Newsletter – June 2017
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Upon Reflection
By Glen M. MacDonald
How fast time flies. It is hard to believe that the end of the academic year is upon us, June has come and I am writing my last president’s column. I want to use the opportunity provided by this final column to reflect upon the past year. I also want to look ahead and consider the role of our discipline and the American Association of Geographers as we face the changing and challenging world ahead of us. Finally, I hope with one last act as president to give back a little for all I have received.
Recent columns from the President
- The Creation of Transformative Geographies
- Advancing Geography and the Association at Boston
- Telling Our Stories, Speaking Out and Being Heard as Geographers
- Creating and Preserving Actionable and Policy-Relevant Geography
- Strengths and Challenges of Diversity
- Geography in a Post-Truth World
- More from the President
FEATURES Civil Rights Featured Theme of 2017 Geography Awareness Week: A Call for Participation
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Established by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress in 1987, Geography Awareness Week (GAW) is observed the third week in November every year. GAW promotes what geography is, why it is important, and the relevance of a geographic education in preparing citizens to understand and debate pressing social and environmental issues and problems. This year’s celebration is November 12-18, marking the 30th birthday of what has become an important tradition in our discipline. National Geographic’s Network of Alliances for Geographic Education recently met in Washington DC and designated “The Geography of Civil Rights Movements” as a featured theme for the 2017 Awareness Week.ANNUAL MEETING
Save the Date: AAG 2018 New Orleans
Mark your calendar for the AAG Annual Meeting in New Orleans on April 10 to April 14, 2018. We invite you to organize and participate in sessions, panels, field trips, events, and activities. The Call for Papers will open in July 2017.
Videos from AAG 2017: Boston
Videotaped sessions of select plenary sessions and featured speakers from the 2017 Annual Meeting in Boston are now available for viewing. The select videos available for viewing are as follows:
- Noam Chomsky – A Continuing Conversation with Geographers and Atlas Award
- Glen MacDonald’s Presidential Plenary on Geographies of Bread and Water in the 21st Century
- David Harvey’s Featured Lecture: Marx, Capital and the Madness of Economic Reason
- James Hansen’s Lecture: Global Climate Change: Can the Next Generation Avert a Catastrophe?
- AAAS’ Rush Holt on Advancing Science in the Public Arena
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Twitter Chat: AAG Grants and Awards Program
The AAG has a long history of supporting and recognizing geographers’ accomplishments and contributions through its many prestigious grants and awards. The AAG Grants and Awards Program recognizes and supports AAG members, non-members, students, early career and senior faculty. On June 15, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the AAG will host a Twitter Chat, entitled, “AAG Awards Program.” Guest speaker Candida Mannozzi, AAG Deputy Director of Operations, will answer questions about the variety of awards available, the submission process, key deadlines, and more. Follow @theAAG and participate by using the hashtag #AAGChat.
AAG Seeks Nominations for 2018 Vice President, National Councilors, Student Councilor
The AAG Nominating Committee seeks nominations for Vice President (one to be elected), for National Councilor (two vacancies) and Student Councilor (one to be elected) for the 2018 election. Those elected will take office on July 1, 2018. Members should submit the names and addresses of each nominee and their reasons for supporting nomination to any member of the committee no later than July 30, 2017. As part of your nomination statement, please confirm that the person is willing to be considered for the position for which you are recommending her or him. Nominations by email are strongly preferred.
Meredith Stone Joins AAG Staff as Public Policy and Outreach Specialist
Meredith Stone has joined the AAG staff as Public Policy and Outreach Specialist at the Washington, D.C. headquarters. She recently completed her Master of Arts in Geography at Ohio University. There, she served as a teaching assistant for Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Mapping Sciences and also as a research assistant for the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, a National Science Foundation granted project investigating urban green space in the city.
Christine MacKrell Interns at AAG for Summer Semester
Christine MacKrell recently completed her bachelor of arts in geography from the University of Mary Washington where she also majored in political science and completed a certificate in geographic information systems. She will be attending George Washington University in the fall working toward a Master of Science.
AAG Seeks Interns for Fall Semester
The AAG is currently seeking interns for the spring semester, although the organization offers opportunities on a year-round basis for the spring, summer and fall semesters. Interns participate in most AAG programs and projects such as education, outreach, research, website, publications, or the Annual Meeting. The AAG also arranges for interns to accompany different AAG staff on visits to related organizations or events of interest during the course of their internship.
Undergrads: Nominations Sought for Inaugural Board of the AAG USAG
With students making up over 40% of AAG membership, the new Undergraduate Student Affinity Group (USAG) is an important community to speak on behalf of the unique and important perspectives of undergraduate geographers. It’s now time to elect the first USAG Board. Nominations are sought from undergraduates interested in this exciting leadership opportunity. By serving on the inaugural board, student leaders will determine where to focus the energy and initiative of the AAG undergraduate community to serve their needs and represent their voice.
MEMBER NEWS
Presidential Geographers: Drs. Mazey and Nellis Lead Buckeye Universities
As of July 1, 2017, the state of Ohio will have two university presidents who are geographers. Dr. Duane Nellis, president-elect at Ohio University (OU), will join Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey of Bowling Green State University (BGSU) as a leader of a public academic institution in Ohio. Mazey began her Presidency at BGSU in July of 2011 and holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Cincinnati, while Nellis holds his PhD in Geography from Oregon State University.
