Zachary Christman, Ph.D.

Professor
Department Chair
Ph.D., Graduate School of Geography, Clark University 
christmanz@rowan.edu
856.256.4810
Discovery Hall 223

Dr. Christman specializes in the application of geospatial analytical methods to understand human-environment systems, on topics including land systems science, health geography, and spatial uncertainty. He has active research projects in Chiapas, Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, New Jersey, and the Greater Philadelphia region. He currently teaches Intro to Mapping and Geographic Information Science, Geospatial Modeling, Remote Sensing of Environment, Cartography and Digital Image Processing.

John Hasse, Ph.D. AICP

Professor
Undergraduate Program Director, Community and Environmental Planning
Director of GeoLab
Ph.D., Geography, Rutgers University
hasse@rowan.edu 
856.256.4812
Discovery Hall 123
Website

Dr. Hasse is a Professor in the Dept. of Geography, Planning & Sustainability and the founder/director of the Geospatial Research Laboratory, the department's hub for funded projects and community outreach activities. Since 2009 the "GeoLab" has conducted over $2M in externally funded projects. Dr. Hasse's research focuses on land development patterns and associated land resource impacts, smart growth planning evaluation and the nexus of land use, transportation and sustainability. Dr. Hasse has been involved in community development activities in the state, visualization of the impacts of sprawl and has testified as an expert witness. Since joining the department in 2001 Dr. Hasse has taught and developed many of the department's courses in planning, GIS and introductory geography. Dr. Hasse's most recent teaching interest involves integrating the concepts of Big History as a unifying theme across the department's Gen Ed courses. 

Qian He, Ph.D. AICP

Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Urban Planning and Public Policy, University of Texas at Arlington
he@rowan.edu
Discovery Hall 124
Curriculum Vitae
856.256.4500 x53977
Website

Dr. Qian He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability at Rowan University and the Director of the Community Action for Resilience and Equity (CARE) Lab. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) with a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy. Her research focuses on the risks and resilience of vulnerable communities at the intersection of the urban built environment, public policy, and governance. Dr. He uses advanced modeling and urban informatics techniques to examine how planning decisions and public policies shape the well-being of historically disadvantaged communities facing natural and societal hazards. Her work explores the impacts of sea-level rise, disaster aid, and extreme weather events on mobility and housing stability, as well as the role of transit accessibility, eviction risk, and systemic inequalities in shaping community resilience. Through her research and teaching, she aims to inform equitable planning and policy solutions that strengthen adaptive capacity and social justice. Dr. He's work has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), among other agencies. Before joining Rowan, Dr. He was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Maryland, College Park, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She earned her Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Kevin Keenan, Ph.D. AICP

Professor
Ph.D., Graduate School of Geography, Clark University
keenankp@rowan.edu
856.256.4231
Discovery Hall 128

Dr. Keenan is a professor of the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability in the School of Earth and Environment. Dr. Keenan earned his doctorate in urban geography from Clark University in 2009, a master’s degree in geography from Hunter College in 2005, and a master’s degree in public policy from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2000. His undergraduate degree, awarded in 1999, is also from Stony Brook. Dr. Keenan studied Political Science, Philosophy, and History, graduated summa cum laude, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Keenan achieved certification as a planner from the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2014, and he has maintained this certification. Dr. Keenan is also trained in diversity and inclusion. Dr. Keenan has published widely on the topics of environmental risk and hazards, and he has applied those theories to the study of novel threats including terrorism and cyber vulnerability. Keenan’s work appears in several journals of note, including Environment and Planning A, Urban Affairs Review, and Urban Geography. Most recently, Dr. Keenan has studied the application of theories of terrorism to the study of the Mother Emanuel Church shooting that occurred in Charleston, SC in 2015 and the articulation of race and racism in the U.S. south. In addition, Dr. Keenan has published research on how students learn research methods in geography, as well as how gender affects the interpretation of risk. Formerly, Dr. Keenan was an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC and a core faculty member in the Public Administration Program. Dr. Keenan also maintains a teaching affiliation in Hunter College’s Department of Urban Policy and Planning.

