Geography Convention

The South Dakota State Geography Convention is the longest running student organized and sponsored annual meeting in the United States. Approximately ten eminent academic and applied geographers from around the region, the country and Canada are invited to make presentations at the conference each spring. The Convention also features social activities, a Gamma Theta Upsilon initiation and an awards banquet. Field trips are provided on occasion.

Convention Geography

The 55th Geography Convention will be held Thursday, Apr. 4 through Friday, Apr. 5, 2024. The goal of the convention is to gather current students, alumni of the Geography Department, academic and applied geographers from around the region and share knowledge and enthusiasm for geography through professional presentations, discussions and social activities.

50th Geography Convention
Convention Origins
Convention Origins
Convention History excerpts from:
Origin of the South Dakota State Geography Convention
by Edward P. Hogan

Geography as an academic discipline was reestablished in the curriculum at South Dakota State University (SDSU) in February, 1967. Under the authority of the South Dakota Board of Regents of Education, South Dakota State University was authorized to offer a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography. The number of geography majors grew to fifteen by the spring of 1969. At that time, a party was held to celebrate that landmark occasion. The first degree from the new geography program was granted in the fall of 1969.

In 1969, there were two geographers on the SDSU faculty. There was a very active geography club at SDSU that also sought memberships in Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the International Geographical Honor Society. The Delta Zeta Chapter of GTU was chartered at SDSU on March 2, 1970.

One of the primary objectives of the Geography Club was to promote geography in the schools and within the state. In order to achieve this goal, two students and a faculty member met to discuss the possible means by which this objective could be attained. The students, Loren Hill and James Rapp, and the advisor, Ed Hogan, discussed a number of possible means to enhance the status of geography. At some time during the meeting, someone suggested "let's have a geography convention!" Today, when reflecting on that comment, one is reminded of movies made in the "Thirties" in which someone would say "Lets put on a show and save the college!"
50th Convention Officer (March 2019)
Club Members with AAG President

Convention Schedule (2024)

Day 1 - Thursday, Apr. 4 (Student Day, Volstorff Ballroom, University Student Union)

8:55 a.m. – Convention Welcome, Natalie Toben, Geography Club President

9 a.m.-noon – Student Paper and Poster Presentations, Judging 10 a.m.-noon

noon-1 p.m. - Lunch

1-4 p.m. - Geography and Geospatial Sciences Career Fair, Volstorff Ballroom, University Student Union 

6-9 p.m. - Social at Old Firehouse, 310 4th St., Brookings, SD 57006

Day 2 - Friday, April 5 (Volstorff Ballroom, University Student Union)

8:55 a.m. – Welcome, Natalie Toben, Geography Club President

9 a.m. - Dr. Michaela Buenemann, New Mexico State University

  • Title: Beyond the Buzz: Geospatial Insights for Mosquito-Borne Disease Surveillance and Management, Dr. Lee Opheim Lectureship

10 a.m.- Dr. Christina Dando, University of Nebraska, Omaha

  • Title: "The Map is Hers": Women, Maps and Copyright in Early Twentieth Century United States, Dr. John Fraser Hart Lectureship

11 a.m. - Lauri B. Hotovy Sohl, South Dakota State University and City of Sioux Falls

  • Title: Evolution of a Geographer and Enabling a Smart City

noon-1 p.m. - Lunch

1 p.m. - Dr. Aida Guhlincozzi, University of Missouri

  • Title: Healthcare Access for Vulnerable Populations and the Potential of Rural Geography, Dr. Edward P. Hogan, Lectureship

2 p.m. - Dr. Zach Hilgendorf, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

  • Title: Restoration and Geography: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Quantifying Environmental Restoration Efficacy in Anthropogenically - Altered Systems.

3 p.m. - Dr. Patrick Bitterman, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

  • Title: When Models Meet Reality:  Navigating the Collaborative Modeling Process in Search of Sustainable Policies.

4-5 p.m. - Break

Day 2 - Friday, April 5 (Woster Alumni Hall)

5 p.m. - Happy Hour

6 p.m. - Dinner

6:30 p.m. - Dr. Rebecca Lave, President, American Association of Geographers

  • Title: Reciprocal Geographies: Changing Our Vision of Science in the Service of the Public.

7:30 p.m. - Student and Alumni Awards

9 p.m. - Closing Remarks by Natalie Toben, Geography Club President