In early March, University of Wisconsin-Platteville soil and crop science major Adam Mairs had been looking forward to spring break and working as the farm manager at Kennay Farms in Rochelle, Illinois. But when the COVID-19 pandemic forced students off campus and into alternative learning methods, Mairs had to shift his plans, fast.

Not only does his employer have over 5,000 acres of cropland, they also opened a distillery about eight months ago. Seeing a need in their community, the staff converted the distillery to producing hand sanitizer. Mairs traveled throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin gathering materials for production. Within a few days, they had sanitizer in everything from small bottles to 250-gallon jugs, and were ready to ship all over the country to hospitals, nursing homes and businesses.

“Sue,” a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, not only was taking a full load of engineering classes, but she was also working on campus to earn her spending money. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced students to leave campus in March to be safer at home, Sue’s personal finances also took a hit.

“I no longer have a job or a way to get food on a daily basis,” said Sue (not her real name).  “I was eating three meals a day and working 10 hours a week. Now I am unemployed and living off one meal a day.”

Sue’s story is one of nearly 500 student submissions to Pioneers Helping Pioneers, an emergency funding program through the UW-Platteville Foundation. To even better serve the student population, the university has set a $100,000 donation goal to support Pioneers Helping Pioneers.

With the recent UW System Board of Regents approval of a Bachelor of Science in construction management at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, more students will have the opportunity to experience the university’s one-of-a-kind construction labs, including the newly launched Road and Infrastructure Construction Lab.

In 2016, UW-Platteville launched its Commercial Construction Lab, and two years later broke ground on the Road and Infrastructure Construction Lab, which students experienced for the first time last fall. According to Gretchen Bockenhauer, UW-Platteville lecturer of building construction management, both labs were made possible because of support from industry partners, and are the only facilities of their kind at a U.S. university.

During the COVID-19 crisis, University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty, staff and students continue to look for ways to show their appreciation and support for local businesses, organizations and community members.

On Wednesday, April 22, UW-Platteville’s Department of Health and Human Performance will show its support by hosting the “Corona Cruise” event in Platteville from 5-7 p.m. The goal of the event, which is free and open to all, is to give back to the businesses and community of Platteville and positively impact the community’s social and emotional health.

The event was planned and organized by four health and human performance students enrolled in the Seminar in Health Promotion course, taught by Lisa Emendorfer, senior lecturer of health and human performance at UW-Platteville and coordinator of the event.

“I love the energy of my students. I enjoy sharing with them the excitement of learning a new language and exploring new cultures.” – Dr. Alyssa Holan, assistant professor of Spanish, UW-Platteville

Dr. Alyssa Holan, assistant professor of Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has taught Spanish language courses and Peninsular literature and culture courses at the university since fall 2018.

Originally from the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, Holan completed her undergraduate studies at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, then earned a master’s degree at Loyola University in Chicago and a Ph.D. at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Dr. James Hamilton, professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is working with the state of Wisconsin to produce tens of thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer to help protect communities from COVID-19.

“The state contacted me and those in the chemical manufacturing space to ask if any of us could produce hand sanitizer because there wasn’t any around,” Hamilton said. “Now we will be shipping to a state warehouse in Madison (Wisconsin) 25,000, bottles of hand sanitizer.”

Lauren Kita, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is finding a way to help her hometown community, while incorporating her industrial engineering coursework. Kita, an industrial engineering and Spanish major, is a native of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin. Having worked at the local Piggly Wiggly in neighboring Sister Bay, Wisconsin since the age of 14, she was quick to offer help with creating a shopping service to assist the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The project came about when the Sister Bay fire chief reached out to the store manager to start a program through the grocery store to deliver groceries to the residents in the assisted living community,” said Kita.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been adapting and making precautionary changes to campus.

Dr. Scott Ringgenberg, coordinator of the Department of Health and Human Performance at UW-Platteville, stressed the critical importance of staying physically fit during this unprecedented and uncertain time, and offered 10 tips on how to stay active and improve overall health.

“During these trying times, being physical active is fundamental to physical, emotional and psychological health,” said Ringgenberg. “Physical activity includes all forms of active recreation, sports participation, cycling and walking, as well as activities at work and around the home and garden. It doesn’t have to be exercise or sport – playing, dancing, gardening, and even housecleaning and carrying heavy shopping is all part of being physically active.”

