Geogazine: Volume 2, Edition 1 (2022/2023) -- JMU Geography Student Magazine

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to recognize the contributions of the Geography program to JMU and society and to showcase the people and community who are part of it.

GOALS

• Feature Geography students, faculty, staff, and alumni

• Encourage an engaged community within our program

• Recognize students, faculty, staff, and alumni for their efforts and accomplishments

• Provide ways to explore Geography outside of the classroom

• Help students learn about opportunities such as independent research at JMU, internships, graduate school, and career opportunities available after graduation

Hello readers, and welcome to the 2022–2023 edition of the JMU Geogazine! In this edition, we cover a variety of topics, including the Geography program’s newest faculty member, research conducted by students and alumni, perspectives on career opportunities, photography from our community, and more.

Our program continues to have many reasons to celebrate. For one, we want to congratulate all members of the December 2022 and May 2023 graduating classes and wish them well as they move onward from JMU.

We also want to congratulate faculty members Dr. Amy Goodall and Dr. Carole Nash on their recent promotions—achievements that represent many years of dedicated teaching, scholarship, and service. Additionally, Dr. Kayla Yurco was named the CISE Outstanding Student Mentor, and Dr. Dudley Bonsal earned the CISE Outstanding Service award. Our students, faculty, staff, and alumni continue to be active in the feld, in the classroom, and at conferences. As just one example, Dr. Dudley Bonsal and Dr. Galen Murton recently attended the 2023 American Association of Geographers conference in Denver (the frst in-person meeting in several years!) where our program was formally recognized for earning the 2021 Program of Excellence Award.

We are grateful for everyone who contributed to this edition of the Geogazine, including university faculty and staff, advisors, interviewees, book recommenders, photo contest participants, and others. We hope you enjoy this edition and, as always, we welcome your contributions to future editions!

The Geogazine Team

Meet The Team

Past Team Members

Lucie Griffith Class of ‘25 Leah Wilczynski Class of ‘23

Chris Timothy Class of ‘25

Tovah Baer Class of ‘24

Andrew Shinkle Class of ‘26

Kayla Yurco Faculty Advisor

Manita Khemthong Faculty Advisor

Olivia Offenbacker Class of ‘22 (Vol. 1)

Message from the Department Head

Welcome to this second edition of Geogazine! After such a strong debut publication last year, we are all thrilled to see this student-led magazine continue to illuminate the Geography community at JMU and beyond. I am the Co-Director for the School of Integrated Sciences, serving as the department head for the Geography program here. With an academic background myself as a geographer, and having enjoyed teaching for over ffteen years in this program, it is an honor to serve in this role. As a member of a group of dedicated faculty, I am energized by what the future will bring for Geography at JMU. If the contents of these Geogazines are to go by, this student, faculty, academic, and alumni community does so much to enrich our understanding of the world and has enormous capacity to make a difference across our nation and beyond. The energy, care, purpose, and skills of our people are on vivid display here and I would urge you all to connect as much as you can. That passion and expertise is magnifed when we connect and work together: as a community, Geographers can have even greater impact!

It is an honor to be asked to write for this publication, and I was happy to be able to share some photos from my time in London in the fall 2022 semester as a faculty member in-residence there. It was an especial honor because I very much see this magazine as not only a work by geographers, but a work of geography. Through focuses on spatial thinking, the interaction of people with the environment, the patterns and processes of natural systems at different scales, and the development and deployment of the latest geospatial technologies, Geography reveals our world. As you explore this magazine, I hope you recognize it as a publication that communicates the variety of our planet, and the diverse experiences of JMU geographers as we live in, and study, the global and local realities of contemporary life. With this broad, exploratory spirit, it both showcases JMU Geography and offers a compelling geography itself.

I look forward to connecting with all of you in the future and thank you for all you do for JMU Geography and our global community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Henry Way

London Mourns

Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, captured visually from the streets of London, by Dr. Henry Way

For two weeks in September of 2022, London was overtaken by these images of the late Queen. This major transition was vivid within the cultural landscape.

“Tech meets Geography”

Several months into his JMU career, Dr. Xiaojing Tang is fnding Harrisonburg home. As the JMU Geography program’s newest faculty member, he is quickly adjusting to a new environment after previously working at Boston University— nearly 570 miles and a ten-hour car ride away.

Dr. Tang grew up in China and graduated from Tongji University in Shanghai with a B.E. in Geographic Information Systems. His mother is a computer scientist and his father studied urban planning; these two areas of study intertwined for Dr. Tang and led him to become interested in GIS.

“I’m kind of the combination of the two— technology meets human geography,” Dr. Tang said.

One of the largest projects tasks students with choosing a realworld environmental problem that they’re interested in and processing related data to solve the problem.

“I hope, in the end, when students want to solve an environmental problem, they know what data to look for, the proper methods to apply, and how to make a conclusion out of it,” Dr. Tang said.

launched to collect even more data. As an environmental data scientist, Dr. Tang’s job is to extract useful information from these data, and in his words, “construct a complete history of what we have been changing” on the Earth and to “continue monitoring forward.”

“There are no rules, there’s no boundaries in research— you can do whatever you’re interested in. Think wildly, think hard; use us as your resource and then we’d be happy to help.”

One of Dr. Tang’s current projects is funded by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) of the Offce of the Director of National Intelligence and aims to develop a system that screens new “heavy”— larger than 8,000 square meters—construction activities around the world. Dr. Tang hasn’t typically worked with the defense sector, so this project has been a new experience for him.

After working for a local municipal government, Dr. Tang decided to move to the United States to pursue his Master’s degree at Boston University. Dr. Tang stayed at BU to obtain his Ph.D., then worked as a postdoc for a few years in Boston before arriving here at JMU.

This fall, Dr. Tang taught one course, a cross-listed ISAT 449: Emerging Topics in Data Science and GEOG 485: Processing Remotely Sensed Data. The course addresses the topic of data science with a specifc focus on using remote sensing to solve environmental problems.

This spring, Dr. Tang is teaching two sections of GEOG 385: Principles of Remote Sensing.

Dr. Tang’s research interests are primarily based in the feld of remote sensing, with a focus on land use and land cover change. He notes the importance of NASA’s Earth Science division, which is sometimes overlooked by the general public. The Landsat program has been continuously collecting data about the Earth’s land surface since the 1970s. More recently, satellites equipped with LiDAR and RADAR sensing technologies have been developed and

Another of his current projects is funded by the NASA SERVIR program and is focused towards building the capacity of developing countries to monitor their land activity. The program has hubs in multiple global areas, including West Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Amazon. Participating nations express their requests, and then the program responds with the ways it can help, including the transfer of tools and in-person visits to teach them the ropes.

“In the end, we are hoping they can take what we develop as their own, and go on to use them to manage their lands and resources,” Dr. Tang said.

Dr. Xiaojing Tang joins JMU

The NASA SERVIR project will involve heavy overseas travel for these in-person visits and workshops, which isn’t Dr. Tang’s favorite aspect of the job, considering his two young children (ages 6 and 3). Even at a young age, Dr. Tang has interested his son in satellite images of Earth and basic geography!

