Dwight Brown

Dwight Brown, retired professor of geography and former geography department chair at the University of Minnesota, died on June 19, 2020 of natural causes. He was 83.

Brown’s expertise during his career of more than fifty years spanned geographic information and analysis, physical geography, and cartography, with specific interest and expertise in biogeography, environmental systems, grasslands, global change, resource use, and landscape evolution. He initiated the first GIS course at UM.

For most of his career, Brown focused on the biogeography of the Midcontinent Plains. He was also a farmer, as well as director of the Water Resources Research Center at UM, and an associate fellow of the Center for Great Plains Study at the University of Nebraska.. His publications and accomplishments include the 1996 AAG publication, Living in the Biosphere: Production, Pattern, Population and Diversity; the 2003 publication and CD Biogeography of the Global Garden; and Embedded Scales in Biogeography (Blackwell Press, 2004).

As reported in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Brown was an engaging and imaginative instructor, who encouraged questions from his students and never stopped learning, himself. “He loved learning and had a sense of curiosity and it was the driving factor in his career,” said his daughter Cindy Brown Polson.

“He always questioned and probed for deeper understanding,” recalled his colleague Richard Skaggs. “Dwight believed strongly in the value and importance of education and inspired the same qualities in his children and his many students.”

Brown was born to Dallas and Verna Brown on Aug. 15, 1936, in Aledo, Ill. He grew up in Galva, Ill. He earned his bachelor’s degree in geography from Western Illinois University and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in geography from the University of Kansas. In addition to his daughter Cindy, Brown is survived by daughter Lori Casey, son Kyle, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Helen Brown, who died in 2018.

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Richard Quodomine

Education: M.A. in Geography (SUNY Buffalo), B.A. in Geography (SUNY Buffalo)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
My job literally varies day to day, which suits my personality and abilities. One day, I may be generating specialty maps and reports covering public investment. The next day, I may be managing an RFI for specialty geospatial analysis tools. A third day, I may be working on 5G rollout plans or helping with COVID-19 response. With over 3,000 assets and 900 buildings owned by the city that may need a special map or analysis for any number of government agencies, political institutions or other members of the public.

What attracted you to this career path?
I’ve always said that a geographer needs to first love mapping something. It could be trains, or environmental facts, or firefighting. If you have a passion for a subject and a passion for mapping it, then you can be a geographer. I love transportation – buses, trains, etc. – so I would look at maps of transportation all day. When I learned I could turn that love into a career, I majored in it, graduated in it, and spent the majority of my career in it.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
Certainly having multiple degrees in geography helps. But degrees are just paper unless you find an application that you want to do in life. And you then should seek every reasonable opportunity to bring geographic perspectives to whatever work you have. Resiliency and ability to solve problems are very important early on, and even after you’re more secure in your career path, they’re handy. Finally, clear and cogent communication, both spoken and written, are a must. You don’t need to be a native English speaker, but being clear with your language is important. Practice with friends and colleagues to become more skilled at presenting, writing and business communication. I was involved in student politics at university – talk about how to deal with people who don’t like you and learning how to communicate!

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
The first skill I use is the geographic organization of data. Almost all data in civil service has some kind of geographic component to it. That data should be clearly organized in a proper geodatabase and displayed in feature classes or tools that are accurate and timely. It doesn’t sound sexy, but good data, in my view, is so important. The second is the ability to be geographically holistic: public buildings are not separate from roadways are not separate from parks are not separate from public health! It is a mistake to not consider geographic interconnections and context.

Be good at evaluating geographic tools – whether you using them or buying them via a Request for Proposal (RFP) – your judgment and discretion in spending money gets you a good (or bad) reputation when looking at the bottom line. If you have not done this yet, look for a committee to join that purchases GIS application software, sit in, listen and learn.