Jessica Brogley, teacher of educational technology in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was recently elected to the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association board of directors as the director of higher education.  

WEMTA is a nonprofit, volunteer-led educational organization whose mission is to empower educators to provide learning experiences that prepare students to flourish in an information-rich world.

“I am thankful for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to being an advocate for pre-service teachers across the state,” said Brogley.

As Wisconsinites attempt to flatten the curve under Gov. Evers’ Safer at Home order, many may be wondering what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some may be running out of recipe ideas to keep meals balanced during the COVID-19 crisis. University of Wisconsin-Platteville Dining Services Registered Dietitian Stephanie Young shares some advice as she encourages students, faculty, staff and community members to use this time to become creative in the kitchen.

“There are so many different recipes out there between social media and cooking websites,” said Young. “Look through and search for recipes that might interest you. It can keep it fresh along with those go to simple meals.”

But what consists of a balanced meal? The answer, according to Young, is making sure you are incorporating enough food groups to make your plate colorful.

Admission advisors at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are the face of the university to prospective students and their families – sometimes hundreds in a week. Last year, more than 6,000 students visited campus, and 28 percent had their first interaction with the university on a campus visit. So, when on-campus visits were suspended less than a month ago, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, admission advisors were tasked to quickly find a way to share the UW-Platteville experience, virtually. Rising to the challenge, the recruitment team worked together to overhaul the campus visit in less than three weeks. Last week, the team conducted their first virtual visits, to positive feedback.

“Campus tours and visits are really important to us,” said Elizabeth Niehaus, assistant director of recruitment at UW-Platteville. “We have a really high yield rate of visits to enrollment.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville facilities staff is undergoing extensive training to proactively prepare for any possible COVID-19 infections.

Mark Miner, an assistant professor in Industrial Studies who is the program coordinator for two university safety programs, is lending his assistance to about 50 staff members.

Although there has not been a documented case on the university’s main campus, Director of Facilities Management Pete Davis said it is good to be prepared for whatever comes their way.

“We’re trying to keep our staff safe and keep our campus community safe at the same time,” Davis said. “My custodial staff really stepped up. They said, ‘what do we need and what can we do?’”

Davis said the staff underwent refresher courses on personal protection as well as updates on treating COVID-19.

“We are all sacrificing much for the COVID-19 crisis. I didn't want my students to sacrifice anything more than they had to,” said Dr. A. L. Ranen McLanahan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. To help transition his thermal systems lab courses into a new alternative delivery, he created four interactive lab-simulating applications for his students to download, calling the series, “Little Dude in Consulting World.” The apps allow students to control a 2D avatar who explores a 2D lab world from inside the classroom.

“I had the idea to use game creation software to make online material more interactive for a while,” said McLanahan. “When alternative delivery mode was announced, and students were no longer allowed to meet in the classroom, I went to work on it.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been adapting and making precautionary changes to campus in the midst of COVID-19. During this unprecedented and uncertain time taking care of your mental health is very important, according to Assistant Director of University Counseling Services Teresa Miller.

“On the counseling services website we have been gathering and adding resources for coping with COVID-19,” she said. “We are constantly adding content, articles, videos and other resource pages. These are evidence-based support to help manage stress.”

As UW-Platteville students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members adjust to this pandemic, Miller offers advice to help those experiencing unsettling feelings.

As dean of UW-Platteville’s College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture, Dr. Wayne Weber presides over a wide range of academic programs, all of which seem to be introducing new, imaginative initiatives at the same time. Weber embraces all these projects the same way he approaches every day at the university, with a positive attitude and keeping the student experience as the primary focus.

You have been with the university since 1996. What brought you to UW-Platteville and what keeps you here?

When University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Brett Timmerman first arrived at the university in August 2001, he was excited about beginning his college career. Despite his excitement, however, he also had some apprehension. First, he knew he was not a “straight-A” student, and he worried about not being successful academically. Second, based on painful experiences he had in the past, he worried about not being accepted for who he was, as he identified as gay.

He proceeded into uncertainty, never imagining that someday, he would become a successful realtor and political fundraiser.

