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
*AAG Award for Program Excellence in Geography
TABLE of CONTENTS
Greetings from the Geogazine Team
Hello readers, and welcome to Volume 3 of the JMU Geogazine! In this edition, we cover many assorted geography-related topics, including the Geography program’s newest faculty members, retiring and promoted professors, community activities, and other notable events happening within the program.
With our third volume, we are excited to continue sharing all the achievements and highlights of Geography, JMU, and the Harrisonburg community surrounding us. We are lucky to exist within such a vibrant and diverse local area, and, with a geographic perspective, we can view this community through an unique and interesting lens.
We also want to congratulate and thank two of our retiring Geography faculty members, Dr. Amy Goodall and Dr. Wayne Teel, for supporting the Geography program and the Geogazine throughout their time at JMU. Their support, as well as support from others in the major, are essential to the existence of this magazine and the success of each volume. We are lucky to have such supportive faculty with us, and we’re thankful for the contributions they have made to our team during their time at JMU.
Sincerely,
The Geogazine Team
Meet the Team
Lucie Griffth Co-Editor-in-Chief and Contributing Writer Class of ‘25
Devin Nappi Assistant Editor and Contributing Writer Class of ‘27
Tovah Baer Senior Editor and Contributing Writer Class of ‘24
Andrew Shinkle Co-Editor-in-Chief and Contributing Writer Class of ‘26
Chris Timothy Feature Photographer and Contributing Writer Class of ‘25
Past Team Members
Leah Wilczynski Class of ‘23 (Vol. 1 and 2)
Kayla Yurco Faculty Advisor
Olivia Offenbacker Class of ‘22 (Vol. 1)
Manita Khemthong Faculty Advisor
Message from the Department Head
Welcome to this third edition of Geogazine! We are all very happy to see this student-led compendium of the excellence of Geography at JMU continue to fourish. I think we can all share the spirit of this magazine that celebrates both the discipline of geography and the people of geography as represented here by our wonderful students and faculty. There is a vibrant thread of celebration throughout this edition, which I vigorously endorse. Along with a recognition of the challenges that surround us, the richness and complexity of our world is celebrated here. Geographers have always been drawn out into the world and we celebrate that spirit by showcasing the excellent work and insights of the faculty and students in the following pages.
There is also a more personal celebration of new arrivals in our community— including welcoming not only many new students, but accomplished new faculty. And, not without regret as their departure from the university draws closer, the celebration
of the work of long-standing faculty as they retire. These faculty embody the best of the JMU and Geography program spirit of academic rigor, fused with deep care for the student community. They have dedicated their careers here to undergraduate education and improving our local community, and they are a model for us all. As we go out to explore the world, we must always remember to celebrate those who have given us the inspiration and tools to start that adventure.
Continue exploring and celebrate all those who help us make sense of the people, places, and environments that make up our exciting world! Many thanks for your support for our program, and for the Geogazine team for producing another journal of insights into the world of Geography at JMU.
Sincerely, Dr. Henry Way
JMU: Then and Now
featuring the Robert J. Sullivan Jr. Archive
(Left: March 1974)
(Left: May 1972)
(Left:
)
4. Carrier Drive
1972
1. Wilson Hall
2. The Union (D-Hall in back)
3. Bridgeforth Stadium
(Left: October 1984)
Robert J. Sullivan Jr. was a city planner in Harrisonburg from 1965 to 1991. Throughout his working years, he collected snapshots of Harrisonburg and JMU that capture moments in time at familiar locations. Sullivan passed away in 2013, but his photo collections remain on display through the JMU Scholarly Commons. We hope you enjoy seeing how campus has changed!
“Before” images from: Special Collections, Carrier Library, JMU
(Left: November 1969)
Lakeside (Dorms under construction)
Faculty Celebration
Dr. Amy Goodall’s passion for biogeography leaves an impact on JMU and Harrisonburg
Just like in the community gardens where she volunteers, Dr. Amy Goodall has helped to grow the JMU Geography program.
Goodall has been teaching at JMU since August 2005. Over her career at JMU, she has taught a number of different courses, including Physical Geography (GEOG 210), Environmental Geography (GEOG 310), Biogeography (GEOG 340), Global Biodiversity (GEOG 440), and International Studies (GEOG 491).
She received a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the California University of Pennsylvania (currently PennWest California) and moved into the feld of archaeology soon thereafter. Goodall spent seven years in the feld doing archaeological work, but she realized that the feldwork made her want to go back to school for biology.
“Doing archaeology, I really turned more into a bird watcher and a wildlife watcher than an archaeologist,” she said.
Goodall’s career. “Wildlife is interesting; it’s my profession, and it keeps me connected to nature” she said. “I don’t ever get tired of birds, so I’m happy to see them any time.”
Coming out of the University of Nebraska, Goodall was hired at the Nebraska State Museum as a researcher on grants, where she researched prairie wildlife species and interviewed ranchers about their perceptions of environmental policies.
Goodall’s frst position as an assistant professor was at Minnesota State University, Mankato, but the cold and bleak winters put a damper on the experience. Looking for an environment flled with greenery and life, her desires were fulflled when JMU had a faculty opening.
“I’m in touch with people that I’m sure I’ll be in touch with the rest of my life that were my students at one time.”
At Shippensburg University, Goodall received a dual Master’s in Biology and Geo-Environmental Studies, along with a certifcation in high school education for physical science. Afterwards, she taught a semester in high school but realized that she wanted to work in a higher education capacity. When she realized that a biologist she worked for collected animals for research, Goodall pursued Geography to “map animals rather than harm them,” she said.
Then, Goodall moved onwards to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to obtain a Ph.D. in Geography, where she completed her dissertation on whooping crane migration; habitats in Nebraska see some of the highest incidences of crane migration in the world. Working with birds has been a major focus in
One of Goodall’s favorite ways to engage with students at JMU has been a gardening program within the Harrisonburg public schools. With her guidance, JMU Geography students have built gardens at six Harrisonburg public schools. The garden at Keister Elementary School is the most popular among geography students for environmental classes and research projects due to its large size and proximity to campus. Goodall loves seeing her students experience the cultural diversity seen in the Harrisonburg schools.
“There are beautiful butterfies in the gardens that JMU students have built and maintained, but the best part of the garden program has been the interactions of the JMU students with elementary school students from all these backgrounds,” she said.
In addition to the garden program, one of her favorite student engagement methods has been doing feldwork, including teaching students how to
measure vegetation density, how to use a dichotomous key, measuring biodiversity through butterfy surveys, and quick class trips to the JMU East Campus Hillside to look for birds.
Some of Goodall’s career highlights include involvement with the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum and seeing the JMU campus evolve throughout her time here. She served as a board member of the arboretum and especially appreciates how the arboretum provides meaningful learning experiences for JMU students. Meanwhile, she also enjoyed seeing the wildlife in the arboretum, whether it was seeing the animals in person or through student photographs.
During her time at JMU, she’s seen the campus change, especially on the east side. She has been pleased to see how the campus has gradually incorporated more habitats for insects and birds. In addition, Goodall served on committees for hiring new JMU geography faculty members. She believes that we have great faculty here in our geography program and that it is something to be proud of.
Goodall has had the privilege of seeing our geography program grow during her time at JMU. She explained how the program has expanded, especially the range of faculty professions and teaching areas. She said that there are more faculty and more students, and that “what’s been consistent is our students care about the earth.”
graduates are doing very well in their careers and are often considered the ‘top’ at grad schools. She instills her confdence in JMU Geography and says to “trust the program to guide you.”
Goodall’s favorite part of her job at JMU is the connections that she maintains.
“Follow your passion, and it’s going to be okay.”
Aside from JMU geography, Goodall has seen the geography feld as a whole change, especially because of technological advancements, leading to more use of GIS and remote sensing methods. While the discipline has increased in computerized methods, our JMU Geography students remain interested in advancements of feld methods as well as gaining experiences in computerized technologies.
Some advice that Goodall would give to prospective geographers is to “follow your passion, and it’s going to be okay.” She assures that JMU
“When I look at the years that I’ve been here, my favorite part is the grads that are in touch with me,” she said. “I’m in touch with people that I’m sure I’ll be in touch with the rest of my life that were my students at one time.”
In retirement, Goodall is looking forward to working with environmental education as well as traveling and spending time with family. She’s especially looking forward to traveling in the fall, since she hasn’t been able to do so due to the university school schedule. She plans to spend time on her family’s farm and take care of the trees and meadows they’ve planted for a conservation plan, as well as reconnect with a friend from grad school and visit their newly bought ranchette near Yellowstone National Park.
Dr. Amy Goodall has taught at JMU since August 2005, teaching a variety of courses in the Geography program. (photo courtesy of Dr. Goodall).
Faculty Celebration
Dr.
Wayne Teel’s
agroforestry
work highlights urgency of the climate crisis
With the current climate crisis threatening to change the world as we know it, there is urgency to introduce sustainable and effcient practices into agriculture. Dr. Wayne Teel, a JMU professor in the Geography and ISAT programs, has long worked in the agroforestry feld to make agricultural systems more diverse and less energy dependent. Teel began teaching at JMU in the fall of 1999 and will retire after the spring semester in 2024.
Agroforestry encompasses any form of agriculture system that integrates trees, Teel said. “It’s a big thing now, especially as we’re talking about having to move from a very fossil fuel-dependent agricultural system…which helps cause the climate emergency we’re in right now,” he said.
By incorporating a substantial number of trees in crop felds, carbon can be taken from the air and captured in the soil while maintaining a high agricultural productivity.
Growing up in the north end of Seattle, WA, Teel studied Chemistry as an undergrad at Seattle Pacifc University. Afterwards, he went to a seminary and received an MTS in Church History, but he realized that it wasn’t for him and changed paths.
After this, from 1980 to 1985, he spent six years in East Africa (Sudan and Kenya) with the Mennonite Central Committee, which was a “really formative” experience for him, and it was his frst entry point into the feld of agroforestry, he said. His newfound knowledge and experiences led him to return to school at Cornell University, where he received a master’s in Natural Resources and a Ph.D. in Agroforestry, Soil Science and International Agriculture.
While abroad in Kenya, Teel met his future wife who lived in the Shenandoah Valley, which is how he frst came to Virginia. Upon arriving in Harrisonburg, he did some teaching work at Eastern Mennonite University. Teel spent the remainder of his time working as an advisor with the Virginia Save Our Streams program, which aims to preserve regional stream health.
At a cleanup event at Blacks Run in April of 1999, Teel connected with former CISE faculty member Dr. Tom Benzing, who asked him if he could fll in as a single-class adjunct professor for a faculty member on maternity leave, and he accepted. During his time as an adjunct, Teel applied to be a full-time faculty member and got the job.
While the courses he teaches vary by semester, Teel has most consistently taught Agricultural Sys-
Dr. Teel taught in the ISAT Master’s program in Malta in 2017 (photo courtesy of Dr. Teel).
tems (GEOG 322), Geography of Africa (GEOG 335), Sustainability: An Ecological Perspective (GEOG/ISAT 429), Issues in Science and Technology: The Environment (ISAT 112), and Fundamentals of Environmental Science and Technology (ISAT 320), with the latter taught in outdoor labs at the East Campus Hillside.
The East Campus Hillside is one of Teel’s major contributions to campus. He collaborated with a larger Hillside Team to repurpose open lawn areas as an outdoor environmental habitat and lab space.
