A Global Educational Experience between Geography and Nursing:  Interdisciplinarity and  Sustainability

The purpose of this paper is to present an interdisciplinary model of education abroad in Cyprus.  This unique educational opportunity allows undergraduate students from across several campuses to achieve three goals:  (1) to enhance their global perspective by participating in an Education Abroad experience, (2) to participate in an interdisciplinary learning experience between geography and nursing, and (3) to fulfill the proposed university general education thematic requirements which focus on sustainability.  The United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, focused on Cyprus as a case example, provide a common theme for interdisciplinarity. This transformational educational experience provides students with a "team lens" drawing upon targeted field trips throughout the island, interdisciplinary projects between the two fields of study, and the opportunity to live and learn together within a foreign country.  
FIRST AUTHOR
Stabros Constantinou, The Ohio State University
SECOND AUTHOR
Dianne Morrison-Beedy, The Ohio State University
KEY WORDS
Geography education; interdisciplinarity; sustainability; sustainable development

A spatial analysis of obesity: association of urban food environments with obesity in Chicago

The obesity rate in Chicago has increased up to more than 30% in the last two decades. Obesity is a major problem in Chicago, where 36% of the city's high school students and 61% of adults in the metropolitan area are overweight or obese. Simultaneously, Chicago remains highly segregated by race - a phenomenon that begs for spatial analysis of health. Extant work exploring associations between the food retail environment and obesity has provided mixed findings, and virtually none of this work has been done in Chicago. Here, we explore whether being overweight or obese is associated with urban food environments, such as access to different types of food retail outlets, at the zip code level. We use 2018 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine the spatial variations in obesity. Using spatial statistics, multilevel regression models with interaction terms, and geographically weighted regressions, we assess whether the function of urban food environments can explain the spatial distribution of obesity. First, we conduct multilevel analyses, controlling the individual determinants and capturing a wide range of food environmental attributes. Second, we frame the results of the multilevel analysis into the theoretical model of spatial variations in obesity, to examine the association of food access factors with the spatial distribution of obesity. Third, we test the cross-level interactions of gender, age, and race/ethnicity with food access factors. Results show spatial variation of obesity relates to the disparity of access to food retail outlets among different groups of residents. This provides evidence that access to food retail outlets relates to weight status in Chicago - a city that continues to be defined by racial segregation. Findings can be used to promote equitable access to food retail outlets, which may help reduce broader health inequities in Chicago.  
FIRST AUTHOR 
Hao Huang, Illinois Institute of Technology
​KEY WORDS
Obesity; food access factors; food environments; retail outlets; behavioral risk factor surveillance system; racial segregation; gender; age; health inequality; Chicago

A Survey of Interdisciplinary Educational Experiences Abroad in Geography​

Geography is well equipped to provide internationalized curriculum through interdisciplinary educational experiences abroad. Undergraduate geography students surveyed 213 geography programs in the United States to identify disciplines partnering with geography in short-term, faculty-led study abroad opportunities. Only 42 opportunities, offered by 31departments, were identified. Ten of the abroad opportunities partnered with a single discipline, one partnered with four disciplines, and 31 had no disciplinary partner. Undoubtedly, more geography experiences abroad exist than what was found. These findings suggest there are missed opportunities for interdisciplinary geography programs abroad and highlight the need for better advertising when targeting undergraduate geography students.​
FIRST AUTHOR
Clayton Whitesides, Coastal Carolina University
SECOND AUTHOR
Dominique Cagalanan, Coastal Carolina University
KEY WORDS
Education Abroad; Interdisciplinary; Undergraduate Education; Geography Education

WHAT IS PROPER PLACE?: PERCEPTIONS OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 

Place is the human and nonhuman cocreation of the culture and context of space. Perception of place therefor is the assumptions, positive or negative, ascribed to areas of everyday life in which individuals interact, work, or learn. Historically, poverty and race have played a significant role in determining the perception of a neighborhood or community. This research paper will take a critical look at the different perceptions of the neighborhoods surrounding the high schools in Lincoln, Nebraska. To look at perception of place, a survey was given to individuals to see which schools they identified as "good" and "bad". Through the composition and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data, this paper aims to identify if there is a connection between poverty, race, and negative perception of the schools in the different areas of Lincoln.
FIRST AUTHOR
Morgan Ryan, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
KEY WORDS
Critical Geography; Cultural Geography; Perception of Place: Race; Poverty; High schools

