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Inspiring Graduate: Hanahh Eggum, M.S. Training & Talent Development

goersab — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:40:00 +0000

Inspiring Graduate: Hanahh Eggum, M.S. Training & Talent Developmentgoersab December 23, 2025

Supporting campus community through the Dean of Students Office

Inspiring Graduate: Hanahh Eggum (’25)

Hometown: Wautoma and Menomonie
Degree: M.S. Training & Talent Development

Hanahh Eggum transferred to �� during her undergraduate years because it offered the only retail merchandising and management major in Wisconsin, which aligned with her career goals at the time. What she did not anticipate was how deeply �� would shape her personal and professional development, both while a student and after graduation.

Hanahh Eggum receives her master's hood and �� degree on Dec. 20, 2025.

Eggum earned her bachelor's degree in 2019 and worked in merchandising for a time before returning to �� in 2021 to manage the campus bookstore, StoutFitters. Her career then pivoted, and she went on to earn her master ��. in training and talent development. She is now the orientation coordinator and project manager for the Dean of Students Office.

“This degree has allowed me to deepen my passion for student development, leadership, and creating meaningful and impactful learning experiences. I want to help create the same kind of welcoming, supportive, and empowering environment for future students that I was fortunate enough to experience myself,” she said.

With the Dean of Students Office, Eggum coordinates orientation programming and family events, trains and oversees student staff, and supports large-scale transition initiatives for new students and their families. She manages projects that strengthen communication, improve operational processes, and enhance student experiences.

“At the heart of these responsibilities is my commitment to building community and ensuring that every new student who arrives at �� feels seen, supported and confident as they begin their journey,” she said.

Eggum earned her master ��. in training and talent development and crossed the commencement stage on Dec. 20 as one of 527 �� graduates, serving as commencement speaker for Graduate Studies. She plans to continue her career in higher education here at ��.

“Over the years, both �� and Menomonie have truly become my home. I’ve grown here, I’ve been supported here, and I’ve discovered who I am here,” she added. “The sense of community on this campus and in this town is incredibly strong, and it ��. something I deeply value. Staying at Stout feels meaningful because it allows me to give back to the very place that transformed my life.”

Hanahh Eggum serves as student commencement speaker for Graduate Studies, sharing a message of belonging.

How do you hope to make an impact in your role?

My hope is to support and help students feel the same sense of belonging, purpose and encouragement that I found at ��. When I think about the mentors, supervisors, and peers who guided me, I feel a strong responsibility to pay that forward.

I want students to know they belong here, especially in the moments when life feels scary, overwhelming or uncertain. College isn’t just about the good days, it ��. about knowing you’re supported through the tough ones, too.

Whether it ��. through orientation programming, individual support, or helping student leaders grow in their own roles, my goal is to create an environment where every student feels welcome, included, valued and capable of thriving. My goal is to build experiences that leave a lasting impact, just as the people here at Stout did for me.

How has �� prepared you to work in your field?

�� . polytechnic model has been essential in preparing me for a career centered on continuous learning, development and student success. The institution ��. emphasis on hands-on, applied learning has allowed me to blend theory and practice in powerful and practical ways. Working in Student Life Services both as a student leader and now as a professional has provided me with real, meaningful opportunities to apply coursework directly to my roles.

Hanahh Eggum, Dean of Students orientation coordinator and project manager.

Concepts I studied through my courses focused on leadership, staff development, organizational culture, assessment, and strategic planning, directly aligned with the work I do every day. Applying those ideas and concepts in real time strengthened my understanding, sharpened my decision-making, and helped me grow as both a student and a professional.

I have been able to consistently connect my coursework to real challenges and initiatives on campus. That integration of learning and practice prepared me to contribute meaningfully to the student experience from day one.

My program didn’t just educate me, it elevated the work I was already doing and helped me become a more confident, capable and student-centered professional.

What stands out about your �� experience?

What stands out most is the way people at �� invest in students. I was encouraged, challenged, and supported in ways that reshaped my confidence and my sense of purpose. Faculty, supervisors, and colleagues consistently created spaces and provided opportunities where I could grow, whether through meaningful projects, leadership opportunities or honest conversations about my goals.

�� is unique because it doesn’t just develop students academically; it develops them personally and professionally. My experiences here helped me find my voice, discover my passions, my strengths and the confidence to pursue a path I never imagined possible for myself.

How did your involvement on campus impact your experience?

When I transferred to �� as an undergrad, I had no intention of making friends or getting involved. I knew that as a transfer student, I’d only be at �� for about two years and then go on to work in my chosen field, so truthfully, I didn’t see a point in getting involved.

Well, that clearly didn’t work out as I had thought. After one semester at ��, I became a resident advisor with Housing, and that role changed everything for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I never expected. I went from being introverted, anxious about public speaking, and hesitant to connect with others, to finding a strong and supportive community that helped me grow into a confident leader.

As a resident advisor, and later a hall manager, I learned how to build communities, plan and coordinate events, support students through challenges, and serve as a resource and mentor. Those experiences taught me responsibility, empathy, communication and how to lead with purpose.

New manager seeks to update campus store, increase traffic

Eggum plans to improve in-store branding, expand merchandise and hours

Working on and attending events and student-centered initiatives gave me a deep sense of belonging and helped me realize that I wasn’t just attending Stout, I was actually a part of Stout. Each leadership experience not only connected me more deeply to campus but also affirmed my passion for helping others, a realization that ultimately led me toward a career in higher education.

My time at Stout didn’t just build my résumé, it gave me a voice, a purpose and a home.

What challenges did you face in earning your degree and how did you overcome them?

Earning my degree while balancing full-time work, graduate studies and responsibilities outside of school was challenging. There were late nights, moments of doubt and times when managing everything felt extremely overwhelming.

But by relying on strong support systems, staying organized, and giving myself permission to grow through the hard moments, I overcame those challenges. These experiences strengthened my resilience and reminded me why I care so deeply about student support, because I’ve lived it.

I know how transformative it can be when someone believes in you and encourages you to keep going.

What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?

I am most proud of the personal and professional growth I’ve undergone over the years. I’m proud that I stepped into roles I never would have imagined myself in, speaking on stage, leading teams, planning large events and helping new students find their place at Stout.

I’m proud of the connections I’ve built and the moments where I’ve been able to support students in meaningful ways. Most of all, I’m proud and incredibly grateful that I have the opportunity to give back to the institution that gave so much to me.

