Onward: An interview with Zebulon Wallace
MINOT, N.D. – You might know Zebulon Wallace from some of the many events where he has a microphone in his hand.
The associate professor and program director in geography was the Emcee for the Minot State Alumni Association Gala for three years and has been a speaker at multiple MSU Preview Days and New Student Orientations.
But that is all in a day's work — or maybe you could say an “occupational hazard” for the Belgreen, Alabama native who labels himself as a “hazards geographer,” researching natural hazards and how people prepare and respond to tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
Minot State’s University Communications used the beautiful MSU campus map — created by our own Roxi Matthias — to track down Wallace in his office in Old Main to learn more about his experience at Minot State and beyond.
You have been at Minot State since 2017, tell us how your teaching experience has been at Minot State. Are there any specific high points you’d like to single out?
ZW: My experiences at MSU have been phenomenal. The students are amazing, and my colleagues are wonderful to work with. I’ve had the opportunity to teach some fun classes and meet some incredible people along the way. By far the best thing about this job is the relationships that I have built with my students and my colleagues. Many former students have stayed in touch and have become friends. We don’t have a major in geography at MSU, but I love it when students decide to get a minor or a concentration because it means I can get to know them better. And a few of my students have decided to pursue graduate degrees in geography and that is very rewarding for me.
What were some of the reasons you chose to come to MSU?
ZW: To be honest, I had never heard of Minot before I saw the job announcement. But I knew what I was looking for and MSU fit perfectly. I wanted a small university in a small town with a strong sense of community. I came to interview for the job in early February. The temperatures were below zero, and the snow was so deep. Coming from the south, I had never experienced anything like that before. I thought to myself, “what are you doing here?” But there was such a warmness that I felt on campus. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. When I got the offer, I didn’t hesitate to accept. It has truly been an incredible experience.
When we hear geography, the first thing most people think about is maps. I’m guessing geography is a little deeper than just how to read a map. Give us your elevator speech on what geography encompasses.
ZW: Geography isn’t just about knowing where things are, but also why they are there and how it will affect other things. We look at the physical world (e.g. landscapes and weather), the human world (e.g. culture and population), and the relationship between the two. We seek to understand how people adapt, modify, and depend on the environment. We track the movement of different things across space, such as ideas, people, goods, and even diseases. We try to make sense of how the world is organized spatially when it comes to regions and political territories and the relationship between different territories. Geography is all-encompassing, meaning that we borrow from multiple disciplines and study it with a spatial element to it. I absolutely love that about geography. No matter what your interests are, you can examine it with a geographical lens.
What are some of the reasons you chose to teach geography?
ZW: I was probably a sophomore in college when I took a world regional geography class for one of my electives. I didn’t know much about geography, but I fell in love with it during that class. The professor, Dr. Bill Strong, made it so interesting, and it was a class that I looked forward to attending. I remember one day thinking how amazing it would be to teach a class like that — to be able to tell stories about different places and to help people understand how the world works. At the time, I didn’t know for sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I put the thought of teaching in the back of my mind. Much later, I had a conversation with one of my professors, and he said that he had the best job in the world. He told me it was a hard job to get but it was a pretty nice gig if you could get one. I really didn’t know if I would ever be able to land a job, but now I would have to agree with my professor. It is the best job in the world, and I feel very fortunate!
We like a quote from your bio that reads, “you have a passion for helping students identify unique spatial patterns around our world and to recognize just how interconnected we all are.” Can you further explain that notion?
ZW: Sometimes living in Minot, we may feel very isolated from the rest of the world or even the rest of the country. But what happens in one place affects what happens in another. I like to help students understand that we don’t live in a bubble. A hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico may not directly impact you, but when the oil rigs shut down, gas prices may rise. A tsunami in Asia may not directly impact you, but when computer parts can’t get out, the availability of new computers may be limited. When a cargo ship gets stuck in the Suez Canal, there are ripple effects that are felt around the world. No matter where it is, because the world is so interconnected, it can be felt in faraway places.
As a student, I also loved it when I could make a connection with something we were discussing with something in the real world. When something that I had experienced all my life but didn’t understand why, when those things were made clear to me, that was a cool feeling. So, I love to help students have those moments too, by connecting patterns from the real world with topics we are discussing.
Tell us about your academic career; where did you study, what degrees did you earn, and how did those experiences shape you as a professor?
