Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium (MUGS)
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Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | La Crosse, Wisconsin
April 26, 2025
The 20th Annual Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium (MUGS)
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | Saturday, April 26, 2025
The 20th Annual Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium (MUGS) will take place at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
Since its founding at Macalester College in 2005, MUGS has been hosted annually by Geography programs across the Midwest. The symposium offers undergraduate students the opportunity to present research, class projects, or academic work related to the broad field of Geography, including human geography, physical geography, environmental studies, GIS, and more.
In addition to presenting their own work, participants will have the chance to engage with other students’ projects, gain valuable feedback, and explore new perspectives on geographical issues. MUGS also provides an excellent opportunity for networking, allowing students to connect with peers, faculty, and professionals in the field.
We invite all undergraduate students with Geography-related projects to submit an abstract and join us for this exciting academic event.
Student presentations from MUGS 2024
Dr. Erika Marín-Spiotta
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Erika Marín-Spiotta (she/her) is Professor of Geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She leads the Biogeochemistry and Biogeography Lab which studies how landscape disturbance due to changes in climate and land use alter terrestrial ecosystem processes, with a focus on soil organic matter dynamics. She also conducts collaborative interdisciplinary research on strategies to advance equity and broaden participation in science.
She is a recipient of multiple national awards, including a Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering, and is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Ecological Society of America. Marín-Spiotta is the lead principal investigator of ADVANCEGeo Partnership, funded by the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program, to transform workplace climate in the geosciences and other science disciplines. She is also on the leadership team of the Mellon Foundation-funded Humanities Education for Anti-Racism Literacy in the Sciences project.
Erika received a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Political Science from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to UW-Madison, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
We invite all undergraduate students with Geography-related projects to submit an abstract and join us for this exciting academic event. Abstracts (maximum 200 words) are due on March 22, 2025, and are required for all forms of presentations (paper, lightening talks, and poster).
Submission deadline: March 22, 2025
Notification deadline: April 5, 2025
Types of student opportunities:
- Paper Presentations: A 15-minute presentation. The paper presentation allows for a more in depth look at our research topic within geography. Presentations will be grouped into sessions based on relevance/topic. Examples: Capstone Project, Honors Project, or any in depth Geography research project.
- Lightning Talks: A 5-minute presentation. The lightning paper session is a group of very short presentations summarizing recent research or studies. Examples: Course research paper, poster, cartographic/GIS/remote sensing project, or preliminary research for an upcoming project.
- Poster Presentation: Showcase your research or project work visually in form of an academic poster in an appealing and accessible manner. While posters should stand on their own to convey a student’s project, it is also important for presenters to interact with their audience, talk about their work, and answer questions during the poster session.
- Attend: Students can simply attend the conference and are not required to present.
Please contact Dr. Gargi Chaudhuri (gchaudhuri@uwlax.edu) with questions regarding the abstract form and process.
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Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium |
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| Register by March 22, 2025 | Register March 23–April 22, 2025 | |
| Symposium Registration | $20 | $40 |
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Optional: |
TBD | TBD |
| Optional Walking Tours on Saturday* | ||
| La Crosse Historic Downtown Walking Tour | $5 | $5 |
| Hike La Crosse's Miller Bluff | $5 | $5 |
Registration includes continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday.
Cancellation policy: full refund less $10 processing until 2 weeks prior; no refunds thereafter.
*Optional Walking Tours on Saturday
Please note that we need a minimum of 10 attendees to run each of the tours to cover the cost. If we do not get 10 attendees, the tour will be cancelled, and your payment will be returned.
- La Crosse Historic Downtown Walking Tour
Kelly Krieg-Sigman, retired library director and noted raconteur of local La Crosse history, will be conducting a guided informational tour of downtown La Crosse. The tour will begin at the corner of State and Front Streets next to Riverside Park and will conclude at the historic Bodega Brew Pub. Themes will include La Crosse’s commitment to historic preservation and adaptive reuse, and the important role played by family-owned small businesses. A few spicier bits of our history will also be shared! Tour will include archival photographs. - Hike La Crosse's Miller Bluff
Organized by Mississippi Valley Conservation, enjoy a hike of La Crosse's Miller Bluff. Part of the money raised by walking tour will be donated to MVC.
Venue
Information forthcoming.
Parking
Information forthcoming.
Hotel
Information forthcoming.
Travel
Directions to UW-La Crosse campus are available here.