The American Association of Geographers will launch a new affinity group specifically for undergraduate students. The Undergraduate Student Affinity Group (USAG) will be an international community of students studying geography, offering opportunities to network and socialize, get advice on graduate study and careers, and take part in academic events.

USAG will work closely with the Graduate Student Affinity Group (GSAG) to plan and develop joint events and workshops that are run by students for students. These may include mentoring and advice on applying to grad school.

USAG membership is open to undergraduate students at a college or university anywhere in the world who are studying geography or a closely related subject (e.g., environmental studies, urban and regional planning, GIScience, geoscience, global studies, or social science education), and are members of the AAG—joining AAG and USAG can happen simultaneously.

Undergraduate students can join the AAG for just $38 and receive full membership benefits including access to scholarly journals and publications, exclusive access to the Jobs in Geography listings, participation in the knowledge communities, and reduced rates for Annual Meeting and other event registration. They can join USAG for an additional $1.

We are also looking for a few students to form the inaugural board of USAG and shape the future of this group. Nominations are welcome throughout the fall and winter, and officers will be selected during the first Business Meeting of USAG held during the AAG Annual Meeting in Boston, April 5-9, 2017. Please let us know if you know particularly enthusiastic students in their sophomore or junior years who might be keen to serve as an officer of this group for two years.

For further information please visit www.aag.org/usag or contact Jenny Lunn (jlunn [at] aag [dot] org).