Dr. Michael Pretes is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Geosciences at the United States Air Force Academy for 2024-25. Originally from San Francisco, California, he has taught at the University of North Alabama for the past 18 years. He has held teaching and research positions at universities in Australia, Canada, Finland, South Africa, California, New Mexico, Wyoming, Missouri, and Hawai'i. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Secretary of the California Geographical Society, and a past President of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers.

Ph.D., Geographical Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (2006)

M.A., Political Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois (1986)

Graduate Certificate, African Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois (1986)

B.A., Political Science, University of California–Berkeley, Berkeley, California (1984)

Professor, Department of Geoscience, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama (2006 – present)

Research Fellow, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Visiting Professor, Department of Geography, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming (2013 – 2014)

Previous positions at University of Central Missouri, Stanford University, University of Hawai'i–Hilo, The Australian National University, University of New Mexico, University of Lapland, University of Oulu, University of Cambridge, and University of Calgary.

Academic Affairs Award for Outstanding Service, University of North Alabama (2024)

Lifetime Achievement Award, Southeast Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG) (2023)

Outstanding Senior Faculty Award, University of North Alabama (2020)

Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring Award, Southeast Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG) (2019)

Distinguished Teaching Award for Higher Education, National Council for Geographic Education (2018)

Distinguished Honors in Teaching, American Association of Geographers (2017)

Excellence in Teaching Award, Southeast Division of the American Association of Geographers (2015)

Eleanor Gaunder Excellence in Teaching Award, University of North Alabama (2013)

American Education Week Award, National Education Association (2013)

Economic Development

Tourism

National Parks and Public Lands

History of Geography

Geopolitics

North America

Polar Regions

Oceania

Southern Africa