The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Division of Professional Studies was recently awarded a grant from the Dubuque Racing Association (DRA). Funds will help upgrade video conference equipment to outfit a conference room that is frequently used for meetings held among on-campus and remote participants.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will honor its 2019 Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Award recipients at the University Awards and Recognition Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m. in Nohr Gallery, Ullsvik Hall. The ceremony is part of the university’s annual Homecoming celebration weekend.

The awards acknowledge individuals who have demonstrated career success. Distinguished alumni awards are for those individuals who have demonstrated contributions to the university, their profession and their community, while outstanding alumni are for those who graduated within the last 15 years.

Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award are Dr. Larry Tranel, Dr. Michael Retallik, Nancy Quirk, Dr. Orlyn Edge and Kenneth Washburn. Recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award are Korrin Schriver and Chelsea Bongert.

Students of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Dairy Judging Team excelled in three recent competitions.



The first contest was the CentralStar competition held in Viroqua, Wisconsin on Sept. 15. The team, comprised of mostly sophomores in the School of Agriculture, finished fifth overall out of 15 teams. The team members were Emma Buss, Maddy Gwidt, Brianna Miesen and Zach Tolzman. The team placed second in the Guernsey breed, fourth in Holstein and fourth in Milking Shorthorn. Buss placed second in Guernsey, fifth in Milking Shorthorn, and was the fifth highest contender in the contest. Miesen placed third in Guernsey and Gwidt placed eighth overall in reasons.

When Tim Juedes, lecturer of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, considers what he loves most about teaching, the answer comes to him easily: “I love helping students learn about topics they are passionate about and want to pursue as a career.”

Juedes, who has taught forensic investigation courses at the university since spring 2015, is a UW-Platteville alumnus, earning a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice with an emphasis in forensic investigation and a minor in chemistry in 2009. His specialties are fingerprint analysis and criminalistics.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of History will host its fifth annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Lecture on Monday, Oct. 14 in the Nohr Gallery, Ullsvik Hall, UW-Platteville, from 6-7:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The purpose of the lecture series – begun by Dr. Eugene Tesdahl, assistant professor of history at UW-Platteville, in 2015 – is to welcome more Indigenous voices to the institution.

The lecture will feature guest speaker Paulette Jordan, the 2018 Democratic candidate for governor in Idaho. A proud member of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, Jordan was raised to fight for the needs of her community and protect priceless natural resources. She grew up on a farm in northern Idaho, where she developed a strong connection to Idaho’s land and the people who share it.

This summer, Les Hollingsworth, director of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Business, led a short-term faculty-led study abroad program to Hochschule Rhein Main in Wiesbaden, Germany. Three students participated in the two-week program to earn credit toward their business major: Everett Wegge, Molly Brooks and Sara Ditchman.

“I have always wanted to study abroad,” said Molly Brooks a junior from Plymouth, Wisconsin. “I love Germany and I always wanted to go; this was the perfect opportunity.”

“It’s different to read in a text book what a place is like versus actually being there,” said Ditchman, a sophomore from Batavia, Illinois. “There is only so much you can get from classroom experience.”

The next big idea in green energy may stem from a common Midwestern weed called pennycress, and faculty and students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are contributing to this cutting-edge research. 

Dr. Pamela Tas, assistant professor and coordinator of UW-Platteville’s Sustainability and Renewable Energy Systems program, is embarking on her second year of research with pennycress, and exploring its potential as a cash-cover crop that can be commercialized for green aviation fuel and biodiesel. Last month, Western Illinois University announced a $10 million U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant, which will allow a team of researchers – including Tas – to continue and expand this research.

Dr. Hao Chen is celebrating his 10th year at UW-Platteville. Chen found his love of media and advertising at malls in his childhood when living in China. Visiting stores with his parents exposed him to the colorful and eye-catching world of visual marketing, and later, the influence of digital media in relation to business.

Chen teaches Advertising and Consumer Behavior in marketing along with Business Analytics in the general business area. He also teaches Introduction to Mass Media, Web Development, and Visual Communication in the Media Studies area. Chen hopes to find more ways for business students to be engaged in their communities by understanding the needs of local businesses. He encourages students to establish professional relationships with those same businesses to prepare them for their careers after college. He received both his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

On Thursday, Oct. 3, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Liberal Arts and Education will host a faculty forum, “Satire in Horror Films,” in Room 136 Doudna Hall from 5-6:30 p.m.

