Recent Geography Master's Graduates

Theses and Post-Graduation Placements

2024

Abdul-Salam Abdulai

Thesis: Changing farmer-herder relations amidst climate uncertainty: New dynamics of interdependence among agrarian and pastoralist livelihood systems in the Gushiegu Municipality and Karaga District in northern Ghana.

Placement: PhD program in Geography at Pennsylvania State University

2023

Mostahidul Alam

Thesis: A GIS-based assessment of urban transportation accessibility in Columbus, Ohio University

Placement: Graduate Research Associate, Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, Ohio State University

Filemon Eliamini

Thesis: Rural Energy Transition in the Eastern Arc Mountains: A Case of Same District, Tanzania

Placement: PhD program in Geography, University of South Florida

Genevieve Joly

Thesis: Comparing semi-automated feature extraction methods for mapping topographic eminences

Placement: Geospatial Researcher, Hitachi America Ltd

Riley McCeary

Thesis: Independent evaluations of sea ice extent reconstructions during the 20th century

Placement: GIS Technician, Butler County, Indiana

Maria Mugeni

Thesis: A gendered perspective on flood risk in urban spaces: Kibera informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.

Placement: PhD program in Geography at Pennsylvania State University

2022

Nicholas Beaty

Thesis: 20th Century Antarctic Seasonal Sea Ice Concentration Reconstructions

Placement: Meteorologist, National Weather Service

Richard Wagner

Thesis: Analysis of Erosion Rates on User-Created Off-Road Vehicle Trails in Southeastern Ohi o

Placement: Environmental Technician at Musser Engineering

2021

Michael Adeuga

Thesis: Urban Revitalization through Immigration: A Case Study of Dayton, Ohio

Placement: PhD program in Geospatial Information Science, University of Texas at Dallas

Frederick Adjapong

Thesis: Linking Food Security Governance and Changing Food Security Priorities: A Case Study of the Northern Region of Ghana

Placement: Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) Program, University of Kentucky

Rabeya Akter

Thesis: Comparative Case Studies on Vegetation Recovery from Hurricane Damage along the Southern Coast of the US using Remote Sensing and GI S

Placement: GIS Engineering Technician, CalWater

Tayib Bah

Thesis: Local NGOs and Adaptation Governance: A Multi-Level Governance Analysis of Adaptation Priorities and NGO Agency in the Gambia

Placement: PhD Program, Department of Geography, University of Kentucky

Natalia Davlianidze

Thesis: Transnational Amenity Migrants in the Mountainous Regions of the Republic of Georgia : Motives to Move, Adaptation Strategies, and Integration into the Local Community

Placement: Program Specialist, Climate Change and Food Systems, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Wael Hassan

Thesis: Comparing Geomorphometric Pattern Recognition Methods for Semi-Automated Landform Mapping

Placement: Remote Sensing Specialist, U.S. Geological Survey

Darby Libka

Thesis: Reading the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Through Multiple Realities

Placement: Academic Advisor, Virginia Commonwealth University

Grant McGregor

Thesis: Redevelopment in Parkersburg, West Virginia

Placement: Town Planner, Foster, Rhode Island

Tyler Muncy

Thesis: Topographic and Surface Roughness Influences on Tornadogenesis and Decay

Placement: Map Technician, Clark County Engineer’s Office

Nyantakyi Osei-Adu

Thesis: Renewable Energy in Ohio: A Review of Institutional Capacity and Policy

Placement: Senior Analyst, Ascension

Amanda Sleinkofer

Thesis: Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Reconstructions throughout the 20th Century

Placement: Director of Education, Sylvan Learning

2020

Edward Abbiw

M.S., 2020

Thesis: Small-Scale Gold Mining and Livelihood Vulnerability: A Case Study of Juaboso District, Ghana

Adviser: Timothy Anderson

Logan Clark

M.S., 2020

Thesis: Southern Hemisphere Pressure Relationships during the 20th Century - Implications for Climate Reconstructions and Model Evaluation

Adviser: Ryan Fogt

James Foster

M.S., 2020

Thesis: A Comparison of Mobile Radar-Inferred Rain-Drop Size Estimates between Tornadic and Non-Tornadic Supercell Hook Echoes

Adviser: Jana Houser

Fatou Jagne

M.A., 2020

Thesis: Understanding Gambian Immigrant Perspectives on Home Diet and Intergration in Columbus, Ohio

Adviser: Timothy Anderson

Janee Petersen

M.A., 2020

Thesis: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline: Power, Environmental Justice, and Artful Resistance

Adviser: Harold Perkins

2019

Chijioke Anyanwu

M.S., 2019

Thesis: A Geospatial Analysis of the Health Impacts of Oil Spills in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Adviser: Dr. James Lein

