You are in the official 2001-2002 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Stanley F. Norsworthy, Chair
Undergraduate Adviser: Consult department chair
Jerry C. Towle, Graduate Adviser
Michelle Calvarese
James S. Kus
Chi Kin Leung
Wayne V. Merchen
Michael J. Moratto
Aribilola Omolayo
Joyce A. Quinn
Jerry C. Towle
S. Jeffery Underwood
Paul Vander Meer
Instruction at introductory, advanced, and graduate levels is conducted by a faculty whose teaching and research interests are diverse. All major facets of the discipline are represented as are a number of specializations.
Geography is an integrative discipline that bridges the natural
and social sciences. Its distinctiveness is as much a product
of its unique approach to the study of the earth and its human
inhabitants as it is the subject matter itself. Thus, geography
employs a spatial framework for organizational purposes analogous
to the chronological framework employed in history.
Central to geographic inquiry is a concern with the human occupance
of the earth, the character of the human environment, and the
interrelationships that link humans and the physical world. In
sum, geography seeks to provide a broad understanding of the world,
its people, and its problems and to provide applied specializations
and technical skills that can address economic, social, and environmental
problems at scales that range from local to global.
Not surprisingly, the subject matter of geography is diverse.
Geographers examine and analyze patterns of rural and urban settlement,
resource exploitation, land use, social and cultural phenomena.
They are concerned with the natural features and processes of
the earth's surface, the ways in which nature has conditioned
the human occupance of the earth, and the ways in which people
have modified natural landscapes.
The department's instructional programs are designed to address
several objectives. First, for the larger number of our students,
we provide a greater understanding of the world as an element
of a liberal education. Second, we conduct programs for majors
and minors in geography that assure a depth of knowledge in subject
matter and technique. Third, we serve those students in related
disciplines who wish to strengthen programs of study through a
selection of courses in geography.
A variety of facilities is available for student use. Well-equipped
laboratories are maintained for the conduct of research and instruction
in physical geography and the technique fields Geographic Information
Systems (GIS), cartography, air photo interpretation and remote
sensing, meteorological instrumentation, and quantitative analysis.
The department also operates a weather station.
The department has a computer laboratory for mapping, Geographic
Information Systems (GIS), and a variety of other applications.
The department is also well-equipped for fieldwork.
Geographers are employed in government and the private sector. Their knowledge and skills have applications in a variety of fields including teaching, planning, cartography, GIS, locational analysis, intelligence and security, land and resource management, policy research, transportation, and industrial development.
Agencies of federal, state, and local governments are major
employers of geographers. At the federal level many agencies employ
geographers. At state and local levels most geographers are involved
in planning, land and resource management, and community development.
Because many businesses and industries have important geographical
dimensions to their operations, there is demand for geographers
in the private sector. Geographers are employed in banking, transportation,
international trade, utilities, wholesaling and retailing, and
a number of other fields. Finally, teaching is a major occupation
for individuals with training in geography. The department welcomes
inquiries about career opportunities.
Geography
Courses