Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Geography Graduate Student Handbook A University System of West Virginia Board of Governors Program of Excellence. Revised September 2015 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Table of Contents Introduction; The Geography Graduate Program at WVU... 3 The Graduate Committee.....4 Program Overview.......5 Applying to the Program.....6 Graduate Degrees offered MA Thesis Degree Option.......8 MA Professional Degree Option......10 PhD Degree 12 Financial Assistance 15 Graduation Procedures 17 Geography Faculty Research Interests...19 Department of Geology and Geography Staff...22 Course listing..23 Timelines to Degree Completion 24 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 2

Introduction: The Geography Graduate Program at WVU In 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013 the Geography MA and PhD programs were designated a University System of West Virginia Board of Governors Program of Excellence. This award is given to a small select group of academic programs in universities in the state of West Virginia in recognition of their extensive and high quality contribution to higher education in the state. The designation award states: The program is recognized as having outstanding faculty who are highly productive in research and grantsmanship. The Department is commended for its efforts to develop and equip laboratories that provide a state-of-the-art learning environment. Finally, the Department is commended for its development of a comprehensive and effective assessment plan. The Department of Geology and Geography is housed in Brooks Hall, a state-of-the-art renovated building that provides a stunning environment and outstanding equipment for study, Brooks Hall with reflections of the nearby historic Woodburn Hall Our 350 seat lecture room The Brooks Hall Green Roof One of our seminar rooms One of the informal concourse study areas A view of the Monongahela River from the fifth floor 3 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

The Graduate Committee The Graduate Committee coordinates the geography graduate program within the Department of Geology and Geography. Our primary tasks are to: Support and advise graduate students Recruit prospective students Address any graduate student concerns Set policy for graduate studies Admit students to the program Monitor student progress through the program Graduate students have representation on the graduate committee. The student representative is elected for a specified term by the graduate student body. The graduate student representative acts as a conduit between faculty and students to facilitate the smooth operation of the program. In the rare event that a student has a particular problem that cannot easily be resolved then we have procedures in place to seek a resolution. The following process is followed: 1. Discuss the issue with your advisor (or graduate committee if you do not yet have an advisor). If your issue is not resolved, then: 2. Approach a member of the graduate committee. If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved by the committee then: 3. Approach the program chair. If the issue still cannot be resolved then: 4. Approach the chair of the department. Finally, if your issue cannot be resolved through these measures, then: 5. Approach the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. Members of the Graduate Committee Dr Trevor Harris 364 Brooks Hall Tel. 304-293-3171 Trevor.Harris@mail.wvu.edu Dr Insu Hong 135 Brooks Hall Tel. 304-293-0382 Insu.Hong@mail.wvu.edu Dr Eungul Lee 254 Brooks hall Tel. 304-293-8485 Eungul.Lee@mail.wvu.edu Dr Bradley Wilson Graduate Chair 345 Brooks Hall Tel. 304-293-9661 Bradley.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 4

Program Overview This handbook provides a guide to the Geography program s graduate studies. While the handbook is a useful repository of information it should not replace the need for you to consult with your advisor on most matters. Common forms and models of student progress may be found at the end of this document. Graduates might also wish to consult the WVU Graduate Catalog which can be accessed at http://provost.wvu.edu/r/download/77440. Geography Graduate Program Specialties The Geography graduate program specializes in the following three areas: Environmental Geography Geographic Information Science Human Geography Students can focus their studies on any one of these specialties or any combination of the three, depending on the student s interests. The specific research areas of the Geography faculty are listed below for each of the three research clusters. If you would like further information about any of these specialties, please contact any member the geography graduate program committee or other Geography faculty. Environmental Geography The Environmental Geography focus area addresses theoretical, digital and field applications in the study of vegetation, landscapes and landforms. Faculty interests include: Biogeography Climatology Environmental hazards Environmental impact assessment Environmental modeling Fluvial geomorphology Geoarcheology Land use and land cover analysis Geographic Information Science Geographic Information Science focuses on the theory, principles, and applications of digital geospatial information science and systems Faculty interests include: Geocomputation GIS and society, Participatory GIS Health GIS Spatial Humanities Deep Mapping Remote sensing Spatial analysis and modeling Spatialized artificial intelligence and expert systems Virtual reality geovisualization and geovirtual GIS Human Geography The Human Geography focus area offers graduate students the opportunity to study development issues from a variety of theoretical perspectives and spatial scales. Faculty interests include: Community participation Feminist geography Gender and development Geopolitics Labor geography Land use Livelihoods Political economy of development - Political ecology Regional science Regional focus Geography faculty research interests are focused primarily in the following regions:. Appalachia North America Central and South America Sub-Saharan Africa East and South Asia Middle East 5 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Applying to the Program We welcome applications from students for study toward the MA and Ph.D. in Geography. Please feel free to contact any member of the graduate committee before or during the application process. Dr Trevor Harris (304) 293-3171 Trevor.Harris@mail.wvu.edu Dr Insu Hong (304) 293-0382 Insu.Hong@mail.wvu.edu Dr Eungul Lee (304) 293-8485 Eungul.Lee@mail.wvu.edu Dr Bradley Wilson (304) 293-9661 Bradley.