First Time at AAG: Presenting Research, Making Connections, and Finding My Place in Geography
The 2026 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting brought thousands of geographers from around the country to beautiful San Francisco, California. As a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill my department encourages and supports young researchers to both attend and present at this annual meeting.
I could not have been more excited that my first time attending AAG would be in San Francisco, a city I visited frequently having grown up in the Bay Area. Conferences can be overwhelming, but for passionate geographers they are one of the best places to share your research, meet new people and learn emerging science.
Presenting my Research at a Conference
Prior to the conference I had successfully defended my Masters thesis titled “Spatially Granular Insights and Analyses of High Wind Risk in the Southeastern United States”. AAG was going to be the first time I presented this research at a national conference. Each paper session at AAG had a different thematic focus and researchers from all stages, undergraduate to working professional were encouraged to present.
In my session we had graduate students presenting right alongside tenured faculty members. The title of the session was Hazard, Risks and Vulnerabilities. As I looked out into the audience I was grateful that I recognized many of the faces, individuals who I had met at previous workshops and sessions.
Presenting my work in this forum has been one of the most rewarding experiences, as for the first time I was able to discuss research I had done rather than reporting on work previously completed in the field. A key aspect of graduate school is the transition from being a consumer of knowledge to a producer of knowledge.
In presenting at AAG, I demonstrated to myself that I was making that transition and my work was now forming new knowledge. My research focuses on quantifying risk and spatially identifying the regions of the Southeast most at risk for a wind related injury or fatality.
Building My Network
Esri’s Young Professional Network (YPN) provided multiple spaces for young GIS professionals to learn about the world of digital networking, engage with Esri employees, and engage with each other. I had the opportunity to attend the Esri YPN workshop titled Mapping Connections: Leverage Esri YPN to Build your Network and Explore GIS Careers hosted by Rosemary Boone and Andrew Haglund.
It was at this workshop where I learned it was a possibility to write for the YPN Blog! This workshop also demonstrated to us the importance of reaching out and making connections and also had the opportunity to practice networking with one another. Our digital networks are important because it allows for us to interact with people we might typically not meet in person and keep in contact with those far away. It's rewarding to dedicate time to engage with fellow GIS lovers in spaces such as LinkedIn.
The Esri YPN Networking Reception later that evening incorporated a speed networking bingo activity. This activity facilitated and encouraged me to introduce myself to new people as we worked to identify who met the various criteria. Although I finished my board right after the last prize had been claimed, I still walked out a winner with multiple new personal and professional connections as a result of the activity.
In addition to making new connections, AAG 2026 reconnected me with previous collaborators. I was so grateful for the opportunity to reconnect in person with a collaborator from my undergraduate university. We were able to attend mutual sessions and exchange highlights from our conference experience.
The World Geography Bowl
Since 1993 AAG has hosted the World Geography Bowl at the annual meeting and it brings together teams of students from each regional division to compete in answering a variety of quiz questions. Now this is not just any trivia event, this is a multi-stage highly competitive event where students have to qualify at their individual regional meetings before reconvening at the annual meeting.
Each university is assigned to a different region and as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a part of SEDAAG I was definitely cheering for them! Competitors receive travel support from their regional chapters to attend AAG and the winners at the annual meeting receives prizes. As a trivia lover, watching the World Geography Bowl may have been one of my favorite events at AAG! I enjoyed watching students quickly answer complex geography questions and got to witness long standing regional rivalries.
This was one of my favorite events because it was a pure celebration of the diversity of the geographic discipline. The questions ranged widely from topics in social geography to topography to GIS technical skills. I truly recommend anyone that attends future AAG meetings to put this on their schedule.
Final Thoughts
AAG 2026 has set a high bar for future conferences! From attending captivating sessions, to making new connections and reconnecting with familiar faces to presenting my own geographic research for the first time, AAG created the perfect environment to grow as both a researcher and as a GIS professional. I am extremely grateful I had the opportunity to attend, and I encourage any young GIS professionals to attend their own event, even if it is not a big conference such as AAG.
Each experience can teach you something new and in-person events are a great way to start meeting other likeminded GIS professionals. Esri hosts a variety of events and conferences throughout the year which are the perfect place for in-person networking. Additionally, Esri YPN hosts events throughout the year including the YPN chapter meet ups tailored directly for young professionals to network and connect in-person.
I would love to connect with any student or young professional interested in hazard and resilience geographies or are curious about attending in person events and conferences.
Feel free to contact me or connect with me on LinkedIn!
