Randy James Bertolas, Ph.D.

Curriculum Vitae
Professor of Geography
School of Natural and Social Sciences
Wayne State College
Wayne, Nebraska 68787
(402) 375-7018 (office)
E-mail: raberto1@wsc.edu

Education
Employment History
Awards
Service
Publications
Conference Presentations
Courses Taught
Grants Received
Memberships and Current References
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EducationTop of Page

Ph.D. 1995  State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Geography.
     • Graduate Teaching Assistantship, 1990-94.
     • Recipient, Excellence in Teaching Award for Graduate Students.
     • Certificate of Specialization in Physical Geography.
     • Concentrations: Environmental Perception, Physical Geography, Computer Cartography, Geographic Information Systems
     • Ph.D. Dissertation:
            Cross-Cultural Environmental Perception Toward Wilderness and Development at James Bay, Quebec.

M.A. 1982  University of Vermont, Department of Geography.
     • Graduate Teaching Fellowship, 1980-82.
     • Teaching Assistant: World Natural Environment and World Regions.
     • M.A. Thesis: Slate: A Geographic Study with Emphasis on Vermont.

B.A. 1980  University of Minnesota-Duluth, Department of Geography.
     • Minor in Geology.
     • Senior Thesis: Geography of the Cemeteries of Fillmore County, Minnesota.
 

Employment History Top of Page

2008 to present   Chair -- Department of History, Politics, and Geography
School of Natural and Social Sciences, Wayne State College -- Wayne, Nebraska.

2004 to present   Professor of Geography, Tenured
School of Natural and Social Sciences, Wayne State College -- Wayne, Nebraska.

1999 to 2004   Associate Professor of Geography, Tenured
School of Natural and Social Sciences, Wayne State College -- Wayne, Nebraska.

2002-2003   Assistant Chair -- Department of History, Politics, and Geography
School of Natural and Social Sciences, Wayne State College -- Wayne, Nebraska.

1995 to 1999   Assistant Professor of Geography
Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College -- Wayne, Nebraska.

1995   Graduate Research Assistant
National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, State University of New York at Buffalo.
     • Research Assistant to Dr. Alan D. MacPherson, NSF Grant #SBR-9312630.

1990-94   Lecturer
State University of New York at Buffalo -- Millard Fillmore College.
     • Responsible for teaching evening sections of Introduction to Physical Geography.
     • Fall 1990-93, Summer 1991-94 and Spring 1994.

1991-92   Lecturer
Department of Geography and Planning, State University of New York, College at Buffalo.
     • Taught Physical Geography.

1986-90   Mathematics Department Chair
Knox High School, St. James, Long Island, New York.
     • Taught Algebra II, Business Math, Earth Science and World Geography.
     • Freshman Residence Hall Counselor, Head Wrestling/Baseball Coach.

1985   Instructor
Department of Geography, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
     • Taught Physical Geography and co-taught Geographic Field Techniques.

1985   Instructor
Center for Earth and Environmental Science, State University of New York, College at Plattsburgh.
     • Taught Topographic Map Analysis.

1982-84   Instructor
Department of Geography, State University of New York, College at Potsdam.
     • Taught Introduction to Geography, World Tension Areas, Geography of Canada, Dean's Freshman Seminar.
     • Academic Advisor and Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach.
 

AwardsTop of Page

2012   Paul Beck Outstanding Social Studies Educator Award
Presented by the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies

2011   Gildersleeve-Stoddard-Stone Award for Service to Geography Education in Nebraska
Presented by the Geographic Educators of Nebraska

2009   Outstanding Professor of the Year
Presented by the Student Senate of Wayne State College

2008   Award of Excellence
Presented by Pi Gamma Mu, the International Honor Society in Social Sciences

2006   Distinguished Teaching Achievement Award
Presented by the National Council for Geographic Education 

2005   Outstanding Professor of the Year
Presented by the Student Senate of Wayne State College

1997   Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation Award
Environmental Perception/Behavioral Geography Specialty Group, Association of American Geographers.

1997   Finalist -- J. Warren Nystrom Dissertation Competition
Fort Worth, Texas meeting of the Association of American Geographers.

1995   Certificate of Graduate Specialization in Physical Geography
Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo.

1993   Excellence in Teaching Award
Awarded annually to outstanding graduate student teachers.  State University of New York at Buffalo.

ServiceTop of Page

2011-2012   Member, Committee to Revise the Nebraska State Social Studies Standards
Nebraska Department of Education.

2011-2012   President, National Executive Board of Gamma Theta Upsilon (International Geographic Honor Society)
Preside at all meetings of Executive Committee, appoint Regional Councilors, serve on Scholarship Committee and Financial Review Committee.

