University of Texas at Austin Department of Geography and the Environment

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University of Texas at Austin Department of Geography and the Environment

Overview
The Department of Geography and the Environment is part of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. It began in 1949 as the Department of Geography and was renamed Geography and the Environment in 2004 to reflect a broader focus. It was the first geography department in Texas to award doctoral degrees.

History
- The department has long supported regional and international studies, with emphasis on Texas and the Southwest, Latin America, the Mediterranean World and Middle East, and Northern and Eastern Europe.
- It offered training in cultural geography, physical geography (earth sciences), and cartography (mathematical geography).
- By 1960, environmental resource management (conservation) became an explicit focus.
- By 1970, urban and regional analysis emerged, and in 2004 Urban Studies became a department major.
- In later years, remote sensing, computer cartography, and geographic information systems (GIS) were added.
- The department’s name changed to Geography and the Environment in 2004.

Notable faculty
- Paul C. Adams
- William E. Doolittle
- Robert K. Holz
- Karl Butzer (1934–2016)
- Terry G. Jordan-Bychkov (1938–2003)

Centers and labs
- UT Geographic Information Science Center (GIScience Center): Created in 2004 to strengthen GIScience research and teaching; works with UT units to develop GIS and remote sensing resources.
- Environmental Information Science Laboratory: Established in 1985; provides equipment and software for geographic projects.
- Digital Landscapes Laboratory: A research lab for technology-driven geographic research.
- Physical Geography Center: Provides labs and space for physical geography work.
- Weather and Climate Resource Center: Maintains a digital database of Austin and Texas weather and climate data, including long-running records from local weather stations; offers weather monitoring during events or emergencies.

Notable alumni
- Andrew Sluyter

Location and contact
- Austin, Texas, United States
- Website: liberalarts.utexas.edu/geography