CNR Reporter Podcast

In this episode with special guests in the introduction: Peer Mentor Grace F and Grace K's Mom??

Grace takes an adventure to the Science Building to talk with GIS Instructional Administrator Doug Miskowiak! Listen as Doug shares experiences navigating his undergraduate degree and discovering his purpose in his graduate degree with the help of advisors and colleagues. Through his dedication and hard work, his projects throughout his career shows collaboration and important relationships between the College of Natural Resources and GIS.

On your marks... get set... Ducks! Geese! Research! Welcome back to another fantastic episode where Carter sits down with Dr. Ben Sedinger. Ben grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where he developed a passion for wildlife and the outdoors. He honed this passion into a career during his university studies in Reno, Nevada, while working on ecological research projects around North America. Ben is especially interested in waterfowl ecology and using quantitative tools to advance the conservation of wildlife and the habitats they rely on. Dr. Sedingers current interest lies in population ecology, harvest dynamics, and life history evolution of waterfowl. Learn how he uses quantitative tools to address questions in these areas, with a primary goal of advancing waterfowl management and conservation globally.

An ode to St. Valentine... They say love never dies so it's better late than never right? In this episode, Carter and Grace chat with Sue Kissinger, a Career Development Coordinator in the Academic Career and Advising Center (ACAC). We wish her farewell as she retires from her 30-year career at UW-Stevens Point! Sue shares with us her inspiring journey of acquiring both her bachelor’s degree in Forestry and a Master’s in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Forestry from UWSP. If you need a motivational episode today, Sue will encourage you to continue networking, never give up, and “Live your Message!”

Have you thought about the people who design our parks and the places we use to recreate? Hike on in to find out what Dr. Anderson has to say about her passion for natural resources and the place we recreate. Laura talks to Carter about what students need to do to kick their careers into gear. Buckle up and head to the trail while we discuss forest recreation!

This should be fin-teresting... Carter is back and at it again and you betta believe it. Did salmon say Fisheries and Water Resources? Justin and Carter chat about research, experiences from undergrad to doctorate, and how students can reach out to get more experience. Don’t be koi about reaching out to Dr. VanDeHey! What a great oppor-tuna-ty! Cod this be any punnier?

Welcome back to another episode of the second season of The CNR Reporter Podcast. We are back helping you to get to know the faculty here at UW-Stevens Point. Marvelous Dr. Cady Sartini chats with Carter about her journey from undergraduate to her Ph.D. at Clemson, to Stevens Point. Learn the secrets of how Cady found her passion by ways of exploration and trying new things! Dr. Sartini welcomes any student willing to learn and listen to how she encourages you to find your passion.

Mic! Camera! Action! Welcome back to the second season of The CNR Reporter Podcast, and we are back helping you to get to know the faculty here at UW-Stevens Point. Carter gets the opportunity to interview the soil man himself, Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch. You can usually find him teaching outside, in a soil pit, or eating a lemon with his lunch. We discuss Dr. Scharenbroch's (slightly) unconventional start to becoming a professor at Point and his journey to grad school. Learn about the Pathways program he coordinates to get students hired for jobs with the federal government. Listen to this episode to find out more!

Statistics! Graduate school! Brown-headed cowbirds! Carter sits down with a Virginia-born, fantastic Jason Riddle. Dr. Riddle is an endowed wildlife professor at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and an award-winning faculty member in wildlife ecology with the excellence in teaching award. Jason conducts research involving National Ecological Observatory Network (also known as NEON) and upland game bird studies and advises several Wildlife Society research projects simultaneously. If you want to learn more about graduate schools and apply to them, this is the episode for you!

Today Carter sits down with Dr. Jacob Prater, a Tennessean who has grown to love all of the seasons in Wisconsin. He enjoys fishing, cross-country skiing, and woodworking, as well as other pursuits with his family. There isn’t anything better than working in and with the soil for this person, though. The amazing diversity of life the soil supports fascinates Jacob, and he loves to tell people about it. Whether it is agriculture, forests, grasslands, gardens, or ginseng fields, he loves learning about it and sharing his knowledge. His phenomenal research includes agriculture, forestry, soil maps, land evaluation, and contaminant transport. Dr. Prater gives excellent advice and recommendations in looking forward to grad schools and the areas of expertise one could find themselves pursuing. Send him an email to get involved in his research!

