Dr. Timothy L. Hawthorne, Assistant Professor of Geography at Georgia State University (PhD in Geography, The Ohio State University): Tim is trained in community geography and GIS, Participatory GIS, mixed methods, and geographic education. He has published extensively on community-university partnerships using PGIS and service learning to address social and environmental disparities in diverse settings. Tim is Principal Investigator of the nation’s first Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in community geography and GIS (National Science Foundation Award #1156755). He is also the Founding Director of the Atlanta Community Mapping and Research Center. In his integrated research and education agenda, Tim is deeply committed to and excited about providing students with community-based research and learning experiences that: move beyond the formal classroom setting; develop high-quality, publishable results; have a focus on representing local knowledge emerging from underrepresented group experiences with space and place; and create real-world deliverables that can be utilized by community groups, residents and the general public.
Email Tim at thawthorne@gsu.edu or call at 404.413.5771
Dr. Christy C. Visaggi, Geosciences Lecturer at Georgia State University (PhD in Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington): Christy is a Lecturer in the Department of Geosciences at Georgia State University. She is trained in geology, paleontology, marine ecology, and science education at the K-12 level and beyond. Her research focuses on understanding geographic variation in marine communities with implications for the fossil record and modern conservation efforts. Her pedagogical approaches utilize inquiry-based activities, collaborative work, and place-based learning to foster science-literate citizens who are able to recognize the importance and relevance of concepts in life and earth sciences to society. Christy has received awards for promoting underrepresented groups in STEM fields from the Ford Foundation and Association for Women Geoscientists. She has mentored undergraduates as part of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in biodiversity conservation (National Science Foundation Award #0755109). Christy is passionate about providing opportunities for students to engage in publishable research as part of their educational experience by contributing new data to address scientific problems with presentation of the results to a variety of audiences.
Email Christy at cvisaggi@gsu.edu or call at 404.413.5755