Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced that it will begin offering an online undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice, with a minor in business administration. The program is being developed with funding from the Strategic Program Development Initiative (SPDI), UW-Division of Outreach and E-Learning Extension.

The $225,000 grant over three years is designed to serve non-traditional students currently employed in law enforcement. There are approximately 15,000 law enforcement officers in Wisconsin who have an associate degree or equivalent, but a significant number of those do not have a bachelor's degree. For those personnel who have a bachelor's degree in a different discipline, adding the B.S. in criminal justice will enhance their law enforcement and administrative practices knowledge. According to Susan Hilal, assistant professor of criminal justice and coordinator of the online program, this program will allow working professionals to move into supervisory or administrative roles and/or continue their education at the master's level. "From a student standpoint, it will provide an opportunity for many law enforcement officers and others working in or who are interested in criminal justice to complete their bachelor's degree from one of the best undergraduate criminal justice programs in the state of Wisconsin. For many of these students, without a distance education opportunity, they may be unable to complete their degrees, which, among other things, could limit their advancement opportunities," Hilal said. She also explained that students can complete their general education requirements by completing courses online offered by other UW colleges. Upon completion of the bachelor's degree, many students may also choose to pursue an advanced degree, such as the UWP Master of Science in Criminal Justice, currently offered online.

Hilal said that the academic, administrative, technical and financial support is now in place to begin delivery of the program in fall 2006. Dawn Drake, executive director of Alternative Delivery Systems, said this program will be a strong addition to UWP's distance learning offerings. "We are very excited to add to our array of online degree programs that will serve non traditional students in the state of Wisconsin and beyond. We are also extremely grateful to UW-Extension for the start-up funding that we are receiving to launch this program. The grant will allow us to continue to grow in our strong tradition of offering degrees at a distance," she said.

Contact: Susan Hilal, professor and coordinator of the online Criminal Justice undergraduate degree program, (608) 342-1494,hilals@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - For the month of March, the Multicultural Educational Resource Center (MERC) will host several events on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus. On March 6, the Student Organization of Latinos is sponsoring a movie night and discussion at 7 p.m. in the Platteville East Room of the Pioneer Student Center. The movie, "Neuba Yol," is about a man named Balbeuna, a Dominican who moves to New York looking for a better life. The following discussion will focus on the hardships the people in the Dominican Republic must face in order to come to the United States, and their continued struggle once they arrive. On March 7, there will be an open forum starting at 7 p.m. in the University Room of the Pioneer Student Center. This forum will address White Identity Development, which promotes the development of positive white identity as it relates to racism in the United States.

On March 20, Wilma Mankiller, the first modern female leader of the Cherokee Nations, will be coming to UWP for a book signing and a lecture presentation entitled "Controlling Our Own Image: The Public Perception of Native Americans." Her presentation will focus on identifying and combating stereotypes of the Native American people. Mankiller has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, in addition to the International Women's Hall of Fame, and holds 18 honorary doctorates including one from Yale, Dartmouth and Smith Colleges. She is the author of "Mankiller: A Chief and Her People," which documents her story of becoming the first female chief of the Cherokee tribe. Mankiller also organized "Every Day is a Good Day: Reflections of Contemporary Indigenous Women," a collection of writings from various Native American women. The lecture will begin at 6 p.m. in the University Room of the Pioneer Student Center.

On March 22, an open forum event regarding the 1712 Willie Lynch Letter will be held at 11:30 a.m. and again at 7 p.m. in the Platteville East and West rooms of the Pioneer Student Center. Among other topics, Lynch's idea that "there is a process to make a slave and a method to control people of color" will be discussed. All these events are free and open to the public.

Contact: Carlos Wiley, MERC director (608) 342-1132,wileyc@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Kym Bliven, Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,blivenk@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Christopher Wilson will open the University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science (EMS) sponsored Nanotechnology lecture series. Wilson, a fall 2003 UWP graduate in mechanical engineering, has been working as a system testing and manufacturing engineer with Hysitron, the world leader in nanomechanical test instruments.

Wilson's presentation, "Nanomechanical Testing: A Practical Approach," will address how advancements in materials science has pushed structures and related properties into a nanoscale range out of reach for traditional mechanical testing measures. The discussion will be related to Hysitron's quantifiable nanoscale testing line of instruments and the company's approach to nanomechanical testing as an extension to traditional testing methods.

The spring 2006 semester marks the first semester UWP is offering an interdisciplinary class on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems and Nanotechnology. The lecture series serves as a complement to the course and will be given by individuals in the field of nanotechnology, including researchers, engineers and academic specialists.

Wilson's presentation will take place on March 2 at 4 p.m. in Room 222 of Ottensman Hall on the UWP campus. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Hisham Abdel-Aal, UWP assistant professor of general engineering, at (608) 342-1515 or via e-mail atabdelaah@uwplatt.edu

Contact: Hisham Abdel-Aal, General Engineering, (608) 342-1515,abdelaah@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Rachael Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, ehrr@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Mike Compton, University of Wisconsin-Platteville professor of agriculture, has been selected to participate in the 2006-07 Wisconsin Teaching Scholars program. Each year, outstanding faculty and academic staff with over 10 years of teaching experience are named to this UW System program, which is sponsored by the Office of Professional and Instructional Development (OPID).

The project Compton will develop while participating in the program is an interactive management simulation exercise for his greenhouse operations and management class. Compton said he has been pondering the idea in response to employers' feedback that they wish students possessed more confidence and experience in making management decisions when they enter the workforce. The simulator, he believes, will be a good teaching tool to challenge students in making decisions associated with growing crops in a commercial greenhouse. "I hope this project will help us to achieve several of the student learning outcomes aimed at fostering the development of students to think creatively and critique new and common practices, develop diagnostic skills and learn to work in teams," he said. Mark Zidon, director of the School of Agriculture, said that Compton is always seeking ways to engage students in real world experiences. "Mike does a great job of serving students. When students graduate, they are ready to go to work in ornamental horticulture. This project is just another example of his ability to prepare students for the workplace," said Zidon.

Throughout the 2006-07 academic year, Compton will participate in several OPID sponsored events, beginning with Faculty College in May and a one week Summer Institute in Madison in June. Anyone interested in learning more about Compton's simulation project may contact him at (608) 342-1323.

Contact: Duane Ford, dean, UWP College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture, (608) 342-1547, fordd@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - When pursuing an education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, students are given a wide variety of opportunities to broaden their horizons through classes, study abroad experiences, and multi-cultural activities. For UWP students, Toni Bockhop, Melissa Auck, Karli Luchterhand, Tracey Gross, Brandon Ehret, Andy Hahn and Marsha Pauly, the experience of gaining more perspective on diversity came in the form of a two-week winter course offered through the School of Education.

The ethnic and gender equity in education winter course, while offered in the traditional setting during fall and spring semesters, gives students an opportunity to experience diversity when traveling to Itta Bena, Miss., for a week in January. This year, seven students and two advisors, Tom LoGuidice and Rick Bockhop, took the journey after spending two days in the classroom to prepare. Although the course is offered through the School of Education, any university student may sign up to take it as it also correlates with the general education requirement of ethnic studies. In fact, having a group of students with assorted majors can aid to the experience in general. "Our group was diverse in backgrounds and future goals," says Toni Bockhop. "By being with each other and going through the entire Delta experience together, it benefited everyone to see what each person got out of the experience."

The experience in the south allowed UWP students a chance to stay in dorms at the Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). UWP and MVSU have had an exchange relationship for the past five years. According to LoGuidice, "The course is a part of a greater partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Mississippi Valley State University. The partnership includes a tuition exchange for students and faculty exchange as well." To date, UWP faculty from criminal justice, education and the humanities have taken part in the exchange and three UWP students have taken advantage of the opportunity as well, although no MVSU students have yet studied at Platteville. LoGuidice continues in stating that, "The program is a cultural exchange program allowing two rural universities, one historically black and the other white, to provide for new opportunities to students." While there, education students were able to attend a local school of their choice for a day to see the similarities and differences between standards in Wisconsin and Mississippi. Non-education majors were able to tour several local businesses dealing with catfish farming and cotton fields. Together, the group visited the Delta Research Center, the Kermit the Frog museum, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, the St. Louis Arch, the Old Courthouse where the Dred Scott decision was made, and several other locations along the way. "I didn't know what to expect with this class, but I have gained a whole new perspective about the racial situation in our country," comments Gross. "The places we visited and the people we met helped not only to enlighten me about the diversity of the U.S., but also to see that so many people are still affected by racism."

An agricultural student, Auck, was able to learn more about farming in other parts of the U.S. She says that the experience has opened her eyes to more than just the dairy, beef and crop farming of Wisconsin. "Although I have traveled quite a bit in my life," states Pauly, "my experience in Mississippi allowed me to recognize the importance of history as it speaks to the world today. Understanding and accepting cultural histories can assist people in taking the first step in making the world a more tolerant place to live." Auck, a senior from Wautoma, is majoring in agricultural education and animal science with a dairy emphasis. She is the daughter of Mike Auck and Ellen Auck. Toni Bockhop, a sophomore from Platteville, is daughter of Richard and Cheryl Bockhop. She is majoring in accounting with a minor in agricultural business. Gross is a senior secondary education English major from Mount Horeb. She is the wife of Scott Gross and mother of Jake and Jesi. Luchterhand is a senior elementary education major from Racine and daughter of Karl and Karen Luchterhand. Pauly, a senior secondary education major in history and theater, is the daughter of Craig and Cynthia Pauly of Manitowoc. Hahn is a senior secondary math education major and son of Steve and Denise Hahn of Sussex and Ehret, a senior physical education major, is the son of Wally and Tracey Ehret of Clinton.

