Publications

2024

• Students in GEOG 155 (GIS Data Acquisition & Management) and the Geospatial Centroid (now the Geospatial Lab @ Sac State) collaborated in Fall 2023 with local author Ashley Langdon to create maps used for Mildly Scenic, a guidebook of bite-sized adventures along the lower American River. Book release: May 2024. ISBN: 9798218196561 (see more)
  • Students: Casey Echeveste (GISA, MAP), Gabby Eimanverdi (Env. Studies major with GIS minor), Jessica Shugrue (GISA), Justin Liberman (Criminal Justice, minor in GIS), T.Sean Hamilton (GISA, MAP), and Tyler Weston (GISA)
  • Mildly Scenic featured in Sactown Magazine (Sept-Oct issue)
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is first author on the article "Human influence on late Holocene fire history in a mixed-conifer forest, Sierra National Forest, California", published in Fire Ecology. The paper looks at evidence and impact of indigenous fire practices over the last 1300 years at Markwood Meadow, and is available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-023-00245-9

2023

• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is sole author on the article "Potential of paleoecology and paleolandscape modeling to identify pre-Colonial cultural burning in montane forests: case studies in California", published in Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology. The article is available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fearc.2023.1251149
• Prof. Hanieh Molana is first author on the artcile "Conference Organizing in the Hybrid Age: Lessons from the Fourth International Feminist Geography Conference", published online in The Professional Geographer. The article is at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00330124.2023.2258395
• Prof. Joao Santos is first author on the article "Distinguishing glacial diamictons and landforms using till microfabric and grain size analysis: Sera da Cabreira Mountains, NW Portugal", published in Physical Geography. The article is available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02723646.2023.2266199
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is first author on an eLetter in Science titled "Sedimentary charcoal does not implicate humans in Rancholabrean megafauna extirpation." You can read the comment letter as a response to "Pre-Younger Dryas megafaunal extirpation at Rancho La Brea linked to fire-driven state shift." https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo3594
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is sole author on the chapter "Ecological changes and anthropogenic burning in Central California", published in Questioning Rebound: People and Environmental Change in the Protohistoric and Early Historic Americas. The chapter explores the current state of sub-centennial paleoecological work in Central California spanning the last 700 years and the effects of Indigenous traditional burning practices (and their removal) on ecological rebound effects.

2022

• Prof. James Wanket is co-author on "Methods for robust estimates of tree biomass from pollen accumulation rates: Quantifying paleoecological reconstruction uncertainty" published in Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.956143/full. The paper expands on earlier work by evaluating the errors associated with biomass reconstructions.
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is co-author on "Reimagine fire science for the Anthropocene", published in PNAS Nexus https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac115. The paper outlines barriers and opportunities in the next generation of fire science and provides guidance for investment in future research as fire science reaches a critical transitional moment
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is co-author on "A collaborative agenda for archaeology and fre science", published in Nature Ecology and Evolution https://rdcu.be/cNFWI. The paper proposes a collaborative research agenda linking archaeology and fire science that emphasizes the socioecological histories and consequences of anthropogenic fre in the development of fire management strategies today
• Prof. Patrick Oberle is co-author on "Seeing like the shadow state: philanthropy, memory, and public housing redevelopment in Syracuse, NY", published in Urban Geography https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02723638.2022.2054624 The paper is a critique of the growth of the shadow state (foundations, non-profits, etc.) and how such organizations mobilize memories of place in the service of neighborhood-scale redevelopment and displacement
• Professors James Wanket and Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson are co-authors on "Land Management explains major trends in forest structure and composition over the last millennium in California’s Klamath Mountains", published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2116264119
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is co-author and corresponding author on a collaborative paper "Paleoclimatology and paleoceanography perspectives on integrated, coordinated, open, networked (ICON) science" published in Earth and Space Science https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EA002115

2021

• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is co-author on "An evaluation of cyberinfrastructure facilitators training in the Virtual Residency Program" published in Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing https://doi.org/10.1145/3437359.3465560
• Prof. Klimaszewski-Patterson is first author on "Identifying a pre-Columbian Anthropocene in California" in the Annals of the American Association of Geographers http://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2020.1846488
• Prof. James Wanket and lecturer Jen Kuschler acknowledged in publication from U.C. Berkeley "Linking modern pollen accumulation rates to biomass: Quantitative vegetation reconstruction in the western Klamath Mountains, NW California, USA" in The Holocene https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683620988038

