Alan F. Arbogast

Professor of Geography 121 Geography Building Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824-1117 dunes@msu.edu   Vitae

I am a physical geographer specializing on Late-Quaternary landscape evolution of eolian and fluvial environments. I obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Kansas (1995) where I studied the geomorphology of the Great Bend Sand Prairie in the south-central part of the state. This work was supported with a NASA Global Climate Change Fellowship.  My current research is centered in Michigan, where I am working mostly on the geomorphic history of sand dunes, both in the interior of the state and along the shore of Lake Michigan. To date I have authored or co-authored over a dozen papers about these dunes in journals such as Geology, Quaternary Research, Journal of Great Lakes Research, and Geomorphology.  I am also working on the evolution of stream valleys in Michigan, specifically in the Manistee and Muskegon watersheds.  My work in Michigan has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the State of Michigan.  I am a member of the Quaternary Landscapes Research Group at Michigan State University. Please visit this page to see who we are and the things we are doing.  I am also a member of the Association of American Geographers, Geological Society of America, American Quaternary Association, and International Quaternary Association.

In addition to my research, I am a passionate teacher.  I teach a variety of courses at MSU, with the majority related to physical geography and geomorphology. I base all of my courses on sound scientific principles and try teach in a way that demonstrates relevance to everyone, including non-science majors.  In an effort to reach a much broader audience, I authored the textbook Discovering Physical Geography, which is published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc.  This text is currently being used by over 60 colleges and universities around the country.

If you would like to learn more about my background and interests, please check out the following links:

[last updated October, 2009]