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. In this case safe places refer to colleges and universities that have an active Indigenous Studies program, cultural center, or other active organization that can act as a support system for Indigenous students to keep them connected to their traditional communities and provide mentorship to help them achieve their academic goals. In many cases, this also includes colleges and universities that are geographically accessible to students, meaning the school is a commutable distance from their homes or within their home state for the purposes of in-state tuition.

There is a strong record of the application of geography, and specifically GIS, to address the needs of Tribal Governments and associated communities. Tracking land ownership records for resource management and land claims,[1],[2] assisting Tribal Governments with improving medical services, transportation, and economic development, and the preservation of cultural and natural resources[3],[4] represent a few of the ways spatial techniques and GIS have assisted indigenous communities. Coupled with the expectation that the GIS industry will grow by 10% each year through 2023[5], encouraging Indigenous students to pursue Geography could not only present opportunities in a growing field but provide tools and skills to better serve the needs of their own communities.

AAG Membership Data

Since 1981, the AAG has seen a gradual increase in the number of minorities within its membership. In the early 2000s there was a dramatic increase in the number of members who identify as Asian, African American, and Hispanic, however, the number of members who identify as Native Alaskan, Native American, or Pacific Islander has not followed that trend (Graph 1).[6] This suggests that Indigenous people have not been welcomed and included in Geography to the same extent as other underrepresented groups, a concern of the AAG as the Association is dedicated to “promoting inclusion, equity, and social justice across the entire discipline.”[7]

Graph 1: AAG Minority Membership since 1981.[6]

The Interactive WebMap

To address the need for greater Native American, Native Alaskan, and Pacific Islander representation in the AAG, the AAG has developed a database and interactive webmap to help students find schools suited to their needs. The database and interactive webmap was built by cross-referencing the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s (AIHEC) list of Tribal Colleges,[8] the Guide to Native American Studies Programs in the U.S. and Canada,[9] and the AAG’s Guide to Geography Programs in the Americas[10] to identify schools in the US and Canada that qualify as a safe place. The academic catalog for each school was reviewed to determine if they offered both Geography Programs and Indigenous Studies Programs. Those that did were then added to the database along with information about the level of degrees offered in both fields as well as any cultural centers, administrative departments, or student organizations that would also be beneficial, as well as direct links to those websites.

Some of the identified colleges and universities do not offer degrees in both fields but were still included in the database because they have another structure in place that would also fulfill that need. For example few Tribal Colleges offer degrees in geography but do offer geography courses and, as institutions run by and for their communities, support structures for students are already available. Likewise, a couple of the schools included in this database do not offer an Indigenous Studies degree, but support research centers, cultural centers, or other partnerships with community organizations that would also fulfill that need. The result is a database of 185 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada.

Once the database was completed, a corresponding webmap was made as a method of searching the database spatially and includes filters to help students narrow down potential schools. The map includes two query tools that allow the user to select schools based on the degree they are interested in pursuing. One of these filters selects  programs by the level of Geography degrees and the other sorts by the level of Indigenous Studies degrees. The application also includes a filter tool that allows the user to select schools by country (United States or Canada), State or Province, or highlight only Tribal Colleges.

For more information please contact:

Jolene Keen, Research Associate, American Association of Geographers

[1] Barcus, Holly R., and Laura J. Smith. “Facilitating Native Land Reacquisition in the Rural USA through Collaborative Research and Geographic Information Systems.” Geographical Research 54, no. 2 (12, 2015): 118-28. doi:10.1111/1745-5871.12167.

[2] Chapin, Mac, Zachary Lamb, and Bill Threlkeld. “Mapping Indigenous Lands.” Annual Review of Anthropology 34, no. 1 (10 2005): 619-38. doi:10.1146/annurev.anthro.34.081804.120429.

[3] Horn, Brady P., Gary N. Barragan, Chis Fore, and Caroline A. Bonham. “A Cost Comparison of Travel Models and Behavioural Telemedicine for Rural, Native American Populations in New Mexico.” Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare 22, no. 1 (05, 2015): 47-55. doi:10.1177/1357633×15587171.

