University News
Project management alumnus reinvests in others’ education
Written By: Eric Herbst | Published On: Jan 25, 2021 | Featured in: Alumni, Distance Education, Graduate Studies, Business & Leadership Dion Shaw is a strong believer in developing your mind – even as the UW-Platteville graduate fights a disease that’s attacking his. In 1991, Shaw was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but that didn’t stop him from living an active life and giving back to others.
Pioneer Spotlight: Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Jan 22, 2021 | Featured in: Campus & Community, STEM Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran is an assistant professor of industrial engineering, with research and teaching interests in biomechanics, statistics, quality control, supply chain, engineering management and engineering education.
New Name, Same Mission for UW-Platteville Distance Education in 2021
Written By: Stephen Kelley | Published On: Jan 20, 2021 | Featured in: Distance Education, Press Release The change of the calendar will also mean some changes for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. As part of a larger restructuring taking place at the university, the Center for Distance Learning will now have a new name: Office of Professional Program Support.
Update Coronavirus
Written By: Paul Erickson | Published On: Jan 20, 2021 | Featured in: Campus & Community The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is a top priority, especially in response the COVID-19. This site tracks all the messages and updates sent to the university community during the pandemic. The site also features links to register for COVID-19 tests and the dashboard that is updated each business day.
Online M.S. Project Management program recognized as a top value
Written By: Stephen Kelley | Published On: Jan 15, 2021 | Featured in: Alumni, Distance Education, Graduate Studies, Press Release UW-Platteville's online Master of Science in Project Management program was ranked as a Top 25 Best Value Online Graduate Programs for 2021 by Value Colleges. The ranking is based on the cost of the program and student-to-faculty ratios.
Pioneer Spotlight: Alison Thompson
Written By: Eric Herbst | Published On: Jan 15, 2021 | Featured in: Campus & Community, Distance Education Alison Thompson, an instructional designer for the Office of Professional Program Support, began her career in higher education after starting at a local community college in the Chicago area. Here, Thompson began assisting faculty in course design and quickly found that instructional design allowed her to combine her interests in teaching, design, and technology to help create powerful learning experiences for students.
UW-Platteville reaches credit transfer agreement extensions with UCLA
Written By: Stephen Kelley | Published On: Jan 14, 2021 | Featured in: Distance Education, Graduate Studies, Press Release UW-Platteville has reached credit transfer agreement extensions with the University of California-Los Angeles. The partnership extension ensures UCLA Extension students will continue to have the opportunity to join one of UW-Platteville’s highly-regarded online graduate-level programs.
Baraboo Sauk County and Richland campuses get new virtual campus tours
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt and John Christensen | Published On: Jan 13, 2021 | Featured in: Baraboo Sauk County, RichlandThe University of Wisconsin-Platteville and its branch campuses, Baraboo Sauk County and Richland, are now offering full virtual tours featuring interactive video elements, messages from faculty and students, and 360-degree photos of the institutions and their respective communities. The virtual campus tours were created through a collaboration between the UW-Platteville admission and marketing departments and EAB YouVisit.
UW-Platteville and its branch campuses launch full virtual tours
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Jan 11, 2021 | Featured in: Press Release UW-Platteville and its branch campuses, Baraboo Sauk County and Richland, are now offering full virtual tours featuring interactive video elements, messages from faculty and students, and 360-degree photos of the institutions and their respective communities.
Engineering professor named KEEN community catalyst
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Jan 11, 2021 | Featured in: STEM Dr. A.L. Ranen McLanahan, associate professor of mechanical engineering, was one of only 20 faculty across the nation to be selected by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) as a community catalyst.
UW-Platteville expands COVID-19 testing to community
Written By: Paul Erickson | Published On: Jan 02, 2021 | Featured in: Press Release In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention and the University of Wisconsin System, UW-Platteville is opening an additional COVID-19 testing site on the main campus as well as testing sites on the branch campuses, following a new surge testing initiative announced Wednesday afternoon by the UW System to support communities throughout Wisconsin now facing dramatic increases of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations related to the ongoing outbreak.
UW-Platteville waives electronic application fee for two years
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 18, 2020 | Featured in: Baraboo Sauk County, Press Release, Richland UW-Platteville is waiving electronic application fees, effective immediately, following the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents’ recent approval to waive the fees at 10 of its 13 universities for the next two years.
