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Cara Watchorn graduated in May 2007 with degrees in Geography and Speech Communication. She was recognized at graduation as Honorable Mention Honors. At WSC Cara served as President of Pi Gamma Mu and the Explorers Club, and as Vice-President of Gamma Theta Upsilon. She presented papers during fall 2005 at the triennial Pi Gamma Mu Convention in Nashville and during spring 2006 at the South Dakota State Geography Convention. Her honors project was entitled, "Subterranean Beauties: Jewel Cave and Wind Cave." During the summer of 2006, Cara worked at Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Following graduation, Cara accepted a position at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. |
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Seth Poldberg graduated in December 2006 with a Field Endorsement in Social Sciences Education. He was recognized at graduation as Honorable Mention Honors and Scholar in the Major. At WSC he was initiated into Pi Gamma Mu, Gamma Theta Upsilon, and Phi Alpha Theta. His honors project was entitled, "From Copenhagen to Elk Horn, Iowa: How Tourism Funds a Small Community." In the spring of 2007, he accepted an internship with U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and worked at the Hart Senate Building in Washington, D.C. Starting in the fall of 2007, Seth accepted a social studies/coaching position at Prairie City-Monroe school district in Monroe, Iowa about 25 miles southeast of Des Moines. |
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Brian Bruckner
graduated in December 2006 with a degree in Geography and minors in
Earth Science and Public Administration. He was recognized at graduation as Honorable Mention Scholarship Honors. While at WSC, he was initiated into Pi Gamma Mu and Gamma Theta Upsilon. Brian spent the summer of 2006 doing an internship with the Assistant to the Director of the Woodbury County Rural Economic Development Office. His honors project was entitled, "The Ogallala Aquifer: Critical Resource for
Nebraska." After graduation, Brian was hired as a Groundwater Management Area Specialist with the Lower Elkhorn NRD based in Norfolk, NE. He works with farmers to mitigate groundwater pollution by coordinating soil sampling, nutrient management plans, and fertilizer application certification. |
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Phil Heimann graduated in December 2006 with a degree in Geography and minors in Earth Science and Biology. He was initiated into Gamma Theta Upsilon. While at WSC, Phil interned at the Wayne Municipal Building under the supervision of the City Inspector. After graduation, he was hired as a temporary GIS Technician with the Twin Platte NRD based in North Platte, NE and was later hired on permanently as a Conservation Technician. His work involves helping to create and maintain maps of the irrigated crop acreage in the area. He credits his internship experience with helping him land a job that he loves. |
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Chris Lord graduated in December 2006 with teaching endorsements in both Geography Education and History Education. His academic work was recognized at graduation as Honorable Mention Honors with Scholar in the Major. While at WSC, he was inducted into the honor societies of Gamma Theta Upsilon, Phi Alpha Theta, and Pi Gamma Mu. His honors project was entitled, "Glacier National Park: What if There Were No More Glaciers?" and the full text was published in WSC's Hot Papers 2007, recognizing the best academic writing on campus. After graduation, Chris took a position teaching 7th and 8th grade social studies at Winnebago Public High School. He can be reached at lord31@hotmail.com. |
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Steve Walsh graduated in May 2006 with a degree in Geography and a minor in History. He was recognized at graduation as Honorable Mention Scholarship Honors. While at WSC, he became a member of Gamma Theta Upsilon and was also a member of the WSC baseball squad that won four consecutive NSIC conference championships. His honors project was entitled, "The Whitetail Deer Impact on North Dakota's Economy." In December 2006, Steve was accepted by Homeland Security for training as a Border Patrol Agent and will be stationed in Willcox, Arizona. Contact him at nonofit@hotmail.com. |
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Jill Houghtelling (nee Zimmerman) graduated in May 2005 with a Field Endorsement in Social Sciences Education and a certificate in Coaching. She was recognized at graduation as Summa Cum Laude with Scholar in the Major. At WSC she was initiated into Pi Gamma Mu, Gamma Theta Upsilon, and Phi Alpha Theta. Her honors project was entitled, "Historical Geography of the Sandhills." In 2005, Jill accepted a position as social studies teacher and volleyball coach at Winside Middle School in northeast Nebraska. She participated in the June 2007 summer institute "Modern Mapmaking" sponsored by the Geographic Educators of Nebraska. |
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Kyle Sukup graduated in December 2005 with a degree in Geography and a minor in Public Administration. While at WSC, he was inducted into Gamma Theta Upsilon. After graduation, Kyle took a position with Union Pacific as a Precision Measurement Vehicle Operator. Part of his work involves mapping the entire 33,000 miles of the UP system west of the Mississippi River along with segments of CSX track in the east. The data and digital maps are used by train dispatchers, engineering companies, and real estate firms. In addition, these maps are currently being used to help create simulators for training locomotive engineers. Kyle reports that one of the best perks of his job is having the opportunity to travel nearly the entire country. Contact him at kassukup@yahoo.com. |
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Josie Wolff graduated in December 2005 with degrees in Geography and Business Administration (concentration in International Business). While at WSC, she was a member of the geography honor society Gamma Theta Upsilon, the social sciences honor society Pi Gamma Mu, and the business honor society Sigma Beta Delta. Her honors project was entitled, "Harmful Effects of Food Aid From the West: A Case Study of Somalia." Josie is currently employed as an insurance account specialist at Farm Credit Services of America in Norfolk, NE. Since she handles crop insurance, Josie says that some of what she learned at WSC (e.g., plat maps and weather) is coming in handy! |
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Troy Gilmore graduated in August of 2005 with a double major in Geography and Human Services Counseling. Soon after, Troy got hired at what he considers his "dream job" opportunity--training to be an elk hunting guide at the Flying B Ranch in the Nez Perce and Clearwater National Forests in North Central Idaho. |
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Norman B. Small II graduated in May 2005 with degrees in Geography and Psychology. While at WSC, he was a member of the geography honor society Gamma Theta Upsilon, the history honor society Phi Alpha Theta, and the psychology honor society Psi Chi. Norm also served as president of the social sciences honor society Pi Gamma Mu, and he traveled with the Explorers Club. His honors project was entitled, "200 Years of Map Making in the United States: From Lewis and Clark to Present Day."
