The graduate program in Geography, University of Missouri-Columbia

Returning Peace Corps Volunteers Fellows Program

 

The MU Geography Department is very pleased to be a participant in the Returning Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) Fellows/USA program. This program provides graduate students who are returned Peace Corps volunteers an opportunity to utilize and build upon their overseas experience. Service learning and civic engagement are an integral component of each RPCV Fellow's graduate degree at MU. Engagement with local communities will be active, developed in partnership with those affected, and mutually beneficial to all involved. RPCVs receive a $7000 annual stipend toward financing their graduate education in addition to a departmental assistantship. Volunteers can apply for the Fellows/USA any time after they complete their Peace Corps service.

 
 
 

John Hager, University of Missouri-Columbia Geography MA, 2003 and Peace Corps Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa, 2000-2002. John taught science and math at a rural junior high school for his Peace Corps assignment. He was inspired by the role of women in rural Gambian society, and their traditional lack of educational opportunity. His Masters research examined the cultural barriers traditionally facing girls in obtaining an education, and the benefits to society when formal education became available.

 
Admitted Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are eligible for a two year Teaching Assistantship (TA) or Research Assistantship (RA) position. TA positions typically involve teaching undergraduate lab sections of introductory world geography classes. Beyond the RPCV stipend, TA’s will receive an educational tuition and fee waiver and the monthly stipend associated with an assistantship. The department also has Research Assistant (RA) positions funded through grants and contracts. The RA positions are tied to specific research projects and vary by semester. All RA’s will receive an educational tuition and fee waiver and a monthly stipend.

The department offers a broad range of opportunities within the discipline of Geography, with concentrations in Human Geography, Nature/Society Relationships, Physical Environmental Systems, and Geographic Information Science.

RPCV students are especially encouraged to integrate their community service work with their thesis research. Service learning opportunities in the central Missouri area are available through a broad range of local, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations and other organizations.

   
Participants in the MU RPCV Fellows and Geography MA
Craig Hutton, current University of Missouri-Columbia Geography MA student and Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, South America, 1999-2001. Craig and his community partners worked on small scale agricultural and animal husbandry projects promoting integration and use of local resources. Craig also worked with the local elementary school (English and environmental education) and helped to organize a local fish farming association.

 

As the community was a recent settlement in the area, Craig was interested in how community members adapted to their new environment - blending knowledge/skills from their "old" environments with the new. Craigs Masters research interests include community development, volunteerism, and cultural geography.

Frequently asked questions about the RPCV Fellows Program at the University of Missouri

For further questions about RPCV Fellows in Geography, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Mark Cowell.

If you have questions about RPCV Fellows at the University of Missouri, see the MU RPCV Fellows site, or contact Dr. Don Spiers, Department of Animal Science.