Gundars Rudzitis, Ph.D.
College of Science
Department of Geography
Professor
Campus Locations: Moscow
With UI Since 1984
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Ph.D. Geography, University of Chicago, 1977
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M.A. Social Sciences, University of Chicago, 1973
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M.B.A. Management, Adelphi College, 1968
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B.A. Chemistry, Adelphi College, 1966
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Environmental and Resource Policy
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Amenity migration and quality-of-life models
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Alternative development and place-based theories
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Indigenous geography
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American West
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Baltic region
Much of my theoretical and empirical research focuses on environmental and resource conflicts, and migration and regional development issues in the American West and elsewhere.
I am currently extending my research in the direction of alternative culturally place-specific development approaches, especially indigenously based models. The intent of this research is to move beyond the simplistic development models in use today, and to show how a geographically based theory can lead to more democratic and socially just outcomes. Some of these issues are addressed in, hopefully, some novel ways in my forthcoming book.
- G.Rudzitis, N. Barbier and D. Mallickan, “The Ugly, The Bad, and The Good: Aging on Indian Reservations,” in N. Glasgow and H. E. Berry, editors, Aging in Rural America, Springer, in press, 2011.
- G. Rudzitis and K. Bird, “The Myth and Reality of Sustainable New Zealand,” Environment, forthcoming, November, 2011.
- G. Rudzitis, P. Overholtzer, A. Kral, K. Prime and T. Studley, Future Visions of a Sustainable Palouse, 2nd expanded edition, forthcoming, Moscow, Id: Sustainable Idaho.
- G. Rudzitis, “Mining and Development: Lessons from the United States,” Policy Quarterly, February 2011, pp. 20-26.
- G. Rudzitis, “Mineral Resources,” McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, 2011.
- G. Rudzitis, D. W. Marcouiller, and P. Lorah, “The Rural Rich and Their Housing: Spatially Addressing “The Haves,” in D. W. Marcouiller, M. Lapping and O. Fursuth, (editors), Rural Housing, Exurbanization, And Amenity-Driven Development: Contrasting The Haves And The Have Nots, Burlington, Vt: Ashgate, 2010.
- G. Rudzitis. “Mining a country’s national parks: wrong then, wrong now,” Dominican Post, April 4, 2010.
- G. Rudzitis, “If it can go boom, it can go bust,” Waikato Times, April 13, 2010.
- G.Rudzitis, Guest Editor of an English Issue of the journal Geographica Raksti, Folia Geographica, 2009, Vol. XIV.
- G. Rudzitis, “Amenity Development in the American West: Tonic or Slow Poison?” in L. Moss and R. Glorioso, editors, Amenity Development in Mountain Regions Worldwide, Banff, CA: The Banff Center, 2009.
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Senior Scholar award from the Association of American Geographers and
the National Science Foundation, 2008.
- Academic Higher Education Advisory Board for Geography for
McGraw-Hill Publishing, 2007 to present.
- Fulbright Scholar Award to Latvia, U.S. Department of State, 2005.
- Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers: The Best Teachers in America
Selected By The Best Students, 2005, (have to be nominated by students
listed in National Deans List who can select one teacher “who made a
difference” in their education)
- President’s Advisory Committee for Liberal Arts and International
Studies, Colorado School of Mines and Engineering, 2004 to present,
