Source: Charles Martin, 785-532-6727, cwmgeog@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Megan Molitor, 785-532-3452, molitor@k-state.edu
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011
Growing concern: Geography department's 2011 distinguished alumnus to discuss farmers and adjustments to climate change
MANHATTAN -- Climate change will be the topic when the 2011 distinguished alumnus of Kansas State University's department of geography presents a lecture Friday, Oct. 28.
Kay Weller, associate professor of geography at the University of Northern Iowa, will speak at 3:30 p.m. in 132 Seaton Hall. Her topic will be "Farm Adjustments to Climate Change: A Farmer Perspective." At that time, Weller will also be honored as the department's 2011 distinguished alumnus.
Charles Martin, interim head of the department of geography, said Weller graduated from K-State in 1990 with a master's degree in geography and again in 1993 through the College of Education with a doctorate in curriculum and instruction and geographic education.
Weller has published 20 journal articles, including "Colonizing African American Places in Kansas, 1857-1885," in the Heritage of the Great Plains journal. She has also presented many geography workshops across the United States and Canada.
Her research interests are geographic education, historical geography of African Americans and secondary social studies education. Martin said Weller's presentation on Oct. 28 will focus on this research, and particularly on research she has been conducting over the last few years regarding the ways in which farmers adjust to climate change.
Martin said the faculty of the geography department at K-State selected Weller as this year's distinguished alumnus because of her years of work on the department's alumni board and her many contributions to geographic education through her work as coordinator of the Geographic Alliance of Iowa.
