XIIth REP Conference Summary
Mapping and Empowerment
Washington, D.C.
October 11-13, 2023

The XII Race, Ethnicity, and Place Conference, held in collaboration with the Mid-Atlantic Division (MAD) of the American Association of Geographers, took place at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, D.C. from October 11-13, 2023. The conference was a collaboration of faculty organizers from George Washington University, Texas State University, Towson University and Kent State University with administrative support from the Department of Geography at George Washington University and significant financial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The theme of REP XII was Mapping and Empowerment. The conference was attended by 275 participants drawn from academia, government and non-government agencies. The attendees included a significant number of scholars and practitioners who belonged to population groups that were historically underrepresented in geography and academia. Of the total registered participants,186 were faculty members or professionals in the field, and 89 were students. Students made up 33 percent of the paper presenters.
The conference began with an NSF-sponsored pre-conference workshop on Critical Cartography and Pedagogy that focused on mapping as a research and pedagogical tool for empowerment especially among racial, ethnic, and other underrepresented groups, specifically addressing social justice and equity issues. The participants included 22 early career scholars and 8 scholar-mentors with expertise in critical cartography and mapping for social justice. Nine (41 percent) of the early career scholars belonged to underrepresented groups. Sessions were focused on topics such as Making Mapping More Inclusive and Accessible, Mapping and Research, Community Mapping, and Incorporating Mapping in the Classroom. Dr. Enrique Pumar from NSF’s Build and Broaden Program spoke to the group about research opportunities and grants. Dr. Patricia Ehrkamp (Distinguished Professor of Geography at University of Kentucky and Vice President of the American Association of Geographers) and AAG Councilor Dr. Selima Sultana conducted a listening session with participants to ascertain how the AAG could best mentor early career scholars, especially those from underrepresented groups. Dr. Ellen Granberg, President of George Washington University, addressed the group at the end of the workshop.
Participants engaged in robust discussion, sharing ideas and addressing opportunities and challenges in incorporating critical cartography and mapping for social justice in their research and in the classroom.
The REP Conference kicked off with a Wednesday (October 11, 2023) evening Welcome Reception in the 2nd floor lobby of the Elliott School for International Affairs. Two full days (October 12 and 13) were devoted to 133 paper presentations, 12 panels and 12 posters on topics that included both U.S. and international academic perspectives on a number of issues related to race, ethnicity and place: geographies of refuge, bordering, immigrant communities, diasporas, and indigenous communities. Other issues addressed in papers and panels included environmental justice, food justice, healthcare justice, housing and gentrification, socio-spatial justice, workforce justice and climate justice. The differential impacts of diseases on minority groups, the experience of belonging to ethnic and racial minorities in the United States as well as critical GIS, community engagement and mapping. “Featured Panels” reflected the conference theme of Mapping and Empowerment, as well as related themes of social justice, diversity, and inclusion.
The Friday plenary featured talks by two keynote speakers:
- Dayna Bowen Matthew, Dean and Harold H. Greene Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School whose talk was titled “Race, Place, and Health: What to do when the law is not on your side”
- Mark Lopez, Director of Race and Ethnicity Research at Pew Research Center, who spoke on “The Geography of Latino Racial Identities in the U.S.”
The keynotes were followed by a catered reception in the City View Room in the Elliott School Building.
The conference would not have been possible without the generous support of many institutions, academic departments, the National Science Foundation, American Association of Geographers, and Deans of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. We are extremely grateful for their support.
Elizabeth Chacko, George Washington University
Marie Price, George Washington University
Sarah Blue, Texas State University
Jeremy Tasch, Towson University/MAD-AAG
David Kaplan, Kent State University
REP 2023 NSF Pre-Conference Early Career Worskshop Selected Participants
Hilary Ama Ansah, Texas State University
Melisa Argañaraz Gomez, University of Connecticut
Lucas Belury, University of Arizona
Shamayeta Bhattacharya, Point Park University
Jamal Brooks Hawkins, University of Arizona
Kela Caldwell, University of Wisconsin Madison
Nicholas Cuba, Auburn University at Montgomery
Alain Elegbe, Texas State University
Nabeela Farhat, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Emily Frazier, Missouri State University
Ayodeji Iyanda, Prairie View A&M University
Christian Keeve, University of Kentucky
Joshua Merced, Northern Arizona University
Maliha Binte Mohiuddin, West Virginia University
John Ponstingel, Binghamton University
Mark J. Sciuchetti Jr., Jacksonville State University
Katrina Stack, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Yining Tan, University of Arizona
Fabian Terbeck, University of South Alabama
Dylan Turner, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Yolanda Valencia, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Mentors:
Mark Barnes, Morgan State University
Daniel Block, Chicago State University
Jeremy Crampton, George Washington University
Debs Ghosh, University of Connecticut
Emily Kaufman, Towson University
Yongmei Lu, Texas State University
David Padgett, Tennessee State University
Jonnell Robinson, Syracuse Universit
REP 2023 Student Conference Travel Awards Recipients
Elybeth Alcantar, University of Texas at Austin
Sabina Bhandari, University of Connecticut
Helena de Menezes Vaz de Mello, Indiana University
Lauren Fritzsche, University of Arizona
Kristin Green, University of New Hampshire
Alexandra Lamina, University of Texas at Austin
Francisco Logan, University of Northern Colorado
Linh Nguyen, Kent State University
Esther Ramos Garcia, University of Texas at Austin
Genevieve Stark, Missouri State University.
Natalie Thompson, University of Virginia
Kayla Williams, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Zeliu Zheng, Louisiana State University
XII REP Sponsors
Sponsors















Co-Sponsors



















Donors
Joe Wood
Derek and Donna Alderman
in Memory of Terrence Dicks
Joanne Cummings
Jay Newberry
National Conference Directors
Sarah Blue, Texas State University
David Kaplan, Kent State University
Treasurer
Edris Montalvo, Cameron University
Secretary
Eric Sarmiento, Texas State University
Contact us:
raceethnicityplace@gmail.com
REP XII Local Conference Directors
Elizabeth Chacko, George Washington University
Marie Price, George Washington University
XII REP Planning Commitee
Elizabeth Chacko
Marie Price
Sarah Blue
David Kaplan
Jeremy Tasch
REP Board of Directors
Dr. Derek Alderman, UT-Knoxville (Tennessee)
Dr. Mark Barnes, Morgan State University
Dr. Sarah Blue, Geography, Texas State University
Dr. Elizabeth Chacko, George Washington University
Dr. Sean Crotty, Texas Christian University
Dr. Norah Henry, Binghamton University (New York)
Dr. David Kaplan, Kent State University (Ohio)
Dr. Yongmei Lu, Texas State University
Dr. Edris Montalvo, Cameron University (Oklahoma)
Dr. Jay Newberry, Binghamton University (New York)
Dr. Kefa Otiso, Bowling Green State University (Ohio)
Dr. Marie Price, George Washington University (Washington, DC)
Dr. Eric Sarmiento, Texas State University
Dr. Emily Skop, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Dr. Selima Sultana, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Dr. Jeremy Tasch, Towson University (Maryland)
Dr. Rebecca Torres, University of Texas-Austin
Dr. Joseph Wood, University of Baltimore and American Geographical Society