Colgate University

First-Year Course Offerings — Fall 2019

FSEM 135   Maps, Technology & Exploration
Credits1
RestrictionsNo 2022 2021 2020 Open to first-years only
Pre-Requisites
Co-Requisites
Core Area Sciences
Area of Inquiry
Liberal Arts Practices

Faculty Profile for Professor Loranty

Maps, Technology, and the Changing Geography of Exploration

For centuries humans have created and used maps to explore our planet. Over the past few decades technology has radically altered the ways we generate and interact with maps. Students aim to understand the nature of these changes, and what they mean for how we explore the world around us. Students use GPS, drones, satellite data, and web-based tools to map and explore a variety of environments; from forests and trails on campus, to nearby cities. A series of case studies will help us to understand how these new geographic tools are advancing our scientific understanding of the physical and social processes that shape our world, and also how these tools impact society. Students who successfully complete this seminar will satisfy the Scientific Perspectives core requirement.

Professor Mike Loranty is a geographer who uses field and satellite data to study vegetation change in the Arctic. His current projects examine the effects of wildfire on forest regrowth and permafrost in Siberia.