The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is the top public institution in the state for best value, according to the 2020 Payscale ratings.

Payscale studied the total four-year tuition, graduation rate, number of years to graduate, average loan amount and 20-year return on investment. UW-Platteville came out ahead of the entire state in 20-year return on investment and finished second to Milwaukee School of Engineering in the overall value rankings.

“In the category of public colleges, a good bet is the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus,” Payscale said. “Of course, Platteville isn’t the only campus of the University of Wisconsin, but it is usually the campus with the highest ROI.”

Among the schools ranked in the top 10, UW-Platteville had the lowest four-year tuition and student loan amounts.

The Pioneer Restore at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces the launch of its new online storefront. The sleek, easy-to-use website is designed to make unwanted university-owned items available to the community at affordable prices. The official launch date is June 30.

The Pioneer Restore is confident the new online sales experience will make it easier for individuals to buy re-used items. All it takes is a couple of clicks at a computer or mobile device to view the entire affordable inventory; ranging from office supplies, furniture, computers, appliances, home goods, and much more. Purchases can be picked up within 24 hours by scheduling a curbside pickup appointment, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Dr. Yan Shi, associate professor of computer science and software engineering joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2011. Shi’s interest in computer science and software engineering began when she was earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing.

“I started my undergraduate as an electrical engineering major in control track. After my undergraduate study, I joined a research lab in software cybernetics as a master’s student,” she said. “My main research focus was applying control theories to software testing process. This experience made me become more and more interested in software engineering and computer science. After I graduated, I applied for a Ph.D. program (University of Texas at Dallas) in computer science with a focus on software engineering.”

Donna Gavin, a senior lecturer in computer science and software engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and founder of Platteville’s Girls Who Code Club, recently received a grant of more than $1,500 from the Platteville Community Fund, which will help support new opportunities for both the middle and high school-aged girls in the club and their college mentors.

The creative concepts of five University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty and one student were recently selected by WiSys in the organization’s Innovation Challenge: COVID-19. WiSys announced the contest in April, calling for fast, functional solutions to boost local community preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From leveraging social media to designing medical devices, the UW-Platteville community responded with a range of innovative solutions.

WiSys offered $100 to those whose projects were selected in order to create a proof of concept or begin implementing the idea.

UW-Platteville recipients include:

Dr. Phillip Gordon is scheduled to give two online presentations in the coming weeks to discuss his recently published book “Gay Faulkner: Uncovering a Homosexual Presence and Beyond” (December 2019, University Press of Mississippi). Gordon is an associate professor of English and gay studies coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, as well as a recipient of the P. B. Poorman Award for outstanding contributions to the UW System on behalf of LGBTQ+ communities. He was the first faculty member at UW-Platteville to win the award.

Ever since Nancy Hammermeister began teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville about 10 years ago, she always encouraged her students to be curious and to ask questions. One of the things she loves most about teaching is when students notice anything that seems odd. She believes it’s not always important to know the solution or to understand what is behind that anomaly – the first step is always to notice and ask.

Hammermeister, a lecturer of political science, mainly teaches introduction level, general education courses in American government. In addition, each fall, she looks forward to welcoming new students to campus by teaching the First Year Experience course. Hammermeister has also taught a few upper division courses, including American Political Parties and Interest Groups and Social Studies Teaching Methods for the School for Education.

What inspired you to pursue a career in teaching political science?

Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran, assistant professor of industrial engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was recently awarded a Research Infrastructure Program grant by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium for his research exploring the use of gloves and their effect on performing tasks – the results of which could potentially influence glove redesign in manufacturing, aerospace and healthcare industries, helping people select gloves to maximize safety and productivity.

Black Lives Matter is the message two University of Wisconsin-Platteville activists are spreading in Southwest Wisconsin in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. On June 7, Alvin Watts and Alexandria Lara organized a peaceful protest at City Park in Platteville to bring awareness to systemic racism and police brutality. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered to listen to the speakers and march through downtown shedding a light on the racial justice movement taking place across the globe.

“Black people and people of color have been getting discriminated against on so many levels. My grandmother, grandfather and my great-great-grandmother all have gone through it,” said Watts, a sophomore business administration major from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “I’m really happy I was able to do something and put something on. This is not the end. There are going to be more coming up.”

