Platteville will take center stage for the Universities of Wisconsin on April 4-5, as Dr. Tammy K. Evetovich will be inaugurated as the 15th chancellor at UW-Platteville, coinciding with the Board of Regents’ meetings.

Chancellor Evetovich’s investiture will be on Bo Ryan Court in Williams Fieldhouse on Thursday, April 4 at 5:30 p.m. A reception will immediately follow in the Markee Pioneer Student Center. Both events are free and open to faculty, staff, students, and the general public.

The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents will be holding its first meetings in Platteville since April 2017. The 18-person board is responsible for establishing policies and rules for governing the Universities of Wisconsin.

Chancellors, provosts and other officials from each of the 13 UW System schools will be descending on Platteville.

Andrea Nelson, a professional boxer from Madison, Wisconsin, faced her most harrowing fight outside the boxing ring.

Nelson is a retired professional boxer and published author of the book “Fort Unicorn & the Duchess of Knothing: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter.” This memoir follows Nelson’s journey to find and save her daughter, Shyloh, from addiction and mental illness in the streets of San Diego. In 2021, Shyloh died from an overdose in San Diego.

Nelson will share her experience with the UW-Platteville community on Thursday, March 21 at 5 p.m. in Nohr Gallery, Ullsvik Hall. Nelson will read a portion of her memoir and lead a discussion about Shyloh’s experience with drug abuse treatment, homelessness, and the mental health system. This free event is open to the public. Her visit is sponsored by the Olga and Ray Guest Lecturer Fund and the Department of Psychology.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Ben Olson was recently honored with the 2024 Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) Major of the Year Award. The national award celebrates undergraduate students in the fields of health, physical education, recreation and dance who exhibit excellence in and out of the classroom as teacher candidates.

Olson, a health and human performance - physical education major from Holmen, Wisconsin, is currently student teaching at Mineral Point Elementary School.

"Ben has continually demonstrated highly effective teaching practices in our courses,” said Tim Swenson, assistant professor of Health and Human Performance at UW-Platteville, who nominated Olson. “He has the natural ability to connect with all students as well as make physical education meaningful to all his students. I'm very proud of him, and this award is just the beginning to a wonderful career in teaching." 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces Michael Knipe as the new athletic director. He will oversee the 16 NCAA Division III athletic programs as well as campus recreation.

“We are very excited to welcome Mike to UW-Platteville,” said Chancellor Tammy Evetovich. “He brings a lot of energy, as well as a deep understanding of NCAA DIII athletics and a passion for what makes UW-Platteville unique. He is an excellent fit for our university and will further the exceptional work happening in Athletics.”

Knipe brings more than a decade of experience within both NCAA Division II and Division III athletic programs. He spent the past four years in leadership roles, including serving as director of athletics at North Central University, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and deputy director of athletics at Fort Lewis College, in Durango, Colorado.

He brings vast experience in fundraising, athletic communications, operations and strategic planning.

Last fall, Dr. Maya Jaber, assistant professor of management in the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, raised an idea to students in her International Management class. She asked them to create an international nonprofit organization and develop a fundraiser to support the organization's services for landmine victims in Lebanon. This resulted in a semester-long project that gave students real-world international management experience with an important impact.

The students came up with three services to be covered with the fundraiser. The causes they focused on were raising money for supplying prosthetics and other medical support devices to landmine victims, educating Lebanese children about safe practices and the warning signs of landmines and creating an online platform for victims to expand their entrepreneurial markets.

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville animal and dairy science students competed in the American Society of Animal Science Midwest Section Academic Quadrathlon. The first half of the contest was held at UW-Platteville on March 10, and the second half of the contest was held at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin on March 11.

The four-person team included Ashley Elsbernd, Sara Heisner, Sydney Kaluzny and Sydney Van Swol.

During the contest, students competed in a series of four events. The first event was the lab practical, consisting of 10 different animal and animal production related stations. The lab practical stations included beef, dairy, swine, equine, goats, sheep, companion animals, poultry, general lab and meats.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s bi-annual Construction Networking Event has set a new company attendance record for the spring event. The event, which started in 2019, has continued to grow in popularity with last semester’s Fall Construction Networking Event having sold out for the first time with over 55 companies in attendance.

In a landmark meeting, more than 50 participants from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Southwest Wisconsin Technical College recently solidified a path forward for strategic collaboration aimed at empowering students and fostering regional prosperity.

