Roger Sandness

Biography

Former South Dakota State University Geography department head 1990 to 2009. Hired in 1971, Dr. Sandness taught as assistant professor for five years before going to the University of Iowa where he later received his doctorate in 1986. He returned to SDSU in 1978 and became department head in 1990. During his time at SDSU, he not only watched the geography of campus change but helped expand his department as well. In 1984 the department became one of the leading users of geographic information systems, which helps users interpret referenced geographic data. Working with the College of Engineering, Dr. Sandness oversaw the addition of the geospatial science and engineering doctorate program to the department curriculum in 2006. Teaching his specialties, Dr. Sandness instructed courses in physical geography, climatology, geomorphology and quantitative geography.