University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineering students will showcase their capstone Senior Design projects at the bi-annual Senior Design Open House on Wednesday, May 17. Open to the public, the event will be held in Busby and Sesquicentennial halls.

UW-Platteville’s Senior Design program pairs student groups with industry and community sponsors to solve real problems or create new products. More than 40 projects will be presented at the open house, representing mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, engineering physics, software engineering and sustainability and renewable energy systems. One group is working with L.E. Phillips Career Development Center to design an automated diaper tab stacker.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently hosted students from across the state for the second Wisconsin Agriculture-Water Nexus Network field trip, funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, where students explored critical issues related to the connections between agriculture and water management.

The three-day field trip course was developed last year by faculty from UW-Platteville, UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay and UW-Stevens Point. The host of the field trip rotates to leverage the regional geographic variations of each participating school.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Preforming and Visual Arts will present its inaugural "Project RunAway: Wearable Art in Motion” on Tuesday, May 9, showcasing work by students enrolled in Sarah Strange's Crafts, Fibers, and Fabrics class and Scott Steder's 3D Design. The event, which features a runway show, is free and open to the public, and will take place in the Center for the Arts, Studio Theatre. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m.

"Our students have worked tirelessly over the last few weeks,” said Steder. “Creating pieces based on the elements and principles of design while holding true to a specific concept. It has been remarkable to watch these students manipulate material to achieve a desired outcome."  

Like many distance and graduate education alumni, Jeffrey Hole’s educational journey hasn’t followed a traditional path. His plan of earning a master’s degree started in high school and spanned decades as he served his country and community, raised a family and built a career. He accomplished his goal in 2022, but for Hole, his educational journey is never finished.

Hole grew up in a small farming community outside of Madison, Wisconsin. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Army and served an initial active-duty term. He was reactivated to serve in the Gulf War and later instructed at a leadership school prior to ending his military service.

For the third straight year, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Master of Science in Project Management program has been named the nation's top value by GreatValueSchools.org. The rankings were based on several metrics, prioritizing yearly tuition and graduation rate.

Project managers provide countless benefits to any organization, including leading and organizing teams, improving communication and collaboration, and increasing efficiency and productivity. These valuable skills can potentially lead to higher salaries and career advancement opportunities. Program Coordinator Bill Haskins says UW-Platteville's program is focused on producing project managers who will excel. Because of that, the program's challenging curriculum is uniquely crafted by experts in the field, with a focus on real-world applications.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is collaborating with John Deere Dubuque Works for a unique opportunity, teaching a software engineering course to the company’s engineers on John Deere’s campus.

The process started last summer, when John Deere reached out to UW-Platteville to inquire about software engineering classes. UW-Platteville faculty met with John Deere and determined that their needs covered material not taught in any singular class but spread out over multiple classes. Faculty in UW-Platteville’s Computer Science and Software Engineering Department identified the topics John Deere was looking for and created a new, 16-weeklong class specifically for John Deere employees. The new class – Introduction to Embedded Programming – launched last fall and is taught by Dr. Joshua Yue, associate professor of computer science and software engineering.

Leadership from both institutions gathered at Madison College’s Truax campus to sign four new transfer agreements, a continuation of their partnership and commitment to making it easier for students to transfer from Madison College to UW-Platteville’s bachelor’s degree programs.

The transfer opportunities are in the areas of supply chain management, finance and human resource management, as well as electrical engineering.

“These agreements strengthen the already deep partnership between Madison College and UW-Platteville,” said Dr. Turina Bakken, provost of Madison College, at the signing ceremony. “Together we have found creative and strategic ways to diminish the boundaries between higher education systems and institutions. For our collective students, this provides a clear path toward a bachelor’s, or higher, in high potential and high demand fields of engineering and business.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Robotics Club’s VEX U team, WiscoBots, traveled to Dallas, Texas, to compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship April 27-29, where they won the VEX U College and University Competition and became the first team in VEX U history to win the world championship in back-to-back years.

“Being the first team to ever win back-to-back world titles is such a surreal experience,” said Max Van Rossum, a senior mechanical engineering major and president of the robotics club at UW-Platteville. “Winning this year was incredible and certainly more challenging to accomplish compared to last year, due to the higher number of teams competing and the nature of the game.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will hold its 210th commencement on Saturday, May 13. The College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture ceremony begins at 9 a.m.; the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science ceremony starts at 12:30 p.m.; and the College of Liberal Arts and Education and associate and master’s degree candidates will be recognized at 4 p.m. Dr. Tammy Evetovich will preside over all commencement ceremonies for the first time as permanent chancellor. She was named UW-Platteville’s 15th chancellor on April 25. All ceremonies will take place in Williams Fieldhouse.

