Geography research examines the connections between people, places and environments. Geographers study the “why”, the “how”, and the “where.”
- where things are located and why they are located where they are
- how places are connected to one another and how they may differ
- how places and peoples interact with the environment
In investigating these themes, geographers study some of the world’s most pressing issues:
- climate change
- water shortages
- loss of biodiversity
- globalization and economic systems
- urban and regional development
- immigration and social change
- poverty and inequality
Research in geography is rich and exciting because it brings together theoretical and methodological approaches with data-grounded examinations.
At UWM our faculty and students have diverse research interests and agendas, all united though through a passion for understanding more about the interactions among places, peoples, and environments. Our research, like our degree programs are organized around three areas: Human Geography and Urban Environments; Physical Geography and Environmental Studies; and Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing. You can explore the biographies of each faculty within each category.
Our areas of faculty expertise are:
- GIS (Geographic Information Science) and Society
- Transportation and GIS
- Environmental Change and Sustainability
- GIS, Remote Sensing, and Spatial Analysis
- Social and Environmental Justice
- Race, Class, and Gender
- Urban Inequality
- Urban Housing and Landscapes
- Globalization and Economic Development
- Immigration and Refugees
- Biogeography
- Climate Change and Water
- Vegetation-Climate Interactions
- Ecological Response to Environmental Change