Geography Commons^™

The Personality Of Place: Physical Geography And The Shaping Of The Nineteenth-Century German Immigrant Ethnic Identity, Abigail Ward

Honors Theses

In the nineteenth century alone, approximately five million German-speaking immigrants arrived in America. However, the motivations of these individuals for moving to America, far from identical, were nearly as numerous as the individuals themselves. The German ethnic identity in America was not uniform, but the expression of many factors having to do with both the Vaterland and the new land. These factors ranged from the timing of emigration, which was largely influence by religious, political, and economic upheaval in Europe, to each German’s system of values, which dictated the kind of future he saw for himself and therefore where he …

Redeveloping Mississippi: A Case Study On Brownfields In Central & Southern Mississippi, Sahrah R. Yeroozedek

Master's Theses

Brownfields, or properties that are or possibly are contaminated with dangerous materials, represent a common obstacle for communities in Mississippi. The real or potential presence of contaminants at these sites often deters investors due to costly cleanup requirements (EPA, n.d. -b). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Brownfield Revitalization Program, implemented guidelines for covering the costs and labor associated with the remediation of these properties. The EPA is not, however, responsible for redevelopment that supports long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Although the EPA maintains inventories of all Brownfields, there is also no comprehensive database of Brownfields and their current …

College Of Natural Sciences Spring Newsletter, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

[Page 1] Dean's Message
[Page] 2 Awards & Recognitions // Student Spotlights
[Page] 3 Zhang Named to Landsat Science Team // The Power of Teaching
[Page] 4 “Science as Art” Competition Welcomes High School Artists
[Page] 5 Testing for “Forever Chemicals” in Surface Water // New Faculty Spotlight
[Page] 6 Ambassador Initiated Outreach
[Page] 7 57th Annual Geography Convention
[Page] 8 Twice the Impact on On Call with the Prairie Doc
[Page] 9 Making Staple Foods Healthier // Halaweish & Cole-Dai Retire
[Page] 10 Drone Day 2026
[Page] 11 Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Day (SRSCAD)
[Page] 12 Ceremony …

From Guyana To Queens: The Formation Of The Indo-Guyanese Ethnoburb In New York City, 1970-1990, Lianne R. Persaud

Theses and Dissertations

Expanding on Li’s concept of ethnoburbs, this study examines Indo-Guyanese settlement in Little Guyana, Queens (1970–1990). I propose the Vertical Enclave Model, which suggests that multi-family homeownership and internal rental markets facilitated the residential permanence of working-class individuals. The IPUMS Census microdata corroborates this community’s reliance on metropolitan integration, thereby refuting traditional self-sufficient ethnic enclave theories.

Evaluating Long-Term Seasonal Variability Of Aerosol Optical Properties In Colorado, Erin K. Boedicker, Andre Bergeron, Gerardo Carrillo-Cardenas, Dominik Kulakowski, John Rogan, Elizabeth Andrews, Gannet A. Hallar

Geography

Aerosol particles resulting from both wildfires and dust events introduce considerable uncertainty into both climate research and public health assessments. These challenges are becoming particularly evident in the western US. To gain a deeper understanding of western US aerosol properties, we analyzed 13 years (2011–2024) of surface in-situ aerosol optical data from Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) in northwestern Colorado, and 6 years (2019–2024) of surface in-situ aerosol optical data from Table Mountain (BOS) in central Colorado. The aerosol optical properties at both sites demonstrate a strong summer wildfire smoke signal (peaking in August) and evidence of springtime dust events. BOS …

The "Evil Forest" As Threshold: A Computational Eco-Feminist Study Of The Forest In Nigerian Fantasy, Cynthia O. Mbagwu

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the representation of the “evil forest” in Nnedi Okorafor’s Zahrah the Windseeker and Ukamaka Olisakwe’s Don’t Answer When They Call Your Name, arguing that the forest functions as a liminal threshold that catalyses female transformation. Combining close reading with computational tools like TF-IDF keyword extraction in Ruby and sentiment analysis using VADER, the project investigates how pre-colonial and colonial connotations of the “evil forest” are re-imagined in contemporary Nigerian fantasy fiction. By segmenting each narrative into pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal phases, the study tracks shifts in sentiment toward the forest and correlates them with thematic developments …

Factors Affecting Pedestrian-Vehicle Conflicts: An Empirical Analysis, Christo D. Jamo

