UMD- Department of Geographical Sciences-Students & Alumni

06/02/2026

🗓️ Registration open for 2026 University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) Symposium at right here at UMD June 15–18!

Join researchers, students + industry leaders exploring “AI Everywhere!” in GeoAI. Four days of workshops, panels, student talks, networking & field trips:

Learn more and register:

Registration Open for UCGIS 2026 Symposium at UMD Breadcrumb Home Event Registration Open For UCGIS 2026 Symposium At UMD The four-day event will bring together researchers, students and industry leaders to explore the future of GeoAI and the theme “AI Everywhere!” The University Consortium for ...

06/01/2026

🤩 Professor Leila De Floriani has been named a Distinguished University Professor, UMD’s highest faculty honor 👏

Her pioneering research in geospatial computing has transformed how scientists analyze and visualize geographic data around the world.

Read more:

De Floriani Awarded Distinguished University Professor Title Breadcrumb Home Featured Content De Floriani Awarded Distinguished University Professor Title UMD geospatial computing pioneer Leila De Floriani joins a select group of faculty honored for research that has reshaped how scientists analyze....

05/29/2026

🤩Did you miss our Department Awards? Meet this year’s student, faculty and staff honorees, plus the debut of 3 new awards: Staff Appreciation, GEOG Ambassador and GEOG Linchpin 🏆

Watch the full event on YouTube ▶️

GEOG Celebrates Students, Faculty and Staff at 2026 Ceremony Breadcrumb Home Featured Content GEOG Celebrates Students, Faculty and Staff At 2026 Ceremony Event debuts three new honors while recognizing academic milestones, research and service. The Department of Geographical Sciences held its annua...

05/29/2026

NASA FireSense is helping firefighters stay safer on the fire line 🔥🚜

At a recent workshop in Alabama, GEOG's Joanne Hall and Rob Sohlberg joined partners to highlight sensors installed on fire bulldozers that alert firefighters when temperatures around them get too hot — while also collecting valuable wildfire science data.

05/28/2026

How can AI help detect food crises before they escalate?

A new GeoAI collaboration involving UMD's NASA Harvest, Arizona State University, Washington University in St. Louis and more is developing tools that combine satellite data with natural-language queries to identify early signs of food system instability in conflict- and climate-impacted regions.

The project, funded through the GIFS Challenge from Taylor Geospatial, aims to give humanitarian and food security analysts faster, more actionable insights to support vulnerable communities worldwide.

Learn more:

UMD Researchers Join National Effort to Use GeoAI to Predict Food System Instability Breadcrumb Home Featured Content UMD Researchers Join National Effort To Use GeoAI To Predict Food System Instability The initiative aims to help humanitarian and food security analysts detect emerging agricultural....

05/27/2026

On April 20, a record crowd gathered at the University of Maryland as the Department of Geographical Sciences celebrated more than 100 outstanding high school students from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia at its fifth annual High School Awards Banquet. 🌎✨

Held at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, the event brought together students, families, educators and the university community to recognize academic achievement and inspire the next generation of geospatial scientists, innovators and problem-solvers.

This year's honorees came from all kinds of backgrounds, but two students' stories illustrate just how many roads can lead to geographical sciences.

Read a little bit about them:

GEOG Honors 100+ High School Students at Annual Awards Banquet Breadcrumb Home Featured Content GEOG Honors 100+ High School Students At Annual Awards Banquet Record turnout marks fifth annual celebration of high school achievement in geographical sciences. The Department of Geographical Sciences ho...

05/26/2026

Researchers in GEOG's are helping Rhode Island strengthen its climate strategy with high-resolution satellite data and advanced modeling that track how forests and urban tree canopies store carbon over time.

Led by Professor George Hurtt, the collaboration will provide one of the most detailed pictures yet of how trees help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Learn more:

New Project Helps Rhode Island Track How Trees Combat Climate Change Breadcrumb Home Featured Content New Project Helps Rhode Island Track How Trees Combat Climate Change A collaboration with the UMD's Global Ecology Lab will apply high-resolution satellite data and advanced modeling to improve Rhod...

05/22/2026

Our heatfelt congratulations, geographical scientists 🌍🎓

Among our incredible students, 18 Ph.Ds were hooded, marking an important milestone after years of hard work that brought them here.

Every graduating class is special, but this one felt extra meaningful. 😍

We’re proud of all they’ve accomplished and excited to see where they go next. Keep in touch!

05/22/2026