New Ways of Teaching: Marc Schlossberg

Marc Schlossberg and his students use technology to build a better world, one neighborhood at a time

"Have fun and do good." With these words, Assistant Professor Marc Schlossberg sends his Applied GIS and Social Planning students out on their mission: to help a Eugene community improve its livability using personal digital assistants (PDAs) and ArcPad GIS mapping software.

So how did a University of Texas business major headed for a career in marketing end up in Eugene, teaching courses in Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon? A summer job with a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for inner city residents proved to be the catalyst for a sea change in Schlossberg's direction. After completing his business degree, he went on to serve in the Peace Corps, earn a Ph.D. in urban planning, and subsequently inspire students to make a difference in the world. Like a pebble tossed into a pond, the ripple effect of Schlossberg's experience is now quietly spreading in the form of grassroots movements across the globe....

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