Summer 2016
FIRST IMPRESSION
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
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New: B.S. in geography, minor in geospatial technology By Isabella Cueto News Editor
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tudents can now add two more areas of study to the more than three dozen majors and 40 minors offered in the College of Arts and Sciences at UM. Just in time for the incoming freshman class, the Department of Geography and Regional Studies within the liberal arts school added a Bachelor of Science in geography and a minor in geospatial technology. Geography is the study of the earth’s physical features, how they are affected by the atmosphere and human interaction with these elements, including the distribution of populations, urban development and global health.
Geospatial technology is the tools and resources used to measure, analyze and conceptualize the earth’s physical features – often to facilitate human interaction with it – such as global positioning systems (GPS), geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). The Department of Geography and Regional Studies offers specialized study in urban, environmental and medical geography, creating a space for geography and modern needs to meet. According to Justin Stoler, assistant professor of geography and director of undergraduate studies in the department, many students from other fields of study have begun to recognize the merits of a supplementary education in geography. “Geography courses are generally globally focused and rel-
evant to current events, and the geospatial technology courses build skills that are broadly applicable to virtually every program of study,” he said. “Even if you don’t pursue a geography program, our courses will make you a better biologist, historian, criminologist, et cetera.” Stoler himself did not pursue geography until he was in his 20s, working as a management consultant and craving the outdoors – an “outdoors enthusiast and National Parks junkie trapped in Manhattan high-rise offices.” It was not until he looked to merge his skills in information technology with his passion for nature that he found GIS and came to UM in the fall of 2012. Stoler was one of the main proponents of reorganizing and repackaging the geospatial tech-
nology curriculum to make it available as both a minor and a major: B.S. in Geography. Both options have the same core courses and emphasis on technology, with the major offering a richer, more in-depth exploration of the field. The geospatial technology program is one of the only social science programs to offer “broad” career options that do not require a graduate degree, Stoler said, making it adaptive to a student’s plans. “We build skills that allow students to start a career without graduate credentials, and that’s important for students who aren’t sure if they want to go to graduate school or first gain professional experience,” he said. A graduate of the program can start a variety of careers right after undergrad, from
working in urban planning and sustainability to global health to environmental consulting. Even if a student does not want to pursue a major or minor in the department, Stoler said learning about something removed from one’s course of study can be enriching. “Have fun with your education, and always pursue your passions, but try taking a course about something you’ve never heard of before. Some of my most memorable courses from my undergraduate days had nothing to do with my majors,” he said. The introductory course in geospatial technology is GEG 101: Digital Earth and will be offered in Spring 2017. Stoler said tech-savvy students may enroll in GEG 310: Geographic Information Systems I, which is offered every semester.
Alum launches USolar program for middle schoolers By Isabella Cueto News Editor
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hrough his experiences with outreach tutoring, recent UM grad Samuel Peurifoy discovered a lack of student excitement and interest toward the sciences in at-risk communities around Miami. Combining his fascination for research and his love of teaching, the chemistry and mathematics major started the USolar program in February 2015 to educate students in Miami middle schools about alternative energy with an emphasis on solar energy. He credits the Clinton Global Initiative University with kickstarting the project when CGIU was held at UM in 2015. The Resolution Project Social Venture Challenge funded the development of the more than 80 devices USolar uses in lessons. Peurifoy and his team of volunteers build small solar modules and take them to fifth-to-seventh grade classrooms and give interactive lectures about solar energy. “I feel really strongly about earlier education,” he said. “I think middle school is particularly important because once you get to high school, most of the students really don’t want to be there, but in middle school, some of them are still kind of excited to see things.”
Photo courtesy Samuel Peurifoy
SOLAR STUDIES: Recent UM grad Samuel Peurifoy, founder of the USolar program, teaches at the Theodore R. and Thelma A. Gibson Charter School in Miami. As of May, USolar works with four local middle schools, but Peurifoy said he hopes to expand the project by opening a chapter in New York, where he is completing a Ph.D. in chemistry at Columbia University. In the meantime, recent UM grad Max Ferrari and senior Hannah Wavering will run the South Florida chapter. Peurifoy said he hopes his alma mater will become an exemplary green institution in the next few years, especially given its geography. “I think in the next few years, it should really be obvious that Miami – being in Florida, the sunshine state – that we are at the epicenter of excellent alternative energy initiatives.”
That tenacious attitude and work ethic is what allowed Peurifoy to make the most of his time at the university, he said. “If someone tells you that something is way too difficult, you should probably try it because they usually just don’t want to do it themselves,” he said. “I ended up throwing myself at a second math major with a year and a half left... it was easily one of my most difficult and worthwhile experiences at UM.” Students who are interested in USolar can email usolarmiami@gmail.com.