The Geography Commission of the U.S. National Section is led by David S. Salisbury, Associate Professor of Geography, Environmental Studies, and International Studies at the University of Richmond.

Additional Geography Commission Members include:

• Eric Anderson, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Dolly Garcia Jové, U.S. Census Bureau 
• Len Kne, University of Minnesota
• Lidia L. Lopez, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
• Gustavo Maldonado Dávila, U.S. Census Bureau
• Zenon Medina Cetina, Texas A&M University
• Him Mistry, New York University 
• Osvaldo A. Muñiz-Salori, Texas State University – San Marcos
• Scott Odell, Georgetown University
• Miriam Olivares, Yale University
• Ivan Ramirez, University of Colorado – Denver
• Paul Riley, U.S. Census Bureau
• Andrew Sluyter, Louisiana State University
• Betty Smith, Eastern Illinois University
• Charlotte Smith, University of California – Berkeley
• Diana Stuart Sinton, University Consortium of Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)
• Timothy Trainor, U.S. Census Bureau (retired)

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The aims of the Geography Commission are to

1. Highlight the value of geographic research and practice for achieving the PAIGH strategic agenda as well as its linkages with other OAS specialized organizations

► Learn more about the PAIGH Geography Commission sponsored Institutional Meet-and-Greet

2. Foster cooperation among national and international geography organizations and public agencies across the Americas

► Learn more about the AAMIGA project for advancing academic geography across the Americas

3. Promote the coordination and publication of Pan American studies in geography

► Learn more about the PAIGH published Revista Geográfica

4. Conduct or encourage joint research, development, and training in geography and related fields that benefit the Pan American community

► Learn more about the multiinstitutional Institute for the Integration of Research on Climate Change and Hazards in the Americas

5. Participate in the transfer of technology and data, particularly geographic technologies and geospatial data infrastructure, through the various scientific and technical programs of PAIGH, the US National Section, and the Pan American Geography Commission

► Learn more about the Technical Capacity Workshop on Data Integration

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Recent activities of the Geography Commission include:

• David Salisbury participated in the Amazon Borderlands Spatial Analysis Team Project, which included the following activities:
  • The Expedition for Dashboard and Map Distribution in Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon (June 12-July 10, 2023), which saw over 200 maps shared with partners from Acre, Brazil and Ucayali, Peru. 
  • MOCAF: Monitoring of Forest Roads with ACCA and Universidade Federal do Acre-Floresta, and LabGAMA.
• USNS Geography Commission members lead PanAmerican Working Groups, such as:
  • Comité de Investigación: Grupo de Trabajo para un Atlas del Cambio Climático en las Américas: Este atlas anotado proporcionará a investigadores y estudiantes una vista del paisaje cambiante, retos y oportunidades asociados al cambio climático en todo el hemisferio occidental. El libro contendrá un mapa, o una selección de mapas relacionados, de cada uno de los 23 países en el continente de Sud, Centro y Norteamérica, así como unas cinco islas seleccionadas. Líder David Salisbury, con Bertha Balbin Ordaya, Jean Pierre Bergoeing, Jorge Quezada, Nancy Aguirre, Julio Poblete, Bolívar Troncoso
  • Comité de Educación: Grupo de Trabajo Cursos Online: Su objetivo es diseñar un plan y desarrollar una propuesta de investigación para promover cursos de geografía online con el fin de crear colaboración entre profesores de geografía en las Américas. La propuesta se presentara al concurso internacional de investigación del IPGH. Líder Osvaldo Muñiz Solari, con Graciela Cacace, María Cristina Peneda
  • Comité del Fortalecimiento Institucional: Grupo de Trabajo del Censo de la Geografía 2015 Con el objetivo de desarrollar la(s) encuestas para la ampliación de la recopilación de datos sobre la disciplina, dando seguimiento a los trabajos de 2010 y 2005. Líder Dra. Patricia Solís, con Raquel Alvarado, Ana Victoria Rincon