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Announcing the 2024-25 Department Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences Award Recipients
May 1, 2025
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University congratulates all of our 2024-2025 Award recipients in recognition of their academic achievements.
William Romanyk named Outstanding Senior in Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences
April 29, 2025
The Department is proud to announce that William Romanyk has been named the Outstanding Senior in Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences by the MSU College of Social Science.
Spartan Geography Alum named 2025 President’s Research Award recipient at University of South Dakota
April 17, 2025
Spartan Geography Alum Ranjeet John was awarded the President’s Award for Research Excellence for New or Mid-Career Faculty or Staff for his grantsmanship endeavors from the University of South Dakota.
Spartan Geographer named College of Social Science Access Torch
April 16, 2025 - Emily Jodway
Abeer Alanazi, a PhD student in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences whose research focuses on renewable energy and environmental sustainability in Saudi Arabia and the United States, is our April Access Torch.
MSU Geography to facilitates inaugural Geography Education Symposium at AAG conference in Detroit
March 26, 2025
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University was excited to help facilitate a special Geography Education Symposium at the American Association of Geographers (AAG) Conference in Detroit, Michigan.
Spartan Geographer named Yale Environmental Fellow
March 25, 2025
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University is proud to announce that Angelique Willis, a doctoral student, has been named a 2025 Environmental Fellow by the Yale School of the Environment.
Enrollment now open for online summer Undergraduate courses
March 12, 2025
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences offers two 7-week-long sessions of Undergraduate Courses over the summer. Open enrollment for summer Undergraduate courses is underway.
Vojnovic to receive the 2025 Scott Cummings Distinguished Editorial Service Award
February 25, 2025 - Diane Huhn
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University is pleased to announce that Dr. Igor Vojnovic has been selected as one of the recipients of the 2025 Scott Cummings Distinguished Editorial Service Award by the Urban Affairs Association.
MSU Geography preparing for American Association of Geographers annual meeting in Detroit
February 24, 2025
Members of the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University look forward to participating in the American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting. The event is scheduled from March 24-28 in Detroit, Michigan.
Geography Awards Committee announces call for student award and scholarship applications
February 10, 2025
The MSU Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences offers a variety of scholarships and funding sources for undergraduate and graduate students. The 2024-25 GEO Awards Committee is now accepting applications for several student awards.
MSU Geography Alumna earns American Association of Geographers Diversity and Inclusion Award
January 22, 2025 - Diane Huhn
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University is proud to announce that Alumna Dr. Jieun Lee has received the 2025 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Diversity and Inclusion Award in recognition of her deep and sustained commitment to increasing diversity and equity in geography at the departmental, institutional, and national levels.
Jiquan Chen earns American Association of Geographers Distinguished Scholarship Award
January 16, 2025 - Diane Huhn
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University is proud to announce that Professor Jiquan Chen has received the 2025 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Distinguished Scholarship Award in recognition of his transformative impact on geography and environmental science.
The Beta Chi Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon is now accepting applications
January 7, 2025
The Beta Chi Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geographical honor society, is accepting applications until February 10, 2025.
MSU Geography Awareness Week Geovisualization Competition winners announced
November 26, 2024
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University is proud to announce the winners of its inaugural Geography Awareness Week Geovisualization Competition. Congratulations to Tessie Braga-Henebry and Liam Conner!
David Roy Makes List of Most Highly Cited Researchers for Sixth Recurring Year
November 21, 2024 - Diane Huhn
Dr. David Roy, Director of the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations and professor of Geography, has been named to the list of most highly cited researchers in the world for a sixth consecutive year.
MSU Geography launches Geography Awareness Week Geovisualization Competition - Deadline Extended
October 21, 2024
Help the MSU Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences celebrate Geography Awareness Week by entering our 2024 Geovisualization Competition!
MSU Geography Alumna to lead initiative supporting foreign-born women faculty
October 18, 2024
MSU Geography Alumna Dr. Jieun Lee will lead a new initiative with the American Association of Geographers funded by the National Science Foundation to support foreign-born women faculty.
Moran to continue energy convergence work in the Brazilian Amazon through new C.S. Mott Foundation grant
October 7, 2024 - Diane Huhn
With additional funding from a recent $200,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Michigan State University John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor Emilio Moran and team, including Co-Principal Investigator Maria Claudia Lopez with the MSU Department of Community Sustainability will continue working with Brazilian partners on innovative and transformative methods to deliver electricity to off-grid Amazonian communities, where energy is often too expensive or unreliable.
MSU researchers to explore climate change solutions based on Indigenous knowledge in new NSF grant
September 24, 2024 - Diane Huhn
In a new international joint initiative, researchers led by Emilio Moran, a Hannah Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, will work with Indigenous communities to document the numerous challenges they face from climate change and collaborate with these communities to explore their innovations for addressing sustainability, adaptation, and mitigation. In particular, research will focus on finding more equitable and holistic solutions to climate change based on indigenous knowledge that will contribute to a more just energy transition.
MSU Social Scientists join forces to study homelessness at MSU
September 19, 2024 - Diane Huhn
Stephen Przybylinski, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, and John Kuk, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University, were recently awarded funding from the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research through its 2024-25 Public Policy Grant program to study student homelessness.