Dr. Tang thinks that the feld of geography has evolved in terms of the available infrastructure including data, methods, and computing power, and these improvements will expand in the future. With more and more sensors in the air and space to collect data, we will be able to further improve our understanding of the complex

Earth systems. These days, the feld is becoming more and more “decentralized.” User-friendly platforms such as Google Earth Engine allow free and easy access to data, algorithms, and computing power, and they enable average users to easily conduct large-scale analysis.

As a newcomer to the area, Dr. Tang loves the small-town feel of Harrisonburg, where there’s barely any traffc compared to the forty-minute commutes he previously dealt with in the Boston area.

“I feel like I’ve gained an hour of life back every day; more time to relax and enjoy,” he said.

Additionally, Dr. Tang enjoys the connection and engagement that exists between JMU faculty

and students. Not to mention, the university’s nationallyranked dining halls have also made themselves a new fan.

For students in the Geography program and beyond, Dr. Tang has a few words of advice.

“I’m happy to work with students on whatever they are interested in. I think it’s very important to fnd that interest, and we can always work out some interesting projects around that. There are no rules, there’s no boundaries in research—you can do whatever you’re interested in,” Dr. Tang said. “Think wildly, think hard; then use us as your resource and we’d be happy to help.”

Dr. Xiaojing Tang takes in the scenery at the Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park (photo courtesy of Dr. Tang).

Independent Research Spotlight

Natalya Murray graduated from JMU in December 2022. In her senior year she was enrolled in GEOG 497, an independent study course that allows students to complete research projects of their choice under a professor’s supervision. These projects can also be completed in groups, and there is a two-semester senior capstone option, GEOG 490. GEOG 497 and GEOG 490 can both be counted towards the advanced sequence requirement for Geography majors.

Murray is interested in the various intersecting political, cultural, and social dynamics that infuence infrastructure and economics, and the historical build-up to current international situations. Prior to GEOG 497, she was pursuing these interests through a variety of courses, as well as forming relationships with her professors. When she took Political Geography (GEOG 375) with Professor Manita Khemthong and Dr. Mace Bentley, she would often stay after class to ask questions and talk, something she thinks is important for current students to do when they can. “We developed a really solid student-professor relationship,” she says.

At one point in their conversations, she mentioned that she was struggling to fnd a path within the major as she felt her interests didn’t seem to align with the existing ECSD or AGIS concentration, and Professor Khemthong and Dr. Bentley suggested she look into forming a custom concentration. She worked with them to design one around her interests, choosing classes and deciding on a name, and she eventually graduated with a concentration in “Politics, Culture, Industrialization, and Globalization.”

Her GEOG 497 project, advised by Dr. Galen Murton, focused on China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the northwestern Xinjiang region, where there are ethnic tensions and economic inequality which especially affect the Uyghur population. She was introduced to this topic through multiple geography courses. She wrote a paper on the experience of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang while taking GEOG 348, an indigenous studies course taught by Dr. Carole Nash, and continued looking into the topic, noticing parallels with the Rohingya people in Myanmar about whom she learned and wrote in GEOG 375. “It clicked for me,” she says, “and I just really enjoy it…I really think that there’s good work to be done with analyzing the situations there [in Xinjiang] and bringing that as a digestible product for other people.”

Natalya Murray presenting at the Asian Studies Student Conference, Spring 2022.

In February 2022, she gave a presentation titled “BRI: How the World Shifts to the East,” at the Asian Studies Conference at JMU. Her independent study consisted of working on a large research paper. She met with Dr. Murton regularly throughout the process. “This research paper is really, for me, a culmination of my time here within the major,” she says.

When asked about the most enjoyable part of her research, she says that the ability to complete a project that felt truly personalized was important to her. “I was able to come up with my topic, how I wanted to do it, and present it to a professor,” she said. “And my professor would then be willing to work with me to build this idea and to build this paper to have this fnal product. And it’s really me.”

Natalya Murray, Class of ’22 (photo courtesy of Murray).

This is true of much of Murray’s college experience. In addition to her independent research and custom concentration, she also worked to design and complete an internship during her time at JMU. She developed a good relationship with Dr. Wren Stevens, her professor for a Gen Ed arts class and director of the Lisanby Museum. Murray spoke with Dr. Stevens about the possibility of informational maps to go along with exhibits in order to make them more interactive for visitors.

She continued to develop this idea the following semester with help from Dr. Way, who agreed to lead her interdepartmental internship, and she was allowed to complete it for credit. Ginny Soenkson replaced Dr. Stevens as the director of the museum, and this is who Murray primarily worked with during the internship. The fnal outcome was a collection of interactive Google Maps for an exhibit on mineralogy and artwork which showed where the pieces originated, along with some basic information about them. Google Maps was chosen over more sophisticated GIS products to ensure ease of use for visitors to the exhibit.

Murray originally learned about the Geographic Science major when she saw a banner on the third foor of EnGeo, and she decided to switch into it as she was uncertain about her major at the time. From there she found a program that was “very enthusiastic and encouraging,” and she was able to create her own experience within it. If there is one thing that she wants people to take away from her time at JMU, it is initiative.

“A lot of what I’ve done, from the custom concentration to my internship to this independent study, has been by my own drive. It wasn’t something that was already there for me to utilize. I created a lot of these projects and these opportunities because I just talked to my professors or I cared,” she says.

There are always faculty who are happy to help students shape their pathways at JMU—all you need is an idea.

“You have to be willing to make your own opportunities instead of waiting for something to happen.”

Wildlife at JMU

Pied-billed

Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Over the past 5 years, JMU faculty and students have spotted a pied-billed grebe within the JMU east campus ponds during the spring and fall migration season. The pied-billed grebe is an aquatic species that dives underwater to fnd fsh, behaving much like the better known common loon (Gavia immer). The pied-billed grebe has a large range across North, Central, and South America. Some populations of grebes that live in warm regions are not migratory. The grebe that stops to feed in the JMU ponds is a migrant.

“Our” grebe is not banded or tagged, so we do not know where it spends winter or summer. We know it needs ice-free water for foraging and that the migrant population nests across much of the northern contiguous United States and into the boreal forests of Canada, where there are many freshwater ponds for feeding chicks. Considering that it is not common to see a grebe in Harrisonburg, the bird we see each year is probably the same individual.

During spring 2023, it was spotted on March 28th and remained through March 30th. JMU Geography students were in awe of the bird’s small size (about 13 inches) and that it walks awkwardly on land. Its feet are lobed and positioned in the very back of the body, designed for effcient paddling and feeding. Students especially liked watching the grebe dive for fsh, anticipating how long it would be underwater, and where it would appear when it resurfaced.

A pied-billed grebe at the JMU east campus ponds.

Story by Dr. Amy Goodall

Photos by Dale Chestnut

Catching Up With Alumni

Andrew DeMoss - JMU Class of ‘15

I’m a geospatial intelligence analyst working with the Department of Defense. Studying GIS and intelligence analysis in JMU’s School of Integrated Sciences presented opportunities to apply spatial thinking and problem solving in creative ways.

Reki Everett - JMU Class of ‘19

I am currently working as a Park Ranger at Shenandoah National Park in the Interpretation and Education division. The biggest part of my job is writing and presenting programs to all ages regarding different aspects of environmental education and resource management… I started out working for one of the regional offces making cultural resource maps of different park sites and assisting with treatment plans for historic structures to ensure their long-term protection. I am really grateful for both opportunities as they have let me use different perspectives and aspects of my degree while supporting parks and public lands in the region.

