December 2015 GeoMentor Spotlight: Melanie Stine
Each month we'll feature at least one GeoMentor volunteer, learning more about them and the wonderful and enthusiastic talent available in our GeoMentor community to assist K-12 schools with GIS and geography applications for their classrooms. Read about our currently featured member of the community below, or check out previously featured GeoMentors by using the navigation links on the right. If you are interested in being featured, go here for more information. We are excited to learn more about our GeoMentor community members!
If you aren't a GeoMentor yet, we'd love to have you participate!
December 2015 GeoMentor Spotlight
Melanie Stine - Visiting Assistant Professor in Environmental Science at Sweet Briar College; Assistant Professor in Physical Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio
Position/Job/Affiliation: Visiting Assistant Professor in Environmental Science at Sweet Briar College; Assistant Professor in Physical Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio
What was your favorite class in K-12? Biology
How did you first learn about and/or use GIS? I first learned about GIS by taking a class on it as an undergraduate. It was a required course for my major (environmental science) at Sweet Briar College, and I am glad it was! I was a bit leery of GIS at first, but now I am teaching it!
Name one thing you love about GIS and/or geography (I know, just one!): Both geography and GIS can help us have such a better understanding of the world than we would otherwise!
Why did you want to volunteer as a GeoMentor? I think exposing students to GIS will give them an improved appreciation for geography, and GIS is such a useful career tool.
What kind of GeoMentor volunteer opportunity and experience are you looking for? I am looking to expose local high school students to GIS, and broaden their concept of geography. I would like to link GIS to the outside environment, and show students how GIS can be applied to help solve problems that they see in their community and subsequently apply those problem solving skills to global issues.
If someone asked you why they should learn about GIS and/or geography, how would you respond in one sentence? Understanding spatial concepts/relationships is important to many facets of our lives and integral for many careers.
Email address: mstine@sbc.edu, Melanie.stine@utsa.edu
Website(s) http://sbc.edu/environmental-studies, http://colfa.utsa.edu/polisci-geography
Twitter: @melanie_stine
Interested in being featured? Go here for more information. We are excited to learn more about you!
Questions? Email geomentors@aag.org.