Welcome to the Geography and the April edition of King's Choice News.

In addition to offer holder news and useful links, we have picked stories from the Department to give you a taste of life as a King's student in Geography.

NOTICE BOARD

Work experience opportunity in the Geography Department

Would you like to find out more about doing research in a university geography department? Closing date is 1 June 2014.

FIELDTRIP: MOROCCO

Each year our second-year students go on fieldtrips at the end of Term 1. In the third and final part of this series Rose Ellis shares her thoughts on this year's fieldtrip to Morocco.

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SABBATICAL: DAANISH MUSTAFA

Our academics draw upon a wealth of knowledge.  Much of their expertise is gained when they go on sabbatical.  Dr Daanish Mustafa outlines just what he got up to

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ACADEMIC INTERVIEW: THOMAS SMITH

Dr Thomas Smith, Lecturer, Earth and Environmental Dynamics Research Group

Why do you love geography?
I love geography because it is the science of spaces; “why does something happen here, but not there?” The consideration of geographical space in science excites me because spatial variability is influenced by so many different natural and human factors. As such, geography is a subject that facilitates a deeper understanding of the planet we live on, and of the people who inhabit it.

What are your research passions?
I have a general passion for the broad subject of environmental change; “how is our environment changing? What is causing this change? How will the change affect people? What should we do about it?”. I became interested in wildfires, a fascinating component of the natural environment, on a trip to see forest fires in Canada during my PhD. My research plays a part in understanding the role of wildfire in the environment and understanding the influence of wildfire on both human health and climate change. Outside of the wildfire research, I’m also passionately interested in clouds (who isn’t?!) and continue to undertake research using cloud observation equipment on the roof of the university.

Which undergraduate courses do you teach?
I teach the ‘atmosphere, ocean, and climate’ section on the first-year course ‘Changing Natural Environments’. I teach second-year geographers on ‘Environmental Remote Sensing’, a module that explains how satellites can be used to understand environmental change. In the third-year, students can choose to take my ‘Global Environmental Change’ module, which deals with environmental change at an advanced level, covering the causes of contemporary change, future projections, and policy/engineering responses.

Why did you choose to work at King's?
I chose to study for my MSc at King’s. The degree looked packed full of skills and interesting subjects and came with funding. I enjoyed my MSc so much that I accepted funding for a PhD also at King’s. After the PhD and some brief postdoctoral work, I applied for the lectureship. King’s is an excellent place to work, with a strong collegial research community and a friendly, social cohort of students and staff.

Your secret London tip?
My tip to new students is to make use of all of the ‘extras’ that the department offers in terms of optional seminars during lunchtimes and evenings. They are a fantastic way for students to broaden their horizons and develop specialist interests (and also a great place to meet people with similar interests).