"Who give you belle?": Understanding the structural drivers of Teenage Pregnancy in Nigeria

Teenage pregnancy is a growing demographic concern worldwide. Most of these teenage pregnancies occur in low and middle income countries including Nigeria. Several research have focused on individual-level factors associated with teenage pregnancy but very few have emphasized on the structural drivers of teenage pregnancy. Thus, the study views the geographical distribution of this social problem in Nigeria from a structural perspective. The central question of the study is to what extent do societal conditions shape teenage pregnancy in Nigeria? The source of the data used for this research were the National Demographic and Health Survey report of 2018, Annual Abstract of Statistics report of 2012 and 2016 and State of States report 2018. The statistical and spatial tools employed to analyse the data were global Moran's I, Local Getis Ord, Pearson correlation and stepwise regression. Teenage pregnancy hotspots were widespread across northern Nigeria. Results also pointed out that poverty and illiteracy among women were the major drivers of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria. The study recommends that poverty eradication and women education should be a priority of the State so as to reduce the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Nigeria.
FIRST AUTHOR
Tolulope Osayomi, Department of Geography, University of Ibadan
SECOND AUTHOR
Ayodimeji Jonathan Orelusi, Department of Geography, University of Ibadan
KEY WORDS
Teenage pregnancy; political economy; women empowerment; poverty; Nigeria​

Across the Rural-Urban Universe: Two Continuous Indices of Urbanization for U.S. Census Microdata​

To distinguish urban and rural populations in the U.S., a common practice is to use one of the official federal classifications of metropolitan/non-metropolitan (i.e., metro/nonmetro) or urban/rural areas. These classifications are not identified in public use census microdata, which makes it difficult to investigate relationships between the urban/rural status of individuals and their demographic characteristics, socio-economic status, and living arrangements. The standard binary classifications are also coarse, and they each index a distinct dimension of settlement patterns, so it can be misleading to use only one classification to generalize about urban-rural disparities. To address these limitations, we compute two continuous indices for public use microdata - average tract density and average metro/micro-area population - using population-weighted geometric means. We show how these indices correspond to two key dimensions of settlement patterns, and we demonstrate their utility through an examination of disparities in poverty throughout the rural-urban universe. Both indices are now available for recent census microdata via IPUMS USA (https://usa.ipums.org).
FIRST AUTHOR
Jonathan Schroeder, IPUMS, University of Minnesota
SECOND AUTHOR
Jose Pacas, IPUMS, University of Minnesota
​KEY WORDS
Census; urban; rural; suburb

An Alternative Textbook of Retail Geography​

Retail geography is a popular subject in North American and European universities, as it frequently leads to rewarding professional jobs in retail corporations, financial institutions, and commercial real estate companies. Yet, there are only a few textbooks available for adoption, and the current textbooks are all in need of update to reflect the changes in the retail industry and the recent development in geo-technologies. The alternative textbook is developed with three distinctive features. First, the book is guided by both the traditional location theories and the theory of the New Geography of Retailing. Second, the component chapters are conceptualized and organized using the retail planning process as the framework. Third, the methodological chapters are presented with detailed descriptions of the techniques and are supported with practical examples to reflect the latest software development (including the Huff Model and Location-Allocation modelling). The book is written primarily for students interested in specializing in retail geography, but the majority of the chapters are useful for students of retail management and commercial real estate management, who take retail geography as a professionally-related course. As well, the application of the GIS-based techniques and the practical examples should make it a valuable handbook for practitioners in the field. Despite the trend of online retailing taking increasing market shares, bricks-and-mortar stores will continue to stay; even online retailers (including Amazon) are moving towards multi-channel retailing by building physical stores of their own. Therefore, store location analysis is still needed, and such a book still relevant.        
FIRST AUTHOR
Shuguang Wang, Ryerson University
SECOND AUTHOR
Paul Du, Allstate Insurance Co. of Canada
​KEY WORDS
Retail geography; business geography; location analysis of commercial activity

