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Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students

goersab — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:45:01 +0000

Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students goersab July 21, 2026

Nine undergraduates from around U.S. invite conversations at community presentation Aug. 6

Early in the morning on one of the hottest days of the summer, ��Ͽ� Polytechnic biology Associate Professor Keith Gilland and students Abi Cherry and Norah Shires trekked to the mouth of Galloway Creek, where it meets the Red Cedar River in Menomonie.

The group is investigating water quality, insect communities, and sedimentation processes in the heavily urbanized stream, as part of LAKES Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Cherry, Shires and seven other students representing nine universities from across the country are working to improve the health of the Red Cedar watershed.

Led by ��Ͽ� Polytechnic professors, the students are collaborating across disciplines in environmental science, biology, anthropology and psychology as they seek to develop sustainable solutions with community and government partners, local citizens and policymakers.

Associate Professor Keith Gilland and LAKES students Norah Shires and Abi Cherry measure the width and depth of Galloway Creek.

LAKES co-director Tina Lee, program director of applied social science, has been involved in the federally funded program, part of ��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s experiential learning, since its inception in 2014.

“Our interdisciplinary approach seeks to better prepare students with the analytical skills needed to address complex environmental issues. They are really helping to build knowledge for improving our local environment, water quality, and eutrophic lakes – where phosphorus and nitrogen pollution causes blue-green algae blooms and low oxygen levels – particularly in the Midwestern U.S. Students get the opportunity to see their research directly impact the community around them and make important contributions to new science and policy,” Lee said.

The LAKES program runs from June 7 to Aug. 8. Students and mentors invite community members to a public presentation and forum from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, at the Raw Deal in Menomonie.

Abi Cherry uses a transparency tube at Galloway Creek to measure water clarity and turbidity.

LAKES REU researchers

��Ͽ� Polytechnic mentors and their students are:

Biology Associate Professor Keith Gilland
- Abi Cherry, University of Cincinnati, biology
- Norah Shires, University of Northern Iowa, environmental science
Biology Senior Lecturer Arthur Kneeland, co-director of LAKES
- James Devereaux, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, anthropology and psychology
- McKenna Dudley, Illinois State, environmental system science and sustainability
Anthropology Professor Thomas Pearson
- Sydney Peterson, UW-Milwaukee, freshwater science and water policy
- Daniel Rogers, University of North Texas, anthropology
- Jacob Smertneck, West Virginia University, anthropology and environmental science
Psychology Program Director Professor Sarah Wood
- Hattie Larson, ��Ͽ� Polytechnic, psychology
- Annabel Raffin, Amherst College, Massachusetts, environmental studies and psychology

Norah Shires uses a DO meter at Galloway Creek to measure temperature and oxygen levels.

Urban stream management and restoration

Cherry and Shires are comparing characteristics of Galloway Creek with those of streams in local nature preserves to determine the impacts of urban watersheds on streams and what management activities might help build a healthy stream through the city. They have visited disturbed, undisturbed and restored sites along the creek.

“This project is the next step in a long history of Stout faculty and students studying and stewarding Galloway Creek and its watershed,” Gilland said.

They are also examining stream morphology – how the course or the depth of the stream has changed over time – as well as the effects of recent restoration projects, focusing on improving the riparian corridor along the stream with the hopes of refining restoration methods and identifying future sites for improvement, including possible channel reconstruction, he explained.

“Water is our most important natural resource; everything living relies on it. Creeks provide water for several ecosystems and contribute to the large bodies we drink from; protecting them and restoring them to good condition will ensure that we get to drink from and recreate in our waters for millennia to come,” Shires said. “The most challenging part of restoration, I think, is public education. Without voters to voice their concerns, funding for restoration projects isn’t placed where it is needed.

“A lot of projects surround the site, like native tree and vegetative plantings, as well as invasive removal. These things help improve the channel of the stream and are achievable,” she added. “What I would like to see is a large-scale removal of impervious surfaces along the creek, like long stretches of concrete. Replacing them with a more permeable material or even forgoing the concrete altogether would reduce urban runoff and improve the overall quality of our waters.”

Abi Cherry and Norah Shires examine insect samples from Galloway Creek in a biology lab.

Circular economy in the Red Cedar watershed

Kneeland, Devereaux and Dudley are studying circular economy in the Red Cedar watershed, with the idea that local commerce has a clearer relationship to the environment, as well as economically benefiting the community in general.

They are using long and short form interviews, talking with local business owners and Chamber of Commerce members to discover people’s attitudes, values and perceived barriers to engaging in local economic activity.

The interviews have also given insight into how people shop, Devereaux noted, adding that he would like to “explore ways that the Chamber helps the community that might not be normally known, and the reasonings behind their decision making.”

Norah Shires and Abi Cherry identify insect samples from Galloway Creek.

Viewpoints on data center developments

Proposed data center development has become a politically charged and controversial issue that raises new questions about energy, water, and future land use and development in the watershed, Pearson said.

He is working with Peterson, Rogers and Smertneck to study the diverse viewpoints and beliefs that shape public debate about data center development. The students are gathering information through participant observation and interviews and are documenting how local history and place identity inform the concerns of residents. They are also looking at how data center proposals have become a catalyst for community organizing, the response of government officials, and the strategies adopted by industry or other stakeholders working to expand data center infrastructure.

Peterson thinks the most impactful part of the LAKES program is the community connection and how that connection makes the research feel more meaningful than any other project she’s pursued.

“I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the close relationship between the city of Menomonie and ��Ͽ� Polytechnic. ��Ͽ� feels very integrated into Menomonie, which creates an atmosphere of trust and collaboration I haven’t experienced before,” she said. “I’ve been really surprised at how much respect the community has for the school’s research and how eager they are to participate in our study, even regarding a contentious topic like data centers.”

Insect samples from Galloway Creek under a microscpe.

Understanding sustainable behaviors and goals

Wood is working with psychology students Larson and Raffin, who are developing two projects using the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand more about people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors related to sustainability.

Larson is researching people’s general attitudes and opinions regarding secondhand shopping and whether it influences other sustainable behaviors. Raffin is investigating community opinions about Wisconsin and Menomonie’s goal of achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050; how people respond to large-scale sustainability goals that are set at the group level, such as by the city, county, or state; and how effective group-set goals are in motivating behaviors.

They think LAKES REU has been a wonderful opportunity for their team to dive into a wide range of interests regarding sustainability and to gain firsthand experience with the research process. “It has been a great experience to talk with Wisconsin residents and get involved in the Menomonie community,” Larson said.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2446660. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Students receive a $6,300 research stipend for the summer, as well as housing in ��Ͽ� Polytechnic’s residence halls, a $450 food allowance, up to $500 in travel reimbursement and funding support to travel to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research to present their final research findings.

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Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students

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Tina Lee

Dr. Lee is an applied anthropologist who specializes in the anthropology of the contemporary United States, specifically public policy and inequality. She is a graduate of the Anthropology PhD program at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and has conducted research about the child welfare system, environmental governance, and humanitarian engineering. She is the author of Catching a Case: Inequality and Fear in New York City's Child Welfare System, published by Rutgers University Press in 2016, as well as serval articles based on her fieldwork in New York City. A book chapter on her follow-up work on child welfare in rural Wisconsin will be published soon. She is also the co-director of the LAKES REU, an NSF-funded research experience for undergraduates site which trains students through research on phosphorous pollution in the Red Cedar Watershed and how it might be mitigated. She teaches anthropology, research methods, and women and gender studies courses and is the program director for the Applied Social Science major as well as the Stout Core Director (Stout's polytechnic version of general education).

Teaching Interests: Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of Gender, Anthropology of the Contemporary U.S., Qualitative Research Methods, Applied Anthropology

Research Interests: Gender, Race, Poverty and Class; Family and the Law; Women’s Activism; Public Policy; Urban United States

Full Name: Dr. Tina Lee

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Degree: Ph.D. Anthropology

University: The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: Women's Studies Certificate Women's Studies

University: Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: M.A. Anthropology

University: Arizona State University

Degree: B.A. Anthropology

University: University of Houston

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Arthur Kneeland

Skills: Teaching, Entomological taxonomy, sampling and IPM. Sustainable Agriculture, GIS proficiency, ARCgis and ERDAS. Statistical proficiency, SAS,

Teaching Interests: Entomology, lab teaching,

Research Interests: Innovative sustainable agricultural techniques, Insect Ecology,

Full Name: Arthur J. Kneeland, M.S.

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College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Biology Department

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Degree: M.S. Renewable Resources Entomology

University: University of Wyoming

Degree: B.A. Sc Applied Science Lab Management

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

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Wisconsin conservation departments have $44 million economic impact, ��Ͽ� students’ research finds

giffeyt — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Wisconsin conservation departments have $44 million economic impact, ��Ͽ� students’ research findsgiffeyt April 29, 2026

Undergraduate capstone explores hard-to-quantify impacts of conservation work on state’s land and water

Tom Giffey

When the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association needed a partner to help quantify the economic impact of environmental efforts its members were making across the state’s 72 counties, it found what it was looking for at ��Ͽ�.