Honors Scholar Theses

The number of pedestrian deaths increased by 78% between 2009 and 2023, while other motor vehicle crash deaths increased by 13% in the same period [1]. To identify potential pedestrian safety measures, this study analyzed the effects of location-based demographics, pedestrian phasing type, and other physical infrastructure and behavior variables on the probability of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts at signalized intersections, which is a surrogate measure of crash risk. Data were collected from 55 intersections in Connecticut, and the pedestrian-vehicle interactions were classified by severity based on the Swedish Traffic Conflict Technique: undisturbed passage, potential conflict, minor conflict, or serious conflict. Because …

Modeling Bicycle Ridership In Northwest Arkansas, Nelofar Qulizada

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a global comparison, the U.S. ranks second lowest in bicycle use for urban trips, surpassed only by Brazil. This underutilization signals missed opportunities to improve public health, environmental sustainability, and community connections. In Northwest Arkansas (NWA), a region actively investing in active transportation infrastructure, efforts were underway to reverse this trend. However, a key question remained: Were these investments effectively boosting bicycle ridership? To address this question, communities required reliable methods to measure cycling activity. Traditionally, this involved stationary counters placed at strategic locations to monitor ridership patterns. While accurate, these counters had limited spatial coverage. In contrast, emerging …

Old-Growth Surveys And Landowner Outreach In The Cross Timbers Of Oklahoma, Jon Webb

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Cross Timbers ecoregion represents a critical ecologic transition zone, spanning approximately 17 million acres across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Arkansas. Situated between eastern deciduous forests and the southern Great Plains, the Cross Timbers are dominated by drought-tolerant post oak (Quercus stellata) and blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica). Despite retaining some of the most extensive old-growth forests in the eastern United States, this ecoregion remains threatened by urban expansion, agricultural conversion, altered fire regimes, and eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) encroachment. This project sought to identify, survey, and document large, previously un-surveyed or unreported tracts of old-growth Cross Timbers in Oklahoma, …

Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Despite beavers’ recent surge in popularity, prevailing negative attitudes and the persistence of beaver removal practices remain obstacles for those advocating living with beavers. The Montana Beaver Working Group (BWG) advances beavers’ role in ecological and community resilience through members’ collaborative efforts, including beaver-related restoration and conflict resolution projects. Bringing together people with diverse values and perspectives, the BWG builds collective understanding, develops a holistic vision for beavers in Montana, and supports members in pursuing it. As the group’s impacts and membership have grown, so too has their need to adapt. For my Civic Engagement Project, I strengthened the BWG’s …

The Geography Of Race: A Spatial Analysis Of Free People Of Color In The City Of Charleston (1790-1861), Alexandra Ullman

All Theses

In Charleston, South Carolina, for all but one year from 1790 to 1860, the enslaved and free Black population outnumbered that of the white. Through manumission, the process of an enslaved person gaining their freedom, the free Black population grew substantially and reached a peak in South Carolina during the nineteenth century. This large community of free people of color (FPOC), shifted the social climate by upsetting the balance of white power, thus increasing racial conflict, tension, and legislation that aimed to control the movement of FPOC.

Despite FPOC comprising a significant portion of the total population of Charleston, there …

On The Paleontology Of Belize, Alson Ovando

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Paleontology can be considered an underrepresented and emerging area of science in Belize. A primary aim of this thesis is to provide a background of paleontology in Belize and present the first comprehensive study of Quaternary vertebrate fossils known from the country. Quaternary fossil sites across Belize include caves, rivers, and sinkholes. In addition to reviewing and assessing material from known sites, this thesis presents new information and discoveries that were made while investigating Belize’s Quaternary fossil record. This thesis also includes a geospatial model depicting ecoregions in Belize during the last glacial maximum. Overall, the results presented here demonstrate …

Machine-Learning Landslide Susceptibility And Runout Modeling In The Nolichucky River Gorge After Hurricane Helene, Grace Braver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extreme rainfall from Hurricane Helene (September 2024) triggered widespread landslides across the southern Appalachian region, highlighting the need for rapid landslide susceptibility assessments that capture both landslide initiation and downstream runout. Traditional susceptibility models often focus solely on initiation zones, limiting their ability to identify which slopes will generate destructive landslides or where material will travel. This study addresses that gap by (1) integrating Geographic Information System (GIS)-based machine learning susceptibility modeling using ArcGIS Pro: Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) and Random Forest-Based and Boosted Classification and Regression (FBBC) and (2) the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Grfin (Growth, Flow, and Inundation) runout …