Last but not least, always be learning new skills that are relevant and timely to your job. Find ways to solve problems and take on new tasks that are adjacent to your current ones. Willingness to expand yourself beyond just the job’s basic description gets you a reputation as a doer. Conversely, don’t take on too much – when you’re branching out, keep focused on the next achievable thing.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
I barely had any GIS in college; my academic background is in economic and transportation geography. So, first, I had to be able to learn GIS for my Master’s degree, and then I had to apply it at work. I also learned Visual Basic and Python. But more importantly, I learned when to use my hard skills, and when to work with others’ skillsets. GIS is like having a bucket of awesome toys, but as you advance in your career, use only the toys you like the best, and pass the bucket to others – whether working with other colleagues and departments or hiring others with complementary skills. The project is important – and it’s more important that the project gets done than who used what tool to get the credit.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
I have been hiring for over a decade and currently supervise GIS staff. We have three possible positions, of which one is filled, and we hope to fill at least one more after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed. In addition to good knowledge of GIS, I look for adaptability, problem solving, and good interpersonal communication skills – make eye contact, be polite, and be clear and cogent. Also, be willing to learn – no one has all the skills a job might need, so it’s willingness to learn that shows me you want to be a productive employee.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
My job is mid-career, so it involves a little bit of experience in analysis and reporting, plus use of tools and other skills like managing a Request for Proposal (RFP) – being on a team that buys or hires is really important! Always be adaptable and look for opportunities to help a team shine. Accomplishment matters – carry a portfolio of accomplishments when you interview. Don’t just tell people on a resume, show them you deliver!

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
The city has recently hired a number of public safety analysts with GIS backgrounds. While COVID-19 has slowed many hiring efforts, and will likely impact hiring in the near future, I see a long-term growth trend. GIS that focuses on redevelopment of urban spaces, asset management, public safety, water and sewer upgrades and climate change mitigation will all be in demand. Also, don’t be afraid to apply for government jobs that don’t have geography in the title but can use geographic skills. I broke into government as an economist, and eventually found my way up the GIS ranks. It’s all about solving a problem, and we’re always looking for problem solvers.

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GeoMentor Case Study

GIS Career Mentorship with High School Juniors in Virginia

June 9, 2020

GeoMentor Volunteers: Clark Nexun Firm (Pravin Mathur, Kate Chaney, Jose Carvalho, Janet Webster, Gene Corbell)

Location: Chesapeak, Virginia

Grade level of participating students: 11th

Activity Theme/Focus: GIS Immersion

Number of Participants: 9

How did you connect with your collaborator? The initial partnership was introduced through an employee whose son attended the school. We have continued to partner with the school each summer.

Describe your collaboration process. There is an initial information night for the students where they can meet with representatives from different firms/companies. The students are then allowed to sign up for the company they are interested in. A colleague met with the Department Heads to see how much time they can commit to mentoring the students each summer. Then they let the teacher/school know how many students we can accept each summer.

Describe your tasks/involvement. Clark Nexsen is a multi-disciplinary firm — Architecture, Civil Engineering, GIS, Transportation, Bridges, Wireless and Interiors. Each summer, high school students enrolled in the STEM program are invited to our corporate office for a week of immersion. The STEM students meet for several hours with each department, to learn about how professionals in these fields do their day-to-day projects.

The GIS Department and the Wireless Department had the students for a two-hour span. We divided our GIS information into four sections:

Basic Overview: What is GIS?, How many industries GIS supports, How GIS can be used to analyze data to solve problems, and How we use GIS at Clark Nexsen. Also, the components of GIS, a BASIC explanation of Map Projections, and images of GPS equipment. We then provide them with links to local colleges with Geospatial classes and programs with links to useful geospatial websites.
Introduction Videos: This year we added videos from the ESRI Users Conference.
GIS related Apps that are fun to use: We showed how we use the what3words free app during our demonstration — mostly for fun and adventure/social activities in our off hours, but also to assist us in foreign countries where there is a language barrier. We also demonstrated ESRI StoryMaps and viewed a few public StoryMaps created by other users.
Field Data Collection & Equipment Overview: A demonstration of some of our equipment we use in the field was presented — Leica Disto Laser Range finders for measuring building footprints (we let the students measure the room), the Trimble GPS units (more about this later) and the Tough Pads with Draft Site (a lite CAD program) and ArcGIS Desktop loaded. We were partnered with our Wireless Department and they demonstrated the Leica 360 Scanner and discussed the benefits of use and how the technology works.

We conveyed what makes the GPS equipment work, but also shared an example of how the equipment could be used to benefit our clients. Some examples covered were on the benefits of data produced by feature collection efforts and the sort of information one could assign to those points collected (attribution).

Our overarching goals were to engage the students, open their awareness to GIS, and show how they are already interacting with GIS without even realizing it (navigational apps). Most of the students were focusing on Engineering studies. We showed them GIS and the science behind engineering and other market sectors. We explained how we solve complex questions through the analyzing of spatial data. Once in college, Clark Nexsen offers them to return to us for their internships during the summer months. Once graduated from college, some of our interns have returned to start their careers with us.