Jennifer Kitson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, jointly appointed with the Department of Art, College of Communication and Creative Arts
Ph.D., Geography, Arizona State University
kitson@rowan.edu
856.256.4817
Westby Hall 209H
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Kitson is an associate professor in the Department of Geography, Planning, & Sustainability. She is a west coast transplant with three degrees in geography: a doctorate from Arizona State University, a master’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s from San Francisco State University.
Dr. Kitson’s research explores urban, environmental, and social issues through the lived experience of place. She investigates the role of embodied experience in making just, hospitable, and sustainable communities, including on topics such as urban history, memory and nostalgia, smell and place, public art and space, pedestrian and public geographies, sustainable urbanism, and placemaking. She has published in journals such as cultural geographies, GeoHumanities, and Environmental Values and serves on the Women’s and Gender Studies Council at Rowan University. She is committed to cultivating inclusive learning communities in the courses she teaches, including Cultural and Urban Geography, Sensing the Sustainable City, and Senior Seminar. Students in her courses undertake experiential learning and fieldwork in exploring the social and sensory dimensions of public life and space as critical dimensions of pluralistic and sustainable communities.

Charles McGlynn, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor (with tenure)
Program Director, Geography
Ph.D., Geography, Rutgers University
mcglynn@rowan.edu
856.256.4811
Discovery Hall 123

Dr. McGlynn is a tenured Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability and the director of Rowan’s Water Resources Lab which is focused on water quality issues and access to safe drinking water. He has an active research project in Cebu City, Philippines and serves as the faculty advisor for the Rowan Univ. Philippine American Coalition (RU PAC). His courses include: Water Resources Planning, Earth Science Laboratory, the Geoscience of Natural Disasters, and the Geography of Asia and Population. Dr. McGlynn came to Rowan University after a career in the airline industry where he managed for two US majors. He has been the recipient of several awards and honors including the National Geographic Society Award for Excellence of Scholarship, Rowan University’s Wall of Fame and Innovations in Teaching Using Technology awards. He serves on the boards of South Jersey Land and Water Trust and New Pathways to Enterprise: Enabling women and their families through innovative livelihoods and is Treasurer of the Delaware Valley Geographical Association. He is also active in his community as a member of the Monroe Township Open Space Committee and serves in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Mahbubur Meenar, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Graduate Program Director, Urban and Regional Planning
Ph.D., Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University
meenar@rowan.edu
856.256.5812
Discovery Hall 126
Curriculum Vitae
Research lab web site:  
https://www.planviz.org

Dr. Mahbubur Meenar is an Associate Professor of Planning in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability and the director of Community Planning + Visualization Lab at Rowan University. Dr. Meenar has a multi-disciplinary background in architecture (B.Arch.), urban planning (M.U.P), and geography and urban studies (Ph.D.). He examines the connection between human and spatial dimensions (e.g., natural and built environments) in developing plans for sustainable and resilient communities, focusing on the nexus of land, water, and food. His specific research interests include (i) community food systems, environment, and security; (ii) blue, green, and grey infrastructure; (iii) sustainable development, design, and policy; and (iv) digital tools, technologies, and societies. Dr. Meenar has served as the principal investigator on research grants funded by the US EPA, NASA, NSF, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other agencies. He has published 40 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals. Dr. Meenar currently teaches Environmental and Sustainability Planning, Geovisualization, and Planning Studio.

John Mullen, Ph.D

Assistant Professor of Sustainability Education, jointly appointed with Department of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Research (College of Education) 
Ph.D., Educational Studies (with a focus on EcoJustice Education), Eastern Michigan University
mullenj@rowan.edu
James Hall 3077
856.256.4500 x53638

Dr. John Mullen is an Assistant Professor of Sustainability Education with joint appointments in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability (School of Earth and Environment) and the Department of Educational Leadership, Administration, and Research (College of Education), and he is a member of the university-wide Catalysts for Sustainability initiative at Rowan University. His research interests lie at the intersection of educational theory, the environmental humanities, and sustainability science with a particular interest in the possibilities of and conditions for an ecological philosophy of education. He recently designed a new certificate of undergraduate study (CUGS) in “Sustainability Education and Leadership” of which his “Sustainability Education: An Introduction” is being offered during the Fall 2024 semester and his “Leading Sustainable Organizations” and “Integrating Climate Change Education Across Contexts” are being offering during the Spring 2025 semester. He also teaches “Earth, People, and Environment” and “Environmental Ethics.” He plays an active role in the implementation of the New Jersey K-12 Climate Change Education Student Learning Standards, contributing to their integration with students, faculty, and administration at Rowan University and across the state. Prior to Rowan, he was a postdoctoral research fellow with the Sustainability and Development Initiative in the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. He has graduate degrees from the University of Virginia and Eastern Michigan University (with a focus on ecojustice education) and he is a certified permaculture designer.