As a group, the Hillside Team was honored with a Purple Star Award in 2023 for “Academic QualityTranscending Boundaries” after their transformative work.
Another area of Teel’s studies is biochar, which is a type of organic charcoal that is used as a soil amendment. By transforming wood into charcoal, “it makes the carbon in wood more permanent,” Teel said. This prevents the wood from otherwise being eaten or decomposed, which would return it to the atmosphere and perpetuate the climate crisis.
“It ties in very nicely with the agroforestry theme, because you’re using waste wood,” he said.
Teel and a group of students have done recent research on the use of biochar in poultry houses in Fulks Run, VA, looking at its effect on ammonia release. While the results have been promising, biochar’s implementation into the mainstream agricultural world may be delayed due to high costs.
“If we can somehow fgure out a way to monetize their [farmers] use of biochar in a way that they can help their bottom line, the introductions will happen a lot faster,” he said. “That’s what I’m working on… I’m just a small piece in the effort.”
Living in nearby Keezletown, VA, Teel commutes to JMU on an electric bicycle through various routes.
In retirement, Teel is planning to continue with his biochar and agroforestry research but “at a relaxed pace,” he said. In addition, he is aiming to spend more time in his personal garden at home; with
scaled back working hours in recent years, the extra time has allowed him to expand the garden. If the situation presents itself, Teel said he would come back to be an adjunct professor or help with potential capstone projects.
With many years in academia under his belt, Teel spoke to the changes he’s noticed in his felds of study, including geography—and it connects to his areas of focus in agroforestry and biochar.
“I think the biggest change over the last twenty years has come about because of the downside of our technological advances, and that is the burning of fossil fuels that causes the climate emergency that we’ve got,” he said. “It’s [the climate emergency is] the number one problem that we face, and we have to reduce emissions and capture carbon.”
Dr. Teel overseeing the construction of a sand dam near Wote, Kenya, in 2013 (photo courtesy of Dr. Teel).
Jordan McCray’s advice from her post-JMU pathway
Jordan McCray graduated from JMU in 2019 with a major in Geographic Science and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She has also graduated from the University of Kentucky with a master’s in Geography and certifcates in Diversity and Inclusion and Gender and Women’s Studies. McCray was awarded a prestigious fellowship to pursue her Ph.D. While she has decided not to complete her doctoral studies, she has many valuable insights to offer from her experience over the past few years.
As an undergrad at JMU, McCray’s favorite class was Prof. Manita Khemthong’s Geography of East and Southeast Asia (GEOG 334), which she recommends to all students. She even submitted her fnal paper as a writing sample for her grad school applications. “An administrator I met during my visit at the university mentioned reading and being impressed by the sample,” she said, demonstrating the importance of the coursework she completed. She also learned critical thinking skills that she has been able to apply elsewhere in her education and research, as well as the importance of media literacy.
McCray studied abroad in Brazil during her second year at JMU, and she used this experience as the basis for independent study research under the advising of Dr. Mace Bentley and Prof. Khemthong. “Our meetings consisted of discussing geographic trends I had noticed in Brazil, subsequent research I had found, and how to bridge the gap between the two in my research paper,” she said. In one of these meetings they mentioned the possibility of attending graduate school. She applied and eventually accepted an offer from the University of Kentucky.
Ultimately, her favorite memory from JMU is her graduation ceremony on the Rose Library Lawn, which her friends and family traveled to see. “My family fnally got to meet Mace and Manita...and I had the summer off before starting my master's program that fall. That day was full of celebration and joy for all of the wonderful experiences I had at JMU, and within the Geographic Sciences,” she said. Once the summer was over, she moved to Kentucky and began her M.A. Geography program. Among other activities, she became a co-organizer for the annual Dimensions of Political Ecology (DOPE) conference.
Despite having a lot on her plate as a graduate student, things seemed to be working out well. However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed McCray’s grad school experience—she had to return home during lockdown and fgure out how to continue her research and other academic commitments virtually. Her master’s degree (and the research she was conducting for it) was one of the only constants for her during this challenging time.
This led to her decision to apply for two Ph.D. programs and a National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowship in Fall 2020, all of which were successful. She elected to stay at the University of Kentucky for her Ph.D., and she also accepted the NSF fellowship. However, she struggled with the time-consuming combination of organizing and hosting the frst all-virtual DOPE conference, continuing her research, and writing her thesis. “Though I was successful in my endeavors, I also want to stress how much time and energy it takes to pursue all of these things at once,” she said. As the pressure and workload she dealt with showed no signs of decreasing, she began to consider whether it might be a good idea to take a break from school.
“There is no harm in being open to the possibilities that come your way.”
During the frst year of her Ph.D., McCray reached out to trusted mentors and colleagues to discuss her thoughts on continuing with her graduate education, and she received a lot of different advice. Ultimately, she decided to leave the program. “I tried all I could to make my time here work for me, so with that I could leave with no regrets,” she said.
The time she has spent over the past several years on her research and graduate school pathway has led to many opportunities and connections for her, both personal and professional. She was able to go to Puerto Rico to present at a conference with one of her undergraduate Gen Ed professors, who remembered her years after she graduated because of how engaged she was as a student. One of the people she reached out to for advice during her Ph.D. has since become a great mentor. She also says that her independent study at JMU “has resulted in a life-long friendship/mentorship with Mace and Manita,” and they still catch up when they can. “Stay open to meeting new people and embracing the possibilities they might bring your way,” McCray said. For current students, this includes getting to know your professors, peers, and anyone else you might meet or want to reach out to regarding your interests.
McCray is currently a freelance writing and research consultant. Her interests in social theory and DEI draw her to support work, projects, and writers that center anti-racism and social inclusion more broadly. She would like to offer the following advice to current students: “There is no harm in being open to the possibilities that come your way. I never considered pursuing graduate school as part of my path when I started my independent study at JMU. Since I approached the possibility with curiosity, however, I have since gained so many new skills and have cultivated an amazing network full of brilliant and caring people. Never be afraid to try, but always give yourself the grace to leave if something is not a good ft for you and your goals.”
Jordan McCray graduated from JMU in 2019 with a major in Geographic Science and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (photo courtesy of Jordan McCray).
Dr. Kayla Yurco looks to continue leadership, mentorship, and growth in new role as Associate Professor
Now in her seventh year at JMU, Geography professor Dr. Kayla Yurco was recently promoted to the position of associate professor with tenure.
Professors go through the tenure and promotion processes at the beginning of their sixth year, which was last year for Yurco. Eligible professors are evaluated by the Personnel Advisory Committee (PAC), which is composed of various elected faculty members.
With the promotion, there are more opportunities for leadership and service. “By the time you’ve been promoted to an associate professor, you’re expected to understand the lay of the land around here a little bit more, and so I think you tend to take on more leadership roles within some of the service committees, some of the things that are helping to keep our Geography program, SIS (School of Integrated Sciences), or other entities across campus running,” she said.
sciences,” she said. At Penn State, she completed a Ph.D. in Geography with a concentration in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
During the Ph.D., Yurco stayed in Kenya for a year and a half doing research but moved to Rwanda as a result of security concerns amidst the 2013–2014 terrorist attacks. In Rwanda, her research focused on agricultural commercialization and gender. At this time, Yurco became interested in understanding the Central African context of her research; she spoke Swahili from her experience in East Africa but didn’t speak any French, so she got a part-time job in France with the Ministry of Education as an English language assistant.
“I’d love to see how we can get our Geography students broadly, especially women+, out on more outdoor adventures in the local, regional, and state areas, whether through coursework in the future, feld trips, or more community building activities.”
Yurco grew up near Youngstown, Ohio, which is in the northeastern part of the state in the heart of the Rust Belt. For college, she attended the nearby University of Pittsburgh and received bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and English Literature; Yurco wanted to be a veterinarian growing up, and the English major was auxiliary. However, during her junior year of college, she studied with a wildlife management study abroad program in Kenya, which spurred an interest in human-wildlife interactions and led her to pursue grad school instead of the veterinary track.
At the University of Michigan, Yurco received a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources and Environment. Neither Pittsburgh or Michigan had geography programs, but Yurco ultimately found Geography “by way of trying to combine [her] interests and experiences in the natural sciences and social
While writing her Ph.D. dissertation, Yurco worked in a high school in the southwestern town of Aire-sur-l’Adour, teaching English to older high schoolers with a focus in the technical sciences. After extending her contract for a second year, she moved across the Pyrenees to the southeastern town of Perpignan, where she worked in a similar capacity in a middle school.
During her time overseas, Yurco searched for faculty and research positions internationally in Africa, Europe, and the US, and ended up hearing about an opening at JMU from a former college roommate who spoke highly of Harrisonburg. In 2017, she applied, was hired as a one-year visiting assistant professor, and later applied for the tenure track position. “It took me very little time to fall in love with this community and with JMU,” she said.
In the future, Yurco plans to continue helping students with capstones and research projects, whether they be collaborative or independent. “I think mentoring and teaching students still continues to be at the heart of my interests and what I do, so continuing to keep students at the forefront of my work is really important,” she said.
In addition, she is looking to expand student engagement with one of her organizations, Girls Who Hike Virginia, which is a non-proft that offers environmental education and organized hikes to women+ (an inclusive defnition of women) across the state. Yurco currently serves on the organization’s Board of Directors as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director.
“I’d love to see how we can get our Geography students broadly, especially women+, out on more outdoor adventures in the local, regional, and state areas, whether through coursework in the future, feld trips, or more community building activities,” she said.
Now that she’s transitioned to the role of associate professor, Yurco sees the time as “an opportunity to take a little bit of a pause and reassess where you want your professional growth to go moving forward,” she said.
Below: Dr. Yurco in Grand Canyon National Park.
Right: Dr. Yurco in Kenya.
Lower right: Dr. Yurco on a hike with her two dogs, Loki and Thor (photos courtesy of Dr. Yurco).
Dr. Dudley Bonsal continues leadership and hard work following promotion to Associate Professor
Dr. Dudley Bonsal’s expertise in GIS and cartography and his willingness to lead has earned him the faculty promotion to associate professor.
Having grown up in Connecticut, Bonsal completed his undergraduate degree in English in 1990 at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. He says that in the long run, his English degree helped him greatly. However, near the end of his time at Tufts, he was wondering if English was the right major for him.
Bonsal took two years off from college. In addition to working in London, he lived in New Hampshire where he worked for a builder, drove a bus at a ski resort, and hiked in his spare time. “I just became a more environmentally-conscious person,” he said, in reference to the time he spent outdoors in New Hampshire.
After graduating from Tufts, he worked for a law frm in Boston as a paralegal in its hazardous waste investigation unit. Realizing that he did not want to be a lawyer, he started to take, at the Harvard Extension School, numerous math and science courses that helped give him a deeper understanding of environmental science.
In the late 1990s, Bonsal started working at the Charles River Watershed Association. Having learned about the organization in the Boston Globe, he was particularly intrigued by their combination of environmental advocacy and lab work. For a year, Bonsal worked as a volunteer and then as a paid intern before being hired for a full-time position as an environmental scientist.
Just as he was hired, a need for someone to take on the organization’s GIS duties opened up. Bonsal took on that role and learned how to make maps and conduct analysis using GIS. He collected data on water conditions and published them to a website to inform the public. Later, Bonsal got involved in the analysis of the watershed’s land use and the predicted effects of impervious surface on water quality based on existing zoning maps.