What did you gain from the experience? What do you think your educator collaborator and/or the students gained? Our GIS department gained a new perspective of how little the high school demographic is aware of GIS as a stand-alone technology field of study, how the Science of Where is at the forefront of so many industries, and how GIS plays a role in their daily lives.

We are hoping they gained a general understanding of GIS and how it can walk lock-step with the STEM industries they are interested in pursuing. We provided follow-up information on the colleges offering GIS programs and a sheet of helpful weblinks to Geospatial websites.

Frank A. Friedman

Frank A. Friedman, a member of AAG since 1959, died at his home in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, on May 30, 2020. He was 81.

Friedman was a graduate of Liberty High School, in his hometown of Bethlehem, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from Kutztown State College in 1960. He earned a Master of Education in Geography from Penn State University in 1965, and a Master of Science from Drexel University in 1980. He was a longtime geography teacher in the Conrad Weiser School District in Pennsylvania. He is survived by his sister, Marie A. Friedman.

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Ronald Johnston

Ron Johnston, a human geographer who helped shape the discipline and was a winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award from AAG, died on May 29, 2020 at the age of 79. A prolific author and co-author of more than 1,000 publications, including 50 books and 800 articles, he specialized in quantitative and political geography, but also ranged widely in urban and social issues, electoral geographies, and the history of geography.

During his career, Johnston was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to scholarship in 2011, He also received the Murchison Award and Victoria Medal from the Royal Geographical Society, and the Prix Vautrin Lud at the International Geography Festival 1999.

Born in 1941, Johnston grew up in Swindon. He attributed his love of geography to studying maps during childhood. Educated at Commonweal School, Swindon, in 1959 he went to study Geography at the University of Manchester, and earned a PhD from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He returned to Great Britain in 1974, where he served as a chair and eventually Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Sheffield for 18 years, He subsequently moved to Essex as Vice Chancellor, then joined Bristol’s School of Geographical Sciences in 1995.

Of Johnston’s many books, two– the Dictionary of Human Geography and Geography and Geographers – stand out for scores of undergraduate geographers: the latter (jointly authored) is in its seventh edition. Ron’s work on the British electoral system was interdisciplinary long before such research became popular.He advised all three main political parties, civil servants, House of Commons’ Select Committees and the Boundary Commission.

Johnston is survived by his wife Rita, two children, Christopher and Lucy, and by his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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Stephen Ladochy

Education: Ph.D. in Geography (University of Manitoba), M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences (Colorado State University), B.A. in Meteorology (University of California, Los Angeles)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
Besides teaching classes in physical geography, meteorology and climatology, I mentor graduate students in their research and Masters’ theses. I also write several letters of recommendation for students seeking jobs, graduate schools and research opportunities. I continue collaborating with other scientists on climate research and occasionally answer requests from media on environmental stories.

What attracted you to this career path?
I always liked math, and found that it could be applied in meteorology. At UCLA I interned at the National Weather Service as well as at air pollution consultants. While working at the L.A. County Air Pollution Control District, someone showed me information on “Jobs in Geography”, where you could teach weather courses at universities. I was hired by the University of Winnipeg in the Great White North teaching weather and later climatology and environmental courses. I enjoyed teaching, so went on to a Ph.D. in geography/climatology.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position? Most of my education was in Atmospheric Sciences, so I had a lot of prep work to teach geography courses. I found my niche and passion in meteorology and climatology and have been studying them since.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
I like to show satellite images in my classes and the latest climatic data, such as from NASA. So using remote sensing, weather maps and oceanic conditions (being on the coast), I use statistics and recent environmental data in my classes and research. Mostly, I’m looking at ENSO-Pacific Ocean Indices, weather maps and satellites and climate data to follow climate change. We also have field instruments so my classes can measure surface weather data in different land uses in urban settings.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
I was fortunate to have summer employment at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA. There I collaborated with oceanography scientists and student interns on several climate-related projects. My boss there was a wonderful science communicator, so I learned a lot from him that carried into classrooms and media interviews.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
I was just on two search committees for new hires. We looked for someone who would be a good instructor with our students, many of whom had English as a second language and were working while in school. We also looked for good mentors for these students, who could relate and encourage high achievement. Scholarships were also important where they could lead student research

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
You need to have a passion for your work and for helping students. That makes the hard work actually fun and something you look forward to doing. We have special students that work hard and often reach their goals. You need to be a good mentor and inspiration to your students. Your enthusiasm for your subjects will rub off.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Our graduates have been fairly successful in finding employment in geography and related environmental fields. Having skills in computer programming, GIS and remote sensing training or certificates, statistics and the sciences are all helpful. Internships or summer help in companies or government agencies can often lead to more permanent employment.

