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AQ Difference |
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| Geographers have proven that their unparalleled combination of natural and social science knowledge and research capabilities can contribute to solving many problems facing society. Many government agencies and industries employing geographers have found them to be flexible and resourceful problem solvers who can, with confidence, be given a wide variety of assignments. |
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| Sister Jean Paul Tilmann Award 2012 |
Graduating senior Devin Lea was honored as the Geography Department's Outstanding Senior. Congratulations Devin! |
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| Paul Bieneman Award 2012 |
| Graduating seniors Sara Sanders and Kyle Tomczyk were each awarded the Paul Bieneman Award, in honor of their commitment and enthusiasm for geography and environmental studies. Congratulations Sara and Kyle! |
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| Graduate School Destinations for AQ Geography & Environmental Studies Students (2006 - 2012) |
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| Undergraduate Summer Research |
2012 Topic: Paleolimnology - Revealing the Natural History of the Landscape through the Lens of a West Michigan Pond.
(Dr. James Rasmussen and student Bradley Farley) |
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We were interested in the bottom sediments of Brewster Lake in Barry County, specifically the size and composition of these sediments and what they could reveal about how the environment around the lake had changed over the past 4000 years. To that end, we built a floating research platform, where we collected a number of sediment cores up to 2 meters in length. What we found in these cores was that the lake had a long period of relatively slow change. For most of the history recorded in the lake core, erosion into the lake was minor, with occasional sediments and snail shells being flushed in from the surrounding shore areas. However, late in the core we found that the texture of the sediments changed and the erosion rates increased by an order of magnitude when compared to the background rate displayed in the rest of the core. We attribute this change to land clearance with the arrival of European-style farming techniques. |
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| Mission Statement |
The mission of the Geography and Environmental Studies Department at Aquinas College is to provide students with knowledge of geography and environmental studies befitting their goals: for the general education students that they understand basic tenets of physical geography, human geography, and/or environmental studies; for the education certification students that they obtain the content knowledge necessary for their teaching careers; and for the geography and environmental studies majors that they possess the knowledge and skills necessary for them to succeed in their post-baccalaureate careers. |
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| Student Learning Outcomes |
Goal 1: The Department’s graduates should understand and analyze spatial relationships.
- Outcome 1.1: They will understand and interpret the distribution, processes, and linkages between the economy, culture, urbanization, agriculture, politics, and language.
- Outcome 1.2: They will understand and interpret the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
- Outcome 1.3: They will understand and interpret the interrelationships between landforms, weather, water, and ecosystems.
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Goal 2: The Department’s graduates should use basic geography tools and techniques.
- Outcome 2.1: They will be able to read and interpret maps.
- Outcome 2.2: They will be able to construct maps.
- Outcome 2.3: They will be able to perform quantitative analysis and interpret the results.
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Goal 3: The Department’s graduates should understand, analyze, and compare/contrast global regions.
- Outcome 3.1: They will compare and contrast how regions are defined in political, cultural, economic, and physical terms.
- Outcome 3.2: They will understand how various factors influence the perception and use of regions.
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Goal 4: The Department’s graduates should be able to read and understand research literature and engage in productive research activities.
- Outcome 4.1: They will demonstrate and integrate an understanding of the scientific method.
- Outcome 4.2: They will explain and critically evaluate research within the discipline.
- Outcome 4.3: They will understand and apply basic measurement techniques used within the discipline.
- Outcome 4.4: They will design and implement a research plan.
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Goal 5: The Department’s graduates should demonstrate professional communication skills.
- Outcome 5.1: They will write using appropriate spelling, grammar, and composition skills.
- Outcome 5.2: They will construct and present professional-level presentations of their research.
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