The News • Page 1

The Department of Geography at Southwest Texas State University • Spring 2000

FOUR MORE NEW GEOGRAPHYSCHOLARSHIPS!

The Geography Department is very pleased and excited that four faculty�Sent Visser, Dick Boehm, DeniseBlanchard-Boehm, and Pam Showalter�have generously provided our students with three new scholarships andthat Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) has provided support for one new scholarship. This year generous and caringsupporters�an alumnus, a staff person, GTU, and 18 faculty and families�have now funded 21 new scholarshipsfor our Geography students! These new scholarships will be presented to the selected outstanding students at theSixth Annual Alumni Reunion and Student Celebration to be held on April 29. Below is a listing of the newscholarships, the names of the supporters, and the annual scholarship amounts. We hope other individuals willhonor special persons in their lives by likewise establishing future Geography scholarships to help support ourstudents financially while they complete their studies.

1. Tim Staskus and Family support the Phillip A. Staskus Un-dergraduate Geography Scholarship, $1,000 annually

2. Angelika Lester and Sheri Wahl support the Irene L. WahlGeography Scholarship, $500 annually

3. Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) supports the Richard A. EarlGamma Theta Upsilon Geography Scholarship, $500 annually

4. Byron and Thelma Augustin supports the Bruce Lee AugustinUndergraduate Geography Scholarship, $500 annually

5. Richard Boehm supports the Frank and Ivy Boehm Geogra-phy Scholarship, $500 annually

6. Denise Blanchard-Boehm supports the Blanchard Geogra-phy Scholarship, $500 annually

7. Denise Blanchard-Boehm and Pamela Showalter support theNatural Hazards Scholarship, $500 annually.

8. Brock Brown supports the Peggy Steele Clay OutstandingPre-service Teacher in Geography Scholarship, $500 annually

9. David Butler supports the Ray and Marian Butler Environ-mental Geography Scholarship, $500 annually

10. Fred and Anu Day supports the Amita Malwade GraduateScholarship in Human Geography, $500 annually

11. Richard Dixon supports the George D. Battle MemorialScholarship Supporting Research in Climatology or CoastalGeography, $500 annually

12. Ron Eyton supports the B. J. Eyton Undergraduate A.A.G.Travel Scholarship, $500 annually

13. Susan Hardwick supports the Alice Rechlin Perkins Out-standing Female Graduate Student in Geographic EducationScholarship, $500 annually

14. Jerry Touchstone Kimmel and Ruth Touchstone supportthe Roy H. Touchstone Graduate Scholarship for Nature andHeritage Tourism, $500 annually

15. James Kimmel and Madelyn Kimmel Holley support theRoss Kimmel, Jr. Undergraduate Scholarship for Nature andHeritage Tourism, $500 annually

16. James Petersen supports the Martha Sue Baker MorrowScholarship for a Teacher Candidate for Secondary GeographyTeaching, $500 annually

17. Fred and Arlene Shelley support the A. E. and AlvinaBeckworth Scholarship, $500 annually

18. David Stea supports The Four Brothers Scholarship, $500annually

19. Sent and Mary Visser support the Adriana Samantha VisserMemorial Scholarship, $500 annually

20. Ben Zhan supports the Mao-Geng Zhan Scholarship forAcademic Excellence in Geography, $500 annually

21. An anonymous faculty person supports the Joe and JerryMoore Scholarship in Water Resources, $500 annually

Sally Ride �Wows� FullHouse Audience for Second

Annual Lovell LectureBy Dr. David Butler

Dr. Sally Ride, America�s first woman in space, andcurrently a Professor of Space Science and Physics at theUniversity of California-San Diego, gave the Second AnnualLovell Lecture on February 7, 2000, to a full house audienceof about 900 in Evans Auditorium. About half the audiencewas comprised of schoolchildren, and the enthusiasticaudience cheered and roared for Dr. Ride. Dr. Ride was

introducedby the De-partment ofGeography�sChair, Dr.LawrenceEstav i l l e ;Vice Presi-dent forAcademicAffairs Dr.R o b e r tGratz; andthe Direc-tor of the

James and Marilyn Lovell Center for EnvironmentalGeography and Hazards Research, Dr. David Butler.

Dr. Ride�s lecture topic was �The View from Space�.During her presentation, she used photographs taken fromher two Space Shuttle missions, along with photos taken byother shuttle astronauts, to illustrate a variety of significantenvironmental issues. She described and discussed erosionassociated with deforestation on the island nation ofMadagascar, air pollution associated with widespread fires inthe Amazon Basin (also associated with deforestation),atmospheric phenomena, and natural hazards. Particularlystriking for the audience were images of major hurricanes,where shuttle astronauts were able to photograph downthrough the hurricane�s eye directly to the ocean beneath it;and a sunset view of clouds building up to the tropopause thatseparates the troposphere from the overlying stratosphere.After her talk, Dr. Ride answered questions, primarily fromschool children. Prior to the Lovell Lecture, a dinner held in Dr. Ride�shonor was hosted by the Lovell Center, was sponsored bythe Department of Geography, the Grosvenor Center forGeographic Education, and numerous local San Marcos busi-nesses. At the dinner, Dr. Butler presented Dr. Ride a copyof the National Geographic Society book Orbit, a book ofstunning photographs taken by NASA astronauts, whichhad been autographed by Captain Jim Lovell. The LovellCenter also presented Dr. Ride with a framed set of high-altitude false-color images of the hills of San Diego where Dr.Ride lives. This gift was prepared and framed for Dr. Ride byDr. Ron Eyton, one of the Lovell Center Scholars, and Ph.Dstudent Linda Prosperie. Many Lovell Center Scholars, our outstanding office staffspearheaded by Angelika Lester, the Lovell Center graduateassistant Wendy Bigler, Lisa DeChano and a nearly endlesslist of wonderful student volunteers helped with the arrange-ments for the dinner and Second Annual Lecture, and theevent would not have been nearly as successful without theiroutstanding efforts. On behalf of the Lovell Center, I�d liketo invite you to come next year for the 3rd Annual Lecture.Future issues of this newsletter will contain information aboutthis event, so watch this space!

Reunion Bliss....Join the Fun this year.

See story pg 3. Pictures Pg. 6

Greetings from the Chair ..................................... 2Graduate Program News ..................................... 2Undergraduate Program News ............................ 2Editor’s Column ................................................. 3Alumni News .................................................. 3-4Along Interstate-35 ............................................. 5Reunion Photo’s .................................................. 6Todd Votteler ..................................................... 7Peggy Steele Clay ................................................ 7All About Texas ................................................... 8Across the U.S. ............................................... 9-10Around the World ....................................... 10-11Become a Champion ......................................... 11Alumni Update Information ................ Back Cover

in this issue...

Dr. Boehm, Dr. Butler, and Dr. Ride converse before herpresentation for the Lovell Center.

Dr. Estaville, Dr. Butler, and Dr. Ride in theLovell Center Conference Library

The News

Page 2 • Spring 2000

Greetings from the Chair Dr. Lawrence EstavilleWhat can

I say about yourGeography Depart-ment when it hasSally Ride visit, 21new student scholar-ships, and its firsttwo Ph.D. graduatesin the queue? Well,I can say that ShuttleAstronaut Sally Ride (from the chant�Ride Sally Ride� era!) gave a simplysuperb presentation on the view fromspace of the Earth�s fragile environmentbefore a packed and excited house inEvans Auditorium in February! Dr.Ride�s presentation was the second inthe Lovell Lecture Series sponsored bythe department�s James and MarilynLovell Center for Environmental Geog-raphy and Hazards Research. And I cansay that four more Geography faculty,Sent Visser, Dick Boehm, DeniseBlanchard-Boehm, and Pam Showalter,generously agreed to support three newscholarships! Indeed, GTU also donatedfunds to support a scholarship as well,which brought the total number of newGeography scholarships established thisyear to an incredible 21!! Thesupporters of these 21 new scholarshipswill present them to our outstandingstudents at the Sixth Annual AlumniReunion and Student Celebration onApril 29. And I can say that ToddVotteler and Lisa DeChano are bothpoised to become our first two Ph.D.graduates in May 2000! What a way tobegin the new millennium!

Dr. David Stea, director, andDr. John Tiefenbacher, associate direc-tor, led the establishment of the Centerfor Texas-Mexico Applied Research, an

SWT interdisciplinary academicresearch center that will work on real-world environmental and economicdevelopment problems in collaborationwith Mexican universities. The Texas-Mexico Center complements the fourother academic research centers forwhich the department provides leader-ship: The Lovell Center (David Butler,director); the Grosvenor Center for Geo-graphic Education (Dick Boehm, direc-tor), which will host William Allen, theeditor of the world-renown NationalGeographic Magazine, as the thirdspeaker in the Grosvenor Lecture serieson 17 April in The Teaching Theatre ofthe LBJSC; the Center for Nature andHeritage Tourism (Jim Kimmel, direc-tor); and the Freshwater Research andPolicy Center (Joe Moore, director).And our Texas Watch Program (EricMendelman, coordinator) is reachingout to water quality volunteers acrossthe state.

Your department now has 516undergraduate, 163 MAG, and 24 Ph.D.students and is the largest GeographyDepartment in North America! Our stu-dents continue to participate enthusias-tically in Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU),the Student Planning Organization(SPO), the National Association ofEnvironmental Professionals (NAEP),Support for Women in Geography(SWIG), and the Graduate StudentForum. Several of our students werehonored once again during the past yearwith awards at national and stateconferences or were congratulated fortheir publications!

The total number of SWTGeography faculty is 29, the largestgeography faculty in North America and

the faculty with the largest number ofwomen in the nation! Your GeographyDepartment faculty have now publishedalmost 1,000 publications, have beenhonored with 11 publication awards foroutstanding books and articles, and havewon 23 teaching awards from universi-ties or national and state professionalorganizations! And, we will most likelyhave a new Master of Science (M.S.) inGeography program and a GIS certifi-cate program established and acceptingstudents for Fall 2000!

