UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Politics, Geography and International Studies

Pre LawWelcome, Alumni!


We're glad you're here. The department is dedicated to building a robust alumni network and community, and we'd like to keep in touch with you!

Let us know what you're up to by emailing CAS@uwrf.edu

Consider attending the next annual department banquet in April 2025. Watch your email for more details to come!

 

Morgan_Baum_headshot (1)Morgan (Jindrich) Baum (2001)


Political Science Major / Journalism and Art Minors

Current Position: Director of Local News Sustainability at Report for America at the GroundTruth Project.

What do you do there? I work with more than 200 newsrooms across all 50 states to support them as we help rebuild the local news industry. I help the newsrooms create reliable revenue models through creativity and philanthropy. I love working one-on-one with the newsrooms to help them reach their goals. Access to information is vital to a healthy democracy and engaged citizens.

How did you get there after graduating from UWRF? I first went to Washington DC to work as an investigative reporter researching corruption in telecommunications and media at the Center for Public Integrity. Then I moved into federal advocacy for improving telecommunications and media regulations at Consumer Reports. At Consumer Reports I moved into External Relations creating partnerships with academia, government agencies, international organizations, corporations, and other nonprofits. While working at Consumer Reports I went back to school at night to get a Masters in Fundraising and Nonprofit Management at Columbia University in New York City. Then I took over the Development Department at Consumer Reports working with major donors, foundations, and planned giving. In 2016, I moved back to take over my family business, a pottery studio and art gallery in central, rural Minnesota. I took the Clay Coyote Gallery & Pottery from 2 employees to eight and quadrupled audience and revenue. In 2024, because the business was stable, I was able to say yes to working remotely for Report for America—at the intersection of my passions: entrepreneurship, fundraising, and advocating for access to information to help create a stronger democracy.  

Advice for students: Find something that fires you up, an area where you know you are making a difference. Political Science degrees have applications inside so many other career paths (i.e. love the environment, be an advocate for a nonprofit focused on climate change). If you want an advanced degree find a job at an organization that offers tuition reimbursement to build on your skills.


 

Carly Thompson (2021)Carly Thompson


Political Science Major

Current Position: Administration - Office Services and Hospitality at Larkin Hoffman

Duties: Legal record creation, circulation, and retention, sorting and distribution of incoming and outgoing legal documents, RE and Business Litigation binder printing, organizing, and tabbing, conference room supply and A/V setup for mediations, depositions, Board, Shareholder, and legal department meetings, Firm catering coordination for central office (Minneapolis) and Government Relations office (St. Paul), legal administrative support for the departments of Tax & Estate, Patent & Trademark, Corporate, Franchise, Real Estate Litigation, Land Use, Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, Employment & Labor, etc.

Advice for students: Study complex political concepts by "teaching" them to someone who is less involved in politics. If they are able to comprehend a concept from your explanation alone, chances are you'll be able to nail a short-answer exam question. If they have follow-up questions that you struggle to answer, focus your studies there in preparation for the exam. (Shout out to Dr. Simer for this study tip!). Also, utilize the resume-strengthening resources offered by UWRF Career Services. A classmate in Career Services helped draft the resume that secured me jobs in both retail management and legal administration less than two years after graduation! Thank you, Gina!


 

Isaac Russell_final_webIsaac Russell (2009)


Political Science and History Majors

Current Position: Government Relations Director for Allianz Life

Isaac ran for St. Paul City Council in Ward 3 this past spring. Angela Davis of MPR had Isaac as a guest on her recent broadcast, "In Focus: Breaking the Cycle: How to stop violence before it starts and break the cycle of trauma" with a focus on St. Paul. A recording is available at https://www.mprnews.org/shows/angela-davis/2

 

 

 


Sara Lynorre (Deick)
Sara Lynorre (Deick) (2009)


Political Science Major, GIS and Music Minors

Current Position: Instructional Technologist for Geospatial and Data Services at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN

Duties: I train students, staff, and faculty to use technology for research projects. While my specialty is GIS and mapping, I've also worked on projects that involve image annotation, AR/VR tech, and data visualization or design. Typically, I work in consultations or go into classes and teach training demos.
Aside from research projects, I also work with faculty on developing new digital assignments and how to structure those assignments for courses. Throughout the year, I may work with a variety of departments across campus that may be just starting out with GIS, doing advanced analysis, or using GIS for story telling purposes. Here are some of the examples I've created for class training sessions.

After graduation, I always knew that I eventually wanted to go to graduate school, but wanted to work and take a break for a couple years. I worked at Half Price Books - and eventually started the GIS Masters program at St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Since the school had evening classes, I was able to work full time and go to grad school full time. In 2014, I graduated with a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (MSGIS) with an emphasis in homeland security. I worked for a software start up company in Ohio for a few years as a GIS analyst, but also spent that time participating in customer support, project management, and UI design portions of the business. In 2018, I moved back to Minnesota and started working at St. Olaf College.

Advice for students: Be open to new experiences! You may have an idea of the career/job that you want to pursue, but sometimes you have to take a circular route or try unrelated jobs in order to gain work experience. Skills that you learn in unrelated jobs may come in handy in your desired path in life. Also, don't give up on the hobbies and activities you love to do in your free time! Working, networking, and taking on new opportunities can help advance your career but make sure to take a break once in a while and do something that you enjoy. It can help to get past those days that are overwhelming and stressful!



The Alumni Spotlight features UWRF Geography, GIS, International Studies, Political Science and/or Pre Law alumni working in their areas of study or a related field. Stories may be published on our department web page or in our annual newsletter.

Would you like to participate?


Please submit the following to CAS@uwrf.edu:

  • Name
  • Graduation Year
  • Major / Minor
  • Current Position
  • How did you get there?
  • Advice for students
  • A photo of yourself

Access a number of university resources available to you as a UW-River Falls Alum!

UWRF Alumni Resources

There are a number of ways for alumni to stay connected through the university's alumni association, through the department newsletter, and through our web and social media pages...
 

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Social Media


Facebook pages/groups:

  • University of Wisconsin - River Falls (University page)
  • UW-River Falls Alumni Association (University alumni page)
  • UWRF Politics, Geography & International Studies (Department page)
  • UWRF PoliSci Majors & Alumni (Group)
  • UWRF SGO - Geography (Student Geography Organization group)

LinkedIn groups:

  • UWRF Political Science Alumni
  • UWRF Politics, International Studies and Geography Alumni

If you know of any other student / alumni-led social or career networks that may benefit our alumni and/or students, please send information to pgis@uwrf.edu. Thank you!

Contact Us

Politics, Geography and International Studies
CAS@uwrf.edu
715-425-3777
M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
355-356 Kleinpell Fine Arts
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