Spring 2015 geography seminars will kick off on Jan. 16 with "A Geographer's Experiences in 'Down Under': Spatial Perspectives on Australia & New Zealand," presented by Victoria Alapo, geography doctoral student, at 2 p.m. in 228 Hardin Hall. The seminar is free and open to the public.
For many people, the Southern Hemisphere is a fascinating part of the world, simply because many of its countries are so "far away." Australia and New Zealand represent two such places. Alapo will share her experiences in these countries, from the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the Outback, and down to the great cities of Sydney and Melbourne -- it's all in a day's work (or at least in a summer!) for this globe-trotting Geographer. She will also share her wonderful experiences in relating with both the Native Aborigines in Australia and the Maori in New Zealand.
In addition, the presentation will highlight her experiences in fascinating landscapes and places such as New Zealand's "Lord of the Rings Country" -- where most of those movie series were shot -- to urban landscapes basically built on numerous volcanoes, such as the city of Auckland. Alapo will also describe the aftermath of the major earthquake of 2011, and how it still affects the city of Christchurch today; and her first-ever Southern Hemisphere "Snow in July."
Alapo is a Ph.D. candidate in geography in UNL's School of Natural Resources. She is a historical geographer whose research concentrates on Pre-Colonial Africa. She received her M.S. in geography from Western Kentucky University in 1996, and a B.Sc. in geography from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Alapo is also a geography instructor at the Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, a position she has held for nine years. Additionally, she teaches "Geography of Africa" and "World Regions" courses at UNL. Alapo is also currently the Secretary of the AAG's Bible Geography Specialty Group (BGSG) and is a Student Director with the AAG's Africa Specialty Group (ASG).
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/kfii