University News

Alumnus mentors former student in classroom

When University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Jason Weitenhiller had Raine Voigts as a student in his second-grade classroom his first year of teaching at Belmont (Wis.) Elementary School in 2005, he had no idea he would be inspiring a future teacher. He also didn’t know that throughout the next 14 years, their paths would cross several times, most recently this spring, in a classroom at Westview Elementary School in Platteville.

Students learn strategies to teach English language learners

Twenty-four University of Wisconsin-Platteville undergraduate students and three Master of Science in English Education students from China recently learned strategies to teach English language learners at a World-class Instructional Design and Assessment workshop, “Differentiation for Linguistically Diverse Students,” at UW-Platteville.

UW-Platteville team places fourth at Dairy Challenge

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Dairy Challenge Team recently placed fourth on their farm in the 2019 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge, held in Tifton, Georgia. UW-Platteville was one of 44 universities competing in the event, totaling 240 students. The UW-Platteville team was comprised of Emmy Hastreiter, Ryan Smith, Julia Mitchell and Allison Foster.

Wright Center celebrates 5th anniversary with new programs

The Robert and James Wright Center for Non-Traditional and Veteran Students continues to grow at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since opening five years ago in April of 2014. On April 10, the center is celebrating its anniversary with an open house from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in Royce Hall. The center is inviting veteran students, non-traditional students, faculty and staff to attend.

Students present at Research in the Rotunda

Nearly 20 students from the three University of Wisconsin-Platteville campuses participated in the 16th annual Research in the Rotunda on April 17 in Madison, Wisconsin. More than 120 undergraduate researchers and their faculty mentors from across the UW System filled the Capitol and presented their findings with legislators, state leaders, alumni and the public.

UW-Platteville offers opportunity for high school students to earn education credits

To help combat the shortage of teachers in southwestern Wisconsin, especially in rural communities, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s School of Education has begun offering a dual credit course option for high school students.

Students lead family math night in Darlington

Sixteen University of Wisconsin-Platteville elementary education students recently led “Power Up Your Math Skills Night” for students at Darlington (Wisconsin) Elementary School and their families.

UW-Platteville to host Senior Design Open House

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host its sixth Senior Design Open House on Wednesday, May 15 at the Markee Pioneer Student Center. Nearly 220 students from the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science are participating in the event.

Collins named School of Education Director

Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Joanne Wilson announced that Dr. Jennifer Collins is the new director of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's School of Education.

Challenging the system: Project Management graduate's capstone project takes off

For Wayne Miller, success is found in the journey, not the destination.

It’s a somewhat tired saying, but works well to describe Miller’s new position as Manager of Market Implementation at TDS Telecom—a telecommunications company headquartered in Madison, WI—of which he has been a part of for over 22 years.  

Student helps develop drone-based company

Seth Oren, a junior agriculture and technology education major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has helped to expand a branch of the agriculture technology company Crop Search into his hometown of Edgerton, Wisconsin. There are two other Crop Search locations in Okeechobee, Florida, and Vermillion, Ohio.

Students present research on honeybees, native pollinators and their shared habitat

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are contributing to research that will assess the effects of honeybees and surrounding habitat on native pollinators. They will present their research at the 16th annual Research in the Rotunda event on Wednesday, April 17 in the capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin.

Hynek documents a life dedicated to the preservation of prehistoric Native American culture

Although his higher education career hasn’t always taken a traditional path, Chris Hynek has always known about history, in particular his father’s own public history work documents.  Hynek has painstakingly archived and digitized the quarterly journal Prehistoric American, of which his father was the long-time editor.

Arellano studies water quality in Sauk County

Paul Arellano spent last summer and fall as a student at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, taking surface water samples from six points along the Little Baraboo River. That’s not one of the major tributaries of the Wisconsin River, but it is its second-largest source of contaminants like phosphorus and nitrates.

Considine to present on factors influencing goat milk production

In her years growing up on her family’s farm near Portage, Wisconsin, Esther Considine, the fourth of 10 children, moved through many chores, from feeding chickens, to sheep, and then to goats. The farm’s 230 goats annually produce thousands of gallons of milk that is turned into goat cheese after being shipped to Illinois.

Kornely to present research at Research in the Rotunda

Dominique Kornely, a senior psychology major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, will present research on the effect of psychosocial stress on substance use in college students while at the 16th annual Research in the Rotunda event on Wednesday, April 17, in the Capitol Rotunda in Madison.