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David Hornbeck

On Earth Day, 2020, COVID-19 claimed the life of Dr. David Hornbeck, Professor Emeritus, Department of Geography, California State University, Northridge. David led a full and productive life, ranging from two hitches in the Air Force from 1958 to 1966, earning his B.A. and M.A. in geography at what is now called California State University, Fresno (1968 and 1969, respectively) and his Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in 1972. In 1972, he began his career in the Department of Geography at San Fernando Valley State College, now California State University, Northridge. He retired in 2009.

Dominating the majority of his work, David’s passion was historical geography, especially of California during the mission and rancho periods and during the early establishment of the American agricultural and urban landscapes on the underlying Native Californian, Spanish, and Mexican cultural landscapes. He had a particular interest in the impacts of Spanish colonial expansion on the Native Californians and their fate in the mission system, meticulously reconstructing their demographics through mission archives in California and Mexico. He worked out the details of the economics of the mission, pueblo, and presidio systems in the context of the global trade and politics of the day. He was fascinated by the privatization of lands in California by the newly independent Mexico, which eventually led to the expropriation of the mission holdings to support that purpose. Privatization required petitioners for a land grant to map their proposed properties, submitting diseños as part of the petition. These petitions and diseños became part of the process by which Mexican ranchero families defended their claims to the American Board of Land Commissioners after 1848 (79% of them successfully, though the legal expenses typically led to sale or subdivision of the adjudicated holdings). David was interested also in the development of the distinctive California agricultural system and how the California urban system still bears the marks of the preceding Spanish and Mexican settlement systems. David loved the intense archival work historical geography required and, indeed, built up quite a collection of original materials that now comprise the Hornbeck Collection at the Monterey County Historical Society.

A second compelling interest David pursued was business GIS. His earliest work in this area was in grant and contract work in business location analysis and market area analysis, first for restaurants and then for banks. By 1984, he had begun to build and license fieldwork-based GIS systems for banks’ branch analysis, market area analysis, network analysis, and merger and acquisition needs. The LandBank GIS became so popular with major banks across the country that David and his wife, Ginny, founded Area Location Systems, Inc., to develop, market, and service it and train bank staff in its use. As a result of this work, banks became among the first corporations truly to understand what it was geographers do and to seek out geographers for their own marketing and IT staffs! David and Ginny eventually sold their shares in the company by the late-1990s, Ginny moving into special education and David continuing to do consulting and workshops for the banking industry, law firms, and water agencies until he entered the Faculty Early Retirement Program in 2002.

As a university faculty member, David devoted a lot of his time and energy to his students, many of whom remembered him fondly as a vivid and caring character and remained in contact with him long after their graduations. Indeed, the root of his interest in applied economic geography and business GIS was originally his desire to help his students develop rewarding careers using their geographic education. He served as the career advisor in his department and organized sixteen annual jobs symposia for geography students. Some of his publications were explicitly devoted to geographic education and to how faculty could cultivate both applied and academic dimensions in their work to mentor their students. Many of the “Hornbeck School of Thought” (or “Hornbeck University of Geography”) went on for Ph.D.s themselves or entered highly successful careers in banking, environmental consulting, information technology companies, education, or government. Typical of David was an insight he shared shortly before retiring. He noted that academics often deeply enjoy teaching and mentoring the “A list” students who will go on to graduate school but sometimes tend to overlook the C students in the middle of the class curve. Many of these kids are much brighter than their GPAs suggest but are either too overworked, engulfed in personal problems, or immature to do well while they are students. But they are still taking it all in and, then, he said, they “grow into their educations” a few years later. Their geographic education all comes together for them in the context of their careers, which then take off. He commented that it’s the “C” students who seem to go on into six figure salaries and highly placed jobs, not the “A” students who go on to graduate school and academic penury!

David’s tragic encounter with COVID-19 leaves behind a large cadre of students, colleagues, business associates, and friends who mourn his loss and wish to comfort his wife of forty years, Ginny; his siblings, Arlene Suart (Sutter Creek, CA) and Claro Cabading (Honolulu); his sons, David, Christopher, and Brian; his grandchildren, Ashton, Vincent, and Robin. A webpage commemorating his life has been set up where there are links to his curriculum vitae, the Hornbeck Collection, his retirement “roast” materials, and examples from David’s little known pastime, flower photography. A full obituary will also be posted there.

