Marilyn Raphael elected president of American Association of Geographers

Marilyn Raphael, director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, has been chosen to lead the American Association of Geographers — a global network of researchers, educators and practitioners in geography.

The American Association of Geographers made the announcement today and Raphael will begin her one-year term as president of the association on July 1.

Raphael is a geography professor whose work focuses on atmospheric circulation dynamics and global climate change. She co-authored the award-winning book “The Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate Change: A Complete Visual Guide” and authored or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Her latest published research focused on Antarctic sea ice variability from 1905-2020, providing important new context for other research on Antarctic sea ice and its role in climate change. Before becoming director of the environmental institute, Raphael served as chair of the geography department from 2010-2013.

The AAG, the largest geography society in the world, has more than 12,000 members who were invited to vote in this year’s election. Founded in 1904, the association has contributed to the advancement of geography by supporting professional geographers representing public, private and academic sectors. Members from nearly 100 countries share research, practices and methods of geography which they cultivate through annual meetings and scholarly journals.