Regional Division

New England/St. Lawrence Valley Division

Learn more about what’s happening within the region, including events, awards, announcements, reports and more.

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The New England/St. Lawrence Valley Division (NESTVAL) of the American Association of Geographers represents geographers and geography departments in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island in the United States and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland in Canada. All AAG members who reside in this region are automatically members of this group.

This group was established as the nation’s first regional professional geography organization. Beginning with the New England Geographical Conference at Clark University in 1922, this group supports regional geographers and promotes geography education and research.

The New England-St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society contributes to the advancement of geography by holding a fall annual conference, publishing a peer-review professional journal, The Northeastern Geographer, and recognizing and supporting geography professionals and students through awards and annual activities.

Member Programs

Institution Department/Program
Bishop’s University Environmental and Geography
Bridgewater State University Geography
Carleton University Geography and Environmental Studies
Castleton State College Geography
Central Connecticut State University Geography
Clark University Geography
Concordia University Geography, Planning & Environment
Dartmouth College Geography
Eastern Connecticut State University Political Science, Philosophy & Geography
Framingham State University Environment, Society & Sustainability
McGill University Geography
Middlebury College Geography
Plymouth State University Environmental Planning & Geography
Rhode Island College Geography
Saint Michael’s College Environmental Studies
Salem State University Geography and Sustainability
Southern Connecticut State University Environment, Geography and Marine Sciences
University of Connecticut Geography
University of Maine at Farmington Geography and Environmental Planning
University of Massachusetts Amherst Geosciences
University of Massachusetts Boston College of Science and Mathematics
University of New Hampshire Geography
University of Prince Edward Island Environmental Studies
University of Ottawa Geography, Environment and Geomatics
University of Southern Maine Geography – Anthropology
University of Vermont Geography
Westfield State University Geography, Planning and Sustainability

Leadership

Contact NESTVAL leadership

 

 

Nathaniel Trumbull Credit: UConn Avery Point - University of Connecticut
Nathaniel Trumbull
Chair

University of Connecticut

Nathaniel Trumbull Credit: UConn Avery Point - University of Connecticut

Nathaniel Trumbull

University of Connecticut

Aaron Kingsbury
Aaron Kingsbury
Vice Chair

Maine Maritime Academy

Aaron Kingsbury

Aaron Kingsbury

Maine Maritime Academy

Firooza Pavri
Firooza Pavri
Past Chair

University of Southern Maine

Firooza Pavri

Firooza Pavri

University of Southern Maine

Matthew McCourt portrait with a background of fall leaves
Matthew McCourt
Regional Councilor

University of Maine – Farmington

Matthew McCourt portrait with a background of fall leaves

Matthew McCourt

University of Maine – Farmington

 

Events

 

Past events

Event
New England and St. Lawrence Valley Regional Division of The AAG
New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society Fall 2025 Conference

10/10/2025 – 10/11/2025
Event
New England and St. Lawrence Valley Regional Division of The AAG
New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society Fall 2024 Conference

10/25/2024 – 10/26/2024
Event
New England and St. Lawrence Valley Regional Division of The AAG
2023 New England/St. Lawrence Valley Regional Division Meeting

10/27/2023 – 10/28/2023
Event
New England and St. Lawrence Valley Regional Division of The AAG
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of NESTVAL – Climate Crisis: Actions for a Just and Livable World

11/04/2022 – 11/05/2022

Historical List of Past Meetings

Year Host
2025 Bridgewater State University
2024 Westfield State University
2023 University of Southern Maine
2022 Salem State University
2021 University of Connecticut
2020 Salem State University
2019 Framingham State University
2018 Keene State College
2017 Central Connecticut State University
2016 Bishop’s University
2015 Bridgewater State University
2014 University of New Hampshire
2013 Clark University
2012 University of Maine at Farmington
2011 Concordia University
2010 University of Connecticut
2009 Salem State University
2008 Plymouth State University
2007 Southern Connecticut State University
2006 University of Vermont
2005 Keene State College
2004 University of Southern Maine
2003 Central Connecticut State University
2002 Concordia University
2001 Bridgewater State College
2000 Rhode Island College
1999 University of Maine at Farmington
1998 John Abbott College
1997 Salem State University
1996 Clark University
1995 University of Vermont
1994 University of Connecticut
1993 Keene State College
1992 University of Southern Maine/University of Maine at Farmington
1991 Concordia University
1990 Norwich, CT
1989 Boston University
1988 Dartmouth College
1987 Bridgewater State College
1986 Rhode Island College
1985 SUNY Albany
1984 Plymouth State College
1983 University of Vermont
1982 University of Maine
1981 Concordia University
1980 University of Connecticut
1979 University of Rhode Island
1978 Dartmouth College
1977 Clark University
1976 Salem State University
1975 Southern Connecticut State University
1974 US Military Academy, West Point
1973 Université du Québec Trois Rivières
1972 University of New Hampshire
1971 Columbia University
1970 Bishop’s University
1969 Central Connecticut State College
1968 Bridgewater State College
1967 University of Vermont
1966 St. Anselm’s College
1965 Université Laval
1964 Boston State College
1963 Gorham State College
1962 Rhode Island College
1961 University of Vermont
1960 Wellesley College
1959 Central Connecticut State College
1958 University of Massachusetts
1957 Boston University
1956 University of Rhode Island
1955 Clark University
1954 Yale University
1953 Dartmouth College
1952 University of Connecticut
1951 Middlebury College
1950 Mt Holyoke College
1949 Harvard College
1948 Wellesley College
1947 Clark University
1946 Clark University
1944 Clark University
1942 New Britain State College
1941 Worcester State College
1940 Clark University
1939 Clark University
1938 Harvard College
1937 Clark University
1936 Clark University
1932 Clark University
1931 Clark University
1930 Clark University
1929 Clark University
1928 Clark University
1927 Clark University
1926 Clark University
1925 Clark University
1924 Clark University
1923 Clark University
1922 Clark University

