John A. Shaffer, PhD
Residential Faculty
Department: Social Sciences
Contact Information
Campus: Main
Office Location: O5 Building
Office Number: O5-129
Email: john.shaffer@gccaz.edu
Phone number: (623) 845-3641
Office Hours:
Virtual office hours by appointment
Bio
Biography
I have lived in Phoenix since 1972. I graduated from Trevor G Browne high school in west Phoenix. Next, I attended Glendale Community College for two years before transferring to ASU. I received my BS degree from Arizona State University in Geography with an emphasis in Meteorology. I got my MA at Arizona State University in Geography with an emphasis in Climatology. My Master's Thesis was on the relationship between the Milankovitch Orbital Theory and the paleoclimate proxy record at Devil's Hole, NV.
I got my PhD also at Arizona State University in Geography with an emphasis in Climatology. My dissertation was on examining a variety of different geographic applications of the Milankovitch orbital theory to climate change. My area of specialty in Climatology is on causes of long-term climate change on the time scale of 100,000 of years (or the ice ages). I have six published articles in refereed journals including four where I am first author.
I started teaching Geography in 1998. I have taught part-time at ASU, Mesa CC, Glendale CC, and Scottsdale CC before being hired full-time at SCC in 2004. In 2020 I was transferred to GCC . I have several interest outside of school including; traveling (I have been to over 25 countries), running (3 marathons), road biking (I have biked in 7 countries), hiking, golfing, and softball.