Zia Salim

Zia Salim is a Professor in the Department of Geography & the Environment at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). He holds a PhD in Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara and San Diego State University, along with a Certificate in College and University Teaching from UCSB, an MA in Geography from CSUF, and a BA in Geography with a minor in Anthropology from CSUF. His research focuses on urban geography, social geography, Southern California, gated communities, homelessness, murals, and geoscience education.

Salim teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, including *GEOG 110: Introduction to the Natural Environment*, *GEOG 329: Cities and Nature*, and *GEOG 598: Thesis*. He has contributed to over 15 scholarly articles and book chapters since 2009, with recent work exploring murals' role in collective memory (Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant murals), impacts of the pandemic on geoscience education, and socio-spatial dynamics of gated communities in Bahrain. His research often intersects cultural landscapes, urban art, and Middle Eastern/North African urbanization.

Salim actively advises the Geography Club and Gamma Theta Upsilon at CSUF, and serves on the CSUF/Community Collaborative on Homelessness. He has organized panels on academic publishing, fieldwork challenges, and geographic education at conferences such as the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. His digital content includes interactive resources on Middle Eastern cities and Venice, California’s public art.