An Analysis of Severe Work Zone Crashes in Ohio, 2015-2019​

In the state of Ohio, 2019 saw a record number of work zone crashes, an increase of about 40 percent from the previous year. These crashes, 6,574 in all, have more than doubled 2014 totals. Work zone crashes in 2020 are currently on pace to set another record high in Ohio, despite a multiple-month long statewide stay-at-home order due to COVID-19 measures resulting in significantly fewer vehicle miles traveled. This paper analyzes the crash characteristics for work zone crashes with the most severe outcomes. The most recent 5-year time period in Ohio is analyzed using data from the Ohio Department of Transportation's crash database (GCAT). The goal of this research is to understand which driver characteristics and which environmental characteristics influence occurrence and severity of work zone crashes. Certain types of crashes and certain locations within a work zone are found to be more dangerous than others. Interactions between crash type and crash location are also found. Additionally, driver characteristics such as age and intoxication are found to play roles in severity levels. Understanding these factors can lead policy change recommendations and targeted safety efforts. This analysis can also help to understand why work zone crashes are increasing at a high rate in the state. As a ubiquitous part of the transportation system, work zone crashes are unique in that they endanger not only vehicle occupants, but also workers who may be present and particularly vulnerable. Outcomes from this research will seek to increase safety for everyone involved in work zones. 
FIRST AUTHOR
Rebekka E. Apardian, University of Toledo
SECOND AUTHOR
Bhuiyan Alam, University of Toledo
KEY WORDS
Transportation; traffic safety; work zone; regression; Ohio

An experiential learning module demonstrates how geographers collect, organize, and display data to increase environmental awareness among undergraduates.  ​

Engaging students in experiential learning by designing field activities on campus can demonstrate how geographers collect, manipulate, and display data.  This undergraduate module provides an example of the scientific method and potentially recruits curious geographers into the major. We developed a Survey123 app to demonstrate mapping activities to students in an on-line freshman-level course. The activity coincided with a chapter on biodiversity which described photosynthesis, and the importance of trees in carbon sequestration. Students mapped locations of common tree species on campus. Students not on campus were guided to use the app to zoom in to campus and mark features on the associated satellite image. We downloaded their data into spreadsheets and designed an Excel activity to demonstrate data organization and summary. Next, we mapped the survey results on Google Earth. The objective of our effort was to design activities that make the link between apps, maps, features of the environment, and geographic concepts obvious; thus, prompting the realization that we all use geography in our everyday lives. Developing an assessment tool and structured discussions for this activity will likely improve the learning, and possibly the recruiting and retention of freshman students in geography.
FIRST AUTHOR 
Carol Campbell, New Mexico State University
SECOND AUTHOR
Scott Miller, New Mexico State University
KEY WORDS
Field activities; geographic data collection; diversity

Analysis of Urban Tree Problems Identified by Community Tree Survey of the Village of Homer, NY​

This poster reports on outcomes of a multi-day community tree survey as part of civic engagement components of two connected SUNY Cortland courses. In fall 2019, students from the Environmental Remote Sensing and Tree Biology courses conducted a tree survey for the Village of Homer, NY as part of an NSF Common Problems Pedagogy grant. The students jointly collected nearly 1,000 tree data points using the iTree mobile app and GPS units, then created maps and conducted image processing on aerial photography. Students shared their findings in collaborative final presentations, including a species distribution of greater than 56% maples with over 25% invasive Norway maple (Acer platanoides) along with non-natives Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) at 3.4% and Norway spruce (Picea abies) at 1.7%. Results presented here focus on the spatial extent of the urban tree problems of potential insect damage to maples, power line conflicts, and sidewalk damage.
FIRST AUTHOR 
Connor Brierton, SUNY Cortland
SECOND AUTHOR
Christopher Badurek, SUNY Cortland
KEY WORDS
GIS; mobile; GPS; tree survey; iTree; tree inventory; urban forests; GIS education; remote sensing; apps; civic engagement

Analyzing place preferences through residential satisfaction: Spatial heterogeneity in Latin American cities

The study of residential preferences and choices is still important due to regional differences in housing markets induced by socio-demographic and economic shifts. Cultural shifts such as new family types and lifestyles have broadened the variety of housing behavior. Additionally, most studies focused on the global north cities, disregarding other regions diversity. Consequently, this article aims to identify the level of individual residential satisfaction while identifying any spatial patterns. We present the preliminary results of a cross-sectional survey on housing characteristics and preferences in the city of Quito, Ecuador. We measure the level of satisfaction by both comparing the current and preferred housing and neighborhood characteristics and by the subjective level of satisfaction expressed by individuals. We focus on the level of residential satisfaction as an outcome of the gap between current housing situation and residential preferences. We integrated a traditional housing research approach that focuses on current and future demands for housing, with a multi-attribute value that focuses on the value of each housing characteristic, and a lifestyle method that considers the heterogeneity of housing choices. We aim to capture the effects of place on residential satisfaction by incorporating neighborhood characteristics as a factor determining the level of satisfaction.
FIRST AUTHOR
Felipe M. Valdez, Northern Illinois University
​KEY WORDS
Place preferences; residential satisfaction; spatial heterogeneity; Latin America