Contact: Tom LoGuidice, director of Teaching Excellence Center, (608) 342-1740, loguidit@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Marsha Pauly, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,paulym@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The annual Midwest Regional Conference and Steel Bridge Competition will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville this year. The conference, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and other local engineering firms, will run from Thursday, March 2 to Saturday, March 4. Students who are ASCE chapter members may register for the conference and go to a social on Thursday night at the Ullsvik Center, attend an all day conference and banquet on Friday, also at the Ullsvik Center, and participate in the competition on Saturday. The public is welcome to attend the competition, which will begin at 8 a.m. and last until 4 p.m., located on the indoor track at the Pioneer Activity Center.

The Midwest Regional Conference brings together all of the ASCE student chapters from civil engineering programs throughout the Midwest states. The conference gives ASCE members a chance to gain valuable hands-on experience by competing in steel bridge design and construction. In addition, the conference will consist of presentations by practicing professionals, a paper competition, local educational tours, and networking through banquets and group activities. The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the ASCE, and a grant from the 1866 Fund through the UWP Foundation sponsor the Steel Bridge Competition. At the competition, teams of ASCE students will design and fabricate one-tenth scale models of steel bridges based on a 30-page rulebook. Teams are timed on how quickly the bridges are constructed over a designated "river." The bridges are then loaded with 2,500 lbs., and deflection is measured. Construction efficiency is calculated by multiplying the team's construction time by the number of builders per team. Points are deducted if certain events occur, such as a construction team member dropping a tool or stepping into the "river." Structural efficiency is calculated by deflection to weight ratio. Teams are ranked by total efficiencies. The top two schools will move onto the National Steel Bridge Competition, which will be held early this summer at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Universities that will be participating in the conference and competition at UWP include Lakehead University (Canada); UWP; University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Minnesota State University, Mankato; University of Iowa; Iowa State University; North Dakota State University; South Dakota State University; and the University of North Dakota. These schools, except for Lakehead University, rotate the honor of hosting this event. UWP hasn't hosted since 1998 and won't host again until 2014. ASCE is a national professional society with headquarters in Reston, Va. Currently there are over 137,000 national members of ASCE. At UW-Platteville, ASCE is a student-run organization involving civil and environmental engineering majors. More than 150 student members make up this professional engineering organization. The student chapter is currently one of the largest student organizations on campus. ASCE has been recognized as one of the nation's outstanding chapters in recent years. For more information on UW-Platteville's ASCE student chapter, please contact Elizabeth Miemietz, president, at miemiete@uwplatt.edu. Interested persons may also go to the website at "http:// www.uwplatt.edu/org/asce/ to learn more about ASCE and the conference.

Contact: Matthew Roberts, professor of civil and environmental engineering and UWP ASCE advisor, (608) 342-1535, robertmat@uwplatt.edu, or Adam Faris, hosting chair, 2006 ASCE Mid-West Regional Conference, (920) 418-4718, farisa@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Teresa Brunner, ASCE member, brunnete@uwplatt.edu and Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,mckinnka@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Office of Continuing Education will be hosting the 19th annual Early Childhood Conference on the Platteville campus from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. The daylong event offers childcare providers the perfect opportunity to learn new skills, network with others in the profession and enjoy inspirational presentations from highly respected speakers.

The theme of this year's conference is "Live, Laugh and Learn." Participants may attend up to three workshops during the day and may choose from such topics as childcare credentials; infusing humor, music and play into the childcare center; understanding child behavior; and tips on establishing your own childcare business. This year's keynote speaker, Cheryl Kirking, uses laughter, songs and messages about the power of positive living to inspire those who teach and nurture children to reach their full potential. A former teacher herself, Kirking draws upon her background in education, psychology and parenting to enhance her presentations. She is the author of several books, including "Ripples of Joy and Teacher, You're an A+!" She is a regular contributor to the best selling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series and is also a songwriter, having recorded six CDs for adults and children on the Mill Pond musical label. She has written numerous articles on personality types and has been a frequent radio guest on the topic. She is a member of the National Speaker Association and lives in Lake Mills.

The general session speaker, David Landau, is no stranger to the classroom. A former teacher turned storyteller and performer of children's music, Landau shares humorous stories of his own challenges balancing classroom learning and classroom fun during his 11 years as a first grade teacher. Landau enjoys traveling to schools, libraries and preschools to perform musical programs that are educational, entertaining and motivating. He has recorded a CD, "Kids and Kitties." The conference registration fee is $55 for early childhood advocates ($60 after March 10) and $35 for early childhood students ($41 after March 10). The cost includes materials, box lunch and refreshment. Participants may receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Registry Labels at the conclusion of the conference. For complete information, visit http://www.uwplatt.edu/cont_edu, or call the Office of Continuing Education at (608) 342-1314.

Contact and prepared by: Kerie Wedige, (608) 342-1314,wedigek@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host a reception for prospective students on Wednesday, March 1 at the Kenosha Public Museum from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is being sponsored by the engineering firm, Clark-Dietz. Anyone interested in learning more about this reception or the Tri-State Initiative may contact the Office of Student Recruitment at (608) 342-1127 or visit the website at http:// www.uwplatt.edu/admission/tristate.

Contact: Ruth Joyce, manager, UWP Office of Student Recruitment, (608) 342-1127,joyceru@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Students interested in applying for financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA, a federal application, allows students to apply for federal and state aid in the form of grants, loans and the work-study program. All students are welcome to apply.

The FAFSA application process has been made even easier this year by providing online applications. Interested students may visit www.FAFSA.ed.gov to view an online application and additional information. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville School code is 003921. Before beginning the FAFSA application, students should get a personal identification number from the U.S. Department of Education by visiting www.pin.ed.gov. A PIN number allows students to revisit their FAFSA application to correct or update information on processed FAFSA forms. If parental information is provided on FAFSA applications, a student's parents will also need to obtain a PIN number.

Individuals completing the FAFSA will need to provide their social security numbers (SSN) and when using parental information their parents SSN will also be required. If applicable, students may also need to supply driver's license numbers and alien registration numbers. Federal tax information and untaxed income will also be evaluated. The priority date deadline for UWP student applications is March 15. This is a priority date, not a deadline. For more information, students may visit the financial aid office, located on the second floor of Brigham Hall on the UWP campus or contact the office at (608) 342-1836 or 800-616-0412. Interested individuals may request to speak with Sara Davis, Angela Davis or Doris Oduro, all financial aid counselors; Sheila Trotter, assistant director or Liz Tucker, director.

Contact: Sara Davis, financial aid counselor, (608) 342-1836,siegerts@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: Lauren Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, lehrl@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - All Envy Aside, the band formerly known as Envy, which formed on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus in 2002, recently shot a music video of their song "Burning Again" in New York City. Shot during the first week in January, the video premiered nationally on Thursday, Feb. 16. It has been playing on MTV's college station, MTV-University (mtvU), this week, at more than 750 colleges nationwide. Viewer response and the number of downloads will determine how long it will be played beyond that.

The video is part of the band's grand prize mtvU's "Best Music on Campus" winnings, which the band won in May 2005, along with a recording contract with Universal Records. The five-member band includes guitarist Jaek Pachniak, a 2004 UWP mechanical engineering alumnus; guitarist Dan Faherty, a current UWP industrial engineering student; vocalist Amanda Tvedt, a former UWP student; bass guitarist Paul Pachniak; and drummer Nic Fugate.

The group spent four days in New York City; two of those days were spent shooting the video in a studio in lower Manhattan. The band scenes were shot the first day, and the second day focused on shooting Tvedt's "story" scenes. According to Jaek Pachniak and Faherty, the concept of the video is based around a girl, played by Tvedt, who "reflects on a relationship gone wrong. As she purges all reminders of the former relationship from her life, she realizes what truly must be given up to free herself from the past." There were about 15 people on the crew. Faherty said, "They really made us feel important - like it was all about us. ... Making the music video was probably the most exciting thing that I have every done in my college career."

The band's original name was Envy, but they had to change it because a band in Japan that has toured the United States and been in existence for more than 10 years had the same name. Now, All Envy Aside is trying to gain as many fans as possible and build up the band's new name all over Wisconsin. Faherty said, "All five members of All Envy Aside would love to keep playing and do the band as our day job, so we are just working as hard as we can to try and make that happen." Interested persons may download the video of "Burning Again" by logging onto www.bestmusiconcampus.com. They may also learn more about the band, check out behind the scenes footage of the new music video and find out when the band is playing next by logging onto http:// www.alenvyaside.com or http:// www.mtvU.com.

Contact: Dan Faherty, All Envy Aside,dan@allenvyaside.com

Prepared by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,mckinnka@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will be hosting the Southwest Regional Wisconsin Women Higher Education Learning (WWHEL) conference on April 7. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Rooms of the Pioneer Student Center on the UWP campus. This year's conference, "Extending the Reach of Your Financial Headlights," will be presented by Connie Kilmark. The presentation will help participants evaluate how their financial fingerprint was formed and how they can adapt their personal financial strategies to fit their personality. Dubbed, "Dr. Ruth of Money," Kilmark has developed an approach to personal finances that balances the emotional and psychological aspects of money with the facts of finances. Kilmark stated, "To solve the money puzzle, it is not enough to have technical skills. It is just as important to address other matters: mastery of the radioactive emotions of money, ethnic and family history dimensions, couple dynamics and decision making style."

In 1975, Kilmark served as counselor and later as director of the Madison Consumer Credit Counseling Service. There, Kilmark developed a strong foundation, allowing her to open her own practice in 1986. Kilmark and Associates, LLC is committed to empowering clients with the ability to design their own lives and help them use resources of money and time to benefit their goals. Vickie Dreessens, administrative director of student health services, stated, "This conference is a good opportunity for women in higher education to get together and share ideas. Today, women are more independent. Learning about valuable issues, such as financial strategies, allows women to take control of their lives."