�� has changed my life more than I ever expected. It helped me find confidence, purpose, friendship and a sense of belonging that truly shaped the trajectory of my future. I am incredibly grateful for every opportunity, every mentor and every moment of growth this campus has given me. It is an honor to serve this community, to support new students as they begin their own journeys and to carry forward the impact that so many people made on mine. �� will always be my home, and I will always be StoutProud.

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Supporting campus community through the Dean of Students Office Hanahh Eggum, Fall Commencement 2025

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Polytechnic universities focus on practical, career-oriented skills, offering an alternative to traditional universities

hugginsm — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:51:00 +0000

Polytechnic universities focus on practical, career-oriented skills, offering an alternative to traditional universitieshugginsm December 11, 2025

Professors Kelly Droege and Laura Reisinger details what defines and distinguishes the poly education advantage.

Dr. Kelly Droege Laura Reisinger

For decades, a four-year college degree was widely seen as the standard path to getting most midlevel jobs in the United States. It was the expected entry point for getting a job as a marketing specialist, project manager, IT support analyst, among other roles.

But this expectation is shifting. Many fields – including cybersecurity, health care and advanced manufacturing – are facing significant shortages in skilled workers. The gap between available skilled jobs and workers is likely to push employers to rethink what they require from job candidates over the next decade.

A major demographic shift will also play a role. Between 2024 and 2032, an estimated 18.4 million experienced workers with education beyond high school are expected to retire, according to September 2025 findings by Georgetown University ��. center on education and the workforce.

Only 13.8 million younger workers with similar education levels are expected to enter the workforce during the same period, these findings show. This trend will also make it harder for employers to fill roles that traditionally require a college degree.

At the same time, 25 states over the past few years have enacted legislation and executive orders to remove college degree requirements for people applying for some public sector jobs, signaling a shift in how essential college degrees are for getting hired for some kinds of work.

These shifts underscore a broader trend: A four-year degree is no longer essential for many kinds of work.

Hiring data tells a similar story. As of January 2024, 52% of U.S. job postings on Indeed did not mention any formal education requirement, up from 48% in 2019. Job postings requiring at least a bachelor ��. degree also dropped from 20.4% to 17.8% between 2018 and 2023.

As hiring expectations change – influenced in part by advances in artificial intelligence – employers may struggle to find candidates who already have the right job-specific skills.

With over 20 years of experience as professors who also train employees in industries such as manufacturing, health care and business information technologies, we believe that college degrees shouldn’t be mandatory for some jobs.

Florida �� is one of several polytechnic universities in the U.S. offering a STEM and career-focused education. John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

A widening gap

Nearly half of recent college graduates say they feel unprepared for entry-level work, and 56% cite a lack of job-specific skills as the biggest issue, according to a 2025 report by Cengage Group, an education and workforce training company.

Alternative pathways – apprenticeships, certifications and on-the-job training – can give workers practical skills and help employers fill crucial roles more quickly.

Employers dropping degree requirements is only one step toward this goal. We think it is also important that prospective college students and their families are aware of educational opportunities besides a traditional four-year degree.

Understanding polytechnic universities

Some people think of higher education in terms of traditional liberal arts colleges or research universities. But there are also polytechnic universities, which focus on hands-on, career-aligned learning and emphasize strong STEM and technical programs. These schools often prepare students for exactly the kinds of jobs employers struggle to fill.

There are about 10 major polytechnic universities in the U.S. Some well-known polytechnic universities are California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, and State University of New York Polytechnic Institute in Marcy and Albany, New York.

Instead of offering a wide range of liberal arts majors, polytechnic universities offer majors such as engineering, robotics, construction management and information technology.

A central feature of these schools is applied learning – hands-on labs, real-world projects and problem-solving experiences.

Polytechnic students can earn bachelor ��. and master ��. degrees, but they also can often get short-term certificates in fields such as human resources, instructional design, project management and digital marketing. Many programs also include apprenticeships, such as workplace training specialists.

Students can also pursue microcredentials, which involve short course sequences that build targeted skills, such as business writing or engineering mechanics. These options give students more flexible and affordable ways to learn without committing to a traditional four-year degree.

Polytechnic universities also tend to cost less than research universities and private colleges, and students can use federal financial aid or private loans to attend.

There are some limitations. Polytechnic schools generally offer fewer majors, usually within STEM fields. Their alumni networks may be smaller, and we have found that some people perceive them as less prestigious than traditional universities because they focus more on teaching than on research.

Real world relevance

In March 2025, we asked 10 online instructors at different polytechnic universities how they bring career-focused learning into their classes.

Our research, which will likely be published in 2026, shows that every instructor tried to make their courses feel relevant to real workplaces.

Some instructors used simulations in the course. Others shared examples from their own industry backgrounds with students. All agreed that students learn best when they can clearly connect their coursework to their career goals.

One of the most effective strategies is hiring instructors with deep industry experience. Their professional networks help programs stay aligned with the skills employers currently value.

Not every college wants to become a polytechnic, and not every student wants that style of education.

However, traditional universities can still learn from this model by adding more applied learning, embedding essential job skills into their programs, and partnering more closely with industry. These changes can better prepare students to succeed in the workforce.

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�� faculty integrate A.I. research in machine learning, business technology, composition courses

goersab — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000

�� faculty integrate A.I. research in machine learning, business technology, composition coursesgoersab October 29, 2025

University ��. 360-degree approach to artificial intelligence aims to ‘equip students with hands-on experience and an applied understanding’

Abbey Goers

As �� continues to strengthen its 360-degree approach to artificial intelligence, embedding skills across all programs, faculty experts across degree fields build on their growing knowledge with research spanning generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), machine learning, AI deep research methods and more.

Three professors – Augustine Twumasi, Cami Banger and Justin Nicholes – representing �� . mathematics, statistics and computer science; hospitality and technology innovation; and English, philosophy and communication studies departments – demonstrate the wide range of research topics and challenges they’re tackling through AI to impact their fields and improve their students’ polytechnic experience.

The university ��. AI Fellows and AI Innovation Committee, led by faculty and staff, ensures AI is embedded into learning, operations and innovation, while directing AI integration, governance, ethics and literacy. The interdisciplinary AI Fellows is supported by 2023-25 Workforce Development funding.

Machine learning in engineering and manufacturing

Artificial intelligence and machine learning Assistant Professor Augustine Twumasi ��. research broadly focuses on developing intelligent systems that integrate machine learning, optimization, and physics-based modeling to solve complex engineering and scientific challenges.

