The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will mark its 203rd commencement on Saturday, Dec. 14. The three ceremonies will take place inside Williams Fieldhouse. The College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. The College of Liberal Arts and Education and School of Graduates Studies will hold their ceremonies at 12:30p.m.; and the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science will hold its ceremony at 4 p.m.

As the oldest of four siblings, alumna Sydney Groen ’17 has in many ways always been a teacher. Her strong sense of family and home is one of the reasons why Groen lives and teaches in the rural village of Warren, Illinois, where she specializes in Agriculture Education.

Groen teaches a wide range of ages from middle school through high school for the Warren School District, teaching plant science, animal science, and ag science among other courses. She is also the first person to run their new greenhouse and volunteers at an FFA Advisor. Recently, she wrote and received a grant from the Warren FFA Alumni for an activity bus because in a rural district, the ability to travel is essential to learning.

The UW-Platteville Crops Team recently placed second in both the Kansas City (86th annual) and Chicago (91st annual) Collegiate Crops Contests. Kansas State placed first in both contests. UW-Platteville was followed by Iowa State, Purdue, Virginia Tech, South Dakota State, Oklahoma State, University of Minnesota-Crookston, Murray State, UW-Madison and Michigan State.

Audrey Pelikan, a sophomore soil and crop science major from Jefferson, Wisconsin, placed fifth and sixth overall in both contests. She placed third, respectively, in the commercial grain grading phase in Chicago and fourth in the seed analysis and identification phases in Kansas City. Shannon Lamb, a junior soil and crop science major from Waunakee, Wisconsin, placed seventh and eighth, respectively, overall in both contests. She placed third and fifth in grain grading in the two contests.

Ice cream will soon be the next product made and sold by students on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus. A recent grant from the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America will support the opening of UW-Platteville’s Dairy Pilot Plant and the creation of a student-run ice cream production business.

Dr. Tera Montgomery, professor in UW-Platteville’s School of Agriculture, has been making ice cream with students in her Dairy Products class for several years, but only on a small scale, occasionally receiving conditional permits to serve it at events.

“The more we make it, the more people say how awesome it is and that we should look into making and selling it here,” she said.

A chance meeting with a high school math teacher led Dr. Holly Attenborough to pursue the field of mathematics. She joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2013 as assistant professor of mathematics, and has already earned several recognitions, including the 2018 UW-Platteville Early Career Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2017 UW System Wisconsin Teaching Fellow Award.

Thirty University of Wisconsin-Platteville teacher candidates recently implemented an effective teaching strategy by creating theme-based dioramas and sharing them with Pre-K children enrolled in the university’s Children Center.

The education students are enrolled in the Foundations of Early Childhood Education course, taught by Dr. Wonim Son, associate professor of early childhood education in the School of Education at UW-Platteville.

“Young children have so much potential to grow and develop their critical and creative minds, which are important lifelong skills,” said Son. “That is why early childhood teachers need to cherish and support children’s creativity early on.”

In a move that will benefit students from both institutions, Madison College and UW-Platteville signed three partnership agreements today that will provide clear pathways and transfer opportunities in the areas of engineering, biotechnology and veterinary technician.



A key component of the agreement recognizes Madison College as an official site for the UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships (PEP) program.

Fourteen University of Wisconsin-Platteville Health and Human Performance students recently had an opportunity to lead students from the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, located in Janesville, Wisconsin, through the university’s Ropes and Challenge course in Williams Fieldhouse.

This is the seventh year of collaboration between UW-Platteville and WCBVI, but it is the first time the collaboration has involved the Ropes and Challenge course, which offers low- and high-element activities, up to 18-feet from the ceiling, in a safe environment. The course is designed to help participants develop skills in communication, trust, problem-solving and risk-taking.

“My dream, ever since I was little, was to be a teacher. I love connecting with students, fostering their passions and letting them know they matter and have something to offer.”

These are the words of Elissa (Bahr) Granger, a senior middle level education major with a minor in natural science at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. This December, the Platteville native will be one step closer to making her dream come true when she walks across the stage at commencement, accepts her diploma and begins applying for teaching positions in Platteville and the surrounding area.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, the Grant County History Museum will unveil a window exhibit on African American history that six University of Wisconsin-Platteville students and a faculty member helped research and build. The opening will be held at the museum’s new space, located at 135 E. Maple Street in Lancaster, Wisconsin.

