Author: averslui

  • Geosciences take over Chapel

    A trifecta of Gustavus geography and geology professors will be headlining the 10am daily Chapel time this week and next: Dr. Mark Bjelland (Geography) will be speaking on Friday, Feb. 22, Dr. Ryan Bergstrom (Geography) on Monday, Feb. 25, and Dr. Julie Bartley (Geology) on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Come join us for the Geosciences’ three-day…

  • Prof. Bjelland to give talk on “the greenest city in the world”

    Mark Bjelland (Geography) will present at Faculty Shop Talk on Friday, February 22. His talk entitled, “Sustainable for Whom? Density, Family Life, and Commuting in the Greenest City in the World” will be presented at 4:30 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. Dr. Bjelland’s study explores the successes, failures, and unintended consequences of Vancouver, British Columbia’s…

  • Taking a walking tour of a giant Africa map

    The Gustavus Geography Department sponsored the visit of a giant floor map of Africa this week and invited area school children to come and take a walking tour of Africa. The map, which measures 26 feet by 35 feet, was on loan from National Geographic via the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education. With the help…

  • Landsat 8! Hurray!

    Landsat satellites provide us with the longest continuous record of remotely sensed earth images. Today NASA and the USGS launched what will be Landsat 8 (if all goes well after a test run of three months). The satellite carries two sensors, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), which will carry on the…

  • Water levels in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron at historical lows

    From The Detroit News, Feb. 1, 2013, by Jim Lynch: Lake Michigan and Lake Huron water levels are at all-time lows of 576.02 feet above sea level, beating the former low from 1964. “Gov. Rick Snyder next week is expected to announce emergency action to help dredge harbors in Michigan because the state counts on…

  • Talk by Prof. Douglas: Log buildings and cultural heritage

    Linnaeus Arboretum Soup and Sandwich Seminar Series Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 Bob Douglas  —   “Log Buildings and Cultural Heritage” Lunch provided at 11:30, speaker at 12:00.  Arboretum Interpretive Center To what extent do our buildings reflect who we are?  Bob Douglas, Gustavus Geography Emeritus Professor, leads us on an examination of pioneer log buildings…

  • Minnesota State Geography receives major endowment

    The Department of Geography at Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN, is the recipient of a major endowment gifted by Dr. Mary T. Dooley, Professor Emerita of Geography. The endowment will provide student scholarships and research expenses as well as build the collection of the University Map Library. For more information and to learn more…

  • Building Bridges Conference 2013

    This year’s Building Bridges Conference is titled “Sentenced For Life: Confronting the Calamity of Mass Incarceration” and is scheduled for Saturday, March 9, 2013, at Gustavus. Check out the the schedule and purchase tickets (free for students) at the conference website: https://gustavus.edu/diversity/buildingbridges/. Geography major Jasmine Porter is co-chairing the conference along with Rebecca Eastwood. Go, Jasmine!

  • Dr. Bjelland authors urban books review

    Geography Professor Mark Bjelland has published a comparative book review of Justice and the American Metropolis and Searching for the Just City: Debates in Urban Theory and Practice. The review appears in the October 2012 edition of the Journal of Regional Science.

  • Haiti 3 years after the quake

    This month marks the third-year anniversary of the January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake. Ben and Alexi, two Americans living in Haiti since 2008, have a great blogpost highlighting the progress (and lack thereof) since the 2010 earthquake. They include links showing how U.S. government money was spent and a runner’s tour of post-earthquake Port-au-Prince.