Campus Connection

Four UWL students assist in research thanks to Menard Family Initiative scholarship

Four students from UWL's College of Business Administration (CBA) have immersed themselves in economic research with the Menard Family Initiative (MFI).  

Associate Fellows, Scott Rosendahl and Jack Stelpflug, and Senior Fellows, Lindsey Scheurer and Mitchell Kocialkowski, were awarded a total of $25,000 in scholarships to conduct or assist original research alongside co-directors Nabamita Dutta and Adam Stivers, research economist Nicholas McFaden, and CBA faculty fellow Dr. Anup Menon Nadialath. 

The fellows were tasked with helping with event promotion and planning efforts while conducting research in collaboration with the MFI team. 

Meet the Fellows

Lindsey Scheurer

Major: Economics 

Hometown: Seymour, WI 

Research interest: Economic impact of Universities of Wisconsin campuses 

Takeaways: “Researching the impact of universities on the economy can help provide insight into the value higher education has beyond the individual,” Schuerer says. “Understanding what universities contribute can help promote informed decision-making. Whether it is for workforce planning, policy development, resource allocation, etc.” 

Favorite part of MFI fellowship: “My favorite part is being given the privilege to research a topic that interests me and be able to work with real data.”

Jack Stelpflug

Major: International Business and Finance 

Hometown: Hartland, WI 

Research interest: Conservation funding, tax implications of AI/automation 

Takeaways: “I aim to devise a number of free market-based solutions to these issues but also understand that government intervention is sometimes necessary,” Stelpflug says. “Relating these findings to Wisconsin and the Midwest has also been a goal of mine.” 

Favorite part of MFI fellowship: “My favorite part has been taking a more active role in my education. I never would have investigated topics like this had I not been introduced to the MFI Student Fellowship program. I feel that having researched these topics I am a more informed, well-rounded person.”

Scott Rosendahl

Major: Economics 

Hometown: Elkhorn, WI 

Research interest: Occupational licensing regulations 

Takeaways: “I hope to discover inefficiencies with occupational licensing and potentially make recommendations to policymakers about specific ways to improve regulations.” 

Favorite part of MFI fellowship: “My favorite part of this experience is the gratification of helping passionate students access resources and networks through Menard Family Initiative that they otherwise wouldn't have had exposure to,” Rosendahl says. “Encouraging students to participate in the Entrepreneurship conference, discussion groups, and the Colloquium, and watching them go out of their comfort zone and succeed, has been very gratifying.”

Mitchell Kocialkowski

Major: Economics and Applied Mathematics 

Hometown: Hazel Green, WI 

Research interest: La Crosse housing market 

Takeaways: “The impact I hope my research has is, firstly, defining the housing market so that appropriate housing policy can be put in place so that the housing market can grow,” Kocialkowski says. “And secondly, provide potential solutions to the chronic homeless problem in La Crosse.” 

Favorite part of MFI fellowship: "So far my favorite part of the MFI fellowship has to be working with the faculty, discussion group participants, and the other student fellows. I have made new friends and connections both in and out of the economics department at UW La Crosse and it is because of this that I have learned so much about different people and their perspectives on economic topics!”

The Menard Family Initiative (MFI)

The Menard Family Initiative develops economic insights on the region and the Midwest through conducting original research and supporting students to pursue their own research-driven interests in economics. The MFI’s mission is to further our understanding of the free market and the political, economic, financial, and social institutions that guide the working of the same. 

The organization hosts speaker events and discussion groups, provides scholarships and student opportunities on and off campus, and promotes economic-related topics of interest to students, faculty, staff and the community. The organization’s presence is made possible due to the Menard Family’s generous gift of $2.1 million to UWL in 2019. 

Learn more about the Menard Family Initiative here.