Governance and History

ELECTION COMMITTEE

  • Vice President
  • First Past President
  • First Past Regional Councilor

PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

  • Editor or Co-editors  of The Northeastern Geographer
  • Vice President
  • One  Member Appointed by the Editor

PROGRAM COMMITTEE

  • Chairperson  From Institution Hosting Annual Meeting or Chair appointed by the Executive Board
  • Member(s) appointed by the Program Chairperson

WEB LIAISON

  • President

 

Constitution of the New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society

Proposed New NESTVAL Constitution Dated October 2010 for the 2010 Annual Fall Business Meeting of NESTVAL

ARTICLE I Name and Purpose

Section 1. The Society shall be called the New England-St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society.

Section 2. The Society exists: (a) to promote geography in New England and Eastern Canada; (b) to encourage research and investigation of the region; (c) to serve as the New England-St. Lawrence Division of the Association of American Geographers.

ARTICLE II Membership

Section 1. Membership in the Society shall include: (a) all AAG members assigned to this region by the National Office; (b) full dues-paying members; and (c) student members.

ARTICLE III Officers, State and Provincial Representatives, and Executive Council

Section 1. The officers of the Society shall constitute its Executive Council and shall be composed of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Regional Councilor to the Association of American Geographers. A representative from each New England state and an eastern Canada province will constitute the Society’s state and provincial representatives. In case of death, inability to serve, or resignation of the President, the Vice President shall assume the office of President to complete the term of the incumbent. They then will serve the full term to which they would have succeeded.

Section 2. The officers, with the exception of the President, shall be elected by the membership by electronic ballot and shall serve two years.

Section 3. The Vice President will succeed to the Presidency for a two-year term.

Section 4. The Secretary is eligible for re-election.

Section 5. The Treasurer is eligible for re-election.

Section 6. The Regional Councilor will serve a three-year term.

Section 7. State and provincial representatives will serve a two-year term and are eligible for re-election.

ARTICLE IV Executive Board and Committees

Section 1. The Executive Board shall be composed of the following members: the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, the Regional Councilor, state and provincial representatives, the first Past President, and the first Past Regional Councilor.

Section 1.1: Responsibilities for Executive Board members include attendance at the annual Fall Business Meeting, the annual Spring meeting of the Executive Board, and other duties as defined below.

Section 2. The standing committees of the Society shall be a program committee, an election committee, and a publication committee.

Section 3. The program committee for the Annual Meeting will be composed of a chairperson drawn from the host institution, and such others as the chairperson shall appoint. If there is no host institution the committee will be appointed by the Executive Board.

Section 4. The election committee shall be composed of the Vice President as chairperson, the Regional Councilor, the first Past President, and the first Past Regional Councilor. .

Section 5. The publication committee shall be composed of an Editor of The Northeastern Geographer appointed by the Executive Board for a two-year term who will serve as chairperson; the Vice President, and one other member appointed by the Editor. Oversight of The Northeastern Geographer shall be the responsibility of the publication committee which shall consult with the Executive Board on all substantive changes to The Northeastern Geographer.

Section 6. The NESTVAL web liaison shall be the President.

ARTICLE V Meetings

Section 1. The meeting of the Society shall be held annually during the Fall at such time and place as the Executive Board shall determine.

ARTICLE VI Finance

Section 1. The annual membership dues to support the Society and its activities shall be fixed by the voting members at a regular Fall Business Meeting and will remain the same until properly amended. Full membership dues will include a one-year subscription to The Northeastern Geographer.

ARTICLE VII Amendments

Section 1. The constitution may be amended only at an Annual Fall Business Meeting of the Society.

Section 2. Amendments must be submitted to the membership electronically at least one month before the Annual Fall Business Meeting.

Section 3. Amendments may be adopted only by two-thirds favorable vote of those voting members present and voting at the Annual Fall Business Meeting.

BY-LAWS

By-Law 1.

The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Regional Councilor should be a member of the Association of American Geographers.

By-Law 2.

A. Every two years the Election Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and candidates for State and eastern Canadian representatives. In preparing its slate, the Election Committee shall solicit recommendations from the voting membership via email and the NESVAL website by March 1 of an election year. Recommendations for elective office shall be returned to the Vice President by April 1 of an election year.

B. The slate of officers and representatives shall be sent by email to the voting membership. State and Canadian representatives shall be elected by the voting membership of the respective State and eastern Canadian provinces. The completed ballots must be received by the Election Committee at least one week prior to the Annual Fall Business Meeting.

C. The results of the election will be announced at the Annual Fall Business Meeting.

D. Election of the Regional Councilor shall follow the same procedure as outlined in By-Laws A, B, and C. However, because the Regional Councilor serves a three-year term, this election will occur in years other than those for the other Executive Board members. Nominations will be solicited by the Chair of the Election Committee from the membership. The election will then be held as in By-Law B.

By-Law 3.

