The American Association of Geographers (AAG) is a non-profit scientific and educational society aimed at advancing the understanding, study, and importance of geography and related fields.
"[5] Spearheaded under the presidency of geography professor Eric Sheppard, the name change reflects the US-based organization's diversity and inclusion of non-American members and participants.
[9] Specialty groups have long provided a way for geographers with specific interests to collaborate and communicate, including organizing and sponsoring sessions at the annual meeting as well as granting awards to their members.
[11] The annual meeting offers upwards of 4,000 papers and presentations on topics as diverse as soil moisture,[10] climate change,[12] population dynamics, political instability, sustainable agriculture, natural hazards, urban landscapes, geography and militarism,[13] and technologies such as geographic information systems.
The annual meetings also offer an extensive exhibit hall featuring publishers, technology companies, universities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
Prior to the shift online, the annual meetings were held in person in Washington D.C. (2019), New Orleans (2018), Boston (2017), San Francisco (2016), Chicago (2015), Tampa (2014),[13] Los Angeles (2013), New York (2012), and Seattle (2011).
The AAG has a long history of fruitful partnerships with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private industry.
[22][23] The fund promotes quantitative geography by rewarding student research that focuses on applying GIScience and computers to spatial problems.
[25] This award recognizes masters students who have performed innovative research advancing quantitative geography with $2000 and a certificate of merit.
[23][26] William Garrison was highly influential in the quantitative revolution in geography and had many graduate students (dubbed the space cadets) who went on to be highly influential within the discipline, including Brian Berry, William Bunge, Michael Dacey, Arthur Getis, Duane Marble, and Waldo Tobler.