News

Fred Lukermann

The Department of Geography is sad to report that  Professor Emeritus Fred E. Lukermann, a renowned member of our faculty and former dean of CLA, passed away September 1, 2009 from complications after a fall while returning home from his cabin on Lake Vermilion. A Minneapolis native, born December 9, 1921, Fred graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1940 and entered the University of Minnesota the following fall. After service in the U.S. Army, he returned to the University, earning his B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees.

Fred joined the University of Minnesota's geography faculty in the early 1950s. The Geography Department steadily achieved national and international prominence, and, as chair of the department, Fred nurtured a pervasive spirit of wide-ranging and creative intellectual inquiry.

Fred assumed several leadership and administrative roles at the University of Minnesota. In addition to the chair of Geography, Fred served as associate dean for social sciences in the College of Liberal Arts; assistant vice president for academic affairs; and dean of CLA from 1978-1989. Working with CLA Dean E. W. Ziebarth and University Vice President Jerry Shepherd, Fred was instrumental in establishing the Departments of African American & African Studies, American Indian Studies, Chicano Studies, the Urban Studies Program, the School of Public Affairs (later renamed the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs), and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs.

Along with his inspired teaching, generous advising of graduate students, and creative scholarly output, Fred pursued a life-long interest in the proto-geography in Classical Greece, in the development of modern geographic thought and practice within the history of science, in the historical geography of North America, and in cultural pluralism.

Memorials in Fred's honor may be sent to the Fred and Barbara Lukermann Geography Fellowship (# 6737) at the University of Minnesota Foundation, McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street, Suite 500 Minneapolis, MN 55455-2010.

 

Recent Award Recipients

Please join us in saluting Professor Helga Leitner for excellence in teaching as she is a recipient of the 2008-09 Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education.This award recognizes the significance of excellent teaching by inducting the award recipients into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Academy members provide important leadership to the University community, serving as mentors, advisers, and spokespersons for the University's mission. Read More.

Join us in congratulating Professor Judith Martin recipient of the 2009 University of Minnesota President's Award for Outstanding Service. Established in 1997 to recognize faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University, this award is presented each year in the spring and honors active or retired faculty or staff members who have gone well beyond their regular duties and have demonstrated an unusual commitment to the University community. Read More.

Regents Professor Eric Sheppard

Congratulations to Eric Sheppard who was recently named a Regents Professor of the University of Minnesota. The Regents Professor position was established in 1965 by the Board of Regents to recognize the national and international prominence of faculty members. It serves as the highest recognition for faculty who have made unique contributions to the quality of the University of Minnesota through exceptional accomplishments in teaching, research and scholarship or creative work, and contributions to the public good.

Eric is described by his colleagues as a "towering intellect, a universally admired educator and a highly respected leader." His contributions are recognized globally and have transformed the core understanding of the space economy, urban transformation, regional development, globalization and geographic science. He is credited with bringing the university's Department of Geography to a top-three national status. Considered to be one of the worlds leading geographers, he is the author of cutting-edge graduate and undergraduate textbooks, which have become key sources in classrooms around the world. His contributions to the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change have made him a vital part in internationalizing the university. He has helped organize numerous international conferences and has been a keynote, plenary lecturer or invited lecturer in more than 130 conferences or universities across the globe. With his students, he is considered a successful advisor and a trusted mentor.

Mei-Ling Hsu

The Department of Geography is sad to report the passing of Mei-Ling Hsu who served our department and profession with distinction for over three decades and was a role model for many young scholars pursuing work in cartography and/or China.

Dr. Hsu was a highly-respected scholar in the area of cartographic symbolization, Chinese cartography, and map projections with additional specialties in population geography and East Asian studies. One of her most significant contributions was a population map of Taiwan produced in the 1970s, and updated with new data in the 1990s. She also helped build the cartography and GIS programs in the department. Mei-Ling Hsu joined the Minnesota Geography Department in 1965, and served as chair from 1994 to 1997. She also was the first Director of the University of Minnesota’s China Center.

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