University of Richmond Geography professor, Dr. David Salisbury, rescued a three-toed sloth while in the Amazon Rainforest. While sloths can swim, the current in the Jurua River in Peru was too strong at the time for the sloth to make it safely across.
We’re pleased to recognize our 2024 departmental award winners:
Outstanding Senior Geographer: Matteo Gonzalez
Exemplary Geography Research Award: Shaoting Wen
Exemplary Service Award: Eli Beech-Brown
Outstanding Service to the Spatial Analysis Lab: Caitlin Fay
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability prepares students to explore and understand cultural, bio‐physical, and geospatial environments, and their interactions and transformations, thereby empowering our students to shape a just and sustainable world. Geography professors offer exciting, experiential courses on a range of important issues like global climate change, industrialization, resource management, agricultural change, urbanization, land use, deforestation, and hydrology. Students will learn to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related geospatial technologies to prepare them for exciting employment and research opportunities in many different fields.
Each year the Department of Geography, Environment, & Sustainability, the Environmental Studies Program, and Global Studies Program partner to bring noteworthy speakers and scholars to Richmond to present lectures related to our global environment. All events are free and open to the public.
Mary Finley-Brook was promoted to professor of geography, environment, & sustainability. Finley-Brook specializes in environmental policy, climate justice, public health, energy transition, affordable access to renewable energy technologies, and equity in environmental, climate and energy governance.
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Stephanie Spera was promoted to associate professor of geography, environment, & sustainability. Her research seeks to understand landscape-level human-environment feedbacks regarding social, economic, and environmental drivers and consequences.
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Mary Finley-Brook, associate professor of geography, environment, & sustainability, along with Charles S. Mullis, ’23, published “Circular economy, methane capture, and climate education in US HEIs” in the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.
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Todd Lookingbill, professor of geography, environment, & sustainability, along with Beth Zizzamia, Special Analysis Lab GIS operations manager, published “Virginia Heat Watch: Collaboration to assess climate vulnerability at local to regional scales” in Urban Climate.
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This grant will support a collaborative project focusing on climate impacts on Native Americans in Virginia.
Research experiences and faculty mentorship are a powerful combination for Spiders competing for prestigious national fellowships and scholarships.
Geography and environment professor Stephanie Spera is quoted.
Geography and environment professor Stephanie Spera is featured.
Geography and environment professor Stephanie Spera is quoted in this piece, which has been published in more than 20 additional outlets.
Geography and environment professor Stephanie Spera is quoted.
The University of Richmond's Scholarship Repository shares faculty publications with a world-wide audience. The map below shows where articles from geography faculty are being read around the globe.
Mailing address:
Department of Geography, Environment, & Sustainability
Carole Weinstein International Center, 3rd Floor
211 Richmond Way
University of Richmond, Virginia 23173
Phone: (804) 287-8661
Fax: (804) 484-1577
Spatial Analysis Laboratory: (804) 484-1518
Department Chair: David Salisbury
Major Advisors: Mary Finley-Brook, Todd Lookingbill, Kyle Redican, David Salisbury, and Stephanie Spera
Academic Administrative Specialist: Nancy Propst
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