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu The minimum GPA for entry into the program is 3.0. The review and acceptance of applicants into the program is continuous through the year though we strongly encourage applicants to submit details as early in the academic year as possible. Application Instructions Applications to the Geography Graduate Program at WVU, are formally processed through the WVU Office of Admissions and Records. Application to the graduate program can be made online by going to the graduate Education home page at: http://graduate.wvu.edu. The application requires a nonrefundable service fee of $60. By completing the online application form, you are encouraged to track your application status. Your application cannot be reviewed until it is complete so please track your online application carefully. You xcan also track your application progress by contacting our department administrator, Hope Stewart (304) 293-5606, to confirm that we have received all parts of your application. Common problems often involve letters of reference and official transcripts not having been received. As part of your online application process, you will need to provide: 1. Official transcripts from all colleges previously attended. 2. Official GRE scores (required for all applicants) 3. Official TOEFL scores (only for international students whose native language is not English) 4. Letters of recommendation from referees who are familiar with the applicant's academic performance (two letters are required from MA applicants, PhD - three academic letters of reference) 5. A two-three page statement of interest describing the applicant s interest in geography at WVU and career goals. Required Entrance Qualifications MA Program: Students must have: a Bachelor's degree on entering the MA program; a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA; and a minimum 3.0 GPA for undergraduate geography courses. Applicants who do not meet the GPA requirements may, in exceptional circumstances, be admitted as a provisional MA student. PhD Program: Students must have completed a Master's degree before entering the Ph.D. program. It is also expected that applicants have an excellent record in their masters program. Deadlines for Applications Priority will be given to applications for fall admission and teaching assistantships received by January 15, though we occasionally make offers to outstanding students who apply early to the program. For admission without financial assistance, all application materials must arrive at WVU by April 1. International students should submit their materials at least three months in advance of the deadlines stated above, in order to enable the WVU Office of Admissions and Records additional time to process international applications. The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 6

Graduate students are strongly encouraged to begin their studies in the fall semester because of course sequencing restrictions during the academic year. However, if you wish to apply for spring admission all materials must arrive at WVU by October 1. Teaching Assistantships The Geography Graduate Program offers a number of competitive graduate teaching assistantships to students each year. These assistantships include both a stipend and a tuition waiver that varies by level of program and year. In addition, ECAS fees apply to all graduate students. Teaching assistantships begin in the fall semester and are awarded annually. Up to two years of funding may be awarded to MA students, and up to three years for Ph.D. students. Ph.D. teaching assistants who meet all comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal deadlines, have made excellent progress towards the completion of their dissertation research, and have applied for at least one external research grant, may request an additional year of funding. Teaching assistants are evaluated at the end of each semester. Renewal of awards is based on performance with respect to both assistantship duties and academic progress. If you wish to apply for a teaching assistantship, send a letter indicating your interest to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Geography. Research Assistantships Research assistantships are half-time appointments in support of faculty research projects, with funding from research grants. Funding includes a competitive stipend and a tuition waiver. Usually, but not always, the research assignment is closely related to the student's thesis research. Research assistantships are awarded by the individual faculty members, and are not coordinated by the Geography program. Faculty sometimes select research assistants from the list of students who have recently applied to the program; however, applicants for research assistantships are encouraged to contact the faculty members with whom they are interested in working with to enquire about possible funding. Faculty may receive notice of a new project award at any time of the year, and therefore there are no deadlines for research assistantship applications. Tuition Waivers A number of competitive tuition waivers are also available to academically meritorious students who do not receive assistantships. These waivers pay the cost of your tuition, whether you are in-state or out-of-state. The number of hours awarded varies each semester. If you wish to apply for a tuition waiver, send a letter to the Graduate Studies Coordinator expressing your interest. Application for tuition waivers must be made by March 15 for the summer and fall semesters, and September 1 for the spring semester. University awards and scholarships West Virginia University has a number of scholarships that pay full tuition and provide a monthly stipend. These scholarships are highly competitive and are designed to attract outstanding students. The department deadline for application for these scholarships is January 15. 