MAD News Flash:

·         MAD Monthly Social, Friday, December 19, 5-7 pm, Clyde’s-Gallery Place

·         Student Research Day at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, April 17, 2009  Save the Date

 

 

President’s Column by Michael Ratcliffe

 

Dear MAD Members and Colleagues,

 

This letter is long overdue, as is the reappearance of our newsletter.  No doubt many of you are wondering what’s happened to the Middle Atlantic Division and whether we exist as an organization.  I am pleased to report that while the activity level of the division has been considerably less than in the past, there is life to MAD.  Indeed, there are signs that MAD is fully capable of returning to previous levels of activity.  So, this letter has two purposes:  to let you know what has happened over the past year or so, and to outline what I and others think will help create a vibrant organization.

 

Our 2008 meeting was a great success.  Mike Scott and colleagues at Salisbury University planned and hosted a wonderful two-day meeting that provided a variety of opportunities to develop professional ties, exchange information, and socialize with fellow geographers.  The meeting drew a representative sample of members, including faculty and students from several universities and professional geographers from various agencies and organizations.  Students from Frostburg, George Washington University, and Salisbury were a large proportion of the attendees, which was encouraging for the future health and growth of MAD.  The meeting featured interesting and informative field trips; the spirited competition of a Geography Bowl; paper sessions highlighting the variety of academic and professional interests and work of MAD members; and an excellent dinner at the Old Mill Crab House in nearby Delmar.

 

Most recently, MAD members and AAG staff gathered at GWU to sort approximately 1,200 abstracts for the AAG’s 2009 annual meeting and organize them into coherent sessions.  For most of us, it was the first time we’d participated in such an exercise, and we all now have a better understanding of how the myriad sessions at the AAG meeting come together.  For those of you who wish you could have participated, you have another chance—the 2010 AAG Annual Meeting will be held in DC, and MAD will be responsible for Local Arrangements, including sorting of abstracts.

 

Last April, Frostburg hosted MAD’s Student Research Day.  The primary focus of that event was paper presentations by students, all of whom were undergraduates and most of whom had entered the paper competition.  Several companies and other organizations were on hand with booths, offering students an opportunity to talk with practitioners in the field.  And, prior to that event, we held our 2007 meeting at the Census Bureau’s new headquarters building in Suitland, MD.

 

While these three meetings were successful in bringing MAD members together, and served to partially fulfill our purpose as an organization, they also pointed out how much still needs to be done to revive MAD.  One or two meetings a year are not enough to build a vibrant, valuable professional association.  We need more events and opportunities for MAD members to gather, exchange ideas, and develop professional relationships.  Some ideas that have been discussed include:

 

1)   We need regular, recurring opportunities for members to gather both socially and professionally.  In the past, MAD held quarterly dinner meetings featuring a speaker.  We need to revive these meetings.  We also have decided to meet on the third Friday of every month for social and professional networking, ideally with gatherings occurring in the various corners of MAD’s territory.  The DC monthly gathering will be at Clyde’s-Gallery Place, December 19, 5-7 pm, and the third Friday of every month thereafter.

 

2)   Because geographers ought to get out into the field from time to time, we should plan field trips.  MAD’s small geographic extent makes field trips within the region easy and inexpensive to undertake.

 

3)   We should take advantage of our small geographic extent to plan and conduct activities that will be convenient and accessible for geographers living and working throughout the region, and avoid an overly DC-centric focus.  To this end, we need to plan and conduct activities that will promote greater participation by our colleagues in the Baltimore area, at Frostburg, and on the Eastern Shore, and make it easier for them to actively engage in MAD’s activities.

 

I and others in MAD leadership roles are committed to reviving MAD as an active, vibrant organization.  Let’s build on the success and energy felt at the meeting in Salisbury to revive MAD.  I’m looking forward to the remainder of this MAD year, and to many opportunities to meet with you.

 

 

Upcoming and Ongoing Events

 

