2026 Civic Lands Symposium

The Center for Civic Lands and Democratic Stewardship will formally launch with a special mini-symposium held as part of the joint Southeast Conference for Public Administration and Northeast Conference on Public Administration.

The symposium will bring together scholars and practitioners to explore an emerging question:

How can public lands and shared landscapes serve as spaces for democratic practice, civic learning, stewardship, and collective care?

Participants include:

Biq Questions in Public Lands

• Brooke Rudow, University of Central Florida
• Levi Tenen, Virginia Wesleyan University
• Charles Hayes, University of Montana

What We Know

• Dawn Harfmann, National Issues Forum Institute
• Kristen Crossney, West Chester University
• Yinglin Ma, University of Central Florida
• Julie Richter, College of William & Mary

Public Lands Reshaped

• Cathy Allen, The Board Doctor
• Shannon Bungart, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Todd Arrington, Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation
• Nathan Schaumleffel, Indiana State University

Adminsitrative and Strategic Issues in Public Land Management

• Jaclyn Piatak, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Leigh Hersey, University of Louisiana at Monroe
• Thomas Bryer, Old Dominion University