Dr. Mark Barnes Elected National Councilor of the American Association of Geographers

Appointment Marks the First-ever Morgan State Faculty to Serve on AAG Board

Mark Barnes, Ph.D., associate professor of History and Geography at Morgan State University, was elected to the American Association of Geographers (AAG) Board as National Councilor. The esteemed nomination and election reflect Dr. Barnes' significant contributions and accomplishments in the field of geography. Barnes’ three-year term as National Councilor officially begins on July 1, 2023. His appointment represents the first such designation to the AAG Board for a Morgan State faculty member.

Dr. Barnes will provide strategic guidance and leadership to help the AAG address the challenges facing the geography profession spanning academia, accreditation and professional development. This peer-selected appointment is a testament to Dr. Barnes’ expertise and commitment to advancing the development of the geographic discipline. He is joined by Antoinette M.G.A. WinklerPrins, from the National Science Foundation (NSF), who represents the second of two elected National Councilor positions on the AAG board.

An active member of the AAG community, Dr. Barnes has been a staunch advocate and ambassador for geography at Morgan and within the geography profession. He founded the University’s Geospatial Collaborative, which provides new career pathways for students by giving them exposure to leading technologies used in burgeoning fields such as geographical information systems. He has been a welcomed voice providing diverse perspectives to issues relating to next generation BIPOC geographers.  

Dr. Barnes has helped chart new and innovative ways to advance environmental learning as one of the creators of Morgan’s Environmental Workgroup, and as a developer of a new student group named the Geographical People’s Society (GPS), established with the support of the American Geographical Society. “We may be better at using geography as a bridge to establish connections among and between the disciplines. This fundamental understanding that geographers possess enables better and more purposeful and intentional decision-making in business management, engineering, education, architecture and planning, and so forth,” added Dr. Barnes. Through the GPS student group, Dr. Barnes promotes the mission of increasing campus awareness of environmental matters with the aid of geospatial technologies.

The AAG brings together members of the global geographic community, providing them with the resources they need to develop their careers and form lasting professional relationships. Their annual and ongoing programs, events, and meetings aim to create an inclusive space where all geographers feel valued, heard, and welcomed.

Highlighting Morgan State’s core value of excellence, we congratulate Dr. Barnes on this remarkable achievement and look forward to seeing him contribute his knowledge and expertise to the AAG.