Machine learning is a subfield of AI. It is a way for computers to think, learn and act just like humans. As the term “artificial” suggests, this form of intelligence is created by humans. “Machine learning is a way we make computers intelligent and capable of performing such tasks without explicitly teaching them how to do so. It does this by identifying patterns in data,” he said.

“One aspect of my work involves robot path planning in Robotic Compact Storage and Retrieval Systems (RCSRS), where I use reinforcement learning and advanced optimization algorithms to improve retrieval efficiency and scheduling, helping robotic systems make faster and more adaptive decisions in dynamic environments,” Twumasi said.

Another major focus of his research is laser scan path design in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing. “In this research, I apply deep reinforcement learning and physics-guided machine learning to design toolpaths that control microstructure evolution, to enhance the mechanical performance of printed parts,” he said.

RCSRS are widely used in the logistics, e-commerce, manufacturing, and warehousing industries, particularly in automated fulfillment centers, pharmaceutical inventory systems, grocery distribution and retail supply chains. The systems help optimize storage density, retrieval speed and operational efficiency.

L-PBF technology is central to aerospace, automotive, biomedical, and defense industries, where it is used to produce lightweight, high-strength metal components with complex geometries. It ��. also increasingly applied in energy, tooling and custom medical implants because of its precision ability.

Twumasi ��. current and upcoming projects also explore scientific machine learning, uncertainty quantification, and AI-driven modeling for smart manufacturing and logistics optimization. He hopes to soon recruit student researchers.

GenAI and business technology

Assistant Professor Cami Banger, program director of business information technology and digital marketing technology, is leading a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study titled “Reimagining Assignment Design: An Exploratory Study of AI-Assisted TILT Implementation.”

“The project explores how instructors can use generative AI to redesign assignments using the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework, which focuses on clarity, grading efficiency and student learning outcomes,” she said.

Banger ��. AI research and teaching intersect around GenAI and its practical implementation in higher education and business technology. She has developed and is currently teaching a professional development course, AI Implementation Strategy, where students design organizational AI strategies aligned to NIST, IBM, and McKinsey frameworks. The course integrates real-world AI tools and showcases how polytechnic learning can connect strategy, ethics and technology practice.

She is incorporating AI across the business information technology and digital marketing technology programs and highlights her research in her article “Generative AI is coming to the workplace, so I designed a business technology class with AI baked in,” published in The Conversation.

“From piloting CoPilot for Business in our capstone course and doing CRM case simulations using Salesforce with GenAI support to reflective assignments on ethical AI use in business, these projects collectively aim to equip students with hands-on experience and an applied understanding of AI in business and technology contexts, which aligns closely with Stout ��. polytechnic mission,” Banger said.

Human vs. GenAI poetry

Associate Professor Justin Nicholes, director of First-Year Composition, explored “Ownership, Accuracy, and Aesthetic Merit” in human and AI-generated poetry.

His research, published earlier this year in “Written Communication,” asked the questions, Would college students judge their poems differently from those written by GenAI? Would they feel a stronger sense of ownership of their writing versus AI-generated poetry?

“With each passing semester and academic year, students’ attitudes and experiences with generative AI change,” Nicholes said. “One surprising result from my research into asking students to write with and without AI through poetry, and about autobiographical moments, is that students increasingly see GenAI as a tool that enhances their personal meaning-making. It is not enough to simply dismiss GenAI writing as a form of cheating. While some will refuse GenAI, especially for personal and creative expression, there is a role, and we need to keep trying to understand how students see GenAI tools and the writing they produce with and without it.”

For his research, Nicholes recruited 88 first-year students, who composed brief poems about meaningful or challenging life experiences, such as loss, pain, anger, disappointment or defeat. They then prompted a GenAI program, such as ChatGPT or Gemini, to compose a poem about that same event.

The students wrote poems that were more narrative, authentic, unguarded and emotionally negative in tone than the GenAI poems.

Following their writing, the students completed surveys to record their perceptions of their own poems and GenAI poems, based on ownership, accuracy and aesthetic merit. Ownership referred to whether the writing reflected an important part of the writers’ selves. Accuracy referred to whether the poem reflected their thoughts and feelings. Aesthetic merit referred to the quality of the writing, with features such as vivid imagery, a feeling of completeness, rhyme, meter, structure and form.

Finally, the students were asked which poem they preferred and why.

Nicholes’ findings showed that the students fairly evenly preferred their poems to the GenAI poems: 42% preferred their poems because of the personal connections to the events; 50% preferred the GenAI poems, mainly for their textual features; and 8% preferred both.

Students felt significantly greater ownership of and accuracy in their human-written poems. And while students rated aesthetic merit higher for GenAI poems, which portrayed greater imagery, language, and form, they felt the GenAI poems lacked originality.

“In terms of implications for teaching writing, meaningful literacy remains a valuable college-writing experience whereby college writers in various writing contexts have chances to create work they view as important parts of themselves, work they see as importantly conveying their life experiences and voices, and work that they see as unique contributions,” Nicholes said. “While GenAI may be used as a tool to assist in autobiographical, meaningful writing, and although it has the potential for assisting writers in ways similar to peer review processes, human creativity is a unique territory worth protecting.”

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Does an MBA really mean business in the age of AI?

hugginsm — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:48:52 +0000

Does an MBA really mean business in the age of AI?hugginsm September 25, 2025

Dean Dan Freedman weighs the advantages of a specialized management degree.

Interest in graduate business school programs has always maintained a close relationship with the business cycle. For example, according to MBA news source Clear Admit, MBA applications peaked for many of the elite programs in 2020 in the depths of the COVID pandemic, and in 2024 business-oriented newspapers started noting a new spike in applications. “Applications to M.B.A. Program Soar,” from the Oct. 23, 2024, issue of the Wall Street Journal, noted that applications nationwide had risen by 12% in the previous year.

As a dean and data nerd, I follow trends in enrollment very carefully. It is very typical for enrollments at all levels to grow as the economy slows down because people use the time between jobs to upskill. As it did in many other ways, the COVID pandemic changed the pattern as we saw an economic slowdown along with a general decrease in enrollment. MBA enrollments went counter to that trend, growing in 2021 and 2022 and then shrinking in the following years. The more recent growth in applications in 2024 could be a leading indicator of an economic slowdown, especially in white collar jobs such as finance, banking, big tech and consulting where an MBA is generally considered to be a valuable degree.

