Prof granted geographic genius status

It's safe to say that few go into geography looking to get rich.

But then again, there's an exception to every rule: Geography professor Ruth DeFries just landed half a million dollars from her work in the field.

DeFries is one of the recipients of the "genius grant" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for her work using satellite images of the earth's landscape to map the impact human society has on climate and biodiversity.

"We have been able to merge technological advances to view changes in land surfaces with models and find what those changes mean for climate, greenhouse gases and biodiversity," DeFries said in a telephone conversation from Brazil. "We have been

integrating technological abilities to improve understanding."

The genius grant is awarded to between 20 and 40 United States residents for work that shows creative promise. The recipients are nominated anonymously and aren't supposed to learn they're in the running until they win.

"I was just really shocked," DeFries said. "I was really taken off guard. I did not know what to think."

The award is unique in its focus on encouraging recipients' future work, rather than congratulating a job well done. Winners are given $500,000 during the course of five years to further their work.

Using satellite imaging to gather her data, DeFries began mapping in central Africa and then moved on to Southeast Asia and the Brazilian Amazon.

"There's so much interest in how humans affect the Earth's system, and that is really what geography is about."

For Karl Wurster, a geography major in the second year of his doctorate studies, DeFries was the reason he decided to come here for his bachelor's degree and doctorate. She has been his adviser for four years.

"She's always very welcoming and open-minded with ideas and gives me the freedom to follow research that I want to do," Wurster said. "She also helps guide ideas without forcing her own ideas on us. She's very good at channeling our thoughts."

DeFries graduated with her bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1976 and received her doctorate in 1980 from Johns Hopkins University. She worked as a research scientist for the India Institute of Technology in Bombay (1980-1983) and as a senior project officer at the National Research Council (1987-1991) before coming to the university.

The grant will allow DeFries to take a step back from daily research and grant writing to read, write and process what she has learned, she said.

"I hope I can contribute in some small way to how we humans can continue to live on Earth without destroying it," DeFries said. "We can do the best we can any way we can. It's a real responsibility to use this generous gift as effectively as possible."

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