Dolphins! Nepal! Florida! Well rounded and honest, Nilesh sits down with Carter about the research and experience Dr. Timilsina has encountered. Hailing all the way from Kathmandu, Nepal, Nilesh has experience managing projects related to ecosystem service assessment and optimization and carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems. He has done Spatial analysis and creating maps in GIS, Coordinating and conducting field data collection in Florida. Reach out for possible research opportunities in the coming future!

Carter and down-to-earth Brian discuss the interconnectedness of fish genetics and finding the clues to life. Dr. Brian Sloss has been an associate dean since 2014 and has been involved in several outreach, extension, and community engagement collaborations. Brian joined UW-Stevens Point in 2002 as assistant unit leader of the Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit. He established the college's Molecular Conservation Genetics Laboratory focused on applied genetic research in fisheries, wildlife, and other resources. This laboratory continues to be a key partner with state, regional, and national agencies in Great Lakes and freshwater fisheries management efforts. So be prepared to collect your fish genetics and research wisdom from Dr. Brian Sloss.

Carter and Niagra Falls native Rob discuss prions, internships, and his pathway to Stevens Point. Dr. Michitch teaches classes in the soil and waste resource areas, focusing on soil/plant analysis, composting, and waste resources topics. His current research interests include the compostability of plastics and polymers, compost microbiology, the breakdown of fluoropolymers, waste re-use, soil fertility, and composting to eradicate Chronic Wasting Disease prions. Rob received his BS in Environmental Sciences: Monitoring & Analysis, Environmental Degradation, at the University of Guelph and his Ph.D. in Biological Engineering (Waste Management) at Dalhousie University in New Brunswick. Rob encourages students to reach out to him if they are interested in getting involved in these research projects!

Land! Development! Symposiums! Oh My! Carter sits down with two brilliant professors from UWSP to touch on what you can do with the Environmental planning major here within the CNR. Reach out to both of them to become involved in the projects they have going on to gain real-world experiences to land yourself a job in your dream city!

Anna Haines is a professor in the College of Natural Resources of land use and a community development specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Anna received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Her research and teaching focus is on planning and community development from a natural resources perspective.  Her research has focused on factors that influenced land division in Wisconsin's amenity-rich areas, understanding how zoning codes affect future build-out scenarios, sustainable zoning, and local food clusters.  Her extension work has focused on comprehensive planning and planning implementation tools and techniques, sustainable communities, and property rights issues. 

Dr. Rothfeder is an Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Specialist with the Center for Land Use Education. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Utah in Ecological Planning (Metropolitan Planning, Policy, and Design Program). His teaching and research focus on the complex dynamics of social-ecological systems. He is interested in water resource management and the interrelationships between supply, demand, infrastructure, environmental quality, and ecosystem functioning.

Mike Rader has lived all over the United States and abroad. After serving four years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry officer, he decided to pursue graduate study in natural resources. Having many lines in the water, Dr. Rader, sits down (virtually) with Carter and talks about his research on forest biodiversity conservation in Nova Scotia and nest predation and bobwhite population ecology in south Texas. Before coming to Stevens Point, he spent almost ten years working in conservation law enforcement for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, with many ('North Woods Law' like) experiences. Mike's multi-disciplinary background has led to broad professional interests in conservation law enforcement, human dimensions of natural resource management, human-wildlife interactions, and wildlife habitat ecology. Listen carefully as Dr. Rader gives influential advice on what becoming a conservation law enforcement officer may mean to you! 

Learn how fast manufacturing can actually happen. Carter sits down with former Western Michigan Alumni to discuss one-time job opportunities in the industry. Dedicated Dr. Gong expresses his admiration for paper science and chemical engineering since his first job packaging cigarettes in China. We discuss the keys to excellent student practices when going into paper science and chemical engineering and the course load one may face when going into the field. Roland gives a few examples of possible career choices for prospective students in the engineering field, and reach out to him by email. He is thrilled to help!

This environmental education enthusiast attended our very own University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as an undergrad. After graduation, Dr. Franzen worked in varied roles at environmental education centers and camps for people with disabilities. Seeing a need to better connect with local communities, Becca went back to school for a Masters's degree in Human and Community Resources. She then completed her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Science Social Studies and Environmental Education Integration from Northern Illinois University. Becca teaches courses in Foundations of Environmental Education, Environmental Education Methods, Environmental Issues, and Investigations, and graduate seminars.  Her research focuses on pre-service teacher education in environmental education and environmental literacy (tune in to find out what that really is!).

