Christopher S. Fowler

Christopher S. Fowler serves as Professor of Geography and Demography at Pennsylvania State University's Department of Geography within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. He holds additional appointments as Associate Faculty at the Population Research Institute (PRI) and Courtesy appointment in Demography, while directing administrative roles including Associate Head of Undergraduate Programs, Director of The Peter R. Gould Center for Geography Education and Outreach, and Co-Director of the GeoGraphics Lab.

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Geography from University of Washington (2007)
• M.A. in Geography from University of Washington (2003) - Ullman Prize for Best Thesis
• A.B. in Geography (cum laude) from Dartmouth College (1997) - Highest departmental honors and Marsh Prize for Outstanding Thesis

Fowler's research investigates how geographic boundaries shape observed outcomes across neighborhoods, school catchment areas, electoral districts, and metropolitan regions. He specializes in analyzing racial and income-based clustering patterns to understand inequality in economic, educational, health, and political contexts. Current projects examine neighborhood-scale diversity dynamics in U.S. cities and methodological innovations for representing multiscalar neighborhood change, blending qualitative neighborhood studies with advanced spatial statistics.

His work intersects urban/economic geography, demography, and public policy, with active research clusters in Justice, Ethics, and Diversity alongside Population, Environment, and Governance. Fowler has developed commuting zone delineations with Rhubart and Jensen, publicly available through Penn State's research repository.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Ullman Prize for Best Thesis (University of Washington, 2003)
• Marsh Prize for Outstanding Thesis (Dartmouth College, 1997)

Fowler actively mentors graduate students in legislative/school redistricting, voting rights analysis, and residential segregation studies. His research infrastructure includes leadership in the GeoGraphics Lab and Peter R. Gould Center, facilitating geospatial education and outreach initiatives. Current work focuses on refining methods for neighborhood change representation amid increasing urban diversity.