The exhibit is the culmination of research the undergraduate students have been conducting since last June as part of the Wisconsin History course, taught by Dr. Gene Tesdahl, assistant professor of history at UW-Platteville.

The exhibit will include their research on:

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will present a screening of the award-winning documentary “Hearts of Glass,” followed by a discussion with the film director and producer, Jennifer Tennican, on Thursday, Dec. 5. The free event is open to the public and will be held in Room 103, Doudna Hall from 4-6 p.m.

“Hearts of Glass” follows the tumultuous first 15 months of operation of Vertical Harvest of Jackson Hole, a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse that provides meaningful employment for people with disabilities. The film weaves the story of Vertical Harvest’s launch with the personal journeys of employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Plants and people grow together in this intimate portrait of innovation, inclusion and community.

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

Dr. Bernice A. King, the executive director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (the King Center) is the 2020 University of Wisconsin-Platteville Distinguished Lecturer. The speech is Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 10:15 a.m. in the Bo Ryan Court, Williams Fieldhouse. The 45-minute lecture will be followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session.

Classes, labs and lessons will be canceled at all three UW-Platteville campuses from 10 a.m. until noon. The presentation will be live streamed to UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Platteville Richland.

In the summer of 2015, Donovan Nathaniel made the two- and half-hour drive from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to embark on his academic and athletic career for the Pioneers.  

“The football team led me to UW-Platteville. Once I came on my visit and met the staff, I knew this would be my home for the next four to five years. I am a big family guy, so only being two- and half-hours from home served as a plus,” Nathaniel said.

In a unique, collaborative effort, 34 University of Wisconsin-Platteville education students teamed with numerous staff members from Highland (Wisconsin) Elementary School to offer Highland Family STEM Night for more than 100 students and their families at the elementary school.

UW-Platteville students are enrolled in the Key Concepts and Characteristics in Middle Level Education course, taught by Dr. Jodean Grunow, senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and academic staff member in the School of Education at UW-Platteville.

The course is required for both middle level and high school pre-service teachers. Consequently, the makeup of the class is varied, including agriculture, technology, chemistry, mathematics, broad field science, English, music, social science and Spanish.

Linda Mulroy-Bowden, executive director of student life and development at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, recently received the prestigious William B. Sweet Distinguished Service Award from the Upper Midwest Region-Association of College and University Housing Officers. The award is the organization’s highest honor.

According to the UMR-ACUHO, the awardee “should represent a standard of excellence through contributions and dedication to the regional and international housing association and profession … [their] service should leave a positive and lasting impact, and they should be viewed as a role model for colleagues and new professionals.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will once again host the Midwest Culturally Inclusive Conference Feb. 27-28, 2020 in Velzy Commons, Ullsvik Hall. The conference offers an opportunity for college students, faculty and staff, community members, K-12 teachers, and others – from throughout the Midwest – to strengthen their capacity to understand, support and elevate their identities and the identities of others. The conference was held consecutively from 2011-2014, drawing, at times, nearly 1,000 attendees from across the Midwest.

“The Department of Campus Climate is excited to re-introduce this conference to the Southwest Wisconsin region,” said Emily Stier, UW-Platteville Campus Climate coordinator. “We hope to bring inspiring keynotes, educational breakout sessions and invaluable community-building opportunities throughout.” 

University of Wisconsin-Platteville students, faculty and staff and Platteville community members helped solve a simulated crime at the ninth annual Horrific Crime Scene Revisited event held recently at Rountree Gallery in Platteville.

The purpose of the collaborative event, sponsored by the Criminal Justice Association, a student organization at UW-Platteville, and Rountree Gallery, was to provide an experience for attendees to walk through a crime scene while looking for clues to determine what occurred and to experience some of the situations that current forensics and criminal justice students are, and will be, exposed to in their courses and future careers.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Mathematics hosted its 47th annual High School Mathematics Contest on Nov. 6. Nearly 800 students from 33 high schools in the tri-state area competed. The contest recognizes outstanding high school students and stimulates mathematical interest at the high school level.

Teams are organized into divisions based on high school enrollments. Winners from each division were: Division 1, Iowa City West (Iowa); Division 2, Portage (Wisconsin); Division 3, New Glarus (Wisconsin) Blue Team; Division 4, Albany (Wisconsin).

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Division of Professional Studies will host an open house and block party showcasing its many offerings to the public. This free event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Nohr Gallery located in Ullsvik Hall on the UW-Platteville campus. Refreshments will be served and music will fill the air.