Dr. Douglas Buhler, a 1979 UW-Platteville graduate and associate vice president for research and innovation at Michigan State University, will deliver the commencement address for the College of BILSA ceremony. Dr. Mark Zidon, professor and program coordinator of agricultural education, will serve as the ceremony’s marshal. The valedictorian is Anna Maramonte.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Crops Team took seventh place overall in the NACTA Judging Conference. UW-Platteville team members also placed individually at the contest.

UW-Platteville students participating in the events were Kylee Sanderson, Ben Acheson, April Molitor, Jay Long and Bre Broer. Jack Lichte and Isaac Ward were team alternates. The team was coached by Dawn Lee, Pioneer Greenhouse supervisor and lecturer in the School of Agriculture; Dr. Roger Higgs, professor emeritus; and Chris Keenen, a 1988 graduate from the UW-Platteville Soil and Crop Science program.

The NACTA Judging Conference consists of four parts: agronomic quiz, math practical, lab practical and crops and weed plant and seed identification. In preparation for the contest, students put in two two-hour practices a week, starting the first week of the semester, in order to learn how to identify crop and weed plants and seeds.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Performing and Visual Arts and Pioneer Players will conclude their theatre season with the annual One Act Festival: An Evening of Short Plays. The production opens on Thursday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. and continues with evening performances on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. All performances will be held in the Center for the Arts-Theatre at UW-Platteville.

This year’s festival will see a mix of students, faculty and staff participation. According to Ann Dillon Farrelly, professor of theatre, “Every other year, the festival is a showcase for the students in the directing and lighting design classes, but on these ‘off-years’ when the classes are not being offered, the festival is a blend of students who have previously directed and faculty and staff.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the literary magazine Spirit Lake Review, with a launch party on Wednesday, May 3, from 5-8 p.m. in Nohr Gallery, Ullsvik Hall, on the UW-Platteville campus. The event is open to the public and will feature contributor readings, live music and visual art displays.

Spirit Lake Review was founded by now retired UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County professor Kelly Dwyer in 2003. The annual student-run literary magazine was named after Baraboo’s popular landmark, Devil’s Lake State Park, which was known as “Spirit Lake” by the Ho-Chunk. For two decades, it has served as a significant creative outlet for the region, as well as an important learning tool for students, who produce the publication as part of the Literary Magazines class.

UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County will serve as host for the Central Wisconsin Veteran’s Summit, co-sponsored by the UW-Platteville School of Business and the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce.  The gathering will take place on Wednesday, May 3 from 9 a.m.–noon at the UW-Platteville’s branch campus in Baraboo.

Dr. Les Hollingsworth, director of the School of Business, says the summit aims to convene area veterans and student veterans alongside the local business community.   

“We want to help build relationships between veterans and area employers and bring a discussion of the best ways to support local veterans,” said Hollingsworth.

Co-host the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce serves veterans and military families by providing educational and other resources to veteran-owned and veteran-friendly businesses across Wisconsin, according to Saul Newton, the Chamber’s president and CEO.

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College has signed a transfer agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The agreement supports college students’ desire to continue their education after completing the two-year liberal arts associate of science and associate of arts degrees. Southwest Tech recently received approval from The Higher Learning Commission to award the degrees. The agreement was approved by the UW Board of Regents this past summer.

Officials from both institutions recently gathered at Southwest Tech for a transfer agreement signing ceremony. Under this new agreement, students who earn the 60-credit A.A. or A.S. degrees at Southwest Tech can transfer to UW-Platteville with junior standing and apply all their credits toward a UW-Platteville Bachelor of Business Administration.

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents honored Plexus Corp. for its collaborations and contributions to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Wednesday at the Markee Pioneer Student Center.

UW System President Jay Rothman, Board of Regents President Karen Walsh and UW-Platteville Chancellor Tammy Evetovich presented the UW System Regents Business Partnership Award to Plexus Corp.’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources Jamie Crouse and Senior Vice President of Engineering and Quality Mike Running.

“UW-Platteville’s partnership with Plexus is evident in multiple ways and a critical driver of the economy in Wisconsin,” Rothman said. “With dozens of Pioneers currently employed, student internships, and ongoing research and project collaborations, these two important pillars share a vision for the region.”

