I have been a professor since 1999 and have been a part of the transformation from the analog classroom to the virtual learning environment. These are certainly exciting times for learning. Courses I teach reach students around the world. Through this interaction, a cross-cultural exchange happens where students not only learn the course content, but I also increase my knowledge about each student’s culture. Moreover, since most of the students I teach are adult professionals, their professional experiences are brought to the virtual classroom for the betterment of everyone involved.
Dr. Kessler's Biography
Fritz Kessler is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Geography Department at Penn State University. He teaches coursework focusing on facets of cartography and spatial statistics. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, MS from Penn State, and BS from Ohio University. His cartographic background is not limited to academia but has evolved through several professional positions including Ohio University’s Cartographic Center, USGS Water Resource Division, Intergraph Corporation, R. R. Donnelley and Sons, and the University of Kansas’ T. R. Smith Map Library. His research interests include map projections, thematic cartography, and the history of cartography. He co-authored Thematic Cartography and Geovisualization and Working with Map Projections: A Guide to Their Selection, he has published several articles and book chapters on cartographic topics, and he has presented numerous papers on various cartographically related themes at academic conferences. In his spare time, Fritz enjoys playing his banjo, guitar, and mandolin.