Lara Bryant

Dr. Lara Bryant is an Associate Instructor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at Western Carolina University. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor of Geography at Keene State College. Her roles include overseeing the Geography Minor program and teaching courses such as Cultural Geography, Economic Geography, and Geospatial Analysis. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Geography from Texas State University-San Marcos and a B.S. from McMurry University.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Geographic Education, Texas State University-San Marcos
  • M.S. in Applied Geography, Texas State University-San Marcos
  • B.S., McMurry University

Her research focuses on integrating GIS into secondary education, affective learning strategies, and spatial cognition. She has received state and national awards for curriculum development and educational outreach, including work with the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education and the New Hampshire Geographic Alliance. Dr. Bryant advocates for partnerships between schools and private industry to enhance geographic education.

She has extensive experience in both K-12 and higher education, bridging rural and urban teaching contexts. Her professional engagement includes roles as a teacher consultant, conference coordinator, and program coordinator for geographic education initiatives.