7 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Graduate Degrees MA (Thesis option) Degree Requirements The MA thesis option is designed to enable fulltime students to satisfy all program requirements and complete an examinable thesis within two years. Students are required to be well grounded in one or more of the program s three areas of specialization (Geographic Information Science; Human Geography; and Environmental Geography). MA degree requirements consist of: Obtain 30 hours of graduate credit consisting of: i. Geographic Traditions (Geog 601) (3 cr). ii. One of the following methods classes: Qualitative Methods (Geog 603), Quan titative Methods (Geog 701), or Spatial Analysis (Geog 594) (3 cr) iii. Colloquium (Geog 600) for four semes ters (a total of 4 cr). iv. Nine credit hours of geography graduate courses (Geog 400 level and above), but excluding Geog 689-693 and Geog 695-699 (Note: with the approval of the Grad uate Committee, courses from other pro grams may also be used to fulfill this re quirement). v. Five credit hours of other graduate cours es (400 level and above). vi. Complete and successfully defend a writ ten research thesis (Geog 797, 6 hours). Important notes: 1. WVU requires that no more than 40% of the graduate degree credits be at the 400-level. 2. Geography graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 are placed on probation and given one semester to raise their GPA to 3.0. Students with a GPA below 3.0 for more than one semester will be asked to leave the program. Each new student is interviewed before the fall semester to identify both the student s interests and any academic deficiencies that require remedial work before graduate studies may continue. All students are initially supervised by the Graduate Committee, unless they have already chosen an academic advisor. During the Fall semester, students should develop a clearly defined research interest, and identify a faculty member with relevant research interests to be her/his advisor. The selection and appointment of an academic advisor must take place no later than the middle of the spring semester of the first year, The advisor must be a current regular member of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS) graduate faculty and a member of the Geography program. Once a thesis research topic has been identified, the student (with advisor input) will select a thesis committee comprising a chair (invariably the student advisor) and at least two additional committee members. The following restrictions apply to MA committees: The chair must be a faculty member of the WVU Geography program and a regular member of the WVU graduate faculty. At least one of the two additional committee members must be a member of the WVU Department of Geology and Geography (either adjunct or regular faculty). At least one of the two additional committee members must be a regular member of the WVU graduate faculty. It is recommended that at least one committee member be from outside the Department of Geology and Geography. Students may change advisor or committee members only after consultation with the advisor and the Graduate Committee. Reasons for changing the makeup of the advisory committee may include committee members no longer being available, or a change in the focus of the research interests of the student. Plan of study and good academic progress Graduate advising and graduate committees The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 8

A plan of study must be filed by the end of the first semester in the program. Members of the Graduate Committee may serve as interim committee members for the plan of study until a thesis committee is chosen. Any changes to the committee composition or plan of study requires the filing of an amended plan of study. The progress of every student is reviewed toward the end of the second semester. In cases where a student is performing significantly below expectations, the student may be required to leave the program. Thesis proposal Although much of the MA student s first year is taken up with coursework, students are also expected to develop a written thesis research proposal either during the spring semester or, at the latest, during the summer after the first academic year. When the proposal has been completed to the satisfaction of the student s advisor and thesis committee, the student will make an oral presentation of the proposal to all students and faculty in the Geography program. The deadline for submitting an acceptable proposal to the student s advisor and committee is October 1 of the student s second year. An announcement of the student s intent to present a research proposal must be advertised within the department at least two weeks prior to the presentation. The deadline for the public presentation of the proposal is October 31 of the student s second year (unless there are scheduling conflicts). Thesis proposals are not normally scheduled between June 15 and August 15. in the student s chosen field; Use an appropriate research design and methodology; Draw conclusions from the research endeavor. The thesis defense occurs when the advisor and the committee agree that a defendable copy of the thesis is complete. The defense date must be advertised to the department at least three weeks in advance. Thesis defenses are not normally scheduled between June 15 and August 15. After the defense, the student s committee will assign the student one of three possible grades: pass, provisional pass, or fail. To pass the thesis examination, there can be no more than one Fail grade from the committee members. A student who fails the thesis defense may submit another thesis or a revised version upon the approval of the student s committee. No student may be reexamined more than once. A student who is given a provisional pass will generally be required to make minor revisions or corrections to the thesis. In accordance with College requirements, original signatures (not faxed) are required on the shuttle sheet form specifying the outcome of the defense. See the timetable section of this document for important College deadlines for graduation. Deadline waivers Waivers to the MA deadlines and timing requirements may be requested from the Graduate Coordinator. Waivers are only given under extraordinary circumstances. Following the proposal presentation the student s committee will determine whether to approve the proposal or not.. In the event that the research proposal is not approved, the student will be asked to make appropriate revisions and to present the proposal in public a second time. The MA thesis The MA thesis is an independent research project undertaken by the student. The thesis research should: Demonstrate knowledge of the literature 9 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

