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Mostafa Rezaali receives NSF LEAP Summer Momentum Fellowship

We are excited to share that Mostafa Rezaali has been selected for the NSF LEAP Summer Momentum Fellowship, which includes a 10-week residency at Columbia University this summer! LEAP’s Summer Momentum Fellowship welcomes doctoral students in data science interested in having a summer research immersion in climate data science, with the opportunity to apply their data […]

Jesse Kisembe Awarded NASA FINESST Fellowship

We are thrilled to announce that Ph.D. candidate Jesse Kisembe, under the supervision of Dr. Berry Wen, has been selected for funding through NASA’s Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program. The FINESST program is one of the most competitive early-career research opportunities in the geosciences. It supports graduate student–led […]

Dr. Cynthia Simmons receives Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award for 2025-2026

Professor Cynthia S. Simmons has received the prestigious Fulbright Distinguished Scholar award, Sustainability in Amazonia at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) in Brazil. This important recognition reflects the high esteem in which the academic community holds her work. Note that distinguished Fulbright scholar awards have not been subject to DOGE-related cuts in the federal […]

Kaitlyn Anderson wins PASG Graduate Student Paper Award

Kaitlyn Anderson, a second-year master’s student, has been awarded the PASG Graduate Student Paper Award for her research “Ecological Fragmentation: Road Networks in U.S. National Parks and Forests.” This award is presented by the Protected Areas Specialty Group (PASG) of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). The PASG Graduate Student Paper Award recognizes exceptional research […]

Anusha Chaudhary awarded the 2025 Ruth McQwoun Scholarship

We are delighted to announce that Anusha Chaudhary was awarded the Ruth McQwoun Scholarship. Congratulations! This award is granted to students at the University of Florida who exemplify outstanding academic achievement and a deep commitment to social justice, particularly in advancing equity for women, racial minorities, and individuals from low-income backgrounds. In honor of these […]

Chair’s Corner – February 2025

Portrait of Jane Southworth

Happy New Year! As we kick off 2025, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the exciting developments in UF Geography and to look ahead to what promises to be another incredible year. With so much happening, there’s never a dull moment in our department—or in my role as chair. First, some big news: This […]

New data tool tracks political violence in Africa

Political violence is very irregularly distributed across time. Periods of relative calm are often followed by massive waves of attacks. Violent events are relatively rare, sparse and concentrated, making it difficult to evaluate whether violence is actually increasing or decreasing. To overcome these limitations, UF Geography Associate Professor Olivier Walther developed a new dashboard in […]

UF Geography at AAG 2025

Join us at the American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in Detroit from March 24-28, 2025! The preliminary program of our talks and posters is here. For the full conference program, please click here.

Hurricane Milton Updates

Last update: 10/18/2024 Climate change almost certainly made Hurricane Milton deluge worse explains Dr. David Keellings in this interview with the Miami Herald. Professor Corene Matyas was interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s News Breakfast and by ABC Radio News in Australia about Hurricane Milton on 10/8/2024.   Dr. Matyas was on the CBC Radio […]

Neha Kohli receives new awards to study in India

Neha Kohli received an American Institute of Indian Studies Junior Fellowship to carry out her PhD project “The Matter of Islands: Examining Island Narratives and Political Life in the Eastern Indian Ocean” in India in 2024-25. Early on, she also received a Graduate Student Research Fellowship from the American Association of Geographers’ Asian Geography Specialty […]

Michelle Ruiz to join Bill Anderson Fund

Graduate Student Michelle Ruiz was selected to join the Fall 2024 cohort of the Bill Anderson Fund. The Bill Anderson Fund supports minority graduate students who are historically underrepresented in hazards and disaster-related careers. Since its establishment in 2014, the program has enrolled over 100 students from more than 20 disciplines, offering professional development through […]

UF at AAG 2024!

Join us at the American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in Hawai’i from 16-20 September. The Department of Geography will be presenting more than 30 papers! Unable to display PDF file. Download instead. 

EPI Research Day 2024

UF Geography was well represented at this year’s Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI) Research Day. Simrik Bhandari, a first year Masters student working in the Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation (QDEC) lab, presented a poster on the spatial patterns of dengue incidence in Nepal.   Gavriella Hecht, a second-year PhD student in the Quantitative Disease Ecology […]

Insuring the Unpredictable

Speaker: Dr. Manny Hernandez Senior Analyst Catastrophe Research & Development Liberty Mutual Thursday, March 7, 2024 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: The escalating frequency and intensity of weather-related events, such as wildfires in California and severe hailstorms over the Midwest, have amplified the impact […]

Geography Student Julia Haley Honored by UF Hall of Fame!

The University of Florida’s Division of Student Life has announced the 2024 Hall of Fame class. Among the students receiving the highest recognition given to UF student leaders includes Geography major Julia Haley! The UF Hall of Fame is reserved for those students who have shown superior leadership and achievement through their activities and scholarship […]

Meet the Geographer: Sarah Schmitt

Meet the Geographer. Sarah Schmitt. Major: Geography and Anthropology

Introduction “I am probably not what people would expect to see when deciding what a college student at UF looks like. At 41 l am an older returning student, and I am double majoring in geography and anthropology, both online only. As a teenager life kind of got in the way of me following my […]

Riverine Research Across Scales: From Flood Forecasting to Global Scale Sediment Modeling

Speaker: Dr. Sagy Cohen Professor Department of Geography University of Alabama Thursday, February 29, 2024 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Coffee and Cookies Start at 2:45pm Recorded for YouTube Reitz G330 and Zoom University of Florida Cohosted by the UF Water Institute’s Distinguished Seminar Series and UF Geography Department’s Colloquium Series. All are welcome to attend. […]

Four Award Winners from 2024 Florida Society of Geographers

A picture of ten of the presenters who attended the conference.

The Florida Society of Geographers recently convened for its 60th Annual Meeting. This year’s event was held on February 16-17 in St Augustine, FL. A group of 12 graduate students from the department attended the meeting. The best oral and poster presentations are annually recognized at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral level. This year, our graduate […]

Shifting Development Practices with Metrics, Benchmarking, and Monitoring

Dr. Pierce Jones Program for Resource Efficient Communities University of Florida Thursday, February 22, 2024 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: The Program for Resource Efficient Communities (PREC) collaborates with large, master-planned community development projects to promote reduced-impact design, construction, and management practices. We use […]

Rural as Platform

Speaker: Dr. Jasmine McNealy Associate Professor Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology University of Florida Thursday, February 15, 2024 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: AI and LLMs are, necessarily, topics of immense interest and concern because of the rapid development and deployment of […]

Tales from local scales: life on the landscape after conservation decisions

Dr. Sadie Ryan Associate Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, February 8, 2024 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: From restoration of vernal pool habitat, to the struggle for oil in a biodiversity hotspot, to measuring nutritional limits to herbivores in an iconic […]

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2024 RYAN POEHLING FELLOWSHIP AWARD WINNERS!

The Awards Committee has selected this year’s graduate student winners for the Ryan M. Poehling 2024 Memorial Fellowship. This is our highest honor for our graduate students and all students must be nominated by a faculty member to be considered. The award winners will be recognized at the Spring Annual Evening of Excellence celebration. The […]

Geography Colloquium: Harnessing Geospatial Sciences and Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Service Assessments

Speaker: Dr. Chang Zhao Assistant Professor Agronomy Department University of Florida Thursday, November 16, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Human health and well-being are closely tied to the environment, which provides goods and benefits such as food, clean water, clean air, also known […]

B.S. in Meteorology Starting in Fall 2024

The Department of Geography is excited to announce the Bachelor of Science program in Meteorology has been fully approved, and will officially begin in Fall 2024. Our program provides broader geographic training and aims to build skills that crosscut from meteorology to applied climate science, geospatial analysis, hydrology, business, economics, communications, and Al as required […]

2023 Anderson Lecture Series: Dr. Nik Heynen

Speaker: Dr. Nik Heynen Distinguished Research Professor Department of Geography University of Georgia Geography Colloquium: Re-Earthing Sapelo: Abolition Ecology and the Struggle to Save the Land Thursday, November 2, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Fine Arts Building B, Room 105 University of Florida Abstract: Since 1803, fourteen generations of Gullah Geechee people on Sapelo Island […]

Transforming data into information: A One Health approach to vector-borne disease surveillance

Speaker: Dr. Michael von Fricken Associate Professor Department of Environmental & Global Health College of Public Health and Health Professions University of Florida Thursday, October 26, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Dr. von Fricken shares his experiences working in Mongolia and Kenya utilizing […]

Geography Courses for Spring 2024

This webpage lists the courses that will be offered by UF Geography Department faculty in the Spring 2024 semester. Click on the images to reveal the text on each slide. Each course also provides a links to find further details. Jump to a section: Quest General Education AI & GIS Meteorology Earth Hazards Human Geog […]

Geography Colloquium: Understanding drivers of storm surge and coastal migration through machine learning

Speaker: Dr. Alexandra Ramos Valle Project Scientist Mesoscale & Microscale Meteorology Lab National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Thursday, October 19, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: This talk will present various studies exploring the primary atmospheric drivers of storm surge flooding and the […]

Geography Colloquium: Apocalyptic Species

Speaker: Dr. Bob Walker Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, October 12, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: “Apocalyptic Species” is a piece of work describing a recent trip I made to Patagonia, visiting Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. It […]

Geography Colloquium: Local-scale social vulnerability to multiple hazards

Speaker: Dr. Oronde Drakes Decision Support Branch Integrated Information Dissemination Division United States Geological Survey Thursday, October 5, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Social circumstances interact with physical conditions to produce different levels of suffering and recovery from hazard events. Understanding and modeling […]

2024 UF Geography Celebration Weekend

The 2024 UF Geography Celebration weekend will be March 22-23! Friday, March 22 will feature the following events: 11:45am – Undergraduate and Alumni Career Panel in Turlington 3012. Students and alumni can trade class, interview, and career stories as well as provide advice and mentoring tips. 12:30pm – Department Luncheon for undergraduate and graduate students, […]

Geography Colloquium: Understanding conflict and predicting risk: an assessment of the drivers and spatial dynamics of conflict between jaguars and free-roaming cattle in the Rupununi, Guyana

Speaker: Dr. Matthew Hallett Assistant Research Professor Tropical Conservation and Development Program Center for Latin American Studies University of Florida Thursday, September 7, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Depredation of cattle and corresponding retaliatory killing represents the primary threat to the globally significant […]

Geography Colloquium: Clustering spatial patterns of rainfall and moisture around tropical cyclones with deep learning

Speaker: Dr. Dasol Kim Postdoctoral Student Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, September 7, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Tropical cyclones (TCs) show diverse spatial patterns of rainfall, which is an important factor in damage caused by TCs. This study classifies rain […]

Dr. Nirav Patel named Schmidt Futures 2023 International Strategy Forum (ISF) Fellow

Dr. Nirav Patel has been selected as a Schmidt Futures 2023 International Strategy Forum (ISF) Fellow From his International Strategy Forum profile: Dr. Nirav Nikunj Patel is a Senior Program Manager supporting the Space and Artificial Intelligence Portfolios with the Defense Innovation Unit in Silicon Valley, California. Nirav leads the efforts in adopting commercially-sourced satellite […]

Geography Colloquium: Modeling and Analysis of Excess Commuting with Trip Chains

Speaker: Dr. Yujie Hu Assistant Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, April 20, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Commuting, like other types of human travel, is complex in nature, such as trip-chaining behavior involving making stops of multiple purposes between two anchors. […]

Fall Course: GEO4938 GEO6938 Machine Learning in Meteorology

GEO4938 GEO6938 Machine Learning in Meteorology Hands-on experiences with machine learning (ML) from a series of practical case-studies in meteorology. Regression, classification, clustering and retrieval, and deep learning to solve research questions by identifying potential applications of ML, selecting the appropriate ML models, representing data as features to serve as input to ML models, and […]

Fall Course: MET4532 MET6530 Hurricanes

MET4532 MET6530 Hurricanes Instructor: Dr. Corene Matyas matyas@ufl.edu Learn about Hurricane Andrew and 20 other famous tropical cyclones! Prerequisites: GEO3250 or MET3503 (email me if you are graduating and I’ll consider an over-ride) Turlington 3006 MW Per. 4-5, W Per. 4 Participate In: Forecasting Labs Maps Discussions Presentation on Famous Storm Data Analysis Project for […]

Fall Course: MET4410 Radar and Satellite Meteorology

MET4410 Radar and Satellite Meteorology Learn the principles and practices of satellite and radar remote sensing as used in the atmospheric sciences. Apply the principles of remote sensing meteorology to process, visualize and interpret radar and satellite data for various weather events. Part of the GeoAI Certificate You will learn to: * operate a weather […]

Fall Course: GIS4124 GIS6125C Geocomputation Using R Programming

GIS4124 GIS6125C Geocomputation Using R Programming What You Will Learn: * THE language for statistical computing * Work with varied data types * Data analysis skills * Intro to Machine Learning and AI * Create awesome data visualizations * Automate data pre-processing and analysis * Create your own research project PREREQUISITES: Any 3000 level or […]

Fall Course: GIS4113 GIS6104 Spatial Networks

GIS4113 GIS6104 Spatial Networks Dr. Yujie Hu, yujiehu@ufl.edu Course Description Many real-world systems can be represented as networks of many interacting components. This course teaches the fundamental concepts, models, and techniques for describing, visualizing, measuring, and analyzing networks. It also introduces their applications in geography, transportation, social science, etc. A series of labs using popular […]

Fall Course: GEO4700 GEO6706 Transportation Geography

GEO4700 GEO6706 Transportation Geography Course Description Introduces the history and evolution of transportation systems, and essential concepts, theories, and topics in transportation geography, such as spatial organization, economic foundations, urban form, major modes, globalization, and environmental impacts. Also covers network representation of transportation systems, network measures, and core methods and tools for visualizing and analyzing […]

Fall Course: GEO4034 GEO5349 Weather, Climate, and Society

GEO4034 GEO5349 Weather, Climate, and Society Weather and climate-related disasters do not impact all sectors of society equally in the United States. Geographic differences in exposure to weather & climate hazards fail to fully explain why disparities exist among places and groups of people affected by disasters. Social vulnerability is a critical concept that helps […]

Fall Course: GEO3341 EXTREME FLOODS GEO6348 FLOODS SEMINAR (Gen-Ed PN)

GEO3341 EXTREME FLOODS GEO6348 FLOODS SEMINAR (Gen-Ed PN) Course description: Examines the world’s most extreme floods from the Pleistocene through present due to various causes. Discusses physical and human aspects of flood warning, preparedness, response and recovery throughout the world. Topics include past and present physical and human-influenced drivers of floods, problems beyond direct inundation, […]

Fall Course: GEO2006 Natural Hazards Geography

GEO2006 Natural Hazards Geography **GEN ED COURSE: SOCIAL SCIENCE (S) & INTERNATIONAL (N)** We will use the geographic lens of human-environment interactions to understand how disasters emerge from a complex web of social, cultural, psychological, political, and economic forces in tandem with extreme weather, climate, and geophysical hazard events. The course discusses international historical, recent, […]

Fall Course: GEA3500 Geography of Europe

GEA3500 Geography of Europe (Social and Behavioral Science, International) Snooty, lazy, conquering and privileged populations impacted by corruption, immigration and environmental degradation .. or NOT * Consider diverse and resilient landscapes and people of Europe * Examines spatial geography of Europe, stereotypes and contemporary questions * Popular culture, music, environment, language, religion, economies, politics, urban […]

Colloquium: Multi-level Partnerships and Collaborations Support Florida Well Owner Network

Speaker: Dr. Yilin Zhuang Regional Specialized Agent Water Resources University of Florida IFAS Extension Thursday, April 13, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: An estimated 2.5 million Floridians rely on private wells for home consumption. While public water systems are monitored under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, […]

Summer Course: GIS2114 WORLD & BIG DATA

GIS2114 WORLD & BIG DATA Today’s world is driven by data. This course will introduce relevant concepts and techniques (e.g., cloud computing) of big (spatial) data as well as its applications in the real world! COURSE OBJECTIVES Understand, know, and be familiar with The unique characteristics of big data The techniques used for collecting, storing, […]

Summer Course: GEO2500 Global and Regional Economies

GEO2500 Global and Regional Economies Summer 2023: Asynchronous 100% Online Meets Social Science General Education & Writing Requirements (6000 words) This course explores contemporary perspectives, themes, and research in economic and political geography focusing on events and issues associated with regional and global economic and demographic change. Analyze regional variations and disparities in growth and […]

Summer Course: GEO3452 Introduction to Medical Geography (Gen-Ed B)

GEO3452 Introduction to Medical Geography (Gen-Ed B) Course Description: Medical geography deals with human-environment interactions and the influence of these interactions on public health. This course provides a broad-based comprehensive survey of geographic topics and approaches in medical sciences. Hands-on experiences will be emphasized through GIS labs. Successful students will be able to: Apply geographic […]

Geography Colloquium: The View From The Event Horizon

Speaker: Dr. Colin Carlson Assistant Research Professor Center for Global Health, Science, and Security Georgetown University Thursday, April 6, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Conventional wisdom dictates that the greatest health impacts of climate change will be the impacts of heat, extreme weather, and vector-borne disease – […]

Caroline Huguenin receives honorable mention for the Association for Academic Women’s Emerging Scholar Award

Caroline Huguenin was awarded an honorable mention by the Association for Academic Women (AAW) for the Emerging Scholar Award. The award recognizes outstanding researchers who have contributed to creating a more inclusive and diverse community. The Madelyn Lockhart Fellowship, established by AAW, honors PhD candidates who exemplify exceptional research and dedication to their community. The […]

Aryn O’Dell wins Dunkle Award!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the winner of 2023 John R. and Fawn T. Dunkle Geography Award is Aryn O’Dell. The Dunkle award honors the long-time service and devotion of Professor John R. Dunkle to the Department of Geography at the University of Florida. We give this award of $1000 annually to […]

GeoGators Gavriella Hecht and Sarah VanSchoick attend Future Leaders Climate Summit and Aspen Ideas: Climate in Miami Beach

GeoGators Gavriella Hecht and Sarah VanSchoick were selected as two of 250 global Future Leaders in Climate hosted by The Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program (EEP) in Miami Beach from March 3-9. The Aspen Institute fully funded their opportunity to attend the Future Leaders Climate Summit and successive Aspen Ideas: Climate event in Miami […]

UFGeog at AAG 2023

The American Association of Geographers (AAG) is returning to an in person format the the 2023 AAG Annual Meeting conference format and the UF Geography Department is sending a large contingent to Denver to share our research! Find out where you can see a GeoGator present their research below: THURSDAY 3/23/2023 Remembering Racial Terrorism: the […]

Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2023 on 4/7 and 4/8!

Join us for events on and off campus as we socialize, network and recognize our faculty, alumni and students. Friday, April 7 – Saturday, April 8 2023 Reserve Your Spot Event Highlights Alumni lunches Career networking with current students Department tours Evening of Excellence Awards banquet Nature walks Alumni gathering at Cypress & Grove Brewing […]

Geography Colloquium: Modifiable Spatiotemporal Unit Problems in Remote Sensing of Agriculture

Speaker: Dr. Brad Peter Assistant Professor Department of Geosciences University of Arkansas Thursday, March 9, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Measuring agricultural productivity is a multi-scale problem that requires multi-scale solutions. Understanding the when and where of crop productivity is vital to addressing changes […]

Geography Colloquium: Plans may change: Shifting risks of vector-borne diseases on a warming planet

Speaker: Dr. Sadie Ryan Associate Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, March 2, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: This talk is an overview of work from around a decade of collaborations on ecophysiological models of thermal responses of mosquito borne diseases, and […]

Alumni Adventures: Chantal Adams

My name is Chantal Adams – Wayleave Field Account Manager at CityFibre She/her When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn in the Department of Geography?  I attended Fall 2017-Spring 2018 as a study abroad student from Lancaster University in the UK. My degree from Lancaster was a first class honours BA Honours […]

Publication from Dr Wen is among the top cited in Earth and Space Science

The journal Earth and Space Science announced that an article co-authored by Dr. Yixin Wen was among the top cited papers among publications from the last two years. As one of the 23 peer-reviewed journals sponsored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Earth and Space Science is a notable peer-reviewed journal among the geosciences. It’s […]

Geography Colloquium: Integrating Transit and TNC Services to Improve Job Accessibility

Speaker: Dr. Lingqian (Ivy) Hu Professor Urban and Regional Planning University of Florida Thursday, February 23, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: With the rapid growth of Transportation Network Company (TNC) services and the continued decline of transit ridership, existing research has proposed, and some […]

GeoGators present 7 posters at EPI Day 2023

  There was strong GeoGator representation at the 2023 EPI Day hosted by UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute – with the SEER Lab and QDEC Lab submitting undergrad, graduate, and faculty posters. Undergrad Researchers Aryn O’Dell (SEER Lab) – Evaluating livestock commingling in a brucellosis risk zone in Kazakhstan Jaclyn Siu (SEER Lab) – Spatial Investigation of […]

JOB POSTING – Research Technician (Geospatial Analyst)

The Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation Laboratory (QDEC Lab) in the Department of Geography and Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida is seeking a research technician with expertise in geospatial analysis, remote sensing, and Google Earth Engine. The successful candidate will contribute to work quantifying the urban-rural social-ecological environment for spatial analyses of […]

Geography Colloquium: Resilient Socio-Environmental Systems: Indigenous Territories in the Face of Change

Speaker: Dr. Bob Walker Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Co-speakers: Dr. Joel Correia, Dr. Cynthia Simmons, Miguel Acevedo, Michael Esbach Thursday, February 16, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Amazonia’s Indigenous peoples are capable of conserving their natural environments in the face of […]

Lack of affordable homes means longer commute times for more people in the Tampa metro area

“The further you commute, the longer you commute – the more likely you’re able to find affordable housing,” Dr. Yujie Hu told WUSF’s Gabriella Paul in her recent piece Lack of affordable homes means longer commute times for more people in the Tampa metro area. You can listen to the story and read the transcript […]

Welcome to the Vector Data Ecosystem

GeoGator Dr. Cat Lippi (QDEC Lab, VectorByte) recently announced a ‘comprehensive guide to existing online data resources’ for vector-borne disease research that ‘will help to eliminate any confusion when choosing online databases, and promote greater use of existing resources’. “Science runs on data. As researchers, we know how valuable (and time consuming) collecting new data […]

Dr. Willie Wright receives the 2023 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Glenda Laws Award

Headshot of Doctor Willie Wright

The Glenda Laws Award is administered by the American Association of Geographers and endorsed by members of the Institute of Australian Geographers, the Canadian Association of Geographers, and the Institute of British Geographers. The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to geographic research on social issues. This award is named in memory of Glenda Laws—a geographer […]

Dr. Gabriela Hamerlinck awarded AAG 2023 Harm J. de Blij Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Geography Teaching

Dr. Gabriela Hamerlinck (Gaby), an instructional faculty at the University of Florida, is an exceptional geography teacher. Her innovative and rigorous courses focus her students on applied activities and real-world examples such as designing a global pandemic response plan, critiquing how disease is portrayed in popular culture, or creating a zombie movie! She requires students […]

Geography Colloquium: Reflectivity as Detected by Space- and Ground-Based Radars Detecting Tropical Cyclones

Speaker: Dr. Corene Matyas Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, January 26, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: The different scanning strategies and atmospheric profiles through which energy beams pass from space-based as compared to ground-based radars can produce different reflectivity values in […]

Geography Colloquium: Managing Urban Stormwater with Novel Nature-based Solutions: Why Community Perception and Everyday Landscape Experiences Matter

Speaker: Dr. Jiayang Li Assistant Professor Department of Landscape Architecture, Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER) College of Design, Construction, and Planning University of Florida Thursday, January 18, 2023 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 University of Florida Abstract: Cities are exploring novel nature-based solutions (NBS) that integrate engineering and technological […]

Congrats Amobi Amanambu on winning a CLAS Dissertation Fellowship

Joins us in congratulating Amobichukwu Amanambu on winning a CLAS Dissertation Fellowship for the Spring 2023 semester. The award will support work on his dissertation, which is titled, “Drought, dam and dredging impacts on the upper Apalachicola River and floodplain.” Every fall, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) awards approximately fifteen, one-semester dissertation […]

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2023 RYAN POEHLING FELLOWSHIP AWARD WINNERS!