2009-2010   First Vice-President, National Executive Board of Gamma Theta Upsilon (International Geographic Honor Society)
Advised Regional Councillors, chaired Scholarship Committee, served on Financial Review Committee.

2006-present   Chapter President and Faculty Advisor, Phi Kappa Phi (Largest, oldest, multidisciplinary Honor Society in the US)
Founded Chapter 299 at Wayne State College on August 31, 2006.

2005   Member, Presidential Inauguration Committee
Assisted in planning the inauguration ceremony of Dr. Richard Collings.  Wayne State College.

1998-present   Faculty Advisor, Pi Gamma Mu (International Honor Society in Social Sciences)
Coordinated club initiations, speakers, and service activities.  Wayne State College.

2005-2008   Chancellor, North Central Region of Pi Gamma Mu's Board of Trustees
Duties included development of national PGM web site, PGM poster, and regional activities.

2005-2008   Member, Faculty Senate  Vice-President 2007-08
Wayne State College.

2000-present   Member, Teacher Education Advising Committee
Department of History, Politics, and Geography, Wayne State College.

2002-present   Faculty Advisor and Chapter founder, Gamma Theta Upsilon (International Geographical Honor Society)
Coordinated club activities and Geography Awareness Week speakers.  Wayne State College.

2003-present   Faculty Advisor and Founder, Explorers Club
Organized learning expeditions to regional sites of interest to students in geography, history, or other fields.  Wayne State College.

2004-2008   Faculty Advisor, Phi Alpha Theta (History Honor Society)
Coordinated club initiations and speakers.  Wayne State College.

1994-2004   Secretary/Treasurer/Newsletter Editor
Environmental Perception /Behavioral Geography Specialty Group, Association of American Geographers.

2001-2012   Wayne State College Advisory Council on Academic Quality Improvement Project
Tasked by the President to measure and assess learning, leadership and communication on campus.

1996-present   Peer Reviewer, American Indian Culture and Research Journal
American Indian Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.

2001   Member, Search Committee for position of Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies
Wayne State College.

1998-present   Member, Graduate Faculty
Wayne State College.

1999-2002   Member, Faculty Professional Conduct Committee
Institutional Committee at Wayne State College tasked with investigating charges and making factual determinations.

2000-2001   Webmaster, Social Sciences Division
Wayne State College.

2000-2001   Member, SCT Plus2000 Web for Students Task Force
Coordinated implementation of on-line registration/grading software.

2000-2001   Computer Users Committee, Chair 2000-2001
College-wide Committee at Wayne State College tasked with exploring technology issues.

2000-2001   Faculty Development Committee
Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College.

1998-2001   Connell Hall Building Renovation Committee
Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College.

1999-2000   Scholarship and Aid Committee
Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College.

1998-2000   Library and Computer Users Committee, Chair 1999-2000
College-wide Committee tasked with assessing library holdings and advising on campus-wide computing needs.

1999-2000   Geography Position Search Committee, Chair
Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College.

1999-2000   Mission Statement/Vision Statement Focus Group
College-wide Committee, Wayne State College.

1998-1999   Criminal Justice Position Search Committee
Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College.

1998-present   Nebraska State Geography Bee
Judge/Moderator/Host for statewide competition held at University of Nebraska at Omaha.

1998, 1999, 2004, 2006   History Day Judge
Regional secondary school competition hosted by Wayne State College.

1995-1999   Committee for Administrative Assistance, Chair 1997-99
Division Committee tasked with allocating budget funds.   Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College.

1997-1998   Psychology Position Search Committee
Division of Social Sciences, Wayne State College.

1997-1998   Technology Focus Group
College-wide Committee to discuss/disseminate technology instruction, Wayne State College.

1993-1995   Ph.D. Geography Graduate Student Representative to the Faculty
Graduate student liaison to the Geography Department faculty, State University of New York at Buffalo.

1994-1995   Student Director
Environmental Perception/Behavioral Geography Specialty Group, Association of American Geographers.

1994   Member, Committee to Select the Excellence in Teaching Awards
Tasked by the President with selecting outstanding graduate student teachers, State University of New York at Buffalo.
 

PublicationsTop of Page

Bertolas, R. J.  2006.  Isle Royale. 
Invited submission for the Encyclopedia of the Midwest, Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities, The Ohio State University

Bertolas, R. J.  2006.  Understanding the Land: Native American and European Visions of the Land. 
Invited submission for the Encyclopedia of the Midwest, Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities, The Ohio State University

Bertolas, R. J.  2000.  Book review of Tourism and Gaming on American Indian Lands, by A. Lew and G. van Otten. American Indian Culture and Research Journal  24(2):203-206.

