Good morning, geographers!

I have some real exciting news to share with you this morning. Last week, our very own Dr. Mike Urban learned that he received a Meritorious Honor Award from the Department of State – Bureau of International Organization Affairs for an initiative he helped lead on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse in the UN system. The citation itself is:

For extraordinary skill and determination in advancing U.S. efforts to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the UN system and the aid sector.

This is a big deal, folks. To make this kind of meritorious contribution against sexual exploitation and abuse on an international stage brings great honor to our university and department. It is testament to all the great work Dr. Urban did as a AAAS Policy Fellow in Washington, D.C. last year. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Urban on this well-deserved recognition!

I am also excited to announce that MU Geography Alum Scott MacDonald (BA ’15) will be our department’s A&S Professor for a Day, which is a new initiative out of the College office that brings industry professionals to campus to interact with students, faculty and staff. Scott is a product engineer on the ArcGIS Enterprise team at ESRI, and he will be visiting us virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, October 21st at 4:15PM. This will be your opportunity to learn more about the GIS industry from a rising star within one of the best geospatial companies in the world. Please mark your calendars; a Zoom invite will be coming out soon. I would like to thank Dr. Doug Hurt for arranging Scott’s visit—and doing the sweet-talking and strong-arming to make it happen!

Finally, Dr. Stephanie Shonekan (Associate Dean for Inclusive Culture) will be visiting the department on Monday, October 19th at 4PM to discuss the special role geographers can play in enhancing inclusion, diversity, and equity on the MU campus. Although this event is primarily intended for faculty and graduate students, all undergraduate geography majors are welcome to attend as well. Like Scott’s visit, this is just a heads-up right now, and a Zoom invite will be coming out soon.

We are well on our way into Week 6! Can you believe it? I hope you all are doing well, learning lots, and enjoying this beautiful fall weather.

M-I-Z!

G-E-O!

Soren

Drop-in office hours:

Wednesdays 1-3pm on Zoom