Stentor Benjamin Danielson

Near the peak of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yunnan, China)

327 Advanced Technology and Science Hall
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, PA 16057

(724) 738-2564

GES 100: Discover Geography (Syllabus, Fall 2015)
GES 105: World Regional Geography (Syllabus, Spring 2016)
GES 139: University Seminar: Wildfire (Syllabus, Fall 2019)
GES 205: Cultural Geography (Syllabus, Fall 2019)
GES 220: General Methods of Fieldwork (Syllabus, Fall 2018)
GES 307: Australia (Syllabus, Fall 2016)
GES 331: Economic Geography (Syllabus, Spring 2019)
GES 344: Environmental Justice (Syllabus, Spring 2019)
GES 361: Gender and the Environment (Syllabus, Spring 2018)
GES 444: World Environmental Cultures (Syllabus, Spring 2020)
SCI 102: Understanding the Physical World (Syllabus, Spring 2020)

Research Interests

Wildfire, cultural geography, pragmatism, environmental decision-making, public participation, environmental ethics and environmental justice, environmental risk and hazards, political ecology, archaeology, feminist geography, Australia

Culture and Wildfire

This project examines how culture shapes the management of wildfire risks, at the household and national levels. I draw on insights from Grid-Group Cultural Theory to examine the role that the risk of fire, and approaches to its management, intersect with people's way of life.

Future research will examine two dimensions of fire management. First, how does fire management proceed in regions (such as Pennsylvania) which are subject to fire, but which lack a widespread culture of recognition of fire danger? Second, how does the increasing number of older people residing in fire-prone environments affect fire management processes and priorities?

Entitlement to Space as Seen Through Geocaching

Geocaching is a GPS-based scavenger hunt hobby, sometimes jokingly described as "using multi-million-dollar satellites to find Tupperware in the woods." The spatial practices of geocachers -- what places they will and will not access in pursuit of placing or finding caches -- are a fertile lens for examining how people relate to geographical space. This research examines how the practices of geocaching interact with existing cultural norms and social structures to shape geocachers' entitlement to use space for their hobby.

Geography and Cartography in Speculative Fiction Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding in speculative fiction -- including literature, film, and roleplaying games -- draws on conceptions of geography, revealing how the worldbuilder thinks about our real world. In this project I am particularly interested in how invented worlds are mapped by their authors.

Past Projects

A study into how the quality of community involvement efforts and clean-up decisions at Superfund sites can be assessed. (with the Social and Environmental Research Institute, funded by a cooperative agreement with the US EPA)

Clark University
2002-2007
PhD in Geography, advisors: Roger Kasperson and Colin Polsky

Colgate University
1998-2002
Bachelor of Arts, double major in Geography and Anthropology

University of Wollongong
2000
Semester abroad

Teaching Philosophy

Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment, Slippery Rock University (Slippery Rock, PA)
August 2015-present
Associate Professor
Department Chair, May 2017-present

Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment, Slippery Rock University (Slippery Rock, PA)
August 2009-2015
Assistant Professor

Department of Social Sciences, Pima Community College, Northwest Campus (Tucson, AZ)
January 2008-May 2009
Adjunct Professor

School of Geography, Clark University (Worcester, MA)
Fall 2002, Fall 2005
Teaching Assistant

Danielson, Stentor. 2014. Overview of Human Geography. (Introductory human geography textbook)

Danielson, Stentor. forthcoming. 2017-2018 California Wildfires. in J. Funke, W. Ahmad, I. Chatterjee, and S. McCauley, eds. Geography in the 21st Century: Defining Moments that Shaped Society. ABC-CLIO. (Draft PDF)

Danielson, Stentor. forthcoming. "To trees all Men are Orcs": The environmental ethic of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The New Shadow." Tolkien Studies. (Draft PDF)

