries.   He   currently  works   for   the   World   Bank   to   target   how  development   aid   is   reported,   with   a   strong   focus  on   local   knowledge   and   geography   to   improve  effectiveness  and  citizen  engagement.  He’s  based  in  Indonesia   as   Senior   Knowledge   Management  Officer   for   the   government’s   National   Community  Empowerment   Program,   the   largest   community  driven  development  project  in  the  world.      Chloe   Weiller   (BA   2011)   is   studying   GIS   for   a  Master   of   Science   degree   at   University   College  London.      Christine  Carolan  (MA  2006)  is  a  doctoral  student  at   the   University   of   Oregon.     Her   dissertation  examines   the   impact   of  The  Troubles   on   resource  management  in  Northern  Ireland.    Craig   Baerwald   (BA   2011)   has   joined   the   Grad  Program  for  Urban  Planning  at  Hunter  College.    Cynthia   Powell   (MA   2010)   is   the   GIS   Tech   on   a  series  of  planetarium  productions  funded  by  NOAA  that   show   how   climate   change   is   affecting   the  earth,   addressing   such   topics   as   NYC   migration  patterns,   South   Dakota   flooding,   &   pine   beetle  infestations.      Dan   Hermstad   (MA   2009)   lives   in  a   cabin   in   the  Santa  Cruz  woods.    He  works  with  Jacobs  Farm  Del  Cabo   and   farmers   throughout   Latin   America   to  grow   organic   produce   and   improve   farmer  livelihoods.    He  recently  acquired  a  kayak  and  took  a  seafood  foraging  class,  so  he’s  looking  forward  to  being  in  the  sea  a  lot  this  Summer!        D'Arcy   Dornan   (BA   1993,   Ph.D.)   is   an   Associate  Professor   of   Sustainable   Tourism   and   Hospitality  at   La   Rochelle   Business   School   in   France   and    founder   of   THINK,   a   Tourism   and   Hospitality  Information  Network  on  LinkdIn.      

  4  

Dave   Dixon   (BA   1992)   works   at   the   California  Department   of   Fish   and   Wildlife.   He   recently  visited   Staten   Island   to   check   out   the   Sandhill  Cranes   and   saw   2,000   of   them   fly   overhead   on  their  way  to  a  nearby  evening  roost.        Diane   Livia   (MA   2011)   works   for   SF   Public  Utilities   Commission’s   Bio-­‐regional   Habitat  Restoration   effort.   Diane   is   helping   place  conservation   easements   on   well   over   1,500   acres  of   SFPUC   land   and   organizing   efforts   to   evaluate  the  progress  of  an  ambitious  restoration  project  at  San  Antonio  Creek  in  the  Alameda  watershed.      Elise   Latedjou-­‐Durand   (MA   2001) is   an  Environmental  Planner  with  the  Santa  Clara  Valley  Water  District.  She  works   in   the  Water  Utility  and  Supply   Division,   Water   Resources   Planning   Unit,  and   provides   CEQA   analysis   and   permitting   for  proposed  projects.        Holly  Herring  (MA  1998)  finds  pottery  the  perfect  application   of   her   geography   skills.   She’s   thrilled  with   her   newest   adventures   in   clay   and   glaze  materials,   finding   the   location   of   old   mines,  discovering   the   relationship   between   the   raw  material   and   the   cultural   product,   and  understanding   the   economic   variables   in  transportation   &   fuel   costs.   She   teaches   in   the  Boston  area.      

   Ingrid   Overgard   (MA   2009)   recently   joined   The  Marine  Mammal  Center   as   a   Content  Writer,   after  years   volunteering   as   a   rehabilitation   crew  supervisor.    Jamie   Lease   (BA  2010)  took  the  "dream  trip"  she  designed  for  a  Proseminar  project,  visiting  Buenos  Aires   and   Iguazu   Falls.     She   backpacked   around  South   America   for   about   7   months.   When   she  returned  she  landed  a  job  with  STA  Travel!      

