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Samantha (Rogers) Birkicht is currently in her fourth year as head volleyball coach for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
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.
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.”
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.
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 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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 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.
The College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is hosting its third virtual event in the Engineering Seminar Series on Tuesday, Nov. 10, featuring alumna Lauren Ray, a 2001 civil engineering graduate, and Marc Ruden, both of IIW, P.C.
Since joining UW-Platteville in 2015, Dr. Hynek Boril, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been instrumental in providing students with unique research opportunities on campus, particularly through his creation of the Pioneer Speech Signal Processing Laboratory.
Last week, the Department of Industrial Studies hosted an open house to celebrate the newly-renovated electronics and industrial controls systems laboratory. Located in Russell Hall, the lab is one of two automation labs that underwent a $1.5 million renovation to offer students the opportunity to use world-class technology and give them an edge in the workforce.
A new agreement between UW-Platteville and Carroll University will allow Carroll students to earn Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering without ever leaving southeast Wisconsin. Carroll students will complete UW-Platteville engineering courses in an online format through UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships.
Dr. Kristina Fields, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was named one of four recipients across the UW System of the 2020 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award.
The UW-Platteville Continuing Education Institute is pleased to announce a new partnership that will give students the ability to advance their careers by acquiring the knowledge and requirements needed to sit for the CFP® Certification Exam. Starting in October, Continuing Education Institute will begin offering Dalton Education’s CFP® Certification preparation curriculum.
The UW-Platteville Health and Human Performance program recently rolled out three new minors that can be paired with majors across the university to increase the marketability of graduates. Beginning this fall, students can enroll in a health promotion, coaching or sports management minor.
The School of Business recently announced a new partnership with Foster MSP. The collaboration will offer students a unique apprenticeship opportunity, providing them with a valuable, rare skillset to give them an edge in a growing field.
UW-Platteville alumni and friends celebrated Pioneers Day of Giving by raising $141,514 on Oct. 9. The university surpassed its goal with more than 290 donors.
The School of Education recently received a grant from the Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC), a national nonprofit committed to strengthening the bonds between schools and communities. The grant is part of RSC's I am a Rural Teacher campaign, a national advocacy effort that is supported by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dr. Hal Evensen, UW-Platteville professor of engineering physics, is the recipient of the inaugural Dale Dixon Professor of Engineering Award. The award was established by Dr. Dale Dixon, a former engineering department chair in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, to celebrate engineering faculty excellence.
The Dairy Innovation Hub has released its first annual report that reflects progress and activities from initial funding approval by the Wisconsin Legislature in early October 2019 through June 2020.
Heather Burkholder grew up in Platteville and began working at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2007 in the Admission and Student Affairs office before moving over to Athletics in 2010, where she is coordinator for internal operations.
The School of Business has realigned its programs to ensure that students are ready for the changing needs in business and industry, with the launch of six new undergraduate degree programs and an ongoing commitment to providing a cutting-edge education – from its teaching philosophy to leveraging the latest online resources.
In recent months, Dr. Phillip Gordon, associate professor of English and Gay Studies coordinator at UW-Platteville, has received continued recognition for his book, “Gay Faulkner: Uncovering a Homosexual Presence in Yoknapatawpha and Beyond,” including a newly published essay, an upcoming article and delivery of a keynote speech at a United Kingdom conference.
Based on overwhelming interest, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Continuing Education Institute is pleased to announce the expansion of its cannabis-related certificates to include an Agriculture and Horticulture Certificate program.
Dr. Jenna Zucker joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Psychology in 2019 and teaches courses focused on development.
The sculpture is titled “Pandemic” and for University of Wisconsin-Platteville fine arts major Sara Ditchman, it’s a reflection of the uncertainty of COVID-19. Ditchman was selected to present her piece at the Water Street Studios 11th Anniversary Show: Create-in-Place in Batavia, Illinois.
For more than 50 years, the Busby family has helped transform and enrich UW-Platteville and the greater Platteville community. To honor their family legacy, UW-Platteville will rename Engineering Hall to the Busby Hall of Engineering.
The UW-Platteville Foundation is giving future Pioneers the opportunity to submit their college application at no cost until Saturday, Oct. 31.
It’s an idea that has evolved since 2019 when four engineering students and Dr. Gokul “Gopal” Gopalakrishnan, associate professor of engineering physics, discussed their passion for rock climbing and developed the first prototype of Skillzboard. Today, Gopal and his former students are now partners and have started their own company.
Two recent UW-Platteville alumni, Kathryn Bartels and Dominique Kornely, have had their research work accepted for publication in academic journals. Both alumni are former participants of UW-Platteville’s Summer Undergraduate Scholars Program and credit the program for their success.
After growing up in Canada, Demi Vetesnik, program manager for the UW-Platteville Continuing Education Institute, made the jump to the United States for college when a soccer scholarship led her to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 2019, she joined the CEI team at UW-Platteville Richland Center. As part of her responsibilities, Vetesnik provides quality programming for the community she now lives in.
UW-Platteville will celebrate 154 years since becoming an institution on Friday, Oct. 9. In honor of Founder’s Day, alumni and friends are invited to participate in the annual Pioneers Day of Giving. The all-day event raises funds to support student success.
Nicole Ruchotzke may be one of the newest advisors to join the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Center for Distance Operations, but she’s already left her mark. This week, Ruchotzke will officially be awarded the Advising Profession Impact Award by the Wisconsin Academic Advising Association.