The University of Wisconsin­-Platteville recently awarded seven faculty research fellowships to help increase dairy-related research capacity through the Dairy Innovation Hub initiative. Known as the Dairy industry – impact and innovation – faculty fellowships or “DI3 faculty fellowships,” selected faculty members will tackle research projects in the Hub’s four priority areas: stewarding land and water resources; enriching human health and nutrition; ensuring animal health and welfare; and growing farm business and communities.

The Dairy Innovation Hub, which the state of Wisconsin is supporting to the tune of $1 million this year and $7.8 million per year in subsequent years, harnesses research and development at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls campuses to keep Wisconsin’s $45.6 billion dairy community at the global forefront in producing nutritious dairy products in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is organizing virtual events throughout June, national Pride Month, to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

According to Elliott Parsons, coordinator of the UW-Platteville Doyle Center for Gender and Sexuality, this Pride Month will look different than any previous year, as recent national events provide opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community and allies to support the Black Lives Matter movement and explore the movement’s intersectionality.

If you are a mathematics major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, then odds are that some aspect of your life has been touched by either Bill or Jean Sanders. The pair taught at the university for a combined total of 56 years, and their shared love of mathematics helped inspire multiple generations of Platteville students to pursue careers in STEM. When the couple retired in 2000, they decided they weren’t done being Pioneers. By funding two scholarships, one for new freshmen and one for continuing mathematics students, the couple have ensured an ongoing impact on today’s Pioneers.

As a professor of agribusiness at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and a UW-Extension farm management specialist, Dr. Kevin Bernhardt helps make an impact on both the current and future generations of the local agriculture industry. An Iowa native, Bernhardt joined UW-Platteville in 1996 and his teaching and Extension areas include farm financial analysis and management, risk management and commodity marketing.

How did you originally become interested in the field of agribusiness?

During the COVID-19 crisis, more than 70 University of Wisconsin-Platteville education majors took on the challenge of providing more than 100 homebound K-12 students in 11 school districts in Southwest Wisconsin with online tutoring support to ensure they continued gaining knowledge in a wide variety of subject areas.

Beginning in March, UW-Platteville students were paired with more than 60 elementary students, 20 middle school students and 20 high school students. Using Zoom, the future teachers read books on a variety of topics aloud to younger students and tutored older students in math, science and language. UW-Platteville students tutored students through mid-May, but some volunteered to continue tutoring until the younger students’ school year ends.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Scott Melin comes from a family of educators. Growing up, Melin always had an interest in pursuing a teaching career at the college level.

“I believe in the inherent value of the pursuit of knowledge and education,” said Melin. “I enjoy the human side of the equation; working with students and helping them achieve the goals they have set for themselves is highly rewarding.”

Melin joined UW-Platteville in 2017 and encourages his students to take away these important concepts: a lifelong learning approach, growth mindset and professional skills.

The UW-Platteville Continuing Education Institute is re-inventing its summer youth series, rolling out 11 virtual camps in place of its traditional face-to-face offerings.

Continuing Education Institute staff will host a virtual open house Thursday, June 11 for families to learn more about the programs, all geared toward third through 12th grade campers.  The open house will provide a more detailed overview and offer more information about these unique learning opportunities.

“Our virtual open house will be a great chance for any parent looking to engage their children in learning this summer to see what our programs can offer. They are going to be fun, creative and delivered in a safe online format,” according to Strategic and Program Manager Rebecca Powell.

Thanks to a recent donation from industry partner Kraemer Brothers, LLC, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville building construction programs now have a piece of new equipment to offer students additional hands-on experience. The commercial construction firm in Plain, Wisconsin, recently donated a 753 Bobcat skid steer. 

“Kevin Kraemer, executive vice president of Kraemer Brothers and a 1977 UW-Platteville graduate, saw the equipment that was needed at our hands-on labs, the Commercial Construction Lab and the Road and Infrastructure Lab, and stepped up,” said Gretchen Bockenhauer, lecturer in the Building Construction Management program.

The skid steer will be utilized in both labs and give students in the Construction Management and Construction Safety Management programs the experience working around and operating this type of equipment.

Dear Campus Community,

It is with heavy hearts and a deep sense of gravity that we share this message with you. The recent tragedies are profound examples of what is truly broken, and has been broken for generations, in our society. The events of which we write are the most recent examples of what has been obvious for decades. The horrific killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, Tony McDade, and Dion Johnson are, or should be, dismaying to anyone who believes we live in a civil society. Police being weaponized against our Black communities and the protests for change in our society have again highlighted the extreme pain and injustice that persist and so significantly impact the world we live in today.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Social Sciences recently recognized Elliott Manuel, a soon-to-be senior political science major at UW-Platteville, with the Outstanding Social Sciences Paper Award. The award included a $200 stipend.