The resulting research conducted by ��Ͽ� undergraduates last semester has now been presented at the state and national levels and could shape how county land and water conservation departments are funded in Wisconsin.

Through their research, ��Ͽ� seniors Helayna Brown and Ella Kemp determined that these departments have an impact on the state economy of at least $43.8 million annually.

Christina Anderson, associate director of the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, said county conservation departments work directly with farmers and other landowners to protect the farms, forests, shorelines and waters of the state. Their work is vital, but its value can be hard to quantify when it comes time to justify budget requests, Anderson said.

“The state pays for some of the positions in each county, and through the budget process we’re always looking for ways to show their value,” she said. “What’s the return on investment that the state is making on these important staff in every county? We were hoping that the university could help us identify what that return on investment is locally and statewide.”

This led the organization to seek help from Professor Tina Lee, director of both ��Ͽ�’s Center for Sustainable Communities and its B.S. applied social science program. They found Lee was already well-versed in how county-level land conservation efforts worked.

“It was very nice to work with somebody like her who can jump right in and within one semester have great a product and excellent foundation,” Anderson said.

State Sen. Jeff Smith, left, listens to ��Ͽ� students Ella Kemp, center, and Helayna Brown during Research in the Rotunda at the state Capitol in Madison on March 11. / Submitted photo

Multimillion-dollar economic impact tallied

After the project was proposed, Lee brought it to her applied social science capstone course, and she found two seniors willing to undertake the effort: Brown, of Menomonie, and Kemp, of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The students, both applied social science majors, worked for hundreds of hours over the course of the fall semester on the project. They began by focusing on a survey sent annually by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to county conservation departments. The Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, a Madison-based nonprofit that advocates for those offices and their work, knew the survey wasn’t fully capturing the value of county conservation departments' work, as it only focuses on outcomes directly related to state funding. The organization wanted to hear ideas for how to improve or expand the survey. While the survey tallied statistics such as the number of nutrient management plans and acres of cover crops, it didn’t account for the fact that reporting methods varied by county, that project outcomes often take years, nor that much conservation work is indirect.

“It’s harder to quantify the relationship-building and the community impact that we have throughout the work we do,” explained Dunn County Conservationist Chase Cummings, who was among those interviewed by the student researchers. “The public is relying on us to do a lot of things, and it’s hard to put numbers to that.”

The student researchers conducted their own focus group with county conservation workers from around the state, which they followed up with a survey to gather data on topics such as staff time, experience and community engagement. This information was then fed into modeling software to estimate economic impact.

While county conservation offices are typically small, their impact was found to be economically significant: The induced effects, or household spending, generated by conservation budgets totaled $21.6 million annually. In addition, there were direct expenditures of $14 million and indirect effects (such as impacts on supply chains) of $8.1 million. In total, the economic output was an estimated $43.8 million each year.

��Ͽ� student Ella Kemp's capstone project focused on calculating the economic impact of county land and water conservation work in Wisconsin.

Students’ skills complement each other

Kemp said the project embodied the real-world impact she was seeking when she enrolled at ��Ͽ�, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.

“Instead of solely reading literature and working with previously published data, I was able to meet with people across the state and discuss issues directly impacting Wisconsin communities,” said Kemp, who after graduating in May will take a job as a research analyst with Expert Institute in Milwaukee.

Kemp said the capstone project was especially challenging – and rewarding – because it focused on both qualitative and quantitative questions. “It was definitely a tougher project, but really well worth it in the long run based on the impact that it can have for conservation departments,” she said.

Lee, who advised the capstone alongside Assistant Professor Courtney Juelich, said the two student researchers were able to apply their skills to different aspects of the project.

“Ella is really good at quantitative data analysis both from her background in economics and as a math minor,” Lee explained. She was able to quickly learn the skills needed to conduct the economic impact analysis, and she consulted with Professor Chris Ferguson to use specialized software to do so.

��Ͽ� applied social science student Helayna Brown's capstone project focused on calculating the economic impact of county land and water conservation departments in Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, Lee added, “Helayna is passionate about the environment and has a background in environmental science. She is also more qualitatively oriented and took the lead in conducting and analyzing the focus group and interviews. It really did end up being a wonderful team.”

Brown said she was surprised by how much she and Kemp were able to learn through their research. “When we were first given the project opportunity, I was excited but somewhat skeptical about whether I could actually evaluate and improve a government survey,” she said. “As we got into the work, I was able to apply the methods I’ve learned throughout my academic career. It was great to use the skills I have learned in a project with real-life consequences.”

Brown and Kemp were able to identify that the existing state survey didn’t adequately account for many of the hours county conservation workers spent building relationships nor the work they do to preserve the state’s forests. Some of the work falls outside the scope of DATCP funding, and therefore has not typically been captured in the survey. That gap, they said, could be addressed in future surveys.

Brown, who plans to pursue a graduate degree in environmental studies, said making the survey more comprehensive through the suggested additions can help it “fully reflect the hard work of department staff and the diversity of Wisconsin.”

��Ͽ� Professor Tina Lee, center, poses with students Helayna Brown, left, and Ella Kemp at Research in the Rotunda. / Submitted photo

Research finds state, national audiences

While their research was only recently completed, Brown and Kemp have already had several opportunities to share it with wider audiences. They were among students from all 13 Universities of Wisconsin campuses to present their work at the state Capitol in Madison during the annual Research in the Rotunda event on March 11. They also were part of the ��Ͽ� contingent who attended the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, April 13-15, in Richmond, Virginia.

Lee is confident that the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association will be able to use the report, specifically by employing the students’ recommendations to make it easier to track the work being done on the county level.

“Helayna and Ella skillfully blended an analysis of existing data with a deeper dive into the day-to-day work of county land and water conservation departments through talking with them in an open-ended way about their work. They were really able to capture aspects of the work of county departments that aren’t currently measured and use that to make recommendations about how to improve reporting.”

The work is a prime example of how students at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University extend their focus far beyond the campus.

“This capstone really embodies the polytechnic tenets of applied learning, business and industry collaboration, and career focus,” Lee explained. “Ella and Helayna were able to apply what they have learned in the social sciences to a real-world problem that has real stakes for the state’s economy and environment.”

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Creek restoration, data center viewpoints, sustainability researched by LAKES REU students

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Karaman Kabadurmus develops new economics course on AI in the Modern Economy

Undergraduate capstone explores hard-to-quantify impacts of conservation work on state’s land and water State Sen. Jeff Smith and ��Ͽ� students at Research in the Rotunda 2026

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Hero Caption: The Red Cedar River near Menomonie.

Tina Lee

Teaching Interests: Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of Gender, Anthropology of the Contemporary U.S., Qualitative Research Methods, Applied Anthropology

Research Interests: Gender, Race, Poverty and Class; Family and the Law; Women’s Activism; Public Policy; Urban United States

Full Name: Dr. Tina Lee

Job Title: Professor / Program Director / Certificate Advisor

Include in Directory: Yes

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: Social Science Department

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All Degree Programs

Curriculum Vitae: Tina Lee CV (57.7 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Anthropology

University: The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: Women's Studies Certificate Women's Studies

University: Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: M.A. Anthropology

University: Arizona State University

Degree: B.A. Anthropology

University: University of Houston

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AI reshaping industry: ��Ͽ� professor examines impact on manufacturing, supply chains, health care, more

goersab — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:40:00 +0000

AI reshaping industry: ��Ͽ� professor examines impact on manufacturing, supply chains, health care, moregoersab January 14, 2026

Karaman Kabadurmus develops new economics course on AI in the Modern Economy

Abbey Goers

Assistant Professor Fatma Karaman Kabadurmus, with ��Ͽ�’s social science department, researched how digital technologies and emerging tools, often described as “AI-enabled” or part of Industry 4.0, are reshaping how firms innovate, manage supply chains and compete in today’s economy. A central focus of this work is how digitalization helped firms respond to the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through her research, Karaman Kabadurmus recently co-authored two book chapters in “The Palgrave Handbook of Supply Chain and Disruptive Technologies.” The chapters were “The Impact of Digitalization on Firm-Level Innovation Performance During the Pandemic” and “Revolutionizing Last-Mile Delivery: Discovering Disruptive Technologies and Innovative Solutions.”

The role of AI and predictive analytics in health care / GetOnData

Her chapters examine how supply chain digitalization influenced firms’ innovation performance during the pandemic. “The findings highlight that digital transformation helps firms adapt to shocks in logistics, inventory management, labor availability and rapidly changing demand,” she said.

