Geography Commons^™

Between A Rockpile And A Hard Place: Mapping The Folk-Hydronymy Of Southern New England, Amanda Gilmore

Open Access Master's Theses

Fishermen in Southern New England (SNE) utilize a wide variety of placenames to delineate areas of significance on the open ocean. This information provides new revelations not just about the way fishermen navigate the ocean, but also insight about overlaps between Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and Fishermen’s Ecological Knowledge in the historically prolific fishing sector of Southern New England. Prior to this study, this collection of vernacular place names on the water, or folk-hydronymy, had never been documented or analyzed, as it was held almost entirely in cognitive maps and proliferated through communication with other fishermen. This project’s goal was …

Inside The Box: Containerization And The Limits Of Trade Unionism In The International Longshoremen's Association, 1945-1977, Calvin Horning

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), the union of dock workers on the East Coast of the United States, saw a dramatic change in form and fortune in the middle of the 20^th century as the shipping industry and global labor underwent an immense reorganization. In the context of this reorganization, I argue that due to internal conservatism and racism alongside external state pressure, the ILA moved from an unruly, mafia-ruled union to a highly organized, professionalized, well-paid core of workers that served to support the United States’ capitalist-imperialist project.

Through archival material spanning over three decades, I analyze the …

(En)Counter Cartographies: Data Collection, Interpretation, And Visualization In Lexington’S Urban Forest, Claire Hilbrecht

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This thesis examines how urban forestry data practices shape relationships between people, trees, and knowledge in Lexington, Kentucky. Drawing on political ecology, science and technology studies, and critical making, it argues that conventional methods of data collection, interpretation, and visualization privilege Western scientific and market-based frameworks that often exclude affective, embodied, and more-than-human ways of knowing. Using autoethnography and six semi-structured interviews with urban forestry professionals, the study explores how practitioners experience tensions between treating trees as measurable commodities and engaging them as relational beings. It finds that while urban foresters rely on dominant discourses such as ecosystem services to …

Spatial Marginalization Of Emotional Support: Understanding Animal-Human Dynamics Of Care On College Campuses, Aleksandra Craine

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

In 2015 Kearny-Nebraska court case determined that student campus housing is considered a dwelling and is therefore covered by housing antidiscrimination laws. Since then, increasing numbers of students across U.S. campuses applied to bring an emotional support animal to live with them. Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as “trained or untrained animals that do work, perform tasks, provide assistance, and/or provide therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities.” Persons requesting ESA accommodations usually must provide documentation from a medical provider or therapist. ESAs remain a legally and socially contested category …

The Future Of U.S. Higher Education: Equity Implications Of Shifting Immigration Policies, Research Institute For Social Equity Rise

Research Institute for Social Equity

This report examines the impact of U.S. immigration policies on higher education and international students from 2000 to 2025. It traces five major policy eras, from the post- 9/11 security overhaul and Obama-era expansion to the restrictive turns of 2017–2020 and 2025, and analyzes how shifting regulations have influenced enrollment patterns, economic contributions, and student well-being. Despite hosting more than 1.1 million international students in 2023–2024, the U.S. share of the global student market has fallen from 20% to 16%, underscoring how policy volatility and restrictive measures weaken national competitiveness. Drawing on federal data, scholarly research, and institutional reports, this …

Integrated Geospatial Analysis Of Burn Severity And Vegetation Recovery Of The California August Complex Fire In 2020, Dharm Barot, Ronny Schroeder, Elise Anderson

Student Works

Large wildfires increasingly alter vegetation structure and ecosystem recovery trajectories at landscape scales, requiring reliable geospatial methods for post-fire assessment. This study evaluates burn severity and vegetation recovery following the 2020 California August Complex Fire using an integrated framework combining multispectral satellite imagery, spatial statistics, and airborne LiDAR data.

