Summary
This lecture will present the findings of two geographers who recently conducted field research in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in preparation for leading professional development in the region. The presentation will provide a foundation for deeper exploration and future engagement with the Balkans, a region shaped by a rich and complex history of intersectional geography that remains largely unfamiliar to many U.S. educators. Belgrade and Novi Sad are the home of the Church of Saint Sava and Petrovaradin Fortress, sometimes called Gibraltar on the Danube. Each community provides insight as to the role of religion, politics, trade, and commerce, both today and in the past. An important region during both World Wars, the rise of nationalism served as a catalyst to the breakup, or Balkanization, of Yugoslavia in 1991. Prior, Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, aimed at projecting a positive image of the region after the death of President Josip Broz Tito who had led the Communist Party
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Government and Civics | Balkans, Exploration, Professional Development
Conference Room
Iowa
Meet the Presenter
Dr. Michael Allen is an Associate Professor of Geography at Towson University. He previously served as a co-coordinator of the Virginia Geographic Alliance and Geography Program Director at Old Dominion University. For more than a decade, Dr. Allen has worked with formal and informal K-16 educators to promote geographic understanding and climate literacy. Since 2019, Michael has coordinated the Chesapeake Bay Climate Institute, a multi-day experiential professional development program that uses the Chesapeake Bay watershed as a place of learning, culminating with a field experience on Tangier Island. In 2023, Allen worked at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, improving cross-cultural climate literacy. Exploring the Balkans, Allen reflects on his experience and highlights future professional development opportunities to explore both the human and environmental landscapes of the region. His local and international experience integrates cultural competence, geospatial technology, scientific understanding, and critical thinking into pedagogical approaches. A physical scientist, Michael has extensive experience working across academic disciplines to bridge mutual understanding between social and natural sciences.
