Geography and Environmental Studies

Visit the Enhanced Geography Alumni Website: The LOCATOR, the updated Geography Alumni Newsletter at http://www.newpaltz.edu/geography/alumni, has more alumni news because of the terrific response to the letter sent to all Geography alumni in early April. Nearly a third of all Geography alumni now have information on the alumni website and soon there will be nearly a hundred email addresses that should help you keep in touch with each other. Many thanks for keeping us all informed about what you are doing. Check The LOCATOR from time to time and do not forget to update your information, including current email address.

· Help Us Find Lost Alumni: We still have some lost alumni. Can you help us locate any of them? http://www.newpaltz.edu/geography/alumni/lost.html

· Plans for a Geography Alumni Reunion on October 5 are moving ahead:  For general information about what the colleges Alumni Office has planned: http://www.newpaltz.edu/alumni/reunions.html Special plans for Geography Alumni include a Saturday luncheon, special introduction to the GIS/Computer Cartography/Remote Sensing lab with Professor Larry McGlinn, hiking/running at Mohonk, and an all-campus alumni reception at the new Mohonk Preserve Visitors Center. Details will be sent out in early September.

HOLD THE DATE!!!  Saturday  OCTOBER 5, 2002

Plan on Attending the First Geography Alumni Reunion!

The Department of Geography welcomes all Geography Alumni to return to campus to meet old and new friends, former and new professors, see the beauty of the Gunks, and glimpse what is new in Geography at SUNY New Paltz. If you have not been back to campus for a while, you will be surprised at what is happening! Nearly 50 Geography alumni already have indicated an interest in the October 2002 reunion.

Spotlight on John Sharp, one of a trio of new faculty members in the Department of Geography

MEET JOHN SHARP!

By Danielle Aiello, Geography 02

John I. Sharp recently joined the Geography Department faculty at SUNY New Paltz. Professor Sharps first interests in Geography occurred while he was an undergraduate at the University of Vermont, where he received his B.A. in Art History with a minor in Geography. His focus in Art History was largely in architectural history and city planning, which was not far removed from geographical and urban studies. Professor Sharp received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. His graduate work concentrated on criminology studies. His Ph.D. dissertation was on the use of discourse analysis in geography to determine political outcomes, using cities that housed casinos and those that did not.

Professor Sharp was attracted to New Paltz because of its great location, gorgeous setting, and, most importantly, the fact that it is a Liberal Arts institution. He believes that students should receive a well-rounded education, one that enriches them and helps them to think critically on a range of topics. His best advice to students is advice that would need to be given before one attends college. Professor Sharp feels that many students come to college because it is expected of them and not because they want to. Making the decision to come to college should be one in which the individual chooses.

Professor Sharp has also presented papers at national geography meetings, including the Association of American Geographers in 1997, 1999, and 2000 and the Critical Geography Conference in 1998. Research that he is working on now deals with a more theoretical side of geography, mainly the linguistic turn in geography, posing such questions as What are facts? and What is knowledge? He is also studying the impacts that gambling has in New York. Professor Sharp lives with his wife Che and 14-month-old son Xavier in Kingston, New York.

For more information about John Sharp, visit his homepage

http://www.newpaltz.edu/~sharpj/index.htm

Note from Dr. Greenow, Department Chair: The author of this biographical sketch is Danielle Aiello, a geography major who will be graduating in May. Danielle transferred to SUNY New Paltz from Herkimer Community College, where she received an Associates Degree with a major in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Humanities. While studying there she worked on an independent study project in Environmental Science which used GIS. The project involved mapping farmland that the college had purchased, using a GPS, and making an inventory of such features as vegetation and animal life. So Danielle came to New Paltz with an interest in GIS and has worked as a GIS lab assistant for the department, helping students with their projects and troubleshooting hardware and software. Danielle plans to continue working with GIS after graduation, but she also writes poetry and has had some of her work published in literary magazines already. So we are sure she will be both busy and successful after she leaves New Paltz. Good luck in your future endeavors, Danielle!

In the near future, look for a New Faculty Spotlight on Larry McGlinn

· Useful Websites of Interest to Geographers:

World Comparisons 

Online Map Creation http://www.aquarius.geomar.de/omc/eather

WeatherWhat Forces Affect Our Weather http://www.learner.org/exhibits/weather/

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection http://www.davidrumsey.com/

Thanks to all of you who sent in your favorite websites in the past. Continue to send them! 

Please keep in touch!! Keep the news coming!!