JU Geography Professor Ray Oldakowski speaks on city’s “Search of Identity”

Dr. Ray Oldakowski, JU Professor of Geography, was one of the opening day speakers at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences held in Jacksonville at the Hyatt Hotel downtown Nov. 6-9.

The organization is a national association of colleges and universities whose purpose is to nurture and sustain the arts and sciences as the leading influence in American higher education. Oldakowski’s presentation “Jacksonville: A City in Search of an Identity” was an interactive session that focused on the sense of place present in our community.

“Jacksonville struggles to establish a national identity because it lacks the characteristics that traditionally distinguish a place, such as the site of a famous event in history, the hometown of a famous resident, the national headquarters of a famous company or specific industry, the site of a well-known landmark, or the hearth for unique food, music, or recreation,” Oldakowski said.

His presentation also highlighted Jacksonville’s solid rankings in terms of quality of life for its residents.