Coming from Austin, MN, Quin Brunner ’21, a Business Economics prospective major, decided to spend his summer in Beloit as a Belmark Associate, working to measure neighborhood connectedness – or, more specifically, residents’ sense of place – in the Merrill and Hackett neighborhoods. This project was led by Professor Laura Grube from the Economics department.

His primary tasks were to conduct surveys, gather data, process the surveys and data, and review literature. In order to collect data, he doorknocked most evenings and process the results during the day. Professor Laura guided the project with regular meetings, giving him clear direction, yet left enough space for him to develop a sense of ownership of the project.

In the Economics department, opportunities to work with professors like Quin’s experience is not rare. Student-faculty collaboration is one way we emphasize the experiential approach to the liberal arts and advance students’ breadth of knowledge. Throughout the project, Quin could learn more than what he was taught in classes. “I learned a good deal about specific communities, as well as the research process, and how to structure and prioritize my time.”