Thanks to an outstanding education and supportive, caring professors and mentors throughout his tenure at UW-Platteville, Timmerman was able to find both acceptance and success. In May 2006, after five years of hard work and dedication to his studies, he earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in sales and marketing from UW-Platteville.

Dr. Mehdi Roopaei, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, joined UW-Platteville in 2018. He previously taught at Azad University (Shiraz, Iran) and at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Roopaei notes UW-Platteville students bring many impressive qualities into the classroom.

“The students at UW-Platteville are so hands-on. The students I work with like to learn through hands-on experiences and begin to understand concepts on their own terms,” he said.

Roopaei has several research interests, including machine learning and artificial intelligence. He’s also in the process of developing a new course for the electrical and computer engineering program.

Outside of the university he enjoys spending time with his son and family. He also enjoys traveling to new places.

Update: The “Cloud 9” production has been postponed as of the publishing of this article.

“In the UW-Platteville Theatre Program, I found my second family.” – Blair Schuler, senior theatre major, UW-Platteville

For as long as she can remember, Blair Schuler, a senior theatre major with a minor in musical theatre and English and an emphasis in performance and costume design at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has loved performing. When she graduates from UW-Platteville this May, she hopes to pursue a career in theatre performance and/or costume design.

Thanks to acting and costume design opportunities Schuler had in elementary, middle and high school and at UW-Platteville, she is well on her way to attaining that goal.

Early theatre experiences

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are finding themselves facing mounting financial challenges. But in a show of Pioneer spirit, many alumni, friends, faculty and staff have already stepped in to help. Created in 2019, the Pioneers Helping Pioneers fund provides emergency financial support to students with unexpected expenses, outside of tuition. When a call for assistance went out to alumni, friends, faculty and staff last week, more than $5,500 was raised for the fund in only a few days, with donations continuing to come in.

According to Laura Franklin, executive director for UW-Platteville’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion, this support can make a huge impact in a student’s ability to continue their education.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is partnering with a local hospital to help protect health care workers on the front lines of COVID-19. The College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science shop supervisors are using 3D printers to create face shields for medical professionals at Southwest Health.

On March 30, Southwest Health approved the prototype, and the design is now in production. According to the College of EMS Lab and Shop Director Paul Dorsey, the first order includes 50 face shields.

“We have all of the materials on campus,” said Dorsey. “We should be able to complete the order this week.”

To fulfill the request the four shop supervisors are working in shifts. There are three 3D printers between the two shops. They have also received an offer from Platteville High School to use their 3D printers.

When classes are in session, University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Kayla Golden usually finds herself busy, whether it’s with her electrical engineering coursework or conducting research on the latest transistor technology. So, when the university made the recent decision to extend spring break for a week, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Golden found herself with two weeks of free time and a strong desire to help in some way. In a span of only five days, she created the Platteville-area Mutual Aid and Collective Care Network – a support network for Platteville-area residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Chancellor Dennis J. Shields announced that Dr. Tammy Evetovich has been appointed provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at UW-Platteville. Her appointment begins on June 1.

Evetovich will bring extensive leadership experience to UW-Platteville, having served in a variety of roles at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, over the past 20 years. She is currently dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences at Wayne State College. She has been a professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Sport since 2000, and served as chair of the department for seven of those years.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is pleased to announce Dr. Kristina Navarro as the new director of athletics and assistant chancellor for sports administration. She will begin her position on June 1 overseeing the 16 athletic teams. Navarro most recently served as the senior associate athletic director for leadership development and strategic partnerships at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. She also was an assistant professor of practice at Rutgers.

“The older you get the more you appreciate the opportunities you had at the university because you begin to see how fortunate you are to have attended UW-Platteville,” said Robert Bates ’70. Bates credits his educational experience at Wisconsin State University-Platteville in helping him create his civil engineering firm, Bates Engineering Inc., located in Denver, Colorado. Now, he’s making a long-term commitment to his alma mater through the endowed Bates Engineering Inc. scholarship.

“It’s important to pay it back and support UW-Platteville so the institution can continue to provide outstanding opportunities to learn and develop leaderships skills in engineering and civic areas,” Bates said. “It’s important to serve by being an example and lead so others can achieve success.”

