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About the American Geographical Society Members AGS Councilor and Business Management Consultant CHRIS DUNCAN recently wrote an expert commentary titled "Add Spreadsheets to your Risk Inventory" that appeared on the International Risk Management Institute's website at http://www.irmi.com/expert/articles/2009/duncan07-enterprise-risk-management-erm.aspx. As Chris points out in his commentary, "Cutting-edge technology providing the ability to visualize risks and risk relationships is increasingly common in the marketplace, as newcomers force entrenched technology companies to respond.". AGS Fellow and Professor of Geography YI-FU TUAN seizes big, metaphysical issues and considers them in uniquely accessible ways in his latest book, Human Goodness. Genuinely good people and their actions, Tuan contends, are far from boring, naive, and trite; they are complex, varied, and enormously exciting. In a refreshing antidote to skeptical times, he writes of ordinary human courtesies, as simple as busing your dishes after eating, that make society functional and livable. And he writes of extraordinary courage and inventiveness under the weight of adversity and evil. He considers the impact of communal goodness over time, and his sketches of six very different individuals—Confucius, Socrates, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Keats, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and Simone Weil—confirm that there are human lives that can encourage and lead us to our better selves. Former Explorers Club President Capt. ALFRED MCLAREN has recently published Unknown Waters, A First-Hand Account of the Historic Under-Ice Survey of the Siberian Continental Shelf by USS Queenfish (SSN-651) (University of Alabama Press, 2008). Captain McLaren is Director and Senior Pilot of Sub Aviator Systems LLC based in Colorado. Unknown Waters provides a first-hand account of life and exploration in a nuclear submarine, the Queenfish, while it and its crew explored and mapped important and remote regions of the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic-Siberian Shelf Expedition of the 1970s represents the bulk of the story. AGS MEMBER JIM WILEY Professor of Geography at Hofstra University, New York, has recently published The Banana: Empires, Trade Wars, and Globalization from the University of Nebraska Press. The book demystifies the banana trade and its path toward globalization. It reviews interregional relationships in the industry and the changing institutional framework governing global trade and assesses the roles of such major players as the European Union and the World Trade Organization. It also analyzes the forces driving today’s economy, such as the competitiveness imperative, diversification processes, and niche market strategies. Its final chapter suggests how the outcome of the recent banana war will affect bananas and trade in other commodities sectors as well. AGS PRESIDENT JEROME DOBSON Professor of Geography at the University of Kansas received the 2008 Award of Distinction (Distinguished Career Award) from the Cartography and Geographic Information Society. From the CaGIS: "Dr. Dobson is well-known for his tenure at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1975 – 2001), where he established himself as an advocate for maintaining a tight bond between GIS and geography. His column, “The G in GIS”, published from 1991 – 2004 in GIS World/GeoWorld was widely read throughout the broader communities of mapping sciences, both academic and professional. His accomplishments demonstrate a breadth of research contributions including developing a system for mapping minefields (cartographic representation and fieldwork), acknowledging and defining the risks of GIS by coining the term “geoslavery,” building and publicizing the LandScan Global Population Project dataset, and contributing to knowledge building in physical geography by employing GIS and automated cartography methods. He has also taken a leadership role in several noteworthy service activities, helping found the Association of American Geographers GIS Specialty Group and the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, subsequently holding leadership roles in both organizations." AGS MEMBER PHILIPPE FORET Philippe (ETHZ, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich) (University of Chicago PhD, 1992), a researcher in cartography, has been awarded an in-residence fellowship at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study to write a book on the environmental history of the Gobi desert, as well as a $210,000 grant from the French National Science Agency to survey and map the contact zone between the Chinese and Turkish-Mongolian languages. AGS FELLOW JOSEPH S. WOOD has been selected as the interim President of the University of Southern Maine, effective July 1, 2007. Read the News Announcement about this new position for Dr. Wood. AGS FELLOW JOSEPH S. WOOD was quoted in a Washington Post article published Tuesday December 19, 2006 (A01), on the revival of strip malls in Old Town Manassas. Professor Wood had previously published an article in the Geographical Review in 1997 that addressed how Vietnamese immigrants were reshaping Northern Virgina. AGS COUNCILOR JOHN KELMELIS A 1991 graduate of the Department of Geography in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State University was named recipient of the 2006 GEMS (Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences) Alumni Achievement Award on September 16, 2006. This award was established in 1993 by the College’s alumni society to recognize outstanding achievement by their graduates. These prominent alumni are invited to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators. Dr. Kelmelis currently serves as both Chief Scientist for Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Senior Counselor for Earth Science at the U.S. Department of State. At the USGS, he provides scientific leadership for The National Map, Land Remote Sensing, and Geographic Analysis and Monitoring. He is responsible for leading geographic research and integrating advanced technologies into mapping and scientific activities at the USGS. He has directed the White House Scientific Assessment and Strategy Team, managed the United States Antarctic Mapping