The Geographer's Craft, GRG 859, Fall 1995

Directory of New Humans

Andrew Albert

 Graduation: December 1996

 I am a multi year senior here at UT, having attended nonstop since my graduation in 1990 from the LBJ Science Academy here in Austin. My interests in the Geography department are centered around GIS, GPS, and cartography. When I am not at school, I am usually at work, which now means the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. At the TNRCC I am a member of the Ground Water Assessment, Non-Point Source Team, where my main duties are GIS work and World Wide Web development.

 When I am not at work, most of my time is taken up with my passion for offshore powerboat racing, which is expressed in my homepage, the Offshore Powerboat Racing Homepage. It is entirely a labor of love, but the response I gets from the public and racers makes it worthwhile. When it comes to the racing itself, I unfortunately don't get to do any, but I am involved in GPS and photography work for one of the major teams on the circuit. My other interests include boating, mountain biking, and photography.
 

Marlon D. Armstrong

 I could ramble on about the basic facts of my life in an attempt to let you gain a feeling for who I am. But if I did that, the only thing that I am sure of, is that I would just be some guy on a directory that you really do not know. Instead, I will tell you the story of how I came to be a part of the Geography Department at the University of Texas at Austin. I started college at the age of fifteen through an early entrance program at the University of North Texas. Once there, I had no idea what direction to take. At the time, I was only happy to leave the boredom of an ordinary West Texas highschool. For several years, I took couses that interested me, mainly, and only came to the conclusion that no one field was interesting enough to imagine spending my life trapped in it. I have always leaned toward the sciences, so I kept a watchful eye in those areas especially. One semester I stumbled on Geography and found that it was not limited to the environment alone; but centered on its relationship with humanity and how exactly they coexist. This was finally something that held my attention ( although I have been known to stray ) and now I would like to see where it takes me. Due to this wide range of study between society and nature, I feel as though this might be the right path for me. Although I still do not know where I am headed, I have found it easier to experience life like I should, on my terms.
 

John W. Banning

 I'm a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying Earth Sciences in the Geography Depatment and minoring in Botany. I've lived in Austin for the last fifteen years, so I consider it my home. I've seen it grow from just being a college town to the up and coming technological city seen today. Before moving to Austin I lived beifly in both Dallas and Columbia, Missouri.

 Currently my interests include mountain biking, hiking, and being outdoors. I spent the last summer working, but mostly playing, in Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Canada (the picture is of Lake Superior). There, I got to be outside every day and ride my bike on an average of seven miles a day. Riding or just being in the wilderness is a relief from the rest of the world, you are able to experience nature functioning, not something everyone is able to appreciated. I stayed in a log cabin with no air conditoning or heating, just a roof over my head. I really liked the scenery and especially the much cooler climate. In the future I hope to make it back north at some time. I love Austin, and think it's one of the greatest cities, but I need a break from it for a while. Ultimetly, I'd like to further my education in Geography at a location where I would have easy access to the outdoors, possibly in the Northwestern United States. My further interests include, baseball, reading, architecture, and travel. This summer after graduation, I plan on driving throughout the United States and Mexico visiting friends and places of interest.
 

Trip Blackford

 I am a Geography student at the University of Texas at Austin. My track is Environmental Resource Management with a focus on Geographical Information Systems. I am currently working with the city of Austin as an intern with the Water and Wastewater Management division. In my spare time I enjoy traveling and camping (usually a combination of both). After I graduate I hope to move to Colorado with my wife, Tammy, who is also a geographer.
 

Betsy Anne Boatner

 I'm a native Texan from Ft. Worth who was born a little more than twenty-one years ago into a really great family. I transferrred to UT after an enjoyable year at Southwestern University in Georgetown, and soon became a Geography major with an emphasis on environmental resources. I'm most interested in interactions between humans and the environment, specifically, waste minimization and recycling, ecosystem management, and destruction of the world's tropical rainforests, the Ecuadorian Amazon in particular. I value life. I like to look at a place and see what might be changed to create a more life-giving environment. I enjoy being in natural areas and I love to dance, sing, and listen to music. Recently I returned from studying abroad in Quito, Ecuador. I had a very good time, met lots of interesting people, worked as a research assistant in an ethnobotanical study in the Amazon, and learned a lot about myself, people,and the world. Living abroad can really get you thinking about what we are all doing here. I plan to graduate in December, work for a while to help me identify what I'd like to continue studying, and then return to graduate school.
 

