G&ES News

Angela Spinosanta (M.A. student) has taken an internship with Accelerate 77, the Chicago program promoting green initiatives, sponsored by the Institute of Cultural Affairs. The group will identify green initiatives for the City. Angela is on the cartographic team.

We've heard from Susan Sherman (formerly Yovits, M.A. 1995), who is now executive director of Shenandoah National Park Trust, the philanthropic partner of the 200,000 acre Shenandoah National Park in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. In the 1990s she worked at the education department of Shedd Aquarium and at a nature preserve in Chicago. In 1995 she moved to Charlottesville VA as head teacher at the Living Education Center for Ecology and the Arts, an alternative one-room school. Next she joined the development department of Southern Environmmental Law Center serving a six-state region, for 10 years. In 2009 she took her present position. "It's been a great journey," she wrote, "I live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country and feel privileged to be working to support one of our national parks."

Ashley Torres, undeclared sophomore and main office student aide, was named Student Employee of the Month by the Student Employment Office for May 2012, in recognition of her excellent work for the department throughout the year.

Jason Tinkey (Geog 2009) is now full time at the Chicago Park District as Special Projects Manager, GIS and Spatial Analysis, Dept. of Planning, Construction & Facilities.

Derick Anderson (Geog B.A. 2011) has been promoted to Associate Directory of the Rogers Park Community Development Corporation. He's also completing a master's degree at DePaul University.

Emily Good led a workshop for faculty on creating interactive learning objects, for use within Blackboard of other course authoring software, with Lectora software May 31 at the Center For Teaching and Learning. She also serves on the selection committee for the new course authoring system.

Isiah Dalton (Geog B.A. 2009) has accepted a Peace Corps assignment and will be working in Azerbaijan for two years, beginning in December 2012.

Update on the GIS Certificates, circa Fall 2009:

UNDERGRADUTE:
33 Currently in-progress
7 Completed program as of spring 2012
40 Total Applicants since launch of program Fall 2009

GRADUTE:
26 Currently in-progress
16 Completed program as of spring 2012
42 Total Applicants since launch of program Fall 2009

Paisly Di Bianca and Jan Krysa, G&ES grad students and both previous interns at the Region 5 US EPA, have had a paper accepted, with co-author Tom Brody, in Risk Analysis, an international journal for the Society of Risk Analysis. Title: "Analysis of Inland Crude Oil Spill Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Emergency Response in the Midwest United States.," out in paper soon; the link to the abstract is here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2012.01813.x/abstract. Both Jan and Paisly are now full-time GIS Analysts at the EPA.

Erick Howenstine was elected to the Local School Council at Northside College Preparatory High School for a two year term beginning August 2012.

Nicolas Brandt (ES 2010) has accepted a position as Project Manager at EMG Corp., an environmental consulting firm headquartered in Maryland but with offices all over the country.

Abhijit Banerjee organized Earth Day on campus April 23 2012, with an inauguration of the Green Fee solar project (for the B building roof) by President Hahs. Alderman Margaret Laurino attended. There was a poster session on student research and sustainability, a movie screening The End of the Line, and a panel discussion "What are we doing about climate change?" with representatives from the U.S. EPA, the Illinois Governor's Office, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and our grad Nicholas Magrisso, of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Erick Howenstine was named Special Assistant to the President for the Academic year 2012-13, and will be working with the President and Vice Presidents on various projects. Dr. Mike Wenz, Economics, will be acting chair and Dr. Abhijit Banerjee acting coordinator in his absence.

Jeff Dutton (Env. Stud Fall 2011) has taken a job as Environmental Project Manager at Pioneer Environmental Services in Chicago.

Erick Howenstine had a paper accepted for publication in The Department Chair's summer 2012 edition. The title "Adrift and Focused in Academia: The Chair's Role." It is also found here.

Five students presented at the 20th Annual Student Research Symposium at NEIU April 13 2012.

Amanda Nieves:  “LOWERING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF FUNERALS: AN EXAMINATION OF FACTORS INFLUENCING AN INDIVIDUAL’S WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER A “GREEN BURIAL,”

Nina Roberts: “THE CERRO GRANDE WILDFIRE OF LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO: MODELING FIRE BEHAVIOR IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE,”

Justin Chappelle: “EPHEMERAL POND IDENTIFICATION USING REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN’S VARIED LANDSCAPE,”

Nicole Fields: “ILLINOIS RESIDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE OF AND PREPAREDNESS FOR A TORNADO,”

Jason LaBrosse:  “PLACEMENT OF RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAYS AND OBSERVED EFFECTS ON LOCAL PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC: A CASE STUDY OF CHICAGO METROPOLITAN NEIGHBORHOODS,”

The faculty sponsors for these papers were Drs. Banerjee, Mihir, and David Jones.  Dr. Melinda Merrick was a discussant for the session.

Congratulations to students in Geography or Environmental Studies for making the Dean's List Fall 2011:

Joseph Augello, Joanna Bobolewska, Jodi Carlson, Joseph Cavataio, Maxwell Connell, Joan Daugherty, Stephen Doyle, Megan Duffy, Jeffrey Dutton, Michael Feldmann, Agustin Flores, Jimmy Hodum, Chadwick Johnson, Michelle Jones, Matthew Kauth, Wojciech Mateja, Damon Nichols, Donna Nicolaisen, Amanda Nieves, Vilma Papaleka, Jessica Perez, Marcin Rogalski, Ana Rowells, Kyle Schrowang, Nicholas Selander, Caitlin Sheridan, Evelina Statkeviciute, David Sullivan, Kimberly Szollosi, Jeremy Trieloff, and Leslie Urnikis

Kristine Wright presented a poster at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting i New York Feb 22 2012: "Excel Tables to Google/GIS Maps -- Just 4 Clicks of a Mouse Button!" Rebecca Dommel presented "Evaluating Bicycling Accessibility in Chicago Illinois," Dr. Banerjee: "Switching the Goals of Biofuels Programs from Commercial Transportation to Rural Energy Needs: An Agenda for India." Dr. Mihir presented "Land Cover Change of patna, India: A Remote Sensing Perspective," and chaired a session on Urbanizing South Asia. Paisly DiBianca was a panelist on a session on Diversity in the Geographic Workforce.

Three NEIU students presented at the URISA Chicagoland Chapter's  2nd Annual Student Symposium in Des Plaines IL March 2, 2012. Jared Pilbeam presented "Spatial Distribution of Car-Sharing Pods in Chicago." Poster were presented by Matthew Kauth: "Wind Energy on Lake Michigan" and Ben Kratzer: "Exploring the Impact of a Riffle Structure on Total Nitrogen in the Upper Des Plaines River." Ben's poster was selected by to represent the chapter at GIS-Pro: URISA's Annual Conference for GIS Professionals in Portland, OR September 30-October 4. Paisly Di Bianca, Chicagoland URISA board member, organized the symposium. URISA is The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, an international organization for GIS and other information technology professionals.

At the 2012 AAG Annual Meeting in New York City Paisly Di Bianca (M.A. student) was a panelist for a session on "Diversity in the Geographic Workforce". She also served as a Diversity Ambassador and was a Career Mentor the AAG Jobs in Geography Center for governmental positions.

Megan Duffy (Fall 2011 Env. Studies), accepted a full time position at the Bolingbrook Park District, Natural Resources Department. She will be removing invasive species, conducting prescribed burns, and helping with the nature center's environmental interpretation programs.

Congratulations to 11 Fall 2011 Graduates!

Geography B.A.: Salvador Montes, Brandon Kay, John O'Brien, Jacob Trimble

Environmental Studies B.A.: Samantha LdPert, Amanda Mills, Sandy Walker, Eileen LaPierre, Alicia Juodvalkis, Megan Duffy, Jeffrey Dutton

Michael Premer (E.S. 2009) completed his Master of Forestry degree at Michigan Technology University and has started a PhD in Forest Science at the same institution, working on a project "Evaluating the long-term effect of logging residue harvest in Great Lakes aspen stands."

Michael Martinez (MA G&ES 1998) was recently presented with the 2011 Honor Award for Excellence from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for contributions to the USDA Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, a response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. More than a million acres were dedicated to migratory bird habitat restoration, almost half of these are already enrolled, with $40 million in federal funds allocated towards this effort in 8 Gulf Coast and Mississippi River valley states. Michael, still Special Assistant for Natural Resources Conservation Serviceis for the Department, is now leading the 2012 on the USDA Gulf of Mexico Initiative, delivering $50 million for sustainable agriculture and habitat management in the Gulf area.

