The Center for Applied Spatial Analysis (CASA) and the Geography & Natural Resources Program bring a series of speakers who shared their work and how geography relates to them. Speakers talked about a wide range of topics including health, social justice, linguistics, and more. We will have a series of workshops (limited spaces) on mapping, dashboard, and air quality. The public will have the opportunity to learn about the presented cases, ask questions, and reflect on the importance of geography.
The event is free and open to the public.
About the Event
The National Geographic is the creator of the Geography Awareness Week (#GeoWeek). Every year, thousands of people participate in the #GeoWeek. It was established by presidential proclamation (Proclamation 5700) in 1987. This annual public awareness program encourages citizens to think about the importance of spatial thinking and how we understand and affect space and how we are affected by it. Each November, the Program of Geography & Environmental Resources at California State University, Stanislaus (Stanislaus State) works to contribute on the dissemination of geography knowledge and the importance of geography (spatial reasoning) in other disciplines.
“The #GeoWeek and #GISday are annual celebrations that take place in the same week.”
GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. The #GISDay is a world-wide annual celebration taking place in the middle (Wednesday) of the Geography Week. Since 1999, GIS Day has helped to learn about geography and spatial thinking. Similarly, is a day to showcase the impact of GIS in our society.
“Speakers will talk about their work and how their discipline is intertwined with geography.”
This event, supported by several partners, brings a series of speakers and workshops to celebrate #GeoWeek and #GISday. They will share their work and how it is related to geography. Speakers will bring a wide range of topics including health, linguistics, current topics, and more. The public will have the opportunity to learn about historical development of social, economic, and political disparities of the presented cases and ask questions and reflect on the importance of the humanities and geography."
This event exposes the public to the value of transdisciplinary work centering geography as an essential application not just in academia but also in everyday life. You will have the opportunity to experience our shared history of civic participation. This event invites the audience to think about the importance and wide range of geography and how it relates to our everyday life.
Speakers
Gene Barrera (MCP, Housing & Community Development, UC Berkeley) is GIS Manager for the County of Merced. Mr. Barrera is a strategic planner in geospatial technology implementation for government & academic institutions
Kenneth Boettcher (M.A. History, Stanislaus State) Ken is alumnus of MA in History program, with distinction. He works as Administrative Coordinator for the History Department and writes for System Change Not Climate Change.
Matthew Derrick (Ph.D. Geography, University of Oregon) is Director of Social Sciences and Associate Dean of the Stockton Campus. He is a two-time Fulbright scholar traveling to the Kazan, Russia (2008/10) and Kyrgyzstan (2018).
Christina Falk (M.S. Water resources Management, Fresno State) She is the GIS/IT Coordinator for San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District. Christina is an alumna of the Geography Program at Stanislaus State.
Adam Fleenor (Ph.D., UC Merced) is a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at Stanislaus State University. His interdisciplinary training includes Social Theory, GIS, Native Studies, and Critical Pedagogy.
David H. Kaplan (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison) is Professor of Geography at Kent State University. He served as President for the American Association of Geographers. He edits the Geographical Review and National Identities.
Elissa LaComb (B.S. Geography & Criminal Justice, Stanislaus State) Elissa La Comb currently works for the U.S. Forest Service as a Park Ranger for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah.
Covadonga Lamar Prieto (Ph.D., Hispanic and Latin American Linguistic, UCLA) Dr. Lamar Prieto is Interim Associate Dean Student Academic Affairs of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at UC Riverside.
Mirta Maldonado Valentín (Ph.D. Culture, Literacy, and Language, UT San Antonio) Mirta is an associate professor of English where she teaches in the ESL program. She is working on a Linguistic Landscape project at CASA.
Alison McNally (Ph.D., UC Davis) is an Associate Professor and director of the Geography & Environmental Resources at Stanislaus State. She is a founding member of the Center for Applied Spatial Analysis (CASA).
Esteban Montenegro (Ph.D. Research Evaluation, Methods, and Statistics, Educational Psychology, Texas Tech) is Assistant Professor in the Psychology Program. His research focuses on latent variable modeling & Bayesian inference.
Laura Plascencia (B.S., Biology, Stanislaus State) Laura Plascencia is a community organizer for the Valley Improvement Projects (VIP) a non-forprofit organization that advocates for social & environmental justice.
Marcelo S.R. da Silva (Ph.D. Candidate, UC Merced). He worked with the Brazilian Cooperation Agency. Marcelo earned an MA in Latin American Studies focusing on tropical conservation and development.
Goshu Tefera (Ph.D. Human Geography, Monash University, Australia). Dr. Tefera is an assistant professor of Ethnic Studies. His work focuses on the experiences of Africans in the diaspora through a pan-African decolonial lens.