I am delighted to announce this year’s graduate student winners for the Ryan M. Poehling 2023 Memorial Fellowship. This is our highest honor for our graduate students and all students must be nominated by a faculty member to be considered. This year the awards committee had a very difficult time due to the amazing set […]

Geography Colloquium: Affective Heritage and the Politics of Memory after 9/11: Curating Trauma at the Memorial Museum

Speaker: Dr. Jacque Micieli-Voutsinas Assistant Professor School of Art and Art History, Museum Studies University of Florida Thursday, December 1, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Memorial Museums are evocative spaces. Drawing on aesthetic practices deeply rooted in representing the ‘unrepresentability’ of cultural trauma, most notably […]

Geography Colloquium: What Drives Extreme Events? Evaluating the Major Contributors to Total Water Levels Along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

Speaker: Gabrielle Quadrado PhD Student Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, November 17, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Coastal zones along the Atlantic margin of the Southeastern United States (U.S.) have different physical characteristics due to the region’s long coastline, frequent storms, and […]

Geography Colloquium: Linking Global Land surface air temperatures and Land Surface Properties to Radiative Effects of Precipitating Clouds in General Circulation Models

Speaker: Dr. Frank Li Project Scientist Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Thursday, November 1, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Using satellite measured clouds and precipitation from NASA CloudSat-CALIPSO estimates, and radiation from Clouds and […]

Geography Colloquium: Disparities in Business Impact and Recovery from Hurricane Harvey, COVID-19, and Hurricane Laura

Speaker: Dr. Maria Watson Assistant Professor School of Construction Management Center for Housing Studies University of Florida Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Since 2017, U.S. communities along the Texas and Louisiana border including Beaumont, TX, Port Arthur, TX, and Lake Charles, […]

Geography Colloquium: Flood risk transfer along the San Francisquito Creek, California

Speaker: Dr. Katy Serafin Assistant Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, October 20, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Communities across the nation are deciding how to best prepare for future flood events, while concurrently considering updates to aging infrastructure such as bridges. […]

Geography Colloquium: Western US Irrigation and its Implications for the Future of Agriculture

Speaker: Dr. Samuel Smidt Associate Professor Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences University of Florida Thursday, October 13, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: The western US has dominated irrigated agriculture, but ongoing water availability issues have challenged the sustainability of these regions. Many […]

UF team awarded NASA grant to study artisanal mining and charcoal production in Ghana

A team of University of Florida researchers has been awarded a $660,000 grant to detect and monitor risks of artisanal mining and charcoal production in Ghana, NASA announced last week. Entitled “Integrating Socio-Economic and Remotely Sensed Information to Characterize Conflict Precursors and Land Degradation Dynamics in Ghana”, the three-year project will combine images collected by […]

Geography Colloquium: Variations of hydrological simulation scales: reanalysis, prediction, applications, capacity building, and challenges

Speaker: Dr. Mengye Chen PostDoctoral researcher University of Oklahoma Thursday, October 6, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Hydrological modeling and simulation is a branch of earth system sciences to answer some important questions, such as “are we going to have enough water in […]

Geography Colloquium: Settlement Ecology, Land Use and Intensification across the Maya Lowlands

Speaker: Dr. Timothy Murtha Professor College of Design, Construction and Planning University of Florida Thursday, September 22, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: The Maya lowlands, extending from the Yucatan to Chiapas, offer a compelling long-term landscape narrative of settlement ecology. From the emergence of […]

Geography Colloquium: Radar Development and Application at the Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC)

Speaker: Dr. Tian-You Yu Professor Atmospheric Radar Research Center University of Oklahoma Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Recorded for YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: In this presentation, the ARRC’s technology roadmap will be described, from the conventional radar to the next generation phased array radar. These radars support […]

RaXPol Mobile Radar visits UF for a series of public talks and to conduct research

A strange and unique vehicle can be seen around North Florida and the UF campus in September. It’s the Rapid X-band Polarimetric Radar, or RaXPol. The vehicle was built and continues to be operated by the Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC) at the University of Oklahoma (OU). Radar data you may have seen on a […]

Geography Colloquium: Borders and Conflicts in North and West Africa

Speaker: Dr. Olivier Walther Assistant Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, September 8, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Turlington Hall 3018 University of Florida Abstract: This paper examines the role of borderlands in contemporary armed conflicts in West and North Africa. Building on a disaggregated analysis of more than 171 000 violent events, we […]

Geography Colloquium: Community Preparedness and Resilience for Hurricanes: Lessons learned from Hurricane Michael in the Panhandle

Speaker: Dr. Mysha Clarke Assistant Professor School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences University of Florida Thursday, September 1, 2022 4:00-4:50 PM (Period 9) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Hurricane Michael had serious socio-ecological impacts on forest ecosystems in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. This presentation will highlight the ways that non-industrial forest […]

Vision-based movement recognition reveals badminton player footwork using deep learning and binocular positioning

HU – Vision-based movement recognition reveals badminton player footwork using deep learning and binocular positioning Jiabei Luo, Yujie Hu, Keith Davids, Di Zhang, Cade Gouin, Xiang Li, Xianrui Xu Article first published online: 22 August 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10089 ABSTRACT: Coordinating dynamic interceptive actions in sports like badminton requires skilled performance in getting the racket into […]

Resilience and fragmentation in healthcare coalitions: The link between resource contributions and centrality in health-related interorganizational networks

HU – Resilience and fragmentation in healthcare coalitions: The link between resource contributions and centrality in health-related interorganizational networks Eve Bohnett, Raffaele Vacca, Yujie Hu, David Hulse, Danielle Varda Article first published online: 28 July 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2022.07.004 ABSTRACT: Interorganizational coalitions or collaboratives in healthcare are essential to address the health challenges of local communities, […]

Spatiotemporal Environmental Drivers of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus in Central Florida: Towards a Predictive Model for a Lethal Disease

MUNDIS, RYAN – Spatiotemporal Environmental Drivers of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus in Central Florida: Towards a Predictive Model for a Lethal Disease Stephanie J Mundis, Steve Harrison, Dave Pelley, Susan Durand, Sadie J Ryan Article first published online: 12 August 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjac113 ABSTRACT: Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a mosquito-borne virus that affects […]

Tropical cyclones in the northern Mozambique Channel: composite intra-seasonal forcing and 2019 event

MATYAS – Tropical cyclones in the northern Mozambique Channel: composite intra-seasonal forcing and 2019 event Mark R. Jury & Corene J. Matyas Article first published online: 12 July 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-022-00911-8 ABSTRACT: Tropical cyclone (TC) activity in the northern Mozambique Channel (nMC) during the satellite era is studied, culminating with the anomalous 2019 season. We identify […]

Wildfires in the Arctic and tropical biomes: what is the relative role of climate?

ENGSTRÖM, KEELLINGS – Wildfires in the Arctic and tropical biomes: what is the relative role of climate? Johanna Engström, Peyman Abbaszadeh, David Keellings, Proloy Deb, & Hamid Moradkhani Article first published online: 4 Jul 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05452-2 ABSTRACT: This study seeks to use machine learning to investigate the role of meteorological and climate variables on wildfire occurrence in […]

In Collaboration with the UF Water Institute: Drowned out: Water, Climate, and Justice

Dr. Farhana Sultana Associate Professor Department of Geography and the Environment Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs Syracuse University Thursday, April 14, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Farhana Sultana is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary scholar of political ecology, water governance, climate justice, development, […]

The Role of Floods and Mining Disturbances as Drivers of Fluvial Instability, Middle Amite River, Louisiana

Speaker: Maram Alrehaili PhD Student Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, January 13, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: The Amite River Basin (ARB) in southeastern Louisiana has experienced numerous hydromodifications because of land use-land cover (LULC) changes. Mining in the middle section […]

Evaluating the progress of malaria control and effectiveness of vector control interventions for eliminating malaria from Nepal

Speaker: Shreejana Bhattarai PhD Student Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, March 31, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Nepal has achieved significant progress in malaria control with vector control interventions and aims to eliminate malaria by 2026. However, Nepal is also experiencing […]

Neogeography and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) – Case studies into collecting and utilizing geographic data online and in the classroom

Dr. Anwar Sounny-Slitine Assistant Instructional Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, March 24, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Geographic web tools and location tagging of online information has created novel ways researchers could collect data to inform studies.  This collection of […]

Leandra Merz a winner of the Association for Academic Women’s Emerging Scholar Award

Congratulations to PhD candidate Leandra Merz who has been named a winner of the Association for Academic Women’s (AAW) Emerging Scholar Award! From the AAW: “The committee was highly impressed with your ability to articulate the importance and transformative potential of your dissertation work. The committee felt that your publications along with your presentations and […]

Alumni Event & Celebration

A gathering of alumni with a variety of activities including developing career connections with current students, social activities and tours, a celebration of the retirements of Dr. Peter Waylen and Dr. Greg Glass, awards and recognition of our outstanding students, and much more. March 18-19th, 2022 Sign up through the Google Form today and email Dr. […]

The Ecology and Impacts of Human-Animal Interactions Across Geographies

Akhil Kshirsagar PhD Student Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, February 17, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Although humans & non-human animals have lived alongside each other for thousands of years, very little is known about the relationships between humans and non-human […]

Matthew Pflaum awarded AAG Research Grant

The American Association of Geographers and its Awards Committee has awarded PhD candidate Matthew Pflaum as a recipient of one of its 2022 AAG Research Grants. The award is in support of Matthew Pflaum’s research on adaptive strategies that pastoralists in the Central Sahel region use to combat insecurity due to violent conflicts. Matthew Pflaum […]

Environmental change in Ethiopia: Evaluating trends in socio-ecological systems through geospatial analysis

Carly Muir PhD Student Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, February 10, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Environmental change poses a myriad of challenges to the global population. Fortunately, the employment of geospatial information has enhanced our knowledge of environmental change and equips […]

Stand Up & Holler! with UF Geography

Stand Up & Holler: Gator Nation Giving Day is an all-day fundraising event, calling on the University of Florida alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, families, and friends to come together to support UF and all of its areas of positive impact in our state, nation and world. Remember, it’s #AllForTheGators.

Putting People in The Earth System

Speaker: Dr. Nicolas Gauthier Assistant Curator Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Thursday, February 3, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Researchers and policy makers urgently require insights into how societies have adapted to—or failed to adapt to—climate change across regions, cultures, and […]

Colloquium: Complex Interactions Between Climate Change and Wildlife Crime in Social-Ecological Systems

Speaker: Dr. Jessica Kahler Assistant Professor Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law University of Florida Thursday, January 27, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Abstract: Two of the greatest threats to biodiversity and sustainable development are climate change and wildlife crime. It has recently become apparent […]

Adventures in Infectious Disease: A World Tour

Speaker: Dr. Michael Norris Assistant Research Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, January 13, 2022 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Livestreamed on YouTube Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Biography: Michael Norris is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Geography and the Emerging Pathogens Institute. He has spent 15 years […]

Congratulations to this year’s Ryan Poehling Fellowship award winners!

Congratulations to Sarah VanSchoick (MS award) and Amobi Amanambu (PhD award) on winning this year’s Ryan Poehling Fellowship awards. Throughout 2021, they have exemplified the sustained academic excellence, commitment to departmental service, and leadership of the graduate program which Ryan displayed. More information about this fellowship and about Ryan Poehling, in whose honor these awards are […]

Dr. Walker receives Sauer Distinguished Scholarship Award

Dr. Robert Walker has been selected by the Conference of Latin American Geography as the recipient of the 2021 Carl O. Sauer Distinguished Scholarship Award. This award is granted in recognition for a corpus of important published work or other significant contribution towards Latin American geography. Sauer Distinguished Scholars are leading authorities in specific research […]

Predictors of hurricane evacuation decisions: A meta-analysis

Shakhawat Tanim, Brenton Wiernik, Steven Reader, Yujie Hu Article first published online: 10 Dec 2021, Journal of Environmental Psychology DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101742 Dr. Yujie Hu – Predictors of hurricane evacuation decisions: A meta-analysis ABSTRACT: We systematically review and meta-analyze quantitative prediction models for hurricane evacuation decisions. Drawing on data from 33 prediction models and 29,873 households, we estimate distributions […]

Geography Colloquium: Planning in an Era of Rapid Urbanization: The Case of Indonesia

Speaker: Dr. Chris Silver Professor Department of Urban and Regional Planning College of Design, Construction and Planning University of Florida Thursday, December 2, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Livestreamed on YouTube Biography: Christopher Silver is Professor of Urban and Regional Planning who joined the faculty at UF […]

Geography Colloquium: Riparian Woody Vegetation Regrowth on Point Bars in a Disturbed Coastal Plain River

Speaker: Dr. Yin-Hsuen Chen Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, November 4, 2021 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Watch on YouTube Biography: Dr. Yin-Hsuen Chen is a postdoctoral fellow at Department of Geography, University of Florida. She received her doctoral degree at the same department. Her […]

Geography Colloquium: Mapping the marine world from reef to rift

Speaker: Dr. Vincent LeCours Assistant Professor Department of Geomatics University of Florida Thursday, October 28, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Livestreamed on YouTube Biography: Vincent Lecours is an Assistant Professor of Marine Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis at the University of Florida, where he leads the Marine […]

Geography Colloquium: African wildlife economies and governance – developing teaching and research into action partnerships

Speaker: Dr. Brian Child Associate Professor Department of Geography University of Florida Thursday, October 21, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Watch on YouTube Biography: Dr. Brian Child is an associate professor in Geography and Center for African Studies at the University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. […]

Geography Colloquium: Migration as a livelihood strategy in rural Honduras in response to emerging socio-ecological collapse

Watch on YouTube Speaker: Dr. Rebecca J. Williams Visiting Assistant Professor Center for Latin American Studies Master of Sustainable Development Practice Program Tropical Conservation and Development Program University of Florida Thursday, October 14, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom University of Florida Synopsis: Worldwide we are seeing the beginnings of large-scale […]

Geography Colloquium: One Size AI Does Not Fit All: A Step Towards GeoAI

Watch on YouTube Speaker: Dr. Zhe Jiang Assistant Professor Dept. of Computer and Information Science and Engineering University of Florida Thursday, September 30, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) has achieved tremendous success in computer vision and natural language processing. With rapidly increasing spatiotemporal data collected from ground, […]

The Future of Zoonotic Risk Prediction

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B RYAN – The Future of Zoonotic Risk Prediction Colin J. Carlson, Maxwell J. Farrell, Zoe Grange, Barbara A. Han, Nardus Mollentze, Alexandra L. Phelan, Angela L. Rasmussen, Gregory F. Albery, Bernard Bett, David M. Brett-Major, Lily E. Cohen, Tad Dallas, Evan A. Eskew, Anna C. Fagre, Kristian M. Forbes, Rory Gibb, Sam Halabi, Charlotte C. Hammer, Rebecca Katz, Jason Kindrachuk, Renata L. Muylaert, Felicia B. Nutter, Joseph Ogola, Kevin J. Olival, Michelle […]

Audrey Smith’s Interdisciplinary Work Published in the Journal Water

PhD student Audrey C. Smith (adviser Dr. Jane Southworth) co-authored a paper with UF Geography almuna Dr. Erin L. Bunting as product of a SESYNC ‘pursuit’ interdisciplinary team of students and faculty from multiple institutions. The paper titled “Interpersonal Conflict over Water is Associated with Household Demographics, Domains of Water Insecurity, and Regional Conflict: Evidence […]

How ‘rapid intensification’ fueled Hurricane Ida

Dr. David Keellings was recently interviewed by NBC News about Hurricane Ida for their piece entitled How ‘rapid intensification’ fueled Hurricane Ida Climate change is altering some of the atmospheric and ocean dynamics that power hurricanes. That doesn’t mean more hurricanes — but it does mean more dangerous ones. Long before Hurricane Ida made landfall Sunday in southern […]

Geography Colloquium: Mentoring Diverse 2-Year College Students in Geoscience Research During GEOPATHS

Speaker: Dr. Corene Matyas Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, September 9, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Biography: Dr. Corene Matyas is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Florida. She received her […]

Geography Colloquium: The Varying Effects of Accessing High-Speed Rail System on China’s County Development

Speaker: Dr. Danlin Yu Professor, Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University Thursday, September 2, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Biography: Dr. Danlin Yu has a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Dr. Yu is a […]

GEO2420 Introduction to Human Geography

GEO2420 Introduction to Human Geography An Introduction to Human Geography in Global Context I International I Gen Ed GEO2420 focuses on human and non-human relations that have changed over time to produce effects globally. It provides an analytical lens to examine how and why such changes occur across continents, seas and islands. Its primary goal […]

Welcome new GeoGator faculty!

We have had an exciting Spring 2021 with the hire of 4 new Tenure Track Assistant Professors – Dr. Berry Wen, Dr. Willie Wright, Dr. Johanna Engstrom, and Dr. David Keellings. Geography is growing and we are building new initiatives in GeoAI, Meteorology, and Sustainability. It’s an exciting time to be a GeoGator!

New study to inform Zika control measures

GAINESVILLE, FL – Climate variation and seasonality affect transmission and control of Zika, a study by Dr. Calistus Ngonghala (UF Mathematics, Emerging Pathogens Institute), Dr. Sadie J. Ryan (UF Geography, Emerging Pathogens Institute), and colleagues at the University of Georgia, Stanford University, and Harvard University has found. By comparing experimental Zika transmission data to annual […]

Aghane Antunes and Shreejana Bhattarai win O. Ruth McQuown Scholarship Award

GeoGator PhD students Aghane Antunes and Shreejana Bhattarai among the 2021 recipients of the O. Ruth McQuown Scholarship. The O. Ruth McQuown Scholarship Award has been established to aid scholars who best exemplify Dr. McQuown’s values, achievements and commitment to social issues (including addressing issues and fostering opportunities for women, racial minorities and those of […]

Gabriel Cardoso Carrero’s research receives William H. Miernyk Research Excellence Medal

GeoGator Gabriel Cardoso Carrero and collaborators presented their paper 2018 Red Tide and peer-to-peer accommodations: assessing the economic impacts using a multi-regional input-output model at the 60th Meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association. The Regional Research Institute at West Virginia University presented The William H. Miernyk Research Excellence Medal to lead author Dr. Joao-Pedro Ferreira. […]

Mckenna Stidham wins Dunkle Award!

It gives us great pleasure to announce that the winner of the 2020-21 John R. and Fawn T. Dunkle Geography Award is Mckenna Stidham. The Dunkle award honors the long-time service and devotion of Professor John R. Dunkle to the Department of Geography at the University of Florida. We give this award of $1000 annually […]

Geography Colloquium: Coupled Human and Wildlife Systems in Southern Africa

Speaker: Leandra Merz PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, April 15, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Leandra Merz is a PhD candidate in the Geography department of University of Florida.  She has a MDP in sustainable […]

UFGeog at AAG 2021

The UF Geography Department is sending a large (virtual) contingent to Seattle for the 2021 meeting of the American Association of Geographers Find out where you can see a GeoGator present their research below: Panelist Joel Correia Panel title: Querying nature, colonialism and decolonialism Date & Time: April 7, 8:00am-9:15am Talk Presentation Session title: Roads, […]

Geography Colloquium: Crisis and Environmental Change in Bangladesh: A Remote Sensing Approach

Speaker: Mehedy Hassan PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, April 8, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Mehedy Hassan is a Ph.D. candidate in Geography at the University of Florida. His research interests include the use of […]

Geography Colloquium: Setting a bottom-up research agenda to improve community health – An inclusive mixed-methods approach in Northern Uganda

Speaker: Nick Dowhaniuk (he/him) PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, April 1, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Nick Dowhaniuk is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Geography, University of Florida. With a M.H.S. in Environmental […]

Geography Colloquium: Masters Student Posters

Speakers: Meirah Williamson, “Damages Associated with Excessive Rainfall Outlooks (EROs) and Missed Flash Floods” Holli Capps, “Spatial and Temporal Variability in the Characteristics of Extreme Daily Rainfalls in Ghana“ Christopher Williams, “People, Places, and Risk Perceptions: Tornado Sheltering during the COVID-19 Pandemic” Tierney Shimansky, “The Effects of Governance Type and Scale on Community Conservation in […]

UF signs a memorandum of understanding with the OECD to reinforce research in the West African Sahel

GAINESVILLE, FL – On March 4th, 2021, the University of Florida signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to encourage research on social and political changes in the West African Sahel. Signed on behalf of the UF Center for African Studies, the new agreement will reinforce ties […]

Emerita Professor Dr. Barbara McDade-Gordon was recently featured in American Geographical Society’s Celebrating Black Geographers

Emerita Professor Dr. Barbara McDade-Gordon was recently featured in American Geographical Society‘s Celebrating Black Geographers the First Cohort: 1900-2000. Professor McDade Gordon was a faculty member in the Geography Department at the University of Florida Gainesville. Before her retirement in 2016, she was a faculty affiliate of the Center for African Studies and the African […]

Geography Colloquium: The Land-Grab Industry in the Brazilian Amazon – the stealing of public lands with the government’s approval

Speaker: Gabriel Cardoso Carrero PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 11, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Gabriel is a Ph.D. Candidate in Geography at the University of Florida. With a B.Sc. in Biology and an […]

Interventions can shift the thermal optimum for parasitic disease transmission

  Temperature influences the transmission of many diseases, but the effects of temperature variability on the transmission of parasitic diseases are poorly understood. A new study investigated the influence of water temperature on the transmission risk for schistosomiasis, a disease that affects over 200 million people annually. Schistosomiasis is caused by parasitic worms which develop […]

Celebrating Women Geographers for Women’s History Month

Geography is a diverse field. Throughout the month of March, we will be highlighting the work of Women Geographers, some of whom are #GeoGators. Tierney Shimansky Tierney is a Master’s student who studies land management and conservation in southern Africa. Dr. Yin-Hsuen Chen Yin-Hsuen is a fluvial geomorphologist and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of […]

Latest SEER Lab publication evaluates Orbivirus exposure rates for non-native wildlife from free range preserves in North Florida

As part of SEER Lab‘s long-running collaboration with the Cervidae Health Research Initiative (CHeRI), this latest paper, lead by Jeremy Orange and Dr. Jason Blackburn, evaluated exposure rates to bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) in non-native wildlife managed on large preserves in Northern Florida. The wildlife/deer ranching industry represents one of […]

Geography Colloquium: Between flood and drought – How the production of new waterscapes produces environmental racism in South America’s Chaco

Speaker: Dr. Joel Correia Assistant Professor, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida Thursday, March 4, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Dr. Joel Correia is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of […]

Geography Colloquium: Land Cover and Environmental Change and Their Implications in East Africa

Speaker: Ryan Good PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 25, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Ryan Good is a PhD Candidate in Geography at the University of Florida. Mr. Good is a human-environment geographer with training […]

Florida Society of Geographers Awards!