Jessica Dalzell

M.S. 2019

Thesis: Beyond the Bag Ban: Voluntary Strategies for Reducing Disposable Bag Use in Athens, Ohio

Adviser: Dr. Amy Lynch

Kei Kato

M.A. 2019

Thesis: "It's Not Just the Environment: The Performative Nature of the Cultural Landscape of Johnson Town, Japan"

Adviser: Dr. Timothy Anderson

Natalie Mumich

M.A. 2019

Thesis: "Greater Canyonlands: A Contested Landscape in Southern Utah"

Adviser: Dr. Geoffrey Buckley

Jacob Taylor

M.S., 2019

Thesis: Assessing Post-Industrial Urban Change: A Remote Sensing Investigation

Adviser: James Lein

2018

Chris Acker

M.S., 2018

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Gaurav Sinha

Christine Aiena

M.S., 2018

Thesis: The Influence of the Wichita Mountain Range on Convection Initiation of Tornado and Large Hail Producing Supercells in Central Oklahoma

Adviser: Dr. Jana Houser

Bradley Crum

M.A., 2018

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Tim Anderson

Kianoosh Hassani

M.S., 2018

Thesis: Multispectral and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Quaternary Sediments in Tule and Snake Valleys, Lake Bonneville, Utah

Adviser: Dr. Dorothy Sack

Jonathon Hogue

M.S., 2018

Thesis: Mapping a Forest: Utilizing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to Track Phenology

Adviser: Dr. Jim Dyer

Olivia Moeller

M.A., 2018

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Geoff Buckley

Hayley Welsh

M.A., 2018

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Harold Perkins

2017

Alexander Brennan

M.A., 2017

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Harold Perkins

Kelly Butler

M.S., 2017

Thesis: The Effects of Land Cover Type on Tornado Intensity in the Southeastern U.S.

Adviser: Dr. Jana Houser

Angela Chapman

M.A., 2017

Thesis: The Neoliberal Economy of Food: Evaluating the Ability of the Local Food System around Athens, Ohio to Address Food Insecurity

Adviser: Dr. Harold Perkins

Chad Goergens

M.S., 2017

Thesis: 20th Century Antarctic Pressure Variability and Trends Using a Seasonal Spatial Pressure Reconstruction

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt

Betsy Kunstel

M.A., 2017

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Brad Jokisch

Nate McGinnis

M.S., 2017

Thesis: Topography and Land-Cover Effects on Tornado Intensity using Rapid-Scan Mobile Radar Observations and Geographic Information Systems

Adviser: Dr. Jana Houser

Samuel Njai

M.S., 2017

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Tom Smucker

Meredith Stone

M.A., 2017

Thesis: Decor-racial: Defining and Understanding Street Art as it Relates to Racial Justice in Baltimore, Maryland

Adviser: Dr. Geoffrey Buckley

Dana Williams

M.S., 2017

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Dorothy Sack

2016

Ethan Bottone

M.S., 2016

Thesis: The Historical Production of Space in Perry County, Ohio: National Discourses Materialized

Adviser: Dr. Tim Anderson

Hallie Dusselier

M.S., 2016

Thesis: Understanding 20th Century Antarctic Pressure Variability and Change in Multiple Climate Model Simulations

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt

Xin Hong

M.S., 2016

Thesis: Exploring the Influence of Urban Land Use and Land Cover Change on Land Surface Temperature Using Remote Sensing: A Case Study of Cuyahoga County, OH

Adviser: Dr. James Lein

Briana Karl

M.A., 2016

Thesis: Navigating the Unknown: Immigrant?s Maternal Health Experiences in Southeast Ohio

Adviser: Dr. Edna Wangui

Alli Lewis

M.S., 2016

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Amy Lynch

Katlyn Merkle

M.A., 2016

Thesis: `Here We Are:? Exploring the Lived Experiences of Pregnant Graduate Students within Neoliberal Universities

Adviser: Dr. Risa Whitson

Allison Roush

M.S., 2016

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Dorothy Sack

Doug Schuster

M.S., 2016

Thesis: Soil Moisture Effects on Supercellular Convective Initiation and Atmospheric Moisture in the Midwest United States

Adviser: Dr. Jana Houser

Megan Sympson

M.A., 2016

Thesis: Remembering Idora Park: Landscape, Memory, and Discourse in an Urban Amusement Park

Adviser: Dr. Tim Anderson

Logan Woloch

M.S., 2016

Non-Thesis

Adviser: Dr. Gaurav Sinha

2015

Ashley Doria

M.A., 2015

Thesis: Exploring the Existence of Women's Emotional Agency in Climate Change Livelihood Adaptation Strategies: A Case-study of Maasai Women in Northern Tanzania

