Papers

The California Geographical Society invites students - undergraduate and graduate - to share and be rewarded for their scholarly work at our annual conference.  The CGS offers a serious and supportive environment for students to make professional presentations. A panel of geographers will judge all entries. Winners will be announced, and cash awards will be presented during the CGS Awards Banquet on Saturday night. All presenters must register by Thursday, April 10, 2025. 

Awards

McKnight Professional Paper Awards

• One undergraduate and one graduate award ($100 for 1st place, with certificates for 2nd and 3rd place)

Geosystems Award

•    One undergraduate and one graduate award for best Earth Systems Science Paper ($500)

Research in Social and Environmental Justice

•    One Award for best Social and/or Environmental Justice Paper, open to both undergraduate and graduate students ($500)

Paper Judging Criteria

1. Abstract: A clear, succinct abstract (academic summary) of your presentation should be submitted when registering for the conference (150 word limit). All abstracts will be published in The California Geographer.

2. Presentation: A good paper presentation is structured and organized to fit within a 15-minute time frame, with 5 additional minutes for questions. Judging criteria also includes your ability to answer questions related to your presentation.

3. Geographic Content and Analysis: A good presentation is clearly presented in logical sequence and includes a well-defined introduction, statement of purpose, methodology and/or theory, and a clearly defined conclusion.

4. Visual Aids: Presentations should make use of good visual aids: photos, graphs, tables, and maps are welcome and encouraged. Presenters should use visual aids that they have themselves taken/prepared and/or give proper citation to aids that were taken/prepared by others.

Entering the Competition

1. Register for the conference (required for all presenters) by the presenter deadline listed on the conference website (calgeog.org/conferences). Please only select one category for your presentation when registering. 

2. Submit a title and abstract for your paper when you register for the conference.

3. All student paper presentations submitted by the deadline will be automatically entered into the competition.