The $35 registration fee required to attend this conference is due March 10. For more information, please contact Dreessens at (608) 342-1891 or via e-mail atdreessev@uwplatt.edu Interested individuals may also visitwww.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/WWHEL/Spring_2006_Conference_Announcement.html.

Contact: Vickie Dreessens, administrative director of Student Health Services, (608) 342-1891,dreessev@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Lauren Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, lehrl@uwplatt.edu

Development and maintenance of a business plan is a critical step in the life of any business. For this reason, the Small Business Development Center of Southwestern Wisconsin has made available to the general public, Business Plan Pro 2006. This software takes the user through an established format. When complete, the user will have a professional looking business plan and financial analysis. Software users should come prepared with a way to store work such as a floppy disk.

Print functions and the ability to search sample business plans are also available. Questions on how to use the software, or an orientation as to what kind of information goes into a business plan should be directed to the SBDC office at (608) 342-1038. Locations of computers featuring the Business Plan Pro 2006 software include the Crawford County Job Center office in the Prairie du Chien county administration building; in Grant County: SWTC Job Center, the SWTC library, the UW-Platteville library, the SBDC office in the UWP Pioneer Tower, and the Grant County Job Center in Platteville; in Green County: the Blackhawk Technical College-Monroe Campus library, and the Green County Job Center in Monroe; in Iowa County: the county Job Center office in Dodgeville; in Lafayette County: the county Job Center office in Darlington; and in Richland County: the county Economic Development Office in Richland Center.

Contact and prepared by: Beth Andes-Young, Southwest WI Small Business Development Center, (608) 342-1038 or swsbdc@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced that it is accepting nominations for the 2006 Woman of the Year award. The annual award is sponsored by the University Women's Council and is designed to recognize female employees and students who have an outstanding record of making a difference to the lives of women by supporting the well being and interests of females. Nominations are due March 10. Any female member of the UWP community with an outstanding record of making a difference by supporting the well-being and interests of women may be nominated by any UWP employee, student or affiliate. The criteria are designed to be as inclusive as possible, and to recognize any outstanding individual, regardless of her position or title. Nominees should meet one or more of the following criteria: active support of women through administrative, scholarly or communal efforts; demonstrated leadership regarding women's issues at UWP; success in making a difference in any area of life that leads to the empowerment of females; distinguished service at UWP supporting the well being and interests of women; or exceptional assistance in the form of energy, time, outcomes and other resources - or any combination thereofto UWP women; Anyone interested in obtaining a nomination form may contact Tammy Salmon-Stephens, cochair of the University Women's Council, 148 Ottensman Hall, at (608) 342-1563 orsalmont@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Tammy Salmon-Stephens, co-chair, University Women's Council,salmont@uwplatt.edu., (608) 342-1563 Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relaitons, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - On Wednesday, March 8, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Chamber Choir, Concert Choir and University Singers will be performing the Mozart Requiem to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Richard and Helen Brodbeck Concert Hall, located in the Center for the Arts building on the UWP campus.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756. His Requiem Mass in D Minor was started in 1791, scant months before Mozart's own death. This piece remains one of his most recognized works today. "The Requiem is one of the four or five greatest pieces of choral music ever written," says Robert Demaree, director of UWP's Chamber Choir. "It is a famous, famous piece." Gregg Dennis, director of UWP's Concert Choir and University Singers, notes, "For about 50 years after it was written, whenever a funeral mass was performed for someone of great importance, it was never anything but Mozart's Requiem. It was that popular."

For the concert, Demaree will be conducting the groups. Soloists from both the choirs and orchestra will be featured in the concert. The choirs are supported by donations from SUFAC, in addition to the Mary and Isabel Cunningham and Margaret Keizer funds.

Contact: Robert Demaree, UWP music professor, (608) 342-1446, demaree@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Kym Bliven, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,blivenk@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Each year, the Imaging Media Group (IMG) and the Exponent publish an arts magazine called Alt.Arts, featuring works of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville community. The students of the IMG, with cooperation and support of the Exponent, will be publishing their third annual magazine with the release date of March 2.

In 2005, IMG was awarded Best of Show, Art and Literature, first place, at The Associated Collegiate Best of the Midwest College Newspaper Convention, Minneapolis, Minn., for their annual publication. IMG and Art Club members will be featured in an art show at the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery on the UWP campus from March 7 to April 1. The opening will be Tuesday, March 7 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The Nohr Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 12 to 3 p.m.

Contact: Christine Holtz, assistant professor, department of communication technologies, (608) 342-1634, holtzc@uwplatt.edu

Formatted by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, mckinnka@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Kristopher Wright, University of Wisconsin-Platteville assistant professor of biology, has been selected to be a 2006-07 Wisconsin Teaching Fellow. The Wisconsin Teaching Fellows Program is designed for early career untenured faculty and teaching academic staff who show educational promise as college teachers. Wright is in his fifth year at UWP. In applying to the program, Wright said he felt that he was at a critical point in his teaching career, having accomplished many of his early goals as a teacher, advisor and scholar, but feeling as though there was still a great deal yet to learn.

Through the years, he has focused on helping his students, particularly struggling students, develop strategies for learning beyond mere memorization. "I'd like to broaden that concept and develop these strategies into a more comprehensive effort to help all students get beyond memorizing. I teach a lot of high content, high concept courses and because of that, students can't just memorize and be successful. I want to help them learn how to integrate and apply information better, and I think this opportunity with the Wisconsin Teaching Fellows will help me do that," he explained. Wayne Weber, chair of the biology department, said that Wright has made many contributions during his time at UWP. "Kris has been quite active in curriculum and pedagogical innovation. For example, he has used extensive experiential learning opportunities in his Freshwater Ecology course where students are in a stream surveying vertebrate and invertebrate populations and monitoring stream conditions. He has associated this project with the development of critical thinking skills by having students directly applying scientific analysis in stream ecology.. This is just one example of why Kris shows such promise of being an exceptional teacher," Weber said.

In addition to completing a classroom research project, Wright will attend the office of Professional and Instructional Development's Faculty College in May, as well as the Summer Institute in Madison, in June. He will have further opportunities to network with other Teaching Fellows at OPID sponsored events throughout the year. Anyone interested in learning more about Wright's work may contact him at (608) 342-1234 orwrightk@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Wayne Weber, chair, UWP Department of Biology, weberw@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The UW System has awarded a grant to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to continue the third year of the Improving Early Literacy project. The project, directed by Gwendolyn Coe, professor of teacher education, is designed to improve teacher quality through additional training in advancing early literacy in pre-k, kindergarten and grades one and two.

Sixty teachers from 20 school districts in Southwest Wisconsin will receive training and college credit under the program during 2006-07. Some of the teaching strategies they will learn are scaffolded writing, strategies to improve memory and attention, and early literacy assessments that focus on phonological awareness, print awareness, concept of word, and fluency. Coe said the workshops have been well received and feedback from early learning teachers has been quite positive. Cindy Terrill is a Title 1 and Reading Specialist for the Pecatonia School District who has been attending the training sessions and found the scaffolded writing particularly effective. "The Early Literacy Workshop provided me with a myriad of ideas ranging from cues to use during transition times, visual cues and verbal phrases (external mediators) to prompt reading and listening activities, and most especially "scaffolding writing" procedures to use to enhance emergent writers ... We've been so impressed with what the students have been able to communicate on paper, from their initial drawings to full sentences," Terrill said.

Another workshops participant, Jamie Hartwig, is a pre-k teacher for the Platteville School District. Hartwig said she believes the workshops are making her more aware of the value of "external mediators." "Professionally, I am more aware of and use external mediators, or tools that we discussed in the workshop. They are an easy way to help me help the children who are struggling without singling them out because everyone in class can benefit from them," Hartwig explained. Anyone interested in learning more about the workshops may contact Coe at (608) 342-1294.

Contact: Gwendolyn Coe, assistant professor, School of Education, (608) 342-1294,coe@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Evelyn Martens, Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Patricia Foster, director of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Patricia A. Doyle Women's Center, will receive the campus Woman of Color award for 2006. Each year, the University of Wisconsin System recognizes 16 women from around the state for their extensive contributions to their campus and community. The event is organized and supported by the UW System Women's Studies Consortium and Office of Diversity and Development, and they are joined in co-sponsorship this year by the UW-Eau Claire Women's Studies Program.

Foster has been the director of the women's center since 2002 and during that time she has presented a number of papers and workshops and developed numerous programs on women's issues. In collaboration with other campus organizations, she has played a critical role in bringing to UWP such guests as world famous poet Nikki Giovanni, educator Jane Elliot, noted speaker Sarah Weddington, and the first Hmong senator from Minnesota, Mee Moua. She has also been a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet and has provided diversity training for several academic programs, including engineering and humanities.

Michael Viney, assistant chancellor for Student Affairs, said Foster has worked hard to bring meaningful programming to campus. "A significant contribution Pat has made to campus is the diversity of programming, particularly programming focusing on the contributions of women. She has utilized her significant network of colleagues and contacts from across the country to bring speakers to campus who have both inspired and challenged the members of our community," Viney said.

Prior to her becoming the director of the women's center, Foster served as the director of Multicultural Services and was the Plan 2008 campus representative. She also implemented the Lawton Grant program for underprivileged and minority students, served on the student of color retention committee, coordinated five pre-college camps and worked in an advisory capacity with several student organizations. She has also served as the human rights commissioner for the City of Dubuque. Carmen Faymonville, chair of the Humanities Department and former director of the Women's Studies program (2001-04), said that Foster has been tireless in her advocacy for women's issues. "I have worked with Pat and found her to be a dedicated and infallible supporter of women's issues. Like no other woman on campus, she has advocated for women of color and all women here on campus. She has consistently demonstrated her ability to rally diverse voices and forces together to advance the agenda of women, particularly women of color," said Faymonville. For Foster, advancing the interests of women means that all voices must be part of the dialogue. "Women's issues are everyone's issues. After all, men have mothers, sisters, wives, daughters - they certainly have an interest in working for conditions which foster education and economic well-being. And when we talk about 'diversity,' we're talking about what I call 'feed the family' issues. How can we assure that every student we educate can thrive in society, work with people of diverse backgrounds and are accustomed to hearing from people who are different? These are very practical educational issues and that's how I try to approach them," she said.