Her research on last-mile delivery and Industry 4.0 critically reviewed emerging technologies, such as AI/ML (machine learning) applications, big data analytics, blockchain, IoT, digital twins, and autonomous systems, and evaluated their implications for efficiency, innovation, and implementation barriers in supply chain operations.

A smart factory ecosystem diagram / LightGuide, Inc.

“This work builds on my broader research agenda in the economics of innovation. Rather than focusing on the technical design of technologies, my research asks economic and social science questions: When do firms adopt new technologies? What barriers do they face? And how do market conditions, competition and institutions shape innovation outcomes?” Karaman Kabadurmus said.

Impact on students and career readiness

Karaman Kabadurmus’ research has a direct impact on her teaching and students’ learning, particularly through a new course she developed, which launches this spring semester: Innovation and Artificial Intelligence in the Modern Economy.

“Employers want AI literacy,” Karaman Kabadurmus said. “As part of the Stout Core foundational education classes, I designed this course for students from all majors. They will learn to understand AI through an applied economic and social science lens.”

The course is an introduction to how digital and AI-enabled technologies shape innovation across sectors, such as health care, manufacturing, supply chains and more. Students examine real-world case studies, such as Amazon, Tesla and Google; observe changes in labor markets and firm strategy; explore ethical and regulatory dimensions; and study public policy debates that affect everyday economic decisions.

Stout Core’s areas of expertise offer students opportunities to grow their global perspective, communication and critical thinking skills, ethical reasoning, and more, so they graduate ready to do more on day one.

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Karaman Kabadurmus develops new economics course on AI in the Modern Economy Fatma Karaman Kabadurmus research, role of AI and predictive analytics in health care. Graphic by GetOnData

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Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus

Dr. Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus is an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Social Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She was also an Artificial Intelligence Fellow for the 2024–2025 academic year. At ��Ͽ�, she teaches economics while developing courses and applied learning experiences that connect economics, innovation, and artificial intelligence.

Before joining ��Ͽ�, Dr. Karaman Kabadurmus taught in the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University from 2022 to 2023. Earlier, she served on the faculty in the Department of Economics at Yasar University from 2013 to 2021 and was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Kalamazoo College after completing her Ph.D. in Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Her research focuses on the economics of innovation, industrial organization, health economics, and international trade. Her work examines how firms, institutions, and policy environments shape innovation, technology adoption, and economic outcomes. She is especially interested in applied, interdisciplinary research that links economic analysis to real-world challenges in industry, workforce development, and emerging technologies.

Full Name: Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus

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Area of Expertise: Economics of Innovation Health Economics Industrial Organization International Trade

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

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Curriculum Vitae: Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus CV (194.44 KB)

Website: Google Scholar

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Economics

University: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Degree: M.S. Economics

University: Istanbul Technical University

Degree: B.A. Business Administration

University: Istanbul University

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Inspiring Graduate: Sophia Moore, B.S. Applied Social Science

giffeyt — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:45:00 +0000

Inspiring Graduate: Sophia Moore, B.S. Applied Social Science giffeyt December 23, 2025

Leading the way through advocacy and public policy

Inspiring Graduate: Sophia Moore (’25)

Hometown: Red Wing, Minnesota
Degrees: B.S. Applied Social Science
Concentration: History & Politics
Minors: Psychology and Conflict Resolution & Nonviolence Leadership

Sophia Moore knew from a very young age that she wanted to work in public policy and law. With her passion, she pursued an applied social science degree at ��Ͽ�, and she became an advocate for student voices.

Sophia Moore receives her diploma from Chancellor Katherine Frank during the fall 2025 commencement ceremony.

Moore served as a student senator for the Stout Student Association, later becoming a vice chair and then director of Legislative Affairs. She was a civic engagement student lead at the university’s Involvement Center, a student orientation leader for incoming first-year students, and sat on several committees, all charged with maintaining a student-driven campus, including the Student Retention Committee.

“Our campus is uniquely full of leadership opportunities, and our faculty and staff are so incredibly helpful in equipping you with the skills needed to become a great leader,” Moore said.

Applied social science student Sophia Moore at the Wisconsin State Capitol. / Submitted photo

For her on-campus leadership, service, and involvement, Moore received the Samuel E. Wood Medallion, the university’s highest nonacademic honor for students. She also received the Alec Kirby Memorial Award for Leadership in Social Justice, was named a 2025 Outstanding Student Leader of the Year, and was awarded the Tommy G. Thompson Leadership Scholarship, sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

Moore, of Red Wing, Minnesota, earned her B.S. in applied social science and crossed the commencement stage on Dec. 20 as one of 527 ��Ͽ� graduates, and served as commencement speaker for the College of Art and Human Sciences. She is applying for several congressional internships in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“While my goal is to progress into legislature and public policy, I have interest in some policy-driven nonprofits in Minnesota,” said Moore, who chose ��Ͽ� because it was close to home and for its affordability.

How do you hope to make an impact in your field?

I hope to make an impact in my field in the same way I have done it here. There is no doubt in my mind that I made a difference on our campus. I hope to bring all the skills I have learned through being a campus leader in the vastly expanding job market.

People have yet to fully understand that most of the issues we face in day-to-day life stem from policy decisions made by the people we elect, and being a leading figure in changing legislation and voting outcomes for the betterment of our communities is such a passion of mine.

How has ��Ͽ� prepared you to work in your field?

I think humanities majors have a very different experience of the polytechnic advantage than the majority of majors at Stout. Meaning, I had very little time utilizing labs in my major, but instead Stout has allowed me to grow stronger in developing qualitative and quantitative research.

My major also does not require an internship to graduate, but that did not stop me from obtaining one. I interned for AmeriCorps Summer Impact Corps as a Housing Stability Fellow at a local advocacy center and domestic violence and homeless shelter.

This internship was life-changing for me and taught me the inner work for nonprofit organizations and the importance of community engagement and legislation regarding social welfare programs.

Sophia Moore was one of the student speakers at the fall 2025 commencement ceremony.

What stands out about your ��Ͽ� experience? 

The faculty and staff at this institution are singlehandedly responsible for my success in my time here. Stout quickly began to feel like home because of the connections and relationships I have been able to build.

Having a community of people rooting for your success not only gets you to the finish line, with the confidence to keep going even after you leave. Each of my professors knows me; they know what I need to succeed the best, what I enjoy and what I hate, not because I just willingly share all those details but because they take it upon themselves to get to know each of their students. This makes for such a comfortable environment tailored for success.

What's in My Backpack? Episode 4: Sophia

How did your involvement in campus impact your experience? 

Campus involvement was my entire experience. In my time at Stout, I have had the amazing opportunity of working in our campus Involvement Center, hosting events that impact large groups of students every week.

I was in student government, the Stout Student Association, for three years, which completely enhanced my academic career and my future career in public service. I have won more than five different awards and four scholarships, all outlining my success in student leadership on campus.

Without these experiences, I would not be the person I am today. Being able to interact with students and community members from all walks of life has been such a guiding experience within my academic major and life.

What challenges did you face in earning your degree and how did you overcome them? 

Like many students who attend Stout, I am low income and first generation, which comes with a lot of challenges regarding successfully navigating a four-year institution. A lot of my free time outside of student organizations or coursework was spent working to make a living while in college.

At one point, I was balancing four jobs on and off campus to stay afloat. What truly helped me and made my time here easier were Foundation Scholarships, taking a major financial burden off my shoulders.

What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?

I am most proud of the person I have become. I came to this school with a “just get by” mindset, taking a bare minimum approach from high school and assuming it would get me to graduation. I quickly realized this attitude would get me nowhere, as I spent days in my dorm with nothing to show for myself.

Becoming involved in our university is where I found real joy and happiness, changing the trajectories of students who were once where I started and getting them confident in becoming leaders themselves.

I am also very proud of the coursework I have done, witnessing tremendous growth in my writing and research.

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Inspiring Graduate: Evan Mancl, B.S. Applied Social Science

giffeyt — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:15:00 +0000

Inspiring Graduate: Evan Mancl, B.S. Applied Social Science giffeyt December 23, 2025

A future teacher, guiding students to be more prepared to help the world

Inspiring Graduate: Evan Mancl (’25)

Hometown: Chippewa Falls
Degree: B.S. Applied Social Science
Concentrations: History & Politics, Sociology & Anthropology

Evan Mancl has always been interested in sociology. The prospect of a related degree brought him to ��Ͽ�.

“The applied social science program felt like the best way to learn more about sociology,” said Mancl, who is a special education paraprofessional with Edustaff in Eau Claire.

“If I can be a teacher who students can feel seen around, someone that encourages the introverted to speak on what motivates them, someone who can destigmatize politics as partisan sports teams, someone who can make learning history enjoyable and can foster critical thinking regarding one’s surroundings, then I would consider that impact enough for me,” he said.

