Events

All are welcome to attend! Registration is required of all attendees by April 19, 2024. Please use one of the following methods:

1) Register and pay online using the "Register" button on this page, or
2) Submit this registration form, and send a check for conference fees ($19 per person) payable to UW-River Falls to:

UWRF Geography
410 S. 3rd Street
River Falls, WI 54022

Abstracts are required from all students presenting a paper and/ or participating in the poster session and must be received by April 6, 2024. Please submit abstracts using the "Submit Abstract" button.

Groups

Schools may send one check for all participants following the instructions above.  Those in your group may complete the reservation and abstract submission forms individually following the instructions on this page, or schools may opt to send registration and abstract form information for all participants in a spreadsheet via email to pgis@uwrf.edu. Please reach out with any questions!

The following schedule is approximate.  A final schedule will be announced after the abstract submission deadline. 

8:30 - 9 am: Check-in, Light Morning Refreshments
9 - 10:20 am: Session One - Paper Presentations
10:30 - 11:50 am: Session Two - Paper Presentations
12 - 1:20 pm: Buffet Lunch and Keynote Address
1:30 - 2 pm: Poster Q & A Session
2:10 - 3:30 pm: Session Three - Paper Presentations

Ian Muehlenhaus
Senior Product Engineer at Esri

University Center
University of Wisconsin - River Falls
501 Wild Rose Ave.
River Falls, WI 54022

Google Maps Directions

Free parking is available on city streets and on campus. Campus permit and meter parking lots will not be enforced the day of the conference.  Suggested parking near the University Center includes: B, F, G, T and U Lots. Ample street parking will also be available across the street from campus, north of Cascade Ave.

The University Center building is #20 on the Campus Map.

Campus Map

Rooms are available at the Radisson Hotel River Falls for the nights of 4/26/24 and 4/27/24 at a rate of $129 per night + tax (present tax identification at check-in if exempt).

Call (715) 403-4006 to make your reservation in the MUGS conference block by March 22, 2024.

Additional hotels in River Falls include:

Country Inn River Falls
1525 Commerce Ct.
River Falls, WI 54022

Econo Lodge
1207 St. Croix St.
River Falls, WI 54022

Ryan Weichelt, Ph.D.
"Why Geography is More Important Than Ever in Redistricting"

In the fall of 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that state Assembly and Senate Districts had to be redrawn.  In their decision, they identified the current districts violated contiguity standards and in the drawing of new districts currently accepted redistricting standards should be adhered to.  One of their criteria related to maintaining Communities of Interest (COI).  Unfortunately, COI is a vague term, but is playing an increasingly important role in redistricting cases across the United States. While geographers are often seen as solely map makers, COIs and defining COIs opens the door for geographers to truly make their mark in current redistricting studies.  This talk will explore what COIs are using the most recent “Wisconsin Redistricting Battle” to demonstrate the importance of geography in redistricting.  

Ryan Weichelt is a Professor of Geography and Department Chair at the University of Wisconsin –Eau Claire. His research has been focused on the electoral geography of Wisconsin, with an emphasis on rural studies, and redistricting studies. Highlighting these issues are recent publications of the Atlas of the 2020 Elections (contributor and co-editor) and a chapter in the Handbook of the Changing World Language Map, titled “The Language of Reorganizing Electoral Space” with co-author Gerald Webster.  He has also assisted in several redistricting cases as an expert witness, including the most recent redistricting case in Wisconsin.  

All are welcome to attend! Reservations are required by Friday, March 29, 2024.

Student Reservations

• The department will cover the cost for department students to attend the banquet. Please complete the Banquet Reservation Form.

General Reservations

Please use one of the following methods:

• Make reservations online at the link here (please note: a convenience fee will be charged based on charges the department incurs for credit card processing and sales tax),
  or
• Complete the Banquet Reservation Form at the link here, and send a check for $30 per person, payable to UW-River Falls to:

     UWRF Geography
     410 S. 3rd Street
     River Falls, WI 54022

Please note "PGIS Banquet" in the check memo.

Contributions of any size to department Foundation funds are greatly appreciated and will be used, in part, to defray the cost for UWRF students to attend the banquet. These funds support student activities, future events and department resources.

A list of funds may be found below. To make a donation, please visit University Advancement, or mail a check payable to UWRF Foundation to:

UW-River Falls Foundation
118 North Hall
410 S Third St
River Falls, WI 54022

Please include the designation of your gift in the check memo line.

Department Foundation Funds

• Geography Department Fund supports department events and associated expenses, guest speakers, resources, supplies, equipment, student awards and other department expenses.
• International Studies Fund supports international programs on campus, study abroad opportunities and internationalization of the university.
• Political Science Department Fund provides supplemental assistance to the students and faculty of Political Science.
• Political Science and International Studies Internship Fund supports students pursuing a political science or international studies internship.
• Scott Nelson Memorial Fund supports the funding of department resources, equipment, student awards, guest speakers, events and activities, benefitting students and alumni.
• Tracey Gladstone-Sovell Memorial Fund supports the Political Science program.

Thank you for supporting Geography, International Studies and Political Science programs at UWRF!