The Outstanding Social Sciences Paper Award, selected annually by faculty in the Department of Social Sciences, offers an opportunity to highlight student successes in the classroom and stimulate further interest in research and writing.

Manuel, a Davenport, Iowa native, received the award for a research paper he wrote, “The Post-Apartheid South African Economy,” for the Modern Africa course, taught by Dr. Shan Sappleton, associate professor of political science at UW-Platteville. In the paper, Manuel used economic growth data (GDP, GDP per capita) from 1994-2016 to examine whether South Africa has experienced or failed to stimulate economic growth since the end of Apartheid and possible underlying reasons.

Krista Eiseman has been interested in the field of animal science since she was old enough to walk. She grew up on a small dairy farm in south central Wisconsin, where her father milked Holsteins and raised crops, and where she developed a love for animals, especially calves.

She attended UW-Platteville and developed a particular interest in meat science after taking Principles of Meat Science and Meat Animal Evaluation with Dr. Denise McNamara. She earned her master’s degree from North Dakota State University, where she studied meat science and muscle biology.

“While in North Dakota, I worked with a lot of beef cattle and caught the ‘beef bug,’” said Eiseman. “I was hooked from that point on.”

Eiseman returned to UW-Platteville as assistant professor of animal science in 2017.

What drew you to come back to your alma mater to teach?

When Rachel Herman, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville administrative director of Student Health Services, had her first request for a mask to combat COVID-19 in January, she immediately thought of an iconic Hollywood scene.

“It's right up there with that line from the movie, ‘Jaws.’ ‘We're gonna need a bigger boat,’" she said. “We were going to need more PPE (personal protection equipment).”

Herman is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner who counts public health infectious disease among her expertise. She has been instrumental in not only offering leadership to the UW-Platteville Emergency Operations Center team but also to the UW System, as her pandemic planning was used as a blueprint for the 170,000 students across the state.

Quicker than almost anyone at the university, Herman recognized just how big of an issue COVID-19 was going to present to higher education.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Jason Roth, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in women, gender, and sexuality studies this May, recently received the UW System Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium undergraduate research award for a workshop he developed, “Who Gets to Represent Whom? Authentic Membership, Organic Voices, and Allyship.”

Since 2017, the WGSC has awarded selected undergraduate students across a variety of UW System campuses for their best practices in research, community outreach and scholarship in women’s and gender studies. The awardees are typically invited to present a poster or give a 10-minute presentation on their work.

For more than 40 years, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been an institutional leader in distance education. In 1978, UW-Platteville started a print-based program and then in 1999 the institution became the first public university in Wisconsin to offer degrees online. Currently, 1,800 students are earning their degree. According to the Center for Distance Learning, 30% of the students are enrolled in an undergraduate program while 70% are enrolled in a graduate program. This past spring semester, 909 students were from the United States with representation from more than 40 states. Eight students were taking courses from Afghanistan, Canada, Jamaica and Switzerland.

Dan Avenarius, executive director of the Center for Distance Learning states online education offers another avenue for UW-Platteville students to partake in.

Dana Mueller, a senior psychology major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, recently won the university’s WiSys Quick Pitch @ Home competition.

Nicole Ryan, a University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior regional admission advisor connects prospective students to the university. Prior to joining UW-Platteville, Ryan worked as a writer/editor and educator.

“The most rewarding part of my job is helping students find their just right fit at UW-Platteville,” she said.

Ryan is also passionate about reaching out to members of the military, veterans and non-traditional students. “I am proud to be the spouse of a retired Navy veteran and have many family members who have served in the military,” she said. “I know how difficult a military life can be. I think it’s incredibly important to support these military members and their families.”

When Ryan is not on campus, she enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling to new places.

What are students most excited about when discussing their futures as potential Pioneers?

Two recent UW-Platteville graduates are pursuing their Ph.Ds. at the University of Texas at Dallas and contributing to a variety of projects that are significant to both the past and future.

