named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Chapter Induction Ceremonies
Annual events recognizing new student members into local GTU chapters, often held during departmental awards ceremonies
Geography Awareness Week
Nationwide observance promoted by GTU chapters through events such as mapathons, trivia, lectures, and campus outreach to highlight the importance of geography
Graduate School and Career Panels
Events connecting students with alumni and professionals to discuss advanced study and career pathways in geography and GIS
Guest Lecture Series
Chapters host scholars and professionals for talks on topics such as geopolitics, open-source intelligence, and emergency management
World Geography Bowl
Competitive academic event in which GTU members participate at regional and national levels through the American Association of Geographers
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Local High School Scholarship Programs 2 activities
- Award scholarships and travel grantsAdministers and awards five annual scholarships, including four for undergraduate students and one for a continuing graduate student, and provides travel award scholarships to support academic participation. Awarded 4 academic and travel scholarships in the reporting year.
- Provide membership certificates and lifetime membershipProvides lifetime membership to all members upon joining with no annual dues and issues framed membership certificates to new members. Awarded membership certificates to 815 students in the reporting year.
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Student-Led Community Service Programs 1 activity
- Facilitate member engagement and service activitiesEncourages members to apply geographic knowledge in service to communities through organized events such as food drives, stream clean-ups, and academic symposia. Examples include collecting over 150 food items for a local food bank, participating in a stream clean-up, and co-organizing the 2026 Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Publish academic journals and newslettersProduces and distributes academic journals for members and institutions and publishes regular newsletters, including the May 2026 issue of the GTU Newsletter.
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Recognition and Awards Programs 1 activity
- Recognize outstanding chapters and sponsorsRecognizes high-performing chapters annually through Honors Chapter and Presidential Honors Chapter awards since 2013, and honors chapter sponsors with annual awards since 2020, including providing certificates and sending congratulatory letters from the GTU president.
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Nonprofit Retail and Merchandise Sales 1 activity
- Sell branded merchandise and regaliaOffers members access to branded merchandise and graduation regalia through an online store.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Charter and support local chaptersCharters local chapters at colleges and universities to support geographical learning and provides ongoing support for chapter operations, including initiation and reporting compliance. Charges a $125 fee to establish a new chapter charter to cover administrative costs.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$59K
Contributions & grants$00%
Program service revenue$33K55%
Investment income$25K42%
Other revenue$1K
expenses
Total expenses$22K
Program expenses100%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$7K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$550K
Cash$65K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$550K
Liquid reserves34.7 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +15.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
board members · 17
- DR BURRELL MONTZ — EXEC SECRETARY
- DR DAWN DRAKE — HISTORIAN
- DR FALGUNI MUKHERJEE — 2ND VICE PRES
- DR H JASON COMBS — REGIONAL COUNCL
- DR HARRY J WILSON — PAST PRESIDENT
- DR JESSIE CLARK — REGIONAL COUNCL
- DR KAREN D JOHNSON - WEBB — President
- DR MARK D BJELLAND — REGIONAL COUNCL
- DR MARK PATTERSON — CO EDITOR
- DR MICHAELA BUENEMANN — REGIONAL COUNCL
- DR NANCY HOALST-PULLEN — CO EDITOR
- DR NATHANIEL TRUMBULL — REGIONAL COUNCL
- DR PENG GAO — COMPTROLLER
- DR RANDY BERTOLAS — OUTREACH CORD
- DR RYAN WEICHELT — 1ST VICE PRES
- DR STACY BROWN AMILAN — REGIONAL COUNCL
- DR TIM HAWKINS — REGIONAL COUNCL
relationships · 18
Who they work with
- American Association of Geographers Partner — Co-manages the Visiting Geographical Scientist Program with Gamma Theta Upsilon.
- American Association of Geographers Partner — Collaborates on the GTU/AAG Visiting Scientist Program
- Association of College Honor Societies Network — GTU maintains membership in the Association of College Honor Societies, which governs eligibility verification and initiation procedures.
- Association of College Honor Societies Network — Member of the Association of College Honor Societies, as indicated by ACHS logo and affiliation.
- Dr. Falguni Mukherjee Government — Current GTU 2nd vice-president who receives questions about the Chapter Sponsor Award
- Dr. Nathaniel Trumbull Partner — GTU 1st Vice President who serves as contact for scholarship inquiries
- Gamma Theta Upsilon Network — Self-referential membership in the Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographical Honor Society.
- Geography Department Chair Partner — Required to provide a letter of support for new chapter charters.
- Georgetown University Partner — Hosted a visiting faculty member for a lecture co-sponsored by the GTU chapter.
- Greater Lansing Food Bank Partner — Recipient of food donations from a GTU chapter-led food drive during Geography Awareness Week.
- Harvard University Partner — Hosted a visiting faculty member for multiple events including a keynote lecture and research presentation.
- Illinois State Normal University Government — Original institution where Gamma Theta Upsilon was founded as a Geography Club and later organized as a local professional fraternity.
- MSF USA Partner — Co-hosted a virtual mapathon event with MSF USA during Geography Awareness Week.
- Michaela Buenemann Partner — Contact person for chapter reporting assistance
- National Council for Geographic Education Partner — Recognizes student presentations at NCGE meetings as part of Presidential Honors Chapter criteria
- Reconnecting Rondo Partner — Recognized a community member from this organization with an award during a GTU chapter event.
- Student Outreach Assistant Partner — Students serve as Student Outreach Assistants to support the GTU Executive Committee.
- University of Minnesota Partner — Collaborated with GTU chapter for a joint geography mixer and GIS Career Fair participation.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Academic Honor Society Modelmethodology: academic_honor_society_modelBy selecting members based on academic excellence in geography, we strengthen the society's scholarly reputation and promote professional standards in the discipline, because high-achieving members reinforce the credibility and visibility of geography as a rigorous academic field.
- Decentralized Ownership with Centralized Supportmethodology: decentralized_personalizationBy enabling local chapters to personalize activities like initiation ceremonies while maintaining centralized reporting and oversight, we balance local relevance with national cohesion, because autonomy fosters engagement while structure ensures accountability and knowledge sharing.
- Equitable Academic Outreachmethodology: resource-equity in academic outreachBy funding visits of prominent geographers to under-resourced institutions, we strengthen geography’s reach and equity, because access to expert voices raises the profile of the discipline where it is most needed and inspires student engagement in underserved academic communities.
- Holistic Development Through Chapter Engagementmethodology: holistic_development_modelBy combining scholarly recognition with structured chapter activities, leadership development, and professional networking, we cultivate well-rounded geographers, because integrating academic rigor with leadership and community engagement produces deeper disciplinary commitment and career readiness.
- Symbolic Interdisciplinary Identitymethodology: interdisciplinary_symbolismBy using symbolic representations of land, water, and sky in its insignia and rituals, we reinforce the integrative, interdisciplinary nature of geography, because shared symbols help unify members around the field’s core mission of synthesizing environmental and human systems.