Paul Van Auken CV, p. 1
Paul M. Van Auken
Associate Professor, Sociology Department and Environmental Studies Program, Chair of Sociology Department
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
4611 Sage Hall, UW Oshkosh ♦ Oshkosh, WI 54901 ♦ 920.424.2040 ♦
Formal Education:
8/07Ph.D. (Sociology/Rural Sociology), University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
- Concentrations: Rural Sociology, Community Sociology, Environmental Sociology, Demography
- Preliminary exams passed: Demography, Environmental Sociology
- Dissertation: Nature, Community, and Commodity: Shifting Landscapes and Social Relations in Rural Amenity Areas of Wisconsin and Norway
5/99Master of Arts (Urban Affairs and Public Policy), University of Delaware, Newark, DE
- Director’s Citation and Baccalaureate Speaker, Specialization:Community Development & Nonprofit Leadership
- Thesis: The Big Stink: Community Development in the Face of Industrialized Agriculture
5/95Bachelor of Arts, Wartburg College, Waverly, IA (Associate of Arts, Waldorf College, Forest City, IA, 5/93)
- Magna Cum Laude/Summa Cum Laude, Major: Business Administration-Marketing
Professional
Employment:
9/07-PresentFaculty (Department Chair, 6/14-present; Associate Professor, 7/13-present; Assistant
Professor, 9/07-7/13)
Department of Sociology, Joint Appointment with Environmental Studies, University of
Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI
6/03-PresentPrincipal
Catalyst Consulting (community development consulting), Oshkosh, WI
- Clients include Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP, Madison, WI (grantwriting, research, and training around New Markets Tax Credits federal economic development financing, involved with hundreds of millions of dollars in successful awards for projects in low-income communities, 6/03—Present); Norwegian Center for Rural Research (editing of academic article, 6/11) and multiple nonprofits conducting community/area research (see Applied and Public Sociology).
6/99-6/03Community Developer and BranchManager
Impact Seven, Inc. (statewide community development corporation), Madison, WI
Teaching Experience:
- Instructor, Sociology/Environmental Studies 261 (Environment & Society), Sociology 311 (Urban Sociology), Sociology 101 (Introductory Sociology, including as a Quest I course), Sociology 342 (Social Ecology), Sociology 313 (Rural Sociology), Sociology 315 (Population Problems), Sociology 481 (Senior Seminar), Com 349/AAS 396/ES 390/WS 395 (The Documentary: Documenting Environmental and Social Injustice through Film), Honors 175 (Honors Seminar—Sustainability) University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI(three classes per semester, fall 2007-spring 2014; three per year, fall 2014—present).
- Instructor, Sociology 342 (Social Ecology) and Sociology/Environmental Studies 261 (Environment & Society), University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, fall semester 2006.
- Instructor, various entrepreneurial training courses (including the 16-week FastTrac course), University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, WI, 2/03-9/05.
Peer Reviewed Publications(10 total, 8 first- or sole-authored):
1. Van Auken, Paul M., Elizabeth S. Barron, Chong Xiong*, and Carly Persson*. 2016. “‘Like a Second Home’: Conceptualizing Experiences Within the Fox River Watershed Through a Framework of Emplacement.” Water(special issue on Watershed Protection and Management)8(8), 352; doi:10.3390/w8080352.
*UWO undergraduate students at the time of their primary contributions
- Considine, J. R., Parks, M., Mihalick, J. E, Van Auken, P. M., & Mogi-hein, Y. R. (in press). How is inclusive excellence achieved in college classrooms? In Gurung, R. A. R & D. J. Voelker (Eds.), Big Picture Pedagogy: Finding Interdisciplinary Solutions to Common Learning Problems. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- Considine, Jennifer R., Jennifer E. Mihalick, Yoko R. Mogi-Hein, Marguerite W. Parks, and Paul M. Van Auken. 2014. “‘Who am I to Bring Diversity into the Classroom?’ Learning Communities Wrestle with Creating Inclusive College Classrooms.” International Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning14(4):18-30.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2013. “Maybe it’s Both of Us: Engagement and Learning.” Teaching Sociology 41(2),207–215.
