The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents has granted its approval to offer a 12-course, 34-credit online master’s degree in cybersecurity. The program is a collaboration of University of Wisconsin Extended Campus and eight UW System campuses: UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Superior.

The new online master’s degree features four unique tracks of study, allowing students to focus their education in one or more cybersecurity areas: Digital Forensics, Cyber Response, Governance & Leadership, and Security Architecture.

Courses are planned to begin in September pending approval from the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.

For the past several years, University of Wisconsin-Platteville students, led by Dr. John Peterson, associate professor of biology, have been researching an emerging snake fungal disease that threatens to disrupt the balance of ecosystems across the country, including in Wisconsin. Next month, senior biology majors Sarah Bauer and Allison Sheldon will have an opportunity to present their newest research, which explores the relationship of thermal ecology and infected snakes, at the annual Research in the Rotunda event in Madison, Wisconsin.

“The disease is characterized by crusty scales, opaque eyes, abnormal shedding and early emergence from burrows,” explained Bauer, who is from Greenfield, Wisconsin. “The way I see it is that it kind of eats them from the inside out.”

Anyone who has touched a light switch in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Ottensman Hall recently may have noticed a small green placard near the plate urging people to turn the lights off when they leave the room. That placard is the work of Dr. Ilke Celik’s Green Building Design students, who are trying to get everyone to think about how the tiny choices they make add up to big energy savings. Along the way, Celik’s students learned a sobering lesson about the energy used by devices and lights when nobody is in the room, a lesson which Celik, an assistant professor of sustainability and renewable energy systems, hopes to expand to other buildings in the university – and beyond.

For nearly 30 years, Gloria Stuckey has worked at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Biology Department as the laboratory manager. She assists faculty, staff and students with any questions in the lab, while supervising student employees.

“I often tell our student employees, you won’t get rich working for us, but you will gain valuable skills and experience,” said Stuckey, a 1983 graduate of UW-Platteville. “The same can be said for students who participate in independent research projects.”

Stuckey notes receiving the 2016 Academic Staff Award for Excellence has been one of her proudest professional accomplishments throughout her career. When Stuckey isn’t preparing for an upcoming lab, she enjoys spending time with her two daughters and six grandchildren.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of Performing and Visual Arts-Theatre and Pioneer Players will continue their 2019-20 season with the classic Eugene O’Neill masterpiece, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”

Arguably one of the finest American dramas of the 20th-century, the autobiographical play was written in 1941, but not published until 1956, after O’Neill’s death in 1953. Because of the personal nature of the material, O’Neill left instructions that the play not be published until 25 years after his death; however, his widow insisted that it be published.

The play takes place over the course of a single day in the lives of the dysfunctional Tyrone family members.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students from the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science are using a creative outlet to enhance their education. Brady Zink and Sam Horsnell share a passion of science and ceramics, which has led their collection of pottery to be showcased in the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery until March 3. Their collection of art is titled Kiln Rats.

“It’s such a wonderful experience to be able to have this opportunity to show my work,” said Horsnell, a senior engineering physics major from Oregon, Wisconsin. “This is my first show I’ve ever been in. This is the first time someone has asked me to be in a show and celebrate my works of art.”

Thirty-seven University of Wisconsin-Platteville Chamber Choir students and faculty recently enjoyed a whirlwind of cultural experiences in London, England, as part of “London Calling,” a short-term, faculty-led program sponsored by UW-Platteville Education Abroad, through Anglo Educational Services.

It is the first time that a complete standing music ensemble has ever travelled abroad to represent UW-Platteville.

The purpose of the week-long program was to help students understand and experience British music, historical landmarks and important works of dramatic literature performed by world-class theatre companies – and give them an opportunity to sing in a variety of historical locations.

The Charles “Sonny” Tiedemann Charitable Fund awarded $1,000 to the UW-Platteville College for Kids program during the Lancaster Community Grant presentation ceremony held at Vesperman Farms. The check was received by Jessica Munz, program manager. These funds will provide scholarships to Lancaster students, who without financial assistance, would not be able to participate in the popular summer program, College for Kids (Grades K–4) and Middle University (Grades 5–7).

Monday, July 6, 2020, will mark the beginning of the university’s annual College for Kids program, where area students enjoy a taste of college life during four afternoons of learning and fun. In 2019, 208 children participated, and this first-time award will provide full scholarships for 10 Lancaster students in the 2020 program.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s philosophy program has been named to Great Value Colleges’ ranking of the 100 Great Value Colleges for a bachelor’s in philosophy for 2020.