Following layoffs in 2003, Bonsal had to start looking for a new GIS job at a different organization. One company he interviewed with hired someone with a master’s degree instead. Soon after, he was working at the front desk of a graduate student dorm at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After asking himself “why am I on this side of the desk?”, he started applying to graduate school in 2004.
Bonsal received his master’s degree from Ohio State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He became very interested in the world of sound and noise, and how GIS could be used to analyze it. While earning his Ph.D., he did research on the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Since the 1960s, there had been many noise complaints from neighborhood residents living near the
Dr. Bonsal was recently promoted to Associate Professor and has been at JMU since 2016 (photo courtesy of Dr. Bonsal).
Twin Cities airport. In fact, the Minnesota Airports Commission arranged regularly scheduled meetings to feld concerns about noise from members of the community. In 2010, there were very few people attending these meetings. Bonsal described that year as “a sleepy time” for these meetings.
However, at one meeting in the fall of 2011, attendance boomed when 170 people and local media showed up. What Bonsal found interesting was that numerous people who were complaining did not live within the noise contour lines of the airport, as refected in maps recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration. He also noticed that the contours did not extend any farther from the airport compared to where they were the previous year, which would suggest no change in overall loudness in the neighborhoods.
He gained access to GIS data for the arrivals and departures from the airport, including the times and threedimensional trajectories of their paths. He decided to focus on the departures of the planes. In order to analyze how the departures might relate to noise exposure,
he studied how low these planes were fying over the houses and the frequency with which they departed. His maps suggested that the pathways were becoming more consistent with changing navigation protocols, so that the planes would be passing more consistently over certain houses with every takeoff.
More recently, Bonsal has been involved in research with Dr. Mace Bentley and other colleagues regarding lightning and thunderstorm intensity around Washington, D.C., Kansas City, and Salt Lake City. They are studying how the intensity of thunderstorms correspond to the presence of urban versus rural land cover and to atmospheric conditions, including aerosol concentrations and wind patterns. Bonsal, Bentley, and one of JMU’s GIS students are currently working on mapping the lightning strikes and analyzing the land and atmosphere-based relationships.
Bonsal has been at JMU since 2016. Since moving to Harrisonburg, he has come to love being around the mountains and being back on the east coast, especially being within driving distance to his family. He also likes the Shenandoah Valley. He says that Harrisonburg is the most rural town he’s lived in, and he is interested in what development decisions are being made in the city in regard to making it more walkable and bikeable.
Bonsal primarily teaches Cartography and Geospatial Visualization (GEOG 365) and Intermediate Geographic Information Science (GEOG 366). He has also started teaching an advanced cartography course in the last four years. In his cartography classes, Bonsal enjoys working with students who are interested in making “really cool looking maps,” as he described. Less frequently, he has taught Introduction to Geographic Information Science and Cartography (GEOG 215) and GIS Programming with Python (GEOG 469). His teaching has also focused on the geospatial analysis of land use.
While Bonsal is pleased to be promoted to associate professor, he continues to adapt to technological changes and the needs of his students. On that note, he refects, “I keep working.”
Dr. Bonsal overlooking San Francisco in 2016 (photo courtesy of Dr. Bonsal).
Associate Professor Dr. Galen Murton’s JMU journey took him from the peaks to the Valley
Dr. Galen Murton has been part of the JMU community since 2017, and he recently received a promotion to Associate Professor with tenure. Murton teaches a wide range of geography courses at multiple levels, including Human Geography (GEOG 280), Globalization and Development (GEOG 344), and Critical Cartography (GEOG 470), among others. He began building expertise in these areas early on.
During his undergraduate years at Middlebury College, Murton studied abroad in Nepal, Tibet, and India, exploring religious practices and pilgrimage traditions in the mountainous regions of Asia. He found that pilgrimage routes often crossed over international borders that were wrapped up in a long history of disputes between many countries. When he chose to pursue an MA in International Relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University after about ten years of working and traveling around the world, it was to further explore this history. His research centered around “how international border disputes complicated or even perpetuated conficts that continue today all the way from northwest India and Kashmir and the borders with China to the far east of the region,” he said.
out the region.” To really understand what is going on, he said, “You've got to go there and experience it on the ground.” He chose to continue his research and travels by pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder. He realized geography would allow him to examine geopolitical conficts at multiple scales and from many angles.
Murton described geography as, among many other aspects, “an approach to seeing and understanding how the world works, one that considers the interaction of many different dynamics that sometimes in other disciplines are isolated.” In his ongoing research but also in the classroom at JMU, he is especially interested in understanding the role historical disputes over Tibetan borders played in current relations between China and India. “It's a territorial dispute,” he said, “but it's predicated on cultural politics and social politics…and how they infuence and articulate contemporary geopolitics.” His Ph.D. dissertation was on the impacts of international infrastructure projects and systems on “the social, economic, and political climate and dynamics” in Nepal and how these systems “were helping to transform Nepal's broader geopolitical relationships and its positionality in Asian contexts.” He is currently working to further write up and update that research into a book.
Upon completing his MA, Murton found he “was still really curious about the complexity of these conficts” and the many factors that “contribute to and complicate the geopolitical relationships through-
His current research involves examining “the international humanitarian and disaster relief economy” and the growing role that China has within it compared with the historical and present role of the
Dr.Murton overlooks Phoksumdo Lake, Nepal, in 2004 (photo courtesy of Dr. Murton).
US and other traditional leaders of the global humanitarian sector. He also hopes to bring his research interests closer to home, questioning the state of current US infrastructure and examining what can be done to modernize and update transportation systems to “address issues of mobility justice or injustice.” Murton would also like to collaborate directly with students more in the future, and he hopes to launch a study abroad program in Nepal. He said this would allow him to introduce students to his research in “a very engaged and practical way,” combining topics from the classroom with the realworld geography of his research interests to “generate the kinds of space for both data collection and analysis with insights to then do collaborative research back here at JMU.”
Murton grew up in Portland, Maine, which he describes as similar to Harrisonburg in some respects— for instance, both are major refugee resettlement cities. His high school soccer team consisted of players from 14 different countries, with coaches from Afghanistan and Scotland, and he says that he “came to really appreciate the geography of soccer.” When he’s not busy with academic life, he enjoys biking and hiking on the trails here in the Shenandoah Valley, cooking at home, and exploring the many coffee and beer options Harrisonburg has to offer. He also enjoys traveling. His wife, Dr. Nadine Plachta (a fellow JMU faculty member who also works in Nepal and the wider Himalayan region), is from Germany, and they often visit Europe. Murton enjoys hiking in the alpine regions of the continent and comparing cultural differences across mountain communities around the globe.
In 2000, Murton went to Tibet with a friend. They were following a river gorge into Nepal, planning to fnd a route across the border. However, the Chinese government had other plans. A road was under construction, and Chinese authorities found
themselves in the presence of two unknown travelers traversing a restricted area without the proper paperwork.
“It's never a good thing to get arrested…but it's especially problematic when it's under the authorities of China and in areas that were closed to foreign travelers,” he said. “We got apprehended, detained overnight, actually locked in a broom closet under a stairwell because there was no functional jail at the police headquarters because it was such a remote area.”
Eventually they were able to talk themselves out and were allowed to proceed into Nepal. Twentythree years later, that unfnished road is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and serves as a major trade route between China and Nepal—and is one of Murton’s main research interests. This illustrates to him the strengths and opportunities offered by geographic research and feldwork: “Hopefully you don't get arrested, but you see and can better understand what's happening in the world around us.”
Dr. Murton hikes with his young daughter Sophie Anna in Shenandoah National Park (photo courtesy of Dr. Murton).
EMC Marches For a Better Future
The Environmental Management Club (EMC) Climate March is a familiar sight to JMU students. The strike falls on the same day as the Global Climate Strike organized by Fridays for Future—a larger organization supporting youth climate activists. This group aims to promote community connection in the pursuit of climate justice, and they are leaders in a global effort to encourage environmental activism.
Fridays for Future have long-term goals that the EMC fully supports, but they also recognize that change can’t happen overnight. EMC President Elena Finelli said, “Anything we can do in between, like raising awareness, connecting community members, making a plan of action, or starting those conversations is important.” Any little thing counts as moving forward, and by taking on a “baby steps” mindset, they fnd they can get more out of a smaller event like this. EMC Vice President Sofa Rocchi said that “some of the smaller EMC goals were talking about community and bringing people together, not only in EMC but at JMU and in Harrisonburg as well, and I think we did meet those goals.” These students were not simply striking to cause a stir on campus; they care deeply about the environment and are dedicated to learning how students and other Harrisonburg locals can play their part in this major global issue. Rocchi also stated that “the purpose is to raise awareness for environmental issues and get people involved, especially students. We also can hopefully get our voices out there and make a change and start taking action towards healing our shared environment.”
With a new year comes new changes. The EMC created a different name for the 2023 march with goals of making it feel more inclusive and inviting to JMU students and community members alike. “It used to be the Climate Strike,” Rocchi said, “and we changed it to the Climate March. I felt that Climate Strike was more angry, but I think calling it a Climate March is more uniting.” This doesn’t mean that discussing environmental matters is easy and fun, however. As Finelli said, “It's good to be angry, and we should be angry,” but she emphasized that dealing with climate matters
means working together as a community rather than taking on an us-versus-them mindset.
On September 22, 2023, the newly named Climate March took place. The EMC and other participants started at the steps of Wilson Hall on JMU's main campus to march downtown in the name of climate justice. Community members, EMC members, and other JMU students showed up to get involved, offering many people the chance to have their voices heard. “Yes, the focus was on JMU,” Finelli said, “but also everyone in the town of Harrisonburg.” The event included student-made posters, chanting, marching, and guest speakers from JMU and the surrounding Harrisonburg area. EMC Secretary Rebecca McCann said, “Hearing all these people who were passionate enough to take time out of their day to be around other like-minded people was really cool and was a really good feeling.” In addition, EMC Social Chair Skylar Oveissi noted that those guest speakers included local politicians that supported their cause as well. Everyone seemed to enjoy the event despite the heavy topics being discussed, and, overall, the EMC leadership team shared that they loved seeing everyone show up for a common undertaking. EMC Treasurer Logan Markell noted that she “really enjoyed getting to know the people that showed up, and it was good to do some outreach and get to know otherpeople who were passionate about the cause.”
When it comes to climate activism, working as a team is always better than working as an individual. By attending and participating in events like these, JMU students can demonstrate that we care about the future of the environment and climate justice. By gathering as a community, we prove to ourselves and those in power that we consider our environment a priority, and even small Virginia cities like Harrisonburg can be an integral part of a larger ripple effect. This is what the EMC leadership wants to emphasize the most. When it comes to this big issue, McCann said, “Just do the best that you can. Small changes are still changes that will add up over time.” Marching for the climate today might not change anything tomorrow, but on a longterm scale, small efforts can really add up.
The Environmental Management Club and other students gathered at the JMU Quad before marching downtown on September 22, 2023
(photos by Chris Timothy).
What We’re Reading
Dr. Xiaojing Tang
Dr. Mace Bentley
Dr. Bentley would like to recommend Handbook for Mankind byBuddhadasa Bhikkhu.
“I refer to this book frequently for continued ‘mental grounding’, as it is written by one of the most respected Buddhist monks in the world. AjahnBuddhadasa’s philosophic and down-to-earth explanations of Buddhist thought and his ability to connect it with contemporary themes resonates.
