Geography & Planning Department

Our Alumni

Alumni of Geography and Planning

What Can You Do with a Geography Degree?

The Department of Geography and Planning is using the power of GIS to illustrate answers to the questions, where do our alumni go, and what do they do? GIS is a multidisciplinary field that brings together geography, cartography, statistical analysis, and computer science to bring relevance to data sets that may well seem to be unrelated and to represent that data in an easily understood, visual manner. It is a dynamic area that has broad appeal in fields where people might never have considered working with visualizing data. Dr. Jacquelyn Chase, professor of geography and planning, is working with the department’s advisory board to develop projects that will illustrate the professional trajectory of geography majors. The department has teamed up with members of its advisory board outreach subcommittee as well as the campus’s Geographical Information Center and the Office of Institutional Research to create a dynamic map of geography and planning alumni who reside in the United States. The alumni data extend back to the founding of the department in 1964 and when mapped using GIS, geographical patterns by occupational field are revealed. These patterns reinforce the notion that there is a broad distribution of Chico State geographers in every state and county, from metropolitan areas to rural locations.

Featured Alumni:

2018 BSS Distinguished Alumni Tim & Sheryl Beach

President Gayle Hutchinson, Behavioral and Social Sciences 2018 Distinguished Alumni Tim Beach (GEOG, '82) Sheryl Beach (GEOG, '82), Eddie Vela (Dean, BSS) (left to right) take a photo after the presentation of plaques on Friday, March 9, 2018 in Chico, Calif.  (Jason Halley/University Photographer/CSU Chico)

2018 BSS Distinguished Alumni Tim and Sheryl Beach (middle) graduated from the Geography and Planning Department in 1982. They are professors in the Department of Geography and the Environment at The University of Texas at Austin.

2012 BSS Distinguished Alumnus Robert Christopherson
Robert Christopherson

Emeritus Senior Lecturer Robert Christopherson gave a lecture entitled "Climate Change Update - the Power of Geographic Science" at the GEOP's 50th Anniversary Celebration.

See his publications here! (PDF)

Mt. Colby Fire Tower Attendant Ken Jordan
Ken Jordan

Ken Jordan graduated from the Geography and Planning Department in 1978 and has worked at the Mt. Colby Fire Tower since 1985.

To learn about his career, click here! (PDF)