The GeoGators did great at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Florida Society of Geographers this Saturday the 20th of February. Julia Tiplea (honorary GeoGator- School of Forest Resources & Conservation Geomatics Program) won best undergrad paper presentation David Caplan won best undergrad poster Holli Capps won best masters paper presentation Leandra Merz won best PhD paper […]

Strong GeoGator showing at FSG

There will be a strong GeoGator presence at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Florida Society of Geographers this Saturday the 20th of February. Whether you want to learn about risk perceptions, coastal flooding, land use change, rural violence, riparian erosion and siltation, extreme rainfall,  disease transmission, or park conservation, we’ve got you covered! Physical Geography (Moderator […]

Geography Colloquium: Assessing the impact of trade agreements on land change in Brazil’s Amazonia

Speaker: Dr. Eugenio Arima Associate Professor, Department of Geography and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin Thursday, February 18, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Dr. Eugenio Arima is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and the […]

We’re Hiring! Administrative Spec II

The Department of Geography at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is currently recruiting for the position of Administrative Specialist II. This position functions as the Contracts and Grants operations coordinator for the Department of Geography. Provides support to the Chair and faculty of the Department by managing grant, human resources and fiscal activities. […]

Geography Colloquium: Interactive Machine Learning for Heterogeneous Geo-spatial Data

Speaker: Dr. Morteza Karimzadeh Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder Thursday, February 11, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Dr. Karimzadeh is a spatial data scientist, with contributions in geographic information retrieval, machine learning, geo-visualization, and visual […]

Alumni Adventures: Charles Roop

My name is Charles Roop – Broadcast and Digital Meteorologist at WCTV-TV in Tallahassee, Florida He/him/his When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn in the Department of Geography? After earning my A.A. from the College of Central Florida in 2006, I transferred to UF and graduated with a B.S. in Geography and […]

Geography Colloquium: Dynamic Amazonia – Looking Back to See Forward

Speaker: Dr. Cynthia Simmons Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 4, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Dr. Cynthia Simmons is Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, at the University of Florida. She is a […]

Meet the Geographer: Taras Kaduk

Taras Kaduk  Pronouns: he/him University of Florida Who is he? Taras is a geospatial data scientist and nontraditional student who recently completed an online Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography through UF Online, which was recently ranked the #3 online bachelor’s program by US News and World Reports. He is interested in geospatial data science/geoinformatics/geocomputation, […]

GEO2242 Extreme Weather

Extreme Weather GEO2242 Spring 2021 100% online This course will introduce students to the basic concepts of the science of weather and climate and current scientific developments in such areas as extreme weather prediction, global climate change, and improved forecasting of events. In addition, the course will address the impact of extreme climate and weather […]

New NSF grant to study how Covid affects international research networks

Dr. Olivier Walther and collaborators Dr. Greg Kiker (UF ABE) and Dr. Erica Odera (UF ABE) have received a new grant from the National Science Foundation to study the impact of Covid on international research networks. Using multi-criteria decision analysis and social network analysis, we hypothesize that international research teams can be designed to be […]

Geography Colloquium: What does Extreme Precipitation mean to you? Coproducing knowledge to inform research

Speaker: Dr. Esther Mullens Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 28, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. This seminar will discuss ongoing research on predicting extreme precipitation at seasonal to sub-seasonal (S2S) timescales, focusing specifically on […]

Alumni Adventures: Amber Todoroff

Amber Todoroff – Policy Associate at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) She/her When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn the the Department of Geography? I attended UF from 2010-2015, earning a BAs in Geography and English, and a minor in Sustainability Studies. After I graduated I attended the University of Oxford […]

Job Announcement: Assistant Professor in Atmospheric and Climate Science (AI)

  The Department of Geography at the University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, invites applications for two (2) full-time, nine-month, tenure-accruing positions, at the level of Assistant Professor to begin August 16, 2021. The department seeks candidates with expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to study Atmospheric and Climate Science (meteorology, weather forecasting […]

Geography Colloquium: Mapping for nomads: using GIS for herders in the West African Sahel

Speaker: Alex Orenstein Data Scientist, ORENSTEIN GIS Thursday, January 21, 2021 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall 3018 and Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Alex is a GIS specialist based in Senegal. His focus is on using satellite data to track drought and its impact on pastoralist communities, particularly […]

Meet the Geographer: Mohammad Mehedy Hassan

Mohammad Mehedy Hassan Pronouns: he/him University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Jane Southworth Focus Area: GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Earth System Science Research Statement: I am a geospatial scientist with an interest in the use of remote sensing (RS) and geospatial techniques analyses to better understand the complex socioecological process of landscape transformation, vegetation-climate change interactions, […]

Alumni Adventures: Dr. Hannah Herrero

Dr. Hannah Victoria Herrero – Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Tennessee When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn in the Department of Geography?I attended UF from 2010-2013 (Bachelor’s in Geography with Environmental Geosciences), 2013-2015 (M.S.), and 2015-2019 (Ph.D. with a graduate certificate in Digital Geography and GIS) What is your greatest memory from your […]

GEO2420 Introduction to Human Geography

GEO 2420 Introduction to Human Geography In person: HG24(22573), Online: HGDL(26084) Relations between human and non-human worlds have changed over time to produce effects everywhere, like the ongoing pandemic. Human Geography provides an analytical lens to critically examine how and why such changes and effects occur across continents, seas and islands. The course focuses on […]

Alumni Adventures: Dr. Yang Yang

Dr. Yang Yang, Associate Professor at Temple University he/him/his When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn the the Department of Geography? I came to the PhD program in 2009 and finished in 2013 What is your greatest memory from your time as a GeoGator? Every time I traveled to AAG and SEDAAG […]

LAS6938 Indigenous Rights, Development, and Environmental Justice in Latin America

Indigenous Rights, Development and Environmental Justice in Latin America LAS 6938 This graduate seminar investigates how environmental change, development, and extractivism intersect with Indigenous struggles for justice. The course begins with a focus on environmental justice, research ethics, and decolonial politics to provide a theoretical and methodological framework for our engagement during the semester. We […]

GEO3930/GEO6938/GLY4930 Communicating Science

GEO3930 GEO6938 GLY4930 Communicating Science Scientists are trained to speak like scientists to scientists. But that distances us from the public! Solving the world’s problems requires everyone. How do we empower politicians, journalists, engineers, and others to take evidence-based actions? Through diverse readings and discussions we will learn about the strengths and weaknesses of research […]

Alumni Adventures: Kyle Gorman

Kyle Gorman – Senior Program Manager at the New York City Department of Transportation’s Public Space Unit He/him When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn the the Department of Geography? 2012 to 2015 – BA in Geography, minor in Chinese Language and Culture What is your greatest memory from your time as a […]

Disease Hunters: Mosquito Mayhem

Florida and Texas have ideal conditions for tropical diseases, Medical Geographer Dr. Sadie Ryan (Florida Climate Institute, Emerging Pathogens Institute) recently told Channel News Asia’s Disease Hunters: Mosquito Mayhem. Learn more about the global effort to detect – and prevent – the spread of infectious diseases at Disease Hunters: Mosquito Mayhem.

Meet the Geographer: Amobichukwu Amanambu

Amobichukwu Amanambu Pronouns: he/him University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Joann Mossa Focus Area: GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques  Earth System Science  Research Statement: My interest in studying the Apalachicola watershed is to assess how physical and anthropogenic factors affect the drying (drought) and wetting (floods) of the river given the legal battle between Alabama, Georgia and […]

Alumni Adventures: Dr. Krithi K. Karanth

Dr. Krithi K. Karanth – Chief Conservation Scientist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies She/her When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn from the Department of Geography? I was at UF between 1997 and 2001. I got dual degrees – a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a BA in Geography. Environmental […]

IDS2935 Living with Rising Seas

IDS2935 Living with Rising Seas How much will sea level rise? What will be impacted by sea level rise? How will humanity adapt to sea level rise? This course examines the complex relationship between humans and coastlines. We will connect the science of sea level rise and coastal change to built, natural, and societal impacts. […]

GEO3250/GEO6255 Climatology

GEO 3250/6255 Climatology (online) (Undergraduate Prerequisite: GEO2242 or MET1010) Understand the global energy balance Analyze data for past/future climates and extreme events Create a video about a climate-related topic Qualifies for Certificates in Meteorology and Climatology and Applied Atmospheric Science Good prep for MET 4532/6530 Hurricanes (live) and/or MET4560/6565 Atmospheric Teleconnections (online) Instructor: Dr. Corene […]

GEA3600 Geography of Africa

GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA GEA3600 SPRING 2021 100% ONLINE Learn about Africa’s regional geography, landforms, climate zones, & people Natural resources, wildlife, & conservation How Africa formed & human origins in Africa External influences & impacts of historic events on African development Issues of health, demography, gender, & culture FULFILLS 3 CR HRS Gen Ed: S= […]

GEO3372 Conservation of Resources

GEO3372 Conservation of Resources Spring 2021 M,W,F Period 6 Course Description: This course is an introduction to the major themes in human-environment relations that determine how we conserve and utilize the earth’s resources. It will cover the importance of conserving resources and assess different conservation strategies. While the themes in this course apply to all […]

GEO4281/GEO6282 River Forms & Processes

GEO4281/GEO6282: RIVER FORMS & PROCESSES Course description: Examines varied aspects of rivers (basins, hydrology, sediments, channel form and changes, river hazards, and impacts through data analysis and case studies) Successful students will: Interpret and synthesize scientific data about rivers, floodplains and watersheds Semester: Spring 2021 Time: T Per. 4-5, Th Per. 4 (live in TUR […]

GEO2500 Global and Regional Economies

GEO2500 Global and Regional Economies Meets Social Science General Education & Writing Requirements (6000 words) Spring 2021: Asynchronous 100% Online Instructor: Aghane Antunes (agantunes@ufl.edu) Engage with contemporary perspectives and research topics in economic geography, focusing on issues associated with regional and global economic and demographic change. Discuss regional variations and disparities in growth, development and […]

GEO3334/GEO6938 Managing for a Changing Climate

GEO3334 GEO6938 Managing for a Changing Climate Graduate Course under “special topics”. Both UG/G offered as live and synchronous online. Please check selection. Do you know the truth about climate change? This course provides an integrative understanding of the components of the climate system. We will consider in depth the impacts of a changing climate […]

GEO3427 Plants, Health, and Spirituality

GEO3427 Plants, Health, and Spirituality Course Description Learn about the origin of sacred plants used to achieve a higher state of being and enrich the body and soul. Course Objectives Understand cultural significance of sacred plants Recognize importance of emerging organic food markets and concerns with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) Develop opinions on complex social […]

GEO3452/GEO6451 Introduction to Medical Geography

GEO3452/6451 Introduction to Medical Geography (Gen-Ed B) Course description: Medical geography deals with human-environment interactions and the influence of these interactions on public health. This course provides a broad-based, comprehensive survey of geographic topics and approaches in medical sciences. Hands-on experiences will be emphasized through GIS labs. Successful students will be able to: Apply geographic […]

GEO4300/GEO5305 Environmental Biogeography

GEO4300 GEO5305 Environmental Biogeography Course description: Biogeography is the science of the spatial patterns of biodiversity and is core science in the understanding of human-environment interactions. Biogeographers study distributions of organisms, both past and present, and how related patterns of environmental variation influence the organisms. Recent new sciences of Landscape Ecology, Macroecology, and Global Ecology […]

Geography Colloquium: Geographical applications in agro-ecological research for the US, from point to region, and measure to model

Speaker: Dr. Alisa W. Coffin USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory Thursday, November 19, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Agroecosystems across the planet are being taxed to produce more food, fiber and fuel, while reducing the adverse effects of agriculture. Precision agricultural […]

GEO3452 Introduction to Medical Geography

GEO3452 Introduction to Medical Geography (Gen-Ed B) Course description: Medical geography deals with human-environment interactions and the influence of these interactions on public health. This course provides a broad-based, comprehensive survey of geographic topics and approaches in medical sciences. Hands-on experiences will be emphasized through GIS labs. Successful students will be able to: Apply geographic […]

IDS2935 The Next Pandemic

IDS2935 (sections 2BH1 & 2BHO) The Next Pandemic This course is a basic introduction to the most devastating disease outbreaks in human and animal history. We will explore the long-lasting social implications of disease and evaluate control methods. We will use the geographical spread of these historic pandemics to predict where the next pandemic will […]

GEO3454 Peoples and Plagues

GEO3454 Peoples and Plagues What makes a new disease emerge? What makes diseases re-emerge? How has this affected world history through the ages? Can we learn from past scourge and pestilence? This course is an introduction to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in the context of historic disease outbreaks, focusing on zoonotic origin and management. […]

GEA3500 Geography of Europe

Geography of Europe GEA3500 (S – Social & Behavioral, N – International) ONLINE 25633, Synchronous 14425, or live 26071 Tuesday 11:45 – 12:35, Thursday 11:45 – 1:40 Snooty, lazy, conquering and privileged populations impacted by corruption, immigration and environmental degradation .. or NOT Considers diverse and resilient landscapes and people of Europe Examines spatial geography […]

GEO4938 GEO6938 Weather, Climate, and Society

GEO4938 GEO6938 Weather, Climate, and Society Weather and climate-related disasters do not impact all sectors of society equally in the United States. Geographic differences in exposure to weather & climate hazards fail to fully explain why disparities exist among places and groups of people affected by disasters. Social vulnerability is a critical concept that helps […]

GEO3602 Urban/Business Geography

GEO3602 Urban/Business Geography Department of Geography Spring 2021 Contact: Dr. Yujie Hu, yujiehu@ufl.edu, https://people.clas.ufl.edu/yujiehu/ Course Description: An empirical and theoretical spatial analysis of the various economic, population, and social facets within and between urban settlements. Major topics include: defining urban, urbanization, systems of cities, urban development models, population density, ethnicity in cities, economic structure in […]

Meet the Geographer: Dr. Olivier Walther

Dr. Olivier Walther Assistant Professor of Geography Affiliate Faculty, Center for African Studies Affiliate Faculty, UF Center for Global Islamic Studies Founder and Coordinator, African Networks Lab Faculty Member, Sahel Research Group University of Florida Focus Areas GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Sustainability & Global Environmental Change Research Statement: My research focuses on trade and political […]

GEO6938 GEO4938 Terrorism and Space

GEO6938 GEO4938 Terrorism and Space The aim of this course is to study international terrorism and its spatial implications. The course examines how a spatial approach can contribute to better understand the onset and diffusion of terrorist organizations across the world. Terrorism and Space puts a strong emphasis on spatial analysis and geographically-referenced data to […]

GEO3502 Economic Geography

GEO3502 Economic Geography The world is becoming increasingly connected. Yet, the benefits of globalization have not been shared equally across the regions. What makes regions competitive? Why are some cities more innovative than others? How do borders affect human flows and ideas? The aim of this course is to study the causes and consequences of […]

Geography Colloquium: The Spatial Pattern of Hurricane Rainfall and Associated Moisture for the North Atlantic Basin

Speaker: Guoqian Yan PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, December 3, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Hurricanes are one of the most dangerous natural disasters as they can produce extremely heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and storm surge. Understanding landfalling hurricane […]

Alumni Adventures: Dr. Abolfazl Mollalo

Dr. Abolfazl Mollalo – Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, Baldwin Wallace University Who are you? I’m Abolfazl Mollalo. I noticed my first name is hard to pronounce in the US, so people simply call me Abe 🙂 I’m currently an assistant professor at the Department of Public Health at Baldwin Wallace University. The campus is […]

Celebrating First Gen GeoGators

The National First-Generation College Celebration, held annually on November 8, commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Please join us in honoring trailblazing GeoGator graduate students Sarah VanSchoick, Holli Capps, and Bailey Glover, all of whom are First-Generation students! Are you a First-Generation student? Share your story with us!   Credit: […]

GeoGators at SEDAAG

There will be a strong GeoGator presence at the SEDAAG 2020 Virtual Meeting this weekend. Undergraduate student Raina Barnard will be assisting Dr. Heidi Lannon, Dr. Gabriela Hamerlinck, and alum Dr. Mario Mighty  with the Recruitment of Underrepresented Students into Geography panel. At the end of the conference, Master’s student Sarah VanSchoick will begin her term […]

Why do sinkholes form in Florida?

Rainfall percolating and seeping through soil absorbs carbon dioxide, increasing the acidity of groundwater. As water moves through bedding planes and other spaces and cracks, it dissolves limestone and creates a network of cavities and voids. Over millions of years, pores and cracks are enlarged. Sinkholes form when the land surface above collapses or sinks […]

Meet the Geographer: Morgan Walker

Morgan Walker Pronouns: she/her or they/them Spatial Epidemiologist and GIS Lab Manager Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Laboratory (SEER Lab) University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Jason Blackburn Focus Area: Geospatial Analysis and Techniques Medical Geography in Global Health  Research Statement: I am broadly interested in disease ecology and spatial epidemiology. My research focuses on transmission […]

Geography Colloquium: The Geography of Conflict in North and West Africa

Speaker: Dr. Olivier Walther Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 30, 2020 3:50-4:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. African governments are increasingly confronted with new forms of political violence. This study maps the evolution of violence across North and West Africa. […]

Geography Colloquium: Improving our understanding of grassland ecology and biogeography using NEON-enabled science

Speaker: Dr. Stephanie Pau Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Florida State University Thursday, October 29, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Grass-dominated ecosystems (grasslands and savannas) are tremendously diverse and play an important role in regional and global carbon, water, and energy cycling. However, grass […]

Alumni Adventures: Andrew Garick

Andrew Garick, Video Editor, ABC News Who Are you? Mr. Andrew Garick. I’m a video editor for World News Tonight with David Muir and ABC News in New York City. When did you attend UF? What degrees/certificates did you earn at the Department of Geography? I attended the University of Florida from 1985 through 1990. I […]

Animal carcasses may increase grazing potential and anthrax transmission risk for elk and bison, but differently

The latest publication led by SEER Lab #MedGeo M.S. Alum, and full-time Spatial Epidemiologist Morgan Walker is available in Royal Society Open Science. In this study, Walker and others examined how ungulates, primarily plains bison and elk, use animal carcasses on the Montana landscape. Working with SEER Lab partners at Turner Enteprises, Inc. (TEI) out […]

Geography Colloquium: Spatial patterns in mosquito characteristics that mediate vector control effectiveness and disease risk in Florida

Speaker: Stephanie Mundis PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, October 22, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. In recent years, deaths and illnesses from mosquito-borne and other vector-borne diseases have been on the rise in areas around the world. In my […]

Meet the Geographer: Mike Waylen

Mike Waylen Pronouns: he/him University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Cynthia Simmons Focus Area: Global Environmental and Social Change Research Statement: My research interests broadly encompass human-environment interaction with a focus on quantitative and qualitative approaches to political ecology research. I incorporate mixed methodological approaches including spatial econometric techniques, geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing […]

Latest SEER Lab and QDEC Lab publication defines sex-specific anthrax risk for elk

SEER Lab and QDEC Lab‘s latest publication in the Journal of Wildlife Management examines resource selection and anthrax risk in female elk in southwestern Montana. This paper, led by SEER Lab and Geography #MedGeo alum Dr. Anni Yang, builds on previous work defining male elk resource selection in the same study area and compares females […]

Alumni Adventures: Dr. Keith Yearwood

Dr. Keith Yearwood, Lecturer, Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland Who are you? Keith Yearwood. I am a lecturer at the University of Maryland in College Park in the Department of Geographical Sciences. I am also employed on a seasonal basis by the National Geographic Association to do two things. I am a Steward for National […]

Geography Colloquium: LAGOS-US – Leveraging open science, ecoinformatics, and geography to build research capacity for national-scale environmental research

Speaker: Dr. Patricia A. Soranno Professor, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University Thursday, October 15, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Ecosystems across the globe are being subject to unprecedented rates of change in climate, fire, and land use; and, there […]

Hispanic Heritage Highlight: Dr. Andrea Birgit Chavez

In celebration of #HispanicHeritageMonth at #UF, we’re highlighting Latina #GeoGators. Next up is Dr. Andrea Birgit Chavez, a UF Geography alum (PhD ’09) from Peru. Andrea is the Co-Coordinator Pan-Amazon Infrastructure Governance Community of Practice and Assistant Scientist at the University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies and the University of Florida’s Tropical Conservation […]

Meet the Geographer: Dr. Gabriela Hamerlinck

Dr. Gaby Hamerlinck Pronouns: she/her Lecturer University of Florida Focus Areas: GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH) Research Statement: Dr. Hamerlinck is a quantitative ecologist broadly interested in ecological modeling of host-parasite interactions. She has additional research interests and postdoc experience in quantitative biology education. At UF, Dr. Hamerlinck teaches many […]

Geography Colloquium: Spatial and temporal evolution of political violence and pastoralists in North and West Africa

Speaker: Matthew Pflaum PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, October 8, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. This presentation is based on a forthcoming OECD report about pastoralist violence in 21 North and West African nations from 1997-2020 using ACLED data. […]

Hispanic Heritage Highlight: Dr. Hannah Herrero

In celebration of #HispanicHeritageMonth at #UF, we’re highlighting Latina #GeoGators. Next up is Dr. Hannah Herrero, a UF Geography alum (B.A. ’13, M.S. ’15, PhD ’19) of Dominican descent. Hannah is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Tennessee. Find out more about the Hispanic Student Association at https://hispaniclatinoaffairs.multicultural.ufl.edu/connect/hispanic-student-association/

Geography Colloquium: ForestGEO – A Bottom-up Global Forest Research Network

Speaker: Dr. Daniel J. Johnson Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources and Conservations, University of Florida Thursday, October 1, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. I will explore the origins, outcomes, and future for the ForestGEO plot network. If ForestGEO was a researcher then […]

Postdoc Appreciation Week

For Postdoc Appreciation Week, the department would like to thank Dr. Chen, Dr. Khatami, Dr. Sippy, and Dr. White for all of their hard work and scholarship! Find out more about how UF is celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week here!        

