Welcome back to the reborn Mary Washington Geography site.  We hope you like the new look and find the new features interesting and useful.

This home page contains excerpts from posts – some written specifically for this site and others coming via syndication from other blog sites.  Here you’ll find information on upcoming events, updates on the Monroe Hall renovation, job and internship announcements, and posts from students and faculty describing experiences in the classroom and from around the world.  Older posts are archived by category and can be accessed from the left column.

Please visit the map gallery.  This contains maps prepared by students and faculty that have appeared in books, academic journals, and as parts of public exhibits.  We’ve also provided links to the “official” websites where you can learn more about the department, the geography major, and the GIS certificate program.  Finally, the “Giving to UMW” page describes the department’s two endowments and provides information on how to make a donation.

If you were a member of the old umwgeography site, you have been subscribed to this site as well.  If not, please use the links on the right to subscribe via e-mail or RSS or to receive Facebook updates on the new Mary Washington Geography fan page.

Please explore!  And, tell us what you think!

An informational meeting about the trip to Guatemala during Spring Break is scheduled TWICE this week. You may come to 112 Annex A on Wednesday at 6 pm or Thursday at 6 pm. Application forms and fliers will be available.

President Erin will bring snacks for tea tomorrow, 4pm in Annex B 105…  I can’t be there as I have 3rd grade orientation closely followed by 8th grade orientation… sigh.

As you’ve probably read, the first phase of the Mary Washington Foundation’s Eagle Village project opened this Summer.  Over 600 students now live where Rose’s used to be.  Last month, Jeff Rountree and I worked with Susan Hedenberg of Flying H Photography to take aerial photographs of the area. Continue reading »

Whenever I travel, I take far more photographs that I can possibly include in my blog entries.  I have therefore been working on putting together an online collection of photographs from some of journeys. You can find the collection at picasaweb.google.com/donaldNR/. Please feel free to stop by and browse around!

I hope everybody had a great summer.  I spent five weeks during June and July taking classes in Spain.  I was living in Bilbao, which is about 250 miles north of Madrid.  Bilbao is historically industrial city, but in the last thirty years has undergone a major urban renewal.  The program I did was called “UMW in Spain”, and I highly recommend it for anybody looking to study abroad for a month in the summer. Continue reading »

Taxi driver (Aged 60-ish, driving me home from the airport last week): Where have you been? Me: South Africa. Driver: Were you there on business? Me: Yes, and I also visited family. Driver: You’re from there? You speak good English. Me (politely): Thank you. So do you. Driver: I only speak English. Figured I never ...Read the Rest

It has been a busy week in Monrovia…  all the faculty has been in getting ready for classes, students are now around and about, I have at least four likely new geography majors from my Class of 2014 advising group!

Continue reading »

Classes start Monday, only 2 weeks prior to Labor Day this year.  While we might not yet be ready for such an early start, geography faculty and students are very excited to be back in Monrovia (now with a new and improved roof!!).  We’re starting the year with around 75 majors – after graduating nearly 30 last year.  We are also thankful that President Rick Hurley will provide Mary Washington with stable and forward-looking leadership. Continue reading »

From Mary Washington Alumna Jacqueline Nolan:

I just saw this job announcement; it closes on 8/26/10.  It is a position as a cartographer with the Board on Geographic Names, and looks like they are trying to recruit younger interests to build a knowledge base and community links.  The USGS BGN Secretariat is Lou Yost:  lyost@usgs.gov; 703-648-4552.  In past experience, the student may be able to work out an arrangement with the USGS hiring body, to accept the job, work over the winter and spring break, and then start full-time at the job after graduation.  This would be a great opportunity for someone who is interested in working in the domestic and international area.  The job is offered concurrently as a “Cartographer” or “Physical Scientist“.

All the best,

Jacquie Nolan

I spent the past weekend wandering around the remains of the pre-industrial world’s largest city. From the 9th to the 15th century C.E., it was a sprawling low-density complex of temples homes, rice fields, and roads, sustained by a sophisticated network of reservoirs and canals. It covered about 1,000 square kilometers, and was probably home ...Read the Rest