MADISON, Wis.—Dr. Tammy K. Evetovich, interim Chancellor since June 1, 2022, has been named the 15th Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville.

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents today unanimously approved Evetovich’s appointment, following a recommendation made by a selection committee. Evetovich will assume the leadership post immediately.

Undergraduate researchers from around the country, including 18 students from UW-Platteville, converged on Eau Claire, Wisconsin, earlier this month for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire hosted the annual event, which brought 3,500 students and faculty from 45 states and six foreign countries together to showcase research and creative activities ranging from art and music to psychology, chemistry and cybersecurity.

“This has been so exciting to attend and be a part of the undergraduate research community,” said Jacob Plumley. “There’s just so much going on.” 

Plumley, who presented on a “Comparison of Calcium Phosphate and Liposome-based Transfection Efficacy in CHO-K1 Cells” is hoping to attend graduate school after he graduates in May.

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is among the 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees.

UW-Platteville was nominated by the University of Wisconsin System. Among the achievements that earned the recognition are the 2.4-megawatt solar array; waste minimization efforts, including the operation of Pioneer Restore; the more than 200 acres of natural recreation area and use of locally-grown foods in dining halls; and academic programs and degrees offered in environmental and sustainability-related fields.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will hold its Pioneers Day of Giving April 27-28, and members of the UW-Platteville Foundation Board of Directors have pledged to match any gift given throughout those two days, up to $100,000.

“The Foundation Board feels strongly that a matching challenge is timely, given the tremendous impact we have had on the university over the past few years,” said Joe Denk, chair of the Foundation Board of Directors. “Now is the time to celebrate and recognize the Foundation’s impact, increase its donor base and expand engagement. The Foundation and its board members do so much to support UW-Platteville’s students, faculty and staff. This match is a testament to their passion, leadership and dedication to this great university.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville hosted the third Tri-State Regional Health Care Summit on April 14, welcoming more than 70 major stakeholders in the region to discuss challenges and needs in rural health care. Co-sponsored by Scenic Rivers Wisconsin Area Health Education Center, the event was the third summit hosted by UW-Platteville in the past six years.

“It seems like we have come a long way since that first summit that we held here in November 2017,” said Dr. Wayne Weber, interim provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs. “That resulted in some incredible partnerships and exciting program directions.”

Participants in the new University of Wisconsin Women in Criminal Justice (UW-WICJ) Mentoring Program attended a hands-on Law Enforcement Experience event last week, in Madison, Wisconsin. Sponsored by the City of Madison Police Department and Madison Community Policing Foundation, the event offered the student mentees and their mentors opportunities to participate in law enforcement scenarios together.

Initiated by UW-Platteville Advisor Beth Tremelling, the UW-WICJ is a collaboration between UW-Platteville’s Department of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences, the Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigation and the UW-Madison Center for Law, Society, and Justice. The program – which is the first women-focused criminal justice mentoring program at UW-Platteville – kicked off last fall with a speed mentoring event that paired mentors and mentees, who have been meeting throughout the year.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Wright Center for Non-Traditional and Veteran Students, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, the Office of Professional Program Support and the Dean of Students Office will be celebrating UW-Platteville female student veterans with an event, open to the public, on Tuesday, April 18.

“The UW-Platteville I Am Not Invisible Women Veterans Event is focused on honoring our women veterans and service members through creating awareness, conversation and sharing of resources,” said Greg Tremelling, coordinator for the Wright Center for Non-Traditional and Veteran Students at UW-Platteville.

Northwoods students looking to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering will have several new options thanks to a new, broad-based transfer agreement between Nicolet College and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

Officials from both institutions recently gathered at Nicolet for a transfer agreement signing ceremony. Nicolet students and staff, representatives from local high schools, and members of Nicolet’s Board of Trustees were also invited to the event.

Highlighted at the event was the home-based nature of study toward engineering degrees.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Education hosted the inaugural Rurally Responsive Education Conference on April 12. Sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center for Public Leadership at UW-Madison, the conference welcomed more than 70 participants – including current faculty, staff and students; regional education partners; alumni; and community members – to explore current issues and needs related to education in rural communities. 

“The goal of our first Rurally Responsive Education conference was to bring together rural education advocates in Southwest Wisconsin for a discussion of assets and challenges facing rural communities and how education can be a tool for community development,” said Dr. Lindsay Hollingsworth, interim director of the School of Education. “The conference as a whole was an amazing success. I was especially proud of the engagement and questions shared from UW-Platteville students in attendance.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education Dr. Hilton Kelly announces the hiring of Dr. Tim Buttles as the new director of the School of Education.

