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2026 Graduation Highlights
2026 Department of Geography and Environment Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony.
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All Are Welcome
The Department of Geography and Environment at UNC Chapel Hill is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusiveness for all faculty, staff, and students. We welcome all who join our department, including historically underrepresented groups and people, regardless of their economic status, gender, sexuality, and disability.
The Department of Geography and Environment at Carolina brings a unique perspective to the study of some of our world’s most pressing issues. Geographers integrate physical science, social science, and the humanities to study social and environmental patterns and processes on the earth’s surface. From analyzing regional dynamics of climate change, hydrology, vegetation, and biodiversity to investigating new global structures of work and labor, religion, public health, our faculty and students conduct cutting-edge research at one of the top geography departments in the country.
Explore our programs, see where our alumni are now, and find out how geography can help you get where you’re going. Geography released its 2026 newsletter in May. Please click here to download.
News
Dr. Amanda DelVecchia Awarded NSF CAREER Grant to Investigate Hidden Carbon Pathways in Streams
Proposal title: CAREER: Cryptic carbon: How does chemosynthesis contribute to stream productivity? Proposal number: 2533822 The National Science Foundation recently awarded a CAREER grant, entitled “Cryptic carbon: How does chemosynthesis contribute to stream productivity?” to Dr. Amanda DelVecchia, an assistant … Read more
Geography Minor Tiana Dinham Named Rhodes Scholar, First Jamaica Recipient in UNC History
Chapel Hill, N.C. – Carolina senior Tiana Dinham has been named the 55th Rhodes scholar in UNC-Chapel Hill history, earning the prestigious scholarship for the Jamaica constituency. A geological sciences major with a minor in geography, Dinham is the first Carolina … Read more
Geography Major Gabrielle Moreau Wins Rhodes Scholarship to Study Indigenous Governance and Environmental Justice
Chapel Hill, N.C. – Gabrielle Moreau, a dual-degree student at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for the Canada constituency. The geography and environment major will pursue graduate studies at Oxford University, where she plans to … Read more
The 2026 newsletter from the Department of Geography & Environment at UNC–Chapel Hill is now available!
The 2026 newsletter from the Department of Geography & Environment at UNC–Chapel Hill is now available! This year’s edition highlights faculty and student achievements, research initiatives, fieldwork, alumni updates, awards, and events from across our department community. We invite you … Read more
Careers
Cesar Reyes
BA, Class of ’21
Transportation Analyst
“Aside from the very important hard skill of using GIS software. Geography taught me to look beyond the numbers and lines on the map and invest in learning in the story, emotions, and ideas of a place.”
David Hunt
BA, class of ‘87
GIS Analyst/E911 Coordinator
“Many skills I learned at UNC remain relevant today. Courses in cartography, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and urban geography built a strong GIS foundation. Programming and database skills from computer science are still essential, and geology knowledge has supported my work in emergency management and public safety planning.”
Claire Strack
BA, Class of ’21
Public Health Analyst at RTI International
“My training in spatial data science taught me many of the R skills that I now use on a near-daily basis to prepare and analyze spatial data. My exposure to spatial data science began with the course GEOG 215 where I applied the knowledge from the course under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Delamater. The technical background and problem-solving skills I gained from these experiences have played a crucial part in preparing me for my current role.”