Angelika Lester continues to doa simply superb job as our departmentoffice manager! Joan Pasquali and JenaEllsworth are excellent office staff whoalso make certain our ship stays on asteady course! And without Dan �thecomputer man� Hemenway we wouldbe dead in the water with more than 300department computers to be maintained!

You can see that I am veryproud to be the chair of your department!You, too, should be very proud to be apart of your nationally recognizedDepartment of Geography! Well, I couldgo excitedly on and on, but more detailsare in this newsletter, on our website atwww.geo.swt.edu, or on our video (fora copy of the video, call the departmentat 512-245-2170 or e-mail:geography@swt.edu). For �up close andpersonals,� be here for your SixthAnnual Alumni Reunion andStudent Celebration on April 29! I hopeto see you and your families at thisannual Department highlight to joinmore than 500 alumni having a day offun and food, presenting student awards,reminiscing, networking, attendingworkshops, visiting vendor displays, andseeing your department�s new equip-ment and facilities!

GRADUATE PROGRAMCOORDINATOR�S COLUMN

By Dr. Fred M. Shelley

The 1999-2000 academic year has beenan exciting and pivotal year for the graduateprograms in the Department of Geography. Wehave seen the completion of our first two Ph.D.degrees, the development of important new initia-tives at the doctoral and master�s degree levels, theestablishment of numerous graduate scholarships,and continued success in the completion and place-ment of Master of Applied Geography students.

Todd Votteler defended his dissertationon February 23, and Lisa DeChano�s dissertationdefense will take place on March 31. Todd andLisa will receive their doctorates on May 12,becoming the first two persons in SWT�s historyto complete requirements for earned doctoraldegrees. This year�s commencement will alsofeature the awarding of an honorary doctoraldegree to Gilbert Grosvenor, former chief execu-tive officer of the National Geographic Society andone of the leading geographers in the United States.

Two exciting new initiatives will soonbe approved. For the first time, the Departmenthas been authorized to admit a limited number ofqualified Ph.D. students on a part-time basis (seedetails elsewhere in this issue of the Newsletter).The University has also approved the Department�sproposal to offer the Master of Science degree, and

we are awaiting formal approval from the Board ofRegents. Qualified current and incoming studentswill be encouraged to apply to the Master of Scienceprogram as soon as the program is formally approved.

Our graduate students continue to makeimportant contributions at professional meetingsand other professional activities. In April, 15 MAGand Ph.D. students will give presentations at theannual meeting of the Association of AmericanGeographers in Pittsburgh. Several others willpresent papers at the annual meeting of the NationalCouncil for Geographic Education in Chicago inAugust. Several have published articles and bookreviews in prestigious professional journals.

For the first time, five graduating Masterof Applied Geography students have earned Ph.D.assistantships at major doctoral institutions in a singleyear. Wendy Bigler and Neel Bhattacharjee will goto Arizona State University; Matt Ramspott to theUniversity of Kansas; Rebecca Sheehan to LouisianaState University; and Vanessa Eckert to the Univer-sity of Texas/Kentucky. All of these students havedone an outstanding job at the MAG level at SWT,and we are confident that they will continue theirexcellent work as doctoral students. Wendy, Neel,Matt, Rebecca, and Vanessa join many other MAGalumni who have successfully undertaken doctoralwork at SWT and elsewhere, including MarkBockenhauer and Alice Jones (see stories about them

elsewhere in this issue). Congratulations to all!In December, 16 students were awarded

the MAG degree. These include Lydia Bean (whohas entered the Ph.D. program at SWT), BuckBuchanan, B. J. Carpenter, Kay Creitz, Rainy Day,Reed Dickerson, Mark Garcia, Josephine Jarrell,Greg Klaus, Allison Moore (who is now a full-time member of the Texas Watch staff), Dean Rother,Paul Schultze, Steve Schwelling, JenniferUmscheid, Mick Wilson, and Penelope Younger.Congratulations!

We at SWT take great pride in theachievements of our excellent graduate students andgraduate alumni. We are confident that theadmission of part-time Ph.D. students and theestablishment of the Master of Science degree willbring a new dimension of excellence to our gradu-ate program activities. Of course, the successesthat our programs are enjoying are a direct result ofthe hard work of our faculty, our graduatestudents, and our office staff�especially JoanPasquali, the Assistant to the Graduate Coordina-tor who goes out of her way to help our currentand incoming students meet their goals. I amconfident that, with your help, the graduateprograms will continue to achieve increasednational and international recognition forexcellence.

Undergraduate ProgramIncreases Quality Standards,Yet Remains Largest in the

United States

By Dr. Brock Brown

With the implementation of theSWT�s first two PhD programs, one ofthe stipulations of the Texas HigherEducation coordinating Board was thatthe Geography Department should workto reduce the size of the undergraduateprogram. It was decided that this wouldbe accomplished by raising standardsrather than establishing arbitrary limitson the number of students admitted tothe program.

Over the past several years theDepartment of Geography has beenworking to steadily increase thestandards that students must meet tobecome majors in the Department. Theintended outcome was to reduce theoverall number of majors, but a growingnumber of better qualified students havepursued the major and the overall sizeof the undergraduate program hasremained about the same.

Today, the Department has ahighly talented pool of students who arerecognized for scholarship and pre-professional accomplishment. Becauseof an apparently endless supply of highlyqualified and talented students it appearsthat the undergraduate geographyprogram at SWT will continue to be thelargest in county for some time to come.Why do so many students want in theprogram?

As an alumni you alreadyknow that there are many componentsto the answer to this question and a lotof it has to do with the indisputablereality that the quality of the programincreases each year. In recent years thefaculty has grown to include morenationally recognized scholars. Largelydue to efforts lead by Dr. LawrenceEstaville, Chair, the facilities and tech-nological/information infrastructure tosupport instruction and hands-on labexperience has become one of the bestin the country which, in turn, meansstudents are better qualified and morecompetitive in their pursuit of employ-ment or graduate study.

The internsh ip programprovides a key link for students makingthe transition from student to employee.The faculty who teach in the undergraduate program are a very talented anddedicated group who are highly recog-nized across campus and across NorthAmerica. It is a well known fact thatstudents who succeed in our programare on their way to success in theirprofessional lives. So, the program didnot get smaller, but it got better, and whocan argue with that? The AlumniReunion is a perfect time to build thebonds between current students, recentgraduates, veteran alumni, and faculty.We hope to see you there!

The News • Page 3

Alumni NewsLEST WEFORGET

By Dr. Arlene Shelley,Newsletter Editor

I can�t help but think about how allthings are tied together and how the responsi-bility for making our world a better place startswith each of us as individuals. All of us mustwork together if we are to reap the rewardsthat are waiting for us, our children, and ourchildren�s children.

I believe that academia works in thesame way. I remember being an undergraduateEnglis h majo r at a re gio nal c o lle ge inOklahoma in the 1960s. M y goals were simple:to get out on my own, have some fun, and takeas few courses as possible to get my teachingdegree. Of course, I only took those coursesthat I thought I could �ace.�

Afte r graduatio n, I wo rked inbusiness and education for about ten yearsbefore returning as a student to the Universityof Oklahoma to work toward a teaching certifi-cate and a master�s degree in natural science.Fortunately , I had two spectacular professorsin physical geography�Dr. Katie Hirschboeckand Dr. Lisa Harrington. Dr. Brock Brown,who of course is now Undergraduate Coordi-nator in the Department of Geography at SWT,introduced me to my first field excursion.Through these teachers, I learned that I couldask questions that didn�t already have answers.M y whole world changed!

After finding geography, I couldn�tget enough! I knew I wanted to be a geogra-pher, and I didn�t mind long hours in the class-room, the library, the laboratory, and the field.Learning became a whole new way of life! Now,every time I plan a lesson to present to myundergraduate students, I try to remember thatmost of them take my courses only becausethey are required for graduation. M y goal is tof ind way s to exc ite th e s tudents abo utgeography and encourage them to considergeography as a major. Without students, Iwouldn�t have the privilege of sharing mypassion for our wonderful discipline.

O nc e s tude nts are h o o k e d o ngeography, the web grows wider. Students areconcerned about how geography functions inthe real world, and parents are often anxious toknow that there are real job prospects availablefor their sons and daughters who are majoringin geography. This is one reason why it is soimportant to keep our network with our alumniwell tended. As alumni, you can provide apathway for our students. Not only are manyof you in a position to provide jobs or intern-ships to our students, but y ou can act asmentors to our students. M any of you havevolunteered to speak to our classes and studentorganizations. When our students and facultymeet with alumni, it gives all of us a chance toalter preconceived notions and to more accu-rately meet the needs of our current students.

I encourage all of you to participatein the important process of tending to our stu-dents. There are many ways to support ourprogram, and I hope each of you will identifyways that you feel comfortable in doing so. Ihope that each of you has a terrific 2000 andthat you will be able to join your fellow alumni,current students, and faculty at the 6th AnnualAlumni Reunion and Student Celebration onApril 29. We in the Department welcome yoursuggestions and your ideas, and we especiallyappreciate y our taking time to meet ourterrific students. One day our students willthemselves be alumni, and they will pass on tofuture generations of students what you havegiven to them.

6TH ANNUAL ALUM NI REUNION ANDSTUDENT CELEBRATION!

By Dr. Fred M . Shelley

The 6th Annual AlumniReunion and Student Celebra-tion will be held on Saturday,April 29. Make your plans nowto attend what promises to bethe most exciting Reunion ever!

The theme of this year�sreunio n is �Ce lebratingStudents: Honoring Past andPre s ent.� T h is th eme isespecially appropriate this year,because the Department willpresent some 21 new scholar-s h ip s fo r th e f irs t time inadditio n to th e nearly twodozen continuing scholarshipsand awards to deserving under-graduate and graduate students.In addition, Dr. Estaville willpresent Outstanding Leader-ship Awards to former chairsDr. Allen Hellman and Dr.Richard Boehm and to M r.Gerald Hill, Vice President for

Development. OutstandingServic e Awards will b ep re s e nte d to Dr. J ame sH arris o n, D is t ing uis h e dProfessor Joe M oore, and Dr.Arlene Shelley . This y ear�sOutstanding Alumni Awardwill be given to M ark Carter.

