Dean White welcomes new chair of geography

On Saturday, Alan R. White, Dean of ECU's Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, will welcome a new addition to the college faculty.

Dr. Burrell E. Montz plans to join the college as the newly-appointed chair of the Department of Geography.

Montz comes to ECU from Binghamton University at the state university of New York, where she began her academic career nearly 30 years ago as a lecturer in the Department of Geography and the Environmental Studies Program.

Throughout her academic career, Montz has taught courses in environmental policy and planning, flooding and flood management, weather and climate, resource management and natural hazards. She is the co-author of two books, Natural Hazards: Explanation and Integration and The Great Midwestern Floods of 1993. Montz has authored or co-authored more than 100 additional publication in her areas of research and study.

As chair of the ECU Department of Geography, Montz says her goals are to build on the strengths of the department, especially fostering collaboration among the specializations within it. She also wants to support and promote the range of academic, pedagogical, technological and research skills and talents within the department to address issues of significance to society and support and develop both undergraduate and graduate programs that incorporate collaboration and interdisciplinary teaching and research in line with the goals of ECU. She also wants to support the faculty so they can continue to develop strong research programs that involve undergraduate and graduate students.

Montz received her Ph.D. in geography from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1980, her MS degree in geography from Oklahoma State University in 1975 and her BA degree in geography from Mary Washington College, Virginia, in 1973.

For additional information, please contact Montz at 252-328-6230 or montzb@ecu.edu.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.