The human resources of the The Research Center of Applied Geography (GeA) are composed of teaching staff / researchers from the Department of Geography at the “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava (USV) and from other partner institutions. The Research Center of Applied Geography (GeA) does not have permanent salaried staff. Depending on the income attracted through contracts, research programs or direct services provided to third parties (individuals and legal entities) and in the event of obtaining budgeted funding sources from the USV management, the staff structure may be composed of research assistants or researchers. The research staff is composed of full members – teaching staff and PhD / Master’s / Geography students of USV, as well as associated members – external collaborators (teaching staff and researchers). The improvement of GeA members is carried out permanently, through participation in national and international scientific events, through exchanges of experience with other colleagues from the country and abroad, through mobility programs, by consulting a cutting-edge specialized bibliography and publishing valuable articles in well-rated national and international journals.

1. Teaching and research staff from the “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava

2. Teaching staff and researchers from other universities in the country and abroad, voluntarily affiliated in the research activity at the GeA Center

3. PhD students and doctors in the field of geonomic sciences from the doctoral field of Geography within the Doctoral School of Applied Sciences and Engineering at the “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava or other higher education and research institutions

Through GeA, young geographical researchers of the Doctoral School were supported, with 24 doctoral theses in the field of Geonomic Sciences being completed after 2011. Through GeA, several research projects were carried out that brought good visibility to geographical research in Suceava.

The infrastructure that serves The Research Center of Applied Geography (GeA) is based on the Geology-Geomorphology, Climatology and Hydrology, Pedology, Cartography – GIS and Regional Geography Laboratories within the Department of Geography, “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava. Part of the equipment is posted on the EERTIS platform – https://eertis.eu/erlb-2300-000j-7367. Most laboratories are equipped with PC units, video projectors and Smart TVs. When moving equipment and support materials in the field, we can use the Renault Captur car, purchased through the research project PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-2900 (2015-2017) “Field studies in orthotidal potamology”, funded by UEFISCDI, http://atlas.usv.ro/www/orthotidal-potamology/. The Center’s equipment also includes: laptops, tablets, GPS, mobile weather stations, fixed weather stations – over 40 in number, located in different places in the geographical terrain of the North-Eastern Region of Romania and in the northern half of the Republic of Moldova, portable thermohygrometers and anemometers, which are used in climatic, agroclimatic, bioclimatic, topoclimatic and microclimatic research. Monitoring the therapeutic properties of the air in various tourist resorts or localities with natural healing and treatment factors can be carried out using 5 PC Connectable Highly Accurate Air Ion Counter Tester COM-3200PRO II. Through the devices owned, atmospheric parameters that can cause discomfort or even pathologies at different stages will be monitored: chemical air pollution with different compounds (Air Particle Counter with Multiple Gas Detector), noise (sound level meters datalogger), radioactivity of environmental components in different places (Professional digital Α alpha, Β beta, gamma Γ and X ray radiation scanner meter Geiger Counter and Radona Expert+), the intensity of electromagnetic fields in different rooms and natural or artificial sites (electromagnetic fields measuring device PCE EM-29). Representative thermal images from the field can be taken using the TESTO 872s thermal imaging camera. To determine the temperature of the soil, of the spring waters that can be used therapeutically, digital thermometers can be used during the two determination campaigns. The quality of water from springs, Prut, wells / lakes will be determined using the HQ 4200 Multi/ISE multiparameter probe, the InoLab WTW conductivity meter and two Aqua Troll running water parameter monitoring systems.

Our laboratory contains equipment for cartographic determinations/informatic systems; ArcGIS 10.8 (Desktop, PRO and online); AGISOFT; DJPHANTOME drone; print devices; professional scanners, GPS GARMIN MAP 60 CSX / Receptor GPS Magellan Mobil Mapper CX, with accessories: Soft Mobile Mapping / Plotter design 1050C Plus, A10 / Monitor Samsung plasma TV 42 PS42Q91H; High resolution scanner Epson11000 XL Professional; Facilities for fieldwork researches: topographic measurements, total station Leica with accessories; photo-camera CANON EF 70-300MM f/4-5.6 USM; Livingstone / Endelman /Riverside corers etc.

Figure 1. Images of equipment used in the research activity of the The Research Center of Applied Geography (GeA)

All of this was built on a sustained activity for over 20 years of geographical specialists who have worked or are currently carrying out their research activity within the GeA Center.