- Van Auken, Paul M. and Shaun Golding. 2013. “Rural Property, Collective Action, and Place-Based Planning.” Pp. 151-163 in Place-Based Conservation: Perspectives from the Social Sciences, edited by William Stewart, Daniel Williams, and Linda Kruger. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Science.
- Van Auken, Paul M., Shaun Golding, and James R. Brown. 2012. “Prompting with Pictures: Determinism and Democracy in Image-Based Planning.” Practicing Planner 10(1), Spring 2012.
- Van Auken, Paul M. and Johan F. Rye. 2011. “Amenities, Affluence, and Ideology: Comparing Rural Restructuring Processes in the U.S. and Norway.” Landscape Research 36 (1): 65-86.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2010. “Seeing, Not Participating: Viewscape Fetishism in American and
Norwegian Amenity Areas.” Human Ecology[1] 38 (4): 521-537.
9. Van Auken, Paul M, Svein J. Frisvoll, and Susan I. Stewart. 2010. “Visualising Community:
Using Participant-Driven Photo-Elicitation for Research and Application”.Local
Environment 15 (4): 373-388.[2]
10. Van Auken, Paul M., Roger B. Hammer, Paul R. Voss, and Daniel L.Veroff. 2006. “The American Community Survey in Counties with ‘Seasonal’ Populations.” Population Research and Policy Review. Volume 25, Number 3: pp. 275-292.
Applied Research and Public Sociology
- Van Auken, Paul M., Juyeon Son, Jeremiah Bohr, and numerous undergraduate research assistants. “Greater Oshkosh Refugee Resettlement Study.” Collaboration with local Resettlement Task Force to learn more about residents of refugee background and their resettlement experience in the Oshkosh area through surveys and in-depth interviews. Oshkosh, WI, 9/15-present.
- Van Auken, Paul M. “Hmong Voices.” Contracted by Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway to conduct qualitative research about local Hmong people’s experiences with and perspectives about the Fox River. Oshkosh, WI, 7/13—present. Deliverables include a gallery exhibit and an in-depth, 64-page report (found here: for the client that was completed in fall 2014, with first academic manuscript submitted in May 2016 (see above).
- Brown, James R. and Paul M. Van Auken. “Homelessness in the Fox Cities.” Co-supervised the work of ten undergraduate social work and sociology students in conducting quantitative and qualitative research about homelessness and service provision in the Appleton area. Appleton, WI, 5/13—5/14.
- Van Auken, Paul M. “Cashton Visioning.” Contracted by Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers to conduct qualitative research project for community visioning project in rural locale. Cashton, WI, 5/12—2/13.
- Columnist (regular column entitled, “Shortening the Distance”, which applies sociological and environmental studies concepts and perspectives to Oshkosh area issues related to localism, and November 2013 and July 2014 cover stories; e.g., for SCENEnewspaper, Oshkosh, WI, 1/12—1/15, and Oshkosh Independent, Oshkosh, WI, 2/15—Present (
- Founder and Chair, Creating a Stronger Community Contest, 5/11—Present (annual contest; see here for more information:
Scholarly Presentations and Invited Talks(28 total, 9 international):
- Jolin*, Karenna, Jennifer Kohn*, and Paul M. Van Auken. 2016. “Community-Based Teaching and Learning: Students Learn about Social Research and Refugees in their Community.” The 2016 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Sociological Association and the Wisconsin Political Science Association. Madison, WI, October 21.
*UWO undergraduate students
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2016. “People and Place: Community as a Framework for Exploring Rural Issues.” Marquette Pastoral Leadership Summit. Jesuit Retreat House, Oshkosh, WI, September 20.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2016. “Public Access To Private Land: Formal Regulations, Informal Attitudes, And Everyday Practices. The Case Of The Geneva Lake Shore Path.” The 22st International Symposium for Society and Natural Resources, Houghton, MI, June 25.
