The UniverCity Alliance seeks two (2) student interns to conduct policy research for the Dane County Board of Supervisors about two (2) policy issues during the Fall 2026 semester.

Background

Project 1: Comparative Research on Local Government Climate Resilience and Emergency Planning for Increasingly Severe Weather

Dane County is experiencing increasingly frequent and severe weather events, including flooding, severe storms, extreme heat, and winter weather, placing growing demands on emergency management, infrastructure, public health, and other county services.

County departments are already addressing these challenges through initiatives such as the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan update and the Office of Energy and Climate Change’s resilience assessment. This project would complement those efforts by conducting a comparative review of how peer counties with governance structures similar to Dane County—particularly those that lack home rule authority— are incorporating climate resilience into emergency planning, policy development, and funding strategies.

The research will identify best practices and emerging approaches that can help inform future Dane County planning and policymaking, and possible resilience financing methods to support implementation.

Project 2: Identifying and Assessing Food Access and Food Deserts in Dane County

Although Dane County has a strong agricultural economy and an extensive local food network, many residents continue to experience barriers to accessing healthy, affordable food. These challenges differ across the county. Urban neighborhoods may experience limited access to full-service grocery stores, affordability concerns, and transportation barriers, while rural communities often face long travel distances to food retailers, limited transportation options, and fewer local food outlets.

Food access is influenced by a complex system of factors—including housing patterns, transportation, land use, economic development, agricultural production, and historical planning decisions—and requires collaboration across multiple county departments and community partners. As Dane County continues implementing its Food System Action Plan and other food security initiatives, there is an opportunity to better understand remaining gaps, document current efforts, and identify policy approaches that strengthen equitable access to healthy food throughout the county.

This project is intended to complement ongoing county initiatives by supporting a review of existing food access mapping resources—including, where feasible, assessing opportunities to update or expand current food access maps using methodologies established by Public Health of Madison & Dane Counties (PHMDC)—while providing a policy-focused review of current programs, examining successful approaches used by peer communities, and identifying evidence-based policy options that may inform future Dane County Board discussions, planning, and investment decisions.

Deliverables

Project 1: Comparative Research on Local Government Climate Resilience and Emergency Planning for Increasingly Severe Weather

• Preliminary draft report compiling findings, data and other information to the Dane County Board staff regarding current programming, funding support, costs and benefits, challenges and successes currently in Dane County as well as in other local governments.
• A final written report with methodology, findings, and recommendations.
• A presentation of the final report at a public meeting of a Dane County Board committee.

Project 2: Identifying and Assessing Food Access and Food Deserts in Dane County

• Preliminary draft report compiling findings, data and other information to the Dane County Board staff regarding current programming, funding support, costs and benefits, challenges and successes currently in Dane County as well as in other local governments.
• A final written report with methodology, findings, and recommendations.
• A presentation of the final report at a public meeting of a Dane County Board committee.

Minimum Qualifications

Students should have at least junior standing to apply.

Compensation

Students will receive a $1,500 stipend for their work or directed study credit if preferred.

Commitment

Hours are flexible, and work can be done mostly remotely. We anticipate that this experience will take 5-10 hours per week and could be done over the course of 6-8 weeks. Students should plan to attend at least one public meeting of a Dane County Board committee to present their final report.

To Apply

Submit a resume and a cover letter to Amy Gangl (agangl@wisc.edu) explaining related experience doing policy research and why your experience makes you the best fit for this opportunity.

Application Deadline

Application materials must be received no later than 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 10, 2026.

Interviews will take place on September 15-18, 2026, and the internship will officially start the week of September 21, 2026.