J. Warren Nystrom Award Grant

The J. Warren Nystrom Award, established by the former AAG Executive Director, honors outstanding papers based on recent geography dissertations. Eligible candidates must be AAG members who obtained their PhD after April 1, 2021, and participated in AAG from 2021-2023. The Review Committee evaluates submissions by early December, with finalists invited to present at the AAG Annual Meeting. Selected papers may also be considered for publication in The Professional Geographer, with one or two cash awards granted.

About Dr. Nystrom
John Warren Nystrom was a graduate of Clark University in Worcester, Mass., where he received his Doctor of Philosophy in Geography in 1942. Warren was an exceptional educator and professor of geography for many years at Rhode Island College, University of Pittsburgh, George Washington University, and Florida Atlantic University.  Beyond academia, Dr. Nystrom had a long and productive career in international relations as a senior official in the Foreign Policy Department at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a partner in the international relations consulting firm of Allen, Murden and Nystrom, a Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution.  He also represented the United States at UNESCO, the United Nations’ educational, scientific, and cultural organization.  Nystrom was Executive Director of the Association of American Geographers from 1966-1979. He received AAG Honors and published a number of geography textbooks and periodicals on U.S. relations with the European Community, Canada and Latin America.
A fund established by former AAG Executive Director J. Warren Nystrom supports an annual prize for a paper based upon a recent dissertation in geography. Papers must be presented at the upcoming AAG Annual Meeting.

Eligibility

The Annual Meeting Preliminary Program (usually available in January) will indicate those individuals advancing to the final round of the competition (i.e. presentation at the Annual Meeting). Finalists will be invited to submit their papers for consideration for publication in The Professional Geographer. From the Nystrom competition papers presented at the annual meeting, the Review Committee will recommend from one to two cash awards.
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Eligibility for this competition is restricted to AAG members who have received their Ph.D. degree since April 1, 2023 and who have been members of the AAG for 2023, 2024 and 2025.