At the forum, Dr. David Gillota, associate professor of English at UW-Platteville, will provide a brief overview of the conventions of satire – a work that uses humor in order to critique social institutions and/or human behavior – and the varied ways in which it has been used in conjunction with horror. After a brief nod to the horrifying humor of Jonathan Swift’s satirical essay “A Modest Proposal,” Gillota will turn his attention to satirical American horror films, such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Dawn of the Dead,” “The Shining” and others.

It’s no secret that Shawn Belling is a professional in his prime.

With over 25 years in technology and project leadership experience, Belling has performed a variety of roles for businesses, universities and professional organizations across the globe—sharing his vast expertise through a mixture of teaching, consulting, and professional speaking. Over such time Belling has worked to establish himself even more, accruing multiple certifications from the Project Management Institute © and a Master of Science in Project Management degree from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is the top public institution in the state for best value, according to the 2019 SmartAsset ratings.

The study compared the university’s low tuition rate (average of $7,484) and average student living costs ($11,326) with its average starting salary of $56,000 for its graduates.

“The University of Wisconsin-Platteville takes great pride in providing an affordable and accessible education as well as ensuring our students graduate ready to enter the ever-changing workforce,” Chancellor Dennis J. Shields said. “Our dedicated faculty provide hands-on opportunities inside and outside the classroom that prepare our students so well. The fact that we just had a record number of businesses attend our career fair proves that a UW-Platteville graduate is a wanted commodity by all types of employers.”

As Brewers fans make their way into Miller Park to watch their favorite player run out onto the field, they’ll notice the work created by three University of Wisconsin-Platteville students. This summer, Abigail Rosenau, Gabriela Strobel and Nick Quarberg interned with the Milwaukee Brewers ground crew. Together they experienced what it takes to uphold one of the best stadiums in major league baseball.

Quarberg was hired as a field intern and worked under the direction of the groundskeeper. The La Crosse, Wisconsin, native is a senior majoring in environmental horticulture at UW-Platteville.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumni and one student earned the esteemed Alliant Energy Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Academic Achievement Award. Dan Gnadt, Julian Rodriguez and Luis Balleno Jr. will be honored for their academic achievements and university involvement at UW-Madison on Friday, Oct. 25.

The UW System award annually recognizes four undergraduate students from traditionally under-represented minority groups who show outstanding scholarship and community service. The students are selected from UW-Platteville and UW-Madison and are pursuing degrees in business or engineering. The recipients are nominated in the fall semester of their final year, and they receive the award upon graduation.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Liberal Arts and Education recognized student scholarship recipients at a reception held in the Nohr Gallery. The College of LAE awarded 79 scholarships to 73 students.

The reception opened with a welcome by Dr. D. Joanne Wilson, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at UW-Platteville. Following, Dr. Melissa Gormley, dean of the College of LAE, presented the general College of LAE scholarships, then each department’s chair or representative presented her or his department’s scholarships. Those in the audience who had established scholarships or donated to them also were recognized.

Dr. Jodi Prosise recently joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville as the new chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, the largest academic department at the university. She brings with her a longtime passion and interest in the idea of empowerment through technology, or, improving the lives of individuals with disabilities – specifically in low-income areas – through designing and building assistive technology. She has frequently led students in study abroad trips to Brazil, where they develop sustainable prosthetics fashioned from PVC pipe and woven material.

Prosise earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota. She spent 10 years teaching at St. Ambrose University, serving four years as chair of the Department of Engineering and Physics.

In a commitment to providing students with the most relevant hands-on education and advancing the workforce in the state of Wisconsin, Dr. Bandara Gamini, Automation and Electronics program coordinator in the Department of Industrial Studies, recently visited GE Healthcare in Madison, Wisconsin, to further the university-industry relationship.

According to Gamini, Wisconsin is a leader in high-tech manufacturing – such as medical devices – and exports internationally, including to China. He was able to confirm, in his recent visit to GE Healthcare, that the skills students are learning on campus are directly contributing to the manufacturing of these instruments.

On Friday, Oct. 4, at 9 a.m., University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty, staff, students and community members will hold a special rededication ceremony for Rachel, an enslaved African American, at Hillside Cemetery in Platteville. The ceremony is open to all.

