Posted November 2, 2006

The Robert Gabler Lecture in Geography: "The Changing Geography of American Agriculture."

Dr. John Fraser Hart.Dr. John Fraser Hart of the University of Minnesota will present the 2006-2007 Robert Gabler Lecture "The Changing Geography of American Agriculture" as part of the Department of Geography's Geography Awareness Week Activities. His presentation will be held Monday, November 13 at 7:00 pm in Morgan Hall 109.

John Fraser Hart received his PH.D. in Geography from Northwestern University in 1950. He has taught at the University of Georgia and at Indiana University, and has been Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota since 1967.

Focusing on rural and agricultural geography, he has published in excess of 250 refereed articles, book reviews, and other publications, and more than a dozen books, including the award-winning, The Land That Feeds Us (1992).

Dr. Hart is also well known for his service to the profession, notably the Association of American Geographers (AAG). He has served as the AAG's Executive Director and President and edited the prestigious Annals of the Association of American Geographers. He has won numerous awards and honors for teaching and research.

He has served the Association of American Geographers as Executive Director, as Editor of the Annals, and as President.  His research has focused on the geography of rural areas in the United States, and his talk will be based on his latest book, The Changing Geography of American Agriculture.

The Gabler Lecture is named for Dr. Robert Gabler, who served as Chairperson of the Geography Department and Director of International Programs at Western Illinois University. He is the author of numerous books including Introduction to Physical Geography, Essentials of Physical Geography (now in its seventh edition), and Human Geography: People Cultures and Landscapes. He is a Past-President of both the Illinois Geographical Society and the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE). The recipient of NCGE's George J. Miller Distinguished Service Award, Dr. Gabler was named one of the "Leaders in American Geography" by Barton and Karan's 1992 book of the same name.

The public is invited to attend. Admission is free.