[4] Deogawanka, Sangeeta. “How GIS Is Being Used to Help Native Americans ~ GIS Lounge.” GIS Lounge. November 10, 2014. https://www.gislounge.com/gis-used-help-native-americans/

[5] Dempsey, C. (2017, June 23). Global GIS Industry Continues to Grow ~ GIS Lounge. Retrieved from https://www.gislounge.com/global-gis-industry-continues-grow/

[6] Race and Ethnicity in Geography | AAG. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aag.org/cs/disciplinarydata/raceandethnicity

[7] AAG Membership Data | AAG. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.aag.org/cs/disciplinarydata/aagmembershipdata

[8] AIHEC: Who We Serve. American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

[9] Nelson, Robert M., Guide to Native Studies Programs in the U.S. and Canada. (2011)

[10] AAG Guide to Geography Programs in the Americas 2017-2018. American Association of Geographers.

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Geography, Green Resolutions, and Graduation

Complex organizations have complex interests and responsibilities, especially in the 21st century. My October 2018 Column reminded us to keep our eyes on the prize of equity for all. Together, we Geographers have worked diligently over the last several years to shine a light on equity and banish harassment and bullying from our meetings, our places of work, and our lives. We have more work to do, but we do have a heightened awareness, and a strong, renewed resolve to move forward with justice. Even though we have a strong Statement of Ethics (2009) condemning workplace harassment and discrimination, we further renewed our resolve to fight bullying and harassment with the Harassment Free AAG Initiative of 2019 (Please also remember to take the Post-Meeting Survey). And we will keep working to improve the climate for all. While keeping an eye on our social and civil well-being, the well-being of our planet also needs our attention and actions as strongly as ever. Protecting the civil rights and human rights of scientists helps to advance and protect science, to the benefit of people and the planet.

Headlines are just as alarming on the environmental justice side of the scales as they are on the social justice side. A recent email correspondent offers fair points regarding institutions and fossil fuel divestment, but implied that AAG is neglecting the environment because of our recent focus on anti-harassment initiatives. We should not be forced to make a false choice between the workplace climate, the atmosphere, and our fiduciary responsibility to members and donors as a non-profit, among others. AAG has invested in a portfolio of green funds, and it is worth thoughtful consideration of additional long-term, planet-healthy investment strategies, absolutely. We must of course maintain a complementary balance of Planet Earth’s and her Inhabitants’ well-being. Our AAG Logo and flag, after all, are green.

Recent headlines and reports include this week’s news that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have hit an all-time high of 415 ppm (Washington Post, 5/14/19). That concentation is the “…highest level in human history” (WaPo 5/14/19). Other headlines include news that “humans are speeding extinction and altering the natural world at an ‘unprecedented’ pace” (NY Times 5/12/19).

In light of these daunting global trends, members of the U.S. Congress, led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed. Markey have proposed a non-binding resolution, the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal does not pit society against the environment, but blends the well-being of both by resolving to “reduce greenhouse emissions…to avoid the worst consequences of climate change while also…addressing “societal problems like economic inequality and racial injustice.”(New York Times, 2/21/19).

The plan encompasses five main goals to:

“invest in sustainable businesses”;

“Move to 100% clean energy by 2030”;…

“Create a Commission…to provide publicity, training, education and direct financing” for projects and reforms;

“Establish a renewable Energy Administration” modeled after Roosevelt’s “Rural Electrification Administration”; and

Create a “Full Employment Program… a direct employment initiative to guarantee jobs and a living wage for every American…” (See this link for the Full Plan Language).

Geographers’ diverse talents and insights can contribute in all of these areas.

