Comments for Graduate School of Geography

Comment on Guestbook by Pheakkdey Nguon, PhD '16, Forest Governance Expert, European Forest Institute

Pheakkdey Nguon, PhD '16, Forest Governance Expert, European Forest Institute — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 06:54:02 +0000

Going to the Graduate School of Geography for my PhD was the best decision of my life. My advisor, Tony Bebbington, and everyone on the committee (Ron Eastman, Dominik Kulakowski, Colin Polsky, and Diana Liverman) were extremely kind and supportive. They contributed greatly to my development as a researcher and a professional working in the intersection of science, policy and development. The years at Clark were so pleasant also because of the other students who were there. It was so easy to make friends across cohorts.

Comment on Guestbook by Dr. Jacqueline M. Vadjunec, Department of Geography, Oklahoma State University (PhD 2007)

Wed, 03 May 2023 18:18:17 +0000

Thanks Clark Geography for a most wonderful adventure! I look forward to seeing what is next!

Comment on Guestbook by Hannah Silverfine, BA ‘16/ MS ‘17, Senior Associate at Kearns & West

Hannah Silverfine, BA ‘16/ MS ‘17, Senior Associate at Kearns & West — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 01:38:06 +0000

I’m grateful for my time in the Geography department, and the faculty, staff, and students who created a meaningful learning community. Professors such as Jody Emel, Denise Humphreys Bebbington, and James McCarthy fundamentally changed my understanding of social, political, and environmental systems, and offered concrete skills and frameworks to approach working towards change. The ability to connect my academics to my campus organizing efforts ultimately placed me on a path to find jobs advancing equitable environmental policy. I also made lifelong friends! Happy Birthday to Clark Geography!

Comment on Guestbook by Dan Weiner, BA '78, Ph.D. '86, Retired Educational Assessment Specialist

Dan Weiner, BA '78, Ph.D. '86, Retired Educational Assessment Specialist — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 23:12:07 +0000

I came to Clark Geography in 1974 as a freshman and left in 1986 with a Ph.D. I grew up intellectually and spiritually through Clark Geography in Worcester, Africa and the U.S. Great Plains. No words can convey the importance of this period of my life. Thank you.

Comment on Guestbook by Susi Moser, Ph.D. ’97, Director and Principal Researcher of Susanne Moser Research & Consulting

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:37:29 +0000

Happy Birthday, Clark Geography! So great to see some familiar names, and so glad to know of so many other Clarkies I didn’t know were Clarkies. Just to say, Yes, Paul R., you were there; and no, Emma, winters weren’t that bad, really. Or wait, maybe. O.k. at least stimulating – causing me to write a whole damn Master’s thesis on it, only to go on – under the , yes, Jiang – fine mentorship of Roger Kasperson, to survive the route to a Ph.D.! I can only echo the sense of what a formative time those years were, in so many ways. And also the gratitude for the great companionship and intellectual stimulation. Hey, George, wake up, the Centennial is here…. free food!

Comment on Guestbook by Susi Moser, Ph.D. '97, Director and Principal Researcher of Susanne Moser Research & Consulting

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:36:18 +0000

Comment on Guestbook by Jessa Loomis BA ’06, Assistant Professor in Economic Geography, Newcastle University (UK)

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 08:33:03 +0000

As a bright-eyed first year student in the fall of 2002, I randomly registered for GEO 016: Intro to Economic Geography. This course, chosen to fulfil a liberal arts perspective, set me on a path in geography at Clark. I proctored the J.K. Wright computer lab (with fellow troublemakers Ryan Frazier and John Casellas Connors), presented undergrad research at the 2006 AAG in Chicago, and was an urban development and social change fellow researching residents’ perceptions of the Kilby-Gardiner-Hammond project in Main South. Particularly formative was the opportunity to take mixed-level classes alongside some truly incredible grad students who inspired me to consider graduate school, a possibility I knew nothing about at the time.

Sixteen years later, in the fall of 2018, I had the mind-bending experience of returning to the GSG as a Visiting Assistant Professor to take up my first academic position after completing my PhD. Imagine staring back at 50 bright-eyed undergraduate students eagerly awaiting their own first day of Intro to Economic Geography? To say I experienced vertigo in that moment is an understatement! It was an incredible privilege to have my first faculty position at Clark, where I was able to work alongside mentors who I greatly admire and phenomenal students.

The GSG is a site of truly transformative education, and it has profoundly shaped who I am as a researcher, teacher, and colleague. I am grateful for all the kind and brilliant Clark geographers that I have been lucky enough to cross paths with along the way—you make the GSG a special place. Cheers to 100 years!

Comment on Guestbook by Young-Long Kim, PhD '18, Assistant Professor, Department of Smart City, Gachon University, South Korea

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 02:47:59 +0000

I’m excited to reconnect with CUGS comrades and share some fond memories of our time.
As a geographer, I must say that my fondest memories are deeply connected to the spaces and places that defined my experience in PhD years. From Moynihan’s to State Liquor, Fantastic Pizza to Peppercorn’s, Saigon to Acoustic Java, and Crystal Pond to the Mezz.
Although I regret not being able to join you all at the Centennial celebration, I was thrilled to read notes from the old fellows who spent significant and crucial time in Main South. It’s heartening to remind that we made traditions of conceptual potlucks, lunar new year potlucks, liquor-treat Halloween parties, movie nights at Jeff320, and Los Party Killer’s concerts.
It’s amazing to think that every generation over the past 100 years shares their own memories based on the same geography. I hope the next generation in the next 100 and 200 years keeps some of our cherished traditions alive while creating new ones that reflect their unique experiences.

Comment on Guestbook by Sharon Krefetz, Emerita Assoc. Professor of Poli. Sci.

Sharon Krefetz, Emerita Assoc. Professor of Poli. Sci. — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 02:59:33 +0000

My gratitude to and respect for Roger Kasperson and Saul Cohen cannot be expressed adequately in this brief message. My 46 year career as a professor and administrator at Clark began in 1972 when I was hired to teach a course on Urban Politics that Roger was not able to teach because he had become Dean of the College. When he interviewed me for the part-time position, he asked very interesting questions and shared some of his perspectives on Clark students, which made me all the more eager to teach at Clark. When a full-time position in what was then called the Department of Government and International Relations was authorized later that year, Roger interviewed me again, and it was clear that we had similar views about the connections between teaching and research. He also inspired me to think about the connections between the politics and geography of cities and suburbs. When I was hired for the full-time position, Roger became a role model and mentor. 20 years later I became Dean of the College, and one year after that Roger became Provost, which gave me the opportunity to work closely with him for several years and to appreciate his tremendous dedication to and love of Clark, as well as for his beloved wife Jeanne.
Soon after I joined the Clark faculty, I met Saul Cohen through some Geography students who took courses with me and told him about some of the interests we shared, including Israeli political geography. To make a long story short, Saul became my mentor and dear friend. He included me as a member of his research team on a project in Israel, introduced me to a number of distinguished scholars there, and had a tremendous impact on my professional development. He also included me in several events at his home with his family, and his daughter Deborah and I became good friends. After Saul and his family moved to New York when he became the President of Queens College, we stayed in touch, and I benefitted in so many ways from our continued friendship. Saul inspired me to do my best in academia and also showed me by example that one’s family matters above all.

Comment on Guestbook by Claudia Radel Ph.D. '05, Professor, Associate Dean of The Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 18:11:37 +0000

I am indebted to the Clark Graduate School of Geography. My graduate degrees at Clark were my first tastes of finding my disciplinary home. Even now as faculty in a multidisciplinary department, I am forever a Geographer and I owe that to Clark. Happy Centennial!