Faculty present at 'Let's Talk about Privilege' workshop

On March 30, University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty, staff and community members had the opportunity to learn about privilege and its effects at the “Let’s Talk About Privilege” workshop at the Platteville Public Library.

Engineering graduate honors family legacy while building her own future

From an early age, Marissa Wildeck was fascinated by how her parents and contractors seemed to know what would work for each component of her family’s many house projects. This interest inspired her to pursue a career in engineering and she took the first step toward that goal with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

UW-Platteville to host UW System Reps’ Inclusivity Summit

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host the UW System Representatives’ Inclusivity Summit Friday, April 12 through Saturday, April 13 in the university’s Markee Pioneer Student Center with a film showing in Lundeen Lecture Hall. The conference is free and open to all UW-Platteville students, faculty and staff.

Student advances board eraser prototype with the help of WiSys

Caleb Dykema, a senior mechanical engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is currently working on advancing his second prototype of 1Swipe. 1Swipe is a new product that assists professors when they are using whiteboards or blackboards, helping to cut down the time they spend erasing.

Department of Industrial Studies receives equipment donation

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Industrial Studies Department received an equipment donation valued at more than $300,000 from Rockwell Automation, Inc. The presentation was acknowledged in an appreciation ceremony Thursday in UW-Platteville’s Russell Hall.

Award-winning NYC-based theatre artist to speak at UW-Platteville

Chesney Snow, an award-winning, New York City-based theatre artist and an alumnus of Platteville High School (’97), will present “American Inequality and the Functionality of the Arts” and the documentary “American Beatboxer” at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Lundeen Lecture Hall on Wednesday, April 10 at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The event is free and open to all.

Come to the best pub in London for Pioneer Players’ production of ‘Sweeney Todd’

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of Performing and Visual Arts-Theatre and Pioneer Players will continue their 2018-2019 season with the sinister and popular musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

Software engineering student to present research on emotion mining on Twitter

Daniel Zellmer, a junior software engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has been researching the topic of emotion mining on Twitter. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native will present his research at the 16th annual Research in the Rotunda on April 17 in Madison, Wisconsin.

UW-Platteville sets activities for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

As part of its ongoing commitment to improving campus climate, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will recognize Sexual Assault Awareness month in April with a number of events. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a campaign to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it.

Pioneer Farm receives multiple dairy awards

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneer Farm is being awarded for its cattle and quality of milk. The farm was recently recognized as one of the Top 10 BAA College/University Herds from the Holstein Association USA Inc. and received the Excellent Quality Milk award from Foremost Farms USA.

School of Agriculture students gain experience abroad

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Agriculture offered three new short-term education abroad programs over the winter break, which allow students to take a course taught abroad by one or more UW-Platteville faculty members. A total of 40 students and six faculty and staff members participated in these new programs with destinations to New Zealand, Spain and Thailand.

Strobl presents at United Nations session on women

Dr. Staci Strobl, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, recently presented at the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women held March 11-22 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Pioneering your future in STEM

More than 325 middle school girls from across the tri-state area gathered at UW-Platteville on Feb. 26 and March 26 to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

UW-Platteville to host an evening with Rick Hess

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, in partnership with the Tommy G. Thompson Center presents An Evening with Rick Hess. The event will take place on Tuesday, April 9 at 6 p.m. in Velzy Commons, Ullsvik Hall.

Faculty forum to explore Zika virus: evolution, international impact

The 2016 Olympic Games held in Brazil were overshadowed by the Zika pandemic that had gripped the country since 2013. During that time, popular media became an outlet for disseminating concern about the health and well-being of international athletes competing in the games. The virus gained much attention because of its connection to microcephaly and other birth defects and how it is transmitted.

Students research bentonite to improve waste containment solutions

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are contributing to research on the properties of bentonite, a naturally-occurring clay that is used in the construction of waste barriers. Next month, they will present their findings at the annual Research in the Rotunda event in Madison, Wisconsin, where they hope to inform legislators and other state leaders about the critical impacts their research can have on environmental protection.

Education students lead local Family Math and Reading Night

Thirty-two University of Wisconsin-Platteville elementary education majors recently led meaningful activities at Family Math and Reading Night for more than 100 elementary students from Platteville’s Westview Elementary School and Neal Wilkins Early Learning Center and their parents.

Professor panel to present on sexual harassment in the workplace

University of Wisconsin-Platteville professors Mary Bartling and Marge Karsten from the School of Business were inspired by the #MeToo movement to dig deeper into the issue of harassment in the workplace. They will host a panel, open to the public, on this topic on Wednesday, March 27 at 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the University Rooms of the Markee Pioneer Student Center.

