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Meet the New Faculty: Sasha Davis, Geography

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Sasha Davis
Sasha Davis

Looking to differentiate himself from others who share his name, Jeff Davis began using his nickname, “Sasha,” during an exchange trip to Russia while in high school. “In Russia it’s very difficult to write a “J,” so I started using it there and later wrote and published under it,” said Davis, who joined the Keene State faculty this fall as an assistant professor of geography. “Now the only people that call me Jeff are my parents.”

Davis has also set himself apart with his interesting background, unique research, and ability to make geography come alive for his students. There’s more to geography than map memorization, he notes. “We want to know where things are, but also what’s there, and How did it come to be that way?” said Davis, citing examples like the border war between Russia and the Ukraine, the uprising of ISIS in the Middle East, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago. “I want my students to understand geography from a holistic viewpoint and the role that history, politics, and the environmental conditions can play in the outcome.”

Growing up in the Phoenix area, Davis earned his undergraduate and master’s degree in geography at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Like most college students, Davis discovered geography once he was in college. “Most people don’t have a good understanding of what exactly it is,” he said. “I realized that Northern Arizona was a good place to study both social and natural sciences and not have to pick one or the other. I was very interested in both so that’s how I found geography.”

Davis received his PhD in 2003 from Penn State University, doing his dissertation research on the effects of nuclear contamination on the Bikini Atoll (located on the Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific), where the United States conducted nuclear war testing at the end of World War II. In addition to looking at radiation levels and the possibility of re-inhabiting the island, Davis did research related to tourism; the area around the atoll draws scuba divers who descend to explore sunken battle ships that were hit by nuclear weapons.

Not quite finished with his dissertation, Davis was surprised when he landed a position at the University of Vermont. After a few years, he returned to the Pacific, teaching at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. “The big island is more rural, but you can’t beat it for teaching geography,” he said. “You’ve got the volcano, the sea, and every different landscape you can imagine – not to mention the rich history and social landscape too.”

The Move East

A wish to live closer to his daughter in Vermont brought Davis back to New England. In addition to proximity to family, he said there were many things that steered him to Keene State, including the size of the institution, the balance between teaching and research, and the emphasis on the undergraduate education, as well as the city of Keene. “I’m not a big city guy,” he said. “I really like the area.”

Davis, who will teach courses in Human Geography, Tourism, and Recreation at Keene State, continues to do research centered on contamination at military bases. He also wrote a book, The Empires’ Edge: Militarization, Resistance, and Transcending Hegemony in the Pacific, which examines the tremendous damage the militarization of the Pacific has wrought on its people and environments.

A proponent of student research, Davis plans on taking a class to Hawaii at the end of spring semester to look at tourism and recreation on the big island. “The students should really enjoy it, and it’s a good way to begin a new track developing in geography on tourism and outdoor recreation,” he said.

But for now, Davis is delighted to be back in the classroom. “Last year, I was transitioning back to Vermont and teaching online, so I’m glad to be back in the classroom and interacting with students again,” he said.

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