Foster and the recipients from other UW System campuses will be honored at a luncheon and award ceremony on March 4 at the UW-Eau Claire campus. Anyone interested in attending the event may visit www.uwsa.edu/acadaff/womens/events/woc/woc.htm for details

Contact: Michael Viney, vice chancellor, Division of Student Affairs, (608) 342-1854, vineym@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Career opportunities in federal law enforcement is the topic of the keynote address for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's 33rd annual Criminal Justice Career Day. This year's speaker is 1977 UWP alumnus Richard Byrd, director of the Atlanta Field Compliance Services of the Wage and Investment division of the Internal Revenue Service. Byrd has experience as a federal agent, supervisor and executive, both in the field and at the Washington D.C. headquarters. President Bush has honored him for his outstanding community service volunteer work.

Byrd will discuss the vast array of federal law enforcement jobs available to 2006 criminal justice graduates. Besides the more familiar jobs with the FBI, Secret Service, ATF or DEA, Byrd notes that there are at least 50 other federal law enforcement agencies in need of new agents. His presentation is open to the public and will be held March 6, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Velzy South Room of the Ullsvik Center.

The annual Criminal Justice Career Day has been hosted by the Criminal Justice Association since 1972 and has grown to become the largest criminal justice career day in the upper Midwest. In 2005, representatives from 70 criminal justice organizations attended, including federal, state and local enforcement groups; military investigations; state and federal corrections; social services agencies; and private protection services.

In addition to its highly regarded on-campus undergraduate criminal justice program, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville also offers an online graduate degree in criminal justice and online non-credit supervisory training courses. For more information about the criminal justice program or about Criminal Justice Career Day, contact Professor Joe Lomax, chair of the Criminal Justice Department, at lomaxj@uwplatt.edu or Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller, program director, at banachoc@uwplatt.eduDetails about the online criminal justice program may be found at www.uwplatt.edu/disted

Prepared by: Ellen McFall, Distance Learning Center, (608) 342-1468mcfalle@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will be hosting the Southwest Regional Wisconsin Women Higher Education Learning (WWHEL) conference on April 7. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Rooms of the Pioneer Student Center on the UWP campus.

This year's conference, "Extending the Reach of Your Financial Headlights," will be presented by Connie Kilmark. The presentation will help participants evaluate how their financial fingerprint was formed and how they can adapt their personal financial strategies to fit their personality. Dubbed, "Dr. Ruth of Money," Kilmark has developed an approach to personal finances that balances the emotional and psychological aspects of money with the facts of finances. Kilmark stated, "To solve the money puzzle, it is not enough to have technical skills. It is just as important to address other matters: mastery of the radioactive emotions of money, ethnic and family history dimensions, couple dynamics and decision making style."

In 1975, Kilmark served as counselor and later as director of the Madison Consumer Credit Counseling Service. There, Kilmark developed a strong foundation, allowing her to open her own practice in 1986. Kilmark and Associates, LLC is committed to empowering clients with the ability to design their own lives and help them use resources of money and time to benefit their goals.

Vickie Dreessens, administrative director of student health services, stated, "This conference is a good opportunity for women in higher education to get together and share ideas. Today, women are more independent. Learning about valuable issues, such as financial strategies, allows women to take control of their lives." The $35 registration fee required to attend this conference is due March 10. For more information, please contact Dreessens at (608) 342-1891 or via e-mail atdreessev@uwplatt.edu. Interested individuals may also visit www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/WWHEL/Spring_2006_Conference_Announcement.html.

Contact: Vickie Dreessens, administrative director of Student Health Services, (608) 342-1891, dreessev@uwplatt.edu.

Prepared by: Lauren Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,lehrl@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - On Wednesday, March 1, the South African vocal group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, will be performing for audiences at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Following a pre-show discussion that begins at 7:05 p.m., the concert will start at 8 p.m. in the Brodbeck Concert Hall, located in the Center for the Arts building.

Joseph Shabalala is the founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a 10-member group consisting of his family and friends. Their initial ventures into the local singing competitions were successful: they won every single competition they entered. As a result, they were eventually forbidden from entering any more, but were still invited as welcome entertainment. The style of music sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo is called 'isicathamiya,' which arose in the mines of South Africa, where the workers would entertain themselves by singing songs after a long six-day week.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo has recorded over 40 albums, selling over six million records worldwide. Their first U.S. album, "Shaka Zulu," won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. Their music can be heard in a variety of films and videos, including Disney's "The Lion King II," Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America," Sean Connery's "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker" and Spike Lee's "Do It a Cappella." They have been invited to perform at numerous special occasions, including two Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies, a performance for Pope John Paul II in Rome, South African Presidential inaugurations and the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Paul Simon, with whom Ladysmith Black Mambazo recorded the album "Graceland," noted, "It isn't merely the grace and power of their dancing or the beauty of their singing that rivets the attention, but the sheer joy and love that emanates from their being." Tickets for this concert are available at the University Box Office, located in the Center for the Arts building. Tickets cost $26 for general admission, $24 for UWP faculty and senior citizens, $10 for UWP students and $16 for anyone under 18.

Contact: John Hassig, UWP director of performing and visual arts, (608) 342-1267,hassigj@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: Kym Bliven, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,blivenk@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE -During one week in January 2006, a group of 30 UWP students and affiliates traveled to Mississippi to assist in the construction of several Habitat for Humanity houses in Tutwiler, Jonestown and Lexington. Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller, along with his wife Linda. It is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry which seeks to eliminate poverty throughout the world. Since the program's founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 175,000 houses around the world, giving almost one million people a safe and affordable shelter to call home. The main concept for Habitat for Humanity International actually developed at a small, interracial and Christian farming community in Georgia called Koinonia Farm in 1942. Clarence Jordan, both a farmer and biblical scholar, was visited by the Fullers in 1965. There, Jordan and Fuller discussed the concept of "partnership housing." After several smaller, yet successful expeditions, and a widening group of supporters, the Fullers took their dream to make Habitat for Humanity International a reality.

The UWP team of Habitat builders worked a full five days on the houses in Mississippi. A typical work day included breakfast at 7 a.m. and work beginning at 8 a.m. They took a break for lunch, but were quickly back out and working on the house until 5 p.m. UWP's experience, sponsored by and run through St. Augustine Church, allowed the volunteer students more than the experience of building a house. The volunteers were also able to play basketball and volleyball with community members at night, visit the nearby Mississippi Valley State University campus and meet students, and travel to Memphis, Tenn., to the National Civil Rights Museum. Additionally, students had the opportunity to go to Ground Zero, a local blues club owned by Morgan Freeman in Clarksdale.

Josh Ritger, a senior UWP student who has taken the trip to Tutwiler for the past four years, was the group contact this year. He says that one of the reasons he enjoys the experience so much is because he is able to work with the same people year after year. "A lot of relationships have developed between the community and UWP students ... it is nice to come back to friendly faces," Ritger continues.

Every volunteer student who takes this journey does so for a different reason. For Anne Broessel, a senior majoring in civil engineering, helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house is consistent with her interests and her major. However, initially she just "wanted to help one of the poorest counties in the country," she says. "I was really interested to see what American poor people were living in and was surprised that people live like this in our own country."

Broessel volunteered to work in Tutwiler again this year because she had worked on homes there three years ago and wanted to see how the community had changed and developed since the last time she had seen it. Upon arriving back in Tutwiler after several years, Broessel reports that it has changed. She indicates that many more people were living in better and more secure homes, unlike what they had been living in before. Mississippi is considered the hospitality state and it shows through the community involvement in helping some of its own poor. On Martin Luther King Jr. day, UWP Habitat volunteers were greeted with Mississippi Americorp volunteers using the holiday as a "day on" versus taking the "day off."

UWP's Habitat for Humanity team fundraised throughout the fall semester to cover the expenses of traveling down to Mississippi to work on the houses. Participants wrote letters to friends and family asking for donations, sold cinnamon rolls on campus during the semester and also received contributions from local businesses to help with their cause. Broessel is a senior civil engineering student and daughter of Mary White of Cassville and Robert Broessel of Dickeyville. Ritger is a senior industrial technology management major with a minor in computer integrated manufacturing and metallurgy. He is the son of John and Judy Ritger of West Bend.

Contact: Josh Ritger, UWP Habitat for Humanity group contact,ritgerj@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Marsha Pauly, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,paulym@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Georg Ohm are well-known physicists who significantly impacted the scientific community with their discoveries leading to increased enthusiasm for their rapidly developing field. Continuing with the enthusiasm and passion of their forefathers are members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Society of Physics Students (SPS) who educate younger students about this exciting area of academia. In honor of their contribution to physics, the UWP Society of Physics Students chapter was recently selected as the recipient of an outstanding SPS chapter award for the 2004-2005 academic year.

The award is based on the depth and breadth of SPS activities conducted by the chapter in areas including physics, research, public science outreach, physics tutoring, hosting and representation at physics meetings, and providing social interaction for chapter members. Commented Gary White, national SPS director, "This award is a testament to the chapter's personal leadership skills as much as it is an acknowledgement of the chapter's superior performance." The current officers for the UWP chapter of SPS include Josh Baranowski, president; Eric Erdman, vice-president; John Grueter, secretary; Debbie Cottrill, treasurer; and Jerome Wilson, advisor.

