COFFEEPALOOZA

A brief but lively exploration of the world of coffee.

Bridgewater State University Math & Science Center Atrium

Monday, April 24  // 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Students in the Honors Second Year Seminar “The Secret Life of Coffee” will be sharing their findings from a semester-long exploration of the world’s greatest beverage.

Photo Credit: Coffee Maven & Geographer
Dr. James Hayes-Bohanan

They will also be sharing some coffee, of course!
(Bring a mug if you can, but we will have cups.)

Click for PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT

Espresso Guest

 Those acquainted with our department might be surprised to learn that two of our full professors have substantial involvement. In fact, while Dr. James Hayes-Bohanan is known as the Coffee Maven, it is only Dr. Bob Amey who has substantial (and current) barista experience. 

In fact, he knows a lot more about the preparation of espresso and was kind enough to bring his expertise to a recent session of The Secret Life of Coffee, an Second-Year Seminar (SYS) that Dr. Hayes-Bohanan has offered regularly since the pilot year of the SYS program in 2007.

Dr. Amey demonstrates the use of his own espresso machine
for an Honors section of the Secret Life of Coffee.

The discussion began with technique, but soon turned to the geography of coffee shops and the North Shore neighborhood in which Dr. Amey lives and works.

The coffee he brewed is an unusual blend from Sweet Maria's, which has supplied most of the coffee that Dr. Hayes-Bohanan has roasted for the class this semester, always using a high-temperature automatic-drip brewer. Because most of its offerings are single-origin coffees with very specific field and cupping notes, students have had the opportunity to connect terroir to the cup for coffees of very specific known origins. 

The Liquid Amber Espresso Blend used for this session is very different in both appearance and geographic detail. Dr. Amey offered everyone the "same" coffee brewed three ways, and accordingly ground three ways. 

Click to enlarge -- grind size is dictated by brewing method.
From fine to medium to course (left-to-right),
these are the same coffee as fine, medium, and coarse for
espresso, automatic drip, and French press.

The entire class enjoyed the three preparations, with a general preference for the espresso.

Earth Week with BSU Geography

Earth Week is a geographic holiday that our department celebrated in several ways. One of these was to bring EarthView and a couple of our National Geographic floor maps to the BSU Kelly Gym for its first public viewing since March 2020 -- when we hosted visitors from Cape Verde and Russia in the same space.

BSU students and their instructor learning about geography and geographic education on their
way to their physical-education class. One of the students remembered seeing the EarthView
globe during her middle-school days in Brockton!
Photo credit: Michael Sandy, BSU Study Abroad

For this event, we brought together a great team, part of which is shown above. We brought together the trio of Emeritus Professor Dr. Vernon Domingo, Professor James Hayes-Bohanan (above center), and alumnus Kevin Bean (above right). 

We were also joined by Allison Morrissey, who had her debut as a Wrangler, but who had seen EarthView as a student at her middle school in Braintree. We are delighted to have Allison on board!

Making a Mark on the World

 In geography, the real world is a big part of what we do.

We are grateful that the American Association of Geographers (of which our faculty are long-time members) is finding creative ways to get the word out. Whether through a single course, an undergraduate minor, or one or more degrees -- the study of geography has never been more timely!

Honors and Other Distinctions

A number of distinct pathways to academic honors are available to students in the Department of Geography at Bridgewater State University. This post is intended to assist students and advisors in understanding the differences among them. The four major kinds of honors are Latin, Greek, Departmental, and Commonwealth. 

At the end of this post are some additional opportunities the Geography Department offers for learning with distinction!

Image: WoodenCraftsBG

Latin -- strong grades

This is perhaps the best known of all university honors -- whereby a Latin phrase appears on the final transcript and in the graduation commencement program according to the student's total grade-point average (GPA):

• cum laude (GPA of 3.3 to 3.59)
• magna cum laude (3.6 to 3.79)
• summa cum laude (3.8 or higher)

Individual departments are not involved in this recognition. Important details are in the "Graduation With Honors" section of the Registrar's Awarding of Undergraduate Degrees page.

Greek -- our society

Geography students at BSU including majors, minors, and others with significant coursework in geography -- are eligible to join the Eta Nu chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon. The international  honorary society for geographers, GTU was established in 1928; the Eta Nu chapter began in 1988. All of our full-time professors and many of our alumni are members. 

Membership in GTU is open to any student who demonstrates commitment to and excellence in geography by meeting these criteria:

• At least 3 courses completed in geography
• At least 3 semesters (or equivalent) of full-time student status
• At least 3.3 GPA in Geography

Application forms are available from Dr. Hayes-Bohanan (jhayesboh@bridgew.edu) and induction celebration are held annually. Lifetime membership dues of $40 are paid at the time of initiation; a generous BSU alumnus currently pays this fee on behalf of Eta Nu inductees.

Departmental -- your project

In coordination with the BSU Honors Program, the Geography Department provides eligible geography students the opportunity to earn Departmental Honors by completing a thesis project and additional honors credits. The departmental honors designation requires 9 credits of honors work (typically over two semesters) and some advanced planning. The application process is completed with Dr. Hayes-Bohanan (jhayesboh@bridgew.edu) in his capacity as Honors Chair, and he also coordinates the acceptance of proposals and scheduling of thesis defense sessions. But any full-time professor in the department may serve as the thesis mentor.

Commonwealth Honors -- straight out of high school

The Geography Department participates in Commonwealth Honors by offering some of the courses that are open only to students in that campus-wide program. If you are reading this prior to BSU admission, please have a look at the program requirements. We look forward to having you in the 100- and 200-level geography courses for which you would be eligible.

Recently, these have included general introductory courses such as environmental and physical geography as well as more focused seminars and colloquia. Recent titles include Discovering Brockton, The Secret Life of Coffee, Detroit: Arts City, Historical Geography of Ireland, and New Orleans: Global City.

Lagniappe

These are the four basic pathways to distinction that use the word "honors," but geography students can enhance their academic programs in a number of other ways as well. Be sure to discuss these with your professors or advisors.

1. Internship: Practical experience with an outside agency or company, in which a faculty supervisor helps the student to understand the connection between the work itself and the student's academic program.
2. Directed Study: Extensive review of a particular area of geographic scholarship for which we do not offer a traditional course. 
3. Research: The Adrian Tinsley Program provides a variety of opportunities that allow students to undertake research projects with the guidance and financial support of the program and under the academic direction of a faculty mentor. These always involve on-campus presentations of research results, and my also provide opportunities to present results at regional or national conferences. Research could also lead to a publication as an author or co-author. 
4. Study Abroad: Our department offers short-term courses during summer or winter breaks, in which students travel with a faculty leader to study a geographic topic in another country. These are transformative experiences that can lead to profound personal and professional growth.
5. Geography Club: Known informally as GeoBears, the geography club is open to any student with a strong interest in the field of geography. Regular meetings involve geography-related activities and games; special events include outings (or in 2020 virtual outings) to some of our region's rich assortments of special places and outreach events on campus. Participation in the club is an opportunity for extra learning, networking, and the development of leadership skills.

GeoBears is open to all BSU students.
See more on GeoBears Insta