The tentative schedule ofevents is as follows. Registra-tion begins at 9:00 a.m. outsidethe Alkek Teaching Theater.The program will begin at 9:30in the Teaching Theater andwill include the annual State ofthe Department address by Dr.Lawrence Estaville , Depart-ment Ch air, and a s p e c ialN ational Geographic Societypresentation by Peggy SteeleClay. The Awards Ceremonywill begin at 11:00 a.m. Afterlunch , a s p e c ial c e remo nyh o no ring winners o f th escholarships and recognizing

Hotel Rooms for AlumniReunion Weekend

A block of hotel rooms has beenreserved for participants of theAlumni Reunio n & StudentCelebration. For the nights ofApril 28 & 29, anyone attendingthe Department of Geography�sannual celebration can get a roomat La Quinta Inn-San M arcos ata special rate (price depends onroom type). If you want a niceand inexpensive place to stay thatweekend, mention th e �SWTGeography Block� when you callthe hotel for reservations. Youmust call the hotel directly at 512-392-8800 to make your reserva-tions- the 1-800 number will notrecognize local discount rates forthe rooms. The block of roomswill be released on April 1, sop lan ah e ad and mak e y o urreservations soon!

GTU AlumniGT U will h ave a table at th e AlumniReunion on April 29. If you have not pickedup or received your certificate, they will beavailable at the GTU table. After that date,contact Dr. Richard Earl and we can haveyour certificate sent to you. If you are inter-ested in joining the national GTU alumnic h ap te r, c o ntac t Dr. Earl atRE02@SWT.EDU.

Down M emory Lane withM emorex at the Alumni

ReunionBy Dr. Brock Brown

Wh en mak-ing p re p aratio ns toattend the 2000 Geog-raphy Alumni Reunionsp end a b it o f timerecalling th o se fo ndmoments as a student because we want toremember with you!! At this year�s reunionBBQ we will have a video camera set upunder the tent to record your account ofmemories past. We hope that over the yearsthis event will enable us to develop a wonder-fully rich and admittedly unauthorizedhistory of the events that have shaped ourDepartment. So, dig deep into those oldmemory cells and bring a story to share!!!

those persons after whom thescholarships have been namedwill take place at 1:15. Both theAwards Ceremony and th eScho larsh ip Ceremony willalso take place in the TeachingTheater.

At 2:40, the Reunionwill move to the Evans LiberalArts Building where severalworkshops, department tours,and lab demonstrations will beheld. Workshops tentativelyplanned include workshops onjob networking and resumepreparation; presentation ofHigh resolution GPS units; apanel discussion on opportuni-ties for women in geography; apresentation on 100 years ofhurricanes in Texas; a presenta-tio n and demo ns tratio n o fglobal positioning systems; anda presentation by members ofthe Texas Watch staff. At 5:00,we will mo ve to AquarenaSp rings for the traditionalbarbecue dinner.

Regis tratio n fo r th isyear�s Reunion, including twomeals , is only $15 ($10 fo rstudents and children over 10.Children under 10 are free).Every one is invited. Comecelebrate the achievements ofyour Department and help usto h o no r o ur o uts tandings tude nts and alumni! Aregistration form is available inthis Newsletter, and it can alsob e do wnlo ade d fro m th eDepartment�s website. I hopeto see you and your loved oneson April 29!!11:00 Awards Ceremony12:15 Lunch1:15 Scholarship Ceremony2:40 Workshops I3:50 Workshops II5:00 Barbecue, Aquarena

SpringsSee Pictures on Page 6.

Page 4 • Spring 2000

Alumni NewsMARK CARTER: DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

By Doc Augustin

After working at ESPN from1984-1989, Mark and Carol decided to takea vacation in Texas. After seeing San Marcos,Carol and Mark decided to trade the 70-hour workweek at ESPN for the tranquilityof the Texas Hill Country. They moved toSan Marcos and enrolled in classes at SWT.

Mark worked to complete hisundergraduate degree while employed atSWT Media Services. During this time, hewas the principle architect for the design andpurchase of $1,000,000 worth of newequipment for the new Alkek LearningResource Center’s media studios.

In 1992, he completed hisBachelors degree in geography andgraduated Summa Cum Laude. He imme-diately enrolled in the MAG program andserved as a graduate assistant for“Doc”Augustin until 1994. In 1994, hereceived his MAG degree with a perfect 4.0GPA.

After graduation, he was hired bySWT as the Video Network Specialist. Hiswork took him into the field of designingand implementing interactive televisionsystems for Distance Learning Programs,which kept in close contact with theGeography Department.

Since then, he has served as theFounding Chairman of the GeographyAlumni Reunion Committee. He held thatposition for three consecutive years. He hasalso served as the Chairman of theUniversity Staff Council, as a committeemember of the Southern Association of Col-leges and Schools Accreditation team, as amember of the University Council, and asan SWT Mentor.

Mark Carter is a true friend of theDepartment of Geography and a worthyselection for the Distinguished AlumniAward. CONGRATULATIONS,MARK!!!!!

Mark Carter has been selected asthe Distinguished Alumni to mark the be-ginning of the new millennium. It is anappropriate honor for a man who representswhat geography at Southwest Texas StateUniversity is all about.

Mark was born in Bristol,Connecticut, a few years ago. Although heis a Yankee by birth, he is a Texan at heart.When he was nineteen, he joined the Navyto experience world geography. His tenurein the Navy took him to Hawaii, the Philip-pines, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, HongKong, Singapore, Guam, Australia, and theGrand Turk Islands. After six years in theNavy, he exited his professional militaryexperience at Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1981, he took Horace Greeley’sadvice and went west. He ended up as atwenty-five year old freshman at SWT.During his freshman orientation program,he was introduced to “Doc” Augustin anddecided to major in geography. After threeyears at SWT, he longed to actually have anincome, dropped out of school, and returnedto Connecticut.

Once in Connecticut, he was hiredby ESPN as a Satellite Earth StationEngineer. In this position, he wasresponsible for communicating with station-ary satellites to provide sports programmingthroughout the world. One of thehighlights of this job was that he usuallyhad lunch with Chris “He could go all theway” Berman. Mark reaffirms that Chris isjust as nice as he appears to be on ESPNtoday.

While Chris Berman was an excit-ing person to meet and work with, he paledin comparison with another ESPN employeeby the name of Carol. Carol was differentfrom Chris. She was intelligent, attractive,articulate, and female. She was destined tobecome Mark’s soul mate.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT – MARK BOCKENHAUER

Dr. Mark Bockenhauer (MAG1987), Assistant Professor of Geography atSt. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin,was recently awarded the St. NorbertCollege Outstanding Teacher Award for1999 and the Leonard Ledvina Award forExcellence in Teaching.

After graduating from SWT, Markentered the Ph.D. program in Geography atthe University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee.He completed his Ph.D. in 1994 and thenjoined the St. Norbert faculty. Mark teachescourses in World Regional Geography,Social Geography and EnvironmentalStudies.

Above and beyond his teaching,Mark has been involved in a variety ofprofessional activities. Mark served asco-principal investigator for a 1997-99National Oceanographic PartnershipProgram (NOPP) grant. He has played amajor role in developing and implementingthe $2.15 million “COAST” (Consortiumof Oceanographic Activities for Students andTeachers) effort, with “Sea Scholars” trips onU.S. Navy oceanographic survey ships,website work, summer institutes for middle-school teachers, and curriculum develop-ment. He led Sea Scholars trips fromBarcelona to Lisbon in 1998 on the USNSPathfinder and from Charleston to Fort Lau-derdale in 1999 on the new USNS Henson.

Mark is active in promotinggeographic education across Wisconsin. Hecontinues to co-coordinate the WisconsinGeographic Alliance (WIGA). In June, 1999he led a 12-day geographic education

institute for 36 teachers in Eau Claire, andhe led efforts to secure an endowment fromthe Wisconsin Legislature for WIGA. Healso led a WIGA effort to design a newWisconsin Desk Map, which was publishedfor classroom use in December 1999. Now,the effort continues by coordinating withsix teachers from across the state to finish theteachers’ guide for the map in the next sixmonths.

Mark serves as Midwest geographyconsultant for a National GeographicSociety “United States Atlas for YoungExplorers,” published in November. Heworked with the National GeographicSociety to integrate geographic content intothe Jason Project’s (Jason Foundation forEducation) paper and web-site curricula. Heco-led a Jason-NGS workshop for 43 teach-ers in Milwaukee, in September. This alsoincluded three “extreme environments/exploration” presentations for a total of 160teachers as part of the concurrent JasonNational Educators’ Conference. He is nowhelping to plan a Jason-NGS summer 2000workshop in Hawaii.

St. Norbert College, where Markteaches, is a Roman Catholic liberal artscollege located just south of Green Bay,Wisconsin. Founded by the NorbertineBrothers in 1898, the college enrolls 2,000students and has been ranked among thebest ten liberal arts colleges in the Midwestby U.S. News and World Report. Footballfans will recognize St. Norbert as the long-time site of the Green Bay Packers’ trainingcamp.

ALUMNI BITS

Compiled by Dr. Fred M. Shelley

Christy Askew (B.S., 1999) is working on herMaster of Urban Planning degree at Texas A&MUniversity. She writes that “Dr. Sally Caldwelltaught me almost everything that I know inPlanning,” and that “being a part of the Geographyand Planning Department at SWT has been one ofthe best experiences of my life.”

Emily (McKenzie) Barron (B.S., 1997) works as aPlanner II for the City of Austin, DevelopmentReview and Inspections Department. She wasmarried in June 1999 and resides in Austin.

