UW-Madison Department of Geography

10/15/2026

On Friday, October 16 we will hear from both Associate Professor Javier Arbona-Homar and Associate Professor Kai Bosworth!

Arbona-Homar is from the University of California, Davis, and will talk about design geographies, and their role in finding solutions for dust explosions.

Bosworth is from Virginia Commonwealth University, and will talk about pressure-releases and their relationship with geographic and environmental study.

Join us at 3:30 p.m. in 1240 Computer Sciences for these Yi-Fu Tuan lectures!

10/12/2026

Congrats to Gabriel Shapiro, a PhD student here at UW-Madison, for publishing his first peer-reviewed article, based on his research as a masters student!

You can access his article here:
Shapiro, G. (2026). The technopolitics of grid modeling: Understanding opposition to the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line. Energy Research & Social Science, 140, 104952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2026.104952

Shapiro also presented his work at the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP)’s Switch Event in Madison on September 22!

10/09/2026

Proud to showcase current UW-Madison students who have been involved with geography-related internships!
Pictured (from left):
Nick Bostedt - Worked on a paleoecology project as a research intern at Auburn University
Anya Shaw - Worked on GIS and remote sensing as an intern in the Ariel Mapping Division at Ayres Associates
Dara Carneol - Conducted research in an agroecology lab as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), at the University of Minnesota
Divya Krishna - Worked as a GIS Analyst intern in the Environmental Services division at Stantec

10/07/2026

Hello! My name is Cameron Felix, and I will be serving as the new Department of Geography Communications and Media Intern! I will be helping with the department’s social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn) as well as contribute to MadGeogNews! I’m excited to be here and I am extremely honored to represent such a prestigious department!

I was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, and have been infatuated with the subject of geography since high school. Currently, I am a fourth year student here at UW-Madison, studying Human Geography with certificates in History and Sports Communication.

In my free time, I like to play and watch sports like basketball and football. And of course, I love learning new geography-related facts and trivia!

I am excited to get started and contribute to the Geography Department here at UW-Madison!

10/01/2026

Fill the Hill starts NOW! From 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 1 until 5 p.m. on Friday, October 2, show your support for Geography students.

Alumni, parents, and friends: Give today! Every gift creates more opportunities for Geography students in research, fieldwork, outreach events, professional meetings, internships, and more.

Geography students: Take a stroll on Bascom Hill on Friday! Every pink flamingo you see is a gift in support of you. Snap a pic and tag us!

By the way… the pics in this post are some of our favorite memories from Spring 2026: deep collaboration at the Cart Lab Design Challenge, pure joy at May graduation, and excitement at our Science Hall Open House. But it’s Fill the Hill, so we’ve also hidden a 🦩 flamingo 🦩 in each one.

Find the flamingos, and then make a gift: uwflamingos.com/geography

09/23/2026

Check out this article from the most recent edition of On Wisconsin! Most of the Robinson Map Library collection is in storage during the Science Hall renovation, but we still have access to our huge collection of aerial photos.

And best of all, you can look at aerial photos from your couch! Just open up the Wisconsin Historic Aerial Image Finder app, a partnership between the Robinson Map Library and the Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office. Link: http://maps.sco.wisc.edu/whaifinder/

The Robinson Map Library has digitized decades of aerial photos.

09/01/2026

This summer, Geography student Dara Carneol took her studies beyond the classroom with a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates! 

Through the Sustainable Opportunities in Agriculture Research (SOAR) program, Dara spent her summer conducting research in an agroecology lab at the University of Minnesota. Here, she conducted germination studies, and investigated whether the by-product of the yellow bud hickory tree would be an effective mulch in nursery plantings. This research could provide a local option for nursery purveyors while utilizing a product that would have otherwise gone to waste.

Congrats to Dara on her great work this summer!

08/06/2026

Congratulations to Geography PhD student Eric Giese on receiving a URS Exceptional Mentor Award for the 2025-2026 academic year!

This award is presented to mentors to honor their support of their Scholar’s research and learning. Eric was recognized for his outstanding encouragement, patience, and supportive mentorship. He is noted for his knack for inspiring curiosity and critical thinking, and his ability to highlight interdisciplinary connections. Congratulations Eric!

06/08/2026

Today's the day! After months of prep work from our amazing admin team and a ton of packing from absolutely everyone, we're pulling up stakes and moving the entire Department of Geography out of Science Hall—for now.

While the building renovation takes shape, we'll be at 1210 W. Dayton Street, aka the Computer Sciences building. We're affectionately (and informally) calling it Science Hall West. See you there!

06/01/2026

Just one of the many spaces we'll miss during the Science Hall at the UW-Madison renovation...!