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The Department of Geography and Environment at UNC Chapel Hill is committed to promoting diversity and a climate of inclusiveness in faculty, staff, and student body. We have a particular focus on historically underrepresented groups, but also are attentive to the broader questions of diversity that include attention to economic status, gender, sexuality, and ability.
Read our full faculty statement on diversity and our diversity committee’s mission statement. See also our June 2020 statement on anti-racism, our December 2018 and November 2019 statements on the confederate monument known as Silent Sam, and our March 2021 statement regarding violence against Asian and Asian-Americans across the U.S.
The Department of Geography and Environment at Carolina brings a unique perspective to the study of some of our world’s most pressing issues. Geographers integrate physical science, social science, and the humanities to study social and environmental patterns and processes on the earth’s surface. From analyzing regional dynamics of climate change, hydrology, vegetation, and biodiversity to investigating new global structures of work and labor, religion, public health, our faculty and students conduct cutting-edge research at one of the top geography departments in the country.
Explore our programs, see where our alumni are now, and find out how geography can help you get where you’re going. Geography just released its 2023 newsletter on Mother’s day! Please click here to download.
Events
Colloquium: Dr. Lydia Jennings
Thursday 5:00 pm
Colloquium: Dr. Tianna Bruno and Dr. Lydia Jennings
Friday 1:00 pm
Colloquium: Dr. Tianna Bruno
Friday 3:30 pm
2023 GIS Day Map Competition
Wednesday 3:00 pm
News
Colloquium (9/15): “Running from the Hills” by Frances O’Morchoe
Colloquium (9/15): “Running from the Hills” by Frances O’Morchoe
Dr. Purifoy launches Black Geographies special issue
Dr. Purifoy and the Center for the American South hosted a launch party to celebrate the Black Geographies issue of the journal Southern Cultures, which Dr. Purifoy guest edited. In the special issue, authors roller skate to claim space and … Read more
Dr. Riveros-Iregui funded by the National Science Foundation’s FRES Program
Dr. Riveros-Iregui and the UNC Carbonshed Lab have received a new grant from the National Science Foundation’s Frontier Research in Earth Sciences (FRES) Program, titled “From Peaks To Slopes To Communities, Tropical Glacierized Volcanoes As Sentinels of Global Change: Integrated … Read more
Professor Clark Gray featured in UNC Endeavors
Dr. Clark Gray’s research on climate change and migration is featured in Endeavors.
Careers
James Ellsmoor
BA, Class of ’16
Founder, Island Innovation
“UNC Geography was my entry point into understanding the world and trying to make it a greener place. Now I am using these skills to implement sustainable development projects in island communities around the world.”
Ella Koeze
BA, class of ‘15
Graphics Editor For The New York Times
“My GIS classes at UNC were the first time I ever truly thought about the power of visualizing data, which is now the basis of most of my work.”
Claire Strack
BA, Class of ’21
Public Health Analyst at RTI International
“My training in spatial data science taught me many of the R skills that I now use on a near-daily basis to prepare and analyze spatial data. My exposure to spatial data science began with the course GEOG 215 where I applied the knowledge from the course under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Delamater. The technical background and problem-solving skills I gained from these experiences have played a crucial part in preparing me for my current role.”