Donations will be gratefully received to support the Monterey County Historical Society that physically houses his collection (https://mchsmuseum.com/salinas/). Many thanks to Mr. Patrick J. “Mike” Maloney and Ms. Miriam Infinger, Research Associate, of the Law Offices of Patrick J. Maloney (Alameda, CA); Mr. James Perry of the MCHS; and Dr. Rubén G. Mendoza, Chair of the Department of Social, Behavioral, and Global Studies, and Ms. Jennifer A. Lucico, M.A., Lecturer, Department of Social, Behavioral, and Global Studies, California State University, Monterey Bay, for their years of work getting this collection assessed and physically moved to the Museum, for creating its digital portal, and for getting it all catalogued on WorldCat.

Very sadly yours,

Chrys Rodrigue
Dave’s second graduate student and friend of 48 years

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James R. McDonald

James R McDonald, Professor in the Geography Department of Eastern Michigan University from 1965 to 2000, passed away on April 20, 2020.

Jim was born in San Francisco on the 28th of January 1934 and graduated from Katonah High School, New York in 1951. Jim graduated from Antioch College in 1955 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography and received a Master’s Degree in Geography from the University of Illinois the following year. He then enlisted in the Army for three years and was assigned to the Counter-Intelligence Corps where he learned French in the Army Language School in Monterey before being assigned to La Rochelle, France, where he spent almost two years. Upon his return to civilian life, he returned to Illinois and completed his doctoral research on the French region of Brittany in 1964. Prior to accepting the position at EMU, Jim was an Assistant Professor at UCLA for two years.

Jim was the recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Postdoctoral, an NSF Fellowship and other awards and grants including National Geographic Society Research Grants; Michigan Department of Natural Resources Grants; and Social Science Research Council Grants. Jim was a proud member of the AAG for over 50 years.

Jim specialized in the cultural, political, and economic geography of Western Europe, especially France; the geography of rural-to-urban and labor migrations; geographical aspects of environmental assessment and preservation; geography of travel and tourism; and the history of geographic ideas. Jim authored two books, numerous professional papers and book reviews.

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Ezekiel Kalipeni

The AAG community is mourning the loss of Dr. Ezekiel Kalipeni, a longtime geography professor who died in the early hours of April 11, 2020 from heart-related complications while he was in his native country, Malawi at age 66. Dr. Kalipeni globally renowned for his work around medical geography, population and environment, and international development focusing on Africa retired from an illustrious academic career in the Department of Geography & Geographic Information Science at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) in June 2019. Dr. Kalipeni was a prolific scholar of human geographer, a great teacher and mentor, a philanthropist, a world traveler, a devoted husband, and loving father.

Dr. Kalipeni earned his Bachelor of Social Science degree (with distinction) at the University of Malawi (1979), and masters (1982) and Ph.D. (1986) degrees in geography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Although he admitted that his original career plans lay elsewhere, and that he came to geography “by chance,” he was an outstanding scholar and gifted teacher, highly respected by his colleagues and committed to his students. His distinguished academic and public intellectual career spanned nearly four decades having worked at the University of Malawi (1986-88), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1988-91), Colgate University (New York, 1991-94), and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1994-2019). During his career, he published 16 books and over 170 peer reviewed articles, book and encyclopedia chapters. Dr. Kalipeni’s work is widely acknowledged in citations from these and other published works, at many conferences, symposia and workshops, as well as in policy circles in Africa and other developing countries.

He earned international reputation for his seminal work on spatial analysis and mapping of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Africa and in advancing understanding of the complex underlying drivers. Dr. Kalipeni devoted many years to field research in southern Africa to examine the demographic, economic, cultural, political, economic, socio-institutional and geographic factors that shape the spatial and temporal spread of HIV and other health challenges. His work on issues of health disparities, population and natural resources management, and development in Sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on southern Africa is also widely recognized. In 2014, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) Africa Specialty Group honored Dr. Kalipeni with the Kwado-Konadu-Agyemang Distinguished Scholar in African Geography Award.

