Roger Downs

Professor of Geography

Contact:

312B Walker Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-3433
E-mail: rd7@psu.edu

Background

Assistant professor, The John Hopkins University
Visiting professor, University of Washington
Visiting professor, Colgate University
Geographer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society
Ph.D., University of Bristol, England
B.A., University of Bristol, England

Research Interests

Development of graphic literacy in children, the development of expertise in geography, and the role of spatial thinking in problem solving.

Current Activities:

Chair, National Research Council committee on "Thinking Spatially"
Chair, National Assessment of Educational Progress NAEP Report on Geography (2001)
Chair, The Geography Education National Implementation Project
Chair, Geographical Sciences Committee of the National Research Council
Member, Association of American Geographers
Member, The National Council for Geographic Education
Member, Society for Research in Child Development

Current Research

He is studying (1) the roots of geography (how and why some of us become geographers); (2) the development of expertise (how and why spatial/logical abilities interact with experience); (3) the differential development of expertise (how and why gender interacts with geography); and (4) the development of graphic comprehension (how and why we learn to read the world through media).

Department of Geography, part of The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
The Pennsylvania State University © 2003
U.Ed.# EMS 02-17

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. This site is maintained by the Gould Center for Geography Education and Outreach. Please contact geogweb@gouldcenter.psu.edu if you have questions about this site. Last updated March 24, 2003.