UW-Platteville announces graduate-level credit for SHRM certificates
Written By: Stephen Kelley | Published On: Dec 17, 2020 | Featured in: Alumni, Distance Education, Graduate Studies, Press Release The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces it will now award graduate-level credits for certificates earned through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Collaboration helps senior recital become a reality
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 16, 2020 | Featured in: Arts & Culture Taking the stage in a mask and performing in front of a sparse audience was likely not how senior Brittany Lasko pictured her last flute recital at UW-Platteville. However, the music education and music non-teaching major said she is grateful that through dedication and collaboration of faculty and staff, her senior recital still went on amid the pandemic.
Aranda takes third place at national powerlifting competition, ties state record
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 15, 2020 | Featured in: Education & Wellness Ariana Aranda, a senior elementary education major at UW-Platteville, recently competed in the USA Power Lifting 2020 Collegiate Nationals competition, where she took third place in her weight class and tied a Wisconsin state record.
Pioneer Spotlight: Dr. Joshua Anderson
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Dec 10, 2020 | Featured in: Campus & Community, Education & Wellness Dr. Joshua Anderson, assistant professor of English, is bringing his experience in rural classrooms to the School of Education. Anderson joined UW-Platteville in 2016 and made the transition from the Department of Humanities to the School of Education this year.
From Peru to Platteville, Madueno Morales prepares to graduate
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 10, 2020 | Featured in: International, STEM When Nuria Madueno Morales traveled from her hometown of Lima, Peru, to UW-Platteville in January 2019, she expected to be on campus only one semester as part of an international exchange program. Now, nearly two years later, she is preparing to graduate from UW-Platteville with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, after finding opportunities and support on campus that made it feel like home.
Mechanical engineering student awarded scholarships from UW System and Internship Draft Day
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Dec 09, 2020 | Featured in: STEM As mechanical engineering senior Rkia Talbi prepares for her final days at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, she is being recognized for her academic success and professional experience through two scholarships. Talbi was selected as the “Top Draft Pick” at the manufacturing career fair Internship Draft Day and named one of two recipients of the 2020 Alliant Energy Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Academic Achievement Award.
Ivanov’s new book explores impact of Reformation, Enlightenment in Russia
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 09, 2020 | Featured in: History Dr. Andrey Ivanov, associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, recently published “A Spiritual Revolution: The Impact of Reformation and Enlightenment in Orthodox Russia.”
Second-year art student’s work selected for international exhibit
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 07, 2020 | Featured in: Arts & Culture The artwork of Melanie Bisbach, a sophomore cross-disciplinary fine arts major from Dodgeville, Wisconsin, was recently selected to be part of an international online exhibit. Bisbach’s entry was one of just over 80 pieces selected from 797 worldwide entries for the BOUNDLESS exhibit, sponsored by Art Fluent.
New internship program offers unique student teaching experience
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 04, 2020 | Featured in: Education & Wellness The UW-Platteville School of Education is collaborating with Cuba City Elementary School to offer a new internship program that is not only providing four UW-Platteville students with an unmatched teaching experience, but also playing a vital role in helping the school limit the spread of COVID-19 and offer in-person learning.
Pioneer Spotlight: Samantha Birkicht
Written By: Jason Piddington | Published On: Dec 04, 2020 | Featured in: Alumni, Campus & Community Samantha (Rogers) Birkicht is currently in her fourth year as head volleyball coach for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Students to showcase capstone projects at Senior Design Open House
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Dec 03, 2020 | Featured in: STEM UW-Platteville will host a virtual Senior Design Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 16, offering engineering students the opportunity to showcase their capstone projects to students, faculty, industry representatives and the general public.
Seven years of driftless oaks research project published
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Dec 02, 2020 | Featured in: Geography, Research Thousands of hours of field work and undergraduate research, conducted by more than 75 UW-Platteville students spanning seven years, has come to fruition. Dr. Chris Underwood, associate professor of geography and department chair, Dr. Evan Larson, professor of geography, and alumna Sara Allen, a 2013 history and geography graduate, co-authored “The Driftless Oaks: A new network of tree-ring chronologies to improve regional perspectives of drought in the Upper Midwest, USA.”
Students adapt to online learning, credit professors with transition
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Dec 02, 2020 | Featured in: Campus & Community To assist with hybrid and online learning, the Teaching and Technology Center created professional development opportunities to help instructors develop familiarity with tools that facilitate blended learning. More than 90% of UW-Platteville instructors took advantage of these opportunities over the summer, and UW-Platteville students are now crediting their professors with helping them adjust to new learning modes.
