Geography is the study of spatial patterns and processes associated with a wide variety of phenomena in both the natural world and the world of human affairs.  The spread of disease, the sprawl of cities, the distribution of plants and animals, or the diffusion of culture and ideas all exhibit a spatial component that is the focus of Geography.

Geographers increasingly use advanced information technologies to improve our understanding of the world.  Innovations in computer cartography, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and the global positioning system are revolutionizing the way we look at our Earth.  This specialty within the field of Geography is known as Geographic Information Science.

The IUPUI Department of Geography offers undergraduate and graduate degrees including the BA in Geography and MS in Geographic Information Science. Certification programs in GIS are offered at the graduate and undergraduate levels.  An education as a geographer prepares students for successful careers in fields such as environmental management, urban planning, conservation, public health, recreation and tourism, transportation planning, international affairs, among many others. 

The IUPUI Department of Geography emphasizes excellence in teaching, original research, and student/faculty interaction.  Our faculty have expertise in geographic information science, urban and rural landscapes, biogeography, environmental science, and political and economic geography.  Regional specialties include Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Recent News and Announcements

Owen Dwyer Receives AAG Globe Book Award for Public Understanding of Geography The Association of American Geographers (AAG) presented the 2008 Globe Book Award for Public Understanding of Geography to Owen Dwyer, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, and his co-author, Derek Alderman, East Carolina University, Department of Geography. The Globe Award is given annually for a book that conveys most powerfully the nature and importance of geography to non-academic audiences.  Dwyer and Alderman were honored for their book, Civil Rights Memorials and the Geography of Memory, published by the University of Georgia Press.	Rick Bein Honored with IUPUI Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement Rick Bien, Professor of Geography, was the recipient of the IUPUI Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement.  Bein was recognized for creating civic engagement opportunities ranging from the local through international levels over his 30-year career at IUPUI. Rick has been active throughout his career in international civic engagement efforts, most recently serving as a Fulbright-Hays Senior Scholar in Mozambique and as a Visiting Professor at Moi University in Kenya. His efforts to integrate service learning opportunities in his courses and to promote geographic literacy through the Geography Educator's Network of Indiana (GENI) were also noted.
Dan Johnson Receives NASA Grant to Improve Heat Wave Response Dan Johnson, Assistant Professor of Geography, was awarded a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's ROSES program (Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences).  Dan's project focuses on development of improved methods for predicting spatial patterns in morbidity and mortality associated with extreme heat events in urban areas.  By integrating satellite imagery and socioeconomic data from geographic information systems, this work seeks to improve spatial specificity and inform policy for emergency response to heat wave events.	Geography Faculty Publish New Caribbean Atlas Tim Brothers, Jeff Wilson, and Owen Dwyer, Associate Professors in the IUPUI Geography Department, recently published a new atlas of the Caribbean that integrates essays, satellite imagery, astronaut photography, and ground photos to develop interpretations of the region's diverse landscapes. Caribbean Landscapes: An Interpretive Atlas was published by Caribbean Studies Press. Development of the project was supported by a grant from the Indiana University New Frontiers in the Arts and Humanities program.
IUPUI Geographers Awarded Grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living Research Program IUPUI Geography Associate Professor, Jeff Wilson, was a awarded a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research Program (ALR) to test new methods for measuring characteristics of the built environment that affect physical activity in everyday life.  Jeff's collaborators on this project include colleagues from the St. Louis University School of Public Health, the IU School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, and Rudy Banerjee, another IUPUI Geography faculty member.	National Geographic Society Funds Tim Brothers' Research on Cuban Landscape Change Tim Brothers, Associate Professor of Geography at IUPUI, was awarded a research grant from the National Geographic Society to study landscape change in Cuba.  Tim's project, entitled The Continuing Revolution: A Half Century of Cuban Landscape Change, will combine historic maps and aerial photos with modern satellite imagery to examine landscape dynamics in rural Cuba over the last 50 years, from the time of the Revolution to the present day.