Moneen Jones, PhD, 2006 G&ES M.A. grad, is extension and research entomologist at University of Florida - Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. She is designing interactive maps for the Center: http://swfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/entomology/extension/chma/ , plotting pest density and identifying ''hot spots' which need intervention.

Michael Premer, 2009 E.S., has undertaken a Master of Forestry at Michigan Technological University.

Ben Bauman has taken a GIS contract position working with Illinois State University and Illinois Department of Employment Security in determining the distribution of Illinois' unemployment claimants within the state and nationwide.

Salvador Montes was accepted into UIC’s Master Program at the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.

Anja Claus presented her research "Chicago Wilderness: A Case Study in Ethics of Place," at the International Association for Environmental Philosophers in October 2011, in Philadelphia. She also was part of a panel leading discussion of Green Fire, a film about Aldo Leopold, at NEIU in November.

Paisly DiBianca is full time GIS Specialist at the U.S. EPA, Region 5

Lakeshia Wright is workking for the Chicago Southland Housing and Community Development Collaborative, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association

Marcin Dabrowski is now working at NavTech.

Mark Kenseth, M.A. grad, received a research assistantship at Portland State where he is working on a PhD in Urban Studies.

Wil Mahia (our E.S. grad and frequent guide for the Belize trip), was named 2011 Man of the Year by Belize's Amandala, "Belize's Leading Newspaper." The paper wrote "We honor Wil Maheia because of his continuing efforts to preserve Belize’s territorial integrity, his crusade to protect the cleanliness of the land, sea and air in the south of our nation, and his innovative campaigns to educate the people of Toledo where sustainable development and intelligent economic choices are concerned."

Congratulations to Summer 2011 Graduates:

Derick Anderson, Geography B.A.
Barnet Gaston, Geography B.A.
Neil Best, G&ES M.A.

Dr. Abhijit Banerjee published an article in Current Issues in Tourism:

Abhijit Banerjee (2011): Is wildlife tourism benefiting Indian protected areas? A surve, Current Issues in Tourism, D01:10.1080/13683500.2001.599367

Dr. Erick Howenstine published a paper in the Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical Society

Howenstine, Erick (2011) "Segregation By Class Within Racial Groups in Chicago. 52:1 pp 1-21

Anja Claus, M.A., is presenting her thesis research at The International Association of Environmental Philosophy annual conference in Philadelphia Oct. 24 2011. Its title: “Chicago Wilderness: A Case Study in Ethics of Place,” Anja Claus, Northeastern Illinois University

The following students are the first to complete the GIS Certificate Program

Undergraduate: Jeffrey Kahan and Walter Clifford
Graduate: Cecilia Abbott, Erin Jones, Kristine Wright, Lazar Ilic, Mark Swanson, Nina Roberts

Lauren Hairrell is now Sales Administration Coordinator at Rand McNally. Mark Kenseth is going to Portland State for the PhD. program in Urban Studies. Derrick Anderson is Program Support Specialist at Rogers Park Community Development Corporation, and has begun the graduate program in Metropolitan Planning and Urban Affairs at DePaul.

Paisly DiBianca, M.A. student, won a $5,000 fellowship from the Society of Women Geographers for field research on Tokyo train station for her thesis.

Spring 2011 Dean's list (GPA 4.0). Nice job!

Environmental Studies: Nicole Fields, Agustin Flores, Daneshia Hamilto, Brittany Harthan, Anne Kim, Bartlomiej Kowalczyk, Vasont Miller, Amanda Mills, Damon Nichols, Donna Nicolaisen, Amanda Nieves, Steven Sachen , Angelica Sanchez, Kyle Schrowang, Evelina Statkeviciute, Kimberly Szollosi, Leslie Urnikis, and Kelly Walter. Geography: Kevin Grant, Jonathan Horan, Michelle Jones, Matthew Kauth, Jason LaBrosse, Salvador Mondragon, Nicholas Selander, Roger Sidorski, Jeremy Trieloff,Jacob Trimble, Christine Turner, and Sean Zeman

Congratulations to Spring 2011 Graduates:

B.A. Geography

Matthew Crabtree
Tanveen Jahan
Levelle Kimble
Salvador Mondragon

B.A. Environmental Studies

Liz Alvarado
Timothy Cosmas
Stephanie Deckman
Jacqueline Dewitt
Kelly Edgar
Keri McCullough
Vasont Miller
Anthony Sobun
Angela Spinasanta
Andrew Stathopoulos
Kaylene Warkenthien
Erica Chau

M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies

Erin Jones
Mark Kenseth
Sheila Plunkett
Christopher Tatchoum

Congratulations to Fall 2010 Graduates:

B.A. Geography

Jennifer Dickson
Huan Lin
Jun Xian Wu
Ojo Arewa

B.A. Environmental Studies

Kimberly Gilbert
Kate Ekman
Gina Dato
Roxanna Llanes
Nicholas Brandt
Zachary Lynch

M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies

Lazar Ilic
Marne McArdle

The Dean's list has just been released for Fall of 2010. The following G&ES students were on it, congratulations! All the GPA's were 4.0

Amanda Mills, Damon Nichols, Amanda Nieves, Mary Raymond, Jorge Rodriguez, Marcin Rogalski, Steven Sachen, Nicholas Selander, Roger Sidorski, Anthony Sobun, Andrew Stathopoulos, Evelina Statkeviciute, Jeremy Trieloff, Jacob Trimble, Sandy Walker, Kelly Walter, Jun Xian Wu, and Sean Zeman.

NEIU's Student Research Symposium, April 15, 2011, included the following papers:

Kate Ekman: “A GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY OF NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS”, Geography and Environmental Studies, with Dr. Abhijit Banerjee (G&ES) and Dr. Kristin Over (Univ. Honors Program)

Brittany A. Harthan: “ASSESSING PUBLIC AWARENESS AND GRASSROOTS OF LOCAL COAL PLANTS IN LITTLE VILLAGE”, Environmental Studies, with David W. Jones (G&ES)

Jason LaBrosse, Nicholas Salender, Salvador Montes: “THE MOST DIVERSE PLACE IN CHICAGO”, withDr. Monika Mihir (G&ES)

Dr. Dennis Gramenos (G&ES) is discussant for the presentations

At the Association for American Geographers' Annual Meeting in Seattle April 2011 the following faculty and students presented their research ...

FACULTY
Dr. Abhijit Banerjee: "The Feasibility of India's Biofuels Targets and the Potential For Land Use and Food Production Conflicts"

Dr. Monika Mihir: "Comparing the Alluvial Fans of Mars and Earth,"

STUDENTS
Neil Best: "Synthesis of a complete land use/land cover data set for the conterminous United States emphasizing accuracy in area and distribution of agricultural activity"

Anja Claus: Chicago Wilderness: "Chicago Wilderness: A Case Study in Ethics of Place"

Paisly DiBianca: "The Japanese Train Station—A Model for Integrative Commuting"

Stephanie Devanny: "A GIS Analysis of Water Contamination Risk Factors Associated With Animal Waste in Northern Illinois Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations" (also chair of session)

Rebekah Dommel: "Differences in knowledge of bicycle ordinances among cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians: A Chicago case study"

Erin House: "Defining Habitats: Open Space, Ecological Gentrification and Environmental Injustice in the Chicago Region"

Erin Jones: "Assessing the Use of GEOMELT as an Alternative Road Deicer in the Chicago Area"

Nina Roberts: "Land Use Change in Northeastern Illinois: Losing Agricultural, Open, and Vacant Lands at the Turn of the 21st Century"

Kristine Wright: "A GIS-Based Approach to Assessing Rooftop Solar Potential At Northeastern Illinois University"

Dili Yang: "A Survey of Public Attitudes Towards Climate Change in Germantown, Wisconsin: Potential lessons for a public education strategy"

Graduate students Paisly DiBianca and Jan Krysa co-presented at the Meeting of the Midwest Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and the Chicago Society of Research Administrators in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin March 23-24, 2011. They both contributed to the project, entitled "Midwest inland Oil Spill Threats and Vulnerabilities Analysis," while interns in the GIS shop of the US EPA Regon 5 Office .