You may ask, then, why doesn’t �� offer an MBA? The number of MBAs awarded is a good proxy for the general interest in master ��. degrees in business fields, and we have been looking carefully at our offerings in this area. Stout currently offers master ��. degrees in operations and supply management, training and talent development, and risk control and safety. These are all degrees that are very much business-related but are more specific than the general business MBA. And the same thinking created Stout ��. new master ��. degree in applied computer science, which offers people with nontechnical degrees the opportunity to combine their expertise with an overlay of computer science skills in areas such as coding, data and cybersecurity.

I had an interesting experience discussing the value of an MBA with four industry leaders – three of them Stout alumni. Let ��. just say they were not overly impressed with what a traditional MBA had to offer. That response was probably not that surprising since they were from industries that I see as very practical and very Stout-aligned: construction, manufacturing, printing and hospitality. An MBA is designed to be a general degree, focusing on finance, strategy and leadership. In my two years at Stout, I’ve met a remarkable number of Stout alumni in executive leadership roles in companies large and small, and they seem to do very well without an MBA. What they have in common are undergraduate degrees from our programs that are designed to develop leadership skills in technical fields.

As the world adjusts to generative AI, our more practical and applied master ��. degrees will be increasingly valuable. Generative AI is very good at providing middle-of-the-road answers to standard questions – in other words, it can make a beginner look like someone with a medium amount of experience. It is entirely possible that someone who would have relied on an MBA as an entry point into the business world from, say, engineering, could now use AI to generate the needed general business information. What AI cannot do is provide nuanced solutions to complex problems that require in-depth knowledge combined with an understanding of a particular company ��. operations. That ��. what Stout ��. business-related master ��. degrees provide – a depth of knowledge in important fields that AI simply is not close to being able to replace.

There are two ways to think about training business leaders. One is a generalist education (MBA) that provides an overview of business operations that could apply to any organization. The other is building expertise in a particular field with the expectation that an individual can grow into a leadership role based on an understanding of the core business operations. Stout ��. alumni show the success of the latter approach with an impressive list of industry leaders in areas like construction, hospitality, manufacturing, printing and more. Our School of Management master ��. programs were built on that principle, and I will continue to contend that expertise in a field is the best base for a career. The burning question that everyone is trying to address is: How will recent advances in AI change the relative value of different types of degrees? AI will have impacts on specific fields, like helping with coding, but I suspect that its broadest impact will be to provide medium-level expertise in almost any area. If that is correct, it will elevate the value of detailed expertise relative to a generalist ��. knowledge, because everyone will effectively be a generalist.

Stout will continue to analyze the trends to ensure we’re making sound decisions for our future, as should any prospective graduate student – and who knows, that could include an MBA or a degree in AI – but at the moment, the smart investment for a workforce standing at the fork in the road is to follow a path that distinguishes them with specialized knowledge.

Daniel Freedman is dean of ��'s College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management. Before joining ��, he served as dean of the School of Science and Engineering at SUNY New Paltz, where he also was founding director of the Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center. He holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Minnesota and has taught a wide variety of chemistry courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels throughout his 34 years in higher education.

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Enhancing Online Course Design to Strengthen Career Readiness

hugginsm — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:00:24 +0000

Enhancing Online Course Design to Strengthen Career Readinesshugginsm September 15, 2025

Reflecting on the 2025 Polytechnic Summit at University of Wisconsin-Stout

On May 21, 2025, at the Polytechnic Summit hosted by ��, a team (Laura Reisinger, Kristal Gerdes, Maria Stone, and Eli Aba) led by Kelly Droege presented their research that examined how polytechnic universities can leverage online course design to better prepare graduates for the workforce. The session highlighted the power of blending academic rigor with applied learning, while acknowledging challenges like declining enrollment and inconsistent online course quality.

Findings from the mixed-methods study revealed how instructors view quality online course design and offered practical, scalable strategies to align courses with industry needs, boost student engagement, and improve persistence.

Attendees left with actionable ideas for refining online programs to strengthen career readiness, enhance retention, and keep polytechnic institutions at the forefront of workforce development.

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Willett presents at the International Conference on Critical Thinking

hugginsm — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 19:46:25 +0000

Willett presents at the International Conference on Critical Thinkinghugginsm September 12, 2025

Professor Lynne Willett, operations and management, presented at the 45th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking hosted by the University of Louisville. In her session, "Embodying Critical Thinking in Leadership Practice," Willett used a personal example from her industry career, describing how she applied critical thinking theory and concepts to grow in her own leadership and evolved from "traditional" labor-management techniques in organized labor settings, moving from an adversarial approach to solving problems to a solution-focused collaboration between union leaders and management for the benefit of the entire organization.

Willett is one of four individuals in the nation to have earned a Level One certification from the Foundation of Critical Thinking and is currently fulfilling the requirements to be the first person to earn a Level Two certification.

Professor Willett presented at the 45th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking. Lynne Willett Conference Presentation

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Plantation tourism, memory and the uneasy economics of heritage in the American South

hugginsm — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:26:06 +0000

Plantation tourism, memory and the uneasy economics of heritage in the American Southhugginsm August 5, 2025

Professor Betsy Pudliner investigates the nexus of tourism and our painful national history.

Dr. Betsy A. Pudliner, Ph.D.

The American South—and the nation more broadly—continues to wrestle with how to remember its most painful chapters. Tourism is one of the arenas where that struggle is most visible.

This tension came into sharp relief in May 2025, when the largest antebellum mansion in the region – the 19th-century estate at Nottoway Plantation in Louisiana – burned to the ground. While some historians, community members and tourism advocates mourned the loss of a landmark site, many activists and others critical of slavery ��. past celebrated its destruction.

Soon after the fire, Nottoway ��. owner indicated an interest in rebuilding. And within weeks, a new restaurant had opened on a different part of the site. That speed underscores how quickly memory, history and economics can collide – and how tourism sits at the center of that tension.

As a professor who studies tourism, I know that the impulse to monetize history isn’t new. Six months after the First Battle of Manassas in 1861, the site was already developing as a tourist attraction. People have been traveling to historic sites, buying souvenirs and leaving their mark on the landscape for centuries. That tradition continues, and evolves, today.

Wealth, slavery and the battle over memory

Nottoway is one of more than 300 such plantation sites across the country, which together generate billions of dollars in revenue each year. This type of tourism forces communities and visitors alike to ask a difficult question: What parts of the past do Americans preserve, and for whom?

