Geography Lectures

Yi-Fu Tuan was a towering intellectual figure and Professor Emeritus of Geography at UW-Madison. Tuan was a prolific writer and deep thinker who was known as the father of humanistic geography. See: UW–Madison mourns influential, beloved geography professor Yi-Fu Tuan.

Yi-Fu Tuan
Yi-Fu Tuan

The Yi-Fu Lecture Series features a wide variety of U.S. and international guest lecturers from all geographic disciplines. Lecturers at these Friday seminars also often speak at brown-bag lunches, one-on-one student sessions, and breakfast meetings with student interest groups as part of their visit. Doctoral students are invited to present their final research. The lecture series was initiated by Dr. Tuan (pictured at left) and receives enthusiastic support as a department and campus tradition.

All lectures are presented in room 180 of Science Hall every Friday at 3:30 PM. For those unable to attend in person, the meeting can be joined via Livestream https://go.wisc.edu/l880yf except when otherwise indicated. Alumni, friends and the public are always invited to attend.

October 18, 2024 - 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Beyond Maps: Integrating Place and Space for Community Resilience Geospatial analyses can be valuable in identifying potential drivers of changing vulnerability outcomes across various regions. However, more work is needed to incorporate the place-based perspectives of people living in vulnerable areas, such as livelihoods and other lived experiences from individuals, households, and communities. How can […]


November 1, 2024 - 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Assistant Professor Julie Klinger
Assistant Professor Julie Klinger, University of Delaware

November 8, 2024 - 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Professor Martin Doyle
Professor Martin Doyle, Duke University

Water & Wall Street: Water affordability and infrastructure finance in US Cities The intersection of finance and urban infrastructure has been a central theme across geography. In the case of water, public infrastructure intersects finance and capital through the mechanisms of municipal bonds and household water bills. We developed a nationwide database of water utility […]