Welcome to my website, please visit the links here and if you are interested in my research, the Earth and Environment or Geography Programs, or any of my courses, don't hesitate to contact me at 305-348-1859 or gebelein@fiu.edu.

I received my bachelors in biology from Syracuse University in 1994, my masters in marine affairs from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS)/University of Miami in 1996, and finally my Ph.D. in Geography from University of California, Santa Barbara in 2001.

My research focus is primarily related to aspects of physical geography and I have had some amazing opportunities in my life to expand my knowledge into other areas as well. My efforts are mainly directed towards environmental change in terms of land use and land cover. And lately that has expanded to incorporate elements of citizen science. This is because our job as scientists is not simply to tell people what has changed, where it has changed and by how much. But postulate as to why things have changed. And, dovetailing on the 'why', creating a platform from which anyone who cares about the environment can become environmental stewards and actively engaged in conservation and monitoring. This is an exciting new project I am working on with several colleagues in SEAS (the School for Environment, Arts & Society). Please visit my research page to find out more about current efforts on that and other projects I am currently working on.

So how did I get to this point? It has been a long and interesting road. It is no surprise to anyone in my family that I am a geographer. New York (twice), Massachusettes, California (twice), Virginia, Bermuda, Florida (twice), Colorado, Alaska, and Texas are all places I lived growing up. In all of these areas I was outdoors as much as possible hiking, traveling, and exploring my environment. My research and downtime destinations include Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, BVI, USVI, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil, Norway, France, Italy, Greece, and South Africa. I hope to add to this list in the near future. I believe it is extremely important to be constantly stimulated by both the people and environment around you. Therefore please see below for some links of interest to some "brain food" for those with active and curious minds.