Assessing Effectiveness of Integrating Mobile Apps, Tree Surveys, and Civic Engagement in GIS Courses​

This presentation reports on the outcomes of two GIS courses that engaged students in community tree surveys as part of civic engagement components of each course. First, we report on the outcomes of students participating in an upper level course, Advanced GIS. Working with a community partner from the City of Cortland, students used the Collector from ArcGIS, to collect approximately 200 data points of trees. Students from an upper level course, Environmental Remote Sensing, engaged in a tree survey for the Village of Homer, NY as part of an NSF undergraduate education grant. Students from Environmental Remote Sensing worked directly with 16 students in a collaborating upper level course, Tree Biology, to collect nearly 1000 tree data points using the iTree mobile app as well as high precision GPS units. Students then created maps and conducted image processing on aerial photography to share with the project community partner. In assessing the success of these teaching approaches, we consider two primary questions: 1) did the civic engagement component improve student learning?, and 2) did the applied learning experience provide opportunity to improve general skills such as project management, collaborative work, communication skills, and interest in lifelong learning and community service.
FIRST AUTHOR
Christopher A. Badurek, SUNY Cortland
SECOND AUTHOR
Melinda Shimizu, SUNY Cortland
KEY WORDS
GIS; mobile; GPS; tree survey; iTree; tree inventory; urban forests; GIS education; remote sensing; apps; civic engagement

Assessing Schools as Infrastructure: How Do Schools Shape Adaptive Capacity During the COVID-19 Pandemic?​

In response to health and safety guidelines following the onset of the novel Coronavirus, many schools across the United States have closed their physical buildings and transitioned schooling fully online. Consequently, school districts had to determine how best to deliver services in addition to educational outcomes including programs addressing food insecurity and information technology access. This paper examines the institutional decision-making practices among school administrators in Pennsylvania, investigates how school districts are mobilizing to deliver essential services beyond educational outcomes to students and families and analyzes the impacts of the disruption on social vulnerability. We argue that schools are under theorized as essential urban infrastructure shaping struggles for healthy and sustainable communities. Through an intersectional feminist approach to studying hazards, we show how place-based institutions adapt in the context of an evolving public health crisis and the implications for social equity. 
FIRST AUTHOR
Sarah Heck, Temple University
SECOND AUTHOR
Melissa Gilbert, Temple University
THIRD AUTHOR
Hamil Pearsall, Temple University
KEY WORDS
Social infrastructure; school districts; social vulnerability; food insecurity; digital inequalities

Barriers in Urban Tree Planting Initiatives in Philadelphia, PA​

Urban tree cover is particularly low in low-income areas in American cities, leading to increased temperatures for vulnerable residents. Tree planting programs aim to address this gap in tree cover, however a lack of resident participation can prevent tree canopy levels from rising. This research aims to better understand the barriers that residents may face in planting trees or getting involved in current urban tree planting efforts, with a focus on communities with the greatest need for urban greening initiatives in Philadelphia, PA. Working in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), twenty in-depth interviews were conducted remotely with various community leaders around North Philadelphia. Findings reveal residential fears regarding the long-term cost and maintenance of older, larger trees, as well as the need for further education regarding the benefits of tree plantings. This research highlights the importance of integrating resident perspectives into tree cover initiatives from both city governments and nonprofit groups alike to ensure equity and inclusion. 
FIRST AUTHOR
Elizabeth Riedman, Temple University
KEY WORDS
Urban tree canopy; barriers; equity; qualitative

Building a Regional Tree-Ring Master Chronology for Northcentral Pennsylvania​

Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, is a method of matching patterns of annual tree growth in sequences of overlapping core samples from various wood sources, to pinpoint age and analyze regional climate and environmental conditions. Beginning with live tree cores and finding progressively older samples, lengthy chronologies are compiled that can extend backwards for thousands of years. This method is currently used by many archaeologists, climatologists, and environmental scientists in the temperate forests of the world, where trees are responsive to annual variations in climate. 
This research addresses the lack of an existing chronology in Northcentral Pennsylvania, and aims to collect, analyze, and cross-date tree-ring samples within Tioga County to produce an open-access master database. This data has various research applications including climate change, ecological studies, geomorphic investigations, and measuring pollution. Research agreements with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and State Game Commission provide 184,207 acres for sampling. Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) were chosen as they are native to this region of Pennsylvania and they have high potential for matching rings, with a Cross-Dating Index rating of two. The decimation of the eastern hemlock by the invasive wooly adelgid throughout Appalachia provides further rationale. 
FIRST AUTHOR
Lee Stocks, Mansfield University
SECOND AUTHOR
Kara Grosso, University of Tennessee
THIRD AUTHOR
Mikailla Nolasco, Mansfield University
KEY WORDS
Dendochronology​