Evan Mancl receives his diploma from Chancellor Katherine Frank during the fall 2025 commencement.

Mancl earned his applied social science degree and crossed the commencement stage on Dec. 20 as one of 527 ��Ͽ� graduates. He plans to begin substitute teaching full-time.

“I would love to teach social studies in high school within the Eau Claire area, where my wife and I are comfortable putting down roots. Although I’m not currently seeking a degree in education, the substitute position would open doors to other educators, teachers and principals who could help me learn curriculum building and classroom etiquette.

“This way I can begin my real dream of teaching full time, as an expert within the field of social sciences and in a way that makes teens about to enter the adult phase of their lives more aware of their environments: getting them civic-minded, culturally respectful and open to understanding their communities so that they may be more prepared to help the world,” he said.

How has ��Ͽ� prepared you to work in your field?

APSS is, I would say, more interesting than other majors in the Stout polytechnic model. Sociology, political science, anthropology and history are all subjects that people tend to hold within high academia. But truly, these are people who are on the ground constantly, studying the built environment of society. Their findings contribute to important government programs, important understandings of the myriads of cultures that span all around the state and raise awareness of social problems that many people talk about, but with very little ideas of solutions.

��Ͽ� has an emphasis on graduation to career, and APSS does that by teaching us what groups we can join with our academic knowledge. How does the DNR create environmental policies around rural areas? What does city planning actually look like to communities who live in historic strife and oppression? In what ways are minority groups, who encompass a great deal of the state’s demographic, feeling separated from a government that is supposed to provide the basic necessities of life? How are people, regardless of class, impacted by the decisions made and how can they best be supported?

With the guidance of my capstone professors Tina Lee and Courtney Juelich, I’m surrounded by my colleagues within the program who are looking at positions within government and advocacy groups that are actively changing and influencing our social and physical environments. I’ve no doubt that I’ll be a great teacher, because I can convey all of these “big thoughts” in ways that compel people to seek out their solutions within their surroundings.

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What stands out about your ��Ͽ� experience? 

The capstone is just a wonderful class. It directly trains you on everything you learn in the APSS program. I helped my classmates with Qualtrics surveys, physically explored the cultural roots in the Chippewa Valley I grew up in, and got constant feedback for a research paper that I’m very proud of authoring.

Truly, it gave me a sense of “I’ve always been able to do this, and so can everyone I meet.” The knowledge comes second to the passion of wanting things to be done. But it’s because of Tina and Courtney that I know how to put that passion into action.

My capstone, “The Social Construction of Cemeteries in the Chippewa Valley,” is really the culmination of my entire duration here. Every mistake I’ve made on papers before, every assignment I missed the deadline for, and the unbridled force of my sheer determination was a foundation for this project.

My research was based on interviews, fieldwork and a growing robust literature review that seeks to analyze the patterns of grief that people share with cemeteries. They’re an interesting space in public perception: serving a clear purpose and goal, yet largely different from how grief trends even in the last 20 years have shaped the way we sculpt physical memorials in our environment. I really wanted to write this paper also as a means of bringing death back to a point of public discussion. It’s a taboo topic, but it’s also kind of one of the core human experiences.

How did your involvement in campus impact your experience? 

Living off campus in a city away and commuting, I personally feel has kept me away from trying out the many clubs and opportunities the campus offers. If I could do anything over, I would want to be involved more in the school itself because there’s just so many ways to get involved.

It’s my biggest regret, but hopefully someone can take this in mind and say, “Sure, I’ll go check out the free movie that’s put on every week or so.” Or “Yeah, being a part of representing students’ needs on campus does sound very helpful and cool.” It’s worth doing it now.

What challenges did you face in earning your degree and how did you overcome them? 

During a couple of semesters, I was really becoming mentally fatigued and taxed by overworking myself in my job and school. I was able to see a counselor, who was able to help me get in touch with a psychiatrist in Eau Claire. I was officially diagnosed with ADHD and autism and was prescribed medication. The counselor helped me with managing strategies and behavioral techniques.

Being able to have that space and time to learn more about myself, along with the wonderful patience of the APSS faculty, I think is what got me through college. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel the support I have, which makes me incredibly luckier than many others.

The Stout counseling department is amazing, and you can feel the passion of APSS professors. If you have questions, you will get answers and help with whatever you need because they want you to be the best you can be. It’s effort that gets applied both ways.

Any words of advice?

Whatever career you want to have, whatever subject you want to learn about, remember this; it affects where you live and how you live. Not just you, but your neighbors and their neighbors. At no point truly are we isolated from cause and effect. So, find where you are in that, and remember it. And if you want to know more about that vague word of advice, I know a really great college program that teaches you everything you need to know about it.

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Inspiring Graduate: Rosella Wille, B.S. Business Administration

Hired before graduation at Redpath and Company as a tax associate

Inspiring Graduate: Thomas Shamla, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Hired before graduation at Absolut Manufacturing

A future teacher, guiding students to be more prepared to help the world Evan Mancl at Fall Commencement 2025

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B.S. Applied Social Science

Our B.S. Applied Social Science program prepares you for advanced education or to immediately impact the fields of finance, government, business, and more.

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Polaris, School of Education directors encourage grads to be proud as they ‘improve our world’

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From the halls of Congress to A.I. to housing court, lawyers say ��Ͽ� degrees set them on path to success

giffeyt — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000

From the halls of Congress to A.I. to housing court, lawyers say ��Ͽ� degrees set them on path to successgiffeyt November 5, 2025

Attorneys who are Blue Devil alums include award-winning legal writer

Tom Giffey

The hearing rooms of the U.S. Congress. The “wild, wild West” of New York City housing court. The cutting edge of artificial intelligence in the courtroom. These are just a few of the venues where University of Wisconsin-Stout graduates are exercising their legal skills.

While the paths taken by these three young attorneys — Zachary Hoffman, Hayley Rich-Noble and Dillon Quest — vary widely, they all passed through Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, which provided experiences that propelled them to success in law school and beyond.

Professor Tina Lee

Professor Tina Lee, who serves as ��Ͽ�’s pre-law advisor, said there is no single undergraduate major that best prepares students for law school. Rather, law schools want applicants who know how to write well and how to learn — skills that ��Ͽ� degree holders honed during their undergraduate careers.

When she talks to ��Ͽ� grads who continue in law school, Lee said, “I hear that they were very well-prepared. They feel like they were as prepared or better prepared than a lot of their peers because they’ve done the kind of work as undergrads that law schools want to see. They can think critically, analyze information and present it clearly, and work across different perspectives.”

Meet just a few of the more than a dozen recent ��Ͽ� grads who have gone on to practice law in the past few years.

��Ͽ� alum Zachary Hoffman, an attorney who works for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, poses in a congressional hearing room. / Submitted photo

In the halls of power

“I know I would not be where I am today had I not gone to Stout,” Hoffman declared unequivocally. Where he is today is Washington, D.C., where he serves as counsel for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, working closely with U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the committee’s chairman, and other members of Congress.

For those who’ve watched congressional hearings on TV, Hoffman is one of the staffers who sit behind members of Congress and occasionally lean forward to whisper in their ears. Hoffman conducts research for the committee, writing questions for members and helping guide them through hearings.

More than a decade ago, Hoffman, a native of Gresham in eastern Wisconsin, followed a friend to ��Ͽ�, where an interest in history led him to the B.S. applied social science program. There, Hoffman said, he learned how to think, read and argue analytically and critically.

“One thing I really liked about the classroom setting was the open dialogue,” he said. “When we first started, and there would be debates in class, there was a lot of emotion. But by the time we graduated, we had way more productive, objective debates and conversations — learning to listen to what someone else is saying and using what they’re saying to either change your opinion or find a way to change their opinion.”

His advisor, Professor Chris Freeman, suggested he apply to law school. “I’ve always been good at arguing, and I just took Chris’s advice and took the LSAT,” Hoffman said.

After graduating from ��Ͽ� in 2015, Hoffman was offered a scholarship at the University of Arkansas School of Law. He soon realized he had a leg up on many of his peers. “The analytical writing, reading and understanding are really something that the applied social science program helped me with,” Hoffman said. As he began his career after receiving his law degree in 2018, Hoffman found himself as an associate attorney sought out by law partners who knew he could quickly research and write the memos and briefs they needed.

During law school, Hoffman interned with a law firm in Dallas and ultimately took the bar exam in Texas. He worked in insurance defense for several firms before landing a job at Wilson Elser, an international firm with offices in 44 cities. There he served on the team that provided legal counsel to Amazon.

Earlier this year, Hoffman was recruited to join the House Judiciary Committee’s staff, a post he expects to hold until the end of the current congressional term. In this role, Hoffman helps investigate topics that may lead to committee hearings. He contacts companies that may be the subject of hearings, reads and summarizes documents, prepares subpoenas and writes questions for members of Congress. And yes, he’ll sometimes be in the background on C-SPAN, leaning forward and guiding congressmembers through questions and rebuttals.

