Jessica Burns in Brazil with a family of Kiaowa-Guarani Indians studying land and resource conflicts in this area. Jessica is an undergraduate majoring in Geography and Spanish and Portuguese.

Urban sprawl. Immigration. Global warming and climate change. Weather forecasting. Sustainable economic development. Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

These are more than "buzz" words. They are serious issues that governments and citizens grapple with to grow or sustain a desired quality of life.

They also are some of the key issues that Department of Geography students concern themselves with as part of a diverse and dynamic program at Ohio State.

In the Department of Geography, we envision the geographer as a key problem solver of societal and environmental issues. For example:

• How can atmospheric science and weather data and imagery help inform long-term weather forecasting and atmospheric dynamics?
• How do the dynamics of urban growth and decline, land use and population shifts affect a region?
• What will climate change mean for future generations?
• How can research, using theoretical and substantive analysis tools such as Spatial Analysis Methods (SAM) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), influence and impact critical regional planning decisions?

These questions are appropriately applied to our primary areas of geographical study covering four undergraduate and graduate programs:

• Urban and Regional Studies
• Spatial Analysis Methods
• Atmospheric and Climatic Studies
• People, Society, and Environment

If you're looking for a field of study that translates into exciting hands-on opportunities and career choices with meaningful outcomes, the Department of Geography can map it all out for you.