AAG Newsletter

The Mental Health Challenge or Relieving Anxiety and Depression for Students and Faculty

About 18 years ago, one of my Masters students calmly mentioned that she had been undergoing a tremendous amount of anxiety, and had seen a doctor about it. I was…

Changes in our Annual Meeting: Fees, Structure and an Unfortunate Oversight

In this brief letter, I describe some changes to our registration fees and meeting structure. I would also like to address the unfortunate overlap of our spring meeting with Passover…

Introducing the Themes for the 2020 AAG Annual Conference

Each year the AAG president helps to identify a few themes for the AAG Annual Conference. While any topic is accepted for presentation at the annual meeting and participants are…

President's Column

The Mental Health Challenge or Relieving Anxiety and Depression for Students and Faculty

David H. KaplanAugust 31, 20192019-08-31T14:27:03-04:00

About 18 years ago, one of my Masters students calmly mentioned that she had been undergoing a tremendous amount of anxiety, and had seen a doctor about it. I was floored! This particular student exemplified…

Changes in our Annual Meeting: Fees, Structure and an Unfortunate Oversight

David H. Kaplan August 29, 2019 Comments Off2019-08-30T07:40:21-04:00

In this brief letter, I describe some changes to our registration fees and meeting structure. I would also like to address the unfortunate overlap of our spring meeting with Passover and Good Friday. Fees: Many…

Introducing the Themes for the 2020 AAG Annual Conference

David H. Kaplan August 15, 2019 Comments Off2019-08-15T16:04:57-04:00

Each year the AAG president helps to identify a few themes for the AAG Annual Conference. While any topic is accepted for presentation at the annual meeting and participants are encouraged to develop their own…

Who’s sorting who? Or the explosion of metrics and how we can take back control

David H. Kaplan August 1, 2019 Comments Off2019-09-03T15:19:23-04:00

For those of us still working with paper student evaluations, we receive our spring semester results during the summer. It is a time of mixed emotions for many of us. While I heard one lucky…

Welcome to our new Executive Director

David H. Kaplan July 19, 2019 Comments Off2019-09-03T15:37:48-04:00

I have said before that as an organization, the AAG punches well above its weight. It is among the healthiest of the academic membership associations and it has done wonders in reflecting and guiding geography.…

Annual Meeting

Social Media at #aagDC

Emily FeketeMarch 19, 20192019-03-19T11:14:27-04:00

We’re getting closer to the 2019 AAG Annual Meeting! Whether you will be attending the meeting all week, for a few days, or looking to follow the action from afar, there are plenty of ways…

The Chesapeake Bay: Destruction and Rehabilitation in the Nation’s Largest Estuary

RDK Herman December 1, 2018 Comments Off2019-04-23T09:44:54-04:00

It’s another drizzly day on the Chesapeake, and the boat we are on bobs gently on the opaque, mud-colored water. A crusty old crabber from Tangier Island, by the nickname of Captain Cook (use of…

AAG Names Rita Colwell as the 2019 Honorary Geographer

Emily Fekete November 14, 2018 Comments Off2018-11-14T11:03:16-04:00

Rita Colwell (Photo by Sam Kittner) The American Association of Geographers has named Rita Colwell, the first woman to be director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), as its 2019 AAG Honorary Geographer. Rita Colwell…

Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center

Catherine W. Cooper November 1, 2018 Comments Off2018-12-05T17:57:57-04:00

“I never ran my train off track and I never lost a passenger.” Harriet Tubman was fond of saying this in her later years, but during the 1850s when she was actively escorting enslaved people…

The Resilient Streams in the Urban Landscape of Washington, D.C.