Conventional Vs. Regenerative Apple Orchard Management In Michigan, Anthony Poynter

Masters Theses

This study compares the variables and outcomes of a conventional apple orchard and a regenerative apple orchard production system in Kent County, Michigan. The premise is that conventional agriculture relies on high-input systems characterized by synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, while regenerative agriculture focuses on long-term soil health, biodiversity, and ecological processes. These differences are important as soil degradation, nutrient loss, and environmental impacts are becoming too significant to ignore. Most research on alternative ways to farm, such as regenerative practices, is focused on annual crops, while perennial orchard systems, especially in the Great Lakes region, have gained limited …

Increasing Accuracy Of Mapping Local Climatic Zones Using Building Height And Spectral Unmixing, Ian Douglas Stauffer

Masters Theses

Local climatic zone (LCZ) classifications are traditionally done using reflectance, population data, and often climatic data. The goal of this research is to utilize Google’s new “Open Buildings Temporal v1” building data set as well as “spectral unmixing”. With the objective of testing, assessing, and implementing this data set into the workflow of LCZ mapping. After testing the quality of the data against a validated LiDAR data set from the same year as a given “Open Buildings Temporal v1” band, I implemented it into the Random Forest machine learning process. Secondly, I justified the use of spectral unmixing as a …

Public Pool Usage As Adaptation Against Urban Heat, Stefan Borsky, Eric Fesselmeyer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper examines the relationship between urban heat and outdoor public pool usage. Using attendance data from all 53 outdoor public pools in New York City, we analyze nonlinear effects of heat on pool usage across socioeconomic contexts. Pool attendance rises sharply with heat, especially in low-income neighborhoods where alternative coping options are likely limited. We also find that public pools reduce heat-related emergency medical service calls. Our findings highlight the need for equitable investment in blue infrastructure to enhance urban climate resilience and demonstrate how this type of adaptive infrastructure can play a critical role in managing urban heat.

Passive Microwave Remote Sensing Of Flash Drought Impacts On Vegetation, Quinton R. Deppert

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2002, Dr. Mark Svoboda characterized a new form of drought known as flash drought. Flash drought was defined as a rapid decline in vegetation health caused by severe heat and drought. In recent years, attempts to quantify the impacts of flash drought via precipitation, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and temperature indicators have proliferated. What has rarely been quantified is what the rapid decline in vegetation health amid flash drought looks like through remote sensing. This is because vegetation health indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are derived from the visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum and …

On The Trail, In The Towns: Visitor Use And Community Perspectives Along Montana’S Continental Divide Trail, Ava Worbets, Kika Bradford, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

As outdoor recreation participation has steadily increased nationwide over the past decade, reaching record levels in 2024 amid long‑term growth trends (OIA, 2025), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is drawing rising numbers of hikers traveling through Montana’s gateway communities. Yet little is known about who these hikers are or how their presence affects the towns that support them. This report examines CDT hikers and their relationships with Montana gateway communities from two complementary perspectives. First, understanding hikers’ demographics, spending patterns, and trail behaviors using data from 507 respondents who completed Montana’s CDT sections between 2022 and 2024. Second, exploring how …

Empirical Line Calibration And Spectral Comparison Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Shimon Von-Rad Alexis Beazer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increased usage of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for various applications has broadened access to high-resolution aerial imaging, a field with deep roots in geography, remote sensing, and geospatial science. Radiometric correction in satellite imagery has its origins in the early decades of Earth observation, with foundational work beginning alongside the launch of the first multispectral satellites and evolving through decades of research into atmospheric correction, sensor calibration, and reflectance modelling. As UAS adoption grows, research into atmospheric attenuation effects on UAS imagery becomes necessary. Empirical line calibration converts digital number values to surface reflectance and is used here to …

Using Satellite-Observed Geospatial Inundation Data To Identify The Impacts Of Floods On Firm-Level Performance: The Case Of China During 2000–2009, Pao-Li Chang, Fan Zheng

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper compiles high-resolution geospatial inundation areas of China for the period 2000–2009 based on satellite imagery repositories filtered by the Global Flood Database (GFD). In parallel, we geocode a comprehensive firm-level dataset of China and combine these two sets of geospatial data to identify the set of inundated firms in each year of flood events, as well as the distances of all non-inundated firms from the inundated areas. Given the high-resolution inundation data, we adopt a generalized dynamic-panel specification to estimate dynamic and spatial spillover effects of floods on firm-level production activities (including outputs, capital and labor inputs, and …