Christine Bergren (B.S., 1991) serves as one oftwo Small Business and Local Government repre-sentatives in the San Antonio regional office of theTexas Natural Resource and ConservationCommission (TNRCC). Prior to joining the SanAntonio Region, Christine was employed by H.E.Butt Grocery Company as an environmental com-pliance specialist and with the TNRCC’s central

office in Austin where she worked in the PetroleumStorage Tank, Municipal Solid Waste and SmallBusiness Programs. She is a Registered Sanitarianand a Certified Visible Emissions Evaluator.

Kim Fedosky Brunson (B.A., 1983) resides inWesley, Arkansas. She homeschools her 11 and 12year old children, runs a home-based businessdealing with nutraceuticals and educating thepublic on the use of dietary supplements for opti-mal health, and is a master’s swimmer in Arkansas.

Chris Collier (B.S., 1988) has been appointed asthe Texas Regional Manager of GIS/Trans, Ltd.’snewly created regional office in Austin. The Texasoffice will support existing contracts with the Stateof Texas, and expand GIS/Trans’ presence in Texasand the surrounding area including parts of themidwest and southwest. He has more than 13years of GIS and transportation experience and hasheld positions at the Texas Department ofTransportation and Defense Mapping Agency.

Derek DuBard (B.A., 1993) works as a plannerfor the Texas Department of Housing andCommunity Affairs, Low Income Housing Tax

Program in Austin. His primary responsibility isfinancial feasibility analysis of existing andproposed low-income, multi-family projectsthroughout the state of Texas. He encouragesstudents to get experience through internship, andcredits his internship with the City for giving himthe opportunity to beat out persons with master’sdegrees from UT and A&M for his first job.

Albert El-Hage (MAG., 1998) has been workingin the Water Team, Resource Protection, for TexasParks and Wildlife for the past four years. In1999, he was asked by the United Nations and theLebanese government to head and conduct anin-depth environmental assessment of a forestedarea in Lebanon. He and his wife are proudparents of a new baby girl, Isabella.

Dian (Thompson) Fiala (B.A., 1989) is a fourthgrade teacher at Spring Creek Elementary School inGarland, Texas. She and her husband, GeorgeFiala, reside in Dallas.

David Gellner (MAG, 1999) is the Solid WasteProgram Coordinator for the Capital AreaPlanning Council (CAPCO) in Austin. Hisresponsibilities include oversight management andreporting for a solid waste grant program whichannually distributes about $400,000 in pass-through grant funds to local governments forrecycling, waste reduction and educational initia-tives. David is particularly proud of his efforts tocoordinate activities related to combating thegrowing problem of illegal dumping, includingcreating a new program focus and staff position todeal with addressing problems of illegal dumping,

and to help coordinate education and trainingactivities.

Mark Graybill (B.A., 19xx) works as ResearchCoordinator for Henry S. Miller Commercial, acommercial real estate company, in Dallas. He isresponsible for site selection and analysis utilizingGIS. He is also working on Graduate Certificationin G.I.S. and a Masters of Public Affairs degree atthe University of Texas of Dallas.

Chad Hall (B.S., 1995; MAG, 1997) is RegionalManager for Mapping/GIS sales with TrimbleNavigation, Ltd. in Austin. Trimble is a leader inglobal positioning systems technology andprovides end-user and OEM solutions for diverseapplications including surveying, mapping/GIS,agriculture, construction, mining, military, com-mercial aviation, automotive, vehicle tracking andtiming

Jennifer (Van Winkle) Knight (B.S., 1996) isManager of GIS Mapping for 911 Operations forthe State of Texas with Southwestern Bell TelephoneCompany. She plans to enter the Master ofApplied Geography program in the fall of 2000.She and her husband Chris bought a house inSouth Austin and have a ten-month old baby boy.

Colleen Larsen (B.S. 1996) works as a GIS/Map-ping Technician in the Engineering Departmentfor Padre Dam Municipal Water District in LaMesa, California.

Cont Pg. 7

The News • Page 5

Along I nterstate-35ESRI Training

Offered at SWT

Beginning in March 2000, theDepartment of Geography and theGrosvenor Center for Geographic Educa-tion, in collaboration with ESRI, will beoffering GIS training classes here at SWT.These courses are specifically geared for thegovernment and business users of GIS tech-nology, targeting those people who utilizeESRI products. ESRI-certified trainers willoffer curriculum that is identical to thatoffered at the ESRI training site in San Antonio.

In order to take advantage of thestate-of-the-art computer facilities availablein the Department of Geography, thesetraining sessions will be held during springbreak, summer months, and other holidayperiods, to avoid conflicts with regular classschedules. The first course being offered is“What’s New in ArcInfo 8,” which will beheld on March 13-17 (Spring Break). Thechoice of which classes will be offered in thefuture will be based on market demand.

For information on these trainingcourses, please contact Judy Behrens at 512-245-1823 or jb42@swt.edu. This infor-mation will also be accessible through thehomepages of the Department ofGeography, the Grosvenor Center for Geo-graphic Education, and the SWT Office ofContinuing Education.

The National Association for Environmental ProfessionalsSpring 2000

By Chelsea Kelley

NAEP kicked off the spring semester during its first meeting on February 1. President MaggiePatay introduced new vice president Aaron Back and new secretary Becky Beard. The theme ofthis semester is recycling and NAEP members will be seeking creative ways to define both thereusable and the renewable. Dr. Craig Colten, NAEP faculty advisors, discussed possibilities in“recycling urban real estate.” Brown fields are underused industrial areas that may be contami-nated. Such properties are left abandoned and avoided for further use because of costly clean ups.Refinancing these sites offers a second chance for development. Representatives from other environmental organizations, including GTU, Earth First!, GeologyClub, and SPO, were introduced during the meeting. Projects to combine interests, forming anactive community, are on the calendar of upcoming events. NAEP will join these groups on April23 to host an Earth Day celebration at Sewell Park for the San Marcos community. There will bea coloring contest for children, educational displays, a plant sale, and other activities related tocelebrating our planet. In addition, the NAEP will offer educational field trips for students andcontinue to invite guest speakers from the environmental field. Fall 1999 guest speakers included Ervin Thomas, Brian Noble, and Ted Hazen from theTNRCC. They discussed programs within the Small Business and Environmental Assistancedepartment and the role of permits in enforcing environmental protection. Kyle Hahn, localowner and founder of Green Guy Recycling, explained a “behind the scenes” perspective onrecycling. Eric Mendelman, from Texas Watch, informed students on water monitoring through-out the state and how students can get involved. Other Fall 1999 activities included participating in a river clean up, SWAAG, and Texas Re-cycles Day, an on campus effort to promote recycling through publicity and education. Memberssold recycled notepads, accepted donations for Goodwill, and passed out pledge cards encouragingboth students and faculty to recycle. Most notable accomplishment was the design and implemen-tation of a sponsored recycle bin program. Dedicated members Maggie Patay, Aaron Buck, DaveTaylor, and Amanda Romero formed a team that motivated other organizations to recycle andsponsor their own on-campus bin, also enabling them to advertise their organization. Now thereare both plastic and sponsored recycle bins in the quad. Congratulations to these members formaking a difference! To get involved and become a member, come and join us at the meetings. Regular meetings areheld every other Thursday, beginning February 10, at 5:30 PM in ELA 116. Be on the lookout forupcoming events posted on the NAEP bulletin board.

National Geographic Editorto Present Grosvenor Lecture

By Judy Behrens

William L. Allen, Editor of NationalGeographic Magazine, will be visiting theSWT campus in April as the guest of theGrosvenor Center for Geographic Educa-tion and the Department of Geography. Mr.Allen, who originates from Tyler, Texas, hasserved as Editor of National GeographicMagazine since 1995, and has worked onthe publication for almost three decades.

At 7:30pm on Monday, April 17,Mr. Allen will be delivering the 3rd AnnualGrosvenor Distinguished Lecture in theTeaching Theater of the LBJ StudentCenter. Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman ofthe Board of National Geographic Societydelivered the inaugural address of thelecture series in 1998. James A. Baker, III,61st Secretary of State of the United Statespresented the 2nd Annual GrosvenorLecture in Spring 1999.

Mr. Allen’s lecture will be free andopen to the public. Seating for this eventwill be limited, and it is suggested thatanyone who is interested in attending shouldcall the Grosvenor Center at 512-245-1823to reserve a spot. Information about thelecture will available on the GeographyDepartment website at:

http://www.geo.swt.edu/.

By Dr. Arlene Shelley andDr. Susan Hardwick

The SWT chapter of Sup-p o rting Wo men in Geo grap h y(SWIG) , wh ich is dedicated toadvancing the status of women inge o grap h y , p ro mo ting ge nde rawareness, and facilitating researchon gender and geography, has had avery active and successful year.

Being a woman in a male-dominated discipline was one of themany topics discussed at the firstannual women's retreat, sponsoredby SWIG, at the SWAAG meetingin October. Over 35 women, fac-ulty and graduate students, gatheredat SWT's University Camp nearWimberley for insightful journeysinto such areas as culture , arts ,e th ic s , and de terminatio n. Anorienteering course designed byM A G s tude nt M e g Garre ttchallenged the women to depend ontheir abilities and their partners, asdid a "Low Ropes" course facilitatedb y th e SWT O utdo o r Ce nte r.M AG student M ichelle Pulich led awildlife trek along the banks of theBlanc o Rive r. F o rme r SWTprofessor Dr. Julie Tuason, whonow teaches at the University ofTexas at Austin, led an informal songand jam session, and Dr. Caldwelldiscussed her new book, RomanticDeception (see story elsewhere inthis issue). Lively discussion, encour-aged by the relaxed climate of theretreat, reinforced mutual supportfor women within the discipline.Plans are already under way to holdanother retreat before next year'sSWA A G me e ting . SWIG als oco-sponsored a panel discussion onwomen in geography in the twenty-first century, in conjunction withth e Univers ity o f T exas SWIG chapter. An audience of 80 geogra-p h e rs p artic ip ate d in live lydiscussion led by a panel consistingof Dr. Susan Hardwick of SWT,Dr. Jan M onk of the University ofArizona, and Dr. M ona Domosh ofF lorida Atlantic University . Thepanelists examined the changingstature o f women in geography

WOM EN IN GEOGRAPHY PREPAREFOR THE 21ST CENTURY

from a historical perspective, andexamined how the needs of womenstudents in geography can be servedbetter within individual courses andthroughout degree programs.

