Projects 2009 - 2010

Blandin Phone Survey

Mahad Abdi

Class: ’13 Major: Business and Management

Ian Bloomquist

Class: ’13

Joel Choi

Attina Earl

Class: ’12 Major: Sociology / GWSS

Kyle Gaffaney

Class: ’11 Major: Economics / Management

Kayla Jindrich

Ayano Jiru

Anika Kildegaard

Major: Spanish / Music

Nicole Larkin

Class: ’11 Major: English

Mariah LaQua

Class: ’13 Major: English / French

Abbie MacMillan

Major: Economics / Financial Management

David Murdock

Jordon Olerud

Class: ’11 Major: Elementary Education

Alaina Pearce

Mandi Riley

Class: ’12 Major: History / Art History

Thomas Roloff

Class: ’11 Major: English

Brianna Sadecki

Michelle Scribner

Class: Winter ’10 Major: Liberal Arts for the Human Services

Project: Blandin Broadband Initiative
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Engin Sungur
Description: The interns worked with the Center for Small Towns to conduct phone surveys and enter data for the Blandin Foundation to determine internet usage patterns in rural Minnesota. The results of the survey will be used to bring more accessible and affordable internet usage to rural Minnesotans.

States Work for Blandin Broadband phone survey

Jared Chang

Mitch Primus

Project: Blandin Foundation - Broadband Initiative
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Engin Sungur
Description:Used R statistical software to generate lists of random phone numbers for the Broadband Initiative interns to call for the survey. He was also in charge of sorting through the results of the surveys and keeping track of the completed ones.

County 4-H Interns

Amanda Cornell

Class: ’12 Major: Communication, Media, and Rhetoric
Project: Swift County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Shelly Vergin
Description: Amanda worked with Swift County 4-H to help coordinate and run 4-H day camps for local youths of various ages. She was also responsible for press releases regarding the Swift County day camps. Those responsibilities included writing articles for local newspapers and taking photos at 4-H events. She also worked with Swift County’s 4-H Program Coordinator, Shelly Vergin, on a research project for the University of Minnesota Extension Services. Further activities included chaperoning and planning field trips, coordinating transportation, assisting at OKK day camps, and helping out at the county fair.

Brianne Coyer

Class: ’11 Major: Social Work
Project: Pope County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Jody Koubsky
Description: Brianne planned and implemented summer day camps for mainly K-2 graders who are not yet enrolled in 4-H. She helped prepare for and then worked at the county fair. Duties included working on the judges’ books and state fair line-up sheets as well as working with those involved with livestock projects at the fair.

Brian Dempcy

Class: ’13 Major: Undecided
Project:Lac qui Parle County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, MaryAnn Anderson
Description: Brian was responsible for planning and running several day camps as well as being responsible for the 4-H fashion revue. He was in charge of organizing educational and fun events and activities for the day camps. Further responsibilities included preparing for entry day, working on a research project, and working at the county fair.

Brittany Bormann

Project: Big Stone County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Suzanne Souza
Descrption: Brittany worked as a 4-H intern leading day camps for youths of various ages. She also worked with the ambassador program and helped plan the county fair.

Amanda Gruenes

Class: ’13 Major: Early Childhood Education
Project: Grant County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Ranae Edwards
Description:Amanda helped plan and facilitate the Regional Shooting Sports Rendezvous in June and taught Stepping Out lessons for the program. She was responsible for several children’s day camps throughout the summer. She also helped out in a variety of ways with the county fair. Responsibilities included fair publicity; organizing the Clothing Day, Fashion Revue, and Discovery Activities; and assisting with judging exhibits and livestock at the fair.

Lauren Noyes

Katie Klimek

Class: ’10 Major: Art Education
Project: Douglas County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Jodi Hintzen
Description: Katie and Lauren were responsible for planning and running day camps and care programs for school age children. Katie also helped plan the 4-H mystery camp and was in charge of the budget and planning activities for the students. Other responsibilities included chaperoning students, helping out with the fashion revue, organizing and implementing demonstrations, assisting with general office support, and working at the county fair.

Hayley Souza

Class: ’13 Major: Dairy Management / Agriculture Sales
Project: Traverse County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Melissa Persing
Description: Hayley was responsible for planning day camps for youths out of the Traverse County Extension Office. She was also responsible for planning other summer events within the 4-H program, such as outings with the ambassadors and youth leaders, and making sure the office was well stocked with supplies.

Brandi Sperr

Class: ’12 Major: Agribusiness Management
Project: Stevens County 4-H Summer Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Kristin Koch
Description: Brandi was responsible for nine day camps consisting of children in grades K-6. This involved a lot of office work and preparation. She assisted in the planning of the Regional Mystery Trip, which involved coordinating with the eight other interns. She also was in extensive contact with the 4-H ambassadors and helped plan several trips for them. Further responsibilities included assisting with county fair preparations, completing a research project on quality clubs, decorating and coordinating for the fashion revue, and assisting with livestock judging.

Symposium on Small Towns

Clara Dux

Class: ’11 Major: Psychology
Supervisor: David Fluegel, Jessica Beyer

Ian Bloomquist

Class: ’13
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer

Attina Earl

Class: ’12 Major: Sociology / GWSS
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer

Anika Kildegaard

Major: Spanish / Music
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer

Mitch Primus

Supervisor: Jessica Beyer

Thomas Roloff

Class: ’11 Major: English
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer

Project: Symposium 2010
Description: The Symposium interns worked with the CST staff to host the Symposium on Small Towns and Rural-Urban Gathering. Responsibilities included attending planning meetings and taking notes, doing research, collecting information, coordinating activities, and working with Symposium partners as well as on visibility and promotion for the event.

