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The American Association of Geographers (AAG) held its 2024 elections and winning one of two open seats on the six-member National Council is Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Adriana E. Martinez, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Sciences (GIS), and in the Department of Environmental Sciences.

In her role on the AAG national board, Martinez will serve a three-year term with the overall goals of the association to advance geographic research and practice, conduct professional development, support members, encourage outreach, and strengthen the association by seeking funding to support these goals.

“I was excited to learn I would be serving in this capacity,” said Martinez. “In particular I’m eager to work on DEI issues within Physical Geography and Geography more broadly. I feel that my strong community, developed over years of networking, helped me get elected. And I’m excited to represent Latinx physical geographers as well as a more regional institution with a teacher-scholar model.”

Martinez has been a dedicated leader in AAG. She currently serves on the AAG Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. She was also selected to AAG’s inaugural Elevate the Discipline cohort, which provides training for geographers to connect their work to public and policy arenas. Some examples of their work may be seen on CNN, Scripps News, and a variety of print publications including the Wall Street Journal, BBC, and The Guardian.

Martinez has previously served as a committee member and later chair of AAG’s Summer Series for Students and Recent Graduates, a program developed during the pandemic to provide additional methods skills to geography students and recent graduates.

"The American Association of Geographers is fortunate to have Dr. Martinez serve as a member of its National Council,” said Jessica C. Harris, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “She is not only a champion and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in her field but, also at SIUE. Dr. Martinez’s leadership is invaluable, as she continues to make a difference both on campus and beyond.”

In her statement to members deciding on Martinez’ nomination, she wrote, “Given my position at a primarily Master’s granting institution and the work I’ve done around geoscience identity and ADEI, my main objectives as an AAG councilor would be to highlight and further the ADEI work that AAG and geographers are conducting.”

At SIUE, Martinez has led multiple book clubs focusing on creating inclusive spaces in the classroom and the University as a whole and recently created the Belonging Learning Community. In addition, she is helping to organize a BIPOC staff and faculty writing retreat, among other activities to promote belonging and inclusion.

Martinez adds, “My goal would be to continue to make the discipline more inclusive at all levels, from K-12 education to full professors. Doing so could place geography at the forefront of the geosciences where geographers could serve as an example on how to engage membership more fully around diversity and equity.”

PHOTO:   Adriana Martinez, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Sciences (GIS), and in the Department of Environmental Sciences