Department of Geography

Physical/Environmental Geography
Natural Hazards & Hazard Perception
Sports Geography   

     Dr. DeChano's research interests lie in the broad category of environmental geography with emphases on geomorphology, natural hazards, and perception. In the recent past she has studied such topics as grizzly bear-human interactions (charges, maulings, and fatalities), public perceptions of debris flow hazards, and psychological and social issues of landslide hazard perceptions. She has contributed a chapter on the physical/environmental geography of North America for a forthcoming textbook on the geography of North America. Lisa is the co-editor along with Joe Stoltman and John Lidstone of a book titled International Perspectives on Natural Disasters: Occurrence, Mitigation, and Consequences.
     She has secondary interests in geographic and environmental education and sports geography. These interests have led to papers and project on environmental knowledge and environmental attitudes of high school seniors (17-19 years old) in several countries (Chile, England, Switzerland and the United States), and how to use sports to teach geography concepts, and American attitudes and perceptions of the 2004 Summer Olympics. Currently, she is co-editing a volume of Pathways (published by the National Council for Geographic Education) focusing on using sports examples to teach various geography concepts. She is also the contributor of the environmental geography and sports chapter of this volume.
     She also is involved with two grants. Along with Joe Stoltman, a project to design a Michigan Land Use Model for elementary social and science instruction was funded in 2003 by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Also with Joe Stoltman, a project to design lessons for teachers using the upcoming new Grade-level Content Expectations for Michigan was funded in 2004 by the National Geographic Society.
   Lisa regularly teaches courses that complement her main research interests including Physical Geography (G105) and Environmental Impact Assessment (G557). She has also taught Principles of Conservation and Resources Management (G350), Introduction to GIS (G501), Introduction to Remote Sensing (G582), a graduate seminar in natural hazards (G665).