Steven C. Campbell

 I became interested in Geography after seeing Indiana Jones when I was little. I didn't exactly know that it was Geography that I was interested in, but I knew that I admired the character's knowledge of so much of the world. This summer I took part in a summer school program from San Francisco State University. The class was six weeks that we spent in Montana doing a wildlands study. In that class I learned about ecosystem management and I decided that I wanted to further my studies in the direction of environmental resource management. That is how I came to study Environmental Resource Management. I would really like to go back and learn Environmental Engineering once I feel a little more able to handle the course load. Mostly I would like to do many different things in my life, for now I feel that I could help to make a difference in our future on this planet. I have a few hobbies that take most of my free time, I work with my friends on sound projects out of our house, I enjoy painting, and getting outside as much as possible.
 

Erika L. Chan

 I am a fourth year undergraduate studying geography- environmental resource management- at the University of Texas at Austin. My interest in this field began with doing community work in high school dealing with homelessness, the environment, and other teen issues. As my focused narrowed to environmental work during my senior year in high school, I became involved in an organization named the Children's Alliance for Protection of the Environment (CAPE), now called Earth Force, as a youth leader. While in college I assumed a mentorship role, actively took part in program development, and joined the Board of Directors. A highlight of my work with CAPE was serving on the national steering committee of the 1993 and 1995 National Partners for the Planet Youth Summit. I have also had the opportunity to attend the 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 United Nations Environment Programme Global Youth Forum as a youth leader task force member, a workshop facilitator, a delegate, and more recently as support staff. In the future I hope to continue working on issues concerning the environment and youth on an international scale. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, watching movies, reading, live music, and playing basketball.
 

Mitch Clark

 Hey, I'm an English/Geography major in my fourth year at UT, and I should be out of here sometime after next summer. Hopefully upon graduation I'll be doing something in urban planning or teaching english somewhere. What I do when I'm not putting my nose to the grindstone with school and work is play music in a few bands. The picture of me here is me and my trusty Fender Precision bass going through another workout.
 

Jasmine Jaco Cugini

 I am a UT Senior in the Urban Development track of the Geography Department. I transferred here from Columbia University in New York, though I am originally from Dallas. My personal interests are now largely influenced by my two-year-old son, Canyon Michael--we enjoy many outdoor activities, such as camping, swimming, and general park-going. Apart from this, I work part-time in my husband's bar across from campus, where I enjoy (usually) listening to the latest flavors of local music. Most of my days are thus spent with my son, at school, or at work; however, I do occasionally find time for myself. I play in a women's soccer league here in Austin, catch a movie every once in a while, and try very hard to keep up with my favorite authors. I look forward to graduating in the Spring and finding, hopefully, a job in a GIS or GPS-related field.
 

Russ Dibble

 My last name is Dibble. "Dibble" is an Anglo-Saxon word for a tool that is used to poke holes in the soil so that seeds can be planted. If you're interested, you can find a picture of a modern dibble in the most recent Whole Earth Catalog. My three greatest concerns right now are figuring out what to do once I graduate this May, keeping my co-op's money in order, and making sure that all of the shrubs I recently planted around my co-op survive. I just started attending the UT Ballroom Dance Club's Wednesday classes. I don't really enjoy doing anything where there is a constant struggle to avoid being not only bad, but terrible. I'd like to know how to tango, though. Before attending UT, I was in the United States Marine Corps for four years. The only thing I really enjoyed was practicing vertical envelopment (going on helicopter rides), but am extremely proud of my service in the infantry. I'm majoring in geography because I've loved looking at maps since I was a young boy. I wish that The Geographer's Craft was offered in the morning because I like getting up early and then taking a nap in the afternoon.
 

Kip Elkins

 I am an economics major with geography as my minor. I love to watch sports and in my spare time I go to school. I enjoy traveling and I like to incorparate my love for sports with travel. I am also a big Dallas Cowboys fan. In 1993 I got an opportunity to combine all three when I attended the Super Bowl in Pasadena California. Outside the day that I made the roster of the Geographer's Craft class, the Super Bowl was the greatest day of my life. I enjoy backpacking and river rafting. I lived a couple of years in southern Utah where I was a hiking and rafting guide. I also spent one summer in Alaska working at a fish cannary. For hobbies I like photography and I have three marine aquariums.
 