Students team with NASA to test limitations of polymer for cleaning aerospace equipment

University of Wisconsin-Platteville student research teams have been experimenting to find the limitations of the First Contact™ adhesive polymer, which is already being used by NASA to clean its astronomical equipment, like telescopes, mirrors and lenses.

Degree program leads to discovery of new passion

As the Human Trafficking Case Manager at Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Asia Jackson provides advocacy to survivors of trafficking and develops trainings on human trafficking for the community and service providers. She also collaborates with local and federal law enforcement partners and other non-governmental agencies to identify and provide support to survivors of sex and labor trafficking.

Fourth iteration of WiSys Prototype Hackathon to be held at UW-Platteville

Student teams will soon compete in WiSys’ fourth annual Prototype Hackathon for a $1,000 cash prize and a chance to develop their product commercially.

National Science Foundation and UW-Platteville a winning combination for supply chain student

Saying that working as a Supply Chain Specialist at Fastenal, the largest fastener distributor in North America, keeps Steve Koldykowski busy is an understatement. From forecasting and inventory to purchasing and order processing, he looks for improvements that will benefit the company and client alike.

International student crosses ocean to pursue education degree at UW-Platteville

About three years ago, after much research, thought and consideration, Youkuan Yan made a decision that altered the course of his life: he decided to leave his hometown of Wuhan, China, and travel more than 7,100 miles to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher.

Engineering partnership renewed in Fox Valley

The successful University of Wisconsin-Platteville Engineering Partnerships program will continue in the Fox Valley, UW-Platteville Dennis J. Shields and UW Oshkosh Chancellor Andy Leavitt announced at a joint news conference Friday in Menasha, Wisconsin.

Dr. Michael O'Connor named 2018 Outstanding Alumni

Dr. Michael O’Connor, a 2006 graduate of the Master of Science in Project Management program, was recognized at UW-Platteville’s 2018 Homecoming as an Outstanding Alumni. The award honors alumni who contribute to and are recognized in their profession and community, and who are engaged with the university.

Students to present on metallic organic frameworks at Research in the Rotunda

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville chemistry students will present their research project in Madison, Wisconsin, at the 16th annual Research in the Rotunda on April 17. Student researchers JaLynn Schuh, a senior from Plymouth, Wisconsin, and Hyeong Cheol Yoo, a junior from Seoul, South Korea, are collaborating with Dr.

Inspirations of NARCOS to be Distinguished Lecturers

Steve Murphy and Javier Peña are former DEA agents who successfully hunted down and captured the Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar, the head of the Medellin Cartel in the 1980s and 1990s. Their exhilarating pursuit of the world’s first narcoterrorist has inspired the Golden Globe-nominated Netflix Original three-season series “NARCOS.”  

Grads published in New Teacher Advocate

A manuscript written by three recent University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Education graduates was published in the Spring 2019 issue of New Teacher Advocate, a quarterly professional journal that Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education, designed to support new teachers.

Students, alumnus aid Special Olympians

Five University of Wisconsin-Platteville students and an alumnus gained hands-on coaching experience with individuals with varying abilities by helping coach 30 members of three Platteville Special Olympics basketball teams, including two adult teams and one youth team.

M lighting tradition wins national award

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Homecoming tradition of lighting the world’s largest M earned the “2018 Your Best Campus Tradition” in a vote by the National Association for Campus Activities.

UW-Platteville streams C++ class to local school district

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is collaborating with the Platteville School District in teaching students computer science. Donna Gavin, senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at UW-Platteville, has piloted a program this semester teaching high school students C++.

Teacher and coach uses education to be a postive influence

When Matthew Janisch started coaching youth and high school football in Stoughton, Wisconsin, it unlocked a passion for teaching he didn’t know he’d had. Working with students of any age drove him to be a positive influence in their lives. However, he didn’t have a degree to pursue a full-time teaching career.

Students gain insight into value of German studies at statewide conference

Three University of Wisconsin-Platteville students gained insight into the value of German skills and studies at “The Graduate School Experience in German” held at UW-Madison. The UW-Platteville group, led by Dr. Madelon Köhler-Busch, associate professor of German and director of the German program at UW-Platteville, was one of six groups from universities throughout the state who attended.

Gavin creates new opportunities with Amazon Future Engineer sponsorship

Donna Gavin, senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been accepted into the Amazon Future Engineer program for her work with the Girls Who Code Club.