Official duties of all NESTVAL officers and state and provincial representatives shall consist of attendance at the annual Fall Business Meeting and the spring meeting of the Executive Board, and other duties as defined by the By-Laws of the Constitution. State and provincial representatives are required to produce an annual written report to be posted on the NESTVAL website before the annual spring meeting of the Executive Board. This written statement should report on activities, news, and announcements related to Geography departments and programs, Geographic Alliance activities, and the broader public and professional sectors.

By-Law 4.

Voting members of NESTVAL vote on NESTVAL elections and on business items put forth at the Annual Fall Business Meeting. Voting members are required to pay full annual membership dues to NESTVAL which entitles them to an annual subscription to The Northeastern Geographer and other materials available to members on the NESTVAL website.

AAG members that reside in or work in the NESTVAL region are members of NESTVAL by default. These AAG members can become voting members by paying full annual membership dues.

Student members are able to participate at the Annual Fall Business Meeting and Conference and can have access to materials at the NESTVAL website. Student members are not voting members of NESTVAL nor do they receive an annual subscription to The Northeastern Geographer.

 

NESTVAL Proceedings

The Proceedings of The New England-St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society was published from 1971 until 2005, when it was replaced with The Northeastern Geographer journal. During the three and a half decades of NESTVAL Proceedings, 443 papers were published. These papers had 272 different lead authors, from 101 University/Colleges and also included 25 contributors from non-academic settings. During its years of publication, various individuals served NESTVAL as the editor of the Proceedings.

A History of NESTVAL

Timothy Rickard

NESTVAL’s history follows an evolutionary path gradually establishing the characteristics of the organization today.

The New England Geography Conference 1922-1954

NESTVAL’s origins can be traced to 1922, when the first meeting of the New England Geographical Conference was held at Clark University. At subsequent annual meetings, mainly at Clark under Wallace Atwood’s leadership, distinguished geographers at the nation’s most prestigious institutions met with schoolteachers and faculty at teacher training institutions to strengthen geographic understanding and teaching in the region.  The Conference’s Vice Presidents, for example Ellsworth Huntington at Yale, organized spring meetings of state geographers including teachers. That is the origin of today’s state and province representation on the Executive Board in order to serve a more local constituency.

Acquiring the characteristics of an AAG Division 1954-1973

In 1952, the Conference received its first check from the AAG.  It was for $46.71 and represented $0.25 for each AAG member in the region. The New England Geographical Conference became the New England Geographical Society in 1954 and the New England St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society in 1956.  The first NESTVAL representative to the AAG Council was elected in 1967. The AAG division then as now included Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland but not Ontario.  In Quebec, NESTVAL is attractive mainly to Anglophones. Geographers from the Maritimes sometimes travel long distances to be included.

The difficult transition of the 1970’s

Teachers continued to attend the Society’s meetings during the 1960’s but total attendance progressively decreased from a peak of 211 at Clarkin 1939 to about 100 in the early 1970’s. At that time, in 1973, NESTVAL adopted a new mission focusing more on higher education: to promote geography in New England and eastern Canada, to encourage research and investigation of the region and to serve as the Northeastern Division of the AAG. This is still NESTVAL’s mission.  The Society also decided that all AAG members were de facto NESTVAL members who would thus receive the Newsletter. The 1974 Newsletter was mailed to 350 AAG members and 60 non-AAG dues-paying members, down from 124, mainly schoolteachers, in 1971. The new character of NESTVAL was confirmed in 1975, when 90 AAG members paid NESTVAL dues but only 27 non-AAG members did so. Only 11 of these were schoolteachers. Much the same proportion has prevailed to the present despite increasing efforts to include schoolteachers and other geographers not employed in higher education.

Origin of the NESTVAL Proceedings and transition to The Northeastern Geographer The institution of a conference Proceedings in 1971 was one response to the need for NESTVAL to be a forum for research and to disseminate that scholarship through publication. Attendance had been affected by “lack of enthusiasm for giving papers that would not be published.” Number and quality of presentations at the meetings increased throughout the next decade and the Proceedings achieved respectability until its demise in 2005. The initial goal was to record all papers presented after a thorough editing process. In practice fewer than half the presentations were submitted during the 1980’s and 1990’s. This proportion decreased further at the Millennium and NESTVAL decided that a high quality peer reviewed journal would be more attractive to young scholars needing a prestigious publication. So The Northeastern Geographer was born in 2006. Consistent with NESTVAL’s mission, it includes articles, essays and book reviews on the region and on other topics by geographers resident in the region.

Meetings format established 1970’s and continues now

Hal Meeks and Wes Dow wrote Guidelines for NESTVAL meetings which were published in the Newsletter throughout the 1980’s and are followed in principle today. A noon Friday to mid-afternoon Saturday meeting in mid to late October now fits in paper sessions, poster sessions and field trips largely on Saturday. On Friday, a Geography Student Bowl in the afternoon has been customarily followed by a happy hour and evening banquet with a speaker. The business meeting is usually noon on Saturday. Many variations have been tried over the years but the constraint is the length of time faculty and students are willing to stay away from classes and families. Meetings for the last 40 years have intentionally rotated around the NESTVAL region. For example, the meetings were held in Montreal in 1981, 1991, 1998, 2002 and 2011. The Society is always dependent on and grateful to those departments volunteering to host.

Most annual meetings have a theme for exploration in special sessions. The Society’s sole special publication, Geography in New England (1987) resulted from solicitation for papers on the History of Geography and Tourism Geography at the 1984 meeting. It included transcripts of seven Geographers on Film, histories of six departments and assessments of applied Geography at a spectrum of departments. The Editor of The Northeastern Geographer espouses the idea of special publications and will shortly publish the first in a series.

