When I first considered “Making Spaces of Possibility” as the theme for our 2025 Annual Meeting, it would have been difficult to imagine how much the world of geography and higher education would be in turmoil by now. Rapid policy shifts in the U.S. with regard to funding for geographic research and the scientific enterprise more broadly, restrictions on academic freedom and the topics we can teach, drastic challenges to the institutions of democracy, and the looming upheaval in geopolitical alliances in the world were not what I anticipated when envisioning our Annual Meeting this year. Alas, this is where we find ourselves.

As our conference in Detroit is approaching, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the importance of such a gathering as geography scholars, educators, and practitioners come together. We do so in order to exchange scholarly findings and insights, think about geographic futures, and collectively contribute to geographic knowledge production. Gathering, collaborating, thinking, debating—sometimes fiercely, and organizing for better futures strike me as critically important in the current moment, a moment that seems intent on undermining the very foundations and principles of our work. My hope is that gathering in Detroit will energize us and strengthen our commitments to working toward more equitable futures. The Annual Meeting program is a testament to these commitments, and I am very much looking forward to learning from and with geographers later this month.

Speakers in this year’s presidential plenary will address how geographers and interdisciplinary scholars may contribute to Making Spaces of Possibility, spaces that allow for imagining and enacting more equitable worlds, that are tuned into local and global processes, and respect and validate the experiences of diverse residents, advocates, and activists. Drawing on their respective fields of expertise, Kyle T. Mays, Natasha Myhal, and Jessi Quizar take on these questions with regard to racial capitalism, land, sovereignty, ecological restoration, and repair. Thinking through questions of reparations, ecological restoration, and care, as these talks will do, the speakers highlight how geographers can engage in meaningful scholarship and political actions that affect positive change. Their scholarship also reminds us that organizing for change takes time, energy, and dedication. I look forward to hearing our speakers’ arguments in depth, and to the questions and conversations that these talks will spark.

After all, geographers have been making spaces of possibility for a long time. Whether these are our classroom spaces, research labs, reading groups, activism, or community mapping efforts (we honor Gwendolyn Warren this year for her innovation and advocacy in this field!) As an institution, the AAG has been fostering geographic research, education, and geographic careers for over 120 years, through journal publications, annual and regional meetings, and advocacy on behalf of our discipline and members. Along the way, our organization has evolved—for the better, as far as I’m concerned. We have been working toward broadening the tent of geography, insisted on valuing different viewpoints, affirming different research approaches and a broad range of topics, and considering how, as geographers, we can continue to make significant contributions to making this world a better place for all its inhabitants. At the same time, we have created more inclusive and accessible spaces for participating in meetings and the discipline more broadly.

While we prepare for the Annual Meeting, write our talks, and make plans to meet up with colleagues, collaborators, and friends, I also wanted to highlight opportunities for taking immediate action. If you are able to and feel so inclined, please join this week’s Stand Up For Science March in Washington DC or the numerous local events across the U.S. And please continue to call your elected representatives. There are numerous good reasons to urge Congress to protect NOAA, restore funding for science and/or for international education and exchange programs such as Fulbright, which have long been supporting geographers, geographic research, and teaching.

I also wanted to highlight opportunities for taking immediate action. If you are able to and feel so inclined, please join this week’s Stand Up For Science March in Washington DC or the numerous local events across the U.S. And please continue to call your elected representatives.

Over the past few weeks, AAG has continued to build coalitions with other scientific and professional organizations. We have signed on to several initiatives, including a letter to Congress to restore access to Federal public data. Earlier this week, AAG was one of 48 professional organizations to call on Congress to protect the future of science. The full letter, representing 100,000 scientists and experts through their professional organizations, is available here. Similarly, just last week AAG signed on alongside more than 550 organizations to urge Congress to protect the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (sign-ons are still being accepted). The AAG JEDI Committee issued a confirmation last week that the work to uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion in geography will continue. And of course, we will continue to champion NSF and work toward restoring funding and staff to the Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program.

As important as these activities are in the short term, we cannot stop there. One of the priorities for AAG’s next 10-year long-term plan is to strengthen support for geography departments. Among other ideas, we’re working on expanding our year-round offers of online workshops and webinars, including those for department leaders. All of these new plans will take some time to map out and implement. I am heartened to see, however, that our colleagues are already thinking about the consequences of policy shifts. Beth Mitchneck and Stephanie A. Goodwin encourage departments and institutions to consider amending tenure and promotion rules for early career scholars who experience research delays or interruptions while lawsuits and advocacy for restoring funding play out. It is wonderful to see that their arguments build on AAG’s JEDI and advocacy work, and research collaborations fostered by AAG.

As we return to Detroit, I very much hope that the meeting will energize us, allow us to build better support structures, and generate a variety of ideas and conversations about geography, catalyze future research, and inspire geographers to continue making spaces of possibility. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Please note: The ideas expressed in the AAG President’s column are not necessarily the views of the AAG as a whole. This column is traditionally a space in which the president may talk about their views or focus during their tenure as president of AAG, or spotlight their areas of professional work. Please feel free to email the president directly at [email protected] to enable a constructive discussion.

For many geographers, the past few weeks have brought major shifts in policies that adversely affect our work across higher education, non-profit organizations, Federal agencies, and research institutions. Data sources, including the US Census, are changing. While “CDC’s website is being modified to comply with President Trump’s Executive Orders,” various organizations are working to preserve and make the data available. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is in the midst of controversy, with severe ramifications for critical humanitarian work across the globe and the (potential) loss of jobs for thousands of workers. These sweeping changes to Federal agencies mean serious challenges for scientific research, and for higher education. Data on the impact of NIH funding in your own state is available here. Broad swaths of geographic scholarship are affected as funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) limit indirect cost payments, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) is establishing new guidance with regard to what type of research remains fundable and under what conditions.

