Monmonier, Mark (1943–)

A professor since 1969 and a prolific author, Mark Monmonier has made invaluable contributions to geography. Specializing in cartography, his work has been internationally acclaimed and is highly influential both inside and outside geography.

After obtaining degrees from Johns Hopkins University (BA, 1964) and the Pennsylvania State University (MS, 1967; PhD, 1969), Mark taught at both the University of Rhode Island and the State University of New York at Albany. In 1973, he accepted a position in the Department of Geography at Syracuse University, and after 25 years, he was awarded the prestigious title of Distinguished Professor.

Funded through institutions such as the National Science Foundation and the John Simon Guggenheim foundation, Monmonier's research has focused on a variety of cartographic topics. Demonstrated through his 200-plus articles and conference papers as well as 16 books, his breadth of knowledge and contribution to geography are extensive. His early interests focused on the use of computer algorithms in statistical mapping. In the late 1980s and through the 1990s, Monmonier became a leader in interactive or digital cartography, a subject matter now generally labeled GIScience. His 1982 book, Computer-Assisted Cartography: Principles and Prospects, is considered the first commercial textbook on computer cartography. Though his writings on computer algorithms, map design, and digital cartography were formative in GIScience, Monmonier's interests began to shift toward the social side of cartography, and by the 1990s, his research focused predominantly on 20th-century cartographic technologies and their societal impacts.

Monmonier's publications on social-mapping projects have helped advance understandings of the social, political, and historical contexts in which maps are made and used. More specifically, he has published critically acclaimed books on diverse topics such as journalistic cartography, election mapping, place names, and surveillance mapping. His insights on such topics have been formative in the critique of cartography as a social and political project—rather than a scientific or objective one. Published in 1996, How to Lie With Maps is perhaps Monmonier's most widely read and cited book. As useful as maps can be, he reminds his readers that they are generalizations and that they do “lie.” Through his accessible writing and often humorous tone, he has taught academics, students, and the general public alike to maintain a cautious and skeptical perspective of maps. Indeed, in 2004, he was awarded a Globe Book Award for Public Understanding of Geography by the Association of American Geographers.

In addition to Monmonier's significant contributions in research and writing, he is an award-winning teacher and graduate advisor and has been an active member of several professional organizations. Some of Monmonier's notable service contributions include being the associate editor and, later, editor of The American Cartographer, the president of the American Cartographic Association, and the editor for the highly regarded (and anticipated) sixth volume of the History of Cartography Project. As of 2009, Monmonier remains an active teacher and is deeply involved with numerous research and writing projects.