MA (Professional Option) The MA Professional Masters option is designed for students interested in a more focused research project than the broadly defined, traditional research thesis. The project may comprise a wide range of activities, but is usually either (a) an applied problem-solving exercise with minimal literature review, (b) an empirical test of an idea from the literature, with minimal literature review, or (c) a literature review or development of a conceptual idea using the literature. The MA Professional Masters option is not recommended for students who are considering entering a PhD program after the MA degree. The format for the Professional Masters option is similar to the Thesis option but requires additional coursework credit. The Professional Masters also has stricter deadlines in that the project must be completed within one semester. Degree Requirements The MA Professional Option is designed to enable full-time students to satisfy all program requirements and complete an examinable project within two years. Students are required to be well grounded in one or more of the program s areas of specialization. MA degree requirements consist of: Obtain 30 hours of graduate credit consisting of: i. Geographic Traditions (Geog 601) (3 cr). ii. One of the following methods classes: Quali tative Methods (Geog 603), Quantitative Methods (Geog 701), or Spatial Analysis (Geog 594) (3 cr). iii. Colloquium (Geog 600) for four semesters (a total of 4 cr). iv. Nine credit hours of geography graduate courses (Geog 400 level and above), but excluding Geog 689-693 and Geog 695-699 (Note: with the approval of the Grad uate Committee, courses from other programs may also be used to fulfill this requirement). v. Five credit hours of other graduate courses (400 level and above). vi. One additional 3-cr graduate course specifically related to the Professional Masters project research (400 level and above, but excluding Geog 695/795 and Geog 692). vii. Complete and successfully defend a written research project (Geog 780, 3 cr). Important notes: 1. WVU requires that no more than 40% of the graduate degree credits be at the 400-level. 2. Geography graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 are placed on probation and given one semester to raise their GPA to 3.0. Students with a GPA below 3.0 for more than one semester will be asked to leave the program. Graduate advising and graduate committees Each new student is interviewed before the fall semester to identify both the student s interests and any academic deficiencies that require remedial work before graduate studies may continue. All students are initially supervised by the Graduate Committee, unless they have already chosen an academic advisor. During the Fall semester, students should develop a clearly defined research interest, and identify a faculty member with relevant research interests to be her/his advisor. The selection and appointment of an academic advisor must take place no later than the middle of the spring semester of the first year, The advisor must be a current regular member of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS) graduate faculty and a member of the Geography program. Once a project topic has been identified, the student (with advisor input) will select a committee comprising a chair (invariably the student advisor) and at least two additional committee members. The following restrictions apply to MA committees: The chair must be a faculty member of the WVU Geography program and a regular member of the WVU graduate faculty. At least one of the two additional committee members must be a member of the WVU Department of Geology and Geography (either adjunct or regular faculty). At least one of the two additional committee members must be a regular member of the WVU graduate faculty. It is recommended that at least one committee The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 10

member be from outside the Department of Geology and Geography. Students may change advisor or committee members only after consultation with the advisor and the Graduate Committee. Reasons for changing the makeup of the advisory committee may include committee members no longer being available, or a change in the focus of the research interests of the student. Plan of study and good academic progress A plan of study must be filed by the end of the first semester in the program. Members of the Graduate Committee may serve as interim committee members for the plan of study until a Professional Masters project committee is identified. Any changes to the committee composition or plan of study requires the filing of an amended plan of study. The progress of every student is reviewed toward the end of the second semester. In cases where a student is performing significantly below expectations, the student may be required to leave the program. Deadlines, timetable and project proposal Students who select the Professional Masters option must complete the Professional Masters project in one semester (generally the spring semester of the second year). The project therefore requires considerable planning in the prior semesters. During the semester before the project is undertaken, the student must develop and present a written project plan to the student s Professional Masters project advisory committee. The project plan should include an objective, methods, and timetable. No public presentation of the proposal is required. The student must make a written request to the Geography Graduate Coordinator for a permit to sign up for the Geography Professional Masters Project course (Geog 780) no later than the end of the semester before the start of the semester in which the project is undertaken. The request should specify the date on which the committee accepted the proposal, and be endorsed by the student s advisor. Not until the complete written request has been received will the Geography Graduate Coordinator issue a permit for the course. The student is required to have meetings with the advisor and committee in weeks three and seven of the project semester to present progress reports. Project