New Health & Place pub alert: “You thrive where you are:” Experiences of neighborhood built environments, mental health and wellbeing among residents of disinvested neighborhoods kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F... @pennstategeography.bsky.social #AcademicSky 🛟 #geosky

Our distinguished E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Endowed Lecture is at noon on Friday, March 27 at Foster Auditorium. Shannon Speed (UCLA) will present Indigenous Women and Violence: Thinking Beyond Settler Capitalism on violence against Native women, human rights, and tribal sovereignty.

Congratulations to Lorraine Dowler, Vice President-elect, and Joshua Inwood, National Councilor-elect, on their election to leadership roles in the American Association of Geographers!

Thanks to Greg Jenkins for speaking at Friday’s Geography Coffee Hour and to everyone who joined us! He discussed how Sahara dust connects to weather, climate and air quality, with examples from his work focused on West Africa.

Attending an annual conference can be confusing and intimidating, regardless of whether you’re a first-time undergraduate attendee or a seasoned postgraduate student. Here are some tips and tricks to make the experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible. buff.ly/OUvqIUR

New major launching: Sustainability, Society and Environmental Geography (B.A.) 🌍 Study sustainability through environment, economy and equity, with a focus on people and place 🌱 Start at any Penn State campus, finish at University Park (2+2) 🎓 Learn more 🔗 www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

#AcademicSky #GeoSky - encourage your 3rd & 4th year undergrads who wish to learn more about grad school and the "hidden curriculum" to apply to our GENIUS summer workshop! Applications due 2/15. @pennstategeography.bsky.social www.geog.psu.edu/geniusworkshop

Join us Friday, Jan. 30 for Coffee Hour with Dr. Heidi Biggs of Georgia Tech. Biggs will explore how textiles, wearables, and sound can turn climate data into local, embodied experiences that foster resilient ecological thinking. 📍112 Walker | 🕞 3:30 p.m.

Science on tap is back at 7PM Thursday, 01/29/26 at Axemann Brewery, and we're wondering: how do students really think about sustainability? Geography researchers Dr. Mark Ortiz and PhD candidate Harman Singh are getting interactive with their research at Science on Tap this month.

We’re fired up for the semester ahead! 🌋 Thanks to Dr. Christelle Wauthier for kicking off Coffee Hour with a talk on volcanoes, remote sensing, and hazard mitigation.

Hey Folks, please help spread the word. We are hosting GENIUS again and we want your undergrads! This is a great opportunity for all involved www.geog.psu.edu/geniusworkshop

🎓 Please join us in congratulating our December 2025 residential graduate degree recipients! 🎉 We are proud of you and wishing you the best in what is next.

Don't miss our first Coffee Hour of the semester this Friday at noon in 401 Steidle. Dr. Christelle Wauthier will share how satellite data can help us better understand and prepare for volcanic hazards. www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

The #AAG2026 preliminary program is now ready! If you need to make any last-minute edits for your presentation or panel, be sure to finalize your details by January 29! 📆 The finalized program will be released on February 19. View all deadlines: buff.ly/Bly9b58

🎓 We would also like to congratulate December 2025 graduate, Joshua Pangelinan who earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography. Best wishes in your next chapter!

New workshops and field visits are now available! Now with nearly 50 field visits and workshop options, there are numerous opportunities to make the most out of your attendance. 🌱 Explore Field Visits: buff.ly/ZJciNsl 💻 Look at Workshops: buff.ly/3NsSXc7

Join us this Friday at noon in 401 Steidle for the first Coffee Hour of spring! 🛰️ Dr. Christelle Wauthier will share how satellite radar helps detect ground movement linked to volcanoes, earthquakes and other natural hazards. 🌋

That's a wrap! My third and final study from my dissertation is now published open-access in the journal of information visualization! Check it out here: doi.org/10.1177/1473.... I now have no publications in the pipeline...time to get back to writing 😎.

🎓 As we begin the spring semester, we want to recognize our December 2025 undergraduate degree recipients. Congratulations and best wishes in your next chapter! 🎉

Geography core 🌎 Lily accidentally matched our new map panels and floor tiles today! The map panels were recently installed in the main hallway outside the department office and graduate student lounge. More to come as this space keeps coming together!

📸 @docholmes.bsky.social with her grad seminar students in their last class this week. Wishing everyone a strong finish and restful break! To those taking finals next week, we are cheering you on!

This Giving Tuesday, your gift goes twice as far! Alumnus Bob Myers is matching donations up to $25,000 to support the GeoGraphics Lab. Your support helps fund student cartography and real-world mapping projects that benefit the community! Join the match: raise.psu.edu/GeoGraphicsLab

Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, and we’re spotlighting alumnus Bob Myers. Bob is matching gifts up to $25,000 to the GeoGraphics Lab Fund, doubling support for student cartography internships and hands-on mapping projects. Join the match!: raise.psu.edu/GeoGraphicsLab

Congratulations to Brandi Robinson on receiving the Pennsylvania Geographical Society’s Distinguished Scholar Award! The award recognizes individuals with substantive research, publications and professional development in geography.