Main building at Nottoway Plantation considered ‘total loss’ following massive fire. / WAFB

Nottoway, completed in 1859, was built by 155 enslaved people. Blending Greek Revival and Italianate styles, it stood as a monument to wealth built on forced labor and racial exploitation. Over the decades, it passed through different owners, survived the Civil War and was eventually restored and converted into a resort and wedding venue. Critics have long argued that this commercial reinvention downplayed the lives and labor of enslaved people, neglecting the site ��. foundations in brutality.

Beyond its symbolism, Nottoway has long been recognized as a cornerstone of Iberville Parish ��. tourism economy. Research shows that sites like Nottoway can anchor regional economies by encouraging longer stays and local spending. These can stimulate nearby businesses through the multiplier effect.

Nottoway ��. sociocultural significance was far more complex – as shown by the celebrations that followed the fire. For many, Nottoway was a site of trauma and erasure. With its white columns and manicured lawns, Nottoway was pervaded by a sense of romanticism that relied on selective memory. For example, as of June 2025, the Nottoway website ��. “History” page made no mention of slavery.

In other words, the fire didn’t just destroy a building. It disrupted a layered ecosystem of economic livelihood, memory and contested meaning.

Tourism and the power of the past

To understand why people visit places like Nottoway, it helps to turn to the four main categories of travel motivation: physical, cultural, interpersonal and status. Plantation venues typically draw cultural tourists seeking heritage, history and architecture.

They also draw those engaged in what scholars call “dark tourism”: traveling to places associated with tragedy and death. While dark tourism may imply voyeurism, many such visits are deeply reflective. These travelers seek to confront hard truths and process collective memory. But if interpretation is selective – focusing on opulence while minimizing suffering – tourism then becomes a force of historical distortion.

Some tourists choose plantations for a sense of romance, others for education, and still others for reckoning. These motivations complicate how such places should be preserved, interpreted or transformed.

Over the past decade, innovative sites like the Whitney Plantation have gained national attention for centering the lives and stories of the enslaved, rather than the architecture or planter families. Opened to the public in 2014, Whitney reframed the traditional plantation tour by prioritizing historical truth over nostalgia – featuring first-person slave narratives, memorials and educational programming focused on slavery ��. brutality.

Whitney Plantation museum confronts painful history of slavery. / CBS Mornings

This approach reflects a growing segment of travelers seeking deeper engagement with difficult histories. As Whitney draws visitors for its honesty and restorative framing, it raises a key question: Is the future of plantation tourism splitting into two tracks – one rooted in reflection, the other in romanticism?

Many Americans still picture the antebellum South through the lens of popular culture – a romanticized vision shaped by novels and films like “Gone with the Wind,” with its iconic Tara plantation. This “Tara effect” continues to influence how plantations are portrayed and remembered, often emphasizing beauty and grandeur while downplaying the brutality of slavery.

That ��. why sites like the Donato House in Louisiana are important. Built and owned by Martin Donato, a formerly enslaved man who later became a landowner – and, complicating the narrative, also a slaveholder – this modest home offers a counterpoint to the opulence of estates like Nottoway.

Still in the hands of Donato ��. descendants and slowly developing as a tourist site, the Donato House reflects the layered and often uncomfortable truths that challenge simple historical categories. Sites like this remind us that tourism plays a vital role in educating society about the complexity of our past. Heritage travel isn’t just about iconic landmarks; it ��. about broadening our perspective, confronting historical bias and helping visitors to engage with the fuller, often uncomfortable, truths behind the stories we tell.

Controlling the narrative: Who tells the story?

What is chosen to be preserved – or let go of – shapes not only our memory of the past but our vision for the future.

When the last generation with firsthand experience of a historical moment is gone, their stories remain in fragments – photos, recordings such as those in the National Archives, or family lore. Some memories are factual, others softened or sharpened with time. That ��. the nature of memory: It changes with us.

My late father, a high school history teacher, often reminded his students and his children to study the full spectrum of history: the good, the bad and the profoundly uncomfortable. He believed one must dive deep into its complexity to better understand human behavior and motivation.

He was right. Tourism has always echoed the layered realities of the human experience. Now, as Americans reckon with what was lost at Nottoway, we’re left with the question: “What story will be told – and who will get to tell it?”

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Professor Betsy Pudliner investigates the nexus of tourism and our painful national history. Nottoway Plantation

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Search Keywords: Slavery TourismPlantation TourismSouthern TourismSouthern HospitalityTourism in the SouthCivil War Tourism

Dr. Betsy A. Pudliner, Ph.D.

With more than 30 years of experience in the tourism industry, Dr. Pudliner has cultivated a deep understanding of the field, shaped by their travels across 44 U.S. states, Germany, and six and a half years living in Scotland. A passionate educator, they emphasize project-based and scenario-based learning to create engaging and practical teaching experiences. Their teaching philosophy focuses on empowering students to apply knowledge confidently in their daily lives, fostering personal and professional growth. Dr. Pudliner believes that education is a journey where both successes and failures offer valuable opportunities for growth.

Dr. Pudliner ��. research focuses on the intersection of tourism, technology, and relationship management. Their expertise includes marketing, branding, e-Tourism, value chain management, and consumer behavior. They are particularly passionate about advancing web development for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector, as well as leveraging e-Learning, virtual environments, and reflective practice to support training and innovation.

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Generative AI is coming to the workplace, so I designed a business technology class with AI baked in

hugginsm — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:32:49 +0000

Generative AI is coming to the workplace, so I designed a business technology class with AI baked inhugginsm July 22, 2025

Professor Camille Banger reflects on integrating AI into the college classroom.

Camille Banger

This article appeared in TechXplore, Newsbreak, and others, and originated from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

The tech world says generative artificial intelligence is essential for the future of work and learning. But as an educator, I still wonder: Is it really worth bringing it into the classroom? Will these tools truly help students learn, or create new challenges we haven’t yet faced?

Like many other people in higher education, I was skeptical but knew I couldn’t ignore it. So, instead of waiting for all the answers, I decided to dive in and discover what preparing students for an AI-powered world really means beyond the hype. Last semester, I developed a business technology class where the latest generative AI tools were woven into the curriculum.

What I found is that AI productivity products have a learning curve, much like other applications that students, and ultimately white-collar workers, use in knowledge work. But I needed to adjust how I taught the class to emphasize critical thinking, reflection on how these tools are being used and checks against the errors they produce.