The rededication ceremony was planned by Dr. Eugene Tesdahl, assistant professor of history at UW-Platteville, and a small group of students who helped repair and restore Rachel’s headstone at Hillside Cemetery this summer as part of his summer history course, The History of Wisconsin.

Rev. Gus Barnes, pastor at Luther Memorial Church in Delavan, Wisconsin, will offer a brief invocation as Rachel’s headstone is rededicated. Barnes earned a Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, in May 2018. He was ordained and installed by Wisconsin’s first African-American bishop, Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld.

Concrete is tough stuff: it can form the foundation for a skyscraper or the face of a dam. But concrete’s reputation for strength belies a surprising number of weaknesses. It can erode, crumble and crack, leaving fissures for water to seep inside, where subsequent freezing and thawing can lead to even greater damage. UW-Platteville Civil Engineering Professor Dr. Danny Xiao is interested in all the ways concrete fails. His research focuses on making one of the most important building materials on Earth even better.

“Our society relies on concrete, literally. From tall skyscrapers to the small base of a light pole, from huge dams to small patios, concrete supports the prosperity of our society. In theory, concrete can last for hundreds of years,” Xiao said. “But in reality, premature failure is still happening, and unsatisfactory performance is even more common than we would like.”

Early childhood education professionals from across Wisconsin and the region will gather at the 2019 Early Childhood Seminar on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Markee Pioneer Student Center.

The Continuing Education Institute, which hosts the event, provides child care education through nine Registry Child Care Credentials, seminars, early childhood training courses, and degree completion programs with partner institutions. Their reach extends throughout the state of Wisconsin and from New York to California.

This summer, University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Anna Drazkowski traveled to Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Yan Wu, associate professor of engineering physics to attend the American Society for Engineering Education Conference to present their research. Their work, “Standard Based Grading in Introductory Physics Laboratory Courses” earned the best paper award in the Division of Experimentation and Laboratory-Oriented Studies.

“It was amazing. I have never been to an academic conference like that before,” said Drazkowski, a broad field science, secondary education major from Menomonie, Wisconsin. “It was really nice to see the inside of the academic world, to see how people do research and how they share their ideas. I have gotten a lot of ideas from the conference that I have already used in my summer internship and that I’m going to use this year.”

Dr. Dong Isbister, associate professor of women’s and gender studies at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and two co-authors recently wrote a chapter in the book “Chinese Environmental Humanities: Practices of Environing at the Margins,” published by Palgrave Macmillan in August.

In the chapter “Blurred Centers/Margins: Ethnobotanical Healing in Writings by Ethnic Minority Women in China,” Isbister and the two co-authors focus on writings by ethnic minority women in China – with special attention to the connection between healing and the vegetal world in the changing social and natural environments in post-socialist China.

“I’m capable of doing anything,” said University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumna Lisa Karau ’16. “I’m there not only to challenge myself, but to show others that anything is possible.”

Karau is breaking down barriers as she becomes the fourth woman in Wisconsin to lead a high school boys basketball program. She will embark on her first season as the Ashland boys varsity coach in the 2019-20 school year while also teaching elementary physical education.

Prior to her new position at Ashland, Karau was the head varsity coach for the Tomahawk girls basketball team the past two seasons. “Coaching has always been a really big passion of mine and to be given the opportunity to be the head boys coach was an awesome feeling,” she said.

This summer, Dr. Andrey V. Ivanov, assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was one of the recipients of the esteemed Houghton Library Visiting Fellowship at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

If you put Dayne Friday, Revalu Ronnfeldt, Hannah Frank and Tara Reber in a room together, you might be forgiven for assuming the four didn’t have much in common.

Friday, a football player for the UW-Platteville Pioneers, balances a schedule crowded with math classes and team workouts. Ronnfeldt, who hails from tiny La Farge, Wisconsin, has taken advantage of the many societies UW-Platteville has to offer by joining the International Club, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma. Frank has a musical bent: depending on the time of year, the junior can be found in symphony, marching band, and pep band. And Reber has found her niche in nature, joining both the Outdoor Adventure Club and the Green Campus Project.

Beginning this year, students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will have access to fresh lettuce, grown on campus year-round through a new hydroponics student-managed business. Located in Glenview Commons, the 1,500-square-foot hydroponics space, built and operated solely by students, will supply nearly all lettuce used by UW-Platteville Dining Services.

