The Department of Geography always welcomes donations from alumni and friends of the department. To give to the Department, follow these simple steps:

• To make a donation using your credit card, visit www.ohio.edu/give/
  • Enter "Gift Amount"
  • Scroll down the page to "Please list other gift designation here:". In this box, please indicate Department of Geography.
  • Under "Special Instructions:" you may choose to specify the focus of your donation. Below are specific options.
  • Complete the personal information section as requested, press the "add to cart" button, then the "check out" button, enter your credit card information.
    
    
• You may choose to give by sending a check, making a pledge, or by payroll deduction.
  • Details about these options are available at www.ohio.edu/development/makeagift.cfm. Please specify that you are giving to the Department of Geography and indicate one or a combination of any of the below options you choose.

Donations may be made to the department’s general fund, where they are used to support such things as student travel to professional conferences, educational priorities (such as computer software and hardware), and improvements to the department’s physical infrastructure. With regard to physical infrastructure, the department is currently in the planning phase of a major renovation and reconfiguration of our existing space on the first floor of Clippinger Laboratories due to growth in the number of faculty and students. We plan to add three new faculty offices, renovate and upgrade one of our major classrooms, and reconfigure spaces for graduate teaching assistants. We also plan to reconfigure an existing classroom into a larger, more modern space that will serve as both our seminar and colloquium room. Such renovation, of course, comes with a price, and any donations that will help fulfill the completion of this major project are very much welcomed.

You may also donate to any of the five named scholarships that have been established to support both undergraduate and graduate geography majors:

• The Regina L. Bloemer Scholarship in Geography

  The Regina L. Bloemer scholarship was established by Emeritus Professor H. L. (Hugh) Bloemer in honor of his mother. The Bloemer scholarship is awarded annually to the top sophomore or junior geography major based on that student’s grade point average. While all geography majors are eligible, preference will be given to students with a specialization in Cartography/GIS.
  

• The Olive Emler Ross Scholarship in Geography

  The Olive Emler Ross Scholarship is awarded annually to the top five junior and senior geography majors based upon grade point average.
  

• The Hubert and Constance Wilhelm Geography Scholarship

  The Hubert and Constance Wilhelm Scholarship was established by a number of benefactors in honor of longtime Geography faculty member Hubert Wilhelm and his wife, Constance. This award is given annually to a student majoring in geography with a minimum of 45 credit hours completed and a minimum grade point average of 3.35. While all geography majors are eligible, preference will be given to students with a specialization in cultural geography.
  

• The Elizabeth Llewellyn Robe Memorial Scholarship

  The Elizabeth Llewellyn Robe Scholarship was established by Dr. and Mrs. T. Richard Robe in honor of the Elizabeth Llewellyn Robe family. The scholarship is awarded in alternate years to an Appalachian student of merit majoring in Geography and Geological Sciences who graduated from a high school in one of the federally designated Appalachian counties of Ohio. Awardees must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 at Ohio University or, if newly enrolled at Ohio University, a high school rank of upper 10%.
  

• The Isaac Sindiga Memorial Fund

The Isaac Sindiga Memorial Fund for Geography was established last year through a generous gift from an anonymous donor in honor of the late Dr. Isaac Sindiga, who received his master’s degree from the Department in 1981. The Sindiga award is given annually to a graduate student to conduct research in completion of their degrees and may be used for such expenses as travel expenses, software, or other items related to the research. Recipients must have completed a minimum of 45 hours of graduate coursework and should have Departmental approval of his/her proposed thesis research. Recipients are chosen by the Graduate Committee based upon the merits of a formal proposal, demonstrated need, and faculty recommendations.

• The Carl Ross Endowed Chair in Geography

  The Carl Ross endowment was established through a very generous gift from the late Carl Ross, longtime benefactor of the Department, to fund a named chair in Geography. Funds from the endowment will be used to bring a top scholar in the field to campus on a shortterm basis to teach seminars, give colloquia and conduct research. The Department plans to appoint the first Ross Chair for the 2009-2010 academic year. Further details on the Ross Chair will be outlined in a newsletter early next year.