It’s a full week to celebrate and recognize the land we stand on in New Mexico and beyond.
In conjunction with National Geography Awareness Week, Nov. 14-18, and Geographic Information System (GIS) Day, Nov. 16, The University of New Mexico’s Department of Geography & Environmental Studies (GES), Center for the Advancement of Spatial Informatics Research and Education (ASPIRE), Student Association of Geography and Environmental Studies (SAGES), the R.H. Mallory Center for Community Geography, are celebrating geography awareness week on campus. Additional partners include the University Libraries, Global Education Office, Geography Alumni Chapter and the Earth Data Analysis Center (EDAC).
Campus partners will host a series of events around the campus to commemorate the week. Geography Awareness Week is a celebration of geography and its role in our everyday lives, which has been held nationwide since 1987, thanks to National Geographic. Over 100,000 Americans are estimated to partake in this week of recognition.
Below is a list of events ahead:
Monday, Nov. 14
Geography Awareness Table
Location: Duck Pond
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Students, staff and faculty can learn about the history and importance of the week. There will also be information on the events ahead and how to participate. This is open to the public.
Tuesday, Nov. 15
ASPRS eCognition Workshop
Location: Bandelier Hall East
9:30 to 11 a.m.
Head to the GES Computer Lab, room 106, to learn about geospatial data analysis. The UNM Chapter of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing will host Trimble eCognition software for lessons on object-based image analysis. There will also be hands-on learning and demos, based on the Geographic Object Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) system. Detailed information about this workshop can be found here.
Wednesday, Nov. 16
GIS DAY Symposium
Location: SUB Atrium & SUB Ballroom B
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrate International GIS Day, an annual event celebrating the technology of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which first took place in 1999. GIS is a scientific framework for gathering, analyzing, and visualizing geographic data to help
geographers make better decisions. Experts (and experts-in-training) from both UNM and outside of UNM will be present to answer student questions. Students can learn about GIS, visit technology demonstrations, and be part of a poster competition. There will also be a Google Earth Virtual Reality Tour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and GIS lightning talks from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Click here to set up a booth or give a lightning talk at this event. Submit student poster submissions here or email Theodros Woldeyohannes. The detailed schedule of the GIS day symposium, including scannable QR codes for registration, are available here.
Wednesday, Nov. 16
ASPIRE Open House
Location: PAIS Co-op room 2120
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Later that day there will also be an open house for UNM’s new geospatial center, the Center for Advancement of Spatial Informatics Research & Education (ASPIRE). This will include tours of labs, co-op spaces, demos and a meet and greet. Awards will also be given out for the poster contest. A detailed schedule of the open house is available here.
Thursday, Nov. 17
Film Screening, “Soil, Struggle and Justice: Agroecology in Brazilian Landless Movement”
Location: Sub Theater
3 p.m.
SAGES will host a film screening of the movie: "Soil, Struggle and Justice: Agroecology in Brazilian Landless Movement". This examines the Brazilian Landless Movement, and their struggles for land access, as well as agriculture. This is free, with a live Q&A after the film, with the director Andreas Hernandez. Detailed information about this event can be found here.
Friday, Nov 18
Annual Murphy Lecture
Location: Mitchell Hall
3 to 4 p.m.
The 2022 Murphy lecture will be provided by Juanita Sundberg of The University of British Columbia in room 102. Her lecture is entitled: “Unstable Grounds: Desert Soils and Boundary Enforcement at the United States – Mexico Border”. Dr. Sundberg brings insights of feminist political ecology to bear on nature conservation, border security, and militarization. Her work seeks to foster conversations between feminist geopolitics, critical race theory, post-humanism, political ecology, and Latin American Studies. This is free and open to the public with a reception to follow. Detailed information about the Murphy Lecture can be found here.
Reach out to Yan Lin or Theodros Woldeyohannes if you have any questions. All events are free and open to the public. You can also find out more details in the full list of events on Geography & Environmental Studies.
