From the Spring 2009 edition of the College of Letters & Science's Collegium newsletter.

Woonsup Choi, an assistant professor of geography, says his interest in this field probably started with a lifelong love of mapmaking. When he was just six years old, growing up in Korea, he simply started creating maps.

He remembers drawing maps of his neighborhood. He remembers trips to other towns to visit relatives when he would draw maps of the route between the train station and his home. And, he remembers reading atlases for enjoyment.

Asked what sparked this interest, he recalled, “I liked to travel to new places and to remember the path and places along the way.”

At Seoul National University, Korea, Choi earned a BA and MA in Geography. He then taught climatology, landforms and maps at the Korean Military Academy. As he taught these subjects, he became more interested in hydroclimatology and the effects of climate change and urbanization on water resources.

Choi’s love of travel and knowledge of English led him across the Pacific Ocean to the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign, where he earned his PhD in Geography.

His research and teaching interests – hydroclimatology, hydrological modeling, and geographical information systems – are becoming more important in a world increasingly focused on the effects of global warming.

“Climate change, and how climate and water affect each other has a big impact on the economy and physical resources, as well as social consequences,” he explained. In both urban and rural settings, he added, we are seeing more flooding, droughts, tornadoes and hurricanes.

In fact, it was Hurricane Katrina that cleared Choi’s path to Milwaukee and UWM. After receiving his PhD in 2005, he was a visiting professor at the University of New Orleans. When Katrina hit the city, Choi was offered another position. For the next 2-1/2 years, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Manitoba, Canada, before accepting the position in Milwaukee. At UWM, he focuses on research related to the urban environment where he plans to explore urban climatic and water resource issues as a result of global and regional environmental changes.

He has some small knowledge of Milwaukee, he said, because a Minor League baseball player affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers had played with a Korean team and helped the team with their inaugural championship. Also, in grade school, Milwaukee was one of the manufacturing cities he studied.

“Milwaukee is an ideal spot for me,” Choi said. “I like the atmosphere here, the history, the neighborhoods and the location.” However, he explained, at other universities he has worked across disciplines, such as with civil engineers. At UWM, he hopes to interact with other faculty in atmospheric sciences and urban planning, as well as the Great Lakes WATER Institute.

That would make the ideal even better.