Danielson, Stentor. 2019. Discourses about environmental justice in the university classroom. Environmental Justice 12 (5). (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2018. Re-reading the map of Middle-earth: Fan cartography’s engagement with Tolkien’s legendarium. Journal of Tolkien Research 6 (1): 4. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2016. Participatory approaches in environmental management. In Dibyendu Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Avinandan Mukherjee, and Robyn Hannigan, eds. An Integrated Approach to Environmental Management, 363-380. Hoboken NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Brown, Steven R., Stentor Danielson, and Job van Exel. 2015. Overly ambitious critics and the Medici Effect: A reply to Kampen and Tamás Quality and Quantity, 49 (2): 523-537. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2013. Many versions of a single story: Wildfire management in New Jersey. Middle States Geographer 46: 38-50 (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor, Seth P. Tiler, Susan Santos, Thomas Webler, and Caron Chess. 2012. Three Tools for evaluating participation: Focus groups, Q Method, and surveys. Environmental Practice 14 (2): 101-109. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor and Philippe Boudes. 2011. Ecology. In Green ethics and philosophy: An A-to-Z guide, ed. Julie Newman and Paul Robbins, pp. 150-154. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Danielson, Stentor. 2011. Utilitarianism. In Green ethics and philosophy: An A-to-Z guide, ed. Julie Newman and Paul Robbins, pp. 425-427. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Danielson, Stentor, Thomas Webler, and Seth P. Tuler. 2010. Using Q Method for the formative evaluation of public participation processes. Society and Natural Resources 23 (1): 92-96.

Danielson, Stentor 2009. Q Method and surveys: Three ways to combine Q and R. Field Methods 21 (3): 219-237.

Danielson, Stentor 2009. Recognizing common ground: A reply to Steven R. Brown. Field Methods 21 (3): 242-243.

Danielson, Stentor, Susan L. Santos, Thomas Webler, and Seth P. Tuler. 2008. Building and breaking a bridge of trust in a Superfund site remediation. International Journal of Global Environmental Issues 8 (1/2): 45-60. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2019. Cartography -- let's make a map. Presented at Gauntlet Con 2019, 24 October. (View Recording)

Danielson, Stentor. 2019. Assessing residents' views of forest fire risks. Invited lecture at Yunnan University, 12 July, Kunming, Yunnan.

Danielson, Stentor. 2019. Extending Arda: Mapping beyond The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion. Presented at Mythmoot VI, 28 June, Leesburg VA.

Danielson, Stentor. 2019. Critical Q Methodology. Panelist at American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, 6 April, Washington DC.

Danielson, Stentor. 2019. Re-reading the map of Middle-earth: Fan cartography's engagement with Tolkien's legendarium. Presented at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, 5 April, Washington DC.

Danielson, Stentor. 2018. Park-and-grabs or 5/5s: Ways of relating to the landscape through geocaching.” Presented at the 34th Annual Conference of the International Society for the Scientific Study of Subjectivity, 11 October, Charlotte NC.

Danielson, Stentor. 2018. Constructing the map of Middle-earth. Presented at Mythmoot V, 23 June, Leesburg VA. (View Recording)

Danielson, Stentor. 2017. Entitlement to space in geocaching. Presented at the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, 6 April, Boston MA.

Danielson, Stentor. 2016. Entitlement to space in geocaching. Presented at the Institute of Australian Geographers Annual Meeting, 30 June, Adelaide SA.

Danielson, Stentor. 2016. Application of Q Methodology in geography. Discussant at Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 2 April, San Francisco CA.

Danielson, Stentor. 2016. Fantasy maps of real places: Tensions over space and place in a cartographic art project. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 2 April, San Francisco CA.

Danielson, Stentor. 2015. Exposure of older Americans and Australians to bushfire risk in the wildland-urban interface. Presented at the Institute of Australian Geographers Conference, 3 July, Canberra ACT.

Danielson, Stentor. 2015. Discourses of environmental justice in the university classroom. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 22 April, Chicago IL.

Danielson, Stentor. 2015. Perspectives of geography through space, time, and popular culture: A Doctor Who case study. Panelist at Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 22 April, Chicago IL.

Danielson, Stentor. 2014. Bringing age into environmental justice: Wildfire risk and senior citizens. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 11 April, Tampa FL.

Danielson, Stentor. 2014. Gender and wilfire: Landscapes of uncertainty. Panelist at Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 9 April, Tampa FL.

Danielson, Stentor. 2013. Many versions of a single story: Perspectives on public engagement with wildfire management in New Jersey. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 10 April, Los Angeles CA.

Danielson, Stentor. 2012. Many versions of a single story: Perspectives on public engagement with wildfire management in New Jersey. Presented at the 28th Annual Q Conference, 6 September, Pittsburgh PA. (PPT Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2012. From "local knowledge" to "local ignorance": Age and wildfire management in the New Jersey pine barrens. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 24 February, New York NY. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2010. Q method, activists' agendas, and constructed preferences: Epistemological notes on three case studies. Presented at the 26th Annual Q Conference, 9 October, Akron OH.

