Anne Donovan
(Doctoral Candidate, Kansas State University)
Visiting Instructor in Geography
Hi, my name is Anne Donovan. I am an Instructor of Geography. I have been a member of the Social Sciences Department since Fall 2008. I am currently working on my dissertation research for my PhD through Kansas State University and hope to complete the degree in May 2012. My project explores the social geography of informal gathering places in rural towns, such as cafes, taverns, and C-stores, and what these mean for community attachment. So, I’ve been eating and drinking my way through my dissertation research and meeting a whole bunch of really nice people.
My main research interest is food geography, especially with the aspects of consumption. One of my favorite paper presentations was titled: "Tentacles? Testicles! I’m not eating that!" I discussed what my students found too disgusting to eat (squid and Rocky Mountain oysters). I published a paper that explores barbeque and Juneteenth celebrations as culinary tourism attractions. My master’s thesis was on agritourism and the spatial patterns of corn mazes in the Upper Midwest.
Each semester I teach several sections of World Regional Geography along with one upper division geography course. I have taught Economic Geography, Political Geography, Geography of the U.S. and Canada, Geography of Europe, and Geography of the Great Plains. I hope to teach a Food Geography course in the future.
I am also the faculty advisor for JA Sakura, the Japanese student organization.
My office phone is 620-341-5572 and email is adonovan@emporia.edu.