The UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources is known for cultivating leaders through holistic programs in conservation with the help of 167 faculty and staff members. One highly sought after field of study in the college, however, has been led to wide acclaim by just one full-time faculty member.
Mike Rader, associate professor and coordinator of the conservation law enforcement program, has been educating the newest generation of field professionals since 2016. Rader leads and maintains the program singlehandedly, which has more than 100 enrolled students. Blending his backgrounds in multiple industries, he has worked to prepare his students for success with hands-on educational experiences.
Although he has found his purpose in guiding students towards their professional goals, the path to this role was not linear. While earning a bachelor’s degree in wildlife science, Rader received a Naval ROTC scholarship and eventually served in the United States Marine Corps after graduating. Unsure if the Marine Corps was his long-term goal, he knew that a career in natural resources would be something he could eventually pursue.
“I thought becoming a wildlife biologist or a conservation officer could be a good fit after leaving the military,” Rader said. “I eventually pursued a master’s degree and decided I liked doing research, which led me to a Ph.D. program in south Texas. Seeing the end of those years of school planted the idea of becoming a college professor at some point.”
Upon completing his Ph.D. in wildlife science, Rader was looking to get out of research and pursue a more hands-on role. That’s when he found a conservation officer position with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). It felt like a great fit for him to actively affect the field of conservation.
Rader worked for the Wisconsin DNR for nine years as a warden, ending his time in the field as a trainer and recruiter. As a field training officer, he worked one-on-one with recruits who were fresh from the police academy and assessed their strengths and weaknesses in live law enforcement scenarios. He also spent time on the recruiting committee, finding ways to attract more young professionals to jobs in conservation through the DNR.
After a colleague told him about an open teaching position in the College of Natural Resources at UWSP, Rader was immediately interested. Upon entering the role in 2016, the college made conservation law enforcement its own major, allowing Rader to further develop the curriculum and give students a comprehensive understanding of the field.
“I teach my students about investigation and constitutional law, but I also try to incorporate skills like verbal communication and conflict resolution,” he said. “It’s important in the field, because sometimes you have to be able to handle disputes and de-escalate in the moment.”
Ethics and philosophy, communication, field technology and the changing landscape of environmental policy make up Rader’s comprehensive curriculum. This, in addition to the program being designed by a veteran of the field, allows UW-Stevens Point to remain at the forefront of conservation law enforcement education. “We’re lucky at UWSP,” he said, “I think being taught by somebody with direct experience in the field makes a difference.”
Although the program stays cutting edge through classroom opportunities, Rader emphasizes the importance of field and extracurricular experiences to his students. He has a strong relationship with the Wisconsin DNR warden force who help lead lab classes and exercises, and frequently taps into a robust network of UWSP alumni in the field.
Savannah Reed, a fourth-year student and conservation law enforcement major, is grateful for the work Rader puts in to help students like herself achieve academic and professional success. Rader has been a mentor and advocate for Reed during her time at UWSP.
“He has been an incredible professor who has greatly impacted my academic and professional success in the field of law enforcement,” Reed said “As my adviser, he has helped me stay on track with my coursework and guided me through important decisions, and has even gone out of his way to attend my collegiate soccer games at UWSP, showing how much he values my interests outside the classroom. Thanks to his guidance and support, I am now in the final stages of the hiring process with the Wausau Police Department this coming January. I owe a great deal of where I am today to his dedication as a professor and mentor.”
Rader goes above and beyond, serving as the faculty adviser for the Student Law Enforcement Association and internship coordinator for the conservation law enforcement program. His passion for uplifting the next generation of professionals is evident through the number of alumni who have found success, and his ability to provide students with opportunities outside the classroom. When it comes to the achievements he is most proud of during his tenure at UW-Stevens Point, however, it all comes back to the students he works with.
“One of the aspects of the job that I like is seeing students come from all over the Midwest and the country specifically for this program,” Rader said. “They really do what they can to qualify themselves to work in this field, and they have the passion for it.”
The UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources provides innovative and hands-on learning opportunities for students interested in careers in conservation. With six areas of study, including conservation law enforcement, students are given opportunities to gain real-world experience before stepping into the professional world. For more information on the College of Natural Resources and conservation law enforcement at UW-Stevens Point, visit www.uwsp.edu/cnr.