The meeting, held on March 1, saw stakeholders from both institutions convene to discuss avenues for enhancing educational pathways, facilitating seamless transfers and broadening opportunities for students in Southwest Wisconsin and the tri-state area.

“This was an extremely productive meeting with an incredible collaborative energy and spirit throughout,” said Dr. Wayne Weber, UW-Platteville interim provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “The focus was on increasing awareness and streamlining pathways for students transferring from SWTC to UW-Platteville.”

Sixteen students from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville showcased their undergraduate research at the Universities of Wisconsin’s 20th annual Research in the Rotunda event on March 6. The students were among more than 150 student researchers from across the state who shared their work with legislators, business leaders, alumni and more in the Capitol in Madison.

“Undergraduate student research helps students better understand their material, informs faculty teaching, and creates better job opportunities for graduates,” said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman.

The students presented a total of seven projects, representing all three colleges and the UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County campus.

Every fall, a group of ceramic artists known as “Twenty Dirty Hands” hosts a self-guided pottery tour across the Tri-State area. With locations marked with a triangle of yellow work gloves, these artists open their doors to offer tour goers the chance to visit their studio, buy local pottery, and maybe even learn something new. Likewise on Thursday, Feb. 29, Nohr Gallery will open its doors to the Twenty Dirty Hands artists and the community during the opening reception of the Twenty Dirty Hands Exhibition from 5-6:30 p.m.

The Twenty Dirty Hands Exhibition offers a rare opportunity where the members of the Twenty Dirty Hands group can exhibit their artwork collectively. Within this exhibit, 11 of the Twenty Dirty Hands artists will not only showcase their pottery, but also a variety of other ceramic works such as decorative plates, dishes, vases, tiny houses, and even a ceramic bird sculpture. A majority of this artwork will also be for sale.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces the appointment of Stacia Stephenson as executive director of Development and Alumni Engagement and the UW-Platteville Foundation.

“We welcome Stacia to the executive director position of the UW-Platteville Foundation,” said Joe Denk, board chair of the UW-Platteville Foundation. “She brings extraordinary relevant experience, great institutional knowledge and an outstanding record of achievement. We will look for her to expand and build on the incredible levels of growth achieved by the Foundation in recent years.”

Dr. Edina Haslauer, associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, recently co-published a paper with Dr. habil Ágnes Klein, associate professor in the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at the University of Pécs, Hungary, in “Paedagogica Historica: International Journal of the History of Education.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently hosted the 2024 Prescribed Fire Conference, welcoming over 200 people from across the state who all share an interest in the vital use of prescribed fire to preserve the rich, biodiverse landscape of Wisconsin and the Driftless region. Participants included private landowners; students; and members of academia, state agencies and nonprofits. The conference included presentations about a diverse range of topics related to fire, from the acoustics of wildfire to the importance of Indigenous cultural burning practices to new advances in monitoring fire activity by the Wisconsin DNR.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich has announced that Dr. Laura Reynolds has been appointed provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs.

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Reynolds to UW-Platteville,” said Chancellor Evetovich. “She clearly has a strong understanding of and commitment to the role of a regional public comprehensive university and the students we serve. Her passion for this work, leadership and expertise will be of tremendous value to our institution.”

In a collaboration between the theatre program and history department, one University of Wisconsin-Platteville student recently had the opportunity to recreate a historical garment by researching 19th century American fashion using primary and secondary written sources, as well as the artifact collection at The Mining and Rollo Jamison Museum.

Last semester, Emma Larsen interned for Pioneer Players with Sarah Strange, senior lecturer in performing and visual arts at UW-Platteville and costume director and designer. Strange and Dr. Eugene Tesdahl, associate professor of history, collaborated on a hands-on approach to teaching by leading an independent study course with Larsen.

"I was excited to guide Emma in her study of textual documents and historical objects," said Tesdahl.

Staab Construction Corporation, located in Marshfield, Wisconsin, has pledged $100,000 to support the Construction Management Program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. 

Ben Lee, the CEO of Staab Construction Corporation, stated that the company understands the importance of actively supporting construction-related education, as many of their current employees are graduates of the UW-Platteville programs. Lee expressed his hope that this partnership will benefit both the company and the university, as there is currently a huge need for more people to be involved in the construction industry.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated Cyberlab on Jan. 25. The lab has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility designed to attract, recruit and train top cybersecurity talent. 

