UTK Geography and Sustainability

07/31/2026

Huge congratulations to Dr. Katrina Stack (PhD '26), who will be joining the University of South Florida this fall as Assistant Professor of U.S. Public History!

Dr. Stack has also been the creative force behind our departmental social media for the past couple years, making this her official sign-off from that role. Thank you for all you've done to share the life of our department—we'll miss your posts!

Best of luck at USF, Dr. Stack! 🍊💚

07/30/2026

Back in the spring, we were thrilled to welcome acclaimed wildlife photographer and cinematographer Martin Gregus for a department colloquium and Lunch & Learn!

Students and faculty loved hearing about his experiences documenting wildlife in some of the world's most remote places, including his award-winning work photographing polar bears in the Arctic. Martin shared powerful stories about witnessing the impacts of climate change firsthand, the challenges of filming in extreme environments, and the moments that have stayed with him throughout his career.

Martin's photography has been featured by National Geographic and the BBC, and his cinematography can be seen in Netflix's Our Planet and The Dinosaurs.

07/24/2026

Publication alert ‼️ “‘A Place in This World’: Critical Placemaking and Identity Formation at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour” was co-authored by Dr. Katrina Stack while she was completing her PhD in our department. The article is now published in GeoHumanities! Read it at the 🔗 here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/FYJDVQMVGCNPSAIKHQ9D/full?target=10.1080/2373566X.2026.2686176

06/26/2026

Dr. Seth Kannarr (PhD, Spring ‘26) and Dr. Derek Alderman just published a new article for The Conversation US, “Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American.” Read it now at the 🔗 below!

At a time when Americans disagree deeply over the meaning of citizenship, belonging and education, summer camps remain places where visions of the nation are communicated to young people.

06/15/2026

Can you believe it’s been exactly a month since the doctoral hooding ceremony? We’re so proud of UTK Geography’s newest PhDs — Drs. Caleb Gore, Katrina Stack, and Seth Kannarr! 🎓🍊

05/05/2026

PhD Candidate Brian Boyce has been awarded a Dissertation Fellowship from the African and African Diaspora Studies Program at Boston College for the 2026–2027 academic year. The fellowship will support the completion of his doctoral research, which explores questions of performance, placemaking, and Black expressive culture.

05/04/2026

Congratulations to Ian Scott, who received an Achievement Award in Natural Sciences from the College of Arts and Sciences in the 2026 Exhibit of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement (EURECA). Ian worked with Professor Sally Horn to develop a long-term fire history from a lake sediment core. • • 📸: Sally Horn

05/04/2026

Congratulations to everyone recognized at this year’s department awards ceremony! ✨🌎🧡

🏆 Robert G. Long Outstanding Graduate Student (MS): Caroline Hamilton

🏆 Robert G. Long Outstanding Graduate Student (PhD): Katrina Stack

🌟 Exceptional Professional Accomplishment: Rae Tennant

🗺️ Bruce Ralston Geospatial Achievement (Graduate): Andy Zhang

📚 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Hope Hutchinson, Luke Blentlinger, and Jordyn Hammel

🎓 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Associate: Caleb Gore and Elizabeth Barnes

📝 Primary Lead Publication: Brian Boyce, Sarah Farahpoor, Caleb Gore, Seth Kannarr, Wan Hee Kim, Johnathan Lynn, Katrina Stack, Syeda Nazifa Tasneem, Abel Traslaviña-Arias​

📖 Publication Honors: Johnathan Lynn, Seth Kannarr, Katrina Stack

👩‍🎓 Outstanding Graduate (Geography): Ellie Bernstein

👩‍🎓 Outsanding Graduate (Sustainability): Liz Short

🌎 S. David Freeman Sustainability Scholarship: Miles Nellans

🌐 Bruce Ralston Geospatial Achievement (Undergraduate): Gwyn McClelland

📖 Michael R. Simon Outstanding Research: Ian Von Weisenstein

🤲 Michael R. Simon Exceptional Outreach: Nico Malagon

🎓 Michelle D. Pfeffer Outstanding Senior: Caroline Peters

🍎 Outstanding Graduate Teaching: Gabe Schwartzman

🎓 Outstanding Graduate Advocate: LaToya Eaves

🍎 Outstanding Faculty Teaching (Undergraduate): Jack Swab

🚀 Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (ABCD): Michael Camponovo

04/24/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Gabe Schwartzman for his contributions to the important and thought-provoking conversation at Wednesday night’s program, “Shifting Power in Rural America – Dialogues on Just Transitions,” hosted by the Appalachian Justice Research Center.

He and co-author Dr. John Gaventa also discussed their new book, Power and Just Transitions: Struggles for a Post-Coal Future in an Appalachian Valley.

04/22/2026

More great news to share about our outstanding undergraduate students!

Congratulations to Ian Scott and Grace Claerbout for recognition from the 2026 EUReCA student research symposium.

Ian earned an Achievement Award for his research focused on Holocene Fire History Reconstruction in the American Southeast from Macroscopic Charcoal in Sediment at Lake Louise, Georgia.

Grace earned an Honors recognition for her research focused on Mapping Maritime Piracy: Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Pirate Activity, 1978-2025