Danielson, Stentor. 2010. Is FireWise men's work? The construction of the household in the wildland-urban interface. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 15 April, Washington DC. (PowerPoint Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2009. What subjectivity, if any, is there to study? Lecture at Kent State University, 16 November, Kent OH. (PowerPoint Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2007. Public viewpoints on fire management in New Jersey and New South Wales. Presented at the Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference, 23 October, Fort Collins CO. (PowerPoint Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2007. A new cultural theory of discourses about fire in New Jersey and New South Wales." Dissertation defense presentation, 6 September 2007, Worcester MA. (PowerPoint Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2007. Discourses about wildfire in New Jersey and New South Wales. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 19 April, San Francisco CA.

Danielson, Stentor. 2006. Discourses about fire in New Jersey and New South Wales." Presented at the 3rd International Fire Ecology Congress, 14 November, San Diego CA. (PowerPoint Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2006. What do people think about bushfires?" Seminar at the University of Wollongong, 2 August, Wollongong NSW. (PowerPoint Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2006. Discourses about fire in New Jersey and New South Wales. Presented at the Bushfire 2006 conference, 7 June, Brisbane QLD.

Danielson, Stentor. 2005. Tools for evaluating community involvement at Superfund sites: A comparative analysis. Presented at the 25th Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis, 6 December, Orlando FL. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. 2005. Social Capital as a Double-Edged Sword: Trust and Distrust at a Superfund Site." Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 9 April, Denver CO.

Danielson, Stentor. 2004. Geographic ideas in goddess mythology. Presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, 15 March, Philadelphia PA.

Check the Glittercats Fine Amusements webpage for roleplaying game publications.

Danielson, Stentor. 2016. Review of Here be dragons: exploring fantasy maps and settings, by Stefan Ekman. Historical Geography 44: 159-161.

Danielson, Stentor. 2016. Review of Swamplife: people, gators, and mangroves entangled in the Everglades, by Laura A. Ogden. Material Culture 48 (2): 99-100.

Danielson, Stentor. 2016. Places familiar and fantastical. Coordinates.

Danielson, Stentor. 2015. Review of They saved the crops: labor, landscape, and the struggle over industrial farming in Bracero-era California, by Don Mitchell. Material Culture 47 (1): 92-94.

Danielson, Stentor. 2013. Annotated Bibliography on Participatory Approaches in Environmental Management. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. nd. Is Cultural Theory useful? A pragmatist application to wildfire risk. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. nd. Who wants to participate? Public views of wildfire management in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. (PDF Available)

Danielson, Stentor. nd. How the public thinks about bushfires in the Sydney suburbs. (PDF Available)

Tuler, Seth P., Caron Chess, Susan Santos, Stentor Danielson, and Thomas Webler. 2008. Selecting the right tool for evaluations: Guidance for community involvement practitioners. EPA Network News, Winter 2008. (PDF Available)

Webler, Thomas, Stentor Danielson, and Seth P. Tuler. 2007. Guidance on the use of Q method for evaluation of public involevment programs at contaminated sites. Greenfield, MA: Social and Environmental Research Institute. (PDF Available)

Webler, Thomas, Stentor Danielson, and Seth P. Tuler. 2008. An academic primer on Q method. Greenfield, MA: Social and Environmental Research Institute. (PDF Available)

Santos, Susan L., Stentor Danielson, and Caron Chess. 2007. Guidance on the use of focus groups for evaluation of public involvement programs at contaminated sites. Greenfield, MA: Social and Environmental Research Institute. (PDF Available)

Bush vs. Schwarzenegger: Political Economic Re-regulation and the 2003 Southern California Wildfires (PDF Available) (2003)

Ideology and Environmental Degradation in the Aral Sea Basin (High Honors Thesis in Geography) (PDF Available) (2002)

Oneida-Archaeologist Relations: A Utilitarian Perspective On Cooperation Between American Indians And Archaeologists (Honors Thesis in Sociology and Anthropology) (document in .pdf format) (2002)

Environmental Justice at the Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site, Palmerton PA (PDF Available) (2001)

Association of American Geographers

International Society for the Scientific Study of Subjectivity

International Association of Wildland Fire

Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculty

International Association for Society and Natural Resources