John Ponstingel

John Ponstingel's dissertation employed mixed-methods analysis to investigate social institutions and Latinx voter turnout in Texas. Ponstingel has published several peer-reviewed journal articles on Latinx voter turnout, urban social analysis, and the role of institutions in socioeconomic outcomes for varied social groups. His teaching experience includes introductory and advanced geography courses at several universities (Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, and Cameron University in Oklahoma), and his research interests include Hispanic/Latino voter turnout, urban voter disenfranchisement, political participation, and the influence of social institutions, and public opinion. Ponstingel served as the Data Collection Coordinator for Redistricting Data Hub, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization, where he was the project lead on collecting Community of Interest (COI) maps submitted to governmental bodies for redistricting boundaries. Ponstingel earned a Ph.D. in Geography from Texas State University.

Related News

• Einhorn Center Announces New Engaged Faculty Fellows

Classes (Selected)

• CRP 1109 FWS: Are All Votes Equal? Urban Racism in the USA

• CRP 4080 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have revolutionized the way we manage, analyze, and present spatial information. This course focuses on GIS in the social sciences. Many of the exercises and examples are based on planning issues, but the concepts can be applied to many other disciplines such as government, economics, natural resources, and sociology. Some of the issues covered include fundamentals of spatial analysis; overview of GIS technology and applications; designing a GIS project; gathering and analyzing data; and creating thematic maps.

• PLSCS 5200 Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Concepts and Application

Awards, Grants, and Fellowships (Selected)

• Early Career Scholar Award, Race, Ethnicity and Place Conference (2023)
• Invited Visiting Scholar, Accepted. Fall: The Ostrom Workshop, Bloomington School at Indiana University (2022)
• Research Fellow at George Washington University's Center for International Business and Research (CIBER), May 30–July 15 (2018)

Exhibitions and Presentations (Selected)

• Race, Ethnicity and Place X, Social Institutions as Agents of Electoral Equity: How Ethnically Targeted Get Out The Vote Efforts in Texas Might be Contributing to Higher Latinx Turnout, October 20–23 (2021)
• Association of American Geographers, Annual Meeting, Can Social Institutions Awaken Sleeping Giants? A Pilot Electoral Geography Study of Latinx Voter Turnout in Texas Counties in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, April 6–10, Denver, CO. (2020)
• Association of American Geographers, Annual Meeting, Narco-trafficking: Transforming Relations of Rule and Governance in Central America's Protected Areas, April 3–7, Washington, DC (2019)

Publications (Selected)

• Ponstingel, J. and Weaver, R. (2021) "Can Social Institutions Awaken Sleeping Giants? A Pilot Electoral Geography Study of Latinx Voter Turnout in Texas Counties in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election." The Professional Geographer. 
• Ponstingel, J. (2017) Special Issue on Race, Ethnicity, and Places: Place Matters: Filipinos and Asian Indians in Jersey City, New Jersey. Papers in Applied Geography. 3 (3–4).
• Wrathall, D., J. Devine, B. B. Aguiliar-Gonzalez, B. Tellman, K. Benessaiah, S. Sesnie, E. Nielsen, N. Magliocca, K. McSweeney, Z. Pearson, and J. Ponstingel. (2020) "The impacts of cocaine trafficking on conservation governance in Central America." Global Environmental Change.
• Lopez, C. Kordeh, M. Andrievskikh, D. Ponstingel, J. and Weaver, R. (2019) Examining open space, socioeconomic status, housing market strength, and solar energy potential in Buffalo's West Side, New York. Papers in Applied Geography. 3–4 (5) 209–235.