According to Great Values Colleges, UW-Platteville, which placed 18th, was selected “not only for the program’s affordability but also for the institution’s overall outstanding reputation, its faculty’s excellence, and the unerring commitment to providing non-traditional students a high-quality education and in doing so, giving them all the tools that they need to achieve their future career goals.”

When you ask Dave Murphy to describe the goals of the UW-Platteville scholarship that bears his name, the recently-retired president of MSA Professional Services is typically modest. “I really hope that I made it easier on the students’ parents, on the families who are supporting them,” he said. “And I hope it makes a difference to the students.”

But when you begin to delve into Murphy’s career and life experience, you quickly discover that the civil engineer has blazed a trail that any Pioneer would be hard-pressed to follow—not least because if you follow in Dave Murphy’s footsteps, you had better grab a paddle. And some hiking boots. Oh, and a backpack, a sea kayak, a dogsled, a reinforced pickup truck capable of withstanding subzero temperatures, and some skis.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College for Kids program was granted $700 from the Robert and Marian Graham Community Fund, which will provide full scholarships for seven students to attend the 2020 program. The award was received by Jessica Munz, program manager, during the Platteville Community Fund Awards Banquet. This grant will benefit children in kindergarten through seventh grade from the Platteville School District. The scholarships allow children who, without financial assistance, would not be able to participate in the popular summer program, College for Kids (Grades K–4) and Middle University (Grades 5–7).

Monday, July 6, 2020, UW-Platteville’s Continuing Education Institute will mark the beginning of its annual College for Kids program where area students enjoy a taste of college life during four afternoons of learning and fun. In 2019, 208 children participated, including nine who did so in thanks to scholarship support.

A longtime partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Strand Associates was recently reaffirmed with a $200,000 commitment from the engineering firm, located in Madison, Wisconsin.

“The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is an important strategic partner for Strand Associates Inc.,” said Matt Richards, president and CEO of Strand Associates. “UW-Platteville graduates are well-educated and well-prepared, and have and will continue to play a large role in Strand’s growth.”

Strand Associates currently employs nearly 50 UW-Platteville alumni, including Richards, who graduated in 1991.

“Strand’s UW-Platteville graduates recognize the tremendous value of their education and are honored to be able to give back and share their success,” said Richards. “We wish continued prosperity for UW-Platteville as it embarks on the construction of Sesquicentennial Hall.”

Somewhere, right now, on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s idyllic rural campus, a battle is brewing. Dr. Doug Selent’s students are feverishly perfecting their programmed pets for Pokemon-style virtual combat, in a game tournament the software engineering assistant professor calls “Battle Pets.”

“The purpose of Battle Pets is to for students to learn good Object-Oriented Programming and Design to create maintainable, reusable, and extendable software,” said Selent, who launched the first Battle Pets project last year in an attempt to make programming skills more relatable and immediate than a textbook exercise. “With Battle Pets, I get to try a large amount of Active Learning techniques, which are drastically more effective than any lecture format (from my own observation).”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Mock Trial Team won the Mary Lynn Neuhaus Civility Award at the 32nd National Mock Trial Invitational held recently at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Recipients of the award, dedicated to the former head coach of Loras College Mock Trial, are chosen by their peers as the team that most exemplifies civility, sportsmanship and courtesy.

Forty-four teams from private and public universities from throughout the Midwest competed in the two-day tournament of trial simulations. The competition provided students with hands-on experience in trial procedure, the rules of evidence and the planning of trial strategy. It also enabled them to hone their critical thinking, debate, analytic and public speaking skills.

Hands-on learning opportunities and a caring, supportive learning environment have been key to Mackenzie Chitwood’s success as a student at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

From the time she was very young, Chitwood, a senior psychology major with an emphasis in human services at UW-Platteville and a Platteville native, knew that someday, she wanted to pursue a career in which she could help people. As she grew older, her career interest expanded to include study of the human mind and human behavior.

“I’ve always been a big advocate for mental health, and I’ve always wanted to help people,” she said. “Psychology seemed like the perfect career path for me.”