With cyber threats becoming increasingly common, the need for cybersecurity professionals has never been greater. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry is projected to grow by 32% by 2032. UW-Platteville's Cyberlab is equipped with the latest technologies and tools to provide students with the hands-on experiences necessary to prepare them for the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity.

"As Pioneers, it is important that we stay on the cutting edge, and today, we celebrate having a modern space for a modern program," said Chancellor Tammy Evetovich.

Whether you are an artist, musician or athlete, the term “movement” has many meanings, and the same can be said of the artwork in this year’s UW-Platteville Art Faculty Exhibition. On Tuesday, Jan. 30, Nohr Gallery will host an opening reception for “Movement: A UW-Platteville Art Faculty Exhibition.”

This collection of artworks was created by the faculty and staff of the art program from the Department of Performing and Visual Arts. Participants in this year’s exhibition include Department of Performing and Visual Arts Co-Chair Greg Nelson, Art Professor Letha Kelsey and Art Lecturers Scott Steder, Jacob Bautista and Jennifer Wintress. Professor of Art History Dr. Tyler Ostergaard will give a brief gallery talk regarding the exhibition’s theme during the reception at 3:30 p.m.

Like last year, the art program guided its creative process by voting on a theme for the Faculty Show. This year, they explored the complexity of “movement.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently unveiled the new naming of Capstan Scholars Hall in the Markee Pioneer Student Center, dedicated to the transformational scholarship program established by Todd and Susan Johnson two years ago.

In 2022, the Johnsons made the largest gift in UW-Platteville’s history – $10 million – creating the Capstan Scholars Program. Now in its second year, this program allows selected students to graduate debt free, providing scholarships that cover full tuition, room and board to students every year.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Department of Environmental Sciences and Society will host the 2024 Wisconsin Prescribed Fire Conference at UW-Platteville on February 2-3.

This event brings together fire practitioners, students, researchers and private landowners to exchange ideas and expertise around the safe and vital use of prescribed fire to promote beautiful, diverse and resilient landscapes across Wisconsin and the Driftless Region. This conference is an opportunity for landowners or anyone considering a future job working in fire and/or land management to learn and network. A full conference agenda is available here: https://prescribedfire.org/registration-now-open-2024-wpfc-conference/

Continuing a long-running and mutually beneficial partnership, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Madison College recently signed a new articulation agreement that will streamline transfer opportunities for students pursuing a degree in technical education.  

The agreement establishes a transfer pathway for students who have completed Madison College's Education Pre-Major Technical Education program and wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science in technology and engineering education at UW-Platteville. To qualify for this program, students must meet certain qualifications, including achieving a cumulative GPA of 2.750 or higher in Madison College's pre-major program. Students can be guaranteed admission to UW-Platteville's highly regarded School of Education by meeting these requirements.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville celebrated more than 480 graduates during its 211th commencement ceremony, held Dec. 16. The candidates were commended for their exceptional dedication and hard work throughout their academic journey.  

Chancellor Tammy Evetovich presided over the three ceremonies and congratulated the graduates on their accomplishments. She emphasized that gaining an education is a monumental milestone and the graduates are now ready to take the next step in their journey.

"You invested in yourself with an opportunity to seek out higher education in a field that is meaningful to you," Chancellor Evetovich said. "And here you are today, celebrating your success. You did this!" 

University of Wisconsin-Platteville students have again shown their prowess in industrial studies and metal casting, as four students were awarded scholarships at the Foundry Educational Foundation's College Industry Conference in November. The event, held Nov. 16 and 17 in Chicago, Illinois, was attended by UW-Platteville students, professors and Chancellor Tammy Evetovich and featured industry leaders nationwide.

The students awarded scholarships include Tim Highum, Cole Olson, Garret Starkman and Luca Wagner. These scholarships are just one example of the long-standing partnership between UW-Platteville and the Foundry Educational Foundation, which has been ongoing since 1969. The partnership has helped facilitate and pay for an endowed professor position at UW-Platteville. 

University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Jayden Trocke received first place at the seventh annual WiSys Prototype Hackathon Pitch Event on Nov. 28.

