AAG Newsletter: August 2019
August 2019 Welcome to the Newsletter of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). For more up-to-date news, stories, and announcements, read PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Who’s sorting who? Or the explosion of metrics and how we can take back control By David Kaplan For those of us still working with paper student evaluations, we receive our spring semester results…
The Geography of Access to Health Services
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 of access (along with insurance coverage and finding a trusted provider). Without adequate access to healthcare and health services, people…
AAG’s Encoding Geography Initiative Sees Successes in First Year
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. Throughout the initiative’s first year, a variety of activities and connections were established and the AAG was able to secure…
AAG Newsletter: July 2019
July 2019 Welcome to the Newsletter of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). For more up-to-date news, stories, and announcements, read PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Should we be worried? Or how to maintain and expand the number of geographers in our schools By David Kaplan “As geographers, we all know the value of geography. Right? It is a field…
AAG Staff Participate in AP Human Geography Reading
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 AP high school teachers for the purposes of evaluating essays written by students who took the AP Human Geography exam.…
AAG Welcomes Summer 2019 Interns
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 Toronto, currently pursuing a in Environmental Science and International Development Studies. Her research interests include hydropolitics in both the Middle…
AAG Newsletter: June 2019
June 2019 Welcome to the Newsletter of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). For more up-to-date news, stories, and announcements, read PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Postcard from Mesoamerica By Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach “As Geography research begins in the field and ends in the field, so does my Presidential Column. I had the good fortune to be able to compose most…
Taking Steps to Create a Welcoming Discipline for ALL Geographers: A New Resource for Indigenous Students
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 Indigenous Peoples Specialty Group (IPSG), the map serves to help Indigenous students find safe places to pursue a Geography degree.…
AAG Newsletter: May 2019
May 2019 Welcome to the Newsletter of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). For more up-to-date news, stories, and announcements, read PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Geography, Green Resolutions, and Graduation By Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach “Complex organizations have complex interests and responsibilities, especially in the 21st century… Together, we Geographers have worked diligently over the last several years to shine a…
Beyond Compactness: A New Measure to Evaluate Congressional Districts
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 are raising questions about the current boundaries of congressional districts, often citing lack of geographical compactness as their rationale. Geographical…
AAG Newsletter: April 2019
April 2019 Welcome to the Newsletter of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). For more up-to-date news, stories, and announcements, read PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Harassment-Free AAG: Moving Forward By Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach “I am writing to assure our community that Harassment-Free AAG does not end at the boarding gate for the flight home from the Annual Meeting. In fact,…
AI and GIS: Finally Delivering on the promise
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 work that appeared groundbreaking, such as the first artificial neural networks—the field saw slow progress over the next several decades.…