   Jay   Wilson   (MA   2002)   is   Hazard   Mitigation  Coordinator   for   Clackamas   County   Emergency  Management   in   Oregon   City,   Oregon.     Jay   is  developing   policy   for   implementing   the   State's  Channel  Migration  Zone  regulatory  overlay  and  has  just   completed   the   county’s   Natural   Hazard  Mitigation   Plan   update.   He’s   vice-­‐chair   of   the  Oregon  Seismic  Commission  and   recently   testified  before   a   Joint   Legislative  Committee   on  Reducing  Risk   and   Improving   Recovery   for   the   Next  Cascadia  Earthquake  and  Tsunami.        Jennifer   Lawrence   McDougall   (MA   1992)   is  Principal   Planner   at   UC   Berkeley.     Her   work   on  Lawrence   Berkeley   National   Lab’s   new   research  campus   in   Richmond   received   the   Chancellor's  Outstanding   Service   award.   On   the   Telegraph  Business   Improvement   District   board,   she’s  working   with   an   architect   and   design   volunteers  on  a  new  decorative  lighting  project  to  reinvigorate  Telegraph  Avenue.      Jennifer   McGowan   (MA   2012)   participated   as   a  member   of   the   Biodiversity   Team   on   the   Tun  Mustapha   Marine   Park   Expedition   of   Sabah,  Malaysia.     In   March,   she   moved   to   Australia   to  work   with   the   Australian   Research   Council's  Center   for   Excellence   in   Environmental   Decisions  Group   at   the   University   of   Queensland   on   a   Gap  Analysis   for   the  Coral  Triangle   and  benchmarking  reef  health  for  spatial  conservation  in  Borneo.      

  5  

   Jessica  Miller   (MA  2008)   is   a  doctoral   student   at  the   CUNY   Graduate   Center,   examining   the  Gowanus   Canal   clean-­‐up   and   redevelopment  project   in   Brooklyn.   She   presented   a   paper   on  climate   change   reluctance   at   the   University   of  Kentucky's   Political   Ecology   Working   Group  Conference   this   Spring.   Jessica   works   on   social  media  development,  training  colleagues  in  creating  research  blogs  as  well  as  creating  and  maintaining  her  program's  media  presence.        Jon   Bauer   (MA   2008)   recently   began   teaching  Sustainable  Natural   Resource  Management   at   CSU  East   Bay.     His   day   job   is   still   as   a   Wastewater  Control  Representative  at  East  Bay  MUD.    Kelsey   McDonald   (MA   2004)   earned   her   PhD   in  Epidemiology   from   the   University   of   Minnesota  this   May.   Her   dissertation   compares   different  approaches   to   estimating   the   effect   of  neighborhood   socioeconomic   status   on   obesity,  diabetes  &  smoking  in  San  Francisco.    

 Kimra   (Bertram)   McAfee   (MA   1995)   has   been  Executive   Director   for   Friends   of   Sausal   Creek  (FOSC)  for  the  last  four  years.  This  volunteer-­‐based  community   nonprofit   does   restoration,  environmental   education   &   monitoring   in  Oakland's   Sausal   Creek   Watershed.   Kimra   writes  grants  and  helps  with  community  outreach.  

   Kristine  Williams   (BA  2012)  works  as  a  reporter  for   the   Calaveras   Enterprise   covering   county  government.   She   organizes   a   monthly   walk   for  Friends   of   the   Lower   Calaveras   River,   and   is   a  founding   member   of   Stockton-­‐based   CAFE   Coop,  which  houses  local  businesses  &  nonprofits  such  as  the  San  Joaquin  Bike  Coalition.      Leigh   Etheridge   (MA   2010)   works   at   Alabama  Power  Co.  in  Birmingham,  in  Corporate  Real  Estate.    As  a  GIS  Project  Specialist,  she  manages  data  for  all  land  owned  by  Alabama  Power  &  creates  maps  and  reports  for  other  departments,  including  Economic  Development,   Renewable   Resources,   and  Environmental  Affairs.      Lisa   Owens   Viani   (MA   2000)   is   Communications  Manager   for   the   Coral   Reef   Alliance,   an  international   organization   partnering   with  communities  around  the  world  to  save  coral  reefs.  Lisa   also   recently   founded   her   own   non-­‐profit,  Raptors  Are  The  Solution  ("RATS"),   to  educate  the  public  about  the  danger  of  non-­‐target  poisoning  to  children,  pets,  and  wildlife  from  rodenticides.      Mae  Frantz  (BA  2010)  works  for  the  National  Park  Service   as   a   Project   Management   Assistant   in   the  Yosemite   Division   of   Planning.     She’s   engaged   in  two   Wild   and   Scenic   River   Comprehensive  Management  Plans,  a  Wilderness  Stewardship  Plan  to  manage   resource   protection,   user   capacity   and  land   uses   throughout   the   park,   and   the   Merced  River   Plan   -­‐-­‐   one   of   NPS’s   most   complex   and  controversial   planning   efforts.     Mae   spent   two  weeks  in  Belize  and  Guatemala  last  winter.  

