Developing the GeoGraphics Lab for Cartography and Community Geography at Penn State

Abstract

The GeoGraphics Lab is a new cartography laboratory at Penn State's Department of Geography. It operates as part of the Peter R. Gould Center for Geography Education and Outreach. The GeoGraphics Lab is designed to support commercial and nonprofit clients, as well as those in the Penn State Geography community, including its students and faculty. The lab re-launches a cartographic design and research group at Penn State Geography after a 20 year hiatus since the end of the original Deasy GeoGraphics Lab. In this talk we will explain the motivation for launching a new mapping and community geography lab, highlighting the research and production infrastructure we have developed in the lab, as well as showcasing example projects and their impacts. We will conclude with reflections on recent progress towards cartographic production and outreach goals as they relate to ongoing challenges for supporting academic cartography in higher education.