Two members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Health and Human Performance have in the past month won prestigious national and regional awards.

Carrie Neefe, a senior Health and Human Performance major with an emphasis in Physical Education Teaching, has become the third UW-Platteville student to win the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America Major of the Year Award. This is a national honor that recognizes exemplary undergraduate students for achievement in both academics and service in the fields of health, physical education, recreation, and dance. Neefe comes to UW-Platteville from Viola, Wisconsin and is currently student teaching at Westby High School. After graduating in May, she will go on to teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade physical and health education at Webb Middle School in the Reedsburg Area School District.

College is designed to prepare students for the next step in their lives; however, one class in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Health and Human Performance program takes that idea literally. In HHP 3390: Lifetime and Outdoor Activities, students are learning survival skills in a hands-on way. Combining creativity, teamwork and high-tech tools, they partnered with the Huff Family Innovation Center on campus to design and 3D-print prototype components for survival shelters.

The project titled “Camping/Survival Product Prototype Assignment” challenged students to combine their knowledge of outdoor education with innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. 

Students in HHP 3390: Lifetime and Outdoor Activities traded the classroom for kayaks last week as they wrapped up their paddle sports unit with scenic trips to Coconut Cove and the Grant River. Sunshine and teamwork set the tone as students practiced essential kayaking techniques and led each other through drills, games and group paddles. 

More than just fun on the water, this course for health and human performance majors and those studying physical education, prepares students to teach and lead a variety of lifetime and outdoor activities. From planning to peer instruction, students gain hands-on experience they can take into their future careers. 

One of the biggest challenges today is ensuring that students develop skills that will make them irreplaceable by AI. With AI capable of generating anything from a fitness plan to a complex strategy, it begs the question: What makes us different? The key lies in the human connection. This is precisely what Health and Human Performance Professor Gail Hoffman is most concerned about. She is dedicating her class, HHP 4860 Fitness Wellness Internship, to preparing her students how to master both resume writing and interviewing skills to ensure they are fully prepared for the job market. Ironically, she’s using AI to do it.

Maddie Cooley has won the SHAPE America Major of the Year award. This award is a prestigious national honor that recognizes exemplary undergraduate students in the fields of health, physical education, recreation and dance. A Platteville native, Cooley graduated in December with a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance with an emphasis in physical education and minors in health education and athletic coaching. She was nominated for the award by Dr. Tim Swenson, chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance.

“From the moment she was a freshman in our department, her commitment to becoming the best PE/Health teacher was evident,” said Swenson. “What makes her special is her enthusiasm when she teaches. It doesn't matter the age level or content she was teaching; she could get students excited about it!”

For Kearstin Schweitzer, being "first" is both familiar and celebrated. A quick search on YouTube reveals several inspiring interviews showcasing her groundbreaking accomplishments as a football coach. Currently, Schweitzer serves as the first female position coach at Valparaiso University, a historic milestone in their league.

Her journey toward breaking barriers in coaching began at Lakeland University, where she made history as the first female coach in their football program, taking on multiple roles. From there, Schweitzer came to UW-Platteville, where she became the first female coach in Pioneer history while also earning a Master of Science in sports administration on campus. Despite her numerous accomplishments, she remains focused on the present and the opportunities that lie ahead.

As students traverse the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, each arrives with a unique story and background all their own. Many come seeking skills and experiences to launch them into a world beyond the university. Yet there are students who, simply by their presence, impart profound lessons themselves. This is the story known to teachers and colleagues alike of 21-year-old Kyle Quinn. 

“A phrase I live by is ‘Defy the odds, do what you can do, not what others say you cannot,’” said Quinn. 

Faculty, staff, students and family gathered on April 11 to honor Dr. Scott Ringgenberg, former professor and chair of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Health and Human Performance Department, with the formal naming and dedication of the Dr. Scott Ringgenberg Ropes Course. Ringgenberg began his career at UW-Platteville in 2000. He passed away in 2022, following a long battle with cancer. 

