BOONE—Dr. Jim Young, a geography professor and chairman of the Department of Geography and Planning at Appalachian State University, has been named Outstanding Educator of the Year by the North Carolina Geographical Society.

The society promotes the study of geography, particularly the geography of North Carolina. The award was presented at the society’s fall meeting.

Young is the second geography professor from Appalachian to receive the award. It was first presented to former department chair Neal Lineback in 2001.

“Jim’s contributions to geographic education are outstanding,” wrote nominator Thomas Ross, a professor of geography at UNC Pembroke and a past recipient of the award.

“In addition to his duties at Appalachian State University where he is highly respected as a professor, scholar, and chairman, he has provided invaluable assistance to the North Carolina World Geography Bowl annual competition and has also been a leader with the North Carolina Geographic Alliance. In addition, he is an active member of the North Carolina Geographic Society making important contributions to the well-being of the society.”

Ross praised Young’s contributions to teacher education through the many workshops he has planned and directed for teachers in the state. “The knowledge they have gained, and taken home to incorporate into their classroom teaching, has made thousands of school students more geographically literate,” Ross wrote.

Young has been a member of the faculty at Appalachian since 1993, and chairman of the department since 2002.

He is the cartographic editor of the Journal of Geography, produced by the National Council for Geographic Education, co-editor of Focus on Geography, produced by the American Geographical Society, and consultant with the N.C. Geographic Alliance.

He also is a co-author of the second edition of “North Carolina: People and Environments.”

Young has served as presenter to the N.C. Council for the Social Studies, and the N.C. Geographic Alliance.

He is a member of several professional geographic organizations, including the N.C. Geographical Society, Association of American Geographers, National Council for Geographic Education, and American Congress on Surveying and Mapping/American Cartographic Association.

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