Adviser: Dr. Edna Wangui

Sabrina Klein

M.S., 2015

Thesis: Spatial Relationships of Sacred and Secular Spaces of the Hopewell and Adena People, Muskingum River Valley, Ohio

Adviser: Dr. Dorothy Sack

Zac Wehrmann

M.S., 2015

Thesis: An Analysis of Planform Changes of the Upper Hocking River, Southeastern Ohio, 1939-2013

Adviser: Dr. Dorothy Sack

2014

Zachary Bodenner

M.A., 2014

Thesis: Knowing Who you Are: The role of ethnic spaces in the construction of Hmong identities in the Twin Cities

Adviser: Dr. Brad Jokisch

Kyle Clem

M.S., 2014

Thesis: The Combined Influence of ENSO and SAM on Antarctic Climate Variability

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt

Richard Greene

M.A., 2014

Thesis: Religious Diversity in the Southeastern United States: An Exercise in Mapping Religious Diversity in the Region from 1980-2010

Adviser: Dr. Timothy Anderson

Francisca Lekey

M.A., 2014

Thesis: Becoming an African Health Care Migrant Worker in the West: A Case Study of Ghanaian Migrants in Columbus, Ohio

Adviser: Dr. Yeong Kim

Jillian Prusa

M.A., 2014

Thesis: Refurbishing the Rust Belt: Vacant Land Reuse in Baltimore, Maryland and Cleveland, Ohio

Adviser: Dr. Geoff Buckley

Kenneth Shonkwiler

M.A., 2014

Thesis: Circle Letters, Produce Auctions and Softball Games: Investigating the Internal Dynamics of the Older Order Migration Process

Adviser: Dr. Timothy Anderson

Alex Wovrosh

M.S., 2014

Thesis: The Role of Regional Sea Surface Temperatures on the Amundsen-Bellingshausen Seas Low as Depicted by Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project Simulations

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt

2013

Katie Campbell

M.A., 2013

Thesis: New Territories of Equality: Conceptualizations of Climate Justice in International Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations

Adviser: Dr. Harold Perkins

Gary Conley

M.S., 2013

Thesis: Examining the Cover and Composition of the Successional Vegetation Mosaic of Pre-SMCRA Mined Landscapes in Southeast Ohio

Adviser: Dr. James Dyer

Samantha Jones

M.S., 2013

Thesis: Sacred Forests and the Social Dimensions of Conservation in the North Pare Mountains of Tanzania

Adviser: Dr. Edna Wangui

Ming Yeung (Zachary) Lee

M.S., 2013

Thesis: Antarctic Station-based Pressure Reconstructions from 1905-2011 using Principal Component
Regression

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt

Joseph Witek

M.A., 2013

Thesis: Johannesburg: Africa's World City?

Adviser: Dr. Yeong Kim

2012

David Adjuik

M.A., 2012

Thesis: Weak Ties at Play: Social Networks and Ghanaian Entrepreneurs in Columbus, Ohio

Adviser: Dr. Brad Jokisch

Kevin Blank

M.A., 2012

Thesis: Downtown Appalachia: Revitalization and Green Governance in Charleston, WV

Adviser: Dr. Harold Perkins

Mia DeNardi

M.A., 2012

Thesis: Symbols and Identity in Siena, Italy

Adviser: Dr. Harold Perkins

Michelle Kozlowski

M.A., 2012

Thesis: Environmental Justice in Applachia: A Case Study of C8 Contamination in Little Hocking, Ohio

Adviser: Dr. Harold Perkins

Alek Krautmann

M.S., 2012

Thesis: Midwest Urban Heat Wave Climatology: What Constitutes the Worst Events?

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt

James Lloyd

M.A., 2012

Thesis: Community Development, Research, and Reinvestment: The Struggle against Redlining in Washington, DC, 1970-1995

Adviser: Dr. Geoffrey Buckley

Joyce Muthoni

M.S., 2012

Thesis: Gender and Climate Change: Use of the Livelihood Framework to Investigate Women's Adaptive Capacity in Mwanga District, Tanzania

Adviser: Dr. Edna Wangui

Emily Sheer

M.S., 2012

Thesis: The Joint Influence of ENSO and NAO on US Landfalling Hurricanes and their Origination Points

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt

Phillip Wilson

M.A., 2012

Thesis: Surface Mining in Van Buren County Iowa: History and Consequences
Adviser: Dr. Geoffrey Buckley

Elizabeth Zbacnik

M.S., 2012

Thesis: The Sensitivity of the Amundsen-Bellingshausen Seas Low to Changes in Greenhouse Gas Concentrations and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

Adviser: Dr. Ryan Fogt