Confucius Institute to celebrate 2021 Chinese New Year
Written By: Marie Whisenant, Coordinator, Confucius Institute | Published On: Dec 01, 2020 | Featured in: Confucius Institute, Continuing, Press Release The Confucius Institute at UW-Platteville welcomes all to a free virtual Chinese New Year Celebration on Feb. 6, 2021, at 1 p.m.
Alumnus to conclude Engineering Seminar Series
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Nov 25, 2020 | Featured in: Alumni, STEM Alumnus Lavern Nall, a 1972 civil engineering graduate, will present at the final virtual event of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Engineering Seminar Series on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Nall, who is the president of Strass Maguire and Associates, will discuss the topic of Protection of Buildings from the Construction of Milwaukee’s “Deep Tunnel.”
Pioneer Spotlight: Dr. Asad Azemi
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Nov 20, 2020 | Featured in: Campus & Community, STEM This summer, Dr. Asad Azemi joined UW-Platteville as the department chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering. Prior to his move to the Midwest, Azemi was an associate professor of engineering at Penn State. His research interests are in the areas of estimation and signal processing with agriculture and health science applications.
UW-Platteville, UW-Stout to offer associate’s degree in hospitality and tourism
Written By: John Christensen | Published On: Nov 19, 2020 | Featured in: Baraboo Sauk County, Press Release, Business & Leadership To further serve the needs of employees and employers in Southwest Wisconsin, UW-Platteville and UW-Stout will form a partnership starting in Fall 2021 – offering a new associate’s degree in hospitality and tourism, centered at UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, joined with a pioneering transfer path available for students who want to continue toward a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant, and tourism management from UW-Stout’s nationally-recognized program.
Business faculty publish and present across several areas of expertise
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Nov 19, 2020 | Featured in: Business & Leadership Several faculty members in the UW-Platteville School of Business are capping off the year with recent publications and major conference presentations, demonstrating their breadth of expertise in a variety of areas.
Students share ideas for eco-friendly concrete in competition
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Nov 17, 2020 | Featured in: STEM The UW-Platteville chapter of the American Concrete Institute recently participated in the 2020 Concrete Solutions Competition, where students competed against 18 teams representing six countries. Held virtually, the competition tasked teams with conceptualizing and demonstrating a use of concrete that could positively impact the world.
Engineering alumni create the Beth and Gary Goldberg Scholarship
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Nov 17, 2020 | Featured in: Alumni, STEM The Goldbergs credit their education at UW-Platteville with giving them the foundation to succeed. To help assist current Pioneers on their collegiate journey, the couple have established the Beth and Gary Goldberg Scholarship.
UW-Platteville alumni invited to participate in national survey
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Nov 16, 2020 | Featured in: Alumni, Press Release UW-Platteville has partnered with the Career Leadership Collective, a higher education solutions group, to conduct a national online survey to collect career pathway data from alumni.
Dornak publishes research on land use, bird conservation efforts
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Nov 13, 2020 | Featured in: Geography, Research Amid a decades-long trend of declining bird populations in North America, setting land aside for preservation has long been a primary approach to protect biodiversity. Dr. Lynnette Dornak, associate professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, researched the effectiveness of this method, and her work, “Assessing the Efficacy of Protected and Multiple-Use Lands for Bird Conservation in the U.S.,” was recently published by the scientific journal, PLOS ONE.
Pioneer Spotlight: Dr. Afzal Upal
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Nov 13, 2020 | Featured in: Campus & Community, STEM Dr. Afzal Upal joined UW-Platteville in July as the chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department. He has more than 20 years of experience in the computing field, with an expertise in artificial intelligence and cognitive science. Upal has held several technical and leadership positions in the computer science and software engineering industry and government, however his love for education brought him back to academia.
UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County to offer free COVID-19 testing to area residents
Written By: John Christensen | Published On: Nov 13, 2020 | Featured in: Baraboo Sauk County UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County will offer free COVID-19 testing to area residents, ages five years and older, on Wednesdays from Nov. 18 through Jan. 20. Testing is free, and participants do not need to be students or employees of the university.
