Geography Department, University of Northern Iowa

02/13/2026

NASA EarthRISE Developers Academy Summer 2026 Paid Research Opportunities

NASA EarthRISE Developers Academy is offering 10-week, paid research opportunities this summer that are open to current students and recent graduates, as well as transitioning/early career professionals. The Academy builds the next generation of science and technology leaders through an immersive, experiential model applying NASA Earth observations to real-world challenges.



For the summer 2026 term, EarthRISE Developers Academy will provide in-person opportunities at Langley Research Center (Hampton, VA), Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, AL), and Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO). Additionally, a limited number of projects are available for virtual participation. Through collaborative projects, professional development, and state, local, tribal, territorial, and private partnerships, the Academy equips participants with the skills to accelerate innovation and bridge Earth science with the future of space exploration.



The Academy is an interdisciplinary activity, where we accept participants with experience in a variety of fields, as well as from different phases of their career. Applicants with demonstrated skills in Earth, environmental, and/or planetary sciences, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and/or computer science are encouraged to apply. Participants will work together on teams, guided by NASA scientists and science advisors and in partnership with community organizations, to expand their skills to use NASA science data to address environmental concerns from urban heat, air quality, disaster management, agriculture, ecological conservation, and water resources to lunar science in support of NASA’s Moon to Mars strategy.



Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to work in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment. EarthRISE Developers Academy offers hourly, paid positions with rates that are determined by education level and working location. During the term, selected participants should be able to commit to 25 – 29 hours per week, Monday – Thursday during normal business hours.



Please see details about this opportunity including eligibility, tentative project themes, and application instructions at https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/nasadevelop. The application window is open now through March 6th, 2026, for the 10-week, summer 2026 project term taking place from June 1st – August 7th. US citizenship or Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status is required to apply.

01/21/2026

UNI Arctic Day save the date: Friday, Jan 30, 2026, East Bartlett Lobby

We are excited to announce the date for Arctic Day, 2026! All are welcome.

10:30-11:30 we will have a presentation and host a keynote speaker, followed by refreshments. Then at 1 PM, we will reconvene for a glimpse into our post-doctoral scholars' research, followed by presentations from the ARCTICenter students.

Come and go as your schedule allows. We hope to see you there!

01/15/2026

GIS job opportunity

American Conservation Experience is looking for GIS Fellow – State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division in United S... See this and similar jobs on Handshake

12/01/2025

Internship Opportunity

This position is geared toward those interested in City Planning or related fields such as Government, Geography, or Public Policy.



https://www.siouxfalls.gov/government/careers/ascend-internship - link to learn more and apply.

The Sioux Falls Ascend Internship Program provides paid summer internships with mentoring, professional development, and networking opportunities across various departments, offering students real-world experience and the chance to explore career interests.

11/30/2025

Job Posting: Program Planner 1 in Iowa DOT Systems Planning Bureau

The position in Iowa DOT’s Systems Planning Bureau serves as one of our mapping/GIS specialists on the Mapping & Geographic Information Team. Responsibilities of this position include:

Maintaining and producing mapping products using Esri ArcGIS and other GIS tools.
Analyzing city annexation information to ensure laws, policies, and procedures are followed, and entering this information into appropriate databases.
Developing and updating standard base maps annually and fulfilling special map requests in both static and online interactive form.
Ensuring all map products meet customer specifications and are edited for completeness and accuracy.
Applying new technologies and automated methods for data display and mapping.
Researching and testing new software and procedures to improve efficiency and product quality.

The posting closes on Tuesday, December 9th.

The Systems Planning Bureau at the Iowa Department of Transportation is seeking a Program Planner 1 to join our team! In this role, you’ll play a vital part in maintaining and producing standard and specialized mapping and visualization products that help communicate transportation information to ...

11/13/2025

UNI Geography MA Students Winning Multiple Awards at the 2025 American Association of Geographers West Lakes Regional Division Meeting, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, October 23 to 25

A total of eight Geography MA students attended the event. Congratulations to the three students who won the poster awards, and one student who won the oral award!

