Rate My Professor Tim Hawthorne

Timothy L. Hawthorne is Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Geosciences at Auburn University. He earned his Ph.D. in Geography from The Ohio State University in 2010, M.A. in Geography from West Virginia University in 2005, and B.A. in Geography, magna cum laude, from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2003. Broadly trained in GIS and human geography, his research specializations include GIScience, Participatory GIS, community geography, geoscience education, UAVs/drones, and social and environmental disparities, with fieldwork in Belize. A National Geographic Explorer since 2022 and Fellow of the American Association of Geographers since 2025, Hawthorne previously served as Graduate Program Director and Associate Professor of Geographic Information Systems at the University of Central Florida from 2015 to 2024, Assistant Professor of Geography at Georgia State University from 2011 to 2015, and Assistant Professor at Columbus State University from 2010 to 2011.

Hawthorne founded Citizen Science GIS in 2015, now housed at Auburn University, to connect scientists, educators, and communities with geospatial technologies. He launched the United States' first GeoBus, a solar-powered mobile STEAM education lab serving K-12 youth in Florida, and in early 2025 introduced Geo Explorers Labs, a 36-foot RV for geoscience education across Alabama. As Principal Investigator, he has directed four NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Teachers sites since 2012, funding fieldwork for approximately 100 participants. His awards include Esri GIS Hero in 2022, Esri Special Achievement in GIS in 2017, and multiple AAG specialty group honors. Key publications comprise "Low‐Altitude UAV Imaging Accurately Quantifies Eelgrass Wasting Disease From Alaska to California" (Geophysical Research Letters, 2023), "Mapping Emotional Attachment as a Measure of Sense of Place to Identify Coastal Restoration Priority Areas" (Applied Geography, 2022), and "Toward a Community Geography Pedagogy: A Focus on Reciprocal Relationships and Reflection" (Journal of Geography, 2019). He has served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Geography and International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research, current Treasurer of the AAG Geography Education Specialty Group, and long-time speaker in the AAG Visiting Geographical Scientist Program.