LEADERSHIP & VISION

Howdy!

Our department includes people with interests in the broad spectrum of Geography as an academic discipline. We have strengths in physical geography, human geography, geography education, human/environment geography and geographic information science and technology. Our faculty and students are engaged in research around the globe and there are opportunities to work and study on all seven continents.

We are committed to providing our students with a broad range of experiences at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of education. Our faculty are actively engaged in supervising research in collaboration with students at all levels. One of the great benefits of being in the Geography department is the close interactions that are possible with our world class faculty. The department of Geography is large enough for students to feel like they are part of a vibrant community, and small enough that students are more than just faces in a crowd.

I encourage you to take a look around our website to see the exciting research projects and educational opportunities that are available within our department.

Sincerely,

David Cairns
Professor & Department Head

David Cairns, Geography Professor and Department Head

Dr. David Cairns, Geography Professor and Department Head

View David Cairns Faculty Profile

Vision Statement

We aim to be a focal point for the integrative study of physical and human systems at Texas A&M University. We aspire to sustain the human environment through research, teaching, and service activities that promote discovery, interpretation and application of knowledge about the biophysical, spatial and human processes that pattern the earth’s surface.

Mission Statement

To develop and sustain research and academic programs through which our undergraduate and graduate students are stewards and proponents of the discipline based on a command of geographic knowledge, applications of geospatial technologies and theories, and professional skills in research, teaching and to apply and disseminate the knowledge we develop for the benefit of society.

Values

As a Department we value scholarly inquiry, service, and collegiality.  We sustain a culture of scholarly excellence. We honor the principle of academic freedom, never forgetting that this freedom is purchased and justified by an absolute pledge of honesty and integrity. We recognize and respect the responsibilities entrusted to us by the citizens of Texas, including our responsibility to work to improve the lives of Texans. We also value collegiality and respect, manifest through transparency of decision-making processes ranging from undergraduate curriculum to graduate admissions to service assignments; shared sense of Departmental responsibilities and duties toward goals of Department, College, and University; mutual respect for the opinions and achievements (teaching, research, service) of colleagues; desire for equity in workload and compensation within the Department, College, and University; and a commitment to diligent service in Department, College, and University.