People, Politics, and Places 2025–26 Fellows
People, Politics, and Places 2025–26 FellowsZach GodseyClass year: 2029Major: Earth SystemsSummer Placement: Tidelines InstituteProject:Understanding relation to environment/sustainability in rural versus. . .
People, Politics, and Places 2025–26 FellowsZach GodseyClass year: 2029Major: Earth SystemsSummer Placement: Tidelines InstituteProject:Understanding relation to environment/sustainability in rural versus urban upbringings through short interviews of Tidelines students + fellows. Lizbeth OrtizClass year: 2029Major: EconomicsSummer Placement: Thoreau College Driftless SchoolProject:Conducting a comparative study on how geographic disparities in business education and digital infrastructure impact the economic agency, financial literacy, and social mobility of rural versus urban youth. Leveraging a mixed-methods approach of qualitative interviews and survey analysis in Viroqua, Wisconsin, the project maps how regional education policies and local cooperative business networks can be optimized to build prestige career pipelines outside of traditional urban tech hubs. Lily BourneClass year: 2029Major: Product Design + Earth SystemsSummer Placement: University of Montana and Blackfoot ChallengeProject:At University of Montana, working with the Mansfield Center to run an intensive civics education for rural high schoolers. With Blackfoot Challenge, understanding the processes of compromise between stakeholders by observing community meetings, especially regarding sustainable agricultural policies. Thresa Skeslien JenkinsClass year: 2027Major: Master of Business Administration, Master of EducationSummer Placement: University of Montana and The Baucus InstituteProject topic:At University of Montana, working with the Mansfield Center to run an intensive civics education for rural high schoolers. With the Baucus Institute I’ll be attending rural community meetings to understand motivators and barriers for local involvement. Caroline ZhangClass year: 2029Major: Economics + Public PolicyProject:Conducting a study on how community context influences youth perceptions of generative AI, focusing on educational, career, and economic expectations. The project combines qualitative interviews and survey analysis to examine differences across rural, suburban, urban, and technology-centered regions. Isaac NehringClass year: 2026Major: BAH, American Studies, MA, Environmental CommunicationSummer Placement: University of Montana and the Red Ants Pants FoundationProject:At the University of Montana, working with the Mansfield Center to run an intensive civics education program for rural high schoolers. With the Red Ants Pants Foundation, assisting in festival operations for the annual Red Ants Pants Music Festival in White Sulphur Springs and studying how several rural music festivals have spurred economic and cultural transformation in small-town Montana.