Program, and conducted research on many geographic and other scientific topics. In his current assignment with the Department of State he is leading studies to identify earth science findings with foreign policy implications and advising on remote sensing, geographic information, and scientific issues for areas of national concern. Kelmelis is Senior Science Advisor to the Humanitarian Information Unit and is also examining selected sustainable development, natural hazard, terrorism, and critical infrastructure issues. He has more than eighty-five publications to his credit, is a Councilor of the American Geographical Society and is on numerous national and international scientific boards and committees. He maintains close ties to the department of geography and serves on the Advisory Group of Penn State’s Interdisciplinary Surveillance Geoinformatics and Digital Governance Project funded by the National Science Foundation. AGS VICE PRESIDENT ALEC MURPHY on March 12, 2006, gave the opening substantive address at the 2006 Mackinder Forum near Oxford, England. Organized by the Joint Doctrine and Concepts Centre of the United Kingdom's armed forces, the Mackinder Forum brings together leading military figures, academics, and political advisors from Britain and the United States for discussions of geopolitical matters. The 2006 forum, hosted by Rear Admiral Chris Parry, focused on the geopolitics of environmental change. Alec Murphy's presentation examined the potential impacts of climate change on the geopolitical configurations that many assume will dominate the twenty-first century. AGS COUNCILOR JUHA I. UITTO with co-author Libor Jansky, has published a book titled Enhancing Participation and Governance in Water Resources Management: Conventional Approaches and Information Technology. Juha is Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator at the United Nations Development Programme's Global Environment Facility Unit, New York, USA. AGS COUNCILOR DAVA SOBEL has published her new book titled "Planets." More information about the book is available from the publishers. Dava's book has been very favorably reviewed recently (October 19, 2005) in the New York Times. LARRY CARLSON served as an AGS Councilor between 1986 and 1993. He has been profiled in RESEARCH REVIEW, Vol. 12, issue 2. The journal is a publication of the International Council of Shopping Centers. AGS COUNCILOR JOHN W. FRAZIER authored Chapter 10 (pp. 187-210), "Applied Geography in 20th Century North America: A Perspective" in Applied Geography: A World Perspective, edited by Antoine Bailly and Lay James Gibson, Kluwer Academic Publishers (2004, The Netherlands). This book is sold and distributed in North America by Kluwer Academic Publishers. John is Director of the Graduate University at Binghampton University - State UNiversity of New York. AGS COUNCILOR DR. DEBORAH POPPER and husband Dr. Frank Popper were featured in the February 9, 2004, issue of the Lawrence-Journal World about their "Buffalo Commons" research. Click on the link above for the full story. Other press reports can be viewed at: The Kansas City Star [free registration required] The Salina Journal and again at: Second Salina Journal story The Topeka Capital Journal and also at: Editorial The Okmulgee Daily Times and at the LA Times [free subscription required. AGS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARY LYNNE BIRD presented a talk on Geography Awareness Week at William Patterson University in 2002. The entire speech can be viewed in Adobe Acrobat format online. AGS COUNCILOR JOHN W. FRAZIER and Florence M. Margai have co-edited a new book titled Multicultural Geographies that examines the changing patterns of race and ethnicity in the United States from a geographical perspective, an approach different from other publications on US multiculturalism. The book is a reflection of the significant contributions made by some geographers in recent years to understanding the day-to-day life experiences of American minorities and the historical and current processes that account for living spaces, persistent patterns of segregation and group inequalities, and the complex geographies that continue to evolve at local and regional levels across the country. More details about the book are available from the publisher or by email from the Binghamton University Book Store. AGS COUNCILORS AND PRESIDENTS: For the first time in history, the four presidents of the major geographical organizations in the United States are also councilors of the American Geographical Society. Dr. Jerome Dobson (picture left) is the current president of the AGS. Dr. Alexander B. Murphy (picture 2nd from left) is 2003-2004 president of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) and vice-president of the AGS. Dr Susan Hardwick (picture 2nd from right) is the current president of the National Council on Geographic Education (NCGE) and a councilor of the AGS. Finally, Dr. David J. Keeling (picture right) is 2002-2004 president of the Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers (CLAG) and councilor and webmaster of the AGS. Dr. Marie Price (AGS Councilor) took the picture on the occasion of the AGS Fall council meeting, November 15, 2003, New York City. AGS FELLOW E. JOAN WILSON MILLER: Dr. E. Joan Wilson Miller, Professor Emerita/Adjunct at Illinois State University, published an article in the Journal of Geography, May/June 2003, titled "Teaching Methods, the Herbartian Revolution and Douglas Clay Ridgley, at Illinois State Normal University." On September 8, 2003, Dr. Miller presented the Douglas C. Ridgley Lecture at Illinois State University. This lecture is given annually by invitation and was established by George and Martha Means as part of the Ridgley Visiting Professorship of Geography. It honors Professor Ridgley, a former faculty member at ISNU and an early leader in the development of geography in the United States. Dr. Miller's presentation, titled "Changing Methods of Teaching: The Herbatians and Douglas Clay Ridgley, Master Teacher," was open to public. AGS COUNCILOR JOHN KELMELIS: Dr. John A. Kelmelis, Chief Scientist for Geography at the U.S. Geological Survey, has accepted a temporary assignment as Senior Counselor for Earth Science at the U.S. Department of State. As such he provides policy level advice on using