Faculty Fellows

Ellis Valentiner

Andrew Bowe

Project: Faculty Fellows Project
Supervisor: Jon Anderson, Jessica Beyer
Description: Andrew and Ellis worked with Jon Anderson, Karen Mumford and the CST staff to complete the Faculty Fellows Project.

Allison Wegner

Project: Faculty Fellows Project
Supervisor: Jess Larson, Jessica Beyer
Description: Allison worked with Jess Larson to complete the Faculty Fellows Project.

Samantha Bruno

Class: ’13 Major: Studio Art
Project: Main Street Wheaton Project
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Michael Eble
Description: Samantha worked with the city of Wheaton to help visually update empty storefronts and create an overall more appealing main street in downtown Wheaton. Her work led her to take trips to meet with locals and to learn about the history of Wheaton.

Project: Editors and Publishers
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Brett Hucka
Description: Samantha was a student assistant and Brett was the program assistant for the Editors & Publishers project. They were responsible for reading all the local newspapers and coding them based on the eight dimensions of a healthy community as put forth by the Blandin Foundation. They also created a handbook for next summer’s project leader.

Project: Extension
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Ben Winchester
Description: Samantha worked on entering data, analyzing workbooks, and creating reports based on data gathered from small town meetings. This analysis was then used to help foster better community leadership and expand the number of community programs. She also did research on rural economies and rural grocery stores.

Sarah Peters

Project: Historical Museum Faculty Fellow
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Steve Gross
Description: Sarah works with faculty members Steve Gross and Randee Hokanson at the historical museum as a faculty fellow. With this position, she does research and is working to write a supplement booklet.

Jared Chang

Project: Internet Survey Assistant
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Roger Rose
Description: Jared ran checks of survey layouts for different internet browser programs. He also assisted in creating an email mailing list of prospective student respondents.

Austin Kelsey

Class: ’11 Major: Environmental Studies
Project: SHIP Grant Evaluation
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Karen Mumford
Description: Austin conducted site assessments, surveys, and interviews to document and evaluate the processes and outcome of the Todd Co. Statewide Health Improvement Plan (SHIP). His work involved travelling over much of Minnesota and coordinating students for grant evaluation in the field. His experience culminated with his attendance at the two day Statewide Health Improvement Conference sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Mariah LaQua

Class: ’13 Major: English / French
Project: Publicity for Buy Fresh Buy Local
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Dorothy Rosemeier
Description: Mariah worked with CST staff and the University of Minnesota partnership to write press releases, interview people, take photos, and overall increase publicity for the partnership and the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign.

Audrey Lesmeister

Class: ’10 Major: Management
Project: Morris Healthy Eating Initiative
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer
Description: Audrey focused mainly on the Morris Area Farmers Market for this project. Responsibilities included development of publicity, including sidewalk signs and banners, compilation of research data on availability of products and suggested prices, obtaining vendor contracts and collecting dues, and setting-up the market.

Project: Pope County Fresh Initiative
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer
Description: Audrey facilitated monthly meetings as well as organized the Pope County Freshness Festival in July. She also co-managed the local food events with the county commissioner in order to locate local food for three breakfasts, responsibilities of which included the creation of advertisements.

Ashley Lucht

Class: ’12 Major: Biology, Pre-Med
Project: Upper MN Watershed Assistant
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer
Description: Ashley worked in the Upper Minnesota watershed to compile data on TMDLs and water quality. She also worked in the field taking water samples from Minnesota rivers and worked with communities to help distribute information.

Jennifer Miller

Class: ’12 Major: Environmental Studies
Project: Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center Assistant
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer
Description: Jennifer created promotional media and materials for the learning center as well as a self-guided tour of the center’s sustainable energy demonstration projects. Responsibilities included multiple trips out to the center to obtain photographs, audio clips, and brochure content.

Lyndsey Weber

Project: CURE Intern
Supervisor: Jessica Beyer, Patrick Moore
Description: Lyndsey interned with Clean Up the River Environment, CURE, this summer. Her work consisted of interviewing residents of the Minnesota River watershed, both upstream and downstream of the river. Responsibilities included conducting interviews, both over the phone and face-to-face; attending conferences; and helping to coordinate a “Friendship Tour” between the two groups of residents.

Naomi Wente

Project: Sustainability Intern
Supervisor: Troy Goodnough
Description: Naomi created a Green Tour which will be implemented by the Green Ambassadors this fall. Responsibilities included writing scripts, assembling brochures, and working on interactive web-sites. She worked on two separate green tours. One is a tour of the biomass plant, wind turbine, solar thermal panels, and WCROC and the other is a campus tour which highlights the “green” practices on campus. She also worked on capturing 20 “green” features of the new Welcome Center to be included in an informational kiosk.

Project: SUN-E Student Coordinator
Supervisor: Troy Goodnough
Description: Naomi’s main responsibility centered on the creation of a 10-15 minute documentary film that highlights the solar thermal panel project. Responsibilities included setting up “focus groups”, filming the building of the panels themselves, and conducting interviews.