Applied Geography: 1984-present

During the 1980’s, departments in the region, particularly at the state universities and colleges, began to see applied geography programs as a means of departmental security at a time that the AAG was also concerned about the job opportunities for geography graduates. NESTVAL appointed an Applied Geography coordinator in 1987 with a remit for outreach to those applying their geography in careers such as urban and regional planning, tourism/recreation development and environmental management.  This community proved too diverse in interest and location to be held together as a group but a series of coordinators have since maintained outreach efforts with sporadic success. One continuous accomplishment is that former students have usually made presentations or participated in panel discussions when meetings were held in their state/province and by their former department.

Schoolteachers: re-engagement in 1980’s; courting the Alliances 1990-present

NESTVAL revived its moribund relationship with K-12 teachers in 1983 with the establishment a pre-college outreach project. In 1986 the Society made its first distinguished teacher award. In 1989, the Pre-College Education Coordinator was able to announce the establishment of the Massachusetts Geographical Alliance and the organization of one in Connecticut.  Thereafter, the Coordinators pursued cooperation with the six alliances and designed a number of K-12/NESTVAL workshops for teachers. The presence of national leaders in K-12 Geographic Education was a draw for teachers as was the distribution of teaching materials.  Also, in the 1990’s, NESTVAL vigorously promoted the new National Geography Awareness Week at the K-12 level. The Distinguished Geography Teachers Award is now made at the annual meeting to an awardee resident in the state in which the meeting is held.  The majority of the state Alliance coordinators are NESTVAL stalwarts but the Society is yet again seeking to strengthen its ties to K-12 educators.

Distinguished Service Award

The other NESTVAL Award is the Distinguished Service Award established in 1980. During that decade two or three awards were made each year often to retired stalwarts.  In the 1990’s one award was made each year until 1996. No award was made from 1997 to 2002. Awards were then made in 2003 and 2005-2009 and in 2012, which revived this important tradition.

Students Scholarship: Participation, Awards and the Geography Bowl

NESTVAL meetings have long been perceived as opportunities for students to broaden their understanding of Geography and Geographers and to present their own scholarship. The Society instituted an award for the best undergraduate paper written and presented in 1980. During the next decade these papers were published in the Proceedings.  Subsequently the nature of the awards varied but now each year the best undergraduate paper, graduate paper and poster presentation receive recognition and a cash award.  The awardees are encouraged to submit manuscripts to the Northeastern Geographer. The outstanding undergraduate paper now receives the David Frost Award, so named in recognition of his outstanding service, not least bringing a busload of Concordia students every year to experience the meeting.

 Another prominent feature of the meeting has been the popular Geography Bowl, instituted by Bryon Middlekauff in 1992. Since then, five to seven teams from the region’s colleges and universities have competed each fall, cheered on by faculty and fellow students.  Then, in spring, the NESTVAL all-star team competes against teams from other regions at the national meeting.

Support for departments

One of the responsibilities of an AAG division is to monitor the health of geography in the region and support departments experiencing difficulties. NESTVAL members have often acted as departmental consultants during routine self-assessments or as disciplinary advocates when administrations reprioritize at times of financial stress. Geography has been remarkably resilient at most of the two dozen small or large geography programs that were active during the 1970’s. It has tended to be tenuous at small private institutions, vigorous at Clark and Dartmouth, increasingly stable at the former teacher training institutions that mostly have become universities, and thriving at the land grant universities. Fortunately, the subsuming of Geography into Marine Affairs and then its disappearance at the University of Rhode Island in the early 1980’s was a unique circumstance.  However an unappreciative administration at Rhode Island College meant that Geography came close to disappearing from higher education in that state.  Its phoenix-like revival at RIC underlines the need for constant reflection and advocacy for departments and the discipline. In the NESTVAL region, good economic periods alternate with periods of recession and budget cutting.

Conclusion

The advent of powerpoint presentations, E-mail, an electronic newsletter and an easily accessible website has made it easier for NESTVAL members to present and communicate information but otherwise the mission and the challenges are much the same as when the Society became an AAG Division. Today NESTVAL is committed to maintain high quality meetings and publications. It must continue its tradition as an open transparent society embracing all geographers in the region, whatever their place of work, encouraging their participation, and welcoming them to leadership roles.

Further Information

Button, Charles E. and Timothy J. Rickard, “A Content Analysis of the NESTVAL Proceedings 1971–2005” presented at meeting of the New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society, Montreal, Quebec, 2011.

Frederic, Paul B., “Two Decades of NESTVAL: 1990-2010” presented at meeting of the New England – St. Lawrence Geographical Society, Montreal, Quebec, 2011

Harmon, John E. and Timothy J. Rickard, Eds., 1988, Geography in New England,New Britain,Connecticut:New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society.

Koelsch, William A., Before NESTVAL: The New EnglandGeographical Conference, NESTVAL Proceedings Vol. XXVII 1997 pp. 23-33.

Martin, Geoffrey J., “Geography in New England Prior to The New England Geographical Conference of 1922” NESTVAL Proceedings Vol. XXVII 1997 pp. 14-22

Meeks, Harold A., “A Short History of the New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society,” NESTVAL Newsletter Spring 1974 pp. 31-34

Meeks, Harold A., “The New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society: a Short History,” NESTVAL Proceedings, Vol. V, 1975 pp.73-78.