Ben Bauman, M.A. student, presented his research "Food Accessibility in Chicago: A Correlational Study of Conventional and Alternative Food Sources in Chicago's Communities"presentation at the URISA Chicagoland Chapter Student Symposium. Chicago,  March 4, 2011.

Paisly DiBianca is an at-large board member of the Chicagoland Chapter of urban and Regional information Systems Association (URISA). In that capacity, she is also the College/University Liaison.

Grad Student Jared Pilbeam won first place in the Illinois Association for Environmental Professionals Essay contest. He was recognized at the IAEP Annual Meeting in Feb. 2011.

Thanks goes to Nic Selander, Jodi Carlson, Justin Chappell, and Paisly DiBianca for participating in the search for G&ES's new hire in the area of applied resource management, environmental interpretation and education beginning Fall 2011. The four met informally with each of the candidates during their day-long campus interviews.

Salvador Montes, Geography major, was named to the 2011 Who’s Who Among Students
at American Universities and Colleges at a ceremony held by the NEIU Dean of Students Feb. 22. Salvador was also inducted into the Alpha Chi Honors society of NEIU in Fall 2010.

Paisly Di Bianca, MA student, presented a paper entitled "Building a Safer Bike Map with GIS: Commuting to a University" at the 2010 Fall Conference of the Illinois GIS Association on NIU's campus in Naperville, IL.

Sara Moloney (2005 M.A.) is leaving Chicago's Center For Green Technology after 5 years there, to become Senior Project manater at IFF, a non-profit community development financial institution serving a 5-state area. She'll use GIS in the position.

Matt Anderson (2009 M.A.) is working on his PhD in Geography at the University of Illinois. Urbana-Champaign. He just published an article in Urban Geography based on his master's thesis under the advisement of Dr. Grammenos. The title is "The Discursive Regime of the 'American Dream' and the New Suburban Frontier: The Case of Kendall County, Illnois." 31 (8) 2010, and a copy of the paper is in the department office.

The third annual G&ES potluck picnic took place on a beach in Evanston late August. Thanks to Scott Garfinkel and Michael Partipilo for organizing it.

Sean Callahan, (class of 2001) Natural Resources Specialist with the National marine Fisheries in Seattle, is conducting Section 7 ESA Consultations for projects impacting listed salmon.

Neil Best is completing his M.A. and is now Database Manager for the Computational Institute of University of Chicago and Argonne Laboratories.

Michael Buibas is GIS Intern with the Village of Mount Prospect’s Public Works Facilitity.

Fiana Shapiro, 2007 grad, worked spring and summer with Sea Turtle Inc. protecting endangered sea turtles on South Padre Island, Texas.

Derick Anderson was hired as Director of Housing for the Edgewater Community Council in Dec. 2009.

Gina Letierre, E.S. graduate, was the main organizer of the 2009 Wild Things conference, attended by more than 1,000 people.

G&ES students presented papers at the Illinois Geographical Society's Annual Meeting in Rockford May 1:

Nicholas Magrisso: Water Sales Versus Energy and Water Conservation: Evanston Politics in Conflict

Kate Ekman: The Benefits and Challenges of Conducting Greenhouse Gas Inventories in Higher Education: Northeastern Illinois University's Experience

Michael Premer: Landscape restoration in Northeastern Illinois: Benefits, Environmental Impacts and Public Opinion

Lazar Ilic: The Gentrification of Chicago's East Village

Emily Good won the 2009 Faculty Excellence award; she was one of three recipients among Instructors.

Brendon Gross, E.S. grad, is now project manager at GreenCorps Chicago. He currently is leading teams building raised garden beds in Chicago parks.

The recognition here is late in coming but Aaron Durnbaugh, our M.A. grad, is Deputy Commissioner of Chicago's Department of Environment.

Nick Magrisso, Env. Studies sr., presented at the 18th Annual Student Research Symposium April 16 2010. "Water Sales Versus Energy and Water Conservation: Evanston Policies in Conflict." His advisor/sponsor was David Jones.

Moneen Jones, G&ES M.A. and Biology M.A. grad (2006) is nearly done with her PhD in the Department of Crop Science at the University of Illinois in Champaign. She has already landed a job: Research Assistant in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers in N.J.

Michael Martinez is now Special Assistant for Natural Resources Conservation Service in the US. Department of Agriculture. After receiving his M.A. from G&ES in 1994 he earned a J.D. from Hamline and worked for many years at the Minnesotta Dept. of Natural Resources. A quote from his announcement when appointed Special Assistant: "This is a policy and administrative appointment; I'm leading teams working on Climate Change and the Recovery Act.  Also known as President Obama's Stimulus Initiative, our work is intended to stabilize at-risk sectors of the economy, invest  strategically in infrastructure, preserve and create jobs, and protect the environment.  I still have opportunities for legal research and writing, statutory interpretation, real estate transactions, contract writing, and litigation.  Who could ask for more!”

Libby Hill returned with her class from another successful trip to Belize, with her faculty associate David Jones. There were 16 students this time.

The department has hired Jared Pilbeam, G&ES grad student, to assist in various matters including revising the display boards and in the front office.

The department conducted the prairie burn in the tall grassy areas April 22 (Earth Day) with approximately 30 students participating from the depts of G&ES and Biology. The weather was perfect and the department's new equipment worked well (except for the plastic handled rakes).

Dr. Mihir was elected to the University's Grade Appeals Committee.

Emily Good is on the NEIU Online Task Force which is, at the moment, investigating the possibility o f putting the anonymous classroom evaluations online.

Dr. Howenstine is Building Liaison for the Science building. He participated with the new directory of room usage, and is helping organize an emergency evaculation plan. He also organizes the burn of the campus prairies, and recently completed two rounds on a Search & Screen for Director of Strategic Planning for University Computing.

David Jones presented a leceture for Earth Week at NEIU on 4/21/2001: “Sustainable Cuba: Urban Environmental Transformation in Havana"

Dr. Banerjee published in Economic & Political Weekly: March 6 2010 “Tourism in Protected Areas: Worsening Prospects for Tigers?” He also presented a paper at the AAG conference at Washington D.C. in April: "Regional Planning without Political Authority: Prospects for Smart Growth in the Chicago Metropolitan Region."

Several graduate students presented at the Association of American Geographers' meeting in Washington D.C. in April 2010:

Nina Roberts: "The Appropriation of Indigenous Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico: Tourism and the Production of Place in the Land of Enchantment"

Anja Claus: "Protecting Values of Place: Efforts to Develop Democratic Ecological Citizenship in Two North American Communities"

Paisly DiBianca: "Bombing Bucktown and Beyond: Graffiti Tags in Logan Square, Chicago, IL

Kim Blair: "The New Green Chicago: Urban ecotourism and an Uneven Playing Field."

Barbara Gillies, grad student, was hired as Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate introductory courses in Geography and Environmental Studies.

Wilfredo Matamoros, M.A. grad, has published again, in Molecular Ecology Resources, a paper titled "Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci for mountain mullet (Agonostomus monticola)" 2009; also, in the Southeast Naturalist, "First Record of Agonostomus monticola (Family: Mugilidae) in Mississippi Freshwaters with Notes of its Distribution in the Southern United States" 2009; and in Zootaxa, "Annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of continental and insular Honduras" 2009. He was lead author on two of these.

Chivia Horton, M.A. grad, is now refuge manager for the 5,380 acre Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada.

Scott Garfinkel, Nick Magrisso, and Mark Kenseth have been elected or appointed to the Green Fee Committee. Scott takes over from Paisly DiBianca as chair, Nick is secretary.

Dr. Mihir was elected to the University's Grade Appeals Committee. Dr. Howenstine is serving on a search and screen for the University's Director of Instructional Technology Strategy and Planning and was appointed by Facilities Management as Building Liaison for the Science Building. He is on the Adult and Womean Studies Advisory Board. Dr. Grammenos was elected to the Faculty Council for Academic Affairs, and still serves on the Faculty Senate, Honors Program, and International Studies program. Dr. Banerjee continues to serve on the Green Fee Committee and the Environmental Science major planning task force. Emily Good is on the board of the Geographic Society of Chicago and serves as its chair for its Eduction Advisory Panel.

Oct 8 2009.

