 Introduction
Hello, my name is David Hilsdorf, a non-traditional
student at Bloomsburg University
studying for my BA in
Geography.
Post-high school History
Back in 1979, I joined the Army Reserve as a 31C, running
telephone
wire through trees and trenches . That was before such things as
wireless phones. After transferring to the active Air Force, I attended
the 47
week Basic Russian course at the Defense
Language Institute on the Presidio
of Monterey and saw duty as a Russian
cryptologic linguist behind the Iron Curtain in West Berlin
during the Cold War. I
then cross-trained as a weather forecaster
and was attached to the 1st Armored
Division during Desert Storm.
I last served as a Production
Manager in the Special Projects Branch of the Air
Force
Weather Agency at Offutt Air Force Base,
Nebraska, supervising a
crew of 8-12 people on the night shift. We produced classified,
customized weather products that covered all parts of the world for
"national level consumers". Upon retirement, I worked temporarily for
the U.S. Census Bureau as a
quality control clerk for the Census2000. I
then became a cross-country truck driver for Schneider National where
I was able to visit all 48 of the lower United States and three
provinces of
Canada. I currently work in the Appliances
section at the Columbia Mall
Sears.
Hobbies
In my spare time, I enjoy refurbishing old computers,
and spending time with my wife, Lori, and our dog,
Ali. I design and maintain the web
site for the Animal
Resource Center of Bloomsburg PA. I
am CompTIA A+
Certified. Need some computer work done? One call does it all! Ask
about the pride of my computer collection: a 1995 Gateway2000 FamilyPC.
It has a few upgrades like a 1GB HDD, 32MB RAM, and Windows 95
with Microsoft Works 6, AOL v5.0, and Internet Explorer 5.5.
Originally, it came with only a 425MB HDD, 16MB RAM, and Windows 3.1,
but I have all original disks and manuals. I still have the 425MB HDD!
"An educated, healthy country is harder to control.
Uneducated,
hopeless people don't vote."
In addition to credits I have
from other universities that
transferred in, I have taken or will be taking the following. To see
the
cirriculum, visit the
department web site.
| F06 |
S07 |
U07 |
F07 |
S08 |
U08 |
F08 |
S09 |
41.101
41.102
41.105
41.242
28.111
|
41.264
41.258
52.100
90.101 |
26.102 |
41.221
41.250
41.301
09.231 |
41.260
41.304
44.101
50.230
11.101
31.101
|
05.230
05.232
|
41.460
41.380
41.303
41.200
|
41.462
41.492
41.302
41.203
54.105
|
|
Dave
suggests you investigate the Ubuntu operating system,
the free
open source alternative to Microsoft Windows.
Dave suggests you investigate OpenOffice.org, the free open source
alternative to Microsoft
Office with minimal system
requirements. Watch for
MS Office 2007 compatability in version
3 this fall.
|
c2007, Dave Hilsdorf
Geography courses offered
41.100 World Regional Geography (3) -
Investigates the interaction between physical phenomena and human
activity, the distribution of economic development and the uniqueness
of each world region. This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture
per week.
41.101 Introduction to Physical Geography
(3) - Studies Earth-sun relationships, land masses, oceans, landforms,
weather and climate and natural resources as elements and controls
related to the adjustments humans make to their environment. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites:
None.
41.102 World Cultural Geography (3) -
Demonstrates the relationship of humankind, land, culture and economic
activities. Three hours lecture per week. This course is approved as a
Diversity General Education Course/This course counts as a Group B,
Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
41.105 Environmental Issues and Choices
(3) - Examines contemporary environmental resource issues within a
values, ethics and decision-making framework. This course approved as 3
credits of Values, Ethics and Responsible Decision Making toward
general education requirements/This course counts as a Group B, Social
& Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours
lecture per week.
41.125 Weather and Climate (3) - Studies
the interrelationships between the elements of weather and climate;
elaborates on the functional application of these elements through a
study of climatic realms. This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture
per week.
41.160 Geography and Information Systems
(3) - Provides non-majors with a general overview of the fundamentals
of geographic information systems (GIS), particularly the role of
modern technology in solving problems of a geographic nature. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite:
None.
41.200 Geography of United States and
Canada (3) - Presents a spatial analysis of the United States and
Canada emphasizing such concepts as environmental perception and
sequent occupancy; considers salient problems within geographic regions
in terms of genesis and potential for solution. This course counts as a
Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
41.201 Geography of Europe (3) - Studies
Europe's physical characteristics, topography, transportation systems,
resources, populations and trade. This course counts as a Group B,
Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three
hours lecture per week.
41.202 Geography of Latin America (3) -
Examines Latin America as a major geographic region in terms of those
economic, racial and cultural forms that have provided regional unity
and diversity. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
41.203 Geography of Australia (3) - A
regional and spatial analysis of Australia within a physical, cultural,
economic and environmental context. Examines Australia's historic and
contemporary role within the Asian-Pacific sphere. This course counts
as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
41.204 Geography of South Asia (3) -
Provides a survey of the physical and human geography of South Asia,
particularly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Examines
the major environmental, economic and cultural geography patterns,
processes and issues. This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture
per week.
41.221 Economic Geography (3) - Reviews
major economic activities; focuses on significant characteristics,
location theory and spatial patterns. This course counts as a Group B,
Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three
hours lecture per week.
41.240 Writing for Environmental Careers
(3) - Presents styles, formats, and guidelines for effective writing
and communication in environmental fields, with an emphasis on skills,
topics, and technologies specific to these areas. Uses a seminar
approach involving class participation, group activities, and
individualized instruction. This course counts as a Group B, Social
& Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours
lecture per week.