Hoffman knows the connections and experiences he is accumulating in Washington will help him after he returns to practice law in the private sector, just as ��Ͽ� equipped him for the path he’s followed so far.

“I left ��Ͽ� prepared, and I didn’t even know what they were preparing me for,” he said.

Attorney and ��Ͽ� alum Dillon Quest at the New York City Housing Court in the borough of Queens. / Submitted photo

Standing up for tenants

For Quest, ��Ͽ�’s B.S. applied social science degree created a pathway to law school.

“In applied social science classes, you’re not just sitting back reading articles. You are doing the research, you are writing your own articles,” explained Quest, who graduated from ��Ͽ� in 2018. Now a staff attorney at New York Legal Assistance Group, Quest first came to ��Ͽ� as a football recruit from New Brighton, Minnesota, with a vague idea of working in law enforcement. A course in peace studies, taught by Lecturer Jim Handley, helped him find a trajectory. “That sort of opened my eyes to law,” he said of the course. “We talked about grassroot movements and nonviolence.” The class led Quest to an internship in Alabama at the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth, and Reconciliation, which combined work in a law firm with community canvassing.

“The professors I met at Stout were very much hands-on, and they could tell if you cared, and if you cared they would help you succeed,” he said. “A lot of my success in law school and being an attorney, I can look back and the roots were planted at Stout.”

This interest in social justice and the rigor of ��Ͽ�’s applied social science curriculum helped prepare him for the City University of New York School of Law. While CUNY classmates came from large public universities and even Ivy League schools, Quest said his hands-on experiences gained through ��Ͽ�’s polytechnic approach served him well in law school.

“I picked up on researching for law really fast,” he said, “Especially because when we were talking about researching articles at Stout, it wasn’t necessarily important that you needed to read everything. You needed to know when you had to do a skim and a close read.”

This ability to identify key information quickly, combined with a familiarity with making citations properly — a must in the legal realm — gave him an advantage over some classmates, Quest said.

The values and skills honed at ��Ͽ� and CUNY, where he received his J.D. in 2023, led Quest to his current role at New York Legal Assistance Group. This nonprofit organization provides free legal support to New Yorkers, with Quest focusing on housing law in the borough of Queens.

“We always say housing court is the wild, wild West of law,” he said, noting that changes to New York tenant laws enacted last year have been interpreted differently by different judges. “You see some big characters. No matter what courtroom you go to, it’s going to be interesting.”

Quest finds himself advocating for clients in the courtroom multiple times a week. These clients often face legal hurdles that may originate from problems in other areas of their lives. “How can I solve the root causes to end this case and stop any other case from happening down the road?” he finds himself asking.

“I think the biggest thing is my job at the end of the day helps people,” Quest said. “Our product is services, and our services are making people have a better life than before they met us.”

Hayley Rich-Noble and Timothy D. Edwards receive an award from the State Bar of Wisconsin. / YouTube

Examining AI use in the legal realm

Rich-Noble’s brief but already award-winning legal career became possible when she earned her B.S. in criminal justice & rehabilitation from ��Ͽ� in 2021. Rich-Noble, a Menomonie native, said the program was a great fit for someone who was interested in pursuing a legal career. “The fact that the classes were small and you could get to know your professors, that was really the most impactful part of it,” she said. “I could come to them with questions. I could get guidance on what to try out, what to do for my practicums.”

During her undergraduate career, Rich-Noble had two internships that helped her learn more about the many facets of the legal profession, working in victim-witness assistance positions in both Dunn and Buffalo counties. The experiences were formative for the future attorney, who got an up-close view of a variety of legal proceedings and personalities.

“I was able to go into court, hear something, see something, experience something, and then come to class a couple of hours later and talk about that case,” she recalled. “Why did they do this? Why did they file this motion? What does that mean?”

Rich-Noble enrolled in the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2021 and soon found herself contributing to class and enjoying herself. “Especially with those experiences, I was able to get a feel for what I might like and for what I might not like. Stout definitely prepared me as well as anyone could have been prepared,” she said.

She found herself drawn to moot court, which involved two things she enjoyed: conducting legal research and then arguing her findings in front of a three-judge panel. “That’s when I realized I really enjoy complex litigation,” she said. “It feels like puzzles, it feels like I’m solving something. I’m getting to an answer, and then I get to advocate for it and take a side.” Her interest in complex litigation was further solidified during 10 weeks as a summer associate at Godfrey & Kahn, a business law firm headquartered in Milwaukee with nearly 200 lawyers in offices around the state and in Washington, D.C.

Attorney Hayley Rich-Noble / Submitted photo

During her third and final year in law school, Rich-Noble took a course on electronic discovery, or e-discovery — the gathering and sharing of electronically stored information in a legal proceeding. Many of the students wanted to learn how the evolving world of artificial intelligence would impact e-discovery. Professor Timothy Edwards decided to write an article on the subject, and he recruited Rich-Noble as his co-author.

Their collaboration led to a two-part series, “Discovering & Admitting AI Data in State & Federal Courts,” published in the November and December 2024 issues of “Wisconsin Lawyer” magazine and distributed to the State Bar of Wisconsin’s approximately 25,000 members. The series examined the challenges presented by AI-generated data, including how it may or may not be admissible in court, how it can be authenticated and how it’s treated by rules of evidence.

“The articles examine the evidentiary and procedural challenges of using AI-generated data in court, offering practical guidance for attorneys navigating a rapidly changing legal landscape,” the bar associate said in announcing that Rich-Noble and Edwards had been named winners of the 2024 Hon. Charles Dunn Author Award, an annual honor for excellence in legal writing in Wisconsin. It was a unique honor for an author who had just earned her law degree.

Rich-Noble graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2024 and took a job as an associate with Godfrey & Kahn in September 2024. Over the past year, she’s been part of the firm’s litigation team, working on a variety of civil matters, including data privacy and cybersecurity disputes. As her career progresses, she intends to hone her courtroom skills and develop her own specialties.

“No matter what specialization I start to develop, AI is definitely going to be a part of it,” she said. “It’s nice to have a bit of an eye toward that already.”

Professor Tina Lee, ��Ͽ�'s pre-law advisor, in the Social Science Research Center.

Legal pathways start at ��Ͽ�

Recently, ��Ͽ� launched its first partnership with a law school to help accelerate students’ trajectories into the legal profession. The 3+3 Law Degree Pathway agreement with Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, allows ��Ͽ� students to save time — and money — by earning a both an undergraduate degree and a law degree in a total of six years instead of the typical seven. Students in the program attend ��Ͽ� for three years, then complete their undergraduate degrees during their first year of law school, with law school classes fulfilling the elective requirements of certain ��Ͽ� degrees: B.S. applied social science, B.S. psychology and B.S. criminal justice & rehabilitation. Participants in the 3+3 program are still required to take the LSAT and apply for admission to Mitchell Hamline.

Students interested in pursuing the 3+3 program are strongly encouraged to contact Professor Tina Lee, ��Ͽ�’s pre-law advisor.

“The process of getting to law school is kind of its own little world, and we will give good advice here at Stout,” Lee said. “Because Stout is hands-on, our students are going to look really strong to lots of law schools, because they have real-world experience. And because we have small classes, our students will be connected to faculty members who can speak well of them.”

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��Ͽ� Polytechnic alumni and students are using public art to celebrate local stories, strengthen community connections and inspire future generations.

Attorneys with Blue Devil degrees include award-winning legal writer Zachary Hoffman in congressional hearing room

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Hero Caption: ��Ͽ� graduate Zachary Hoffman, shown in front of the U.S. Capitol, works for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.

Tina Lee

Teaching Interests: Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of Gender, Anthropology of the Contemporary U.S., Qualitative Research Methods, Applied Anthropology

Research Interests: Gender, Race, Poverty and Class; Family and the Law; Women’s Activism; Public Policy; Urban United States

Full Name: Dr. Tina Lee

Job Title: Professor / Program Director / Certificate Advisor

Include in Directory: Yes

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: Social Science Department

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Curriculum Vitae: Tina Lee CV (57.7 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Anthropology

University: The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: Women's Studies Certificate Women's Studies

University: Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: M.A. Anthropology

University: Arizona State University

Degree: B.A. Anthropology

University: University of Houston

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AI flower power: Pondview Lavender Farm joins in professors' research on agricultural robot

goersab — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000

AI flower power: Pondview Lavender Farm joins in professors' research on agricultural robot goersab July 22, 2025

Use of Amiga robot seeks to ease automation for specialty crop farmers in Wisconsin

Abbey Goers

Tucked right off Highway 29 near Chippewa Falls is a small family farm bursting with scent and color in June and July. Pondview Lavender Farm, owned by ��Ͽ� operations and management Lecturer Bob Sworski, welcomes folks to pick lavender during the harvest season.

