We hope this finds you well as we all prepare for the upcoming AAG Annual Meeting in the next few weeks. The Rural Geography Specialty Group (RGSG) is excited to share a brief but meaningful update as we look ahead to gathering, learning, and celebrating the work emerging from our community.
We are delighted to announce that our RGSG keynote this year will be delivered by Assistant Professor Alfonso Aranda of the Department of Geography at California State University, Sacramento.
Aranda’s research centers on environmental justice in rural and agricultural communities, focusing on residential risk perception, environmental health exposures, and community-led assessment. His work in Northern California’s agricultural regions brings together community science, scholar-activism, and university–community partnerships, advancing evidence-based environmental decision-making through collaboration with local partnerships and grassroots organizations.
His scholarship offers a critical, grounded perspective on the environmental realities shaping rural life today, and we are honored to have him join us.
📅 Keynote Details
Date: March 18, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Room: Yosemite Room B, Ballroom Level (Hybrid)
Venue: Hilton Union Square, San Francisco
We look forward to welcoming him and learning from his insights.
As always, our student award sessions are a highlight of the conference. To ensure we can honor and support the next generation of rural geographers, we are seeking judges for this year’s student paper and presentation sessions.
Two sessions will run in hybrid format, making it possible for colleagues who are not attending in person to contribute.
📄 Judge sign-up form: Click Here!
If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach out to our RGSG Award Chair, Matlhogonolo Kelepile:
📧 Kelepilem@ub.ac.bw
Your participation is deeply appreciated. This work directly strengthens our specialty group and supports emerging scholars in our field.
We’re grateful for the time, energy, and care this community continues to offer. Whether you’ll be joining us in person or virtually, we look forward to seeing many of you soon at AAG.
Warmly,
The Rural Geography Specialty Group (RGSG)
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