I am a professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of North Texas. My interests focus on location intelligence, business strategy, and entrepreneurship. In connection with these interests, I contribute to the applied geography community, where I am the executive director of the Applied Geography Conferences, Inc. The Business Geography Specialty Group (BGSG) of the American Association of Geographers presented me with their Distinguished Scholar Award in 2018, and the group's Distinguished Service Award in 2022. My students have placed first in the Lawrence Estaville Memorial Paper Competition (the annual student research competition sponsored by the BGSG) three times. I earned my B.E. (Engineering Physics), M.A. (Geography), and Ph.D. (Geography) at the University of Saskatchewan. My scholarly activities are summarized in my curriculum vitae, peer-reviewed publication list, conference presentation list, and UNT faculty profile.
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Prior to joining UNT Geography and the Environment, I founded and ran a market consulting firm and taught in the Department of Geography at Saskatchewan. I spent most of the earliest years of my life in Ottawa, Ontario. A one-year stint in Boston for fourth grade was also an influential period for me, and (unknowingly to me at the time) provided an early foundation for my understanding of cities and economies. I would later draw on this background later on in my graduate studies in geography. After moving back to Ottawa for several years, I made the big move out to western Canada with my family to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (say that 3 times fast) in time to finish high school (Go Marauders!). Immediately after high school I pursued my university education in Saskatoon, finally graduating with my Ph.D. in Geography in 1995. In addition to teaching at UNT and the University of Saskatchewan, I have also held teaching positions at the University of Northern British Columbia and the University of Calgary.
As a result of my geographically-rich upbringing, I became a fan (and to this day remain an avid follower) of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Ottawa Senators, the Boston Red Sox, and the Seattle Seahawks. Of all the sports I watch, I have a special spot in my heart for Canadian football. I enjoy investing my "free" time in community and family and serving through my church. The person that I am is directly related to what I believe. These time-tested and deeply-held beliefs provide a foundation for me and my family to live through some increasingly challenging times. I invite you to stop by the office and chat about matters of faith and belief. |
Here's a pretty good overview of some of the great features of my hometown, Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Check out the video they show of the longest skating rink in the world!
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More:
- Fun fact that might be interesting only to me: both years my wife and I welcomed a son into our family, the Red Sox won the World Series.
- Fun fact #2: My eldest son and I agree on what a graduate student's priorities should be in their last semester in our MS program.
- Dog lover: Thus far, my family and I have had four wonderful dogs.
Here are pictures of some places I have lived in or been to, and find interesting:
© Murray D. Rice. All rights reserved.