AAG Undergraduate Student Affinity Group

2020 AAG-GTU Travel Awards: New Deadline

The GTU Scholarship Committee announces a change in the deadline to submit applications for our AAG-GTU Travel Award. A limited number of $200 travel awards are available to support student members of GTU who are attending the annual AAG meeting next spring in Denver, CO. This is a competitive award, and preference will be given to geography undergraduate and graduate students attending an AAG meeting for the first time.

Student applicants must serve as author or co-author on a paper or poster being presented at the meeting.

The competition will now be held in the Fall to enable the GTU Scholarship Committee to evaluate applications and select recipients by the end of this calendar year. The process and the requirements have not changed, but the new deadline to submit is now November 1, 2019. Adjusting the application timeline affords recipients more time to plan their travel to AAG. As in past years, recipients of the AAG-GTU Travel Award will pick up their check at the GTU booth in the exhibit hall at the annual national AAG Meeting.

If you are a student member of GTU, we encourage you to apply. If you are the adviser of your school’s GTU chapter, please advertise this award along with the new deadline of November 1.

Why Undergraduate Research Matters in College Look for undergraduate research programs with opportunities for all students.

Just a reminder that tomorrow, July 19th, is the last day to cast your ballot for the next USAG Board of Officers!

There are 5 board positions to fill: Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and 3 general board members. We have 6 nominations for this election: 2 for the chair, 1 for Secretary-Treasurer, and 3 for general board member.

All USAG members should have received an email with the link to the online ballot.

If you don't receive it or have any questions, contact [email protected].

Mu Kappa, Hofstra University’s Department of Global Studies and Geography’s chapter of GTU held a planning meeting on September 19, 2018, where an executive committee existing mostly of students was elected. The photo shows Mu Kappa members with the brand-new inflatable globe that our chapter won from GTU for submitting the most "fun" honors initiation ceremony photo.

On Monday, April 15, 2019, Mu Kappa, Hofstra University’s Department of Global Studies and Geography’s chapter of GTU inducted 18 new initiates in a ceremony held at the University Club. This brings the total number of members in Hofstra’s chapter to 138 since its inception in 2012.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Mona Domosh, Professor of Geography at Dartmouth College, and past President of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) offered a lively recount of her journey to the world of geography. She touched on her family’s frequent moves during her childhood which included vacations to various historical sites around the U.S. and how she discovered the potential of geography as a career late in her undergraduate studies. She is now a cultural-historical geographer with expertise in urban historical geography, cultural geography, critical development studies, feminist theory and postcolonialism.

AAG Snapshot: How to Make the Most of your Student Membership Over 40% of AAG members are students and it is this 40%+ that I want to speak to and encourage to make the most of your membership to the AAG. While I am currently an AAG employee, I started with t…

Doing anything interesting over the summer? Share your story with others!

Where will Geography take you this summer? Will you be exploring the streets of a centuries old city or sampling ice cores in colder climates? Will you be developing new technology or putting theory into practice? Share your summer research with the AAG and help us show what geography is all about!
https://bit.ly/2JVIaJp

Belated congratulations to Katya Rudnick on winning a GTU Travel Award. Katya was able to share her story with us at the first ever USAG paper session, and we're so glad she did!

Katya Rudnik, 2019 GTU Travel Award recipient.
"I was honored to have been selected. While at the AAG Annual Meeting, I was able to attend numerous poster sessions as well as talks on a variety of interesting topics. Thanks to this travel grant, I was also able to have the opportunity to present at the Meeting. I gave a presentation on my undergraduate geography department at the University of Vermont, sharing what I have observed its strengths to be in educating and retaining undergraduate students. This was an incredible experience for my academic growth and professional development. I would not have been able to take advantage of this opportunity if not for the generous support of GTU in helping to fund my travel."

Much belated congratulations to Claire on winning a GTU Travel Award! This award provides a wonderful opportunity for students to attend the AAG annual meeting, and we encourage all GTU members to apply!

Claire Dumont, 2019 GTU Travel Award recipient.
"I enjoyed the AAG thoroughly, especially since I was able to attend for the full conference. As an undergraduate, it was inspiring to see other geographers’ research. I particularly enjoyed the session in which I presented as it allowed me to connect with other students and professors who had similar academic interests. I also appreciated the mentorship I received from fellow women in geography through a workshop I attended. One of my favorite events was the tour of the Maps and Geography Division of the Library of Congress where we got to see their expansive collection. Thank you again!"

More from our USAG lightning paper sessions. If any one has more photos of the first session's speakers, please post them!

A huge thanks to everyone who helped make USAG's first ever paper session a rousing success!!! It was a pleasure meeting all of you and learning about your programs.

We'll be posting photos over the next few days. If anybody has more, please share!

We're down to one day left of AAG 2019- don't forget to show you school spirit by signing the graffiti wall before heading home!

The December, 2018 issue of the GTU Newsletter is out!

Gamma Theta Upsilon Honor Society - The Geographical Bulletin Gamma Theta Upsilon - The International Geographic Honor Society - The Geographical Bulletin

The AAG and Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) have partnered to raise funds to support student attendance at the AAG Annual Meeting. The AAG-GTU Student Travel Awards provide travel subsidies of $200 to help student members of GTU attend AAG meetings.