Within the AAG’s ranks, there are also renewed Green goals. AAG passed a Resolution Requesting Action on Climate Change in 2006. In Spring 2019, a group of members have pointed out that much has changed in the last 13 year since that resolution, and it is time to strengthen our commitment to fight climate change. This monumental effort was led by Geographers Rutherford H. Platt, Ian Burton, Susan Cutter, James Kenneth Mitchell, James L. Wescoat, Claire Rubin, and Martin A. Reuss. The group sent a new Resolution on Climate Change to Council, which was passed unanimously at the April 2019 AAG Meeting. The new Resolution was rooted in the legacy of Geographer and National Academy of Sciences Member Gilbert White (1911-2006), for whom a special session was convened by the aforementioned panelists at the 2019 Annual AAG Meeting. Dr. White’s work showed compassion for people and the environment, with his pioneering work using planning policies to move people out of dangerous flood plains and save lives and property, as opposed to sole reliance on technological solutions to flooding and flood control. His floodplain management work is a great example of fulfilling the human right to benefit from science. The Green New Deal echoes this, incorporating smart business and social policy solutions to improving the environment, the economy, and people’s well-being together. The new AAG Climate Change Resolution promotes 8 goals to fight climate change, compatible with the Green New Deal, summarized at the AAG Website 2019 AAG Climate Resolution for full details. Many thanks to the authors, and to the AAG Council for supporting this.

Future Geograph-ies/-ers

It is graduation time and the goals of social and environmental justice should inspire the new generation of Geographers who are graduating this month from our institutions. We welcome them to the company of scholars and professionals, and we encourage them to carry the torch forward, to create a better social, physical, and technological world, and a brighter future. We also need to continue lending our full support as senior scholars and professional mentors for the latest generation of Geographers, in whom I have great hope, confidence, and inspiration. I end this column with my very best wishes and gratitude to my students who will always be members of our home departmental community, and to all students at this important time of transition in your lives. Congratulations to all, and to those who share in your success!

— Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach
President, American Association of Geographers
Professor, Geography and the Environment and C.B. Smith Fellow in US-Mexico Relations, University of Texas at Austin

Feel free to share your thoughts with me at: slbeach (at) austin (dot) utexas (dot) edu

DOI: 10.14433/2017.0054

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New Books: May 2019

Every month the AAG compiles a list of newly-published books in geography and related areas. Some are selected for review in the AAG Review of Books.

Publishers are welcome to send new volumes to the Editor-in-Chief (Kent Mathewson, Editor-in-Chief, AAG Review of BooksDepartment of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803).

Anyone interested in reviewing these or other titles should also contact the Editor-in-Chief.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to current public health policies which have prompted the closing of most offices, we are unable to access incoming books at this time. We are working on a solution during this transition and will continue our new books processing as soon as we can. In the meantime, please feel free to peruse previous books from our archived lists.

May 2019

The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt by Andrea Wulf and Lillian Melcher (Penguin Random House 2019)

The Beachcomber’s Guide to Marine Debris by Michael Stachowitsch (Springer 2019)

Black Food Geographies: Race, Self-Reliance, and Food Access in Washington, D.C. by Ashanté M. Reese (University of North Carolina Press 2019)

Caribbean New Orleans: Empire, Race, and the Making of a Slave Society by Cécile Vidal (University of North Carolina Press 2019)

Cartography: The Ideal and Its History by Matthew H. Edney (University of Chicago Press 2019)

Chinatown Unbound: Trans-Asian Urbanism in the Age of China by Kay Anderson, Ien Ang, Andrea Del Bono, Donald McNeill, and Alexandra Wong (Rowman & Littlefield 2019)

City of a Million Dreams: A History of New Orleans at Year 300 by Jason Berry (University of North Carolina Press 2018)

Credit Where It’s Due: Rethinking Financial Citizenship by Frederick F. Wherry Kristin S. Seefeldt Anthony S. Alvarez (Russell Sage Foundation 2019)

Dealing with Peace: The Guatemalan Campesino Movement and the Post-Conflict Neoliberal State by Simon Granovsky-Larsen (University of Toronto Press 2019)

Down and Out in Saigon: Stories of the Poor in a Colonial City by Haydon Cherry (Yale University Press 2019)

