Foundation News

PLATTEVILLE- The IIW Engineering and Surveying Corporation and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Foundation together have established the IIW Engineers & Surveyors Scholarship.

The scholarship, which will be awarded annually in the amount of $500 per student to offset the cost of tuition, shall be awarded to incoming freshmen with a declared major of either civil engineering or building construction management. Only students who graduated from a high school in Grant, Iowa or Lafayette counties of Wisconsin; Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque or Jackson counties of Iowa; or Carroll or Jo Daviess counties of Illinois are eligible for the scholarship. The student's high school G.P.A. must be no lower than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent).

The scholarship is renewable for up to four years for a total of $2,000 per recipient. To be eligible to renew the scholarship, a recipient must remain in either the building construction management or civil engineering major program as well as maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0 or better.

"The UWP Foundation is grateful for IIW's support of these growing majors and the Tri-State Initiative," stated Holly Kaiser, director of development for the UWP Foundation. "We are excited to have this scholarship available to tri-state students interested in IIW Engineers and Surveyors, P.C., is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and provides civil, structural and architectural services. IIW works with many groups including, but not limited to, cities, governmental and county agencies, commercial organizations as well as owners of private property to provide creative and traditional design solutions.

"We wanted to help out deserving students financially and get more high school students excited about engineering," said Tim Tranel, vice president of IIW Engineers and Surveyors. "We know UWP prepares students very well to enter the engineering consulting world. The practical problem-solving approaches and real-world knowledge gained in the curriculum has been evident with UWP-educated employees."

IIW currently employees 12 UWP graduate engineers, four graduates from various construction technology programs and one graduate from the agriculture program.

IIW's chief executive officer, Mike Jansen, is active with the UWP Alumni Association and UWP Foundation Board of Directors. "Many UWP graduates know how to teach themselves, which is essential as they move through an ever-changing career," said Jansen. "The learning never stops and the UWP provides a solid foundation for intellectual curiosity to expand knowledge and accept challenges. Many of our staff, including myself, have a genuine obligation to UWP because of the opportunities it has provided for us, so we are proud to support UWP's mission as well with this scholarship."

For more information about the scholarship or to find out how to set up your own scholarship, contact Kaiser at (608) 342-1879 or kaiserh@uwplatt.edu.

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PLATTEVILLE- University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Mike Jacobson, Ph.D. in biochemistry, has established the Alice Keegan Memorial Scholarship for Riverdale High School. It was because of Keegan's inspiring and dedicated role as an educator that Jacobson chose to honor her in this way.

The scholarship recipient must be an incoming freshman who graduated from Riverdale High School in Muscoda with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent) and who has declared a major in chemistry. If there are no incoming freshmen from Riverdale with that major, the scholarship will be available to continuing students from Riverdale with chemistry majors. The scholarship will be opened to new freshmen and continuing students from Riverdale with either biology or education majors if there are still no eligible students found. The first scholarship will be awarded in spring 2010.

Keegan, a chemistry teacher at Riverdale during the 1950s and 1960s, greatly influenced Jacobson to pursue further education at UWP. He graduated with a degree in chemistry and later earned his Ph.D. from Kansas State University.

In establishing the scholarship Jacobson said, "A great teacher at the right time can make a lasting impact. Alice Keegan was a great teacher of chemistry."

After receiving his Ph.D., Jacobson went on to teach at many different universities across the nation. Heavily involved in research concerning niacin's role in human health, he helped found Niadyne Inc., a company dedicated to understanding niacin's function and use in clinical applications. He now lives with his wife Elaine in Tuscon, Ariz.

Jacobson is a strong supporter of UWP; the Alice Keegan Memorial Scholarship is the second scholarship he has established with the UWP Foundation. The first was in honor of his former UWP chemistry professor, Dwight Klaassen, Ph.D. in biochemistry.

"Dr. Jacobson's support of UWP is greatly appreciated. He has done a tremendous job showing appreciation for the people that influenced his life during his education," stated Holly Kaiser of the UWP Foundation, who worked with Jacobson to establish the scholarship. "I believe this scholarship will encourage more students from Riverdale High School to continue their education at UWP in the field of chemistry."

For more information about scholarship donations, contact Kaiser at (608) 342-1879 or kaiserh@uwplatt.edu.

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PLATTEVILLE- University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumni Mike and Bernadette Routhieaux have established a new scholarship in honor of legendary coach Lester "Butch" Leitl.

