Current Graduate Students
Jerry Butler
Cortney Cain
Rebecca Carlson
Danielle Cassidy
Jill Craig
Catherine Dammann
Yasemin Gulec Can
Douglas Hadley
Wade Johnson
Sarah King
Lynette Neitzel
Carrie Read
Jacob Rife
Lee Somerville
Jason Tish
David Watts
Mark Wegner
Annie White
Xiaojian Yu
Yan Zhang
IES PhD Students:
Annette Drewes
Susan Haswell
Jerry Butler
Degree(s):
Research Interests:
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 Cortney A. Cain
Degree(s): BS, Archaeology and History, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 2003
Research Interests: Architectural History, Vernacular Landscapes, Public History and Cultural Resource Management
General Interests: Travel and Midwestern Archaeology
Thesis Title (tentative): The Development of Apple Horticulture in Wisconsin
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Rebecca Carlson 
Hometown: Grand Junction , Colorado
Degree(s): Bachelor’s in Landscape Architecture from Washington State University ’s Interdisciplinary Design Institute
Research Interests: Exploring the relationship between the redevelopment of human communities and the restoration of ecological communities in post-crisis situations
General Interests:
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Danielle Cassidy
Degree(s):
BS, Environmental Science and Ecology, Sierra Nevada College, 2001
Research Interests:
Restoration Ecology, Landscape Ecology, GIS, Sustainable Development, LEED and ‘The Intelligent Workplace’
General Interests:
hiking, camping, rock climbing, ice climbing, modern dance, yoga, biking, playing baseball, running
Thesis Title (tentative):
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 Jill Craig
Degree(s): BS Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from the University of Minnesota at the Twin Cities
Research Interests: Restoration ecology, plant community development, prairies
General Interests: Sight-seeing, quilting, mini-trips, biking, hiking
Thesis Title (tentative):
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Catherine Dammann
Degree(s):
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 Yasemin Gulec Can
Degree(s): BA in Architecture - ITU, Turkey; Graduate Program - Historic Preservation, Bamberg, Germany
Research Interests: Historic Preservation, Cultural Landscapes, Historic Architecture inventory
General Interests: Drawing, Sculpture making, and Travel
Thesis Title (tentative):
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Douglas Hadley
Degree(s): BS in Landscape Architecture, Rutgers University , 1989
Research Interests: Design process, environment psychology/behavior, history, and education.
General Interests: Reading , fishing, golfing, and computers.
Thesis Title (tentative):
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Wade A. Johnson
Degree(s): B.S. Plant Ecology, The Evergreen State College, 2000
Research Interests: Ecological Design, Ecological Restoration, and Landscape Ecology
General Interests: Travel, Natural history, and Gardening. I spend most of my free time with my wife Janelle, our son Tyler and our dog Oliver.
Thesis Title (tentative): Wetland restoration: Applications in “Green Infrastructure”
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 Sarah King
Degree(s): BA from Hendrix College, major Biology
Research Interests: Youth Participation in Place-Based Projects, Development of Sense of Place and Community
General Interests: Gardening, Local Politics, Walking my terriers, Local food, quiltmaking
Thesis Title:
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Tzu-fen (Belle) Li
Degree(s): BS in Landscape Architecture from the Chinese Culture University at Taipei, Taiwan
Research Interests: Ecological restoration, ecological network and landscape pattern analysis, conservation design, GIS
General Interests: Camping, hiking, and international travel
Thesis Title (tentative): Landscape Structure and Ecological Network Analysis in Suburban Area: a Case Study of Middleton , Wisconsin
Thesis Abstract: Building an ecological network helps decrease fragmentation, and increases the quality of natural systems. It is considered to be a successful method for improving the ecological value of urban open space system. Suburban area serves as urban fringe and links the central city and the extensive countryside, so it’s important to analyze the ecological network within suburban area. The result helps develop a suitable way of analyzing the ecological network in suburban area, and help the conservation planning and reach sustainable condition for the city of Middleton .
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Lynette Neitzel
Degree(s): BS in Art from UW-Madison
Research Interests: natural landscaping, sustainable design, restoration ecology
General Interests: gardening, knitting, quilting, photography, baking, travel, archery, being outdoors
Thesis Title (tentative): State of the Art of Residential Natural Landscaping in Wisconsin
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Carrie E. Read
Degree(s): BS in Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky
Research Interests: Ecological restoration; incorporating ecological principles into design and into the profession/practice of landscape architecture; using restoration/conservation designs as a means of education and informing the public
General Interests: Biking, reading, learning the art of crochet and quilting, and enjoying the outdoors
Thesis Title (tentative):
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Jacob Rife
Degree(s): Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Research Interests: Stormwater management, sediment/erosion control in urban areas
General Interests: Golfing, fishing, gardening, being outdoors, Packer football
Thesis Title (tentative):
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Lee Somerville
Degree(s):
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Jason Tish
Degree: BS, Anthropology and Geography from Minnesota State University-Mankato
Research interests: Cold War era cultural landscapes, cultural resource managment within a compliance context, cultural resource preservation in the Smart Growth movement.
General interests: backpack travel, backroad travel, backcountry camping, bicycle advocacy, documentary photography, Madison Trust for Historic Preservation.
Thesis title (tentative): Manifestations of Global Political Tension in Wisconsin 's Built Environment - 1950-1990
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David Watts
Degree(s): B.S. in Landscape Architecture from the University of Wisconsin- Madison
Research Interests: Child development, historic landscape preservation
General Interests: Performing arts, sports, landscaping, learning spanish
Thesis Title: Enhancement of creative play through landscape based play
interventions and the play attributes of native plant material.
Thesis Abstract: Today's playgrounds are barren and devoid of character. They promote a sense of placelessness as the reliance on premanufactured play structures in the playground makes each one look identical. These structures are primarily designed to address the development of the sensory motor skills of the child and research has shown that this represents only ten percent of a child's total needs from this type of an environment. A child that is competent at creative play is usually socially well adjusted and displays an increased waiting capacity. It is the intent of this study to explore the attributes of landscape based play interventions and their role in child development.
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Mark Wegner
Degree(s):
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 Annie White
Degree(s): BA in Natural Science, minor in Conservation Biology and Ecology, University of Hawaii at Hilo
Research Interests: Landscape approaches in mammalian ecology and conservation, use of GIS in landscape studies, restoration ecology, wetland biodiversity.
General Interests: Traveling, ocean sports, hiking, gardening, contemporary quiltart, cooking, inline speed & marathon skating, wildlife rehabilitation.
Thesis Title: Favorability and avoidance of spatial landscape components in wolf den site selection.
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Xiaojian Yu
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 Yan Zhang
Degree(s): BA in Chinese Literature and Language from Fudan University at Shanghai, China
Research Interests: Historical Preservation
General Interests: Driving, reading, painting, and travel
Thesis Title (tentative):
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Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
These Ph.D students are officially in IES, but their major advisors are in landscape architecture:
Annette Drewes
Degree(s): B.S. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University; M.S. Environmental Studies, Bemidji State University
Research Interests: Human and Nature interactions, Wild rice landscapes
General Interests: Cross country skiing with my daughters and husband, fishing, camping and family gatherings
Thesis Title (tentative): Wild rice: harvest, management and landscape characteristics in the Upper Great Lakes Region
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Susan Haswell
Degree(s):
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