Norm also gave a presentation at the 2005 South Dakota State Undergraduate Geography Conference in Brookings, SD. He recently accepted a position as the Geographic Information Systems Specialist for Madison County in Nebraska. He is also working on a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through the University of Denver's online graduate program for Organizational Leadership. Contact Norm at nbsmall2@msn.com. |
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Camy Havlicek graduated in May 2005 with subject teaching endorsements in both Geography
Education and History Education. While at WSC, she was inducted into the honor societies of Gamma Theta Upsilon, Phi Alpha Theta, and Pi Gamma Mu, and she also traveled on Explorers Club trips. She
also served as President of PAT (the history honor society) and Vice-president
of GTU (the geography honor society). Her honors project dealt with
the history of female pirates.
After graduation, Camy accepted a position teaching
junior high students at the Boys and Girls home in Marshalltown, Iowa.
Currently, she teaches in the Des Moines, Iowa area. |
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Jamie Petersen graduated in May 2005 with a degree in Geography and minors in Earth Science and Environmental Science. He was initiated at WSC into Gamma Theta Upsilon (geography). During his time in school, Jamie worked at two different internships--one in Florida and one in Omaha--that utilized his GIS skills. Shortly after graduation, he accepted a position at the Omaha branch of ATC Associates Inc., an environmental/health/safety consulting firm where his official title was Industrial Hygienest/Environmental Specialist. Recently, Jamie was contacted by the Omaha firm where he did his internship while enrolled at WSC --Applied Data Consultants--and they offered him a full-time position as a GIS Analyst. Way to go, Jamie! Today, he is a GIS Analyst for Pottawattamie County in Iowa. |
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Jeff Konkoleski
graduated in May 2005 with subject teaching endorsements in both Geography
Education and History Education. He was initiated at WSC into the honor
societies of Gamma Theta Upsilon
(geography) and Phi Alpha Theta (history).
In the fall of 2005,
Jeff accepted a position at Ainsworth Community
School in north central Nebraska where he teaches middle school social
studies and also some high school courses. Jeff was an assistant
coach on the 2007 Bulldogs boys basketball team that won the state
class C-1 championship. |
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Gary Hansen graduated in May 2005 with a major in Geography. He was initiated into the Lambda Zeta chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon while attending Wayne State College. He was also formally commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S.
Army through the Army Reserve Officer Training Corp, Prairie Fire Battalion.
2LT Hansen attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning,
GA and then rejoined the Nebraska National Guard. He served nearly two years in Iraq (left, WSC Prof. Paul Campbell administers the National Guard oath to Gary). |
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Jarrod Knudsen graduated in May 2005 with a major in Geography and minors in Earth Science and History. He was initiated into the Lambda Zeta chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon. He recently took a position with Hertz Rental Cars at Omaha's Eppley Airport and manages the inboard GPS systems for the rental fleet. |
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Troxl Miner graduated in May 2005 with a major in Geography and a minor in Social Sciences. His honors project was entitled, "Fighting Back: An Analysis of Environmental Organization in Rural Nebraska."
