Darrel Hess began teaching geography at City College of San Francisco in 1990 and served as chair of the Earth Sciences Department from 1995 to 2009. After earning his bachelor’s degree in geography at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1978, he served for two years as a teacher in the Peace Corps on the Korean island of Chejudo. Upon returning to the United States, he worked as a writer, photographer, and audiovisual producer. His association with Tom McKnight began as a graduate student at UCLA, where he served as one of Tom’s teaching assistants. Their professional collaboration developed after Darrel graduated from UCLA with a master’s degree in geography in 1990. He first wrote the Study Guide that accompanied the fourth edition of Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation, and then the Laboratory Manual that accompanied the fifth edition. Darrel has been authoring both works ever since. In 1999 Tom asked Darrel to join him as coauthor of the textbook. As did Tom, Darrel greatly enjoys the outdoor world. Darrel and his wife Nora, are avid hikers, campers, and scuba divers.

Tom L. McKnight taught geography at UCLA from 1956 to 1993. He received his bachelor’s degree in geology from Southern Methodist University in 1949, his master’s degree in geography from the University of Colorado in 1951, and his Ph.D. in geography and meteorology from the University of Wisconsin in 1955. During his long academic career, Tom served as chair of the UCLA Department of Geography from 1978 to 1983, and was director of the University of California, Education Abroad Program in Australia from 1984 to 1985. Passionate about furthering the discipline of geography, he helped establish the UCLA/Community College Geography Alliance and generously funded awards for both undergraduate and graduate geography students. His many honors include the California Geographical Society’s Outstanding Educator Award in 1988, and the honorary rank of Professor Emeritus upon his retirement from UCLA. In addition to Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation, his other college textbooks include The Regional Geography of the United States and Canada; Oceania: The Geography of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands; and Introduction to Geography, with Edward F. Bergman. Tom passed away in 2004—the geographic community misses him enormously.