Building sustainability through community-based ecotourism: a framework for the Chorokhi Delta​

The Chorokhi Delta, located in the south Caucasian country of Georgia, is an ecological paradise of remarkable natural beauty. It is rich in biological diversity as well as attracts a large variety of migratory birds. However, as a result of the growing human intervention, the natural environment of the Chorokhi Delta is gradually degrading. The existing socio-economic condition in the areas surrounding the delta also has been proving to be detrimental in this regard. As a result, the delta is struggling amidst unsustainable conditions. Hence, there is a need to plan and develop such strategies that will enable re-establishing its sustainability. Based on the existing scenario, conserving the environment of the delta along with promoting socio-economic development in the areas along it can prove to be beneficial in this regard. Since the area offers a huge ecotourism potential, developing strong community-based ecotourism can enable achieving this goal. Therefore, in this study, a framework for developing community-based ecotourism as a suitable strategy for building sustainability in the Chorokhi Delta is presented. 
FIRST AUTHOR
Sujayita Bhattacharjee, University of Mumbai
KEY WORDS
Community; Ecotourism; Environment; Socio-economic; Sustainability

Can Applied Geography be Critical?: A Case Study of the Target Corporation ​

The Minneapolis-based Target Corporation is one of America's most beloved and progressive retailers. At the same time, it is also a retail behemoth competing in an increasingly aggressive and cut-throat business environment. In this presentation I outline aspects of Target's corporate strategy over the past decade, showing how a commitment to social justice was combined with an urban spatial strategy to remain profitable. By placing this strategy in the context of the Black Lives Matter protests of Summer 2020, I illuminate the limitations of this strategy, discussing how urban Targets came to represent peak gentrification, tying whiteness, retailing, and urban space together. In the process I explore how applied geographers can reconcile some of the differences and mitigate issues between critical and applied geographical work.​
FIRST AUTHOR
Jack Swab, University of Kentucky
KEY WORDS
Social justice; retail geography; policing; gentrification; geographic thought

Census-Tract-Level Crop Risk Estimation Due to Drought, Extreme Cold Temperature, Extreme Heat, Hail, Lightning, and Tornadoes in Louisiana, U.S.A.​

Louisiana is one of the most hazard-prone states in the U.S.A. where many people are engaged in agricultural activities. Each year crop is damaged by flood, hurricane, tornadoes, hail, lightning, drought, winter storms, and/or heat waves. Most of the research focused on agricultural losses due to floods and hurricanes. Our research developed a method of crop loss risk assessment due to drought, extreme cold temperatures, extreme heat, hail, lightning, and tornadoes in the future with Louisiana as a case study. This approach improves crop risk assessment in multiple ways as it includes historic and present cropland, the projected change in cropland, present and projected hazard intensity, projected population change along with cropping intensity. Result suggests that agricultural activity are decreasing in the southeast Louisiana, especially in the coastal areas along with northwestern part of Louisiana, and increasing only in some part of northeastern Louisiana. The southwestern part of Louisiana affected mostly by drought, whereas crop loss in the northeast part incurred by extreme heat, hail, lightning, and tornado. In all cases, drought is the costliest among the six hazards. The findings in this study will help decision-makers to protect croplands from future hazards and ensure food security. 
FIRST AUTHOR 
Rubayet Bin Mostafiz, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University
SECOND AUTHOR
Nazla Bushra, Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University
KEY WORDS
Hazards; risk assessment; crop loss; Louisiana

Challenges in Assessing Associations between Air Pollution and Health: Gaps in the Spatial Coverage of Air Monitoring Stations in India​