NESTVAL Newsletter 1971-1900

NESTVAL Proceedings 1971-2005.

Rickard, Timothy J., A Retrospective Essay on the Publications of the New England – St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society, The Northeastern Geographer Vol. 1, 2009, pp. 3-7.

Rickard, Timothy J., “A History of NESTVAL 1970 – 1990” presented at meeting of the New England – St. Lawrence Geographical Society, Montreal, Quebec, 2011

Riess, Richard O., “Editorial: History of the “Proceedings,” NESTVAL Proceedings, Vol. VI, 1976 pp. 2 and 100.

TJR 4/6/13

The Northeastern Geographer

Instructions for Authors

Description and Remit of  The Northeastern Geographer

The Northeastern Geographer welcomes submissions in research and practice articles on any geographical topic, and especially invites contributions related to the Northeast, the St. Lawrence Valley Region, and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. The Northeastern Geographer aims to be an inclusive space for critical reflection and experimentation on how geographical thinking, research, and practice can positively influence policy and action.

Papers should be grounded in, and informed by appropriate academic and/or policy relevant geographical literature. Papers should always be original, well-written, and broadly accessible to the journal’s readers, who extend well beyond the geographical academy.

Article Types in The Northeastern Geographer

The Northeastern Geographer welcomes various forms of submissions including: Research Papers, Case Studies, Policy Briefs, Commentaries, and Book Reviews. These are outlined in more detail below:

Research Paper (max. 6000 words)

Research articles devoted to theoretical, empirical, and experimental analyses of important questions in the discipline and/or region. The Northeastern Geographer welcomes research articles on any subfield of Geography and Environmental Studies. Research papers serve as a space for high level critical engagement with addressing key questions and issues in the field and/or region. Research papers should make substantive contributions to our thinking in the discipline and allied fields, and be based on original theoretical, methodological, and/or empirical work. Papers are invited on any theme, and may also include papers on the techniques, problems, and results of natural, social, and sustainability-related research as well as those concerned with the principles, policies, and practices of geographical and environmental research. Research papers are evaluated by two or three outside reviewers in a double-blind peer review process.

Case Studies (max. 4000 words)

Case studies link knowledge and practice. Exemplifying how geographical concepts, challenges, and implications manifest themselves in practice illustrate the complex interactions between people and their environments that are often mediated by a range of factors. Case studies involve close examinations of an actual geographical or environmental problem or issue and outlines where decision-making, challenges, and/or opportunities and implications are faced by individuals, communities, organisations or societies. Submissions of case studies should be designed for use in academic environments (e.g. students and faculty) and/or by geographical and environmental practitioners. Case studies should present a contextual analysis of events, conditions, decisions, and their relationships anchored in specific times and places. Often, case studies present a story involving issues that require resolution. Case studies are evaluated by the editor and one outside reviewer in a double-blind peer review process.

Policy Brief (max. 2000 words)

Geographical concepts, challenges, and implications manifest themselves within a variety of diverse ways and traverse many disciplines, policies, and practices that are high on the agenda of many countries and international organisations while also being prevalent to the NESTVAL region. Consequently, it makes sense to dedicate space in the journal for policy briefings in which new insights and ideas are translated to a broader audience and policymakers. Policy briefs should outline the implications of findings from studies form a policy perspective. The policy brief should be structured as follows:

  • Messages for policy: three to five bullet points outlining the key messages of the policy implications and how findings of studies can improve or impact upon policies and application of policies.
  • The policy problem: an outline of where current policy is limited in scope, impact, or application. The potential costs of failing to improve upon existing policies may also be outlined here.
  • Key findings: a short presentation of key findings from a study or multiple studies that have clear implications for a policy or range of policies dedicated to addressing geographical or environmental problems in the region.
  • Implications for policy: indications of how the findings present clear implications for policy and how they can be addressed to enhance their efficiency and/or impact. An outline of potential steps or ideas of how to transform policies to become more successful should be presented.

Policy briefs are evaluated by the editor and one outside reviewer in a double-blind peer review process.

Commentaries (max. 1000 words)

Commentaries are topical and timely short pieces. The goal of publishing commentaries is to advance the research field by providing a forum for varying perspectives on a certain topic under consideration in the discipline and/or region. New and unique viewpoints on existing problems, fundamental concepts, or discussions of the implications of newly implemented innovations are welcome. Commentaries may also draw attention current advances and speculate on future directions of a topic. Typically, commentaries do not contain figures or tables and should have a maximum of ten references. Commentaries are evaluated by the editor and/or one outside reviewer at the editors’ discretion.

Book Review (max. 1000 words)

Reviews of recent books in the field, with the possibility of comparing books addressing similar topics. The journal offers a number of different formats for book reviews; including the standard review of one book or a review essay in which the reviewer reflects upon a number of books on a particular theme. Reviewed by the editor.

Special Issues

The journal is open to special issues addressing topical and exciting themes, as long as these consist of very coherent and quality contributions that tie together well. Please send a proposal to the editor including the following items: title of the special issue, guest editors (names, positions, affiliations, and a short bio), a short 500-word summary (motivation, goal, questions the special issue aims to address, approach, and value to the discipline and/or region), and a list of potential contributions (with authors, affiliations, initial title and short abstract).

