SCARPACI HONORED FOR HIS
WORK IN CUBA
BLACKSBURG,
May 22, 2004 - Joseph L. Scarpaci
of Blacksburg, Va., and geography
professor at Virginia Tech's
College of Natural Resources,
is the recipient of the Carl
O. Sauer Distinguished Scholarship
Award of the Conference of Latinamericanist
Geographers. This award is given
in recognition for a corpus
of important published work
or other significant contribution
towards Latin American geography.
Recipients
are scholars who are leading
authorities in specific research
topics and geographic areas
of Latin America, and whose
research has made significant
advancements towards fostering
understanding of Latin America
to a broader audience.
"Scarpaci's
sustained research on Cuba is
unmatched and has contributed
to the understanding of a country
that few geographers have been
able to access for nearly two
generations," read the award.
He was presented the award at
the 2004 meeting of the Conference
of Latinamericanist Geographers
in Antigua, Guatemala, May 19-22.
Scarpaci's
colleague Professor Emeritus
Bonham Richardson in the Department
of Geography earned the award
in 1999.
Scarpaci's award is also based
on his 80 months of field research
in Latin American, including
42 visits to Cuba. An expert
on Latin America, Scarpaci's
research also includes urban
and social geography, social
policy, historic preservation,
and international development.
The
College of Natural Resources
at Virginia Tech consistently
ranks among the top five programs
of its kind in the nation. Faculty
members stress both the technical
and human elements of natural
resources and instill in students
a sense of stewardship and land-use
ethics. Areas of studies include
environmental resource management,
fisheries and wildlife sciences,
forestry, geospatial and environmental
analysis, natural resource recreation,
urban forestry, wood science
and forest products, geography,
and international development.