Students, faculty and staff from all three University of Wisconsin-Platteville campuses filled the state capitol on Wednesday for the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda. Eight research teams represented the university and presented their findings with legislators, state leaders, alumni and the public. More than 100 undergraduate researchers from across the UW System participated in the event.

“It’s our opportunity to demonstrate to the legislature, people who represent us and support us, the high-quality education that is happening across the system, but most importantly at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, which includes our branch campuses Baraboo and Richland Center,” said Chancellor Dennis J. Shields.

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville health and human performance students recently planned and led the second annual “Health and Human Performance Pre-Professional Conference” for more than 140 students in the university’s Williams Fieldhouse.

The goal of the clinic, sponsored by the university’s Department of Health and Human Performance, was two-fold. First, it provided HHP majors with a professional development opportunity. Second, it provided the students who led the event with an opportunity to develop skills in planning, organizing, implementing and hosting an event.

Update, 4/16/2020: Due to safety and health concerns around COVID-19, this event has been cancelled as a precautionary measure. A rescheduled date will be announced at a later time.

On Thursday, April 2, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Liberal Arts and Education will host a faculty forum, “Moral Luck and the Justification of Legal Punishment,” in Room 136 Doudna Hall from 5-6:30 p.m.

At the forum, Dr. Yi Tong, lecturer of philosophy at UW-Platteville, will explain the phenomenon of moral luck and its legal implications, in particular as it is related to the justification of differential legal responses.

Ever since she arrived at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in September 2016, Sydney McDonald, a senior psychology major with a criminal justice minor, has pursued as many hands-on learning opportunities the university offered as she could. She knew that these experiences would enable her to gain the knowledge, skills and experience she needed to excel in her chosen field, social work.

What she didn’t realize at the time, however, was that these experiences would also allow her to develop a deeper, more compassionate understanding of others and the world.

After she earns a Bachelor of Science in psychology from UW-Platteville this May, the Janesville, Wisconsin native is planning to pursue a Master of Social Work at UW-Whitewater. After earning an MSW, she hopes to work as a licensed social worker at a Wisconsin correctional institution.

UPDATE: Due to safety and health concerns around COVID-19, this event has been cancelled as a precautionary measure.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering is partnering with OpenPOWER to present the Big Data and AI Workshop on Tuesday, April 7 on Bo Ryan Court, Williams Fieldhouse. The workshop will run from 9a.m.-4:30p.m. Attendees will learn about the latest research and development on big data, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

Ongoing work, involving students, in analyzing, cataloging, and sharing the DNA profiles of native grasses and other plant life in preserves and open spaces around Sauk County will aid prairie restoration efforts in communities across Wisconsin and in other regions as well.  That’s according to research currently performed by University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County students Emily Forbush and Brooke Martin, who together are working to understand what grasses and plants make up a thriving prairie in the rocky and all-season conditions found near the campus. They will talk about their experience and their findings with legislators, state leaders, alumni and the public at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda event in the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday, March 11. 

Students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are researching an animal that some Platteville residents might be surprised to learn they have in their own backyard – the southern flying squirrel. Biology students Nick Nelson and Jack Rasmussen have been documenting roost sites and determining the home range of flying squirrels, as well as investigating their movement and behavior patterns.

“I love interacting with the students, especially seeing them ‘get’ how things happening elsewhere affect them.” – James (Jim) Valiga, instructor of geography at UW-Platteville.

When James (Jim) Valiga began teaching geography classes at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in fall 2013, his main goal was to pass on his life experience and knowledge. Each day, he strives to provide students with the knowledge, skills and support they need to succeed in their careers and be curious about the world.

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville chemistry students are preparing to present their undergraduate research, learning biochemistry the write way: applying writing-to-learn in STEM, at three different events across the country. Frances Tempesta, Michael Schneider, Hannah Frank and RevaLu Ronnfeldt will showcase their work at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda in Madison, Wisconsin. Tempesta, Schneider and Ronnfeldt will then travel to the American Chemical Society National Meeting and Expo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Posters on the Hill in Washington, D.C.

