Dr. Grissino-Mayer appeared on TV on a recent field trip to sample logs from the historic structure Sabine Hill

Dr. Henri D. Grissino-Mayer was interviewed by a journalist with WJHL in Johnson City on a recent field trip to sample logs from the historic structure Sabine Hill in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The short clip appeared on TV on May 14, 2014. It can be found here: http://www.wjhl.com/story/25509616/preservation-of-historic-sabine-hill-continues.

Department invited Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd from the University of Georgia as the Hammond Lecture Speaker in 2014

The department invited Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd from the University of Georgia (UGA) to give a Hammond Lecture on January 30, 2014 at the Hodges Library. A reception was also provided to honor the Hammonds and Dr. Shepherd in Mary Greer Room of Hodges Library before the presentation.

Dr. Shepherd is a leading international expert in the area of weather, climate, and related sciences. He is the Georgia Athletic Association Professor of Geography at the UGA and Director of the UGA Atmospheric Sciences Program. Dr. Shepherd is the current President of American Meteorological Society (AMS).

Dr. Shepherd joined the Department of Geography in January 2006. Prior to joining the UGA faculty, Dr. Shepherd spent 12 years as a research meteorologist in the Earth-Sun Division at NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Shepherd was also Deputy Project Scientist for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which launches in 2014.  He is a Full Professor conducting research and teaching in atmospheric sciences, climatology, water cycle processes and urban climate systems. Dr. Shepherd is currently a member of the NASA Precipitation Science team. For his pioneering work using satellite data to investigate urban hydroclimate processes, Dr. Shepherd received the highest federal award given to the Nation’s young scientists and engineers. President Bush honored him on May 4^th 2004 at the White House with the Presidential Early Career Award (PECASE) for pioneering scientific research.  Dr. Shepherd is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society. Dr. Shepherd has also been recognized by the AMS with its Charles Anderson Award for his career contributions in the areas of diversity.

Geographers Receive College Convocation Awards

The Department had a highly visible and honored place at the College of Arts and Sciences Winter Convocation Ceremony on December 4, 2013.  Five Geography faculty members were recognized with major awards:

Henri Grissino-Mayer—Research Award (Senior Level)

Sally Horn—Teaching Award (Senior Level)
Josh Inwood—Research Award (Junior Level)
Ron Kalafsky—Teaching Award (Junior Level)
Micheline van Riemsdijk—Advising Award

McClure Poster Reception November 2013

Three Geography graduate students presented their research at the W.K. McClure Symposium for the Study of World Affairs in November 2013. The students had received McClure scholarships for international field study for thesis or dissertation research.

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Derek Alderman (Department Head), Neil Conner, Anna Alsobrook, Scott Basford.

Dr. Paul Knapp gave an invited talk in West Coast 'Hurricanes'

Invited by the Initiative for Quaternary Paleoclimate Research and the Department of Geography, Dr. Paul Knapp from the Department of Geography, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, presented a talk titled "West Coast 'Hurricanes': A 300-Year History of Severe Pacific Northwest Windstorms" in Hodges Libary Auditorium on Thursday, October 3, 2013.

Department Reception 08/19/2013

The reception of the UTK Geography Department before the start of the 2013 Fall semester was held in the lobby of the McClung Museum on campus (Circle Park) on Monday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, August 19, 2013.
The following are two video links posted in Youtube:

• UTK Department Reception (Video2)
• UTK Geography Department Reception Openning (Video1)

 

Tennessee Voices: Cutting geography studies will cost Tennessee jobs

The Tennessean published a Guest Column written by Kurt Butefish in support of geography education in Tennessee: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130723/OPINION03/307230019/2071. Kurt Butefish is coordinator for the Tennessee Geographic Alliance.