Dr. Alec Foster

Assistant Professor

Geography-Geology-Environment

Office

Felmley Hall of Science - FHS 104 A

Office Hours

Monday 2-4pm, Wednesday 1-3pm, or by appointment

Office Phone

(309) 438-7649office
phone

alfost2@ilstu.eduemail

About
Education
Research

Biography

I am a broadly trained human-environment geographer. My work seeks to understand processes of urban environmental change, especially in postindustrial cities in the United States.

Current Courses

205.001Environment, Resources, and Sustainability

142.004Human Geography

287.009Independent Study - Geography

Ph D Geography and Urban Studies

Temple University

Philadelphia, PA

MA Geography

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL

BA Environmental Studies

New College of Florida

Sarasota, FL

Book Review

Foster, A. Igoe, J. 2017. The nature of spectacle: on images, money, and conserving capitalism. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-3044-1; US$29.95. Journal of Political Ecology 26.1 (2019): 2.

Conference Proceeding

Lindquist, M., Campbell-Arvai, V., Foster, A., Sylte, S., & Deatom, F. 3D‐DSS: A NOVEL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR COMMUNITY DIRECTED GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN. United States Forest Service General Technical Report NRS-P-183 (2018): 286.

Journal Article

Foster, A., Olson, A., Dunham, I., & Kunches, D. Documenting Land Use Practices in South Kensington, Philadelphia. Illinois Geographer 62.1 (2021): 49-69.

Foster, A. Volunteer Urban Environmental Stewardship, Emotional Economies of Care, and Productive Power in Philadelphia. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7867. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147867

Foster, A., & Newell, J. Detroit's lines of desire: Footpaths and vacant land in the Motor City. Landscape and Urban Planning 189 (2019): 260--273.

Foster, A. Volunteer Environmental Stewardship and Affective Labour in Philadelphia. CONSERVATION & SOCIETY 16.1 (2018): 52-63.

Foster, A., Dunham, I., & Kaylor, C. Citizen Science for Urban Forest Management? Predicting the Data Density and Richness of Urban Forest Volunteered Geographic Information. Urban Science 1.3 (2017): 30.

Presentations

An environmental justice analysis of urban tree canopy distribution and change. Annual Meeting of the Illinois Geographical Society. (2022)

The Impact of Revitalization on Access to Nature: Analyzing Greenspace Change in South Kensington, Philadelphia. University Research Symposium. Illinois State University. (2022)

There Goes the Neighborhood? Understanding Rapid Socioecological Change in Philadelphia. American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting. American Association of Geographers. (2022)

Mapping Detroit’s Lines of Desire: Green Infrastructure, Vacant Land, & Mobility in the Motor City. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers. (2021)

Planting Justice? Procedural Urban Forest Environmental Justice in Philadelphia. Applied Geography Conference. (2021)

Planting Justice? Sustainability, Urban Forests, and Environmental Justice in Philadelphia. Illinois Geographical Society 81st Annual Meeting. Illinois Geographical Society. (2021)

Terra Nullius or Terra Incognita: Land Use Analysis of Greenspace in Olde Kensington Philadelphia. University Research Symposium. Illinois State University. (2021)

Volunteered Geographic Information, Urban Forests, and Environmental Justice. Collaborative Urban Forests Webinar Series. SLU (Swedish Lifesciences University) Urban Futures. (2021)

Documenting Greenspaces in Philadelphia. University Research Symposium. Illinois State University. (2020)

Growing Justice? Tree Canopy Change and Equity in Philadelphia. Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) Research Conference on Sustainability. Illinois Innovation Network (IIN). (2020)

Grants & Contracts

2018-2019 IGS Research Grant Award. Illinois Geographical Society. State. (2019)

Urban Environmental Change in Detroit and Philadelphia. University Research Grant Program, College of Arts and Sciences, Illinois State University. Illinois State University. (2019)