Robert and Sarah Bednarz receive appointments

May 27, 2016

Congratulations to Dr. Robert S. Bednarz on being appointed Professor Emeritus (effective June 2), and Dr. Sarah W. Bednarz on being appointed Professor Emerita (effective September 2).

Dr. Robert Bednarz’s academic interests fall into two areas, geographic education and urban-economic geography. Over the past 15 years, during which he served as editor of the Journal of Geography and now as North American editor of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education, Dr. Bednarz has focused mainly on topics related to how people learn, organize, and use geographic information. His research interests lie within the broad area of spatial thinking, especially in how information technology (IT) affects individuals' ability to perceive, understand, and analyze spatial patterns, distributions, and relationships.

Dr. Sarah Bednarz’s primary research focuses on the intersections of the learning sciences, geography, the geosciences, and geospatial technologies, with a special focus on spatial and geographic thinking, at a range of educational levels. Her related research interests include environmental and geosciences education, curriculum development, assessment, and professional development for educator preparation. She also served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Geosciences from 2008-2014.