Two additional events areplanned for April. SWIG at SWTand UT have organized a panel discussion to be held at the AAGmeeting in Pittsburgh. The themeof the discussion will be "Creating aWarmClimate for Female GraduateStudents in Geo grap h y ." T h eparticipants include SWIG facultysponsors Fred Shelley and SusanH ardwick , SWT M AG s tudentVanessa Eckert, and M egan Blake,Clark U nive rs ity ; M aria Elis eChristie, UT; M ichelle Driedger,M cM aster University ; Kim Elmore,Univers ity o f N o rth Caro lina;Jennifer Fluri, Penn State; M arleneJackson, Univers ity o f WesternO ntario , and Re b e c c a Do b b s ,University of North Carolina. Atthe Alumni Reunion and StudentCelebration, SWIG will ho st itssecond annual panel discussion ono p p o rtunitie s fo r wo me n ingeography. All alumni, women andmen, are welcome and encouragedto participate.

Any one, male or female,interested in supporting women asgeographers is encouraged to joinSWIG and partic ipate in SWIGactivities. The number of womenin academic and non-academic geog-raphy is increasing steadily , andthrough SWIG we hope to reinforcea warm c limate fo r wo me ngeographers at SWT and to enhanceeducational, exploratory, and careero p p o rtunitie s fo r wo me ngeographers in Texas and through-out the country.

Page 6 • Spring 2000

Pictures from Celebrations Past TODD VOTTELERDEFENDS PH.D. DISSERTATION

By Dr. FredShelley

OnFebruary 23,Todd Vottelersuccessfullydefended hisdoctoral dissertation entitled “Waterfrom a Stone: The Limits of Sustain-able Development of the Texas EdwardsAquifer.” Todd, who completed hisdissertation under the supervision ofDistinguished Professor Joe Moore, wasthe first person in the University’shistory to complete and successfullydefend a doctoral dissertation.

In his dissertation, Toddreviewed the geology and physicalgeography of the Edwards Aquifer alongwith the history of litigation surround-ing its management. Declining waterlevels in the Aquifer can jeopardizecontinued flow of water into the ComalSprings near New Braunfels and theSan Marcos Springs, imperiling severalendangered species which inhabit thesesprings. He then used correlationanalysis to determine the extent to whichlevels of indicator wells in San Antonio,Uvalde, and Hondo could accuratelypredict declines in flow levels of theComal and San Marcos Springs, andhe discussed methods to predict yearsof critical spring discharge before theyoccur. He pointed out that “the abilityto forecast critical period years at thesprings would aid in the sustainablemanagement of the Edwards Aquifer andcould help to avoid violations of theEndangered Species Act andtransboundary disputes during lowrainfall and recharge periods anddroughts.”

At the defense, Toddpresented his findings to an audienceof over 60 faculty, students, staff, andinterested members of the community.He then fielded questions about thedissertation, its contributions togeographic theory, its implications forfurther research, and its implicationsfor policy from his committee, whichincluded Mr. Moore, Dr. DavidButler, Dr. Richard Earl, Dr. FredShelley, and Dr. Tom Arsuffi (Biology).

Todd earned a bachelor’sdegree from the University of the Southand a master’s degree from the Univer-sity of Michigan before entering thePh.D. program at SWT. For severalyears, he has served as Special Master inthe ongoing Edwards Aquifer litigation.

SWT’s second Ph.D.defense will take place on March 31,when Lisa DeChano will defend herdissertation. Lisa’s dissertation istentatively entitled “Natural HazardPerception in Glacier National Park,Montana, USA” and was written underthe supervision of Dr. David Butler.Lisa’s defense will take place at 12:30p.m. in Room 105-106 at AlkekLibrary and is open to the public.

Todd and Lisa will beawarded their Ph.D. degrees at theGraduate Commencement on May 12.Congratulations to both!!

The News • Page 7

D.C. teachers at 8:00on a Saturday morning havemore energy than industrial-strength coffee. Thirty-twoteachers circle the Staff Audito-rium abuzz with anticipation.Word has spread throughout theDistrict that Peggy Steele Clayand the D.C. Alliance put onworkshops that are worthclimbing out of bed to attend.Teachers trust that they�ll beinvigorated by the lecturers,practice hands-on methods ofteaching the new content, earngraduate credits, have fun � andbe surprised.

Peggy is teacher-in-residence and coordinator ofthe District of ColumbiaGeographic Alliance. A long-time 2nd grade teacher inFlorence, Alabama, Peggy washired at the Society in 1996after eight years of participat-ing in geographic workshopsand institutes.

Her ability to reachlearners of all ages so inspiredProfessor Brock Brown ofSouthwest Texas State Univer-sity, that he wrote a check andestablished an endowedscholarship for student teachersfrom the geography department.His department chair, Dr.Lawrence Estaville and theSWT Foundation, added to thepot.

A popular instructorin the Geographic�s summerinstitutes, Brock didn�t hesitateon what to call the endowment.�I wanted to name it after some-one who is inspirational,�Brock said. �Peggy is one of themost exceptional geographyteachers in North America. Shehas really helped urbanteachers overcome enormousobstacles and achieveexcellence in instruction.�

Peggy�s reaction? Out-spoken and modest: �Brockblew my mind.� On secondthought, she�s very pleased. �Ilike this scholarship becausesomeone is going to learn to bea better teacher.� On April 29in San Marcos, Texas, when thefirst winner of the Peggy SteeleClay Outstanding Pre-serviceTeacher in GeographyScholarship is announced,Peggy will be there.

In the world ofteaching, excellence begetsexcellence. Peggy credits heruniversity professors for an

education that has carried herinto classrooms, workshops anduniversities around the country.

Alabama A & M�seducation department in thesegregated 1960s didn�t mincewords, Peggy said. �They toldus, �You may be lucky enoughto get a job. And if you do, youmay have a pot-bellied stove andhand-me-down books, but youhave a responsibility for theacademic achievement of thechildren given to you.�

�They worked theheck out of us,� she said. �Theytaught us creative ways ofdoing things. No Hallmarkstuff, no ditto stuff, real stuff�real leaves bordering yourbulletin boards. They taught ushow to find out our students�needs, find their learning styles,find ways to finesse thesituation.�

Peggy gets an A+.Back in the Staff Audi-

torium early on a Saturday, itdidn�t take her long to spring asurprise. Today�s lessons arebased on two Radio Expeditiontapes of �Life on the Brink� and�Oceans of Life.� Five years ago,National Public Radio and theSociety put these radiosegments into school kits withtapes, maps, posters and aninventive teacher�s guide. Thekits have been discontinued, butwhen Peggy discovered the last254 kits were available, shefinessed the opportunity.

�These tapes arewonderful,� said Peggy. �Theyteach children to listen. Youalways want a child to answerquestions, but you also wantthem to ask questions. Thesetapes and the activities and read-ings in this guide are a fertilebed for that.�

Peggy was so inspiredby the Radio Expeditions kitsthat she and the Alliancecreated workshops to instructfourth-grade teachers how totake advantage of a low-tech,content-rich gift. This is thekind of mix that Peggy relishes.

Jeff Lewellin (B.S. 1986), who hasbeen in the environmentalindustry for twelve years, currentlyworks as Emergency ResponseCoordinator for the Texas NaturalResource Conservation Commis-sion in Corpus Christi.

Christopher Looney (B.S. 1998)is a Planner with the City of SanAngelo, Texas. He writes recom-mendations, prepares reports andordinances and delivers presenta-tions to various commissions andboards. He participated in theimplementation of a new zoningordinance for San Angelo and isnow immersed in many projects asthe Department works on aComprehensive Plan for SanAngelo. Chris is enjoying his newexperiences on the fringe of the“Texas Wild West”. He is active incommunity theater and has alreadyperformed in five shows sincemoving to San Angelo. Chrisencourages SWT undergraduatesto take Technical Writing tocomplete their sophomore Englishrequirements. “It was one of themost useful classes I took at SWT.”

David Nix (B.S., 1991) is Directorof Marketing for Motel Six inDallas.

Amber O’Dell (B.A., 1997) is anunderwriter for the HartfordInsurance Group in San Antonio.

Gary Russell (B.S., 1992) is Envi-ronmental Manager for WasteManagement in Houston.

Dan Searle (B.A., 1979) is ClaimsManager for UPS in San Antonio.He enjoys traveling the world andespecially loves to hike in Big Bendand experience the spiritualconnection between sky, rock, andheart. He recalls with pleasureheated conversations with Dr.Larsen, Dr. Harrison, and Dr.Hellman.

Richard Simmons (B.A., 1998), isnow a Health, Safety & Environ-mental Independent Consultant.He enjoys time with his sonsTaylor, 12, and Cody, 10. Theywere able to travel to the Yucatanwith “Doc” Augustin’s alumnigroup last year and really enjoyedit. Cody was bitten by the Geog-raphy Bug and would like toattend SWT when he graduates.Cody wants to know if Doc will beteaching in 8 years when he is afreshman.

Victoria Smith (B.A., 1992) earnedan M.A. at the University ofArkansas and a J.D. at the Univer-

sity of Tulsa. She is currentlyCorporate Counsel in the Wal-MartCorporate Office in Bentonville,Arkansas and resides inMountainburg, Arkansas.