Three-Day Conference Schedule
Tuesday, November 7
Location: Stockton Campus
Free Parking
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 2:00 PM - 2:20 PM (Stockton 1116) | Christina Falk, M.S. | GIS/IT Coordinator, San Joaquin County Buzz, Bites, and Public Health Insights: A GIS Approach to Mosquito Control. |
| 2:20 PM - 2:40 PM (Stockton 1116) | Adam Fleenor, Ph.D. | Stanislaus State, Sociology Native American GIS Counter-Maps: Social Justice and the Power of Maps |
| 2:40 PM - 3:00 PM (Stockton 1116) | Q & A |
| 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Stockton 1066) | Alison McNally, Ph.D. | Stanislaus State, Geography & Environmental Resources Workshop: How to build a Dashboard |
Wednesday, November 8
Location: Turlock Campus, Vasché Library
Free Parking in Lot #2 (except reserved for Faculty, Staff, and others)
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM (Library 102) | Matthew Derrick, Ph.D. | Interim Associate Dean, Stockton Campus Some Thoughts on Russia Today: Geographic Dimensions |
| 4:00 PM - 4:20 PM (Library 102) | Marcelo S.R. da Silva, Ph.D. Candidate | UC Merced Settler Colonialism in the Brazilian Amazon? |
| 4:20 PM - 4:40 PM (Library 102) | Kenneth Boettcher, M.A. | Stanislaus State, History How Neoliberal Capitalism Fuels the Climate Crisis and Rising Fascism |
| 4:40 PM - 5:00 PM (Library 102) | Q & A |
| 5:00 PM - 5:20 PM (Library 102) |
Elissa LaComb, B.S. | Alumna working at the Forest Service |
| 5:20 PM - 5:40 PM (Library 102) | Gene Barrera, M.C.P. | GIS Manager, Merced County A Regional Approach to GIS Governance: The North Valley THRIVE Project |
| 5:40 PM - 6:00 PM (Library 102) | Q & A |
| 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Library 201) | Laura Plascencia, B.S. | Valley Improvements Projects (VIP) Workshop: Visualizing Equity Indicators within the Central Valley using CalEnviroScreen 4.0: California's Environmental Health Mapping Tool (L 201) |
Thursday, November 9
Location: Turlock Campus, Vasché Library
Free Parking in Lot #2 (except reserved for Faculty, Staff, and others)
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM (Library 102) | Goshu Tefera, Ph.D. | Stanislaus State, Ethnic Studies Interpretivist Geography: Studying Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities |
| 3:00 PM - 3:20 PM (Library 102) | Mirta Maldonano Valentín, Ph.D. | Stanislaus State, English Multilingualism and Cultural Representation in Livingston, CA: A Sociolinguistic Study on Identity Formation in a Diverse Linguistic Landscape |
| 3:20 PM - 3:40 PM (Library 102) | Covadonga Lamar Prieto, Ph.D. | UC Riverside, Associate Dean of CHASS Geography and Minoritized Languages in California |
| 3:40 PM - 4:00 PM (Library 102) | Q & A |
| 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (to be announced) | Esteban Montenegro, Ph.D. | Stanislaus State, Psychology Workshop: Gentle Introduction to R Programming |
| 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM (Library 102) | David H. Kaplan, Ph.D. | Kent State University, Geography Geographies of Nationalism |
|
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Art Gallery) |
Sarah Grew, B.A. | Photographer & Painter Reception, Artist Talk & Exhibition: Ghost Forest & Plankton Line-Up |
Project Director
Dr. José R. Díaz Garayúa (Ph.D. Geography, Kent State University) is a broadly trained human geographer. His principal research interests spin around inequalities and their relation to class, race, ethnicity, and place. His research interests are socio-economics dynamics, human-environmental relations, cultural politics of place, identity & migration, health inequities, and participatory mapping & community GIS. He is Director of GIS and Co-Director of CASA | the Center for Applied Spatial Analysis at Stanislaus States.
Coordinators
Carolina Alfaro (M.A. Education, Stanislaus State University) Carolina Alfaro has over twenty years of unparalleled service and experience working with diverse communities both off and on campus. Currently serving as the founding Director for the Warrior Cross Cultural Center (previously the Diversity Center) at Stanislaus State, she takes pride in cultivating an atmosphere that promotes inclusivity and understanding of diverse populations. She oversees the center’s programming related to diversity, inclusion, social justice, and equity. She advocates for marginalized communities and continues to be a resource to help many feel "safe" or "empowered". Carolina also oversees Undocumented Student Services as well as the Male Success Initiative.
Matthew Derrick (Ph.D. Geography, University of Oregon) is Director of Social Sciences and Associate Dean of the Stockton Campus. In addition to his Ph.D. in Geography, he holds two master's degrees from the University of Oregon, one in Geography and the other in Russian Studies. Matt's teaching and research interests are fundamentally informed by his experience (approximately a decade total) living, working, studying, researching, and carousing in Russia and other Eurasian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Estonia (where he served in the Peace Corps), and Slovakia. He is a two-time Fulbright scholar.
With Support From
- College of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- Geography & Environmental Resources
- Center For Applied Spatial Analysis
- Instructionally Related Activities
- Warrior Cross Cultural Center
- Stan State Stockton Campus