Drugs on the Page: Pharmacopoeias and Healing Knowledge in the Early Modern Atlantic World by Matthew James Crawford, Joseph M. Gabriel (eds.) (University of Pittsburgh Press 2019)

Ecohumanism and the Ecological Culture: The Educational Legacy of Lewis Mumford and Ian McHarg by William J. Cohen (Temple University Press 2019)

Explorations in Place Attachment by Jeffrey S. Smith (Routledge 2017)

Giants of the Monsoon Forest: Living and Working with Elephantsby Jacob Shell (W. W. Norton & Company 2019)

Imagining Seattle: Social Values in Urban Governance by Serin D. Houston (University of Nebraska Press 2019)

The Interior Borderlands: Regional Identity in the Midwest and Great Plainsby Jon. B. Lauck (The Center for Western Studies 2019)

Marxist Class Theory for a Skeptical World by Raju J. Das (Haymarket Books 2018)

Native American Log Cabins In the Southeast by Gregory A Waselkov (University of Tennessee Press 2019)

Nature and the Iron Curtain: Environmental Policy and Social Movements in Communist and Capitalist Countries, 1945-1990 by Astrid Mignon Kirchhof, J. R. McNeill (eds.) (University of Pittsburgh Press 2019)

Oceans in Decline by Sergio Rossi (Springer 2019)

Outward and Upward Mobilities: International Students in Canada, Their Families and Structuring Institutionsby Kim Kwak (University of Toronto Press 2019)

Quest for the Unity of Knowledge by David Lowenthal (Routledge 2018)

Rice in the Time of Sugar: The Political Economy of Food in Cuba by Louis A. Pérez Jr. (University of North Carolina Press 2019)

The Spanish Caribbean and the Atlantic World in the Long Sixteenth Century by Ida Altman and David Wheat, eds. (University of Nebraska Press 2019)

Waterlogged: Examples and Procedures for Northwest Coast Archaeologists by Kathryn Bernick, ed. (Washington State University Press 2019)

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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 compactness generally ranges from 0 to 1, with 1 being a perfect circle. Wyoming’s only district is currently the most geographically compact district with a score of .77.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled multiple times that the assertion a district is oddly-shaped is insufficient to claim that the boundaries have been manipulated. In fact, some districts that score low in compactness can also be the most competitive. Odd shapes are sometimes needed to connect communities, to comply with the Voting Rights Act, or result from oddly-shaped states or coastal areas. Furthermore, communities rarely form in circles or squares naturally. Rather, communities rely more on existing administrative boundaries (counties, municipalities), infrastructure, and physical features to form.

A “Natural Communities” Score for District Boundaries

Esri’s Policy Maps team formed the research question: How much are current congressional boundaries defined by physical features (mountains and rivers), infrastructure (highways and railroads), or other existing administrative boundaries (county and place boundaries)? We calculated the percent of perimeter of each district that was a county boundary, a place (city, township, or other municipality) boundary, an interstate highway, a railroad track, a river, or within proximity to a mountain peak, as well as geographical compactness for comparison.

Also available as an interactive web map with detailed information in pop-ups.

Using a statistical technique called factor analysis, we were able to create an index that incorporates all these measures and to determine the optimal weights for capturing as much information possible based on the correlations between variables. We call this the Natural Communities index. Not surprisingly, the results of the factor analysis suggested giving the most weight to sharing a boundary with an existing administrative boundary. The least weight was given to proximity to a mountain peak. Geographical compactness helps the score, but not by much since that measure was given such a low weight. The infrastructure measures both had sizeable negative weights, meaning that having infrastructure as a boundary is somehow negatively associated with our construct of natural communities and thus hurts a district’s score, perhaps because infrastructure is used to bring people together rather than separate them. Using these weights, we can come up with a “natural communities” score for each district. The scores were then standardized to have a mean of zero and a standard deviation of 1, for easy comparison. Districts that score high on our Natural Communities index are shown in green on the map below, whereas districts that score low are shown in brown.