defense The project results must be defended in a public presentation no later than the deadline for a thesis defense during that semester. The defense must be advertised in the Department at least two weeks in advance of the event. The standard for passing will be that the majority of the advisory committee (two or more of the three members) evaluate the work as substantially meeting the goals identified in the written research plan. In accordance with College requirements, original signatures (not faxed) are required on the shuttle sheet form specifying the outcome of the defense. The project report must be finalized, approved by the student s project committee, and a copy given to the department secretary by the end of the semester. No submission to the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) committee in the WVU library is required. On successful completion of the project, the student will be given a grade of Satisfactory for the Professional Masters project (Geog 780). If the student does not successfully complete or defend the project by the time indicated above, the student will be assigned a grade of Unsatisfactory for the project (Geog 780) and will be required to undertake a different project the following semester. The graduate committee may grant an extension to the one semester deadline only under exceptional circumstances. Most projects are expected to be in written form (15-20 pages). Other forms of representation may be acceptable, such as maps, software, video, land -use plans, image classification, field-trip guide, work of art, etc. However, in all cases a short, written document explaining the project is required. 11 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Ph.D. Degree Degree Requirements Students are required to be well grounded in one or more of the program s three areas of specialization (Geographic Information Science, Human Geography; and Environmental Geography) and also in the history and philosophy of Geography. Students will be awarded a Ph.D. after obtaining 28 hours of graduate credit, completing certain required courses, passing the comprehensive exams, writing a dissertation proposal, and writing and defending a dissertation. Advisor Each new student is interviewed before the fall semester to identify the student s interests and to assess whether the student has any academic deficiencies that require remedial work before continuation. All students are initially supervised by the Graduate Studies Committee until the student develops a clearly defined research interest that matches those of a faculty member willing to advise the student. The student should choose an advisor no later than two weeks before the end of the first semester in the program. Plan of study & good academic progress A plan of study must be filed by the end of the first semester in the program. Members of the Graduate Committee may serve as interim committee members for the plan of study until a dissertation committee is chosen. Any changes to the committee composition or plan of study requires the filing of an amended plan of study. The progress of every student is reviewed toward the end of the second semester. In cases where a student is performing significantly below expectations, the student may be required to leave the program. Dissertation committee By the end of the first year, each student should have formed a doctoral committee of a minimum of five individuals, comprising a chair and at least four additional committee members, to oversee the student s research. The following restrictions on committees exist at the PhD level: The chair must be a faculty member of the WVU Geography program and a regular member of the WVU graduate faculty. In addition to the chair, two of the committee members must be regular faculty members of the WVU Geography Program, though one of these may be from Geology or adjunct to Geography. In addition to the chair, three other committee members must be members of the WVU graduate faculty. At least one committee member must be from outside the Department of Geology and Geography. A minimum of five committee members must have a Ph.D. degree. Students may change advisor or committee members after consultation with the advisor and the Graduate Committee. Reasons for changing the makeup of the advisory committee may include committee members no longer being available or a change in the research focus of the student. To ensure progress toward completion of the degree, it is recommended that doctoral committees should meet at least once per year. If necessary, this meeting can be by telephone, or by circulating a summary statement of progress by the student. Course Requirements A total of 28 credit hours of study are required comprising: 1. Geographic Traditions (Geog 601) (3 cr). 2. One of the following: Qualitative Methods (Geog 603), Quantitative Methods (Geog 701), or Spatial Analysis (Geog 594). (3 cr) 3. Six hours of core geography graduate courses (500-level and above, but excluding independent or directed study courses). 4. Three hours of methods electives to be chosen in consultation with the student s research committee. Examples include: Environmental Field Geography Geog 407 Geographic Information Science Geog 550 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 12

GIS Applications Geog 452 GIS Design and Implementation Geog 453 Geographic Field Method Geog 485 Climatological Analysis Geog 517 Land Use and Cover Change Geog 630 GIS Technical Issues Geog 651 Remote Sensing Principles Geog 655 5. Three hours of a seminar course is required. The course is to be chosen in consultation with the student s research committee. Examples include: Geography of Fire Geog 607 Gender, Society and Space Geog 612 Development Geography Geog 615 Advanced Fluvial Geomorph Geog 621 Intro to Historical Materialism Geog 694 Geopolitical Perspectives Geog 694 Natural Resource Conflict Geog 694 Spatial Ecosystem Ecology Geog 794 6. Four semesters of Geography Colloquium (Geog 600) (4 cr). In addition, PhD students should help with organizing the colloquium at least for one semester. 7. Six hours of general electives. Important notes: 1. No more than 6 credit hours of 400-level courses may be counted towards the degree. 