George Towers, Ph.D.

Phone:

812-348-7371

Email:

gtowers@iu.edu

Department:

Division of Liberal Arts

Professional Summary

Education

• 1991 Ph.D., Major: Geography, Minor: Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson.
• 1986 M.A., Major: Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson.
• 1983 B.A., Majors: Anthropology and Spanish, Indiana University, Bloomington.

Courses Taught

In Human Geography

• Advanced Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Environmental Policy Seminar
• Geography Capstone
• History of Geographic Thought
• Introduction to Human Geography
• Political Geography 
• Tourism Geography
• Urban Geography
• World Cultural Geography

In Regional Geography

• Geography of Appalachia
• Geography of Latin America
• Geography of the US-Mexico Borderlands

In Cartography and Geographic Information Systems

• Advanced Computer Cartography
• Advanced Geographic Information Systems
• Computer Cartography
• Geographic Information Systems
• Teaching and Learning with Maps

In Physical Geography

• Physical Geography
• Elements of Earth Science

In Other Fields

• Cultural Anthropology
• General Studies Senior Capstone
• Introduction to Academic Research
• First Year Student Success Seminar in Liberal Arts

Administrative & Service Responsibilities

Previous Administrative Positions

• 2013-16 Head, Division of Science, IUPUC (Interim, 2013-15)
• 2009-13 Associate Academic Dean, Concord University (Interim, 2009-10)
• 2005-08 Chairman, Division of Social Sciences, Concord University

Previous Faculty Positions

• 2004-2013 Professor of Geography, Concord University
• 1998-2004 Associate Professor of Geography, Concord University
• 1992-98 Assistant Professor of Geography, Concord University
• 1991-92 Assistant Professor of Geography, Missouri State University
• 1989-90 Geography Instructor, El Paso County (TX) Community College

Awards & Activities

• 2004-05. Joseph Friedl Award. Presented by the Concord University Student Government Association to the year's outstanding professor. 

Publications

• Towers, George W., Poulsen, Joan R., Carr. Darrin L., & Zoeller, Aimee N. 2020. Mentoring for faculty from working-class backgrounds. Journal of Working-Class Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 101-118.
  https://journals.uwyo.edu/index.php/workingclassstudies/article/view/6255/5491

• Towers, George, and McCoy, Richard. 2020. Columbus Conversations and Exhibition Conversations. ENGAGE! Co-Created Knowledge Serving the State, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 47-49.

• Zoeller, Aimee, Towers, George, and Wills, Katherine. 2020. Experiencing our town: In the words of immigrant women. ENGAGE! Co-created Knowledge Serving the State, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 50-51. 

• Towers, George W. (2019). The precarious plight of American Working-Class Faculty: Causes and consequences. Journal of Working-Class Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 98-115. https://workingclassstudiesjournal.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/jwcs-vol-4-issue-1-june-2019-towers.pdf
  

• Brewer, Ryan M., Towers, George W., and Freeman, Kayla M. 2018. Visualizing Opioid Misuse and Labor Market Tightness Over Time. Indiana Business Review, vol. 93, no. 1.
• Towers, G., Poulsen, J., Zoeller, A., Crisp, C. & Torres, A. 2017. Diversifying for Sustainability: Repurposing a Targeted Pilot Faculty Mentoring Program. In 10th Annual Mentoring Conference Proceedings: A Decade of Cultivating an Inclusive Mentoring Community, eds. N. Dominguez, B. Berkeley, N. Barka, T. Chrisman, B. Kelley, & E. Westfall. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico. Also published in 2017 in The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching, vol. 2, Special Issue 10, pp. 818-823.
• Towers, G., Carr, D., Poulsen, J., Zoeller, A., Torres Bernal, A. and Crisp, C. 2016. Career Self-Efficacy Mentoring for Pre-Promotion Under-Represented Faculty. In 9th Annual Mentoring Conference Proceedings: Developmental Networks: The Power of Mentoring and Coaching, eds. N. Dominguez and D. Alexander, pp. 1222-1226. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico.  
• Towers, George. 2013. Cultural Dasymetric Population Mapping with Historical GIS: A Case Study from the Southern Appalachians.  In Geographic Information Systems: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, ed. Information Resources Management Association, pp. 1151-1169. IGI Global. Originally published in 2011 in the International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 38-56.
• Towers, George. 2011. Review of Digital Geography: Geospatial Technologies in the Social Studies Classroom, edited by Andrew J. Milson and Marsha Alibrandi. Journal of Geography, vol. 110, no. 1, pp. 47-48.
• Towers, George. 2010. Rediscovering Rural Appalachian Communities with Historical GIS. Southeastern Geographer, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 58-82.
• Towers, George. 2006. Reading the Appalachian Landscape. Geographical Review, vol. 96, no. 2, pp. 313-317.
• Towers, George. 2005. West Virginia’s Lost Youth: Appalachian Stereotypes and Residential Preferences. Journal of Geography, vol. 104, no. 2, pp. 74-84.
• Canterbury, Ronald A., Stover, Dollie M., and Towers, George. 2002. Mountaintop Removal and Valley-Fill Mining Environmental Impact Study: Bird Populations along Edges. State College, PA: US Fish and Wildlife Service and US Environmental Protection Agency.
• Towers, George. 2000. Applying the Political Geography of Scale: Grassroots Strategies and Environmental Justice. The Professional Geographer, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 23-36.
• Towers, George. 1997. GIS vs. the Community: Siting Power in Southern West Virginia. Applied Geography, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 111-125.
• Marston, Sallie A., and Towers, George. 1993. Private Spaces and the Politics of Place: Spatioeconomic Restructuring and Community Organizing in Tucson and El Paso. In Mobilizing the Community: Local Politics in the Era of the Global City, eds., Robert Fisher and Joseph Kling, pp. 75-102. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
• Towers, George. 1992. The Urban Colonias of El Paso, Texas. In Geographical Snapshots of North America, ed., Donald G. Janelle, pp. 65-68. New York: Guilford.
• Towers, George. 1992. Review of Where North Meets South: Cities, Space and Politics on the U.S. - Mexico Border, by Lawrence Herzog. Contemporary Sociology, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 214-215.
• Marston, Sallie A., Towers, George, Cadwallader, Martin, and Kirby, Andrew. 1989. The Urban Problematic. In Geography in America, eds. Gary L. Gaille and Cort J. Willmott, pp. 651-672. Columbus, OH: Merrill.
• DeNiro, Timothy, and Towers, George. 1986. Probable Economic and Social Effects of the Proposed Mt. Graham Facility. Tucson: Drachman Institute for Land and Regional Studies, University of Arizona.

