UNA Geoscience Professor Named Fellow of American Association of Geographers
Feb. 25, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Dr. Michael Pretes, a Geoscience Professor at the University of North Alabama, has been elected an American Association of Geographers (AAG) Fellow, one of the highest distinctions in the field recognizing scholars “who have made significant contributions to advancing geography.”
“The AAG Fellows program is among the most prestigious honors a geographer can receive, and Dr. Pretes is exceptionally deserving,” said Dr. Derek Alderman, Chancellor’s Professor of Geography at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and former AAG President. “I consider him one of the most impressive, passionate, generous, and broadly accomplished scholars in our discipline.”
Founded in 1904, the AAG is the world’s leading academic geography society, representing more than 10,000 members globally. Election as a Fellow is highly selected and limited to no more than 0.2 percent of the membership each year.
“I am deeply honored by this recognition,” said Dr. Pretes. “And it means that UNA geography is a bit more visible in the wider world, and that enhances opportunities for our graduates.”
Dr. Pretes has taught geography at UNA for 20 years and has received many past honors from multiple academic societies. His reputation is global and is reflected in his “dedication to more inclusive geographical engagement, knowledge production, and sharing,” said Dr. Gustav Visser, Professor and Chair of Geography and Environmental Studies at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.