Welcome to our newest graduate student cohort! Please find their biographies below.
GREGORY DEVERNA
B.A. Psychology, Eastern Washington University. Pronouns: he/they. Research Interests: political economy, social movements, culture, nationalism, imperialism, and capital accumulation.
My introduction to critical geography came through anti-racist and Palestinian organizing in the Northwest U.S., where I was able to present in New York this past October on the “Necessity of Walter Rodney” to critical geographies. My undergraduate degree was in quantitative psychology pertaining to research methods and social psychology. I have now spent almost a decade working in the food service industry and the past four years as a bartender. My hobbies include sports (basketball, soccer, and volleyball in particular), poetry, chess, philosophy, and gaming.
SECHANG KIM
B.A., Geography Education, Seoul National University; M.A., Geography Education, Seoul National University. Pronouns: He/Him. Research Interests: Geospatial Data Analysis, Spatial Variations in Demographic Processes, Migration, Health Disparities.
What fascinated me about geography was the map, which I consider the most sophisticated form of graphics. Over time, this fascination developed into an interest in exploring spatial patterns in migration, as well as related demographic processes such as fertility and mortality, and the factors that shape them. I am also passionate about K–12 education, especially in showing students why geography matters. In my free time, I enjoy drinking pu-erh tea, watching the NBA, and playing basketball myself.
WINTER SMILEY
B.A. Anthropology, California State University San Marcos. My research interests include urban settler militarisms, deep mapping, archives, and critical water geographies. Outside of academia, I am an artist and organizer working within demilitarization, intergenerational political education, and land return movements. I enjoy going to the movies, road tripping adventures, and anything by Lynda Barry.
TONGWEI XU
B.A., Urban and Rural Planning, Tianjin University; M.A., Urban and Rural Planning, Tianjin University. Pronouns: she/her. Research interests: digital geographies; geospatial data science; spatial politics; urbanism; creative industries; music.
I have conducted research on how creative communities’ spatial transformation intertwined with the development of digital infrastructure and urban restructuring in Shenzhen and Beijing. In my future research, I’m interested in employing geospatial data science to uncover and critically examine the hidden logics and implicit assumptions within digital systems and spatial technologies, while contributing to new possibilities of spatial conceptualization and geographic representation in GIS. Outside of research, I enjoy movies, music, painting and running.