One of the organization's most popular events is the "Physics is Phunshop" held primarily for sixth graders. "We contact area middle schools and the kids come to campus for a Saturday to learn about physics through demonstrations and workshops. This past year they built rockets," said Cottrill. SPS also gives physics demonstrations to local elementary schools, participates in field trips of interest to chapter members such as Fermi and Argonne National Laboratory, and enjoy canoeing in canoes built in previous years. Added Cottrill, "We usually try to take on a project every year as well. This year we are trying to build a trebuchet."

Various members have also been involved at the national level as Associate Zone Counselors for SPS. These students represent SPS chapters in Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at an annual meeting held in Washington D.C. SPS is open to all students regardless of their major. Meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of every month at 4 p.m. in Room 222 of Ottensman Hall.

Contact: Debbie Cottrill, Society of Physics Students,cottrild@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Rachael Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,lehrr@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will be hosting a two-day honor band event on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4. Gifted high school students will be invited to participate in an honor band at UW-Platteville. UWP students from the Symphonic Wind and Jazz I Ensembles will be performing on Friday evening, while the high school students will be performing on Saturday.

This is the first year that UWP is hosting this event. Barry Ellis, UWP director of bands, has sent out applications to high schools from all over Wisconsin and from areas of Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. The band directors at these high schools will have the chance to nominate some of their best students to perform in an honor band at UWP. The students will have their applications reviewed, and a chosen number will be invited to perform in the honor band and study under UWP faculty and guest clinician Carl Chevallard.

To launch the festival, UWP's Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Jazz I Ensemble will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3, in the Richard and Helen Brodbeck Concert Hall in the Center for the Arts building. Guest artist and UWP faculty member John Marco will be performing a clarinet solo. This concert is free and open to the public.

On Saturday, March 4, the high school students will study under several different musicians. UWP instrumental applied faculty will be conducting master's classes for the high school students throughout the day. Chevallard will also be working with the students, in addition to directing one of the bands and hosting a director's clinic for the high school band directors to attend. Chevellard, an author, pilot and life-long musician, has recently retired as the Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force Academy (USAF) Band. He has produced over 80 audio recordings, including the USAF Band's "America," the first compact disc recorded by any American military band. He has started 10 radio series, including the initial Air Force programs for "The Greatest Bands in the Land" for NPR, and a dozen television productions, including the Emmy-nominated "A String of Pearls: Glenn Miller, the Army-Air Force Years" for PBS. He's conducted over 1,500 worldwide concerts in venues that include the White House.

As a finale to the festival, the high school students will perform on March 4, Saturday evening. The concert, also held in the Richard and Helen Brodbeck Concert Hall, will begin at 7:30 p.m., and is free and open to the public.

Contact: Barry Ellis, UWP director of bands, (608) 342-1017,ellisb@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: Kym Bliven, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,blivenk@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - University of Wisconsin-Platteville professor of business administration, Marge Karsten, has recently published a book titled "Management, Gender and Race in the 21st Century." The text was published in December by the University Press of America of Lanham, Md., which is affiliated with Rowman-Littlefield Publishers.

Instead of simply making minor changes to update previous books she had written in 1992 and 1994, the author, who has taught at UWP for 25 years, decided that the extensive changes in gender and race issues in management since the 1990s warranted an entirely new book. "Though half of all U.S. managers are now women and the percent of racial and ethnic minorities in the workforce is growing rapidly, equal opportunity in advancement into the most powerful positions of major corporations is still a concern," said Karsten. "'Management, Gender and Race in the 21st Century' explores why this is true more than 40 years after a comprehensive law was passed to end employment discrimination."

According to Karsten, mainstream business management has evolved from the top-down autocratic approach in favor of participative, team-based techniques and win-win solutions. Besides achieving business goals, progressive organizations now must create an environment in which each employee's contribution is valued because of, not despite, differences. Flexibility to "have a life" outside work is increasingly important to a diverse workforce, and businesses have responded by offering greater flexibility.

In an online section of her Management, Gender and Race course, Karsten required graduate students to prepare original case studies. She included some of these, credited to students, in the book. "Every student I asked was delighted to have his or her case published," said Karsten. Topics covered in the book range from landmark cases that have reshaped the affirmative action debate to an inclusive career planning model incorporating issues women and ethnic minorities face throughout their lives and a stress model. Pay equity, links between workplace romance and sexual harassment, and the latest findings about racial, same-sex,and gender harassment are explored. Karsten discusses the pervasive impact of stereotypes on perceptions of applicants' suitability for management positions as well as power, politics and tokenism in the workforce. Trends in developmental relationships, such as networking and mentoring and its alternatives, are presented. Karsten chronicles experiences of women and of specific ethnic and racial minorities in leadership positions in U.S. organizations since World War II, with emphasis on the past 10 years. She also examines reasons why certain groups have faced extreme challenges breaking into management.

Two other UW-Platteville professors have written or co-authored chapters in Karsten's book. Joan E. Riedle, professor and chair of the department of psychology, prepared a chapter on socialization processes, and Frank P. Igou, assistant professor of business, co-authored a chapter on equal employment opportunity.

Anyone who would like a copy of Management, Gender and Race in the 21st Century may obtain it online at www.univpress.com. Karsten is also editing a three-volume collection of essays entitled "Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Workplace" for Greenwood Publishing, which will be available in the summer of 2006. Anyone interested in learning more about Karsten's work may contact her at (608) 342-1749 or karsten@uwplatt.edu

Contact: Marge Karsten, professor, department of business administration, (608) 342-1749,karstenm@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens,UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu; and Dan Lehnherr

PLATTEVILLE - Many criminal justice students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville anticipate a career working for a federal agency, as a corrections officer, school liaison officer, or even as an evidence technician. To help them achieve these goals and aspirations, the College of Liberal Arts and Education and Criminal Justice Association (CJA) announces the 33rd annual Criminal Justice Career Day to be held March 7 in Velzy Commons of the Ullsvik Center on the UWP campus.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members throughout the tri-state area are invited to attend this event on the UWP campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to meet with prospective employers. In the past, over 60 agencies attended the career day including the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Richard Byrd, UWP alumnus and director of the Atlanta Field Compliance Services of the Wage and Investment division of the Internal Revenue Service, is the keynote speaker. His presentation will take place March 6 at 6 p.m., also in the Velzy Commons of the Ullsvik Center. Byrd will address the vast array of law enforcement positions available to criminal justice graduates. Additional speakers will be available to discuss aspects of the criminal justice field from 11 a.m. to noon on March 7. All the presentations are free and open to the public to attend.

For more information regarding the Criminal Justice Association Career Day, contact coordinator Jason Pollard at pollardj@uwplatt.edu, or Joe Lomax, department chairperson, at lomaxj@uwplatt.edu

Contact: Jason Pollard, CJ Career Day coordinator,pollardj@uwplatt.edu

Joe Lomax, Criminal Justice Department chair,lomaxj@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Rachael Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, lehrr@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Phillip Wyse, director of Pioneer Farm at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, received the Outstanding Award in the Field of Agriculture from the Platteville Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 4. The award was given at the Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Celebration and Awards Night. Wyse was recognized as an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment in the field of agriculture. As the director of Pioneer Farm, he is responsible for the overall management of the farm in terms of financial management, capital improvements, personnel, day to day operations and accomplishing the overall mission of the farm. One of the goals of the farm is to provide resources for students, instructional faculty, researchers and the public.

Kathy Kopp, chamber executive director, stated, "Phil has been very professional, forward thinking and runs the Pioneer Farm like a business, with great pride. He's done phenomenal things. He's really been a key player in the development of Pioneer Farm to the degree it is in today." Wyse is the first to say that this award and all the successful developments on Pioneer Farm are due to "a team effort." He said, "It's all about the team, what the team has done. ... I have had the privilege to work with a great and very competent staff."

Pioneer Farm has incorporated numerous changes through the years Wyse has worked there. In the early 1990s, developments included the education pavilion building and the dairy center complex. In 1999, the School of Agriculture approved the farm for the Wisconsin Agriculture Stewardship Initiative program, a unique farming system dedicated to solving problems while maintaining profitability. Recently, the Agricultural Technology Center was added for distance education, as well as the Cooper Living and Learning Center and the Swine Center. Wyse explained that the farm supplements classroom theory and provides students with hands-on research and experience.

Wyse said that the dynamics of agriculture keep him interested in the field. He noted the growth and changes in crop practices, land conservation, livestock enterprises, facilities, demonstrations and research. Supported by his staff, Wyse has continually worked to create an environment that meets the Pioneer Farm educational mission and also maintains a sense of fiscal accountability and overall responsibility to the citizens of Southwest Wisconsin and the entire state. In addition, he and his team have striven to earn the respect of area farmers and the general public. Wyse emphasizes the "open door policy" of the farm. He is particularly proud of the strong alumni support for the farm and the farm's many visitors, ranging from prospective students and community members to international guests, Wisconsin governors, Wisconsin representatives and senators and Wisconsin Secretaries of Agriculture. He is also proud of the more than 300 student farm employees that have worked on the farm since 1972.

When asked how he originally came to UW-Platteville from small town Alden, Ill., Wyse said that his high school agriculture teacher in Hebron, Ill., was an alumnus of UWP and encouraged him to attend. Wyse appreciated the hands-on learning at UWP, as well as being able to build a rapport with his instructors. He was in the social and service fraternity, Phi Sigma, and was president when it went national, changing its name to Phi Sigma Epsilon. He was also in Alpha Zeta, the fraternity in agriculture.