The Coach Leitl Student Leadership Scholarship is available to any continuing student from Wisconsin, Illinois or Iowa with a minimum of 30 credits completed and a declared major within the School of Agriculture. Students applying for the scholarship must also demonstrate leadership abilities within a team setting inside or outside the classroom and be involved in extra-curricular activities like organizations, clubs or sports. Applicants must also display a strong work ethic as shown by part-time employment either on or off campus.

The scholarship will be awarded annually and will offset the cost of tuition. The scholarship amount is $1,000 per year.

"This is my way of saying thanks for his support," said Mike Routhieaux, class of 1965. "Coach Leitl will always have a special place in my heart. I do believe there are people who influence who you eventually become. Coach Leitl had a real personality," added Routhieaux, who played football for Leitl. "His players had a real love for him. He had a great, very subtle sense of humor and had such appreciation for a win. You could meet 100 guys and forget 99 of them but you could never, never forget him."

This is not the first time Leitl has been honored. In November 2008, the Pioneers' football field was dedicated and named after him. In addition to the field naming, a Leitl scholarship was established by several former players at the time of Leitl's retirement from the university. Routhieaux's annual scholarship will add to the more than 130 scholarships that have been awarded in Leitl's name.

"It was a pleasure to work with Mike to set up this scholarship to honor Coach Leitl, a person Mike feels truly influenced his life," said Holly Kaiser, director of development at the UW-Platteville Foundation. "A great part of my job is working with alumni who desire to honor a former coach, professor or classmate by establishing a scholarship or fund in their name."

For more information about scholarship donations, contact Kaiser at (608) 342-1879 or kaiserh@uwplatt.edu.

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PLATTEVILLE - The Pioneer Gardens and Greenhouse at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville were created to provide a hands-on environment for UWP students and faculty to interact, teach and learn. Thanks to the generosity of Mansel (class of 1948) and Dottie Johns, longtime supporters and friends of UWP, the Pioneer Gardens will continue to grow.

On Friday, July 24, a dedication ceremony was held to honor Dottie and her support of the newly named Dottie Johns Pioneer Gardens. Dennis Cooley, assistant chancellor for University Advancement and executive director of the UWP Foundation, welcomed everyone and expressed the importance of the Pioneer Gardens. "Pioneer Gardens is literally a place where our campus comes to life. UWP has made it a tradition to have beautiful grounds, accented by the landscaping work of our maintenance and grounds staff."

Mike Compton, director of the UWP School of Agriculture and a professor of ornamental horticulture and plant biotechnology, explained the long-term goals of the Pioneer Gardens. According to Compton, the mission of the Pioneer Gardens and Greenhouse is education. He said under the support of Mansel and Dottie Johns and other gifts from loyal alumni and friends, the gardens will be able to impact not only the university but the surrounding community of Platteville, as well.

"Eventually, we would like the university and community to participate in self-guided tours of the gardens," said Compton. Compton added that another goal is to have the gardens act as an outdoor laboratory for landscape management students to communicate with community members about what plants grow best in the area.

Chancellor Emeritus David Markee expressed thanks to Dottie Johns for her support. "The Johnses are very good friends and important people to us and their support will impact our students and programs. In the next five to 10 years, this site will be impactful as it relates to activities and events on campus," Markee added.

Cooley gave a short tribute to Dottie. "We are honored by the generosity of Mansel and Dottie Johns, which led to today's ceremony when we dedicate this wonderful patch of earth as the Dottie Johns Pioneer Garden."

The ceremony was concluded with a few words from Dottie, overwhelmed by the beauty of the gardens and thankful for the honor. "It couldn't be any more beautiful," said Dottie.

For more information, contact Cooley at (608) 342-1309 or cooleyde@uwplatt.edu.

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PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Foundation has initiated the Pioneer Farm Fence Sponsorship Project. The project will use the fence located adjacent to the walking path between the Cooper Living and Learning Center and the Agriculture Technology Center.

The project was started to recognize the outstanding contributions of the UWP community and give them the opportunity to sponsor Pioneer Farm. When the project is finished UWP Foundation will host a fence dedication to showcase everyone's name on his/her respective board or post.

Funds to support future enhancements to Pioneer Farm will be divided among the Dairy, Swine and Beef Center. There are 150 boards and 75 posts available for sponsorship. The cost to name a board is $500 and the cost to name a post is $250.

Four boards have already been sold to Livingston State Bank, Cuba City Feed Mill, LLC, and the others to UWP Alumni.

"The Pioneer Farm Fence Project is similar to that of the 'M' steps project which raised funds for the New Engineering building, but this reaches out to our Agriculture Alumni. This is a great way for people to have the opportunity to put their name on a little piece of UWP," said Bevan.