Megan Bucknum

Associate Teaching Professor
Director of Student Experience, Urban and Regional Planning (Admissions, Assessment, and Accelerated Dual Degree Programs)
M.U.E.P., Urban and Environmental Planning, University of Virginia
bucknum@rowan.edu
856.256.4811
Discovery Hall 130
Curriculum Vitae

Megan Bucknum applies her background in urban and environmental planning to the fields of food systems and participatory planning. Leveraging knowledge gained from holding positions across the food supply chain, she conducts research about regionally-based food distribution models that address sustainability and food security. Additionally, she integrates her experience facilitating public meetings, conducting interviews and designing participatory research projects into the curriculum of her courses and in support of faculty research projects. Motivated by the power of narrative, her research and class projects use interviews and oral histories to explore barriers and opportunities along our food supply chains and to understand how people connect to the built and natural environment This method allows people to be both involved and informed by her projects. She currently teaches Introduction to Planning and Environmental Design, Urban Geography and Food Systems Planning.

Richard Federman

Associate Teaching Professor
Program Director, Environmental and Sustainability Studies
GEOClub Advisor
M.S., Environmental Science & Policy, Johns Hopkins University 
federmanr@rowan.edu
856.256.4811
Discovery Hall 129
Curriculum Vitae

Richard Federman has taught for the Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability for the past sixteen years, first as an adjunct, more recently as 3/4-time faculty, and beginning Fall 2018 as a Full-Time Lecturer. Some of the courses he teaches on a regular basis include Earth, People & Environment, The Geography of New Jersey, Quantitative & Qualitative Methods in Geography, and Planet in peril: Environmental Science in the 21^st Century. Prior to teaching at Rowan, Richard has worked as an environmental planner for the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, and as an actuarial analyst for a consulting firm in Philadelphia.

Cynthia Hall, Ph.D.

Assistant Teaching Professor, jointly appointed with Department of Environmental Science (School of Earth & Environment)
Demonstration Farm Site Coordinator
Ph.D., Geochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology
hallcy@rowan.edu

Dr. Cynthia Hall is an Assistant Teaching Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Geography, Planning, & Sustainability and the Department of Environmental Science within the School of Earth and Environment at Rowan University. She holds a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Chemistry from Howard University. Her research into soil contamination, lead exposure, and environmental justice began after discovering high lead levels in the soil of her Philadelphia backyard, where her family was growing food and her children played—an experience that shifted her academic trajectory and connected her to the urban agriculture community. After seven years in Philly, Cynthia and her husband, Micaiah, moved to her hometown of Lawnside, NJ, and founded Free Haven Farms. Initially focused on food production, the farm has evolved into an educational hub promoting food access, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. At Rowan, she teaches courses in Regenerative Food Systems, integrating her academic expertise with her hands-on farming experience. Her passion for sustainability, sparked during her school years at Moorestown Friends School, continues to drive her work in education and community engagement.

Ted Howell, Ph.D.

Associate Teaching Professor, jointly appointed with Department of Writing Arts, College of Communication and Creative Arts
Ph.D., English, Temple University
howelle@rowan.edu
Victoria Hall 414
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Ted Howell teaches jointly in Writing Arts and GPS, focusing on environmental and sustainability issues, specifically climate change. He helps students develop their capacity for ecological thought and enables them to find actionable solutions to complex problems. His teaching on climate change fiction, which is often called “cli-fi,” has been featured in The Atlantic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Smithsonian, and he leads workshops for local libraries about what novels can teach us about climate change. Dr. Howell’s research explores in how philosophies of nature are reflected in creative works and how scientists, reformers, and authors collaborate to formulate and frame ideas about the environment. His work has been published in Modern Language Quarterly and the collection Modernism and the Anthropocene. In addition to scholarly work, he presents and writes about teaching and pedagogy, including a series of freely available learning modules through Rowan’s Cultivating the Environmental Humanities group. Dr. Howell lives in Glassboro and enjoys hiking, gardening, playing disc golf and board games, and exploring parks and woods at every opportunity. For GPS, he currently teaches Senior Seminar and two additional courses that will appeal to GPS majors: Environmental Writing and Rhetoric (a Writing Arts course) and Environmental Communication (in Communication Studies).