“I think honesty leaves a much more lasting impact in networking and interviews than most forms of preparedness...”

- Andrew DeMoss

“It is great to have focused

goals and interests, but we are lucky to be pursuing a program of study that is diverse by its very nature.”

- Reki Everett

What was the best class you took at JMU and why?

Andrew DeMoss: I would have to say Intro to Intelligence Analysis with Dr. Walton. The class was my frst exposure to the military and intelligence-specifc applications of GIS and GEOINT.

Reki Everett: My favorite class I took at JMU was biogeography with Dr. Amy. That class absolutely changed my life! Every day after class ended, I left feeling like my mind was completely blown. I especially loved learning about our local bird species and felt so accomplished when I started being able to identify them on my own. I’ve been working on my identifcation skills ever since and I always look and listen for familiar birds when I am out and about in the park. I still have my notebook from the class and I use concepts and examples from it all the time for programs and research. Dr. Amy is an amazing teacher who always expanded my curiosity and challenged me to look deeper into the world around me.

For jobs that included GIS work, what was the training process like? Did you feel prepared given the content that was provided at JMU?

Andrew DeMoss: I felt very prepared! Academia is often ahead of industry with software types and versions, but the GIS program lended training more geared toward concepts and problem solving rather than specifc buttons or tools.

Reki Everett: This is something that I worried about a lot when I frst graduated and went to work for the NPS regional offce. I never felt like a very “techy” person during my geography classes; I felt comfortable doing class assignments with detailed directions and training, but I was nervous that I would not be as capable once I was expected to fgure it out myself. Once I started doing GIS work, I realized very quickly that I knew a lot more than I thought! So much of what we are taught in the classes at JMU is how to understand the software, what it can do, and some of the essential processes of mapping, but most jobs that require specialized GIS work will do on-the-job training for different tools available to make the things easier. GIS is complex and there are a ton of tools and uses—most companies and hiring offcials understand this and are simply looking for general familiarity with GIS and a willingness to learn.

or interviews?

Andrew DeMoss: I think honesty leaves a much more lasting impact in networking and interviews than most forms of preparedness; if you are really interested in the job, tell them that! Your interest and passion may tell the interviewer a more colorful story than how many projects or community service hours you’ve completed.

Reki Everett: Something I have learned since graduating is that resumes and interviews can be really different depending on what kind of work you want to do, and what kind of companies/agencies you are interested in working with. For example, in the government world, the hiring and resume process is almost unrecognizable from volunteer/internship opportunities that I did as a student. It was a huge learning curve and required a lot of mentorship from my supervisors and coworkers along the way. One piece of advice that has always helped me is to keep lists of accomplishments and tasks at work, no matter what the job is. When you’re putting together a resume, it can be hard to remember all of those small (but important) tasks when you try to think of them all at once, but keeping a running list gives you a much broader view of the work you have done and gives potential employers a more complete view of what you can do.

advice you wish you could go back and give yourself?

Andrew DeMoss: Explore as much as you can! I am grateful to have had exposure to such diverse applications of GIS, from geocaching plant species in the Arboretum to learning how intelligence agencies use GEOINT.

Reki Everett: I would take more classes that seemed “outside” of my focus of study. My plans for the future when I was a student were so different than they are even now, only a few years after graduation. It is great to have focused goals and interests, but we are lucky to be pursuing a program of study that is diverse by its very nature. Even if you feel certain about your post-graduation goals, it will make you a more well-rounded student and person to take a few extra classes that are different from what you typically study. If you have room in your schedule, branch out and see what you can learn!

What We’re Reading

Dean Bob Kolvoord

Dean Kolvoord would like to recommend Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mystery series.

“I’m a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and this series of books imagines Sherlock Holmes in his elder years when he teams up with a fascinating young woman named Mary Russell. So far, I’ve read all 17 of these books and I’ve really enjoyed the combination of Russell and Holmes in solving mysteries. Each book is self-contained and deals with a mystery/crime, but over the series, you learn about Mary Russell (who has an interesting backstory that I won’t spoil) and new things about Holmes. I’d start at the beginning (The Beekeeper’s Apprentice) and go from there. It is possible to reimagine something that is classic and add new and interesting features. Sherlock Holmes has been a primary character in British fction for a long time, but the original Holmes stories had few female characters, other than Irene Adler. This has given me a different way to look at Holmes and hours of pleasure as King is a very engaging author.”

Dr. Dudley Bonsal

Dr. Bonsal would like to recommend How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell.

“Odell is a writer and artist who has given much thought to how social media and our smartphones have dominated our attention. While Odell does acknowledge some benefts to the technology, she considers ideas from ancient philosophy, American literature, contemporary art, ecology, and elsewhere for considering how we can adopt a widerangle view of our non-virtual surroundings, whether in cities or the natural world. It is her argument for shifting our attention toward a bio-regional perspective that this geographer fnds especially compelling.”

Dr. Amy Goodall

Dr. Goodall would like to recommend Welcome to Subirdia: Sharing our Neighborhoods with Wrens, Robins, Woodpeckers, and Other Wildlife by John M. Marzluff.

“John Marzluff and I were both raised on the edge of a town during a similar time, when focks of songbirds were very loud in our yards. We knew when birds would arrive and leave day-by-day because there were so many of them. Unfortunately, the sounds and views of birds have been declining since then—and quickly. As a note of optimism, John Marzluff describes the diversity of suburban birds and how to manage for them. I recommend this book because it is a comprehensive review of urban ecology, covering many themes we discuss in our program. It is a lovely synopsis to give readers hope that people can make decisions to positively infuence the environment and its species numbers. The illustrations by Jack DeLap are beautiful. Like the author, I want to encourage hope for the future. However, we must be diligent to monitor bird populations and increase protection measures in many different environments to maintain current levels of bird diversity. Read this book if you want to increase your interest in human-wildlife interactions and how to help our feathered gems.”

Dr. Galen Murton

Dr. Murton would like to recommend The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson.

“The book’s central protagonist is a fctional (but very realistic) United Nations agency that is tasked with addressing the increasing global crises of climate change. Although Robinson is primarily an author of speculative science fction, his work is both not only legitimately scientifc but also authentically (in this case frighteningly) realistic. Robinson conducts research with scientists and policymakers around the world, including ‘feldwork’ activities such as attendance at the annual UN Climate Summits (such as the Conference of the Parties—COP— currently taking place in Egypt). While The Ministry for the Future does not provide a rosy outlook for life on earth under current circumstances, the book nevertheless points critical attention to the problems as well as the possibilities for creating more sustainable conditions for humanity in the 21st century (and nonhuman species as well). For an excellent profle of the author, please see the recent New Yorker article: ‘Can Science Fiction Wake Us Up to Our Climate Reality?’”

Urban Thunderstorms

NSF research by JMU students

What They’re Studying:

This research project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), aims to make connections between air pollution and the electrifcation of thunderstorms. Urban areas produce large amounts of air pollution. Urban heat islands, as they generate rising air motions, lift this pollution into emerging thunderstorms—affecting how those storms behave over cities. The research uncovers factors of anthropogenic climate change occurring in urban areas where people and infrastructure are vulnerable to thunderstorm phenomena such as lightning, fash fooding, hail, and damaging winds. The overall aim is to yield greater understanding of urban thunderstorm development to better protect people, infrastructure, and the environment. The JMU team is investigating these issues in three urban areas: Kansas City, MO; Salt Lake City, UT; and Washington, D.C.

