Kathryn Hannum

Kathryn Hannum is an Assistant Teaching Professor and Coordinator of Student Programs at the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) of Michigan Technological University. She holds a PhD and MS in Geography from Kent State University and a BA in Geography from San Jose State University. Her research focuses on national identity, migration and diaspora studies, sociolinguistics, memorial landscapes, and geographies of sport, with a regional emphasis on the Hispanic World, particularly Spain and Argentina.

Dr. Hannum's work bridges academic research with community engagement through policy advising and student development initiatives. She specializes in leveraging spatial analytics and GIS for policy design, and has pioneered projects connecting education with sustainable tourism practices. Her recent studies explore the intersection of language policies, cultural identity, and heritage management in transnational contexts.

In education, she advocates for critical pedagogy approaches that integrate STEM disciplines while addressing societal challenges. Her transdisciplinary projects include developing the Husky PAWS S-STEM scholar program to support student success in STEM fields. Hannum also coordinates student programs that emphasize experiential learning through initiatives like Amtrak-based pedagogy and museum economic impact analyses.

Her research portfolio includes over a decade of fieldwork in Galicia, Spain examining language dynamics, diaspora networks, and memorial landscapes. She actively contributes to UNESCO-related heritage sustainability projects and has advised on policies linking industrial heritage sites with tourism development strategies.