The overall mission of the Department of Geography is to conduct theoretical and applied geographic research in a dynamic and responsive manner that educates and inspires students to become critical and committed citizens who contribute to solutions for our planet.
Department head: Brian King
Associate Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Bronwen Powell
Associate Head of Undergraduate Programs: Chris Fowler
Associate Head of Resident Graduate Programs: Trevor Birkenholtz
Director of Online Geospatial Education: Anthony Robinson
Degrees offered: B.S., B.A., M.S., M.GIS, Ph.D., minors, and certificates
Visit Department Website: https://geog.psu.edu
During her final semester at Penn State, Marsella Degnan gained hands-on research experience through the Department of Geography by helping track how opioid settlement funds are being used across Pennsylvania.
Three geographers whose research examines climate justice, energy systems and changing relationships between people and the environment will take part in a public keynote discussion panel from 3:45 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 2, at the Overlook Pavilion at the Arboretum at Penn State.
Shannon Speed, Paula Gunn Allen Chair and professor of American Indian studies, gender studies and anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), will deliver the Penn State Department of Geography’s annual E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Endowed Lecture at noon on Friday, Oct. 23, in the Foster Auditorium at Penn State University Park and via Zoom.
Roberta Mendonça De Carvalho, teaching associate professor in the urban studies program at the University of Pittsburgh, will deliver a talk titled “500 Cities in 50 Years: Fragmentation and Urban Expansion in the Amazon” at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18, in 112 Walker Building at Penn State University Park. The talk will also be accessible via Zoom.
It’s not so much where people live, but where they frequently spend their time that can provide useful information for predicting community health measures. A team led by geographers in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences found that adding place visitation data — geographical data points collected from millions of anonymous cell phone users with GPS-enabled devices — to a population health model increased the model’s predictive performance by an average of 7.5%.
This summer was a time for travel, research, internships and expanding classroom lessons for many students in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Jennifer Mapes, assistant professor of geography at Kent State, will open the Penn State Department of Geography's fall 2026 Coffee Hour seminar series at noon on Friday, Aug. 28, in 401 Steidle Building Penn State University Park. The talk also will be accessible via Zoom.
Pennsylvania ranks second in U.S. natural gas production, accounting for about one-fifth of U.S. output in 2024, and has one of the most extensive histories of energy extraction in the country. A team of researchers from Penn State is trying to better understand the environmental impacts of these sites — specifically, if fracking is increasing radium content in local drinking water.
When Nate Cherok walked into the Penn State career fair during his senior year in 2024, he was not expecting to leave with the job that would launch his career. But one conversation moved quickly from introduction to interview process, he said, and by the time he graduated later that year with his degree in geography, Cherok had found where he wanted to start his career.
The Penn State Social Science Research Institute’s Community-Engaged Research, Action and Partnerships (CERAP) unit recently awarded six seed grants to support interdisciplinary community-engaged research.