On Thursday, Sept. 12, the community will have an opportunity to view and learn more about the hydroponics student-managed business at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Glenview Commons.

Dr. Rami Reddy, director of UW-Platteville’s School of Agriculture, conceived of the idea nearly two years ago, after he visited EARTH University, in Costa Rica. “We were very impressed by their student-managed businesses and projects,” he said. “But they are in the tropics, and can do anything outside, unlike us here.”

Interacting with students and giving them an opportunity to develop as young professionals in the field of exercise science is what inspires and motivates Dr. Ben Krings, CSCS, each day.

Krings, an assistant professor of health and human performance at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since fall 2018, teaches courses in physiology of exercise, nutrition, strength and conditioning and fitness evaluation and prescription. The focus of his teaching is applying basic sciences in the format of labs and interaction with clients.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Chancellor Dennis J. Shields and Vice Chancellor for University Relations/Chief of Staff Rose Smyrski will accompany Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on his first-ever international trade mission to Japan.

Chancellor Shields and Smyrski will be the only representatives of a UW System school among the 17 delegates on the historic trip, which takes place Sept. 6-14.

Every day is different for Cathy Riedl-Farrey, who is the director of Financial Services at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, depending on the requests coming in from campus or university leaders. “A day never goes by where I don’t use Excel. I’m constantly in Excel with using numbers and working on numbers,” she said.

Riedl-Farrey, an alumna of UW-Platteville, said her interest with fiscal resources began when she was a student-worker on campus. Her auditing experience led her back to her alma mater where she has worked for the past 20 years.

Outside of campus Riedl-Farrey and her husband enjoy attending their three children’s school and sporting events. She also enjoys playing golf.

You are an alumna of UW-Platteville, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. Since graduating in 1994, why did you want to come back and work at your alma mater?

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Chancellor Dennis J. Shields shared his intentions for the upcoming year at the annual all-campus convocation held on Thursday.

“Our mission remains the same, which is to promote excellence by using a personal, hands-on approach to empower each student and achieve our vision of being recognized as the leading student-focused university,” said Chancellor Shields.

The topics he addressed included recruitment and retention, student mental health, continuation of the collaborative integration with UW-Platteville Richland and UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, capital project updates, 2019-24 strategic plan and the Wisconsin state budget.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville hosted five scholars from the South-Central University for Nationalities in Wuhan, China, as part of a cultural exchange program. The six-month program, which wraps up this week, provides the scholars an opportunity to participate in intensive language study, observe UW-Platteville classes and engage in cultural activities.

The online Master of Science in Project Management at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been ranked in the 25 Best Affordable Master’s in Project Management Online Degrees 2019 by Affordable Schools. The ranking is based on cost of attendance and student-to-faculty ratios.

Businesses across the globe depend upon experienced project managers that can multitask, think analytically and communicate to team members. Project management can be applied to practically any industry, from government to defense contracting, financial services to media and design and IT/software development to engineering.

Dr. Raymond Pugh, assistant professor in chemistry, is excited to bring new technology into his classroom to help his students receive a better understanding of molecular structure, interactions and function by using 3D models. Pugh is one of two University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty members to receive the Teaching and Technology Center’s 2019 Innovations in Technology for Teaching and Learning Award, providing him funds to purchase a new 3D printer.

“It will allow me to make different models of enzymes and give students a hands-on opportunity to work with the enzymes, and understand the differences between the different types of enzymes discussed in class,” he said.

Paul Erickson has more than 30 years of experience working in the communications industry. Since 1996, he’s been a part of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, first working as the sports information director and now as the director of Communications and public information officer.

Erickson said it’s fun to see the way technology has impacted communications. When he first started in athletics, he would have to call in box scores to six different media outlets. “Then came the fax machine and I could send the information; it saved three hours of work every night,” he said. “You have to keep up with technology not just to help save time off your job, but also to figure out how to reach your audiences and what technology your audiences are using.”

Outside of campus, Erickson enjoys spending time with his family.

“I am so proud of this year’s 2019-20 Performing Arts Series,” said Ian Dreger, interim director of Event Services at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The new season will connect with people of all ages ranging from vocal, jazz, comedy, Broadway, instrumental, chamber, one-man show and dance.