2. Geography graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 are placed on probation and given one semester to raise their GPA to 3.0. Students with a GPA below 3.0 for more than one semester will be asked to leave the program. Comprehensive Exams Students should take the written and oral comprehensive exam no later than the end of the fourth semester of their studies, and after completing core geography and methods electives. The student is examined in two specialty areas and a third area that is closely related to the proposed dissertation research topic. The exams are based on extensive bibliographies for each of the three areas. The bibliographies are developed by the student in consultation with the advisor and committee. It is expected that the student should be able to conceptually situate the three areas in the context of the history and philosophy of geography. The written exam has three parts, covering each of the areas chosen. The exams are open-book and each part will be no more than one day in length. Normally all three exams take place within one week. The number of questions for each of the parts of the exam is determined by the committee. The chair of the committee has final responsibility for disseminating the questions. The oral exam normally takes place in the week after the end of the written exam, and is a followup and response to the written exam. Under exceptional circumstances, the oral exam may be held up to two weeks, after the written exam. The oral exam is a maximum of three hours in length. Although the oral exam is open to other faculty as observers, only the dissertation committee may ask questions. It is expected that the entire doctoral committee be present for the oral exam. However the presence of committee members who are not based in Morgantown is not required and teleconferencing may be used. It must be the consensus of the doctoral committee that the student has passed the examination, although the committee may have one dissenting vote. In the event of a conditional pass, a single portion of the examination may be repeated at the discretion of the committee. If two or more of the members are dissatisfied, the entire examination must be repeated. The student may only re-take the exam one additional time. Dissertation Proposal A student must present and defend a research proposal no later than the end of the fifth semester of full time study in the program. It is recommended that the proposal be presented within three months of the comprehensive exam. The proposal presentation must be advertised in the Department two weeks prior to the presentation. At least four of the committee members must approve the proposal. Dissertation proposals are not normally held between June 15 and August 15. 13 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

After passing the dissertation proposal, the student becomes a candidate for the doctoral degree. Doctoral candidates are allowed five years under University regulations in which to complete the remaining degree requirements. Dissertation Defense A copy of the dissertation must be made available to the committee at least one-month prior to the defense. A copy must also be placed in the Departmental administrative offices for public access. The dissertation defense must be advertised in the Department three weeks prior to the presentation. At least 4 of the committee members must approve the dissertation defense for the student to pass. Dissertation defenses are not normally held between June 15 and August 15. In accordance with College requirements, original signatures (not faxed) are required on the shuttle sheet form specifying the outcome of the defense. Waivers Waivers to the PhD deadlines, timing requirements, and other rules may be requested from the Graduate Coordinator. Waivers are only given under extraordinary circumstances. The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 14

Financial Assistance Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) The Geography Graduate Program offers a number of competitive teaching assistantships to students each year. These assistantships include a stipend, approximately $15,750 for doctoral students and $13,350 for masters students, and a tuition waiver, worth approximately $6810 for residents of West Virginia, and $19508 for out of state students. Students are, however, responsible for certain student fees, that amount to approximately $300 per semester. If you wish to apply for a teaching assistantship, send a letter indicating your interest to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Geography. Review of applicants will begin January 15. part-time status constitutes one full-time semester equivalent. For semesters where part-time status is less than seven credits, the credits are accumulated such that nine part-time credits is the equivalent of one full-time semester. Evaluations and renewals As with all employees at West Virginia University, GTAs are evaluated regularly. The renewal of awards is based on performance with respect to both assistantship duties and to academic progress. GTAs who wish to have their position renewed must apply for renewal each year, as described below. Students who have been given a multi-year award, who have positive evaluations, and have met the deadlines toward their degree can expect that the assistantship will be renewed (contingent on available funding). Period of appointment Graduate teaching assistantships are a limited resource in our department and the award of a GTA position is highly competitive. Teaching assistantships typically begin in the fall semester and are awarded annually. Up to two years of funding may be awarded to MA students, and up to three years for Ph.D. students, though shorter awards may also be made. Doctoral students may apply for a one-year interruption of their funding for field data collection. Ph.D. teaching assistants who meet all comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal deadlines, have made excellent progress towards the completion of their dissertation research, and have applied for at least one external research grant, may request an additional (fourth) year of funding. Students who have been enrolled in the program without support from an assistantship are also eligible to apply for funding. Because the Geography Program expects students to make progress towards graduation, the period for which the student may apply for support is reduced by the number of semesters that the student has previously been enrolled