GES is celebrating student research, funded by the ACE Inclusive Excellence Grant program, at the AAGs in San Francisco! Associate Professor Christy Briles and student Kaytlin Poynter successfully secured this competitive funding, which is designed by the Office of Access and Campus Engagement to make academic opportunities more inclusive and accessible. The grant supported a cohort of students—including Kaytlin Poynter, Makayla Deherrera, Hillary Quarles, Rachel Thody, Daniel Schumacher, and Andrew Sirois—to attend the 2026 American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, providing them with critical financial support for individual conference and travel expenses.
Dan Schumacher and Rachel Thody present their poster, “A New Walkability Index for Neighborhoods in Denver, CO,” at the AAG poster session.
For the students involved, the ACE funding facilitated more than just attendance; it allowed for high-level networking with international leaders in geography and provided a platform for invaluable academic feedback on student research projects. By covering significant travel costs, the Office of Access and Campus Engagement enabled these students to bridge the gap between their local Denver-based studies and global academic discourse.