Raika R. Hammond

 I will be graduating May 1995. While growing up in Spring, my favorite place to play was always outside: under trees, knee deep in mud and tadpoles, and eating wild blackberries. I'd like to ensure that these same experiences are safe for many generations to come. I'd like to do my part in facilitating the practice smart management of environmental resources. I believe we all value the luxury of safe water to drink, clean air to breath, and sustainable economic growth to employ us.

 I have always been interested in the earth sciences, but I also wanted to know how humans interact, and affect the environment. Consequently, I wanted a Geography degree, with an Environmental Resource Tract! In addition, since business dominates as the strongest vehicle for change at the moment, my Business Foundations minor will help me in my work.
 

Jenny Heath

 I consider myself a native Texan although I was born in Chicago on July 17, 1972 and spent the first nine months of my life there. I grew up in Houston and moved to Austin five years ago to start school here at UT. Austin is definitely a better place for me to live. I love being able to go to the lake on a whim and to go for a run without getting hit by a crazy Houston driver. The only times I do not mind leaving Austin are to go veg out on any beach, go snowboarding, or to visit my parents in Connecticut, from where I can easily shoot over to New York City. My indecision in choosing a major is the reason for my lengthy stay at UT. Psychology did not turn out to be for me, so I switched to Biology. In my biology, zoology, and ecology courses I learned of the problems we have with natural resources and the threat their misuse poses to our future. My new interest in natural resource management led me to change my major one last time. I am following the Environmental Resource Management track in the Department of Geography, which I will finish in May of 1996. It has been a year since I made that decision and I feel like I am finally where I belong.
 

J.E.Jeffus

 After studying art with a special interest in photography and printmaking I graduated with a B.F.A. and entered the working world of the skilled craftsperson/laborer. Currently I work as a bookbinder at a library preservation and special edition bindery, and this is where I developed the crabby discontent caused by the lack of fresh air, the absence of intellectual challenge, and the din of finger-eating, industrial machines. So, now I have returned to school to pursue another bachelor's degree, this time in geography.

Geography is so great. It incorporates so many layers of understanding our communities and our environment. Hopefully, within this discipline, I will be able to spend the rest of my happy days investigating, evaluating, and graphically describing phenomena and the systems they create. Of course, in my spare time I'd still like to make stuff, listen to old harmonica music, delight in mischievous animals, and enjoy the company of friends.
 

Fernando H. Keller

 I am a senior in Geography at the University of Texas at Austin. I transferred here from California in the summer of 94' as a geology major but quickly changed my mind to work more with GIS and cartography. I have lived in many parts of the world and love to travel. This interest of mine was made easier while I was in the military. I was given the opportunity to travel throughout Europe while I lived in Germany and took full advantage of all my free time. It has become harder to travel to interesting places being a full time student but I have not allowed this to stop me just slow me down. I have found that going to school at an older age is different from when I first started college in 85'. I have had the chance to see places and experience fascinating events. All have made my life fun and every eventful. My interests are diverse and have helped me in my travels. Along with my many travels the numerous jobs I have had also have molded my life and the way I like to live it. I enjoy everything I do and continue to learn important lessons as I get older.
 

Thomas N. Larsh

 Hello and welcome to my biography. I'm a Senior here at UT studying Geography as a major and Business Foundations for my minor. I've been at UT since the Spring of 1993 when I seperated from the Air Force. I am interested in maps and aerial phtography and have been for a long time.

 As can be seen with the attached image, I am also interested in aviation. I am currently a Flight Instructor at Robert Mueller airport here in Austin and the President of the University Flying Club. My future aspirations are to work in either Geograghic systems, aviation ( as a pilot ), or some sort of combination of the two. When not concerned about future employment, I spend my time as anyone would in Austin by doing any of the multitudes of things that are offered around here for fun.

 Take it easy, Tom Larsh
 

Chris Masey

 I am a graduating senior and I'm ready to get on with the rest that life has to offer. I hope to make enough money to pay off all the debt that I have incurred at this school. My interest are on hold until May, 16-1996. I can't do all the neat stuff that Dr. Foote can but at least I'll have a chance when graduation time comes. I have studied environmental resource managment with a minor in geology, that once was a major. So, earth sciences have consumed a large part of my time and my imagination. I hope to work with g.i.s. in the future in order to support global conservation efforts.
 