Paisly DiBianca was elected chair of the Green Fee Committee, which stewards the student green fee which was voted in several years ago. Scott Garfikel is now on the committee too. Dr. Banerjee continues; Dr. Howenstine gave hit seat to Dr. Joel Olfelt in biology, to spread across academic disciplines. The committee has bought bike racks, motion sensors for lights, and an electric vehicle. The big push now is a green roof on the B building.

Sebastian Lukasik has taken the job managing the vegetation GIS for Facilities Management. The department has been maintaining this database for more than 10 years.

Michael Buibas is a GIS Intern with the Village of Mount Prospect.s Public Works Facility.

Jessy Zich, our Spring '08 E.S. grad, contacted us on her way to La Paz Bolivia, where she is volunteering for a couple of weeks at a wildlife center in the mountains north of La Paz. Then she will travel around Bolivia and Peru. Next, to New Zealand for three months of travel and more wildlife work. Visit www.jessyZich.com to keep up with her!

The Department's second Annual Fall Picnic Barbecue, in the nice grassy area between the P.E. Building and WTTW, drew 30 this year. The weather was perfect and the food was great.

Dr. Grammenos spent a good part of the summer in Greece, studying the practical implications of World Heritage Site designation by the United Nations, for an upcoming publication.

Michael Martinez was appointed Special Assistant in the Resource Conservation Service in Washington D.C. by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. See the press release. Michael got his B.S. in natural resources recreation at U.of I., his M.A. in G&ES at NEIU, a Juris Doctorate from Hamline U. School of Law in St. Paul, and then worked at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in a variety of roles including project and team management, environmental policy, and real estate program administration." He is working on the Recovery Act and Climate Change.

Faculty member David Jones attended a conference in Havana Cuba this summer -- International Convention on the Environment and Sustainable Development July 3-12 2009.

Recently heard from Chi Horton, our M.A. (2006). She's Refugee manager at the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, with the dept. of Interior, in Alamo Nevada.

Gayle Tulipano continued her work on pest control after her internship at the Safer Pest Control Project under the guidance of Dr. Mir. Mir presented their work at the Integrated Pest Management Symposium in Portland, March 2009, and was invited to presente at the International Neurotoxicology Association Meeting in June (Jerusalem).

Nina Roberts published a paper in the Spring 2009 Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical Society. Its title is .Geographic Literacy at the Freshman and Senior Levels: A Survey of Students at Northeastern Illinois University.. It is in Volume 50, Number 1, pp. 27-53.

Shaindy Hirsch and company was featured in Chicago Now for the work they are doing with community gardens in Uptown. This is a grant-funded project that she applied for and has undertaken for her internship. You can see an article on it here

Moneen Jones has published a paper based on her M.A. thesis: Jones, Moneen and Erick Howenstine, "Distribution of Asian Ladybeetles in Illinois," Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical Society Fall 2008. Volume 50 Number 2 pp 1-19.

Jeremy Slate (B.A. E.S. 2007) is now in the Energy Engineering graduate program at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Lakeshia Wright (B.A. Geog 2008) is in the Master's Program in Urban Planning at UI-Chicago, and has an assistantship in the Survey Research Lab. And Jamison Miller (B.A. Geog 2008) is starting a Doctoral program in Geography at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

Our Shaindy Hirsch (E.S.) received a $12,000 grant for a neighborhood garden project from Keep America Beautiful, National Garden Association, Plant A Row For the Hungry, and the Garden Writers' Association.

Env. Studies major Kate Ekman is Chairperson of the NEIU Green Fee Committee, and won a Campus Ecology Fellowship Grant ($2,300) fron the national Wildlife Federation to slow global warming at NEIU and surrounding community. She received teh Golden Eagles Leadership Award at NEIU, and also received a 2009 Outstanding Student Award for Academic Excellence and Extra-Curricular Achievements/Service by the Illinois Geographical Society at its Annual meeting, on the NEIU campus for the first time this year.

Kelly Larsen (E.S. 2008) accepted a full-time position as Coordinator at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and Roxanna Llanes (E.S. 2009) is full time as Sustainability Coordinator at Jet Litho, Inc. in Downers Grove. Kevin Whitney (Geography 2008) is GIS Specialist with Municipal GIS Partners in Chicago. Susan Casey (G&ES M.A. 2007) is Project Coordinator for eZing, Inc., and energy audit company based in Oak Park. Michael Martinez, (M.A. '98) received a Ten Years of Excellent Service Award by the Governor of Minnesotta for his work in the Dept. of Natural Resources. He has now taken a new position: Special Assistant to the Natural Resources & Environment Section (USFS & NRCS).

Congratulations goes out to the graduates of Spring 2009!

Kevin Dick, M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies
Chivia Horton, M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies
Sheila Plunkett, M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies
Daniel Baranski, B.A. Geography
Kimberly Blaszczak, B.A. Environmental Studies
Isiah Michael Dalton, B.A. Geography
Jeff R. Earnshaw, B.A. Geography
Elizabeth T. Foster, B.A. Environmental Studies
Christine Garay, B.A. Environmental Studies
Jessica A. Hamman, B.A. Environmental Studies
Amanda K. Johnson, B.A. Environmental Studies
Emily R. Lake, B.A. Environmental Studies
Leonard G. Lawrecki, B.A. Geography
Samantha D. LePert, B.A., Environmental Studies
Samantha Johanna Smith, B.A. Environmental Studies
Kevin Sullivan, B.A. Geography
Gayle D. Tulipano, B.A. Environmental Studies
Cornelius O. Williams, B.A. Geography
Lakeshia Wright, B.A. Geography
Jennifer R. Wyatt, B.A. Environmental Studies
Richard M. Youngs, B.A. Environmental Studies

The Illinois Geographical Society's Annual meeting April 23-25 (Theme; Chicago: A River Runs Through It) was a great success at Northeastern, thanks to Emily Good who was the Chairperson and organizer of the event. More than 100 attended from dozens of universities, high schools, and governmental agencies. Twenty papers were given, including those of Mihir, Banerjee, Howenstine, and students Jamison Miller, Georgia Yelton, Christopher Tatchoum, Lazar Ilic, and Nina Roberts. Paisly DiBianca and Elias Quist had posters. David Jones and Libby Hilll took 40 people on a bus/walking tour all day Friday to see the impact and issues of the Chicago River. It was probably the first gorgeous day of the season. A packed banquet Friday and fabulous presentation by Annie Aggens about her canoe trip from Evanston to New Orleans was followed Saturday by the poster and paper sessions, then Student Award luncheon and a presentation by Lorenz Aggens "A Delta Dilemma: Geographic Lessons Learned from the Brahmaputra River." Kate Ekman received one of the IGS Student Awards for her environmental work including her Chairmanship of the Green Fee Committee, her environmental work on campus, and many other contributions.

The Green Cycle Group, a University wide organization in which G&ES students play an active role, won the Northeastern's NRichment Award for student leadership, particularly for "developing and executing an outstanding program, introducing new ideas and activities, engaging fellow students and enhancing the learning environment." The Green Cycle Group campaigned successfully for the Green Fee, which has purchased the electric vehicle you see on campus, installed motion sensors and bike racks, and is now considering a green roof on the B Building. Dr. Banerjee is the club's advisor.

Congratulations to students named to the Dean's List for Fall 2008:

• Jennifer Dickson
• Daniel Wojtas
• Cornelius Williams
• Jamison Mille
• Leonard Lawrecki
• Sebastian Lukasik
• Brian Quiggle
• Michael Premer
• Jennifer Wyatt
• Georgia Yelton
• Richard Youngs
• Martin Tomov
• Nicholas Magrisso
• Elizabeth Foster
• Kevin Sullivan
• Katharine Darr
• Gina Dato
• Whitney Behr
• Sierra Anseeuw

PART TIME

• Sylwia Bienias
• Jeff Earnshaw
• Kate Ekman
• Kristofer Kyrias-Gann
• Christina Garay
• Barbara Gillies
• Shaindel Hirsch
• Jessica Hamman
• Keri McCullough
• Holly Marigliano
• Judith Mulliken
• Brian Teichert
• Liz Terrazas
• Gayle Tulipano

Michael Buibas Jr. and Nathan Ziccarelli were inducted into the Who's Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges for 2009. This is a national program recognizing students for outstanding scholarship, service and leadership.