Renovations to Boebel Hall are set to begin in the upcoming weeks on the UW-Platteville campus. The $23.7 million project will renovate existing laboratory and classroom space to become instructional laboratories, preparation and support space, research and undergraduate research space and one general assignment classroom. The state-of-the-art science laboratories will serve majors from a wide range of disciplines including biology, chemistry and the newly approved environmental science and conservation bachelor of science degree program.

The State of Wisconsin designated capital building project money (not tuition dollars) for this important project, which completes first-floor renovations done in 2010.

“I love working with the students. Each class is different and creates a unique setting for discussion, new interpretations of assignments and exchanging ideas.”

- Greg Nelson, associate professor of art in graphic design and coordinator of Art Program, UW-Platteville

From the moment Greg Nelson began teaching studio art courses in graphic design and printmaking at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in August 2002, his goal has been to share his experiences and knowledge of the industry with his students to help them succeed. He loves providing students with hands-on learning opportunities that help them grow creatively as well as gain knowledge and skills that make them more marketable to future employers.

It is no secret that Wisconsin has great fishing opportunities, attractive to both residents and tourists from surrounding states. However, many are unaware of a threat posed to the state’s fishing industry by invasive fish, such as bighead carp and silver carp. Dr. Thomas Zolper, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UW-Platteville, and his students, have spent the past several years collaborating with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to combat this threat.

“Invasive carps can grow up to 100-plus pounds and consume two to three times their body weight daily,” said Zolper. “They are able to outcompete many native species and threaten the local ecosystems that support the major game fish.”

On March 2, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Criminal Justice will host its biannual Restorative Justice Conference in the university’s Velzy Commons, Ullsvik Hall, from 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Approximately 150-200 people are expected to attend. All are welcome.

Attendees will learn about the theory of restorative justice and the potential it has to bring together victims, offenders, families and community members to repair the harm caused by criminal behavior and promote healing. They will also have an opportunity to hear from survivors, ex-offenders and a panel of restorative-based practitioners.

Dr. Robabeh Jazaei is an expert in the characterization and simulation of advanced materials subject to static and dynamic loadings; but more than that; she is an expert in a special type of failure. The lecturer in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has forged her career around the study of failure mechanism in all its forms: cracking, crumbling, and collapsing. Failure that is not marked with a red grading pen, but with lives lost and cities damaged. Jazaei studies concrete reinforced by nano materials, because, as it turns out, conventional concrete fails a lot.

Beginning in his grandfather’s barbershop in Canada, Dr. Mark Levenstein found some of his first scientific experiences within the science fiction stories of comic books that his grandfather had left him. This interest in science would grow as he began to explore the meanings behind how life can change and adapt.

Levenstein’s education has taken him across the country from Maryland to California. His desire to experience a variety of perspectives in our country has helped shape his ability to understand his surroundings in the context of science and his specialization of biology. He arrived at UW-Platteville in 2015 and serves as an assistant professor of molecular biology and biotechnology. He is also the director of the Master of Science in Applied Biotechnology program. These various titles influence Levenstein’s areas of scientific research and enable him to decipher the questions of life that have intrigued him since his childhood.

Dr. Chris Schulenburg, professor of Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, co-authored “It Hurts So Good: Resuscitating Female Slave Narratives in Fe en disfraz,” a scholarly article recently published in Arizona State University’s “Chasqui,” an academic journal devoted to Latin American literature.

The essay deals with a 21st-century reconsideration of Caribbean slave narratives that were often never heard, focusing on the legacy of slavery in Latin America as experienced in its testimonies and novels.

On Thursday, Feb. 6, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Liberal Arts and Education will host a faculty forum, “Where Have the Two Spirits Gone?” in Room 136 Doudna Hall from 5-6:30 p.m.

At the forum, Dr. Terry Burns, professor of English at UW-Platteville, will discuss the disappearance of Native American “Two Spirits” – a generic English term for LGBTQ individuals, identities and spiritual positions – and suggest that in different native communities, it is an unfortunate by-product of the linguistic and cultural assimilation and internalization of values of the majority culture.

Funding will kickstart entrepreneurship and tech-powered job creation in Southwest Wisconsin

Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. (RISI), today announced that the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been chosen in a highly competitive process to participate in the 2020 Rural Innovation Initiative, a technical assistance program supporting rural communities working to create digital economy jobs with an innovation hub strategy.