  6  

Marti   Brown   (MA   1998),   a   City   of   Vallejo  Councilmember,   led   the   first   city-­‐wide  Participatory  Budgeting  process  in  the  U.S.  Marti  is  also   Executive   Director   of   the   North   Franklin  District  Business  Association  in  South  Sacramento,  where  she  helped  develop  a  Community  Economic  Development   Plan   to   improve   the   image   of   the  redevelopment   area,   promote   special   events   and  provide  business  support  services.    

 Masha  Bykin    (BA  1995)  is  an  IT  specialist  at  AAA  and   is   working   on   her   Masters   in   Library   &  Information  Science  at  San  Jose  State.    

Matt  Merrifield  (MA  2007)  is  GIS  Manager  at  The  Nature   Conservancy   of   California.     His   recent  publication,   “MarineMap:   A   web-­‐based   platform  for   collaborative  marine   protected   area   planning”  in  Ocean  and  Coastal  Management,  describes  the  spatial   decision   support   system   he   built   for   the  Marine   Life   Protection   Act   to   enable   stakeholders  to  participate  in  designing  marine  protected  areas.    

 

Michael  Gabriel  (BA  1999)  went  to  look  for  work  in  Kosovo   after   graduation,   and   he   got   a   job  with  the  UN  High  Commission  on  Refugees  because  one  of   the   field  managers  was  an  SFSU  graduate.    He’s  been  working  with  NGOs   ever   since.    With  Mercy  Corps,   he’s   worked   in   Kosovo,   Macedonia,  Afghanistan,  Pakistan,  Indonesia,  Myanmar  &  Libya  to  reduce  poverty  among  marginalized,  vulnerable  communities.   In   Afghanistan,   he   helped   develop  community   irrigation   projects;   in   Myanmar,   he  worked   with   local   entrepreneurs   to   build   and  market   affordable   fuel-­‐efficient   stoves   to   help  conserve  mangroves  after  Hurricane  Nargis.  

Michael   Peterson   (BA   2002)   is   with   the   UCSF  Department   of   Epidemiology   and   Biostatistics,  where   he  manages   an   NIH   study   of   osteoarthritis  in   older   Americans.   Michael   designed   and  programmed   a   database   of   126,000   biological  specimens,   including   approximately   8,000   DNA  samples,   and   developed   code   to   categorize   each  study   participant   based   on   the   limitations   or  restrictions  expressed  in  their  consent  forms.    He’s  coordinating   data   collection   for   a   new   study  investigating   why   some   people   continue   to   have  severe  knee  pain  after  knee  replacement  surgery.    

Mike  Benedetti  (BA  2012)  works  as  a  GIS  Support  Contractor  at   the  Department  of  Fish   and  Wildlife  in  Sacramento.    Mike  Dyer  (BA  2000)  manages  sales,  marketing  &  customer   service   teams   at   the   Maps   Division   of  National   Geographic.     His   service   group   does  custom   cartography   for   other   NGS   divisions   and  outside  clients,   releases  50-­‐70  new  maps  per  year  and  maintains  a  catalog  of  over  1,500  maps.      Miriam   Eason   (BA   2011)   is   working   on   her  Masters   degree   in   Landscape   Architecture/  Environmental  Planning  at  UC  Berkeley.    Paul   Amato   (BA   1998,   MA   2003)   works   as   a  Wetlands   Regulatory   Officer   at   US   EPA,   Region   9.    He  is  Chair  of  the  Board  for  The  Watershed  Project,  a  nonprofit  whose  programs  include  reintroducing  native   oysters   to   the   Bay,   installing   low   impact  development   such   as   bioswales   &   rain   gardens,  organizing   regular   creek   and   shoreline   cleanups,  and   educating   school   kids   and   the   general   public  on  the  importance  of  healthy  watersheds.      Rita   Winkler   (BA   1989)   recently   joined   the  Stanford   Institute   for   Innovation   in   Developing  Economies   as   Associate   Director   for  Communications.   Rita   is   looking   forward   to   her  first  trip  to  Africa  this  spring,  which  will  take  her  to  Rwanda,  Kenya,  and  Ghana.    Sadie  Waddington   (MA  2008)   has   built   her   own  business,   One   Big   Fish   Green   Events,   focused   on  sustainable   event   planning   for   corporate   events  and   fundraisers.   She’s   part   of   a   vendor   collective  called   Locally   Grown   Weddings   and   Events   that  showcases  local  and  sustainable  vendors.    