During his career, Dr. Kalipeni provided significant leadership and service to the scholarly and scientific community. He served as interim Director of the Center of African Studies 2001-2002 at the University of Illinois. and as Program Director of the National Science Foundation’s Spatial Sciences Program (2009-2011). Some scholars have remarked how helpful he was as a Program Director at NSF, going well beyond the call of duty. He is also credited as the sole editor of the African Geographical Review for several years at a critical transitional time in the journal’s development. It is now a thriving journal published by Taylor & Francis in association with the Africa Specialty Group of the AAG (one of three journals published by the AAG). This journal has become a critical outlet for geographic scholarship on Africa for geographers and scholars from related disciplines in the USA, Africa and other parts of the world. Within the AAG he chaired the West Lakes Division and the Africa Specialty Group, was on the Board for the Medical Geography Group and was an active member in the Population Specialty Group. He was also the consummate collaborator, team player and leader, and collaborated with so many colleagues with geography and related fields within and outside the USA.

Fondly known as “Dr. Zeke” among his students and close colleagues, he stood out for his selfless and untiring support and mentoring for students and upcoming scholars, particularly those of African extraction. Many of the students he has trained over the past four decades have built successful careers in academia, the public and private sector in the US, Malawi and other parts of Africa. Former students and junior scholars within the AAG Africa Specialty Group—including ones from other disciplines—attest not only to his mentorship but also active support through research collaborations and co-publishing with many. Many upcoming scholars have credited him for some of their career success. Dr Zeke never forgot his first alma mater, where he also launched his academic career. Dr. Kalipeni cultivated and sustained strong research and mentoring relationships with the university, and after retiring, he donated and shipped his 1,700-volume personal library to the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Malawi.

As a teacher, Dr. Kalipeni took joy in teaching large classes of undergraduate students, including Global Development & Environment, and Cities of the World, and others including population geography and Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa. He made his courses exciting and students liked his sense of humor, preparedness, and for inculcating critical thinking among students. He inspired graduate students and published with most of them, building a bridge for their future careers. He was particularly helpful to international students, helping them to navigate the US education system, and going beyond to providing temporary housing at his house if they were stranded.

Despite his prolific academic career, Dr. Kalipeni maintained some balance with family life. His wife, Fatima, and grown children Josephine, Jackie, Juliana, Jacob, Joshua, Natalia and Melissa, remember him as a loving and proud husband and father, a jovial storyteller with a ‘wicked’ sense of humor, a generous giver, and a motivator who taught them the value of hard work. Together with his family, he established the Kalipeni Foundation to support local development projects in Malawi’s southern district of Mulanje, including on education, safe water supply, environmental management and livelihood support. His family will carry on his legacy through this foundation and in living the many lessons he taught them.

He will be missed dearly by colleagues, family, and friends but his legacy and works will live on.

Fare you well, Dr. Zeke

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

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GeoMentor Spotlight

Jessica Perkins – GIS and Technical Support Program Manager, West Virginia

April 7, 2020

GeoMentor Volunteers: Clark Nexun Firm (Pravin Mathur, Kate Chaney, Jose Carvalho, Janet Webster, Gene Corbell)

Location: Chesapeak, Virginia

Grade level of participating students: 11th

Activity Theme/Focus: GIS Immersion

Number of Participants: 9

How did you connect with your collaborator? The initial partnership was introduced through an employee whose son attended the school. We have continued to partner with the school each summer.

The GIS Department and the Wireless Department had the students for a two-hour span. We divided our GIS information into four sections:

Basic Overview: What is GIS?, How many industries GIS supports, How GIS can be used to analyze data to solve problems, and How we use GIS at Clark Nexsen. Also, the components of GIS, a BASIC explanation of Map Projections, and images of GPS equipment. We then provide them with links to local colleges with Geospatial classes and programs with links to useful geospatial websites.
Introduction Videos: This year we added videos from the ESRI Users Conference.
GIS related Apps that are fun to use: We showed how we use the what3words free app during our demonstration — mostly for fun and adventure/social activities in our off hours, but also to assist us in foreign countries where there is a language barrier. We also demonstrated ESRI StoryMaps and viewed a few public StoryMaps created by other users.
Field Data Collection & Equipment Overview: A demonstration of some of our equipment we use in the field was presented — Leica Disto Laser Range finders for measuring building footprints (we let the students measure the room), the Trimble GPS units (more about this later) and the Tough Pads with Draft Site (a lite CAD program) and ArcGIS Desktop loaded. We were partnered with our Wireless Department and they demonstrated the Leica 360 Scanner and discussed the benefits of use and how the technology works.