This research includes both faculty and student interns from many different areas of study. JMU Geography professor Dr. Mace Bentley serves as the Principal Investigator for the project, with Dr. Dudley Bonsal, Dr. Zhuojun Duan, Dr. Tobias Gerken, and Dr. Henry Way serving as Co-Principal Investigators. These professors also lead teams of student interns from Geography, ISAT, and Computer Science felds to help with the project and gain experience.

The Geography Team

Leah Wilczynski and Hunter Donaldson

The Geography team is just one of the three that make up the student section of the NSF study. Hunter says that they “mainly focus on visualizations,” and that recently, they’re taking a data mining approach, too. They have lots of information to sort through—“we’re just going through and choosing things that we think may have a big impact and displaying them through ArcPro to see if we see patterns anywhere.” Hunter says that while data mining is a task that usually falls to the computer science team, they have lately been working in tandem to get the work done.

“[it is a] super supportive, learning-centric research environment”

They’ve built up some valuable experience while on this project. Leah says she loves working with professors outside of the classroom in a “super supportive, learning-centric research environment.” She’s also “thankful for the opportunity to present research at multiple conferences,” and she states that “I was able to interact with so many cool professionals during my poster sessions.” Hunter says he has “built up Python knowledge,” learned niche information about ArcPro, and has learned how to handle large swaths of data. He adds that “working in a team like this is a lot different than any other class, especially because of how interconnected this team is.”

NSF research team, 2022.

Front left to right: Leah Wilczynski, Allison Tucker of 2022, Dr. Bentley, Endre Szakal. Back left to right: Dr. Bonsal, Dr. Way, Dr. Gerken, Dr. Duan.

Hunter Donaldson at the American Association of Geographers conference in Denver, March 2023.

The Computer Science Team

Endre Szakal and Mia Pham

The computer science team is “the data engineering and data processing part of the puzzle,” Endre says. Mia adds that “we process it and add other columns that the Geography team will need to analyze.” This team does the nitty gritty work—they’ll compile measurements together into larger data sets and cluster individual lightning fashes to be analyzed by the other teams.

Mia says, in terms of her experience, that “this role defnitely got me more experienced with Python.” She says she now uses this skill in other classes as well as summer internships. Endre states that this study helped him build relationships with professors and other people in the feld. He also got the chance to travel for conferences and present on the project. Overall, the two express how great it is working with a team. They say that with this project, they have teammates to rely on, and they bounce ideas off of each other.

The Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) Team

Chelsea Lang and Hayden Abbott

This team is in charge of projecting the lightning storm events onto readable graphs. Hayden says, “we have a map of the D.C. metropolitan area that projects the lightning storm events across years onto maps.” Chelsea adds that they’re working on comparing their work to the real meteorological data. The ISAT team also works closely with the Computer Science team, who compiles large lists of fashes and lumps them into larger events. The ISAT students then import those data to create the graphs.

Chelsea and Hayden have learned a lot from this project and gained valuable experience. Chelsea says that “working on a research team has been huge.” She includes that in her search for graduate schools, having team research experience has been essential to her applications. Hayden states that his job coming out of college will be very team-based, so having that team experience is great. He adds that being able to talk to and work with people who have different scholarly backgrounds is valuable.

The team will be graduating as a part of the class of 2023, including Leah Wilczynski and Endre Szakal, who were part of the pioneering team of this study.

No matter what path you take, it will be a great new adventure! Congratulations!

NSF research team, 2023.

Left to right: Hayden Abbott, Mia Pham, Chelsea Lang, Hunter Donaldson, Endre Szakal. Not pictured: Leah Wilczynski.

Mia Pham at the Capital Region Celebration of Women in Computing conference at Virginia State University, March 2023.

JMU GEOGRAPHY

After a 40-year career in meteorology, Declan Cannon shares his experiences with us.

During college, many students wonder about their futures after graduation and imagine themselves in all sorts of different careers. For those at JMU who are looking to meteorology as a future path, former Weather Channel meteorologist Mr. Declan Cannon can serve as an inspiration. While his work in the meteorology feld is exemplary, he started out just like us: a student. Cannon attended a small state college in Vermont from 1977 to 1981. Unsure about his post-grad goals, he took two years off after high school. “I went to Europe, hitchhiked around with my cousin, came back and worked a couple of really horrible jobs. Then, I decided that I would like to pursue a degree in weather.” Turns out, indecisiveness over the future is common!

“I picked weather because when I was a teenager in Rhode Island, I lived in a part of the state where there’s a weather phenomenon that basically ensures that in most snowstorms, we would get about two inches of snow, and then it would change to rain. But, I noticed that about 40 miles away they would get two feet of snow, and I was really ticked because I’d still have to go to school. I’d watch TV weather anytime there was an approaching potential for snow—all three different stations—and I’d turn from channel to channel to channel. That was a primer for getting into a profession where you get insults about getting paid to be wrong all the time! If I hadn’t done meteorology, I think I would have been a forest ranger, working outside.”

information to the shipping guys, and then each ship’s master would decide whether they wanted to use the information and how much.” After that, he went to the Weather Channel, where he worked for 16 years. “When I got there, I was working behind the scenes doing the forecasting, but then I decided that I could make a lot more money if I just went on the air, so I practiced. We had the ability to practice in front of a camera and make tapes that would get critiqued. Then I got offered a position to work on the air full time.” He says that for a good TV meteorologist, there’s no room for an ego. “THE WEATHER IS THE STAR!” At the time, The Weather Channel slogan was “we take the weather seriously, but not ourselves.”

Mr. Cannon, in his time at The Weather Channel, met and befriended one of JMU’s Geography professors: Dr. Mace Bentley. They worked together for about a year. Dr. Bentley says, “We worked a lot of similar shifts, so we saw each other every day.”

After four years of undergraduate college education, Cannon took a job in California doing marine routing. “We would provide forecasts for ships around the world. My company would give the forecast

For Declan Cannon, weather also led to love. “My wife was also in weather, and we met when she came down from St. Louis to work at The Weather Channel.” He fnally ended up leaving The Weather Channel when his wife went to work in Birmingham, Alabama, and she insisted that she would only take the job if they offered her husband a position too. “They hired both of us together and we worked there for about six or seven years, and then we left TV.” While in Birmingham, he started another project with a friend, Planetary Data, Inc. His partner wrote software that downloaded freely available weather service data off satellites and put it into a proprietary map format for stations to use. “We physically had to install these big, 12-foot diameter dishes, but it was

Declan Cannon reviewing student Atmospheric Dynamics project assignments at JMU.

CAREER CORNER

exciting because we were basically giving them the opportunity to get all of the data for free. Once they paid for the equipment, they could pull the data down endlessly.” The business was a good idea, but not much of a success. “As meteorology majors, we weren’t very business savvy, so we didn’t realize we were cutting our own throats. Once we sold this stuff to them, they rarely needed to come back to us.”