  7  

   Sam   Herzberg   (BA   1990),   Senior   Planner   at   San  Mateo   County,   coordinates   protection   and    restoration   of   salmon   habitat   from   Mendocino   to  Monterey.   Sam  completed  plans   for   the  Fitzgerald  Marine   Reserve   section   of   the   California   Coastal  Trail   and   facilitated   native   butterfly  reintroductions   in   local   parks.   His   next   projects  include   planning   the   Devils   Slide   section   of   the  California   Coastal   Trail   and   restoration   of   San  Vicente  Creek  at  the  Fitzgerald  Marine  Reserve.    In  his   free   time,   Sam   plays   drums   with   the   Tribal  Blues  Band,  a  nine-­‐piece  R&B  band.      Thomas   Puleo   (MA   2004,   PhD   UCLA)   is   an  assistant   professor   in   the   School   of   Politics   and  Global   Studies   at   Arizona   State   University.   His  recent  book,  The  Valtellina  and  UNESCO:  Making  a   Global   Landscape,   examines   the   process  through   which   local   historic   landscapes   become  global   heritage   sites.   His   book   focuses   on   the  Valtellina,  a  fertile  valley  in  the  Italian  Alps  famous  for  its  dry  stone  terraces  on  steep  hillsides.      

   

Vitad   Pradith   (BA   2004)   is   a   Physical  Scientist/Hydrographer   with   NOAA.     His   most  recent   adventure   was   supporting   homeland  security   efforts   for   the   Presidential   Inauguration  and   supporting   NOAA's   response   to   Superstorm  Sandy  with  several  ocean  mapping  technologies.      Faculty  &  Staff    Andrew   Oliphant’s   next   micrometeorological  experiment  in  the  Black  Rock  Desert  involves  grad  student  Garret  Bradford.    They’ll  establish  a  station  over   the   playa   shortly   before   Burning   Man,   then  measure  the  signal  of  the  playa  city  as  it  assembles  and   disbands.   Andrew   has   published   four   papers  this   year,   one   on   the   impact   of   atmospheric  aerosols   on   the   surface   energy   budget,   one   on  microclimate   and   mass   fluxes   of   debris   laden   ice  surfaces   in   Antarctica,   one   on   height   variation   of  foliage  clumping  and  one  on  terrestrial  ecosystem-­‐atmosphere   exchange   of   CO2,   water   and   energy  from  FLUXNET,  a  global  in-­‐situ  observatory.      

   Barbara   Holzman   recently   spent   four   days  mapping   vegetation   on   the   Southeast   Farallon  Island  with  grad  students  Thad  Shelton  and   Jamie  Hawk  and  alum  Dan  Adams.  The  whole  island  was  in  bloom  with  Farallon  weed,  sea  spurry  &  annual  grasses.     The   group   is   establishing   a   baseline   and  vegetation   monitoring   protocol   for   future  vegetation  studies,  in  a  collaborative  effort  with  US  Fish  &  Wildlife  and  Point  Reyes  Bird  Observatory  &  Conservation   Science.     An   article   with   grad   alum  Brian  Harvey  on  recovery  of  the  Bishop  Pine  Forest  at   Point   Reyes   National   Seashore   has   just     been  accepted  to  the  Journal  of  Vegetation  Science.  

