Archive for Mark Bjelland
I grew up in South Minneapolis, a great place for a budding geographer. We lived a half mile from the Mississippi River bluffs where we would stage our outdoor adventures or just sit and watch the barges go by. And we had a bus line that took us straight downtown for our urban explorations.
I've lived in Seattle, Vancouver, British Columbia, Victoria, and the United Kingdom. But I love Minnesota--from the prairies to the northern boreal forest, and from the quaint small towns to the bustling Twin Cities metropolis.
Geographers are adventurers
13 Geography students spent January 2009 on a January term course led by Dr. Bjelland entitled “City Planning in the United Kingdom.” Four of those students were geography majors and the rest came from fields such as political science, management, education, and environmental studies. In looking back through trip photos, Dr. Bjelland noticed that the [...]
Geographers are Adventurers
13 Geography students spent January 2009 on a January term course led by Dr. Bjelland entitled “City Planning in the United Kingdom.” Four of those students were geography majors and the rest came from fields such as political science, management, education, and environmental studies. In looking back through trip photos, Dr. Bjelland noticed that the [...]
Infrared Photography Helps Students Understand Satellite Images
Geography students sometimes struggle to understand infrared images which are increasingly used in satellite imagery. Mark Bjelland has a Sony cybershot camera modified for infrared photography and took the pictures shown here on September day. Digital cameras are sensitive to near infrared and come equipped with a hot mirror to remove the infrared. It was [...]
Dr. Robert Moline Speaks at Augustana 60th Anniversary Symposium
Dr. Robert Moline will present a talk, “The Colorado River: Many Uses, Major Problems,” at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois on Friday October 16th. The Augustana College Geography Department is celebrating their 60th anniversary with a two-day symposium featuring their alumni as speakers on topics including water resources, environmental and urban planning, business geography, geographic [...]
Jobs for Geographers
One of department chair Mark Bjelland’s goals is to better connect Gustavus geography majors with job opportunities and with department alumni who can provide job leads. Today’s tip: searching under GIS and Minneapolis at http://www.indeed.com produced 17 local jobs, including one with the CIA. A search under “social research” turned up some duds but also [...]
100% Scandinavian Film to Premier October 11 and 12
Award-winning Swedish filmmaker Stefan Quinth is premiering his new film on Scandinavian American culture and places at the American Swedish Institute on October 11 and at Gustavus Adolphus College on October 12. Advance information suggests Saint Peter and Gustavus Adolphus College are featured in the film. Read more at: http://www.cameraq.com/eminnesotatour.htm
French Canadian Fur Trader surfaces in Saint Peter
Gustavus students discovered a French-Canadian fur trader near the Minnesota River in Saint Peter. His English was poor but they think he said his name was Louis Provencalle.
Geography Prof. Bob Douglas Welcomes International Students
Dressed as the early Saint Peter settler Captain Dodd, Dr. Bob Douglas led new international students on a tour of the Saint Peter area. As always Bob’s tours take students to the Minnesota River landing where it all began. Bob’s tour focused on the downtown and the town’s historical geography.
Geographer Dr. Will Graf is featured Nobel Conference Banquet Speaker
Geographer Dr. Will Graf will be the featured speaker at the October 7 evening banquet during the 2009 Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College. Dr. Graf is the University Foundation Distinguished Professor of Geography at the University of South Carolina where he also chairs the Geography Department. Will Graf will speak on the state of [...]
View Gustavus Weather Online
Now you can check on the Saint Peter weather from the comfort of your home. The Geography Department has operated a campus weather station for decades. Students use the data for projects during GEG-108: Weather and Climate and for research projects on solar power, wind energy, hydrology, and plant growth in Saint Peter. But in [...]