Chad McKeown

 Hi, my name is Chad McKeown. I am originally from Dallas, but my true home (at least for the majority of my life) was in the suburbs of Houston. I am currently a senior at UT and will be graduating in the Spring of 1996. Four years here in Austin has been more than enough time to fall in love with the area and also feel at home in this beautiful and active city. My major is Geography, and in addition I have a minor in Economics. The focus of my major has been on Urban and Regional Analysis. There are so many aspects of Urban Analysis that interest me - from transportation planning to the ideals of the compact city - that I'm sure whatever I end up doing after graduation will be exciting.

 The photograph of me is from a trip to Keystone, Colorado this past summer. I enjoy traveling very much; and this year, my travels through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado have also allowed me to pursue my other primary interests, including mountain biking, snow skiing, hiking, and many other outdoor activities.
 

Frank R. Pakuszewski

 'Ello. I am an Environmental Resource Management major form San Antonio, Texas. I have been to three schools in three years, and in three very different towns (Waco, San Antonio, and now Austin). In what seemed a very very long time, I met hundreds of different people (don't remember all of the them, but hey- who does?). And from these people, I learned of many likes and dislikes, beliefs and desires, and I hope that I learned a little about myself in the process. So, needless to say, I have only been at U.T. for a short while and I am still slowly learning- I think... My interests outside from school in my spare time, include sleeping, drinking exotic coffees and imported beers [Broken Hill is my favorite], cooking, and spending too little time with my girlfriend. I also enjoy the mystique of rhinos and bats, as well as the lore of the sea (if you can't tell what the picture is, here's a hint: It's needed at parties where no one knows each other). I will hopefully finish undergrad. in the summer and after that, I will spend time with my little niece and my sister's baby, which will be born sometime in the spring. I have no idea what I will do with my degree, except that whatever it is, I hope I learn something from it. And by the way the Rockies are going to win the pennant.
 

Andrew B. Phillips

 This is my fourth year here at UT, and I plan to graduate this summer with a degree in Geography--environmental resource management. When I complete my studies here, I plan to travel to Southern Africa to pursue a graduate degree or perhaps employment if the opportunity presents itself. Specifically, I am interested in working with wild game harvesting as a socially and environmentally equitable alternatinve to domestic cattle. I have also been studying range management as a sort of side project for the last few years. This discipline is of personal interest to me, as my family owns a small ranch just south of Oklahoma which has been subjected to decades of overgrazing and general mismanagement. In the process of attempting to improve its condition, I have become a self-styled Cedarwhacker and enjoy nothing more than chopping away at non-native cedars to make way for native grasses. My non-acedemic interests include snow skiing, fishing, backpacking, and traveling.
 

Nicole Lynn Pool

 Hey there... I am a senior here at the University of Texas pursuing a B.A. in geography minoring in anthropology. I will graduate Spring 1996. I think that my interest in geography started as a child when I began reading National Geographic Magazine-dreaming of some day going to these exotic places. I'm not kidding...Also, my recent job with the City of Austin's Department of Planning and Development as an automated mapper, exposed me to a number of interesting fields that are related to geography. I also teach aerobics at the UT Recreation Center and various World Gym locations throughout Austin. When I'm not thinking about school or when I'm not at work-I usually spend time at Deep Eddy Pool or Barton Springs Pool, because I love to swim and be in or near water. Adios...
 

John M. Pyle

 I'm entering my third year at the University of Texas at Austin as a Plan II/Geography/Computer Science student. Needless to say, I'm on the five year plan. I sort of blundered into geography during my freshman year when I took one of the department's introductory courses on a whim. Since that time, geography has been my primary academic interest, with computer science serving as a bit of a concession to economic reality. I must admit to having something of an ambivalent attitude toward computers--I am fascinated by the incredible capabilities of computers and the potential of the so-called "digital revolution", but at the same time I would not be terribly upset if I never had to touch a keyboard or stare into a monitor again. When I'm not sitting in front of a computer terminal somewhere, I enjoy seeing movies and trying new restaurants in Austin. Next summer, I hope to find an internship using the knowledge and skills I have gained in The Geographer's Craft.
 