He received his bachelor's degree in animal science in 1969 and was then drafted for the Vietnam War. During his two years of service in Germany, he married his wife, Janean, who left UW-Platteville to live with him in Germany. They returned to Platteville in 1971 so she could finish her degree and he could start his master's degree in agriculture education and agricultural industries. Meanwhile, he worked as a residence hall director, and then accepted a position on Pioneer Farm. In addition to serving the community through his work on Pioneer Farm, he has been an entertainer, performing beside his youngest daughter, Jenna, in the play, "You Can't Take it With You," and the musical, "Annie," for UW-Platteville's Heartland Festival. As to why Wyse and his wife decided to stay in Platteville, Wyse said, "When you weigh everything, this was the place to be."

Wyse and Janean have three grown children, including Alyssa Hellen, Dodgeville; Wade, Blanchardville; and Jenna, Minneapolis, Minn. Janean, who received a degree from UWP in physical education and went on to teach gymnastics and own a gymnastics school, now sells real estate.

Contact: Phil Wyse, director, Pioneer Farm, (608) 342-1053,wyse@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,mckinnka@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The idea initiated after a powerful visit to a Civil Rights Museum. University of Wisconsin-Platteville student April Fuhr felt everyone needed to experience the atrocities of the civil rights era in order to better understand this historical time period in the United States. Fliers posted around campus advertised a "small scale experience about what daily life was like as a colored person," during the Jim Crow Era. An intense visual and sensory simulation planned by the Black Student Union (BSU) provided an abnormal educational experience for participants - this time the minority group was white. The reverse Jim Crow simulation was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 7, in the Pioneer Student Center. Upon entering the correctly marked entrance, participants were handed a brochure explaining the simulation and rules and were encouraged to participate as much as possible.

Jim Crow was an 80-year period of terror in America. It began during the years of Reconstruction in the South and continued until the late 1960s. Thousands of people were beaten, raped and murdered during this time which is very much a forgotten piece of history. UWP sophomore Heather Fosbinder commented, "We only have to experience the segregation for four hours whereas others had to deal with these inconveniences and hardships for a lifetime. I can leave the student center to get away from it, but others had to deal with this every single day."

To make the traumatic experiences during this era more of a reality, BSU held interactive skits on the civil rights movement, hosted a teacher resource room, and even gave presentations on current struggles in the black community. Carl Wesley, BSU president, was one of the speakers about problems in black communities. "Speaking about reparations and the historical and residual affect of slavery on blacks and the surrounding communities is something everyone should be aware of," he said. Of the approximately 60 participants at his discussion, Wesley felt he was able to clear up misconceptions and almost everyone left knowing more than when they arrived.

A few of the incidents were so realistic students became emotionally distraught. During the Civil Rights March reenactment, "a tour guide is giving a tour to white people through Birmingham, Ala. A peaceful protest is interpreted as unlawful and aggressive and eventually gets out of control," explained Jordan O'Connell, a white student role playing in the scenario. "Students began crying as they finally understood what these people went through," mentioned UWP student and fellow role player, Devine Nzegwu. Added another student, Jodi Moen, "Most people have always had 'white privilege' so this is hard for them because they've never had to deal with oppression. It's a real eye opener and hopefully a start to change."

After participating in events, everyone was encouraged to attend a short debriefing session with the UWP counseling services staff to discuss and share their feelings. "Many of the students seem stunned by the experience, but I think they understand what it was like and will take something out of it. Hopefully, they will think twice next time about what happens in our country," said Roger Meyer, director of university counseling services. For some students, like BSU member Lee Harris, the change was immediate. "Today I saw different looks and blank stares of uncertainty from people who are usually confident, because they don't know what to do in this situation," said Harris. "It's obvious that a lot of preparation time was put into this event. This is making a huge impact on students," said Priscilla Hahn, learning specialist with student support services.

Nathan Cochran, UWP admissions advisor and athletics coach, was "amazed at the level of participation and number of people who went through the different rooms. It included everyone from the chancellor and his cabinet members to deans, athletics, admission, classes and even high school and middle school students." Added Carlos Wiley, Multicultural Educational Resource Center director, "The purpose of the simulation was to get people talking. Eventually through academics, no simulation may be necessary, as we learn to discuss cross-cultural respect, current issues in all communities and have classes to make students more globally aware. This is only a start, but it was a huge success."

Contact: Carlos Wiley, MERC, (608) 342-1555,wileyc@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Rachael Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, lehrr@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty members, Professors Timothy Zauche and Michael Compton, received the WiSys Innovation Scholar Awards as part of the WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc., on Jan. 30. Zauche, from UW-Platteville's Department of Chemistry and Engineering Physics, and Compton, from UW-Platteville's School of Agriculture with emphasis in ornamental horticulture and plant biotechnology, worked collaboratively on a research project that led to a method to use the solid waste byproducts from manure digesters as a media for plant growth.

Recognizing and honoring UW System faculty, staff and students who make and disclose outstanding discoveries that benefit society, the WiSys Innovation Scholar Award bases its selection of recipients for the award on innovative concept, broad use, value and industrial application. Additionally, each UW System campus is consulted to ensure that WiSys is able to select all worthy inventors. This year, scholars were chosen from UW-River Falls, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Platteville.

According to an article in the WiSys newsletter, Zauche and Compton's invention is proving to be an ideal, environmentally friendly substitute for peat moss. Also, their invention is helping to solve the environmental problems associated with the disposing of cattle manure. It uses products from the digester as a complimentary or sole organic addendum to horticulture growing media containing perlite and vermiculite, or it may also be combined with soil, peat moss, bark, coconut coir, sawdust and other materials. This invention will benefit not only farmers and small start-up companies, but also consumers who enjoy gardening because this new mixture for soil will lower the cost of potting soil. "It is nice to be recognized for years of hard work," expressed Zauche who then described that this research actually began almost four years ago when he first initiated this project and approached Compton to join in him the process. Compton added that, "It was a surprise and a shock when we were notified of this award. We initially started this just for fun!"

The professors indicated that the winning of this award would honor not just themselves and the university, but it would also benefit the students. In fact, seven students were involved in working on this project and many others will now be able to understand how group collaboration, hard work and innovative ideas prove to be successful in life. According to Duane Ford, dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture, "Both Compton and Zauche are to be commended for their hard work, innovation and perseverance. They have certainly had plenty of set-backs along the way, however they stuck with it and it paid off. I would also like to add," continued Ford, "that they and their students used their expertise to address a couple of real-world problems. Their innovation will allow farmers to turn a waste stream into a profitable product, while at the same time helping to protect the environment by decreasing the use of sphagnum moss."

WiSys was created as a not-for-profit technology foundation established in 2000 to serve the UW-System campuses. It was based on the already existing UW-Madison program called WARF, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. WiSys strives to invigorate technology transfer and economic development throughout the state. According to its website, "As a key link between the campuses of the UW System and their local and regional business communities, WiSys is in a unique position to identify synergies that may help foster the growth of local communities, their colleges and universities, their regions and, ultimately, the economy of Wisconsin." They bear the cost of patenting and licensing new inventions. Subsequently, all profits from the invention are shared by the inventor(s), campus and UW System.

While Compton and Zauche toyed with the idea of patenting their invention themselves, they realized it would be an enormous undertaking and decided that WiSys provided the best avenue for their first invention. However, Compton and Zauche's research has only just begun. They are pleased with the results they found when studying growth in geraniums, however are currently in the process of testing their invention with the growth of orchids.

Present at the awards ceremony were UWP Provost Carol Sue Butts, Chancellor David Markee, WiSys Technology Foundation general manager Dr. Maliyakal John, the awardees and other faculty, students and community members. With both professors performing skills outside of their comfort zone, this research project allowed each of them to learn from the other. In fact, Zauche ended his and Compton's presentation with the remark that, "Together, this time, two minds were better than one."

Contact: Kathy Lomax, director, Office of Sponsored Programs, (608) 342-1456,lomax@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Marsha Pauly, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,paulym@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will be holding its Spring 2006 Career Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Robert I. Velzy Commons at the Ullsvik Center. More than 100 employers will be attending; a few of these employers recently explained what they typically look for in candidates and shared their advice. Rayelle Miller, a representative from Pella Corporation, Pella, Iowa, happens to be a recent UWP alumna and remembers what current students are going through. She said, "Your career is a major step toward the rest of your life, so spend time preparing for it through your classes, extra curricular activities and events like the career fair. UWP works hard to put together services in order to help you get the job; make sure you use them! And, if offered interviews at companies that might not be your first pick, take them, do your best and be yourself ... that's how I found Pella!"

Pella Corporation looks for students who possess "leadership experience and time management skills"; they also look at a student's involvement with groups, classes and grade point average, said Miller. Mark Hamer, district manager of the Lancaster field office of the Social Security Administration, emphasized that having a positive attitude is important. He advised, "Have a very positive attitude. Students should show that they are willing to do whatever is necessary to obtain a job. A positive attitude carries over to everything they do. That's what I'm looking for when I meet students." It is also important for students to be courteous and behave in a professional manner. "Students should introduce themselves when they meet an employer and say 'thank you.' These types of interpersonal skills are very important in the workplace, especially in positions that serve the public," said Hamer.

Laura Charette, the cooperate recruiter for the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation in Green Bay, had some specific advice for those students looking for internships or co-ops. She said, "Start looking early, as much as nine months in advance. We typically hire most of our interns in the fall prior to the summer of each year." She said that WPS looks for students who are, "approachable and willing to communicate their skills. ... In addition to grade point average, we look at students' willingness to learn and previous work experience." Miller, Hamer and Charette agree that showing confidence is important. They suggest having good eye contact, a smile and a firm handshake. Dressing professional also makes a good impression. They agree that students should prepare for the career fair by researching the companies before they attend. When students learn background information and what jobs are available, students are able to ask more pointed questions. Hamer said, "Instead of asking what jobs are available, students can ask what skills employers are looking for." Students may want to prepare for the possibility of being asked back the following day for an interview with select companies.

