The EEGS Department brought 15 students to the 2024 Meeting of the West Lakes Division of the American Association of Geographers held on October 17-19. Western Michigan University hosted this year’s event. NMU student participation at this conference was supported through gifts made by generous alumni and friends of EEGS.
Members of Dr. Weronika Kusek's Urban Geography class, students collaborating with Dr. Jelili Adebiyi, and other NMU undergraduates participated. The first stop on Thursday was a tour of the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education to learn about Michigan’s geology, and how LiDAR and sediment cores help scientists reconstruct the glacial history of the region. Then it was on to the opening reception, followed by an entire day of presentations and the awards banquet on Friday.
Environmental Studies and Sustainability major Isabelle Honkomp summed up the trip as follows: "The AAG conference was an amazing professional development experience. I learned what other university programs were like, specifically grad school opportunities. I came back to NMU with a lot of ideas, and projects to look into for sustainability at our university. I gained new friendships within my university as well, and am excited to continue to work with my classmates since I know them better from the conference."
Other highlights of the trip included the following:
- Avery Case and Julia Janssen, Environmental Studies and Sustainability students, were recognized with second place in the West Lakes undergraduate paper award competition for their collaborative presentation on University Campus Food Waste Reduction Strategy: Perceived Effectiveness of Different Messaging and Framing Campaigns.
- Isabelle Honkomp earned third place in the same competition. Her paper was titled Marquette 2049: Preparing the Community for the Future.
- Other paper presenters from EEGS were Lola Rigano (Environmental Science), Dr. Jelili Adebiyi, and visiting scholar Dr. Justine Nakintu.
- Ryan Tallmadge (Environmental Studies and Sustainability) presented an engaging poster on Superior Hiawatha: Reconnecting U.P. Communities and Preserving Rights-of-Way for Future Economic Development.
- Katelyn Younglove (Biology major) also presented work that she had completed last summer at Miami University during a Research Experience for Undergraduates, funded by the National Science Foundation. Katelyn placed second in the East Lakes undergraduate paper competition for her presentation on Wet and Dry Spell Variability in Southwestern Ohio.
Dr. Kusek reflected on the trip upon returning from Kalamazoo: "I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to take my undergraduate students to a professional conference. These meetings are a great opportunity to meet and connect with other professionals in your field of study. Students get a chance to meet potential graduate advisors, to see what research their peers are working on, and to present their projects in a professional setting. Such experiences build confidence and allow students to recognize how much they have learned in college and what they can offer to a future employer. Conferences also offer opportunities to gain insights from keynote speakers. It is overall an amazing opportunity, thanks to the alumni and friends who have supported this initiative for years."
EEGS Department Head Dr. Susy Ziegler expressed gratitude for the enthusiastic NMU undergraduates who interacted with students and faculty from colleges and universities across the Upper Midwest. "We are fortunate that are students are so engaged. They make the most of opportunities like this excursion to an academic conference. We deeply appreciate the generosity of alumni and friends. Gifts made directly to the EEGS Department expand learning opportunities, including participation in professional meetings. The more that current students can practice presenting their scholarship and networking with professionals, the better prepared our graduates are for life after Northern. We already look forward to attending next year's geography conference."