Troxl also presented at the 2005 South Dakota State Undergraduate Geography Conference in Brookings, SD. While
at WSC, he was initiated into three honor societies: Gamma Theta Upsilon
(geography), Phi Alpha Theta (history), and Pi Gamma Mu (social sciences). In the fall of 2005, Troxl will enter the Masters program in
Geography at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and will be fully funded through
a graduate assistantship. Good luck, Troxl! |
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Roy Zach graduated in May 2004 with a major in Geography. Roy was a two-time winner of the Outstanding Student in Geography Award in 2003 and 2004, served as President of Gamma Theta Upsilon, won a John David
Robinson geography scholarship, did an honors project, and was presented with GTU's Excellence in Geography award
in 2004. In the fall of 2005, Roy will enter the Masters program in
Geography at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and will be fully funded through
a graduate assistantship. Well done, Roy! |
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Ted Gibson
graduated in December of 2003 with a major in Geography. Ted was inducted
into Gamma Theta Upsilon while at WSC and also did an internship at Applied Data Consultants
in Eau Claire, WI. In January 2005, Ted enrolled in the Masters
program in Geography at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks and
will be funded through a teaching assistantship. Way to go, Ted! |
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Matt Tobias
graduated in December of 2003 with a major in Geography. Matt was inducted
into Gamma Theta Upsilon while at WSC and also did an internship with the
city utility department in South Sioux City, NE. Matt later took a job as a Development Planner with SIMPCO
in Sioux City where he made maps of development areas in the
Sioux City area. Later, Matt moved to Omaha and took a position with Terracon as an Environmental Scientist where he collected and analyzed soil samples as well as indoor
air quality surveys. In 2006, Matt accepted a position as Environmental Analyst with the City of Sioux Falls, SD where he spends most of his time working with the city’s storm water management program. Matt invites anyone wanting to talk about WSC Geography to contact him at MTobias@siouxfalls.org. |
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Stacy Johnson graduated in December of 2003 with teaching endorsements in Geography and History. A charter member of the Lambda Zeta chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon founded at WSC in April of 2002, Stacy also served for two years as President of Pi Gamma Mu, the social sciences honorary. She earned a ton of awards while at WSC, including a John David Robinson geography scholarship and the Gamma Theta Upsilon Excellence in Geography award. Her honors project was entitled, "The Invisible Empire Unveiled: A Geography of the Ku Klux Klan." Stacy is currently teaching geography, government, and history at Rock County HS in Bassett, NE and coaches girls basketball as well. To ask her questions about teaching as a career path, just contact Stacy at n2johnson@huntel.net. |
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Beau Denker graduated summa cum laude
in 2003 with a double major in Chemistry and Geography. While at WSC,
he was inducted into both Gamma Theta Upsilon and Pi Gamma Mu, and also earned
a John David
Robinson scholarship.
Beau also won the 2002 Outstanding Student in Geography Award. After graduation, Beau immediately found work with North American Sweeteners
through Cargill, Inc. He is a quality assurance chemist in charge of
the corn milling process at a plant in Blair, NE. Since Cargill is
based around the world in almost 100 cities, Beau plans to use his geography
background to travel extensively and help set up new plants in foreign countries. |
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Mike Stone graduated in 2003 with
a major in Geography and a minor in Earth Sciences. He served as President
of the Gamma Theta Upsilon charter class of inductees in 2002, won two John David
Robinson scholarships, and earned the GTU Excellence in Geography award
in 2003. Today, Mike is doing what he knows and loves best--tending the family farm north of Laurel, NE. |
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Curt Becker graduated in August of
2002 with a major in Geography and a minor in Biology. Curt received a John David
Robinson scholarship at WSC and was also a charter
member of the Lambda Zeta chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon founded at WSC in
April of 2002. While studying at WSC, he did an internship for the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources
District.
He turned his internship into a job in 2003 and went to work for the
NRD full-time as a water resources technician. In 2005, he took a position
with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Wahoo, NE as a soil conservation
technician assisting in the layout and installation of soil and water conservation
practices, and working with landowners on tree planting and grass seeding
projects. |
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Nate Dougherty graduated in 2002 with a major in Geography. He was a charter member of the Lambda Zeta chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon founded at WSC in April of 2002 and he was also inducted into Pi Gamma Mu (social sciences honorary) while at WSC. After visiting the Omaha Police Department during a class field trip in Geographic Information Systems, Nate later scrounged an internship for their Crime Analysis Lab. Following that, Nate parlayed a subsequent internship at Applied Data Consultants in Omaha into a full-time position. Currently, he is the IT/GIS Tech for the City of Blair and gets to run all of the GIS for the city. Contact Nate at natedougherty@yahoo.com |
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Jon Kuddes graduated in 2002 with a major in Geography. Jon was inducted into Gamma Theta Upsilon while at WSC and also did an internship with the National Weather Service in Valley, NE. Shortly after graduation, Jon got a job creating maps for Qwest Communications and this allowed him to use his Computer Mapping experience. Recently, Jon parlayed a part-time job in Mead at the University of Nebraska's ARDC (Agricultural Research and Development Center) into a full-time position as a Research Technologist for the Turf Science Team. He now uses his background in Geology and Meteorology (two of his favorite courses while at WSC ) when running tests and doing data analysis on research projects. Jon would be happy to discuss Geography as a career with prospective majors. Contact him at jkuddes2@unlnotes.unl.edu. |
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Jeff Jepsen graduated in December 2000 with subject teaching endorsements in both Geography
Education and History Education,
as well as a certificate in Coaching. He earned Honorable
Mention in honors grade point average and was also inducted into both Pi Gammu Mu and Phi Alpha Theta. He won recognition in 2000 as the WSC Outstanding Student in Social Sciences Education. In 2005, Jeff took a
teaching position at |