Harm de Blij

Harm J. de Blij (see ij (digraph); closest pronunciation: "duh blay") is one of the world's most prominent geographers. He is recognizable to Americans as the former geography editor on ABC's "Good Morning America." He is a former editor of National Geographic magazine and the author of several books, including "Why Geography Matters."

de Blij received his early schooling in Europe, his college education in Africa and his higher degrees in the United States (Ph.D. Northwestern,1959). He has published more than 30 books and over 100 articles and has received five honorary degrees. Several of his books have been translated into foreign languages. He is the editor of Oxford's Atlas of North America. A native of Holland, he has been a professor of geography and viticulture at Michigan State University and the University of Miami and a visiting professor at the Colorado School of Mines.

Dr. de Blij is a Distinguished Professor of Geography at Michigan State University. He has held the George Landegger Chair in Georgetown University's school of Foreign Service and the John Deaver Drinko chair of geography at Marshall University and has also taught at the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Miami.