Attendees will meet staff, view highlights from the division, and learn more about new programs and projects. Some of the featured topics include:

University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumna Beth (Martin) Digman, recently received some very exciting news: her pottery business, Prairie Hills Pottery, will be featured in this year’s Etsy holiday advertising campaign.

The commercial, which highlights one of Digman’s handwritten recipe plates, will air nationwide on cable television and streaming platforms, including Hulu, Nov. 1-Dec. 12. It also will likely run during “Making It,” an Etsy-sponsored show co-hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, which will air on NBC in December.

Prairie Hills Pottery creates custom ceramics with personalized images by restoring handwritten recipes, letters and invitations and transferring them onto food-safe, oven-safe and hand-washable dishes. The pieces are often used for weddings, birthdays, housewarmings and holidays.

Nineteen University of Wisconsin-Platteville criminal justice students recently gained critical skills in tactical response and hostage negotiations during a “barricaded subjects, armed and with hostages” scenario drill conducted by the Grant/Iowa County Crisis Resolution Team, the county’s special weapons and tactics law enforcement unit.

The exercise, held at the university’s Forensic Investigation Crime Scene House, involved mock hostage-taking and hostage negotiations between role players and members of the Grant/Iowa County Crisis Resolution Team.

Gabe Riviere, information specialist in the Office of Student Services at University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, has received the UW System’s Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People. 

“I’m proud to be recognized from our small campus, because I hope it shows that this work is building, and that we need to continue making connections and coalitions with our communities, making them into something larger and more impactful,” said Riviere. 

This is the 11th year that UW System has given the award, which recognizes LGBTQ+ people or their allies whose contributions have advanced the work of diversity, equity and inclusive excellence, through advocacy, activism, or scholarship, and whose work has:

Learning from his students and watching them learn and grow are what Dr. Todd Stradford loves most about teaching. Stradford, an associate professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since August 1997, teaches courses in human geography, weather and climate and Asia.

Stradford grew up in a Navy family, the son of a naval captain. Being a member of a military family required frequent moves and exposure to unfamiliar cultures. Thanks to these early childhood experiences, he has always loved learning about other cultures and people and developed a taste for travel. He still has his first pair of Japanese chopsticks, which have a hand-painted baseball player on them.

With a click of a button, University of Wisconsin-Platteville Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Dr. Xiaoguang Ma and his team of students are transforming a local elementary school classroom into a smart classroom with the latest wireless technologies.

Ma, senior faculty advisor Dr. Philip Sealy, professor of electrical and computer engineering and SRES and students, Christopher Kott, Elizabeth Bohlman, Nicholas Neuburg and Troy Januchowski, are collaborating with the Neal Wilkins Early Learning Center in Platteville, to apply smart home devices to Jennifer King’s 4K classroom. The yearlong endeavor is being sponsored through the UW-Platteville Student Research and Engagement Fund.

“This project can introduce new technology and help serve the community. It can strengthen the connection between us and the K12,” said Ma. “Technology can change your life. It can inspire more students to develop as engineers.”

Continuing its tradition of providing an accessible, high quality education to all students, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently announced its Pioneer Pledge program. The program guarantees that the cost of undergraduate, on-campus tuition and fees will be covered for new freshmen who are Pell Grant-eligible Wisconsin residents.

“At the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, we pride ourselves on being an affordable and accessible institution,” said Chancellor Dennis J. Shields. “With more than 40 percent of our students being first-generation students, we understand that some families struggle with financing their education. Our goal is to make gaining the education the number one priority, not the worry about paying for it. This program will go a long way in ensuring that more students will have access to a UW-Platteville education, which is ranked the best value among all Wisconsin public institutions.”

“The most rewarding part of my profession is seeing my students succeed,” said UW-Platteville Assistant Professor of sustainability and renewable energy systems Dr. Pamela Tas. Tas is the SRES program coordinator and teaches classes related to the utilization of plant-based hydrocarbons as a more sustainable means to societies’ energy use. She is currently working on two research projects with her students.

Outside of campus Tas is an avid gardener with the goal of growing a third of her family’s food at home. Along with gardening, Tas is a painter and a musician. She does oil and water paintings, and plays four instruments: violin, guitar, the Turkish instrument, saz, and the cello.

Your research interests lie in bio renewable resources with a focus on biofuel for green aviation fuel and biodiesel. What projects are you currently working on?