2020

• Prof. James Wanket is co-author on "Settlement-era forest structure and composition in the Klamath Mountains: reconstructing a historical baseline", published in Ecosphere. The primary data come from public land surveys (hello, history of geo-techniques!) https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3250
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson is co-author on "Cyberinfrastructure facilitation skills training via the Virtual Residency Program", published in Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing https://doi.org/10.1145/3311790.3396629
• Dr. João Santos is first author on "Macrofabric and grain size analysis of moraines and other till deposits in the Serra da Estrela Mountains, central Portugal", published in Physical Geography https://doi.org/10.1080/02723646.2020.1838136. Dr. Santos specializes in glacial geomorphology
• Dr. Sean Pries is sole author on "Conserved? A political ecology of landscape conservation on the North Fork American River", published in Geographical Review https://doi.org/10.1080/00167428.2020.1832422
• Prof. Klimaszewski-Patterson is first author on "Paleoecological and paleolandscape modeling support for pre-Columbian burning by Native Americans in the Golden Trout Wilderness Area, California, USA", published in Landscape Ecology https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-020-01081-x

Spotlight

2024

• Austin Flood (Physical) has been accepted into the Master of Arts in Geography: Resource Management & Environmental Planning program at San Francisco State University
• Carl de Joya (GISA; MAP) has been accepted into the Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning Program at UCLA!

2023

• Please join us for David Kaplan's presentation on Nationalism in the Modern World, Nov. 7 @ 5p in SQU 316 in honor of Geography Awareness Week. Click here for flyer with additional information.
• Two Geography students presented at the 2023 College of NSM Research Symposium in October:
  • Casey Echeveste (Vehicle Involved Bicycle Crashes in Sacramento, California 2018-2023)
  • T.Sean Hamilton (Bus Activity and Walkability in 3 Sacramento Neighborhoods)
• Please welcome Dr. Caroline Keegan as our new Assistant Professor. Dr. Keegan received her PhD from the University of Georgia and specializes in political ecology and environmental justice.

2022

• Fantastic turn-out for our first ever Geography Awareness Week Trivia Bowl & Scavenger Hunt.
  • Winners of the Trivia Bowl are:
    • 1st place: Team "Happy Hour"
    • 2nd place: Team "10-year Plan"
    • 3rd place: Team "Same Colonizer" (after 2 rounds of nail-biting tie-breakers)
  • Winner of the Scavenger Hunt: Mariana Veliz
• Six Geography students presented at the 2022 College of NSM Research Symposium in October:
  • Steven Deckard (Variability in Bikeability: Investigating the Neighborhoods of Sacramento, CA)
  • Carl de Joya (Decreased Water Affordability Within Los Angeles Department of Water and Power During Covid-19 Pandemic)
  • Hamish Watson (Visualizing Data with GIS Dashboards for More Effective Decision-Making by Management), and rececent graduates
  • Matthew Leung (Capabilities of ArcGIS dashboards for Visualizing Data for the United States Fish & Wildlife Service)
  • Rebecca Vail (Charcoal Distribution from a Modern Fire in a Wet Meadow)
  • Daniel Walsh (Bus Network Accessibility Based on Bus Stop Frequency and Proximity to Residences - Sacramento Regional Transit)
• Please welcome Dr. Erica Orcutt as our new Assistant Professor. Dr. Orcutt received her PhD from the University of California, Davis and specializes in biogeography, remote sensing, modeling biological systems, and conservation biology
• Prof. Emeritus Robin Datel was part of a team who created the inaugural Hornet Community Bus Tour. For two days in May, Sac State faculty, staff, and administrators visited community organizations, government agencies, and elected officials to learn about Sacramento. Prof. Datel's main role was to provide geographical and historical context en route. Profs. Oberle and Arpagian were among those who participated in this field experience sponsored by the Community Engagement Center and the Anchor University initiative.
• Recent greaduate Nadie Quinn (Metropolitan Area Planning) accepted into the Masters of Infrastructure Planning and Management at the University of Washington!
• Victoria Ting (Human Geography) accepted to the Geography graduate program at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a teaching assistantship. Her primary research interest is on Queer Theory and Political Geography, particularly how they intersect
• Recent Geography graduate Jadah Francisco (Metropolitan Area Planning/Geograhic Information Systems & Analysis) accepted into the very competitive Masters in Urban Planning Program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo for Fall 2022

2021

• Please welcome Dr. Jasmine Arpagian as our new Assistant Professor. Dr. Arpagian received her PhD from San Diego State University and specializes in underserved populations, geography of Europe, and community-based GIS
• Please congratulate Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson, who was awarded early tenure and promotion to Associate Professor.

2020

• Please welcome Dr. Hanieh Haji Molana as our new Assistant Professor. Dr. Haji Molana received her PhD from Kent State University and specializes in feminist geography and geography of the Middle East
• Prof. Anna Klimaszewski-Patterson presented the Fall 2020 STEM Scholar Lecture "Who Started the Fire: 2000 Years of Climate, Fire, and Native Californians" View lecture
• The Geography Department would like to thank Professors Robin Datel, Marsha Dillon, and Michael Schmandt for their many years of service to the department as they fully retire from the university. All three were awarded the status of Emeritus Professor

2019

• Please welcome Dr. Patrick Oberle as our new Assistant Professor. Dr. Oberle received his PhD from Syracuse University and specializes in housing, urban geography, and participatory GIS
• Erika Ornouski (Physical Geography) accepted into the Geography Masters program at Louisiana State University