WKU Faculty, Students Attend
Geography Meeting

March 10, 2003

Bowling Green, Ky. - Faculty and students from the Department of Geography and Geology attended the 99th annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers in New Orleans.

The conference, the largest single gathering of geographers, showcases the contributions of geographers to addressing human-environment problems and challenges. More than 4,000 geography faculty, students and practitioners from around the world attended the March 5-8 conference.

The event featured more than 1,000 paper and poster presentations on topics as diverse as soil erosion, cultural conflict, space exploration and population pressures.

Representing Western Kentucky University were seven faculty and nine students who attended workshops and research sessions and presented their own research papers and posters.

Dr. Katie Algeo presented "Rail, River, and Road: Transportation and Mass Tourism in Mammoth Cave."

Dr. Richard Deal presented "English Devolution: A Solution in Search of a Problem?"

Dr. David Keeling presented "Geography Rocks! Place, Culture, and Popular Music."

Debra Kreitzer, with students Laurie Myjak and Jamie Lancaster, presented "Globalization Trends in Kentucky's Heritage Corridor."

Dr. Rezaul Mahmood presented "Land-use Change, Soil Moisture Content Modification, and Temperature Records in the Northern Great Plains," co-authored with colleagues from Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Graduate student Dan Taylor presented "Spatial Distribution of Precipitation and Drought Assessment: Examples from Kentucky."

Dr. L. Michael Trapasso presented "Computer Exercises in Meteorology," co-authored with State Climatologist Emeritus Glen Conner and undergraduate student Keith Stallins.

In addition to paper and poster presentations, faculty engaged in other activities.

Scott Dobler attended a workshop sponsored by publisher John Wiley on using World Regional Geography textbooks in the classroom; Dr. Mahmood organized and chaired a research session on Hydroclimatology; Dr. Keeling chaired the annual Board of Directors" meeting of the Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers, of which he is the current president, and attended the annual lecturers" dinner of the American Geographical Society.

Students and faculty also attended many paper and poster sessions to learn about trends and prospects in geography and geographic education.

For more information about the Association of American Geographers (www.aag.org), the American Geographical Society (www.amergeog.org) or the conference, contact Dr. David Keeling at david.keeling@wku.edu or call (270) 745-4555.

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-WKU-