In these frenzied times, I have heard from AAG members who feel angry, anxious, and often helpless. Early career researchers on my own campus and elsewhere, in particular, worry that they may not be able to realize their futures and careers as they imagined. In the midst of recent confusion around a Federal payment freeze, post-docs and graduate students who receive salaries or stipends directly from the US government experienced payment delays that caused hardships. Feelings of fear and anxiety in this era of growing uncertainty are understandable, and I want to assure you that you are not alone. AAG stands by our earlier commitments to academic freedom and our support for all geographers across the breadth of geographic inquiry. We value our colleagues whose broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and skills enrich our discipline and society more broadly. I have spoken to many geographers in recent days, and they are here to help, to offer conversations and advice. So, I encourage you to talk to your colleagues, get guidance from supervisors and leadership in your institutions, and to discuss your plans with your advisors and mentors. These may be conversations about short-term decisions regarding field work, conference travel, and visits to archives, or longer-term career planning. If you have concerns that seem beyond your institution’s or workplace’s ability for guidance, please reach out to us at [email protected].

In these times, I find it useful to remember that anxiety, fear, and helplessness may be exactly what the current administration intends to create as it seeks to quash opposition with its firehose approach to overwhelm, exhaust, and even traumatize people. As we are processing the onslaught of information and attacks on democratic institutions, it is important to remind ourselves that we are still only in the early stages of these frenzied changes. I have found that staying informed about these intentions and developments helps reduce some of the surprise and shock. More changes are to come, many of which have been foreshadowed in the Project 2025 document, which this BBC article usefully puts into perspective (the article also links to the full report). Several organizations such as the Council on Governmental Relations, the Council of Nonprofits, and the American Council on Education have been compiling relevant information on executive orders or offer podcasts that address the ongoing assault on research, education, rights, and democracy. This is not an exhaustive list. But I find that accessing information from reputable organizations—rather than trying to keep up with every notification and update from social media and news sites—allows me to step back and process information on my own terms.

In recent days, several lawsuits have gotten under way that challenge the legality of executive orders and administrative actions, including the attacks on DEI work and -workers. These legal cases will take time. In the meantime, AAG is working with the coalition of the American Council of Learned Societies to assess and address the shifting legal and funding landscapes, and to consider how and when to organize responses that will require broader support than any single organization can provide. AAG’s JEDI committee is collecting resources and information materials to support our members. We are proceeding with care and caution because we do not want to inadvertently put AAG members at risk.

As an immigration scholar, I know that the onslaught of Executive Orders which target vulnerable people feels both cruel and somewhat familiar; the first Trump administration targeted immigrants and pursued well over 1,000 changes to existing immigration policies, including revoking legal statuses and restricting various visas. The Migration Policy Institute has compiled a helpful list of the current administration’s actions taken so far in the realm of immigration. Legal guidance for dealing with immigration enforcement agencies is available from multiple sources, including the ACLU. I mention this information, in particular, as sanctuary policies of cities and university campuses are under threat. And so are international students, faculty, and staff on our campuses whose political viewpoints may become grounds for revoking their visas and deporting them—in yet other ways of undermining academic freedom.

In the midst of this intentionally inflicted chaos and confusion, I urge you to take a deep breath and to take care of yourself. If you’re able to, please support those in more vulnerable positions. Letting policymakers know what you think about legislative changes remains an important avenue for action. If you are in the U.S. and so inclined, you may call your elected representatives in Washington DC to ensure your voice is being heard. Please make sure to call their local/state offices in addition to their offices on Capitol Hill, which can be reached at (202) 224-3121.

Taking care also means taking breaks from the news, engaging in self-care, and doing work and organizing that is possible and meaningful to you. Self-care will not dismantle the systems of oppression that traumatize and create new vulnerabilities. But self-care is and needs to be part of preserving our ability to stay focused on what matters, including our work as geographers. There is still the need to educate, to study the consequences of climate change, wildfires, flooding, and intensified hurricanes as well as affordable housing and challenges to democracy, to understand geopolitics, and to work toward food security and climate justice—to mention but a few of the urgent questions that geographers collectively address. Very little, if anything, is gained if trauma manifests as anger and aggression toward others. So, please do what is necessary to take care of your health and well-being, whether that’s taking breaks from screens, going for a walk or to the gym, meditating, being with friends and family, reading a novel, or watching a movie. And please make sure to seek out counseling if self-care strategies are not enough.

Our Annual Meeting in Detroit next month will bring ample opportunities for conversations, collaborations, and community building with other geographers. The preliminary program lists several sessions that center on the changing spaces of and challenges to higher education. There are workshops on research methods for students, as well as mentoring sessions that highlight career opportunities across non-profit, government, and industry sectors for early career geographers. Yet other sets of sessions specifically address questions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am confident that these sessions, along with those focused on geographic research, will generate ideas of how our work can continue within the new legal and political frameworks. AAG’s JEDI committee has also organized a number of listening sessions that will make space for discussions of concerns.

I look forward to the conversations that will emerge as we get together and exchange our experiences and insights, develop further strategies for teaching, share the results of our research, and imagine together how we can continue to do the important work that geographers have been doing and need to continue to do. AAG remains committed to being a home for all geographers and to working toward positive change, to doing it together, even—and especially—in these challenging times.

Please note: The ideas expressed in the AAG President’s column are not necessarily the views of the AAG as a whole. This column is traditionally a space in which the president may talk about their views or focus during their tenure as president of AAG, or spotlight their areas of professional work. Please feel free to email the president directly at [email protected] to enable a constructive discussion.