Tune in for the last podcast of the 2020 year. Sit down and relax with Carter and Dr. Petrillo to reveal the interworkings of this unequivocal CNR professor. Holly shares her experience that may help students hear and hone in on the best field of study for them. Please, sit back and find out how she utilized a unique job opportunity to harness her passion for seeing students succeed.

What is damage management? Listen to all the possibilities you can turn this field of study into- from internships to South Africa to learning how to research a master's program. Dr. Scott Hyngstrom is a Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist with the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, MS from UW-Stevens Point, and his BS from UW-River Falls. This jack-of-all-trades joins Carter to give students a little secret about the CNR. 

California native Dr. Karyn Biasca joins Carter to chat about what it really means to be a chemical engineer. We discuss the differences between career paths with paper science and chemical engineering and traditional natural resources jobs. Carter learns about Dr. B's compassion and excitement for her students to succeed in the paper science and chemical engineering field as well as how to build your best resume! Sit back and learn about the unique experience within the chemical engineer's workplace and don't make the same mistake it did- be sure to not confuse a train conductor as an engineer and you will save yourself the embarrassment!

Happy Halloween, tune in for an extra special episode with Dr. Liddicoat to discuss the importance of communication and knowing how to work with the human side of wildlife and natural resources! This should help you consider the places you should work to narrow down your interests. Learn about the possibilities you can unlock and paths you can discover while being an environmental educator. Make sure to reach out to Dr. Liddicoat, Kendall Prehn, and Environmental Educators & Naturalists Association (EENA) if you would like to get involved with some virtual education projects they are working on. Best of luck and stay warm this Friday!

The CNR Reporter highlights the Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil and Plant Science Division Job Opportunities. TWS Waterfowl Project and Saw-Whet Owl Project both need Co-Leaders, reach out to Aiden Gehrke! There will be CNR SSC-Themed Office Hour Events where you can learn your SFE plants, travel talk, pets, and much more! and make sure to check out the Botany Club, they are having a plant sale in DUC concourse on the 28th and 29th at 10 am. Bring cash and your mask

Farm life, the outdoors, and TREES! Happy fall everyone and experience more about Carter's favorite urban forestry professor Dr. Richard Hauer. Learn a little about how Wisconsin has welcomed Dr. Hauer with open arms and what you can do to get involved in what steps he took to get to where he is today. Check out the forestry paths you can take here:

You can also reach out to Eden and learn more about her work in forestry too.

Check out the CNR Reporter for virtual careers fairs - US Forest Service (Tuesday) and UWSP (Wednesday), and the CNR SSC-Themed Office Hour Events – Learn your SFE plants, travel talk, pets, and much more!

Fishing trips, walleye eggs, and stream restoration! This charming fisheries professor here in the CNR Dr. Josh Raabe sits down with Carter to chat about where to spawn a graduate career. Experience the research UWSP has to offer and the tips and tricks to help 'swimstart' your future. 

Reach out to Logan Sikora - bullhead age & growth, Logan poses questions like, does removing bullheads influence other species? He has lab work available to students. Jeremiah Shrovnal - growth and survival of lake sturgeon. Jeremiah is really into statistics and R program. Levi Simmons - uses genetics to evaluate walleye reproductive success. Jared Krebs - studying muskellunge spawning in Green Bay and associated tributaries. 

Check out the CNR Reporter for important information about the SSC Rock hunt, and Peer Mentor Office Hours (get ready for some painting and falconry!). As well as Emergency Grants through the University.

An experienced epidemiologist Dr. Shelli Dubay chats with Carter about New York, unwise choices, and ungulates! Dissect your career plans and where you want to be after you graduate. Delve into Shelli's infectious enthusiasm for disease ecology and her love for helping students. Remember the CNR Scholarships are due on the 15th of October.

Soil! Research! Involvement! Aspiring professional soil scientist and all-around cool grad-school gal joins Carter to talk about how she got involved at UWSP. If you love the soil, you will feel right at home. If you fell into the soil pit once or twice you can appreciate soil from afar and maybe learn to like getting soily after all. Make sure to check the CNR reporter for important announcements and keep an eye out for advising emails next week.