geography, geology, hydrology, biology, oceanography, climatology, and related sciences and technologies in establishing and executing U.S. foreign policy and in building confidence in science and technology in foreign regions of interest to the United States. Among his tasks are enhancing the use of earth and natural sciences for improved diplomatic planning and response; identifying new and emerging earth and natural science findings that have foreign policy implications; and serving as senior advisor to the interagency Humanitarian Information Unit on the use of earth science data and expertise for responses to natural disasters and complex emergencies in foreign lands. John is a Councilor of the American Geographical Society and is active in numerous other professional and scientific organizations nationally and internationally. He received his B.A. in earth science from Central Connecticut State University, M.S. in engineering management from the University of Missouri at Rolla, and a Ph.D. in Geography from the Pennsylvania State University. AGS COUNCILOR SUSAN HARDWICK: AGS Councilor and University of Oregon professor Susan Hardwick is engaged in a project,funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in close collaboration with IRCO in Portland, that documents and analyzes refugee migration and settlement patterns and their adaptation experiences in Oregon . An article on this project titled "Migration, Embedded Networks, and Social Capital: Toward Theorizing North American Ethnic Geography" appears in the International Journal of Population Geography, Vol. 9: 163-179 (2003). AGS PRESIDENT JEROME DOBSON: AGS President, Jerry Dobson, along with co-author Peter Fisher, has written a thought-provoking article titled Geoslavery. The article appeared in The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) journal - The Technology and Society Magazine -- Vol. 22 (1), pp. 47-52, Spring 2003. AGS TREASURER JOHN J. McCABE: AGS Council Member and Treasurer, John J. McCabe, of Shay Assets Management was quoted in a New York Times article on Sunday July 6, 2003, titled "Looking Over Managers' Shoulders, by Law." AGS FELLOW KEVIN S. BLAKE: Dr. Blake received the 2003 Outstanding Recent Research Award from the Mountain Geography Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers. The award is based on his scholarly articles, some of which have appeared in the Geographical Review, that analyze the multicultural symbolism of mountains in the American Southwest and Rocky Mountains. AGS MEMBER PHILIPPE FORET Philippe (ETHZ, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich) has received an award of $113,000 from the Swiss National Science Foundation to write a book on the history of mapping in Tibet. He will be working with Lorenz Hurni at the Institute of Cartography of ETHZ. His research at the Institute will focus on Sven Hedin's Discovery of Transhimalaya: Issues and Methods in Geography and Cartography at the Turn of the 20th Century. Philippe will continue to collaborate with Hakan Wahlquist (National Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm) and Staffan Rosen (Department of Oriental Languages, Stockholm University). AGS LIFE AND HONORARY FELLOW, Dr. CHARLES SWITHINBANK: Charles lives in England and has retired from 53 years of polar research in glaciology. He has written four books about his experiences. These books are about his adventures in the pursuit of science. Visit Dr. Swithinbank's website for complete details about these publications and other material. His latest book, Vodka on Ice: A Year with the Russians in Antarctica is now available. AGS FELLOW PUBLISHES HOLY LAND BOOK: In this new book, Dr. Dorothy Drummond draws together in one fascinating volume a highly readable account of the complex and intertwined threads of history, religion, and politics that bear on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Her narrative, interweaving her own travels in the Holy Land, moves rapidly through four thousand years of history, from Abraham to Arafat. A Fellow of the AGS and former president of the National Council for Geographic Education, Dorothy Drummond merges her love of geography and history as she travels, seeking out the uniqueness of each region she visits. She writes that "no place on earth so focuses all human aspirations and human confict as the Holy Land." This book is recommended for all who wish to understand the "complex story of this unique, beautiful, and tortured land." AGS MEMBER PUBLISHES "PLACE NAMES" BOOK: Dr. Richard R. Randall has drawn upon his global knowledge of geographic names accumulated by professional experiences in the fields of geography and cartography, followed by a career with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, to create a comprehensive study of place names from a variety of perspectives. He discusses how place names influence many aspects of people's lives and shape the way people view the world around them, from a broad look at large countries to an analysis of the origins of river names, to an appreciation of how place names can indicate the historical nature of areas. He also demonstrates how place names have become essential elements of our every day vocabulary and are ingredients of music and literature. Placing particular emphasis political on the political importance of place names for military and diplomatic matters, the author concludes with a survey of name disputes and examines an assortment of unusual and controversial location names. This book provides a comprehensive view of the dynamic field of geographic names through the eyes of an expert. It is a vital resource for anyone seeking information about this important element of our world. Dr. Randall earned a Ph.D. in geography from Clark University. He retired from his position as Executive Secretary of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in 1993, after holding the position for twenty years. His interest in geography and place names stems to a significant degree from his middle name, Rainier; he is related to Admiral Peter Rainier, for whom Mt. Rainier was named. Please send information, either by email, by using the Members' News Form, or digitally to: The American Geographical Society 120 Wall Street, Suite 100 New York, NY 10005-3904 Tel: 1-212-422-5456, Fax: 1-212-422-5480 Email: AGS@amergeog.org