Maptivists Speaker Series

Each week our team at American Geographical Society collaborates with professionals in the world of geography and geospatial to bring your students an interactive guest speaker from the geo-world! These Maptivists come from a variety of backgrounds ranging from academia to non-profits, to the private sector and beyond. This series aims to demonstrate to students where their mapping skills can take them, by providing a space where they can interface and engage with inspiring geo-leaders who represent a wide range of perspectives and career paths within the realms of geography and geospatial. Take a look below to see this month's speakers and access any past recorded sessions here in our Maptivists Library!

Up Next! - Esperanza Ortega-Tapia

Esperanza Ortega-Tapia (she/her) is a 26-year-old geographer with a Master of Science in Geography and a certificate in GIS from George Washington University. She currently serves as the NASA Lifelines Communications Fellow and is completing a service year with the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps, where she works with OurSpace, a Black-owned agricultural organization focused on food justice and sovereignty. Across both roles, Esperanza leverages their GIS and geography expertise to advance humanitarian efforts and support marginalized communities.

Join our zoom and hear Esperanza speak on Thursday January 9th at 3:00 PM EST!

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Upcoming Maptivists Speakers

Esperanza Ortega-Tapia

January 9th at 3:00 PM EST

Esperanza Ortega-Tapia (she/her) is a 26-year-old geographer with a Master of Science in Geography and a certificate in GIS from George Washington University. She currently serves as the NASA Lifelines Communications Fellow and is completing a service year with the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps, where she works with OurSpace, a Black-owned agricultural organization focused on food justice and sovereignty. Across both roles, Esperanza leverages their GIS and geography expertise to advance humanitarian efforts and support marginalized communities.

Kat Anderson

January 17th at 3:00 PM EST

Kaitlyn (Kat) Anderson (she/her) is a second-year Geography Master’s student at the University of Florida. Her research interests lie in geospatial analysis, socio-environmental systems, road ecology, conservation, and ethnography. Her research spans diverse global contexts, from the forests of Appalachia to the Peruvian Amazon, blending fieldwork with digital methodologies. She is committed to creating work that is applicable and digestible to all people, regardless of academic background.

Clinton Johnson

January 23rd at 3:00 PM EST

Clinton Johnson (he/him) is an accomplished professional who's passionate about advancing social justice through GIS mapping technology. In addition to serving as an AGS council member, he also works as the Racial Equity and Social Justice Lead at ESRI, and is the founder of NorthStar GIS. NorthStar is a nonprofit committed to creating a more racially just world through GIS, Geography, and STEM fields. Through this organization, he has leveraged his expertise to champion important causes and make meaningful contributions towards building a better future.

Faiyad Rishal

January 31st at 3:00 PM EST

Faiyad Rishal (he/him) is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Geosciences at Auburn University. His research interests include the intersection of the physical and human dimensions of climate and disaster risk, urban sustainability, GIS, and remote sensing. For his Master's thesis he is exploring how land use land cover changes influence the urban heat island effect in South Asia. The overall goal of this research is to connect these findings with policy interventions to reduce social inequality and help policy makers and communities better adapt to climate challenges.

Upcoming Feb Speaker

Date & Time TBD

Speaker Biography