Buttles has been at UW-River Falls since 2001, working his way up from assistant, associate and full professor. He has served as the co-chair of the Agricultural Education Department since 2005, and since January 2022, he has also been the interim assistant dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been named a 2023-24 Military Friendly School. The university has participated in the Military Friendly survey for the past four years, each year being granted the designation of Military Friendly School.

“We are excited to receive the Military Friendly Silver Designation for the second year in a row,” said Greg Tremelling, coordinator for the Wright Center for Non-Traditional and Veteran Students at UW-Platteville. “This designation illustrates our commitment to the military-connected students at UW-Platteville, and our dedication to continually increasing resources and services that assist them in achieving their goals.”

Dr. David Gillota, associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, explores the overlap of horror and humor in American film in his forthcoming book, “Dead Funny: The Humor of American Horror.” Published by Rutgers University Press, the book is scheduled for release in July.

Gillota has been a scholar of American humor for a long time, previously publishing “Ethnic Humor in Multiethnic America” with Rutgers University Press in 2013. Earlier this year, he was named editor of the “Studies in American Humor,” a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. His new book’s focus on humor in horror films originated from his interest in the 2017 film “Get Out,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, an actor and comedian.

A University of Wisconsin-Platteville student has been awarded a selective GROW Scholarship for fall 2022/spring 2023. The GROW Cooperative, a partnership of four school districts in South Central Wisconsin – Cambridge, Lodi, Sauk Prairie and Wisconsin Heights – offers these scholarships with the goal of helping rural schools attract and retain teachers.

Recipient Abby Kucken is a senior, currently student teaching Agriculture/Tech Ed in Lodi, Wisconsin.

“This scholarship is life changing, not only to have received $10,000 towards my education, but also because I know that these districts believe in me,” said Kucken, an agriculture education major with a technology education emphasis from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. “I am so excited to be chosen and to have the support from the districts and to hopefully be lucky enough to teach in one of them.”

In its ongoing commitment to student success, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Academic Support Programs launched an initiative to provide support to student-athletes, ensuring they receive coaching off the field and court to enhance their academic experience. Wrapping up its third year, the program recently reached a milestone, expanding from working with one athletic team to offering support to all teams.

Haley Rusk, student success and retention coordinator with Academic Support Programs, spearheaded the program in fall 2020.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Soils Team competed in the 61st Soil Science Society of America National Collegiate Soils Contest March 26-31. The event was held in Woodward, Harper and Ellis counties, Oklahoma, and was hosted by Oklahoma State University. Participating in the event were students from 23 universities, representing seven different regions of the United States. UW-Platteville, along with Purdue University and UW-Stevens Point, represented Region 3, which includes universities in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. UW-Platteville qualified for nationals by placing first in the regional competition held in fall 2022.

To stay competitive in today's ever-changing landscape, organizations are seeking unique ways to gain an edge. As a result, several regional businesses and government bodies have found countless benefits in the tailored training programs offered by UW-Platteville's Continuing Education Institute. These customized courses provide employees with the skills and knowledge required for success, leading to increased engagement and productivity.

"Our tailored training program enables leaders to enhance their team's skills and abilities in areas specific to their field," stated Kerie Wedige, Corporate Training Center director. "This approach guarantees that teams will not receive training that is irrelevant to their needs, but rather a customized program applicable to their specific field."

University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are preparing to showcase their artwork on and off campus next month, as part of the annual Group and Solo BFA Exhibitions and Senior Show.   

Sometimes the smallest things can grow into something bigger than imagined. Raelene Baker knows this first-hand, as what started as a passion project is now on the verge of becoming a multi-state phenomenon.

Baker serves as the director for the Minnesota Prison Doula Projects, a nonprofit organization that helps birth professionals train to become prison doulas for service in penitentiary institutes on the county, state and soon-to-be federal level.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Dr. Michael O'Connor continues to add to his highly decorated resume. On March 27, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) inducted O'Connor into its College of Fellows.

According to AIMBE, induction to the College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top 2% of medical and biological engineers. Members must make outstanding contributions to engineering and medicine research, practice, or education and pioneer new advancements in the field to be inducted. 

