The transformation of an area of northern Columbus through an influx of Somali and Latino immigrant-operated businesses is the topic of the Ohio Wesleyan’s 27th annual Joseph and Edith Vogel Lecture on Thursday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center in downtown Delaware, Ohio.
David M. Walker, Ohio Wesleyan assistant professor of geology-geography, will outline his findings from research conducted in summer 2010 in the Morse Road corridor in his presentation, “Immigrantification: Global Immigration and Landscape Changes – The Revitalization of the Morse Road Corridor in Columbus, Ohio.”
In 2002, Northland Mall closed, and the formerly prospering neighborhood began to decline. In recent years, immigrant entrepreneurs have opened stores and restaurants in vacant buildings, culturally and economically spurring urban revitalization. In his presentation, Walker will outline how he interviewed residents, business owners, and city officials to create a map of their perceptions of what has occurred in the area. His research with Ohio Wesleyan student Jack Schemenauer was funded through a Theory-into-Practice grant from the university.
Walker earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, with a major in Latin American studies, and minors in Spanish and Portuguese. He earned a master’s degree in Latin American studies from San Diego State University, and his doctoral degree in geography from the University of Kentucky. His areas of expertise include: contemporary urban issues, economic geography, urban geography, demographics, migration, sustainable development, and race and gender.
Established in 1985, Ohio Wesleyan’s Joseph and Edith Vogel Lecture Series is made possible by a generous gift from their son, Ezra F. Vogel, Ph.D., a 1950 Ohio Wesleyan graduate, native of Delaware, Ohio, and retired professor of East Asian Studies at Harvard University.