Grants received

2021
Granting Agency: Indiana University Council on Regional Engagement and Economic Development
Grant Program: Innovate Indiana
Title: “Great Decisions”
Amount: $1,200

2019-2021

Granting Agency: IUPUI Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor
Grant Program: IUPUI Mentoring Academy
Title: “Recharging IUPUC’s Faculty Mentoring Program”
Amount:  $4,967
Co-authors: Joan Poulsen and Kimdy Le

2018-19
Granting Agency: Indiana University Council on Regional Engagement and Economic Development
Grant Program: Innovate Indiana
Title: “Columbus Conversations”
Amount: $2,500

2017   

Granting Agency: Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County
Grant Program: Welcoming Community Arts & Culture
Title: “Discovering Columbus: The Experience of Women Immigrants.” Amount: $4,003.
Collaborators: Anna Carmon, Douglas Gardner, Matt Rothrock, Brandi Rund, Katherine Wills, and Aimee Zoeller. 
 

2015-2016      

Granting Agency: IUPUI Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor
Grant Program: IUPUI Mentoring Academy
Title: “Career Self-Efficacy Mentoring for Pre-Promotion, Under-Represented Faculty at IUPUC.”
Amount: $9,284
Collaborators: Darrin Carr, Cheryl Crisp, Joan Poulsen, Anibal Torres, and Aimee Zoeller. 
 

2014-2015      

Granting Agency: IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning.
Grant Program: Learning Environments
Title: “IUPUC Women’s Studies Office, Seminar Space, and Resource Area.”
Amount: $20,200.
Collaborator: Aimee Zoeller.
 

2010-2011      

Granting Agency: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
Grant Program: RBA (Regents Bachelors of Arts) Today
Purpose: Development of accelerated, compressed time-frame online courses
Amount: $15,000.
Collaborators: Kathy Hawks, Danette Light, and Thomas McKenna.
 

2009-2010      

Granting Agency: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
Grant Program: RBA Today
Purpose: Development of accelerated, compressed time-frame online courses
Amount $22,000.
Collaborators: Hugh Campbell, Linwood Clayton, and Tracy Luff.

2006-2009      

Granting Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Service.
Purpose: To develop a GIS database to support the USDA’s study of grassland and pasture in Appalachia for sustainable forage and livestock production.
Amount: $30,000.
 
Contracts received 

2000-2002

Contracting Agencies: West Virginia Geological Survey for Tax and Revenue and Wyoming County, WV

Purpose: To design and implement computerized parcel mapping procedures for Wyoming County.

Amount: $29,702.

Student collaborators: David Arrington, Sharad Garg, Echols Hylton, and Ed Moore

Gifts received 

2016

Donors: Clarence E. Custer and Inez R. Custer Foundation and Walter C. Nugent Foundation
Purpose: Chemistry lab renovation.
Amount $80,600.
Collaborators: Cindy Felsten and James D. Mendez.

2015   

Donor: Carl Marshall Reeves and Mildred Almen Reeves Foundation, Inc.,
Purpose: Anatomy lab renovation.
Amount: $50,000.
Collaborators: Cindy Felsten, Barbara Hass-Jacobus, and Matt Springmeyer.
 

2014   

Donor: Carl Marshall Reeves and Mildred Almen Reeves Foundation, Inc.,.
Purpose: Biology lab renovation.
Amount: $49,910.
Collaborators: Cindy Felsten, Barbara Hass-Jacobus, Luke Jacobus, and James Clack