Mohammed Tangestani (MAG.,1997) is working with the U.S.Forest Service in Vallejo, Californiaas a GIS Analyst Contractor, hiredby Pacific Meridian Resources. Mois working with a highly skilled andtalented group of cartographers andGIS analysts on the AutomatedLand Project.

Tre Wagers (MAG, 1999) is anAdjunct Professor of Geography atSan Jacinto College in Pasadena,Texas. He resides in Deer Park.

Tami Wiggins (MAG, 1991)moved to New Mexico within daysof receiving her degree. Currently,she is working as an environmentalgeographer along with her signifi-cant other, Mike Racine, for BlueSkies Consulting in Albuquerque,New Mexico. Blue Skies Consult-ing provides aerial mapping,remote sensing, technical editing,and document management. Sheis also attending classes in biologyat the University of New Mexicoand pursuing her interests in bio-geography and phytogeography.

Marc Wilson (B.S., 1988) worksas a GIS Technician for the City ofCedar Park, Texas. He resides inCedar Park with his wife, Tamara,and daughters Shelby and Kylie.

Peggy Wittie (MAG, 1991)completed requirements for thePh.D. in Geography at theUniversity of North Carolina,Chapel Hill, and successfullydefended her Ph.D. dissertation onJanuary 28, 2000. She is workingfor the Superfund Section of theNorth Carolina Department ofNatural Resources in Raleigh.

Don York (B.A., 1987) has beenwith the Houston Police Depart-ment since 1988. He is nowworking with the U.S. DrugEnforcement Administration as aspecial agent assigned to the DallasField Division.

ALUMNI: Please share your newsabout your professional activitiesand personal accomplishmentswith fellow SWT Geographers infuture issues of the Newsletter!Send your news by e-mail to Dr.Fred Shelley at fs03@swt.edu orby regular mail to Dr. Shelley atthe Department of Geography,Southwest Texas State University,San Marcos, Texas 78666

Brock Brown Honors Teacher in ResidencePeggy Steele Clay

C o n t e n t - m e t h o d smaterials�and people to ener-gize them. You find energy inmany places, Peggy believes.She reaches across borders toopen teachers� minds to newpossibilities.

Two years ago, sheand Brock devised a graduatecourse in Geography forTeachers. Credited by South-west Texas State, the largestgeography program in theUnited States, the popular classis now in its second go-around.District specialists, Texasprofessors, and master Allianceteachers fly in from classroomsaround the country to spend oneSaturday a month with D.C.teachers.

Last summer, she tookeight District teachers to SouthFlorida for a joint institute with24 Miami teachers. �Thepremise was that the physicallandscape is different, but wehave common problems and welooked for and found commonsolutions as pertained to innercity teaching and urbangeography.�

This summer Peggy istaking D.C. teachers to the Fishand Wildlife Center inShepherdstown for a technologyinstitute coordinated by GwenFaulkner, the technologytrainer for Harriet TubmanSchool and Steering CommitteeChair for the D.C. Alliance.Later in the summer, Districtteachers will learn how to useWashington, D.C. as a lab toupgrade geography skills, andby the end of the summer, atleast three District teachers willpresent to their counterparts atthe annual meeting of the Na-tional Council for GeographicEducation, which will be heldin Chicago this year.

Typical of Peggy, oneof the sessions will feature ajoint presentation between theDistrict and the AlabamaAlliance. �We�re reachingteachers in schools we haven�tbeen in before. The Alliance isin every section of the city,�said Peggy. �I have found in theDistrict of Columbia PublicSchools, teachers teaching, pu-pils learning, and parentssupportive.�

Editor�s Note: Reprinted withpermission of the author fromN C G S N e w sle t t e r .

Alumni Bits continued from page 4

Page 8 • Spring 2000

All About TexasFreeman Ranch: A Window on the Texas Hill CountryBy Dr. Jim Kimmel

John Graves wrote about the TexasHill Country in National GeographicMagazine

The Hill Country escaped emphaticchange for a long time through its roughtopography and its paucity of agricul-tural and mineral wealth, whichpreserved its landscapes and culturalflavors and the connection of its peopleto the land. But the preservation itselfin turn made the region all the moreenchanting to outsiders in our prosper-ous, discontented, questing time, finallybringing big change in a rush.(National Geographic Magazine, April,1999, pp. 104-121.)

The Hill Country is probably themost loved part of Texas – loved by itsresidents, by people from across the state,and by out-of-state visitors. As John Gravesfears, the attractiveness of the Hill Countryposes a major risk of loving it to death.However, people’s affection for the HillCountry also offers the potential tomaintain and enhance its attractions. JacquesCousteau said that we take care of what welove.

The Center for Nature and HeritageTourism has recently initiated planning toprovide interpretive and educationalprograms that can turn people’s affection for

the Hill Country into knowledge andunderstanding that can lead to careful stew-ardship of the region’s natural and culturalassets. This project will provide visitors toFreeman Ranch with a comprehensiveinterpretation of the Texas Hill Country,including its history, environmental dynam-ics, and current issues. Audiences for theprograms will include educational groups ofall levels, tourists, and participants in ElderHostel-type programs.

The Window on the Texas Hill Coun-try program will be based on solid researchon all of the factors that affect the region andwill provide crucial information that can helpprevent deterioration of the Hill Country.This program will also provide valuableeducational and professional experience forstudents in several University programs,including the Public History GraduateProgram and the minors in SouthwesternStudies and Nature and Heritage Tourism.

Topics of the interpretive programwill include:

• history and culture• environmental characteristics,

including geology, hydrology,wildlife, and vegetation

• problems and opportunities ofmodern ranching and farming inthe Hill Country

• private property rights

• environmental regulations• changes in land ownership and use

patterns, including transportationand suburbanization

• community dynamics and issues

As the list of topics illustrates, theinterpretive program will not be superficial.It will address issues that are fundamental tothe future of the region. On-going compre-hensive research will be the foundation ofthe Window on the Texas Hill Countryprogram. The program will providesubstantive information in ways that areappropriate for the various target audiences.The program will be based on soundacademic research, including the following:

• periodic surveys of Hill Countryresidents

• monitoring and analysis of land usetrends

• monitoring and analysis ofenvironmental trends

Freeman Ranch is the logical locationfor this regional interpretive program. TheRanch is located in the center of the rapidlyurbanizing Austin-San Antonio Corridor,which lies on the eastern edge of the HillCountry. Freeman Ranch is the onlysizeable area of Hill Country landscapeunder public management that is centrallylocated in the region. More importantly, it is

not a park, but it is a working ranch thatillustrates the problems and processes associ-ated with sustainable management of the HillCountry. The environmental and landmanagement processes at Freeman Ranch willprovide a substantial part of the content ofthe interpretive programs. The existingfacilities at the Ranch are suitable for theinitial phases of the program. However, asthe interpretive program grows it will benecessary to develop a suitable visitor center.

The interpretive program will includethe following:

• displays and materials for drop-invisitors

• regularly scheduled programs• half-day and day-long programs• multi-day programs on specific

issues• programs tailored for specific

groups• videos• a coffee-table book• an interpretive Internet site• guidebooks to specific places and

regions in the Hill Country

Jim Kimmel, director of the Center forNature and Heritage Tourism and anassociate professor in the Department ofGeography, has initiated the funding pro-cess for the program. Research and develop-ment of the program should be underwayby the Fall of 2000.

MYTHIC GALVESTON GOES TO PRESS!

By Dr. Arlene Shelley

Geographic education andhuman geography professor Dr. SusanHardwick has submitted her bookmanuscript to Johns Hopkins Univer-sity Press in a fanfare of excitement!Mythic Galveston: Reinventing the TexasGulf Coast is slated to be a part of theprestigious Center for American Placesscholarly book series on life and land-scape in North America. Hardwick,working closely with her researchassociates SWT Ph.D. students SusanHume and Lydia Bean and cartographer/remote sensing expert Linda Prosperie,spent the last three years gathering datafrom personal interviews with islandresidents, census records, ship’s passen-ger lists, historic newspapers, and otherarchival material.

Mythic Galveston is the firstbook to explore the relationshipsbetween social processes and spatialpatterns of the residents of Galvestonin the late nineteenth and early

twentieth centuries. The release ofHardwick’s most recent book on thecentennial celebration of the worstnatural disaster ever to strike the U.S.,the Great Storm of Galveston, is welltimed.

Research questions framing heranalysis include: Exactly what social andcultural processes have shaped theevolution of the city of Galveston sinceits earliest settlement by aboriginalpeople? How did these processes createthe island city’s distinctive sense of placeand its evolving spatial patterns? Whatrole did divisions between variousgroups of residents in the city play inthe development and maintenance ofGalveston’s socioeconomic and politi-cal systems?

These and other questions areanswered in over two hundred and fiftypages of text and illustrated by numer-ous maps, photos, and tables. Look forMythic Galveston in bookstores in thefall.

PART-TIME PH.D. STUDENTS TO BE ADMITTED

By Dr. Fred M. Shelley

The SWT administrationhas recently approved theDepartment’s request to admit alimited number of part-timestudents to the Ph.D. programs inEnvironmental Geography andGeographic Education, effective inthe Fall of 2000. The part-timeoption will allow qualified studentsto work toward their doctorateswithout having to quit their jobs oraccept assistantships in the Depart-ment.

A total of four to fivepart-time Ph.D. students will beadmitted to begin work in the fallsemester of 2001. Part-time studentsin the Ph.D. program will beselected by the faculty later thisspring from among applicants who

meet the program’s formal admis-sion criteria, including a 3.5 GPA inmaster’s-level work and a score of1100 on the verbal and quantitativeportions of the Graduate RecordExamination (GRE). Part-timestudents will be expected to meet allof the admission, retention, anddegree progress standards of theDepartment and will be expected tocomplete their 31 hours of coursework within four years.

Later this spring, an appli-cation period and deadline for thesepart-time slots in the Ph.D.programs will be announced. In themeantime, persons who might beinterested in the Ph.D. program ona part-time basis should contact Dr.Fred Shelley at the Department(e-mail fs03@swt.edu).

