On October 15, Pace University hosted a workshop featuring Dr. Nancy Peluso, funded by the Mellon grant Islands, Archipelagoes, and Cultural Ecologies. The event focused on the use of maps to tell stories about environmental change and human migration.
Dr. Peluso, recognized for her work on countermapping, has collaborated with indigenous communities to highlight how they claim land and resources in ways not reflected on official maps. During the workshop, she used examples from her research in Indonesia, where interviews with local residents revealed that standard maps did not capture changes resulting from population movement. Historical maps illustrated shifts in settlement patterns such as locations of homes, food production areas, and plantations. However, other significant influences—like remittances sent home by women working abroad—remained invisible on these maps despite their impact on the landscape.
The workshop was integrated into Dr. Jonathan Williams’s independent study course for students in the Seidenberg School’s master’s program in Human-Centered Design at Pace. Participants included students from Pace’s Department of Environmental Studies and Science as well as representatives from organizations such as the American Museum of Natural History, New York City Parks, NYU, and Rebuild by Design. Together, they explored methods for using maps to represent changes that are often hidden or overlooked.
“I really enjoyed working with Pace students,” stated Peluso, “as well as with participants from so many New York environmental institutions. They asked great questions and shared interesting ideas about how to tell these invisible stories.” Dr. Williams added: “Representation in map making extends beyond geographic detail to also include the people, culture, and change that occurs in a place over time. Capturing all this information is a complex visualization challenge for students to address.”
The Mellon grant Islands, Archipelagoes, and Cultural Ecologies is led by faculty members from Dyson College—including Dr. Erica Johnson, E. Melanie DuPuis, Emily Welty, Matthew Bolton, and Anne Toomey—as well as Katy Kuh from Haub Law School.