This book is a compendium of a series of lectures Bhikkhu gave to a group of prospective judges. Ethical and moral themes are at the forefront of his discussions. An excerpt from the book’s foreword gives perspective: ‘The Venerable Buddhadasa offers fresh insights into a timeless Truth (Dhamma), in the direct and simple manner that characterizes all histeaching. The clarity of his insight brings the Dhamma to life, so that today, a new generation of readers, not yet born at the time of these talks,can find meaning in his words.’
It can be used as the title suggests, as a handbook for life, and can be a valuable reference and moral compass.”
Dr. Tang would like to recommend Cloud-Based Remote Sensing with Google Earth Engine by multiple authors.
“The book is completely free and even includes a video walkthrough made by the authors.
It is the best tutorial that you can find for learning how to use Google Earth Engine. The book contains fundamental chapters ‘designedto take you from being acomplete Earth Engine novice to being a quite advanced user,’ as well as applications chapters thatshow‘how it is used in a very wide variety ofsettings that rely on remotesensing data.’
The book has more than 70 authors and includes work from undergraduates, master’sstudents, Ph.D. students, postdocs, assistant professors,associate professors, and independent consultants.
I’m a big fan of GEE and I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in learning how to use GEE.“
Dr. Tang contributed the chapter “Deforestation Viewed from Multiple Sensors.”
Dr. Mary Kimsey
Dr. Weiming Hu
Dr. Kimsey would like to recommend Merchants of Grain by Dan Morgan.
“This is a book I read while a graduate student at the University of Georgia. It was an eye-opener for me as a young geographer to learn about the intricacies of the international marketplace and the role that multinational corporations play. The last chapter in the book talks about the role that grain production in the U.S. has on economic development in other countries. Over the past 20 years, I have learned from my travels to Haiti that the country's rice production was all but destroyed by the ‘dumping’ of cheap ‘Miami rice’ on the country. It is a wellwritten, well-documented and fascinating story.
As the subtitles indicate, it's about the ‘power and profits of the five giant companies at the center of the world's food supply.’ It's about the families behind them and the control they have had over the world's food supplies.
This book documents how the trade of grain evolved over time and how the international trade in grain has been controlled by just a few. Over the past year or so, there has been a lot in the news about international trade, the global supply chain, and the impact of conflict in the Ukraine on the trade of energy resources and grain.”
Dr. Hu would like to recommend The Book of Why: The Science of Cause and Effect by Judea Pearl.
“’The Book of Why’ by Judea Pearl explores the fundamental concept of causality and its implications for various fields, including science, medicine, and artificial intelligence. Dr. Pearl argues that understanding cause-and-effect relationships is crucial for making informed decisions.
He introduced the Ladder of Causation as a powerful graphical tool for representing and analyzing causal relationships. The book also delves into the historical evolution of causal thinking and challenges traditional statistical approaches. Overall, it provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the world of causal inference.
After reading the book, I've been motivated to reassess the research I'm currently conducting in the field of artificial intelligence. I've been dedicating my efforts to building trustworthiness and robustness in the machine learning systems I develop. I'm also motivated to design experiments aimed at discerning causal relationships from these models, even though their interpretability can be challenging.”
Le Petit Prince The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Little Prince story began over 80 years ago after Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944), French author and aviator, came to New York in 1940, a few months after Germany invaded France. Two years later, he began to craft a tale about a little interstellar traveler in search of friendships, wisdom, and understanding.
The Little Prince was frst published in New York, April 1943, in both English and French. The book was not published in France until late 1945. Today, Le Petit Prince has been translated into over 570 languages and dialects and 29 transcripts.
To continue the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Little Prince’s frst edition, “The Planet of the Little Prince” exhibition was shown at Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (January 1st to February 4th , 2024).
“On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.”
Left/Right: “The Planet of the Little Prince” exhibition at Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eyes.”
Le Petit Prince Pop-Up Book.
Le Petit Prince (El Principito): Braille version in Spanish.
Above: First Edition both in English and French, 1943. Below: Transcript of Le Petit Prince in T9 (French Smartphone), 1999.
Above: The Little Prince in different languages. Below: The Little Prince Postage collection around the world.
“Practical idealist”: Dr. Weiming Hu brings passion for data science to JMU
Being practical and ideal may seem like opposite characteristics, but one of JMU Geography’s newest faculty members embraces the contrast.
Weiming Hu, a new assistant professor at JMU this academic year, is passionate about data science and expanding the breadth of knowledge available to the scientifc community at large. To accomplish this, he often fnds himself in between optimistic goals and a grounded reality.
“The extent of my research largely depends on the data that are available to us,” Hu said. “I see myself constantly thinking about what we can observe in reality and what I would like to make sense of. With each major breakthrough in Earth observation technologies, we gain the ability to address scientifc questions of increasing scale and complexity.”
also allows him to “gain [his] sanity back” from all of the times he’s been stuck in car traffc over the years. The unicycle can travel 100 miles on a single charge and it can comfortably reach 35 miles per hour.
On his own time, Hu enjoys customizing his unicycle, playing acoustic and electric guitar, tinkering with machines, and installing smart technologies around his home.
This semester, Hu is teaching Intro to Geographic Science and Cartography (GEOG 215) and Application of GIS in Human and Environmental Topics: Advanced Human and Environmental Applications (GEOG 469).
“Having those two seemingly opposite terms put together reminds me of my motivation for research,” he said.
Hu grew up in China and received a bachelor’s of engineering in remote sensing and geoinformatics from Wuhan University. After fnishing his undergraduate degree, Hu pursued his master’s degree and a doctorate in geography at Penn State. At Penn State, he learned about GIScience as an academic feld—instead of a tool or a project from an engineering perspective. With guidance from faculty, Hu geared his graduate studies more towards Atmospheric Sciences and centered his Ph.D. dissertation on weather forecasting.
Upon graduating from Penn State, Hu worked as a machine learning scientist in the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, until he joined JMU.
Hu is enjoying his time at JMU so far. “I think it’s a perfect opportunity,” he said. “It’s under the program of geography, so I fnally circled back to my home base.”
Interestingly, Hu commutes across Harrisonburg on an electric unicycle that is reliable, effcient, and
For engagement with students, Hu is interested in launching a project to improve the management and visualization of meteorological and environmental data on campus. For example, the data for the wind turbine next to Rose Library and the weather station on the East Campus Hillside are managed by different groups.
Dr. Hu visiting the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO (photo courtesy of Dr. Hu).
Hu envisions creating a centralized hub for data sharing and storage of a variety of observations so that they can be easily used in classrooms and research projects.
In addition, Hu always welcomes students to do capstone projects on extreme weather events and renewable energy as well as to learn about the felds of data science and machine learning.
Ultimately, one of the foremost reasons Hu does research is to help expand the amount of available knowledge in the scientifc community. To visualize this, he drew a simple diagram of a circle, which represented the total human knowledge we’ve acquired so far. Hu then drew tiny outcroppings that extended from the circle, which represented new knowledge in uncharted territory gained from original research.
“This little area can belong to you.” he said. “In order to get there, you have to challenge the existing and ask questions that perhaps nobody has asked before.”
This refers back to Hu’s identity as a practical idealist, where he was trained to ask novel questions and look at the impossible, but also to remain realistic. “Having those two seemingly opposite terms put together reminds me of my motivation for research,” he said. “Each individual addition to the knowledge base may be modest, but slowly yet surely, the circle will expand and your contribution will stand.”
Dr. Hu and members of the Machine Learning Team at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (photo courtesy of Dr. Hu).
Dr. Hu takes in the sights from Potato Chip Rock in Poway, CA (photo courtesy of Dr. Hu).
Dr. Hu visits Virginia Beach, VA (photo courtesy of Dr. Hu).
Dr. Nadine Plachta’s cultural geography background helps highlight human-environment relationships
Building on a career marked by passion for Indigenous worldviews, community-led conservation, and studying the ways in which people live and interact with their environments around the world, new JMU Geography faculty member Dr. Nadine Plachta is excited to now work in the Shenandoah Valley.
Plachta, a visiting assistant professor, grew up in the town of Donauwörth, which is located in southern Germany about 100 km northwest of Munich. After graduating from high school, she traveled to Nepal and grew interested in sustainable development in Himalayan mountain regions.
With this newfound curiosity, Plachta enrolled in Heidelberg University where she studied at its South Asia Institute (SAI) and combined insights from various disciplines including anthropology, geography, history, and political science. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in religion and a master’s degree in social anthropology, Plachta went on to pursue a Ph.D. in Global Studies at the University of Bern in Switzerland.
In 2014, Plachta relocated to Nepal’s capital city Kathmandu to serve as the director of the SAI Kathmandu Offce, a position she held until 2019. A research grant subsequently facilitated a short stay at JMU as a visiting scholar in 2020. However, shortly after her arrival, the pandemic led to the suspension of all on-campus activities. Plachta then spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. Following this period, she returned to Harrisonburg and began her current role at JMU.
Plachta has focused much of her research on Nepal’s Tsum Valley. Located along the border with Tibet, the region is accessible from Kathmandu by a one-day bus journey followed by a fve-day trek. It was here that she conducted extensive research for her Ph.D. in 2012. She
still keeps close friendships with many local residents and returns to the valley whenever her time allows.
In her current project, Plachta studies how Indigenous ecological knowledge and traditions of environmental management are used for climate change governance in Nepal. Historically, Indigenous populations (especially along the Himalayan border) have faced marginalization, but with the country’s new constitution, these communities have gradually been gaining more rights over the years. “In Tsum, customary environmental management traditions are now being incorporated into rural municipal laws,” she said. “It’s a really signifcant step in creating more sustainable and sovereign futures for Indigenous people in Tsum, as well as in Nepal more broadly.”
Dr. Plachta talks with Tenzin Lhamo, a Buddhist Nun who she stays with during her visits to the Tsum Valley (photo courtesy of Dr. Plachta).
In the future, Plachta is hoping to bring students on summer study abroad programs to Nepal to learn more about conservation and sustainable development in the Himalayas. Her vision includes creating an oral history database for the Tsum people, along with a local map that encompasses Indigenous place names and the centuriesold cultural and environmental stories tied to them. As a result of infrastructure development and high outmigration rates, the local population is skewed towards the elderly, and local histories that aren’t written down are at risk of being lost.
“In Nepal, there are many communities without a written language, and where knowledge is passed down through oral tradition,” she said. “It’s important to keep that knowledge alive, especially with regard to the many changes we are experiencing right now. It can help us in the climate change adaptation process.”
Plachta is married to Dr. Galen Murton, another faculty member in the program, whom she frst met while she was living in Nepal. Together, they have a 1.5-yearold daughter, Sophie Anna. Over the years, through multiple visits to the Shenandoah Valley, she has grown fond of the area and its natural beauty. “I really enjoy the outdoors, and you have all of that here,” she said. “Harrisonburg strikes the perfect balance–it’s neither too big nor too small, making it an ideal place to live.”
Currently, Plachta teaches one topics and two General Education courses: Environmental and Climate Justice (GEOG 350), Geography: The Global Dimension (GEOG 200), and Problem Solving Approaches in Sci-
ence and Technology (ISAT 160). Her sections of GEOG 200 and ISAT 160 have between 80 and 140 students, while her section of GEOG 350 is much smaller. Plachta especially enjoys teaching seminar-style classes because of the opportunity to draw on students’ personal backgrounds as a base for discussion and instruction.