Recently, an agricultural robot helped to advance Pondview’s lavender harvesting process as well, as part of cross-disciplinary research led by ��Ͽ� engineering Professor Yuan Xing and applied social science Program Director Tina Lee. Their project, A HumanCentered Collaborative Approach to Designing an Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Network, aims to advance Wisconsin’s agricultural system.

The project includes several elements to help farmers make informed decisions about their crops or livestock, including creating an ease of automation for specialty crop farmers, like Sworski.

The Amiga robot, by Farm-ng, at Pondview Lavender Farm in Chippewa Falls

The Amiga robot, by Farm-ng, is a battery-operated micro-tractor designed for 24/7 automation in specialty crop farming. The all-terrain, all-weather robot can be used as a scouting robot in the field, programmed for pest and disease control; for weeding or harvesting of specialty crops, such as lavender or berries; and to capture real-time images at ground level, with a mounted vision sensor camera.

The Amiga can be trained to learn the parameters of a field. It can hold up to 1,000 pounds, saving a significant amount of labor for workers, Xing said. The agricultural robot can travel 5 1/2 mph, fully loaded for four to five hours, or eight hours on light duty. Its ground clearance is about two feet, and its height and width can be adjusted as needed. It is also equipped with a mini-PC for data collection.

Bob Sworski, Cheng Liu, Jake See, Aaron Post and Yuan Xing gather at Pondview Lavender Farm

The cross-disciplinary project received a two-year, $175,000 Universities of Wisconsin Innovation Grant. Additional research is being conducted by Lee, who is leading support for a livestock farm at River Falls, where the team plans to install cow manager sensors and create an AI livestock monitoring system. Also involved in the research are engineering professors Cheng Liu, sensor hardware implementation, and Abhishek Verma, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) system design, and UW-River Falls Professor Bob Zhiwei Zeng, agricultural machinery design.

AI supporting specialty crop farmers

Xing is working with Liu and students Aaron Post and Jake See to develop a fully automatic system with an individual Amiga artificial intelligence brain, designed on the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier processor. Post is a computer and electrical engineering major from Sussex, and See is an applied mathematics and computer science major from Singapore.

“The AI brain configuration is ongoing, and when configured, we are considering installing the brain on the Amiga and activating the fully automatic self-driving and vision inspection function at Pondview, which can further save labor,” Xing said.

Students Aaron Post and Jake See are helping faculty develop an AI brain for the Amiga robot

See, who has a concentration in artificial intelligence, is Xing’s research assistant and is helping to acquire new AI/machine learning knowledge and tools to develop models for industrial applications and contributing to scientific papers, such as IEEE Xplore. He hopes the new technology can allow specialty crop farms the ability to produce higher-quality crops and become more efficient and cost-effective.

“Automation and data analysis can be used to improve the health of crops and to lower labor, time and money costs,” he said. “Sensors that collect data about soil properties and weather conditions can help farmers make more optimal decisions. Image analysis can help identify disease within crops or monitor livestock. Robotic automation can make the planting or harvesting process easier, allowing farmers to reallocate time and labor to other efforts, such as expanding their farms or other elements of their business.”

See is naturally inquisitive and finds the world to be fascinating and beautiful. “I think math and computer science provide a lens through which I can explore, appreciate and enjoy this beauty in our world. They also provide a fun platform where I can create useful things to engage with people and our surroundings, ideally to benefit society,” he said.

Applied mathematics and computer science student Jake See is Professor Yuan Xing's research assistant

Although this was See’s first time working with the Amiga robot, he has been interested in programming since he was 7 years old, when he joined a robotics club in school. He has competed in national and international robotics competitions.

“AI is an incredibly powerful tool that has seen an explosion in use and development in recent times. It also intersects with many other personal interests of mine –understanding how the brain works, human behavior and learning, visuals, optimization and more,” he said.

His plan is to one day work as an AI researcher or software engineer focusing on computer vision or machine learning theory to contribute to the study and advancement of technology.

The faculty and students follow the Amiga robot out to the lavender field

��Ͽ�’s Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering has four undergraduate programs and one master’s program in engineering, as well as an engineering technology degree. The applied social science program is housed in the College of Arts and Human Sciences.

From engineering to communication and counseling, manufacturing, marketing and design, construction, supply chain and more, ��Ͽ� is preparing graduates to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving workforce by embedding AI training in all of its degree programs. ��Ͽ�’s AI Fellows, centers, and services collaborate with community, business and industry partners to help Wisconsin leverage AI-driven solutions that put it ahead of the curve.

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Faculty, students work across universities in Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin’s longest-running programs

Use of Amiga robot seeks to ease automation for specialty crop farmers in Wisconsin Pondview Lavender Farm, faculty robotics research

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Yuan Xing

Full Name: Yuan Xing

Job Title: Assistant Professor

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Area of Expertise: Energy-Efficient AI Algorithms AI System Integration

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

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B.S. Computer & Electrical Engineering

Curriculum Vitae: Yuan_Xing_CV.pdf (266.38 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Electrical & Computer Engineering

University: Baylor University

Degree: M.S. Electrical & Computer Engineering

University: University of Rochester

Degree: B.S. Telecommunication Engineering

University: Beijing Jiaotong University

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Tina Lee

Teaching Interests: Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology of Gender, Anthropology of the Contemporary U.S., Qualitative Research Methods, Applied Anthropology

Research Interests: Gender, Race, Poverty and Class; Family and the Law; Women’s Activism; Public Policy; Urban United States

Full Name: Dr. Tina Lee

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Department: Social Science Department

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Curriculum Vitae: Tina Lee CV (57.7 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Anthropology

University: The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: Women's Studies Certificate Women's Studies

University: Graduate Center, City University of New York

Degree: M.A. Anthropology

University: Arizona State University

Degree: B.A. Anthropology

University: University of Houston

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��Ͽ� Leadership Awards recognize more than 100 outstanding students

goersab — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:00:00 +0000

��Ͽ� Leadership Awards recognize more than 100 outstanding studentsgoersab June 5, 2025

Wood Medallion recipients Liester, Moore share experiences in service to campus, peers

Abbey Goers

Alongside more than 100 of their peers, 16 ��Ͽ� seniors were awarded the Samuel E. Wood Medallion, the university’s highest nonacademic honor for students, for their outstanding leadership, involvement and service at the annual Leadership Awards.

Two Wood Medallion recipients were also named Outstanding Student Leaders of the Year: Katy Liester, professional and technical communication, of Menomonie; and Sophia Moore, applied social science, of Red Wing, Minnesota.

Sophia Moore and Katy Liester, Wood Medallion and Outstanding Student Leader award recipients

“Katy has been an involved student since the moment she stepped foot on ��Ͽ�’s campus. It seems impossible to find a space on campus that Katy hasn’t been involved in,” Liester’s nominator said, adding that her greatest leadership qualities are her ability to adapt and be flexible. “Katy never fails to make people feel included and comfortable. Katy thrives in any leadership role, but she has the unique skill of knowing when to let go and build others up to lead as well.”

Moore stands out as a leader due to her boldness, kindness, and compassion, which enable her to lead with both confidence and empathy, her nominator said. “As an advocate for student voices, Sophia is deeply committed to ensuring that students are heard and represented in all areas of campus life. She is determined and driven, always pushing forward to create meaningful change and opportunities for others. Through her leadership, Sophia has contributed significantly to the growth and development of others, encouraging them to take action, make informed decisions and become leaders themselves,” they added.

Less than 1% of full-time students receive the Wood Medallion. It is presented to seniors who have contributed to student activities and have demonstrated leadership and scholastic ability. Winners are selected by a committee of faculty, staff and students.

Liester: A leader in events management

Liester’s leadership experiences began with Blue Devil Productions, where she worked in three positions: communications director, homecoming and films director, and executive producer.

She has also served as the social media lead for the Involvement Center, as well as the administrative and programs student lead for a summer co-op experience. She thinks her leadership roles in the Involvement Center were pivotal in her development as a student and a professional.

“Through these opportunities, I accomplished more than what I thought I was capable of doing, from planning a celebrity Q&A for more than 700 attendees to creating a whole new points system to recognize the student leaders of our campus. I learned more about myself and gained a support system of friends and mentors that I will carry with me beyond my graduation,” Leister said.

“My leadership skills and accomplishments are all thanks to those who supported me as a student at Stout. I’m especially grateful for the professional staff, my teammates, and others who have supported me and helped me grow stronger in my leadership with each opportunity and role,” she added.

Liester will graduate in August and plans to find a career in events management. “I hope I can continue to grow and utilize my leadership skills to bring more events to different audiences and support others in their leadership development as a role model and mentor,” she said.

