College of Behavioral & Social Sciences

Behavioral and Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni

2012 Distinguished Alumni

Robert Christopherson

BA Geography and History, Class of 1969

Honor Year: 2012

Robert Christopherson is a professor emeritus of geography following 30 years of teaching at American River College and received teaching awards at college, state, and national levels. He also is the author of the leading textbooks for colleges and universities in physical geography/Earth systems science in the United States and Canada. Christopherson earned his MA in geography from Miami University, Ohio. His wife, Bobbé, serves as photographer and production assistant on his textbooks, which have received several national awards. Together, the Christophersons have completed 12 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Christopherson has been recognized for excellence in teaching with the 1999 Distinguished Teaching Achievement Award from the National Council for Geographic Education and the Outstanding Educator Award from the California Geographical Society. In 2009, he was elected to the Textbook and Authors' Association prestigious Council of Fellows. He says the systems approach in his books and the applied topical themes are rooted in his undergrad training at Chico. Christopherson was the keynote speaker at Chico State's Geography and Planning 50th Anniversary held in September 2014, and he spoke on "Climate Change Update 2014: The Power of Geographic Science."