Oberlin Scholar Merges Printmaking and Geoscience to Tackle Climate Issues

Madisyn Burke, an environmental science and geosciences major at Oberlin College, is using her academic and artistic passions to shine a light on climate change and environmental justice. Madisyn recently created an interactive ArcGIS Story Map reflecting on her time abroad in London, where she studied the British-Irish Ice Sheet. The project highlights the role of geoscience in tackling climate issues and demonstrates how studying Earth’s past can inform our understanding of today’s environmental challenges.

Her passion for environmental justice is rooted in her hometown of Chicago. In 2021, Madisyn learned of a hunger strike led by Southeast Side residents protesting the proposed relocation of a metal scrapyard from a predominantly white neighborhood to their lower-income, majority-Black and brown community.

My passion for the environment grows every day, and the issues don’t get resolved overnight.

“It felt like Chicago didn’t care,” Madisyn said. “There was minimal news coverage. Imagine the playground kids use getting them sick—like getting asthma from the power plant.”

Witnessing this inequity ignited her interest in environmental studies. Madisyn soon gravitated toward geosciences, a discipline she believes “helps explain why the world is the way it is.”

“My passion for the environment grows every day, and the issues don’t get resolved overnight,” she said. “We need more people of color in environmental science because that perspective is critical when it comes to policy, legislation and community impact.”

Last summer, Madisyn joined the Danenberg Oberlin-in-London Program, where she challenged herself in a 300-level geoscience course typically reserved for upperclassmen. Under the guidance of Professor Amanda Schmidt, she studied glacial processes and explored natural landscapes across Ireland and Britain, including Cairngorms National Park and the Northern Irish Glacier.

Eager to synthesize her experience, Madisyn turned to ArcGIS Story Map, a digital storytelling tool. Her project combined photos, videos, and written narrative to document four key geographic sites and her evolving understanding of environmental science.

“As a lover of both the arts and sciences, I wanted a way to document my travels while connecting them to my studies,” she said. “Using ArcGIS helped me explore the world through a geomorphological lens while also expressing myself creatively.”

Printmaking has been my primary medium since high school and being able to teach while deepening my own knowledge was unforgettable.

Back in the U.S., Madisyn continued merging art and science. During winter term, she served as a teaching assistant for two college-level courses: Experimental Printmaking at Agnes Scott College and History of Photography at Georgia State University. Under the mentorship of artist and professor Joel Silverman, she gained experience supporting students in studio work, offering technical guidance, and assisting with syllabus planning.

“I helped students explore how environmental and real-world themes could be expressed through their artwork,” Madisyn said on LinkedIn. “Printmaking has been my primary medium since high school and being able to teach while deepening my own knowledge was unforgettable.”

Outside of the classroom, Madisyn stays active and engaged. She runs track and field, dances with the And What? dance team, and is a member of the Black Student Athletes Group and Sisters of the Yam, an affinity group for Black women and femme-identifying students. She also continues to develop her skills as a printmaker and photographer, often tying her creative work to environmental themes.

Madisyn’s future plans are wide-ranging but focused on one goal: making a meaningful difference. She hopes to work with an environmental agency, pursue sustainable agriculture, or become an urban planner—all with the goal of protecting the Earth and its most vulnerable communities.

“My goal is to become the biggest activist I can be,” she said. “I want to work with an organization that shares my values and is committed to changing our current system.”