American Geographical Society

• The American Geographical Society (AGS) is a nonprofit geographic organization founded in 1851.
• AGS works to advance geographic knowledge, geospatial education, and exploration for the benefit of society.

Vision

• "To be the foremost champion of geography for the benefit of society."

Mission

AGS states that its mission is to:

• Convene a diverse global community of innovators, thinkers, and practitioners.
• Create and curate geographical knowledge, learning, and exploration.
• Advance geographic science and technologies to address society's challenges and opportunities.

Key Activities

• Hosting public events and symposia on major geographic and geospatial topics.
• Supporting geography and GeoSTEM education, especially for high school and graduate students.
• Publishing geographical research and related materials.
• Cultivating the next generation of geospatial leaders and innovators.

Location and Contact

• Office address: 121 Avenue of the Americas, Floor 6, New York, NY 10013, USA
• Phone: 917-745-8354
• Email: ags@americangeo.org

Who AGS Serves

• Educators and students in geography and geospatial fields.
• Academic and professional geographers.
• Public, private, and nonprofit organizations interested in geography and geospatial technologies.
• Members of the public with an interest in geographic knowledge and exploration.

Annual Corporate Membership

• Annual corporate membership amount: USD $2,500.

Key Benefits for AGS Champions

Corporate members in the AGS Champions program receive benefits that may include:

• 1 complimentary registration to the AGS Fall Symposium.
• 1 AGS Fellows membership for a designated company representative.
• A company spotlight feature on the AGS UBIQUE blog, promoted through AGS social media channels.
• Logo placement on the AGS website.
• Reciprocal usage of American Geographical Society logos on the company's website and promotional materials (subject to AGS guidelines).
• Recognition at AGS events and workshops.
• Recognition in the AGS Annual Progress Report.
• Opportunities for social media coordination and cross-promotion with AGS.

How to Join

• Organizations can join the AGS Champions program by completing the membership form and payment process provided on the AGS website.
• Current details, terms, and any updates to benefits or pricing are maintained on the AGS corporate sponsorship page.

Who This Is For

• Businesses and organizations that wish to support geography and geospatial education.
• Corporate partners seeking visibility and engagement within the geography, geospatial, and education communities.

Purpose of the Anthology

The anthology aims to:

• Provide a publicly accessible, single-source database chronicling the contributions of Black geographers.
• Bring awareness to the impacts, contributions, and legacies of Black geographers in academia, their communities, and the wider world.
• Highlight the variety of professional paths possible with an advanced degree in geography.
• Encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue higher education opportunities in geography.

Who Is Included

• Black geographers in the anthology are typically teachers, lecturers, or professors of African American or Black/African descent.
• They hold advanced degrees in geography and have demonstrated records of teaching and research in the discipline.

Cohorts and Coverage

The anthology has been released in cohorts based on the year of degree completion:

• 1900–2000 cohort: first cohort, released in February 2021.
• 2001–2010 cohort: released in 2022.
• 2010–2020 cohort: released in 2023.

The online resource includes photographs, biographies, and notable facts about each featured geographer.

Ongoing Expansion

• Despite extensive research, AGS recognizes that the current list may not yet be fully comprehensive.
• AGS invites submissions of additional profiles for Black geographers who should be included in the tribute.
• A link on the AGS website allows visitors to submit a profile for consideration in the anthology.

Access

• The Celebrating Black Geographers anthology is available through the AGS website as an interactive database.
• Visitors can browse entries (for example, by last name or by year of degree conferral) and learn more about individual geographers and their contributions.

• AGS periodically hosts special events featuring prominent explorers and geographers.
• A highlighted event is a Fliers and Explorers Globe signing with Dr. Kathy Sullivan at the Explorers Club in New York City.
• Dr. Sullivan is noted as the only person to have both made a spacewalk and reached the bottom of the ocean's deepest trench.
• At this globe-signing event, attendees can meet Dr. Sullivan as she adds her signature to those of explorers and adventurers from the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Event dates, times, registration details, and any updates are published on the AGS website.

AGS Fall Symposium

• AGS hosts an annual Fall Symposium in New York City.
• For 2026, the AGS Fall Symposium is scheduled for November 19–20, 2026 in New York City.
• The symposium brings together a diverse community of experts and practitioners to discuss major geographic, geospatial, and societal challenges and opportunities.
• Program themes, speaker lists, venue details, and registration information are provided through the AGS website and official communications.

Staying Up to Date

• Event schedules, registration links, and future program announcements are updated on the AGS website and social media channels.
• For the most current information on upcoming AGS events and symposia, visitors should refer to the AGS website or contact AGS directly.

Scope of the Journal

The Geographical Review welcomes manuscripts on topics of geographical importance, including but not limited to:

• Human geography
• Physical geography
• Nature–society relationships
• GIScience (Geographic Information Science)

Articles that are especially encouraged include:

• Empirical studies grounded in theory
• Innovative syntheses that deepen understanding of a phenomenon
• Research with potential policy implications or prescriptions

The journal is written to be interesting and accessible to both specialists and nonspecialists.

Types of Content

The Geographical Review publishes:

• Standard research articles
• Special features
• Forum articles
• Special review articles commissioned by the editor
• Book reviews and review essays

Each issue includes reviews of recent books, monographs, and atlases in geography and related fields.

Peer Review Policy

• Research Articles: Double-anonymous peer review by at least two referees.
• Forums and Special Articles: Single-anonymous peer review by at least two referees.
• Book Reviews and Review Essays: Reviewed by the Book Review Editor.
• All other article types are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief.

Call for Book Reviews

• AGS periodically publishes a list of recent books for which the Geographical Review is requesting reviews.
• Qualified individuals interested in reviewing a listed title are invited to contact the Book Review Editor (as listed on the AGS or journal website).
• Details on available titles and how to volunteer as a reviewer are provided on the AGS website.

Where to Find More Information

• Current calls for articles and book reviews, submission instructions, and author guidelines are maintained on the official Geographical Review and AGS web pages.
• For definitive and up-to-date policies, prospective authors and reviewers should consult the journal's official online information.

Eligibility

• Open to student members of the American Geographical Society.
• Available to both Master's and Doctoral students.
• Applicants must be studying at accredited colleges or universities in the United States.

Fellowship Amount

• Each AGS Council Fellowship award is USD $2,000.

Fields of Study

• The program considers proposals from any sub-field of geography.
• While the program encourages a fieldwork component, fieldwork is encouraged but not required.

Expectations and Outcomes

• Fellowship recipients are encouraged to publish their research results in one of AGS's journals, when appropriate.
• Example funded projects have addressed topics such as:
• Urban morphology, neighborhood change, and the built environment.
• Health and medical geography, including reproductive healthcare access.
• Climate-induced human mobility and environmental change.
• Near-coastal sea ice monitoring and polar science in Arctic communities.

Award Cycles

• The AGS Council Fellowships are awarded on an academic-year cycle (for example, 2025–2026).
• For each cycle, AGS announces when applications open and provides deadlines and application instructions.
• Information for upcoming award cycles (such as 2026–2027) is posted on the AGS website, typically in the fall preceding the award period.

Where to Find Current Details

• Official eligibility criteria, deadlines, application instructions, and lists of current and past awardees are maintained on the AGS website.
• Applicants should always consult the latest information on the AGS Council Fellowship web page for definitive guidance.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.