Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Department of Geography
...making a world of difference
Courses Taught
- GEG 010: Introductory Physical Geography. I teach sections of this course in both the Fall and Spring. This course focuses on the functioning of the Earth-Atmosphere System (EAS). This entails the study of energy flow; the atmosphere, weather, and climate; and land forms made through tectonic, fluvial, and glacial processes. The spatially varying nature of these elements is stressed as is the dynamic interrelationship between these natural phenomena and humankind. Students use maps and other geographical data to locate, analyze, interpret, and solve geographical problems of a physical-environmental nature. To this end, students will use the Metric System and Scientific Notation, to work with coordinates and map scale, as well as learn how to draw isoline maps, determine solar angles, work with time, and determine relative humidity. This course is useful to students seeking to better understand geographical aspects of environmental issues related to preservation, conservation, and management of natural resources.
- GEG 310: Urban Geography. One section is taught in both the Fall and Spring. Urban Geography is concerned with promoting a greater understanding of the development, structure, functioning, and distribution of centers of human social, economic, and political activities, cities, through the application of spatial theories and models of human behavior. This course, being a survey of the field, touches upon classic and contemporary models concerning urbanization in less developed and more developed countries. Cities are studied as points on the landscape and then as areas. In this manner, students come to understand the economic forces behind the differential location of cities over space and the forces driving observed patterns of land use. Each topic is examined in terms of positive and negative ramifications and with an emphasis on planning and solution identification.
- GEG 330: Cartography. One section is taught in the Fall. This course serves as an introduction to Cartography, the art and science of map making. The course is designed to prepare students for more advanced levels of cartography such as Production Cartography, Computer Cartography, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), by requiring students to become adept in the basics of cartography. That is, students will become proficient in the collection, manipulation, generalization, and visual presentation of geographic data. Emphasis is placed on the proper use of the Graphic Elements and Visual Variables. Students study the nature of cartography, the geographic coordinate system, map scale, map projections, map design, symbolization, data manipulation, isarithmic mapping, choropleth mapping, and map reproduction. This course is laboratory intensive and emphasizes manual means of map production.
- GEG 345-346: Production Cartography. Production cartography teaches students industrial map reproduction techniques. Computer typesetting, map layout, photographic transformation, mask and overlay creation, and composite proofing in black and white and in color are all taught in this course. This course has been archived and will not be offered in the foreseeable future.
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