Chelzy Belitz and Ava Brueggeman graduated from UW-Platteville in 2018, both with a major in electrical engineering and minor in computer science. Their research in UW-Platteville’s Pioneer Speech Signal Processing Laboratory introduced them to the study of digital signal processing and machine learning for speech-enabled technologies. While at UW-Platteville, they each completed an internship at UT Dallas’s Center for Robust Speech Systems, cementing their desire to continue studying this field after graduation.

Joshua Boots, assistant vice chancellor of development and alumni engagement at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, announced today that the UW-Platteville Foundation has received a $15,000 matching gift donation from an anonymous couple. This gift will match donations made to UW-Platteville’s $100,000 initiative in support of the Pioneers Helping Pioneers fund.

Created in 2019, Pioneers Helping Pioneers provides emergency financial support to students with unexpected expenses, outside of tuition. Since leaving campus to begin alternative delivery methods in mid-March due to COVID-19, more than 1,100 students have applied for support through the fund. The top four requests the fund has assisted with are housing, transportation, utilities and food.

To help combat the shortage of personal protective equipment during this COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jodi Prosise, chair of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and a team of undergraduate researchers are designing a system to turn recycled plastic into respiratory face masks. Prosise, along with mechanical engineering students Jason Hackbarth, Rkia Talbi and Mackenzie Darkow, were initially working on a process to create prosthetic devices, but once the coronavirus hit, they transitioned to personal protective equipment.

“It’s a system for recycling that will be easy for anyone to build themselves; in rural communities in Wisconsin, the Midwest or third-world areas,” said Prosise. “By the end we will have simple instructions so anyone can construct this system to recycle their plastic into face masks.”

Watching students develop their own artistic voices, demonstrating the value of physical creation and facilitating an environment that stresses the importance of failing, sharing and community are what Scott Steder treasures most about teaching.

Steder, a lecturer of art at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since fall 2017, teaches courses in sculpture, drawing, professional practices and all levels of ceramics. He was first drawn to the field of art in high school, when he took a ceramics class, and he never looked back. Some of his favorite memories of creating art as a youth and young adult include creating lifelong relationships with fellow studio artists and professors and building kilns in graduate school, both on campus and in Paraguay for the 1st International Biennial of Asunción, a cultural, artistic and social project organized by the Asociación Bienal de Asunción.

Recent graduate Caleb Dykema is taking the experiences in innovation he found at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and inspiring others to achieve the same through his new podcast, Just the Bulb.

Dykema graduated in December 2019 with a degree in mechanical engineering and now works as a product engineer. As a student, he took full advantage of all of the resources offered at UW-Platteville to help students develop entrepreneurial ideas, particularly those offered in collaboration with WiSys, which honored him with the 2019 Carl E. Gulbrandsen Innovator of the Year Award.

Academic support services are a key part of the educational experience at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and providers of these services – on all three campuses – are ensuring that doesn’t change with the move to alternative delivery.

Academic Support Programs on the UW-Platteville main campus has adapted to virtually provide all of its services. This includes academic advising, academic coaching, three types of tutoring and writing center services.

“In moving to alternative delivery, our main goal was to make sure our services were as equitable as possible,” said Kathryn Weller, Writing Center coordinator. “We had a lot of conversations around what to do if students have technology issues.”

To address these issues, the staff found that offering flexible options is important, whether it’s working synchronously through Zoom, asynchronously via email, or even by phone.

Just a few months ago, Emma Dums, a junior psychology major and statistics minor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was doing homework, studying for tests, conducting research and participating in hands-on courses face to face. She never dreamed that, within a short period of time, her life would change dramatically due to the global pandemic COVID-19.

The effects of the pandemic have impacted Dums personally and academically.

“COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone to some extent,” she said. “For me personally, the rapid adjustments in daily life have brought about some struggles. In such uncertain times, as there seems to be new developments every day, it can be difficult to maintain feeling a sense of control in your life.”

After several years in the workforce, Michelle Gould was looking for a change. Her years in business and human resources had built a life for her and her daughter, yet she wanted more, something that would help her make an impact in her community of Mineral Point, Wisconsin and in the lives of people around her.

“I came to a point in my life where I needed to make changes. I decided I needed to go back to school and find a way to make a difference in the world. My daughter was the one who suggested that I should become a teacher,” Gould said.

For Gould, UW-Platteville provided the perfect opportunity for her new start. As an alumna, she knew of the School of Education’s strong reputation in the region. She also liked that the curriculum focuses on rural education.