  8  

Chris   McGee   observes   that   after   studying  geography   for   35   years,   some   of   the   world   is  starting  to  make  sense.    For  example,  the  sedentary  civilizations  cross  the  nomadic  civilizations  in  the    World  Island  to  form  an  X,  and  at  the  center  of  the  X  is  a  triangle  formed  by  Istanbul,  Tehran  &  Cairo.        Courtney   Donovan   is   researching   art   therapies  with   veterans   suffering   from   PTSD.   She   has   been  developing   her   visual   methodologies   work,  focusing  on  analysis  of  graphic  novels  about  health  topics.     She   participated   in   workshops   on   visual  communications  and  presented  a  paper  on  “Art  as  Healing:   Military   Veterans   and   the   Role   of   Art   in  Managing  PTSD”  at  the  AAG  Annual  Meetings.      Ellen   Hines   co-­‐organized   the   third   Southeast  Asian  Marine  Mammalogy  conference  on  Langkawi  Island,  Malaysia.    Sixty  delegates  from  all  over  Asia  discussed   marine   mammal   population   status,  conservation   issues,   and   threats   from   climate  change,   bycatch   and   overfishing.     An   interview  with   Ellen   is   featured   in   this   Spring’s   InterSCI,  journal  of  SFSU’s  College  of  Science  &  Engineering.    Erica   Thomas   (our   indispensable   Office  Coordinator   since   2008)   completed   her   Masters  degree  in  History  in  January  2012.        

   Hans   Meihoefer   spent   Fall   2012   on   his   ranch   in  Oregon,   a   homestead   dating   back   to   1856.     Hans  has   managed   the   restoration   of   the   grassland  portion   and   planted   over   10,000   trees   in   the  woodlands.   The   1917  barn   and   granary   have   also  

been   restored.   He’s   back   in   the   classroom   this  Spring,  teaching  Agriculture  &  Food  Supply.        Ian  Duncan   is  enjoying  teaching  GIS  and  methods  courses.    He  took  a  multi-­‐day  bike  camping  trip  to  Pinnacles  National  Park  over  Spring  Break.    

     Jason  Henderson   just  published  Street  Fight:  the  struggle   over   urban   mobility   in   San   Francisco  with  University  of  Massachusetts  Press.    The  book  examines   how   a   loosely   organized   livability  movement   seeks   to   reduce   car   use   by  reconfiguring   urban   space   into   denser,   transit-­‐oriented,   walkable   forms.   Jason   examines   the  struggle   over   what   type   of   transportation   is   best  for   our   city   as   a   series   of   ideologically   charged  political   fights   over   issues   of   street   space,   public  policy,   and   social   justice.     Jason’s   next   project   is   a  critical  examination  of  San  Francisco  MUNI’s  social  and  political  evolution.    

  9  

Jen   Blecha is   researching   urban   agricultural  systems,   including   controversies   around  backyard  slaughter  in  the  Bay  Area  and  the  Twin  Cities.    She  enjoyed   teaching   her   first   graduate   seminar   on  "Cultural  Animal  Geographies,"  and  next  Fall  she’ll  teach   a   new   course   called   "Transforming   Food  Systems."     She’s   submitting   research   articles   to  Urban   Geography   and   Social   and   Cultural  Geography.    Jerry   Davis   was   re-­‐elected   to   a   second   term   as  department   Chair   and   continues   to   serve   as  Director  of   the  CSU-­‐GIS  Specialty  Center.  He  had  a  great   time  collaborating  with  San  Mateo  RCD  on  a  Pilarcitos  Watershed  project  last  Fall  and  is  looking  forward  to  teaching  his  Watershed  Analysis  course  at  SFSU’s  Sierra  Nevada  Field  Campus  this  summer.    He   and   his   students   are   examining   channel  development   in   restored   meadows.   The   SNFC  offers   great   opportunities   for   natural   history   or  artistic  endeavors  in  a  gorgeous  alpine  setting  and  it   needs   your   support!       Check   it   out   at  http://www.sfsu.edu/~sierra/.      Kurt   Menning   has   revived   and   revitalized   GEOG  648,   Management   of   National   Parks   &   Protected  Areas,   taking   students   to   the   Farallones   Islands  and  other  points  of  interest  around  the  Bay.    

   Leonhard   Blesius   applied   for   an   NSF   Major  Research   Instrumentation   grant   for   a   terrestrial  laser   scanner,   the   emerging   standard   in  geomorphological  mapping.     He  won   a   Center   for  Computing   for   Life   Science   grant   with   Jerry   and  Andrew   Oliphant   to   procure   a   hexacopter   drone,  

which   grad   student   Peter   Christian   is   learning   to  fly.    With  a  camera  and  other  instruments  attached,  it  will  be  a  rapid-­‐deployment  system  for   low-­‐level  remote  sensing  of  plants,  soils  and  landslides.      

