About

Shannon Davis-Foust

Shannon has her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from UW-Milwaukee and has widespread interests in native and invasive species, habitat restoration, and reconnecting people with nature.  She presently teaches courses at UW Oshkosh in Biology and Environmental Studies, is an Affiliate of the Sustainability Institute of Regional Transformations organizing outreach events on environmental topics, and advises the Student Environmental Action Coalition and Sustainable Beekeeping Club. Shannon has been serving on the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area Board since 2010 and the Wisconsin Association of Environmental Education since 2023.

Paul Van Auken

Paul has been a sociology and environmental studies professor at UW-Oshkosh since 2007, after he completed a PhD in sociology from UW-Madison. Prior to that he completed a Master’s in Urban Affairs & Public Policy from the University of Delaware and worked in community development in Wisconsin. His academic and applied focus is on the intersection of community and environment. He helped start the Oshkosh Food Co-op and initiated the effort that grew into Urban Ecology Oshkosh, and strives to bring all kinds of people together to co-create projects that yield not only more sustainable landscapes but also belonging.  

Mamadou Coulibaly

Nikki Selenka

Nikki is an avid hiker, camper, and gardener with a passion for connecting people with the outdoors. Her dreams for Oshkosh include walkable playgrounds with mini-forests for every child, resources to make pollinator, kitchen, and rain gardens a reality for every residential lot, and the re-wilding of city park land into native habitats and multigenerational third spaces for all. She’s a certified Wisconsin Master Naturalist (think Master Gardner, but with ecology) and has been teaching high school ELA in the Fox Valley for 15 years. 

Brad Spanbauer

Brad is a two-time alumnus of UW-Oshkosh, earning his Bachelor's ('11) and Master's ('14) degrees in Biology.  He has taught Biology and Environmental Studies at UWO since 2014 and has led multiple study abroad trips, and has also worked with conservation organizations in East Africa to protect elephant populations. Since 2019, Brad has served as the Campus Sustainability Director, helping UWO save money, protect the environment, and support UWO students, faculty and staff.  Brad also serves as an Oshkosh Common Council member. In his free time, Brad enjoys biking, kayaking, birding, and traveling. 

Stephanie Losse

Stephanie has been active in organic farming and horticulture for over ten years. She works in urban forestry and landscaping, and is a longtime advocate for wildlife conservation in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. She has an AAS in Sustainable Horticulture and a Bachelor's degree in Biology with emphasis in Ecology and Environmental Education. Her goal is to educate others on the importance of ecologically-sustainable and native-friendly practices.

Caprice Swanks

Caprice Swanks is a UW Oshkosh Sociology graduate passionate about community, nature, and environmental justice. They love birding, swimming, kayaking, and connecting folks to the outdoors. Caprice is especially interested in regenerative farming practices and strengthening local food systems in ways that honor both land and the community. Caprice believes that caring for people and caring for the planet go hand in hand. 

Aspyn Rafac 

Aspyn Rafac (they/them) is a Chumash Nation descendant and senior Political Science and Anthropology major at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh pursuing a Law & Policy minor and a certificate in Indigenous Studies. Aspyn serves as President of the Inter-Tribal Student Council and holds leadership roles within the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust (WisACT) and Y-ACT at the Whitburn Center for Governance & Policy Research, as well as working part-time for the UWO Sustainability Institute and the Oshkosh Food Co-Op. In the future, Aspyn plans to pursue graduate studies in Human Ecology, focusing on Urban Native communities and the resources they need and lack to access community, culture, environmental connection, and traditional medicine in urban spaces. Their long-term goal is to design policy and community-based frameworks that strengthen belonging, cultural continuity, and land relationships for Indigenous peoples living off-reservation.