Wondering what's on in 2025-2026?
DATA EXCAVATION LAB
We are excited to inaugurate this new program for undergraduates and graduate students. Successful applicants will learn to build spatial data from scratch and contribute to a collaborative open-access database. The theme for the year is Ukrainian nature, and our focus will be on freshwater environments (think rivers, lakes, and wetlands). We meet on Mondays through the academic year. Keep an eye out for news and updates from the project!
NOW LIVE!
Our freely-accessible Incremental Sea Research Platform was launched on September 22, 2025. The project is a set of meditations on the Black Sea. It draws on dozens of pieces of mapwork and artwork: poems, stories, maps, memoirs, and novels composed by men and women shaped by the sea. Check it out!
MAPMAKER PODCAST
We return to the airwaves with new episodes in November 2025.
SPATIAL HISTORY SEMINAR
WINTER STUDIO (January 2026)
Enroll in one or both of our virtual studios. They are free and open to students and scholars anywhere, but enrollment is limited.
DataBasics: A gentle introduction to thinking with, and producing, historical data taught by Dr. O'Neill. January 5-8, 2026, 09:00-12:00 EST. Open to any student or academic working on a historical topic. Application available November 15, 2025.
Unmappable Maps: We will take a deep dive into a show-stopping set of maps of Ukraine and the Black and Azov seas. January 12-15, 2026, 09:00-12:00 EST. Application available November 15, 2025.
MAP FEST (April 30, 2026)
A day of presentations and activities showcasing the work of the Data Excavation Lab.
SPATIAL HISTORY CONFERENCE (June 2026)
A 3-day event with the first day open to the public. The theme will be announced in early October.