Geography Colloquium: Working at The National Science Foundation, Macrosystems Biology and NEON-Enabled Science, and Modeling the Effects of Forest Management at the Continental Scale

Speaker: Dr. Mike Binford Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, September 24, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. This three-part colloquium will describe what it is like to work at the U.S. National Science Foundation as a Program Director, the program that […]

Meet the Geographer: Dr. Mike Norris

Dr. Mike Norris Pronouns: he/him Research Assistant Professor Associate Director, SEER Lab University of Florida Focus Areas: GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH) Research Statement: I have studied Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei (the etiological agents of glanders and melioidosis, respectively) for the past 12 years at the University of Hawai’i and […]

Geography Colloquium: The Struggle for Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian Amazon

Speaker: Aline Carrara PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, September 10, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Zoom, livestreamed on YouTube University of Florida All are welcome to attend. This dissertation addresses the creation and destruction of indigenous territories (ITs) in the Brazilian Amazônia by studying the formation, expansion, and maintenance of ITs, […]

Meet the Geographer: Meirah Williamson

Meirah Williamson Pronouns: she/her University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Esther Mullens Focus Area: GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Earth System Science Global Environmental and Social Change Research Statement: My research interests broadly lie at the intersection of extreme weather and society. My current research with Dr. Esther Mullens examines Excessive Rainfall Outlooks (EROs), which are probabilistic […]

Graduating Senior Ian Halle

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Ian Halle What are your plans for after graduation? I have already begun working at an education technology company that goes by the name of Nearpod. I have interned there before and was able to get a full-time job as well. What is your best memory […]

Misconceptions About Weather and Seasonality Impact COVID-19 Response

GAINESVILLE, FL – Misconceptions about the way climate and weather impact exposure and transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, create false confidence and have adversely shaped risk perceptions, say a team including University of Florida researcher Dr. Sadie Ryan. “Future scientific work on this politically-fraught topic needs a more careful approach,” write the […]

Summarizing the Research and Knowledge Gaps for Mosquito-borne Arboviruses in Ecuador

GAINESVILLE, FL – Researchers and clinicians in Ecuador face a challenging environment: this biodiverse country is home to many disease hosts and vectors. Particularly, the mosquitoes in Ecuador carry and transmit arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses). This group includes diseases like dengue, chikungunya, Mayaro virus, yellow fever, and Zika, among others. All are spread by overlapping mosquito species. […]

GeogGators featured in Center for African Studies’ Annual Research Report

Several UF Geographers had their research highlighted in the Center for African Studies‘ recently published Annual Research Report for 2019-2020, including Dr. Olivier Walther, Ryan Good, Leandra Merz, and Matthew Pflaum. The report also highlighted several working groups, including the Natural Resources in Africa group, which includes several geographers as members.

Meet the Geographer: Bailey Glover

Bailey Glover Pronouns: he/him Graduate Representative 2020/2021 University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Liang Mao Focus Area: GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH)  Research Statement: Bailey is a PhD student in the department of Geography at the University of Florida. Before starting at UF, Bailey completed his master’s degree in environmental science […]

Meet the Geographer: Leandra Merz

Leandra Merz Pronouns: she/her Graduate Representative 2020/2021 University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Brian Child and Dr. Jane Southworth Focus Area: Global Environmental and Social Change Research Statement: My research centers on the study of human-environment interactions through the fields of geography and ecology. Specific areas of interest include community based natural resource management, people and […]

GEO3372 CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES

GEO3372 CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES FALL 2020 M,W,F Period 8 Learn about natural resource threats and opportunities for conservation Practice applying conservation practices in daily life Collaborate with classmates to solve real-world conservation challenges INSTRUCTOR: Leandra Merz Leandra6@ufl.edu

GEO3427 PLANTS, HEALTH, AND SPIRITUALITY

Course Description Learn about the origin of sacred plants used to achieve a higher state of being and enrich the body and soul. Course Objectives Understand cultural significance of sacred plants Recognize importance of emerging organic food markets and food accessibility GEO3427 PLANTS, HEALTH, AND SPIRITUALITY Semester: Fall 2020 Location: Turlington Instructor: Bailey Glover Email: […]

GEO 3930 GEO6938 EXTREME DROUGHTS

GEO3930/GEO6938 EXTREME DROUGHTS Course description: Examines hydrologic droughts through data analysis and case studies in different settings (rivers, lakes, groundwater, etc.) Successful students will: Describe the two-way relationship between water resources and society Synthesize scientific and social information about drought Semester: Fall 2020 Time: T Per. 3, Th Per. 3-4 (online, some synchronous meetings) Prerequisites: […]

GEO3930 Global Pandemics

GEO3930 Special Topics: Global Pandemics This course is a basic introduction to the most devastating disease outbreaks in human and animal history. We will explore the long-lasting social implications of disease and evaluate control methods. We will use the geographical spread of these historic pandemics to predict where the next pandemic will strike. Course work […]

VectorByte: A Global Informatics Platform for studying the Ecology of Vector-Borne Diseases

A new 5-year NSF Division of Biological Infrastructure, awarded to Sadie J. Ryan (University of Florida), Leah R. Johnson (Virginia Tech), and Samuel Rund (University of Notre Dame), in collaboration with Samraat Pawar (Imperial College London), is launching in August 2020. This new initiative – VectorByte – will establish a global open access data platform […]

Dr. Blackburn participates in Vietnam One Health University Network Panel

As part of a SEER Lab’s long-term research partnership in Vietnam, Dr. Jason Blackburn participated as an invited guest panelist for the most recent meeting of the Vietnam One Health University Network (VOHUN) One Health Biorisk Management Series. Dr. Blackburn joined over 150 participants from 21 countries. The focus of the workshop was on brucellosis, […]

Meet the Geographer: Christopher Williams

Christopher Williams Pronouns: he/him University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Kevin Ash Focus Area: Geospatial Analysis & Techniques Research Statement: I am broadly interested in atmospheric science, disaster risk reduction, risk communication, and emergency management. My graduate research is focused on concurrent risks from tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic and residents’ emergency sheltering perceptions and behavior […]

GEA4465 GEA6466: Seminar on Amazonia

Dr. Robert Walker – roberttwalker@ufl.edu What is Bolsonaro up to? How is climate change impacting the Amazon? Is the region on the verge of a Tipping Point catastrophe? Will the fires continue to intensify? Can indigenous resistance save the forest? How do we find a pathway to sustainable development? For the past several decades, world […]

Meet the Geographer: Cat Lippi

Cat Lippi Pronouns: she/her Quantitative Disease Ecology & Conservation Lab Emerging Pathogens Institute CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases Graduate Representative 2019/2020 University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Sadie Ryan Focus Area: Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH) Research Statement: I am broadly interested in vector-borne diseases, public health vector control, and investigating the […]

Meet the Geographer: Stephanie Mundis

  Stephanie Mundis Pronouns: she/her Quantitative Disease Ecology & Conservation Lab Emerging Pathogens Institute CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases Graduate Representative 2019/2020 University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Sadie Ryan Focus Area: Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH) Research Statement: My research interests are in the application of GIS to understand vector-borne […]

GEO4285 GEO6938: Models in Geographic Hydrology (Water, Risk, and Extreme Events)

Investigate techniques for evaluating the risks of extreme events related to water in our environment. Students will learn about data and methodologies for estimating the rarity of phenomena including excessive rainfall totals, high and low river levels, coastal storm surge and waves, and drought. Example Topics: Probability and Random Processes Recurrence Intervals Extreme Value Analysis […]

GEO3430 Population Geography

This course provides a comprehensive geographical survey of populations & population analysis, including population description, distribution, change & characteristics; demographic processes including migration, refugees & urbanization; and the consequences of development, conflict & population control diseases topics and many others. Course Objectives: Gain familiarity with global population dynamics, differences, and trends Critically evaluate outcomes of […]

GIS4113 GIS6104 Spatial Networks

Course description It is often the case that real-world systems can be represented as networks of many interacting components. This course teaches the fundamental concepts, models, and techniques for describing, visualizing, measuring, and analyzing networks. It also introduces their applications in geography, transportation, social science, etc. A series of labs using the popular network analysis […]

GIS4324 GIS6325 GIS Analysis of Hazard Vulnerability

No place on earth is completely safe from meteorological, climatological, hydrological, and geophysical hazard phenomena. Yet, we can anticipate disasters by mapping the potential intersection of hazard phenomena with human settlements. This knowledge can be used to reduce or avoid hazard impacts in our communities. This course provides students with knowledge & skills to model […]

GEO2006 Natural Hazards Geography

**NEW GEN ED COURSE, SOCIAL SCIENCE (S) & INTERNATIONAL (N)** We will use the geographic lens of human-environment interactions to understand how disasters emerge from a complex web of social, cultural, psychological, political, and economic forces in tandem with extreme weather, climate, and geophysical hazard events. The course discusses international historical, recent, and ongoing hazard […]

MET4750 MET6752 Spatial Analysis Atmospheric Data GIS

  No textbook No exams Fall 2020 100% online, asynchronous Course Organization Lab exercises Skills quizzes Presentations Final project *Counts for Certificates in Applied Atmospheric Science and Meteorology and Climatology* Instructor: Dr. Corene Matyas matyas@ufl.edu Emphasis on using GIS for spatial data analysis Basic terminology for atmospheric science Global and regional reanalysis datasets Doppler radar […]

GEO3452-GEO6421 Introduction to Medical Geography

Course description: Medical geography deals with human-environment interactions and the influence of these interactions on public health. This course provides a broad-based, comprehensive survey of geographic topics and approaches in medical sciences. Hands-on experiences will be emphasized through GIS labs. Successful students will be able to: Apply geographic concepts and principles widely used in medical […]

MET3503 Weather & Forecasting

MET3503 Weather & Forecasting Explores weather instrumentation and uses a lot of hands-on activities to interpret weather-related observations, maps, and graphs. Explores the physics concepts that drive the weather and the history of how we came to understand wind and storms. Covers numerical weather models, and how to properly use and interpret them. Part of […]

MET1010 Introduction to Weather and Climate (formerly GEO2242 Extreme Weather)

MET1010 Introduction to Weather and Climate (formerly GEO2242 Extreme Weather) We’ll learn the scientific fundamentals of Earth’s atmosphere and weather systems and understand how Earth’s climate system operates. We’ll see how the weather and climate impacts society and the natural environment. Learn about tornadoes, winter storms, hurricanes, rain, fronts, air masses, droughts, energy balances, floods, and why the […]

MET4532-MET6530 Hurricanes

MET4532-MET6530 Hurricanes Instructor: Dr. Corene Matyas matyas@ufl.edu Learn about Hurricane Andrew and 20 other famous tropical cyclones! Prerequisites: GEO3250 or MET3503 (email me if you are graduating and I’ll consider an over-ride) Turlington 3006 M Per. 4-5, W Per. 5 If moved online, will meet synchronously Course Components: Forecasting Labs Maps Discussions and Updates from […]

GEA3500 Geography of Europe

Snooty, lazy, conquering and privileged populations impacted by corruption, immigration and environmental degradation…or NOT ONLINE – Considers diverse and resilient landscapes and people of Europe Examines spatial geography of Europe, stereotypes and contemporary questions Popular culture, music, environment, language, folklore, religion, economies, politics, urban areas, globalization, human-environmental interactions Prerequisites: None

GEA2270 Geography of Florida

GEA2270 Geography of Florida Examines Florida’s contemporary issues in a spatial context Considers physical, cultural and political geography of Florida Geographic conditions and human adjustments in Florida Natural environment, population, routes of communication, industry, resources Instructor: Dr. Heidi Lannon: lannon@ufl.edu Prerequisites: None Online & FUN!

GEO3502 Economic Geography

GEO3502 Economic Geography The world is becoming increasingly connected. Yet, the benefits of globalization have not been shared equally across the regions. What makes regions competitive? Why are some cities more innovative than others? How do borders affect human flows and ideas? The aim of this course is to study the causes and consequences of […]

IDS2935 Global Patterns of STIs

IDS2935 Global Patterns of STIs This class focuses on the geography of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which have discrete and interesting patterns. STIs are stigmatized and misunderstood by the public, and culture plays a major role in control, prevention, and transmission. We will examine different bacterial and viral STIs and their control and how culture […]

GEO3930 Data, Maps & Deception

GEO3930 Data, Maps & Deception Learn how to identify and call out fake news! Our world is rife with misinformation. This is a course that will hone your digital citizenship skills. It is about spotting, dissecting, and refuting false claims and inferences based on quantitative, statistical, and computational analysis of data and maps. We will […]

Meet the Geographer: Dr. Yujie Hu

Dr. Yujie Hu Pronouns: he/him University of Florida Focus Areas: GeoSpatial Analysis & Techniques Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH) Research Statement: I am a geographer with research and teaching interests in urban transportation, human mobility, and accessibility. My current research focuses on three main areas: 1) relationships between people’s mobility within cities—including commuting, healthcare-seeking, and […]

GEO4938/6938: Transportation Geography

A new course for Fall 2020! Course description Introduces a range of transportation concepts, theories, and models, including networks, modes, terminals, freight transportation, urban transportation, and environmental impacts. Also covers core methods and tools often used to study and analyze transportation systems, including spatial accessibility, spatial interaction, spatial networks, and GIS for transportation (GIS-T). Course […]

Needed: A National Tick Strategy

We need a national tick strategy, UF Medical Geography researcher Dr. Claudia Ganser argued in a recent paper. “Historically in the U.S., public health has focused more on mosquitoes versus ticks,” Ganser says. “A lot of the public health infrastructure of surveillance programs that is already in place focuses on mosquitoes rather than ticks,” Ganser says. […]

MedGeo study on epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus seroprevalence in wild Florida deer

GAINESVILLE, FL – The latest #MedGeo paper from SEER Lab‘s Maria Uribasterra, Jeremy Orange, Dr. Emily Dinh, and  Dr. Jason Blackburn describes the seroprevalance of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) in wild white-tailed deer from North Florida. This study was part of the larger Cervidae Health Research Initiative (CHeRI), directed by Dr. Samantha Wisely from […]

OPS Opportunity for Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19: A Criminological Perspective

Position: Graduate and Undergraduate student OPS research assistants for a research project examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on crime Work with: Dr. Yujie Hu Interested applicants should submit a CV/resume and cover letter to Dr. Yujie Hu at yujiehu@ufl.edu by Monday, June 22, 2022.

Shannon McCloskey recognized as University Scholar

Undergraduate researcher Shannon McCloskey has been recognized as a University Scholars awardee for her project “Exploring How Early Season Tropical Cyclones Indicate Full Season Activity”, under the supervision of Stephen Mullens.  Shannon is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a Minor in Geography and a Certificate in Meteorology and Climatology. She is also the Treasurer of […]

Meet the Geographer: Holli Capps

  Holli Nicole Capps Pronouns: she/her/ella University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Peter Waylen Focus Area: Earth System Science Research Statement: My research interests include climate science and hydro-climatology broadly, and specifically rainfall and streamflow variability, and extreme precipitation. I am interested in looking at daily to annual scales as well as inter and intra-variability. I […]

Emily Gordon receives CLAS Scholars Award!

Geogator undergrad researcher Emily Gordon has just been awarded a highly competitive CLAS Scholars Award to support her Medical Geography research. Gordon received her award for a project entitled “Agent based modeling of African Swine Fever Virus infection dynamics in a closed feral and domestic swine population”, which she will be conducting under the supervision […]

#ShutDownSTEM

Geography and geospatial science are not immune to the discrimination, subjugation, and silencing of minority voices. We recognize that it is not just our political leadership and law enforcement agencies that need to be reminded that Black Lives Matter. The #UF Geography Department is committed to an inclusive academy where all can thrive. As an […]

Featured Creatures Article on Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus

Medical Geography PhD student Cat Lippi led a new Featured Creatures article on the Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus japonicus, published online by UF Entomology and Nematology and FDACS/DPI. Aedes japonicus is an invasive, container-inhabiting mosquito that has expanded its geographic distribution in recent years, establishing in parts of Canada and throughout much of the […]

What Florida Can Learn from the Amazon Fires

Last Fall, Dr. Robert Walker talked with the Florida Museum of Natural History about What Florida Can Learn from the Amazon Fires. Robert Walker, a professor of Latin American geographers and geography in the University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies, grew up in Clearwater, Fla. He remembers driving down long stretches of I-75, peering out at mile after mile […]

Safely studying the Coronavirus at UF

GAINESVILLE, FL – SEER Lab Medical Geographer Dr. Michael Norris has launched a new BSL3 lab specifically to study COVID-19 at the Emerging Pathogens Institute. When the pandemic initially broke out, Dr. Norris initially offered his time to help with the testing effort, but quickly realized that his skills could be better utilized elsewhere. He […]

Meet the Geographer: Dr. Alexis (Lexi) White

Dr. Lexi White Pronouns: she/her Quantitative Disease Ecology & Conservation Lab Emerging Pathogens Institute CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases University of Florida Adviser: Dr. Sadie Ryan Focus Area: Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH) Research Statement: I am a mathematical ecologist interested in the disease ecology dynamics between wildlife and humans. […]

Drs. Simmons and Walker Invited Speakers at the Alexander Von Humbolt Seminar 2019

Dr. Cynthia Simmons and Dr. Robert Walker were invited speakers at the Alexander Von Humbolt Seminar 2019 at the Center for Environmental Geography Research (CIGA), National University of Mexico, Michoacan (UNAM). Small rural producers, forests and globalization in Latin America In the first part of the conference the socioeconomic and environmental effects of the entry […]

Dr. Sadie Ryan Best of PLOS 2019!

Dr. Sadie Ryan‘s paper Global expansion and redistribution of Aedes-borne virus transmission risk with climate change in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, was included as the March entry for the Best of PLOS 2019 list. From the announcement: March: Climate change may mean more mosquito-borne diseases worldwide OK, this paper isn’t particularly calming–but it is timely and relevant. Researchers in PLOS […]

In a time of COVID-19, Dr. Ryan talked about deforestation and viral emergence with WLRN

WLRN spoke with Dr. Sadie Ryan, an associate professor of medical geography at the University of Florida. She talked about what we can learn from these studies now that we’re living in a pandemic in a story titled New Study Says Deforestation Could Help Viruses Jump From Animals To Humans, Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.

Network analysis of regional livestock trade in West Africa

GAINESVILLE, FL – In a new paper published in PLoS ONE today, Dr. Olivier Walther and colleagues produced the first comprehensive mapping of the West African livestock trade network. Their network analysis of more than 42,000 movements from 2013-17 shows that live animals flow through well-defined, long distance trade corridors and that border markets are important […]

Examining the relationship between migration and forest cover change in Mexico from 2001 to 2010

New publication in Land Use Policy explores the relationship between demographic and economic changes and forest cover change in Mexico from 2001-2010. In this collaboration between UF Geography’s Sadie J. Ryan and researchers from UCSB and CU Boulder, drivers of sub-national level forest cover change from 2001-2010 – both loss and gain – were explored […]

Latest SEER Lab publication introduces novel variable selection method for ecological niche modeling

Ecological niche models (ENMs) are widely used to predict the geographic distribution of species and are applied across taxa. Within the geography department, ENMs have been used to map hosts, vectors, and pathogens for MedGeo studies, species of conservation concern, and invasive species potential. Such models rely on relating non-random patterns of occurrences, locations where […]

Flying Under the Radar

GAINESVILLE, FL – University of Florida Associate Professor of Medical Geography Dr. Sadie Ryan (Emerging Pathogens Institute, Quantitative Disease Ecology & Conservation Lab) spoke with WUFT News about vector-borne disease in the time of coronavirus in Flying Under the Radar. “It’s not like mosquitoes went on hold because of COVID,” she said. “The message needs to stay alive.” […]

Spatial variation in the frequency of knockdown resistance genotypes in Florida Aedes aegypti populations

MUNDIS, RYAN – Spatial variation in the frequency of knockdown resistance genotypes in Florida Aedes aegypti populations Stephanie J. Mundis, Alden S. Estep, Christy M. Waits, & Sadie J. Ryan Article first published online: 11 MAY 2020 Parasites & Vectors DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04112-3 ABSTRACT: Background The development of insecticide resistance in disease-vectoring mosquito species can lead […]

Graduating Senior Jacob Myers

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Jacob Myers What is your favorite thing from your time at UF? Exploring the expanses of the UF campus as I walked from one location to another. There were a few instances where I would accidentally wander into some ambiguously distinguished woodlands or fraternity yards, but […]

Carly Muir and Audrey Smith at SESYNC

GeoGator Doctoral students Carly Muir and Audrey Smith recently participated in a 3 day research meeting at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) in Annapolis, MD. This is a collaborative project to examine linkages between water scarcity induced conflict and land use/land cover change in Africa. The project was proposed by faculty at Michigan State University, […]

New study shows how malaria risk will shift in Africa under climate change

GAINESVILLE, FL – In a new paper in Malaria Journal “Shifting transmission risk for malaria in Africa with climate change: a framework for planning and intervention”, part of a cross-journal collection on the Contribution of Climate Change to Spread of Infectious Disease, QDEC’s Sadie J. Ryan, along with Cat A. Lippi and collaborator Fernanda Zermoglio […]

Graduating Senior Sara Shir

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Sara Shir Future Plans: In the next year I am looking to find a GIS job before attending medical school. I plan to start medical school in Fall 2021. What is your favorite thing from your time at UF? Getting Krishna lunch with friends in the […]

GeoGator Class of 2020 Commencement

The Department of Geography Commencement for the GeoGator Class of 2020 was held online for the very first time on the 2nd of May, 2020. Watch the whole ceremony here! https://youtu.be/Z5_jfndqzrg Excerpts Dr. Jane Southworth addresses GeoGator Class of 2020 Dunkle Award Winner Sara Shir addresses GeoGator Class of 2020 Dr. Jason Blackburn addresses GeoGator Class […]

Graduating Senior Naomi Loveridge

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Naomi Loveridge Future Plans: After graduation, I plan to stay in Gainesville and work for a mapping and surveying firm as I have been offered a full time position to as an entry level GIS analyst. Currently, I don’t know my start date, but I know […]

Graduating Senior Nicholas Yi Qing Kam

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Nicholas Yi Qing Kam Future Plans: I’ve applied for the Geography graduate program here at UF, however, due to COVID-19, the decision may be delayed. If the grad program doesn’t work out, then I can find a temporary job and reapply at UF again or somewhere […]

Graduating Senior Annabelle Zogaib

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Annabelle Zogaib Future Plans: Although my plans after graduation have been halted for the time being, as soon as nonessential businesses open back up, I plan to work as an in-hospital newborn photographer. There, I hope to build a client base for my business, AdventureAnnabelle Photography. […]

Graduating Senior Sarah VanSchoick

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Sarah VanSchoick Future Plans: I’m excited to be starting the Master’s program in UF Geography! What is your favorite thing from your time at UF? I’ve enjoyed attending conferences with fellow GeoGators, networking with my McNair Scholar peers, and eating Krishna Lunch! What was your favorite […]

Dr. Matyas Receives Teaching Award from SEDAAG

Dr. Corene Matyas received the award for Excellence in Teaching at the 2019 annual meeting of the Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers. This award acknowledges sustained excellence and creativity in the college classroom. Winners meet the following criteria: (1) Exceptional commitment to effective geography teaching; (2) Record of efforts to help diffuse […]

GEO3452 Introduction to Medical Geography Summer 2020

GEO3452 Introduction to Medical Geography (Gen-Ed B) Course description: Medical geography deals with human-environment interactions and the influence of these interactions on public health. This course provides a broad-based, comprehensive survey of geographic topics and approaches in medical sciences. Hands-on experiences will be emphasized through GIS labs. Successful students will be able to: Apply geographic […]

GEO2200L Physical Geography Lab Summer 2020

GEO2200L: Physical Geography Lab (Summer A) Course description: This course gives overview of the development, distribution, and interrelationships of landforms, climates, minerals, soils, and water resources Students will be able to learn: Explain the development and distribution of landforms, climates, minerals, soils and water resources. Describe the interrelationships among the physical environment and regional patterns […]

GEO2200 Physical Geography Summer 2020

GEO2200 Physical Geography Instructors: Carly Muir, Guoqian Yan, Leandra Merz Semester: Summer A and Summer B – Online We study the basic elements of the physical world in which climates, biomes, and landforms are examined in terms of their natural occurrences, distribution and interrelationships. The class meets the General Education requirements of a Physical Science. […]

Graduating Senior Heidi Dodds

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Heidi Dodds Future Plans: I was planning to begin applying to companies when the pandemic began so my ability to get a career started has been delayed. I have been sending my information out and making sure companies have my information once things get up and […]

Graduating Senior Amy Jones

Our Senior Profile for UF Geography today features GeoGator Amy Jones Future Plans: I am taking a year or two off in order to gain experience/ skills in the workplace before applying to graduate school. I am interested in pursuing a career in fields such as public health, epidemiology, or forensic anthropology (my other major). […]

Rights of Nature

GeoGator PhD Student and UF Water Institute Graduate Fellow  Alexandra Sabo writes about the Rights of Nature movement for WUFT News on Earth Day 2020. Rights of Nature Most of the time, the Floridan Aquifer feeds the nearly 200 springs in the Suwanee River Basin, pushing water up through ancient porous limestone to the surface. During times […]

Graduating Senior Liam Sargent

As we approach the end of the semester we are starting to feature our Graduating Seniors. Here we will feature a different graduating senior’s profile. We asked all our graduating seniors a series of questions about future plans, their time here at UF and in UF Geography specifically. We also asked for a current photo […]

Featured Creatures Article on Bromeliad Mosquito Wyeomyia vanduzeei

Medical Geography PhD student Cat Lippi led a new Featured Creatures article on a bromeliad mosquito, Wyeomyia vanduzeei, published online by UF Entomology and Nematology and FDACS/DPI. Wyeomyia vanduzeei lays eggs and completes larval development in water held by bromeliad plants, making these mosquitoes more common in central and southern Florida where bromeliads are frequently […]

Sara Shir wins Dunkle Award!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the 2019/20 winner of the John R. and Fawn T. Dunkle Geography Award is Sara Shir. The Dunkle award honors the long-time service and devotion of Professor John R. Dunkle to the Department of Geography at the University of Florida. We give this award of $1000 annually […]

Machine Learning Predictions of Dengue Patients Outcomes Yield Promising Results

GAINESVILLE, FL – Helping patients with dengue can be challenging – especially in countries with multiple diseases spread by mosquitoes. Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika are viruses spread by the same type of mosquito; all three viruses are present in Ecuador and many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Patients infected with one of […]

Novel Network Approach to Mosquito Control Distribution Yields Insights for a City in Southern Ecuador

GAINESVILLE, FL – Fighting mosquito-borne disease can be costly – in both health and financial resources. While mosquito control is an effective way to combat the spread of diseases like dengue fever, the cost of spraying every house in a city quickly adds up. These costs limit public health vector control programs, which often operate […]

Dynamic Amazonia – Lessons for a Changing World

Dr. Cynthia Simmons presented as an invited featured speaker at the International Colloquium on Socio-Environmental Politics at Rhodes House, Oxford University, on 31 Jan 2020 in a talk titled Dynamic Amazonia: Lessons for a Changing World. Amazonia is critical to the global environment given its store of biodiversity and its repository of carbon. Since the […]

Catastrophic Amazon tipping point less than 30 years away

Dr. Robert Walker‘s work was recently featured in Catastrophic Amazon tipping point less than 30 years away: study, an article in Mongabay. The present study, led by Robert Walker at the University of Florida, Gainesville, combined projections of future agricultural expansion published by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) and the Food […]

A network analysis framework to improve the delivery of mosquito abatement services in Machala, Ecuador

BLACKBURN, LIPPI, MAO, RYAN – A network analysis framework to improve the delivery of mosquito abatement services in Machala, Ecuador Catherine A. Lippi, Liang Mao, Anna M. Stewart-Ibarra, Naveed Heydari, Efraín Beltrán Ayala, Nathan D. Burkett-Cadena, Jason K. Blackburn & Sadie J. Ryan Article first published online: 11 FEB 2020 International Journal of Health Geographics […]

Geography Colloquium: Resistance, Global Justice, and Protection of Indigenous Territories in the Amazon: the ipereğ ayũ movement of the munduruku indigenous people

Speaker: Maíra Irigaray Castro PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 13, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. The Munduruku Movement Ipereğ Ayũ (MMIA), which in Munduruku translates to “We are strong; We know how to protect ourselves and all We […]

MedGeo Brief – Coronavirus

Yesterday, SEER Lab and QDEC Lab held an impromptu meeting in the GIS Teaching Lab (Turlington Hall 3006) to listen to David Quammen discuss the 2019-nCoV coronavirus emerging out of China on Fresh Air on NPR. David Quammen is a long-time science writer and the author of the 2012 non-fiction “Spillover”, which journals the pursuit […]

Anderson Public Lecture: Land Systems and Climate Justice

Land Systems and Climate Justice Speaker: Dr. Darla Munroe Professor & Department Chair, Department of Geography, The Ohio State University Friday, 21 February 2020 3:00 – 4:30 PM Reitz Union G330 University of Florida There is greater recognition among IPCC and other scientific networks of the complex role land systems play in adaptation to and […]

Anderson Research Lecture: Reciprocal Relationships Between Forest Management and Regional Landscape Structures

Reciprocal Relationships Between Forest Management and Regional Landscape Structures Speaker: Dr. Darla Munroe Professor & Department Chair, Department of Geography, The Ohio State University Thursday, 20 February 2020 3:00 PM Turlington Hall 3018 University of Florida Meet & Great reception to follow in Turlington 3018 Maintaining forest cover and function given large-scale changes in population […]

Geography Colloquium: Tools to Improve Online Collaboration, Data Sharing, and Research Efficiency

Speaker: Dr. Jason Blackburn Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 30, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. By default, geographers are travelers and our collaborations span the globe. This is especially true at the University of Florida, where geography faculty, […]

Geography Colloquium: Impacts, Recovery, and Ongoing Stressors in the Apalachicola River, Florida

Speaker: Dr. Joann Mossa Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 23, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. The Apalachicola River has experienced impacts because of dredging for navigation and hydrologic droughts exacerbated by upstream water consumption. We review these impacts and […]

Geography Colloquium: Decisions will be made – modeling vector borne disease at multiple scales for different purposes and use

Speaker: Dr. Sadie Ryan Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 16, 2020 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Forecasting the impacts of climate change on vector-borne diseases (VBDs)—especially those under current public scrutiny and concern, such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and […]

Announcing The Navi-Gator, Issue 3!

University of Florida Department of Geography The Navi-Gator January 2020, ISSUE 3 (Download PDF) Evening of excellence John & Fawn Dunkle Award for Graduate Student Travel: Ryan Good & Guoqian Yan David L. Niddrie Excellence Fund: Tierney Shimansky & Shreejana Bhattarai Little Family Student Fellowship Award: Caroline Parks Ryan Poehling Award for Top Graduate Student: […]

Geography Colloquium: Conserving Imperiled Mammal Species in Florida Across a Changing Landscape

Conserving Imperiled Mammal Species in Florida Across a Changing Landscape Speaker: Terry J. Doonan Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Thursday, December 5, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Although many people know about the large, charismatic, endangered mammal species in Florida, few people […]

Geography Colloquium: Avoiding Amazonian Catastrophes – Prospects for Conservation in the 21st Century

Avoiding Amazonian Catastrophes – Prospects for Conservation in the 21st Century Speaker: Dr. Robert Walker Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 14, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. New infrastructure threats confront the Amazon. Resulting development could push its forest past […]

Geography Colloquium: Amazons Within The Amazon – A Multiscale Assessment of Urbanization

Amazons Within The Amazon – A Multiscale Assessment of Urbanization Speaker: Dr. Roberta Mendonça De Carvalho PhD Alumna, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, November 14, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Urbanization in the Brazilian Amazon has reached 80%. This is a […]

Announcing The Navi-Gator, Issue 2!

  University of Florida Department of Geography The Navi-Gator OCTOBER 2019, ISSUE 2 So many new and exciting things have happened… Check out our amazing new grad lab in 1215! Come visit us in the geography office– lounge around in reclining chairs and grab some new GeoGator merch. We have T-shirts and sweatshirts for sale, […]

Geography Colloquium: Maintaining Diverse Wildlife in Africa’s Rapidly Changing Savannas

Maintaining Diverse Wildlife in Africa’s Rapidly Changing Savannas Speaker: Dr. Robert McCleery  Associate Professor, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation , University of Florida Thursday, November 7, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. With a full complement of large herbivores and predators the wildlife […]

UF Researchers to Lead NASA Funded GIS Project on Deforestation and City Growth in Ghana

UF Researchers to Lead NASA Funded GIS Project on Deforestation and City Growth in Ghana

West Africa has experienced significant deforestation over the last several decades. While deforestation in Ghana has slowed in recent years, growing urban populations are contributing to human-driven land use change. A team from the University of Florida – including Geography’s Dr. Olivier Walther – has received funding from SERVIR, a joint venture between NASA and the […]

Geography Colloquium: Rust Belt Renaissance? The Experience of Refugees from Burma in Buffalo, NY

Dr. Seth Cavello

Rust Belt Renaissance? The Experience of Refugees from Burma in Buffalo, NY Speaker: Dr. Seth Cavello Visiting Lecturer, University of South Florida Thursday, October 31, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Buffalo receives more refugees for resettlement than any city in New York. While […]

Geography Colloquium: Technology-Based Interventions to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

Technology-Based Interventions to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Speaker: Dr. Danielle Jake-Schoffman Assistant Professor, Department of Health Education and Behavior,, University of Florida Thursday, October 16, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Modifiable lifestyle behaviors have immense power to prevent and treat chronic […]

Geography Colloquium: Drone Mapping for Coastal Seagrass Monitoring and Citizen Science

Drone Mapping for Coastal Seagrass Monitoring and Citizen Science Speaker: Dr. Bo Yang Citizen Science GIS, University of Central Florida Thursday, October 10, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. High quality multi-spectral observations with fine spatial resolution and frequent temporal coverage are indispensable in seagrass […]

Geography Colloquium: The Mad Dog Initiative – Identifying and Mitigating Invasive Species Threats in Madagascar

The Mad Dog Initiative – Identifying and Mitigating Invasive Species Threats in Madagascar Speaker: Dr. Kim Valenta Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida Thursday, October 3, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Since 2013, The Mad Dog Initiative has worked to humanely reduce […]

West African Border Cities: Growth and Density

Dr. Olivier Walther and his colleague Dr. Marie Trémolières (OECD) are presenting a talk titled West African Border Cities: Growth and Density at the African Borderlands Research Network annual conference in Lomé, Togo this week. Their presentation is part of a panel on West African border cities that builds on their recent series of West African Papers published […]

Geography Colloquium: Doing Research in Conflict Areas – Example of the Research on Boko Haram

Doing Research in Conflict Areas: Example of the Research on Boko Haram Speaker: Dr. Tatiana Smirnova Research Assistant Scientist, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, September 19, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Foro Urgente: “The Amazon Is Burning—Why It Should Matter to You”

  GeoGator Dr. Cynthia Simmons joined colleagues at University of Texas, Austin’s Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies in a forum entitled Foro Urgente: “The Amazon Is Burning—Why It Should Matter to You”. The recent surge in Amazon forest fires has sounded the international alarm, eliciting protests from European heads-of-state, scientists, Hollywood stars, […]

Fruitful Collaborations for Dr. Waylen and Dr. Bunting

Dr. Peter Waylen saw the first fruits of a collaboration with Dr. Chris Annear (Anthropology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY) in a paper entitled Socializing the rain: human adaptation to ecological variability in a fishery, Mweru-Luapula, Zambia, which appeared during the summer in the Journal of Political Ecology. Chris is a young Anthropologist […]

GeoGators give two public talks today!

Compound Flood Risk in a Changing Climate Water, Wetlands, and Watersheds Seminar at the UF Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands Dr. Katy Serafin will talk about compound drivers of flooding along both open coasts and coastal rivers in a changing climate. 11:45am, Phelps 101, UF campus Can’t make it? Watch the video! https://cfw.essie.ufl.edu/seminars/ Is […]

Hurricane Dorian Continues on Its Path

Hurricane Dorian is moving up the coast and passing Florida, but there’s still a healthy amount of moisture being pulled into the storm. UF tropical storm expert Dr. Corene Matyas checked in with cheddar.com with the latest update on Hurricane Dorian, its impacts in Florida and projected conditions along the U.S. East Coast this afternoon. […]

Geography Colloquium: Writing a Book That Crosses Boundaries Between Academia and Practice

Writing a Book That Crosses Boundaries Between Academia and Practice Speaker: Dr. Brian Child Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, August 29, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3018 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Don’t Nuke a Hurricane

As the 2019 hurricane season begins, many people have lots of questions. One long-standing questions ‘Can we nuke a hurricane to stop it?‘ recently came up in policy making circles. In a recent interview in USA Today, Dr. Corene Matyas explains why it would be a bad idea to nuke a hurricane: Hurricanes produce so […]

Dr. Matyas Talks Hurricanes and Superstorms With the Streaming Science Podcast

Dr. Corene Matyas was featured on the latest Streaming Science Podcast as part of their Science of Superstorms series. In this episode of the Science of Superstorms, University of Florida Agriculture Education and Communication graduate Savanna Ogburn visits Dr. Corene Matyas, an associate professor in the UF Geography department, who studies tropical cyclone precipitation. Check […]

Insecticide Resistance Threatens the Control of Mosquito-Borne Disease in Ecuador

GAINESVILLE – In the battle against vector borne disease, mosquito control using insecticides is an essential tool. But what happens when that tool starts to fail, and how do you know it? Insecticides are regularly used by public health agencies to reduce populations of blood-sucking mosquitoes. Effective control programs are important to public health because, […]

Dr. Krithi Karanth named 2019 Rolex Achievement Laureate

GeoGator, Chief Conservation Scientist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, and  adjunct faculty member at Duke University and India’s National Centre for Biological Sciences, Dr. Krithi Karanth has just been named a 2019 Rolex Achievement Laureate for her National Geographic Society projects Wild Seve and Wild Shaale. As human numbers surge, conflicts between people and […]

Doctoral Students Working at NASA DEVELOP

Doctoral students, Carly Muir and Ryan Good, have been selected to participate in the NASA DEVELOP Program during summer 2019 through Science Systems and Applications, Inc. Part of NASA’s Applied Sciences Program, DEVELOP addresses environmental and public policy issues through interdisciplinary research projects that apply the lens of NASA Earth observations to community concerns around […]

Dr. Matyas utilizes SEC Faculty Award to mentor women in STEM

  Dr. Corene Matyas received a 2018-2019 Faculty Award from the Southeastern Conference to visit two SEC universities. In October 2018, she visited Mississippi State University where she was hosted by Dr. Kimberly Wood, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences. In March, 2019, she visited the University of Tennessee and was hosted by […]

“This is a much stronger storm than they’ve had in recorded history.” – Dr. Matyas speaks with the BBC about Tropical Cyclone Idai and Tropical Cyclone Kenneth

UF’s Dr. Corene Matyas recently spoke with the BBC about Tropical Cyclone Idai and Tropical Cyclone Kenneth: “This is a much stronger storm than they’ve had in recorded history.” Listen to the whole interview.

Cyclone Idai: ‘My family needs to eat, I don’t know how we will survive’

UF Geography Associate Professor and Meteorologist Dr. Corene Matyas was recently interviewed by The Guardian about the impact of Tropical Cyclone Idai on Mozambique: Corene Matyas, an associate professor at the University of Florida with expertise in the patterns of cyclonic rainfall, says this is possible but cautions that a complex computer simulation model would […]

New maps show where mosquitoes will invade Ecuador’s Andes mountains

GAINESVILLE – Blood sucking insects such as the Yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, are more than just a nuisance in Ecuador, they also spread diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika. A warming world means that public health officials must decide where to direct surveillance and mosquito control efforts not only today, but also […]

Sarah VanSchoick becomes a McNair Scholar

GeoGator Undergrad Ms. Sarah VanSchoick recently became a McNair Scholar. The University of Florida McNair Scholars Program, named in honor of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, supports undergraduate college students from low-income, first-generation and underrepresented backgrounds who intend to pursue graduate studies. During the summer, students participate in an intensive research program and attend weekly workshops […]

Geography Colloquium: Evaluating the Effects of Land Surface Conditions on Rainfall Patterns of Modeled Landfalling Tropical Cyclones Using Geospatial Methods

Evaluating the Effects of Land Surface Conditions on Rainfall Patterns of Modeled Landfalling Tropical Cyclones Using Geospatial Methods Speaker: Ms. Yu (Jade) Wang PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, April 18, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Graduate Student Poster Presentation

This week’s Geography Colloquium featured some of our current Master’s students presenting their research in a poster session:                       Megan Black presented Post-restoration analysis of bed morphology of the Lower Kissimmee River, Florida.                       Michael […]

Ryan Good receives Fulbright Fellowship

PhD Candidate Ryan Good was recently awarded a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship to Kenya for the 2019-2020 academic year. The Fulbright Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. During their grants, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences. […]

Video – Anderson Lecture: Material compensation reduces pro-environmental motivations, actions, and outcomes – Learning from a watershed management program in the Indian Himalaya

Video – Anderson Lecture: Material compensation reduces pro-environmental motivations, actions, and outcomes – Learning from a watershed management program in the Indian Himalaya For those of you who were unable to attend the Public Lecture for the 2019 Anderson Lecture with Dr. Arun Agrawal, the video is now available!

Geo6938 Geospatial Modeling Fall 2019

Geo6938 Geospatial Modeling Fall 2019 Overview Introduction to implementation of geospatial research projects. Geographical, temporal, environmental modeling concepts using geospatial data, programming languages, and tools. Learning objectives: Geospatial data & spatial analysis Remote sensing satellite image analysis Programming for analysis of geospatial data ESRI ArcGIS | Google Earth Engine | MATLAB No previous experience in […]

Met4532 – Met6530 Hurricanes Fall 2019

Met4532 – Met6530 Hurricanes Fall 2019 Instructor: Dr. Corene Matyas matyas@ufl.edu Learn about Hurricane Andrew and 20 other famous tropical cyclones! Prerequisites: GEO3250 or MET3503 (email me if you are graduating and I’ll consider an over-ride) Taught in a computer lab for hands-on learning TUR3006   M4-5, W5 Participate In: Forecasting Labs  Maps Discussions Presentation on […]

Geo4938 – Geo6938 Communicating Science Fall 2019

Geo4938 – Geo6938 Communicating Science Fall 2019 Science is cool, but communicating science is what saves lives and improves the world. We discuss narrative and persuasion, ethics and trust, conspiracies and p-values. We discuss risk and education for media, policy, public, and scientist audiences. Graduate student? Let’s apply this to that thesis or dissertation! Tuesdays, […]

Geog3930 Special Topics – Pandemics Fall 2019

Geog3930 Special Topics – Pandemics Fall 2019 This course is a basic introduction to the most devastating disease outbreaks in human and animal history. We will explore the long-lasting social implications of disease and evaluate control methods. We will use the geographical spread of these historic pandemics to predict where the next pandemic will strike.  […]

Geo4938 – Geo6938 GIS Analysis of Hazard Vulnerability Fall 2019

Geo4938 – Geo6938 GIS Analysis of Hazard Vulnerability Fall 2019 No place on earth is completely safe from meteorological, climatological, hydrological, and geophysical hazard phenomena. Yet, we can anticipate disasters by mapping the potential intersection of hazard phenomena with human settlements. This knowledge can be used to reduce or avoid hazard impacts in our communities. […]

Geo3930 Managing for a Changing Climate Fall 2019

Geo3930 Managing for a Changing Climate Fall 2019 Do you know the truth about climate change? This high-impact course provides an integrative understanding of the components of the climate system. We will consider in depth the impacts of a changing climate on multiple sectors such as the economy, policy, urban environment, ecosystems, and indigenous populations. […]

Geo3930 – Geo6938 Extreme Droughts & Water Wars Fall 2019

Geo3930 – Geo6938 Extreme Droughts & Water Wars Fall 2019 Examines water resources and the physical, social and economic consequences when the quantity or quality of water is limited and/or decreasing through case studies in different environments (rivers, lakes, groundwater, etc.) and different countries. Topics include: Historic droughts and megadroughts, drying rivers, shrinking lakes, dust […]

Geog3454 Peoples and Plagues Fall 2019

Geog3454 Peoples and Plagues Fall 2019 During this course, the world’s population will reach 7.7 billion. One third will be TB positive; 300-500 million will have malaria; more than 35 million will live with HIV/AIDS. Multi-drug resistance in urban settings, climate change, and disease-related mortality are going to impact your near future. What makes a […]

Geo3452 Introduction to Medical Geography Fall 2019 – online

Geo3452 Introduction to Medical Geography Fall 2019 – online Course description: Medical geography deals with human-environment interactions and the influence of these interactions on public health. This course provides a broad-based, comprehensive survey of geographic topics and approaches in medical sciences.  Hands-on experiences will be emphasized through GIS labs. Successful students will be able to: […]

