Katie Schultz ’26 presents her research as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at St. Norbert College.

Research Mentorship Sparks Student’s Passion for Economics

When it comes to academic research, many may think only of students in a lab hunched over a microscope testing and retesting scientific theory or a nose buried in an archive for a historical paper.

The reality is quite the opposite. The research process at St. Norbert College for students and professors alike is a collaborative one, where information is brought forth in a new light and relationships are built on connecting with each other.

Katie Schultz ’26 is one of those students. A junior studying economics and finance, she partnered with Marc von der Ruhr (Economics) last year as part of SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship). With his guidance, she’s presented her research twice and is now on her way to publish her findings in a peer-reviewed journal, possibly all before her senior year at St. Norbert College.

SURFing After Sophomore Year
This whole research project thing? It wasn’t planned.

Schultz stumbled upon the website for SURF in 2024. She was searching for on-campus jobs to stay at the college the summer between her sophomore and junior year. After reading up on it, she quickly applied for the eight-week program.

“The main focus of the program is to give undergraduate students an opportunity to boost their resume and experience,” she explains. “Working with a professor shows students the insides of their fields and helps them prepare for the future.”

While working full-time with the professor, in her case it was Marc von der Ruhr, the students study, research and collaborate with their mentors. It’s not all work and no play, though. Students enjoy workshops, lunches, and even a few trips off campus including excursions to the Bay Park Square shopping mall and the local farmers market, among others.

Schultz also appreciated the variety of students who were selected to participate. There were 10 total from a number of majors such as biology, English and psychology.

“It was really interesting to see all the different majors,” she says. “I didn’t know many people going in, but we all got close and still hang out.”

In her first year at St. Norbert, Schultz dove headfirst into political science, her heart set on law school. After one semester, she realized she wasn’t enjoying her classes. Fortunately, pre-law students are required to take micro-economics, which Schultz did spring semester of her freshman year. Then, things drastically improved.

“I can't put into words how much that class changed my life,” she emphasizes. “I would've never in a million years seen myself studying economics until I took that class. Something clicked with economics, and I haven't looked back since.”

Presenting an Application of Economics to Religion
Once SURF was underway, Schultz and von der Ruhr narrowed the base for the research project: an approach to religion in the United States through an economic lens. Schultz was inspired by a course she took spring semester of her sophomore year with the same name.

The first few weeks were filled with heavy reading, research and professor-student discussions. They explored PEW Research Center studies that showed the religious landscape of the U.S. from 2008 through 2015 as well as additional PEW studies published in 2017 and 2022 covering the future of religion in America.

“We studied religion in an economic way — looking at demand, human capital and other economic theories,” she says.

According to these studies, religious affiliation has declined overall with more people joining the “nones” group (atheists, agnostics or unaffiliated individuals).

“By 2070, the majority of people might belong to the unaffiliated group,” she explains. “It’s interesting because the U.S. has historically been predominantly Christian or Catholic.”

The eight-week project wasn’t an easy task, though. There was an abundance of information to read, learn and absorb with much of it being complex economic theory and detailed studies. The most difficult part was simply getting started. After a while, it all clicked for Schultz with supportive mentoring from von der Ruhr.

“Marc [von der Ruhr] was very understanding as an expert because he knew I didn't have a Ph.D. in economics,” she says. “He explained everything so well and never once made me feel like I had a dumb question.”

She also says that von der Ruhr was intentional on splitting the workload equally, which benefited Schultz mentally. It showed her she could take on this type of research project on her own at the graduate school level.

That collaborative effort transferred over to Schultz’s presentations at SURF’s closing event and the regional 2024 Wisconsin Economics Association Conference in La Crosse, Wis. While she had some nerves in both situations, presenting her findings ended up being smooth sailing.

“At SURF, I was the expert in the room, but at the conference, I wasn’t. That was nerve-wracking,” she says. “Marc [von der Ruhr] kept telling me, ‘You’re the expert in the room on this topic,’ and that made me realize I had nothing to worry about.”

Schultz also shares that it was a confidence boost to see that people were interested in her presentation, but that the people at the Wisconsin conference were professors and graduate students.

She also made a connection with Nicholas Jolly, director of graduate studies at Marquette University Graduate School of Management, to talk potential grad school options.

Von der Ruhr the Mentor
Schultz emphasizes that her St. Norbert College professors have been the most influential part of this experience.

Von der Ruhr became the guide she truly needed to find her calling, her confidence and her passion for the economics field. While he helped focus her research in SURF and beyond, he supported her as a college student on the days that weren’t so perfect too.

Even though being a woman in a male-dominated field means facing dismissive attitudes, heartfelt and continuous support from von der Ruhr and other professors pushed her to pursue what she loved and ignore unnecessary societal expectations.

“People love to call economics a man’s job, but I was the first business student — and woman — to do the SURF program. That says something!”

For Schultz, the SURF program was transformative, pushing her to the next level academically, professionally and personally. It wasn’t easy, with self-doubt creeping up on her at some moments.

Her advice to fellow students? Reach out to your professors.

“The only thing standing between you and success is self-doubt,” she explains. “Professors here want you to succeed — they’ll push you out of that mindset and help you grow.”

Schultz’s experience shows the power of a professor’s involvement, their mentorship, as well as the resilience of a student willing to step out of their comfort zone.

Von der Ruhr and Schultz are also working on a longform research paper of the same topic to get placed in a peer-reviewed economics publication. While they don’t have a set deadline in mind, they’re at about 40 pages finished so far.

“It’s been a life-changing experience,” she remarks. “I can’t say it’s been easy though… writing a paper like this is extremely difficult and time consuming, but also rewarding!”

Schultz’s post-grad plans include pursuing a master’s degree, possibly at Marquette University. At this time, she’s focused on completing her education at St. Norbert, helping lead the Kappa Beta Gamma sorority as its current president, and publishing her research paper with von der Ruhr’s helpful hand.

Feb. 5, 2025