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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background (current title, professional milestones, professional history, education, research works, hobbies, etc.)
I am retired from Texas A&M University where I was a professor of geography. I also served as Associate Dean for the College of Geosciences for six years. I now live in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my husband who is also a geographer.
I came into geography because of a deep curiosity about places I lived. As a child, because of my father’s job with Mobil Oil, I moved in the United States and overseas frequently. I always wanted to know “the why of where.” When I lived in New Zealand as a teenager, I discovered geography. The subject answered the questions I had about people, places, and environments. I majored in it in college (Mount Holyoke College) and after receiving an M.A. in Teaching (University of Chicago), I taught middle and high school for 14 years in Illinois and Texas.
I loved teaching geography and felt passionately about its value to students in building key citizenship skills, but developed a concern about learning. What could I do to better help my students learn to think geographically? This led me to complete a Ph.D. in geography emphasizing education. My career as a geography educator has led to many great adventures and projects working to enhance the quality and quantity of geography education in K-12 and higher education. Despite retirement I continue to research and work particularly with early career faculty on teaching and learning issues. Travel, knitting, and hiking are my fun activities.
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What was your driving force behind the creation of Human Geography: A Spatial Perspective, and what aspects of this inaugural edition are you most passionate about?
I had the privilege to work with an inspiring set of authors. Each of us had something special we emphasized. My particular passion was to feature the work of a range of geographers in the book, matching their research to the topics discussed, linking the actual work of geographers to teaching introductory human geography. I like to think of the book as less of a textbook and more of a view into the scholarship and scholarly achievements of geography.
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Human geography encompasses such a vast array of topics and cultures. In what ways does your textbook offer something unique and differentiating to the field?
Our philosophy was to blend and emphasize two of the great traditions of geography — human-environment interaction and spatial analysis — to organize the content. As a professor, I always taught this course as the story of a few key concepts which can explain how the world works. We each have to develop a grand narrative and tell a story to help students also make sense of the ways that geographers see the world. It is a challenge — our students are used to thinking chronologically, not spatially. But acquiring that spatial habit of mind is very powerful. I hope the book supports students in this endeavor.
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Given the ever-evolving nature of human geography, how does your textbook discuss the complexities of current events and modern issues to remain relevant and impactful for students, and what are they?
I think by emphasizing key concepts and principles of geography, students can acquire a framework that explains the key processes at work in the world today and the spatial patterns produced by those processes. It is up to instructors to present local and timely examples that support students in seeing the relationships between global trends and local conditions and events.
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How do you see this textbook deepening students’ understanding and fostering a more active engagement with its core concepts?
Clearly the work of the featured NatGeo Explorers is inspiring and motivating. Their work connects the concepts of geography with real-world discoveries and provides examples of the power of geographic analysis.
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With learners from diverse academic backgrounds, how does your text accommodate both those specializing in geography or earth science, and those encountering it through general education?
Geography is what is called a discovery major, that is, very very few students come to higher education committed to majoring in the subject. But that first introductory course, taught by a passionate and skilled instructor, can capture the imagination and interest of some who find that the subject has great explanatory power and is compelling. We designed this book to be accessible to a range of learners, with stunning visuals, clear writing, and intriguing features. The intent is to provide a solid foundation for the general education student and be a tool to recruit the next generation of geographers.
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What do you hope instructors will take away from this textbook that will enhance their teaching?
Featuring the work of contemporary explorers illustrates ways that faculty can connect exciting scientific discoveries with foundational concepts of geography. A second innovation that can transfer into the pedagogical practices of instructors is the use of the research of contemporary geographers.
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Lastly, what do you hope is the most significant takeaway students will carry with them after using your textbook?
That geography’s unique and particular perspectives on the world can provide them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make them better citizens and everyday decision-makers. Geography has tremendous intellectual and practical value, and I want more students to take advantage of this powerful subject.
Sarah Witham Bednarz is a Professor Emerita of Geography and past President of the American Association of Geographers. She served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Geosciences, Texas A&M University, from 2008 to 2014 and as Principal Investigator on two major curriculum and educational research projects. Recently she cochaired the Geography Education Research Committee (GERC) of the 21st Century Road Map for 21st Century Geography Education Project.