Geo3430 Population Geography Fall 2019

Geo3430 Population Geography Fall 2019 People need resources to survive. Are we approaching a critical mass of humans living on our planet? Will human ingenuity reconcile increasing population pressures with finite resources, while maintaining healthy & diverse environments? How can policy solutions ensure the benefits of innovation will extend to all peoples and places? This […]

Geo3427 – Lit0109 Plants, Health, & Spirituality Fall 2019

Geo3427 – Lit0109 Plants, Health, & Spirituality Fall 2019 Course Description: Learn about the origin of sacred plants used for healing the spirit and the body; the role of traditional healers, their practices and perspectives within their cultural context and the emerging market for health by the consumption of vegan and organic foods. Semester: Fall 2019 […]

Geo3437 – Csee222 Plants, Health, & Spirituality Summer B 2019

Geo3437 – Csee222 Plants, Health, & Spirituality Summer B 2019 Course Description: Learn about the origin of sacred plants used for healing the spirit and the body; the role of traditional healers, their practices and perspectives within their cultural context and the emerging market for health by the consumption of vegan and organic foods. Semester: Summer […]

Geo3341 Extreme Floods – Geo6348 Floods Seminar Fall 2019

Geo3341 Extreme Floods – Geo6348 Floods Seminar Fall 2019 Examines the world’s most extreme floods from the Pleistocene through present due to various causes.  Discusses physical and human aspects of flood warning, preparedness, response and recovery throughout the world. Topics include past and present physical and human-influenced drivers of floods, problems beyond direct inundation, varied […]

Gea3600 Geography of Africa Summer B 2019

Gea3600 Geography of Africa Summer B 2019 Learn about Africa’s geographic regions, physical landscapes, ecology & climate Natural resources, wildlife & conservation Human origins in Africa & cultural evolution Geopolitical context & role in global economy Contemporary peoples & cultures Issues of development, demography, health   FULFILLS Gen Ed: S= Social Science, N= International,                                           […]

Gea3600 Geography of Africa Summer A 2019 – online

Gea3600 Geography of Africa Summer A 2019 – online Learn about Africa’s geographic regions, physical landscapes, ecology & climate Natural resources, wildlife & conservation Human origins in Africa & cultural evolution Geopolitical context & role in global economy Contemporary peoples & cultures Issues of development, demography, health   FULFILLS Gen Ed: S= Social Science, N= […]

Gea3500 Geography of Europe Summer-Fall 2019

Gea3500 Geography of Europe Summer-Fall 2019 Snooty, lazy, conquering and privileged populations impacted by corruption, immigration and environmental degradation .. or NOT Considers diverse and resilient landscapes and people of Europe Examines spatial geography of Europe, stereotypes and contemporary questions Popular culture, music, environment, language, folklore, religion, economies, politics, urban areas, globalization, human-environmental interactions Prerequisites: […]

Geo2242 Extreme Weather Summer A 2019 – online

Geo2242 Extreme Weather Summer A 2019 – online Learn about physical geography, severe weather, and climate: Energy, winds, clouds, precipitation Tornadoes, hurricanes, heat waves Introductory weather forecasting Climate change. Fulfills Gen Ed Physical Science Qualifies toward Certificate in Meteorology and Climatology Instructor: Xavier Haro-Carrión (gxharocarrion@ufl.edu)

Why Cyclone Idai was so destructive

Tropical Cyclone Idai recently formed and moved over the Mozambique Channel before making landfall over Mozambique and causing devastation to coastal areas. To help understand the cyclone’s path, National Geographic reached out to UF’s Dr. Corene Matyas. Here’s what she had to say: Mozambique averages about 1.5 tropical cyclones a year and, although rarely more […]

Geography Colloquium: Decadal Morphodynamic and Sedimentation Variations in the Lowermost Mississippi River

Decadal Morphodynamic and Sedimentation Variations in the Lowermost Mississippi River Speaker: Mr. Charles Wu PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 28, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Tropical Cyclone Idai Aims at Mozambique

The March12th NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day was a Terra-MODIS image of Tropical Cyclone Idai, preparing to make landfall on Mozamique. For help interpreting the image, NASA asked UF Geography Professor Dr. Corene Matyas to explain what was in the image: “Several cyclones in the past have started over Mozambique and then moved […]

Geography Colloquium: Temporal-Spatial Analysis of Vegetation Cover Change and Protected Area Management

Temporal-Spatial Analysis of Vegetation Cover Change and Protected Area Management Speaker: Mr. Meshari Alenezi PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 21, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Social-Ecological Factors Drive Dengue and Mosquito Presence in the Galapagos

GAINESVILLE, FL – With its turquoise waters and abundant wildlife, Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands have long been a vacation dream of many. Tourist guides highlight playful sea lions and giant tortoises, but they do not talk about the mosquitoes. For the more than 30,000 people who live there, emerging epidemics of mosquito-borne disease such as dengue, […]

Audrey Smith receives Graduate Honorable Mention Award at Women and Gender in Development Conference 2019

UF Geography graduate student Audrey Smith recognized as Graduate Honorable Mention Award for her poster presentation “Maternal and child health in a changing climate: A spatio-temporal analysis of NDVI and under-five stunting in Zambia” at the Women and Gender in Development Conference 2019: Out of the Theory & Into the Field, hosted by Virginia Tech […]

UF Researchers Forecast Accelerated Deforestation and Displacement of Indigenous Peoples in Brazilian Amazon

GAINESVILLE, FL – Amazonian deforestation continues to concern the world community, especially as the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA) begins to displace indigenous peoples and traditional communities. While the narrative surrounding the loss of Amazonian ecosystems is often framed as the penetration of capitalist relations into a resource […]

Geography Colloquium: Remote Sensing Analysis of Savanna Vegetation Change in African Parks – From Local to Regional Scale

Remote Sensing Analysis of Savanna Vegetation Change in African Parks: From Local to Regional Scale Speaker: Ms. Hannah Herrero PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 14, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Emily Stone receives Emerging Scholars Award from the UF Center for Undergraduate Research

Congratulations to Emily Stone, recipient of an Emerging Scholars Award from the University of Florida’s Center for Undergraduate Research! The Emerging Scholars program supports early undergraduate students who are interested in adding a research experience to their curriculum. The award provides two semesters of support to work on a research project with a UF faculty […]

Anderson Public Lecture: Material compensation reduces pro-environmental motivations, actions, and outcomes – Learning from a watershed management program in the Indian Himalaya

Material compensation reduces pro-environmental motivations, actions, and outcomes – Learning from a watershed management program in the Indian Himalaya Speaker: Dr. Arun Agrawal Professor, School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan Tuesday, 12 March 2019 2:00-3:30 PM Reitz Union Chamber University of Florida This public lecture will examine how material compensation leads to […]

Anderson Research Lecture: Institutions as Boundary Objects in Models of Coupled Natural Human Systems

Institutions as Boundary Objects in Models of Coupled Natural Human Systems Speaker: Dr. Arun Agrawal Professor, School of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan Monday, 11 March 2019 2:00-3:30 PM Reitz Union 2365 University of Florida This research talk assesses how institutions work as boundary objects in models of coupled natural-human systems (CNHS). Focus […]

Geography Colloquium: From the Landscape to the Lab – Experimentation in Medical Geography

From the Landscape to the Lab – Experimentation in Medical Geography Speaker: Dr. Michael Norris Research Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 28, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Transmission Risk in North Florida Ranched and Wild White-Tailed Deer

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Transmission Risk in North Florida Ranched and Wild White-Tailed Deer Speaker: Ms. Emily Dinh PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 21, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: GIS-Based Data-Driven Techniques for Spatial Analysis of Infectious Diseases at the State, Regional, and National Levels

GIS-Based Data-Driven Techniques for Spatial Analysis of Infectious Diseases at the State, Regional, and National Levels Speaker: Mr. Abolfazl Mollalo PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 14, 2018 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Multi-scale Modeling for Infectious Disease Transmissions – Exploring two Indirectly Transmitted Pathogens in Southwestern Montana

Multi-scale Modeling for Infectious Disease Transmissions – Exploring two Indirectly Transmitted Pathogens in Southwestern Montana Speaker: Ms Anni Yang PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 7, 2019 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: A Matter of Degree, Here or There – Changing Extreme Daily Rainfalls, Zarcero, Costa Rica

A Matter of Degree, Here or There: Changing Extreme Daily Rainfalls, Zarcero, Costa Rica Speaker: Dr. Peter Waylen Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 31, 2018 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Dr. Matyas receives CLAS Teaching Award

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teaching/Advising Awards Committee has recognized Dr. Corene Matyas with a 2018-2019 College Teaching Award. She will receive this award at a reception organized by the Office of the President to be held at the University House later this semester. The Committee has also designated Dr. Matyas as the […]

Amazon deforestation, already rising, may spike under Bolsonaro

UF Geography’s Dr. Robert Walker discusses indigenous rights, conservation, and global climate change in his latest piece in The Conversation: Over the past 25 years that I have been conducting environmental research in the Amazon, I have witnessed the the ongoing destruction of the world’s biggest rainforest. Twenty percent of it has been deforested by […]

A 21st Century Agenda in Support of Amazonian Conservation

Associate Professor Dr. Cynthia Simmons and a team of international scholars – including UF Geography’s Dr. Robert Walker, Mike Waylen, and Aghane Antunes – present a strategy for achieving sustainable development in Amazonia, given global climate change and the massive infrastructure program planned for the region, in their latest paper Science in support of Amazonian […]

Geography Grad student receives best PhD paper at the 2018 SEDAAG annual meeting!

Second-year PhD student Stephanie Mundis of the Quantitative Disease Ecology & Conservation Lab, advised by Dr. Sadie Ryan, was recognized for her paper and presentation at the 2018 SouthEastern Division of the American Association of Geographers. Her presentation, “Spatial analysis of pyrethroid resistance genotypes in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Florida,” focused on spatial patterns in […]

Geography Undergrad receives best undergraduate poster at the 2018 SEDAAG annual meeting!

Geography major Sarah VanSchoick received the honor of best undergraduate poster at the 2018 SEDAAG annual meeting on November 19. Her research involved a geospatial analysis of rain rates produced by 38 tropical cyclones that affected Madagascar and Mozambique since 1998. She found that storms originating over the Southwest Indian Ocean had larger rainfall extents […]

In Memoriam Dr. Marilyn O’Hara

UF Geography Alumna Dr. Marilyn O’Hara Ruiz was killed in a collision on September 30,2018, at the age of 58. Dr. O’hara earned her PhD in Medical Geography from the University of Florida. Her multidisciplinary research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Geographic Information Science and Spatial Epidemiology laboratory united disciplines including […]

Geography Colloquium: Perception And Response To Probabilistic Severe Weather Warnings Shown In Visual Formats

Perception And Response To Probabilistic Severe Weather Warnings Shown In Visual Formats Speaker: Dr. Kevin Ash Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, October 4, 2018 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Indigenous Rights at a Crossroads – Land Conflicts, the Inter-American Court, and Liminal Legal Geographies in Paraguay’s Chaco

Indigenous Rights at a Crossroads: Land Conflicts, the Inter-American Court, and Liminal Legal Geographies in Paraguay’s Chaco Speaker: Dr. Joel Correia Assistant Professor, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida Thursday, September 27, 2018 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Will the Extreme Rain Fall Mainly on the Plains? Rainfall Scenarios Under Climate Change for Oklahoma and Texas

Will the Extreme Rain Fall Mainly on the Plains? Rainfall Scenarios Under Climate Change for Oklahoma and Texas Speaker: Dr. Esther Mullens Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, September 20, 2018 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: In Pursuit Of Wildlife Guardianship: Poaching, Communities, And Willingness To Intervene

In Pursuit Of Wildlife Guardianship: Poaching, Communities, And Willingness To Intervene Speaker: Dr. Jessica Kahler Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law, University of Florida Thursday, September 13, 2018 2:50-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Temperature model predicts regional and seasonal virus transmission by mosquitoes

GAINESVILLE, FL – New model that accurately predicts patterns of mosquito-borne Ross River virus epidemics could help prepare for the impact of climate change. Scientists have built a model that predicts how temperature affects the spread of Ross River virus, a common mosquito-borne virus in Australia, according to a report in the journal eLife. The […]

Conservation Conundrum and Amphibian Disease

GAINESVILLE, FL – Amidst global amphibian population collapses, ranavirus causes up to 90% mortality in amphibians, undermining conservation efforts and wetland. restoration projects. In a recent study University of Florida Medical Geography researchers identified important variables to measure in assessments of ranaviral infection risk in newly constructed ponds which are important components of wetland restoration. […]

UF Researchers Refine Zika Transmission Models

GAINESVILLE, FL – A University of Florida Medical Geography researcher recently participated in a study that found that current estimates of Zika virus transmission vastly over predict its possible range. Temperature is a major driver of vector-borne disease transmission, but current transmission models rely on untested assumptions about life history of Zika infected Aedes aegypti […]

Dr. Matyas gives insight on how to stay safe this 2018 hurricane season

Dr. Corene Matyas was recently interviewed about the 2018 Hurricane Season by the St. Augustine Record. “No one knows for sure what the season will bring, but Corene J. Matyas, an associate professor and climatologist with the University of Florida’s department of geography, said most predictions she has seen are not calling for particularly quiet […]

UF Researchers Make New Strides in Predicting Dengue Fever Outbreaks

GAINESVILLE, FL – Medical Geography researchers from the University of Florida recently participated in a study that successfully predicted dengue fever outbreaks on the Caribbean island of Barbados, using climate data. This paper is part of a special issue of PLOS MEDICINE, focusing on the impacts of climate change on health, and is a result […]

Dr. Heidi Lannon receives Dr. Helen Ruth Aspaas SAGE Geographic Innovator Award

Congratulations Dr. Heidi Lannon, Professor of Geography at Santa Fe Community College and adjunct professor with UF Geography – recipient of AAG’s 2018 Dr. Helen Ruth Aspaas SAGE Geographic Innovator Award. The award is named for one of the founding members of the SAGE (Stand-Alone Geographers) Specialty Group, Dr. Helen Ruth Aspaas, a retired professor […]

Anderson Lecture: Hurricane Maria – Causes and Impacts & Climate Variability in the Antilles Islands

Hurricane Maria – Causes and Impacts Speaker: Dr. Mark Jury Associate Professor, Department of Physics, RECINTO UNIVERSITARIO DE MAYAGÜEZ, Puerto Rico Thursday, 5 April, 2018 1:00-1:50 PM Reitz Union Auditorium University of Florida Refreshments provided All are welcome to attend.   Climate Variability in the Antilles Islands Speaker: Dr. Mark Jury Associate Professor, Department of […]

Geography Colloquium: Tropical Africa and the Political Economy of Mitigating and Coping with Global Climate Change

Tropical Africa and the Political Economy of Mitigating and Coping with Global Climate Change Speaker: Dr. Abraham Goldman Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 29, 2018 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Data driven decision-making for natural resource management: Plant community information to manage Lake Apopka North Shore Marsh Restoration

Data driven decision-making for natural resource management: Plant community information to manage Lake Apopka North Shore Marsh Restoration Speaker: Dr. Carrie Reinhardt Adams Associate Professor, UF/IFAS Department of Environmental Horticulture and Director of the Restoration and Plant Ecology laboratory, University of Florida Thursday, March 22, 2018 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University […]

UFGeog at AAG 2018

The UF Geography Department is sending a large contingent to New Orleans for the 2018 meeting of the American Association of Geographers Find out where you can see a GeoGator present their research below: Anthropogenic change to fluvial systems, I Geomorphology Specialty Group, Paleoenvironmental Change Specialty Group, Water Resources Specialty Group 4/10/2018 8:20 AM Balcony […]

Geography Colloquium: Channel Bed and Geometry Changes in the Upper Atchafalaya River, 1967 to 2006

Channel Bed and Geometry Changes in the Upper Atchafalaya River, 1967 to 2006 Speaker: Mr. Mohammad Abdulrahman PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 15, 2018 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Endangered Amazon – An Indigenous Tribe Fights Back Against Hydropower Development in the Tapajós Valley

One of Amazonia’s most pristine waterways, the Tapajós River, is under a development threat that holds implications for the entire basin. This threat stems from an infrastructure plan proposed by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), in coordination with complementary projects on the part of its 12 member states. UNASUR’s Initiative for the Integration […]

UF in South Africa: People, Parks, & Conservation in Africa

Join the UF study abroad program with Geography! REALIZE the complexities of conservation within the African context. GAIN practical field skills conducting empirical research. INCREASE cross-cultural understanding. EXPERIENCE the most amazing protected landscapes left in the world. UF in South Africa: People, Parks, & Conservation in Africa Summer A: May 17 – June 7, 2018 […]

Dr. Esther Mullens to join UF Geography as Assistant Professor in Climate Science!

UF Geography is delighted to announce that Dr. Esther Mullens will be joining our program as a new Assistant Professor in Climate Science in Fall 2018. By training, Dr. Mullens is an Atmospheric Scientist with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Reading (UK) and a PhD from the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology. […]

Geography Colloquium: Mathematical models and the fundamental thermal niche of huanglongbing, a vector-borne pathogen of citrus trees

Mathematical models and the fundamental thermal niche of huanglongbing, a vector-borne pathogen of citrus trees Speaker: Dr. Leah R. Johnson Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech Thursday, February 15, 2018 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Weather, Climate and Crops; Forecasting and Commodity Simulation in the South East United States

Weather, Climate and Crops; Forecasting and Commodity Simulation in the South East United States Speaker: Mr. Fergus Keatinge PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 8, 2018 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: The Center for Landscape Conservation Planning and the Florida Strategic Plan for Sustaining Military Readiness through Conservation Partnerships Project

The Center for Landscape Conservation Planning and the Florida Strategic Plan for Sustaining Military Readiness through Conservation Partnerships Project Speaker: Dr. Tom Hoctor Research Associate Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Florida Director, Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, University of Florida Thursday, November 16, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of […]

Sleeping on fire: A trip to Africa’s most dangerous volcano, in an active conflict zone

UF Geography PhD student and National Geographic Explorer Mr. Nick Dowhaniuk‘s writing on Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo was recently featured by National Geographic. Nick wrote about the impact of an eruption of Mount Nyiragongo on a remote and war torn region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read the full story at National […]

Geography Colloquium: Wild Futures in Conservation and Climate

Wild Futures in Conservation and Climate November 9th, 3pm, Rion Ballroom, Reitz Union Mac Stone, Conservation Photographer, Author and Educator Title: Dispatches from the Field – A World in Flux Mac Stone travels the globe to bring back stories from the frontiers where mankind and the natural world collide. Copies of Mac’s book Everglades: America’s Wetland will […]

Stephanie Mundis brings Geography knowledge to Oak Hall School

UF Geography PhD student Stephanie Mundis (QDEC Lab, Emerging Pathogens Institute) recently visited the second graders at Oak Hall School, where she gave a presentation on her past work in Kenya. The second graders of Oak Hall have been studying Kenya this semester in preparation for their singing performance at Oak Hall’s International Day. When Stephanie […]

Geography Colloquium: Understanding Spatiotemporal Relationships Between Plant Production and Water Balance Across Dominant Communities and Deserts of the Southwestern U.S.

Understanding Spatiotemporal Relationships Between Plant Production and Water Balance Across Dominant Communities and Deserts of the Southwestern U.S. Speaker: Dr. Erin Bunting Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, at Michigan State University Director of Remote Sensing and GIS Research and Outreach Services (RS&GIS) Thursday, November 2, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington […]

Geography Colloquium: Mapping Challenges, Genetic Mutations, & Complicated Diagnostics of Anthrax Across West Africa

Mapping Challenges, Genetic Mutations, & Complicated Diagnostics of Anthrax Across West Africa Speaker: Dr. Jason Blackburn Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, October 26, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Jason Blackburn is Associate Professor of Geography and the Director of […]

Geography Colloquium: Mapping cross-border policy networks in West Africa

Mapping cross-border policy networks in West Africa Speaker: Dr. Olivier Walther Visiting Associate Professor, Center for African Studies, University of Florida Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark Thursday, October 5, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend This […]

Geography Colloquium: Measuring and modelling the lives of ocean wanderers

Measuring and modelling the lives of ocean wanderers Speaker: Dr. Philipp H. Boersch-Supan Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, September 28, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend. Albatrosses, penguins, and elephant seals exploit the resources of the world’s largest habitat – the […]

Geography Colloquium: Geomorphic Impacts and Restoration Opportunities, Apalachicola River

Geomorphic Impacts and Restoration Opportunities, Apalachicola River Speaker: Dr. Joann Mossa Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, September 21, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Dr. Sadie Ryan named 2017 Faculty Fellow of the Florida Climate Institute!

Dr. Sadie Ryan named 2017 Faculty Fellow of the Florida Climate Institute at the University of Florida. The Florida Climate Institute Faculty Fellow award programs recognizes University of Florida faculty who are making outstanding research, extension, or education contributions to these Institutes. The purpose of these awards is to recognize contributions that contribute   significantly to […]

UF Students and Faculty participate in College Board’s Annual AP Reading in Human Geography

Mr. Ryan Good, Dr. Dawn Nekorchuk, and Dr. Heidi Lannon were selected to participate in the College Board’s Annual AP Reading in Human Geography. At the beginning of June, geography teachers and college faculty members from around the world gathered in the Cincinnati, Ohio, to evaluate and score the free-response sections of the AP Exam. […]

Dr. Simmons presents 2017 Aula Magna at Federal University of Pará, Brazil

Dr. Cynthia Simmons presents a series of invited lectures at a research meeting hosted by the Department of Geography, Federal University of Pará (Universidade Federal do Pará, UFPA), in Pará, Brazil. Dr. Simmons presented “Socio-Ecological Transformations in the Anthropocene: Re-imagining the Amazon?” at the research meeting, and presented this year’s Aula Magna for the doctoral […]

Dr. Jason Blackburn named Colonel Allan R. & Margaret G. Crow Term Professor!

Congratulations to Dr. Jason Blackburn, who was named a Colonel Allan R. & Margaret G. Crow Term Professor for the 2017-2018 year! These one-year professorships were created by Colonel Allen R. and Mrs. Margaret G. Crow to recognize faculty who demonstrate excellent in scholarship, teaching, and service. These professorships, funded entirely by private sources, allow the […]

Hannah Herrero Wins 2017 University Women’s Club Graduate Scholarship

Congratulations to Hannah Herrero, recipient of the 2017 University Women’s Club Graduate Scholarship! Established in 1922 by President Murphree for women faculty, staff and spouses, the University Women’s Club seeks to offer social and service opportunities to its members. Today any woman interested in the University of Florida is invited to join us. Over the years […]

New research models temperature-driven Zika, dengue, and chikungunya transmission

  GAINESVILLE, FL – New research co-authored by UF Geography’s Dr. Sadie Ryan and Ms. Cat Lippi sheds light on the climate suitability for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitos and transmission rates of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue fever. The study, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases compares new data driven models of Zika, chikungunya, and dengue […]

Video – Anderson Lecture: A Cultural Ecology of the Anthropocene – Reflecting on the Joint Trajectories of Anthropology and Geography

Anderson Lecture: A Cultural Ecology of the Anthropocene – Reflecting on the Joint Trajectories of Anthropology and Geography For those of you who were unable to attend the 2017 Anderson Lecture with Dr. Eduardo S. Brondizio, the video is now available!