Criminal Justice Instructor Chris Polzer wins 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award
Written By: Cheryl Lange | Published On: Nov 11, 2020 | Featured in: Alumni, Distance Education, Graduate Studies, Law & Justice Two-time UW-Platteville graduate and Criminal Justice Instructor Chris Polzer was named one of the university’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni. Recipients of the honor, which is presented by the Alumni Association, are chosen for their contributions to and recognition in their professions and communities, and continued engagement with the university.
UW-Platteville Richland to offer free COVID-19 testing to area residents
Written By: John Christensen | Published On: Nov 11, 2020 | Featured in: Richland UW-Platteville Richland will offer free COVID-19 testing to area residents, ages five years and older, on Wednesdays from Nov. 18-Jan. 20. Participants do not need to be students or employees of the university.
Researchers look for a taste of success
Written By: Megan Hinderman | Published On: Nov 10, 2020 | Featured in: Dairy Innovation Hub, Agriculture & Dairy, STEM, Research Wisconsin is known worldwide for its dairy products, and ice cream is an almost universal favorite. Yet what we love about it can often be hard to describe. Now, mechanical engineering professors Dr. Thomas Zolper and Dr. Bidhan Roy are looking at the science behind one of the world’s most popular treats as part of their research for the UW-Platteville Dairy Innovation Hub.
Alumni Spotlight: Ryan Weigel
Written By: Megan Hinderman | Published On: Nov 10, 2020 | Featured in: Alumni, Dairy Innovation Hub, Agriculture & Dairy Throughout his career, Ryan Weigel has felt the influence of UW-Platteville. From the time he graduated as an animal science major, to his own role as an educator today, Weigel acknowledges the friends, family and mentors that have helped him along the way.
UW-Platteville continues to be a pioneer in distance education
Written By: Stephen Kelley | Published On: Nov 09, 2020 | Featured in: Campus & Community, Distance Education, Graduate Studies UW-Platteville is known as the Pioneers, but the moniker is much more than a nickname. The university has been a pioneer and industry leader in distance education since 1978, when it began offering degrees through its print-based program.
Student creates peer-led mental health awareness program
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Nov 09, 2020 | Featured in: Psychology Thanks to an internship at UW-Platteville's University Counseling Services, Anna Klimesh had the opportunity to make a potentially big impact on both current and future students at the university. This summer, Klimesh was tasked with creating and publicizing Peers Promoting Mental Health – a student-led support program that aims to increase student engagement in mental health promotion, education and awareness on campus.
Pioneer Spotlight: Angela Yang
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Nov 06, 2020 | Featured in: Campus & Community Growing up as the oldest of seven, Angela Yang was the first in her family to earn a college degree. Yang, an alumna of UW-Platteville, now hopes to inspire students throughout their collegiate journey. As a TRIO Student Support Services advisor and SUCCEED coordinator, she works with incoming UW-Platteville students and assists them with accessing campus resources.
Pioneer Mock Trial Team earns top witness award
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Nov 03, 2020 | Featured in: Law & Justice The UW-Platteville Mock Trial Team participated in its first invitational tournament of the season and received a top witness award. “Testing the Waters” tournament took place virtually from Oct.16-18 and featured 12 colleges from across the country.
Pioneers Players return with some socially-distant Shakespeare
Written By: Maddie Harbour, fine arts-theatre major | Published On: Nov 03, 2020 | Featured in: Arts & Culture UW-Platteville's Department of Performing and Visual Arts-Theatre and Pioneer Players will kick off their 2020-2021 season with William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.”
Pioneer Spotlight: Clint Nemitz
Written By: Eric Herbst | Published On: Oct 30, 2020 | Featured in: Campus & Community, Distance Education As the lead admissions specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Center for Distance Learning, Clint Nemitz works with his team to connect prospective students with their desired academic programs.
Mumma presents research marking 19th amendment anniversary
Written By: Alison Parkins | Published On: Oct 29, 2020 | Featured in: Agriculture & Dairy, Arts & Culture Kaley Mumma, a senior from Byron, Illinois, was selected to present at the 2020 Red River Women’s Studies Conference, hosted by North Dakota State University last week. The conference’s theme, “Imperfect History,” marked the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment.
The department of geography launches new environmental science and conservation program
Written By: Ruth Wendlandt | Published On: Oct 27, 2020 | Featured in: Geography The Department of Geography is now offering a new undergraduate degree, environmental science and conservation. The program launched this fall with more than a dozen students declaring the major.