Peer Review

The Northeastern Geographer uses double-blind peer review so that the identities of authors and reviewers are not known to one another. Consequently, the main body of the submitted manuscript should not include any identifying information such as authors’ names, affiliations or acknowledgements. A separate title page will provide all relevant author information. Papers sent to peer review will be sent to reviewers who will be asked to evaluate the extent to which papers make a contribution to advancing geographical understanding on the topic. Please note that papers may be desk rejected, before peer review, if they do not meet the criteria for publication in The Northeastern Geographer.

Instructions for Submission of Manuscripts

Articles submitted for consideration must be typewritten using Calibri, Times New Roman, or Arial as a 12-point font, 1.5 line spacing, and 1-inch margins. Electronic submission is by Word document only (any other formats will not be considered). Do not place any identifying information in your manuscript or file names to ensure a blind review. Submissions must include a statement that the paper has not been submitted for publication elsewhere and will not be submitted until a decision has been communicated by the editor.

The Chicago Manual of Style should be consulted for all style questions corresponding to referencing. Authors may use the Annals of the Association of American Geographers to help resolve any formatting questions or issues. See the Annals of the AAG Style Sheet.

Referencing: The Northeastern Geographer uses the author/year/page system for referencing published within the body of the text. You may use a limited amount of numbered endnotes of an informational nature, which should be consecutively numbered on a separate page included at the end of the article. Bibliographic entries should appear on a separate page entitled “References”, and should be ordered alphabetically by the author’s last name, date of publication, title of work, journal title, volume number and pages for periodicals, or place of publication and publisher’s name for books.

Ensure that the following items are present prior to submission:

  • One author has been designated as the corresponding author with full contact details e.g. postal address and email address
  • All necessary files have been submitted:
    • Title page with author details,
    • Title page with max. 250 word abstract and up to 5 keywords and without author details for peer review
    • The main body of the paper / manuscript
    • Separate pages for figures, tables, and maps
    • Separate pages for notes (if used)
  • Ensure all figures and tables in the text match the files provided
  • Manuscript has been ‘spell checked’ and ‘grammar checked’
  • All references cited in the Reference List have been cited in the text, and vice versa

Awards

Research Awards

NESTVAL supports the geographic and geospatial community by funding three research awards each year. Select the links below to see if you’re eligible one of the research awards:

The New England-St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society (NESTVAL) Undergraduate Research grant provides funding of up to $500 to support undergraduate student research and fieldwork. Up to three awards are available each calendar year (Winter, Spring, and Summer).

Deadlines

  • Dec 1 (for Winter consideration)
  • February 15 (for Spring consideration)
  • May 1 (for Summer consideration)

Eligibility

  • Any undergraduate student whose program of study is in geography, geospatial science, or planning, attending a NESTVAL member program (see nestval.aag.org for partial list of programs)
  • Eligibility must be verified by the student’s faculty advisor or mentor upon submission of the application

Application Process

Students submit an online application form with the following information:

1. Proposal Narrative (500 words or fewer)
The committee that reviews the proposals is composed of faculty members from different geographical subdisciplines, so use language designed for a multidisciplinary audience.
Discuss the following:

  • The question your research is designed to address
  • The methods you will use and the rationale behind them
  • The overall significance of the research

2. Estimated Budget
Include all expenses for this project even though we might not fund the full amount. We fund postage, purchase of necessary materials, limited travel for research purposes, other costs incurred in the course of the project.

Promotion and Acknowledgements

Awardees are required to provide a relevant photograph or infographic (with caption) that can be used to promote the award on social media platforms. Awardees are strongly encouraged to present their research findings at an Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers or the annual meeting of NESTVAL. Students are also encouraged to submit their completed research as a manuscript to our annual peer-reviewed journal, The Northeastern Geographer.

The New England-St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society (NESTVAL) Masters Research grant provides funding of up to $500 to support Masters student research and fieldwork.

Deadline: May 15

Eligibility

  • Awardee must be a Masters student in a NESTVAL region Masters-level geography or geospatial science program (see nestval.aag.org for partial list of programs)
  • Eligibility must be verified by the student’s faculty advisor or mentor upon submission of the application

Application Process

Students submit an online application form with the following information:

1. Proposal Narrative (500 words or fewer)
The committee that reviews the proposals is comprised of faculty members from different geographical subdisciplines, so use language designed for a multidisciplinary audience.
Discuss the following:

  • The question your research is designed to address
  • The methods you will use and the rationale behind them
  • The overall significance of the research

2. Estimated Budget
Include all expenses for this project even though we might not fund the full amount. We fund postage, purchase of necessary materials, limited travel for research purposes, other costs incurred in the course of the project.

Promotion and Acknowledgements

Awardees are required to provide a relevant photograph or infographic (with caption) that can be used to promote the award on social media platforms. Awardees are strongly encouraged to present their research findings at an Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers or the annual meeting of NESTVAL. Students are also encouraged to submit their completed research as a manuscript to our annual peer-reviewed journal, The Northeastern Geographer.

The New Enaland-St. Lawrence Valley Geographical Society (NESTVAL) faculty research grant provides funding of up to$750 to support research and fieldwork.

Eligibility

  • Awardee must be a faculty member in a NESTVAL region geography or geospatial science program
  • Eligibility must be verified by the faculty member’s chair upon submission of the application

Application Process

Faculty submit an online application form with the following information:

1. Proposal Narrative (500 words or fewer)

The committee that reviews the proposals is comprised of faculty members from different geographical subdisciplines, so use language designed for a multidisciplinary audience.

