UniverCity Alliance student scholars gain career-ready experiences through Wisconsin local government partnerships

When UniverCity Alliance Scholar Melina Nguyen was working with the city of Marinette, she felt connected to the community.  

Nguyen, who is a University of Wisconsin–Madison student majoring in political science, people-environment geography, and environmental studies, said working with local government partners helped her contextualize research into single-use plastics, so that it was the most useful for Marinette.  

Melina Nguyen headshot
Melina Nguyen

“In my future career, I hope to work in local government on environmental regulations or policy, so this inside view of sustainability work within a local Wisconsin community was invaluable to me,” said Nguyen, who is also receiving a certificate in public policy and plans to graduate in 2025. 

Nguyen was one of nine scholars in the inaugural cohort of the UniverCity Alliance Scholars Program. Through this program, UniverCity is able to convene a group of committed students excited by working with Wisconsin communities to work on individual projects with local government partners.  

Undergraduate and graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds are encouraged to participate in this program. The varying needs of local government – from data analysis and GIS skills to environmental concerns, financial needs, and historic preservation questions – mean that students from across the entire university can benefit Wisconsin communities.  

Members of the first UniverCity Alliance Scholars program gather for a photo during a celebration in September 2023. Photo credit: Hedi Lamarr Rudd.

“I was excited by the idea of using what I’ve learned in my political science, public policy, and environmental studies classes toward a real-world project. This program creates impactful and mutually beneficial relationships, and I was honored to be part of this community,” Nguyen said. “I knew that I would learn a lot from drafting a deliverable for a local government, and I also felt that this was a great opportunity for me to give back to the wider Wisconsin community using what I’ve been learning in my time in college.” 

In partnership with UniverCity’s community partners, the scholars ultimately completed the following projects:  

  • Created a social marketing plan to boost biking and walking to work in Marinette 
  • Built a GIS map to visually display 911 calls for service in Madison 
  • Proposed a plan to become a bike-friendly designated community in Cottage Grove 
  • Analyzed walkability improvements to a downtown area in Wausau 
  • Explored alternatives to single use plastics in Marinette 
  • Analyzed the costs and benefits of maintaining Eau Claire and Altoona lakes 
  • Studied how to encourage youth involvement in local government in Milton 
  • Developed a historic preservation framework in Shorewood 
  • Analyzed tax incremental financing incentives for Wausau 

Through these projects, the scholars worked with community partners to understand the problem they were addressing and local context. Elisabeth Bykowski, who graduated in 2023 with a master’s degree in urban and regional planning , said she appreciated that direct contact with Eau Claire County.

“Working with a community partner enhanced my work by allowing me to get direct feedback on my research and receive helpful documents and statistics that I wouldn’t have been able to access otherwise,” Bykowski said. “My favorite aspect of the project was when I got to present my findings to the community partners; it really felt like the culmination of months of research and allowed me to answer any lingering questions that they still had.”

Upon completion of the project, the students received $1,500 scholarships that were generously provided through the philanthropy of UW alumni John Holton, Pat Thiele, Colleen Goggins, John Nelson, Bill and Karen Monfre, John Bauman, Jane Mandula, and Curt Fuszard, and others.  

UniverCity Alliance Scholars Lily Yalowitz, left, and Pearly Wong, right, talk during a celebration in September 2023. Photo credit: Hedi Lamarr Rudd.

Karen and Bill Monfre, two supporters of the new program, described UniverCity as a “bridge to the next generation of servant leaders.” 

“UniverCity helps connect students to serve the needs of our state municipalities,” they said. “UW is a resource and economic engine critical to our state.”  

By working on community-based projects, these scholars gained valuable experiences they can translate to their future careers. Applying academic research and case studies to a problem in a Wisconsin community created a more enriching academic experience. 

Lily Yalowitz, who is majoring in landscape architecture and urban studies with certificates in integrative design and environmental studies, said it was exciting to work on a project that felt “meaningful and rather obtainable for the city to implement.” 

Her project, which was also with Marinette, revealed an interest in soft-mobility commute alternatives and equitable transit-oriented development. 

“I have oriented my job search somewhat surrounding transportation equity positions because I find it to be a rewarding and impactful career with many avenues I can take it in,” said Yalowitz, who plans to graduate in May 2023.  

UW–Madison junior Sam Kaufmann, who is studying political science and geography, worked with the village of Shorewood on a historic preservation project and was able to visit the community for a day.

“I always enjoy visiting different communities and seeing the local perspective through the lens of individuals that actually reside there,” Kaufmann said. “I liked learning about the unique needs of their community and having a chance to both meet stakeholders and explore local amenities in the process.”

UniverCity Alliance scholar Sam Kaufmann speaks with Milton Mayor Anissa Welch during a celebration on Sept. 8, 2023. Photo credit: Hedi Lamarr Rudd.

Kaufmann is no stranger to local government. He is a village trustee on the Waunakee Village Board and experienced UniverCity through Waunakee’s partnership during 2020-23. That partnership addressed Waunakee’s relationship with the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, local ordinances, Waunakee’s employment practices, housing, education, and mental health.

He said his experience as a UniverCity Alliance Scholar working with a community partner “enhanced and reaffirmed my ability and desire to work on projects in the public sector.”

“I definitely want to continue working in a public service-related career doing similar types of work professionally,” Kaufmann said.

Are you a UW–Madison student interested in becoming a UniverCity Alliance Scholar? The program is accepting applications now through April 1! Students should apply through Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH) portal. More information on eligibility criteria and application requirements can be found here. Please email UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu with any questions.  

—Abigail Becker