Geography, Environment, & Sustainability Department | News

UNC Greensboro

GES faculties receive UNCG REACH awards 

Three GES faculty members received two Research Development Award Program (REACH) awards, administered by the Office of Strategic Initiatives and Research Development in the Division of Research and Engagement at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.   The first award, in REACH’s AI category, supports the project “Sustainable AI Infrastructure Initiative: Data Center and Environment Nexus.” The proposal for $11,000 was submitted by Bhuwan Thapa, Will Lee and Plaxedes Chitiyo from GES, along… Continue reading…

Tasnuba Jerin

GES welcomes a new faculty member, Dr. Tasnuba Jerin!

Dr. Tasnuba Jerin joined GES in Fall 2026 as an assistant professor. She is a riverine landform scientist whose research explores how interactions among rivers, landscapes, vegetation, and human activities shape watershed evolution across space and time. Her research integrates river geomorphology, biogeomorphology, hydrology, and geospatial analysis to address contemporary… Continue reading…

Gamma Theta Upsilon 2026 inductees

Gamma Theta Upsilon Ceremony 2026

The Geography, Environment, and Sustainability department inducted 13 students to the Gamma Theta Upsilon geography honor society on April 16, 2026. Congratulations to all our outstanding students!

DR. Knapp receives UNCG’s 2026 Research Excellence award

Dr. Paul Knapp, professor of geography, environment, and sustainability, receives the Senior Research Excellence Award for his innovative work in biogeography and climatology using dendroecological techniques. In the field and at his Carolina Tree-Ring Science Laboratory, Knapp uses tree-ring data to reconstruct centuries of environmental conditions and help scientists better… Continue reading…

Dr. Maegen Rochner, Nicko Tovar, and Dr. Selima Sultana pose as Nicko accepts his award.

Nicko Tovar wins Best Graduate Student Paper Award

GES doctoral student Nicko Tovar won the Best Student Paper Award at the November 2025 SEDAAG meeting in Lexington, Kentucky. The title of his paper was: Variation in Bus Transit Infrastructure Provision, Ridership, and Equity: Evidence from North Carolina.  Congratulations Nicko!

Dr. Nabeela Farhat, Dr. Selima Sultana, Dr. Gregory Carlton, and Dr. Rajesh Sigdel.

Congratulations to the GES December 2025 graduates!

The Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability congratulates all of its December 2025 graduates! The Masters degree commencement was held at the coliseum, and the doctoral hooding ceremony was held at the UNCG auditorium this year, a few minutes’ casual stroll from the Graham Building. Commencement weather was wonderful (clear… Continue reading…

John Shields holding a turtle at the Bengkulu University Turtle Preserve, GES Field School 2017, Bengkulu, Indonesia

In Memoriam:  John Shields

We are sad to report the loss of GES family member and doctoral student John Shields. The department learned of John’s passing on October 20 from his father who had been in frequent contact over the prior month regarding his son’s illness. John had been part of the GES family… Continue reading…

GES field research in Buffalo Creek.

The Ins and Outs of UNCG Sustainability

Many students become experts of earth-saving habits by making sustainability their major, minor, bachelor’s, or graduate degree. “Our advanced topics include climate economics, sustainable buildings, food systems, and environmental humanities,” says Aaron Allen, Ph.D., director of the environment and sustainability program.

Dr. Bhuwan Thapa

GES welcomes a new faculty member, Dr. Bhuwan Thapa!

Dr. Bhuwan Thapa joined GES in Fall 2025 as an assistant professor in urban sustainability. His research focuses on nature-based solutions for climate risk management, urban climate resilience & adaptation, hyperlocal air pollution, geospatial analysis, agroforestry and urban food systems. Dr. Thapa received BS degrees in Environmental Science from St…. Continue reading…