Dr. Jocoy and Dr. House-Peters published in Nature Climate Action
Jocoy, C., M. Nagel, and L. House-Peters (2025) The Promise and Perils of Transformative Urban Climate Policy in German and American Cities. Nature Climate Action.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44168-025-00242-5
MSGISci Student Angelica Cruz – 1st Place Winner & Beach Voices Feature
MSGISci Student Angelica Cruz is the 1st Place Winner for her Research Poster – Importance of Green Spaces in Long Beach – presented at the Green Generation Mixer Sustainability Showcase on 4/17/2025. She was also prominently recognized by CSULB as a Beach Voices feature!
Abstract: This project aims to highlight environmental racism in Long Beach, CA and the importance of equitable access to greenspaces by exploring the intersecting relationship between historical redlining, Urban Heat Island effect (UHI), and disproportionate vegetation levels in marginalized and under-resourced communities.
By 2050, more than 68% of the global population will live in cities. Long Beach is the second largest city in Los Angeles County and the seventh largest city in California with a population of over 458,800 residents. Urban areas with a higher concentration and density of structures, paved infrastructure, human related activities, and lack of greenspaces contribute to increased temperatures that create UHI.
Greenspaces in cities mitigate the effects of pollution and can reduce the UHI effect emphasizing the importance of increasing green infrastructure while also addressing environmental justice and equity. Green infrastructure enhances community safety and quality of life, and can be done at the local level by planting trees, restoring native habitats and wetlands. We can use the natural world to make urban environments healthier and more livable. Greenspaces are vital for urban ecosystems, promoting sustainable and healthy city development.
Recognizing the intersectional relationship between greenspace inequity, environmental issues, poor health, and the socioeconomic disadvantages of marginalized communities opens the conversation of social inequity and health disparities to groups that are historically excluded from the decision and policy making process. Investing in the community’s well-being is just as important as preserving the natural environment, as the loss of human potential is detrimental to the planet.
Dr. Sara O’Connor kicks off International Book Tour at CSULB!
Dr. Sara O’Connor’s timely new book – Civic Activism in Authoritarian Space Urban Development Interventions in Kazakhstan – was released March 31, 2025! Dr. O’Connor kicks off an International Speaking Tour at CSULB on April 9 12:00-1:00 PM Library 305.
Brendan Schultheis Earns the College of Liberal Arts BEST THESIS AWARD!
Brendan Schultheis, M.A. is the First Place College of Liberal Arts Best Master’s Thesis award winner! This award recognizes outstanding scholarship in his thesis research titled: “Estimating Oak Tree Biomass using Canopy-Based Estimates of Trunk Diameter Derived from High Resolution SUAs Imagery”.
We also congratulate his Thesis Supervisors – Dr. Paul Laris (Thesis Chair), Mr. Scott Winslow (2nd Reader) and Dr. Mystyn Mills (3rd Reader).
Julia Dowell, M.A. Featured by AAG!
Julia Dowell, a graduate of our Master of Arts program (and winner of the College of Liberal Arts 2022 Best Thesis Award) is prominently featured by the Association of American Geographers (AAG). Julia was selected to be a featured “profile of geographers”. Read about her successes!
Graduate Student Research Assistantships Available for NSF Funded Project on Fire Emissions in West Africa
Stay Tuned pending review by National Science Foundation:Looking for students with experience in statistical analysis and/or remote sensing skills. Students enroll in one of our Masters programs (MA or MSGISci) and work up to 20 hours per week on the project and full-time in summer. With opportunity to work in Africa! Pay subject to experience. For more information contact: Dr. Paul Laris
Drs. Ocón & Steinberg Published in Progress in Physical Geography
Drs. Jonathan Ocón, our new hire in Remote Sensing and Dr. Steve Steinberg, Adjunct Faculty are published in Progress in Physical Geography!
“Remote sensing approaches to identify trees to species-level in the urban forest: A review“
This research is part of the LA County urban tree mapping project and a collaborative effort with UCLA Geography. This work served as a prototype for the County’s efforts to map urban trees of interest using LiDAR data from the LARAIC program.
Dr. Ban Awarded Grant for Mapping Emotions of Asian/Asian American Experiences
Dr. ban awarded $2500 grant for “Mapping Emotions of Asian/Asian American (AAA) Experiences in the West, South Central, and Midwest Regions in the U.S.: Using Mixed-Methods Approach.” The grant will support a Graduate Student Assistant (about $1,800 for 90 hours in FA2024) and compensation for interview participants (about $700 for 30 or more interviews during SU-FA2024).
The project is part of an ongoing multidisciplinary research to explore the emotions of AAA adults in the U.S. they have experienced in public spaces since the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses in-depth interviews and digital mapping using ArcGIS Online. The research team consists of geographers and psychologists at different U.S. institutions, including myself (Co-PI), Dr. Seungyeon Lee (Co-PI, psychology) at the University of Central Arkansas, and Drs. Hyejin Yoon (PI, geography) and Kyongboon Kwon (Co-PI, psychology) at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Dr. Yoon and I published the first article of the ongoing research about geographic literature on hate crimes and incidents (Yoon, Ban, and Hong-Dwyer 2024). The research team had a panel presentation, “Asia in Conversation: Navigating Asian/Asian-American Identity in the Midwest, Southwest, and West: Flourishing in Unfamiliar Terrain,” sponsored by the UWM Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and the William F. Vilas Trust, March 15, 2024.
Mary Venegas earns Best Masters Thesis!
Mary Venegas is one of only two recipients of the College of Liberal Arts Best Master’s Thesis award winners. These graduate students are recognized for their outstanding scholarship. This award recognizes her outstanding scholarship in her thesis research titled: “Vulnerabilities and Resilience to Weather Events: Woodford Saint Andrew, Jamaica”. We also congratulate her Thesis Supervisors – Dr. Gary Hytrek (THesis Chair), Dr. Lily House-Peters (2nd Reader) and Dr. Dmitrii Sidorov (3rd Reader).
Kate Prell wins coveted 2024 Dean’s List of Graduate Master’s Students
Kate Prell was selected as a 2024 Dean’s List of Graduate Master Students award recipient from the College of Liberal Arts at CSULB. The University presents this award each year to graduate students who have a record of academic excellence. The number of recipients from each college is limited to one percent of the students pursuing a graduate degree. This year, the College of Liberal Arts was privileged to select 6 students for this special award. Congratulations Kate!