Geography deals with some of the most exciting issues on Earth. It studies the interaction between human beings and the global environment and the resulting problems and opportunities. The Department of Geography & Environment at the University of Lethbridge offers a unique multidisciplinary experience by combining the fields of archaeology, environmental science, and geography into one department.
Students have the opportunity to study in areas such as archaeology, environmental science, human geography, physical geography, remote sensing, and urban & regional studies. We also offer a concentration in geographical information science (GIS) and combined or multidisciplinary degrees. Click on the icons above for more information about our programs.
Indigenization Statement
We acknowledge that we live and work in Treaty 7, the traditional territory of the Niitsitapi, and in Métis Region 3.
We also acknowledge the role that geographical disciplines and their practitioners have played and continue to play in the dispossession and genocide of Indigenous peoples, here and around the world. With this awareness, we strive to increase our understanding and inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing and their contributions in our departmental practices. Our department is committed to an equitable, diverse and inclusive future.
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Department Highlights
Geography students to benefit from new TECTERRA bursaries
Two new annual bursaries worth $10,000 each will give University of Lethbridge students studying remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) or geography a financial boost for the next five years thanks to a donation from TECTERRA, a Calgary-based, non-profit organization dedicated to the development of geospatial technology.
“We are very grateful to TECTERRA for establishing these bursaries as they will help multiple senior undergraduate students pay for their education and allow them to devote more time to their studies and career paths,” says Dr. Derek Peddle, a ULethbridge Professor of Geography and Environment and Director of the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre (ATIC), with expertise in remote sensing, GIS, spatial analysis software development and applications.
Pine beetle study will help guide forest management
University of Lethbridge researchers will help quantify the fuel load in Alberta forests affected by the mountain pine beetle, thanks to a Mitacs Accelerate grant in partnership with fRI Research worth $180,000.
Drs. Laura Chasmer and Chris Hopkinson, professors in the Department of Geography and Environment, have partnered with fRI Research, an Alberta-based, not-for-profit organization that that conducts research to improve land and resource management, to collaborate on the creation of a 3-D map to illustrate the distribution of fire fuels in Jasper National Park. Using data from terrestrial and airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scans, two interns, Dr. Zhouxin Xi, a post-doctoral fellow, and Saeid Parsian, a graduate student, will work on the project for two years, with half of their stipend being paid by Mitacs.
Kenow Wildfire study shows burning soil biomass led to significant carbon dioxide release to atmosphere
Approaching the four-year anniversary of the Kenow Wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park, a new study by University of Lethbridge undergraduate student Sam Gerrand sheds light on how much carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere from the event and how this data may be utilized going forward. Gerrand, who’s finishing his fourth year of study in geography, recently had his paper, Partitioning losses from fire combustion in a montane valley, Alberta Canada, published in the Forest Ecology and Management journal.
Shining Student Lawrenz Decano
A program that provided flexibility in program selection when applying to grad school was important to Shining Student Lawrenz Decano. The Urban and regional studies program allows him to explore the dynamics that …
Shining Student Apryl Nish
Taking her knowledge into the field, this past summer Shining Student Apryl Nish conducted research on Akamina Valley regrowth following the 2017 Kenow Fire in Waterton, Alberta.
Shining Student Noah MacLeod
This past summer, Shining Student Noah MacLeod landed his first co-op work term with the District of Sparwood in British Columbia, where he played an integral role in the area’s fire and …
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