Campus Connection

December graduate learns how his love for outdoors translates to a career

As a kid, Daniel Weipert fished and snowmobiled across the frozen lakes and snow-covered fields of northern Minnesota. When he started college at UW-La Crosse, he picked up fly fishing and hiking in the rivers and bluffs within a few miles of campus. But Weipert had never considered that his future career could be about protecting the great outdoor resources he grew up to love — until he started taking UWL classes. An earth science class his freshman year was the first inkling that he had a love for learning about science as it relates to the environment. Weipert eventually switched his major to geography with a concentration in environmental science and added a minor in environmental studies. “I started loving class. My grades went up,” he says. “Making that switch was the best thing I could have done.” After taking classes on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), like mapping, he decided to pursue a GIS internship with the Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center, an ecological research center near La Crosse that supports the management of natural resources, fish and wildlife. For two years he’s been working on projects from studying the migratory patterns of waterfowl in the Upper Midwest to creating maps of waterways for scientists to test waters or launch boats. Weipert says opportunities in the geography and earth science field wouldn’t have happened without support from faculty who are “personable and willing to help you.” Joan Bunbury, Weipert’s advisor and an assistant professor of Geography and Earth Science, says students like Weipert, with a passion for what they’re learning, shine in the classroom. She describes Weipert as “enthusiastic” and someone who “takes pride in his work.” “One thing that struck me the first time I met him was how involved he was in taking control of his education,” she says. “He came to advising meetings prepared with what to take the next semester and the following year.” Seeing graduates find their purpose in life through UWL experiences is “extremely rewarding,” she says. Weipert aims for a career in environmental science — potentially permitting. As he applies for jobs, he’s kept his eye on his love of the outdoors — and protecting it. “I want to protect the environment in a scientific way, which I learned from UWL,” he says. Active on campus, in community Dan Weipert says UWL has given him a well-rounded experience that will make him a strong candidate in the job market. The experience involves his internship; participation in a volunteering club, Circle K International; and a study abroad experience in Tanzania focused on conservation management methods. ----- UWL’s Winter Commencement set for Dec. 18  UWL’s Winter Commencement will be Sunday, Dec. 18, at the La Crosse Center, 300 Harborview Plaza. No tickets are required to attend. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis.   The ceremony begins for all graduates at 11 a.m. This includes students from the College of Business Administration, College of Liberal Studies, College of Science and Health and School of Education.  A total of 695 students are candidates for graduation. This includes 103 graduate students and 592 undergraduates.  More information on commencement is at www.uwlax.edu/commencement/