The News • Page 9

Across the U.S .WORLD 2000

SHELLEY WINS NCGEDISTINGUISHED TEACHINGACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Dr. Fred Shelley, Professor andGraduate Program Coordinator, wasawarded the National Council forGeographic Education’s DistinguishedTeaching Achievement Award at the annualmeeting of the NCGE in Boston in Novem-ber. He was given the award by hiscolleague, NCGE President Dr. JamesPetersen (see photograph).

Dr. Shelley was nominated by Dr.Lawrence Estaville, the Department Chair,and his nomination was seconded by Dr.Byron Augustin, Dr. Susan Hardwick, MAGalumnae Joy Adams and Beth Jones, andcurrent Ph.D. student Lydia Bean. A totalof ten SWT Geography faculty members—Dr. Augustin, Dr. Estaville, Dr. Hardwick,Dr. Petersen, Dr. Shelley, Dr. Richard Boehm,Dr. Brock Brown, Dr. David Butler, Dr.Dennis Fitzsimons, and Dr. Robert Larsen—have now been presented with the Distin-guished Teaching Achievement Award,which is the discipline’s highest honor forquality teaching.

DR. PETERSEN ASSUMES PRESIDENCY OF NCGE

By Dr. Fred Shelley

Dr. James Petersen, Professor ofGeography and a long-term member of theGeography faculty at SWT, recently assumed theoffice of President of the National Council forGeographic Education (NCGE).

In a recent column in NCGE’sNewsletter, Dr. Petersen outlined his vision ofgeographic education at the dawn of the newmillennium. He noted that “During the last 15years or so, we have experienced, nurtured, andsupported a renaissance in geography education.”Of course, SWT’s Department of Geography hasplayed an important role in this renaissance,including its leadership in the creation of nationalgeography standards, the establishment of theGrosvenor Center for Geographic Education, andthe establishment of a Ph.D. program in geographiceducation. Dr. Petersen goes on to state that “Thecusp of a new century and a new millennium is anappropriate time to appreciate our recent goodfortune, address current opportunities while creat-ing new ones, and assess what needs to be done.”

Dr. Petersen identified four generalgoals for the NCGE. These included strengthen-ing communication and connections between theNCGE leadership and membership; strengthen-ing the membership in terms of numbers anddiversity; strengthening service and supportfunction for the membership; and continuing

strong leadership and support of initiatives thatwill improve research, teaching, and learning ingeographic education.

Dr. Petersen went on to discuss somespecific initiatives that will be undertaken in 2000under his leadership as President. Dr. Petersenorganized the geography program for the World2000 conference (see story elsewhere in this issue).He is encouraging the installation of a searchableannotated bibliography on the NCGE website ofresearch articles on geographic education. InAugust, he will lead a delegation of NCGEmembers to the International Geographical Union’sCommission on Geographic Education meeting inSeoul, South Korea.

Dr. Petersen’s election to the Presidencyof NCGE is testimony to the respect that he hasengendered over many years of dedicated service toAmerica’s premier organization for the advancementof teaching and learning geography. Of course, Dr.Petersen’s vision is highly consistent with that ofthe SWT Department of Geography, which formany years has worked to advance the state of geo-graphic education across Texas, throughout theUnited States, and around the world. The Depart-ment, the Grosvenor Center, and other organiza-tions involved in geographic education are workinghard to implement Dr. Petersen’s goals and, in hiswords, to address current opportunities and createnew ones.

SALLY CALDWELL FINDS SIXSIGNS THAT HE’S LYING

Dr. Sally Caldwell,Internship Coordinator andAssistant Chair, recentlypublished the book RomanticDeception: The Six Signs He’sLying. The book was publishedby Adams Media Corporationand is already in its secondprinting.

Romantic Deception is aboutwomen who have been involved in romanticrelationships with men who have lied abouttheir identities by misrepresenting their careers,marital status, educational or military back-ground. She defines romantic deception as “theunrestrained misrepresentation of significantfacts in the context of an intimate relation-ship.” She argues that romantic deception isfar more common than people realize “or arewilling to admit,” and she says that she wrotethe book to shed light on what she regards as apervasive problem. Since the book has beenpublished, she has received letters and telephonecalls from all over the country.

Why do romantic liars get away withthese misrepresentations? Dr. Caldwell arguesthat romantic liars are masters of the art ofdeceit. They know how to lie, and how tocover the tracks of their lies. Romanticrelationships are built on trust, and especiallyunder conditions of mutual attraction andpassion we assume that what we are being toldis the truth.

Dr. Caldwell’s book has alreadygained national attention. It has beenmentioned in Cosmopolitan and Glamourmagazines. In March, she appeared on the JennyJones Show, and will appear on a DiscoveryCHannel Special entitled “SweetheartSwindlers.”

By Dr. Fred M. Shelley

Nearly 1,000 geographersand historians from across theUnited States convened in Austin,February 10-12 for the World 2000conference, which was co-sponsoredby the Department. The conferencebrought together scholars andteachers of world history and worldgeography, who discussed thedaunting task of how to make senseof the history and geography of ourcomplex world in a single semester!

The conference programincluded presentations by manywell-known geographers andhistorians on various aspects ofgeogra-phical research and teaching.The paper sessions were followed byinstructional sessions, at whichteachers and teacher consultantsdiscussed adapting the research ideasfor classroom use. Among thewell-known presenters in geographywere Dr. Phil Gersmehl (Universityof Minnesota), Dr. Stan Brunn(University of Kentucky), Dr. KitSalter (University of Missouri), Dr.Alec Murphy (University ofOregon), and Dr. Julian Minghi(University of South Carolina).

A highlight of the confer-ence was a banquet presentation byDr. Harm de Blij, who is wellknown throughout the country forhis frequent appearances on “GoodMorning, America.” Following Dr.de Blij’s presentation, a receptionsponsored by the Gilbert M.Grosvenor Center for GeographicEducation was held in honor of Dr.de Blij and Dr. James Petersen,President of the National Councilfor Geographic Education. Nearly200 professional geographers andgeography teachers, including manyalumni of the Department, attendedthe reception.

Above and beyond hisduties as President of the NCGE,Dr. James Petersen of the SWTGeography Department served as

co-organizer for the World 2000conference. Jim devoted nearly twoyears of hard work to make World2000 a success. Several other SWTfaculty including Dr. ByronAugustin, Dr. Brock Brown, Dr.Fred Day, Dr. Susan Hardwick, andDr. Fred Shelley gave presentationsand helped in conference organiza-tion. Nearly 20 SWT Ph.D., MAGand undergraduate studentsvolunteered their time to serve asregistration and session assistantsduring the conference. Specialthanks to Nancy Middlebrook, whostepped in at the last minute tocoordinate volunteer assignmentefforts.

Prior to the Conference,SWT’s chapter of SupportingWomen in Geography (SWIG) inconjunction with the University ofTexas chapter of SWIG sponsored apanel discussion on the past, present,and future of women in geography.Panelists included Dr. Jan Monk ofthe University of Arizona, Dr. MonaDomosh of Florida AtlanticUniversity, and SWT’s own Dr.Susan Hardwick. An audience ofnearly 80 persons engaged inspirited discussion of problemsfacing women in contemporaryprofessional geography andconsideration of future prospects forenhancing the stature of women inthe profession.

Thanks to the efforts of JimPetersen and the numerous SWTstudents and faculty whovolunteered their time to help, theWorld 2000 conference was a greatsuccess!

Page 10 • Spring 2000

The Grosvenor Center forGeographic Education has two nationallyfunded projects which are moving forward,both with the potential to change thenature of American geographic education.The National Geographic EducationFoundation funded the Grosvenor Centerin the amount of $152,000 to prepare ascope and sequence in geographic educa-tion, grades K-12. For the first time,geographic educators will be able to say toeducational policy makers, teachers, andparents that “This is the geography studentsshould learn and this is the approximateorder in which they should learn it.” Thescope and sequence matrix is being designedand printed, and will be available to thepublic by May 2000. In addition to anumber of K-12 teachers, the university-level geographers who make up the projectteam include Dick Boehm and Susan Hume(Southwest Texas State University),William Strong (University of NorthAlabama), Joseph Stoltman (WesternMichigan University), Patricia Gober(Arizona State University), and Norm Bettis(Illinois State University).

The second Grosvenor Center project hasbeen fund by the Fordham Foundation inthe amount of $23,000 and deals with thepreparation of a joint history/geographycurriculum for grades K-12. The projectaddresses the questions, “What geographycan be effectively taught with history?” and“What geography must be taught separatelyfrom history and the other social studiessubject?” The results of this project will beavailable in September 2000. Geographersparticipating in this project include DickBoehm (Southwest Texas State University),Patricia Gober (Arizona State University),Brian Blouet (College of William and Mary),and Sam Natoli (Independent Scholar-Washington, DC).

The Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center wascreated to coordinate research and serviceefforts in areas such as teacher training,assessment, pre-service certification, spatiallearning, curriculum, learning materials, andthe technology components used ingeographic education. For moreinformation about projects and activities as-sociated with the Grosvenor Center forGeographic Education, visit the center’swebsite at http://www.geo.swt.edu/Grosvenor/ or contact Judy Behrens at512-245-1823.

Across the U.S . Around the WorldNews from the Grosvenor

Center for GeographicEducation

Women in Geographybenefit from Alice Rechlin

Perkins Scholarship.

By Dr. Susan Hardwick

T h i sgraduate levelscholarship hasbeen establishedin honor of Dr.Alice RechlinPerkins, whorecently retiredas the Geogra-pher at theNational Geographic Society. Dr. RechlinPerkins is a longtime supporter of women ingeographic education. I first met Alice whenshe helped develop the National ScienceFoundation-supported Finding a Way:Reaching Diverse Young Women in Geog-raphy project in the early 1990s. Her ideas,vision, and guidance literally made theproject happen – from its earliest concep-tion to its final national dissemination.

