When do we meet in-person? Fridays, 9 - 11:45, August 29 - October 17, 2025.

Where? Our first meeting will be outdoors at the New York Street Garden on campus. Do you know where it's located? West of the stadium along New York Street, near the bridge.  

You can reach me several ways. My office hours are listed in the Calendar. We can talk before or after class. Write me a note in Canvas. We can arrange to meet at Zoom or campus. 

Hi, I'm the instructor for Geography G208. My name is Owen Dwyer. Call me Owen. I'm a professor; my office is in Room 207, Cavanaugh Hall. I graduated from Penn State in 1990. I completed my doctorate at the University of Kentucky (Go Cats!) in 1999. That year I worked as a researcher at Emory University in Atlanta and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. I've worked in the School of Liberal Arts since 2000. 

I teach a bunch of service-learning and environmental science courses.

I enjoy learning and I'm here to help you succeed as a student. You can read how prior students have reacted to my service-learning courses here.  

My specialty is cultural geography: I study how we turn natural environments into parks and gardens, and how these places can become environmentally resilient.

For background about my academic interests, check out my Google Scholar profile. 

This hybrid course has three parts. 

Things happen quickly in an eight-week hybrid course. Here's how it works.

The first part is asynchronous online. The online assignments are typically due on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. In this part of the class you'll complete a weekly StoryMap assignment. StoryMap is a new kind of online mapping and communication app. StoryMap offers a very friendly introduction to geographic information systems. Think of StoryMap as a journal with a writing prompt and photographs and maps. You can get started here on the weekly StoryMap assignments.

The third part: an in-person meeting on Friday mornings at 9 am for service learning. When we gather in person, each service-learning session begins and ends with your reflections on the reading assignment. Trust me: this is a highly effective way to learn ... as long as you carefully prepare for our meeting. 

Do you accept late and missing assignments? Yes. Late and missing assignments are accepted for as much as three-quarters credit depending on the quality of work. Last-call for each assignment is ... one week after the original due date and time. If you're falling behind, contact me.

Some expectations for our work together. 

• Learning generally doesn't happen by accident. It requires careful preparation, participation, and reflection.
• We're gathered together to learn. In pursuit of this goal, I may ask you to (re)consider assumptions, conventions, and norms. 
• Study the reading assignments as if they were carefully chosen by someone with a vested interested in your success. (smile)
• A can-do attitude is conducive to learning. It's also more fun. 
• Interact with one another with an open heart and mind. 
• Bring your creativity and thoughtfulness into your work. 
• If you can't attend a meeting, let me know. 
• Regularly check your Canvas messages during the term.  
• Our behavior must accord with Indiana University's Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct. 

Learning objectives

Students who successfully complete Geography G 208 will ...

• Demonstrate their increased awareness of dynamic interplay of environment systems, cultural norms, and public policy that produce our built and natural environments. 
• Apply and hone their communication skills to include visualization via photographs and maps using a simplified geographic information system app, StoryMap.
• Enhance their capacity for teamwork and executive functioning through participation in service-learning projects on campus.
• Acquire working knowledge of Indiana native plants and their role in soil health, environmental resilience, and water management.

General rubric for assessing assignments in Geography G208