Ranbir S. Kang October 1, 2018 Comments Off2018-11-15T10:03:30-04:00

The process of urbanization often leads to the alteration of local streams. Such alterations range from complete disappearance of streams by making them flow underground, converting them into canals, loss of their aquatic habitat, and changes in…

Association News

AAG’s Encoding Geography Initiative Sees Successes in First Year

StaffJuly 29, 20192019-07-29T15:24:57-04:00

Launched by AAG Staff Member Coline Dony in 2018, the Encoding Geography initiative seeks to build capacity for all - for computational thinking (CT) in geography education at all levels to further strengthen our discipline.…

AAG Staff Participate in AP Human Geography Reading

Emily Fekete June 26, 2019 Comments Off2019-06-26T12:09:19-04:00

AAG Staff member Emily Fekete recently participated in the AP Human Geography Reading, held annually June 1 to June 9 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The AP Human Geography Reading is a gathering of college professors and…

AAG Welcomes Summer 2019 Interns

Staff June 25, 2019 Comments Off2019-06-25T14:56:45-04:00

Three new interns have joined the AAG staff this summer! The AAG would like to welcome Angela, Eni, and Garrett to the organization. Angela Yang is an incoming fourth year student at the University of…

AAG seeks two editors for the Annals of the American Association of Geographers: one Human Geography Editor and one Nature & Society Editor

Staff April 30, 2019 Comments Off2019-04-30T14:56:57-04:00

The AAG seeks applications and nominations for two editors of the Annals of the American Association of Geographers. The upcoming vacancies are for a Human Geography editor and a Nature and Society editor. The new…

AAG Announces 2018 Book Awards

Staff February 27, 2019 Comments Off2019-02-27T11:49:51-04:00

The AAG is pleased to announce the recipients of the three 2018 AAG Book Awards: the John Brinckerhoff Jackson Prize, the AAG Globe Book Award for Public Understanding of Geography, and the AAG Meridian Book Award…

Featured Articles

The Geography of Access to Health Services

Estella M. GeraghtyAugust 2, 20192019-08-02T09:44:50-04:00

According to a 1993 Institute of Medicine report, access to health services means "the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best health outcomes." Geographic access is listed as one of three distinct components…

Beyond Compactness: A New Measure to Evaluate Congressional Districts

Diana C. Lavery May 2, 2019 Comments Off2019-05-02T16:08:38-04:00

Redrawing congressional district boundaries, an activity that happens every ten years following the decennial census, may be the most consequential application of geography in the United States. As congressional elections have become less competitive, many…

AI and GIS: Finally Delivering on the promise

Esri Staff March 28, 2019 Comments Off2019-03-28T13:06:35-04:00

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) isn't new, and neither are its grand promises. AI as an academic pursuit has its roots in the 1950s. Early AI researchers were filled with optimism, but—despite some initial…

Rights of Nature: The New Paradigm

Cameron La Follette March 6, 2019 Comments Off2019-03-06T09:24:02-04:00

Rights of Nature is a short-hand term for a form of ecological governance that both provides for and prioritizes Nature’s right to flourish. It also provides for various subsidiary rights, such as the right to…

Deoxygenation of the Ocean Affects Everyone, So Act Now

Dawn J. Wright, Sylvia A. Earle February 26, 2019 Comments Off2019-02-27T11:46:41-04:00

By Dawn J. Wright, Esri, and Sylvia A. Earle, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Did you know that more than half of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean? This oxygen is produced in large part…

Resources & Opportunities

Taking Steps to Create a Welcoming Discipline for ALL Geographers: A New Resource for Indigenous Students

Jolene KeenMay 23, 20192019-05-23T13:48:02-04:00

The AAG is pleased to announce the release of a new interactive web map of colleges and universities that offer both Geography Programs and Indigenous Studies Programs. Developed in consultation with members of the AAG’s…

Social Media at #aagDC

Emily Fekete March 19, 2019 Comments Off2019-03-19T11:14:27-04:00

We’re getting closer to the 2019 AAG Annual Meeting! Whether you will be attending the meeting all week, for a few days, or looking to follow the action from afar, there are plenty of ways…

Ask a Geographer Program Update: Volunteers Needed

Staff July 2, 2018 Comments Off2018-07-02T12:50:57-04:00

Do you like opportunities to talk to those outside of our discipline about the work, teaching, or research that you do and why it’s interesting? Are you looking for a fun service opportunity to support…

AAG Snapshot: Grants & Awards

Staff May 25, 2018 Comments Off2019-04-23T09:50:08-04:00

One of the AAG’s most time-honored programs are the AAG Grants and Awards, annually recognizing students, scholars, and geographers of all types. The AAG has a long history of supporting and recognizing geographers’ accomplishments and…