PUBLIC POLICY
AAG Statement on the U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement
The American Association of Geographers (AAG) opposes the Trump Administration’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Climate change constitutes a major threat to the Earth’s environment and to the well-being of people in all nations and there is a substantial body of evidence that global climate change is driven by human-induced causes.
AAG Opposes Cuts to Federal Science Agencies in FY 2018 Budget
The Administration released its full budget on May 23, including cuts to Federal science agencies. In response to appropriators, the AAG stressed further insights into the detrimental effects of those reductions.
Administration Releases FY 2018 Budget
The Trump Administration’s budget proposal, which was released on May 23, includes sharp cuts for Federal science agencies. The document is the first step in the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations process, and many bipartisan Senators and Representatives have taken issue with multiple aspects of the proposal.
AAAS, AAU, and Many Others Endorse AAG Letter Urging President Trump to Appoint OSTP Leaders
58 scientific organizations, universities, and others endorsed a sign-on letter organized by the AAG that asks President Trump to “quickly” appoint “highly-qualified individuals” to serve as Director and in other senior leadership positions in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). These key roles have been vacant since January 20.
RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES
Recommend Candidates for AAG Honors and Nominating Committees
The AAG Council seeks nominations for candidates to serve on the AAG Honors Committee and the AAG Nominating Committee. The Council will prepare the final slate of candidates for both committees from the nominations received, and committee members will be elected by a vote of the AAG membership. The deadline for nominations is June 30.
Call for Nominations – AAG Honors
Please consider nominating outstanding colleagues for the AAG Honors, the highest awards offered by the AAG! AAG Honors are offered annually to recognize outstanding accomplishments by members in research and scholarship, teaching, education, service to the discipline, public service outside academe, and for lifetime achievement. Individual AAG members, specialty groups, affinity groups, departments, and other interested parties are encouraged to nominate outstanding colleagues by June 30. Currently, honors are awarded in several categories, including: Distinguished Teaching Honors; Gilbert F. White Distinguished Public Service Honors; Ronald F. Abler Distinguished Service Honors; Gilbert Grosvenor Honors for Geographic Education; Distinguished Scholarship Honors; and Lifetime Achievement Honors. AAG Honors are selected annually by the AAG Honors Committee from a collection of nomination submissions.
The AAG Fellows Program
The AAG is honored to announce it has launched AAG Fellows, a new program to recognize geographers who have made significant contributions to advancing geography. In addition to honoring geographers, AAG Fellows will serve the AAG as an august body to address key AAG initiatives including creating and contributing to AAG initiatives; advising on AAG strategic directions and grand challenges; and mentoring early and mid-career faculty. The deadline for nominations is June 30.
PUBLICATIONS
The International Encyclopedia of Geography – Order by June 30!
Time is running out to order the 15 volume print edition of the landmark reference work, The International Encyclopedia of Geography. The IEG is an essential resource for institutional libraries, research centers, professional organizations, and any major organization engaged with geography and interrelated fields within social sciences, humanities, science, and medicine. Order by June 30 to receive over 15% off the 15-volume print set.
Methods, Models, and GIS Section Editor Sought for ‘Annals of the AAG’
The American Association of Geographers seeks applications and nominations for the Methods, Models, and Geographic Information Sciences editor for the Annals of the American Association of Geographers. This new editor will be appointed for a four-year editorial term that will commence on January 1, 2018. The appointment will be made in the Fall of 2017. Nominations and applications should be submitted by Friday, September 29, 2017.
AAG Cartography Editor Sought for ‘Annals of the AAG,’ ‘Professional Geographer,’ and ‘GeoHumanities’
The American Association of Geographers seeks applications and nominations for a Cartography Editor for the AAG journals Annals of the American Association of Geographers, The Professional Geographer, and GeoHumanities. The new editor will be appointed for a four-year editorial term that will commence on January 1, 2018. The appointment will be made in the Fall of 2017.
June 2017 Issue of ‘GeoHumanities’ Now Available
The AAG is pleased to announce that Volume 3, Issue 1 (June 2017) of GeoHumanities is now available. GeoHumanities is the newest journal of the American Association of Geographers. It features articles that span conceptual and methodological debates in geography and the humanities; critical reflections on analog and digital artistic productions; and new scholarly interactions occurring at the intersections of geography and multiple humanities disciplines. Each issue, the Editors choose one article to make freely available. In this issue you can read Rethinking the Final Frontier: Cosmo-Logics and an Ethic of Interstellar Flourishing by Matthew Kearnes and Thom van Dooren for free.
ADDENDA
IN THE NEWS
Popular stories from the AAG SmartBrief
- Tracking geographic disparities in life expectancy
- Mapping changes in wealth distribution in US cities
- Study links drug trade to Central American deforestation
- Monitoring the Earth’s biological patterns
EVENTS CALENDAR
- Summer Institute on Objects, Places and the Digital Humanities
- 45th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology/Fourth Conference on Weather Warnings and Communication
- 21st Conference on Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid Dynamics 19th Conference on Middle Atmosphere
- Geospatial Information Forum – Salzburg
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