Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium 2026 (MUGS)
Macalester College is excited to host the 2026 Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium! MUGS brings together undergraduate students from across the Midwest to share research, explore new ideas, and celebrate geography in all its forms. Whether you want to present your projects and posters in a low-key setting, meet other geographers or support your family and friends, MUGS 2026 is for you.
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Registration Deadline (Presenter) DEADLINE EXTENDED! Friday, April 17, 2026
- Abstract Submission Deadline (Presenter) DEADLINE EXTENDED! Friday, April 17, 2026
- Registration Deadline (Non-Presenter) April 28
- MUGS May 2
Tentative Program-at-a-Glance
8:30 am – 9:30 am – Registration and Breakfast
9:30 am – 10:40 am – Paper Session 1
10:40 am – 10:50 am – Break
10:50 am – 12:00 pm – Paper Session 2
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Keynote Speaker Dr. Bill Moseley, DeWitt Wallace Professor of Geography
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm – Lunch & Poster Session
2:15 pm – 2:20 pm – Break
2:20 pm – 3:20 pm – Lightning Talks
3:20 pm – Business Meeting
2026 Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium (MUGS) Preliminary Program
Directions & Parking
Directions and Parking:
All of the MUGS events will take place inside the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, mainly on the 2nd floor of the building. The GPS address for the building is 130 S Macalester St, St Paul, MN 55105 . We recommend parking in either the West 2 Parking Lot , and entering through the west entrance of the building, or the West 1 Parking Lot, entering from the south. There is no parking permit enforcement this Saturday, so feel free to park in any of our lots, but do abide by posted signage about disabled parking. We will have greeters available to help guide you to the check-in table.
MUGS 2026 Abstracts
MUGS 2026 Keynote Speaker Bill Moseley
Nourishing Geography: The Six Dimensions of a Thriving Discipline
These are challenging times for American higher education and geography has not been immune to the headwinds. While periods of turmoil are disconcerting, these can also be times of opportunity if the discipline is proactive and strategic. This talk discusses six such challenges that also represent opportunities for the AAG and geography.
About Bill Moseley
William G. Moseley is a DeWitt Wallace Professor of Geography and Director of the Food, Agriculture and Society Program at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN. His research focuses on tropical agriculture, food security, environment and development, particularly in Africa. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters as well as 12 books. His research has been funded by the US National Science Foundation, the US Fulbright-Hays Program, and the American Geographical Society. In 2022-2023, he was a Phi Beta Kappa scholar, in 2016 he was awarded the Kwadwo Konadu-Agyemang Distinguished Scholar Award by the AAG, and in 2013 he received the AAG media award. He currently serves as president of the Mande Studies Association (MANSA) and President of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). He previously served as a member of the United Nations High Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN). His commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Al Jazeera English.
MUGS 2026 Planning Committee
Catherine Kane ’26
Oliver Matus-Bond ’26
Eric Carter, Geography Department Chair
Connie DeLage, Geography Department Coordinator
Frequently Asked Questions
Download MUGS 2026 Promotion Flyer