Mr. Cannon later took a short break from the weather. “Both my wife and I left the TV station, and neither one of us had any jobs. We had that midlife crisis thing!” However, all ended well. “We went on the frst cruise we had ever been on. We saved for a rainy day, so rather than get stressed out, we took a pause and went on a cruise.” In regard to his career, he says, “I couldn’t decide if I wanted to stay in meteorology, because I really did have a passion and loved the science, or do the other thing I was considering, which was teaching math.” Cannon applied for jobs in the National Weather Service, and got selected to go to D.C. “I came in there and nobody was working in the aviation specialization, and nobody wanted to, so they said that I’d be great at that!” It was something that he had never done before, and it refreshed his love for meteorology. “This was all public sector work. I had spent 23

years in the private sector, and 17 years in the public sector. I really enjoyed that because I got to see how both sides worked. Private sector is like a SWAT team—they move fast. In the government you feel like you’re in a frozen moment. It’s so bureaucratic, but the job security is tremendous.”

On meteorology as a whole, Declan Cannon has noticed huge improvements. “In the profession, the accuracy has increased tremendously. It is so much better than when I started—everything has vastly improved.” He worked in meteorology for a total of 40 years, yet he still recognizes its weaknesses. Forecasts, even ones done by seasoned professionals like him, can be wrong. “If we knew reality, we could predict the future, but we don’t know reality, because we can’t sense every molecule.” When it comes to college students, he says, “You never know how it fushes out. I never wanted to be in TV, but I always liked teaching and educating people. Television was good because I felt like I could go out and talk about stuff I really liked and enjoyed.” No student ever fully knows how their post-graduate life will turn out—one day some JMU student could be an on-screen meteorologist too!

Relatedly, Dr. Mace Bentley shared some undergraduate paths a JMU student could take to get into meteorology. For those interested, the best major/minor combinations would be a major in Geography (custom concentration: Climate Science) and a minor in Mathematics, a double major in both Geography and Mathematics, or the alternative, with a Mathematics major and a minor in Geography or Climate Science. He says, “The preparatory work completed at JMU would provide a solid foundation for graduate studies in meteorology. This is useful since a Master’s degree in meteorology or atmospheric science is sought after by the National Weather Service, who is currently the primary employer of meteorologists in the U.S.”

Dr. Bentley and Mr. Cannon reminisce and discuss weather in EnGeo 2002.

GEO-SPACES

Looking to learn more about geo-spaces at JMU? Check out these locations!

SCIENCE ON A SPHERE

In EnGeo 2207 sits one of 170 worldwide “Science On a Sphere” installations. The project was started by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s education program in order to, as JMU’s Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World explains, “increase the public’s understanding of Earth as a system and the role of humans in the ecosystem.” At JMU, the display system is used by students and faculty across the university and beyond. Science courses at JMU integrate the system into their curriculum, and local high schools visit to enjoy the unique learning experience. Students can even create their own maps to display on the sphere!

KING HALL EXHIBIT

Located opposite study tables on the second foor of King Hall, the King Hall Exhibit hosts a rotating cast of captivating and educational displays. From March 1st to May 4th, 2023, “Echoes of Silent Spring: 50 Years of Environmental Awareness (1962–2012)” is on display for passerbys to enjoy. Sponsored by the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World, the display refects on Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Building upon Carson’s infuential studies surrounding the dangers of chemical pest control, the exhibit explores ethics, the role of women in science, agricultural practices, and environmental regulation.

GEOSPATIAL LAB

The newly updated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) laboratory in EnGeo 2005 is a great place to work on homework, explore GIS software, or consult Geography students. Located within the Geospatial Commons, the lab is just down the hall from many Geography professors’ offces and just a room away from the Geovisualization Studio and specialized labs. All Geography students have JACard access to the Geospatial Laboratory, and the new dual-monitor setup makes it a great space to develop GIS skills and complete assignments with fellow students.

CUSTOM CONCENTRATIONS

The age-old question in Geography at JMU—which concentration to choose?

Students new to the major often fnd themselves at a fork in the road, with one leading to Applied Geographic Information Science (AGIS) and the other pointing to Environmental Conservation, Sustainability and Development (ECSD). If students have interests in both areas, they may feel torn while making a potentially career-infuencing decision. While pursuing a dual concentration is a possibility, students may instead want to add an additional major or a minor.

What if they could have the best of both worlds, all in one concentration?

Enter the Custom Concentration, a fexible, liberating option that offers JMU Geography students the opportunity to choose their own adventure.

The Custom Concentration was frst created in 2018 as a result of a curricular revision. In addition to the concentration’s creation, the revision reduced the number of core classes and the number of credit hours required to graduate.

By choosing a custom concentration, students can pursue their own educational path. Adding multiple minors or a double major can be easily done this way due to the straightforward nature of the requirements; this is one of the custom concentration’s main advantages.

The freedom to chart your own course comes with a bit of “homework,” however. In order for students’ plans to be approved, they must be backed by a faculty member. Meetings are required in order to determine the set of classes to be taken, and students must draft a statement in order to explain their motivations for pursuing a custom concentration.

Some examples of custom concentrations include:

• Climate Science

• Creative Expressions of Place

• People’s Geography

• Global Patterns; Local Lives

• Geospatial Analysis of Humanitarian Affairs

• Eco-Feminist Urban Planning

A wide range of courses is available, as long as students can justify their reasoning (with faculty support). The other guidelines include taking twelve credit hours at or above the 300 level, six credit hours at or above the 400 level, and enrolling in one “methods” course to apply what they’ve learned in their custom concentration.

With such a wide-open path available, the Custom Concentration offers a lot of room for experimentation and creativity. As we’re in the Geography program, the sky is truly the limit!

The EMC Climate Strike

“Every day, more and more people are noticing that climate change is a real threat.”

For a few years, Harrisonburg has been home to an annual climate strike on the last Friday of each September, which is also World Climate Strike Day. The JMU strike is typically organized by students in the JMU Environmental Management Club (EMC), and this past year that effort was led by JMU Geography student Elena Finelli.

She says, “The strike coincides with Fridays for Future, which is a big organization that does worldwide climate strikes.” Finelli is this year’s president of the EMC, and she had great plans for the 2022 strike. “We took a different approach this year than in past years. It’s been more of a call to action under the Friday for Future goals, and I wanted to take it more specifcally to Harrisonburg and JMU.”

Finelli has attended a JMU Climate Strike before and says that “in previous years, the strike has picked up a bunch of conversations between EMC, other very involved students, and some JMU upper administration.” The conversation surrounded the questions of “what can JMU do,” “how can we better ourselves and become more sustainable,” and “how can we create climate action?” After talking to administrators, Finelli decided that she wanted the strike to feel different than it had previously. “I wanted it to be more of a question of how we can support JMU, and what needs to come from students. It was less students versus institution and more of us working with each other to come up with an action plan.” The 2022 Climate Strike turned out to be a 5-hourlong action-packed event. “We had a couple different speakers including Dr. Tobias Gerken, me, and Lizzie Emch (the 2021 EMC president), and then we had Councilwoman Laura Dent. They all gathered on the Quad for speeches, and then we marched down to Court Square where we met up with a couple different organizations: the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV), and 50x25, which is a nonproft that aims to increase the use of renewables.”

Elena Finelli at the Fall 2022 Climate Strike.

Despite Finelli and the rest of EMC’s best efforts to recruit students to participate in the strike, the turnout was lower than expected. “It’s diffcult when it’s something so new. We had it in 2019 and there was a huge turnout then, but then COVID hit, and since then it’s been almost impossible to get people out to things.” However, she’s trying not to get hung up over participation and is instead turning towards the future. “This was my frst time organizing anything in this realm! Next year, I’d love to expand the bandwidth of who I reach out to.” She’s also looking at other big changes for next year, possibly even a name change for the event.