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students and a faculty member recently presented their research on chattel slavery in Wisconsin at the 13th annual Local History and Historic Preservation Conference in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The conference featured one and a half days of sessions, workshops, events, tours and opportunities for attendees to network with local history and preservation partners from across the state.

The UW-Platteville cohort was led by Dr. Gene Tesdahl, assistant professor of history at UW-Platteville, and community partner Dr. Rachel Lewis, director of the Grant County Historical Society in Lancaster, Wisconsin. UW-Platteville student presenters included Kaitlynn Niehaus, a senior English education major from Platteville, and Brandon Snyder, a sophomore history major with an emphasis in secondary education and a minor in social science comprehensive from Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

While the Internet of Things continues to expand at a rapid rate, Dr. Molly Gribb, dean of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, is leading efforts to position UW-Platteville at the forefront of this cutting-edge field. Gribb was recently appointed as a founding board member of the Wisconsin IoT Council, a professional membership-driven organization that promotes Wisconsin and the Midwest as the epicenter for IoT and drives technological advancement in the region.

IoT broadly refers to the interconnectedness of smart devices. This can range from everyday personal use, such as smart phones connecting to home appliances or security systems, to larger scale commercial or industrial applications.

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville students recently presented “Plarn,” or “Plastic Yarn,” at the National Society of Leadership and Success’ annual conference at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.

The group consisted of students from the UW-Platteville chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. These included president and senior chemistry major Mikayla Ney, success networking team coordinator and junior business administration major Caroline Norman, community service chair and senior agriculture education major Ashley Blevins, and inducted member and electrical engineering major Dylan Klein.

The UW-Platteville Crops Team won the Upper Midwest Regional contest on Oct. 26. Host UW-Platteville placed first over University of Minnesota-Crookston (second), South Dakota State (third) and UW-Madison (fourth).

UW-Platteville had six of the top eight overall individual scores among 17 participants. The six UW-Platteville participants were:

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering received eight new pieces of GPS equipment from Seiler Instrument, a value of $175,000. Seiler Instrument is lending the program four resource grade GPS units and four survey grade units for the 2019-20 academic year.

On Tuesday, representatives of Seiler Instrument delivered the R8s/TSC7 Real Time Kinematic survey grade units to Ottensman Hall and provided a hands-on training session for faculty and students. According to UW-Platteville CEE Lecturer Jerry Mahun, the units are capable of sub-centimeter level accuracy.

Earlier this month, Seiler Instrument delivered four-resource grade GPS units which included two Geo 7 handhelds and two R2 pole mounted units which interface with the program’s existing data collectors.

Dr. Hanwan Jiang, assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is using an innovative idea to research bridge safety in the United States.

“There are 614,387 bridges in the U.S. and more than half of them are approaching or have exceeded their design lives,” said Jiang, citing the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Infrastructure Report Card. “A total of 56,007 bridges, or 9.1% of all our bridges, were structurally deficient in 2016.”

In 2007, the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, Minneapolis, during evening rush hour, and in 2018, the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapsed. Hanwan Jiang wants to stop disasters like these from happening – and she believes she has a solution.

Dr. Jeff Huebschman joined UW-Platteville in the fall of 2003. A Nebraska native, Huebschman has always enjoyed being out in nature. This love for the outdoors would soon turn into a career as he began to consider his natural surroundings on a deeper level.

Huebschman teaches Mammalogy, Ornithology, Ecological Methods and Research and Diversity of Life at UW-Platteville. In addition, he also leads a study tour focused on sub-arctic ecology that is based out of Churchill, Manitoba, on the shores of the Hudson Bay. More locally, Huebschman aims to increase awareness of many of the organisms that reside in the Driftless region of Wisconsin in his classes.

On Thursday, Nov. 7, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Liberal Arts and Education will host a faculty forum, “Einstein’s ‘Theory of Everything’ in Elizabethan England: John Dee’s Hieroglyphic Monad” in Room 136 Doudna Hall from 5-6:30 p.m.

Dr. Nancy Turner, professor of history at UW-Platteville, will provide historical background on Albert Einstein’s “Theory of Everything,” the pathbreaking theories of relativity he introduced to the world in the first decades of the 20th century.

Following, she will discuss John Dee, an English mathematician, geometer, astronomer and alchemist who, in 1564, presented to the world the hieroglyphic monad, a symbol which he asserted embodied a universal theory of everything. Turner will explore the monad and its usefulness as a theory of everything, offering some proposals for what it says about the mindset and brilliance of the people of Elizabethan England.

