Dr. Mary Benbow
At the University of Manitoba as a faculty member since 1990, my teaching focuses on a diverse array of undergraduate courses, and my research focuses on the social and cultural implications of zoos. I have extensive experience in administration, and have participated in service ranging from a journal editorial board to part of the interpretive design team for Journey to Churchill exhibit complex at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg.
Dr. Mary Benbow
Associate Professor of Geography
Social and Cultural Geography of Zoos
Critical Cartographies
Climate Change, Education, and Adaptation
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Email:
Address:
St. John's College
University of Manitoba
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Faculty:
Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources
Department of Environment and Geography
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EXPERIENCE
2007 - 2019
Associate Dean (Academic)
Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba
Responsible for program and curricula, student issues, scholarships and awards. Promotion of the Faculty through events and communications. Faculty development in support of teaching and career milestones such as tenure and promotion
2001 - Present
Associate Professor
Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba
Teaching of physical geography, climate change, tourism, environmental change, and animal geographies. Research in the social and cultural implications of zoos. Significant service: Associate Director, University Teaching Services 1998-2001; Faculty Associate, University Teaching Services 2001-2006; Vice-Provost, University College 2004-2005; Acting Department Head 2005-2006
1990 - 2001
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography, University of Manitoba
Teaching physical geography, GIS, climate change, and environmental change. Research in climate change and climate modelling. Associate Director of the Centre of Earth Observation Science (Founded in 1994 to 1998).
EDUCATION
1987 - 1991
Ph.D.- Geography, Faculty of Science,
University of Liverpool
THESIS
"Modeling the Dimethylsulphide Feedback Loop" - climate and GIS modelling of marine geochemistry and climate change.
1983 - 1986
B.A. (Hons.) Degree - Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Liverpool
BA (Hons) Degree
Focus on physical geography and climate change with an honours thesis using analog modelling of cold/warm periods in the 20th century to show cloud cover changes over the USA.
TEACHING
Since arriving at the University of Manitoba in 1990, I have taught over 75 undergraduate and graduate course offerings accommodating over 5,800 students. I have a strong commitment to teaching and focus on stimulating topics and materials, emphasize clear organization, and provide a welcoming and supportive teaching environment. In addition to the courses I have personally taught, I have also been involved in course and curriculum design such as the Riddell Faculty’s multidisciplinary cultural landscape field school to Venice. I have taught a wide variety of courses in physical geography, climate change, animal geographies, and critical cartographies.
RESEARCH
My primary research interests focus upon the social, cultural, and environmental implications of zoos and aquariums. This research looks at how these cultural institutions affect human perceptions of animals and conservation that in turn impact how animals are managed. This forms part of a broader field “Animal Geographies” that looks at the multifaceted roles that animals play in our lives and seeks to illuminate the complex relationships between humans and animals. This has encompassed how zoos have developed as spaces and places including how they utilize the Internet and their role as public spaces. This further extends to work zoo maps in the form of critical cartography in which zoo maps are examined as texts. My work also includes the zoo as cultural landscape and its implications for family zoo visitors through photo elicitation, visitor attitudes and behaviours regarding climate change, and the analysis of overheard zoo visitor conversations and visitor behaviour.
TEACHING DOSSIER
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
As a faculty member of close to 30 thirty years, naturally my views of and approaches to teaching and learning have changed. Working in the Department of Environment and Geography and Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, I am very aware of just how much the Earth has changed during that time. In 1990, the world’s population was 5.2 billion and August atmospheric levels of CO2(annual lowest level) were at 350 ppm. By 2018, the world’s population was 7.6 billion and August atmospheric levels of CO2were at 407 ppm. Since 1990, Canada experienced its first EF5 tornado (there have been more since), has seen Arctic sea ice form later in the Fall and melt earlier in the Spring, and an increasing public interest in environmental issues, climate change, and resources. Our students are increasingly diverse (25% of our undergraduates in the Faculty are international students (2018)) and bring a wide array of experiences. As a result, I teach with an interdisciplinary mindset, seeking to use geographic approaches and methodologies in order to prepare graduating students to live, work, and thrive on our changing planet.
I view Geography as the original home of interdisciplinarity, and that its breadth can be encapsulated by Charles F. Gritzer’s definition: “What is where, why there, and why care” (Gritzer, 2002, pp. 39). As a geographer, I find the variety of potential ideas, themes, and subjects to be personally and professionally engaging, and I like this to be reflected in my courses. While it is important to me that students find my courses interesting and engaging, I also ensure that my courses are academically and pedagogically well-grounded and appropriately challenging.
In developing courses, I focus first and foremost on what students need from a course I am designing, and their learning outcomes. I research as broad a range of ideas as possible from peer-reviewed publications and current writings such as mainstream books. I select, organize, and group topics to create visible linkages and demonstrate the integration of ideas, and I use them as the basis of my course outlines and content.
Gritzer, C. F., 2002, What is where, why there, and why care, Journal of Geography, Vol. 101(1), pp.38-40.
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TEACHING DOSSIER - OBJECTIVES
I previously developed teaching dossiers for tenure, promotion, and teaching awards. These were focused on my teaching successes and achievements and were also used in my work with University Teaching Services (UTS) to help faculty develop their teaching dossiers in workshops and in one-to-one consultations. (UTS was renamed The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) in 2013). This teaching dossier uses some of those materials to describe my teaching record but it is also designed to help direct my future teaching directions. After all, teaching dossiers “are also an excellent tool for developing and improving teaching through a process of documenting goals and achievements and reflecting on teaching activities and accomplishments” (Knapper and Wilcox, 2007, pp. 2). I began to assemble this teaching dossier in 2019 as I began to step down from the role of Associate Dean (Academic) in the Riddell Faculty, as preparation to return to regular faculty ranks after over 12 years.
Knapper, C. and Wilcox, S., 2007, Developing a Teaching Dossier, Queen’s University, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Kingston.
HISTORY OF TEACHING
Teaching Responsibilities
A number of these courses have undergone significant change, have been renamed, or deleted:
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Special Topics: Critical Cartographies (GEOG 3770 T02) (3 credit hours)
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Earth: A User’s Guide (EER 1000) (3 credit hours)
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Animal Geographies (GEOG 3860) (3 credit hours)
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Introduction to Physical Geography (GEOG 1290) (3 credit hours)
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The Geography of Tourism and Recreation (GEOG 2410) (6 credit hours)
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The Geography of Environmental Changes (GEOG 2620) (3 credit hours)
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Climatology (6 credit hours)
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Climatic Change (3 credit hours)
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Geographic Information Systems (3 credit hours)
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Advanced Methods in G.I.S. (3 credit hours)
TEACHING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
My teaching objectives and goals build upon my more recent teaching history and my views on how the Department of Environment and Geography and the Riddell Faculty more broadly can address current issues and prepare our students to live and work in our changing planet
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INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSES TO EMPHASIZE LINKAGES
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After the success of "Earth: A User's Guide" (EER 1000) I intend to introduce a follow-up course tentatively titled "Energy and the Earth:Power, Environment, and Climate"
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TEACHING TO ADDRESS PRESSING CHANGES ON EARTH
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Climate change due to anthropogenic forcing is happening now and will likely continue at a faster and great pace. A potential course is "Climate Change Adaptation and Policy" to provide students with an overview on how to address and plan for climate change.
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