The project

It ��. no secret that generative AI is changing how people work, learn and teach. According to the 2025 McKinsey Global Survey on AI, 78% of respondents said their organizations use AI in at least one business function, and many are actively reskilling their workforce or training them with new skills to meet the demands of this shift.

As program director of the Business Information Technology bachelor ��. degree program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin ��. polytechnic university, I spend a lot of time thinking about how to prepare students for the workplace. I’m also an AI enthusiast, but a skeptical one. I believe in the power of these tools, but I also know they raise questions about ethics, responsibility and readiness.

So, I asked myself: How can I make sure our students are ready to use AI and understand it?

In spring 2025, University of Wisconsin-Stout launched a pilot for a small group of faculty and staff to explore Microsoft 365 Copilot for business. Since it works alongside tools such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneDrive and Teams, which are products our students already use, I saw an opportunity to bring these latest AI features to them as well.

To do that, I built an exploratory project into our senior capstone course. Students were asked to use Copilot for Business throughout the semester, keep a journal reflecting on their experience and develop practical use cases for how AI could support them both as students and future professionals. I didn’t assign specific tasks. Instead, I encouraged them to explore freely.

My goal wasn’t to turn them into AI experts overnight. I wanted them to build comfort, fluency and critical awareness about how and when to use AI tools in real-world contexts.

What my students and I learned

What stood out to me the most was how quickly students moved from curiosity to confidence.

Many of them had already experimented with tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, but Copilot for Business was a little different. It worked with their own documents, emails, meeting notes and class materials, which made the experience more personal and immediately relevant.

In their journals, students described how they used Copilot to summarize Teams video meetings, draft PowerPoint slides and write more polished emails. One student said it saved them time by generating summaries they could review after a meeting instead of taking notes during the call or rewatching a recording. Another used it to check their assignment against the rubric – a scoring tool that outlines the criteria and performance levels for assessing student work – to help them feel more confident before submitting their work.

College students will likely be asked to use AI features in business productivity applications once they enter the workforce. What ��. the best way to teach them how to effectively use them? Denise Jans on Unsplash

Several students admitted they struggled at first to write effective prompts – the typed requests that guide the AI to generate content – and had to experiment to get the results they wanted. A few reflected on instances where Copilot, like other generative AI tools, produced inaccurate or made-up information, or hallucinations, and said they learned to double-check its responses. This helped them understand the importance of verifying AI-generated content, especially in academic and professional settings.

Some students also said they had to remind themselves to use Copilot instead of falling back on other tools they were more familiar with. In some cases, they simply forgot Copilot was available. That feedback showed me how important it is to give students time and space to build new habits around emerging technologies.

What ��. next

While Copilot for Business worked well for this project, its higher cost compared with previous desktop productivity apps may limit its use in future classes and raises ethical questions about access.

That said, I plan to continue expanding the use of generative AI tools across my courses. Instead of treating AI as a one-off topic, I want it to become part of the flow of everyday academic work. My goal is to help students build AI literacy and use these tools responsibly and thoughtfully, as a support for their learning, not a replacement for it.

Historically, software programs enabled people to produce content, such as text documents, slides or the like, whereas generative AI tools produce the “work” based on user prompts. This shift requires a higher level of awareness about what students are learning and how they’re engaging with the materials and the AI tool.

This pilot project reminded me that integrating AI into the classroom isn’t just about giving students access to new tools. It ��. about creating space to explore, experiment, reflect and think critically about how these tools fit into their personal and professional lives and, most importantly, how they work.

As an educator, I’m also thinking about the deeper questions this technology raises. How do we ensure that students continue developing original thoughts and critical thinking when AI can easily generate ideas or content? How can we preserve meaningful learning while still taking advantage of the efficiency these tools offer? And what kinds of assignments can help students use AI effectively while still demonstrating their own thinking?

These aren’t just theoretical concerns. Early studies have identified the risks of “cognitive offloading” when performing tasks, such as writing essays with AI. Studies have also shown that using AI can reduce cognitive effort and even affect students’ confidence levels in their thinking. This highlights the importance of incorporating critical thinking activities alongside AI use.

These questions aren’t easy, but they are important. Higher education has an important role to play in helping students use AI and understand its impact and their responsibility in shaping how it ��. used.

Striking the right balance between fostering original thought and critical thinking with AI can be tricky. One way I’ve approached this is encouraging students to first create their content on their own, then use AI for review. This way, they maintain ownership of their work and see AI as a helpful tool rather than a shortcut. It ��. all about knowing when to leverage AI to refine or enhance their ideas.

One piece of advice I received that really stuck with me was this: Start small, be transparent and talk openly with your students. That ��. what I did, and it ��. what I’ll continue doing as I enter this next chapter of teaching and learning in the age of AI.

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Camille Banger

Dynamic educator and industry expert with extensive experience in program/project management, process improvement, and business/systems analysis within the technology sector.

Driven by a passion for the transformative potential of generative AI, I actively research and apply advancements in AI to enhance educational methods and outcomes and to drive efficiencies and productivity gains into business.

My teaching philosophy centers on the unique needs of each learner, using a student-centered, pedagogical approach to adapt to diverse learning styles. By integrating hands-on activities, multimedia, and reflective practices that mirror real-world applications, I promote critical thinking, career readiness, and a practical understanding of AI innovations. I uphold high expectations within a supportive, inclusive environment that emphasizes accessibility.

Committed to continuous improvement, I stay current with industry trends and seek regular student feedback to enrich the learning experience and ensure my curriculum remains at the cutting edge of technology.

Full Name: Camille Banger

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Degree: Ed.D. Higher Education (Educational Practice and Leadership)

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Charging toward a more sustainable future: �� unveils new electric vehicle charging stations

goersab — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:39:56 +0000

Charging toward a more sustainable future: �� unveils new electric vehicle charging stationsgoersab June 26, 2025

Stations open to campus and community members, visitors; adding to university ��. ongoing energy solutions

Abbey Goers

A sustainability project more than two years in the making was unveiled at �� on June 23, adding to the university ��. ongoing commitment to clean energy solutions and green transportation options.

Two electric vehicle charging stations, located in Lot 14, on the west side of Sorensen Hall, are now available for campus and community members and visitors.

The level two stations are part of the ChargePoint charging network and provide an opportunity for four electric or hybrid vehicles to charge simultaneously. They will be available for a charging fee of 35 cents per kilowatt hour, said Sustainability Manager Kadi Wright.