This LAE Faculty Forum was originally scheduled for December and was postponed, due to unforeseen circumstances. The forum will now take place on Thursday, April 13 at its original time and location of 5-6:30 p.m. in Room 136, Doudna Hall.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Liberal Arts and Education Faculty Forum Series will conclude with a presentation by Dr. Michael Sharkey titled “What does knowledge have to do with Nazism?”

Sharkey, professor of Philosophy, publishes work in criticism of 20th century German philosopher Martin Heidegger, who was a Nazi. Sharkey believes that Heidegger has been enormously influential.

“Many books have been written about Heidegger’s Nazism, but I do not think any of them get at its root cause, viz. his doctrine of cognition,” said Sharkey. “In my presentation, I will detail Heidegger’s involvement with the Nazis, rehearse the standard explanations for it and then give my own.”

Thanks to resources like the Huff Family Innovation Center, IDEA Hub and nearly 200 expert faculty and staff in the STEM fields, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is a hub of innovation and creativity, helping budding entrepreneurs – like senior Josh Wood – take their ideas from prototype to market. Wood, originally from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has been prototyping a line of custom outdoor backpacks and officially launched his product to the public this week.

As a software engineering major, Wood said he never expected to be pursuing this business, but it was his passion for the outdoors and hiking that sparked his interest.

“I took a semester off my sophomore year and hiked the Appalachian Trail, and I fell in love with the hiking community,” said Wood. “So I want to give this a go and try to make it a career.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will be honored by the Society of Health and Physical Educators at its annual convention this week. The organization, known as SHAPE America, selected the Department of Health and Human Performance’s Adapted Aquatics program to receive its Adapted Physical Education/Activity Program of the Year Award.

“I’m quite honored to be recognized with this award,” said Dr. Tim Swenson, assistant professor of health and human performance and coordinator of the Adapted Aquatics program. “For SHAPE to recognize us as a Program of the Year is more a reflection of the opportunities I’ve had at UW-Platteville to get so many people involved. There has been nothing but support [from administration and local schools] for the program.”

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville animal and dairy science students competed in the regional American Society of Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon competition at UW-Madison on March 12-13. The competition was part of the American Society of Animal Science Midwest Meetings, hosted by UW-Madison at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.

The four-person team included graduating seniors Ashley Carns, Halie Maier, Kristine Mumm and Brett Schoenherr. During the contest, students competed in a series of four events: the lab practical, oral presentation, written exam and quiz bowl. Each event was meant to test knowledge and understanding of various animal species, handling techniques and general animal science-related knowledge.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of Performing and Visual Arts-Theatre and Pioneer Players will continue their season with the Tony-award winning musical, “Assassins.” With a book by John Weidman and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this 1990 one-act, semi-revue uses the framing device of an all-American, yet sinister, carnival game, portraying a group of historical figures who attempted – successfully or not – to assassinate presidents of the United States.

Performances are Wednesday, March 29, Thursday, March 30, Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 2 at 2 p.m. There also will be a special matinee at 11 a.m. on March 29. All performances will be held in the Brodbeck Concert Hall at the Center for the Arts of the UW-Platteville campus.

University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman today announced three finalists for the position of chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a 6,500-student university in the southwest corner of the state that offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, 10 graduate programs, 60 minors, 15 pre-professional programs, and 30 certificates.

A Special Regent Committee selected the finalists from a list of candidates identified by a Search and Screen Committee led by Regent Cris Peterson, chair, and Christina Curras, Professor and Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering, vice chair.

The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:

Philip A. Cavalier

Interim Chancellor, University of Tennessee at Martin

Martin, TN

Tammy K. Evetovich

Interim Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Platteville, WI

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently announced a new program that allows students in the early childhood care and education (ECED) credential programs the ability to apply their coursework towards a Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies at UW-Platteville. The program is a collaboration between the School of Education and School of Business.

Dr. Gulen Ozkula, University of Wisconsin-Platteville assistant professor of civil engineering, recently returned from a weeklong trip to Turkey, where she joined a reconnaissance team assessing and gathering data on the damage caused by the pair of 7.8- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that devastated southeastern regions of the country on Feb. 6.

In its latest show of support to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Construction Management and Construction Safety programs, Findorff donated a telehandler, to be used in the university’s Construction Lab. Officials from UW-Platteville celebrated the arrival of the new equipment last week and remarked on the impact it will have on students’ experience in the program.

“We pride ourselves on experiential learning. We pride ourselves on those hands-on experiences, and this construction lab does exactly that,” said UW-Platteville Interim Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich, speaking to a crowd of UW-Platteville faculty, staff and students and Findorff representatives at the Construction Lab. “Without the support of our corporate sponsors and donors, I don’t think we could do this alone.”