- Van Auken, Paul. 2016. “Community: Reimagined, Re-Materialized, Reinvigorated?” Human Dimensions Lab National Seminar Speaker, Northern Arizona University School of Forestry. March 23.
- Van Auken, Paul. 2015. “Hmong Voices: Fox River Experiences and Perspectives.” The 21stInternational Symposium for Society and Natural Resources, Charleston, South Carolina, June 17.
- Van Auken, Paul, Juyeon Son, Julia Meszaros, and Andrew Simoens. 2014. “Millennial Students: Demographic Characteristic or Overgeneralization? Sociological Perspectives.” Provost’s Summit on Teaching and Learning, UW Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, October 29.
- Van Auken, Paul, James Brown, and ten undergraduate students. 2014. “Homeless in the Fox Cities: Gaps in Services and Photo-based Perspectives of Homeless Individuals.” Fox Cities Housing Coalition, Appleton, Wisconsin. June 18.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2014. “Public Access to Private Land: Formal Regulations, Informal Attitudes, and Everyday Practices. The Case of the Geneva Lake Shore Path.”Invited and Fully Funded Participant. International Workshop on Rural Change - Mobilities and Flexibilities, Trondheim, Norway. February 21-23. [See here for more information:
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2013. “My Neighborhood: Innovative Education and Collaborative Research through University-High School Partnership.” 2013 American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment National Meeting in Denver, Colorado, June.
- Van Auken, Paul M., Patrick Hager, Tashia Norton, and April Young (three undergraduate sociology majors). 2011. “Student-led Photovoice Research as a High Impact SoTL Practice and Action Tool.” 8th International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October.
- Immel, Kathy R., Mary Beth Leibham, Jeana L. Magyar‐Moe, Tracy Slagter, and Paul Van Auken. 2011.“A Year in the Life of a Wisconsin Teaching Fellow/Scholar: Making Connections Between SoTL Work and Professional Development.” 8th International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October.
- Van Auken, Paul M., Shaun Golding, and James R. Brown. 2011. “Prompting with Pictures: Determinism and Democracy in Image-Based Planning.” 17th International Symposium for Society and Natural Resources in Madison, Wisconsin, June.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2011. “Increasing Student Engagement: Is it Enough?” UW System President's Summit on Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Madison, Wisconsin, April.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2011. “Oshkosh Neighborhood Project: Using Community-Based Action Research to Explore What Makes a Neighborhood and Why It Matters.” Dean’s Symposium, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, March.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2010. “Extending Community to Bring the Land into Interactional Theory.”
Invited and Fully Funded Participant. Second International Second Homes Workshop in Trondheim,
Norway, March.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2009. “Extending Community to Bring the Land into Interactional Theory.”
Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Madison, Wisconsin, July.
- Van Auken, Paul M. and Shaun Golding. 2009. “Rural Property, Collective Action, and Place-Based
Planning.” 15th International Symposium for Society and Natural Resources in Vienna, Austria, July.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2008. “Divide and Commodify: Rural Restructuring in American and
Norwegian Amenity Areas.” Invited and Fully Funded Participant. First International Second Homes Workshop in Trondheim, Norway, March.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2008. “Collective Action in Wisconsin and Norwegian Rural Amenity Communities.” 14th International Symposium on Society and Natural Resources, Burlington, Vermont, June.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2007. “Divide and Commodify: Viewscape Fetishism in American and Norwegian Amenity Areas.” Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meetings, Chicago, IL, April 4-7.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2006. “Divide and Commodify: The Fetishization of Viewscapes in U.S. and Norwegian Amenity Communities.” The 12th International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, Vancouver, B.C., June 3-8.
- Golding, Shaun and Paul M. Van Auken. 2006. “Amenities and Inequality in Rural America:
A Preliminary Spatial Analysis.” Population Association of America 2006 Annual Meeting, Los Angeles,
March 30-April 1.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2006. “Divide and Commodify: The Fetishization of Viewscapes in Western Amenity Communities. Vinter Seminar of the Norwegian Sociological Society, Skeikampen, Norway, January 27-29.
