Today, we welcomed Arika Ligmann-Zielinska, an Associate Professor in the ⁠Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences⁠ at Michigan State University. Dr. Ligmann-Zielinska’s areas of study include spatial analysis, coupledhuman-environment modeling, and agent-based models.

Arika discussed the annual celebration of Programmers’ Day, which honors the programming profession and the impact of software on daily life, often featuring code sharing, tech discussions, and company recognition for developers. It is celebrated on the 256th day of the year, which is the highestpower of 2 less than 365 (\(2^8 = 256\)), representing an 8-bit byte. In 2026, a common year, this falls on September 13th.

You can learn more about Dr. Ligmann-Zielinska’s research on her MSU Geography directory page.

Our sponsor for this episode is the MSU Geography Undergraduate Program. At MSU Geography, you won’t just study the world — you’ll help shape it. Ready to map your future? Visit geo.msu.edu and talk with an academicadvisor today.

Today, we welcomed Erin Bunting, an Assistant Professor in the ⁠Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences⁠ at Michigan State University. Dr. Bunting’s areas of study include leveraging big data geospatial analysis, modeling, and statistics to understand environmental change, climate impacts, and human–environment connections. Dr. Bunting is co-editor of a newly released book titled Remote Sensing, Big Data, and GeoAI: Exploring Applications with Geospatial Insights.

Erin discussed the importance and legacy of the July 23, 1972, launch of the first civilian Earth-observation satellite, Landsat 1 (originally known as the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1)).

You can learn more about Dr. Bunting’s research on her MSU Geography directory page. To learn more about Landsat 1 and the other Landsat missions, visit the US Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat Mission website.

Our sponsor for this episode is the MSU Geography Undergraduate Program. At MSU Geography, you won’t just study the world — you’ll help shape it. Ready to map your future? Visit geo.msu.edu and talk with an academic advisor today.

Today, we welcomed LeoZulu⁠, a professor in the ⁠Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences⁠ , and the Director of the African Studies Center at Michigan State University.

Dr. Zulu’s areas of study include Political ecology, environment and development, resource management in rural Africa, remote sensing, and GIS.

Leo discussed World Environment Day, a celebration observed annually on June 5 that promotes awareness and action to protect the environment.

You can find Dr. Zulu on LinkedIn and Google Scholar.

Our sponsor for this episode is the MSU Geography Undergraduate Program. At MSU Geography, you won’t just study the world — you’ll help shape it. Ready to map your future? Visit geo.msu.edu and talk with an academicadvisor today.