Bertolas, R. J.  1998.  Cross-cultural environmental perception of wilderness.  Professional Geographer  50(1): 98-111.

Bertolas, R. J.  1997.  Book review of Wilderness and the Changing American West, by Gundars Rudzitis.  Geographical Review  87(4): 559-561.

Bertolas, R. J.  1995.  Book review of Kwakwaka'wakw Settlements, 1775-1920: A Geographical Analysis and Gazetteer, by R. M. Galois.  American Indian Culture and Research Journal  19(3):258-261.

Bertolas, R. J.  1993.  Survey research among New Englanders in Burlington, Vermont.  State University of New York at Buffalo: Canada-United States Trade Center, Newsletter of the Canadian-American Studies Committee, 3.

Bertolas, R. J.  1993.  A comparison of environmental attitudes: American university students and the James Bay Cree.  University at Buffalo/McMaster University Geography Conference [Proceedings], Buffalo, New York, March 5-6, 1993: 1-10.  Buffalo: State University of New York, Dept. of Geography.

Bertolas, R. J.  1992.  Survey research among Cree of the James Bay Region, Quebec.  State University of New York at Buffalo: Canada-United States Trade Center, Newsletter of the Canadian-American Studies Committee, 2.
 

Conference Attendance and PresentationsTop of Page

2012   Annual Meeting, National Conference on Geography Education – San Marcos, TX
National Executive Committee President, Gamma Theta Upsilon.

2012   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – New York, NY
International Association Delegate and panel participant: Geography in the World Today.

2012   Annual Meeting, Association of Collegiate Honor Societies – San Diego, CA
Attended as national representative of Gamma Theta Upsilon.

2011   Annual Meeting, National Conference on Geography Education – Portland, OR
National Executive Committee President, Gamma Theta Upsilon.

2011   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – Seattle, WA
National Executive Committee President, Gamma Theta Upsilon.

2010   Annual Meeting, National Conference on Geography Education – Savannah, GA
National Executive Committee Vice-President, Gamma Theta Upsilon.

2010   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – Washington DC
National Executive Committee Vice-President, Gamma Theta Upsilon.

2009   Annual Meeting, National Conference on Geography Education – San Juan, Puerto Rico
Lessons of a First-Year Coordinator II.

2009   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – Las Vegas, NV
National Executive Committee Vice-President, Gamma Theta Upsilon.

2008   Triennial Student Convention, Pi Gamma Mu – Atlanta, GA
Pi Gamma Mu's Website: A Travelogue.

2008   Annual Meeting, National Conference on Geography Education – Dearborn, MI
Lessons of a First-Year Coordinator.

2007   Annual Meeting, National Council for Geographic Education – Oklahoma City, OK
Creating Elementary School Playground Maps.

2007   Iowa Geographic Information Council Biennial Convention – Sioux City, IA
Bringing GIS to a Small College: Case Study of Wayne State College in Nebraska.

2006   Nebraska GIS-LIS Association Regional Meeting – Norfolk, NE
Computer Mapping of Wayne State College Enrollment.

2006   Annual Meeting, National Council for Geographic Education – Lake Tahoe, NV
Panel Participant: What the Best College Geography Teachers Do.

2006   Annual Convention, Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning – Lincoln, NE
Creating an Elementary School Playground Map of the United States

2004   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – Philadelphia, PA
Always Be Recruiting: Integrating Clubs and Organizations into the Geography Curriculum.

2003   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – New Orleans, LA
Enhancing Visibility and Viability of Small Geography Programs: A Work in Progress.

2002   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – Los Angeles, CA
Panel Participant: Essentials of Teaching Portfolios for New and Junior Faculty.

2002   21st Annual Conference on the First Year Experience – Orlando, FL
Investigated implementation of a First-Year Program at WSC (by request of VPAA)

2001   Great Plains/Rocky Mountains Meeting, Association of American Geographers– Omaha, NE
Computer Mapping of Wayne State College Enrollment, 1993-98.

2001   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – New York, NY
Preserving the Hunt for a Few: The Geography of Hunting Preserves.

2000   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – Pittsburgh, PA
No Gambling for You: The State of Nebraska vs. the Santee Sioux.

1999   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers – Honolulu, HI
The Geography of Amateur Wrestling in the United States.

1997   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers -- Fort Worth, TX
J. Warren Nystrom Dissertation Competition Finalist

1996   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers -- Charlotte, NC
Wilderness Perceptions: 'Culture' Groups vs. 'Interest' Groups.

1995   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers -- Chicago, IL
Hydroelectricity: Cross-Cultural Attitudes Toward a 'Clean' Energy Resource.

