I would like to touch briefly on four topics before handing you off to the main body of this newsletter.

First, a note about Professor Gerard Rushton, or as graduate students of a certain era (including myself) know him “Jarrard the Invincible”, defender of truth, scientific integrity, and quantitative geography; striking fear into those who lacked the drive to think carefully and deeply about geographic problems.  Now, after 42 years of service to the department, and 49 to the academy and the discipline, Professor Gerard Rushton has retired and the department will never be quite the same. The contributions Gerry made to the department, and geography more generally, are truly remarkable. 

The Lord Jarrard the Invincible in his study(from the 1995 DOG)

In June, Gerry was honored with a symposium focused on his research and the research that he inspired through his mentorship. The organizing committee of the symposium will develop a Festschrift from Gerry’s collected works. I will let you know how you can get a copy of the Festschrift once it is completed. I thank Alan Phipps, Sara McLafferty, and Avijit Ghosh for organizing this wonderful event as well as those of you who attended. The symposium culminated with a presentation to Dr. Rushton of a bound volume of his former graduate students' presentations. This tribute to Dr. Rushton’s career will continue in a special session at next year's meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) in Tampa, Florida, April 8-12, 2014. 

(Left to Right) Avijit Ghosh, Chetan Tiwari, Tom Eagle, Carolyn Rushton, Gerard Rushton, John Mercer, Sara McLafferty, Alan Phipps and Rudy Banerjee

While I could chronicle Gerry’s accomplishments here, I could not do it as well or with as much feeling as the students to whom he provided so much.  We invited Gerry’s past students to reflect on their interactions within him over the years.  The appreciation and admiration that these past students have for Gerry comes out loud and clear in these statements and speaks volumes about Gerry as a mentor and as a scholar.  Please read below what these individuals have to say about Gerry, it is a fitting tribute to a great career.  Gerry’s own thoughts about retirement are highlighted below in the Faculty Spotlight section. Let me just say at this point that it has truly been an honor to be a colleague of Gerry’s and we can’t thank him enough for all he has done for the department.

Second, we have a new name; we are now the “Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences.” Our objective in selecting a new name was to maintain a strong connection to the broader discipline of geography, speak in a meaningful way to a wider audience, and provide a framework for strategic growth.  We believe that Geographical Science speaks to our discipline. It tells you and our colleagues that we remain committed to the quantitative analysis of geographical processes using the advanced computational techniques of geographic information science. Sustainability Science has been defined by the Harvard Sustainability Science Program as a science that seeks to “advance basic understanding of the dynamics of human-environment systems…” (sounds like geography to me). Adding sustainability to our departmental moniker, therefore, communicates to our discipline and a wider audience that we:

1. Remain focused on human-environment interaction, but do so in a way that we hope is more informative, timely, and engaging.
2. Consider it to be part of our mission to help produce students with the knowledge and tools needed to work toward a sustainable future.
3. Remain committed to current programs in environmental studies, environmental science, environmental policy and planning (EPPL), and sustainability.
4. Conduct research on issues relevant to sustainability.
5. Use sustainability, coupled with geographic information science, as an organizing framework for future growth.

I hope you approve of this name change.

Third,  a new minor in Geographic Information Science (GIS) is now offered by the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences.   The objective of this minor is to provide non-geography majors an opportunity to gain valuable experience with and knowledge of spatial technologies. Students who complete this program of study will acquire a basic proficiency in the use of geographic information systems software and an appreciation for the value and special properties of spatial data in problem solving. The program will help to fill the demand for GIS and related spatial technology skills that is sought by employers.  

Fourth, (and this part is difficult for me) I must beg you to seriously consider contributing to the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences. As you all know, funding higher education and research presents significant challenges and as budgets tighten anything that is not essential to the daily operation of the institution gets cut. What does that mean in practice? Often it means that those less formal activities that enrich and provide depth to the educational experience are sacrificed. The ability of the department  to, for example, supplement  a student’s travel to a conference, provide a summer internship, support field research, bring in a noted speaker, or provide a state-of-the-art teaching laboratory is lost. Your collective donations can go a long way in turning this situation around.  You can help by contributing to the:

Development fund

• Undergraduate and graduate student travel to conferences
• Undergraduate and graduate student research
• Undergraduate and graduate scholarships for excellence
• Special events (e.g., our recent reception in honor of Professor Rushton’s retirement)

Rex Honey Fund

In memory of Dr. Rex Honey and is used to bring in speakers to present on topics central to his research interests in political geography, governance and public administration, and human rights.

Harold H. McCarty Memorial Fund

Established in honor of Harold H. McCarty, the first Chair of the Department (1946-1968), this fund supports distinguished undergraduate and graduate students in their academic endeavors.

Alternatively, you can directly help in the education of students by providing internship opportunities in an area relevant to geography.

Please visit to the following website and donate to the department:

www.givetoiowa.org/2014GG01

Your contributions will mean so much to us and to the students you help support.

Thank you!