“You can integrate all of the students’ individual knowledge and experience into the classroom and teaching,” she said. “In a larger lecture setting, although I always try, it’s harder to have those close-knit relationships.”
Thinking like a human geographer, Plachta encourages students to go abroad. “It changes your own perceptions when you experience other cultures, languages, traditions, religions, and ways of life,” she said. Spending time in other parts of the world helps to “broaden perspectives and foster responsible citizenship,” she said, adding, “I think geography is an excellent discipline for facilitating this kind of global understanding and awareness.”
Dr. Plachta and Dr. Murton have a young daughter named Sophie Anna (photo courtesy of Dr. Plachta).
Catching Up With Alumni
Sydney Schaaf - JMU Class of ‘17
I am the Tree Program Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis. I work to increase tree canopy on private property in the city by forming relationships with community groups, neighborhood organizations, outreach, and engagement. I use insights from my classes in human geography, forestry, and biodiversity to explain the benefts of trees to residents. I started as an intern 5 years ago and have received a few promotions to get to my current role.
Kate Withers - JMU Class of ’17
I am currently a third year JD student concentrating in Energy and Environmental Law and work as a pro bono legal fellow in energy and environmental law with the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic and Baker McKenzie. After graduating from JMU, I worked in environmental policy for Disney's Animal Kingdom. I found environmental policy to be really interesting, so I started graduate school at King's College London to pursue my master's degree in environmental geography with a focus on environmental law and policy. After my master's program, I moved to Chicago to pursue my JD. As a JD student, I've had the opportunity to work in energy and environmental law in a variety of different sectors, and I really enjoy the challenge of legal work.
Charlie Hamm - JMU Class of ‘11
I graduated in 2011 with a dual concentration in AGIS and ECSD. Upon graduating, I moved to the DC metro area and started a job doing GIS for a telecommunications frm with a focus on fber optic cable. I expanded into the more technical parts of fber, doing design of the networks and testing. I also created and ran a small GIS team. From there I joined my current company, Network Connex. I initially worked as a Senior OSP engineer for a little over a year doing the more technical aspects of fber with a reduced GIS focus. Currently, I am a project manager for a fber project in the Shenandoah Valley. This includes technical consulting and managing the project through all aspects of the project lifespan.
Photos courtesy of alumni.
What is your favorite memory you have as a JMU student?
Sydney Schaaf: Football games, homecoming, living in the same city as all of your best friends! And I met my husband at JMU!
Kate Withers: I really enjoyed the opportunity to present my capstone research during my senior year. My research partners and I had worked really hard all year, so it was very rewarding to have the opportunity to share what we had been working on with our friends, families, and classmates.
Charlie Hamm: The amount of free time I had. Once you start working 8 hour days and have to be up early, you realize how short the day really is.
Specifcally regarding your time as an Geographic Science undergrad, is there any advice you wish you could go back and give yourself?
Sydney Schaaf: Take advantage of all the fun and unique classes Geography has to offer!
Kate Withers: I wish I would have started networking sooner. I felt a lot of pressure around graduation when trying to fnd a job. At the time, I didn't realize how helpful having an inside look into different careers would be in my own job search. My JMU network has been helpful even as a lawyer—I was hired for my summer position by a JMU alumna!
Charlie Hamm: As a student you have basically unlimited resources at your disposal. The professors are experts in their feld who will happily meet with you, and courses and career counseling are already covered with your tuition. Take advantage of those things; they cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars once you graduate.
What advice do you have for students when it comes to resumes, networking, and/or interviews?
Sydney Schaaf: It takes time for a lot of people to get a full time position in their feld after graduation. Ask people at organizations you’re interested in working for about an informational interview—people love talking about themselves and helping recent graduates!
Kate Withers: I would encourage students to reach out to JMU alumni and start building a network as soon as you can. Most people, especially JMU alumni, are more than happy to share their experiences and insight! Building a strong network is so critical to career success.
Charlie Hamm: For resumes, you need to be aware of your audience. Not everyone is going to know the very technical references listed out on your resume. As far as networking, I would say if you're looking for a job, every conversation can have some value. That person has their own network they can refer you to. On interviews I would say to always prepare, but not to the point where responses seem rehearsed and unauthentic.
Did you have an internship or do research as an undergrad? If so, what advice can you give to students who are trying to pursue the same?
Sydney Schaaf: I had an internship as a GIS Tech at a different local government. Informational interviews can also lead to internships!
Kate Withers: I interned with the Science Museum of Virginia and did a capstone research project with Dr. Amy Goodall. I would encourage interested students to take advantage of every opportunity to gain practical skills through research and/or internships. Don't be afraid to ask questions, try your hand at different projects and responsibilities, and use your internships as opportunities to start building your network.
Charlie Hamm: I was a research assistant for JMU the summer before my senior year looking at the campus building occupancy throughout the days of the week. Being given a problem and time to fnd a solution did wonders for my critical thinking and problem solving skills.
The East Campus Hillside Team 2023 Purple Star Awardees:
Amanda Bodle, Robert Brent, Dale Chestnut, Jennifer Coffman, Amy Goodall, Christie-Joy Hartman, Abe Kaufman, Carole Nash, Mike Renfroe, Mikaela SchmittHarsh, Ali Sloop, Kyle Snow, Wayne Teel, Bobby Whitescarver, Dhanuska Wijesinghe
The Purple Star Award at JMU is meant to recognize outstanding employee work happening on campus. It is a way for the university to bring attention and honor to the various faculty projects happening that contribute to the quality of JMU as a whole, and the list of 2023 recipients included many familiar names to JMU geography students. The East Campus Hillside team won a Purple Star Award in the category “Academic Quality - Transcending Boundaries,” and the full list includes many JMU Geography professors and other faculty members who frequently teach within the major. The East Campus Hillside, located in between the ISAT complex and the University Recreation Center, is a continually growing area dedicated to community support, biodiversity, and student learning, and it has been a major faculty project for over 20 years.
The original idea for the current East Campus Hillside belongs to Dr. Wayne Teel, who was inspired, he said, on an otherwise unremarkable day. He remembers how, back in 2002, when the East Campus hillside was merely a patch of mowed grass, he noticed a wildlife interaction that changed his perspective on how college campuses could be used to engage students outside of the classroom. “To the side was a bush, and under the bush there was a squirrel who was behaving very strangely,” he said. “Being curious, I watched, and I realized that that squirrel was actually being hunted.” In a nearby tree, a red-tailed hawk was perched—waiting patiently for a bushy-tailed lunch. “The lesson I learned from that was that students don’t pay any attention to this. They walked by, and no one noticed or even asked me what I was doing!” Since there was really nothing to look at or experience outside on campus, no students bothered to look up and notice their surroundings in these spaces between formal aca-
demic settings. He decided he wanted to create a space where students could have a turned-on brain outside of the classroom as well as within it. “You have to give them something to turn on their brain for!” He took action soon after.
Teel submitted a proposal for an East Campus Meadow to JMU Facilities Management in 2006 that was ignored. Later, someone put a book on then JMU President Rose's desk called Hot, Flat, and Crowded, an early look at environmental degradation and climate change. It inspired President Rose to consider climate issues and take environmental action on campus. Rose hired a thirdparty consultant, Michael Singer, to help jumpstart these changes. He also announced the start of the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World at JMU, and Dr. CJ Hart-
View of the Hillside from the bottom of the hill (photo by Chris Timothy).
“Nature is different every day, so you can learn something new every time you go out there.”
man was appointed to be its head, a position she maintains today. At this time, Teel decided it was time to try again. He said, “I took the proposal, and did what any normal faculty member does—ignore the president.” He gave his proposal directly to Michael Singer, who loved it, and helped push the plan into action. In 2013, the conversion of the Hillside to a meadow was implemented under the leadership of the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World with a whole faculty team.
In 2014, classes began utilizing the Hillside as a learning space. This “living lab” provides diverse educational opportunities that are enjoyed by many classes and majors, and the experiences gained in a hands-on space like this are more valuable than any lecture. Teel commented on this beneft, stating, “If you talk about butterfies in class, you're not going to remember them six months later, but if you go out and catch one and have it in your fngers, then six months later when you see one, you'll know what it is. It's the same thing with the plants, and it’s the same thing with the soil.” Dr. Amy Goodall in Geography is another one of the key players in this area, and she provides a lot of foot traffc to the Hillside through her classes. She said, “We'll do things like measure vegetation density and height; we identify fowers when they're in bloom; if it's snowing, we look for tracks; and of course we look for birds.” All of the faculty involved see the value of this space not only as a natural landscape, but also as a space for student involvement and education across multiple areas of study. Hartman elaborated on the class usage of this area, stating that “in the period of a few years, say 2020 to 2023, more than 32 sections of 19 courses used the Hillside.” She also said that this cross-major adaptability is among the reasons that this effort was supported in the frst place, explaining that “the Hillside
was chosen as the project that would have the largest impact on students from the most majors.” Although most of the classes that visit the Hillside come from majors like Biology, ISAT, and Geography, the Hillside team wants this to grow to be a living learning space for all disciplines. Goodall loves bringing students outside: not only is it more fun than being in the classroom, it's also easier! She encourages more faculty to bring their students outdoors, stating that “it takes some convincing, and there are people that just aren't comfortable with being outside teaching, but it's really much less prep than if you're doing it in the classroom. Nature is different every day, so you can learn something new every time you go out there.” This landscape, ultimately, is equal parts classroom and habitat, and it combines the best aspects of the natural world with the most effective elements of student learning. Teel said, “We use it as a lab, but it’s a living lab that we don’t control well, and it’s intentional. We're trying to use it as a way of showing students what happens when you manage things in a different way than just mowing the grass once a week.”
View of the Hillside from the top of the hill (photo by Chris Timothy).
Some students have also taken the initiative, outside of scheduled classes, to make the Hillside a space for student involvement and collaboration. In 2018, some JMU students decided that they wanted to get their hands dirty in the area, and the Beekeeping Club was born. This has been a student-led group since its beginning, and they have been stewards of the hives located in this area ever since. Teel noted that this area can and should be a gateway to student involvement, saying, “If you provide an opportunity for things like that to happen on campus, then they'll do it, and you don’t really have to be in charge.” Something like this never would have arisen as a student opportunity if the Hillside was still a lawn, and the area can now be a resource to fasttrack JMU students' involvement in environmental stewardship.
“You have to give them [the students] something to turn on their brain for.”
The Hillside we know and love took time to develop, and it went through many stages of growth to become what it is today. Among the frst phases of the project included the section of meadow that sat where the solar panels currently lie, but that was just the start. Over time, more and more parcels of land in this area have been dedicated to the Hillside meadow to cultivate an area friendly to pollinators, native species, the local abiotic environment, and students. Since the establishment of that frst meadow, they have added raised beds, native tree species, a food forest, beehives, a riparian buffer, and a no-mow zone around the retention ponds by the dorms, to name a few. Teel's original plans have blossomed into an area that is both beautiful and useful— something that will protect the local environment, encourage wildlife activity, and promote educational opportunities, all in one place. Hartman said that of all the different features of this space, the meadow gets the most attention, explaining, “The meadow is what people see the most, and that’s what we get the most people commenting about because of its natural beauty.” How-
ever, although the meadow is an integral aspect of the Hillside, there is so much more here to see, experience, and learn from.