The Rural Innovation Initiative is made possible through a cooperative agreement between RISI and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The Initiative was launched in 2018 by the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) and its sister organization, RISI. In addition to the EDA, the Siegel Family Endowment and Walmart are providing funding for the Initiative. Rural LISC and Venable LLP are strategic partners.

Jessica Brogley, instructor in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s School of Education, was one of 200 people chosen worldwide by Google to attend “Google Local Guides Connect Live 2019,” a global meetup for some of the world’s best contributors to Google Maps, held Nov. 12-15 in San Jose, California, and at the Google campus in Sunnyvale, California.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was a direct result of work Brogley does in her free time as a Local Guide for Google Maps. As a Local Guide, she contributes photos and reviews as well as confirms information about businesses and public venues and answers questions.

To date, Brogley has contributed over 1,900 photos, 500 of which are photospheres, to Google Maps, and has 6.8 million views on those photos.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Liberal Arts and Education recently recognized several faculty and staff members at its 2019 Award Recognition Reception held in the Nohr Gallery, Ullsvik Hall.

Awards were presented to the following individuals:

Academic Staff Excellence in Teaching Award:

Allen Cordingley, director of Jazz Studies, professor of saxophone, Department of Performing and Visual Arts

The purpose of this award is to recognize part-time and full-time academic staff members in the College of LAE who demonstrate excellence in teaching and a commitment to the department, college and university. Recipients are outstanding representatives of the exemplary teachers among their number.

Mary Bartling came to UW-Platteville in the fall of 2016 as an assistant professor in supply chain management. She brings to the business program an assortment of work experience, including time at Harley Davidson Motor Company, MillerCoors, General Electric and Bon-Ton Stores that benefits her students. However, teaching called more to Bartling as she continued to work in her field and eventually led her to UW-Platteville.

Bartling teaches Supply Chain Management, Leadership and Management, Introduction to Enterprise Resource Management and Predictive Analytics. She received her bachelor’s degree from UW-Stout and her master’s from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. She aims to pursue her Ph.D. in the near future.

Prior to teaching at UW-Platteville, what job experience have you had that most influenced how you teach today?

“I went to undergrad more or less for free. It has always been very important to me to pay that back,” said UW-Platteville alumna Jill Furman ’03. “There were so many different scholarships and work experience opportunities the university helped me find that paid for my education.”

Following graduation, Furman earned her master’s degree in electrical engineering from UW-Madison and with her first pay check out of graduate school she created the Jill Pamperin and Miles Hill “Lab Rat” Scholarship.

“I wanted to reverse-payback my student loans,” she said. “UW-Platteville is a great university with a good ethic, hands-on work, and having teachers there to support. My training at Platteville really made a difference in my career.”

Dr. Pip Gordon, associate professor of English and Gay Studies coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, explores Nobel Prize-winning novelist William Faulkner’s ties to LGBTQ literature and culture in his recently-published book, “Gay Faulkner: Uncovering a Homosexual Presence in Yoknapatawpha and Beyond” (University Press of Mississippi).

It was the idealism of youth and a persistent curiosity that initially drew Dr. Yi Tong, lecturer of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, to his chosen field.

Tong, who has taught at UW-Platteville since fall 2017, was born and raised in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province in China. In 2004, when he was 19 years old, he began taking courses at East China Normal University in Shanghai, in pursuit of a degree in finance for a future career in banking.

This fall, four University of Wisconsin-Platteville students had an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by volunteering their time and talents at Platteville’s Ruby’s Pantry, a nonprofit, faith-based organization in Platteville that provides food for Southwest Wisconsin and surrounding communities.

The majority of people served by the pantry, located at United Methodist Church, 1065 Lancaster Street, Platteville, are food insecure. In the last fiscal year, the pantry served 2,603 individuals. Ruby’s Pantry pop-up pantries can be found throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota.

It’s a day University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Pachia Vang will never forget: Oct. 24, 2019 in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, raising her right hand and taking the oath of becoming an American citizen.

“It’s means a lot to me,” said Vang, a UW-Platteville business administration major from Portage, Wisconsin. “I consider it one of my successes I have done in my life.”

It was a journey with hurdles, but Vang never gave up. In 2005, Vang, her mother and half-brother left their refugee camp in Thailand. “I was 7 or 8 when we came to Minneapolis. I can’t remember much of the flights or anything, but I felt like it was pretty long,” she said. “We did a lot of walking around the airport; it was dark and I was tired.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Division of Professional Studies is in the design phase of expanding programs to be offered in Spanish. Currently, professional studies has five child care credential programs being offered in both English and Spanish.

