IMAGE OF THE WEEK
Jiayan Zhao gives instructions to usability testing assistant Yu Zhong, an undergraduate student in the Department of Geography. See the feature story In virtual reality, real problems remain to be resolved. Image: Penn State
GOOD NEWS
The Summer 2019 GEOGRAPH is now available online in downloadable and accessible formats.
Mark Simpson successfully defended his dissertation.
Welcome to Michael Cole, the new department work-study. Cole is a third year student who attended Penn State Abington for two years. Cole is also majoring in Geography.
Welcome to Sarah Gergel, from the University of British Columbia, who will be with us this semester. Her visit is hosted through the Ecology Institute and sponsored by the Huck Sabbatical Fellowship program.
Congratulations to departments of Geography and Material Science and Engineering for having the most Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) make donations on Giving Tuesday.
COFFEE HOUR
Arturo Izurieta
Working on an old question: “How many visitors can the Galapagos hold? Finding a sustainable model”
The visitation to natural wonders like the Galapagos Islands poses questions towards its sustainability (natural, social and economic). After a short journey towards the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development and identifying two clear models of influx of tourists to the islands, it is clear the uniqueness of the Galapagos Islands faces the pressures from the increasing number of tourists. Tourism in the Galapagos started in the late 60s and since then, the number of tourists have been growing without thoughtful planning, impacting the dynamics of the so-called Galapagos socio-ecosystem. Should we allow more tourists come to the islands, and if so, what are the possible consequences and effects on the natural capital that attracts the visitors and maintains 30,000 inhabitants in the islands?
- Friday, January 31, 2020
- Refreshments are offered in 304 Walker Building at 3:30 p.m. <- Note new location
- Lecture begins in 112 Walker Building at 4 p.m.
- Coffee Hour to Go on Zoom
- More information about Coffee Hour and view previously recorded talks
NEWS
In virtual reality, real problems remain to be resolved
Virtual reality is becoming more widespread in gaming, shopping, research, education and training, but is not a perfect match to the real world. Discrepancies create usability problems with accessing virtual tools, or getting distracted, confused, lost or cybersick. Jiayan Zhao, a doctoral student in the Department of Geography in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and a developer at the Center for Immersive Experiences, is conducting experiments to reduce usability problems and improve the user’s virtual experience.
Student and faculty researchers explore food-energy-water system at solar farm
From the edge of the farm, the completed solar arrays and those under construction seemed to never end. In reality, they occupied only a small area of Pennsylvania land in rural Franklin County, but the arrays possessed a much larger potential, which a group of Penn State faculty and graduate students had traveled two hours to see.
Video: Firescapes in the Mid Atlantic
Wildfires in the Western U.S. dominate the news, but forests in the Mid-Atlantic are just as vulnerable. In this research project, PI Erica Smithwick’s team has been investigating the social barriers and facilitators that influence prescribed fire implementation. The purpose of the video is to provide an educational tool that managers can use when working with communities in their discussions about fire management.
Penn State releases updated strategic plan and resources for unit planning
Institutes of Energy and the Environment and Center for Immersive experiences named among signature initiatives
RECENTLY PUBLISHED
Spatial Analysis
Matthews, S. A.
in SAGE Research Methods Foundations
doi: 10.4135/9781526421036832531
Rapid advances in the availability of spatial data, new measures, and methods of analysis have generated interest in spatial analysis beyond the traditional academic boundaries of geography and statistics. This uptick in interest is in part driven by a recognition that many contemporary problems are multifaceted and inherently spatial. This entry begins with a focus on fundamental spatial concepts such as location, distance, scale, and dependence to introduce the complexities of working with spatial data. Spatial data are special, most notably that observations in spatial data sets are rarely random and independent of each other, and as such conventional statistical approaches may be inappropriate. Two broad classes of spatial effects—spatial dependence and nonstationarity—have motivated key developments in spatial analysis and the focus here is on methods that promote a better understanding of these effects, spatial econometric and geographically weighted regression models, respectively. Selected emerging methods and themes relating to spatial data and methods are briefly discussed.