Another major aspect of this East Campus Hillside endeavor has been its interdisciplinary team. Goodall notes that “part of the reason why we won it [the Purple Star Award] is because we worked interdepartmentally and transcended boundaries in that way.” The Hillside team, made up of faculty from multiple different disciplines and academic foci, has been able to combine their knowledge and expertise to ideate, create, and problem solve to a level that none of them could have reached alone. Goodall elaborated on this beneft, saying that “if we want to plant something, I'm looking at it from a geography teaching perspective, but a biologist is going to see it in a whole different way.” Teel also emphasized this cross-disciplinary beneft and noted how the very existence of the Hillside depends on a variety of different specialties coming together. He said, “We need to have the forest and prairie and the meadows and the mixed environments, and in order to study those, you need mixed disciplines.”
Winning the Purple Star Award ultimately means that the recipient's work has been recognized by the university, something that this team values. On a campus so large, an award like this brings awareness to the various projects happening on campus—other areas and departments at JMU might never have heard about the Hillside had the team never applied for and received the award. Teel said, “If we're going to have this be an institutionwide educational opportunity, then people have to know about it.” Winning the Purple Star Award will hopefully draw more campus-wide attention towards the Hillside, inspiring more professors and students to use the space as an opportunity for hands-on learning across all majors and disciplines. As Hartman says, “JMU has a long history of student and faculty and staff commitment to being stewards of the natural world and pursuing environmental sustainability,” and that work continues and is exemplifed perfectly in the East Campus Hillside.
2023 Hillside Team Purple Star recipients (photo from
(Back row, left to right: Dr. Carole Nash, Abe Kaufman, Dr. Wayne Teel, President Jonathan Alger, Dale Chestnut, Dr. Robert Brent, Bobby Whitescarver).
(Front row, left to right: Dr. Dhanuska Wijesinghe, Dr. Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh, Dr. Christie-Joy Hartman, Dr. Amy Goodall, Ali Sloop, Kyle Snow, Amandle Bodle.
Not pictured: Dr. Jennifer Coffman, Dr. Mike Renfroe.
ISNW website):
Solar panels (installed 2022) located on the East Campus Hillside.
East Campus Hillside Food Forest.
View of the Hillside from the top of the hill.
Photos by Chris Timothy.
Harrisonburg Farmers Market Vendor Spotlights
The Harrisonburg Farmers Market is a downtown event that brings the Harrisonburg community together in celebration of fresh and local goods. With a wide array of vendors, the Market offers a holistic view of the produce that the Shenandoah Valley has to offer. The market has been held at Turner Pavilion since 2008.
From April to Thanksgiving, the Market’s regular operating hours are 8 AM to 1 PM on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
This article was written in the Fall of 2023.
Photos by Chris Timothy.
Apalache Chocolate
Apalache Chocolate is a Harrisonburg-based chocolate manufacturer founded by Matt Sibley (left), a 2011 JMU graduate. Sibley has been selling at the Farmers Market since 2019, and sells on Tuesdays from April to November and on Saturdays year-round. In addition to the Farmers Market, Apalache Chocolate products can be found downtown at the Friendly City Food Co-op, the Rocktown Pantry in the Shops at Agora, and Sparrow’s Floral Design.
Sibley makes all of the chocolate from scratch himself, which includes the toasting, grinding, and tempering of the cacao beans, in a separate kitchen addition at his house. At the moment, the business is a small-scale operation while he balances taking care of his daughter; he produces about 100 bars per week.
Apalache Chocolate bars can be purchased in distinct cacao percentages (61%, 70%, and 80%, with anything above 50% being classifed as dark chocolate). Best-sellers in the 61% group include vanilla, sea salt, and orange; best-sellers in the 70% group include honeycomb almond crunch, strawberry mint, and earl gray blueberry; best-sellers in the 80% group include fg sesame, citrus peel, and hazelnut.
Sibley enjoys the schedule fexibility that chocolate making provides. “You have to get used to working in different ways,” he said. “A lot of the time I do wake up at fve in the morning and make the chocolate, but a lot of the rest of my day afterwards I can spend my own way.”
Deviant Kreations
Deviant Kreations is a neurodivergent, queer, and trans art shop coowned by Dandy Knopf (right) and their partner Phoenix Flaxman. The business has been based in Harrisonburg at the Farmers Market for the last three years, and they also have a space at the downtown Shops at Agora. Knopf’s goal with the business is to “foster a space of community and a safe space for other marginalized communities,” they said.
Deviant Kreations started just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it progressed into a “way to work for myself full-time and have an environment that is more accessible for me,” Knopf said.
Knopf’s favorite aspect of running the business is interacting with people, including farmer’s market customers and other vendors, which fosters a fulflling sense of community.
In the future, Knopf is working on opening a standalone retail space for Deviant Kreations, as well as opening a mixed-use space that’s a “rage room meets an art studio” in the next fve to ten years, they said. “A place where you can get messy, throw paint around, and have fun with it.”
Thistle Hill Pet Treats
Thistle Hill Pet Treats is a Staunton-based pet treat business run by Jennifer Wiatrowski (left). She moved to Virginia from Florida last year and has been coming to the Farmers Market as a vendor since April 2023. Wiatrowski loves animals, sewing, and baking, which naturally came together with Thistle Hill
Thistle Hill sells all-natural, limited-ingredient pet treats for dogs in addition to bandanas (for cats and dogs) and other accessories. Many of the treat ingredients are sourced from within the market to help support the other farmers. The bandanas are available in many sizes from XXXS to XXXL, and she sews all of them herself. “I’m a department of one, so I do everything myself,” she said.
Wiatrowski’s favorite part of running her business is meeting everybody at the market events every week. After her move to Virginia, she has loved fnding community at the market. “Being a part of something like this has been a good thing,” she said.
In the future, Wiatrowski plans on adding a line of cat treats to supplement the existing dog treats. “Harrisonburg loves their cats,” she said.
BMC Bakes
BMC Bakes is a Harrisonburg-based, allergy-friendly bakery founded by Sarah Baker-McEvilly (left). The business was founded in May 2022, and has been located at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market since October 2022, and opened a new downtown retail space in December 2023 next to the Golden Pony on North Main Street.
Baker-McEvilly’s goal with BMC Bakes is to “provide an indulgent experience for people with food allergies so they don’t have to worry,” she said. The bakery’s products are all gluten-free, and some of them are also dairy-free or vegan in addition. Serving customers with allergy requirements, as well as working for herself, motivated her to start the business.
Baker-McEvilly mostly bakes cookies and cakes, but she also makes other baked goods including macarons, cupcakes, and doughnuts.
Her favorite part of running the business is seeing “how excited people get when they have that option to eat things they don’t normally eat,” she said.
Within a year, Baker-McEvilly hopes to have the new retail space running independently from her. “That’s a pretty big goal for myself,” she said.
North Valley Pastures
North Valley Pastures is a local farm owned by Bethany (right) and Josh Gullman, located outside of Broadway, VA. They have been coming to the Farmers Market for about three years, since the end of 2020. Their products include 100% grassfed beef as well as pasture-raised, non-GMO-fed chicken and eggs.
The Gullmans love farming and wanted to sell to a local audience, so with a lot of extra time on their hands during the pandemic in 2020, they started raising chickens. Much of their sales is divided between Harrisonburg, Broadway, and Rockingham County.
Bethany Gullman’s favorite part of running the business is being the link between the farm and the table. “I love meeting the customers and knowing that the products we raise are healthy,” she said, as well as “meeting the people we know are going to consume it, instead of having it go to the grocery store.”
In the future, the Gullmans plan to expand, reach new customers, and venture into the markets for pork, ducks, and lamb.
BPaul Creations
BPaul Creations is a Harrisonburg-based handcrafted jewelry business founded by Barbara Paul (left). Paul graduated from JMU in 1985 and has lived in Harrisonburg since. In addition to her table at the Farmers Market, Paul’s business is part of Oasis Fine Art and Craft, which is a “great outlet to be part of a community that’s a brick and mortar spot for the arts downtown,” she said.
Paul enjoys being a part of the Farmers Market community and sees the jewelry business as her “retirement gig,” she said. “It’s great to come out and talk to people and connect with people… It’s fun to see people wearing my work,” she said.
Her motivation in starting the business was fnding a way to create art with her hands in retirement without having to rely on the income generated. “It’s really just for fun. I stay as busy as I want to,” she said.
Season’s Bounty Farm
Season’s Bounty is a local farm located in Rockingham County, about two miles north of Harrisonburg. Radell Schrock (left) and his partner Sarah are the farmers and founders, and this is their 17th year coming to the Harrisonburg Farmers Market.
“We grow a wide variety of vegetables and fruits without using any pesticides to supply fresh, local, healthy, colorful, favorful produce for the local community,” Radell Schrock said.
The Schrocks sell most of their produce within a fve mile radius; a lot of it is directly sold at the farmers market as well as through weekly subscription boxes. Customers sign up in the winter for the upcoming season, and in-season, they pick up their box flled with seasonal vegetables and produce. The boxes can be picked up on Mondays at the farm, as well as Wednesdays at the local Friendly City Food Co-Op.
In addition, the Schrocks sell their produce to a few local restaurants and stores including the Local Chop and Grill House, the Little Grill, the Friendly City Food Co-Op, and the Wood’s Edge Farm Stand.
In the future, Schrock hopes to develop side enterprises to the business, including a focus on sheep as well as a blueberry orchard. In the wintertime, the garden’s inactivity allows time to raise sheep—300 lambs are born on the farm from January to March. “It’s a pretty busy time round the clock, but that’s when we have the time,” Schrock said.
Furious Sauces/Freezkraft
Furious Sauces and Freezkraft are two product brands created by James Muia (left). Based out of Broadway, VA, Muia has been selling at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market on and off since 2016. Furious Sauces was founded frst by Muia and his wife Gloria in 2015, and it was inspired by their love of trying hot sauce with many kinds of foods.
“We like making our food hot but also enhancing our food, so we started toying around with different sauces and decided that we like them, so we thought, let’s sell them,” he said.
The variety of favors include MangoHabanero, Ghost Pepper, Raspberry Chocolate Carolina Reaper, Papaya Scorpion Rum, and more. In addition to the Harrisonburg Farmers Market, Furious Sauces sells online, at other local farmers markets, and in some local grocery stores.
Over the COVID-19 pandemic, Muia took a break from Furious Sauces and came up with the idea to enter the ice pop market with Freezkraft. While he was eating an ice pop with his son, a cartoon came on about how to make different favored ice pops, and he thought it would be a good market item to sell.
Since last year, Muia has run both Furious Sauces and Freezkraft as part-time businesses.
Academic Advisor Spotlight: Kimberly Stewart
Ms. Kimberly Stewart started working at JMU about eleven years ago in administrative support. Soon after, she realized how much she loved working with students and helping them fnd their pathways and careers. After completing her graduate degree in Counseling Psychology, Ms. Stewart became the Academic Advisor for the Geography and Intelligence Analysis programs in late fall of 2019.
Stewart earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications from Radford University. The day after she graduated from Radford, she moved to Harrisonburg. She tried out many jobs before fnding a position at JMU. She worked in sales, administrative support, and health care before joining JMU as a part-time administrative assistant shortly after her daughter was born. While working as an administrative assistant, she discovered the feld of academic advising and the role it plays in a student’s undergraduate experience.
While attending Radford, she did not utilize academic advising resources and wasn’t even aware that she had an academic advisor. “I didn’t know that academic advising was a profession,” she said. When she found out what it was, she was immediately drawn to it.