1994   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers -- San Francisco, CA
A Comparison of Native and Non-Native Environmental Perceptions.

1993   Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers -- Atlanta, GA
Cross-Cultural Environmental Perceptions of Wilderness and Development: James Bay, Canada.

1993   University at Buffalo/McMaster University Geography Conference -- Buffalo, NY
A Comparison of Environmental Attitudes: The James Bay Cree and American University Students.

1992   Middle States Meetings, Association of American Geographers -- Syracuse, NY
Environmental Perception: Preliminary Analysis of Cross-Cultural Attitudes.
 

Courses Instructed (at the College or University level)Top of Page

Computer Mapping
Physical Geography
Political Geography
Geography of Russia
Geography of Canada
Hazards and Disasters
Environmental Geography
Introduction to Geography
Topographic Map Analysis
Dean's Freshman Seminar
World Regional Geography
Human (Cultural) Geography
Geographic Field Techniques
Geographic Information Systems
Geography of World Tension Areas
Geography and History of Nebraska
Geography of the United States and Canada
Geography of Recreation, Tourism and Sports
 

Grants ReceivedTop of Page

2012   Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Improving Teacher Quality Grant to hold summer teaching institutes in Omaha and Chadron.  ($68,000)

2010   Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Improving Teacher Quality Grant to hold summer teaching institutes in Lincoln and Scottsbluff.  ($59,800)

2008   Wayne State Foundation
Academic School Grant.  Wayne State College, Nebraska  ($1500)

2005   Wayne State Foundation
Faculty Renewal Award.  Wayne State College, Nebraska  ($1500)

2003   Wayne State Foundation
Instructional Improvement Grant.  Wayne State College, Nebraska  ($418)

2002   Wayne State Foundation
Instructional Improvement Grant.  Wayne State College, Nebraska  ($435)

2001   Wayne State Foundation
Teaching-Learning Initiative Award.  Wayne State College, Nebraska ($2000)

1999   Wayne State Foundation
Faculty Renewal Award.  Wayne State College, Nebraska  ($1000)

1997   Wayne State Foundation
GIS Training Grant. Wayne State College, Nebraska ($700)

1996   Wayne State Foundation
Instructional Improvement Grant. Wayne State College, Nebraska ($640)

1995   National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, State University of New York at Buffalo
Travel Grant to present paper at Chicago, Illinois meeting of the Association of American Geographers. ($500)

1993   Graduate Student Association, State University of New York at Buffalo
Travel Grant to present paper at Atlanta, Georgia meeting of the Association of American Geographers. ($150)

1993   Paul Vouras Fund Research Grants Committee
Association of American Geographers, Washington, D.C. ($150)

1992   Canadian-American Studies Committee Grant
Canada-United States Trade Center, State University of New York at Buffalo. ($450)

1992   Mark Diamond Research Fund
Graduate Student Association, State University of New York at Buffalo. ($775)

1992   Canadian-American Studies Committee Grant
Canada-United States Trade Center, State University of New York at Buffalo. ($435)

1990-94   Graduate Teaching Assistantship
Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo. ($7000/year)

1980-82   Graduate Teaching Fellowship
Department of Geography, University of Vermont. ($4000/year)
 

MembershipsTop of Page

Association of American Geographers

National Council for Geographic Education 

Geographic Educators of Nebraska  

Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies

Current ReferencesTop of Page

Dr. Jean Karlen
Professor of Sociology 
Department of Sociology, Psychology, and Criminal Justice
Wayne State College
Wayne, Nebraska 68787
Phone:  (402) 375-7292
E-mail:  jekarle1@wsc.edu

Professor Emeritus Michael J. Woldenberg
Department of Geography
State University of New York
Buffalo, New York 14261
Phone:  (716) 645-2722  ext. 29
E-mail:  geomike@acsu.buffalo.edu

Dr. Paul Campbell
Professor of Criminal Justice and Chair,
Department of Sociology, Psychology, and Criminal Justice
Wayne State College
Wayne, Nebraska 68787
Phone:  (402) 375-7297
E-mail:  pacampb1@wsc.edu

Professor Barbara P. Buttenfield
Department of Geography
Campus Box 260
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado 80309
Phone:  (303) 492-3618
E-mail:  babs@colorado.edu

Professor David M. Mark, Director
National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
Department of Geography
Buffalo, New York 14261
Phone:  (716) 645-2722  ext. 48
E-mail:  dmark@geog.buffalo.edu

Dr. Sheila M. Stearns
Commissioner of Higher Education
Montana University System
2500 Broadway
Helena, Montana 59620-3101
Phone:  (406) 444-6570
E-mail:  sstearns@oche.montana.edu

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