Michael Letzring

2017-2022
PhD, Interdisciplinary, Historical Geography
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Dissertation: Cartography, Territory and Empire, Mapping the Alaska Boundary Dispute, 1821-1903.
Defended: May 11, 2022
Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Mary Ehrlander

2014-2017
MSc, Geography, Major-Geographic Information Science
East Carolina University
Thesis Project: Mapping historical topography using structure-from-motion methods and archival declassified satellite imagery.
Defended: July 20, 2017
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Thad Wasklewicz

2009-2012
MA, Arctic and Northern Studies, Northern History
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Thesis: Allesandro Malaspina and the Voyage of Disenchantment
Defended: May 4, 2012
Committee Chairperson: Dr. Carol Gold 

1983-1986
BA, Media, Film and Media Production,
Brooks Institute, Santa Barbara California 

Languages:
English (native), Portuguese (conversational)

Areas of Expertise: Early modern history, nineteenth and twentieth century history of the circumpolar north, history of cartography and geodesy, historical geography. Cartographic design, applied and theoretical geographic information science and instruction, remote sensing, geospatial analysis, historical geography.

Regional Expertise: Alaska and the Circumpolar North

 

History

My 2017 MSc Thesis project explores appropriating military reconnaissance products from the cold-war era and re-purposing this archival data for detecting geomorphic change and infrastructure risk in remote and understudied circumpolar regions. Further application of applied interdisciplinary spatial analysis methods was a project for the National Park Service in coastal North Carolina (through East Carolina University) to capture, analyze and visualize threatened historical sites and buildings in 3D for preservation and documentation. My 2012 Ma. Thesis examined colonial Spanish science and exploration embodied in the Malaspina expedition to Alaska in 1789-1794 through a study of the cartographic output of a long-suppressed expedition report. Current in-process projects include an article examining the first U.S. government map of the Alaska territory that would go on to form the basis of United States arguments in the 1903 boundary dispute with Great Britain, and a project studying the development of colonial European toponyms in pre-1867 Russian America.

Cartography

A parallel and related research interest involves cartography, and research in cartographic history with an emphasis on critical geographic analysis supported by spatial analysis of archival maps using geographic information science-based methodology. Critical historical cartography and geography research topics have included coastal mapping of North Carolina in the 18th and 19th centuries, World War II battlefield analysis in the Pacific theatre based on combinations of documentary and cartographic sources and government stereographic aerial mapping technology and methods with relation to the positional uncertainty of military and USGS topographic maps, and colonial cartography of the Northwest Coast.

Leonard and Marjorie Wright Endowment scholarship. 2019
Leonard and Marjorie Wright Endowment scholarship. 2018
G. Herbert Stout Award for Innovation Student Papers in GIS. 2017

American Association of Geographers- Member
American Geophysical Union- Member
International Cartographic Association- Member

2024-2025
Term Assistant Professor
Department of History
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska

2017-2019
Teacher-Assistantship
Department of Arctic and Northern Studies
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Supervisor: Dr. Mary Ehrlander  

2015-2017
Research-Assistantship
Department of Geography
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
Supervisor: Dr. Thad Wasklewicz 

2014-2015
Research-Assistantship
Department of Coastal Resource Management
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer McKinnon

10/2023-5/2024
Historian 
State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Office of History and Archeology
Historical Research and Review, NHA compliance and NHP nominations, BGN nominations
(37.5 hours weekly)

6/2019-8/2023
Geospatial Analyst
Arctic Coastal Geoscience Laboratory
University of Alaska Fairbanks
GIS, Cartography
(20 hours weekly except field work) 

5/2010-8/2013
Interpretive Ranger/Media Specialist 
National Park Service
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Fairbanks, Alaska
Interpretive Media Production
(STEP 20 hours weekly except field work)

5/2004-11/2009
Producer, Director
University of Alaska Fairbanks,
KUAC Public Broadcasting
Fairbanks, Alaska
Documentary Television Production
(exempt 40+ hours weekly)

1/1999-3/2004
Producer, Director
Alaska Public Telecommunications Inc., KAKM Public Broadcasting
Anchorage, Alaska
Documentary Television Production
(exempt 40+ hours weekly)

1/1987-12/1998
Assistant Director
Freelance and Contract
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada Film and Video Production
(seasonal contract 40+ hours weekly)

6/1987-8/1999
Commercial Fisher
Alaska, Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay, and Prince William Sound Districts
Drift Gill Net and Purse Seine Salmon Fishing
(seasonal 40+ hours weekly)

 

2022
Analysis of shoreline changes and trends in the coastal community of Dillingham, Alaska: an application of digital shoreline analysis system (DSAS).
Virtually presented at the 14th WAISC
(Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference and Forum)
Co-Author

2022
Dillingham Coastal Hazard Report
Alaska Coastal Geoscience Laboratory
Co-Author 

2019
Mapping the Allen Expedition
Presentation and Poster
American Association of Geographers
Co-Author 

2019
Han Ethnography-Cartographic Analysis
National Park Service, Astrolabe Geomatic Services
Cartographic analysis, Geodatabase creation
GIS Analyst 

2015
Exploring Coal Creek
National Park Service, Alaska Interpretive Services
Virtual Tour and Interpretive Media
Camera, Editor, Web Author 

2015
Monitoring Glaciers in Alaska’s National Parks
National Park Service, East Carolina University
Interpretive ESRI Storymap with associated media
Camera, Editor, Web Author, GIS technician 

2012
'Wolf Research in Northern Alaska'
National Park Service
webcast media
Writer, Director, Editor 

2011
'Dall's Sheep Population Survey in Arctic Alaska'
National Park Service
webcast interpretive media
Director, Editor 

2009
'Mr. Alaska, Bob Bartlett goes to Washington'
University of Alaska/ KUAC Public Broadcasting
Broadcast documentary
Writer, Director

2008 
'STEEP, Saint Elias Plate Tectonics Research Project'
University of Alaska Fairbanks/KUAC Public Broadcasting
webcast documentary
Writer, Director, Editor 

2007
'The 49th Star, Creating Alaska' 
University of Alaska/KUAC Public Broadcasting
Broadcast Documentary
Writer, Director, Editor