Clean air is a critical natural resource for human health. Anthropogenic air pollution is a major public health hazard, with almost 9 million deaths per year worldwide (WHO). India shares a disproportionately high morbidity and mortality burden due to air pollution. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD - 2016) report estimates 2 million premature deaths annually in India due to ambient air pollution (AAP) and household air pollution (HOAP) exposure. This places air pollution amongst the top of all known health risk factors in the country. In India, there is spatial heterogeneity in terms of diverse climatological conditions, environmental awareness, and population density that contribute to the overall air quality of the region. The air pollution exposure risk occurs in both urban and rural populations. However, air quality monitoring is mostly confined to urban areas (Garaga et al., 2018), making it more difficult to understand the nature and distribution of population exposures among those living in rural parts. Although ground monitoring of air pollution is considered most accurate, there exist substantial gaps due to the uneven distribution of monitors across space. Satellite data and remote sensing methodologies can reliably fill these spatial gaps. The pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has a short lifetime, which implies it is detected near its source and is often considered a useful proxy for human activities. Tropospheric NO2 can easily be measured by satellite, and in this study, the spatial distribution of tropospheric NO2 was derived using Sentinel satellite data. However, satellite-derived measurements are not as accurate as those obtained using ground monitoring stations and should not be used as proxies for guiding public health intervention efforts. We propose that satellite-derived estimates can be used to identify and prioritize areas where additional ground monitoring stations need to be established. We utilized publicly available datasets and conducted our analysis using the open-source Google Earth Engine platform.
FIRST AUTHOR
Dr. Abhishek K. Kala, Advanced Environmental Research Institute, University of North Texas
SECOND AUTHOR
Dr. Chetan Tiwari, Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas
THIRD AUTHOR
Dr. Samuel F. Atkinson, Advanced Environmental Research Institute, University of North Texas
KEY WORDS
Air pollution; sensors; remote sensing; big data; exposure assessment; epidemiology
​

Circular Economy in local food systems: a framework for future investigation​

The Circular Economy (CE) is paradigm that seeks to promote environmentally-sound economic practices by closing the loop on material cycles in product value chains. Through reducing, reusing, and recycling, and linking of disparate industries, closed loop production cycles achieve lower carbon footprints and better economic outcomes by reducing virgin material consumption, emissions associated with transport and production, and stimulating labor markets by replacing manpower for machinery. CE is an inherently spatial concept since cooperative structures, industrial symbiosis, recycling of byproducts, and transport of products, are all functions of proximity. Food as an essential human need is a major polluter and therefore a CE focus area. Local food systems, especially those composed of clusters of small-scale producers, direct marketing channels to local consumers, and cooperative producer organizations, supported by local policy, form the ideal base for application of a CE. Despite much potential, geographical research on CE lags efforts from within industry and the nonprofit sector. Utilizing concepts from CE, industrial ecology, and supply chain literature on the one hand, and social and community capital theory on the other, this paper develops a theoretical framework for application of CE in local food systems and explores agendas and directions for future research.  
FIRST AUTHOR 
Shriya Rangarajan, Cornell University
KEY WORDS
Food systems; Circular Economy; Sustainability; Local Economy

Civility Discourse as Strategy in Undermining Student Concerns in Arizona Anti-Mexican American Studies Legislation​

This paper addresses how the attempted erasure of Mexican American history and culture in public K-12 classrooms in Tucson, Arizona was rationalized through rhetoric concerning “rude” youth protest. Former state superintendent Tom Horne wrote the anti-ethnic studies bill , admitting that his goal was to first end Mexican American Studies (MAS) and then all ethnic studies programs in Arizona public schools. Years of protest and legal battles followed. I consider the flagging of "rudeness" in attempts to undermine student protest and avoid discussions of racism in the legislation, alongside long-standing debates over matters of civility and politeness in political speech. One of the primary evasive discursive maneuvers in this case is the depiction of MAS students as "rude" with the further suggestion the MAS program taught them to demonstrate disrespect for authority. I focus on the discursive political work done through relying on this version of civility discourse that particularly targets youth of color. Here, politicians undermine the credibility of both those negatively impacted by the legislation and those who protest it. The use of the image of the rude or disrespectful Latinx student does the work of not only framing protest as "uncivil" but diminishing youth protesters and their agency. Doing so allows politicians to lay the blame for "rude behavior" at the feet of the MAS program, and moves the discussion away from racism in the legislation toward whether the program trained "future" citizen subjects in the appropriate forms of civil discourse and debate.
FIRST AUTHOR
Dr. Gloria Howerton, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
KEY WORDS
Race; education; civility; law