The teaching staff who have carried out research activity over time have led or been integrated as members in projects such as: i) Project 609 Type 1P-CD CEEX (2005-2008), “Management and ecological security of natural resources in the Prut border basin” (MARESEP), project manager, Prof dr. Maria Rădoane, ii) Project 754, Type 1P-CD CEEX (2006-2008), “Advanced technologies for monitoring and management of natural resource exploitation with a high degree of vulnerability to natural disasters” (TAMMER), project manager, Prof. dr. Maria Rădoane, iii) Project 743, Type 1P-CD CEEX (2006-2008), “Ecological rehabilitation and sustainable management of areas with degraded land due to deep erosion and/or landslides in Moldova” (MARAVAL), project manager, Prof. dr. Maria Rădoane, iv) Project 747, C.J. Suceava (2008), “Map of risks and hazards on the territory of Suceava County”, project manager, Prof. dr. Costică Brânduș, v) PC type project carried out in 2008-2009 “Agro-forestry strategies for the valorization and conservation of medicinal plant biodiversity in the context of sustainable rural development in the Bistrița Mountain Valley” (MED-AGROSILV) – contractor INCDSB Bucharest/CCB “Stejarul” Piatra Neamț, Partner 3 USV_ project manager, Prof. dr. Maria Rădoane, vi) Project BECO-2011-69-U-56115FT106 (2011-2013) ,,L’émigration féminine hautement qualifiae dans ,le secteur de santé roumain et bulgare vers la France: enjeux, défis et perspectives futures”, coordinated by Ms. Lecturer dr. Despina Vasilcu, vii) international research project with code number EEA-JRP-RO-NO – 2013-1-0204 ,,Forest response to climate change predicted from multicentury climate proxy-records in the Carpathian region” financed by the EEA financial mechanism, research in priority sectors – director, dr. Cătălin Roibu, viii) Project “National Competence Centre and solutions for the development of Climate Neutral and Smart Cities” (NetZeRoCities) from May 2023, https://netzerocities.upb.ro/ – director, prof. dr. Mihai Dimian, or in the projects that can be accessed through the link: https://fig.usv.ro/proiecte/.

Under the coordination of the leading doctoral teaching staff, with the support of GeA, within the doctoral field of Geography, a number of 23 doctoral theses were defended after 2011 as follows:

The GeA Center has numerous connections with the scientific journal Georeview (http://georeview.ro/ojs/index.php/revista), with the International Symposium on Environmental Quality and Land Use (https://fig.usv.ro/simpozionul-international-calitatea-mediului-si-utilizarea-terenurilor/), with the International Conference on Atmosphere and Hydrosphere (https://fig.usv.ro/conferinta-stiintifica-internationala-atmosfera-si-hidrosfera-2024/) and with the International Symposium of Geography Students (https://fig.usv.ro/simpozionul-international-al-studentilor-geografi/), supporting the aforementioned journal and all these events over time.

The members of the GeA Center have numerous collaborative relationships with professors and researchers from other Romanian research centers or from outside Romania (Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Greece, Turkey, France, Germany, Great Britain). Many of GeA’s members have conducted reviews for prestigious national and international scientific journals, being on the staff of numerous renowned scientific events.

We mention that the area of expertise of the members of the GeA Center includes several directions of approach, of which we mention a few.

Evaluation of the economic potential of environmental resources (subsoil, soil, climatic – wind and solar energy, hydrographic, vegetation and fauna, agricultural, agro-forestry, tourism, etc.) available to a certain territorial entity with the provision of sustainable solutions for their use in the future.

 Assessment of physical and economic-geographic risks (geological-seismic, geomorphological / pedological – surface and linear erosion of soil and superficial rock deposits, torrentiality and landslides, meteorological and climatic – waves of cold, heat, drought, torrentiality, violent winds, wildfires, etc., hydrological – small waters, large waters, floods, inundations, ice accumulations and other freezing / thawing phenomena on rivers, biogeographic – the risk of the proliferation of certain diseases, attacks by certain groups of insects, economic and social: the risk of economic stagnation or decline, population aging, divorce, crime, unemployment, economic and social exclusion, depression, increased crime rates, alcohol and drug consumption, etc.).,

 Assessment of the quality of environmental factors: air, water, soil in order to find solutions increasing the quality of these components of the human living environment, by reducing pollution.

 Evaluation of the characteristics of local microclimates and topoclimates in order to know the urban climate with the aim of efficient management of meteo-climatic resources, problems generated by heat islands and chemical pollution in cities, in the current context of global warming, determinations of thermal efficiency of buildings, local urban planning solutions, determinations of environmental radioactivity in cities, determinations of noise levels, radon levels in homes, electromagnetic pollution in certain premises, indicators regarding the quality of environmental components and quality of life, etc.

All these steps are aimed at finding solutions for the harmonious development in accordance with the principles of sustainable development of human communities. GeA specialists can find viable solutions to solve the problems faced by different human communities.

 Consulting, scientific assistance and research services on topics of interest / necessary to be solved for third parties can be materialized through reports accompanied by a relevant statistical, graphic and cartographic part (maps, map collections) and explicit, by finding concrete solutions / measures that meet the most demanding requirements, in accordance with current standards in environmental research and with the legislation in force. The specialists of the GeA Research Center within USV can carry out research projects on geographical and environmental topics upon request, based on a research contract.

Our address is:

Applied Geography Research Center (GeA)

Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava,

Faculty of History, Geography and Social Sciences, Department of Geography

University Street, no. 13, 720229, Building E, Floor II, Offices E 214 and Laboratory E 216

• The GeA Applied Geography Research Center page can be consulted by accessing the link

• https://fig.usv.ro/centrul-de-geografie-aplicata/

• The coordinators of the GeA Center can be contacted at the following email addresses:

• dumitrum@atlas.usv.ro
• francisca@usm.ro
• petricabistricean@gmail.com