Archive for the 'Chair’s Notes' Category

Pollen on-screen!

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

In our Fabulous New Monroe, Joe and I have a Pollen Analysis Laboratory. Right now, it looks very bare – a huge fume hood, an emergency shower & eyewash, and stainless steel cabinets…   soon we will fill it with mud and nasty chemicals, on our way to extracting pollen grains from the La Sal Mountains! In the Physical Prep Room, we’ve set up two microscopes… … Read the rest

Department Makes First 50th Anniversary Endowment Awards

Sunday, September 18th, 2011

It is my pleasure to announce the 2011 recipients of student research awards funded by the Geography 50th Anniversary Endowment.  A committee of three faculty carefully reviewed student proposals and made the following awards:… Read the rest

Mary Washington Geographer wins USGIF Scholarship

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Morgan Lamon (2012)  is one of five undergraduates in the United States to win a $5,000 scholarship from the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF). Congratulations Morgan!… Read the rest

Ready and Waiting

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Quite a week!  Now that classes are cancelled on this bright, clear, sunny day, we have a moment of calm after the hurricane, thunder storm, and earthquake. So, check out the pictures of our new labs, classrooms, and other spaces just waiting to be used.… Read the rest

Start of Fall 2011 semester NOT a disaster…

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

The newly renovated but still 100 year-old Monroe Hall came through Virginia’s August 23 magnitude 5.8 earthquake extremely well (elsewhere, there are cracks in the plaster walls of Virginia Hall, the stairwells in Combs Hall, and parts of GW Hall; serious – but not enough to close those buildings). Faculty in the building did a double-take, but then kept on working – till campus police threw us out an hour later! Belmont, Gari Melchers’ Home & Studio in Falmouth, suffered … Read the rest

Welcome to UMW Geography Fall 2011!

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

We’ve had a hazardous start to the semester, though I wouldn’t call it disastrous… Geography has moved back into Monroe Hall and we think you will all LOVE the new space – and our 100-year-old building came though the earthquake (8/23/11) with no problems! On the GEOG 240 Natural Hazards blog page I’ve posted seismograph/seismogram images and some news about the severe thunderstorm on Thursday (8/25/11) and Hurricane Irene (8/27/11). Now we’re waiting for the swarm of locusts – … Read the rest

Photos from the 2011 UMW Study Abroad Program in South Africa

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

The 2011 UMW Study Abroad Program in South Africa has been on the road for just over a week. So far, we have visted the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, some rural informal settlements in Northwest Province, we have taken a walking tour of Johannesburg’s City Center, we have visited (and chatted with some of the resident of) Alexandra Township, and we have visited Constitution Hill (site of an apartheid-era prison as well as South Africa’s Constitutional Court.)

We have spent most … Read the rest

We’re Baaack . . ..

Friday, July 15th, 2011

. . . . and slowly unpacking and setting up in Monroe Hall.   All faculty are now in their new offices and most of our classroom furniture has arrived.  There’s still a lot of work to be done, however.… Read the rest

Study Abroad in Cambodia – sign up now!

Friday, July 15th, 2011

You may now sign up for Professor Donald Rallis’s Cambodi study abroad program.  For details and instructions go to his website:  http://www.regionalgeography.org/cambodia/?page_id=27Read the rest

Monroe Hall: Ready for its close up . . .

Friday, June 24th, 2011

Finally, moving days are here.  Our new furniture is being delivered as I type this and our books, lab equipment, maps, pictures, coffee maker and other vital supplies will be moved over to Monroe Hall next week.  You’ll find some recent pictures below.… Read the rest