Clusters analysis for the family surnames in Ohio​

A wealth of geographic phenomenon is captured in xy qualitative data, for example, neighborhood characteristics such as income value or socioeconomic status have been shown to influence criminal behavior, substance abuse, mental health and psychiatric treatment (Sampson et al., 2009). Traditionally, a map can be drawn and evaluated visually, but it becomes unproductive for 1,000,000 values. As initial data, there was a .txt file, where coordinates and user names derived from voting records were processed. Such dataset was chosen as the simplest way to conduct cluster analysis of categorical big data. This study was designed to determine if Ohio state surname types highlighted by their origin using traditional statistical models. The results showed that 4 centroid groups are statistically significant and correspond to the geographic distribution of the historical population of Ohio. The conclusion is that, the proposed approach is suitable for the analysis of large qualitative data by traditional statistical methods, such as cluster analysis.
FIRST AUTHOR
Elena, Texas State University
KEY WORDS
Qualitative data; cluster analysis; historical population of Ohio

Consumption Zones as an Alternative to Commuting Zones​

Commuting (CZs) zones are a standard for evaluating labor market activity in the United States for the entire country, even in regions outside metropolitan areas. However, they are not the most appropriate spatial clusters for other economic activities, including household consumption.  
FIRST AUTHOR
Abe Dunn, Bureau of Economic Analysis
SECOND AUTHOR
Andrea Batch, Bureau of Economic Analysis
THIRD AUTHOR
Mahsa Gholizadeh, Bureau of Economic Analysis
KEY WORDS
Consumption Zones; dissimilarity matrix; clusters; credit card data

Costco Goes to China: Hybrid Market Entry Strategies of An International Retailer ​

This paper examines Costco's hybrid market entry strategies to China within the framework of multidimensional embeddedness. Different from its standardized operation in all the other international markets, Costco entered the Chinese market first through an online store on Alibaba's Tmall Global cross-border e-commerce platform in 2014. After opening another flagship store on Tmall's domestic marketplace in 2017, Costco opened its first warehouse club in Shanghai in August 2019. The debut of Costco's first outlet in China was a huge success. Based on an in-depth interview with a representative of Costco China and secondary company documentation, this study investigates how hybrid market entry strategies enabled Costco to achieve societal, network and territorial embeddedness in the Chinese market. Through this case study of Costco in China, this paper also adds insight into how international retailers strike the balance between standardization and localization in retail internationalization. 
FIRST AUTHOR
Ling Zhang, University of Central Arkansas
KEY WORDS
Retail; market entry; embeddedness; Costco; China 

Creating a Digital Wonderland:  The Potential of Mobile Apps for Cultural Geography in National Parks and Protected Areas ​

Mobile phones are a common part of visitor experiences in national parks and historic sites.  But often these devices are undervalued and overlooked by scholars as tools for enhancing visitor knowledge and communicating geographic scholarship. Mobile applications offer a rich opportunity for applied geography projects. Geographers are well positioned to employ mobile apps that reach out to a public audience by using some of our strongest skills and training in systems-based thinking, landscape interpretation, and geospatial technologies. This paper explores these opportunities through a case study of an innovative mobile application (app) developed for Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A. Drawing on ideas about inductive visualizations and scholarship from situated learning, cultural landscape interpretation, and digital geography, we explore the ways that cultural geographers can help park visitors visualize spatial relationships, environmental histories, and social geographies embedded in cultural landscapes. We focus our work on Yellowstone Lake, the site of some of the oldest tourism development and environmental management in the park. The paper concludes with a discussion of future opportunities for geographers to extend their reach to public and interdisciplinary audiences using citizen science, social media and crowdsourcing techniques in mobile apps for research and cultural site interpretation.
FIRST AUTHOR
Yolanda Youngs, Idaho State University
KEY WORDS
Mobile apps; cultural geography; national parks; digital geography

Crisis for the University Student? Examining Student Housing Cost within the UNC System

The cost of higher education has more than doubled in the past three decades, yet university enrollment has increased by 27% from 2000 to 2017. With rising tuition and greater demand for housing close to growing campuses, students' task to find affordable housing options is increasingly more difficult. According to College Data (2018), 40% of the college cost burden is housing. This substantial burden has already forced 36% of college students to be housing insecure and 9% to be homeless (Goldrick-Rab et al, 2018). This study investigates student housing costs and the factors driving them at institutions in the University of North Carolina System using secondary housing data and semi-structured interviews with University Administrators and Housing professionals across the state. Findings suggest an even more uncertain and unaffordable future for an already turbulent student housing market due to changing students, economic complications, the role of the market in university functions & student recruitment, and nationalization forces. Results can begin to inform policy and action that needs to be taken by students, universities, and local leaders to alleviate this crisis. 
FIRST AUTHOR
R. Connor Wood, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
SECOND AUTHOR
Claire Schuch, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Charlotte
KEY WORDS
Student Housing; Cost Burden; Higher Education; Housing Insecurity; College Economics

