In early April, fourteen Keene State Geography students made the cross-country journey to Los Angeles to present the results of their seminar research. The Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers was the venue where many of our graduating seniors had the opportunity to share their work with an international audience of scholars.
Student projects focused on a number of environmental and community issues important to Keene and the wider Monadnock region. Presentation topics included a study of the urban heat island effect in Keene, urban planning issues in Marlborough, NH, and an atlas of the Ashuelot River watershed.
While in LA, geography students also had the chance to explore the dynamic urban environment of southern California. Among some of the sights were Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and Hollywood. An adventurous group of Keene State geographers even made the two hour journey to Joshua Tree National Park, where they experienced the beautiful natural scenery of the Mojave desert (center image below). Back in LA, students had fun roaming around the city on the subway system, and enjoyed a night out with their seminar advisor, Dr. Chris Cusack.
The AAG meeting has become an annual rite of passage for Geography seniors, with recent trips to Washington, DC, Seattle, Washington, and New York City. Future destinations will include Tampa, Florida and Chicago.