When University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumna Sakara Wages walked across the stage and accepted her diploma at the university’s graduation ceremony in May 2017, she felt pride in her accomplishments and excitement for the future.

After four years of rigorous coursework, research and hands-on learning experiences in general studies, psychology and political science at UW-Platteville, the Chicago, Illinois native and graduate of Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy in Chicago attained one of her primary educational goals: to earn a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a minor in political science.

That day, as the student speaker of the College of Liberal Arts and Education’s graduation ceremony, Wages also inspired her fellow graduates and other audience members with a speech that focused on how UW-Platteville provides diverse opportunities that prepare graduates to capitalize on any once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that may cross their paths.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is building its relationship with KEEN – a nationwide network of engineering institutions dedicated to advancing engineering education – and the collaboration brings many benefits to students and faculty, according to Dr. Jessica Fick, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

According to its website, “KEEN is a network of thousands of engineering faculty […] working to unleash undergraduate engineers so that they can create personal, economic and societal value through the entrepreneurial mindset.” The organization partners with 45 institutions across the country. While UW-Platteville is not yet a partner, the institution is taking steps by becoming more involved.

Despite recently starting his Junior year, Caden Stindt is already making a name for himself at UW-Platteville – but it isn’t in the usual academic, athletic or artistic circles one might expect. Instead, Stindt’s rising fame is due to his remarkable achievement of being crowned a Rocket League® tournament champion – not once, but twice in a row.

Hosted by the Division of Professional Studies, the Rocket League® tournaments are part of a growing esports movement at UW-Platteville, one seeking to promote teamwork and new connections among students. So far both online tournaments have proven successful, with each event drawing in registrants from a variety of programs and academic standings, leading several hopeful participants to even become waitlisted. But as successful as each tournament has become, one could argue they were even more of a success for Stindt – in more ways than one.

Higher education has been a significant part of Jon and Dr. Tori Erickson’s lives, and their recently announced planned gift to support University of Wisconsin-Platteville scholarships will help ensure it is also a part of the lives of future generations of Pioneers. Their estate gift is among the largest bequests the university has ever received. The Ericksons were honored during the Homecoming celebration this past weekend.

"I have gotten to know Tori and Jon Erickson over the years, and I am so impressed with them and their commitment to education and to UW-Platteville," Chancellor Dennis J. Shields said. "They are a remarkable couple who have engaged this campus in a number of ways. Their gift is an extension of that commitment."

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Distance Education Alumni Board puts a unique spin on a 5K with their Virtual Distance Dash 5K Run/Walk and Anti-5K. The event is completely virtual, so you can participate when and how you choose, and anyone worldwide can participate. The event is held Nov. 2-10 during National Distance Learning Week. Choose the Distance Dash to participate in a virtual 5K, or sign up for the Anti-5K to participate with your choice of activity or by doing nothing.



Virtual Distance Dash 5K Run/Walk:

Run or walk a distance of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) anytime and anywhere from Nov. 2-10. Pick your favorite outdoor route, or avoid the elements with a treadmill or indoor track. Then post your time online to compete for bragging rights with other participants from across the globe. Participants get a race bib to print and wear and a medal.

When Dr. Leigh Monhardt, associate professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is asked what he loves most about teaching, the answer is clear: he loves the challenge of making each class he teaches meaningful and relevant to his students.

Monhardt, who joined UW-Platteville in 2007, teaches all of the elementary and secondary science methods courses offered by the university’s School of Education, including two STEM-integrated science courses.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville business students placed first in the annual American Marketing Association regional conference, hosted by UW-Whitewater on Oct. 4. Alex Lund, a senior majoring in business administration with a minor in product development and design and entrepreneurship, and Grace Faulkner, a sophomore majoring in business administration with an emphasis in marketing, were first in their category, out of 20 teams. Over 400 students from 11 states and three countries competed in the conference.

