Abler, Ronald (1939–)

Ronald F. Abler, president of the International Geographical Union (IGU) during 2008–2012, former president of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) (1985–1986), and executive director of the AAG (1989–2002), contributed to the geographical study of communication while fostering collaborative geographical research through communication among geographers and between geographers and the wider academy.

Abler received his geography degrees from the University of Minnesota (PhD, 1968) and served on the faculty (1967–1995) and as head of the geography department (1976–1982) at the Pennsylvania State University, where he is professor emeritus. His research explored how societies use communication technologies, most recently with respect to telecommunications and cyberspace, to shape space and place. In addition to numerous research publications, Abler coauthored a groundbreaking 1971 textbook on spatial organization and led ...