ZW: I attended the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama, and received my bachelor’s in professional geography. My advisor encouraged me to go to grad school but at the time, I was not ready for that. After a few years of working, I eventually did go back to UNA to get my master’s in geospatial science. From there, I went to the University of Memphis to get my doctorate in earth sciences with an emphasis in geography. I was very fortunate to have incredible mentors along the way who helped me gain the experience that I needed to become a professor. My professors knew that my goal was to teach, and they gave me opportunities to do that during grad school. At UNA, I taught two sections of world regional geography. It was a dream to teach that class since it was the one that made me want to be a teacher in the first place. At the University of Memphis, I also got to teach world regional geography as well as courses in emergency management, cultural geography, and weather and climate. During that time, I had the privilege of teaching world regional at Arkansas State University as an adjunct. By the time I got to Minot State, even though I was fresh out of grad school, I felt very prepared for the classroom.
Were you always interested in geography and what are some of the reasons you chose that as your undergrad and graduate degrees?
ZW: Actually, when I was in high school, I was sure I would do something related to communications or media. I went to UNA as a theater major, but I eventually transitioned over to radio/television/film. I wanted to find a job close to home and wasn’t sure if I would be able to do that in those fields, so I searched for something else. After taking the world regional geography class and others, I became a geography major. I was absolutely fascinated with geography and all the possibilities that it offered. I also thought I would have a much better chance for a stable job close to home. The ironic thing is, when I graduated with my bachelor’s, I got a job in the film industry close to home. Now with my geography job, I am 1,500 miles away. It’s funny how that worked out.
What is your specific research area in geography?
ZW: I consider myself to be a hazards geographer. I am very interested in how people prepare and respond to natural hazards, like tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. My research has mainly focused on tornado hazards in the southeastern U.S. and the central plains. I look at risk perception and communication within rural communities, and how these elements vary from one place to the next. Additionally, I find it very interesting how indirect experience with a hazard can be used as a substitute for direct experience. In other words, your community may not have been affected by a hazard, but if you can identify with a community that was, it may motivate you to better prepare and respond to future events. So finding ways to use the experience of others to help save lives in communities without previous experience is a major passion of mine.
My motivation for studying tornadoes and hazards goes back to a major tornado outbreak in the southeast on April 27, 2011. I witnessed firsthand the devastation of major tornadoes in rural areas as over 300 people lost their lives. I wanted to do what I could to help prevent this from happening again by understanding how people were getting information, what they were doing with that information, and their perception of the dangers of tornadoes. My hope is to determine how we can better communicate warning information that will motivate people to act and to prepare a plan of action before warnings are issued.
You are originally from Alabama, and your higher education is in Alabama and Tennessee. Can you tell us about some of the differences and similarities between living in the South and now the North?
ZW: In many ways, they are all very similar. Minot reminds me a lot of where I grew up in Alabama because of the small-town feel. It’s nice to be out and see people you know. Tennessee was a little different for me because I was living in Memphis, a pretty large city. The people are friendly and very helpful in all these locations, but I have to admit, the people in North Dakota are some of the nicest people I have ever been around. Complete strangers help each other, like the guys who stopped and pulled my car out of the snow when I got stuck.
Of course, the weather is a huge difference. I do miss warmer weather in the wintertime, but I think I have adapted very well to the cold. The summers in North Dakota are so pleasant without the high humidity, and I don’t miss the severe tornadic weather that is all too frequent down in the South. I do love the Midwestern accents here and the new vocabulary that I have learned (uffdah). And one of the best things about Minot… there are no poisonous snakes here!
What do you like to do outside of the classroom: family, hobbies, or other areas of interest?
ZW: I absolutely love being outside when the weather is nice. I love to hike and spend time visiting national parks. The Badlands of North Dakota is one of my favorite places in this state. I also love the little town of Medora. The history of the area is fascinating, and the physical landscape is stunning. I am actually spending the summer in Medora and getting to work with the Medora Musical as well as leading some backstage tours. Truly a blast!
I have fallen in love with hockey since moving to North Dakota. I had never really watched it before I moved here but I love going to MSU games. I also enjoy the arts, and I have been very fortunate to be involved in six Western Plains Opera productions and one Mouse River Players production. I had the great fortune of participating in the Minot Beginning Community Band a couple of years ago, and I joined the Minot Chamber Chorale last year. One of the great things about Minot is that there are so many things to do and opportunities to get involved.
I am also very grateful to have a strong church family here in Minot. They have helped to make Minot a place of growth for me, and for that, I am incredibly thankful. And finally, my absolute favorite thing is my six-pound chihuahua, Tucker! He’s my little buddy and goes just about everywhere with me. If you are ever on campus, you should stop by and meet him. If you want to get on his good side… he loves blueberries!
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 07/10/24