   Max   Kirkeberg   turned   80   this   March   but   still  looks   as   youthful   as   ever.     He   continues   to   direct  the  SFSU  Geography  AIDS  Walk   contingent,  which  has   raised   almost   $600   thousand,   and   to   lead   SF  walking   tours   for   The   Osher   Lifelong   Learning  Institute   and   other   organizations.     When   he’s   in  town,  Max  still  makes   the   first  pot  of  coffee   in   the  Map  Library  every  morning.      

   Nancy   Wilkinson   taught  Water   Resources   and   a  grad   seminar   on   California   water   issues   this  Spring,   and   organized   a   field   trip   to   visit   FoLAR  restoration   sites   on   the   LA   River   with   founder  Lewis  MacAdams.     She   enjoyed   reconnecting  with  so   many   alumni   in   the   course   of   compiling   this  Newsletter.     You’re   doing   such   interesting   and  important  work!  

  10  

 

   Qian   Guo   is   on   sabbatical  2013-­‐2014,   conducting  research   on   the   strategies   and   impact   of   Chinese  frontier   settlement.     Despite   natural   hazards   and  ethnic   unrest   in   the   region,   he   has   been   trying   to  arrange  for  field  investigation.        Richard  Huia  Hutton   is   living   the  motto   that   the  journey   is   more   important   than   the   destination.    This  kiwi  has  recently   flown  the  coop  by  traveling  to   the   Midwest   and   Hawai’i.   This   summer   he   is  heading  down  under   to  New  Zealand/Aotearoa   to  visit  family  and  friends.    Seth  Hiatt  (MA  2008)  has  been  Associate  Director  of  the  Institute  for  Geographic  Information  Science  &  Coordinator  of  the  GIS  Certificate  Program  since  2009.     He’s   assisting   Gretchen   LeBuhn   (Biology)  with  the  Great  Sunflower  Project,  analyzing  citizen  science   bee   counts   nationwide   in   light   of  environmental   variables.     He’s   also   helping   a  Visiting   Professor   of   Journalism   from   Columbia  University  map  quality  of  life  variables,  and  more.    Tendai  Chitewere  joined  the  department  last  Fall,  teaching   Future   Environments,   Ethnic  Communities,   Environmental   Impact   Assessment  and  Water  Quality.  Tendai   is  working  on  an  urban  agriculture   project   called   Eating   the   Front   Yard,  examining   the   impact   of   front   yard   vegetable  gardens   on   social   cohesion   in   North   Oakland  neighborhoods.   She   is   co-­‐PI   on   an   NSF   Climate  Change   Scholars   grant   that   gives   undergraduate  students   across   the   College   of   Science   and  Engineering   an   opportunity   to   work   on   climate  change  research  with  faculty  mentors.  

 XiaoHang  Liu   taught  a  seminar  in  GIS  for  the  first  time  had  a  lot  of  fun  getting  to  know  our  GIScience  students.     She   attended   the   Association   of  American   Geographers   and   American   Society   of  Photogrammetry   and   Remote   Sensing   annual  meetings   and   did   fieldwork   in   China,   visiting   her  collaborator  at  Wuhan  University.      In  other  news….    Our   first   Geography   Department   Graduation  Ceremony   is   May   24th.   GGNRA   Superintendent  Frank   Dean   (BA   1977)   will   deliver   the  commencement  address.        Friends  of  SFSU  Geography  on  Facebook  offers  news,  field  trip  photos,  thought-­‐provoking  maps  and  articles.  Reconnect  with  old  friends  at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/338534789726/.    Our   twice-­‐monthly   Geography   Forum   resumes  this  Fall,  alternate  Wednesday  afternoons  at  5  PM.    See  the  schedule  on  our  new  redesigned  website  at   http://geog.sfsu.edu/.     We   hope   to   see   you  there!    Don’t  miss  the  Department  Alumni,  Friends  &  Families  Picnic  on  May  26,  11  AM  –  3  PM  in  Speedway  Meadow,  Golden  Gate  Park!    Inspired  to  Donate?      Your   generous   support   means   the   world   to   us!    Click   on   Donate   to   Geography   at  http://geog.sfsu.edu/.   Specify   Geography  Department   Fund   to   support   student   thesis  research,  fund  student  travel  to  scholarly  meetings,  equip   the   Map   Library   and   Environmental  Geography   Teaching   Lab   and   help   customize   our  department   vans   for   field   trips   and   research.   Or,  specify   the   new   David   Johnson   Scholarship   to  support  students  engaged  in  environmental  justice  work.      Thanks  so  very  much  for  all  you  do!