The pitch event was the final part of the WiSys Prototype Hackathon, and 12 students on campus participated in the learning sessions. The learning sessions are part of WiSys Innovation On-Ramp, a five-week interactive online course encouraging students to build their innovative thinking skills. Students had the opportunity to work on their projects throughout the fall with support from WiSys staff and UW-Platteville faculty. The online learning was also open to UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-Green Bay students.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will hold its 211th commencement on Saturday, Dec. 16. The College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture ceremony starts at 9 a.m.; the College of Liberal Arts and Education and associate degree candidates will be recognized at 12:30 p.m.; and the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science ceremony begins at 4 p.m. UW-Platteville’s chancellor, Dr. Tammy Evetovich, will preside over all commencement ceremonies which will take place in Williams Fieldhouse.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Performing and Visual Arts-Theatre and Pioneer Players will close out the fall semester with Thornton Wilder’s classic American play “Our Town.” Performances are Dec. 6 at 11 a.m., Dec. 6-9 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Theatre. The performance on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. is also the Benefit Wednesday show. All tickets for Benefit Wednesday are $7, and the proceeds go to the Platteville Food Pantry and Pioneer Provisions, a free pantry/grocery service on campus which all currently enrolled students experiencing food insecurity are eligible to utilize. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County Campus/Community Concert Band will give its fall performance on Monday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m., in the Al. Ringling Theatre in downtown Baraboo.  Director Griffin James will lead the 50-plus member group through multiple selections by Wisconsin composers in a program he says will “showcase how much wonderful band music is coming out of our very own state.” 

The eight pieces on the program include arrangements of Rossini and Wagner, as well as original compositions from Brian Balmages, Mike Forbes, Rick Kirby, Pierre La Plante and John Stevens.  “It’s a wide range of styles that engage a lot of emotions, and I hope the pieces move the audience as they have moved us,” said James.   

The Campus/Community Choir of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County will present “Songs of the Season” on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2:30 p.m., in the Al. Ringling Theater in downtown Baraboo. The concert, with 56 voices and a dozen instrumentalists, will unite multiple traditions and styles, and offer a fitting seasonal celebration, according to Choir Director Dan Krunnfusz. 

The program includes pieces by Gabriel Fauré, Daniel Pinkham, Edvard Grieg and John Rutter, among others, as well as choral arrangements of Norwegian folk melodies and some very familiar works.

“12 Angry Jurors,” the fall play at UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, takes the audience inside the tight space of a deliberation chamber, on the hottest day of summer, as a random set of men and women come together to decide a young man’s fate. The case seems open-and-shut, but one juror isn’t convinced, and more importantly, truly wants to make sure the group only convicts if they think the evidence proves guilt truly “beyond a reasonable doubt.”  That’s the setup for this tense, but reflective drama running from Dec. 7-10 at the R.G. Brown Theater. 

Production Stage Manager Connor Dyess says the play is a great showcase for the cast of six men and six women, both campus students and seasoned community performers, who populate the jury room.  

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Education is partnering with the Darlington (Wisconsin) Community School District to help break down language barriers. The collaboration aims to give English as a Second Language students in the district access to higher education resources and opportunities through the university.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Crops Team earned honors in the 89th annual National American Royal Kansas City Collegiate Crops Contest and the 94th annual National Chicago Collegiate Crops Contest earlier this month. This year, the team took third place overall in both, adding to a legacy of 50 years of excellence at the contests.

Team members Mandi Schick, April Monitor and Jack Lichte placed individually at both contests, while Jay Long, Anna Hagemann, Anna Koehler and Isaac Ward served as alternates. The students were coached by two experts in the field, Dawn Lee, Pioneer Greenhouse supervisor and lecturer in the School of Agriculture, and Dr. Roger Higgs, professor emeritus, who helped guide the team to success.

The 2023-24 College of Liberal Arts and Education Faculty Forum Series will continue on Thursday, Dec. 7 with “The Breach that Closes a College.” Dr. Dale Murray, professor of philosophy, will present a case study that explores ethical considerations for how to handle ransomware attacks on a college campus. Tony Hayes, UW-Platteville’s chief information officer, will provide the response.

“As this case study is meant as a pedagogical tool, I will present arguments for and against paying ransoms demanded by cyber criminals who have breached institutional data networks,” said Murray. “This will hopefully generate a stimulating discussion about what morally permissible responses could look like.”

The Clay Club at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is hosting the fifth annual Platteville Empty Bowls and Chili Cook-Off competition event on Sunday, Nov. 19 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Platteville City Hall Senior Center. All proceeds from the event support the Platteville Food Pantry for those experiencing food insecurity. 