Lund and Faulkner participated in the design competition of the conference, sponsored by Sherwin Williams. Each team was required to design a social media post for the company to advertise a new training program. The post was geared towards generation Z on Instagram as part of a marketing campaign.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Soils Team competed in the 63rd annual Region 3 Collegiate Soils Contest Oct. 9–12. The event was held in Portage County, Wisconsin, and was hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Professor Stephen Swallen, of UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, will be joined by Serge Koenig, of the Sauk County Department of Conservation, Planning, and Zoning to discuss their ongoing study of surface water quality in Sauk County at the campus library on Friday, Oct. 18 at 12:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

“We want to think about how industry, agriculture and urban environments impact water quality. The Baraboo River is the second-largest source of agricultural contaminants to the Wisconsin River,” said Swallen, who has been studying levels of contaminating particles as part of an ongoing research project that includes students. “There are techniques and solutions to prevent runoff into area streams and rivers.”

Those ideas are part of what Swallen and Koenig will discuss at their talk.

In recent years, the United States has witnessed a boom in solar energy use, as trends toward sustainable living grow. But how environmentally-friendly is solar technology when it reaches the end of its life cycle? That is the question Dr. Ilke Celik, University of Wisconsin-Platteville assistant professor of sustainability and renewable energy systems, and a team of researchers are hoping to address.

Celik was recently awarded funding from the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) for her project, “Energy-Water Nexus Analysis of Solar Energy Industry.” She will lead a team of a dozen international researchers, made up of industry partners and faculty from institutions in the U.S., Australia and China, including Dr. Xiaoguang Ma, UW-Platteville assistant professor of electrical engineering.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of Performing and Visual Arts-Theatre and Pioneer Players will begin their 2019-20 season with the cult classic musical, “The Rocky Horror Show.”

Performances are Monday, Oct. 28 through Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. In keeping with the “Rocky Horror” tradition, there will also be a second performance on Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m. All performances will be held in the Center for the Arts Theatre at UW-Platteville.

Originally premiering at the Royal Court Theatre in London on June 19, 1973, with the book and music written by Richard O’Brien, the musical follows the story of Brad Majors and Janet Weiss as they set out on a journey to tell their former professor and friend, Dr. Scott, of their recent engagement. Their trip takes a strange turn, however, when they get a flat tire and need a telephone and must knock on the door of the Frankenstein place, where they meet Frank N. Furter and his phantoms.

Thanks to the generous donations of hundreds of alumni, faculty and staff, and other friends of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, the UW-Platteville Foundation raised over $121,000 with its annual Day of Giving.

The event is held each year on Oct. 9 to celebrate the university’s founding by raising funds to support student success in all its forms. While donors are welcome to give to any cause, this year the foundation focused its efforts on three areas: Pioneer Provisions, the Pioneer Scholarship Fund and an emergency fund for students, Pioneers Helping Pioneers.

Dr. Staci Strobl, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has been asked to join an international team of scholars convened by the Sectarianism, Proxies and De-sectarianization project, based at the Richardson Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. The project is funded, in part, by the Carnegie Corporation.

The purpose of the SEPAD team is to develop scholarship on problems related to sectarianism (religious discrimination) in the Middle East, to envision de-sectarianization and to share the work with political representatives and policymakers in the region and around the world.

From improving human nutrition to assuring clean water to growing the farm economy while caring for animals, the Dairy Innovation Hub will harness the intellectual and creative power of three University of Wisconsin institutions to address the most complex challenges facing the state’s dairy industry.

There are moments in life when a decision to explore something new turns out to be life-changing, both personally and professionally.

This was the case for University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Nicholas Drott (‘19) of Medford, Wisconsin, when he made the decision to enroll in the Victimology and Restorative Justice course, taught by Dr. Amy Nemmetz, associate professor of criminal justice at UW-Platteville, his sophomore year.

In the course, Drott, a criminal justice major, learned about restorative justice, a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior. He also learned about the needs victims and survivors may have following a victimization.

“The knowledge I gained about restorative justice greatly impacted me and my future,” said Drott. “After learning and embracing restorative justice practices, I changed my career path so I could continue to use the same practices on a daily basis.”

Eleven University of Wisconsin-Platteville physical education students recently planned, implemented and continued a 10-year tradition, Wellness Day, for 190 first- and second-grade students from Platteville School District at the university’s Bo-Ryan Court. UW-Platteville physical education students engage with a variety of communities in Wisconsin (Belmont, Lancaster, Platteville, Mineral Point, Boscobel and Janesville) throughout the academic semester for such Wellness Day experiences.

For the 11th annual Wellness Day, physical education students enrolled in the university’s Elementary Physical Education course planned and instructed age-appropriate lessons for the younger students, including Math in Motion, Recognizing the Beat, DrumFit and Creative Parachute Fitness.