The project was made possible through the Stout Student Association (SSA) and its Sustainability Council, the Sustainability Office, the Campus Wide Energy Committee, Facilities Management and Parking Services.

Vice Chancellor Erik Guenard, Stout Student Association Vice President Chris Sander and Chancellor Katherine Frank

Campus stakeholders who spoke at the unveiling were Chancellor Katherine Frank, Vice Chancellor Erik Guenard, Facilities Management Associate Director Zenon Smolarek, Wright and SSA representatives.

Collection Development Librarian Cory Mitchell and Smolarek demonstrated how to activate the stations, how individuals can access them, and where to find more information.

“This event may seem like a small celebration, but it represents something much larger – our institution ��. ongoing commitment to sustainability, innovation, and progress. Every initiative like this is part of a larger strategic plan that represents our goals, is aligned with our mission, and demonstrates our responsibility to the future,” Frank said.

As Wisconsin ��. ��, �� prepares students for the future, Frank said, adding that, “At Stout, education encompasses what happens both inside and outside of the classroom, studio, and laboratory. This means that our campus infrastructure should reflect our values as a polytechnic university: forward-thinking, applicable, and engaged with the issues of our time.”

Guenard agreed. “These new electric vehicle charging stations are more than a convenience – they’re a clear sign of our institution ��. evolving role in addressing climate change and promoting environmental responsibility. We’re not just talking about sustainability – we’re building it into the physical landscape of our college.

“Sustainability is a shared effort. It ��. championed by students who speak up for cleaner systems. It ��. maintained by operations teams who innovate behind the scenes. And it ��. strengthened by every person who chooses to walk, bike, carpool – or now – charge an electric vehicle right here on campus,” he said.

Collection Development Librarian Cory Mitchell (left) demonstrates how the ChargePoint stations works

The Sustainability Office and the SSA council share common goals: to make �� greener and to care for the students, said Bergen Haag, SSA Sustainability director and transportation liaison, who was unable to attend the unveiling

“We have completed numerous projects, both large and small, and this initiative is just one step toward making our campus more eco-friendly. I hope this project benefits many people and inspires further initiatives on our campus. Let ��. keep the momentum going and keep charging toward a more sustainable future,” said Haag, who credited Wright for her many contributions.

“Projects like this show that our campus is serious about turning ideas into action. We’ve had a lot of conversations over the years – about climate change, clean energy, and how we can do our part as a college community,” added SSA Vice President Chris Sander. “This is one of those moments where you can see progress being made. These stations aren’t just about cars – they’re about access, about future-forward thinking, and about reducing our impact. It ��. also a sign that when students, staff, and leadership work together, good things happen.”

Learn more at the Sustainable Stout website.

The ChargePoint Network app shows the locations of available ChargePoint stations

�� . clean energy solutions

As a Charter Signatory of the Carbon Commitment, �� has a commitment to becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. The university incorporates sustainability into its academic programs and operations, including a multibuilding solar and energy efficiency upgrades project.

The U.S. Department of Education named �� a national Green Ribbon school, based on its long-term and ongoing efforts to infuse sustainability into operations and the classroom and to create a campuswide culture that advances environmental initiatives.

The Green Ribbon award, a one-time honor, is given annually to a select number of schools, including early learning centers, elementary, secondary and post-secondary institutions. In Wisconsin, �� was the only university to be recognized in 2024.

Sustainability efforts honored by U.S. Department of Education, statewide Focus on Energy

�� can officially add a new “color” to its identity – green.

�� was re-designated as a bronze Bike Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists through 2028.

University Recreation ��. Stout Adventures offer StoutBikes, a bike share program through which students can rent a bike for a week, semester or over the summer. There are four bike fix stations around campus, a bike shelter at the University Library, bike lockers at CKTO residence hall and Jarvis Hall, as well as bike racks located all around campus.

Surplus Property helps keep more than 100 tons of materials out of area landfills each year to improve university sustainability and profitability. And the campuswide compost and recycling collection system results in a 48% decrease in landfill waste.

Last fall, �� hosted the Universities of Wisconsin Sustainability Annual Meeting, where sustainability leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni and external partners gathered to collaborate on environmental topics and share resources, ideas and knowledge to develop strategic goals and support sustainability efforts on UW campuses, as well as career and economic development across the state.

Earth Week events, coordinated through the Sustainability Office and various student organizations, including UW-Sprout Campus Garden volunteer day and apple tree planting, thrift swap, plant sale, campus cleanup and an Earth Day Bash at the University Library.

More than 80 off-campus students participated in this year ��. Spring Move-Out event, when the Sustainability Office, Waste Reduction Work Group, and campus volunteers helped to properly dispose and recycle approximately 360 items, including furniture, bed frames, grills, electronics and appliances. The office also worked with Chippewa Valley Habitat for Humanity to donate items in good condition. This event was funded by the City of Menomonie and the Stout Student Association.

�� offers a B.S. in environmental science and a P.S.M. in conservation biology, as well as minors in environmental health and sustainability.

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With WIAC trophy in hand, Blue Devils hockey team readies for postseason run

After first-ever outright regular season title, ‘calm and composed’ squad aims for conference tourney, potential NCAA trip

February 25, 2026

Career-connected learning: SkillsUSA brings nearly 400 middle, high school students to ��

Engineering, technical, design competitions prepare young people for future careers

February 25, 2026

Year of Design celebration central to ��'s spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

February 11, 2026

Stations open to campus and community members, visitors; adding to university ��. ongoing energy solutions Vice Chancellor Erik Guenard, Stout Student Association Vice President Chris Sander and Chancellor Katherine Frank

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��'s Sustainability Office works to foster a culture of sustainability among the campus and in the community.

Hero Caption: Sustainability Manager Kadi Wright and Facilities Management Associate Director Zenon Smolarek were part of a team of many to bring two ChargePoint electric vehicle charging stations to ��

Kadi Wright

Kadi is the campus Sustainability Manager, working on ways to improve sustainability on campus.

Bio Introduction: Kadi is the campus Sustainability Manager, working on ways to improve sustainability on campus.

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Space tourism ��. growth blurs the line between scientific and symbolic achievement – a tourism scholar explains how

hugginsm — Mon, 19 May 2025 13:18:46 +0000

Space tourism ��. growth blurs the line between scientific and symbolic achievement – a tourism scholar explains howhugginsm May 19, 2025

Professor Betsy Pudliner looks at this growing, far-out phenomenon.

Dr. Betsy A. Pudliner, Ph.D.

