Dr. Alec Foster

Assistant Professor

Center for Civic Engagement

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

142.003Human Geography

287.009Independent Study - Geography

322.001Sustainable Cities

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., & 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.

Dunham, I., & Foster, A. Proximate Landscapes of Economic Inclusion in Southeastern Pennsylvania. PROFESSIONAL GEOGRAPHER 67.1 (2015): 132-144.

Foster, A., & Dunham, I. Volunteered geographic information, urban forests, & environmental justice. COMPUTERS ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN SYSTEMS 53 (2015): 65-75.

Presentations

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

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

Planting Justice? Sustainability, Urban Forests, and Environmental Justice in Philadelphia. Annual Meeting of the West Lakes Division of the American Association of Geographers. West Lakes Division of the American Association of Geographers. (2020)

Terra Nullius or Terra Incognita? Documenting Land Use Practices in South Kensington, Philadelphia. Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) Research Conference on Sustainability. Illinois Innovation Network (IIN). (2020)

Chicago’s Millennium Park: Finding Nature in the City. The University Research Symposium. Illinois State University. (2019)

Critical Mixed Methods for Participatory Urban Socioecological Research. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers. (2019)

Terra Nullius or Terra Incognita? Documenting Land Use Practices in Philadelphia. Annual Meeting of the Illinois Geographical Society. (2019)

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)