Discuss the following:

  • The question your research is designed to address
  • The methods you will use and the rationale behind them
  • The overall significance of the research

2. Estimated Budget
Include all expenses for this project even though we might not fund the full amount. We fund postage, purchase of necessary materials, limted trael for research purposes, other costs incurred in the course of the project.

Promotion and Acknowledgements

Awardees are required to provide a relevant photograph or infographic (with caption) that can be used to promote the award on social media platforms. Awardees are strongly encouraged to present their research findings at an Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers or the annual meeting of NESTVAL. Students are also encouraged to submit their completed research as a manuscript to our annual peer-reviewed journal, The Northeastern Geographer.

 

The Distinguished Service Award

NESTVAL instituted its Distinguished Service Award in 1981 to recognize service to NESTVAL.

Year Awardee Meeting NESTVAL President
2023 Matt McCourt, University of Maine at Farmington Virtual (hosted by University of Southern Maine) Firooza Pavri
2020  Steven Silvern, Salem State, awarded in person 2022 Virtual (hosted by Salem State) Darren Bardati
2019 Judith Otto, Framingham State Framingham State University Patrick Heidkamp
2018 Patrick May, Plymouth State Keene State College Patrick Heidkamp
2017 Cynthia Pope, Central Connecticut State University Central Connecticut State University Chris Cusack
2016 Richard Kujawa, Saint Michael’s College Bishop’s University Chris Cusack
2015 Vernon Domingo*, Bridgewater State University Bridgewater State University Cynthia Pope
2014 John Hayes, Salem State University University of New Hampshire Cynthia Pope
2013 Steven Young, Salem State University
Bryon Middlekauff*, Plymouth State University		 Clark University John Hayes
2012 Cathleen McAnneny, University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Farmington John Hayes
2011 Concordia Jo Beth Mullens
2010 Storrs, CT Jo Beth Mullens
2009 Mark Okrant, Plymouth State University Salem, MA Sandra Clark
2008* Klaus Bayr*, Keene State College
Tim Rickard*, Central Connecticut State		 Plymouth, NH Sandra Clark
2007 Patricia Green–Milberg, John Abbott College New Haven CT Bryon Middlekauff
2006 Stan Demars, Rhode Island College
Leon Yacher, Southern Connecticut State		 Burlington, VT Bryon Middlekauff
2005 Keene, NH Cathleen McAnneny
2004 Portland, ME Cathleen McAnneny
2003 Paul Frederic, University of Maine at Farmington Central Connecticut State University Patricia Green-Milberg
2002 Concordia University Patricia Green-Milberg
2001 Bridgewater State College Robert Bristow
2000 Rhode Island College Robert Bristow
1999 John George, Salem State College (Awarded posthumously) University of Maine at Farmington Andrew Bodman
1998 John Abbott College Andrew Bodman
1997 Reed Stewart, Bridgewater State College Salem State University John E. Harmon
1996 William A. Koelsch, Clark University Clark University John E. Harmon
1995 David Frost, Concordia University University of Vermont Mark Okrant
1994 Theodore Pikora, Salem State College University of Connecticut Mark Okrant
1993 Chester Smolski, Rhode Island College Keene State College Leon Yacher
1992 Thomas Lewis, Manchester Community College Portland, ME Leon Yacher
1991 Mildred Berman, Salem State College Concordia University Paul Frederic
1990 Irene Nebiker, North Smithfield Public Schools Norwich, CT Paul Frederic
1989 Maynard Weston Dow, Plymouth State College; Peter Enggass, Mt Holyoke College Boston University David Frost
1988 Robert LeBlanc, University of New Hampshire; Albert Mitchell, University of Maine at Farmington Dartmouth College David Frost
1987 Harold Meeks, University of Vermont; Robert Huke, Dartmouth College Bridgewater State College David Frost
1986 Lewis Alexander, University of Rhode Island; Timothy Rickard and Geoffrey Martin, Central Connecticut State University Rhode Island College Thomas Lewis
1985 Trevor Lloyd, McGill University SUNY Albany Thomas Lewis
1984 Emanuel Maier, Bridgewater State College; Ada Shawkey, Framingham State College; George Lewis, Boston University Plymouth State College Theodore Pikora
1983 Marion Wright, Rhode Island College; William Wallace, University of New Hampshire; J. Rowland Illick, Middlebury College University of Vermont Theodore Pikora
1982 George Rumney, University of Connecticut; Edward Miles, University of Vermont University of Maine Peter Enggass
1981 Ella Keene, Keene State College; Minnie Lemaire, Mt Holyoke College; Myron Starbird, University of Maine at Farmington Concordia University Peter Enggass

 

* Awards Acknowledged Lifetime Contribution to NESTVAL and Geography

 

Friend of Geography Award

Year Awardee Affiliation
2022 Kym Pappathanasi Geography and Sustainability, Salem State
2020 Barbara Warren Salem Sound Coastwatch, Salem, MA
2018 Will Schoefmann GIS, City of Keene, NH
2016 Derek Booth Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, QC
2013 Barry Stell Worcester South High School
2012 Margaret Chernosky Bangor High School, Bangor, ME
2010 Kristie Blanchard Bacon Academy, Colchester, CT
2009 Judy McKenzie Swampscott Middle School, Swampscott, MA
1999 Robert Johnson Waynflete School, Portland, ME
1999 Joe Cupo Meteorologist, WSCH, Portland, ME

 

Student Paper & Poster Competition

David Frost Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Paper

This award was selected to be named after David Frost, a Professor of Geography at Concordia, who was a long-time member of and contributor to NESTVAL (including president) until his untimely death in 2005.  A passionate promoter of geography, David’s enthusiasm was something that inspired his students and colleagues alike.