Certificate in Meteorology and Climatology

Supplement your major with an understanding of the atmosphere and awareness of the societal impacts of natural hazards and climate change. The certificate is designed for students seeking employment as climatologists, broadcast meteorologists, water district managers, those interested in environmental issues, to prepare for graduate studies, or those who just love the weather.

Undergrad Certificate: Geospatial Information Analysis

Geospatial information analysis is used increasingly in both research and practice with job opportunities expected to grow 22% from 2010 to 2020. This certificate covers a variety of geospatial technologies and analytic methods, such as digital mapping, geographic information system (GIS), and remotely sensed image processing, aiming to develop spatial thinking ability for students. Lab-based […]

Graduate Certificate: Digital Geography and GIS

The demands for digital geographic data analysts have been increasing in both research and practice during the 21st century. This certificate trains graduate students with a variety of analytic methods and techniques for exploring geospatial datasets, such as Geographic Information System (GIS), remotely sensed image processing, and geo-visualization. Hands-on experiences of geospatial data analysis are […]

Fall Course: GIS3043 Foundations of Geographic Information Systems – GIS5107C: Geographic Information Systems in Research

This course is designed for students with no prior Geographic Information Systems experience. It involves both a weekly theoretical lecture and a computer lab session where hands-on experience of using GIS software allows you to reinforce knowledge gained during the lectures. What you will learn: -Basic concepts, theories, and operations in GIS; -Hands-on experiences of […]

Fall Course: GEO3452 GEO6421 Medical Geography

This course provides a comprehensive survey of geographic topics and approaches in medical sciences, including: human ecology of diseases, research methods, geospatial techniques, landscape epidemiology, weather and climate, pollution issues, urban health, administration and planning, etc. What you will learn: -Basic concepts, principles, and methods that are widely used in medical geography studies; -A variety […]

Fall Course: GEO2420 Human Geography

Examines the spatial geography of all aspects of the human condition – Religion, populations, language, folklore, popular culture, economies, structure of urban areas, globalization, human environmental interactions Introduces cultural geography Emphasizes the development and spatial arrangement of the major societies of the modern world Considers globalization and human environmental interactions

Summer Course: GEO2200 Physical Geography

Explore the ever-changing atmosphere controlling, temperatures, clouds, storms, and variable winds. Examine Earth’s wealth of intriguing features, from dramatic mountains to intricate coastlines and deep oceans, from lush valleys to deserts. Investigate the distribution of these environments, the processes that create and change them, and their implications for people and life, and vice-versa. Think globally, […]

Geography Colloquium: Mobile Home Resident Perspectives on Tornado Preparedness and Protective Action

Mobile Home Resident Perspectives on Tornado Preparedness and Protective Action Speaker: Dr. Kevin Ash Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Geosciences, University of South Florida Thursday, March 30, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Florida’s Springs – People, Pumping, Pollution, & Politics

Florida’s Springs – People, Pumping, Pollution, & Politics Speaker: Dr. Christopher F. Meindl Associate Professor, Florida Studies Program, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Thursday, March 23, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Amazon Dams Network, Geography Department, TCD Program & UF Law School Awarded a Faculty Interdisciplinary Seed Grant from the University of Florida Biodiversity Institute

The newly created UF Biodiversity Institute (UFBI) awarded a Faculty Interdisciplinary Seed Grant to a joint effort by UF faculty, students and Brazilian collaborators of the Amazon Dams Network (Rede Barragens Amazônicas -ADN/RBA), hosted in the Tropical Conservation and Development Program (TCD) in the Center for Latin American Studies, in partnership with the UF Department […]

Anderson Lecture: The IPBES Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Inter-governmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Roundtable Discussion: The IPBES Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Inter-governmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Speaker: Dr. Eduardo S. Brondizio Professor, Department of Antropology, Indiana University Director, Center for the Analysis of Social-Ecological Landscapes (CASEL) Board member, Ostrom Workshop Wednesday, 15 March, 2017 1:00-2:30 PM Turlington Hall 3006 […]

Anderson Lecture: Leviathan, Lilliputian, or Both? Amazonian Transformation and Governance Challenges for the Coming Decade

Departmental Research Talk: Leviathan, Lilliputian, or Both? Amazonian Transformation and Governance Challenges for the Coming Decade Speaker: Dr. Eduardo S. Brondizio Professor, Department of Antropology, Indiana University Director, Center for the Analysis of Social-Ecological Landscapes (CASEL) Board member, Ostrom Workshop Wednesday, 15 March, 2017 4:00-5:00 PM Turlington Hall 3012 University of Florida The Amazon is […]

Anderson Lecture: A Cultural Ecology of the Anthropocene – Reflecting on the Joint Trajectories of Anthropology and Geography

A Cultural Ecology of the Anthropocene – Reflecting on the Joint Trajectories of Anthropology and Geography Speaker: Dr. Eduardo S. Brondizio Professor, Department of Antropology, Indiana University Director, Center for the Analysis of Social-Ecological Landscapes (CASEL) Board member, Ostrom Workshop Tuesday, 14 March, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM Reitz Union 2365 University of Florida An overview of […]

Geography Colloquium: Estimating Spatial Characteristics of Precipitation Associated with Tropical Cyclones Originating from the North Atlantic

Estimating Spatial Characteristics of Precipitation Associated with Tropical Cyclones Originating from the North Atlantic Speaker: Yao Zhou PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, March 2, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Tracking Clouds in Hurricanes – From a Spatio-Temporal and Big-Spatial-Data Perspective

Tracking Clouds in Hurricanes – From a Spatio-Temporal and Big-Spatial-Data Perspective Speaker: Mr. Jingyin Tang PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 23, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Affecting Factors and Per-Pixel Accuracy Prediction for Land Cover Classification

Affecting Factors and Per-Pixel Accuracy Prediction for Land Cover Classification Speaker: Dr. Reza Khatami Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 16, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Forest Mosaics – Spatial Forest Management Patterns from Stands to Regional Scales in Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain and Piedmont

Forest Mosaics – Spatial Forest Management Patterns from Stands to Regional Scales in Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain and Piedmont Speaker: Ms. Di Yang PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, February 9, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Green up or brown down and why it matters – Phenology patterns in tropical forests and their consequences for the global carbon cycle

Green up or brown down and why it matters – Phenology patterns in tropical forests and their consequences for the global carbon cycle Speaker: Dr. Stephanie Bohlman Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida Thursday, February 2, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome […]

Geography Colloquium: Evaluating the Impact of Livestock Vaccination Policies on the Epidemiology of Human Zoonotic Diseases in the Former Soviet Union

Evaluating the Impact of Livestock Vaccination Policies on the Epidemiology of Human Zoonotic Diseases in the Former Soviet Union Speaker: Ian Kracalik PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, January 26, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Understanding the Fundamentals & Domains of Disease Emergence – Some Exemplary Viral Zoonosis

Understanding the Fundamentals & Domains of Disease Emergence -Some Exemplary Viral Zoonosis Speaker: Dr. Jean-Paul Gonzalez Senior Science Advisor, Health For Development Thursday, January 19, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Contentious Land Change in Amazonia – Implications for Global Environmental Change

Contentious Land Change in Amazonia – Implications for Global Environmental Change Speaker: Dr. Cynthia Simmons Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday,January 12, 2017 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

MedGeo Faculty to Lead New CDC Center For Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease

GAINESVILLE – With a $10 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Florida will lead a highly collaborative research program focused on stopping vector-borne diseases such as Zika before they spread farther into the United States. Key leadership for the Southeast Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease will […]

Geography Colloquium: Geography Bee

Geography Colloquium ANNUAL GEOGRAPHY BEE A 3-Team Competition Faculty vs. Graduate Students vs. Undergraduate Students Thursday, December 1, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3006 University of Florida   Who Will Win This Year? Faculty & Staff vs. Graduate Students vs. Undergraduate Students All are welcome! Snacks Provided!

To Keep a River Running

WALKER – To Keep a River Running Robert Walker Article first published online: 1 OCT 2016 Earth Island Journal It came in low, guns bristling through the open bay. Such a strange apparition, like a giant insect, almost familiar but for its unnatural sound and fury and the faces staring down at them, striped in the black […]

University of Florida and University of Michigan awarded funding to study “land-grab” impacts

The Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a grant of $1.6 million to  study the impacts of land transactions and investments on agricultural production, ecosystem services, and food-energy security in Ethiopia. Dr. Jane Southworth, chair of the Department of Geography at the University of […]

Geography Colloquium: Geographic Conceptualization for GIS Representation and Analysis

Geographic Conceptualization for GIS Representation and Analysis Speaker: Dr. May Yuan Ashbel Smith Professor of Geospatial Information Sciences in the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas Thursday, November 17, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3006 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Spring Course: GEO4938/GEO6938 LAS4935/LAS6938 Environmental Catastrophes, Tipping Points, and Challenges

  Global Warming, Extinction Crises, Ocean Acidification.  The newspapers and magazines are full of environmental doomsday prophecies, and this course will help you make sense of what’s happening to our planet.  We start with an overview of recent academic articles that have identified critical components of the earth’s climate system that are on the verge […]

Spring Course: GEO4612/GEO6938/GEY6341 Shelter Care Options for US Elderly

HOUSING AND LONG-TERM CARE ISSUES FACING OLDER AMERICANS What constitutes residential normalcy for older adults? Aging successfully: does place matter? What are housing-care needs/problems of young-old vs. old-old? Aging in place or moving elsewhere: what are major determinants? What are the most critical housing and care-related needs? Why do neighborhood and community environments matter? What […]

Meteorology and Climatology student flies with NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters

University of Florida senior and undergraduate research assistant Alex DesRosiers worked a research based summer internship with NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters. The internship was based out of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa where he worked under meteorologist and flight director Ian Sears. Alex’s internship was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Dr. Corene Matyas […]

Study savanna ecosystems, land change in Ethiopia and Florida with Dr. Southworth!

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Geography is recruiting a Post-Doctoral Associate positon for Dr. Southworth with her research group to work on (1) time series analysis of remotely sensed and climate data in savanna systems; (2) land grabs in Ethiopia analyzed via remotely sensed data; and (3) land cover analysis in […]

Geography Colloquium: Learning-By-Doing or ‘Experimentalist Governance’ in Wildlife Conservation in Southern Africa

Learning-By-Doing or ‘Experimentalist Governance’ in Wildlife Conservation in Southern Africa Speaker: Dr. Brian Child Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, October 20, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3006 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Hurricane Matthew’s Near Miss of Florida May Result in More Widespread Damage Than Direct Hit

Hurricane Matthew’s near miss of Florida may result in more widespread damage than a direct hit – according to UF’s Dr. Corene Matyas – who was quoted in an October 7th Tampa Bay Times article. Dr. Matyas’ National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research focuses on rainfall from tropical cyclones. From the Tampa Bay Times: “But Florida’s near miss may […]

Geography Colloquium: Bison, Anthrax, and the Environment – Indirect Disease Transmission Risks & Modeling

Bison, Anthrax, and the Environment – Indirect Disease Transmission Risks & Modeling Speaker: Ms. Dawn Nekorchuk PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, October 13, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3006 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Industrial Oil Development, Human Population Growth, and Post-Conflict Regrowth in Conservation Landscapes

Industrial Oil Development, Human Population Growth, and Post-Conflict Regrowth in Conservation Landscapes Speaker: Mr. Nick Dowhaniuk PhD Student, Department of Geography, University of Florida Thursday, October 6, 2016 12:45-1:45 PM (Period 8) Grinter Hall Room 471 University of Florida UF’s Center for African Studies’ Natural Resource Management in Africa working group is proud to host Nick Dowhaniuk to […]

Dr. Robert Walker receives NSF Geography and Spatial Sciences award

Dr. Robert Walker has received an NSF award from the Geography and Spatial Sciences program, to fund a project entitled “International Trade Agreements, Globalization, Land Change, and Agricultural Food Networks” with a budget of $375,000. The research, to be conducted in Mexico, investigates links between spatial shifts in that country’s forest biomes, and neoliberal reforms […]

Why Have We Seen A ‘Blob’ East Of Hurricane Matthew’s Eye And Why It Should Concern Us

In a recent Forbe’s article, recent Geography alum (and Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech) Dr. Stephanie Zick helped explain ‘Why have we seen a ‘blob’ east of Hurricane Matthew’s eye and why it should concern us‘. In the article, she was quoted as saying: “I think there are multiple factors: 1) the stationary band complex, so there would be […]

CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE MATTHEW Geography Colloquium: Representing the “Real” Behaviour of Biocomplex Systems and the Unintended Effects of Humans – Opportunities, Tools, and Challenges

Representing the “Real” Behaviour of Biocomplex Systems and the Unintended Effects of Humans – Opportunities, Tools, and Challenges THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE MATTHEW. The geography department hopes that we will be able to reschedule Dr. Muñoz-Carpena’s talk for later in the semester. Speaker: Dr. Rafael Muñoz-Carpena Professor, Department of Hydrology & Water Quality, […]

Visiting Lectures: Remote Sensing

Visiting Lectures Differentiating California Plant Species Across Seasons Using Airborne VSWIR and TIR Imagery Speaker: Ms. Susan Meerdink PhD Candidate, Visualization & Image Processing for Environmental Research Lab, Deptartment of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara Quantifying Sub-Pixel Urban Composition at Multiple Scales Using Airborne Spectroscopic Imaging Speaker: Ms. Erin Wetherley PhD Candidate, Visualization & Image […]

Geography Colloquium: Coffee, Climate Change and Certification in Central America

Coffee, climate change and certification in Central America Speaker: Dr. Catherine Tucker Associate Professor, Departments of Anthropology and Latin American Studies, University of Florida Thursday, September 15, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3006 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Farewell to summer MedGeo researcher

This summer, Geography’s Ryan Lab and the Emerging Pathogens Institute were proud to host Lauren Fregosi as a summer research intern working on Dr. Sadie Ryan‘s National Science Foundation’s Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (NSF EEID) grant. The internship, which was offered through the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, was focused on modelling approaches […]

Assessing welfare of captive elephant populations

GAINESVILLE, Florida – A new collection of research articles, jointly edited by Dr. Sadie Ryan and published by PLoS ONE examines the health and well being of captive elephant populations in North American zoos and preserves. This collection is sensitive in nature. While keeping large, socially complex, and long-lived animals, such as elephants, in captivity […]

NSF funding UF research on Zika virus

GAINESVILLE, Florida — Dr. Sadie Ryan (Assistant Professor of Medical Geography in the Department of Geography and UF’s Emerging Pathogen Institute) and colleagues, have just received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology’s Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) Program rapid response, or RAPID grant to study the socio-ecology and climate responses of Zika virus transmission […]

New Geography track in Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH)

The Geography Department is proud to announce a new Bachelor’s track (BA or BS) in Medical Geography in Global Health (MGGH). In addition to coursework in Medical Geography, the Bachelor’s in MGGH will include coursework in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Quantitative Analysis, Physical Geography, Social Geography, Regional Geography, and electives including Extreme Weather, Extreme Floods, Human Footprint […]

Congratulations to Dr. Hernández Ayala, Dr. Morris, and Dr. Zick!

We are proud to announce our latest PhD graduates – Dr. José Javier Hernández Ayala, Dr. Lillian Morris, and Dr. Stephanie Zick! Dr. Zick will join the Department of Geography at Virginia Tech as an Assistant Professor of Geographic Meteorology. She looks forward to diversifying the program with her tropical meteorology and numerical weather prediction expertise. Dr, Morris […]

11th Annual Conference of the Social Sciences

Three Geography graduate students recently gave presentations at the 11th Annual Conference of the Social Sciences, hosted by the Florida Society of the Social Sciences. Mr. David Hanson presented a paper titled “Exploring the Livelihood Vulnerability of Grenadian Households in a Peri-Urban Community” in Session III – The Human Factor: Nature and Environment. Mr. Ryan Good presented a paper […]

Geography Colloquium: Geographic Techniques, Tools, & Applications in Banking – A Special Presentation by Geography Alumni

Geographic Techniques, Tools, & Applications in Banking – A Special Presentation by Geography Alumni Speakers: Mr. Joseph Schule – Market Planning and Execution at Capital One Financial Corporation, Mr. Forrest Hilton – Location Analysis for Site Selection at Capital One Financial Corporation, Mr. Alberto Nieto, GIS Tool Development & Coding at Capital One Financial Corporation Thursday, April 14, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period […]

African farmers contend with baboons when the big cats are gone

GAINESVILLE, Florida – When large carnivores are removed from an African landscape, local farmers need to adopt complex crop management strategies and be more vigilant about crop-raiding baboons, a new modeling study out of the University of Florida finds. In a healthy protected forest ecosystem, apex predators like lions, cheetahs, and hyenas, keep the local […]

Dr. Mao receives UF Informatics Institute Seed Fund grant

Dr. Liang Mao just received a UF Informatics Institute Seed Fund 2016 grant for his new project “Developing temporally comparable high resolution rurality maps for social and health sciences”. The project will run from September 2016 to August 2017. Dr. Mao will investigate the concept of ‘rurality’ has been widely used by policy makers and governments at […]

Geography students receive Champions for Change Award

Two Geography undergraduate students were recognized with the Champions for Change Award at the Earth Day celebration this week. Ms. Paula Roetscher (double major in Geography and Sustainability Studies and a minor in Arabic Language and Literature) and Mr. Tyler James (major in Psychology, minor in Geography) both received the award for their research and advocacy work. The Champions […]

Geography Colloquium: “Assessing the Recovery of Rainfall in Central Ghana” & “Inter-spatial Relationship of Child Health & Satellite-derived Vegetation in Zambia”

Geography Colloquium Assessing the Recovery of Rainfall in Central Ghana Speaker: Ms. Carly Muir Graduate Student, Geography Inter-spatial Relationship of Child Health & Satellite-derived Vegetation in Zambia Speaker: Ms. Audrey Smith Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, April 7, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Andre McFadden receives Best Paper award from UF’s Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent Geography graduate Mr. Andre McFadden II just received the Best Paper award in the Physical Science Category from UF’s Journal of Undergraduate Research for his paper El Niño – Southern Oscillation and it’s Effect on Rainfall Patterns in the Lake Mweru Basin, Zambia. Andre graduated with a B.A. in Geography with a Certificate in Meteorology and […]

Integrating Research and Practice to Promote More Resilient Family Agriculture

Geography PhD candidate Mr. David Hanson will be participating in a panel discussion at the “Integrating Research and Practice to Promote More Resilient Family Agriculture” workshop on March 30th. The workshop is a collaboration between the Tropical Conservation & Development Program, the Center for Latin American Studies, and the UF Brazil Institute. The objectives of the workshop are: to […]

Geography Colloquium: The Influence of Large-scale Climate Drives on the Hydroclimatology and Hydropower Production in the Southeastern United States

The Influence of Large-scale Climate Drives on the Hydroclimatology and Hydropower Production in the Southeastern United States Speaker: Ms. Johanna Engstrom Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, March 10, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Growing Needs – Nutrition Security and Child Health among Datoga Pastoralists

Growing Needs: Nutrition Security and Child Health among Datoga Pastoralists Speaker: Dr. Alyson Young Assistant Professor, Anthropology & African Studies Thursday, February 25, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography student helps make Gainesville Florida’s first ‘Welcoming City’

GAINESVILLE, FL – UF Geography senior Paula Roetscher was delighted when the Gainesville City Commission unanimously agreed to make Gainesville Florida’s first ‘Welcoming City’ at their Thursday evening meeting. The City Commission will make the decision official at their March meeting. This was a big victory for Ms. Roetscher, a double major in Geography and Sustainability […]

Geography Colloquium: Traditional Neighborhood Development and Transit-Oriented Development: Does Coordination of Land Use & Transportation Still Matter?

Traditional Neighborhood Development and Transit-Oriented Development: Does Coordination of Land Use & Transportation Still Matter? Speaker: Dr. Ruth Steiner Professor, Urban & Regional Planning Thursday, February 18, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Tropical Cyclone Rainfall over Puerto Rico: Processes, Patterns and Impacts

Tropical Cyclone Rainfall over Puerto Rico: Processes, Patterns and Impacts Speaker: Mr. José Javier Hernández Ayala Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, February 10, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: On Analyzing Occupation Interdependence in Urban Economies and Modeling Coupled Natural-Human Systems

On Analyzing Occupation Interdependence in Urban Economies and Modeling Coupled Natural-Human Systems Speaker: Dr. Rachata Muneepeerakul Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering Thursday, February 4, 2016 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: New Insights into Tropical Convection and Hurricanes using Polarimetric Radar

Geography Colloquium New Insights into Tropical Convection and Hurricanes using Polarimetric Radar Speaker: Dr. Michael M. Bell Assistant Professor, University of Hawai’i at Manoa Thursday, January 21, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

UF #2 in Online Geography Programs

UF’s Online Geography Bachelor’s Degree program is ranked #2 according to a recent report comparing online geography degree programs. The report was commissioned by TheBestSchools.org and the assessment considered various factors, including program quality, variety of course offerings, and the quality of the faculty, as well as a reputation for high quality online degree programs. The report first […]

Geography Colloquium: 2016 Anderson Distinguished Scholar

Geography Colloquium – 2016 Anderson Distinguished Scholar Bad Commutes, Good Commutes: Gender, Race, and Commuting to Work in U.S. Cities – Trends and Implications Speaker: Dr. Ibipo Johnston-Anumonwo Professor, Department of Geography, State University of New York at Cortland Dr. Johnston-Anumonwo has distinguished herself in the fields of urban geography, African studies, and geographic education. […]

African Diaspora in Ghana: Going Back to the Future

Dr. Barbara McDade-Gordon recently joined participants from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and throughout the African Continent, at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria for the First Biennial Conference of the African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA). Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was among the keynote speakers, delivering addresses on the conference theme, “African Studies in […]

With climate change, malaria risk in Africa shifts, grows

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A larger portion of Africa is currently at high risk for malaria transmission than previously predicted, according to a new University of Florida mapping study. Under future climate regimes, the area where the disease can be transmitted most easily will shrink, but the total transmission zone will expand and move into new […]

Geography Colloquium: Geography Bee

Geography Colloquium ANNUAL GEOGRAPHY BEE A 3-Team Competition Faculty vs. Graduate Students vs. Undergraduate Students Thursday, December 3, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida To Do: Send your questions with answers by December 1 to Hannah Herrero at: hvherrero@ufl.edu Questions may be on ANY aspect of Geography: physical, human, […]

Geography Colloquium: How Long Is Eternal – The Vulnerability of Cemeteries to Sea Level Rise on Small Caribbean Islands

Geography Colloquium How Long Is Eternal: The Vulnerability of Cemeteries to Sea Level Rise on Small Caribbean Islands Speaker: Mr. Noah Mueller Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, November 19, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

How does a mosquito in Ecuador affect people around the world?

