Greetings from the Department of Geography at the University of Delaware.
Dear Alumni and Friends,

Welcome to the Department of Geography's electronic newsletter, designed to inform you about the activities and achievements of our students, alumni and faculty. It's an important year in geography as we celebrate our 50th year as a department at the University of Delaware.

We hope you will join us as we kick off our year on November 3 with the annual John R. Mather Lecture. John Mather was the department's first chair after its establishment in 1966. He served as chair for 24 years and played a major role in developing the department into a well-known doctoral degree granting program. Read below to learn more about this year's Mather Lecture speaker.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Saleem Ali, who joined the department as Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment on September 1. Dr. Ali is well-known for his work on environmental conflict resolution. Learn more about Dr. Ali's background under faculty news.

As you read on, also check out the alumni profile on Steven Quiring, Ph.D. '05. If you have an update to share for a future newsletter, please drop me a note at [email protected]
   
Warm regards,  

Delphis Levia, Chair, Department of Geography 
Join us Nov. 3 for the
John R. Mather Lecture


The annual John R. Mather lecture will take place on Thursday, November 3 in the Gore Recital Hall in the Roselle Center for the Arts on UD's Newark campus.  

Leading climate scientist Laurence C. Smith, professor and chair in the Department of Geography and professor of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences at UCLA, will discuss Greenland's contribution to global sea levels.  
   
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.  

In his lecture, Smith will discuss his work using field, satellite and underwater autonomous vehicle (AUV) technologies to assess surface water hydrology of Greenland's southwestern ablation zone, an area of the ice sheet considered most susceptible to melting.

Alumni Spotlight:
Steven Quiring, '05


Alumnus Steven Quiring, who earned his doctoral degree in climatology at UD in 2005, is a professor of geography at The Ohio State University. He chose climatology because it pervades every aspect of our lives, from health and agriculture to transportation, energy and water. In his current research, Quiring focuses on solving societally-relevant problems, including predicting the number and location of power outages from hurricanes or storms, improving seasonal climate and drought forecasts; and studying the impact of weather and climate on human health. Mentoring the next generation of scientists, however, is the most rewarding part of his job. "I've been blessed by amazing teachers throughout my educational journey. My proudest career accomplishment is seeing my former graduate students become successful as tenure-track faculty members, in the private sector and in industry or government positions," he said.

We want to hear from you:

New jobs, promotions, professional accolades and personal milestones are all accomplishments to celebrate. Email [email protected] with details, including your full name, graduation year and major. Updates will be shared in a future newsletter and will be submitted for consideration to UD's alumni magazine, The Messenger.

Student news

Doctoral candidate Asia Dowtin is studying how water and nutrients are transported from the tree canopy to the soil below. How rain makes its way into a forest's soil can affect soil chemistry, groundwater recharge and, ultimately, forest health and productivity. Advised by Prof. Delphis Levia, Dowtin is particularly interested in how stemflow, water that travels down tree trunks or plant stems, is generated in urban forests and how different species and densities of the trees affect the amount and chemical properties of water and solutes that cycle through the forest.
  
New Faculty
Saleem H. Ali

Saleem H. Ali has joined the department as Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment. He has a joint appointment in the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) in the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the causes and consequences of environmental conflicts and how ecological factors can promote peace.

 

Upcoming Events:

University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment | Department of Geography | 302-831-2294 |  www.ceoe.udel.edu/schools-departments/department-of-geography
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