After discovering what academic advising was and her profound love for working with students in their desired disciplines, she then set her sights on a graduate program. While working full time and raising her daughter, she pursued a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology with a focus in College Student Personnel Administration from JMU, earning her degree in 2020.
While working with students in her graduate practica, she saw the infuence that advisors can have on students in informing and guiding them to their desired careers. Because she didn’t have that as an undergraduate at Radford, she saw the importance of advising at the college
level, which led to her to choose academic advising in higher education. She also liked working with college students rather than K-12 school counseling.
While Stewart was completing her graduate degree, the Academic Advisor position for the JMU Geography and Intelligence Analysis programs became available. She interviewed for the position and was so excited to get the job. She was hired and began in December 2019.
Stewart has seen the Geography program change over her past four years, especially from when she took on the advisor position right before the COVID-19 pandemic. “Higher education experienced a huge shift during COVID,” she said. She felt that the program was “fragmented” at the time. Since then, she’s seen the Geography program start to come back together and work through the effects of COVID.
Kimberly Stewart has been a JMU Academic Advisor since December 2019 (photo courtesy of Ms. Stewart).
Stewart says that the most enjoyable part of her job is seeing students discover themselves academically and helping them reach their goals, what she calls their ‘ah ha’ moments. She enjoys being “along for the ride” with students on their academic journeys as undergraduates.
On the other hand, she says that a diffcult part of her job is meaningfully connecting with each of her 500 advisees. She values the importance of growing relationships with them starting from their summer orientation to their graduation. She wants to develop strong relationships with all her advisees, which can be tough when she has so many of them.
She says that it is “bittersweet” to see her advisees graduate and go out into the world. She has just seen her frst full cohort of advisees graduate. She says that it was especially hard to see them leave because they taught her so much about her job and what students need.
In addition, she also enjoys hearing from graduates and the unique jobs they end up getting. Sometimes, they even come back to lecture or talk about what they do with their Geography degree.
Stewart has come to love the Harrisonburg community. She enjoys that Harrisonburg is a slower place than where she was raised in the northern Virginia and Maryland areas, but that it also isn’t as disconnected as some other slower-paced areas such as Radford. Despite living in Harrisonburg now for almost two decades, she is still amazed by the beauty of Harrisonburg and its surrounding areas. She also enjoys being just two hours from many of her family members.
Outside of the offce, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and running. She likes to run a couple races per year. She also likes to read and spend time with her daughter and likes watching her grow and discover her own interests. She enjoys being outside and has a particular interest in sleep, which she doesn’t get enough of.
Stewart hopes that students come to see her at least once a semester to check in, both for academic reasons and for any other needs they may have. She knows a lot of resources on campus and truly enjoys being a resource and working with the students. She fully intends to stay at JMU until she retires.
Outside of the offce, Ms. Stewart enjoys hiking, kayaking, and running (photo courtesy of Ms. Stewart).
The Blue Ridge Mountains
Nestled in the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, JMU stands as a beacon of learning about nature. This picturesque region and its breathtaking landscapes lead to a diverse ecosystem that provides a unique backdrop for education and exploration.
The alpenglow sunsets, a natural spectacle, paint the sky in vibrant hues of orange, pink, and purple, casting a magical glow over the mountains. These mesmerizing sunsets are a daily reminder of the beauty that surrounds us and the importance of preserving it.
ALPENGLOW
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, boasting a diverse array of fora and fauna. From the majestic white-tailed deer to the elusive black bear, the region is teeming with life.
Birdwatchers are treated to a symphony of songs from the numerous bird species that call these mountains home. The lush forests and meadows provide a rich habitat for these creatures.
Waterfalls, the jewels of the Blue Ridge Mountains, cascade down rocky cliffs, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. The sound of rushing water is both soothing and invigorating, inviting visitors to pause and appreciate the raw power of nature. These waterfalls are not just a feast for the eyes; they are vital to the ecosystem, supporting a variety of aquatic life.
The clear mountain skies offer a front-row seat to awe-inspiring astronomical events. Stargazing here is an unforgettable experience, with the Milky Way stretching across the sky in a dazzling display of celestial beauty.
Geogazine Photo Contest
Caroline Lancaster
Nathaniel Newsom
Alessandra Santo
Theme: JMU Sunsets
Lily Tebbe
Kenzie Crosby
Paolo Mancini
Geography Help Desk
Help Desk Student Staff: Ryan Donnelly, Savannah Dorey, Kyle Gaunt, Nalin Ly, Rachel Morey
Geography students are working in the Geospatial Suite to make sure other geographers are academically supported. Any undergraduate geography majors are free to drop by to receive help in a wide variety of classes, including those in both Applied GIS and Environmental Conservation Sustainability Development concentrations.
“We started the Geography Help Desk in order to help students who are having diffculty in geography classes get the assistance they need in order to thrive in our program. This assistance can include help understanding diffcult concepts, help coming up with essay and project ideas, proofreading, help with labs and projects, and many other things.”
“The Geography Help Desk is located just off the main hallway on the second foor of the EnGeo Building, and it has a large sign near the entrance. Although students are of course welcome to come by any time they need help to see if there is a helper at the desk, I recommend checking the schedule frst to see when helpers who can help in each course are available. The schedule is updated every Monday and can be found by the entrance to the Geography Help Desk and online.”
- Dr. Zachary Bortolot
Kyle Gaunt at the Geograohy Help Desk.
Student Maps from Cartographic Design (GEOG 465): Dr. Dudley Bonsal
Shenandoah National Park by Cole Novoa, Spring 2022.
Grand Canyon by Will Leggett, Spring 2023.
Seattle hydrology by Ivan Sandoval, Spring 2023. Nantucket by Will Leggett, Spring 2023.
Wildlife at JMU
Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus)
Geography Students Enjoy Owls in the E.J. Carrier Arboretum
Story by Dr. Amy Goodall
Geography students have had the opportunity to watch a family of Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) in the E.J. Carrier Arboretum during the spring semester 2024. A parent owl was frst spotted on a nest in early February. The frst fuffy chick in the nest was observed on February 29th (Leap Day!).
The Arboretum staff explained that the Great Horned Owl pair nested in what was a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) nest that was built in 2023. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology explains that it is not unusual for a Great Horned Owl pair to use a nest that was constructed by a different species!
As more people became aware of the nesting owls at nearly the top of one of the largest American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) trees, bird watchers from afar arrived at the arboretum to take photographs. JMU Geography students joined in and have been excited to watch two owl chicks mature until they are ready for fight. Some of the more fortunate owl watchers have experienced the parent owls feeding the chicks in the late day or early morning or have spotted a camoufaged parent watching over the nest from a tree nearby.
Juvenile Great Horned Owls nesting in an American Sycamore tree on March 24, 2024 (photo by Dr. Goodall).
Above: Adult owl in a pine tree watching over the owlets on March 24, 2024 (photo by Dr. Goodall).
Right: Adult owl in a pine tree watching over the owlets on March 24, 2024 (photo by Dr. Goodall).
Below: Juvenile Great Horned Owls on March 30, 2024 (photo by Dr. Goodall).
Left: GEOG 340 students and others watching the owls. (Left to right: Stephi Shraga, Danielle Wagner, and Fiona Anderson) (photo by Dustin Rodriguez).
JMU Geography earns recognition in AAG’s Political Geography Essay Award
Every year, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) holds essay competitions for specialty groups, or research and interest groups, within geography. JMU Geography students have won this award in the Political Geography Specialty Group for the last 3 years that the award has been given, bringing national recognition and a signifcant honor to our program.
The Political Geography Specialty Group focuses on topics relevant to political geography such as geopolitics, and territory and border studies, among others. This specialty group offers awards to undergraduates, graduates, faculty, applied geographers, and other scholars. The particular essay award which JMU students have had noteworthy success in winning is given to an undergraduate with the best paper regarding a topic in political geography.
JMU Geography’s very own Dr. Galen Murton has been involved in the Political Geography Specialty Group since he was a graduate student. He served on the board for this specialty group in 2018 and 2019, which were his frst two years at JMU.
Starting in 2019, the essays submitted by JMU students for this award were originally written as fnal paper projects in Murton’s Critical Cartography and Geographies of Infrastructure courses (GEOG 470: Senior Seminar in Environmental Conservation, Sustainability, and Development). Each year, Murton tries to fnd a student’s paper that stands out. “It doesn’t necessarily need to be a high scoring paper or the best paper in the class,” he said, but one that fts the guidelines of the competition.
So far, three JMU students have won this award, and we are hoping for another this year! The previous winners have been Sara Kaminski in 2020, Aubrey Cunningham in 2021, and David Lee in 2023. Additionally, Murton has submitted current senior Tovah Baer’s paper to this year’s competition in the hope of continuing the winning legacy for JMU.
Regarding these students’ essay topics, Tovah Baer’s paper was about the role of maps and cartography in promoting certain ideologies during the Cold War era. Rather than trying for objectivity, many maps produced during this time were used as propaganda, and they serve to support critical cartographers’ propositions that maps are not only neutral representations but also be used to make arguments.
David Lee’s paper was a critical analysis about the politics of urban infrastructure development around the Big Dig, a failed infrastructure project in Boston during
the 1990s. The Big Dig project went well over its budget of money and time, and it also consisted of tragic events because parts of structures collapsed and resulted in the death of a local driver in Boston.
Aubrey Cunningham’s paper was about recent violent confrontations between China and India’s military units in disputed Himalayan regions. Her study related these conficts to the countries’ shared international border and analyzed how the conficts are infuenced by maps drawn in 1912. Although the maps are over 100 years old, they still have an impact on China and India’s protracted border disputes today.
Lastly, Sarah Kaminski’s paper was about the enduring impact of colonial-era British cartography in South and South-East Asia. Specifcally, she argued that lines drawn for maps in the 19th century continue to violently affect Muslim communities in northern Myanmar. In this case, she linked the violence and displacement that Rohingya communities currently experience to the maps which students studied in the Critical Cartography course.
Over the course of a given semester, students had the option to meet with him to discuss their research and sources. And once Murton selected a student’s paper to submit to the essay competition, he would then meet with the student to slightly adjust the paper to the competition’s guidelines. However, he notes that it was the students’ own hard work in both the research and writing process that made their papers so successful, and not his light editorial touch at the end.
Murton believes that the JMU students’ submissions were well written and that they made clear connections between historical maps, contemporary development projects, and current geopolitical concerns. In addition, JMU Geography has gained national attention for being a top undergraduate geography program, having received the AAG Award for Program Excellence in 2021, so the competition’s evaluators may turn their attention to submissions from JMU.
Murton hopes that even when he is not teaching Critical Cartography anymore, that the next professor will continue to create opportunities for the Political Geography Specialty Group essay award in our program. He also wants to acknowledge that there are undergraduate essay awards for other specialty groups within AAG. With JMU’s great track record for these awards, students have a good chance at winning an award and a cash prize, and it also looks great for students’ resumes. Moreover, awards like this help to put JMU ‘on the map’ as an excellent place for undergraduate geographic education in the United States today.
Geography in Action!
Dr. Kimsey’s GEOG 210 class took a feld trip to Grand Caverns.
Dr. Tang and two students (left: Madison Barrett, right: Amanda Acord) presented at the AGU conference in Washington D.C. (December 2023).