Empty Bowls is a grass roots movement that originated at a Michigan high school in 1990. Since then, thousands of clubs, schools, studios and home potters across the globe have worked to support food-related charitable organizations and have raised millions of dollars to help end hunger. According to its website, Empty Bowls is recognized worldwide for the contributions they make to their local communities.

Dr. Samir El-Omari wants to build a sustainable future – one brick at a time. The University of Wisconsin-Platteville civil and environmental engineering professor has been integral in building the Sustainability and Renewable Energy Systems program curriculum. El-Omari's efforts to promote sustainable practices extend beyond the classroom, as he strives to lead by example. He was recently awarded a prestigious Fulbright grant to teach and research at Nile University in Egypt, where he will continue expanding his knowledge and expertise in this critical field.

More than 35 industry and academic leaders from greater Sauk County gathered at UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County for the second in a series of group meetings to target and expand the role of the campus with the area’s engineering enterprises. Organized by Acting Dean of UW-Platteville’s College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Dr. Phillip J. Parker, the ongoing series of discussion and action sessions will forge a stronger partnership among engineering businesses in and around Sauk County and the many decades of engineering education strength that UW-Platteville brings to the area. 

Attendees participated in guided brainstorming on different topics, with a shared focus on choosing a decisive set of actions to “build a campus that meets the workforce needs of the region,” according to the charge from Parker.  

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Soils Team competed in the 66th annual Region 3 Collegiate Soils Contest Oct. 17-20. The event was hosted by Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Participating in the event were 84 students from nine universities in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.  

Flynne Sargent, a senior elementary education major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has always been inspired by the natural world and is drawn to photograph it through her own personal lens. While she has displayed her work online and at home, participating in the second annual Nohr Gallery Small Works Exhibition was something special.

Nohr Gallery recently hosted an opening reception for the second annual Small Works Exhibition. This juried exhibition was open to all UW-Platteville students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Participants were asked to submit artwork to be juried by the Nohr Gallery staff and the faculty and staff of the Department of Performing and Visual Arts Art program with the stipulation that the artwork must be 12 inches or less in all dimensions and for sale.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Wednesday an exclusive partnership with Southwest Health’s Orthopedic Institute and the Pioneer Sport Medicine and Sport Performance departments.

Southwest Health’s Orthopedic Institute is the region’s most advanced bone, joint and sports medicine program and will serve all 16 UW-Platteville NCAA DIII sports and its 600-plus student-athletes.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students were honored yesterday at a ceremony in Madison, Wisconsin, with the Alliant Energy Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Achievement Award. Seniors Favour Butterfield and Marcelo Garay received the award, which recognizes the outstanding academic and community-service efforts of students from traditionally underrepresented minority groups who are pursuing a degree in business or engineering at UW-Madison or UW-Platteville.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently hosted New York Times bestselling memoirist Ashley C. Ford as the 2023 Helios Program for Integrated Liberal Arts first-year speaker. More than 500 students attended the event to listen to Ford’s personal story of overcoming challenges growing up and attending college.

Ford’s memoir, “Somebody’s Daughter,” was published by Flatiron Books in June 2021. Ford is the current host of “Into the Mix,” a Ben & Jerry’s + Vox Creative podcast, and former host of “The Chronicles of Now podcast” and The HBO companion podcast “Lovecraft Country Radio.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is the recipient of a 2023 DRA Core Grant that will help sponsor a men’s basketball tip-off classic tournament on the UW-Platteville campus. The grant will award $25,000 per year, for the next three years.

DRA Core Grants focus on people attraction – population growth, retention and tourism in the tri-state area. The tournament is anticipated to bring in more than 1,500 visitors for the weekend and will provide an opportunity to promote sites to visit in the tri-state region. As the largest public institution in Southwest Wisconsin, UW-Platteville is a driver of economic growth and athletics plays a large role in this already, hosting more than 400 home athletic events each year. UW-Platteville is home to 16 NCAA varsity programs and competes in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – one of the most recognizable conferences in Division III. 

Carrie Van Hallgren, assistant dean of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Liberal Arts and Education, was recently appointed by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to the board of Wisconsin Humanities.