Are you a student or a professional with a passion for geography? Take advantage of AAG’s Professional Development Resources. Check out our Job Board for career growth needs, career profiles to discover new paths, or explore the Guide to the #Geography Programs if seeking a degree. buff.ly/AohpeuW

📣 Applications open for GENIUS 2026, a 3-day mentoring workshop at Penn State for rising third- and fourth-year students underrepresented in geography. 🌍 📅 May 27–29. Apply by Feb. 15, 2026: www.geog.psu.edu/geniusworkshop

Donors have already given $6,650 to the GeoGraphics Lab Fund! Alumnus Bob Myers will match gifts up to $25,000, doubling support for student cartography internships in our program. Join the match: raise.psu.edu/GeoGraphicsLab

Congratulations to alumna Dr. Vivian Deidre Rodríguez-Rocha (PhD '24) for earning the 2025 National Women’s Studies Association x University of Illinois Press First Book Prize Recipient, awarded at the NWSA conference in Puerto Rico last week! The work is from her dissertation.

Students in GEOG 2N: Apocalyptic Geographies visited the Scotia Barrens to imagine how descendants of an original settlement might rediscover a post apocalyptic landscape. Photos by Patrick Caswell

As #GIScience evolves toward web-based applications, skills required for a successful #GIS career are also changing. What does it mean to be a GIS professional of the future? Esri’s YPN provides 5 important tips for future-proofing your career with crucial resources you can leverage: buff.ly/5uWOCbh

Thank you to everyone who made Penn State GIS Day a success! Students, faculty and alumni shared lightning talks in Foster Auditorium and kept conversations going at a reception in the Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information.

Tomorrow is GIS Day! Lightning talks in Foster Auditorium (11:15 a.m.–12:05 p.m., 1:30–3 p.m.), a 3–4:30 p.m. A reception at the Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information, then GIS trivia and résumé reviews at 6:30 p.m. in the Hamer Center. All are welcome!

Ph.D. candidate Suraiya Parvin shared her thesis research, “Placemaking through Food: A Case Study of Bangladeshi Migrants in New York City,” at the Race, Ethnicity and Place conference in New Mexico and helped lead our grad recruitment table. Proud to see her representing Penn State Geography!

Postdoctoral scholar Halie Kampman and professor Brian King published a Conversation piece on their research titled, “Pennsylvania counties face tough choices on spending $2B opioid settlement funds”. theconversation.com/pennsylvania...

GIS Day is Monday, Nov. 17! Schedule: 11:15 a.m.–12:05 p.m. Welcome + lightning talks 1:30–3 p.m. Lightning talks 3–4:30 p.m. Reception @ Hamer Center, 1 Pattee Library 6:30–8:30 p.m. Games + resume review @ Hamer Center Info and Zoom Links: www.psu.edu/news/univers...

A multi-institutional team led by geography researchers at Penn State built and tested four AI agents in order to introduce a conceptual framework of autonomous geographical information systems and examine how this shift is redefining the practice of GIS. www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

Bob Myers is an incredible alum @pennstategeography.bsky.social - the only person to ever earn multiple Master's degrees in our online program, a tireless advocate for civil rights, and a key supporter of the cartographic work we're doing in the GeoGraphics Lab today: www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

After nearly three decades in federal service, Penn State Geography alumnus Benjamin DeAngelo is launching a new a consulting and advisory service focused on climate adaptation and resilience called Operation Future. www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

National Geographic Explorer and Penn State Geography’s Tiza Mfuni is attending the National Geographic Explorer’s Festival in Johannesburg, where he also led a session on self-reflection for collaboration.

This Friday, Suraiya Parvin & Naser Lessani will present their research at our Graduate Student Coffee Hour! www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

AAG is now offering three new awards through the International Geographic Information Funds (IGIF). IGIF offers 3 types of awards to support students' career development in the applied #spatial analysis or geographic information science/systems (SA/#GISS). Learn how to apply: buff.ly/Fdlg6eR

Dr. Bronwen Powell, Professor of Geography, African Studies and Anthropology at Penn State will give a talk at Emory University on Nov. 7. lnkd.in/g4MbBrDZ

Thank you to Dr. Thelma Abu for joining our Coffee Hour series to share her research on climate change and mental health. Her talk highlighted how rising temperatures in Ghana’s semi-arid regions are impacting emotional well-being and community resilience.

Congratulations to Ava Blansfield, Logan Madden and Isabel Rivera on earning the EMSAGE Laureate designation this fall. This honor recognizes leadership, service, global engagement and academic excellence. We are proud of these students for going above and beyond.

Two Penn State Geography undergrads spent a month in Malawi with the ECODRYFOREST project, working in forests and villages alongside local researchers. Read their story: www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

As a teen, Naomi Bird witnessed the sudden vaping boom among her peers. Research she did as an undergraduate student at Penn State gave her a greater insight into what she was witnessing. www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

Today at 4 p.m. ET: Erica Smithwick, professor of geography and director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, joins a UC3 virtual panel, “Communicating Climate Research in an Uncertain Climate.” Free registration! www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

Doctoral student Owen Harrington published his first article in Energy Research & Social Science on the UOGD–water–health nexus in Pennsylvania, using interviews and a community focus group. Read: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Join us Friday, Oct. 31 for a Coffee Hour talk by Dr. Thelma Abu, assistant professor at UConn. She’ll explore the invisible mental health impacts of extreme heat in Ghana and share insights for building more comprehensive climate adaptation strategies. www.psu.edu/news/earth-a...

Miss Friday’s Coffee Hour? Mook Bangalore, assistant professor of environmental policy at Penn State, joined us to explore how floods impact communities in the Global South and how researchers can define, measure and respond to these climate challenges. 📺 Watch the talk: youtu.be/NC_aRr5HxkQ