Family ties, research lay foundation for possible teaching future

Heading to this spring’s American Association of Geographers annual meeting Owen Wickenheiser didn’t expect to see a familiar face among the 7,000-plus geographers and researchers on location in New Orleans. But he did … his mother, who was among those presenting.

“My parents have always been very supportive of my educational aspirations,” said Wickenheiser, a senior environmental geoscience major, who himself presented collaborative research at the meeting. “Having a professor as a parent was very helpful when I first started college.”

Wickenheiser presented “Developing A GIS Suitability Analysis to Route Natural Gas Pipelines Using Open-Cut Trenching,” which was co-authored by Matt Hess, of Temple University, and BU Department of Environmental, Geographical and Geological Sciences (EGGS) faculty Jeff Brunskill and Ben Franek.

“I attended this meeting, because I thought it would be a great way to connect with other undergraduate students and see more of the research being done in the field of geography,” Wickenheiser said. “In addition, I was excited to travel to New Orleans to present a poster I put a lot of effort into throughout the year.”

His mother, Laurie Parendes, professor of geosciences at Edinboro University, presented “Owens Valley Water Issues: Past. Present. Future?”

“I’ve experienced first-hand the significant amount of work professors put into their classes,” Wickenheiser said. “If I do go on to a Ph.D. program and land a job as a professor, I will strive to be the same positive influence that Dr. Brunskill, Dr. Franek, and my mom have been on me.”

But not so fast with the all the professor talk, according to Wickenheiser.

“At the moment I’m considering a few outdoor guiding jobs for the summer, such as whitewater rafting in Moab, Utah,” Wickenheiser said. “However, AAG helped confirm my ambition to go to graduate school and maybe beyond. I want to make sure I find the right advisor and focus.”