Isaac Eshun
Paper Title: Extractive Frontiers and Indigenous Resistance: A Quantitative Analysis of Environmental Conflicts in the Arctic
Award Won: Overall Best paper presentation, First runner up

Saqib Shahriar
Poster Title: Estimation and Mapping of Aboveground Biomass of the compartment number – 31 of Sundarbans, Bangladesh using Geospatial Techniques
Award Won: 1st Place poster presentation

Harriet Quarshie
Poster Title: RGB UAV-Assisted End-of-Season Maize Yield Prediction under Small Farm Holding Using Tree-Based Machine Learning Models.
Award Won: 2nd Place Poster Presentation

Derreck Asiamah
Poster Title: Governance and Government Policies Preparedness and Response to Flooding in Juneau, Alaska
Award Won: Third Place Poster Presentation

10/27/2025

GIS internship opportunity

There are countless ways to bring amazing to life here. If you're ready to take on the challenge, check out our current job openings. Burns & McDonnell College Jobs

10/09/2025

UNI ARCTICenter's 10 Year Anniversary & Photo Exhibit - 10/21/25, Tuesday @ 2PM, Rod Library Main Floor

ARCTICenter is celebrating its 10 year anniversary! To coincide with our 10-year, curator and visiting scholar Aleksandr Pechen is showcasing life in the Siberian Arctic, by the German photographer Jan Oelker. The exhibit opening will be at 2 PM on the main floor of the Rod library.

Please stop by to explore the exhibit, enjoy some refreshments, and celebrate all we've accomplished in 10 years.

Can't wait to see you there!

06/16/2025

Job Posting: Transportation Planner 2 in Systems Planning Bureau

The position in Iowa DOT’s Systems Planning Bureau serves as the Travel Demand Modeling Coordinator on our Modeling, Forecasting & Telemetrics Team. Responsibilities of this position will focus on providing critical transportation planning technical support to Iowa’s local agencies, including the state’s nine metropolitan planning organizations, as well as performing a variety of long-range transportation planning activities for the Iowa DOT.



The posting closes on June 25th.

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), Systems Planning Bureau, is seeking a Transportation Planner who will serve on the Traffic Modeling, Forecasting, and Telemetrics Team. Responsibilities of this position will focus on providing critical transportation planning technical support to Iowa’...

05/22/2025

Congratulations to our 2025 Geography MA graduates
First picture (Left to Right):
Back Row - Ben Lynch, Dr. Thomas Larsen, Anna Marie Scott, John Darko, and Ruth Ohaka
Front Row - Dr. Bingqing Liang, Emily Perrott

05/22/2025

NASA DEVELOP Program Fall 2025 Paid Research Opportunities

NASA DEVELOP projects focus on helping local, state, and national communities address their environmental concerns while utilizing NASA's Earth observing fleet of satellites. For the Fall 2025 term, NASA DEVELOP will operate at ten locations across the country at NASA centers and other regional locations. This is a great opportunity for participants who are interested in the practical applications of remote sensing and GIS, specifically in the field of Earth science. Participants will work with NASA scientists, partner organizations, and science advisors to learn how to use NASA Earth science data for water resources, disaster management, ecological conservation, agriculture, and other applications to address environmental community concerns.



Participant responsibilities will include literature review, data processing and analysis, and producing deliverables, such as a technical report, presentation, and poster. Previous GIS or remote sensing knowledge, while beneficial, is not required for acceptance. This is a multi-disciplinary opportunity for all those interested in Earth science, and we encourage those in the social sciences, general science, engineering, computer science, etc. to apply.



Applicants must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to work in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment. Days of the week are flexible, but applicants should be able to commit to 20 – 29 hours per week during the term. The position is paid on an hourly basis that is determined by education level and working location.



We are hosting informational webinars on May 21st @ 1pm ET and June 6th at 4pm ET for potential applicants to learn more about how they can participate in the program. Please see the attached information session flyer for details on joining these events.



Details about this opportunity, the full list of proposed projects, and application instructions can be found online here. The Fall 2025 application window will be open from May 5th – June 13th, with the term taking place from September 15th – November 21st. Please note some DEVELOP locations will allow for in-person opportunities while others will be completely virtual. For virtual locations, all accepted participants must work remotely from within the United States. Details on location status are posted on our website. Non-US citizens are welcome to apply to all virtual projects and in-person projects at certain locations.