in the program. Thus, an MA student previously unfunded for the first semester of full-time enrollment would only be eligible to apply for three semesters of support. Any semester comprising seven credit hours or greater of All GTAs must obtain regular evaluations and provide copies of those evaluations to the Graduate Coordinator. There are two types of GTA evaluation: GTAs who have responsibility for lab instruction should obtain Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) evaluations at the end of each semester,. These evaluations should be provided to the Graduate Coordinator as soon as they are available. GTAs who are responsible for assisting with classes, or other duties, need to obtain evaluations twice per semester from the faculty instructor of those classes. The evaluations must be submitted by the following dates to the Graduate Coordinator:: October 15 December 15 March 15 May 15 15 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Renewal applications 1. GTA renewal applications are due March 15 2. The renewal request must include a letter from the student to the graduate committee documenting progress toward degree and performance as a GTA (not to exceed one page). 3. Evidence of satisfactory GTA job performance comprising for course-based GTA duties a signed evaluation from the GTA supervisor(s) at the mid and end of semester timelines or for lab-based GTA duties a copy of student evaluations of instruction (SEI) including comments for each course 3. Copy of up-to-date graduate transcripts 4. CV or resume Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) Research assistantships are half-time appointments in support of faculty research projects, with funding from research grants. Remuneration includes a competitive stipend and a tuition waiver commensurate with GTAs. Usually, but not always, the research assignment is closely aligned to the student s research degree interests. GRAs are awarded by individual faculty members, and are not coordinated by the Geography Graduate Committee. Faculty sometimes select research assistants from the list of students who have recently applied to the program; however, applicants for research assistantships are encouraged to contact the faculty member with whom they are interested in working with to enquire about possible funding. Faculty may receive notice of a new project award at any time of the year, and therefore there are no deadlines for research assistantship applications. ies Coordinator expressing your interest. Application for tuition waivers must be made by March 15 for the summer and fall semesters, September 1 for the spring semester. Other University Awards and Scholarships West Virginia University has a number of scholarships that pay full tuition and provide a monthly stipend. These scholarships are highly competitive and are designed to attract outstanding students. The department deadline for application for these scholarships is January 15. Please contact the Geography Graduate Coordinator for more information about the scholarships described below: DuBois Scholarship Open to black graduate or professional students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Swiger Fellowships Open to doctoral students who are U.S. citizens. Visit WVU Graduate Education and Life for additional information about fellowships and funding. (graduate.wvu.edu/) The WVU Advising Center (ucadvising.wvu.edu/) offers a number of graduate assistantships for students who serve as advisors to undergraduates. These positions are generally only offered to students who graduated with undergraduate degrees from WVU or other US colleges and universities. Meritorious Tuition Waivers A number of competitive meritorious tuition waivers are also available to academically meritorious students who do not receive assistantships. These waivers contribute toward the cost of your tuition, whether you are in-state or out-of-state. The number of hours awarded varies each semester and is contingent upon availability and the number of applicants. If you wish to apply for a tuition waiver, send a letter to the Graduate Stud- The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 16

Graduation Procedures At the start of the semester you plan to graduate: 1. Obtain a Completion Report form (see the end of this Handbook), and let Hope Stewart in the main office know of your plans. 2. If you have not registered for a course for more than one year, check with admissions and records to see if you are still registered as an active student. 3. You must be a registered student the semester you graduate. Therefore, if you are not already enrolled in a course, sign up for at least 1 hour of Geog 797, Research, for the semester you graduate. 4. Check with your advisor that your Plan of Study has been filed with the Arts and Sciences Graduate Record Office and is up to date If your Plan of Study has changed, you should file an amended Plan. 5. Visit the college graduate forms website page (http://www.as.wvu.edu/graduate/forms.html) and download: a) the Application for Graduation form (must be submitted in the first two weeks of the semester you plan to graduate, along with the graduation fee.) Note that there is a separate form for doctoral students. b) the Plan of Study form (if revisions are needed). c) the Shuttle sheet request form (filed only when a defense date has been chosen, at least two weeks in advance of the defense) All forms must be handed in to Hope Stewart in the Geography Main Office. 6. Visit the WVU Library Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) website to familiarize yourself with the submission process and requirements http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/theses/index.htm. In particular, you need to get a system account and password. MA Professional Masters option students do not submit their projects to the library, therefore they do not need to worry about this step. 7. Note: Check the Eberly College deadline for defenses. The Eberly College deadline is earlier than the university deadline, and must be adhered to. No extensions can be given to this deadline. This deadline is usually at least 3 weeks prior to the end of the semester or earlier. No less than three weeks prior to the defense: 8. Your advisor should file a Shuttle sheet request form 9. Announce the time and location of the defense by posting notices in the department, and sending an email to the department. 