University of St. Thomas Geography Students Place 1-2 in Regional Competition

Emily Jorgensen and Fartun Dirie

Emily Jorgensen and Fartun Dirie

University of St. Thomas Geography students took first and second place in the undergraduate student research competition at the 51st annual West Lakes Division Regional Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. The competition was held Friday, Oct. 18, at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The West Lakes Division was established in 1950 and is composed of professional geographers located throughout the Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

St. Thomas student prize winners:

  • Fartun Dirie placed first and won an award of $170 for her presentation, “Antenatal Care and Healthcare Access in Mozambique: an Issue of Spatial Inequality.”
  • Emily Jorgensen placed second and won an award of $100 for her presentation, “The Best Places to Live: Discovering the Urban Villages of the Twin Cities.”

Accompanying the students were Geography faculty members Dr. David Kelley and Dr. Paul Lorah.