When it comes to next year’s strike, Finelli has lots of ideas to make it even better than it was before. “Next year I’ll dedicate more time to planning, and I’ll try to go to professors more instead of taking it all on my own.” She’s excited for the future because “it’s EMC’s big event now! I’m defnitely hoping to see an increased turnout and see people more passionate about it because I feel like every day more and more people are noticing that climate change is a real threat. If I can get that message out to more than just the people in EnGeo and ISAT, then I’ll take it as a win.”

JMU Environmental Management Club (EMC) gathered on the Quad and marched down to Court Square last fall.

LOCAL GOODS at JMU

any courses within the Geography program emphasize the

Support your local businesses!

JMU just got a whole lot sweeter.

In early February, local coffee shop Merge Coffee Company opened a new location in Taylor Down Under (TDU), the student center and lounge located in the basement of the Union’s Taylor Hall.

Merge was founded in 2017 by two families: cousins Darryl and Charles Williams, and sisters Emily and Larisa Martin. All four founders work collaboratively in the company; Charles manages the downtown Harrisonburg location on North Main Street, Emily runs the Mt. Clinton Pike store just north of Harrisonburg, Larisa handles all coffee roasting and production, and Darryl has recently taken the reins of the new shop in TDU.

Before moving forward with this new location on JMU’s campus, Merge began with a coffee kiosk in E-Hall, which still exists and has received a positive reception. When this success parlayed into an opportunity to open a store in Madison Union, the owners jumped at the chance. They initially toured the upstairs area that was previously held by student-run coffee shop Brewbike, but the TDU storefront ended up sealing the deal for a new Merge location.

Ever since the new store opened earlier this semester, TDU has experienced increased foot traffc and student activity, seen frst-hand by co-founder and manager Darryl Williams. “From what I’ve heard, it’s defnitely helped the overall vibe of Taylor Down Under. It’s been more of a happening place,” he said.

The new store will play a key role on Main Campus in the coming years, especially given Carrier Library’s impending renovation. The library’s Starbucks store is a popular caffeine destination for JMU students, and they may soon fall in love with the nearby Merge store. Supporting locally-owned businesses, such as Merge’s coffee roasting and stores, can be crucial for helping stimulate communities. “The connection factor of knowing where your stuff comes from, and knowing the people that have produced what you consume is really important,” Williams said. “It’s also important to understand the supply chain and to be able to put a face to the goods you consume.”

As the company experiences success in Harrisonburg, Merge is making sure to remain grounded in the community. “Our approach has always been to look for opportunity and to be ready for when opportunity strikes,” Williams said. “Every step we’ve taken in the growth of our business has been because we were simply preparing for what might be around the corner. Right now, our goal is to make sure we’re serving our community effectively and thoughtfully, and making sure that everybody gets what they need.”

MASHITA: GOOD EATS IN THE ‘BURG

After graduating from JMU, Chef Mikey Reisenberg opened the Mashita food truck in 2013. Now, Mashita’s award-winning restaurant and food truck are a go-to for the JMU and Harrisonburg community. Having grown up in the Shenandoah Valley, Chef Mikey remembers a time when the economy was mainly built on local and regional businesses, and he believes that the local community is still essential to Harrisonburg’s unique character. Chef Mikey’s team focuses on showcasing seasonal ingredients in their specials and puts the spotlight on local producers through their “Supporting Valley Businesses” page on the Mashita website.

As an alum, Chef Mikey appreciates the importance of local collaborations within the JMU community. Mashita has partnered with the university during the popular International Festival, and most recently, the team taught a couple of educational classes at JMU’s Hart School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management. Student organizations such as the Moong Crew K-pop cover dance team and the Kinetix Breakdance Crew have also collaborated with Mashita through fundraisers, sessions in downtown Harrisonburg, and local hip-hop jams.

Mashita is continuously expanding its participation in the JMU and Harrisonburg communities. From cooking classes to business lectures, Chef Mikey is always looking for avenues to use his knowledge and expertise to expand Mashita’s reach. In addition to their current collaborations with local producers, Chef Mikey hopes to bring even more ingredient diversity to Mashita’s menu. As an alum, he encourages students to keep an eye out for opportunities to work with local companies because of the valuable opportunities for learning and personal improvement they can provide. Mashita has embodied the charm of the Shenandoah Valley Chef Mikey Reisenberg grew up with, and it remains a hit on and off JMU’s campus.

Merge co-founder Darryl Williams manages the new location in Taylor Down Under (above), adorned with a pleasant wall topiary (below).

Mashita’s Korean-inspired menu (above), served in their downtown Harrisonburg location (below).

JMU Honors Smith Island on

As part of JMU’s commitment to experiential learning, students enrolled in the Honors 300 electives

“Chesapeake Connections” and “From the Valley to the Bay” have the opportunity to investigate the largest estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay. After spending half the semester discussing agriculture, best management practices, and coastal restoration strategies, Professor Eric Fitzgerald invites his students to head out to the bay to visit his colleagues on Smith Island. On Smith Island, students get an up-close and personal look at the effects of climate change on coastal communities. To get to Smith Island, students travel

from JMU down the Delmarva Peninsula, where they board a ferry out to the island. On the island, students are immersed in historic waterman culture through activities, exploration, and community service.

In 2022, during the frst weekend of JMU’s spring break, a group of students in the Chesapeake Connections course, including three Geography majors, headed out to Tylerton, Maryland. Tylerton is one of three isolated towns on Smith Island, an island with a permanent population of approximately thirty. While on the island, students attended a painting class by Dennis Clary, a self-taught artist living on the island, and learned how to make a Smith Island cake with Mary Ada Marshall. Mary Ada is the creator of the Smith Island cake, which was named the state cake of Maryland in 2008. Smith Island cakes have nine thin layers of yellow cake covered with luscious chocolate icing. While on the island, students enjoyed the original cake, as well

Students pose in the Chesapeake Bay after a marsh walk.

Island on

Sas Mary Ada’s ingenious favor variations such as peanut butter, caramel, banana, and even cookies and cream. During their visits with students, Smith Island residents share their culture, history, and plans for the future, allowing students to contextualize many of the concepts they learn about at JMU.

The weekend’s weather forecast was gloomy, but a little rain couldn’t stop Professor Fitzgerald’s students! Even with high winds, low temperatures, and an unexpected snow furry or two, the weekend trip continued as planned. The students endured the cold on Saturday afternoon to complete their mission to clean up rubble and litter on the island. With many residents over the age of sixty and complicated access to waste services, there is always something for students to help out with on the island. One of the goals of this semester’s trip was to dismantle and remove one of the many old, collapsed sheds where watermen store their crabbing supplies, commonly referred to as “shanties.” Because of the island’s isolated nature, there is no dumpster to put the materials in or a landfll to dispose of construction waste. Instead, students separated the shanty into three parts: organic material that could be taken to the island’s burn pile, reusable materials, and trash that will

mith Island is located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, about an hour away from Crisfeld, Maryland, by ferry. It was previously seasonally occupied by Algonquian communities. The island sits on the border between Maryland and Virginia, but the Virginia portion is uninhabited. The current population of Tylerton, the largest town on Smith Island, is 36.

