George F. Hepner received his Ph. D. in geography from the School of Geographical Sciences at Arizona State University. George was fortunate to be educated and enter the academic profession in the 1980’s as geography was being transformed with satellite imagery for analysis and digital mapping, geographic information systems (GIS) and the interdisciplinary marriage of geography with other sciences to better understand the environmental and cultural changes of the world.

George taught most recently at the University of Utah, where he is Professor of Geography, Emeritus. He taught courses: World Regional Geography, Human Geography Cartography, Environment Issues of the World, East Asia, GIS, and the Geography of International Terrorism. He lived and taught at Yonsei and Chonnam Universities in Korea and at Akita International University in Japan. His research specializations in satellite remote sensing and GIS fostered his role as a researcher and consultant at CalTech-JPL and Lawrence Livermore National Labs. He served as national president of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), served on the National Academy Mapping Sciences Committee, and directed a Center for Excellence in Geospatial Intelligence.

He has traveled to parts of Europe, East Asia, South America, Greenland, and many areas of North America. His scholarly and teaching background should provide the basis for informative, unique and diverse cruise speaker topics enhanced by use of satellite and drone imagery, maps and other geospatial information.

Potential Speaker Topics – George F. Hepner

Most knowledgeable regions are: East Asia, Europe. North America and South America

1. Geography of the Wine Regions of World - France….Chile-soils, weather and cultivation practices, culture

2. Impacts of climate change on wine regions of Europe- shifting to areas farther north, change in varietals grown

3. Geographic dispersion of Viking culture - history and present day influences

4. Russian Geopolitical threat in the Baltic Sea region - Russian sphere of influence,, Kaliningrad, need for ocean access

5. Climate Change Impacts on the Panama Canal

6. Role of the Amazon basin in climate change.- satellite views of deforestation and settlement patterns

7. Tri-border area of South America - cultural lumpy stew or criminal-terrorist elixir

8. Changing Geopolitical influence between China and US in South America

9. Climate Change Impacts on Alaska and the Arctic- impacts on indigenous groups, fishing. tourism

10. Asprirational Geography - China’s quest for control of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, - Basque culture and quest for a homeland in Spain; Kurds quest for a homeland in Southwest Asia (Turkey, Syria, Iraq),

11. Insecurity Tensions-Past and Present - What every tourist should know. Cultural sensitivity, enhance enjoyment and personal safety as a tourist- Such as the subregions and languages of Spain, or he issues of the “Takasago” indigenous people of Taiwan