Association of American Geographers (AAG)

History

In 1904, the American Association of Geographers was founded by William Morris Davis, a prominent academic known as the “father of American geography.” The organization united local geography chapters across the country, including chapters of the American Geographical Society and the National Geographic Society. Membership was restricted to individuals with an established history of publishing academic articles concerning geography. ^{1 4}

In January 2016, the organization renamed itself from the “American Association of Geographers” to the “Association of American Geographers” to reflect the increasingly international membership of the organization, which in 2013 reached one-third of membership. According to the announcement of the name change, AAG considered that a new name with the words “environment” or “sustainability” would appeal to younger members. ^{1 4}

Membership

In December 2022, the Association of American Geographers claimed 9,347 members, down from a high of almost 12,500 members in 2016. Members are primarily faculty at American universities but also include students and non-Americans. As of 2025, membership dues ranged between $40 and $322 annually depending on the income level and location of the members. ^{5 6}

Activities

The Association of American Geographers hosts meetings, events, seminars, and other activities designed to advance the field of geography and promote the careers of its members. Members gain access to events, job boards, and a repository of geographic journal articles. ⁷

Advocacy

Second Trump Administration

Association of American Geographers engages in advocacy regarding both the government and school administration. Since the second election of President Donald Trump, AAG has written and signed numerous public letters condemning the policies of the second Trump administration. ²

In April 2025, AAG signed on to a letter written by the American Historical Association condemning the targeting of immigrant scholars at universities by the federal government for connections to radical Islamic organizations and antisemitism. ²

In March, AAG signed on to a letter by the American Council of Learned Societies opposing the closure of the U.S. Department of Education. As of September 2025, the closure had not yet been completed due to opposition from the courts and Congress. ²

Israel

In August 2025, during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Jewish Insider reported that AAG was under pressure from some of its members to enforce “an academic boycott of Israeli academic institutions” and divest “any AAG funds invested in corporations or state institutions profiting from the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.” A petition lodged by an AAG member reached the required 10 percent threshold of voting support to move toward proposing a formal resolution. ³

The campaign within AAG was led by a group called “Geographers for Justice in Palestine,” which, according to opponents, was engaged in “inflammatory, biased and harmful rhetoric, far removed from academic rigor or geographic inquiry” directed at opposing Israel, including accusations that the country was committing ethnic cleansing and genocide. ³

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned Geographers for Justice and encouraged AAG to reject the resolution. ³

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The Association of American Geographers is committed to “justice, equity, diversity and inclusion” (JEDI) principles. Its efforts are overseen by a Diversity and Inclusion Committee which developed its first three-year plan in 2020 after the death of George Floyd and included directives to expand the JEDI staff, enforce regular JEDI audits of AAG’s staff and activity, and engage in “JEDI compatible advocacy.” AAG’s website as of 2025 stated that the organization was “working to integrate diversity and inclusion into all of its programming,” including anti-racist messaging. ^{8 9}

AAG members working at “minority-serving institution[s]” pay lower fees than all other American academic faculty members except those earning less than $35,000 per year. ⁶

In March 2025, AAG’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee released a resource list for its members which included resources for protecting illegal immigrants on university campuses. ¹⁰

In June 2023, AAG released a statement condemning the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that struck down affirmative action in university admissions. ²

Climate Change

According to the Association of American Geographers, “geographers have a vital role in addressing climate change.” The organization advocates for political action to combat climate change, including participating in the March for Science and maintaining a Climate Action Task Force. AAG has been granted observer status to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, and will nominate representatives to attend the UN Climate Change Conference (COP-30) in November 2025. ¹¹

In 2020, AAG launched an initiative to make its meetings more “carbon-conscious.” The organization’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions from meetings by 45 percent by 2030 and by 100 percent by 2050. ¹¹