Students with a CareerLink account are welcome to pre-register for the career fair. Anyone interested in having his or her resume reviewed by a career counselor at the Career Center may call for an appointment at (608) 342-1183 or visit the Career Center in the Ullsvik Center. Other questions regarding the career fair may be directed to Diana Trendt, interim director, through e-mail attrendtd@uwplatt.edu or the above phone number, or visit the website atwww.uwplatt.edu/careercenter/careerfair/index.html Brief descriptions of the companies attending are also available on this website.

Contact: Diana Trendt, interim director, Career Center, (608) 342-1183,trendtd@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,mckinnka@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Is creativity the key to the economic future of Southwest Wisconsin? Could supporting the arts, preserving historic sites and promoting the culture of our unique region result in economic growth? Can artists and entrepreneurs join together to create a mutually beneficial vision for the future of Southwest Wisconsin? The ArtsBuild Regional Committee is betting that the answer to all of these questions is, "yes!"

On Feb. 16, artists, community members, business people and civic leaders are invited to meet in Platteville, at the Platteville Municipal Building, 75 N. Bonson Street, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to brainstorm ways to promote the arts as one of the region's valuable economic resources. Meeting participants will be asked to assist ArtsBuild in compiling information on the economic impact of the arts on communities and the region, listing current resources that are available, and suggesting strategies for mining the area's creative potential. For the purpose of the brainstorming session, "art" is broadly defined as the region's artistic, creative, cultural and historic resources. Meeting participants will receive a summary of the group's findings for use in their own community and organizational planning sessions. This will be the first in a series of community meetings throughout the region.

The ArtsBuild Regional Committee was created in response to recent national studies that have noted the emergence of a new "creative class" of workers that gravitates towards innovative employment and that prefers to live in regions that support the arts. According to Anne Katz, executive director of Arts Wisconsin, creative industries already encompass over 8,000 businesses and 43,000 jobs in Wisconsin. It's the goal of ArtsBuild to see these numbers rise, especially in Southwest Wisconsin.

ArtsBuild is funded by a Continuing EDvantage Grant from the University of Wisconsin-Extension. During 2004/2005, ArtsBuild worked with artisans in Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland and Sauk counties to increase their professional and business capacity through workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities. The ongoing project is supported by numerous organizations throughout the state, including Arts Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Arts Board, the Southwest Wisconsin Small Business Development Center, UW-Extension Community Development Agents, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network, local Chambers of Commerce, Main Street Programs, and regional arts organizations. For more information or to RSVP, go to www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/artsbuild/ or contact Heidi Dyas-McBeth, Arts Build coordinator, at dyasmc@uwplatt.edu or (608) 342-1314.

Contact: Heidi Dyas-McBeth, Arts Build coordinator, dyasmc@uwplatt.edu, (608) 342-1314.

PLATTEVILLE - Marian Maciej-Hiner, director of Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Arts Wisconsin, the state's arts service, advocacy and development organization. Maciej-Hiner will serve a two-year term on the 15-member board, which is responsible for policy-making and resource development for the membership organization. Board members come from large and small communities around the state, represent a diverse range of interests and disciplines and are committed to the mission of Arts Wisconsin - to advocate, promote and speak up for the arts in Wisconsin so that everyone in the state can experience, enjoy and learn from the arts. "We're thrilled that Marian has agreed to join Arts Wisconsin's board of directors," says Anne Katz, Arts Wisconsin executive director. "Her commitment to UW-Platteville's ArtsBuild project has helped make it a successful model of grassroots cultural development, and she brings a deep understanding of the arts and community to our statewide organization."

Arts Wisconsin, along with the Wisconsin Arts Board, is an active partner in the ArtsBuild program launched by UW-Platteville's Office of Continuing Education in 2004, with funding from UW-Extension's Continuing EDvantage economic development grant program. ArtsBuild provides education and training, access to statewide resources, and increased visibility and promotion of southwestern Wisconsin artists and creative entrepreneurs. "Arts Wisconsin has been a strong supporter of our ArtsBuild project from the beginning. Anne Katz opened many doors for us, and connected us with local, regional and statewide resources for area arts entrepreneurs," Maciej-Hiner pointed out. "It is a privilege to be part of the work of this organization - keeping the arts alive and thriving in communities throughout Wisconsin."

Dawn Drake, executive director of Alternative Delivery Systems at UWP, added, "I'm thrilled that Marian has been elected to the Arts Wisconsin board of directors. This will continue to solidify the commitment and connections that are needed to promote the importance of the arts and the success of ArtsBuild in Southwest Wisconsin and beyond." Arts Wisconsin believes that the arts are essential to Wisconsin's economic, educational and civic high standards and continued growth, and that the arts, culture, creativity and innovation are at the core of the quality of life in Wisconsin and all of its communities. The board and staff of Arts Wisconsin carry out the organization's purpose to serve Wisconsin's creative community and build and sustain grassroots and statewide efforts to enliven and invigorate all of the state's communities through the arts. They accomplish this through advocacy, promotion and visibility, research, professional development and training, and networking.

Maciej-Hiner received her undergraduate degree in local and urban studies from St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, in 1979 and earned her Master of Science in continuing and vocational education from UW-Madison in 1992. She worked in program coordination and marketing at UW-Madison in the Department of Communication Programs for nine years and then relocated to Southwest Wisconsin to take a position in continuing education at UWP. Her husband, Jim, is a retired educator and arts entrepreneur, and their son, Mark, is a senior at UWP, majoring in biochemistry and mathematics.

Anyone interested in learning more about ArtsBuild may visit the website atwww.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/artsbuild/. Anyone interested in more information on Arts Wisconsin may contact Katz at (608) 255-8316 orakatz@artswisconsin.org, or visit the website at www.artswisconsin.org

Contact: Marian Maciej-Hiner, director, Continuing Education, (608) 342-1302,maciejhm@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, mckinnka@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, UW-Extension offices and the Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) involving the public area schools of Grant, Lafayette, Richland and Crawford Counties have recently completed the 2005 Southwest Wisconsin Youth Survey.

In 1989, the Teen Assessment Project (TAP), later renamed the Southwest Wisconsin Youth Survey (SWYS), was introduced to Grant County schools by professor Steven Small from UW-Madison in cooperation with local UW-Extension faculty, Tom Schmitz and Mary Huser. Grant County conducted the survey in 1993 and 1997. In 2001, it was also conducted in Iowa, Richland and Crawford Counties. The main goal of the survey is to gain valuable information on the present situations and pressing issues that local teenagers face in their lives. Ideally by learning what these issues are, counties, communities and local school districts are better able to organize more efficient and effective ways of addressing the needs of local teens.

While UWP did not pioneer this project, after UW-Madison decided to discontinue administering it, UW-Extension, CESA and UWP came together in 2001 to ensure that this much needed service was still provided to schools in the area. One of the unique aspects of the 2005 survey is that in addition to asking high school students to participate, sixth graders in Grant County were also surveyed allowing the counties to evaluate possibilities of any further issues associated with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs that may occur with future middle and high school students. The sixth grade survey was requested and funded by the Grant County Drug-Free coalition which also helped fund SWYS. This will assist the survey evaluators in comparing this group of student's issues to the next survey in 2009 and see how the issues have changed over time

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Theron Parsons, UWP associate professor in psychology and main cooperator at UWP for the survey, says that he compiles the numbers from the survey and breaks them down into separate categories to send back to the UW-Extension, as well as the counties and schools. Parsons has been interested in finding a commonality for teens that participate in deviant behaviors in alcohol, drugs and/or sexual promiscuity. Surprisingly or not, the results from the surveys indicated, "parental involvement in the teens life is the best protective factor against developing deviancy."

In correlation with the data being returned to the schools and districts to evaluate the statistics, many times the outcomes of the surveys help to develop programs within the communities to help combat prevalent issues. For example, according to Schmitz, Grant/Lafayette County youth development educator for the UW-Extension, many counties and schools have developed programs to assist in hopefully changing these statistics for the future. One school district with an indication of high depression among middle school girls from the survey developed a screening program in order to find the girls who needed the help. Lafayette County noticed that the issue of teen suicide ranked higher than they had anticipated on the survey, although it was equal to the nation's average. The county, in turn, developed a task force to work on suicide intervention that helped train employees at schools and prepared a brochure to raise the community awareness of the issue. "In addition to news articles regarding the results of the data," says Schmitz, "we also compile an overall report and administer many public presentations from the 2001 survey to more than 4,000 people from school boards, law enforcement agencies, D.A.R.E. graduations and activity code meetings at schools." Schmitz and his Extension colleagues also develop a one page parent newsletter available to the schools nine times per year. Extension colleagues that are teaching with Schmitz on the 2005 survey include, Bev Doll from Grant County, Pam Hobson from Richland County, Amy Mitchell from Crawford County, and Jessie Potterton from Lafayette County. The group has developed a plan that will feature a series of news releases beginning in February of 2006, as well as community presentations, parent newsletters and a written report.

The information that comes back from the survey is very valuable to not only the school districts who use it to develop programs that address the issues, but this information is also brought back to classes to study on the UWP campus, indicates Sue Curtis of the Community University Partnership program. In fact, "this survey impacts the entire southwest corner of the state and it definitely could not be accomplished without the assistance of each of the partners," Curtis continues. With the extent of problems in society today, it is important for studies like the SWYS to compile much needed information about the main problems and issues that teens face today. Without this knowledge, issues may only be allowed to escalate to a point where any intervention would face difficulties to succeed. "The reality is that many of these problems cannot be fixed easily," asserts Schmitz. "Wisconsin did not become a state with alcohol problems overnight and thus it will take a long time to change that and it will take time and effort to make it a safer place for our kids."