States with only one district (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming) generally scored highly, but these districts having different values does not make sense since there were no other options these districts could have used. We gave all these districts a “perfect” score of 2.0, shown in dark green in the map.

A Look at Specific Districts

New Mexico’s 1st

New Mexico’s 1st District has a compactness score of .26 (national average was .18).

New Mexico’s 1st District scored average (0). This district has 60.4 percent of its perimeter defined by administrative boundaries (national average was 65.4 percent), and 2.4 percent defined by a major highway (national average was 2.3 percent).

Ohio’s 3rd

Ohio’s 3rd District has a compactness score of .06 (national average was .18).

Ohio’s 3rd District scored very low (-3.5). This district has only 16.3 percent of its perimeter defined by administrative boundaries (national average was 65.4 percent), and high percentages defined by the two infrastructure categories – railroad tracks and major highways – which has a negative impact on the score.

Arkansas’ 2nd

Arkansas’ 2nd District scored very high (+1.4). This district has 100 percent of its perimeter defined by administrative boundaries (national average was 65.4 percent), zero percent defined by infrastructure, and 37.5 percent defined by a river or stream (national average was 18.1%).

Arkansas’ 2nd District has a compactness score of .24 (national average was .18).

Our index adds information by accounting for the existing administrative boundaries as well as considering infrastructure and physical geographic features. This new score provides much more context when evaluating congressional district boundaries than simply geographical compactness. For example, Arkansas’ 2nd District is slightly less compact than New Mexico’s 1st District but scores much higher when taking into account the existing administrative boundaries (counties and places) and physical geographic boundaries (rivers and mountain peaks).

Join the Discussion

Our natural communities score can be used going into the upcoming redistricting exercises when evaluating multiple proposed districts. This score can add to the conversation when communicating proposed plans to the public during briefings and comment periods.

For maps, data, and other resources for creating your own policy maps, visit Esri Maps for Public Policy or watch the video Top 10 Tips for Policy Story Maps.

About the Author

Diana C. Lavery is a product engineer on Esri’s Living Atlas and Policy Maps teams.

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Newsletter – May 2019

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 light on equity and banish harassment and bullying from our meetings, our places of work, and our lives. We have more work to do, but we do have a heightened awareness, and a strong, renewed resolve to move forward with justice.”

Continue Reading.

ANNUAL MEETING

Revisit  #aagDC with Photos and Videos

The 2019 AAG Annual Meeting hosted 8,500 students and professionals in Washington, DC. Approximately 30% of attendees came from 78 different countries to share the latest in research, policy, and applications in geography, sustainability, and GIScience. View our online gallery of photos to revisit the featured themes, special guest speakers and events, and the 120+ awards presented at the conference. Videos of several special sessions including the Opening Session and Presidential Plenary, Eric Holder’s Keynote, Atlas Awardee Carla Hayden, AAG Executive Director Doug Richardson’s Retirement Remarks, the Past President’s Address, and Recalling Gilbert White are available on the AAG YouTube Channel.

View photos of the 2019 Annual Meeting Highlights.

Watch videos of #aagDC special events.

MAD Takes Back-to-Back World Geography Bowl Titles

The 2019 World Geography Bowl was held during the AAG Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 4 at 7 PM. The 30th annual round robin quiz competition concluded with student teams from the Mid-Atlantic AAG Division and the Southeast Division of the AAG competing head to head, with team MAD pulling out the victory. MAD’s victory marks back to back championships for the division. The World Geography Bowl supports close to 60 students to help offset the costs of attending the AAG Annual Meeting.

Learn more about the World Geography Bowl.

Save the Date for AAG Denver!

 

Join us for the mile high meeting. Mark your calendar for the AAG Annual Meeting in Denver on April 6-10, 2020. We invite you to organize and participate in sessions, workshops, field trips, special events, and activities. Look for the call for papers in July 2019. We look forward to seeing you in the Rocky Mountains!

