UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Cynthia Brewer, professor of geography at Penn State, has been awarded the 2023 Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal by the International Cartographic Association (ICA). The recognition represents the highest honor bestowed by the ICA, celebrating exceptional cartographers who have made significant original contributions to the field of cartography.
The Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal is a prestigious accolade, “awarded only on rare occasions in order to emphasize its distinction.” Since its inception in 1979, it has been granted to only 15 individuals and Brewer is the first woman to receive the award. Of the past 15 recipients, four are from the United States, including Alan MacEachren, Penn State professor emeritus of geography, who received the same honor in 2021.
“I am honored to receive this medal,” Brewer said. “The past Mannerfelt awardees include the fathers of our field, important mentors to me, caring teachers and inspiring leaders in GIScience.”
Brewer joined the Penn State faculty in 1994, focusing her scholarly and teaching efforts on cartographic design. Her extensive body of work encompasses more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, 60 additional publications and resources on cartographic design and 6,000 citations. Brewer is also the author of four books, notably, "Designing Better Maps," which saw its second edition published in 2016.
Beyond academia, Brewer's influence extends as an affiliate faculty member at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science (CEGIS). She was recognized with the Henry Gannett Award by the USGS in 2013 for her contributions to topographic mapping. Furthermore, her dedication to innovative teaching was acknowledged with the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ Mitchell Award for Innovative Teaching in 2005.
Brewer received the medal at the 31st International Cartographic Conference held Aug. 13-18 in Cape Town, South Africa.