http://www.syndicatemizzou.org Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:27:45 GMT en-us 40 Center for eResearch Connecting you with the University of Missouri’s innovative research and creative activity http://www.syndicatemizzou.org/images/logo.png 384 80 http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen01.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen01.m4v “Geography is the study of human-environment interactions,” Larsen says of his discipline. It covers activity ranging from physical geography (e.g., wind erosion, weather patterns), techniques (e.g., modeling air pollution with GIS to understand the interactions between human and environment), and human geography. Human geographers focus on the political, economic, cultural, urban, and regional elements of human-environment interactions, looking at “the impact of the environment on human behavior,” as well as the “impact of human activity on the environment.” Within this subfield Larsen specializes in cultural geography, seeking to understand traditional land-use practices, naming practices, and sense of place. 3 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:04:51 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen06.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen06.m4v Larsen gathers his data through a variety of different methods ranging from ethnographic field research to content analysis and GIS. But the method he prefers is called “participant observation,” an approach in which “you go and live with the people for an extended period of time, so you can start to learn how they think and feel and act.” In fact, Larsen considers participant observation to be a base line for all the research he does because “you gain an insight by participating in the culture.” 3 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:06:10 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/hong/ipod/Hong1.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/hong/ipod/Hong1.m4v Hong S. He’s research projects in landscape ecology include Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing applications (such as satellite imagery and aerial photography), both of which are put to work in making important forestry management decisions. 3 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:04:15 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/hong/ipod/Hong4.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/hong/ipod/Hong4.m4v Hong He has observed that many students tend to be drawn to MU’s School of Natural Resources because of their desire to be outdoors studying wildlife in forests and woods. One of He’s goals was to bring students back into the classroom by building up their knowledge and skills with GIS and spatial analysis. Owing to He’s efforts, MU now has both a successful GIS certification program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 3 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:58:13 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/hong/ipod/Hong7.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/hong/ipod/Hong7.m4v He started out in the area of soil research, which was highly field-oriented at the time, consisting largely of digging up samples and identifying types. “When the GIS became available, that drew me into the technology. . . . I realized that a lot of the mapping and analytical work can be done with a computer.” He has now spent a decade in forestry research. 3 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:55:49 GMT