Vietnam, Ha Nguyen’s home before enrolling at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Richland, has undergone big structural economic change since the mid-1980s, when most market restrictions were lifted, and “people could start to buy and sell with the amount of what they wanted, not being controlled by the government,” said Nguyen.  She has performed a review of the Vietnamese government’s major economic policy changes over the last 30 years, and will share her research with legislators, state leaders, alumni and the public at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda event in the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Mock Trial Team had an impressive showing at the American Mock Trial Association Regional Tournament held recently in Wheaton, Illinois.

Amber Kelly, a senior forensic investigation major at UW-Platteville from Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin and co-captain of the Pioneer Mock Trial Team, won an award as one of the top five witnesses out of approximately 132 possible witnesses in the competition.

In addition, the team placed third out of 22 teams for an AMTA Team Spirit Award, which recognizes teams that best exemplify the organization’s ideals: civility, justice and fair play. The team went 4-4 in the tournament and missed advancing to the next level by just one winning ballot.

UW-Platteville and Edgewood College are pleased to announce the Engineering Dual Degree that will allow students to complete two degrees simultaneously. Students will earn a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physics from Edgewood College, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in either Electrical or Mechanical Engineering at UW-Platteville. The two institutions celebrated the agreement at a signing ceremony held today.

“We are so pleased to enter into this wonderful partnership with one of the state’s finest universities,” Mary Ellen Gevelinger, Interim President of Edgewood College, said. “The benefits of the liberal arts education we offer - problem-solving and critical thinking – will be a wonderful complement to the outstanding programs at UW-Platteville.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville health and human performance students Brooke Kunkel, Ann Larson and Monica Radtke will present their research on the health benefits of yoga at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda on Wednesday, March 11, at the Capitol Building in Madison, Wisconsin.

More than 120 students across the UW System were selected to present their undergraduate research at the event, which provides an opportunity for Wisconsin students and their faculty advisors to share their research findings with legislators, state leaders, UW alumni and other supporters. Seventeen UW-Platteville students and their advisors will present their research at the event.

Students in the American Foundry Society Club at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently topped their previous successes in a regional casting competition by not only taking a first-place finish, but also earning the competition’s Imagination in Metalcasting Award – a first in the competition’s history. The team took home a total of $4,100 in award money.

The 2020 American Foundry Society Wisconsin Regional Casting Competition was held Feb. 13-15 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eleven students attended with advisors Dr. Kyle Metzloff, professor of industrial studies, and Henry Frear, associate lecturer in industrial studies. The team competed against six other schools, including large programs such as Michigan Tech University and UW-Madison.

Dana Mueller, a senior psychology major at UW-Platteville from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, will present her research on dopamine and utilitarian moral judgment at the 17th annual Research in Rotunda on Wednesday, March 11, at the Capitol Building in Madison, Wisconsin.

More than 120 students across the UW System were selected to present their undergraduate research. The event provides an opportunity for Wisconsin students and their faculty advisors to share their research findings with legislators, state leaders, UW System alumni and other supporters. Seventeen UW-Platteville students and their advisors will present their research at the event.

Natural disasters are inevitable, but a group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are researching how an application can assist with disaster response. Jonas Wagner, Logan Shefchik and Keegan Smith are collaborating with Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Mehdi Roopaei on their research topic, device analytics for disaster response applications. They will be showcasing their findings at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda on March 11 in Madison, Wisconsin.

The race to create faster, smarter and smaller electronic devices has consumed the tech industry for decades, but is there a physical limit to just how small they can go? It is a question being explored in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Material Fabrication and Nano Characterization Lab. Kayla Golden, a senior electrical engineering major from Muskego, Wisconsin, will present her research on nanoscale vacuum-channel field emission transistors at the annual UW System Research in the Rotunda event in Madison, Wisconsin.

“Transistors are basically the building blocks of all electronics,” said Golden. “Even your own smartphone has billions of transistors in it. They can function as amplifiers or as switches, and their switching abilities are used to create the ones and zeros in a computer’s code.”

“I love meeting students at the beginning of their career and following their development. I am so proud of them, the work they’ve done, the work that they’re going to do. I understand that I cannot take credit for their successes, but I like to believe that I serve a purpose in their journey.” – Dr. Theron Parsons

Parsons, a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since 1996, teaches both clinical and non-clinical psychology courses. In addition to teaching full-time at the undergraduate level on campus, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses online for the university’s School of Education and Center for Distance Learning for more than 10 years.