Desirability, Affordability, and Knowledge of Place: evidence from middle-income renters in New York City

Common sense suggests that housing price and household budgets inform where people can afford to live or move to. But how do people associate desirable neighborhood characteristics with their financial ability to move to them? This paper examines how middle-income renters in New York City assess areas of the city as desirable places they could afford to live. Using interviews and sketch-mapping, this paper focuses on how renters express the qualities of desirable places to live and how they know areas of the city are affordable. This paper applies Yi-Fu Tuan's framework of knowledge and experience of place as a conceptual framework to analyze on how expressed knowledge of places in the city related to renters' assessments of them. This paper finds that desirable and affordable places were described with specific details, demonstrating knowledge of places and housing prices. Desirable but unaffordable places were so classified because their desirable attributes rendered them unaffordable. However, affordable but undesirable areas were often only vaguely described, conceptually linking affordability with lack of knowledge and often negative qualities. This suggests that experience and knowledge informs which places a household would consider living or moving to.   
FIRST AUTHOR
Rebecca M. Shakespeare, Tufts University
KEY WORDS
Place preferences; affordability; qualitative analysis; middle-income renters; New York City

Determining the Sustainability of Cities: Fallacies and Accurateness.

A concern has arisen about the numerous rankings of sustainable, green and smart cities in various publications. Different publications are producing vastly different results. If a consistent and legitimate set of measures were being adopted by various researchers, there would be commonality among the rankings. However, this does not seem to be the situation. As such, this study explores the credibility of the published rankings of cities as to whether they are sustainable, green, or smart. 
The findings show that the majority of the rankings of sustainable, green and smart cities are diverse and employ questionable techniques. Sources that publish such rankings seemingly compile random lists of cities with no research having taken place. A survey helped establish some criteria by which to rank cities so as to create more consistent results.
FIRST AUTHOR
Damon Recagno, Ryerson University
SECOND AUTHOR
Brian Ceh, Ryerson University
KEY WORDS
Sustainable; cities; smart; green; sustainability

Drones, Activism, and Mountaintop Removal Mining in West Virginia 

This research project examines the usefulness of drones in environmental justice activism, especially within the fight against Mountaintop Removal Mining (MTR) in Appalachia. The paper examines the tactics of Coal River Mountain Watch, a group of anti-MTR activists that use drone surveillance to enhance their fight against this destructive practice. The paper also examines other groups such as Greenpeace, The Sea Shepherds, and DAPL Protesters. Each of these groups utilizes drones to monitor and expose environmental degradation and exploitation. The use of drones increases the complexity of strategies employed by Appalachian activists and challenges many of the traditionally held, but continually critiqued, stereotypes present in Appalachian research. Beyond a deeper understanding of Appalachian activism, this paper investigates the ways in which knowledge production and epistemological assumptions are challenged by new technologies such as drones. This paper also evaluates the response of polluters, corporations, and legislators to combat the use of drones by these groups as each side of these issues wrestle with the new realities of drone technology.
FIRST AUTHOR
Aron Massey, West Liberty University
KEY WORDS
Social Justice; Drones; Coal Mining; Contentious Politics

Dual Possibilities:  A Case Study of Caribbean Shipwrecks

Digital humanities expanded the ability for information and data to be accessible and understandable. For the public, this meant open, understandable information, while also being a stepping stone for academics to use in further analysis and research. During the 1990s, digital humanities boomed with micro-histories, digital archives of newspapers and articles, maps, videos, info-graphics, and more, providing a multifaceted approach for understanding and discussion. Having the ability to access this level of information is a double-edged sword that provides more access to the public and avenues for academic research while also contributing to a prevalent uncertainty within source credibility. This research project will be a case study of Shipwrecks during the Age of Discovery that is explicitly transparent about the source material and provides a structured, fact-checked, history for the public and academic communities. The objective is to create a story map of shipwrecks in the Caribbean during this period and provide open access to both communities. The analysis will shed light on dual possibilities enabled by digital humanities and avenues for a mutually beneficial relationship between the public and the academic world.
FIRST AUTHOR
Ryan Aufdermarsh, Humboldt State University
KEY WORDS
Digital Humanities; Mapping; GIS; Historical 

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