Although there are many summer homes on the island, the permanent population consists of an intimate faith-based community of watermen.

The island is also home to a Chesapeake Bay Foundation Education Center, and some areas of the island have been transformed into wildlife refuges. Smith Island’s ecosystem and community are threatened by the highest rates of sea level rise on the Atlantic coast of the United States. To complicate matters, younger generations of islanders are moving to the mainland, and renovation is extremely expensive due to the island’s isolated location and aging population.

As taught in Professor Fitzgerald’s Honors courses, the Chesapeake Bay will serve as an example for changes in global watersheds. Smith Island’s residents may be some of the frst climate change refugees in America, and the loss of a unique culture and rich ecosystem would be devastating. Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts have emphasized increased education through place-based and experiential learning, and student trips to Smith Island are a great example!

eventually be taken to the mainland by boat.

A few weeks before the students’ trip, Smith Island experienced a King Tide, a time when the high and low tides have the greatest difference. This resulted in fooding across the island, damaging houses, outdoor furniture, and shanties. Given the weather, the Tylerton residents were shocked and delighted the students were able to collect trash, help residents move damaged furniture, and dismantle the damaged shack as scheduled. After a long day, students enjoyed a homecooked meal by Mary Ada, who aims to make all Smith Island visitors feel at home. The dinner included her famous crab cakes, corn pudding, and of course, Mary Ada’s award-winning Smith Island cake. After dinner, students explored Tylerton’s few streets to talk with locals, eager to hear their stories and better understand what life on the island is like, how things used to be, and what they hope to see in the future. This course is open to all Honors students. Geography students who have taken the class found it very applicable to their major, as the course includes prominent geographic themes such as climate change, sustainability, and agriculture. This fall, students enrolled in the Honors 300 course “From the Valley to the Bay” will have the opportunity to visit Smith Island to apply topics explored in class and build relationships with the local population. Professor Fitzgerald’s students aren’t done contributing to the Save the Bay movement yet!

Students load waste into dump trucks on Smith Island.

The barely-recognizable remains of a fishing shanty (top) lie a street away from the Smith Island United Methodist Church (middle). Students walk along one of the few roads on the island (bottom).

ROCKTOWN RIOT!

HIP-HOP CULTURE AT JMU

JMU has historically been the location of the annual Circles jam, one of the largest hip-hop charity events on the East Coast. When the JMU Breakdance Club was founded in 1997, members wanted to create a unique event for crews to compete, and in 1999, the frst Circles jam was held at JMU.

The jam’s unique four-on-four crew battles made it a big hit in hip-hop communities up and down the East Coast. The yearly event captured the interest of the Harrisonburg community, with many professors and local business owners remembering the annual jam fondly even today. However, the last Circles was held in 2016 due to management changes and faltering attendance. During the club’s post-pandemic rejuvenation efforts in 2022,

executive committee members started forming plans to start a new tradition. This year, JMU’s Kinetix Breakdance Crew hosted their largest jam since Circles: Rocktown Riot!

By tradition, a jam is an event where dancers, DJs, emcees, and artists gather together to compete, socialize, and share hip-hop culture. Rocktown Riot! continued the popular four-on-four crew battles, but with a focus on re-establishing JMU’s breaking scene while upholding the legacy of its history. Compared to the 2000s, hip-hop jams are more common today, with many schools and crews hosting annual events.

B-boy No Cents impresses his competitors and audience with a knee-drop during a battle.

B-girl Lunacee enjoys downtime between battles (above), and judges Domkey and Heat Rock One make a decision (below).

Rocktown Riot! hoped to make a bold entrance into this popular hip-hop jam scene, featuring three acclaimed judges: Heat Rock One representing Del Fuego Wolfpack, Domkey representing Lionz of Zion, and D.Q. representing Delicious Lawn Gnomes. Globally-acclaimed DJ Stephen Fleg of Lionz of Zion was on the ones and twos, and Monk of 3Ninez emceed the event. Current Kinetix president Endre Szakal hopes that Rocktown Riot! will increase club interest and create connections in the East Coast breakdance scene.

Rocktown Riot! not only included people from different schools and states but also the Harrisonburg community. The event was a collaboration with Mashita, a popular food truck and restaurant in downtown Harrisonburg. The restaurant also hosted the jam afterparty, which featured Korean-inspired food, multicade games, and music from up-and-coming DJ Supersol.

Mashita’s chef and owner Mikey Reisenberg was a member of the Kinetix Breakdance Crew from 2006 to 2008. He hopes the partnership between Kinetix and Mashita will “help spread the love of hip-hop, graffti, and breakdancing to a greater audience.” He remembers the energy and enthusiasm participants and attendees of Circles brought to the area and hopes that Rocktown Riot! will encourage future events that focus on breakdance or other forms of street art.

Rocktown Riot! featured all

four elements of hip-hop: breaking, graffti, DJing, and emceeing. The day before the big event, Mashita and Kinetix hosted a beginner’s breakdance workshop. Along with breakdance crews, graffti artists were invited to decorate a canvas that was featured below the DJ during the jam.

The event was a big hit, with two DJs, a stellar emcee, incredible breakdance battles, and beautiful graffti art. As the school year draws to an end, JMU’s Kinetix Breakdance crew looks to the future with hope as they plan to build upon Rocktown Riot!’s legacy.

DJ Fleg scratches and mixes during Rocktown Riot!

B-boy Fawzy drops into a windmill, impressing opposing crew Breakfamous (above). Lab Status and BNB congratulate each other after a battle (middle). Kinetix president Endre Szakal presents winners Dancing on Air with the Rocktown Riot! trophy (below).

The Arboretum Through the Seasons

The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum is a woodland sanctuary on JMU’s East Campus. As a public urban garden and forested greenspace, it preserves native plant species, provides research opportunities, and promotes knowledge of the botanical world for students and visitors alike. Whether it be vibrant foliage, a fresh layer of snow, or blooming buds, there is always something dynamic about the arboretum. This photo essay showcases the change from autumn to spring.

Left: The moon framed by an oak tree. Right: Lovingly framed branches of an eastern redbud.

Left: A young grey fox hides among the foliage. Right: Pondside bridge framed by fall leaves. Center: Deadly galerina mushroom.

Upper left: The same eastern redbud two months later. Upper right: A blue jay and cardinal scavenge for food. Below: A cardinal perched on the snow-covered branches.

Left: A blooming azalea adds a wave of purple.

Upper right: A bumblebee demonstrates pollination. Center right: A great blue heron.

Lower right: Pondside bridge with blooming daffodils.

By Stephi Shraga

“Future Housesite”

By Hannah Hass

“Stalking”

By Lacy Posner

“Grand

Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone”

By Kelly Riley

Geography Club

JMU’s Geography Club provides support for Geography majors and minors. Club members are “united by the beliefs that we have the ability to alter the relationship between human societies and the environment in a positive way,” according to the club’s website. Geography Club members work with Geography faculty and other JMU clubs to organize activities centered around environmental interests such as hiking trips, tutoring sessions, and community service. This semester, the club hosted events including a GeoGuessr tournament, career panel, mapathon, on-campus tree planting, sunset picnic, and a clothing swap with multiple JMU environmental organizations.