The University has now approved two new programs offered by the Department: Undergraduate Certificate in GIS and Graduate Certificate in GIS. Each is a five-course sequence which can be taken separate from a degree program, by way of electives in any of our three degree programs, or as University electives by majors in other departments. The courses will include G&ES 391, G&ES 392, and G&ES 393, as well as two of (a) G&ES 390:Remote Sensing, G&ES 377: Cartography, or G&ES 395: Internship in GIS (for the undergraduate program) or two of (a) G&ES 390: Remote Sensing, (b) G&ES 416: GIS for Natural Systems, or (c) GIS for Urban Systems (for the graduate certificate). These will appear in the Fall 2009 catalog.

Just two students this year in the Research Symposium, both under the sponsorship of Dr. Grammenos. April 24: Seventeenth Annual Student Research and Creative Activities Symposium:

• West, Cornelius 2009. "New Urbanism, Community Building, and Social Diversity: The Case of Hometown Aurora."
• Blair, Kimberly 2009. "Urban Ecotourism in the New 'Green' Chicago"

Our Kate Ekman was selected by the Illinois Geographical Society to receive an Outstanding Senior in Geography Award for 2009. She will receive the award at the IGS annual meeting at NEIU April 25. Congratulations Kate!

Dennis Grammenos presented "From the Streets of Chicago: Neighborhood Scale Perspectives on Gentrification in the Neoliberal City;" Monika Mihir presented "Scalar variability in debris flow fan topography, Eastern Owens Valley, CA." at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Las Vegas 3/22-3/27.

Paisly Di Bianca presented a film at the Friends of the Chicago River 12th Annual Chicago River Student Congress. You can view the film here.

Michael Martinez, our M.A. grad, has now been with the Department of Natural Resources at the State of Minnesota for 10 years. The governor of MN recognized his ten years of excellent service. He has now taken a federal position as Special Assistant to the Natural Resources & Environment Section (USFS & NRCS).

G&ES faculty member Emily Good is now on the Board of Directors of the Geographical Society of Chicago, whose mission is to promote geography education. In that capacity she will attend the National Geographic Society's Education Foundation Meeting late February in Washington D.C. to coordinate national efforts and lobby state legislators for their support of the Geography is Fundamental bill.

Congratulations to our Fall 2008 graduates!

• John Cison, B.A. Geography, CL
• Natalie Dutack, B.A. Environmental Studies, MCL
• Barbara Gillies, B.A. Geography, MCL
• Paulina Haraburda, B.A., Geography SCL
• Princess Harris, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Michael Hess, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Sebastian Knapik, B.A. Geography
• Kristofer Krias-Gann, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Kelly Larson, B.A. Environmental Studies, CL
• Roxanna Llanes, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Jamison Miller, B.A., Geography, HS SCL
• Eduardo Torres, B.A. Geography
• Brian Quiggle, B.A. Environmental Studies

Kevin Whitney, 2008 grad, is now GIS Specialist with MPG, Inc. -- Municipal GIS Partners -- which is active throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Kevin has been assigned Skokie and Linconwood.

Jamison Miller presented his honors thesis at the Urban Affairs Association's annual meeting in Chicago March 5, 2009. The title: "Race, Bricks, and Mortar: A Historical Cartography of the Chicago Housing Authority." Dr. Grammenos also presented at that conference: "Ethnoscaping the Global City." Also presenting was Nina Roberts: "Tourism in Santa Fe: Appropriation of Culture in the Land of Enchantment." Jamison is being recruited by several prominent Universities for graduate studies in geography.

Kate Ekman received the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology Fellowship, receiving a $2,300 grant to support efforts to slow global warming at NEIU and the surrounding community. Congratulations!

Our brand-new "Internship with GIS" course (G&ES 395) had three students its first semester (Summer 08). Dan Baranski worked in the GIS lab of the City of Chicago's Department of Transportation, Camille Stewart was a Cartographic Technician with the USDA Forest Service in Montana, and Kevin Sullivan did GIS work for the City of Naperville. Camille then got a GIS job with Kowalenko and Bolitti, Chicago - based Environmental Consulting firm.

Kate Ekman, E.S. major, was voted chairperson of the Green Technology Fee Committee, on which she, Banerjee, Howenstine, and Georgia Yelton serve. The committee recently purchased many new bike racks and an electric utility vehicle. Its web page is www.neiu.edu/~greenfee. Ekman wrote the University's main Green web page (~green), and is intern with Facilities Management, facilitating green campus projects. She has written a $2,400 G&ES -sponsored grant proposal to the National Wildlife Federation to measure NEIU's carbon footprint.

Jim Williams, from way back, stopped by to say hello. He's Project Manager of SET Environmental, Chicago based environmental and hazardous materials management company. He's been there since 2000.

Twenty eight attended the first annual (?) Fall G&ES get-together, a pot luck afternoon in the park-like area north of the P.E. building the Sunday before classes. The weather was great, the company excellent, and there's talk of doing it again -- next time with more notice. Scott Garfinkel took the organizational lead.

Dr. Grammenos reviewed three articles for academic journals recently. One for Urban Geography, one for City and Society, and one for the Geographical Bulletin.

Dr. Banerjee participated in the Summer 2008 Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER) Institute in Santa Clara, Calif. in August, with colleagues from Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Math, and Earth Science. Goal: explore possible Environmental Science program.

Congratulations to our Spring 2008 graduates!

• Matt Anderson, M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies
• Samantha Serrano, M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies
• Kim Strout, M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies
• Kelly Bougher, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Stephenie Creegan, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Garth Huskey, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Danuta Siedlarz, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Jessica Zich, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Juan Rivera, B.A. Environmental Studies
• Steven Gallup, B.A. Geography
• Lazar Ilic, B.A. Geography
• Dariusz Marek, B.A. Geogrpahy
• Abdul Parsons-Bey, B.A. Geography
• Mary Schultz, B.A. Geography
• Kevin Whitney, B.A. Geography
• Matthew Wickstrom, B.A. Geography

Fall '07 Dean's list is out. Full time students: Kimberly Blaszczak, Michael M. Buibas Jr, Kathleen M. Darr, Elizabeth T. Foster, Roxanne K Lllanes, Matthew Migon, James R. Miller, Jason A Tinkley, Kevin D Whitney, Cornelius O Williams, Lakesia Wright. Part time students: Thaddeus J Cellak, Natalie E Dutak, Pauline M Miraburda, Lazar Illic, Eric T Pearson, Danuta A Siedlarz, Gayle D Tulipano, Danie;J Wojtas, Jennifer R Wyatt, and Georgia B Yelton. Congratulations!

Kevin Whitney presented a paper at the 16th Annual NEIU Research Symposium, titled: "Spatial 3D Modelling: Google's Platform." Advisor, Erick Howenstine.

Dr. Banerjee delivered "Charting a Different Course: Can India Avoid the Common Pitfalls of Biofuels?" at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting in Boston April 18 2008. Kim Strout and Matt Anderson, both G&ES M.A. students, presented papers. Kim's was "Wal-Mart's Sustainability Initiatives: Real Gains or Greenwashing?," in the Business and Environment Around the World session and Matt's was "Place, Subdivisions, and the American Dream" in Urban Geography: Property and Sprawl. Matt will be starting a PhD program at the University of Illinois in Urbana Fall 2009. Jamison Miller and Ethan Halpern-Givens also attended the conference.

G&ES faculty member Emily Good gave a lecture to teachers on toponymy -- the study of place names -- at the Field Museum April 4 during the Illinois National Geographic Bee/Competition. She also presented at an NEIU conference called The Future of E-Learning at NEIU April 9 at NEIU. Her Intro to Env. Studies is one of the first three NEIU courses which are entirely on line.

We had the pleasure April 8 '08 of a brown bag colloquium lecture titled Drinking Water in Northeastern India from Dr. Hari Prasad Sarma, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Environmental Science in Gauhati University, India. He was in the United States for a conference. Thanks to Dr. Banerjee for the arrangements.

Our G&ES M.A. grad Moneen Jones, now doctoral student in Entomology at U.of I. Champaign, just received a $10,000 grant for a study of Oriental Fruit Moths in Apples and Peaches, from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

Dennis Grammenos was interviewed by Radio Netherlands on the topic of Political Opression in Colombia Feb. 8 2008. You can hear it here

Matt Anderson, finishing his G&ES M.A., has been accepted to University of Southern CA (funded), U. of Ill. Urbana (funded) and UIC's PhD in Urban Planning and Policy. Our B.A. Ethan Halpern-Givens has been accepted into UIC's Master's program Urban Planning and Policy. Congratulations!