Learn more about #aagDENVER.

PUBLICATIONS

NEW Annals of the American Association of Geographers Issue Alert: Articles with topics ranging from mining to climate change, health to mobility

The most recent issue of Annals of the American Association of Geographers has been published online (Volume 109, Issue 3, May 2019) focusing on current geographic research. This issue of the Annals also includes an In Memoriam to Marvin W. Mikesell. Topics in this issue include dam failurestime-space prismssmart citiescommunicable diseaseheat wavesworld city networkswalkabilityurban road networksneighborhood effects on human health, and high-speed rail. Regional areas of interest include the Global Norththe Bale Mountains, and Pittsburgh. Authors are from a variety of research institutions including: Uppsala UniversityKing’s College Londonthe Arctic Institute, and University of Maryland.

All AAG members have full online access to all issues of the Annals through the Members Only page. Each issue, the Editors choose one article to make freely available. In this issue you can read Measuring the Geometric and Semantic Similarity of Space–Time Prisms Using Temporal Signatures by Harvey J. Miller, Young Jaegal and Martin Raubal for free for the next two months.

Questions about the Annals? Contact annals [at] aag [dot] org.

NEW The Professional Geographer Issue Alert: Research featuring book reviews to beer, education to hydroelectricity

The latest issue of The Professional Geographer is now available (Vol 71, Issue 2, May 2019) with 16 new research articles in geography that emphasize applied studies. Topics include beerbehavioral effects of GPS useGeospatial literacyplace spoofingsea level riseuber and urban transportationpopulation center measurementsearly career academic mobilityachieving racial justice in geography, and the impacts of book reviews. Study areas include the American WestSalt Lake County, Utah, and Sweden. Authors are from a variety of global institutions including: Beijing Normal UniversityUniversity of AlabamaMichigan State University, and University of Oxford.

All AAG members have full online access to all issues of The Professional Geographer through the Members Only page. In every issue, the editors choose one article to make freely available. In this issue you can read Identifying American Beer Geographies: A Multiscale Core-Cluster Analysis of U.S. Breweries by Jake K. Carr, Shaun A. Fontanella, and Calvin P. Tribby for free for the next 3 months.for free for the next three months.

Questions about The PG? Contact profgeog [at] aag [dot] org.

In addition to the most recently published journal, read the latest issue of the other AAG journals online:

• Annals of the American Association of Geographers
• The Professional Geographer
• GeoHumanities
• The AAG Review of Books

NEW Spring Issue of the AAG Review of Books Published

AAG-RoB-spring-7-2-cvr-babyThe latest issue of The AAG Review of Books is now available (Volume 7, Issue 2, Spring 2019) with 11 book reviews on recent books related to geography, public policy and international affairs. The Spring 2019 issue also includes four book review discussions. The Spring 2019 Issue features a review by Stanley D. Brunn of the International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment, and Technology in which Douglas Richardson served as Editor-in-Chief.

Questions about The AAG Review of Books? Contact aagreview [at] aag [dot] org.

ASSOCIATION NEWS

AAG seeks two editors for the Annals of the American Association of Geographers

The flagship journal of the AAG, the Annals of the American Association of Geographers, has two upcoming editor vacancies to start January 2020. The open positions are in the subject areas of Human Geography and Nature & Society. Applications for the four year term will be accepted until September 6, 2019, with appointments being made in the fall of 2019.

More information about the editorial positions.

Deadline Extended to List Your Geography Program in The Guide

Guidecover1718baby-1The AAG is continuing to accept entries from geography programs for the 2019 edition of the Guide to Geography Programs in the Americas. The deadline for submitting a listing has been extended to June 1, 2019.

The 2019 edition of the Guide will be available exclusively online. The Guide lists undergraduate and graduate programs in all areas of geography and includes an interactive map that students can use to explore and discover geography programs, with easy-to-use search tools to find programs by degree type, region, and program specialization. It has long been an invaluable reference for faculty, prospective students, government agencies, and private firms in the United States, Canada, and throughout the world.