MAD – AAG Monthly Gathering December 19, 2008 (and the third Friday of every month thereafter) 5-7 p.m.   Join fellow MAD geographers and friends for socializing and networking at: Clyde’s – Gallery Place   Address: 707 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC Nearest Metro Station:  Gallery Place Contact:  Mike Ratcliffe, Michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov Liz Lyon, Elizabeth.lyon@gmail.com _______________________________________________________________________   2009 MAD Student Research Day April 17, 2009, University of Maryland, Baltimore County   The 2009 MAD Student Research Day will be held on April 17, 2009 at University of Maryland, Baltimore County.  Undergraduate and graduate students interested in presenting research on any aspect of geography, ecology, environmental studies, remote sensing, GIS, or related fields are encouraged to participate.  Please pass this information to your department’s Gamma Theta Upsilon chapter, geography club, faculty, and student advisors.  Keep this in mind as you’re reading term papers over the next few weeks!  More information will be forthcoming. _______________________________________________________________________     2009 MAD Annual Meeting October 2-3, 2009.   We have dates, now we just need a location!  The 2009 MAD annual meeting is in search of a venue.  Please consider hosting the annual meeting—it’s a great way to showcase your department’s or organization’s facilities, and offers a great opportunity for your students, faculty, and staff to interact with other geographers from throughout the MAD region.  Contact Michael Ratcliffe at michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov or Cathy Cooper at coopercw@goeaston.net for more information or to volunteer.   2010 AAG Annual Meeting   The 2010 AAG annual meeting will be held in Washington, DC, April 14-18.  The MAD Local Arrangements Committee will be responsible for planning and soliciting articles for the AAG newsletter; field trips before, during, and after the conference; suggestions of things to see and do in Washington and the MAD region; and sorting abstracts that are not submitted as part of an organized session.   Newsletter articles should focus on and highlight various aspects of the landscape, geography, and personality of the MAD region (DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia).  For more information, contact members of the Local Arrangements Committee (see list below) or Jim Ketchum, AAG Newsletter Editor, at newsletter@aag.org .   Volunteers are sought to organize, plan, and lead field trips.  The AAG will provide support in arranging transportation and logistics for field trips.   Local Arrangements Committee:   Lisa Benton-Short, George Washington University Lars Bromley, American Association for the Advancement of Science James Fitzsimmons, Census Bureau David Rain, George Washington University Michael Ratcliffe, Census Bureau Michael Scott, Salisbury University John Townshend, University of Maryland-College Park George White, Frostburg State University Susan Wolfinbarger, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Geographic Conferences and Events in the MAD Region   January 2009 21.  Maryland State Geographic Information Committee (MSGIC) Quarterly Meeting.    Howard County- Robey Public Safety Training Center.  http://www.msgic.state.md.us/events/index.htm   February 18-20.  ESRI Federal Users’ Conference.  Washington, DC http://www.esri.com/events/feduc/index.html   22-25.    National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) Midyear Conference.  Annapolis, MD   March 9-13.  American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Annual Meeting.  Baltimore, MD.  http://www.asprs.org/baltimore09/index.html   March 16-17.  Towson GIS Conference, Towson, MD   22-27.  AAG Annual Meeting.  Las Vegas, NV   http://www.aag.org/annualmeetings/2009/index.htm   April 1.   Maryland State Geographic Information Committee (MSGIC) Quarterly Meeting. Washington College.  http://www.msgic.state.md.us/events/index.htm   17.  MAD Student Research Day.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County.   May 19-20.    National Geographic Bee finals.  National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographybee.   October 2-3.  MAD Annual Meeting.  Location to be determined.

 

 

Salisbury University Team Wins 2008 MAD Geography Bowl

 

Three top-notch teams of geography students gathered in Salisbury for the 2008 MAD Geography Bowl.  George Washington University’s team arrived as the perennial favorite, with teams from Salisbury University and Frostburg State University challenging.  Salisbury’s team emerged on top from the closely matched, six-round Bowl, winning three rounds to GWU’s two, and Frostburg’s victory in one round.

 

 

 

MAD All-Stars to Represent Division at 2009 AAG World Geography Bowl

 

MAD’s team at the 2009 AAG Meeting’s World Geographer Bowl will consist of the “All-Stars” from the 2008 MAD Geography Bowl:  Team members are:

 

Daniel Broderick, Frostburg State University

Robert Eversburg, Salisbury University

Sterling Johnson, George Washington University

Zack Schulman, George Washington University

Nicole Svajlenka, George Washington University

Bryan Thom, Salisbury University

 

Alternates are:

 

Dan Malessa, George Washington University

Daniel Pierre, Frostburg State University

 

They will be "coached" by Mark de Socio, Salisbury University

 

Congratulations to all, and best of luck in Las Vegas!

 

Other News

 

MAD Service Opportunities   Nominations Committee.  Three members sought to solicit nominations for, and conduct election of, MAD officers for the 2009-2010 year.  For more information, contact Michael Ratcliffe, MAD Chair, at Michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov.   By-laws Review Committee.  Volunteers sought to form and serve on a committee to review and update, if necessary, MAD’s by-laws.  Contact Michael Ratcliffe, MAD Chair, at michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov or Cathy Cooper, MAD Vice-Chair, at coopercw@goeaston.net. ______________________________________________________________________________________   MAD Officers (2008/2009)   Chair: Michael Ratcliffe, michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov, 301-763-8977 Vice Chair: Cathy Cooper, coopercw@goeaston.com, 410-822-3451 Secretary: David Rain, drain@gwu.edu, 202-994-8523 Treasurer: Tracy Edwards, tedwards@frostburg.edu, 301-687-7596 Special Events: Liz Lyon, Elizabeth.lyon@gmail.com Student Awards: vacant, Past Chair: Molly Brown, molly.e.brown@nasa.gov, 301-614-6616           Regional Councilor: Molly Brown, molly.e.brown@nasa.gov, 301-614-6616