Department of Geography

NEWS

Map showing high temperatures (red) across the western U.S. during the heatwave
March 8th 2023

PSU study: Everything was stronger in that deadly June 2021 PNW heatwave

What was different about the deadly, record-breaking heat wave in June 2...
Mt. Hood
January 21st 2023

Latest climate assessment says Oregon is getting warmer — what's that mean for the state?

The latest climate assessment for Oregon says the state is getting warmer...
Axcelle Campana poses with award, with trees in backdrop
December 5th 2022

PSU student wins $100K environmental prize

A Portland State graduate student whose work focuses on the inequities in...
A closeup view of a 3D tactile map of the Portland State University campus, located in the lobby of PSU's SMSU student union. The raised buildings have English and Braille labels on their roofs, and all the roads, parking lots and grassy areas are demarcated by textures.
November 8th 2022

Navigating Urban Spaces: Indoor & Outdoor Wayfinding Technology for Vision-Impaired People

Navigating an unfamiliar place is uniquely challenging for people with disabilities....
colorful images showing climate model data
October 11th 2022

Climate models accurately simulate Pacific Northwest weather patterns, PSU study finds

Climate models are powerful tools that scientists use to study how the climate...
Close up of person getting vaccine
August 26th 2022

Republicans and Blacks most hesitant to get COVID vaccine, PSU spatial analysis finds

Vaccine hesitancy remains a public health challenge that cuts across the...
Figure showing atmospheric ridge
July 5th 2022

PSU, WSU researchers to study atmospheric ridges, a factor in Pacific Northwest's extreme weather events

Last year's record-breaking heatwave, recent droughts and the 2020 Labor...
Red-legged frog in someone's hands
May 16th 2022

Home on the range: PSU researchers help map where wildlife roam across Oregon

Why did the frog cross the road? To get to the other side to mate and lay...
Image of a bioswale
April 15th 2022

Rain, floods and green infrastructure: are cities mitigating the hazards equitably?

As cities grow, the area of impervious surfaces they cover grows. In...
Columbia River with hills in the background
January 31st 2022

PSU-led team to study microplastics across Columbia River Basin

Microplastics can be found everywhere — from the air to the ocean — but...
Skybridge with Portland State University
January 21st 2022

ReImagine projects address DEI, workforce development

Initiatives ranging from enhancing environmental education and research at...
Side-by-side images of snow-capped Mt. Hood in July 2018 and July 2021
August 30th 2021

How Hood River watershed can become more resilient to climate change

Hood River, long an agricultural center for Oregon, faces an uncertain future...