41.242 Map Use and Analysis (3) - Uses a
variety of published maps for interpreting and interrelating past and
present physical and cultural phenomena with a view toward the future.
This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences
General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
Prerequisites: None.
41.250 Elements of Planning (3) -
Acquaints students with the philosophy of planning, the roles of the
planner and planning objectives. This course counts as a Group B,
Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three
hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: None.
41.258 Environmental Conservation (3) -
Examines the geography and history of conservation in the United States
with an emphasis on environmental and conservation movements, natural
resource problems, and public policy. This course counts as a Group B,
Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
Prerequisites: 41.105 or consent of instructor. Three hours lecture per
week.
41.260 Principles of GIS I (3) - An
introduction to computer-assisted analysis of geographic data. Spatial
data structures, geographic data files, database management spatial
analysis and cartographic design are emphasized. Practical experience
in GIS is provided through exercises and class activities. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 41.242.
41.264 Applied Cartography (4) - Studies
fundamental principles, use of graphic media, methods of construction,
use and interpretation of maps, models, charts and diagrams, utilized
in geography and in urban and regional planning. This course counts as
a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Four hours lecture per week.
41.281 / 289 Special Topics in Geography
(3) - Presents areas of geographic interest to a general audience. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
41.301 Water Resources Management (3) -
An examination of contemporary water resource issues related to
environmental planning and management. This course counts as a Group B,
Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three
hours lecture per week.
41.302 Land Resources Management (3) - An
examination of selected land-related issues and problems with the
objective of identifying appropriate management techniques. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisites: 41.250 or
consent of instructor.
41.303 Soil Resources Management (4) -
Provides a thorough background to the geo-environmental aspects of soil
such as its nature and properties, factors of soil formation,
classification and geographical distribution. Examines the
interpretation of soil surveys and their role in land use and resource
planning, conservation and management and environmental quality. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
41.304 Environmental Valuation (3) -
Provides a conceptual and methodological framework for evaluating
environmental resources. Emphasis is on quantitative valuation
techniques that help separate facts from emotion in complex
environmental problems. Three hours lecture per week. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Prerequisite: 41.105 or permission of the instructor.
41.305 Environmental Risks and Hazards
(3) - Explores the human and environmental contributions to the
generation and management of risks and hazards originating from extreme
natural events and technological failures. Contemporary public policy
issues at the local, national and international levels are reviewed
with an emphasis on geographic themes in hazards and emerging
management technologies. Three hours lecture per week. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Prerequisites: 41.101 or 51.107.
41.310 Population Geography (3) -
Analyzes physical, human and economic factors that influence the
changing pattern of the political map of the world. This course counts
as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
41.315 Geography of Recreation, Tourism
and Sport (3) - Explores the array of contemporary issues involving
land, leisure and recreational planning. This course counts as a Group
B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
Three hours lecture per week.
41.342 Geographic Information Systems (3)
- Presents an introduction to computer-assisted analysis of geographic
data. Emphasizes GIS applications in management of natural resources,
environmental assessment and urban and regional planning. Laboratory
projects provide opportunities to develop computer expertise. This
course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General
Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite:
41.242 or 41.264 or consent of the instructor.
41.350 Advanced Planning (3) - Presents
the development of skills and techniques used in analysis, plan
preparation, goal setting and implementation of urban and regional
planning processes and activities. This course does not count as a
Group B general education requirement. Three hours lecture per week.
Prerequisite: 41.250 or consent of instructor.
41.363 Urban Geography (3) - Provides a
conceptual and methodological framework in which to view the process of
urbanization. This course counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral
Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture per week.
41.380 Dams, Reservoirs, and Rivers (3) -
Examines the use of dams and other structures designed to control
rivers and manage surface water resources, synthesizing legal,
political, economic, environmental, and natural resource aspects using
case studies. Field trips are required. This course counts as a Group
B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements.
Prerequisite: 41.101, 51.100 or consent of instructor.
41.386 U.S. Public Lands: Geography,
Politics and Management (3) - Examines the origins of the major US
federal and state land management agencies, the distribution of their
landholdings, and their jurisdictions and management mandates. Case
studies focus on contemporary timber, range, wildlife, fisheries and
parks recreation resources management controversies. This course counts
as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Prerequisite: 41.105 or junior/senior standing and
consent of instructor.
41.460 Principles of GIS II (3) - Focuses
on research involving geographic information systems (GIS). A
project-based class in which students learn the skills to develop and
maintain a GIS. Through cooperative learning students design and
implement functional systems. This course counts as a Group B, Social
& Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours
lecture per week. Prerequisite: 41.260 or consent of instructor.
41.462 Techniques of Geographic
Measurement (3) - Data handling and map symbolization emphasized in
this spatial analysis course. Topics in descriptive and inferential
statistics are explored with an emphasis on applications to problems
with spatial dimensions. This course counts as a Group B, Social &
Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirements. Three hours lecture
per week. Prerequisite: 41.242 or consent of the instructor.
41.475 Independent Study in Geography
(1-3) - Provides independent, investigative research oriented to
studies of specific geographical problems. This course counts as a
Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Prerequisite: Open to juniors and seniors majoring in
geography.
41.492 Geography Seminar (3) - Explores
the history of geographic thought and examines the types of research
methods and analysis used by scholars in the disciplines. This course
counts as a Group B, Social & Behavioral Sciences General Education
Requirements. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: Majoring in
Geography