Louis L. Thomas, Ph.D. AICP

Dr. Lou Thomas is passionate about creating an equitable, sustainable, and all-age-friendly city. His research focuses on family-oriented and multi-generational high-density as one tool in our toolbox for addressing climate change, inequality, and social isolation. His work has been published in JAPA, Planning Magazine, PLATFORM, Planning Perspectives, and he was a guest on UCLA’s Housing Voice podcast. A dedicated educator, he has previously taught in planning programs at Hunter College, the University of Maryland College Park, Georgetown University, George Washington University, and the University of the District of Columbia's Urban Sustainability and Environmental Science program. He was also an Associate Professor of American History & Urban Studies at Bard Early College DC and a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Urbanism Lab at the University of Chicago. He earned his PhD from MIT's Dept. of Urban Studies & Planning in 2019, and his MCP from UMD in 2012. He currently teaches Introduction to City Planning; Land Use & Conservation; Community Planning, Engagement & Site Design; and Environmental / Sustainable Planning.

Ashley York, Ph.D.

Assistant Teaching Professor
Program Director, Geographic Information Science
Ph.D., Graduate School of Geography, Clark University
yorka@rowan.edu
Discovery Hall 125

Dr. York uses GIS and remote sensing methods to answer questions about the Earth’s cryosphere in a changing climate. Specifically, her research uses satellite image time series analysis to investigate spacio-temporal variability in sea ice conditions and ocean temperatures, as well as change point detection to test for significant transitions in the behavior of marine-terminating glaciers along the coast of West Greenland. She has also done work using historical air photos and photogrammetry to calculate mass changes of small glaciers in western Canada. She has participated in glaciological field work in Alaska and Greenland. In the past Dr. York has taught courses on earth system science, field methods for environmental science, and GIS. Whether based on computers or based on in-situ observations and fieldwork, her courses are designed to further the interests of individual students through project-based learning. She believes projects encourage student independence and she enjoys the one-on-one advising such projects provide, as this also provides her with a greater opportunity to learn from the students in return. She currently teaches Introduction to Mapping and GIS, and Fundamentals of GIS.

Francesca Mundrick

3/4-time Instructor 
M.E.S., Environmental Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. Candidate, Sustainability Education, Prescott College
mundri29@rowan.edu

Francesca Mundrick is an alumna of the Rowan University Department of Geography, Planning, & Sustainability. Francesca graduated with a Master of Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2019. She is now pursuing a PhD of Sustainability Education in a hybrid program at Prescott College in Arizona. Francesca’s PhD Dissertation is on conservative environmentalism with focus on utilizing Community Rewilding strategies to break down social-political barriers to pro-environmental behavior. Francesca is the Founder & Executive Director for a nonprofit organization called Rewild New Jersey Community Cooperative (RNJCC). Due to her work with Rewild New Jersey Community Cooperative (RNJCC), Francesca now serves within the NJ Keep It Green Coalition. Francesca is very active in her community of Pitman, NJ. She serves as the Community Outreach Commissioner on the Pitman Environmental Commission and as a Committee Member of Sustainable Pitman. She develops and hosts many local events and programs including the Pitman Bioblitz, GeoLocal Explorers Summer Program, and, newly, the Hitting4Habitat Tournament. For her dedication to service in Pitman, Francesca was appointed to the first Emerging Young Leaders Committee of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC). Francesca, motivated by transformational, innovative ideas, is a rising environmental leader in New Jersey. 

Christine Nolan

3/4-time Instructor
M.S., Urban and Regional Planning, Rowan University
nolanc@rowan.edu
856.256.4811

Christine Nolan is the Executive Director of the South Jersey Land & Water Trust and has been with the organization since 2003. She has a degree in Geography & Environmental Studies from UCLA. Christine also serves as an adjunct professor of Geography at Rowan University and has served on her municipality’s Environmental Commission and Open Space Committee. She enjoys quilting, photography and travel in her free time.