http://www.syndicatemizzou.org Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:26:20 GMT en-us 40 Center for eResearch Connecting you with the University of Missouri’s innovative research and creative activity http://www.syndicatemizzou.org/images/logo.png 384 80 http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen01.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen01.m4v “Geography is the study of human-environment interactions,” Larsen says of his discipline. It covers activity ranging from physical geography (e.g., wind erosion, weather patterns), techniques (e.g., modeling air pollution with GIS to understand the interactions between human and environment), and human geography. Human geographers focus on the political, economic, cultural, urban, and regional elements of human-environment interactions, looking at “the impact of the environment on human behavior,” as well as the “impact of human activity on the environment.” Within this subfield Larsen specializes in cultural geography, seeking to understand traditional land-use practices, naming practices, and sense of place. 3 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:04:51 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen02.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/larsen/ipod/Larsen02.m4v Larsen, who started out as an undergraduate English major, found himself writing about place, a sense of place, and the identities associated with it. Seeking to understand cross-cultural variations in terms of a sense of place led him to the discipline of anthropology, and it was through ethnographic research that Larsen finally reached geography. His past research projects have involved sharecroppers in the Tennessee River Valley, who were relocated by the TVA dams, as well as with the Cheslatta, “a small Indian band in British Columbia, Canada, that had been relocated from its traditional lands in 1952 in order to make way for a hydroelectric project that was being constructed by the aluminum company of Canada.” In each case, Larsen sought to understand traditional land use practices, naming practices, and what places mean to people of different cultures. 3 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:05:07 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/garcia/ipod/Garcia01.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/garcia/ipod/Garcia01.m4v Most of Jose Garcia’s work involves doing outreach and teaching about sustainable agriculture to various groups of people, from farmers in rural Missouri communities to students, faculty, and staff at MU. There are three dimensions emphasized by use of the term “sustainable agriculture” explains Garcia. “Because food and agriculture are totally connected to people and to communities and to laborers,” sustainable agriculture refers to an approach to farming and food, in which economic viability, environmental impact, and social responsibility are considered in any decision. 3 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:22:54 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/wu/ipod/Wu01-Wu.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/wu/ipod/Wu01-Wu.m4v Bin Wu, Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, has been researching, teaching, and consulting within the field of industrial engineering for twenty years. “When we talk about industrial system design,” he explains, “we are talking about how to put facilities, people, and information systems together so that this system can function for whatever purpose it is designed to fulfill – for example, to manufacture or to supply. Traditionally, when we designed a system, the main efficiency considerations were related to productivity.” About three years ago, however, Wu received a wake-up call: his son’s birth created a sense of urgency to address environmental issues, and specifically energy efficiency. He realized then that when designing and improving systems, particularly industrial systems, “energy has got to be a very important consideration, if not the most important consideration.” 3 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:41:50 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/wu/ipod/Wu07-Wu.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/wu/ipod/Wu07-Wu.m4v Following years principally involved in research, Wu now spends more time working with both students and the public on energy efficiency and the environment. As he puts it, “I feel very strongly that every one of us needs to do something and behave in responsible ways, individually or collectively, [to] do _something_ about it.” As an educator, Wu gets the message out to his students, who he says are the future: , “It’s really a very fulfilling thing to do. I have been a professor for all of my professional life—doing research, writing books and other publications, and teaching. I can honestly say that what I’m doing now regarding energy efficiency is absolutely the most fulfilling.” 3 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:43:24 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/wu/ipod/Wu08-Wu.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/wu/ipod/Wu08-Wu.m4v Wu says it is important to raise awareness on energy efficiency in an academic setting. “If I have to scream, I will scream,” he says so earnestly. Wu provides an array of helpful examples on how to converse energy, such as replacing one light bulb: “All we need to do is to change our habits, leave our way of living a little bit. In the end, it is quite significant. There are so many things we can individually do that will collectively have an impact on our environment and on the next generation… and I just hope we all begin to take this with a sense of urgency.” 3 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:43:40 GMT http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon01-Yoon.m4v Education http://syndicatemizzou.org/resources/yoon/ipod/Yoon01-Yoon.m4v Because of her lifelong interests, So-Yeon Yoon was drawn to the field of architecture and interior design. It was “a perfect match,” one in which her creative desires and her interest in computers could merge. Today, this assistant professor of Architectural Studies teaches focuses her research and teaching on the areas of Human Environmental Psychology and Interior and Architectural Design. Yoon’s current research combines information technology with interior design and architecture. That is, she applies technology, particularly virtual reality (VR), to interior design problems. 3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:19:37 GMT