By Will Ristow (’20)
Please join the Geography Department in welcoming Visiting Professor Jesse McClelland!
Jesse currently teaches World Geography in the fall and spring semesters along with a fall Urban Geography class. He will also be offering an Economic Geography class next spring semester.
Jesse was born in Missouri, but grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. He then became interested in Geography after attending Grinnell College for an undergraduate degree in Philosophy. Jesse discovered the field of Urban Geography after studying for a Master’s degree in Egypt, while monitoring the increasing regulations and urban development in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. He then went on to University of Washington, where he received his Ph.D. in Geography in June of 2018.
Jesse’s research has been focused on rapid urbanization in Ethiopia and East African nations. This includes how these cities form with increasing populations and the rules and regulations that define them as well as the regional dynamics between the rural and urban aspects.
At Gustavus, Jesse has enjoyed the small classes and the liberal arts environment that helps promote student-faculty relations. He likes getting to know the students and challenging them to have more thorough debates and discussions in class.
In his spare time, Jesse appreciates being outdoors while hiking and biking, as well as listening to “most” music. He also spends of lot of time with his wife and enjoys reading as a pastime.