Year Awardee School
2024 Asmi Shrestha Mount Holyoke College
2023 Ramón Colón, Amritha Pai, and Ksenia Smart Clark University
2022 Megan Tremblay Concordia University
2021 Brian Pollard and teammates University of Maine at Farmington
2020 Kate Chamberland Southern Connecticut State
2018 Emma Kanuaerhauser Southern Connecticut State
2011 Laura Roch Concordia University

 

Outstanding Graduate Paper Award
Year Awardee School
2024 Haijing Liu University of Texas at Austin
2023 Lisa Luken University of Southern Maine
2023 Emily Francis University of Maine
2022 Ashley G. Benitez Ou University of Connecticut
2021 Taylor Price University of Connecticut
2019 Anna Therien Westfield State
2018 Christina Woehrle Oklahoma State
2011 Jerome Yang Clark University
2010 Wuxiang Xiang Clark University
2009 Kim Peterson Southern Connecticut State

 

Poster Awards
Year Awardee School
2024 (graduate) Noelle King Southern Connecticut State University
2024 (undergraduate) Ailish Ferrick Westfield State University
2023 (graduate) Tanner Honnef, C. Kluchman, A. Nelson, A. Richmond-Crosset Clark University
2023 (undergraduate) Dianna Farrell University of Southern Maine
2022 (graduate) Ian Kennedy University of Massachusetts Amherst
2022 (graduate) Alexandre Pace Concordia University
2022 (undergraduate) Lucy Fleming, Nicole Buckley, and Danielle Hall Clark University
2021 (graduate) Antoine Lachance Concordia University
2021 (undergraduate) Eve Fischer University of Maine at Farmington
2020 (graduate) Stephanie Drago University of Vermont
2020 (undergraduate) Isabella Montbouquette University of Maine at Farmington
2011 Matthew Crawford St Michael’s College
2009 Brenna Schwert, Max Wright, Andrew Caiazzo Clark University

 

AAG Council Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Paper at a Regional Meeting
Year Awardee School Title
2024 Ana Araujo Raurau Clark University Land scarcity in Indigenous territories of the Peruvian
Amazon
2023 Maddy Kroot Clark University Public Deficits in the Backyard: Decarbonization vs. Democratization in Energy Infrastructure Conflicts
2022 Antoine Lachance Concordia University The history of storms and hurricanes over the past 1000 years in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, as told by coastal ombrotrophic peatbogs on the Magdalen Islands, Québec
2021 Aaron Adams University of Connecticut Relation between mobility, extreme weather events, and health: A cases study of COVID-19 outbreaks
2020 Shaina Sadai UMass Amherst Using climate modeling and interdisciplinary theory to analyze climate justice impacts of the Paris Agreement

 

AAG Council Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student Paper at a Regional Meeting
Year Awardee School Title
2024 Cameron Wehner Mount Holyoke College Urban Expansion and Rural Contentions: The Politics of
Suburbanization and Water Security in the American
Southwest
2023 Enrique de la Rosa University of Vermont  Slope Analysis of Routt County, CO.
2022 Theresa Cocola Southern Connecticut State Assessing Sustainable Consumption Behavior: A Case Study of Starbucks, Newington, Connecticut
2021 Faith M. Kim Southern Connecticut State Racing to the polls: The voter demographics of New Haven, CT
2020 Shayla Peterson Southern Connecticut State Climate Change and the Green New Deal: Attitudes Towards Climate Justice in Connecticut

 

Geography Bowl

The History of World Geography Bowl

Submitted by Bryon Middlekauff

World Geography Bowl began in 1987 at North Carolina State University when a graduate student challenged other North Carolina universities to a “Jeopardy” like game of world affairs in a friendly competition. In 1990, Appalachian State University was invited to compete and then Geography Department Chair Neal Lineback took a team of students to Duke University to compete against nine other teams from around North Carolina. Lineback immediately recognized the potential for World Geography Bowl to excite attract students to attend professional meetings.

In 1990, he challenged the other nine states in the Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers (SEADAAG) to bring their best students to the regional meeting in November. The competition was an overwhelming success. This began the annual competitions. In November of 1991, Bryon Middlekauff of Plymouth State University traveled to the SEADAAG meeting in Asheville, NC to observe the competition there and to learn how the event was organized. In the spring of 1993, he brought Plymouth State students to Atlanta, GA to compete in the first AAG World Geography Bowl contest in an exhibition event.

Since that time, NESTVAL has hosted a Bowl nearly every year at its annual meetings. Many geographers have contributed question sets, have served as time keepers, score keepers, and moderators, and hundreds of students have participated. Steve Young of Salem State University assumed the role of Bowl organizer in about 2006 while Middlekauff continues to organize the all-star team which competes at the national meetings of the Association of American Geographers. Young introduced the idea of visual question to the NESTVAL competition in about 2006, where satellite images and maps are used as key components of the questions. The national competition organizers adopted this idea for use in the final round shortly thereafter.

World Geography Bowl originated in SEADAAG but grew because NESTVAL began its participation soon after and helped to bring the competition to the national stage.

Awardees

Year 1st Place Winner
2022 UConn (runner up – UMass Amherst)
2021
2020 UMass Amherst (runner up – UNH)
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013 Bridgewater State University (runner up–Clark University)
2012 Clark University
2011 Concordia University
2010 University of Connecticut
2009 Plymouth State University