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What is your Research Focus? My research considers cultures and practices of “frontier-making,” from the Arctic to outer space and cyberspace. I’m particularly interested in the geopolitical issues relating to the development of infrastructure in these spaces as they begin to be enclosed. In the Arctic, climate change is catalyzing new opportunities and tensions in the region as various actors seek to take advantage of growing accessibility of shipping routes and natural… Read more
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"UW is making exciting inroads in data science and data studies, and I’m thrilled to be a part of this interdisciplinary effort, which spans from the humanities to the social and physical sciences and beyond," says Mia Bennett, assistant professor in the Department of Geography. Featured on UW Research 
Geography student and The Daily reporter Shira Zur recently published a timely and data-driven article addressing the impacts of certain 911 calls originating around the University of Washington Seattle campus. Titled "To report or not report ‘suspicious people’ near campus," Shira's article incorporates geospatial data visualizations and… Read more
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Geography Faculty Member and CSDE Affiliate Dr. Erin McElroy authored an article in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, titled “DIS/POSSESSORY DATA POLITICS: From Tenant Screening to Anti-Eviction Organizing," which places tenant screening data grabbing practices in tension with the ongoing work of housing justice-based… Read more
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Geography Professor and CSDE Affiliate Dr. Kam Wing Chan and Ph.D. Alum Dr. Xiaxia Yang (postdoc at King’s College, London) have recently published a commentary in Caixin Weekly, a major economics weekly in China. The title of their commentary is "The Secret of Chinese… Read more
Reminiscing about study abroad in Berlin, Germany, in winter 2023, UW geography student Candy Jiaxi Yuan found the experience "dramatically changed my perspective towards my future goals. I think when I was experiencing a totally new lifestyle, it gradually opened my eyes and allowed me to enjoy small moments." This new perspective informed the theme of Candy's submission for the… Read more
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Geography Professor and CSDE Affiliate Dr. Mia Bennett recently released research with colleagues in Global Environmental Change Advances, titled “Bringing satellites down to Earth: Six steps to more ethical remote sensing.“ To shed light on the politics of remote sensing, a technique often regarded as objective and neutral, the subfield of critical… Read more
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This guide provides information about adding, dropping, or withdrawing from any or all of your winter 2024 courses. January 3, 2024   Dear University of Washington students,This guide provides information about adding, dropping, or withdrawing from any or all of your winter 2024 courses. You may not need these instructions until later in the quarter, so hold onto this email for future reference. As always, consult with your adviser before making changes if… Read more
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The Chinese government has for decades periodically announced the imminent abolition of its decades-old household registration system, or hukou. The Ministry of Public Security fanned hopes in August of the beginning of the end of hukou by announcing the government would scrap its restrictions in cities with populations of 3 to 5 million. But Chinese policymakers are now backpedaling on that plan. Kam Wing Chan, professor of geography at the UW, is quoted.… Read more
Welcome to our newest graduate student cohort! Please find their biographies below. Zachary Cudney B.A., Geography, Globalization Studies, SUNY University at Albany; Education Abroad, University of Cape Town; M.A., Geography, Graduate Certificate in GIS and Spatial Analysis, SUNY University at Albany. Pronouns: he/him. Research interests: cultural geography, critical cartography, metaphors, and representations; mobilities, embodiment, and phenomenology; memory, archives, and landscape; science… Read more