“Each performance has its own unique sounds or visuals that will appeal to many,” said Dreger. “Having the different genres of the arts on campus allows low-cost opportunities for residents of Platteville and the surrounding communities to experience something they may not hear or see on a regular basis.”

Dreger, who researched the artists, said one of his goals was to bring Broadway back to Platteville. He also reviewed the dance company Catapult. “Their shadow performance is one you won’t want to miss. They were even featured on ‘America’s Got Talent,’’ he said.

Dr. Amanda Tucker, associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was named one of three recipients across the UW System of the 2019 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award.

The $3,000 awards are funded by an endowment from the Alliant Energy Foundation and are intended to recognize “teaching of outstanding quality that leads to substantial intellectual growth in students” at UW System institutions within the company’s service area.

"I’m very honored to receive this award,” said Tucker. “My teaching practices interweave insights from research about teaching and learning with the development of broad-based societal and professional skills. I am grateful to my students, who have taught me so much not only about learning and instruction but also compassion, collaboration and empathy."

Lisa Naderman has seen almost all sides of UW-Platteville, having earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, coaching, teaching, and working as an admission advisor for both on-campus and online students. Her husband and her two daughters are establishing even more roots in Southwest Wisconsin, building a new home in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

“I am very family-oriented, and I feel that is the way the campus is. It gives me the opportunity to create my own family within my department while still being able to be there for my family,” she said.

Naderman is starting her fifth year with the Center for Distance Learning. She is currently the admission and student services coordinator. Previously, she was an assistant basketball coach, an instructor and an admission specialist for the welcome center. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2004 in business and her master’s in 2014 in project management. Naderman began working at UW-Platteville in August 2008.

Dr. Soma Chattopadhyay, University of Wisconsin-Platteville associate professor of chemistry, is introducing her proposal, integrating computational chemistry into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum with the web-based interface program WebMO. Chattopadhyay is one of two UW-Platteville faculty members to receive the Teaching and Technology Center’s 2019 Innovations in Technology for Teaching and Learning Award.

The hands-on tool gives students the opportunity to form different types of molecules in 3D. “If the students are able to build molecules in 3D instead of drawing on paper, move and rotate the molecules on screen with the click of a mouse, they will be better equipped to predict how molecules interact,” said Chattopadhyay.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced today that early learning educators and childcare operators from around the state will come together on Saturday, Oct. 26 for a day of learning provided by the “Wonder Guides” of the Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative for Children. The group is committed to connecting children with the natural world by making nature education a sustaining and enriching part of their daily lives.

​“The Wonder Guides’ mission aligns with everything my experience has shown me to be true,” said Chenoa Ruecking, early childhood education program manager for UW-Platteville’s Continuing Education Institute. “Children learn best when they are invited to examine and explore the natural world. Research proves that the first few years of a child’s life have the biggest impact on their future, and the Wonder Guides will show us how nature-based instruction can foster a lifetime love of learning.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering, Dr. Scott Melin said it’s an honor to be selected to the 2019-20 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars program. Melin is one of three UW-Platteville faculty members chosen as teaching fellows. The program supports outstanding educators in pursuing teaching and learning questions emerging from the classroom.

Melin’s research is centered around a STEM outreach service-learning project in partnership with the first and second grade classrooms at Westview Elementary School in Platteville, and the students of the mechanical systems lab course at UW-Platteville. At the beginning of the semester engineering students visit the elementary school and give a presentation of the school’s science curriculum and meet with the young students.

Ian Dreger, interim director of Event Services, came to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2013 as a resident director in the Department of Residence Life. After interning and working at a number of colleges and universities, Dreger immediately felt at home at UW-Platteville.

What do you enjoy about working in a university setting?

I love working with and getting to know students. Everyone has a story, and I enjoy listening to and interacting with students on campus. I also enjoy the learning environment and that students can learn both inside and outside of the classroom.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Dr. Charles Heidenreich first left his mark on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville when he joined the university in 1966 to teach and help grow Pioneer Farm. Now, more than half a century later, Heidenreich’s impact on the university’s agriculture programs is continuing to grow thanks to a $250,000 endowed gift.  

On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Heidenreich’s gift and contributions to the agriculture program will be honored in a ceremony to dedicate the Charles J. Heidenreich Swine Education Area at Pioneer Farm.

