WESLEY J. REISSER
E-mail: reisser@ucla.edu

EDUCATION

PhD Candidate - UCLA (expected completion 2010); M.A. 2007 in Geography - The George Washington University; B.A. 2004 Summa Cum Laude in International Affairs & History, minors in Art History & Geography - The George Washington University

SUBFIELDS

Political Geography, History of Cartography, Geopolitics of Energy & Water, Borders & Peace Settlements, The Balkans & Eastern Europe, Israel-Palestinian Conflict

RESEARCH

American Border Proposals and Maps at the Paris Peace Conference, Energy Independence & the Geopolitics of Oil, Geopolitics of the Post-Cold War World

PUBLICATIONS

Reisser, W. 2009. "Self-Determination and the Difficulty of Creating Nation-States - The Transylvania Case." Geographical Review (99:2).

Reisser, W. 2009. "The U.S. Cannot Drill Its Way Out of Energy Dependence." The Guardian (3/20/09).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2009/mar/20/oil-america-energy-independence

Reisser, W. 2008. "Mapping for Peace: The American Inquiry and the Paris Peace Conference, 1918-1919." The Portolan (71).

Reisser, W. 2008. "Review: A Tri-Polar World?" Geopolitics (12:4).

Theses:
Reisser, W. 2007. "Politics or Principle? American Border Proposals at the Paris Peace Conference." (unpublished M.A. thesis, George Washington University), pp. 183.

GRANTS AND AWARDS

Ristow Prize in the History of Cartography (2007)
Wilbur Carr Prize for Scholarship & Public Service (2004)
National Geography Bowl Individual Champion (2007)
National Geography Bowl Individual Second Place (2003, 2004, 2006)
National Geography Bowl Team Second Place (2004, 2006, 2007)
National Geography Bowl Team Third Place (2003)
Geography Bowl Regional First Place (2003, 2005, 2006)
Geography Bowl Regional Second Place (2002)
National Geography Bowl Moderator & Question Author (2008-09)
Middle Atlantic Division Geography Bowl Moderator & Question Author (2009)
U.S. Department of State Superior Honor Award (2006)
U.S. Department of State Meritorious Honor Award (2007)
U.S. Department of State Benjamin Franklin Award (2008)
Phi Beta Kappa Honors
Gamma Theta Upsilon Geography Honors
Golden Key Honors Society
National Society of Collegiate Scholars
UCLA Dissertation Year Fellowship
UCLA Graduate Fellowship
UCLA Summer Research Fellowship
Center for European Studies Travel Grant
GWU Graduate Fellowship
GWU Presidential Scholar

ADVISORS

John Agnew, Chair
Michael Curry
J. Nicholas Entrikin
Ivan Berend

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

The Myth of Energy Independence - Presented at the Association of American Geographers National Conf. in Las Vegas, 3/2009

Mapping the Peace: Border Proposals in Istria at the Paris Peace Conference - Presented at the Association of American Geographers National Conf. in Boston, 4/2008

Transylvania and the American Plan for Peace - Presented at the Association of American Geographers National Conf. in San Francisco, 4/2007

Orange and Blue Ukraine: Nationalism and the 2004 Ukrainian Election - Presented at Association of American Geographers National Conf. in Chicago, 3/2006

INVITED LECTURES

Oil in the Middle East - Guest Lecture at the George Washington University, 11/2009

Overview of Middle Eastern Geopolitics - Guest Lecture at the State Dept. Foreign Service Institute, 4/2007, 7/2007, 2/2008, 4/2008, 6/2008, 8/2008, 11/2008, 2/2009, 4/2009, 6/2009, 8/2009, 10/2009

American Policy Towards Israel & the Palestinians - Guest Lecture at the State Dept. Foreign Service Institute, 4/2007, 7/2007

Working Towards Peace Between Israel & the Palestinians - Brit Tzedek National Advocacy Meeting at the U.S. Capitol 6/2007

Future Prospects for Middle East Peace Following the Lebanon Crisis - Presented at the GW Neighbors Speakers Series, 9/2006

Orange and Blue Ukraine: Nationalism and the 2004 Ukrainian Election - Presented at GW Geography Speakers Series, 2/2006