Professional honors for two UC Santa Barbara geographers

Two professors in UC Santa Barbara’s Geography Department have been named fellows of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). Peter Kedron joins as an early career fellow, and David Lopez-Carr was named a later career fellow. The distinction recognizes geographers who have made significant contributions to advancing the field.

This announcement comes on the heels of Lopez-Carr receiving the Carl O. Sauer Distinguished Scholarship Award at the Conference of Latin American Geography (CLAG), which was held in Puerto Vallarta this January. This award recognizes a corpus of important published work or other significant contribution by a single researcher towards Latin American geography, and has been bestowed annually since 1986.

Kedron’s work advances fundamental understanding of spatial processes, innovation diffusion and the dynamics of human-environment systems. The AAG recognized Kadron for “his methodological rigor and theoretical contributions to spatial data science and economic geography. He develops spatial analytical methods to explain why social and ecological processes differ between locations.

The association also noted that, “his pioneering studies on replication and reproducibility in geographic research have elevated the discipline’s commitment to scientific transparency and open scholarship. [...] Kedron has strengthened the link between geographic theory and data-driven policy solutions. His scholarship exemplifies the fusion of spatial thinking, computational innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration that defines geography’s expanding role in addressing complex societal challenges.”

Lopez-Carr researches the dynamics among population, health, livelihoods and the environment with implications for equitable and sustainable development and conservation. In their announcement, the AAG cited his “ground-breaking research on the intersecting issues of poverty, hunger, deforestation and health in the Americas.”

“López-Carr’s pioneering work in land change science has deepened our understanding of the relationships between population dynamics and tropical deforestation, and the complicating influences of gender, local economics and remittances, and climate-driven impacts,” the organization added. “International agencies and community organizations have benefited from his work documenting place-based ecological and socioeconomic drivers of environmental injustices faced by diverse communities across the globe. An inspiring teacher and visionary leader, Dr. López-Carr has mentored underrepresented scholars, advocated for equitable hiring, and shaped institutional practice by improving representation, recruitment, and retention.”