Congratulations Dr. Chelsie McWhorter!

Congratulations to Chelsie McWhorter on earning her PhD! 

Chelsie McWhorter successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation "Navigation & Spatial Cognition in the US Fire Service." Chelsie received her BA in Criminal Justice in 2011 and MS in Geography in 2014 from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and additionally spent over a decade in the fire service, achieving the rank of Fire Lieutenant (and first female officer in her department!) all before enrolling in the UCSB Geography Ph.D. program in 2019. Chelsie drew on her experience in fire service as well as her scholarship in her dissertation research, investigating the role of spatial cognition and navigation in the US fire service. Her dissertation included three studies. In her first study she examined firefighter navigation training across the US, and firefighters' use of navigation aids.   In her second study, she assessed firefighters’ spatial abilities, and compared them to a sample from the general population. In her third study, she developed a new assessment that explored spatial decision making and "cognitive maps" in firefighters. Aside from her dissertation, Chelsie has been a highly effective instructor and mentor at UCSB, and even took the lead on developing and ordering the Spatial Thinking Lab's first ever "merch!" She was such a joy to have in the lab, and we wish her the best on her next journey as an Assistant Professor at Oklahoma State University!