This article appeared in Space Media Network, Fast Company, Phys.org, Astronomy Magazine, and others, and originated from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched six women – Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez – on a suborbital journey to the edge of space.

The headlines called it a historic moment for women in space. But as a tourism educator, I paused – not because I questioned their experience, but because I questioned the language. Were they astronauts or space tourists? The distinction matters – not just for accuracy, but for understanding how experience, symbolism and motivation shape travel today.

In tourism studies, my colleagues and I often ask what motivates travel and makes it a meaningful experience. These women crossed a boundary by leaving Earth ��. surface. But they also stepped into a controversy about a symbolic one: the blurred line between astronaut and tourist, between scientific achievement and curated experience.

This flight wasn’t just about the altitude they flew to – it was about what it meant. As commercial space travel becomes more accessible to civilians, more people are joining spaceflights not as scientists or mission specialists, but as invited guests or paying participants. The line between astronaut and space tourist is becoming increasingly blurred.

Blue Origin ��. NS-31 flight brought six women to the edge of space. / Blue Origin

In my own work, I explore how travelers find meaning in the way their journeys are framed. A tourism studies perspective can help unpack how experiences like the Blue Origin flight are designed, marketed and ultimately understood by travelers and the tourism industry.

So, were these passengers astronauts? Not in the traditional sense. They weren’t selected through NASA ��. rigorous training protocols, nor were they conducting research or exploration in orbit.

Instead, they belong to a new category: space tourists. These are participants in a crafted, symbolic journey that reflects how commercial spaceflight is redefining what it means to go to space.

Space tourism as a niche market

Space tourism has its origins in 1986 with the launch of the Mir space station, which later became the first orbital platform to host nonprofessional astronauts. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Mir and its successor, the International Space Station, welcomed a handful of privately funded civilian guests – most notably U.S. businessman Dennis Tito in 2001, often cited as the first space tourist.

Space tourism has since evolved into a niche market selling brief encounters to the edge of Earth ��. atmosphere. While passengers on the NS-31 flight did not purchase their seats, the experience mirrors those sold by commercial space tourism providers such as Virgin Galactic.

Like other forms of niche tourism – wellness retreats, heritage trails or extreme adventures – space travel appeals to those drawn to novelty, exclusivity and status, regardless of whether they purchased the ticket.

These suborbital flights may last just minutes, but they offer something far more lasting: prestige, personal storytelling and the feeling of participating in something rare. Space tourism sells the experience of being somewhere few have visited, not the destination itself. For many, even a 10-minute flight can fulfill a deeply personal milestone.

Tourist motivation and space tourism ��. evolution

The push-and-pull theory in tourism studies helps explain why people might want to pursue space travel. Push factors – internal desires such as curiosity, an urge to escape or an eagerness to gain fame – spark interest. Pull factors – external elements such as wishing to see the view of Earth from above or experience the sensation of weightlessness – enhance the appeal.

Space tourism taps into both. It ��. fueled by the internal drive to do something extraordinary and the external attraction of a highly choreographed, emotional experience.

Participants in space tourism wear branded jumpsuits with the company ��. logo, pose for photos and talk to the media about their experience. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

These flights are often branded – not necessarily with flashy logos, but through storytelling and design choices that make the experience feel iconic. For example, while the New Shepard rocket the women traveled in doesn’t carry a separate emblem, it features the company ��. name, Blue Origin, in bold letters along the side. Passengers wear personalized flight suits, pose for preflight photos and receive mission patches or certificates, all designed to echo the rituals of professional space missions.

What ��. being sold is an “astronaut-for-a-day” experience: emotionally powerful, visually compelling and rich with symbolism. But under tourism classifications, these travelers are space tourists – participants in a curated, short-duration excursion.

Representation and marketing experience

The image from the Blue Origin flight of six women boarding a rocket was framed as a symbolic victory – a girl-power moment designed for visibility and celebration – but it was also carefully curated.

This wasn’t the first time women entered space. Since its inception, NASA has selected 61 women as astronaut candidates, many of them making groundbreaking contributions to space science and exploration. Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir not only entered space – they trained as astronauts and contributed significantly to science, engineering and long-duration missions. Their journeys marked historic achievements in space exploration rather than curated moments in tourism.

Recognizing their legacy is important as commercial spaceflight creates new kinds of unique, tailored experiences, ones shaped more by media performance than by scientific milestones.

The Blue Origin flight was not a scientific mission but rather was framed as a symbolic event. In tourism, companies, marketers and media outlets often create these performances to maximize their visibility. SpaceX has taken a similar approach with its Inspiration4 mission, turning a private orbital flight into a global media event complete with a Netflix documentary and emotional storytelling.

The Blue Origin flight sold a feeling of progress while blending the roles between astronaut and guest. For Blue Origin, the symbolic value was significant. By launching the first all-female crew into suborbital space, the company was able to claim a historic milestone – one that aligned them with inclusion – without the cost, complexity or risk associated with a scientific mission. In doing so, they generated enormous media attention.

Tourism education and media literacy

In today ��. world, space travel is all about the story that gets told about the flight. From curated visuals to social media posts and press coverage, much of the experience ��. meaning is shaped by marketing and media.

Understanding that process matters – not just for scholars or industry insiders, but for members of the public, who follow these trips through the narratives produced by the companies’ marketing teams and media outlets.

Another theory in tourism studies describes how destinations evolve over time – from exploration, to development, to mass adoption. Many forms of tourism begin in an exploration phase, accessible only to the wealthy or well connected. For example, the Grand Tour of Europe was once a rite of passage for aristocrats. Its legacy helped shape and develop modern travel.

As more people travel to a destination over time, it moves through the tourism area life cycle. During the early exploration phase, the destination has only a few tourists. Coba56/Wikimedia Commons

Right now, space tourism is in the exploration stage. It ��. expensive, exclusive and available only to a few. There ��. limited infrastructure to support it, and companies are still experimenting with what the experience should look like. This isn’t mass tourism yet, it ��. more like a high-profile playground for early adopters, drawing media attention and curiosity with every launch.

Advances in technology, economic shifts and changing cultural norms can increase access to unique destinations that start as out of bounds to a majority of tourists. Space tourism could be the next to evolve this way in the tourism industry. How it ��. framed now – who gets to go, how the participants are labeled and how their stories are told – will set the tone moving forward. Understanding these trips helps people see how society packages and sells an inspirational experience long before most people can afford to join the journey.

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