Leadership in American Academic Geography: The Twentieth Century

(Hardback)

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Leadership in American Academic Geography: The Twentieth Century examines the practice of leadership in the most influential geography departments in the United States. Throughout the twentieth century, transformational leaders often emerged as inspirational department chairs, shaping the content and nature of the discipline and establishing models of leadership, often fueling the success of programs and sparking shifts in paradigms. Yet, on occasion, departmental chairmanships fell to individuals marked by laissez faire attributes, lapses in integrity, or autocratic behaviors, which at times led to disaster. Effective leaders within key academic departments played imperative roles in the disciplines prosperity, and in contrast, mediocrity in leadership contributed to periods of austerity. Michael S. DeVivo aims to offer not only a historical perspective on the geographic discipline, but also insight to leaders in geography, today and in the future, so that they might be able to avoid failure and instead develop strategies for success by recognizing effective leadership behaviors that foster high levels of achievement.

Reviews

While DeVivo provides a solid investigation of the history of geography programs, his analysis of academic leadership is what makes this book unique.... The book is a lively read.... The readability of this book makes it readily accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students in geography. I think it crucial that geography students be aware of the history of our discipline. This book is a mixture of excellent research and intriguing stories that provide a treatise that explains not only paradigm shifts in the discipline but also uncovers the leadership at the center of these shifts. The book also is valuable for current or aspiring department chairs. Not only does it provide a historical reference to past administrative practices, but the inclusion of the transformative model of leadership could provide a model of practice for those department chairs who seek to move programs forward within a supportive and inclusive environment. Leadership in American Academic Geography: The Twentieth Century provides the scholar of geographic thought an insightful testament to our disciplines past. I hope the author has subsequent plans for additional books. * Historical Geography *
The book tackles an important issue in the disciplines history, to which very little structured attention has yet been given. * Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography *
Viewed through the lens of James McGregor Burns concepts of transformational and transactional leadership models, DeVivo details how transformational leaders made the difference in top-tier American geography doctoral departments. Here we have a vivid page-turner for anyone interested in geographical thought and practice in the United States, and the consequences of individualism and group dynamics flowing from leadership in the doctoral departments that dominated the discipline during the past century. -- John S. Adams, University of Minnesota
This groundbreaking study of select geographers and their departments offers a treasure trove of anecdotes and insights into the inner workings of a discipline in formation. The author spares neither rod nor accolade in making his revealing assessments. Drawing on personal conversations, filmed interviews, archival materials, and general lore, DeVivo judiciously brings to life actors and episodes central to American academic geographys history in its first century. -- Kent Mathewson, Louisiana State University

Author Bio

Michael S. DeVivo is professor of geography at Grand Rapids Community College.