“We want to provide a pathway where a person can learn a subject within their own language,” said Dr. Craig Wilson, dean of the Division of Professional Studies. “As they acclimate to the way things are done in the U.S. and gain mastery of a particular topic, an important next step would be to help these students increase their English language proficiency to introduce them to even more opportunities.”

Thirty-four University of Wisconsin-Platteville students were recently inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, an honor society that recognizes academic achievement of top students in all majors.

Selection of students is made on the basis of academic achievement supported by good character and is designed to promote academic excellence in higher education and recognize outstanding achievements.

A $400 scholarship was awarded this year, supported by the scholarship fund of the late Chancellor Emeritus Bjarne Ullsvik and Lucille Ullsvik. This year’s scholarship recipient is Lukas Smith, a junior majoring in mathematics and engineering physics.

Dr. Jen Collins, director of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Education, was recently invited by Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction Carolyn Stanford Taylor to serve on the Advisory Council on Rural Schools, Libraries, and Communities. The permanent appointment will begin in April 2020.

Dr. Lucie Kadjo came to UW-Platteville in 2016. As an assistant professor of agribusiness in the School of Agriculture, Kadjo has spent the last four years promoting the importance of learning throughout an individual’s life – not just during a person’s time as an undergraduate or graduate student. Currently, she teaches Introduction to Agribusiness, Marketing Management and Quantitative Methods, where she connects the dots between the agriculture industry and business concepts in relation to agriculture.

Kadjo stresses to students that professors do not always have all the answers, and that they are learning as much as their students are. For students and professors, she argues that outside of the classroom – and even more so in the job market – that learning never ceases. She also explains to her students that having the passion to learn will allow them to progress quickly and reach greater levels of success.

Dr. Evan Larson, associate professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, two former students and three other colleagues recently co-authored an article about their tree-ring research, “Faces in the Wilderness: a New Network of Crossdated Culturally-Modified Red Pine in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Northern Minnesota, USA.”

When Joanne Wilson arrived in Platteville to take a job as an assistant professor in general engineering in 1986, she could not have known that she was embarking upon a career journey which would last for 34 years and take her into some of the highest leadership roles the university had to offer. But surely at some point during this October’s Homecoming Parade, while riding down the middle of Main Street wearing the Grand Marshal’s orange satin sash, the penny must have dropped: her time at UW-Platteville has been a resounding success.

UW-Platteville students recently took part in the second annual Holiday Toy Hack. During the event, students from across campus joined together in Engineering Hall and made adaptations to toys so that they can be used by children with special needs.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville presented more than 700 candidates in the school’s 203rd commencement. Students crossed the stage at Williams Fieldhouse to receive their diplomas and hoods during the three ceremonies held on Dec. 14.

Chancellor Dennis J. Shields offered advice to the graduating class as they prepare to leave campus and continue their journey. He encouraged the students to leave a positive impact. “Be kind,” he said. “Despite, and perhaps especially, when you feel that the world is cruel and unjust.”

Shields shared his personal story with graduates. He explained how between the ages of 5 and 12 he lived in an orphanage to a foster home before going to a YMCA boy’s home. He shared how a teacher invested in his life and threw him a surprise birthday party with his classmates.

Dr. Mesut Muslu is a professor and interim chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He is also a professor of sustainability and renewable energy systems.

“I came here [UW-Platteville] in fall of 1986; it’s been almost 34 years,” Muslu said. “I really enjoyed every minute of it. I love the students and the people I work with.”

Muslu who teaches power/energy courses in Electrical Engineering and SRES programs led the effort to establish a renewable energy minor in 2008 and then helped with creating the Sustainability and Renewable Energy Systems major in 2013.

“The most important thing I learned from this experience was to remember that prisoners are human beings. They just want to be heard, like any other human being. They needed to talk and bring their issues to the surface. Regardless of the mistakes they made to end up incarcerated, they still deserve a listening ear and compassion. This experience changed my view on inmates, forgiveness and life.”

– MacKenzy Slaght, senior psychology major at UW-Platteville from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

This fall, three University of Wisconsin-Platteville psychology students led a 12-week forgiveness discussion group for inmates at the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution, a medium security state prison in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The group met for two hours each Monday evening throughout the semester.

