Geography plays a critical role in all of the Census Bureau's data collection, tabulation, and dissemination. Our presence at the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting 2012 provided an opportunity for Census Bureau staff to exchange latest research findings with the goal of improving programs. The Census Bureau staff was at the AAG Annual Meeting in booth 431 and at sessions throughout the meeting:

Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting 2012

February 24

8:00am - Peter Daniels: Service Industry Research Pioneer
- Brian Holly, Center for Economic Studies, Panelist
11:50am - Lunchtime Plenary with Robert M. Groves, Director, US Census Bureau
4:40pm - Population Processes and Geographical Change: New Perspectives
- John Thomas Fitzwater, Population Division, "Development Towards a Global Subnational Population Dataset."
4:40pm - Identifying and Defining Place
- Shonin Anacker, Geography Division, "Place and Non-Place: Lessons from the 2010 Census Designated Place Delineation."
- April Avnayim, Geography Division, "Why Are There 4,000 New Census Designated Places (CDPs) for Census 2010?"
- Timothy Trainor, Geography Division, "Creating a Geospatial Picture of the Nation: A Method for Identifying Places of Interest."

February 26

10am - The American Community Survey: 2012 and Beyond
- Nancy Torrieri, American Community Survey Office, "Update on the American Community Survey."
- Anna Owens, American Community Survey Office, "Getting and Using the Latest ACS Data Products."
- J. Trent Alexander, American Community Survey Office, "ACS Microdata: What Users Need to Know."
- Alison K. Fields, Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division, "Meeting Special ACS Data Needs: Migration Product Plans, Commuting Data, and the Census Transportation Planning Package."
12:40pm - Population, Land Use and Urban Dynamics
- Thomas Fischetti, Population Division, "Population Change in Puerto Rico: 1900 to 2010."
12:40pm - Population Change in the United States
- Darryl Cohen, Population Division, "Demographic Trends in U.S. Metro Areas: 2000 to 2010"
4:40pm - Diversity in the Geographic Workforce
- Darryl Cohen, Population Division, Chair and Panelist

February 27

10am - Healthcare Workforce Geography
- Robert Leddy, Population Division, "Subnational Population Estimates in a GIS as a Tool for Responding to Global HIV/AIDS."
12:40pm - Measuring Accessibility
- Daniel Weinberg, Director's Office, "The Measurement of Job Accessibility."
12:40pm - Articulating and Practicing "Place"
- Michael Ratcliffe, Geography Division, "Towards a Typology of Census Designated Places."
- Vincent Osier, Geography Division, "The U.S. Census Bureau's 'Place' Geography: How Do We Improve Place for Data Users?"
2:40pm - Defining and Mapping Communities and Neighborhoods
- Joshua Coutts, Geography Division, "Automated Identification of Census Designated Places (CDPs)."
4:40pm - Food in the City 3: Exploring Space, Place and Taste
- Paul Scanlon, American Community Survey Office, "Comfortable Otherness: Establishing Spaces of Inter-ethnic Contact in Mexican Restaurants."

February 28

10am - Data and Methods in Population Geography
- Joshua Comenetz, Population Division, "Global Population Mapping at the Census Bureau."
- Derek Azar, Population Division, "Population Distribution in Rwanda Using Multiple-Resolution Satellite Imagery and Open Source Geospatial Data."
10am - Geographic Frontiers in the Federal Statistical Agencies
- James Fitzsimmons, Population Division, Panelist
- Michael Ratcliffe, Geography Division, Panelist
4:00pm - Growth and Change in Small Urban Areas II: Understanding the Dynamics of Space and Society
- Paul Mackun, Population Division, "Micropolitan Statistical Areas: Overview and Analysis from the 2010 Census."
4:00pm - GIS: Challenges for Analysis II
- Tiernan Erickson, Geography Division, "An Alternative Method for Testing the Spatial Accuracy of Features."