Geography Department announce Fall 2023 Harm de Blij Scholar Award deadline

August 29, 2023

Instituted in 2013 by the celebrated geographer, the Harm de Blij Geography Scholar Award is designed to offer scholarships to outstanding students who choose one of the four degree programs in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University (BA in Human Geography, BS in Economic Geography, BS in Environmental Geography, BS in Geographic Information Science). Incoming students recognized as de Blij Scholars are awarded $1000 each semester that they are a primary major in one of the Department's degree programs.

Dr. Harm J. de Blij (1935-2014) was a professor of Geography at MSU from 1960-1969, when he left for the University of Miami and subsequent other appointments. In his long scholarly career, he authored more than 30 books, including a number of widely adopted textbooks – several of which have gone on to multiple editions – and over a hundred scholarly articles. He served as editor for National Geographic Research, the National Council for Geographic Education's Journal of Geography, and as co-editor of the Wiley/National Geographic College Atlas of the World. He made a significant mark outside of the world of academia by becoming the popular Geography Editor on ABC television's Good Morning America and as a frequent analyst at NBC. He was a tireless champion of geography and was constantly on the lecture circuit over the last decades of his life, speaking to a wide variety of audiences about the importance of the discipline of geography for understanding the world and its many issues. He returned to Michigan State University as the John Hannah Distinguished Professor of Geography in 2000, and whenever he was on campus, he would make a point to visit with graduate students and undergraduate classes. He authored several widely read trade books: The Power of Place, Why Geography Matters, and its expanded second edition, Why Geography Matters More Than Ever.

The due date for application materials for the Fall 2023 Semester is September 30, 2023, at 11:59 PM ET.

Learn more about the de Blij Scholar Award. 

Learn more about other scholarship opportunities. 

Please direct any questions to Ryan Shadbolt (shadbolt@msu.edu).