UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — This summer, the Penn State Department of Geography put the finishing touches on the new GeoGraphics Lab, a multimedia cartography laboratory housed on the first floor of the Walker Building at University Park. The lab was designed to serve as a dedicated space for cartographic design, production and research.
The lab’s director, Anthony Robinson, said the lab offers students and faculty opportunities for innovation and hands-on experience in map making and with access to tools such as a large format printer, a thermographic machine for tactile maps and 3D printing capabilities.
"I hope the lab helps students and faculty in geography to make maps that make a difference,” said Robinson, who is an associate professor of geography and directs the online spatial education programs. “That might mean we are advancing the state of the art in terms of the science of cartography, or it might mean that we're doing the storytelling that helps extend the impact of advances in geographic science. It’s important to have a space where students and faculty can gather and brainstorm, design problems, gain inspiration and refine their work.”
The idea for the lab originated from Robinson's long-standing vision to create a collaborative space for individuals passionate about maps. Following his sabbatical in 2021, Robinson said he seized the chance to establish the lab. The lab’s namesake is the original Deasy GeoGraphics Laboratory, an area where cartographic research and production was conducted in the 1990s.
Harrison Cole, who was Robinson’s doctoral student and former postdoctoral scholar, helped Robinson kickstart the lab in July 2022.
“I know I could have benefited from the lab as a graduate student, and I am glad that current students will now have the tools that they need to do really interesting and exceptional work,” Cole said. “There are so many possibilities for the directions the lab can take things and areas of expertise it can help develop.”
The involvement of students is a vital aspect of the GeoGraphics Lab. As part of the Gould Center for Geography Education and Outreach, the lab integrates both undergraduate and graduate students into ongoing cartographic design projects.
Undergraduate student Nate Cherok spent the summer semester working as a cartography intern updating and designing maps and figures for the latest edition of Professor Cynthia Brewer’s book, “Designing Better Maps.” Students and faculty are also working on physical map installations for display in the Walker Building. Additionally, students working on mapping-related research can utilize the lab's computational and production resources including equipment for biometric user experience or user interface analysis–eye-tracking software for online maps.
Looking toward the future, Robinson said he envisions the lab building a strong reputation for producing excellent maps and making significant advances in cartographic research.
“I want to ensure that we have a diverse range of projects that students and faculty can take part in,” Robinson said. “I also hope that the lab becomes one of many reasons why undergraduates might choose geography as a major. On a more general level, I want the lab to help people tell stories about people and the environment that are best conveyed via creative cartographic design.”
The GeoGraphics Lab is open to the Penn State community as well as individuals outside the University who express interest. The lab's team, including graduate students Tim Presby, Lily Houtman and Harman Singh, possess a diverse range of expertise to cater to various project requirements.
"If somebody is in need of some sort of service, whether it is to print a poster, design a map from the ground up or revise an old map, they can contact the lab with their requests,” Cole said.
Robinson said his goal is that, by empowering students and faculty and providing state-of-the-art resources, the lab will have a lasting impact on the field of geography and beyond.