GeoGator Alumni:
As a very new chair I would like to continue and extend the work of my predecessors in reaching out to the "greater family" of UF Geographers. Like most of you, our lives here tend to be full of the day to day activities that are part of our careers: teaching, advising students, carrying out research, seeking funding and running many of the administrative functions of the department. However, it is always rewarding to "take a break" from this hectic schedule to reflect upon the success of our graduates and to read that, in some way, individual faculty and courses in the Geography Department have positively influenced people's careers. We hope that your memories of the department and your affiliation with the university evoke similar feelings of pleasure and pride. With the aid of Profs. Barbara McDade and Jane Southworth, we will endeavor to keep you abreast of each other's activities, and with news from within our dynamic department, through this website. Please feel free to contact me at any time with your news, comments or suggestions.
Peter Waylen
Department of
Geography
University of
Florida
Gainesville
Florida 32611-7315
tel. (352) 392
4652
fax. (352) 392
8855
2004 CLAS OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENT FOR GEOGRAPHY AWARDED TO DR. RICHARD "DICK" WITMER
Dr. Witmer has
been awarded the CLAS 2004 Outstanding Alumni Award for Geography. Dr.
Witmer retired from the USGS about 1 year ago. While at the USGS, he was
Jim Anderson’s deputy, and then replacement after he passed away. Over
the years he has served in various managerial positions after the National
Mapping Division was formed, and eventually became Chief of NMD, and Chief
Geographer of the USGS. Dick retired as Associate Director of the Survey.
This is the 2nd year that a Geographer has been one of the CLAS Awards
recipients. The first were at last year's brunch and the recipients were
Dr. Storm Richards (PhD 1987) and Dr. Jeanne-Fillman Richards (PhD 1990).
THE GLENN R. ANDERSON VISITING LECTURESHIP
The Anderson Visiting
Lectureship was created this summer (2004), and will provide funding to
bring to leaders in various areas within Geography to talk with students
and to learn about the great things going on here at UF. The visiting
lecture would spend about a week on campus speaking to students and faculty
and possibly the general public depending on the person’s field of expertise.
The funding for this annual lectureship was generously given by Glenn R.
Anderson and family and is an endowed gift, which will allow for these
annual activities well into the future.
2004 RECIPIENT OF THE JOHN DUNKLE FELLOWSHIP AWARD
2003 RECIPIENT OF THE RYAN POEHLING FELLOWSHIP AWARD
An award of $1000
is made annually to a graduate student who best exemplifies the sustained
academic excellence, commitment to departmental service and leadership
of the graduate program which Ryan displayed. This year a new display cabinet
has been designed and mounted beside the Ryan Poehling Lab, which commemorates
Ryan, and the students who receive this award. The 2003 fellowship winner
is Natalia Hoyos and past winners are : Ann Angelheart (2001) and Andres
Guhl (2002). Nominations for 2004 award are currently underway.
STEPHANIE ABRAMS,
ON-CAMERA METEORLOGIST AT THE WEATHER CHANNEL, AND DEPARTMENT ALUMNI,
SPEAKS AT CONVOCATION
AND IN ‘EXTREME WEATHER’ CLASS GEO2242