G&ES faculty member Emily Good will chair the Illinois Geogrphical Society's annual meeting which will be held at NEIU April of 2009. This is a two-day conference including a day-long field trip and a paper-poster session on Saturday April 25.

Dr. Banerjee is now the faculty advisor of the Green Cycle Group and a member of the Green Technology Fee Steering Committee. Howenstine is also on the committee along with our Kate Ekman. Kate is also on the Steering Committee, she is the intern providing research support to the projects.

Judy Bock, G&ES Adjunct, is new president of the Geographical Society of Chicago. Our Emily Good is a member of its Education Advisory Panel; she's serves as Secretary for the Illlinois Geographical Society, where she's also on the Teacher Education Steering Committee. Good and Bock will jointly chair the Summer Geography Institute for Teachers K-12 to incorporate geography education in the classroom and school communities. This is a six-day Institute to be held at Elmhurst College, July 7-12, 2008.

We participated with a poster in the Global Initiatives fair Feb. 19 2008 in the Student Center. The poster showed how G&ES has global scope (as well as a local one). You may know the university is gearing up for an interdisciplinary major in Global Studies.

Geography majors increased in number by 44% in 2007 and 140% compared to five years ago. Environmental Studies majors increased 53% in five years and the Graduate Program held steady. Fall enrollments were 36, 46, and 24 respectively for the three programs in 2007.

Emily Good made a presentation February 9, 2008 at the Field Museum as part of their Teacher Education Workshop in conjunction with the "National Geographic Live" Lecture series. The topic was how to incorporate geographic activities with class visits to the Field Museum.

Several new courses have been created: Grammenos has written Environment and Urbanization, Social Geography, a CAD-platform course Urban Design Studio, and a graduate level Qualitative Research course. Howenstine created a second-year GIS syllabus (GIS II), a 3-hour Internship in GIS and variable Topics in Geography and in Env. Studies. Banerjee has contributed a 300-level course called Sustainable Development and has revived both Environmental Planning and Alternative Energy Policy and Practice. Jones' Freshman Seminar Environmental Chicago is going up as a permanent course, as will Grammenos' Global Chicago. Good's Geography of Tourism, Qutub's Solid Waste, and Jones' Chicago Rivers will get their own place in the catalog, as will the graduate courses Population Problems and International Environmental Policy. Mostek's Oceanography sequence -- awkwardly placed in its own department (G&ES -OC) is refashioned as a new Regional Geography: World Oceans; all the Regional courses (G&ES 302) have been rearranged to better match the modern world.

In the past two and a half years faculty have met more than 45 times revising and revamping the program. The first wave of the resulting proposed changes have been approved. These include some course revisions, new prerequisites, new program requirements, some new courses and greater integration of course content, along with a well-planned scheduling sytem. Courses which have not been taught for ages -- and are not likely to be taught soon -- have been removed from the catalog. Current students can choose to go with the old requirements or the new ones. We're still meeting to "tune" the undergraduate curriculum and attend to the graduate one. It all will be explained; we're sure you'll like it.

Anna Wagner is now Geographic Specialist at the Census Bureau, the fourth G&ES student in that capacity there. Marcin Dabrowski, Lester Brown, and Kathleen Derel are the others.

The Department was given a new tenure track position -- GeoSpatial -- to begin Fall 08. Dr. Grammenos chaired the Search and Screen Committee which included Dr. Banerjee and two outside members -- Marcelo Sztainberg from computer science and Sangmin Bae from Political Science. Many excellent applications, seven phone interviews and four campus interviews later -- we're close to making an announcement!

We've received a list of "active"graduate students from the Graduate College. Over 60! Not that many are taking classes at any time, though.

Nick Ames, a newly admitted grad student who has been taking classes for a while, is the new Technical Assistantship after an excellent several-year run by Matt Anderson. Anja Claus and Shelly Burlincourt are taking on the Teaching Assistantship together. Thank you all!

The department sponsored a meeting for faculty across NEIU with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 10/15/07.

Abhijit Banerjee, our newest tenure track faculty member, completed his doctorate and has received his PhD from University of Delaware. He starts his NEIU career with two new courses fall '07 Environmental Planning at the undergraduate and graduate levels. And a bread-and-butter Introduction to Environmental Studies. Find him in S-344C.

We're beginning a 3D modelling project which will put NEIU in Google Earth. See a clip of work in progress by clicking here.

Emily Good is one of five NEIU faculty selected to create an on-line course. Her G&ES 150 (Intro to Env. Studies) is one of three slated to go live Spring '08. The project is called SPELS (Setting the Pace for E-Learning Success), out of the Center for Teaching and Learning.

First thing fall term, the department is rolling out an all-new G&ES Graduate Student Handbook, a 40-page booklet that rivals the new Undergraduate Handbook in G&ES that came out last year. The cover is blue (undergraduate cover is yellow). Get yours in the front office.

Libby Hill, our M.A. and long-time Instructor for the Belize trip, has published a long articlle in the Chicago Tribune Magazine July 29. The title: "The Making of an Urban Legend": How did an 1885 Flood of Little Consequence become and Epidemic that 'killed' 90,000 Chicagoans?". Here it is.

We have a lot to brag about. These G&ES students have made the Dean's List Spring 07: Kimberly Blaszczak , Kelly Bougher , Natalie Dutack , Steven Gallup , Princess Harris , Jamison Miller , Fiana Shapiro , Danuta Siedlarz , Camille Stewart , Kevin Whitney , Cornelius Williams , Tara Wilson , Jennifer Wyatt , Jessica Zich , Mary Brassie , Kate Ekman , Melissa Graney , Ethan Halpern-Givens , Paulina Haraburda , Elzbieta Irla , Eric Pearson , Luis Pineda , Giany Sfintu , Brian Teichert , Georgia Yelton. Congratulations!

G&ES has been given approval to hire a new faculty member to begin Fall '08. Specialization: GIS.

Dave Jones' City Planning class got together for a Brown Bag presentation of their projects April 26. Then he took his Freshman Year Experience class "Environmental Chicago" onto the river canoeing April 30.

The following students are presenting at the April 20 2007 Student Research Symposium, now in its 15th year:

• Nina Roberts: "Tourism and Consumption in Santa Fe, New Mexico"
• Kelly Bougher; "Management Issues and Solutions for the Nine-Banded Armadillo"
• Ethan Halpern-Givens: "Demographic Change and Gentrification in Latino Chicago's Northwest Side"
• Tara Wilson: "Highrise Howlers: Coyotes in Chicagoland"

Congratulations to the following students who made the Dean's list Fall 2006: Kelly Bougher Alessandra Conversi Melissa Graney Lauren Schmitz Danuta Siedlarz Elizabeth Vashro Tara Wilson Mary Brassie Natalie Dutack Kate Ekman Steven Gallup Garth Huskey Jeremy Slate Brian Teichert Ethan Halpern-Givens Elzbieta Irla Kevin Whitney Tanusri Banerjee Eric Pearson! Good work!

Wilfredo Matamoros gave an excellent presentation at a Brown Bag Network meeting March 8: "The Fishes of Honduras." He has spent two years traversing the remote reaches of Honduras, cataloging fish species more thoroughly than has ever been done there before. Not only has he found a much greater diversity of species than was previously known, he found more geographic specificity in their habitat than the literature suggested. And he found at least one new species known to science -- maybe three. He intends to continue the effort until the entire country is complete. Wilfredo, 2004 G&ES M.A., is working on his PhD in biology at the University of Southern Mississippi.

We are very pleased to welcome our new tenure-track faculty member Dr. Abhejit Banerjee, who will join the department Fall 2007. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware and has been teaching at the Department of Geography and Urban Studies at Temple University and in the Department of Geography and Environmental Planning at Towson University. Dennis Grammenos chaired the Search and Screen committee. Thanks to Jon Hageman (Anthropology) and Jeanine Ntihirageza (English Language/Linguistics)for serving on the committee as well.