GTU student members wishing to apply for AAG-GTU travel funds can submit applications online. Deadline February 4, 2019.

Gamma Theta Upsilon Honor Society Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) - The International Geographical Honor Society. Gamma Theta Upsilon was founded in 1928 and became a national organization in 1931. Members of GTU have met academic requirements and share a background and interest in geography. GTU chapter activities support geography knowl...

Paid REU summer research opportunity with the LAKES REU program of Wisconsin, conducting interdisciplinary research in sustainable watershed management. Students get a $4000 stipend for the 8-week program and a great research experience. Application deadline is February 3rd, 2019.

LAKES Undergraduate Research Experience The LAKES Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) aims to better understand the root causes of phosphorus pollution and solutions while offering undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in cutting edge research. Phosphorus is a pernicious and costly environmental pollutant. In area...

Did you know USAG also has a Twitter account? Stop by and give them a "Like!"

The December 2018 GTU newsletter is available at
http://gammathetaupsilon.org/newsletter

More exciting than the giant Reclining Buddha at Wat Po in Bangkok!

Undergraduate geographers, would you or someone you know like to transfer to a 4-year college? The Darrel Hess Scholarship provides awards for educational expenses.
Apply by December 31st! bit.ly/2AUNXMY

AAG 2019 DC - *NEW* Sponsored Poster Competitions AAG Annual Meeting | Wasington, DC | April 3-7, 2019

Good luck during Finals Week. May the odds be ever in your favor!

ATTENTION SENIORS!
Wondering how you are going to afford graduate school?

Visit the USAG discussion board for info on several fully funded graduate opportunities:

http://community.aag.org/undergraduatestudentaffinitygroup/communityresources/viewdiscussions/digestviewer?communitykey=d33461a0-1bd9-4b92-9009-008957fbb815&tab=digestviewer

Undergraduate Student Affinity Group - Undergraduate Student Affinity Group Hidden page that shows the message digest from the home page

https://pathwaystoscience.org/Undergrads.aspx

Paid Internships, Summer Research, and Scholarships for STEM Undergraduates Scholarships, paid summer research experiences, and paid internships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including funding and programs designed to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities, women, and students with disabilities in the sciences.

Congratulations Keeli!

Keeli Gustafson, from Duluth, Minnesota, took home 1st place in the 2018 ArcGIS Online Competition and presented her project this past July at the Esri Education Summit in San Diego. The September 2018 issue of Moms and Dads today published a great piece featuring Keeli, including discussion of her project. http://ow.ly/bwVN30mFUPF

An interesting take on the merits of undergraduate research in Nature this week.

How to make undergraduate research worthwhile Practices might differ from country to country, but undergraduate students can be better served in research, says Shaun Khoo.

Looking good!

Old and new Spring 2018 and Fall 2018 Delta Tau Members at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Okay, so she's not an undergrad, but this is still cool.
Congratulations Ms. Eboh!

Hannah Eboh, Northern Illinois University:
I am exceedingly grateful to have received a Gamma Theta Upsilon Student Travel Award to attend the 2018 AAG conference in New Orleans! Being able to attend this year's conference was especially meaningful for me since I am a hazard geographer and one of this year's themes was "Hazards, Geographies, and GIScience." At the conference, I had the opportunity to present the results of my Master's Thesis on "Risk Perception in Small Island Developing States."

Happy Halloween from the AAG! Some of our staff decided to dress up this year to celebrate. Any geography themed costumes out there?

We have 11 student & faculty presenters for our Undergrad Geography Experience session at - so we're starting a 2nd session!

Submissions due Nov. 8th - contact [email protected] for details. http://ow.ly/BNke30mpzyy

The Undergraduate Geography Experience I: Students and Professors Share their Perspectives | Session Gallery | AAG Annual Meeting 2019 We are seeking undergraduate geographers and geography faculty to share their experience and perspective about their home geography departments and programs as a way to understand, compare, and contrast the undergraduate geography experience. Presenters will be provided with a series of questions to...

Last spring, ten GTU students nationally each received $200 to attend the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers in New Orleans. GTU is grateful to the AAG for helping early-stage geographers attend and make the most of the conference as they prepare to launch their careers in geography. The AAG provides financial support for the awards. Donations to the AAG–GTU Student Travel Fund are collected by the AAG through http://www.aag.org/cs/donate.
In 2019 this great partnership will continue to help students be able to participate at the Annual AAG Meeting in Washington, D.C. The application site for 2019 travel awards is now live at
http://gammathetaupsilon.org/travel-award-application.html

After the 2018 meeting in New Orleans the AAG–GTU Student Travel Award recipients shared heartfelt and inspirational messages of thanks.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!
The October 2018 GTU Newsletter is now available online at http://gammathetaupsilon.org/newsletter/
Learn about GTU awards, read about the experiences of geography students, and get advice for running an active and successful chapter.

Geography Awareness Week is just around the corner, Nov. 11-17. Looking for ways to share your favorite subject with others?
Here are a few ideas and tips from the National Geographic Society:

Celebrate Geography Awareness Week This Geography Awareness Week, gather your friends, family, coworkers, and everyone in between to help you celebrate! Use these activity and event ideas during Geography Awareness Week—and the rest of the year—to show your love for geography.