Dr. Eugene Tesdahl, assistant professor of history at UW-Platteville, and a small group of students in his summer history course, The History of Wisconsin, recently helped repair and restore Rachel's headstone (an enslaved African American) at Hillside Cemetery in Platteville. This was part of ongoing research Tesdahl and his students have been conducting to uncover information about enslaved African Americans in the Southwest Wisconsin region. Their research has found that prominent figures of the region brought enslaved African Americans with them, including: Henry Dodge of Dodgeville, Henry W. Jones of Sinsinawa, and John Rountree of Platteville. Rountree received an African American woman named Rachel as a wedding gift at his 1828 wedding to Mary Grace Mitchell in Galena, Illinois. Slavery had been illegal there since either 1787 or 1818.

Kim Sargent has been supporting women students in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for about eight years. She is now being honored with the university’s 2019 Carol Sue Butts Woman of the Year Award. Named for the provost emeritus and former interim chancellor who served at UW-Platteville from 1998 until 2010, the award recognizes female employees and students who make a difference in the lives of women. 

Diana Blindert entered the printing and publishing industry after she graduated from high school and was hired by the Platteville Journal and Mastercraft Press. During her 23 years at the company she learned the newspaper and printing business from the ground up. She said it gave her a well-rounded understanding of the industry.

In 2003, Blindert joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville as part of the Publications and Public Relations Department as the print buyer, editor and administrative assistant.  In 2008, she became a print technician in Pioneer Printing and Postal Services and in 2010 the Pioneer Printing and Postal Services supervisor. She is also the merchandise coordinator and print buyer for the communications department.

Outside of campus, Blindert enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, and being outdoors.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Kappa Delta Pi Iota Rho Chapter was one of the honored recipients of the 2018-19 Membership Chapter Program Award, presented by Kappa Delta Pi.

Kappa Delta Pi is an international honor society in education, established to sustain an honored community of diverse educators by promoting excellence and advancing scholarship, leadership and service. Its awards for education excellence “honor those individuals and chapters for their significant contributions to the Society and the education world.”

Nearly 50 University of Wisconsin-Platteville students, staff and faculty – the largest contingent from any UW System school – recently attended WiSys’ annual two-day research and innovation symposium, where they took home the most student awards from the event.

UW-Platteville senior mechanical engineering major Caleb Dykema was honored with the 2019 Carl E. Gulbrandsen Innovator of the Year Award. He was recognized for the creation of his “1Swipe” product, a full white or blackboard eraser that can be pushed across to erase, saving time and solving the issue of inefficiency in the classroom for STEM professors.

Surprised and satisfied is how Dr. Kyle Horne, assistant professor in mechanical engineering, described his reaction when he found out he received the 2019 University of Wisconsin-Platteville Early Career Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. The award is designed to honor university faculty who hold tenure-track appointments and have completed between two and five years of teaching.

“I did work very hard on the application and so it was satisfying to be selected after that hard work,” said Horne. “You apply for so many different things that it’s always a pleasant surprise when you get one of them.”

Dr. Muthu Venkateshwaran, associate professor of crop physiology and molecular biology in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s School of Agriculture, was selected to receive the university’s 2019 Outstanding Faculty Academic Advisor Award.

“This award is very near and dear to my heart as academic advising is one of my responsibilities I cherish the most,” said Venkateshwaran. “I provide my student advisees the guidance they need to achieve their academic and professional goals. This award serves as a strong source of motivation to hone my advising skills to do my job even better.”

From working with greenhouses and small businesses to vendors at the farmer’s market, Kaley Mumma’s summer internship is providing a variety of experiences, all grounded in the same goal: to build stronger relationships among the community and local green businesses and food producers. 

Mumma, a junior environmental horticulture and agriculture education major from Byron, Illinois, is the first student to participate in a new internship position, created by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Agriculture in collaboration with the Platteville Farmer’s Market and other local businesses.

“This field experience was the most influential, memorable class that I have ever taken. Being able to see and experience nature and its history in such a hands-on way was a completely new learning experience for me. A trip like this is the best educational adventure that a school could possibly offer students.”

These are the words of Taran Newton, a sophomore sustainability major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville from Boscobel, Wisconsin, who recently travelled west with 17 other students and several faculty and staff members on a three-week geography field experience in the western United States.