PLEASE NOTE - ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE REGISTER IN PERSON AT THE MEETING. CASH OR CHECK ONLY PLEASE
2016 Joint Annual Meeting of Middle States Division of American Association of Geographers and the Pennsylvania Geographical Society
The MSD-AAG and PGS Annual Meeting Committees invite proposals for the 2016 PGS Annual Meeting in Altoona, PA on November 4-5, 2016. The meeting will be held at the Blair County Convention Center. Papers and posters on all geographic topics are accepted. Registration for the meeting will begin on August 29th. Participants who register by October 14th will receive a $10 discount on the registration fees.
Paper sessions are 60-80 minutes long and consist of three to four presentations of 15-20 minutes. Papers on all topics of a geographic nature are welcome. Abstracts of a maximum of 200 words should be submitted with registration. Concurrent paper sessions will be held on Friday, November 4 and Saturday morning, November 5. Each room is equipped with a computer, digital projector and screen. We urge participants to use PowerPoint software for their presentations and to have your presentation on a flash drive.
Posters and maps will be on display all day on Friday. Please visit the PGS website for poster size restrictions. Abstract submissions for papers and posters will not be accepted after October 23rd! No exceptions! You will be required to submit your abstract information on-line through the PGS meeting web site.
Suggestions for workshops, organized paper sessions and thematic discussion panels are also welcome. Please contact the meeting chairs, Brent Zaprowski (bjzaprowski@salisbury.edu) or Joan Welch (JWelch@wcupa.edu) if you are interested in running a workshop or special session.
Students are encouraged to enter the paper contest, sponsored by MSD-AAG or the Elaine F. Bosowski map/poster contest sponsored by PGS. Cash awards are presented to the best graduate and undergraduate student papers, maps or posters displayed at the annual meeting. Any graduate or undergraduate student who is registered and presenting at the meeting is eligible to compete in the student competitions if they choose. Separate competitions will be held for graduate and undergraduate students (Student status is as of May 1, 2016). Students may enter the paper or map/poster contest simply by checking the appropriate box on the registration form when registering for the conference.
All meals will be held at the Blair County Convention Center. At the Friday banquet, the PGS will be handing out their annual awards, followed by a guest speaker. This year's guest speaker is Dr. Mark Bonta from Penn State Altoona. The MSDAAG will be giving out their annual awards at the the Saturday luncheon, and Dr. Sarah Bednarz, past president of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), will be the guest speaker. Note that the luncheon is free for all registered students!
The MSDAAG Geography Bowl will take place Saturday morning, November 5th. All Division undergraduate and graduate students are invited to compete this fall. You may form a team beforehand (5-6 people) or sign up at the fall meeting to be placed on a team. Information on playing or setting up a team can be found at http://worldgeobowl.org/about/competition-rules/
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact our Vice President, Dr. James Kernan, State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, at kernan@geneseo.edu. Top scorers will be announced at the Saturday luncheon.
There will be a field trip to the Railroader Museum and the Horseshoe Curve, an iconic cultural landmark of the Allegheny Plateau, on Saturday afternoon, November 5th.
The American Association of Geographers (AAG) will reimburse attendees up to $150 in child care costs. If anyone is interested in taking advantage of this support, please contact Joan Welch at jwelch@wcupa.edu or 610-436-2940. The child care provider must be certified and contracted by the MSD, and reimbursement managed through the MSD.
Please click here to download a detailed list of lodging information, directions, and other relevant information.