On Thursday, March 12, Wisconsin State Assembly Rep. Melissa Sargent will present “Representation and Justice in Politics” in Room 136 Doudna Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 5 p.m. The presentation, sponsored by the university’s Social and Environmental Justice Program, is free and open to all.

Sargent will share her own unique experiences, as a woman in politics, with issues related to social justice, individual freedom, public policies, social class and gender equality.

“Social injustice is real and exists today,” said Dr. Maryam Heydari, visiting assistant professor at UW-Platteville. “Different social groups are treated and valued unequally in society. It is everyone’s responsibility to challenge injustice and eliminate oppression against any person, group or class.”

As an associate professor of electrical engineering, Dr. Fang Yang specializes in power engineering – an interest she developed during a summer camp in middle school, where she had a chance to visit power plants. Now she teaches these concepts to a unique group of students on the UW Oshkosh Fox Cities campus through the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Engineering Partnership. Designed for working adults or students unable to move to Platteville, the program offers place-bound students the opportunity to earn their UW-Platteville degree in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering at one of several partner sites across the state.

How did you become interested in teaching, and what do you enjoy most about teaching?

Many wonderful teachers who had positively impacted my life inspired my interest in teaching. I love sharing knowledge with students and enjoy how teaching keeps me learning.

A group of 12 University of Wisconsin-Platteville students recently gained an up close and inside look at immigration policy, culture and complexities at the U.S.-Mexico border when they participated in a Border Immersion Trip to Texas and New Mexico, Jan. 18­-26.  Organized by UW-Platteville’s TRIO-Student Support Services, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the College of Liberal Arts and Education, the experience offered students multiple perspectives to examine, from various federal agencies and grassroots organizations to political representatives and border patrol officers.

On Thursday, March 5, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Liberal Arts and Education will host a faculty forum, “Talking Bones: The Writing of Assassination in Colombia,” in Room 136 Doudna Hall from 5-6:30 p.m.                                                            

From the time she was about nine years old, University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumna Winifred (Winnie) Redfearn knew that she wanted to be a history professor. Over the years, her love of history grew, and she realized that, more than anything, she wanted to open a window to the past and share the stories of those whose voices had never been heard.

In May 2019, Redfearn earned a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science with a minor in business administration from UW-Platteville. This degree not only enabled her to gain the knowledge, skills and experience she will need to attain that goal and excel in her field, it fueled a desire to continue her education. She is currently pursuing an M.A. and a Ph.D. in history at UW-Madison, studying United States history with a specialization in 19th century Native American and African American histories.

Family kindles early love of history

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Professor of Mathematics Dr. Chris Frayer will receive the 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award from the Wisconsin Section of the Mathematical Association of America. 

The Wisconsin Section Distinguished Teaching Award was established in 1991 to emphasize the high importance that colleges and universities in Wisconsin place on teaching mathematics. Winning nominees must display extraordinary success in teaching mathematics. At most, one award is given per year. Frayer is the 24th recipient in the 29-year history of the award, and the third from UW-Platteville.

UPDATE: Due to safety and health concerns around COVID-19, this event has been cancelled as a precautionary measure.

Syrian refugee Mariela Shaker will perform and speak on the topic of civil liberties at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Tuesday, March 31. Shaker, who fled the war in Syria, is a motivational speaker, violinist and professor at Monmouth College. She was granted asylum in the United States in 2013 and has since traveled across the world sharing her story.

Shaker’s presentation will be held in the Richard & Helen Brodbeck Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville elementary education students recently attended the 2020 Wisconsin State Reading Association Convention at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The students were advised by Dr. Lindsay Hollingsworth, associate professor of education at UW-Platteville.

The purpose of the conference is to bring literacy coaches, reading specialists, classroom teachers, professors, undergraduate students, librarians and retired teachers together to promote and disseminate research supporting effective literacy practices.

Students included Abigail Parker, a junior elementary education major from Belmont, Wisconsin; Hannah Williams, a junior elementary education major from East Troy, Wisconsin; Maria Bast, a senior elementary education major from Platteville; and Courtney Miess, a junior elementary major from Dodgeville, Wisconsin.