- Van Auken, P.M., Hammer, R.B., Johnson, K.M., and Provencher, W. 2005. “The Influence of Built and Natural Amenities on Migration in the Rural U.S.” Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, Tampa, FL, August 8-12.
- Van Auken, P.M., Hammer, R.B., Johnson, K.M., Cromartie, J., and Provencher, W. 2005. “The Influence of Built and Natural Amenities on Migration in the Rural U.S.” The 11th International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, Östersund, Sweden, June 15-19.
- Rye, J.F., Frisvoll, S.J., Van Auken, P.M., Hammer, R.B., Stewart, S.I. 2005. An Empirical Exploration of Seasonal Home Ownership in Norway.” The 11th International Symposium for Society and Resource Management, Östersund, Sweden, June 16-19.
- Voss, P.R., Hammer, R.B., Van Auken, P.M., and Veroff, D.L. 2004. “Seasonal Swings in Population: What can we Learn from the ACS?” The Annual Meeting of the American Statistical Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, August 18-24.
- Hammer, R.B. and Van Auken, P.M. 2004. “The Influence of Amenities on Population Growth in the Rural U.S.” The XI World Congress of Rural Sociology, Trondheim, Norway, July 25-30.
Fellowships, Awards, and Research Support:
- Van Auken, Paul M. Community Engagement Award, College of Letters and Science, UW Oshkosh.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2016. Faculty Development Small Grant (for Greater Oshkosh Refugee Resettlement Study), UW Oshkosh; $750.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2013. Faculty Development Small Grant (for new study on Geneva Lake Shore Path), UW Oshkosh; $750.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2012. UW Oshkosh Edward M. Penson Award for excellence in teaching, scholarship or service to the University; $1,000.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2012. College of Letters and Science Service Award, UW Oshkosh.
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2011. Senior SoTL Scholar, UW Oshkosh Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, 2011-2012; $5,000
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2011. Faculty Research Grant, UW Oshkosh Office of Grants and Faculty Development, Summer 2011. $6,750
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2010. Wisconsin Teaching Fellow, UW System, 2010-2011; $4,778
- Van Auken, Paul M. 2009. SOTL Starter Grant, UW Oshkosh Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, 2010-2011; $500
- Hammer, R.B., Van Auken, P.M., & Stewart, S.I. Seasonal homes and the perceptions of landscape and social change in rural Wisconsin and Norway. U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, 2005-2010, $41,841 [a portion served as summer salary 2008].
- Van Auken, P.M. Graduate Student Paper Award, Midwest Sociological Society, 2007.
- Van Auken, P.M. Dissertation Research Award, Rural Sociological Society, 2006-2007, $5,000.
- Van Auken, P.M. Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship for Academic Year, Center for European Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison and U.S. Department of Education, 2006-2007, $15,000.
- Van Auken, P.M. Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship for Academic Year, Center for European Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison and U.S. Department of Education, 2005-2006, $13,500.
- Hammer, R.B. & Van Auken, P.M. Community Perceptions of Social and Ecological Change: A Cross-National Comparison. U.S.D.A. Hatch Program, 2005-2007, $50,430.
