UMD- Department of Geographical Sciences-Students & Alumni

10/07/2026

🌎 GEOG Alumni: Please consider sharing your career experience with current students at the BSOS Career Exploration & Networking Mixer on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 5–7 p.m. at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Alumni volunteers will have the opportunity to talk with students about their career paths, share how they’ve applied their education and offer insights into working in a range of fields.

The event will include informal networking and small-group roundtable conversations with students and fellow alumni.

Interested in volunteering? Register here: https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_bQ2HD4G5ng34CYS

10/06/2026

☕️ Still time to RSVP!

Join GEOG’s new graduate director, Professor Kathleen Stewart, for an informal coffee chat and Q&A.

GEOG Ph.D. and MS/BS students are invited to stop by, ask questions, share thoughts and get to know Dr. Stewart in a relaxed setting.

📅 Thursday, Oct. 22
🕝 2:30 p.m.
📍 River Road 325

Come with your questions or just grab a coffee and say hello!

RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWtceWw57ZDJscStbCl5WbY2J0cHlwR5p8GzH_9sHlCxJebA/viewform

10/05/2026

🗓️ Ph.D. students are encouraged to attend a seminar at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, with Assistant Director of Academic Programs Rachel Haber on Ph.D. dissertation defenses.

The seminar will cover key policies and procedures, including defense requirements, required forms, requests for remote defenses and potential outcomes. Haber will also answer questions about preparing for a dissertation defense.

The seminar is highly recommended for Ph.D. candidates who plan to defend their dissertations in the near future.

Zoom link is on the Dept. Calendar.

10/02/2026

Congratulations to Assistant Research Professor Abdul Qadir on being selected to receive the 2026 Science for Solutions Award from the American Geophysical Union (AGU)! 🎉

Qadir applies satellite remote sensing and machine learning to agricultural challenges in data-sparse regions, developing timely information that can support food security, agricultural statistics and disaster response.

His research has included monitoring agricultural production in Ukraine during the war and assessing crop impacts following floods in Pakistan. He is also working with partners in Kenya to assess the impacts of drought on maize production.

Qadir will be recognized at the Annual Meeting in December.

🔗 Read more about his research and the award:

Assistant Research Professor Abdul Qadir Receives AGU Science for Solutions Award Breadcrumb Home Featured Content Assistant Research Professor Abdul Qadir Receives AGU Science For Solutions Award Qadir is recognized for applying satellite remote sensing and machine learning to agricultural challeng...

10/01/2026

🎃 The GEOG Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is hosting a Get-Together!

📅 Oct. 29
🕔 5–7 p.m.
📍Room 325 River Road

The event will include free food, pumpkin painting and a costume competition, as well as an opportunity for members of the Department of Geographical Sciences community to learn about the history of Halloween and connect with fellow students and colleagues.

Costumes are encouraged but not required. Attendees may stay for as much of the event as they wish.

RSVP by Oct. 12:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqnD1w19Y0OxJWhOhBCIfbA7vxL9ZHeJNLNMRgbyKIlIV8kQ/viewform

09/30/2026

From early GIS and climatology to geospatial health, mobility and AI, Kathleen Stewart’s career has followed an unexpected path: one opportunity at a time.

As a high school student in Canada, Stewart knew she wanted to study geography. But she didn’t expect to become a scientist or know where her career would lead.

A field course in Nantucket shifted her focus from human geography to climatology. A summer job introduced her to GIS, a field that was still in its early days. Years later, an opportunity at the University of Maine led her to pursue a Ph.D. in spatial information science and engineering.

At UMD, Stewart helped build the Center for Geospatial Information Science, expand geospatial programs and mentor generations of students. Today, as graduate director in the Department of Geographical Sciences, she continues to work across geospatial health, transportation, mobility and safety while exploring how AI is reshaping the field.

Her advice to students? Say yes to opportunities, even when you don’t know where they’ll lead.

Read the full story: https://geog.umd.edu/featured-content/finding-her-path-how-professor-kathleen-stewart-became-geographical-scientist

09/29/2026

🔥 How do wildfires spread and what can satellite data tell us about their behavior?

Join us Friday, Oct. 9 at noon for a seminar with Zeb Becker of the University of Maryland’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC).

Becker will discuss a new record of 12-hourly fire spread across the contiguous U.S. from 2012–2025, developed using satellite data and the Fire Events Data Suite (FEDS) algorithm.

📍 4600 River Road, room 301 or Zoom
🗓️ Friday, Oct. 9 | Noon

More info: https://geog.umd.edu/event/seminar-advances-and-applications-space-based-fire-tracking

09/28/2026

🎓 Looking for a Master of Science in Geospatial Information Sciences ?

Join us for a virtual info session about our Master of Science in GIS, Graduate Certificate in GIS, and Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing.

The Master of Science in Geospatial Information Sciences (MS GIS) program is dedicated to providing the most up-to-date education on geospatial technology, theory and applications.

The courses cover spatial analysis, statistics, programming, databases, modeling, remote sensing, Web GIS, Mobile GIS, big data analytics, drones for data collection and Open Source GIS.

Don't miss our information session:

📅 Monday, Oct. 5
⏰ Noon ET
💻 Virtual

🔗 Register here: https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/oG2Kt90ERj6fXMXozU3FGg #/registration

09/25/2026

🥳 Tech Block Party is today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hornbake Plaza! Come by to get some GEOG swag and learn about stem communities at UMD 🐢

09/24/2026

🎓 Interested in a career in Geospatial Intelligence?

Join us next Thursday for a virtual information session about our M.S. in Geospatial Intelligence (MS ) and Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence programs.

Learn about the programs, career-focused training and what you can expect as a student.

📅 Thursday, Oct. 1
⏰ Noon ET
💻 Virtual

🔗 Register: https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/kaCs-Wk8RwaVtzY_oIXOTQ #/registration