Dept. of Geography and Meterology Valparaiso University

The History of Geography at Valparaiso Universty

Quality Teaching and Quality Students

Field Study The Department has always emphasized quality undergraduate teaching, from air photo interpretation in the laboratory in the 1950s to studying glacial geomorphology in the field in Grand Teton National Park in 2002.

Students working in a Geography Lab

Benefiting from this instruction, scores of students went on to complete Master's degrees in geography or planning at schools like the University of Chicago, Clark University, the University of Illinois, Western Michigan University, Indiana State University, Ball State University, and Oklahoma State University.

In addition, more than two dozen VU graduates since 1948 have completed a Ph. D. in geography. As the list below indicates, these students attended some of the top programs and went on to be important contributors to the discipline.

Melvin E. Hecht, University of Arizona (VU '48)
Ph.D. University of Kansas, 1962

Herbert L. Gaede, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (VU '50)
Ph.D. Northwestern University, 1959

John W. Kunstmann, Bowling Green State University (VU '54)
Ph.D. Northwestern University, 1964

David E. Snyder, Overseas Educational Services (VU '54)
Ph.D. Northwestern University, 1959

Karl A. Robert, Elmhurst College (VU '57)
Ph.D. Northwestern University, 1965

Daniel W. Gade, University of Vermont (VU '59)
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1967

Wayne E. Kiefer, Central Michigan University (VU '60)
Ph.D. Indiana University, 1967

Eldor C. Quandt, Western Michigan University (VU '61)
Ph.D. Michigan State University, 1971

Jerry C. Towle, California State University, Fresno (VU '61)
Ph.D. University of Oregon, 1974

Robert Douglas, Gustavus Adolphus College (VU '64)
Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1974

Howard G. Johnson, Jacksonville State University (VU '65)
Ph.D. Michigan State University, 1972

Harold J. Moellering, Ohio State University (VU '65)
Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1973

Alice T.M. Rechlin Perkins, Valparaiso University (VU '65)
Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1970

Thomas C. Kind, Murray State University (VU '66)
Ph.D., Indiana State University, 1976

Gordon E. Matzke, Oregon State University (VU '66)
Ph.D. Syracuse University, 1975

Frederick P. Stutz, San Diego State University (VU '66)
Ph.D. Michigan State University, 1970

Henry W. Bullamore, Frostburg State University (VU '71)
Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1978

Thomas J. Baerwald, National Science Foundation (VU '72)
Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 1978

Gregory S. Rose, The Ohio State University at Marion (VU '75)
Ph.D. Michigan State University, 1981

Gail Sechrist, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (VU '77)
Ph.D. Louisiana State University, 1986

Mark J. Bouman, Chicago State University (VU '78)
Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 1984

Aileen R. Buckley, ESRI Inc. (VU '82)
Ph.D. Oregon State University, 1997

Jon T. Kilpinen, Valparaiso University (VU '88)
Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin, 1994

John Kupfer, University of Arizona (VU '88)
Ph.D. University of Iowa, 1995

Patricia J. Beyer, Bloomsburg University (VU '90)
Ph.D. Arizona State University, 1997

Jason Janke, University of Southern Mississippi (VU '97)
Ph.D. University of Colorado at Boulder, 2004

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