Julie Durst, a lecturer in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of Industrial Studies, is playing a significant role in Grant County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Called on for her expertise and nearly two decades of experience in the area of safety and risk management, Durst is serving as public information officer for the Southwest Wisconsin county during this crisis. In this role, she works in the Grant County Emergency Operations Center to conduct media interviews, creates webpages, social media posts and news releases to share critical information. Additionally, she assists with the collection and distribution of personal protective equipment.

The Women’s Rugby Club at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville was coming off a terrific fall season. The team was ranked eighth in the country by the National Small College Rugby Organization and was looking forward to the spring season, but everything changed once COVID-19 hit. Instead of feeling defeated with their season being cancelled, Mackenzie Darkow, president of the rugby team, and her teammates decided to spread virtual messages of hope through their UW-Platteville Women’s Rugby Facebook page.

“Everyone is struggling in their own way,” said Darkow, a junior mechanical engineering major from Hartland, Wisconsin. “We want them to find happiness even though we are all having to stay at our homes. It doesn’t mean we have to disconnect from each other.”

“UW-Platteville has given me an intellectual home and a sense of community. It is a great honor to be supported by my college. Such support makes my role as dean a true joy.” – Dr. Melissa Gormley, dean, College of Liberal Arts and Education, UW-Platteville

Dr.  Melissa Gormley, who began teaching at UW-Platteville in 2008, has served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education since July 2016. As dean, her main responsibilities are academic planning, curriculum, student recruitment, faculty recruitment, faculty development and evaluation, budget development, allocation of resources and more.

During her tenure at UW-Platteville, Gormley has held a variety of positions, including interim dean of the College of LAE, chair of the Department of History, interim chair of the Department of Geography, chair of Faculty Senate; and director of Women’s and Gender Studies.

During the COVID-19 crisis, University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumni who provide critical services and resources to those in need have risen to the challenge by adapting and innovating new ways of staying connected with their clients in ways that meet safer-at-home guidelines. To do so, they often draw upon their education and experiences at UW-Platteville.

One alumna who has found a different way to continue to serve her clients is Kayzia (Whiteaker) Teal, who earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a minor in sociology from UW-Platteville in May 2016, in three years. After earning a Master of Social Work from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, in May 2019, she returned to her hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin, to be closer to family.

Adaptability is perhaps one of the most important skills an engineer must have, and engineering students in the Senior Design Program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville this spring have had a chance to put this skill to the test.

The Senior Design Program pairs student groups with an industry partner to solve real problems or create new products. A defining experience for seniors in the engineering programs at UW-Platteville, this capstone project lasts an entire semester and culminates in an open house where students present the results. When the COVID-19 pandemic required students to transition to remote learning, students and their industry partners had to make some quick adjustments. On Wednesday, May 20, students will virtually present their final projects to the public during the Senior Design Open House.

As organizations large and small struggle to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and its surrounding communities are far-reaching. Students are continuing their studies from remote locations, where they face new personal and academic challenges. Faculty are adapting to delivering their courses in a new way and providing support to their students from afar. Yet, even as their own lives are disrupted, university students and staff have contributed to the greater good by sharing their skills and resources whenever possible.

When you ask Bill Huff what motivated him to give back to UW-Platteville, he likes to answer the question with a story. “As a veteran discharged in 1955, I was aware that education was a license for a better life,” Huff said.

He enrolled in the Wisconsin State College and Institute of Technology, a school students today would still be able to recognize through annual traditions like the lighting of the M. “My freshman year was very easy for me, so I was offered a job at Deere's in Dubuque, Iowa. It was my intent to work full time and carry 21 units in my second year,” Huff said.

But Huff’s ambitious plan backfired. “I was failing miserably after three weeks, so Professor Spradling told me to quit work and stay in school. Thank God for that advice,” he said.

A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students and one alumnus have found a creative way to team up, while staying at home, to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. They formed a UW-Platteville team to contribute to the Folding@home project – a distributed computing project that relies on people around the world to volunteer their personal computer resources to run simulations of protein dynamics to help scientists find cures for diseases.

Craig Beytien is the Corporate Relations Executive Director at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He develops and advances collaborations between industry and the university. Prior to joining UW-Platteville last fall he spent more than 20 years in higher education publishing, content development and educational technology.

“Coming into an educational environment like UW-Platteville was not a culture shock. The difference is I’m in the inside and not the outside looking in. I have a different perspective now,” Beytien said. “I come to work excited every day because I see the potential of connecting industry and education.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is being recognized as one of the best values in higher education, both in Wisconsin and across the nation.

