As a child, did you stare into the exotic faces on the covers of National Geographic? Were you excitedly transported to cultures and scenery beyond imagining?
Perhaps, when we are young, there is a little geographer in us all. For those who grow up and retain their fascination for the study of people, places and environments, the adventure becomes real.
"Human geographers," notes the American Association of Geographers (www.aag.com), "work in the fields of urban and regional planning, transportation, marketing, real estate, tourism and international business. Physical geographers study patterns of climates, landforms, vegetation, soils and water. They forecast the weather, manage land and water resources, and analyze and plan for forests, rangelands and wetlands. They are active in the study of global warming, desertification, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, groundwater pollution and flooding.
Sounds a bit like a list of graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences geography program. Encompassing five areas of study, the program boasts numerous successful graduates involved in a variety of adventures.
The list includes Bob and Miriam Ubbelohde (pictured), who added romance to their adventure while meeting as UNO students in a Computer Mapping and Data Analysis class. Bob took graduate courses at UNO from 1996 to 1999. Miriam was on campus much of the same time, graduating with honors and a BS in geography in 2001. They were married in May 1998.
Today, both work for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in St. Louis. Bob describes the NGA as a national intelligence and combat support agency whose mission is to provide timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence in the support of national security.
But the Ubbelohdes credit UNO's geography program for opening their minds to the world, as well as for opening a door to exciting careers. Miriam writes that the program "consists of a family of brilliant professors and motivated students. The focus is on excellent course material and student interactions backed up by knowledgeable and helpful professors who sincerely want to see their students succeed.
Bob recalls the value of courses he took with Dr. Karen Falconer Al-Hindi—history and philosophy of geography—writing that, "Students who have a good grasp on human-geographic interface obviously will have a more holistic view when given the opportunity to solve a geospatial problem, whether the issue is dealing with a purely physical, analytical solution or one relating to a social-economic dilemma."
Course subjects in geography run the full range from the very human to the highly technical. Bob describes Environmental Remote Sensing with Dr. Michael Bishop as "a challenging and comprehensive class focusing on the exciting world of the electromagnetic spectrum outside our visible range."
Other professors and courses the Ubbelohdes say made an impact on their lives and careers:
• Dr. Charles Gildersleeve who teaches, among other courses, Cultural Geography and Human Geography. Well known for his lively sense of humor and passion for his field and his students, Gildersleeve recently was honored with the 2004 Del and Lou Ann Weber award of excellence, marking his 40 years of service to the university and the community.
• Dr. Jeffrey Peake: Introduction to Earth and Environmental Science and Advanced Climatology. Bob describes the latter as "a technical course, providing the student an in-depth look and an opportunity to better understand the interplay between the earth and her atmosphere, necessary information for anyone interested in better understanding issues ranging from biomass to evapotranspiration."
• Dr. Michael Peterson: Introduction to Cartography. "Dr. Peterson provided an environment to explore and discuss the direction in which Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and mapping software and principals were taking us," Bob says. "At the time I was taking Dr. Peterson's course (1997) GIS software was just beginning to break into the mainstream market."
It is the relatively young marriage of geography and technology that is found attractive by many other students, including Teresa Silence, vice president of Applied Data Consultants, Inc. (ADC). There she oversees operations for the Omaha office of ADC, "a firm that provides a full range of services in the area of GIS."
"Often times students will have that one class that changes their entire perspective. For me that was Introduction to GIS taught by Dr. Peterson," Silence writes. "Because of it, I did my master's in geography and now do GIS for a living."
It's a similar tale for Michael Schonlau (pictured), who graduated with honors in 1999 with a BS in geography. "The UNO geography program provided me with a unique opportunity to convert a lifelong passion of mine, maps, into an exciting and rewarding career," he says.
Schonlau today is GIS Director for Pottawattamie County, Iowa. "My work includes integrating spatial data (maps) and applications within the county's existing operations to improve productivity and efficiency; providing the public with better access to information in person and over the web via digital mapping; and assisting other county departments in problem solving through the use of GIS technologies."
For some geography students, UNO's program provides a foundation for further study. Such is the case with student Mark Finn, who is scheduled to graduate this May with a BS in geography and a certificate in Geographic Information Processing. He hopes to continue his studies at Pennsylvania State. "They have one of the best GIS programs in the country and are currently doing research in Geocollaborative Crisis Management, which is the development of GIS systems to be used by groups of people to coordinate and plan in crisis situations," he says.
Finn plans to earn a doctorate in geography and eventually work in the field of risk management. "The major combines my love of computers, exploring the world and solving problems," he says. "The professors in the geography department at UNO have had a great impact on my life. Not only have they helped me learn about geography and the world, they have fueled my desire to learn more."
Dr. Rex Cammack's desire to learn more carried him from undergraduate student in the geography program at UNO to his post as associate professor of geography at Southwest Missouri State University, where he specializes in Geospatial Sciences. Cammack mentions, in particular, his appreciation of Peterson, Gildersleeve and Peake for encouraging and preparing him to attend "one of the best geography graduate programs in the country," the University of South Carolina.
It's an adventure, though, that began at UNO.