Robert W. Ryan

 Hello. I am a geography student at the University of Texas at Austin. I am currently following the Environmental Resource Management track in the Geography Department and will be graduating in the spring of 96. !I can't wait! I enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, swimming at Baton Springs and playing golf. I also enjoy making things with wood and taking care of my albino california king snake.
 

Nikol Stirland

 I am a senior in the geography department here at UT and plan to graduate in May, 1995. Like many people my age, I'm not quite sure of what I will do when I graduate. I am interested in conservation, but I have not decided what area to specialize in. I am interning at Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. right now, and I am hoping that it may help me to decide my career direction. The program that I am working with deals with neotropical migratory birds. I would like to combine this type of work with my interest in Latin America. I enjoy traveling down there and learning about the different cultures. I also enjoy spending time with my dog Shelby, of whom I have included a photo. So, pull up the picture and take a look at a cute dog.
 

Nicole (Niki) Telkes

 I am a senior in Geography at the University of Texas at Austin on the Environmental Resource Management tract and minoring in Botany. I moved to Austin a little over two years ago from Dallas in order to complete my BA. I have also lived in Massachusetts and Hong Kong which have contributed to my addiction to traveling. Besides going to school and working part-time at a mental health facility, I volunteer with many organizations off and on campus. On campus I work with Campus Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a group I started last semester, as well as the Texas Union Environmental Committee and Student Environmental Action Coalition. Off campus I work with several groups like Greenpeace and Food Not Bombs. My underlying philosophy when it comes to doing environmental work is basically No Compromise in Defense of our Mother Earth. I enjoy just about any work which exposes to the public how corrupt our government has become when it comes defending anything that doesn't have dollar signs. I plan on working for the rest of my life to save and maintain what is left of our wild areas, and never stop having fun and pissing people off while I do it.
 

David Villarreal

 I am a student in the Department of Geography at The University of Texas at Austin, and am also employed as an archaeologist with a local environmental consulting firm. I recieved a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Texas in 1991, and have worked since then with various archaeological/environmental consulting firms throughout the U.S. My original interest in archaeology centered around Meso-American cultures, principally the Maya, but have since become interested in global cultures past and present, and in the processes affecting cultural change. I am also interested in issues of race and ethnicity, mainly as a result of South Texas nativity (a multi-cultural transitional area). Currently, I am interested in environmental resource management, cartography, urban and regional analysis, and planning. I will leave the University in May 1996, and hope to apply geographical techniques learned in the Geographer's Craft and in other courses to an employment and/or project opportunity related to my interests. Apart from school, I enjoy the outdoors, such as hiking, camping , snorkeling, as well as exploring remote areas, and traveling in areas related to my interests, such as the many archaeological ruins of Mexico. In my spare time, I also play guitar, with influences ranging from Segovia, to Robert Johnson, to Hendrix.
 

Elizabeth 'Lise' Waring

 When I was a kid, geography and social studies were my first loves in school. I was asking for geography books for birthday and Christmas presents. When I was 10, my father took me to see "Nicholas and Alexandra" which had just opened and I became fascinated with Russia. I attended a top-notch prep school in Baltimore for high school and studied Russian there. I started college in 1977 at the University of Maryland as a Russian studies major.

 I moved to Austin with my first husband in 1980. Over the next 14 years I took courses on a regular basis at Austin Community College and completed a semester here at UT. I became a full time student at UT again in the spring of 1995, and will graduate with a BA in geography in the Regional and Urban Analysis track in May 1996.

 When I am not in class, I can be found square dancing, round dancing, and occasionally clogging. I also sew, quilt, and do several kinds of needlework including counted cross stitch, counted thread, hardanger, embroidery, and smocking. I usher at the Paramount Theater and Frank Erwin Center, and am the handwriting for the boards at the annual KLRU auction. I also work as an evaluator for the Texas Future Problem Solving Program.
 

Kristi L. Westphal

 I'm a student at the University of Texas at Austin. I am in the Environmental Resource Management program. This is my fifth and final year of undergraduate studies and I will be graduating in May. I plan to then take a year off to intern and hopefully attend graduate school the following year in California or Colorado. I am currently involved with the university's Student Involvement Committee. In my spare time I ride my bike, play the cello, spend time with my friends, and travel as often as possible. I enjoy anything outdoors and all sports.

Last revised 23 September 1995. KEF.