G&ES co-hosted the Chicago Wilderness' "Wild Things" conference March 3, bringing nearly 1,000 nature enthusiasts to NEIU again this year. Congratlations goes especially to Elizabeth Wiley, G&ES intern who worked exclusively on the project. "We couldn't have done it without her" was how Judy Pollack, Conference Coordinator from Chicago Wilderness and Chicago Audubon put it. But many students from the department helped make the event another great success: Gina Lettiere (Env. Studies grad), Kelly Bougher and Danusia Siedlarz recruited and organized volunteers while Scott Goedert, Ricky Youngs and Mary Schultz showed their leadership skills and commitment on the conference day. Also volunteering on day of the conference were Stephanie Brauning, Diane Gritton, Natalie Dutack, Kim Strout, Georgia Yelton and Anja Claus. Sorry if we forgot somebody! Libby Hill, G&ES instructor, and Lydia Sikat, department secretary, provided crucial administrative support and liason contact with the other people in all areas of the university that were essential: Chaelecia Cooper, Dean Paul, Ann Weaver, Sofia Quir and Sarator Whitehead and their staff. The day-long conference had more than 100 break out sessions in classrooms across campus throughout the day.

At the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (San Francisco) our Marne McArdle (G&ES M.A. student) will present "Where Have All the Lesbians Gone? Lesbian Placemaking in Chicago," to the section Sexuality and Identity; Derek Tait (G&ES M.A.) will present "Consumption of Place: Exploring the Sociospatial Implications of the Coffee Trail and Agrotourism in North Central Nicaragua" to the Human Environment Interactions session, and Matt Anderson (G&ES M.A.) will organize and present to the Suburban Solution, Three Decades Later session: "Place making and Suburban Culture -- Transformation over the Past Three Decades." Dr. Dennis Grammenos will present "Cafe con Leche: Critical Geographies of Latino Racialization in Chicago" to Racialized Places, Racialized Bodies I, and will Chair and organize that session. Dr. Debby Mir will present "Preparing Future Environmental Studies Teachers through the Illinois MSTQE Program" to the Geograpic Education/Active Learning session.

More than 60 people attended the screening and discussion of "An Inconvenient Truth" this month, sponsored by Green Cycle Group. GCG is a cross-departmental environmental club faculty sponsored by G&ES's Debby Mir.

Dr. Mir won a grant for a CSU/NEIU Online Teaching Partnership for Spring 2007, to create a hybrid/online course involving video conferencing, with assistance from the Center for Teaching and Learning.

The Department of G&ES will again cosponsor the Wild Things Conference with Chicago Wilderness, March 3. Dr. Debby Mir will present "Engaging Educators from Urban Communities in Nature Education," Adolfo Sanchez, G&ES M.A. student, will present "Integrating Restoration Ecology into Educational Settings," and Kevin Dick, also a G&ES M.A. student: "The Importance of the Private Landowner in Protecting Critical Habitat."

Dr. Charles Schmidt, G&ES Instructor, presented "Recent Environmental Issues in Africa: A Focus on Water Resources" to attendees of the 11th Annual African ... American ... Conference Jan. 31

Emily Good, G&ES faculty member, was guest speaker on the topic "The United States and Immigration" for the Oak Park-River Forest League of Women Voters in January.

Jack Giles, M.A. grad from 1993 and long-time chair of Social Studies at Northside College Prep H.S. reports from retirement. Jack continues to publish in Geography Journals, three since 2005, and quite a few in Japanese!

We had a successful prairie burn Nov. 20, with the participation of about 10 G&ES students and Steve Frankel of biology, who does some research in that area and helped lead the burn. About 80% was scorched, but it was a little slow going due to a little moisture in the grasses and leaves. Now that we understand the process better, it'll be easier and even better next time. Soon there will be more pictures on the prairie burn page: http://www.neiu.edu/~deptges/prairie .

The Search is underway for our next Tenure Track position: Environmental Planner/Environmental Geographer. We've received a good number of excellent applications. The faculty member will begin in Fall of 2007

Becca Raven Uninowicz is the new department secretary (half-time in the afternoons) who you will see in S-346B. She is handing Economics business, which our heroic Lydia Sikat has been doing along with G&ES work for several years. Lydia will focus on G&ES now. She and Becca will stand in for one another when necessary.

Geography major Cornelius Williams has an article published in the Illinois Geographic Alliance's Aliance Reporter, Fall 2006 issue. Its title: Ibeju Lekki Peninsula, Nigeria. Also in that edition is an article on the IGA Fall Conference by Karla Young-Giles, Teacher Consultant and M.A G&ES grad. Here is the link.

Dr. Mir presented a paper 10/29/06 in a sesson on Exhibit Development at the Association of Science-Technology Centers Annual Conference in Tennessee. Her paper was on Green Buildings as Environmental Exhibits/museums/visiting centers.

We have word now that the Wild Things Conference, sponsored by Chicago Audubon and Chicago Wilderness Society, will again be hosted by G&ES and held at NEIU, March 3 2007. Last year this successful event drew 1,000 participants, and we expect it to be another great event. Read about the 2005 conference here: WILD THINGS CONFERENCE. Planning is underway, please contact Judy Pollack at jpollock@audubon.org to help out. Thanks already to E.S. majors Danuta Siedlarz and Kelly Bougher for agreeing to take on responsibilities for volunteers, with Gina Lattiere (2005 E.S. graduate, instrumental in last year's WTC, and now volunteer for Audubon).

Yes, the department will burn the prairies on campus this year. The scheduled date is Nov. 16 with weather-delay Nov. 20. Volunteers (about 17 of them!) will be contacted by email. To get on that list, write jerrymostek@hotmail.com .

On Aug. 3 Wil Maheia (B.A. 1992) was honored of 2006 Alumnus of the Year for Distinguished Service to the Environmental Community. He is the founder and executive director of the Toledo INstitute for Development and Environment, to protect Toledo's marine and terrestrial environments. In 2001 he helped negotiate the first Debt for Nature Swap between Belize and the U.S. He received the prestigious Equator Initiative Prize from the U.N., Environmental Organization of the Year Award from the government of Belize, Cliff Messenger Award from the Nature Conservancy, and others. The ceremony -- food, some speeches, and lots of camaraderie -- was held in the B courtyard. More than a hundred people attended, including Dean Forhan seven current or former faculty and staff, Wil's family, and many many students who have traveled to Belize since 1993. Wil has been one of Belize's environmental leaders since graduation, and is running for president there. Libby Hill, who organized the event, has teamed with Wil for the past 14 years to take NEIU students on an environmental field trip there Spring terms. More than 200 NEIU students have experienced Belize through this rigorous course. Hats off to Sponsored Programs for making this possible!

Joshua Marine (2004) is working for the Park District of Highland Park, GIS/GPS mapping for natural resources and amenities.

The Audubon Society (Chicago Region) is considering NEIU as venue for their "Wild Things" conference again this year (Feb. 2007). Last year the one-day conference drew 740 people to campus, thanks to sponsorship of G&ES, and particularly G&ES faculty member Libby Hill.

G&ES faculty member Emily Good has joined the executive board of the Illinois Geographical Society as secretary for IGS. She is also on the Teacher Education Steering Committee of the Illinois Geographical Alliance.

Catharine Mann, 2004 grad, is Assistant Horticlturalist at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Mike Martinez, our grad, is Senior Planner Environmental Policy & Review, in the Division of Ecological Services, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

6/16/06: date marker

The department has added a few new courses: (1) G&ES 219:GIS Across the Curriculum (2) G&ES 109a:Freshman Seminar: Global Chicago, and (3) G&ES 109b:Freshman Seminar: Environmental Chicago. A short while ago we added G&ES 3XX:Latino Metropolis and G&ES 387:Interactive Cartography.

Kevin Dick is Technical Assistant for the department Summer 2006, after which Matt Anderson, M.A. student, will take the position. Derek Tait is Teaching Assistant beginning Summer 2006.

Dr. Grammenos recently led a field trip through Humboldt Park for the Annual Meeting of the Illinois Geographical Society early May. I received a letter of thanks to him from Keith Yearman, Assistant Professor Geography at the College of Dupage. Keith is our M.A. grad.

Kevin Dick, M.A. student, presented "Greening Your Facility with Clean Air Initiatives" to the Center for Green Technology. He runs the Clean Air Counts Campaign for the Chicago southland (www.cleanaircounts.org).

Fall Arts & Sciences Dean' List included quite a few of our students:

Melinda Bosco
Monique Dubray
Ethan Halpern-Givens
Kelly Larsen
James Metz
Matthew Meyer
Lauren Schmitz
Jeremy Slate
Elizabeth Vashro

Professor Musa Qutub received a Landmark Strategic University Grant 2006-COM-034146; software ($129,360)

Grammenos publised “Immigrant Metropolis,” in the Association of American Geographers’ Newsletter v. 40, n. 10 p 1.

