Getting to Know – Maureen Awitty

Introduction:

My name is Maureen Awitty and this is my second semester at World Campus PSU.

-I currently live in Joppa MD, suburbs of Baltimore. I have been living here with family for over four months while I look for a place in the Washington DC area – where I work.

-I was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. Growing up in a developing country exposed me to knowledge and encounters that I appreciate now more than ever. Like first-hand experience of East African’s natural resources, fluency in several languages, various cultural influences and exposures etc.

-I’m majoring in IST and aspiring to be a Computers and Information Systems Manager. Most organizations today, business entities small and large have some form of technology infrastructure and supportive resources. As a result I’m intrigued by the Information Technology discipline because it a continuously evolving part of an organization’s support.  In addition, IT Support is a growing industry as more businesses and organizations grow their online /data/ digital resources and offerings. Some of the challenges these modern organizations face is controlling big data and cyber security. Issues like cyber security are constantly changing into smarter and craftier catastrophes.

-My interest in Geography 030 is meeting the GS requirement for my major, getting a good grade and gaining knowledge of the Geography discipline particularly in sustainability.

-I love technology but don’t currently work in the field. I work very closely with the IT Dept. within my organization due to several cross-functional projects and collaborations. I am a Business Manager at a mid-size law firm in Washington DC, the commute is a killer.  I have extensive experience in operations management with a focus in the legal sector which I have been doing for the past twelve years.

 

Geographic perspective issue:

The human-environment interactions especially how human decisions are changing the natural environment is global concern today. The human-environment interaction involves keys points such as;

-How the natural environment shapes, controls and constrain human activities. For example, natural hazards like the blizzard Jonas that we are experiencing in the east coast this weekend. Millions of people will be constrained in their homes for at least of a couple of days as a result of the snow storm. This natural hazard will cause a lot of physical damage to structures, possible loss of human lives, and affect the economy as well.

-How human activities shape and change the natural environment like ecosystems, river systems, vegetation, and climate. This is known as Anthropocene.

-How human activities can exist without disrupting the functions of natural ecosystems, a concept which is also known as sustainability.

-Governance which covers how people make decisions and how they are constrained by external forces and structures to limit their range of options.

-Ethics which the prioritization of human needs at the expense of non-human needs.

The perspective of human-environment interactions is important because in its definition above it will impact survival of the human species, non-human species and the earth. Climate change plus lack of sustainability are direct causes of the human-environment interactions seen through deforestation in the Amazon and overfishing.  In addition, global warming resulting from climate change has been a hot topic and a global concern for our generation. Therefore governance, ethics and awareness of the negative impacts of human-environment interactions can encourage and preserve a sustainable environment.

Have a wonderful semester everyone!

Maureen

 

One thought on “Getting to Know – Maureen Awitty

  1. Hi Maureen, my name is Adriana. It is so cool that you were raised in Kenya! It will be very interesting to hear your perspective on future blog entries. I also agree that human-environment interactions is important to study. We need to understand how we effect the environment and how the environment effects us. Hope this semester goes well for you!
    http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/24/getting-to-know-adriana-buonocore/

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