John Benhart
There are laws of science, for sure, but true science changes all the time. That’s what excites John Benhart, a professor in IUP’s Department of Anthropology, Geospatial, and Earth Sciences. He loves learning what’s new and sharing it with his students. Learn more about him in this Meet Our Faculty feature.
What is it about the regional planning field that initially drew you in—and ultimately keeps you interested?
I’ve always been interested in the structure of places and how they work, and I’ve always loved reading maps. So, as a student, I just kept pursuing the things I liked, and I was fortunate to have put myself in the right places at times when exciting things were happening, such as the emergence of geographic information systems (GIS) and the global positioning system (GPS). Those allowed me to pursue my interests while starting an exciting career.
I continue to love what I do, because it doesn’t stay the same. In many instances, we are trying to accomplish the same things (creating better communities, thriving ecosystems, a sustainable future), but as science and technology progress, new opportunities emerge. For example, we now use drones to accomplish high-accuracy mapping and analyze earth phenomena in ways that were not possible even 10 years ago.
Why do you enjoy teaching in this discipline?
I enjoy teaching about GIS, community planning, and uncrewed aircraft systems (drones) for three reasons:
- These things involve the integration of science and application, so there is almost always an applied, hands-on component to what I teach. It is very rewarding to see my students learn by doing.
- What I teach doesn’t stay the same, so I constantly need to evaluate scientific and technological innovation to determine what my students should be learning. That process is fun!
- The things I teach are directly applicable to the knowledge and skills my students will need for their future careers. My students get jobs!
What advice would you give students about how to succeed in college?
Keep pursuing what you enjoy doing, and try to excel to the greatest degree possible. Find professors and other students who are doing the things that you would like to do, and talk to them about how to put yourself in a position to do those things. Utilize all of the opportunities that you have at IUP or any university. Remember, as professors, our job is to help you learn what we teach and to achieve your goals, objectives, and dreams.
Tell us something most of your students may not know about you.
I have traveled throughout the Pacific realm (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, and Tahiti) and have taught and done research as an IUP faculty member in Austria, Bulgaria, and Germany.