Matthew W. Wilson (he/him)

Professor of Geography

[ on research sabbatical in Fall 2026 ]

Matthew W. Wilson, PhD, is Professor of Geography at the University of Kentucky and an Associate at the Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University. He directs Mapshop. He is an editor at cultural geographies, an international, peer-reviewed quarterly journal.

He co-edited Understanding Spatial Media (SAGE, 2017) and his most recent book is New Lines: Critical GIS and the Trouble of the Map (University of Minnesota Press, 2017).

He has previously taught at Ball State University and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and has held visiting appointments at the University of British Columbia and Saint Louis University. He served as the eighth department chair at UK Geography from 2022 until 2026. His current research examines mid-20th century, digital mapping practices. He earned his PhD and MA from the University of Washington and his BS from Northwest Missouri State University. His childhood was spent in Pumpkin Center, Missouri, a small farming community in Nodaway County, where his family has farmed for over 170 years.

He lives in the historic Aylesford neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky.

Contact Information
matthew.w.wilson@uky.edu
805-A Patterson Office Tower
(859) 257-8851
Education
Ph.D. University of Washington, 2009
M.A. University of Washington, 2005
B.S. Northwest Missouri State University, 2002
Research Interests
  • Critical cartography & GIS
  • cultural geography
  • urban political geography
  • Science and Technology Studies
  • Disciplinary History of Geography
Affiliations
  • Geography
  • New Maps Plus
  • New Mappings Collaboratory
  • Appalachian Center
  • Social Theory
  • American Association of Geographers
  • North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS)