Rate My Professor RJ Rowley

Rex J. Rowley, professionally known as RJ Rowley, is a Professor in the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment at Illinois State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Kansas in 2009 and an M.A. from the same university in 2005. Prior to joining Illinois State University, Rowley taught at Haskell Indian Nations University for nearly three years. At Illinois State, he has advanced through the ranks, achieving promotion to full Professor, as noted in departmental newsletters. Rowley serves as the internship coordinator for the Geography program and leads study abroad opportunities, including faculty-led trips to Japan in 2017 and Germany in 2015. He contributes to public engagement through lectures, such as 'The geography behind civil rights movements' in 2018 and explanations of fluddles—temporary wetlands—in 2023.

Rowley's research focuses on geographic information systems (GIS), urban and cultural geography, risk visualization, and environmental changes including sea level rise and lake surface warming. His work on GIS applications at tribal colleges and global environmental risks has garnered significant attention. Notable publications include 'Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe' (2015, co-authored with C.M. O'Reilly et al., over 1,600 citations), 'Risk of rising sea level to population and land area' (2007, with J.C. Kostelnick et al.), 'GIS analysis of global impacts from sea level rise' (2009), and 'A cartographic framework for visualizing risk' (2013). He has also authored works on Las Vegas, such as 'Everyday Las Vegas: Local life in a tourist town' (2013) and 'Religion in Sin City' (2012). Rowley received the Douglas Clay Ridgley Fellowship (named in 2020), the University College Impact Award (2020), and served on American Association of Geographers committees. His scholarship demonstrates impact through high citation counts and cross-disciplinary collaborations.