Graduate Students

Ellen Hostetter

B.A. Rutgers University

contact:

1418 Patterson Office Tower
Tel.:(859) 257-6992
Fax: (859) 323-1969
email: ellenhostetter@hotmail.com

Profile

I consider myself a cultural geographer with an interest in the emotions of landscape: why we talk and feel about landscapes the way we do; how our identities get wrapped up in the built environment; and how these feelings and identities can have a physical impact on the landscape.  More specifically, I like to explore American cultural landscapes such as front lawns and roadside strips, read urban planning documents such as zoning codes and comprehensive plans (you'd be amazed at the emotions contained in these documents!), and delve into psychoanalysis and social theory in order to understand emotions and identity.  I have recently become interested in issues of class related to retail spaces such as malls and new downtown revitalization projects.  I just completed my master's degree and am continuing on at the University of Kentucky for my PhD.