The Middle States Division of the Association of American Geographers meeting, as previously announced, will be hosted in the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) at Montclair State University on November 14-15, 2025. The conference is a great time to share our research, network with fellow geographers, provide opportunities for students, listen to a keynote address from our AAG President, and participate and watch the Geography Bowl. The conference is a wonderful venue for constructive conversations, and a great place for students, faculty, and professionals to present their research and connect with others across the region.
You must register for the meeting before submitting an abstract.
Campus Map, Transportation, and Lodging
The campus is accessible by roads, bus, and train, with ample parking available on campus on Fridays and Saturdays. There is no free visitor parking! Parking in Red Hawk Garage or surface lots should be paid. By train, the campus is located on the Montclair Boonton line of NJ Transit, and has two stops on campus: Montclair State University & Montclair Heights.
Montclair State is located in Montclair, NJ (and slightly in another town, and another county, but that’s a different story) and there are several lodging options nearby:
- Wyndham Garden Totowa, One Route 46 West, Totowa, NJ 07512
- Quality Inn Wayne – Fairfield Area, 334 Route 46 East, Wayne, NJ, 07470
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Wayne, 350 US-46, Wayne, NJ 07470
- Residence Inn by Marriott West Orange, RQ74+H87 West Orange, New Jersey
- Cambria Hotel West Orange, 12 Rooney Cir, West Orange, NJ 07052
- Hampton Inn & Suites Fairfield, 118 US-46, Fairfield, NJ 07004
Conference proceedings held in CELS building
Explore Montclair Township and New York City!
Registration and Abstract Submission
The registration and abstracts will be handled by AAG.
There will be Paper Sessions, Poster Sessions, and possibly Panel Discussion, more information on that below. You must register for the meeting before submitting an abstract. Full Registration includes dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday.
Fees
- Faculty/Professional Full Registration: $140 Early bird ending Oct 17; $160
- Student Full Registration: $50
- Faculty/Professional Friday only $90
- Faculty/Professional Saturday only $75
Sessions
Paper Sessions are typically 60-80 minutes long and consist of three or four presentations of 15 minutes each, plus a question period. Papers on all topics of geographic nature are welcome. Concurrent paper sessions will be held on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15. Students who are submitting their papers for the paper competition should consult the guidelines and scoring rubric for papers. Completed papers should be emailed to MSAAG Student Competition Chair msaag.secretary@gmail.com by October 27 (note that this is earlier than the general conference abstract submission deadline). Competition papers require a faculty letter stating the paper is solely the student’s work.
Poster Sessions will be held on both Friday November 14 and Saturday November 15. Students submitting their posters for the poster competition should consult the guidelines and scoring rubric for posters. Students who are submitting their poster competition should send pdfs of their poster to the MSAAG Student Competition chair msaag.secretary@gmail.com by October 27th (note that this is earlier than the general conference abstract submission deadline). Competition posters require a faculty letter stating the poster is solely the student’s work. Poster size cannot exceed 46” width and 64” Length.
Please review the appropriate rubric for your poster or paper submission to see how your poster or paper will be evaluated. Addressing all of the criteria will mean your paper or poster scores better.
Beginning with the fall 2019 conference we are awarding bigger prizes, and requiring that your paper or poster submission must be accompanied by a scanned note on University letterhead from a faculty mentor or advisor who has reviewed your paper and gone over the required rubric with you. To enter the student paper or poster competition the work must be solely that of the student/s, but faculty advice is recommended. Student co-authors are permitted. This scanned statement should be submitted with your poster or paper abstract if you are entering the poster or paper competition.
Poster dimensions must be at least 36 inches high and 48 inches wide but cannot exceed 48” high and 60” wide. Poster mounting boards or easels will be provided.
Template for scanned faculty statement on University letterhead:
I (faculty name) have reviewed this paper/poster with (student name/s) using the appropriate rubric on the Middle States website (msaag.aag.org). This paper/poster is solely the work of the student/s.
Signed (faculty signature)
Students presenting papers or posters do NOT have to enter the competitions. Students who submit their papers or posters for the competition will have their registration refunded.
Panel Sessions are welcome. Panel discussion sessions typically consist of three to four panelists and are organized around a theme. Roundtable discussion sessions are moderated by the session chair who facilitates a discussion among all attendees focusing on a theme or issue. Students are welcome to organize both panel and roundtable sessions. A limited number of panels and roundtables can be accommodated. If you are interested in organizing either a panel or a roundtable session, please contact President Josh Galster at galsterj@montclair.edu before October 30.
Special Events
- Dinner on Friday
- Lunch on Saturday
- Paper and Poster sessions
- Student competitions
- Geography Bowl
- Keynote Talk by AAG President William Moseley
- Grad school fair
- And much more!