Questions about the project should be directed to Jaclyn Bevan, UWP Foundation development officer, at (608) 342-1846 or zimmermanj@uwplatt.edu.

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PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Foundation had much to celebrate on Sunday, June 28 at the annual Donor Recognition Brunch. It was a time to recognize the past, present and future of UWP as alumni and friends gathered to honor supporters who have played a major role in funding the various scholarships, capital projects, development funds and other initiatives at UWP. Those present at the dinner were just a few of the more than 10,000 current donors who support UWP.

Guests were welcomed by Dennis Cooley, executive director of the UWP Foundation, who described this year as "One of the best years ever for the UWP Foundation," thanks to the support of UWP alumni and friends and the hard work of UWP's development officers. As Cooley introduced Chancellor David Markee to speak, he acknowledged that it was the chancellor's final address at the annual donor event.

Markee thanked those present at the brunch. "It is a great honor to have you here," Markee said. "I am pleased with the support and participation in projects that have allowed the university to grow and am excited about the leadership we have on campus."

The growth of the university is made possible in part by the strong enrollment numbers-1,600 new freshmen are coming to UWP this year, making the total number of students at UWP over 8,000. Markee explained the importance of the Tri-State Initiative to this growth and noted the development of new programs at UWP: MEMS/nanotechnology, forensic investigation, renewable energy systems, social and environmental justice and the Pioneer Academic Center for Community Engagement. The Confucius Institute, Engineering Hall, reconstruction of Williams Fieldhouse and the expansion of the Pioneer Farm have also furthered the growth of UWP, according to Markee. "Ottensman and Boebel halls are next on the project list," Markee added.

After Markee spoke, a student group from the Engineers without Borders program at UWP gave a presentation on the group's work in African villages near Ghana. They have been traveling to Africa every year since 2007, addressing infrastructure needs and teaching the villagers how to fix problem areas themselves. The group has donated 500 pounds of textbooks, medical supplies and soccer balls to the villages.

Four individuals were honored as distinguished service award recipients. This award is given to those who have significantly served UWP and its mission. Recipients of this award have enhanced UWP's reputation by substantially contributing time and/or gifts for its benefit or have influenced others to develop a similar relationship with the university. During the brunch, Roman and Joan Borkovec, Lloyd Linden and Linda Pauls Fleming were recognized with this honor.

The brunch was concluded with a comment from Cooley, "Every year we get stronger, Chancellor Markee always found ways and opportunities for UWP to grow."

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PLATTEVILLE - Ubersox Chrysler Inc. is helping the University of Wisconsin-Platteville continue and grow its Traveling Technology program through the donation of the use of a truck. Traveling Technology is designed to increase enrollment in the department of industrial studies manufacturing program and introduce high school students to the manufacturing industry.

"We felt it was a good thing to do. If we can help, why not help," said Mike Ubersox, owner of Ubersox Chrysler Inc. of Platteville.

Kyle Metzloff, professor of metal technology takes four students to high schools around the tri-state area for a one-day workshop as part of Traveling Technology. They bring an electric kiln and safety gear with them. During the workshop, students watch and participate in casting demonstrations. They also get information about the UWP industrial studies program and career opportunities in manufacturing. The truck will be used to tow the trailer that will carry the kiln and gear.

Over 100 students came to the first demonstration at Dodgeville High School in October 2008. "Kyle was extremely knowledgeable. I would absolutely recommend this program to other high schools. A lot of schools don't have anything like this to expose students to manufacturing and careers in manufacturing," said John Moran, technology education teacher at Dodgeville High School.

Before the truck use donation, Metzloff used his own vehicle. "We had no way of towing the trailer with our (UWP's) vehicles. We needed something with enough towing capacity that would fit all our students. I really appreciate the use of the truck," said Metzloff.

The Ubersox trucks that Metzloff can use are all crew cabs that seat six people with a towing capacity of 8,000 pounds.

Ubersox said that the donation also benefits his business by giving it recognition and building relations with UWP. "I feel fortunate to be in a college town. It was nice to give back. I hope some people at the college will work with us in the future," said Ubersox.

Anyone wanting more information about or to contribute to the Traveling Technology program may contact Metzloff at (608) 342-1142 or metzlofk@uwplatt.edu. Anyone wanting more information about the truck donation may contact Jackie Bevan, development officer for the UWP Foundation, at (608) 342-1864 or zimmermanj@uwplatt.edu.

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