Geography’s Dr. Sadie Ryan‘s NSF funded research in Ecuador was recently profiled for part of UF’s GatorGood initiative. Dr. Ryan’s work is focused on the impact of climate gradients on malaria, dengue fever, and cholera in Ecuador. Find out more about the far-reaching effects if  Dr. Ryan’s work and learn how you can help contribute to the […]

Geography Colloquium: Anthrax in Australia: Integrating Ecological Niche Modeling and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Assessing Risk of Transmission

Geography Colloquium Anthrax in Australia: Integrating Ecological Niche Modeling and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Assessing Risk of Transmission Speaker: Mr. Alassane Barro Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, November 12, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Passion for Hydropower

Geography PhD candidate Johanna Engstrom recently published her master’s thesis Effect of Northern Hemisphere Teleconnections on the Hydropower Production in Southern Sweden, which explores the climate drivers of hydropower production in southern Sweden, in the Journal of Water Resource Planning and Management. In addition to increasing our understanding of what large scale atmospheric drivers affect this region, the […]

Geography Colloquium: Doctoral Students’ SEDAAG Preview

SEDAAG Preview Presentations Geography Colloquium Livelihood Vulnerability Index in Grenada Speaker: Mr. David Hanson Graduate Student, Geography Spatial-Temporal Analysis of Mauritia Palm Swamp Degradation Speaker: Mr. Tyler Rundel Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, November 5, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.

Geography Colloquium: Collaborating with Traditional Healers to Enhance Surveillance for Plague in NW Uganda

Geography Colloquium: Collaborating with Traditional Healers to Enhance Surveillance for Plague in NW Uganda Speaker: Dr. Mary H. Hayden Behavioral Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research Thursday, October 22, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.  

Geography Colloquium: Nature as a Social Construction – Tourists’ Perspectives of ‘Nature’ in the Nordic Realm

Nature as a Social Construction: Tourists’ Perspectives of ‘Nature’ in the Nordic Realm Geography Colloquium Speaker: Mr. Matt McKay Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, October 15, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.  

Zick and Matyas Present at AMS Radar Conference

Ph.D. Candidate Stephanie Zick and Dr. Matyas recently presented research at the American Meteorological Society’s 37th Conference on Radar Meteorology in Norman, Oklahoma. Zick presented results from her recently-published paper “Tropical cyclones in the North American Regional Reanalysis: The impact of satellite-derived precipitation over ocean” appearing in the Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres (doi:10.1002/2015JD023722). […]

Geography Colloquium: Wildlife Movement and Disease Risk: Exploring Anthrax Transmission in Montana

Wildlife Movement and Disease Risk: Exploring Anthrax Transmission in Montana Geography Colloquium Speaker: Ms. Lillian Morris Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, October 8, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.  

Should Elders Live Near Youth?

Should retirees live in demographically heterogeneous communities? In a recent article for The Conversation, Dr. Stephen Golant argues convincingly that older Americans experience a higher quality of life and greater fulfillment when they live in a community of their peers.  

How Mosquitoes Die Matters for Malaria Control

GAINESVILLE, Florida –A new study out of the University of Florida calls for caution in estimating the impact of mosquito control on malaria and other vector-borne disease transmission. Public health officials make prevention and treatment decisions based on models of the impact of interventions. For vector-borne diseases like malaria, these models are based on mosquito […]

Geography Colloquium: Geometric Analysis of Moisture Budgets and Precipitation Structures in U.S. Landfalling Tropical Cyclones

Geometric Analysis of Moisture Budgets and Precipitation Structures in U.S. Landfalling Tropical Cyclones Geography Colloquium Speaker: Ms. Stephanie Zick Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, October 1, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.  

Human Brucellosis Trends: Re-emergence and Prospects for Control Using a One Health Approach in Azerbaijan (1983–2009)

BLACKBURN – Human Brucellosis Trends: Re-emergence and Prospects for Control Using a One Health Approach in Azerbaijan (1983–2009) I. T. Kracalik, R. Abdullayev, K. Asadov, R. Ismayilova, M. Baghirova, N. Ustun, M. Shikhiyev, A. Talibzade and J. K. Blackburn Article first published online: 25 Sep 2015 in Zoonoses and Public Health DOI: 10.1111/zph.12229 ABSTRACT: Brucellosis is one […]

Land-cover change within and around protected areas in a biodiversity hotspot

BINFORD – Land-cover change within and around protected areas in a biodiversity hotspot Karen M. Bailey*, Robert A. McCleeryb, Michael W. Binfordc & Christa Zweigd Article first published onine: 24 Sep 2015 in Land Use Science DOI:10.1080/1747423X.2015.1086905 ABSTRACT: The landscape surrounding protected areas influences their ability to maintain ecosystem functions and achieve conservation goals. As anthropogenic […]

Geography Club in the Alligator

The Independent Florida Alligator profiled the Geography Club’s return from dormancy this week. In an interview with the Alligator, Geography Department phd student and Geography Club Graduate Liaison Hannah Herrero highlighted how the club will provide mentorship to undergrad geography majors, as well as friendship and camaraderie, with an upcoming camping trip next month at Manatee Springs State […]

Geography Colloquium: The Last Agricultural Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon: Impacts on Smallholders and the Environment

The Last Agricultural Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon: Impacts on Smallholders and the Environment Geography Colloquium Speaker: Mr. Williams Castro Graduate Student, Geography Thursday, September 24, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.  

NSF Funding UF Research on Climate Change Impacts on Vectorborne Disease

GAINESVILLE, Florida — A new 5 year multi-institutional collaborative research grant of $1.85 million funded by the National Science Foundation’s Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (NSF EEID) program will support research on the effect of temperature on 13 different diseases transmitted by insects. It will also measure the capacity for two common disease-carrying mosquitoes […]

Geography Colloquium: Linking Land Change to Agri-food Networks – The Maize-Cattle Complex in Neoliberal Mexico

Linking Land Change to Agri-food Networks: The Maize-Cattle Complex in Neoliberal Mexico Geography Colloquium Speaker: Dr. Yankuic Galvan-Miyoshi Adjunct Associate Scientist, Geography Thursday, September 10, 2015 3:00-3:50 PM (Period 8) Turlington Hall Room 3012 University of Florida All are welcome to attend.  

Bacillus anthracis Diversity and Geographic Potential across Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad: Further Support of a Novel West African Lineage

BLACKBURN – Bacillus anthracis Diversity and Geographic Potential across Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad: Further Support of a Novel West African Lineage Jason K. Blackburn , Moses Ode Odugbo, Matthew Van Ert, Bob O’Shea, Jocelyn Mullins, Vincent Perrenten, Angaya Maho, Martin Hugh-Jones, Ted Hadfield Published: 20 August 2015 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003931 ABSTRACT: Zoonoses, diseases […]

Graduate students at NASA 2nd GPM Applications Workshop

Graduate students Stephanie Zick and José J. Hernández Ayala attended the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 2nd User Workshop on June 9-11th, 2015 at College Park, Maryland. This workshop brought together all different levels of users, focusing on a broad range of applications areas including disasters, weather forecasting, […]

Geography Department leads conversation on public policy at Urban Affairs Association

A team of UF researchers, including geographers Mickie Swisher and Ryan Good, led a conversation on public policy at the Urban Affairs Association’s annual meeting in Miami. The panel examined the role played by public policy in issues of urban sustainability. The Urban Affairs Association is the international professional organization for urban scholars, researchers, and […]

Stephanie Zick awarded Pruitt Fellowship

Stephanie Zick has been selected as a Society of Woman Geographers (SWG) Pruitt Dissertation Fellowship awardee for 2015-2016. As a PhD candidate under the advisement of Dr. Corene Matyas, Stephanie is studying the influence of atmospheric moisture on the structure of landfalling hurricanes, with the goal of improving precipitation forecasts in these dangerous storms. Her […]

UF well represented at AAG

UF Geography was once again well represented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting (AAG) as five faculty and 22 students attended this year’s meeting in Chicago, IL (April 21-25)! “For me as a human geographer AAG is THE conference” says Ryan Good, PhD student. Ryan was joined by a number of geographers from […]

Geography students participate in Training of Trainers Workshop

PhD student Ryan Good and Master’s student Audrey Smith recently participated in a workshop series focused on the training of adult learners. Hosted by the Gender and Development Working Group at UF, the purpose of the workshop series was to help graduate students who are working (or will be working) in conservation and development fields […]

Dunkle Award Winner 2015

Amber Lee Todoroff is the recipient of the 2015 recipient of the John R. and Fawn T. Dunkle Geography Award. This award of $1000 is given annually to the most distinguished undergraduate student majoring in Geography who shows sustained academic excellence, involvement in departmental, university and community activities, leadership and strong promise for graduate or […]

2015 Robert L. and Glen Anderson lectureship

Dr. Kristie L. Ebi is the 2015 Anderson lecturer and is Professor in Global Health from The University of Washington School of Medicine. She conducts research on the impacts of and adaptation to climate variability including extreme events, thermal stress, food safety and infectious diseases. She focuses on assessing vulnerability and implementing adaptation measures to […]

Dawn Nekorchuk’s Team Win 2015 UF Global Health Case Competition

Dawn Nekorchuk, a Ph.D. student in medical geography, competed and was part of the winning team in the 2015 UF Global Health Case Competition which ran from January 28th to the 31st. The Global Health Case Competition poses a complex global health issue to interdisciplinary teams, encouraging innovative solutions arising from collaboration across multiple fields. […]

Grand Slam for UF at FSG

The weekend’s Florida Society of Geographer’s Annual meeting in Jacksonville, FL turned out great for UF Geography: out of six available student prizes the department won three! These are our winners: Best Graduate Presentation Award, 1st place: David Keellings: Investing Teleconnection Drivers of Bivariate Heat Wave in Florida using Extreme Value Analysis Honorable Mention Presentation: […]

Stephen Golant: Aging in the Right Place

Aging in the Right Place Stephen Golant, Professor in Geography. Available from Health Professions Press. Press Release Article in the Washington Post Encouraging new ways to look at the question of how to grow old successfully, Aging in the Right Place highlights the profound significance of where older people live and receive care. This book […]

GRA Fellowships available

The Department of Geography at the University of Florida is seeking exceptional students to work as part of an interdisciplinary student-faculty team on a research project entitled, Hydrologic transformation in the Amazon basin: reconciling economy, society, and the environment. The project provides four years of support to six graduate fellows at the doctoral level, from […]

Christian Kamrath named ORISE Fellow at the EPA

After graduating in May 2014 with a B.S. in Geography, Christian completed a summer internship on climate change communication with George Mason University and the National Park Service. He also volunteered at the local county emergency management office in Orlando. Recently, Christian accepted a position as an ORISE Fellow within the EPA, working with their […]

Brian Child, Biodiversity Panel Member, on the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environmental Facility

Brian Child has recently been appointed as the Biodiversity Panel Member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel’s (STAP) of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). STAP’s mandate is to provide strategic scientific and technical advice to the GEF to enhance the scientific and technical quality of GEF investments and to enhancing innovation. The Global Environmental […]

Dr. Greg Glass joins the Department

Dr. Greg Glass has joined the Geography Department in a joint position with the Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI), as a full Professor. Dr. Glass joins us form Johns Hopkins University. His research addresses the maintenance and transmision dynamics of infectious agents, especially zoonotic agents. His work includes both laboratory and field research of animal reservoir […]

Dr. Bob Walker joins the Department

Dr. Bob Walker has joined the Department in a joint position with the Center for Latin American Studies, and was previously a Professor at Michigan State University. Dr. Walker is a Human Geographer, with a PhD in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania, which places him on the quantitative side of the field, with […]

Dr. Cynthia Simmons joins the department

Dr. Simmons has joined the department as an Associate Professor and was previously at Michigan State University. Dr. Simmons is a human geographer whose research program addresses the interaction of economic development and environmental policy in Less Developed Countries (LDCs). She is especially interested in the social consequences of these interactions, and much of her […]

Dr. Sadie Ryan joins the Department

Dr. Ryan joins us from SUNY-ESF, where she was an Assistant Professor. Her work addresses issues of Disease Ecology, tropical conservation, human-wildlife interface, and spatial modeling. Dr. Ryan has a joint position with the Department of Geography and the Emerging Pathogen Institute (EPI), and received her PhD from UC Berkeley. Her interdisciplinary work incorporates tools […]

Dr. Jane Southworth receives 2014-15 Florida Climate Institute Faculty Fellow Award

Jane Southworth has been selected to receive the Florida Climate Institute Fellow Award for 2014-2015. This award is based on nominations from the faculty and department chairs with the winner selections based on an votes from members of the Florida Climate Institute Faculty Advisory Committee. The Fellow award recognizes faculty members who are making outstanding […]

HuiPing “Gloria” Tsai to take up post-doc

Gloria Tsai (Ph.D. 2012) will be taking up a post-doctoral position at the Center for Environmental Restoration and Disaster Reduction (CERDR) at National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan on January 1st, 2015. The mission of CERDR is to integrate resources from different research groups at National Chung Hsing University, to foster relationship between NCHU and nearby […]

Andy Noss to MDP

On September 8 Andy Noss began to serve as coordinator for the Master of Sustainable Development Practice (MDP) program, which is run jointly by the Center for Latin American Studies and the Center for African Studies at UF. email: anoss@ufl.edu Office: 470 Grinter Hall Tel: 352-392-3293 MDP website: http://mdp.africa.ufl.edu/ MDP blog: http://mdpprogram.wordpress.com/ MDP facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MDP.Program […]

Natalia Hoyos gains tenure track position

Dr. Natalia Hoyos (Ph.D., 2004) has just been appointed to the Faculty of the Department of History and Social Sciences at Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia. Natalia is getting back into academia after she and her husband Jaime (Ph.D., Geology, 2005) had two children and spent time at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Barra […]

Dr. Matyas named Colonel Allan R. & Margaret G. Crow Term Professor

Cori Matyas has been named the Colonel Allan R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professor for the academic year 2014-2015. This is a signal honor for our superb faculty members. As the introduction on the CLAS web site states: “Since 1995, CLAS Term Professorships have been awarded to outstanding faculty who excel in both scholarship […]

Multiple Graduate Students Receive Awards

Several PhD students ended the spring semester by obtaining notable grants and fellowships from outside the department. Tim Fullman was awarded a prestigious Dissertation Award from the UF Graduate School to support the completion of his dissertation. Amy Panikowski has been awarded a NSEP David L. Boren Fellowship. The fellowship will allow her to participate […]

Amy Panikowski awarded 2014 NSEP David L. Boren Fellowship

PhD student, Amy Panikowski, has been awarded a prestigious NSEP David L. Boren Fellowship. The fellowship will allow her to participate in intensive language training at the University of Florida for isiZulu during the summer. In the fall, she will travel to South Africa and spend ten months continuing language training, completing field work and […]

Dunkle Award Recipient for 2014

The Dunkle Award was established to honor the long time service and devotion of professor and scholar, Dr. John R. Dunkle, to the Department of Geography at the University of Florida. This award is given annually to the most distinguished undergraduate student majoring in Geography who shows sustained academic excellence, involvement in departmental activities, leadership […]

Ryan Good awarded Fulbright-Hays fellowship

PhD student Ryan Good has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright-Hays fellowship through the Group Projects Abroad program. The fellowship will allow him to travel to Tanzania this summer for Swahili language training followed by doctoral research. The Fulbright-Hays Program supports research and training efforts overseas, which focus on non-Western foreign languages and area studies. The […]

Recognition for Risa Patarasuk

The paper, “Spatial modeling of road network development, population pressure and biophysical properties of upland crop and forest conversions in Lop Buri province, Thailand, 1989-2006.” by former Ph.D. student Dr. Risa Patarasuk and Dr. Tim Fik was named runner up by the Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography for its best paper of 2013. Risa is […]

Dawn Nekorchuk to attend Network Modeling for Epidemics workshop

PhD student Dawn Nekorchuk was accepted with scholarship into the 2014 Network Modeling for Epidemics workshop at the University of Washington. The workshop will be offered June 16-21 on the Seattle campus of UW. The hands-on course will cover classical descriptive network analysis and the new statistical methods of Exponential family Random Graph Models (ERGMs). […]

Dances with Anthrax

Dr. Jason K. Blackburn, director of the Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Lab, and Assistant Professor of Geography and a team of scientists have published a new paper in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases on the confirmation of anthrax infection in bison from testing the remains of wolf  kills in southwestern Montana. Dr. Blackburn has […]

President of AAG and Dr. Matyas meet at AMS Annual Meeting

During the week of February 2, Dr. Matyas travelled to Atlanta, GA for the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society. She spoke with current AAG president and fellow climatologist Dr. Julie Winkler inside the exhibition hall at the AAG booth (pictured above). Accompanying Dr. Matyas were five PhD students and three undergraduate students […]

Anderson Scholar Lecture

Prof. Richard T.T. Forman, Research Professor of Advanced Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, will give the annual Robert L. Anderson and Glenn Anderson Visiting Lecture. The title of the lecture is “Urban Ecology, Science of Cities: More Geography-Ecology Synergy?” Venue: Turlington 3012 From 3:00pm to 4:00pm There will be a reception in […]

EPI & Geography job talk

Dr. Wu will address drinking water challenges in Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh. The community-based childhood diarrhea data, tubewell information, arsenic concentrations in groundwater and climate data are collected and integrated in a geographic information system (GIS) database. The spatial relationship between childhood diarrhea and tubewell water access, groundwater arsenic levels, as well as […]

2014 Ryan Poehling Awards to David Keellings and Sheldon Waugh

David Keellings and Sheldon Waugh are the awardees of the 2014 Ryan Poehling Fellowship. This award of $1500 is made annually to two graduate students, one in the Ph.D. program and one in the M.S./M.A. program, who best exemplify the sustained academic excellence, commitment to departmental service and leadership of the graduate program that Ryan […]

Campus Visitation Program for Fall 2014 Applicants

The Office of Graduate Minority Program sponsors a two-day Campus Visitation Program (CVP) to give prospective graduate students the opportunity to engage with the UF community. You must apply as this program is by invitation only. Propspective students who are African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Native-Americans, Pacific Islanders, Asian-Americans, students underrepresented in their academic field (i.e., men in nursing, […]

2007 PhD graduate appointed Associate Director at CU

Joel Hartter has been appointed Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder beginning in spring 2014. At CU, Joel will continue his work focusing on human-environment interactions, primarily in the American West and Sub-Saharan Africa where he directs two ongoing projects funded by the USDA and NSF. Joel has also […]

UF Geographer assists outbreak response in Africa

Dr. Kathy Alexander, Virginia Tech, and Dr. Jason Blackburn, UF Geography, have evaluated the seasonal patterns and likely causes of diarrheal disease outbreaks in Botswana using a simple questionnaire and existing hospital staff and infrastructure. The approach does not require increased human or economic resources, and it can give immediate insight into public health threats […]

Andy Garcia works for Gates

Congratulations to Andres “Andy” Garcia who has just started a new two-year position with the Gates Foundation in Seattle. Andy will be developing geospatial applications to trace and display the distribution and spread of various diseases globally. He will return to Gainesville in a month to defend his doctoral thesis.

Dr. James Elsner to speak at Colloquium September 26

Dr. James Elsner is the Earl & Sophia Shaw Endowed Chair in Geography at Florida State University. He will give a guest lecture on hurricanes in MET4532/MET6530 on September 25 and present his tornado-related research during Colloquium on September 26, 2013. He has co-authored three books and over 115 journal articles on hurricane climatology, risks, […]

SEER Lab models Bacillus anthracis

Working with partners from Italy, Kazakhstan, and the US (Louisiana State University), Drs. Jocelyn Mullins and Jason Blackburn developed ecological niche models of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, to predict the geographic distribution of the disease across the landscape of each country. The work was published in PLOS ONE (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0072451). Previous studies have […]

Eric Keys interviewed by Guardian

Recently Professor Eric Keys was interviewed by the prestigious British newspaper, The Guardian, for his opinion as to how world markets could best help the poor. Eric’s suggestions were among 18 derived from a panel of experts. Eric notes: Information is key to M4P: Where I work in southeastern Mexico, the biggest impediment to agricultural […]

Carly Muir wins undergraduate prize

Carly Muir won the prize for the best undergraduate poster at the Florida Society of Geographers Annual Meeting in Tallahassee. Her research, carried out as a directed independent study, is part of a large NASA funded program in the department under the leadership of Prof. Southworth. Carly analyzed daily rainfall records from Maun, Botswana between […]

Amber Todoroff chosen for IDREHSI Experience

Amber was one of ten interns chosen to participate in the National Science Foundation’s Interdisciplinary Research Experience in Hyperspectral Imagery (IDREHSI) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  During this program she completed four weeks of intensive hyperspectral digital image processing and field lab training, accompanied by […]

Stephanie Zick awarded AMS travel grant

Congratulations to Geography Ph.D. student Stephanie Zick, who has been awarded an American Meteorological Society (AMS) student travel grant to attend the 36th Conference on Radar Meteorology in Breckenridge, CO, to be held September 16-20, 2013. The AMS awards student travel grants to senior undergraduate and graduate AMS student members, in recognition of the invaluable […]

Jeff Lower becomes President of MAPPS

Congratulations and kudos to Jeff Lower, who holds both undergraduate and Master’s degrees from the Department.  Jeff  will become President of Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS) this summer.  MAPPS is the US national association of firms in the surveying, spatial data and geographic information systems field. Its members are engaged in surveying, photogrammetry, […]

Allassane Barro awarded travel URISA GIS

Congratulations to Alassane Barro, Ph.D. student in Geography. Alassane has been awarded an $800.00 travel award to attend the 4th URISA GIS in Public Health Conference in Miami, Florida 17-20 June 2013. This award is jointly funded by the Spatial Epidemiology & Ecology Research Lab and the Department of Geography. Medical Geography Awards Committee: Jason […]

Krithi Karanth 2013 Outstanding Young Alumnus

The UF Alumni Association announced that Krithi Karanth has been selected by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as a 2013 Outstanding Young Alumnus. The UF Alumni Association established this award to recognize Gators who have distinguished themselves in business, community, or service.  Krithi completed a Master in Environmental Science at Yale, working with […]

2013 Recipients of the Ryan Poehling Fellowship Award

December 2012. Two awards of $1500 are made annually to 2 graduate students who best exemplify the sustained academic excellence, commitment to departmental service and leadership of the graduate program which Ryan displayed. The 2013 fellowship winners are: Yang Yang (PhD) and Nirav Patel (Master’s), joining past winners: Erin Bunting, Erica Carlsson, Pinki Mondal, Caroline […]