Burn severity was quantified using differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), and vegetation recovery was assessed through a multi-temporal NBR time series spanning pre-fire (2015), fire-year (2020), and post-fire (2025) conditions. Optimized Hotspot Analysis (Gi*) was applied to isolate statistically significant clusters of high burn severity and reduce bias in recovery estimates. …

Validating Uas-Based Ndvi Data With Satellite Landsat Imagery For Bald Eagle Habitat Prediction In The Del Rio Springs Ecosystem, Noah Morales, Colton Weeks, Hank Vincent, Ronny Schroeder

Student Works

Vegetation health is commonly assessed using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which can be derived from multispectral sensors operating at different spatial resolutions. Validating NDVI products across sensor platforms is essential to determine their reliability for environmental monitoring and habitat assessment. This research compares NDVI derived from moderate-resolution satellite imagery and high-resolution unmanned aircraft system (UAS) imagery collected over the same study area. Landsat imagery, provided through the joint USGS–NASA mission, was used to represent satellite-based vegetation patterns, while high-resolution multispectral data were acquired using a MicaSense sensor mounted on a UAS to capture fine-scale vegetation detail.

NDVI values …

Integrated Geospatial Analysis Of Burn Severity And Vegetation Recovery Of The California August Complex Fire In 2020, Dharm Barot, Ronny Schroeder

Student Works

Large wildfires increasingly alter vegetation structure and ecosystem recovery trajectories at landscape scales, requiring reliable geospatial methods for post-fire assessment. This study evaluates burn severity and vegetation recovery following the 2020 California August Complex Fire using an integrated framework combining multispectral satellite imagery, spatial statistics, and airborne LiDAR data.

Burn severity was quantified using differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), and vegetation recovery was assessed through a multi-temporal NBR time series spanning pre-fire (2015), fire-year (2020), and post-fire (2025) conditions. Optimized Hotspot Analysis (Gi*) was applied to isolate statistically significant clusters of high burn severity and reduce bias in recovery estimates. …

Precision Rockslide Hazard Mapping With Multispectral Imaging And Lidar Along Arizona Highway 89a, Hank Warner, Ronny Schroeder

Student Works

Along mountainous roads, rockslides, mud slides and avalanches pose a significant risk for continued access to a region and can cause large amounts of damage to infrastructure, taking time to clear and repair. The prediction of where these events will occur can allow preventative measures to be taken, allowing sustained access and preventing costly repairs.

This study develops a method to analyze and predict rockslide risk using satellite-sourced multispectral imagery and airborne LiDAR data.

The developed method started with multispectral LANDSAT 8 imagery and airborne LiDAR captures over Arizona Highway 89A, with all data taken between late August and early …

Submesoscale Dynamics Of Phytoplankton And Carbon Export Revealed By High-Resolution Airborne And Satellite Remote Sensing Of Currents And Ocean Color, Sarah E. Lang

Open Access Dissertations

Satellites and airborne sensors reveal submesoscale (1 - 10 km) variability in ocean color in the form of filaments, eddies, and patches. The variability in ocean color is closely tied to the physical dynamics that restructure phytoplankton distributions and drive active biological responses like changes in primary productivity and community structure. As the base of the marine food web and a key component of the biological carbon pump, phytoplankton are crucial to the overall health of marine ecosystems and to the ocean's role in climate. This dissertation focuses on the use of airborne and satellite remote sensing to study the …

Assessment Of Truck Parking Demand And Safety During Normal And Severe Weather Conditions In Nebraska, Nathan Huynh, Li Zhao, Zhenghong Tang, Aida Riahifar, Jahangeer Jahangeer

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

This project examined truck parking capacity, demand, and utilization patterns along I-80 in Nebraska. The objectives were to (1) document the capacity of public and private truck parking facilities along I-80, (2) analyze spatial and temporal trends in parking demand, (3) develop models to predict occupancy at parking facilities, (4) identify clusters of undesignated parking during inclement weather, and (5) assess whether truck parking shortages contribute to truck-involved crashes. Within a one-mile buffer of I-80, 21 public facilities and 49 private facilities were identified. The spatiotemporal analysis of these public and private truck parking facilities using the National Agriculture Imagery …