Aaron Durnbaugh, M.A. student, presented“Soil food web response to compost tea treatment on a Chicago Brownfield," presented at the American Community Gardening Association National Conference, August 2006.

Erick Howenstine attended a 2-day workshop on "Healthy Departments," sponsored by the Association of American Geographers, in Athens GA. June 9-10 2006. Lots of good ideas!

Howenstine gave a day-long GIS workshop to Master's Students in the department of Biology at Northwestern, and another to the Bureau of Land Management interns through a program at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Dennis Grammenos gave a talk to DePaul University based on his chapteter in Chicago's Geographies, "Latino Chicago."

Sarah Moloney completed her thesis: "Moloney, Sara (Grammenos Assistant Professor). Selling Appalachia: Tourism and the Marketing of an Appalachian Identity." in 2005

Moneen Jones completed her G&ES thesis, "The Distribution and Habitat of the Ladybird Beetle Harmonia Axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) In Illinois" in 2006, received her M.A. and began her PhD program at U of I Champaign, in a funded position.

M.A. student Kevin Dick presented “Diversity of Stree Tree Distribution in Chicago,” presented at Practice or Restoring Native Ecosystems 6th National Conference. Nebraska City, Nebraska, Nov. 8, 2005

Presentations at the Illinois Geographical Society's Annual Meeting April 27-29 2006 included the following:

Assistant Professor Debby Mir: "Are Environmental Agencies Targeting Service Micro-enterprises as Neighborhoods Gentrify?"

Assistant Professor Dennis Gramennos: "The New Latino Metropolis: Geographies of Race, Ethnicity and Class in Chicago. "

Moneen Jones, M.A. student: “The Distribution and Habitat of the Multicolored Asian Ladybird Beetle in Illinois.”

Susan Casey, M.A. student: "Understanding the Wind Energy Opposition."

Nina Roberts, G&ES major: "Geographic Literacy at the Freshman and Senior Levels: A Survey of Students at Northeastern Illinois University."

Assistant Professor Dennis Grammenos co-edited a book, Chicago's Geographies: Metropolis for the 21st Century, which was published by the Association of American Geographers. Grammenos also wrote a chapter in the book: "Latino Chicago." pp 205-216

Professor Erick Howenstine wrote a chapter in Chicago's Geographies, titled "Race and INcome in the Chicago Area." pp 163-171.

At the 14th Annual Student Research Symposium at NEIU April 21 2006.

Nina Roberts, Geography major, “Geographic Literacy at the Freshman and Senior Levels: A survey of students at Northeastern Illinois University.”

M.A. student Moneen Jones presented a poster: “The Distribution and Habitat of the Ladybird Beetle Harmonia Axyridis (Cleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Illinois.”

Several faculty and students gave presentations at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Chicago:

Assistant Professor Dennis Grammenos: "A Pound of Flesh in Uptown: Revanchism and Community in a Gentrifying Chicago Neighborhood."

Professor Erick Howenstine: "Class-Based Segregation Within Racial/Ethnic Groups in Chicago."

Assistant Professor Debby Mir: "Environmentl Behavior in Automotive Repair Micro-Enterprises in Chicago."

Chivia Horton, M.A. student: "Selling Rain Gardens: PUblic Perceptions of Bioretention Facilities in Chicago."

Susan Casey, M.A. student: "Tilting at Windmills: Opposition to a Wind Energy Project in Bureau County, Illinois."

Marne McArdle, M.A. student: “Where the Girls Are: Lesbian Territories in Chicago.”

Moneen Jones, M.A. student: "The Distribution and Habitat of the ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis by survey throughout Illinois Landscape."

Sarah Moloney, M.A. student: “Selling Appalachia: Tourism and the Marketing of an Appalachian Identity,”

Derek Tait, M.A. student: "Have Coffee, Will Travel: The Development of Coffee Agrotourism in Nicaragua."

Kevin Dick, M.A. Student: "). “Street Tree Diversity in Chicago: Chicago’s Response to the Asian Longhorned Beetle Infestation," poster presentation.

Grammenos chaired a session: Class war and geography: revisiting the 1886 Haymarket Square massacre, was a pannelist on a session: Street Level Geography: University-Community REsearch and Action in Chcago and Beyond, and served on the Programming Committee

Howenstine Chaired a session: Segregation and the City, and served on the Programming Committee

Mir Chaired a session: Urban Environmental Hazards

Casey chaired a session: Blown Away: Geography of Wind in the U.S.

Tait chaired a session: Development in Central America.

Mir's pepar. “Environmental Behavior in Chicago Automotive Repair Micro-Enterprises (MEPs)," was accepted for publication in Business Strateby and the Environment.

Mir's paper “Factors Affecting Environmental Behavior in Micro-Enterprises: Laundry and Motor Vehicle Repair Firms in Jerusalem." was accepted for publication in the International Small Business Journal.

Rob Rebecchi, long-time teaching assistant for G&ES 104 and 2003 M.A. graduate, is now teaching an occassional session of World Geography for us, beginning Spring 06. Dr. Robyn Flakne, G&ES M.A. 1989 taught Forest Resource Management Spring and will offer National Parks and Forests in Spring 07.

Mir presented “Training Teachers and Students to Explore Environmental Science: University-Museum Partnerships: Using Outdoor Exhibits to Learn Environmental Science,” Presented at the City Park and the Environment: Challenges Related to their Use, International Workshop. Sao Paulo, Brazil June 28-30 2005.

Sarah Moloney, M.A. 2005, works at the Center for Green Technology, a branch of Chicago's Dept. of Environment. Nicole Kamins, another G&ES grad, is program director in the dept. for the Calumet Projects.

Gerry Bakker is now working for the EPA.

Keith Yearman, B.A. Geography, M.A. 2000 G&ES, received tenure at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn where he is an Assistant Professor of geography

Arthur V. Bourland, B.A. ES 1989, is an environmental health ad safety coordinator at The Lockformer Company. He is the project manager for the electic resistive heating soil cleanup project in Lisle.

Scott D. Levin, 1994 B.A. ES, is a project manager at ATC Associates Inc. in San Diego.

Wilfredo Matamoros (M.A. G&ES 2001) was accepted to the doctorate program in biology at the University of Southern Mississippi

Yong, Kim, geography minor 2003, is happily employed at Suntrans Freight Forwarding, and reports his geography clinched the job.

Chivia Horton, G&ES M.A. student, has published a paper in the Chicago Wilderness Journal, titled "Accepting Flood Management Strategies: Public Perceptions of Rain Gardens in Chicago." You can read the article at THIS LINK.

Cameron Rex, current undergraduate major, won the Illinois Geographical Society Student of the Year Award in 2004. He also won the Illinois GIS Association Student Achievement award in 2004. Cameron wrote BUGHOUSE, the NEIU conferencing board, with G&ES Professor Erick Howenstine's assistance and advisement. He also developed the department's first GIS server, and is experimenting with a veriety of server side software to deliver projects such as the NEIU Vegetation GIS on line. He is also updating that project, which the department initiated in 1997.

Jayne Lilienfield-Jones, G&ES M.A. student, recently won a position as Inspector General for the Federal EPA. Congratulations, Jayne!

A letter just received from the Region 5 of the U.S. EPA, was signed Megan Gavin, Environmental Education Program Manager for Region 5! Megan graduated with Environmental Studies a few years back.

Both Adam Gibson and Julie Tochor, G&ES grads, were seen at an ESRI meeting in 2004, learning ArcGIS ver. 9. Adam is Application Support Specialist, using GIS skills to trace stolen/recovered guns for the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives! Julie is GIS Specialist with Earth Tech, a Milwaukee firm specializing in Global Water Managemen.

G&ES secretary Lydia Sikat won NEIU Employee of the Month award this year February, an award which may and should be extended to Employee of the Year.

Elizabeth Sanders' thesis was published in the Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical Society Fall 2003. It's title: “Grassland Birds: The Cook County Nesting Season Bird Census.”

This page is just getting started -- we'd very much like to hear about events and successess in the field. here's an easy opportunity to get in touch with us -- tell us what you're doing!! Thanks very much! Send a note to E-Howenstine@neiu.edu .