Eight University of Wisconsin-Platteville students recently had an opportunity to draw and paint in three-dimensional space using the Vive Virtual Reality System and Google Tilt Brush software in the university’s Virtual Reality Room, located in Karrmann Library.

The software allowed students to explore a virtual palette, experiment with an intuitive interface and use poly integration to upload their creations to the web and explore art from new perspectives.

Students are enrolled in the Survey of Studio Art Practices course, taught by Richard Moninski, distinguished lecturer of art at UW-Platteville, who led the hands-on, virtual learning opportunity.

Dr. Staci Strobl, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and two colleagues recently received the American Society of Criminology Division of White-Collar and Corporate Crime’s 2019 Outstanding Article Award at the organization’s annual meeting in San Francisco, California.

The award recognized their paper, “Getting Into Deep Water: Coastal Land Loss and State-Corporate Crime in the Louisiana Bayou,” which was published in the July 2018 issue of the British Journal of Criminology. Strobl’s fieldwork for the research was supported by the UW-Platteville College of Liberal Arts and Education Dean’s Fund in 2016.

To offer a wider array of programs to its students, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville added three new offerings. The two undergraduate degrees and one graduate program were approved by the UW System Board of Regents Friday during its meeting at UW-Whitewater.

UW-Platteville will now begin offering Bachelor of Science degrees in construction management and environmental science and conservation as well as a master’s degree in information systems management.

“It’s a reflection of a lot of hard work by our faculty, led by Provost Dr. Joanne Wilson and her team. This has been a process that has been going on for about three years. It shows our ability to adapt and address the needs of businesses and other stakeholders,” Chancellor Dennis J. Shields said. “These programs will help prepare our students for the jobs of the present and of the future.”

More students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County will soon be able to pursue engineering degrees thanks to a recommitment to a partnership and a commitment of resources to grow a longstanding program.

The agreement, signed on Thursday, Dec. 5, will offer UW-Platteville Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering to more students in the region through UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships, and makes UW-Whitewater at Rock County an official UW-PEP Site.

A recent $143,000 gift from the family of Robert “Bob” and James Wright will enhance opportunities offered at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Wright Center for Non-Traditional and Veteran Students. The center, which opened in 2014, was named for the brothers after James raised a significant gift for the center. The Wright Center provides support and resources to veteran and non-traditional students, helping them feel more connected to campus and achieve their educational goals.

“Bob and I were both very grateful to UW-Platteville,” said James. “We were veterans and first-generation college graduates.”

Sharing stories about events and individuals from ancient and medieval history that enable students to develop a better understanding of how and why the modern world has become what it is today is one of the things Dr. Nancy Turner enjoys most about teaching.

Turner, a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since fall 1996, teaches the first half of an introductory course in world civilizations as well as upper-level courses in medieval and renaissance Europe and the histories of European women, the modern Middle East, the British Isles and western science.

Walk the campus of UW-Platteville and you’ll notice a few things that set this rural state university apart; for starters, the gigantic chalk-white M which towers over the town. You’re likely to see surveying students marking chalk lines on all the available sidewalks, and slackliners balancing between trees. And if you visit the research labs and classrooms of Ottensman and Engineering Hall, you’ll see professors and students engrossed in exploration, working on problems that range from the nanomolecular to the global in scale. But one of the most unique features of UW-Platteville only becomes apparent when you step back and notice who those students are: undergraduates. Unusually within the academic community, UW-Platteville undergraduates have the opportunity to assist in research almost from the moment they arrive, building key skills and gaining real-world experience which helps them stand apart from the crowd.

“I wanted to make a difference in young children’s lives,” said Jodi Halverson, lead teacher at the UW-Platteville Children’s Center. “I love that every day is different.”

Halverson teaches 4- and 5-year-olds in the Orange Room. Her favorite part is, “Getting to see their excitement when they learn something new you taught them,” she said. As an alumna of UW-Platteville, she’s proud to use her education and experience to help shape the minds of her students.

You are a 2010 alumna of UW-Platteville earning a degree in elementary education. Why did you want to work at your alma mater?

I live in Platteville and wanted to work close to home. There was a position open; I had the opportunity to work at the Children’s Center during college as a teacher assistant and enjoyed the atmosphere and the education children were receiving. I wanted to be a part of it.