“I am honored to be appointed to the board and eager to represent UW-Platteville and the Driftless region in the company of such esteemed colleagues from around the state,” said Van Hallgren, who will serve a three-year term. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Performing and Visual Arts-Theatre and Pioneer Players will open their 2023-24 season with Diana Son’s play “Stop Kiss.” Performances are Oct. 18 at 11 a.m., Oct. 18-21 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Theatre. The performance on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. is also the Benefit Wednesday show. All tickets for Benefit Wednesday are $7, and the proceeds go to the Platteville Food Pantry and Pioneer Provisions, a free pantry/grocery service on campus which all currently enrolled students experiencing food insecurity are eligible to utilize. 

For more than eight decades, the iconic “M” on Platte Mound has not only served as a symbolic tribute to the university’s mining history, but also a cherished outdoor space, offering hiking trails and some of the best views in Southwest Wisconsin. Cade Klefstad, a senior construction management and construction safety management major, is leading initiatives to make sure it stays this way well into the future.

“My passion for the ‘M’ comes from a young age,” said Klefstad, who is originally from Boyceville, Wisconsin. “I have family in Kieler, Wisconsin, and whenever we would drive down to visit them, we would see who could spot the ‘M’ first.”

While growing up in rural Eastman, Wisconsin, Wyatt Fisher ’06 had interests typical of many kids—dreams of being a pilot and building with LEGOs. But, for Fisher, these interests would eventually spark a career in the aerospace field that is anything but typical, leading him to work on the launch of NASA’s most powerful rocket. 

Fisher earned a mechanical engineering degree from UW-Platteville and embarked on a career with NASA immediately following graduation. He is currently a Launch Vehicle Systems Engineer for Jacobs, one of NASA’s contractors in its Artemis missions. The missions aim to land the first woman and person of color on the moon, explore the lunar surface, and establish a continued presence there. Last November, NASA launched its Artemis I mission, sending the uncrewed Orion capsule to lunar orbit, the first to return in 50 years. 

Dr. Marcus Jackson ’14 likens the feeling he gets working at Blue Origin to that of the early railroad workers.

“I really feel like I am contributing to the infrastructure of the future,” he said.

With Blue Origin’s overarching mission of building a road to space, it’s easy to see why. 

Jackson, originally from Elk Grove, California, graduated from UW-Platteville with a degree in mechanical engineering and then attended graduate school at UW-Madison. During his six years at UW-Madison, he was a part of NASA’s Pathways Internship Program, through which he spent his summers working at the NASA Ames Research Center in California. Jackson’s specialty is additive manufacturing. He studied energy consumption, process improvements, and repair and re-manufacturing applications. While at NASA, he explored how these types of technologies can be used in space applications, like habitation on the moon or Mars.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Foundation announces a generous gift from Chancellor Tammy Evetovich and her husband Mark Evetovich, which will establish an endowed fund to support general campus needs, benefiting students, faculty and staff for years to come.

Chancellor Evetovich says that, as educators, they are both aware of challenges and opportunities facing institutions of learning and are committed to finding ways to make an impact.

For Lindsey Barnes, working at the Environmental Protection Agency was always a “dream job.” With a passion for the environment and a desire to make a meaningful impact, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville junior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa set her sights on that future goal – never imagining she would achieve it two years before graduating college.  

“Working for the EPA is something I always dreamed of,” said Barnes, a double major in environmental science and conservation and sustainability and renewable energy systems. “But I always thought, if I were ever able to accomplish it, it would be farther down my career path. So, when I saw a position posted for an intern, I jumped right on it.”

The 2023-24 University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Liberal Arts and Education Faculty Forum Series will kick off on Thursday, Oct. 5 with the topic “Vision: The Noblest of Senses?” Dr. Douglas Adams, assistant professor in the School of Education, will be presenting, with Dr. Hilton Kelly, dean of the College of LAE, and Dr. Claudine Pied, associate professor of sociology, responding. 

Dr. Ganapathy Natarajan, University of Wisconsin-Platteville associate professor of industrial engineering, is part of a team awarded a National Science Foundation grant to research ways to leverage the lived experiences of non-traditional engineering students in order to improve learning for all students in engineering classrooms. While much research has been done that focuses on the challenges of non-traditional students, this asset-based study is unique in that it will focus on their strengths.

Natarajan’s interest in the topic began when he taught at Oregon State University, where he and his colleague – who is now a collaborator on the grant – observed common trends in the graduate-level online engineering program.