Dahlin awarded NSF collaborative research grant to study climate change impacts on forest canopies
August 1, 2024 - Diane Huhn
Kyla Dahlin was recently awarded a nearly $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology that will enable her to answer key questions about how the structure of forest canopies influences ecological climate, using data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and providing information about whether complex forest canopies can provide a buffer from climate extremes.
MSU Geography graduate student wins prestigious Birkeland Award
July 10, 2024
Christopher Baish, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography, Environmental, and Spatial Sciences, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the Peter Birkeland Soil Geomorphology Award bestowed by the Geological Society of America's (GSA) Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division.
Spartan Geographer Mike Cousins named a member of Oakland Together 40 Under 40
May 30, 2024
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences congratulates Spartan Geography Alumni Mike Cousins on being named a member of Oakland Together 40 Under 40.
Leo Zulu named Director of the MSU African Studies Center
May 29, 2024 - Beth Brauer
Michigan State University International Studies and Programs has named Leo C. Zulu, MSU associate professor of geography, as the director of the African Studies Center (ASC) at MSU. Zulu has served the center as interim director since September 2022.
Announcing the 2023-24 MSU Geography Award Recipients
May 20, 2024
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University congratulates all of our 2023-2024 GEO Award recipients in recognition of their academic achievements.
Jiquan Chen to be awarded Scientific Achievement Award by International Union of Forest Research Organizations
May 15, 2024 - Diane Huhn
Dr. Jiquan Chen will receive a Scientific Achievement Award from the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).
Spartan Geographer Joseph Allen encourages graduates to remain evergreen during commencement speech
April 28, 2024 - Emily Jodway
Joseph 'Joey' Allen, a senior majoring in economic geography and urban and regional planning with a minor in law and justice/public policy, was chosen by the College of Social Science to give this year's student speech at graduation.
MSU experts sign amicus brief in SCOTUS case that could turn homelessness into a crime
April 17, 2024 - Kim Ward
On April 22, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a landmark case that could drastically affect the rights people have when experiencing homelessness. MSU experts, including Stephen Przybylinski and assistant professor of Geography, have signed on to an amicus brief in this case.
Could Michigan become a climate haven?
April 15, 2024 - McKoy Scribner - WLNS Lansing
While researchers across the globe have been following warming trends for years, there’s been a constant question if Michigan will become the next ‘climate haven’ as it’s surrounded by one of the world’s largest sources of fresh water.
GEO 215 Online, Sports Geography is new this summer
April 14, 2024
OnGEO is pleased to announce our newest fully online undergraduate course, GEO 215: Sports Geography, which will be offered in the Second Summer Session, 2024.
Support from Project GREEEN helps Enviroweather deliver needed information to Michigan growers
March 26, 2024 - Cameron Rudolph
For more than two decades, Enviroweather has provided real-time weather information to help make farming decisions — dealing with pests, plant development and natural resources management.
Moran and team earn Distinguished Partner Award for International Community-Engaged Scholarship
March 25, 2024 - Diane Huhn
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences congratulates Emilio Moran, a John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor, on receiving a 2024 Distinguished Partnership Award for International Community Engagement at the University Engagement and Research Awards ceremony.
Enrollment now open for online Professional Certificate courses
March 14, 2024
Registration for summer Professional Certificate courses is now underway. These 7-week professional development courses can be taken individually or in combination (4) to earn a Professional GIS Certificate or a Professional Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate,
Enrollment now open for online summer Undergraduate courses
March 13, 2024
Open enrollment for summer Undergraduate courses is now underway.
Advancing Geography Through Diversity Program earns accolades from MSU College of Social Science
February 15, 2024 - Emily Jodway
The MSU Department of Geography, Environment and Social Sciences is honored to announce that The Advancing Geography Through Diversity Program (AGTDP), a graduate student recruiting and development program, has received special recognition by the College of Social Science during Black History Month.
Roy named as a new member of the NASA Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) science team
February 1, 2024
David Roy, director of the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations (CGCEO) at Michigan State University and a professor of geography, has been named a new member of the NASA Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) science team.
Geography Career Day and Job Fair to take place February 9
January 30, 2024
The Michigan State University Department of Geography, Environment, & Spatial Science (GEO), along with Career Services Network, are pleased to announce an in-person MSU-GEO Career Day & Job Fair on Friday, February 9, 2024, from 2:30-4:30 PM EST in the Lake Huron Room in the MSU Union.
Geography Awards Committee announces call for student award and scholarship applications
January 25, 2024
The MSU Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences offers a variety of scholarships and funding sources for undergraduate and graduate students. The 2023-24 GEO Awards Committee is now accepting applications for several student awards.
The Beta Chi Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon is now accepting applications
January 24, 2024
The Beta Chi Chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon, the international geographical honor society, is accepting applications until February 10, 2024.
Guo Chen named editor for The Professional Geographer
January 24, 2024
Guo Chen, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, has been named the inaugural Human Geography/Nature and Society editor for The Professional Geographer.
Drones, phones, and a cryogenic wave tank help researchers uncover new insights into shoreline impacts of Great Lakes ice
January 9, 2024 - Diane Huhn
Using drones, phones, and a cryogenic wave tank housed in a walk-in freezer, Ethan Theuerkauf led a team to conduct a first-of-its-kind combined field and laboratory study to research how lake ice impacts sediment transport and erosion along the freshwater coastal shorelines of the Great Lakes.