College Consensus placed UW-Platteville 20th in their 100 best value ranking of colleges and universities. According to College Consensus, it combines the results of all of the most reputable college ranking systems with thousands of student reviews to provide the comprehensive rating system of schools.

New York-based financial technology company SmartAsset ranked UW-Platteville third in the state as the best return for students on their educational investment. SmartAsset measured five categories including tuition, scholarships and grant offerings, student living costs, student retention rate and starting salary for new graduates.

The public is receiving a first-hand virtual look at how University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are taking care of the different animals living in the Biology Department’s Animal House. The educational videos and materials are being posted to the Animal House Facebook page and hosted by Tara Reichling, the Animal House overall lead. Through the videos Reichling introduces community members to a variety of species from Daisy, a Brazilian short-tailed opossum, to Eugene the Caribbean hermit crab.

During the COVID-19 crisis, University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty and staff have risen to the challenge by adapting and designing novel ways of realigning course delivery to ensure students continue to receive an outstanding, rigorous education, including hands-on learning experiences.

One instructor who developed an innovative way is Dan Román, lecturer of forensic investigation at UW-Platteville, who modified his spring Crime Scene Diagramming course. According to Román, the course is designed to develop a skill set that is in demand, more and more, in today’s world of crime scene analysis and reconstruction.

After hearing about the growing shortage of personal protective equipment for health care workers, University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Sam Smith decided he needed to help those battling the COVID-19 crisis. Smith, a computer science major from Kaukauna, Wisconsin, started producing ear guards with his 3D printer. He can create five guards every two hours.

“I have been able to produce around 250 ear guards for multiple medical facilities and community programs around the state,” Smith said. “As long as people continue to reach out, I’ll keep the printer running.”

The purpose of ear guards is to help stop the elastic bands from medical masks from resting on a person’s ears. For some health care professionals, the elastic bands can form rashes and inflammation. Smith’s first-drop off was to the Appleton Medical Center in the Fox Valley.

Over a decade ago, Jesse Ruegsegger found himself at the lowest point of his life: contemplating suicide after a tragedy unwittingly committed by his own hand. But through perseverance, faith and the hope for a better tomorrow, Ruegsegger’s journey of recovery ended with him receiving not only the strength to forgive himself, but academia’s highest honor.

In 2009, after a drunk driving accident that left an innocent person dead, Ruegsegger was discharged from the Wisconsin National Guard and faced an incarceration period of eight years. Determined to atone and put his best foot forward, Ruegsegger underwent intense therapy and rehab for two months before beginning his time behind bars.

“The following 12-18 months were the toughest of my life,” said Ruegsegger. “I found myself depressed and sad more than I was happy. But things slowly shifted as I tried to forgive myself.”

Thanks to partnerships forged between industry and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Construction Management and Construction Safety Management programs, custodial staff at UW-Platteville have been able to use advanced equipment to ensure their safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Industry partner Miron Construction Co., Inc., in Neenah, Wisconsin, recently provided the university with a Powered Air Purifying Respirator, or PAPR.

A PAPR is a type of personal protective equipment that uses a blower to pass contaminated air through a filter and then supplies purified air to the face piece.

Although there has not been a documented case of COVID-19 at the university, the facilities staff has been proactively preparing for several possibilities.

Joshua Boots joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville as the assistant vice chancellor for Development and Alumni Engagement last November. An Ely, Iowa native, he earned his undergraduate and MBA from Loras College, where he previously worked as the associate vice president for advancement. He now works with alumni and friends of UW-Platteville to connect them with the university and find ways they can make a difference.

How long have you worked in the field of development and fundraising? What drew you to a career in this field?

In light of the COVID-19 crisis and Wisconsin’s current safer-at-home order, Dr. Jeffrey Cowley, assistant professor of health and human performance at UW-Platteville, stressed the critical importance of making physical activity a priority.

“‘Safer at home’ may be true for COVID-19, but, being confined indoors can really limit healthy physical activity,” said Cowley. “Furthermore, online course delivery means many students, faculty and staff are spending more time at a computer than ever. The lifestyle changes imposed by sheltering at home threaten our physical and mental wellbeing. Making physical activity a priority can help us maintain health and sanity throughout the current pandemic.”

Cowley said that physical activity – bodily movement produced by muscles that requires energy expenditure – includes exercise and many other types of movement.