10. PhD students should place a copy of the dissertation in the department main office (Room 330). At the defense 11. After the defense, the committee signs and completes the Shuttle Sheet (which is provided by the Graduate Record office). 12. Either at the defense, or subsequent to corrections, the committee approves the thesis or dissertation by signing the ETD signature approval form http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/theses/forms/etdform.pdf 17 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Final steps 13 Make corrections to your thesis/dissertation. Obtain your advisor, and if needed, committee s approval for the corrected document. 14. Submit the electronic version of your thesis or dissertation to the library. (Note that MA Professional Masters reports are not submitted to the library). Warning: The College deadline for submission to the library is earlier than the University ETD deadline, and you must meet the College deadline. No extensions can be given. 15. Forward the official approval of the thesis or dissertation to Hope Stewart in the departmental main office. 16. Contact the Graduate Director to schedule an exit interview. 17. Turn in a bound copy of the thesis to the department. 18. Turn in the Completion Report to Hope Stewart 19. Provide to the Department a forwarding address for future communication.. Note: Hope Stewart is the contact person for all graduate formalities. Do not contact the College Graduate Office without first checking with Hope Stewart. * Copies of all forms are available at the college graduate web site at : http://www.pages.geo.wvu.edu/ The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 18

Geography Faculty Research Interests Jamison Conley Ph.D. Penn. State, 2008, Associate Professor Geographic Information Science, geocomputation, medical geography Email: Jamison.Conley@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-6352 Karen Culcasi Ph.D. Syracuse University, 2008, Associate Professor Geopolitics, identity, Middle-East, cartography Email: Karen.Culcasi@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-0383 Gregory A. Elmes Ph.D. Penn. State, 1979, Professor Emeritus, co-director WV GIS Technical Center. Geographic Information Science, spatial analysis, crime mapping and analysis, forensic GIS, digital cartography. Email: Greg.Elmes@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-4685 Cynthia Gorman Ph.D. Rutgers University, 2013, Assistant Professor Gender, migration, legal regimes and international human rights. Email. Cynthia.Gorman@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-9299 Jonathan Hall Ph.D. Ohio State University, 2011, Assistant Professor. Community ecology, species conservation, human/wildlife conflict. Email: Jonathan. Hall@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-8559 Robert Q. Hanham Ph.D. Ohio State. Associate Professor Emeritus Trevor M. Harris Ph.D., Hull (U.K.), 1982, Eberly Professor of Geography, co-director WV GIS Technical Center. Geographic Information Science, Immersive Virtual Geography, Spatial Humanities, Qualitative GIS, geo-spatial semantic web Email: Trevor.Harris@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-3171 Amy E. Hessl Ph.D., University of Arizona, 2000, Professor. Biogeography, forest ecosystems and climate variability. 19 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Insu Hong Ph.D. Arizona State University, 2015, Assistant Professor. Spatial analysis, optimization and high performance computer, GIS. Email: Insu.Hong@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-0382 Randall Jackson Ph.D.,University of Illinois-Urbana, 1983, Professor and Director of the West Virginia University Regional Research Institute. Economic geography, regional economic health and performance, regional science. Email: Randall.Jackson@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-8734. J. Steven Kite Ph.D. Wisconsin, 1983, Associate Professor Quaternary stratigraphy, fluvial geomorphology, geoarcheology. Email: steve.kite@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-9819 Eungul Lee Ph.D. U. of Colorado at Boulder, 2007, Assistant Professor. Climatology, monsoon climate, land-atmosphere interactions, climate change and human health. Email: Eungul.Lee@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-8485 Cedric (Rick) Landenberger Ph.D. West Virginia University, 1999, Clinical Assistant Professor. Ecology, remote sensing, spatial analysis, teacher professional development (K-12) Email: Rick.Landenberger@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-9468 Kenneth C. Martis Ph.D. Michigan, 1976, Professor Emeritus. Political geography, historical geography. email: Ken.Martis@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-9662 Brent McCusker Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2001, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Geography. Land use change and livelihood systems in Africa, political ecology. Email: Brent.McCusker@mail.wvu.edu. Phone: (304) 293-4025 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 20

Brenden McNeil Ph.D. Syracuse University, 2006, Associate Professor, GIS, remote sensing, ecosystem ecology. eemail : Brenden.McNeil@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-0384 Maria Alejandra Perez Ph. D. University of Michigan, 2012, Assistant Professor Cultural anthropology, science and technology, critical cartography, landscape, embodiment, territoriality, identity politics, human-cave relations, speleology, Venezuela Email: Maria.Perez@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-9283 Tim Warner Ph.D., Purdue University 1992, Professor Remote sensing. Email: Tim.Warner@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-4725 Bradley Wilson Ph.D., Rutgers University, 2010, Assistant Professor Social movements, globalization, environmental justice, Latin America. Email: Bradley.Wilson@mail.wvu.edu Phone: (304) 293-9661 21 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook

Department of Geology and Geography Staff Randy Crowe Systems Administrator 412 Brooks Hall (304)293-0555 Chelsea Downing Office Administrator 330-D Brooks Hall (304)293-5605 Hope Stewart Office Administrator 330-D Brooks Hall (304)293-5606 Donna Titus Office Manager 330-D Brooks Hall (304)293-4190 The Geography Graduate Student Handbook 22