Dr. Goodall and three students (left to right: Bayan Waters, Patrick Cuccias, Chase Briles) won the People’s Choice Award for their poster at the International Urban Wildlife Meeting in Washington D.C. (June 2023).
MILK: London exhibition features Dr. Yurco’s research on political ecologies of milk
Dr. Kayla Yurco’s feld studies on the political ecologies of milk in East Africa were recently highlighted in a London museum. The Wellcome Collection, an organization that, according to their website, “create[s] opportunities for people to think deeply about the connections between science, medicine, life and art,” ran an exhibition about milk from March 30th to September 10th, 2023.
Two of the head curators frst contacted Yurco during the 2020 pandemic, which marked the start of Wellcome’s three year research and objectgathering phase for the exhibition. During this period, Yurco provided feedback, ideas, papers, and resources for the organization to review. After it opened, she was able to visit the exhibition towards the end of its six-month run to enjoy the fnal product.
“What was so impressive for me was that it wasn’t just ‘here’s an old jug that people used for milk;’ they had videos, and it was all interactive,” Yurco said. “There were things that you could touch, listen to, and look at. There was a lot in there that was challenging for most people who don’t research milk…but it was asking people to think about all the ways worldwide throughout history that milk has been an important part of life-making and politics-making, and how it is inherently a political object even as it’s also personal.”
While in her undergraduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Yurco went on a wildlife management study abroad program where she spent a lot of time with pastoralists, people with livestock-based livelihoods who view animals as part of strong cultural mores. During this time, she learned about communities’ struggles to maintain sustainable livelihoods amidst climate change, political economic challenges, and conficts with conservation spaces.
“I was really lucky to spend time interacting with
people who had a lot of complex feelings about conservation at large,” Yurco said. Ancestral lands were being transformed into conservation spaces, evicting residents with generations of history attached, and this compounded an already complicated history of colonialism and government-led efforts.
As a study abroad student in Kenya, Yurco became interested in human-environment interactions, exploring how humans, livestock, and wildlife could all coexist. Later, as a master’s student, she continued looking into pastoralism which involved interviewing male heads of household while they were herding.
Simultaneously, Yurco saw women in the domestic sphere working with animals and doing milking, and she began to understand their expertise and knowledge that the patriarchal society overshadowed. In Kenya, milk is a vital substance for nourishing community and household health, offering humans and livestock alike necessary protein and calories, as well as providing social capital (chai tea is offered to household visitors).
Yurco’s Ph.D. concentration in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (alongside her main focus in Geography) provided insight to the interactions she was observing. “I really wanted to look into this space of milking as a practice and the substance of milk as not only a product, not only a food, but as something that allowed women to have so much more autonomy and so much more control over their daily lives,” she said.
The Wellcome Collection ran the Milk Exhibition from March 30th to September 10th, 2023 (photo courtesy of Dr. Yurco).
In the past several years, Yurco has had multiple articles published which were based on her Ph.D. research feldwork in Kenya with community members, women, and heads of households. Her research also described the dynamics within households which included polygamous relationships and helped break new ground in research in terms of feminist methodology.
Although it’s been a few years since Yurco was last in the feld, she has deep connections to particular communities in the area and would like to return to see what’s changing and evolving in the area.
“At the heart of my interests in the milk work (and my research and interests more broadly) is thinking about the steps we can do as geographers from the local to global, about where we can make signifcant impacts in our communities around us in the pursuit of justice, and hopefully leave the world a better place than we found it,” she said.
Photos courtesy of Dr. Yurco.
Above: A Maasai woman milking cows in southern Kenya.
Middle left: Cow udder sculpture at the exhibit entrance.
Middle bottom: Dr. Yurco and head curator Mariane Templeton.
Bottom right: Dr. Yurco poses with the Exhibition credits.
JMU Geography
Careers in Geography can often take unexpected turns and lead to paths as diverse as the discipline itself. Dr. Rolf Schmitt's start as an aspiring city planner and his pioneering role as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) showcases the dynamic path our feld can create.
Schmitt's academic journey began in the late 1960s at California State University, Los Angeles, where he initially aimed to study geography as a foundation for a career in city planning. However, inspired by faculty members, he developed a specifc interest in the transportation aspects of geography and how they can be utilized to overcome geographical barriers. According to Schmitt, "Transportation and geography are so closely related. Transportation is trying to fgure out how to overcome the barriers of geography."
With this newfound interest in mind, Schmitt decided to pursue graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University to focus on regional transportation for historically excluded groups. His research on evaluating transportation improvements and accessibility measures laid the groundwork for a career dedicated to making public transportation systems more equitable and effcient. He noted, "I was interested in the application of
experimental design or quasi-experimental design research techniques to evaluating transportation improvement."
Upon completing his Ph.D., Schmitt's professional goals took him to Washington, D.C., where he joined the National Transportation Policy Study Commission. He recalled, "The wisdom of my choice and location for graduate school paid off when I got a job opportunity in Washington, partly because I was close and I could start fairly quickly." This new position marked the beginning of a career in close proximity to the development of transportation policy and data analysis in the United States.
Throughout his career, Schmitt has witnessed and initiated signifcant transformations in the feld of transportation data. His early interest in data collection was apparent from a young age when he counted turning motor vehicles at an intersection in St. Louis.. This lifelong interest proved to be consequential, as he remarked, "My frst data collection was when I was seven years old. And here I was 20 years later, getting into transportation data issues as part of my work at the policy study commission."
Dr. Schmitt staffng Cal State Los Angeles’s Geography Department booth on Earth Day (1970).
Career Corner
However, Schmitt's contributions extended far beyond data collection, as he was a key fgure in the establishment of the BTS in the early 1990s. He played a vital role in creating new datasets to enhance the accessibility and reliability of transportation data. Schmitt fondly recalls presenting a CD-ROM flled with commodity fow data, saying, "There are dozens of dissertations in this disc, and it's yours for free."
Over the years, Schmitt's work has adapted to the rapidly changing world of data collection and analysis. From the era of punch cards and foppy disks to the creation of the internet, he has embraced new technologies and methodologies as they come to maximize effciency. His efforts have helped to shape modern understandings of domestic freight movements, global supply chain dynamics, and the socioeconomic factors that infuence all aspects of transportation. His approach is not just about numbers; it's about telling the story of how goods and people move across the country and the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic made clear the importance of Schmitt's work in understanding supply chain dynamics. He noted, "When COVID hit, and the freight was disrupted, the demand for goods was not being met, which meant the price of goods was going up, and the availability of goods was going down. It was a major issue." His analysis was used by policymakers and industry leaders to address the challenges posed by the pandemic.
"We built that initial survey, which we do every fve years now. We also supplement it with a lot of other data sources to create a picture of the total amount of freight that moves in the country." This comprehensive dataset has become a necessary tool for analyzing the relationship between industries, rail networks, and regional economies on a national scale. In addition, Schmitt's focus on accessibility measures for equity analysis has brought to light the socioeconomic factors that infuence transportation presence.
In his role as Deputy Director of BTS, Schmitt remains at the forefront of integrating geographic principles into transportation analysis. Like many geographers, he understands the importance of spatial visualization in deciphering the complex web of transportation networks and assessing their impacts on different communities. "I tend to start with a map and then look at the patterns," he explains, "understanding how things fow and observing the movement of goods and people."
Dr. Schmitt and his “central place theory” themed tie.
In particular, Schmitt's contributions to the Commodity Flow Survey have been essential in the standardization of domestic freight movements. He shared,
Schmitt's progress in the world of geography and transportation is not merely a professional narrative; it is a testament to his personal passion for the feld. From his early days of data collection to strategic decisions in academia and pioneering work at BTS, his career demonstrates a lifelong dedication to understanding and improving the way we navigate our world. His story serves as an example for students and aspiring geographers alike and a reminder that our contributions, no matter how small they may seem, have the potential to shape the future of transportation and beyond.
Photos courtesy of Dr. Schmitt.
JMU Geography
Renée Minor
Favorite JMU Memory: Campus views and geography friends
Alex Garcia
Favorite JMU Memory: Studying abroad in Kenya
Ryan Donnelly
Favorite JMU Memory: College GameDay
Nina Jones
Favorite JMU Memory: Going to Purple Reign with friends
Morgan McKinney
Favorite JMU Memory: Meeting Dr. Carole Nash and Dennis Blanton
Michael Gilbert
Favorite JMU Memory: Cross country road trip with two good friends
Senior Memories
Favorite JMU Memory: College GameDay
Favorite JMU Memory: Overnight camping trip to Switzer Lake
Favorite JMU Memory: Football tailgates
Favorite JMU Memory: Having bonfres random nights of the week
Favorite JMU Memory: Organizing and speaking at the Climate March
Favorite JMU Memory: Exposure to different ways of understanding the world
Rachel Mory
Aidan O’Brien
Elena Finelli
Brooke Cleathero
Mark Negrin
Tovah Baer
Congratulations to our Graduating
Amanda Jordan Acord Rylie Elyse Cross
James Donald Allmon Tyler Ross Dank
Blake Jordan Atkinson Robbie Basdeo Deonarain
Tovah Kaylin Baer Ryan Mark Donnelly
Madison Grace Barrett Bryce Andrew Downer
Sarah Eleanor Benson Phillip Franklin Elliott Jr.
Brendan Oakley Bernbaum Elena Nicole Finelli
Daniel Brancati Vander Wielen Alexander Vicente Garcia
Alexander James Brown Kyle Stephen Gaunt
Griffth Lane Bullard Michael Moon Gilbert
Amanda Elizabeth Buster Abigail Jane Glavin
Isabelle Grace Calhoun Stephen Cort Rasmussen Hall
Owen Harrison Callahan Matthew Charles Haynicz
Nolan Maguire Carney Jason Honor Holman
Samuel Carson Casper Ashley Rose Holsinger
Brooke Amber Cleathero Logan Hunter Howard
Karly Madison Colcombe Nina Tatjana Jones
Ethan McDowell Conrow Abigail Diane Joyce
Hannah Grace Couch Matthew Daniel Kane
David James Edward Crocker John Danaher Kelly
Graduating Geography Majors & Minors
Kendall Faith Kiersey Madeline Marin Psimas
Rhianon Lott
Kelly Maryon Riley
Nalin Ly Ivan Rafael Sandoval
Ethan Christopher Maher Alexander Patrick Sheehan
Samuel Stuart Martin Mitchell John Sibenik
Aidan Royce McCarthy Jenna Nicole Sliman
Nicholas Roy McGowan Cora Baylea Smith
Scott Gregory McKenzie Matthew Thomas Smith
Morgan Taylor Alexis McKinney Cody Lee Sowers
Emily Renee Minor Nicholas Gregory Traber
Rachel Nicole Mory Matthew Ryan Traver
Mark Ernesto Jackson Negrin Jacob Charles Vejvoda
Caroline Addair Newton Ethan Jonathen Vernatter
Peter Christopher Nosal Nicholas Robert Walla
Cole Luis Novoa Jason Robert Wiarda
Aidan John O'Brien Matthew Brian Winston
John Robert O'Grady Braden Michael Working
Samuel J. Peal
Lionel Parker Perkins IV
Tyler Marshall Peters
Thank
You
A big thanks to the School of Integrated Sciences and the many faculty, staff, alumni, and student contributors. Faculty Advisors: Prof. Manita Khemthong and 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!
The 2024 total solar eclipse from Mount Pisgah, Vermont, by Chris Timothy.
