"For each facet of humanness--rationality or irrationality, faith, emotion, artistic genius, or political prowess--there is a geography. For each geographical interpretation of the earth, there are implicit assumptions about the meaning of humanness--the common concern is terrestrial dwelling; humanus literally means "earth dweller."
~Anne Buttimer, Geographer
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Geography has an ancient intellectual heritage which has persisted as humans have attempted to understand the complexities and interrelationships of world physical and cultural systems. Rooted in both the physical and social sciences, geography functions as a synthesizing discipline providing a "bridge" between these two often disparate interests. The Geography Department strives to perpetuate this long-standing objective by providing classes which investigate both the physical and cultural world. Geography students are trained to think in locational and spatial terms. In this context, students consider where physical and cultural phenomena are located and why they occupy this space. These principles, when combined with the interaction of earth systems, are the central focus of the discipline and the Geography Department.