The only requirement to join the club is an interest in geography. Members work to promote the Geography major at JMU and foster community among CISE students. Along with service and social events, the Geography Club also works to purchase and distribute geography-themed merchandise to students each semester. To learn more about the club and how to get involved, students can access information here

The Geography Club enjoys the nice weather during a picnic (left). Members contribute to the gardens at Keister Elementary School (right).

Gamma Theta Upsilon

Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) is one of the many honors societies open to students at JMU. GTU is the JMU chapter of The International Geographical Honor Society, which was founded in 1928 and supports chapters and scholarships at many universities. GTU works with geography students to strengthen professional skills, enhance academic abilities, and share knowledge of geography with others. GTU also works to strengthen students’ professional skills and encourages research and application of geography knowledge.

The club is currently recruiting new members, and requirements to join include a GPA of at least 3.3 overall, as well as several other geography-specifc requirements which can be found here. Students interested in applying to GTU can fnd more information at the JMU site mentioned above and the international GTU site: gammathetaupsilon.org. Additionally, chapter advisor Dr. Helmut Kraenzle can answer questions and provide information about the club at kraenzhx@jmu.edu.

Graphics (left, above) courtesy of Everett Cole.

Geography in Action!

Harrisonburg Wins a BioBlitz Competition

ABioBlitz is a competition for the purposes of observing and documenting as many species as possible within a specifed time frame and area. A BioBlitz engages citizen science, meaning it involves volunteers from the community to document species diversity, often through photographs. The documentation is then confrmed by professionals. In 2021, Harrisonburg City participated in its frst competitive Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz during the month of September. Harrisonburg City scored well among entries. Harrisonburg City entered the BioBlitz again during September 2022, competing against 76 other cities, parks, and zoos in the USA, and was awarded one of three grand prizes from the National Recreation and Park Association! Harrisonburg had one of the top three entries of pollinator documentations, sharing the grand prize with Olivette Parks and Recreation in Missouri, and the City of Bowling Green Parks and Recreation in Ohio. Congratulations to the students of GEOG 440 (Advanced Biogeography) for their contributions to the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz. Their documentation of pollinator species on the JMU campus served as a signifcant part of the Harrisonburg City observations during September 2022. (Story by Dr. Amy Goodall)

Left: A silvery checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) taking a sunbath (Photo by Claire Sherwood).

Harrisonburg Blacks Run Creek Water Quality Research

Through independent study with Dr. Bentley, Taylor Gryder tested the water quality of Blacks Run Creek in Harrisonburg to determine if there was a relationship to the water quality and socioeconomic level of varying neighborhoods. “Since my sophomore year in GEOG 350, I’ve been interested in learning about the stream quality of Blacks Run and its impacts,” she says. She was able to learn effective testing methods, talk to individuals in the Harrisonburg community about trends they’ve noticed, and learn more about the detrimental effects poor water quality can have on a larger scale. She added, “The City of Harrisonburg has started to become more aware of the issues surrounding Blacks Run, and I hope with more information, they are able to start implementing real changes.”

Taylor was able to develop a feld-based independent study project from an assignment in GEOG 350 (which is now GEOG 330: Weather, Climate and Society). Her interest in Blacks Run and environmental impacts on water quality were piqued when researching material for the assignment.

Students of GEOG 440 contributing to the Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz (Photo by Dr. Goodall).

Above: Taylor Gryder showcases her study at the 2023 Student Engagement Symposium at JMU.

Below: Taylor’s research poster (photo courtesy of Gryder).

Senior Voices: Geography in Three Words

“Analyzing, Designing, Creating”

“Connectivity, Understanding, Perspective”

- Sydney Jenkins

“Innovative, Inspiring, Caring”

- Taylor Gryder

- Landon Rutledge

“Collaborative, Explorative, Insightful”

- Hunter Donaldson

“Adventure, Informative, Delightful”

- Trisha Beachum

“Nature, Harmony, Humanity”

-

Hailey Lindsey

“Science, Truth, Evidence”

“Reference, Scale, Perspective”

- Everett Cole

“Helping the Environment”

“People, Place, Perspective”

-

“Web of Being”

- Maya Salzano

- Morgan Allman

Leah Wilczynski

“Nature, Harmony, Humanity” Lindsey

“Analyzing, Designing, Creating” Rutledge

- Ethan Bell

Cogatulatios to or Geo

Morgan McFarland Allman

Ethan Zane Bell

Brooke Lloyd Burdick

Alyssa Ann Cassano

Patrick Leo Brent Cuccias

Ryan Patrick Day Jr.

Nino Benjamin DeBarros

Robert Campbell Dykeman

Jacob Robert Edwards

Benjamin Joseph Harris

Eva Michele Heller

Armando Hernandez-Morales

Ellie An Hill

Sydney Elaine Jenkins

Wyatt Andrew Leary

Justin Young Lee

Hailey Alexa Bartz Lindsey

Marc Alexander Magee

Michael Edward McCaffrey

Everett Cole McConville

Anna Grace McKee

Rebecca Phuong Uyen Nguyen

Matthew Christopher Novak

Canyon Smith Nuckols

Francisco Alejandro Padilla Jr.

Jessica Elizabeth Purgill

John Michael Ratts

Craig Samuel Robertson

Landon Lewis Rutledge

Maya Suzanne Salzano

Kailie Nicole Scott

Claire Sherwood

Peter Joseph Smearman

Robert David Sadler Southern

Walker Fontaine Stern

Christopher Garrett Swansiger

Matthew Robert Tillson

Nicholas Sherman Tourbin

Derrick Randy Vallejos

Ty Donovan Waits

Bayan Maximillian Waters

Leah Morgan Wilczynski

Kendall Lee Wisniewski

Jacob Harrison Yaeger

Jacob Thomas Black

Chase Alan Briles

Taylor Elizabeth Gryder

GeogaphyMajos & Minos

William Haight Showalter Leggett

Hunter James Donaldson

Sean Philip Haines

Sean Anthony Bagdon

Thomas Andrew Ferrell

Trisha Mangayao Beachum

David Guy Brooks

Sean Michael Connolly

Alyssa Jordan Getz

Lukas Clay Gose

Brooke Taylor Harmison

John Paul Jornlin

Cameron Wayne Kerr

Mia Elaine Larsen

Dylan Thomas Marti

Zachary Robert Martin

Kyle Robert Peters

Sean C. Reehl

Lauryn Rose Renda

Theadora Lee Robertson

Christopher Ford Saylor

Laura Corinne Smith

Matthew Ryan Summers

Tristan Nicholas Tryon

Daniel Robert Van Heest

Alden Cizmic

Jack Hanson Denkins

Christopher Morgan Dodson

Rachel Isabel Gray

Carter Andrew Groh

Bryce Richard Jobson

Connor Billings Jorgensen

Gavin Lewis Kemble

Chad Parker Lairdieson

David Allen Lee

Madison Elizabeth Lowman

Nicholas Alexander Meek

Natalya Noel Murray

Abigale Angelina Smith

Robert David Sadler Southern

Hunter Logan Niestrath

Debra Georgiana Parry

Noah Isaac Rafky

Thank You !

Many thanks to the School of Integrated Sciences and the many faculty, staff, alumni, and student contributors.

Faculty Advisors:

Prof. Manita Khemthong

Dr. Kayla Yurco

We would like to hear from you! And we look forward to featuring other members of our Geography community in future issues. Please get in touch!