Moore: An advocate for student voices

Moore’s on-campus leadership includes serving as a student senator for the Stout Student Association, later becoming a vice chair, and now, director of Legislative Affairs. She is a civic engagement student lead at the university’s Involvement Center, a student orientation leader for incoming first-year students, and sits on committees, like the Student Retention Committee, all charged with maintaining a student-driven campus.

“Our campus is uniquely full of leadership opportunities, and our faculty and staff are so incredibly helpful in equipping you with the skills needed to become a great leader,” Moore said.

Moore will graduate in winter 2026 and hopes to continue her journey into public service as an intern or staff member for a legislator before applying to law school.

2025 Wood Medallion recipients

Leadership Awards

Leadership award recipients are selected by a committee of faculty, staff and students. Other Wood Medallion recipients were:

Alex Cluphf, computer science, Kenosha
Nathan Hammer, computer networking and information technology, Wisconsin Rapids
Hailey Herzog, animation and digital media, Minneapolis
Bailey Jacque, hotel, restaurant and tourism management; real estate property management, Thorp
Francis Kaunda, business administration, real estate property management, Lilongwe, Malawi
Emma Kronbeck, hotel, restaurant and tourism management, Red Wing, Minnesota
Ella Lamppa, business administration, supply chain management, Eveleth, Minnesota
Taylor Luxem, human development and family studies, Appleton
Kiara Malloy-Salgado, graphic design and interactive media, Middleton
Catherine Miller, graphic design and interactive media, Mayville
Lucas Moreno-Martinez III, fashion design and development, Vesper
Jeremy O’Connor, construction, Preston, Minnesota
Rosey Silvano, business administration, Minneapolis
Abbi Williams, early childhood education, Waupaca

Samuel E. Wood was a longtime assistant chancellor for Student Services/Dean of Students. He retired in 1991 and died in February 2013.

Additional awards presented were:

In addition to Liester and Moore, Ava Allroggen was also named Outstanding Student Leader of the Year. Allroggen is a clinical mental health counseling graduate student from Minneapolis.
Student Employee of the Year, three winners: Josilyn Farrier, Forest Lake, Minnesota, University Dining; Kiara Malloy-Salgado, Middleton, MSC design team; and Kenton Newman, Holmen, Math Teaching and Learning Center
Student Staff Team of the Year, three winners: Student Center’s MSC design team; Writing Center’s peer writing consultants; and Student Counseling Center’s Wellness PROs
Student Organization of the Year, two winners: Blue Devil Productions and Service Club
Student Organization Event of the Year, four winners: Club Managers Association of America, Career Conference Hospitality Mixer; People’s Organization of Network Gaming, Classy-LAN; International Club, International Night; and Alpha Phi, Red Dress Gala
Bill Siedlecki Advisor of the Year, two winners: Eric Brey, Club Managers Association of America; and Darrin Witucki, Stout Student Association

The award ceremony was sponsored by the Involvement Center, Stout Student Association and Career Services. Twenty students also received the Outstanding Cooperative Education and Internship Program Student of the Year Award.

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Students recognized for leadership, academic excellence in packaging, social science, food technology, interior design

goersab — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:41:38 +0000

Students recognized for leadership, academic excellence in packaging, social science, food technology, interior designgoersab February 11, 2025

Competitive industry-sponsored scholarships positively impact graduate, undergraduates

Abbey Goers

Paying for college can be stressful. But as a Money Magazine 2024 Best Colleges in Wisconsin, ��Ͽ� understands. Noted for its focus on affordability and student outcomes, ��Ͽ� has resources to help alleviate some of that financial pressure.

From offering on-campus jobs through Career Services’ Handshake app, providing one-on-one guidance at the Financial Wellness & Literacy Center, and coordinating hundreds of ��Ͽ� Foundation scholarships and external industry-sponsored scholarships, Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University makes sure Blue Devils reach their graduation goals.

This academic year, more than 1,000 students have been awarded nearly $3 million in external and Foundation scholarships, reflecting their dedication to their fields of study and promise in their future careers.

Packaging senior Makenna Lowell / Makenna Lowell

Scholarships impact students’ education, allowing them to focus on their degree programs, applied research and creative endeavors at Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, as well as motivate students to continue to strive for excellence in their fields through professional development opportunities.

“With this support, I can dedicate more time to hands-on projects, collaborate with peers and faculty, and participate in industry-related events. This will enhance my skills and knowledge in packaging, preparing me for a successful career,” said packaging senior Makenna Lowell, of Frederick, Md.

Lowell was recently awarded two industry-sponsored scholarships: a $5,000 Mark C. Garvey Scholarship by PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and a $500 scholarship from the Institute of Packaging Professionals Minnesota Chapter.

Other recent external scholarship recipients include:

Packaging senior Elaina Marxen, of Rochester, Minn.: $5,000 Cindy Finley Memorial Scholarship, on behalf of the Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association.
Applied social science senior Sophia Moore, of Redwing, Minn.: $3,000 Tommy G. Thompson Leadership Scholarship, sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.
M.S. food science and technology graduate student Meghana Maske: $3,000 Food Safety Scholarship, sponsored by the FMI Foundation in partnership with the Safe Quality Food Institute.
Interior design senior Lindsey Phillips, of Eden Prairie, Minn.: $7,500 Network of Executive Women in Hospitality’s Icon of Industry Scholarship.

In addition, 48 students received $1,500 scholarships from Mayo Clinic Health Systems, for a total of $72,000; and five students received $2,000 each from the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Minneapolis for pursuing careers in commercial real estate and building management.

Gaining professional development opportunities in packaging

Marxen and Lowell enjoy how broad the packaging industry is and the opportunities for students and careers in the field, yet how tightly knit the professional community feels.

“It is a growing industry that is pertinent to the function of daily life. I hope to develop and design creative packaging solutions that benefit sustainability efforts and positive consumer experiences,” Marxen said.

Packaging senior Elaina Marxen

Lowell added, “There are tons of opportunities in niches of packaging that most people have never even thought of. I am excited by the idea of so many possibilities for my future and many career paths to choose from.”

Marxen, who has minors in graphic media and print management and global perspectives on engineering, has completed two co-ops: one with Starbucks’ global research and development and engineering team in Seattle and one with Buckeye Corrugated, Inc. in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

“I see the major advantage to my Stout education when interacting with engineering students from other universities. Stout requiring a co-op not only encourages me to test out different areas of my field but also gives me related job experience I can talk about in interviews and bring forward into my career.

“These co-ops made me more confident than ever that I made the right decision to attend ��Ͽ�. The polytechnic education and career-focused program give me the tools and knowledge I need to be able to exceed expectations in my future endeavors,” added Marxen, who will graduate in May 2025.

Lowell, who has a minor in sustainability, has completed a seven-month co-op at Kimberly-Clark in Appleton, working on real-world projects that resulted in her contributions being featured on store shelves.

Packaging students Griffin Reisman and Makenna Lowell, IOPP scholarship recipients / Mary Paz Alvarez Valverde

“During this time, I honed my professional communication skills and learned extensively about project management and work timelines,” she said. “I have accepted a second seven-month co-op with Ocean Spray in Lakeville, Mass., and I am excited to collaborate with a new team and deepen my knowledge of the food packaging industry.”

Lowell will graduate in May 2026. She’s interested in working for a consumer goods company on the East Coast, closer to her hometown.

“The packaging industry is so broad, and I have had so many memorable experiences with fellow packaging students from other universities and with industry professionals. I am excited for what the future brings and the many great people in the industry that I have yet to meet,” she said.

Moore is leading the way in public service

Moore has known from a very young age that she wanted to work in public policy and law. Within her applied social science degree, she’s concentrating on history and politics.

Applied social science student Sophia Moore at the State Capitol Building / Sophia Moore

Moore is one of 15 students across the Universities of Wisconsin to receive the Tommy G. Thompson Leadership Scholarship, awarded for their spirit of tackling big problems through teamwork and determination to make Wisconsin a better place.

Last summer, Moore interned with AmeriCorps as a Housing Stability Fellow for a local domestic violence and homeless shelter.

“My experience there was completely life-changing,” she said. “Having an understanding of nonprofits and legislation regarding social welfare programs definitely enhanced my experience while on the job.”

“Our campus is uniquely full of leadership opportunities, and our faculty and staff are so incredibly helpful in equipping you with the skills needed to become a great leader,” Moore said.

“The leadership scholarship will allow me to continue my undergraduate education at a lower cost, alleviating me of some financial burden as a low-income college student and leaving me able to put my all into my studies and leadership responsibilities,” she said.

Moore will graduate in winter 2026 and hopes to continue her journey into public service as an intern or staff member for a legislator before applying to law school.

Maske awarded for addressing challenges in food product development

Maske is passionate about advancing food safety protocols and leveraging her skills in quality management to enhance product integrity and sustainability.

