2026 Geography & Environment Newsletter
Message from the Chair
Department Spotlights
Message from the Chair
Greetings from Samson Hall!
It’s been another busy and productive year for GW Geography & Environment. Our department continues to grow, with 168 undergraduate majors, more than 100 minors and nearly 3,000 course enrollments during the past academic year. But the numbers tell only part of the story. What makes G&E special is the opportunity for students to put their geographic and environmental knowledge and skills to work on real-world problems.
Student research remains at the heart of what we do. Our graduate students traveled to Arctic Alaska to investigate permafrost thaw and the challenges facing northern communities. Closer to home, environmental studies students measured the effectiveness of D.C.’s green infrastructure, while geography capstone students explored transportation and urban livability. Other students worked alongside faculty on projects involving public health, migration and environmental justice.
Several of our students received undergraduate research fellowships for projects examining topics such as “Latino Youth Identity and Digital Place-Making,” “Vulnerability-Resilience Paradox in the Changing Arctic,” “Community-based Mitigation Strategies to Human Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka” and “Urban Gardens in Washington, D.C.”
Students also participated in drone training in Virginia and a short-term study-abroad program in Ghana. Meanwhile, our Humanitarian Mapping Society continues its work contributing valuable geographic data to communities around the world.
Beyond research, our speaker series, career events and informal gatherings help sustain our community. This October, thanks to the largesse of our donors, we revived a favorite G&E tradition: our fall camping weekend at Catoctin Camp after a seven-year hiatus!
We love hearing from our alumni. Wherever geography has taken you, you’re always part of our G&E community.
Sincerely,
David Rain
Associate Professor of Geography and International Affairs
Department Chair
Department Spotlights
Catoctin Camp Tradition Returns
The department returned to a tradition that has been on hold since the pandemic: the department-wide community camping trip to Catoctin Quaker Camp in Thurmont, Md. Activities included a strenuous hike led by the department chair, a drone demo and a square dance. Students prepared all the meals and a good time was had by all!
Student Research Award Winners
The department recognizes the following students for their academic excellence:
Isabella Franco
Award name: Undergraduate Research Award Project
Title: Reconstructing the Barrio: Latino Youth Identity and Digital Place-Making
Awarding office: Office of the Vice Provost for Research and the Office of the Provost
Amelia Ogawa
Award name: Luther Rice Award
Project title: Unveiling the Vulnerability-Resilience Paradox in the Changing Arctic: A Case Study of Alaska Communities
Awarding office: Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Risanga Dinsara Bandara Abeygunasekara
Award name: Knapps Fellowship
Project title: From Conflict to Coexistence: Community-based Mitigation Strategies to Human Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka
Awarding office: Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service
Caitlin Chan, Bridget Kinnaman & Ruby Klein
Award name: Julian Clement Chase Prize (Honorable mention)
Project title: It Takes a Village: Urban Gardens in Washington, D.C.
Awarding office: GW University Writing Program
GW Alumna Returns to Teach Water Resources
This academic year as we cover some classes for faculty getting much-deserved sabbaticals, we reached out to our alumni pool for help. Anne Lausier, BA ’13, heeded our call.
Dr. Lausier was a double major in geography and environmental studies. She attended the University of Maine and graduated with an MS (2015) and PhD (2019) in civil engineering with a focus on water resources. She returned to the D.C. area in 2019 and currently works in the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going to concerts and cheering on her favorite hockey teams.