Chippewa Valley Times

On Sept. 16, Dr. Brady Foust, professor emeritus of geography, was one of 16 new fellows inducted at a gala event in the Madison area.

“I am deeply honored,” Foust said. “My first reaction was feeling that I don’t deserve such recognition, but of course I’ll take it.”

According to the academy, fellows are honored biannually for demonstrating “exemplary levels of artistic, scientific, written and service accomplishments, or a cross-disciplinary combination of these, in their careers; and for their dedication to civil discourse and public service that benefits the wellbeing of the people of Wisconsin.”

In the induction event program, Foust was described as “a geographer, inventor, professor, and patron of arts who has revolutionized insurance geospatial databases, patented new technology, served as a professor at UW-Eau Claire for 37 years, and was president and patron of the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire.”

The first academy fellow from UW-Eau Claire was Max Garland, professor emeritus of English, who was inducted in 2018.

When asked about his 37-year teaching career at UW-Eau Claire, Foust replied that “being a college professor is simply the best job in the world,” one which he said kept him energized by the curiosity and growth of 18- to 22-year-olds.

“Every fall semester I taught a 100-level class on economic geography,” Foust said. “I will tell you there was no better joy than to watch these freshman students begin to examine and understand the world around them in new ways.”

From first-year students to junior-level research students presenting at annual conferences where their research was often mistaken for that of Ph.D. candidates, Foust noted that the rewards of his teaching career were ongoing.

“In all my years, I can recall just one student who came to UWEC knowing they wanted to major in geography,” he said. “But countless students said to me ‘I changed my major because of you.’ That’s a gift.”

As one nomination letter for academy fellow stated, Foust’s dedication to his students’ growth extended far beyond the classroom.

“Perhaps it is natural for a geographer to see all human activities as essentially interconnected,” wrote Dr. Marty Wood, professor emeritus of English at UW-Eau Claire. “But Dr. Foust has a way of representing this as a personal commitment to be shared widely.”

In addition to his nearly 40 years of teaching, Foust and his wife Jeanne have been successful in business and philanthropy on campus and in Eau Claire.

As CEO of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation Kimera Way congratulated Foust on becoming an academy fellow.

“I have known Brady for more than 20 years and count him as one of our most impressive leaders focused on promoting sciences, arts and letters,” Way wrote to the academy in January 2024.

Way highlighted the Fousts’ $1 million gift in 2021 to endow a scholarship for students double majoring in geospatial analysis and technology along with another $1 million gift to Pablo Center at the Confluence where Foust served as chair.

“Hundreds of Brady’s former students have jobs in geographic information systems (GIS) thanks to his mentorship,” Way said. “He has been a staunch supporter of liberal arts especially multifaceted research.”

Foust expressed pride and humility regarding their philanthropic efforts.

“The scholarships provide two new double major students each year with a renewable scholarship of $10,000 for four years,” he explained. “We focused on this dual degree because it uniquely positions these students for career success.”

Regarding their contribution to Pablo Center at the Confluence:

“Pablo has anchored downtown Eau Claire's revitalization," Foust said. "Many people cited it when deciding to move here."