Do Names Matter?  Branding, Marketing, and Communicating about Geography, Spatial Sciences, and GIS

Between 2000 and 2014, more than thirty geography departments revised or adopted new names, with some entirely dropping the word geography. Many more have renamed their geography programs, majors, and course titles, but with little evidence of which naming conventions appeal to students, colleagues, and administrators. A recent sample of 4,388 undergraduates across four universities revealed significant variation in student perceptions of the jargon commonly used in geography branding. Notably, several GIScience-related phrases rated among the least popular. This webinar features a conversation with the authors of two studies on renaming and rebranding in geography. They will summarize recent research and lead a discussion on drivers and strategic considerations for promoting geography and GIScience in North America.

Presenters:

• Amy Frazier, Arizona State University
• Diana Ter-Ghazaryan, Florida International University
• Justin Stoler, University of Miami

Host: Forrest Bowlick, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

A link to the recording can be found here, on the UCGIS YouTube channel.