Free Webinar on Wildfire Management Strategies, May 16 (CEUs available)

Staff April 25, 2018 Comments Off2018-04-25T10:38:00-04:00

The American Geosciences Institute's Critical Issues Program is pleased to offer a free webinar in partnership with the American Association of Geographers, “Adapting Wildfire Management to 21st Century Conditions,” on May 16th at 1:00 PM…

Of Note

Discovering Geography – The International Geography Youth Summit

Sue RobertsAugust 28, 20182018-09-25T15:33:26-04:00

Three long-time AAG members met up recently at the 4th International Geography Youth Summit (IGYS) in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), India. The IGYS was developed as part of The Institute of Geographical Studies (TIGS) in Bengaluru.…

NCRGE Funds Research Networks on Geography and Civics, Geo-Computation, and International Curriculum Research

Staff August 3, 2018 Comments Off2018-08-03T15:18:30-04:00

The National Center for Research in Geography Education (NCRGE) has approved awards for a third cohort of grantees under its Transformative Research grant program. This investment by NCRGE continues a long-term and broad-based effort to…

The Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University Makes History

Joe T. Darden April 30, 2018 Comments Off2018-05-07T10:56:34-04:00

The MSU Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences has admitted and will fund three African American women graduate students for the 2018 academic year. This will be the first time in the history of…

‘The International Encyclopedia of Geography’ receives CHOICE Award for Outstanding Academic Title 2017

Emily Fekete January 4, 2018 Comments Off2018-11-14T10:32:35-04:00

The AAG-Wiley International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment, and Technology is the recipient of a prestigious CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2017 award from the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of…

All Woman Panel on Climate Organized for SEDAAG Fall Regional Meeting

Jennifer Collins January 3, 2018 Comments Off2018-01-03T10:23:03-04:00

Dr. Jennifer Collins and Dr. Kathy Sherman-Morris organized an all female panel of Climate Specialty Group (CSG) members at SEDAAG to discuss the 2017 hurricane season. Panel members included: Dr. Jennifer Collins (USF), Dr. Kelsey…

Publications

September 2019 Issue of the ‘African Geographical Review’ Now Available

StaffAugust 23, 20192019-08-23T16:55:40-04:00

The AAG is pleased to announce that Volume 38, Issue 3 (September 2019) of the African Geographical Review is now available. The full table of contents for this issue is below and can also be accessed…

September 2019 Issue of the ‘Annals of the AAG’ Now Available

Staff July 25, 2019 Comments Off2019-07-25T14:58:37-04:00

The AAG is pleased to announce that Volume 109, Issue 5 (September 2019) of the Annals of the American Association of Geographers is now available. A full list of contents is below. The Annals contains original, timely,…

Summer 2019 Issue of ‘The AAG Review of Books’ Now Available

Staff July 17, 2019 Comments Off2019-07-17T08:21:30-04:00

Volume 7, Issue 3 of The AAG Review of Books has now been published online. This quarterly online journal publishes scholarly reviews of recent books related to geography, public policy and international affairs. It also features review essays reflecting on several…

‘The Professional Geographer’ Welcomes New Editor

Staff July 1, 2019 Comments Off2019-07-01T14:49:10-04:00

Heejun Chang. Photo credit: PSU-ISS. This summer, the AAG journal The Professional Geographer will see a change in editorial leadership. Barney Warf has completed two terms as editor of The Professional Geographer and is succeeded…

August 2019 Issue of ‘The Professional Geographer’ Now Available

Staff June 26, 2019 Comments Off2019-06-26T15:57:38-04:00

The AAG is pleased to announce that Volume 71, Issue 3 (August 2019) of The Professional Geographer is now available. The focus of The Professional Geographer is on short articles in academic or applied geography,…

Addenda

Researchers with disabilities in the academic system

Aleksandra (Sasha) Kosanic, Nancy Hansen, Susanne Zimmermann-Janschitz, Vera ChouinardSeptember 1, 20182018-10-02T17:08:07-04:00

Although researchers with disabilities are an exceptional category, they are a still very much underrepresented group in Academia worldwide. With billion people with disabilities worldwide, the percentage of academic positions filled in by academics with…