Sangha: Displacement And Memory In Nikkei Dena, Isabella Rae Uriu

Honors Theses

Sangha: Displacement and Memory in Nikkei Dena explores how layered displacements have shaped the Nikkei (Japanese-American) community in Altadena and Pasadena (Dena), CA, and how Nikkei resist forces of displacement and ‘unbelonging’ through cultural practice, community care, and memory-work at the Pasadena Buddhist Temple. This thesis argues that these practices of place-making build belonging and sustain the Nikkei community across displacement; particularly, the forced removal and incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II, freeway displacement during the mid-century, and most recently, the 2025 Eaton Fire, which has displaced tens of thousands of Denans, including a small, but …

Sinking City To Breakthrough City: A Political Analysis And Evaluation Of Indonesia's Capital City Relocation From Jakarta To Nusantara, Yuji Jones

CMC Senior Theses

This paper analyzes Indonesia’s national decision to move its capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara. Indonesia is facing a dire catastrophe in its most populous city. The land surrounding Jakarta is sinking, and without significant mitigation efforts, the streets will be submerged by 2045. This is a slow-motion disaster coming for Indonesia and Jakarta. This left the country with a crucial decision: to save the capital city. In response to this environmental crisis, Indonesia’s government has committed to making a nationwide and ambitious decision to move the capital to Nusantara, a smaller city bustling with tropical forests 1,000 kilometers away, …

Using Remote Sensing Technology To Develop A Framework For Improving Hydrologic Models, Marissa Cook

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With increased storm intensity due to climate change and urbanization, flash flooding has become an increasingly significant issue globally and regionally. Although the factors influencing urban flash flooding are well-known, there is a growing need for technology to accurately and remotely predict the chance of a flash flood occurring from any given rain event to give people time to prepare. This study aims to use multispectral satellite imagery to provide a framework for improving near real-time flood predictions in an urban area of a high gradient, fourth order stream impacted by flooding. Specifically, we utilize satellite imagery to create the …

A Critical Toponymy Of Humboldt County: Ethics And Tensions Within Efforts To Change Place Names, Serenity Aleta Wood

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This project explores how Humboldt regional placenames enact toponymic silencing and how Indigenous activists challenge colonial names and geographies, advancing un-settled interpretations that position language revitalization/regeneration as a means of revitalizing relationships with the land. Mobilizing Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy’s concept of (re)naming, I analyze two case studies, the Baduwa’t documentary and the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation’s film A'-t'i Xwee-ghayt-nish: Still, We Live On, as well as three additional artistic works: Sarah Biscarra Dilley’s every pattern needs a passage, Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe’s Thunder Song, and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s painting, State Names. In tandem with film and poetry analysis, I survey local …

Model Data Of "Aerial Imagery Resolution Optimization And Machine Learning Model Comparison For Land Cover Classification", Jessica Suoja

Research Data Sets

Downloadable zip file contents:

• 1MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 8.5 KB)
• 1MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 81.4 MB)
• 2MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 2MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 20.8 MB)
• 5MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.1 KB)
• 5MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 2.4 MB)
• 50CentimeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.7 KB)
• 50CentimeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 333.3 MB)
• 75CentimeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 75CentimeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 147.0 MB)
• 1125MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.0 KB)
• 1125MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 65.8 MB)
• 125MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 125MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 53.1 MB)
• 1375MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.5 KB)
• 1375MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 44.1 MB)
• 150MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.0 KB)
• 150MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 37.0 MB)
• 175MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 175MeterPrediction.csv …

Model Data Of "Land Cover Classification Of A Desert Riparian Ecosystem Using A Basic Stacked Ensemble Modeling Approach", Jessica Suoja

Research Data Sets

Downloadable zip file contents:

• CARTscript.R (R script, 2.2 KB)
• ForModel.csv (CSV file, 9.5 KB) 
• ForPrediction.csv (CSV file, 44.1 MB)

Data-Driven Methodologies For Mapping Cultural Heritage: The Case Of The National Coal Heritage Area, West Virginia, Usa, Hossain Mohammad Nahyan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this dissertation was to develop a comprehensive, data-driven spatial framework for characterizing the complex cultural landscape of the National Coal Heritage Area (NCHA) in West Virginia. By transitioning away from traditional, heuristic spatial mapping, this research integrates advanced spatial statistics, machine learning, and GIS-based methodologies to objectively quantify the physical, visual, and cultural dimensions of the post-mining environment. The research is structured around three interconnected empirical studies, each addressing a specific scale of the Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) framework to support heritage conservation and sustainable spatial planning. The first paper focused on landform classification, developing an automated …

Spatial Patterns And Morphometric Evolution Of Sinkholes In Response To Watershed Hydrogeomorphology: Examples From A Karst Landscape In The Missouri Ozarks, Usa, Marcell Tóth

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Sinkholes are characteristic enclosed depressions with internal drainage connecting the surface and subsurface karst hydrologic system. Their morphological evolution involves gradual subsidence of the ground surface and hazardous collapses. Therefore, understanding sinkhole morphometry and linked spatial distribution is critical for managing geohazards in karst watersheds. Sinkhole occurrence shows spatial variability based on watershed geomorphological attributes, surficial hydrological patterns, hydrogeological and geological settings. The aim of this research is to investigate morphometric properties and distribution of sinkholes in the carbonate karst-dominated lands of Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, USA. The specific objectives were to (1) identify sinkhole clusters based on …

Identifying Socio-Economic Areas Of Concern Towards Inclusion In Gis Hazard Management In Detroit, Michigan., Ernestina Osei

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This study examined the spatial distribution of socio-economic vulnerability and accessibility to essential services in Detroit, Michigan, using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based approach. The research aimed to identify areas of greatest concern by integrating socio-economic indicators, including poverty, housing vacancy, income, unemployment, and crime, with spatial measures of access to critical infrastructure such as hospitals, fire stations, police stations, and grocery stores. Both feature-based and raster-based analyses were employed, including buffer and overlay analysis, service area evaluation, Euclidean distance modeling, and multi-criteria suitability analysis.

A mixed-methods framework was adopted to combine quantitative spatial analysis with contextual understanding of urban …

Lake As Body: Ecofeminism And Animacy At The Great Salt Lake, Shae Barber

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Water shapes cultural, social, and ecological systems. Yet, dominant economic, political, and academic frameworks often treat water as a backdrop or passive resource, ignoring it as an active participant in meaning-making and relationship-building. Viewing water as “nonliving” obscures how it participates in and co-creates relationships, limiting understanding about impacts of and responses to climate change and environmental degradation.

This thesis takes a mixed-methods and participatory approach including semi-structured interview, photovoice, and participatory mapping to examine relational practices between environmental advocates and the Great Salt Lake, a desiccating saline lake in Utah, U.S. As the lake continues to decline, dominant Western …

A Psychogeography Of The Lower Colorado River Basin, Arren L. Kimbel-Sannit

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dried-up canals. Superheated strip malls. Proliferating data centers. Infinite appetite for growth despite its apparent circumstances. Arizona may well be the state of the American future. This multi-genre series of essays from Arren Kimbel-Sannit offers a personal, political-economic and ecological critique of growth and accumulation in Arizona — from the perspective of someone who grew up in its suburban expanses, reported on its politics, and long sought to clarify his relationship with home.

Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp

Capstone Showcase

This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …

Improving Flood Risk Mapping By Incorporating Local-Scale Calibration Data Derived From Stakeholder Input, Jennifer M. Holifield, Wei Wu, Patrick D. Biber, Margo Posten, Dennis Mcgrury, Stephen C. Deal, Alexandria Hancock

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Globally, flooding is the most frequent and costly natural hazards, disproportionately affecting populations based on environmental, social, and economic factors. Understanding the spatial variability of flood risk as well as the respective flood drivers is essential for informing cost-effective mitigation strategies and enhancing community resilience. Here we mapped flood risk that combines flood hazards and vulnerability in an under-resourced coastal community prone to compound flooding. Our approach integrates stakeholder engagement with GIS-based analysis using open-access datasets.

We first developed an initial flood hazard map using an equal-weight combination of factors commonly associated with flood occurrence/prevention, including upslope area, impervious surface …

Perceptions And Metaperceptions Of Bison In The West, Riley Rush Comstock

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Effective coexistence between wildlife populations and the people that live with them requires an understanding of how people feel toward the species and their management. Bison occupy a unique place in conservation history and management. Once extirpated across nearly all of their range and only recently introduced to areas outside of large tracts of federal land, they are now a jurisdictionally challenged species, with varying management paradigms across a patchwork of landowners and managers. Recent research has shown how activating different social identities can distort people’s attitudes toward species. Here, I explore whether activating urban and rural identities distorts people’s …

The Online Atlas Of Illinois: Teaching The Geography Of The Land Of Lincoln, John C. Kostelnick, Jill Freund Thomas, Amy M. Bloom

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

From the introduction:

The state atlas, with a variety of thematic and reference maps, has an established history within cartography in part due to the convenience of using political boundaries to organize map content for presentation to wide audiences. Several US states have produced state atlases to highlight their unique history, physical geography, and human geography (e.g., Meacham and Allan 2003). Such atlases may be designed for general map enthusiasts, and they may play an important role in the teaching of regional geography and key concepts that students may find more relatable when presented in a familiar geographic context.

Atomic Sameness: Static Placemaking And Nuclear Dynamism, Rex J. Rowley

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Dozens of locations across the United States were impacted by the development and deployment of American atomic weapons. Some of these places continue to change along with the world around them. Other sites remain in intentionally static space. Using a cultural landscape approach, this paper analyzes two such places that represent two broad groups of static atomic landscapes: 1) atomic testing sites; and 2) remnant sites for containment of stored materials and byproducts from the processing and extraction for and scientific testing of atomic technology. Influencing the static nature of such landscapes is a combination of intentional government-led efforts to …

Identifying Mobility Hub Suitability In The Mid-Sized United States Urban Area Using Weighted Overlay And Percentile Based Local Peak Analysis, Eric Asplund

Theses and Dissertations

IDENTIFYING MOBILITY HUB SUITABILITY IN THE MID-SIZED UNITED STATES URBAN AREA USING WEIGHTED OVERLAY AND PERCENTILE‑BASED LOCAL PEAK ANALYSIS

By Eric Asplund

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2026.

Major Director: Dr. Ivan Suen, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Urban and Regional Studies and Planning

Shared mobility hubs are increasingly posited in transportation planning as interventions supporting multimodality, sustainability, and equitable access, but guidance on evaluation of potential hub locations remains uneven, particularly in mid-sized United States cities where …

Drag’S Impact On Drag Lives, José L. Oropeza Iii

Anthós

Drag’s Impact On Drag Lives

In light of recent political developments where Drag and Trans identities are being punished, why do people still participate in Drag? If there are repercussion to face for being a Drag Queen, then surely it must affect their lives for the better for them to continue the practice.

Through an autoethnographic approach to researching the Portland, OR Drag community, I collected transcripts of conversations with local Queens, took notes of community interactions, and put myself in Drag for the first time as a Queer man to better understand the Drag community and why they Drag. …

Urbst 103 Urban Diversity Syllabus, Padmini Biswas

Open Educational Resources

This course introduces the study of urban diversity in the United States. It explores the different forms of identity, community and cultural belonging that dot the urban landscape, and analyzes the historical, social, political, and economic forces that shape the everyday lives of diverse urban populations.