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students took home top awards at the UW-Eau Claire American Marketing Association (AMA) 10th Annual Regional Conference. Brock Parker, a senior professional sales major, from Waukee, Iowa, took second place at the Northwestern Mutual Sales competition. Senior Dana Schmitz earned first place in the Rice Lake Weighing Systems Mock Interview and third place in the Enterprise Perfect Pitch competition. Five members of the UW-Platteville AMA chapter participated in the conference.

“It was good to practice my skills, and earning the awards boosted my confidence,” said Schmitz, an English major and marketing minor from Mineral Point, Wisconsin. “It’s important to have these experiences – to receive feedback and participate in these events. It gives you experience you’ll need in your professional career.”

Now in its third year, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s bi-annual Construction Networking Event has been growing in popularity, with last month’s spring event hitting record attendance. Both UW-Platteville organizers and participating companies credit the success to the unique format of the event.

Thirty-five construction companies and more than 150 construction management and construction safety management students attended this spring’s event. Students had the opportunity to network with company representatives and learn about their projects, company culture and job and internship opportunities.

Sean Shannon knows the power of the pen and how the written word can change lives. Before an 18-year career teaching English, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville associate lecturer was on a very different life path. But then she found the book “The Artist's Way” by Julia Cameron.

"For me personally, “The Artist's Way” helped me turn my life around in my mid-20s," Shannon said.

The book aims to help people find their creative voices through techniques and exercises meant to harness their creative talents and skills. But Shannon said she felt she had lost that artistic voice. After just a year in college, she was forced to leave to deal with family issues. As a result, she said she felt her goals and dreams slipping through her fingertips. But the inspiration she found in the pages of Cameron's book helped Shannon reconnect with herself and her goals.

More than a dozen University of Wisconsin-Platteville students joined undergraduate researchers from across the UW System yesterday at the 19th annual Research in the Rotunda event in the State Capitol.

“This is the signature event for the UW System,” said UW System President Jay Rothman in the State Capitol rotunda. “It is a chance for our students and the faculty advisors who work with them to showcase their research and how it connects to real-world issues like healthcare, education, environmental sustainability and many of the other challenges we are facing in our state, our nation and the world.”

Students from UW-Platteville’s three campuses showcased their research to lawmakers, state leaders, alumni and the public.

“Undergraduate research is vital to who we are at UW-Platteville,” said Interim Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich at the event. “It is those experiences we pride ourselves on.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Professor and Chair of Mathematics Dr. Barb Barnet has been leading the way as the Science Olympiad head coach at Platteville High School since 2010. Science Olympiad is a national K-12 STEM competition with state chapters. Throughout the school year, the Platteville team has participated in invitational tournaments and competed in the regional tournament in February. They’re awaiting on results to see if they’re headed to state. Barnet explained how students participating in the program are exposed to a variety of scientific fields, but also to the university.

Three University of Wisconsin-Platteville students have been working on an increasingly vital area of study in agriculture, researching ways to develop new agrochemicals for crop protection.

Because fluorine-containing chemicals are more biologically active and remain active for longer periods of time, Natalie Haen, Cassie Kniess and Adia Metz worked to further develop and produce aryl fluorinated ethers with enhanced fungicidal and pesticidal applications.

Mentored by Dr. Ian MacKenzie, assistant professor of chemistry, and Dr. Mark Levenstein, associate professor of biology, the group used light to create different molecules, specifically agrochemicals.

“We started with a known chemical and added a catalyst to help a reaction take place faster,” said Haen, a junior chemistry and forensic investigation major from Luxemburg, Wisconsin. “This was done by putting the chemical in a photoreactor, which shines light on the reaction to speed up the process.”

In a ceremony today, officials from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and University of Wisconsin Oshkosh signed an agreement to offer a unique 3+1 dual bachelor degree program, providing UW-Platteville students with a pathway to earn a bachelor’s in nursing, while saving time and money. Through the new program, UW-Platteville students can receive a Bachelor of Science in biology from UW-Platteville and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from UW Oshkosh in four years, while remaining on the UW-Platteville campus.

The new program hopes to address the significant shortage of healthcare professionals in Wisconsin and the tri-state region of Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, which is acutely felt in rural areas. It will provide a clear nursing professional pathway for UW-Platteville students, many of whom hail from a rural community and are more likely to remain in the region post-graduation.