So about the guy at the lectern...
Without a doubt one of the greatest perks of doing Geography is that the Profs aren't just any ordinary stuffy old academics.
Geography lecturers will usually deliver their gilded words of wisdom fresh from the field, whether that's sunning themselves on the Great Barrier Reef and then being in a doco about it (*cough* JODY WEBSTER), fending off drunken interviewees trying to marry them in rural India (we all know it happened Bill Pritchard), dancing in the mosh pit of a backwater club in eastern Thailand (three cheers for Phil Hirsch!), or mastering the art of sipping lattes in the inner west while wearing flouro nike airs and listening to the same spotify playlist as you (the one and only Kurt Iveson).
Geography lecturers will usually deliver their gilded words of wisdom fresh from the field, whether that's sunning themselves on the Great Barrier Reef and then being in a doco about it (*cough* JODY WEBSTER), fending off drunken interviewees trying to marry them in rural India (we all know it happened Bill Pritchard), dancing in the mosh pit of a backwater club in eastern Thailand (three cheers for Phil Hirsch!), or mastering the art of sipping lattes in the inner west while wearing flouro nike airs and listening to the same spotify playlist as you (the one and only Kurt Iveson).
The unfortunate reality is that there are so many (*awesome*) first years that it's hard to get to know the people teaching you, so we at your friendly neighbourhood GeoHub are here to assist. We'll try to give you a glimpse of who they really are, what they're really passionate about (trust us, NO ONE becomes academic unless they're super passionate about some thing or other), and what they actually do when they aren't standing at the lectern out the front. We promise that although they may seem like academic machines when you're in first year, they all have some hilarious stories from their research that only a real human could experience.
And let us assure you, when you get to second year, its a whole new ball game. And if you're already down for Geography mind heart and soul (join the club!) and are starting to think strategically - here's a good starting point for thinking about honours supervisors, and which Profs might have have the right projects, networks and contacts for that thesis topic you're passionate about. Remember, fieldwork is mandatory!
And let us assure you, when you get to second year, its a whole new ball game. And if you're already down for Geography mind heart and soul (join the club!) and are starting to think strategically - here's a good starting point for thinking about honours supervisors, and which Profs might have have the right projects, networks and contacts for that thesis topic you're passionate about. Remember, fieldwork is mandatory!
Welcome to your geographers:
Dr. Kurt Iveson Academic Cup of Tea: For those of you coming to uni looking for Studies of we-run-this-town (or, more interestingly, as Kurt would point out, who doesn't run this town), the one and only Kurt Iveson is your man. He's the master of all things urban, from graffiti, to early era gangsta rap, to protest marches, to smartphone transport app politics and bougie organic supermarkets. Cue heavy bass, hip hop beats, and hipsterized raybans. He single handedly rules his own urban geography kingdom, but definitely keep an eye out for some other pretty interesting other stuff like the politics of citizenship (anyone interested in immigration?), and even a few flecks of traditional political philosophy. In any case, if you're looking for a smoother taste of something different (especially you physical geography kids) that only cultural geography can deliver, then keep an eye out. Check out his full academic bio here: http://sydney.edu.au/science/people/kurt.iveson.php Current Quest: He's currently pretty interested in what happens to urban city spaces when everyone has a smartphone and the city can basically track you everywhere through a combination of different technologies. While it can be super useful if it means city engineers can get buses to where people are or switch traffic lights based on flows, what about people's right not to be watched and to control their own city? Little known pearls: 75% of all undergrad ladies dream of skim flat whites in the inner west with Kurt, and 100% of undergrad guys are secretly infuriated by this. Other staff members who cannot be named here also like to call him 'Kurtie' when he's not around, for reasons nobody can understand. Oh, and he's also got a blog you should all read: http://citiesandcitizenship.blogspot.com.au/ Where you can find him: -1st year: some of GEOS1001 - 2nd year: Cities & Regions GEOS2123 - 3rd year: Urban Citizenship & Sustainability GEOS 3520 - On delightful walking tours around Sydney |
Dr. Dan Penny Academic Cup of Tea: Yet to come..... Current Quest: Little known pearls: Where you can find him: |
Dr. Jo Gillespie Academic Cup of Tea: Current Quest: Little known pearls: Where you can find her: |
Dr. Bill Pritchard
Academic Cup of Tea: Did somebody say Development Studies? No? That's because development studies is part of human geography here, and along with Phil Hirsch and Yayoi Lagerqvist, Bill is a livelihoods specialist. It might be hard to believe now, but he was once a hardcore economist who got sick of wearing a suit to work and now focuses on investigating the the human stories of how people make their livelihoods in poverty stricken rural India. Food security, global supply chains, and the big picture of global third world development are other interesting gems to watch out for. See his full on academic profile here: http://sydney.edu.au/science/people/bill.pritchard.php Current Quest: He's trying to find out whether land ownership in rural northern India is likely to make you more food-secure, or less food secure. Seems pretty obvious - if you own land, you can grow food, so you're fine, right? Not necessarily - it takes a complex analysis of at all the different ways people make their living to determine if land helps you out for food security....or maybe keeps you from better opportunities. How is he conducting his research? By sitting down with people over tea in their villages and hearing their stories. Little known pearls: Bill knows most of the lyrics to Wonderwall by Oasis and on rare occasions has proved this in public. He also claims to have sported mohawk in a previous life (the 70s). Where you can find him: -1st year: some of GEOS1001 - 2nd year: Cities & Regions GEOS2123 - 3rd year: Skills, Concepts and Methods GEOS3333 and Global Development and Livelihoods GEOS 3254 - Kayaking on weekends |
Dr. Dale Dominey-Howes Academic Cup of Tea: http://sydney.edu.au/science/people/dale.dominey-howes.php Current Quest: Little known pearls: Where you can find him: |
Jody Webster
Jeff Neilson Phil HIrsch Yayoi Lagerqvist |