Contact: Sue Curtis, Community University Partnership, (608) 342-1308,curtissu@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Marsha Pauly, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,paulym@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - During the fall 2005 semester, the University of Wisconsin - Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science announced a collaborative design contest with General Electric (GE). The primary objective is to ensure students gain knowledge and experience while developing skills to become successful professionals who can meet demands of current business and industry. Thus far, nine students comprising two teams have been selected to move onto the final presentation stage scheduled for early May at GE in Milwaukee. As finalists, the students could choose between a computer gaming mouse and MP3 player as a prize.

An initial proposal submitted by freshmen students, Eric Doro, Andy Melby, Troy Becker, Aymie Oliver and Curran Bishop-Wright involves improving portability of IV bags for patients in hospitals by adding MEMS technology. A second proposal submitted by Jon Hoffman, Jeff Gobeli, Justin Stillman, Amanda Hoscheit, and Tommy Jacobs, also all freshmen, may potentially enhance the memory of Alzheimers patients through electronic picture aids. The proposal will develop a product with an electronic touch screen photo album enabling users to see and hear pictures, video and audio of family and friends. Commented Hoffman, "I've always wanted to invent a digital photo album since digital cameras and video recorders are so popular. But what can people do with all their images besides print them? Our project would allow people to share their memories as well as store an infinite amount of media in one place." Added Gobeli, "This product could save people tons of space. Also, since this is a UWP only event, it will show potential employees our creativity and desire to get involved in the engineering field from the beginning."

Dave Hoffman, principle engineer with GE Medical Systems, proposed the idea of building a competition to highlight GE Health Systems to Dr. Abulkhair Masoom, chair of the general engineering department at UWP. Hoffman is a 1970 physics alumnus of UWP. For the competition, teams of students may not exceed five members and must include at least two different engineering disciplines, a freshman student and a female student. Initial design submissions should be geared towards a new generation of health care related products. Proposals should address all design aspects including a project description, conceptual drawings, parts list and cost estimate not to exceed $750. Eventually three teams of students will be selected to go to GE headquarters in Milwaukee to sell their designs to engineers. GE engineers, acting as judges, will choose the top three entries. Prizes include laptops, flat screen LCD monitors, digital cameras, hand held computers and i-pods. The final deadline for submissions to the design contest is Monday, Feb. 13. Any submissions and questions regarding the GE engineering design contest should be sent toGEPROJ@UWPLATT.EDU or call Hisham Abdel-Aal at (608) 342-1515.

Contact: Hisham Abdel-Aal, General Engineering, (608) 342-1515, abdelaah@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Rachael Lehr, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,lehrr@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host a reception for prospective students on Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Bekkum Memorial Library in Westby from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is being sponsored by Accelerated Genetics of Baraboo. Anyone interested in learning more about this reception or the Tri-State Initiative may contact the Office of Student Recruitment at (608) 342-1127 or visit the website at www.uwplatt.edu/admission/tristate.

Contact: Ruth Joyce, manager, UWP Office of Student Recruitment, (608) 342-1127,joyceru@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Over Winterim, eight members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Block and Bridle Club traveled to Denver, Colo., to attend the 100th National Western Stock Show. The students left for Denver on Jan. 11 and returned on Jan. 14, accompanied by Alicia Prill-Adams, academic facilitator and advisor for the Block and Bridle Club, and Jodi McDermott, coordinator of recruitment, retention and marketing for the UWP School of Agriculture.

The Block and Bridle Club is a group of students who have an interest in livestock, including pigs, sheep, beef cattle and horses. Each year, the students who help in fund raising activities take a trip related to the field. This year, the students decided to attend the National Western Stock Show, which included competitive livestock expositions and rodeos. In addition to attending the show, they also saw the sights of Denver, Colo. Andria Fritz, a sophomore majoring in animal science, said, "The stock show was incredible, not only just in its enormity but in the various people and things we got to see. ... I'm from a beef and crop farm, and it was fun to see just how big the livestock industry really is." Prill-Adams added, "It was interesting for the students to see the level of intensity that goes into these kinds of shows. Some people think it's just a hobby, but it is often a big business. For instance, if your animals do well in the show, you'll have people seeking you out to use your animal's genetics."

Noting that the students were all either freshmen or sophomores, Prill-Adams said, "One thing Jodi and I noticed was that it was an eye-opening experience for some of our students because we flew and used a lot of public transportation. Even though we were still in the United States, they were in a different culture - we were in a major metropolitan area. Some of them were very much open to doing that." Coming from small town Potosi, Fritz was one of those students who enjoyed the city experience. She said, "Being in a big city, without a car, was a new experience for me. The buses and cabs were interesting, but people were very helpful and friendly to us for the most part." While at the show, McDermott and Prill-Adams made contacts that will help with UWP's pre-vet camp. In addition, the group saw that Colorado State University and Michigan State University had students show their own cattle. Prill-Adams and McDermott picked up materials from these schools and will be contacting them to learn more about how UWP might be able to have its students show. Prill-Adams said, "It would be nice if we could sometime have our students bring our livestock to promote not only our livestock but also our university. That experience of showing livestock teaches students responsibility. It might also open employment opportunities for students."

The UWP students who attended included Fritz, Megan Cooley of Lancaster, Kelsey Sambs of Fort Atkinson, Lesley and Jamie Paulson of Deerfield, Jenessa Ward of Janesville, Sarah Johnson of Edgerton, and Kristi Lange of Muskego.

Contact: Alicia Prill-Adams, School of Agriculture, (608) 342-1119,prillada@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,mckinnka@uwplatt.edu

PLATTEVILLE - Linda G. Pauls Fleming, a 1973 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, most recently supported her alma mater and its recent graduates by giving an inspirational speech at UWP's fall 2005 commencement. However, Fleming has been a long-time proud Pioneer, attending Homecoming and other campus events, and since 1999, has served on the UW-Platteville Foundation Board of Directors.

Fleming said her motivation behind joining the board was not simply to fill her time; she already ran a full life. Rather, it was a way to stay connected to the university as well as give back to the school. She said, "I have always been grateful for my education and experiences there. ... Joining the board was a special opportunity to get reattached with the university in a meaningful way, and I certainly haven't regretted it." Currently, she is a member of the executive committee, holding the position of secretary. Additionally, she chairs the budget and operations committee.

Having graduated from UWP with a degree in accounting, Fleming went on to earn her master's in business administration from Edgewood College, as well as become a certified public accountant and a certified cash manager. She now has more than 30 years of accounting and financial management experience. At present, Fleming is the chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer at EraGen Biosciences, Inc., in Madison. Prior to joining EraGen in July 2002, she was the vice president of finance at LifeSketch Inc. Fleming had previously worked for more than 25 years at Rayovac Corporation, progressing from cost accountant to corporate treasurer.

She is a member of several professional organizations and is past president of the Madison chapters of the Institute of Management Accountants and the Risk and Insurance Management Society. She is also a 1995 recipient of the President's Award from the Institute of Management Accountants. Fleming's expertise in financial matters has been invaluable to the effective operation of the UWP Foundation as she has assisted with budget development and cash management and the development of policies related to investment management and audit. Fleming said, "It has been an honor to be on the Foundation Board. ... It's great to see what is being accomplished. ... We have some aggressive objectives and there is a lot of momentum. ... Chancellor David Markee has brought vision and energy on campus, and our goal is to keep that vitality, the great leadership and also the critical funding, programs and scholarships. ... It is a privilege to be a part of it."

During her years at UWP, Fleming was active on campus, participating in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, which she credits for helping to build her leadership and organizational skills. She said it allowed her to participate in diverse activities and brought about long-lasting friendships. "My college friends are some of my best friends. ... As students, you experience life together day in and day out and your friends become part of your soul. They are very special relationships; even if it's years since you've talked, you just pick up from where you left off," she said. She also said that when she meets fellow UWP alumni, whether they are younger or older, there is always a special bond. "I think that shows the type of people going to school there," she said. "I think that's a bit unique."

Fleming also shared that she will always be appreciative of the solid faculty that were so supportive and encouraging, even 32 years later, when she came to UWP to give her speech. Fleming explained that she had been asked if there was anyone from her years on campus that she'd like to have come listen to her commencement speech. She remembered Dennis Knutson, but didn't expect him to remember her. To her surprise, he not only remembered her, he also came out for the day to support her. Fleming explained that it shows the one-on-one relationships professors and students have at UW-Platteville. She said, "You knew your professors, and the professors knew you." Fleming concluded by noting that she is like many other alumni from UWP. "I'm a pretty typical alumna," she said, "... Most people are happy to support the university." In fact, Fleming has recently endowed a scholarship to assist UWP students studying accounting and/or agriculture.

The Linda Pauls Fleming Scholarship in Accounting or Agriculture is administered by the UWP Foundation. It was initiated "in appreciation for her education and in memory of her beloved mother, Doris Reinke, and her aunt, Dora Brooks, who was committed to the field of agriculture." The first recipients will be named for the 2006-07 academic year.

Gary Berger, chair of the UWP Foundation Board, said, "This is a great example of how loyal alumni are stepping in to help - in the form of scholarships - to offset the rising costs of education due to state budget cuts. It is impressive when alumni make a commitment such as this; they make a difference that will carry forward generations and will benefit many, many students. ... It also helps UWP attract the best and most qualified students." Fleming was born and raised in Elkhorn and is the youngest of seven children. She now resides in Madison with her husband, Tom Fleming, where she volunteers with Project Bootstrap, a teenager mentoring program, and with the Madison Respite Center.

Contact: Dennis Cooley, director, University Relations and UWP Foundation,cooleyde@uwplatt.edu, (608) 342-1182

Prepared by: Kate McKinney, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, mckinnka@uwplatt.edu