Alice Rechlin Perkin’s quietstrength, her gentle support, and herongoing commitment to women in the fieldof geography have provided encouragementand energy for many women now active inthe profession. Her leadership at theNational Geographic Society, her role as amember of the Steering Committee forGENIP (the Geographic EducationNational Implementation Project) from itsearliest inception in 1986 until her retire-ment from fulltime employment in 1997,and her active participation in leadershiproles for the American GeographicalSociety, the National Council for Geo-graphic Education, and the Association ofAmerican Geographers have meant thatgeographers from coast to coast have beeninfluenced and inspired by her efforts.

This scholarship is dedicated tothe long-term contribution of Alice RechlinPerkins to help support women in the fieldof geography. Applicants must meet thefollowing qualifications:

• Be a female graduate student;• Have a 3.75 or higher undergraduate

GPA;• Show involvement in departmental

activities;• Plan to enroll in geographic education

courses at SWT;• Plan to become a teacher, community

college instructor, or geography pro-fessor.

Travel and Study AbroadGeography of Europe in Europe, June 2001

In June 2001, the Department of Geogra-phy at Southwest Texas State University willconduct its third biennial Geography ofEurope field excursion. Participants in theclass will receive 6 hours of graduate credit,either GEO 5310 Regional Field Studies orGEO 5344 Geography Curriculum, andGEO 5395, Special Problems and Topics:Geography of Europe. These courses canbe used toward the requirements for theSWT Department of Geography Mastersof Applied Geography degree programs.Leading the trip will be Professors Fred Dayand Richard Earl, both regular faculty ofthe SWT Department of Geography. The26-day class will provide on-site geographicanalysis of the geography of Europe andclassroom lecture and discussion at FranklinCollege, Lugano, Switzerland.

Students will learn about the variety ofphysical and cultural phenomena in theEuropean region. The final itinerary hasnot been set, but the intent is to expand thetrip from previous times to include centralSwitzerland and Paris, France. A theme ofthe class will be the “imperial city;” weintended to begin our tour in the first greatimperial city, Rome, and to conclude in oneof great imperial cities of the colonial era,Paris. After three nights and two days inRome we will travel by private motorcoachto Pisa and Florence,great Renaissancecities along the ArnoRiver. We will spendtwo nights and oneday in Florence andwill be see both thegeographically sig-nificant features andworld famous artworks of that citysuch as the Duomo,the David statue, and the Uffizi Galleria.Next, we will travel by motorcoach to Venicefor two nights and a full day of exploringthat fascinating, historic city. From Venicewe will travel to Lugano via Eurail in thespectacular Swiss-Italian Lake District. Wewill stay at Franklin College, a private Ameri-can college, for 12 days. Some days we willhave formal class lectures on the Geographyof Europe and will work on individual

research projects involving the geographyof Europe. We will stay on campus inspacious dorms with cooking facilities.Other days we will go on day trips tospectacular sites such as St. Moritz, ValleVerzasca (featured in the James Bond movieGoldenEye), the military fortress town ofBelanzona, and to Milan to see its wondersfrom the fashion district to Leonardo’s LastSupper. We will take Eurail to Zurich, thefinancial center, for an afternoon and nightand continue on to three nights and twodays in Paris.

The cost for the trip will be ap-proximately $3500 plus an additional $500for tuition. This amount covers all airfare,lodging, motorcoach, tour guides in Rome,Venice and Paris, and rail transportation. Itdoes not cover meals. The trip is designedso that those who want to extend their studyand travel in Europe may do so conveniently.Return flights can be rescheduled for a nomi-nal fee (approx. $200) and participants canextend their Eurail pass for an additional 8days of rail travel for $500.

Both course instructors are veteran geogra-phers with years of field experience andtravel in Europe. Dr. Day has studied at theUniversite de Poitiers in France. Dr. Earlwas one of the faculty for the 1999 SWTGeography of Europe field excursion andhas traveled and studied throughoutEurope. Both professors have led numer-ous field trips and field excursions in theirteaching careers including field trips for theannual meetings of the Association of Ameri-can Geographers, the National Council forGeographic Education, the SouthwestDivision of the Association of AmericanGeographers, and the Arizona-NevadaAcademy of Science. To receive furtherinformation on this trip, including thespecific trip itinerary, contract Richard Earlat RE02@SWT.EDU or Dept. Geography,SWT, San Marcos, TX 78666.

The News • Page 11

Become a Geography Champion!Please join us in helping our department and its students by

becoming a member of one of the department’s groups of champions:The Centurions, The Millennium Group, The Atlas Alliance,

or The Prime Meridian Club!

The Centurions ............................... $ 100 - 999The Millennium Group .................. $ 1,000 - 4,999The Atlas Alliance ........................... $ 5,000 - 14,999The Prime Meridian Club ............... $15,000 or more

When you become a member of one of our support groups through a tax-deductiblecontribution or multi-year pledge, your name(s) is placed in perpetuity on a plaque in adisplay case in the main department hallway. But more important, your gift will helpstudents financially as they successfully complete their studies to gain a geography degree. Soplease clip off the form below, complete the information, and mail in today!

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The News is a semiannual publication of the SouthwestTexas State University Department of Geography

Editor: Dr. Arlene Shelley Technical Assistance: Shaun S. SkipperEditorial Committee: Dr. Fred Day and Dr. Susan Macey

For a free subscription to The News, please contact: Department of Geography, South-west Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666-4616

Phone: 512-245-2170 • Fax: 512-245-8353 • E-mail: www.geo.swt.edu

1999 SWT Department of Geography, Southwest Texas State University, a member ofthe Texas State University System, is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.c

PRIME MERIDIANRichard G. Boehm

Lawrence E. EstavilleRay Y. Gildea, Jr.

Hilmar W. & Alta R. HagemanDonna Rankin Jeffries

Tim A. Staskus

ATLAS ALLIANCEByron & Thelma AugustinDenise Blanchard-Boehm

Denise Blanchard-Boehm andPamela ShowalterBrock J. BrownDavid Butler

Frederick & Anu Malwade DayRichard W. Dixon

Richard A. EarlJ. Ronald Eyton

Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU)Susan HardwickAllan D. Hellman

James Kimmel & Madelyn Kimmel HolleyJerry Touchstone Kimmel & Ruth Touchstone

Angelika Lester and Sheri WahlJames & Marilyn Lovell

James F. PetersenFred & Arlene Shelley

David SteaSent and Mary Visser

F. Benjamin Zhan

MILLENNIUMAnne Cooper

Jo Beth OestreichPatrick PattersonDavidWingfield

CENTURIONSNancy L. AndressByron D. AugustinHoward C. BallardChris B. Beckcom

Bob L. BennettPaul A. CauduroKirk D. ClennanRandy R. Cornell

Mike D. DailyRichard L. HarlanFrancis E. HattohJames E. Hudson

Vincent A. HuebingerWalter S. Jewell

James R. KimmelJerry L. KimmelRonald L. Mahn

Frances M. SherpaDavid W. Sweeten

Eric A. TebbenJulie A. Tuason

Sent VisserJoan F. Whalen

Diane D. Williams

Join these Champions WhoAre Making A Difference!

Explore the Cultural andEnvironmental Geography

of Mexico

A geography course being offeredduring the upcoming Summer II session willpresent a unique opportunity for graduate-level students to explore the culture andenvironment of Mexico through a combi-nation travel/study experience. Whilebeing introduced to the rudiments of fieldstudy (design, preparation, conduct,analyzing, and reporting), participants willstudy the environmental and culturalgeography of the Bajio region of Mexico,within the context of the Republic ofMexico. Special emphasis will be placedupon how this area of study relates to thehistory and economy of the region, andupon the urban geography of the capitalcity, Guanajuato. Additional field excur-sions will explore neighboring colonialcities and the rural environs of Guanajuato.

The instructors for this summercourse are Dr. David Stea and Dr. JohnTiefenbacher. Dr. Stea is a Professor ofGeography, Director of the Center for Texas-Mexico Applied Research, AssociateDirector of the Grosvenor Center forGeographic Education, and Center Scholarin the James and Marilyn Lovell Center forEnvironmental Geography and HazardsResearch. He has spent nearly a decade ofhis life living, teaching, and researching inMexico, and was Visiting Lecturer atUniversidad de Guanajuato, among otherinstitutions. Dr. Tiefenbacher is an Associ-ate Professor of Geography, AssociateDirector for the Center for Texas-MexicoApplied Research, and Center Scholar inthe James and Marilyn Lovell Center forEnvironmental Geography and HazardsResearch. He has published several researchpapers on hazards and the environmentalproblems of the U.S.-Mexico border regionand is currently conducting research onbi-national comparisons of agriculturalresponses to disasters and nature preservemanagement in both countries.

For more information about thiscourse, including a description of courserequirements, a calendar of class activities,the course reading list, and an estimation ofcosts associated with the class, visit thefollowing website:http://www.geo.swt.edu/programs/gg5395/index.html.

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Page 12 • Spring 2000

A lumni I nformation UpdateMail this form to: Dr. Fred Shelley

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Department of GeographySouthwest Texas State University601 University DriveSan Marcos, Texas 78666-4616

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SWT Department of Geography’s

SIXTH ANNUAL ALUMNI REUNION &STUDENT CELEBRATION

REGISTRATION FORM

Saturday, April 29, 20009:00am Registration/ 9:30am Program

Begins in Alkek Teaching Theater

Name(s):

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(list all names above):

Amount enclosed:$15.00 per person, $10.00 for students and

children under 18(children 10 and under are free)

Method of Payment: Cash Check Credit Card Credit Card Number: Expiration Date:Signature (required):

PLEASE MAIL OR FAX FORM TO:Alumni Reunion and Student Celebration, Attn: Judy Behrens

Department of Geography SWT, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666Phone: 512-245-1823 • Fax: 512-245-1653 • E-mail: jb42@swt.edu