Service and Leadership Experience(ongoing roles in bold):
- Peer Reviewer, Visual Studies, Routledge, 8/16
- Reviewer, Oshkosh Scholar, UW Oshkosh, 7/16
- Member, Student Success and Recruitment Team, College of Letters and Science, UW Oshkosh,6/16-present
- Mentor, McNair Scholars Program, UW Oshkosh, April-September 2016
- Member, UW Oshkosh Strategic Plan Action Team, Spring 2016
- External Reviewer, Tenure and Promotion Committee for Ryanne Pilgeram, University of Idaho, 8/15
- Dissertation Committee Member, Maja Farstad, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway, 4/15-6/15
- Mentor, Foster Youth, Pre-College Programs, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, 10/14-5/15
- Chair, Search Committee, Sociology Department, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 6/14-12/14
- Member, Search Committee, Environmental Studies Program, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 8/14-12/14
- Member, L&S Council and Social Science Committee, College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 9/14—Present
- Chair, Sociology Department, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 6/14—Present
- Mentor, McNair Scholars Program, UW Oshkosh, May-October 2014
- Faculty Liaison for the Cooperative Academic Partnership Program (CAPP), University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 1/13—Present
- Faculty Coordinator for Civic Learning, University Studies Program, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 9/12—Present
- Peer Reviewer of Submitted Manuscript, Society & Natural Resources – Fall 2012
- Member, Marketing Committee, Sociology Department, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 6/12—Present
- Appointed Member, Working Group for Educational Opportunities Connected with Biodigester Projects, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 2/12—5/12
- Member, Oshkosh Food Co-op Board of Directors, Oshkosh, WI, 10/11—Present
- Member, General Education Reform Leadership Team, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 6/11—8/12
- Reviewer, Oshkosh Scholar—Summer 2011 and 2012
- Peer Reviewer of Submitted Manuscript, Journal of Landscape and Urban Planning – Fall 2011
- Reader, Honors 272: Culture Connection II, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, Spring 2011
- Member, The Muriel A. Hawkins Scholarship award committee, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 1/11
- Mentor, Emerging Scholars Program, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 12/10—5/14
- Member, Embracing Hope Ethiopia Board of Directors, Willow Street, PA, 12/10—Present
- Peer Reviewer of Submitted Manuscripts, Norwegian Journal of Geography – Fall 2010
- Faculty Advisor, Community Garden Club, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 5/10—8/12
- Faculty Advisor, Sociology Club, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 9/10—5/14
- Presenter, Introduction and Discussion Facilitation about the film King Corn, for the community lecture series on sustainability, Kewaskum, WI, 10/09
- Member, American Democracy Project Committee, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 9/09—Present
- Member, African American Studies Advisory Committee, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 9/09—Present
- Member, Environmental Studies Program Environmental Scientist Search Committee, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 1/09 – 3/09
- Member, Academic Council For Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 9/1/08 –8/31/09
- Member, Curriculum Committee, Sociology Department, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 4/08 – Present
- Co-founder and Member, Square One (grassroots community organization dedicated to increasing diversity, cultural integration, and community vitality) and Views & Brews community conversation 5/08 – Present
- Peer Reviewer of Submitted Manuscript, Geojournal – Fall 2008
- Member and Organizer, Race and Ethnicity Reading Group,University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 12/07 – 5/08
- Member, Earth Charter Summit and Earth Week Planning Committees, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, WI, 11/7—Present
Language Ability:
Fluency in Norwegian, basic skills in Spanish.
Professional Associations:
Wisconsin Sociological Association, American Sociological Association, International Association for Society and Natural Resources, International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Rural Sociological Society
References:
Dr. Jerry Stark
Professor Emeritus, UW Oshkosh Department of Sociology
Email:
Phone: 920.235.3640
Dr. James Brown
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Indiana University
1127 East Atwater Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47401
Phone: 812.855.4427
Email:
Dr. Lori Carrell
Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Student Development, University of Minnesota Rochester
Phone: 507.258.8006
Fax: 507.258.8004
Email:
Dr. Michael M. Bell
Professor, Department of Rural Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
340D Agricultural Hall, 1450 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Email:
Phone: 608.265.9930
Dr. Johan Fredrik Rye
Professor, Department of Sociology and Political Science
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
7491 Trondheim, Norway
Email:
Phone: 01173 59 89 75
Michael Ross, CPA
Partner, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
10 Terrace Court
Madison, WI 53718
Email:
Phone: 608.240.2354
[1]Ranked 8/129 sociology journals by impact factor (
[2] According to Google Scholar, as of August 2016, this article had been cited 52 times (