Meghana Maske, M.S. food science and technology graduate student / Meghana Maske

She is one of 15 recipients from across the U.S., Canada and Mexico to receive the FMI scholarship, which recognizes outstanding food safety scholars based on academic ability, leadership potential, motivation and initiative.

Her thesis research, “Development of 3D Printed Fish Analogs with Enhanced Omega-3 Fatty Acids,” uses extrusion-based 3D printing technology to create plant-based fish analogs.

Maske has researched plant-based ingredients and is refining formulations to optimize texture and nutritional composition and to replicate the muscle fiber structure of fish.

“An ongoing focus of my research is enhancing omega-3 fatty acid levels from plant-based sources, an essential aspect of nutritional benefits. This project aims to contribute to sustainable food innovation and provide viable alternatives to traditional fish products,” she said.

“My research has greatly enhanced my technical and analytical capabilities, allowing me to systematically approach challenges in food product development. This structured and methodical approach has strengthened my collaborative skills and problem-solving mindset to enable me to contribute effectively to advancing food innovation, particularly in the development of sustainable food products,” she said.

Her research is funded by ��Ͽ�’s Student Research Grant.

Maske will graduate in May 2025. She plans to work in food safety and quality assurance and thinks her research and internship as a food safety and quality intern at Bunge, in Danville, Ill., have prepared her for a career. At Bunge, Maske gained experience in conducting audits, developing standard operating procedures and managing food safety documentation.

Maske is grateful for the opportunity to receive the FMI scholarship.

“Meghana’s strengths are her positive thinking and proactiveness in everything she does. This is an important virtue for personal success and for successfully leading a team,” said Program Director Eun Joo Lee. “Meghana’s case is a good example of the snowball effect of success, showing how student's small successes lead to big successes continuously. I am very proud of her.”

Maske and FMI scholarship recipients are invited to attend the SQF Unites Conference, March 2-5, in Orlando, Fla.

Phillips creates perfect spaces for her clients

Phillips enjoys creating functional, beautiful and inspiring environments. “I have always been someone who loves puzzles, so solving problems with design, space planning and budgeting was a good fit for me. Turning a space with infinite possibilities into the perfect space for the client is what inspires me to design,” she said.

Interior design student Lindsey Phillips / Lindsey Phillips

She thinks her classes and studios have opened her eyes to what being an interior designer truly means. She has designed workspaces, retail, libraries, residential spaces and more.

“With courses like lighting design, construction documents, contracts and codes, my projects have developed to be the most successful and realistic products I can design,” said Phillips, who worked as a sales intern with Southern Lights, in Burnsville, Minn., last summer.

Phillips NEWH Icon of Industry scholarship covers almost all her senior year tuition.

“It has been very helpful since I pay for all my expenses by myself. I have been taking out loans and working multiple jobs while staying a full-time student. This scholarship not only helps me financially but also confirms that my hard work has paid off,” she said.

Phillips, who has a minor in project management, will graduate in May 2025. She plans to work for a commercial design firm that focuses on hospitality design.

NEWH Inc. fosters leadership development, scholarships, advancing education, mentorship and networking in the hospitality industry.

“This is a wonderful accomplishment for Lindsey, and we are all very proud of her. NEWH is a great organization and has supported our students for years,” said Program Director Shelley Pecha.

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Competitive industry-sponsored scholarships positively impact graduate, undergraduates Packaging student Elaina Marxen

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Can Trump just order new names for Denali and the Gulf of Mexico?

hugginsm — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 16:45:27 +0000

Can Trump just order new names for Denali and the Gulf of Mexico?hugginsm January 24, 2025

Geography professor Innisfree McKinnon explains who decides what goes on the map.

Innisfree McKinnon

This article appeared in Scientific American, Fast Company, News Break and others, and originated from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Denali, the tallest peak in the country, has resulted in lots of discussion. While for some, such renaming might seem less important than the big problems the country faces, there is a formal process in the United States for renaming places, and that process is taken seriously.

Usually, so people don’t get confused, official, agreed-upon names are used by the government. In the U.S., place names are standardized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, the agency in charge of making maps.

In his executive order, Trump asks the Board on Geographic Names “to honor the contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans” and change its policies and procedures to reflect that.

Usually, renaming a place starts locally. The people in the state or county propose a name change and gather support. The process in each state is different.

Lake Bde Maka Ska, formerly Lake Calhoun, is the largest lake in Minneapolis. / YinYang/E+ via Getty

How to change a place name

Minnesota recently changed the name of a large lake in Minneapolis to Bde Maka Ska, which the Minneapolis Park Board described as “a Dakota name for the lake that has been passed down in oral history for many years.”

The board voted to change the name and took its request to the county commissioners. When the county agreed, the request was then sent to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which made it official for Minnesota. Then, the state of Minnesota sent the request to the Board on Geographic Names, which made it official for the entire U.S.

It’s a lot of paperwork for something so seemingly minor, but people get passionate about place names. It took 40 years to rename Denali from the name established in the late 19th century, Mount McKinley.

The state of Alaska requested the name change in 1975, but the Board on Geographic Names didn’t take action. Members of the Ohio congressional delegation – President William McKinley was from Ohio – objected over many years to requests to rename the mountain, and the board did not act on those requests.

The president appoints the secretary of the Interior Department. The secretary works with the heads of related agencies to appoint the Board on Geographic Names. Current committee policy states, “Input from State geographic names authorities, land management agencies, local governments, and Tribal Governments are actively pursued.”

In 2015, President Barack Obama named a new leader for the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell. Just as Obama made a trip to Alaska in late August 2015, Jewell declared the name change official under a law that allows the secretary of the Interior to change a name if the board doesn’t act on the proposal in a “reasonable” amount of time.

Today we’re returning Mount McKinley to its native name - Denali, a step to reflect the heritage of Alaska Natives. pic.twitter.com/WyzQImKymX
— President Obama (@POTUS44) August 31, 2015

“This name change recognizes the sacred status of Denali to many Alaska Natives,” Jewell said. “The name Denali has been official for use by the State of Alaska since 1975, but even more importantly, the mountain has been known as Denali for generations. With our own sense of reverence for this place, we are officially renaming the mountain Denali in recognition of the traditions of Alaska Natives and the strong support of the people of Alaska.”

You won’t find the Gulf of America on any map. / Sean Gladwell/Moment via Getty

If someone objects to a name change, they could ask the courts to rule on whether the name change was made legally. Going back to Bde Maka Ska, some people objected to changing the name from Lake Calhoun, so they took the state natural resources agency to court. Eventually, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the name change was done correctly.

Alaska’s two U.S. senators and prominent state figures have strongly objected to Trump’s renaming attempt.

How not to change a place name

Renaming the Gulf of Mexico is a different kind of case, however, from renaming a geographic place within U.S. borders.

The gulf is not within the territorial U.S. On the coast, the first 12 miles from shore are considered part of that country, but outside of that is international waters.

The Board on Geographic Names could change the name to Gulf of America on official U.S. maps, but there is no international board in charge of place names. Each country decides what to call places. And there is no official way for the U.S. to make other countries change the name.

It’s possible that the U.S. could formally ask other countries to change the name, or even impose sanctions against countries that don’t comply.

If the names were officially changed in the U.S., the government would use the new names in official documents, signage and maps. As for all the people and companies in the world that make maps, they usually use the official names. But there is nothing that would force them to, if they believed that a certain name is more widely recognized.

On Jan. 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a statement on the name changes:

“In accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s recent executive order, the Department of the Interior is proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway.

"As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley….The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use.”

This story has been updated to reflect the Department of Interior’s statement on Jan. 25, 2025.

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Geography professor Innisfree McKinnon explains if POTUS can just order new names for Denali and the Gulf of Mexico. Denali Park Mountain Range

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Innisfree McKinnon

Brief Biography: I am a human-environment geographer with GIS expertise. I'm trained as a political ecologist and have done research on environmental and community planning, conservation conflicts, loss of agricultural land to urbanization, rural tourism, sustainable cites, use of GIS and mapping in the social sciences and humanities, and spaces for children/youth. I teach a wide range of courses including general geography courses, environmental & food studies, and GIS.

If you need help with GIS or geospatial technologies, please refer to my website or YouTube channel.

Teaching Interests: human geography, environmental studies, geographic information systems

Research Interests: community and regional planning, conservation planning, political ecology, geographies of food and agriculture, urban-rural interactions, geographies of tourism and recreation, participatory and critical GIS, citizen science, critical geographies of children and youth

Full Name: Innisfree McKinnon

Job Title: Associate Professor

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Degree: Ph.D. Geography

University: University of Oregon

Degree: M.A. Geography/Landscape Architecture

University: University of California, Davis

Degree: B.S. Environmental Science

University: Antioch College

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