For more information and to list your program, please contact Mark Revell at guide [at] aag [dot] org.

Geography.org: A Resource for Promoting our Discipline and Recruiting Students

GeographyDotCom300-300x90Geography.org is a collaboration between the AAG and Esri to create an accessible platform and launching point for different audiences to discover the discipline of geography. Launched in the fall of 2018 as part of Geography Awareness Week, the site is useful year-round as an outreach tool for site visitors to learn more about what geography is, what geography offers, and career opportunities available in the field. Geography.org is part of the ongoing efforts of the AAG and other organizations to introduce students and the general public to a discipline that offers multiple career paths, as well as information to better understand the world.

Learn more about what the site has to offer.

AAG’s Harassment-Free AAG Survey

One of the goals of the AAG is to host an annual meeting that is inclusive and promotes a harassment-free environment for all attendees. To support this goal, we are conducting a survey about conference participants’ experiences over the past five years (since 2015). This survey is a vital and relevant assessment of the annual meeting and the results will inform policy and practice and will drive change for future annual meetings. If you have attended the AAG Annual Meeting during the past five years, we hope that you will take a few minutes of your time to help us improve as an organization.

Click here to take the survey until May 26.

MEMBER NEWS

Profiles of Professional Geographers

Do you ever wonder what it is like to be the only GIS analyst at a company? This month learn more about being the primary GIS analyst with Daniel McGlone, Senior GIS Analyst and Cicero Data Manager, at Azavea. Daniel explains his multifaceted career, one of the reasons why he wanted to work in geography, and some of the moments along his path to his current employment.

Learn more about Geography Careers.

May Member Updates

The latest news about AAG Members.

Ten students from around the nation will soon be coming to the University of South Florida for an intensive 9-week research experience on the NSF-funded Weather, Climate, and Society REU hosted by Dr. Jennifer Collins and Dr. Robin Ersing (PIs). Students participating this year: Kehinde Adekoya (Hillsborough Community College), Morgan Alexander (University of Georgia), Sydney Hampton (University of South Carolina), Malikiya Hayes (Florida A&M University), Petra Jasper (Occidental College), Conor Krystad (Willamette University), Bradley Smith (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), Jordan Stewart (Cornell University), Allison Foster (Auburn University), and Samantha Williams (University of South Florida). Learn more about the program.

Amy Polen, LSU Masters student in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, was recently selected for the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research Capitol Hill Scholars Program where she will work on Environmental Policy. Watch her video submission.

RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

NSF Research Opportunity on Coastlines and People

NSF_logo2sThe NSF has recently circulated a Dear Colleagues Letter seeking those interested in establishing Research Coordination Networks for the Coastlines and People (CoPe) Project first explored in September 2018. One page summaries of projects and programs related to CoPe are being accepted until May 31, 2019 with a full proposal deadline of June 28, 2019.

Learn more.

Take Time Out This Summer for Professional Development

The AAG’s Geography Faculty Development Alliance (GFDA) will once again offer a valuable in-depth opportunity for early career professionals and department leaders in Geography to learn and engage during its annual workshops June 23-29, 2019, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The shorter four-day workshop for department leaders (June 26-29) will overlap with the week-long conference for early career attendees providing a full career spectrum of exercises and activities.

Register today!

Editor-in-Chief Sought for Physical Geography

The journal Physical Geography is currently seeking applicants for the position of editor-in-chief or two applicants to be joint co-editor-in-chiefs. The three year term formally starts in January 2020, with a transitional period between July and December of 2019. Applications are being accepted until May 20, 2019.

Find out more about the position.

FEATURED ARTICLES

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… Esri’s Policy Maps team formed the research question: How much are current congressional boundaries defined by physical features (mountains and rivers), infrastructure (highways and railroads), or other existing administrative boundaries (county and place boundaries)?

Continue reading.

GEOGRAPHERS IN THE NEWS
VENTS CALENDAR
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