Opening Up the Possibilities for an Accessible AAG
Many of us “went” to the AAG annual meeting last month, scheduled to take place in Seattle. Of course, we all attended virtually from separate isolated locations. I attended from my living room, my kitchen table, and my bedroom floor. Though just to insert some sense of the old days, for one committee meeting, I…
A Good Day for Geography, Every Day
The late Will Graf would end his AAG President's columns with this optimistic affirmation: It's a good day for Geography. Given the last year, you might be surprised to hear that it is just as true today as it was during his tenure in 1998-99. Let me explain. As I write this, it is the…
Working Together for Racial and Social Justice: From Anti-Asian Racism and Violence to Anti-Racist Praxis in Geography
By Guo Chen, Associate Professor of Geography and Global Urban Studies, Michigan State University This column is the first in a new section of the AAG News called Perspectives, which offers a platform for members to discuss issues of relevance to geography. A slightly longer version of this article was first published in April as…
What will be Presented at the 2021 AAG Meeting?
Jeong Chang Seong, Sanghoon JI, Ana Stanescu, Yubin Lee, and Chul Sue Hwang Building off of an analysis completed for the cancelled in-person portion of the 2020 AAG Annual Meeting, Seong et al. have provided an update on presentation topics in anticipation of the 2021 AAG Annual Meeting. A total of 2,952 papers and posters…
You Baby
“You Baby.” It’s Saturday morning. Jeffrey, who is chronologically well out of his early teenage years, but very much still there in spirit, is awake and calling to me with his favorite insult. He’s mostly non-verbal, but this particular phrase is one that he articulates well enough for anyone to understand. It’s catchy. A friend…
2021 AAG Award Recipients Announced
The American Association of Geographers congratulates the individuals and entities named to receive an AAG Award. The awardees represent outstanding contributions to and accomplishments in the geographic field. 2021 Glenda Laws Award The Glenda Laws Award is administered by the American Association of Geographers and endorsed by members of the Institute of Australian Geographers, the…
Want a Thriving Department? Focus on Undergraduate Success
I cannot think of a person in higher education who has not felt the pressure of maintaining and growing undergraduate enrollments. Undergraduates, who make up the large majority of the student body, are the people we devote most of our instructional efforts toward, and—as administrators constantly point out—are university’s primary source of revenue through tuition…
In Kansas, an Early Warning for Higher Education and Geography
Late last month, a bellwether event took place in Kansas, threatening higher education’s ability to support post-COVID recovery. Citing the extreme budget constraints caused by the pandemic, the nine-member Kansas Board of Regents unanimously approved a new policy giving public institutions the power to remove faculty, including those with tenure, through 2022. The new policy…
Getting Our Bearings in Washington, D.C. and Charting Our Future
The insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6th was equal parts terrifying and disorienting. As always, during a crisis, it takes time for the full story to emerge, but a few things are clear now: words and principles matter, and unity can only occur after accountability. These events heighten our appreciation of the…
Advocate for Geography in Austerity – Part 2
This is Part 2 of a two-part column on what geography departments can do (and should not do) to advocate for their work in budget talks, which are all the more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. These points are largely derived from answers I received from geographers in upper administrative positions at universities. As I…
AAG Holds Workshops on Public Scholarship at Virtual Regional Division Meetings
In response to the growing need and opportunity for geographers to enter into public scholarship, AAG recently developed a workshop to help our members--at all stages of your careers--share research and perspectives across different forms of public media. Chief Scientist at Esri, Dawn Wright, often uses her LinkedIn page to share blog-style articles on topics…
Call for Abstracts: Special Issue of ‘Annals’ on “Race, Nature, and the Environment”
Annals of the American Association of Geographers Special Issue 2023 Call for Abstracts The Annals of the American Association of Geographers is seeking contributions for a Special Issue on “Race, Nature, and the Environment”. The 2023 Special Issue of the Annals invites new and emerging geographic scholarship situated at the crossroads of Race, Nature, and…