“Scott was always known for being the adventure education guy,” said Tim Swenson, assistant professor of health and human performance. “When he came to UW-Platteville, adventure education was a new area of physical education, becoming more popular, and he was the driving force behind getting the high ropes course put in Williams Fieldhouse.”

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." 

Professor Gail K. Hoffman in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Health and Human Performance is one of four UW System faculty recipients of the 2023 James R. Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award. The $5,000 award, funded by Alliant Energy, recognizes extraordinary teachers at UW institutions within Alliant’s service area. 

Hoffman’s career began as a coach and assistant coach with multiple NCAA Women’s Volleyball programs and transitioned to full-time teaching when she joined the faculty of UW-Richland in 2000, eventually serving as Chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance for the UW Colleges. Her leadership and innovation has continued with UW-Platteville, teaching and developing online, hybrid and face-to-face courses, and expanding department courses with gender and ethnic studies designations. 

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville health and human performance students, Trevor Wilkinson and Hannah Fliss, recently presented their research through poster presentations at the National American College of Sports Medicine Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Both Wilkinson and Fliss agreed that presenting at the conference was an incredible experience.

“As an undergraduate, this conference provided immense opportunities for personal and professional growth,” said Fliss, from Mosinee, Wisconsin. “Through this presentation, I met experts in the health and wellness field that listened to my research and also provided incredible feedback.”

“It was a real eye-opener to see where our majors could lead us,” added Wilkinson, from Edgerton, Wisconsin. “Events like this really get you excited and motivated to tackle more projects and share them with people.”

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.”

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Health and Human Performance seniors recently presented at the National Strength and Conditioning Association's annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ann Larson and Lauren Guy presented a poster presentation titled “Analysis of Hydration Practices and Sweat Rates of Division III Men’s Collegiate Basketball Players.” The goal of the research study was to help determine sweating rates and fluid ingestion practices with the men’s basketball team. The research was collected in collaboration with the UW-Platteville Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Strength and Conditioning Coach Michael Martin.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Riley Glonek was honored with the 2022 Society of Health and Physical Educator (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.

“I nominated Riley as he embodies what a successful teacher candidate in our physical education program should have: initiative, a positive attitude, a willingness for constant improvement and responsibility,” said Timothy Swenson, assistant professor in the Health and Human Performance Department at UW-Platteville. “Riley was a leader among our HHP students. He did a lot of things that made him stand out. This included coming up with innovative virtual PE lessons to teach during COVID as well as presenting at our state health and physical education conference.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville instructor Susanna Swenson accompanied 12 students from her Methods in Elementary Physical Education course to the Wisconsin Health and Physical Education (WHPE) Convention in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, Oct. 27-29.

Among the UW-Platteville students in attendance were two groups that had enrolled in Swenson’s Methods in Middle/Secondary Physical Education class last spring. They were tasked with creating a conference-worthy virtual interactive unit plan specific for a new concept within physical education. Swenson was impressed with the ideas of the two groups and recommended they apply for the proposal to present. They were accepted and were the only undergraduate presenters at the convention.

The two presentation topics were Infusing Critical Thinking into Physical Education and All Sports Golf.

Dr. Tammy Evetovich, provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Kristina Navarro, assistant chancellor and director of Athletics and Recreation, announced today the launch of a Master of Science in Sport Administration on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville main campus. The graduate program is built to provide students with the comprehensive leadership skills needed for careers in professional, collegiate, nonprofit, amateur, and recreational sport with a specific new focus on the global influence of sports.

Developed by the Health and Human Performance department, in partnership with the School of Business, this 30-credit program gives students the flexibility of online coursework while also providing a face-to-face practicum course with unparalleled access to professors, students and campus resources. 

One of the main objectives of Dr. Timothy Swenson’s class, Practicum in Adapted Physical Education, is to provide students a field experience in teaching students with disabilities within a physical education setting. The experience benefits UW-Platteville students by allowing them to apply what they have learned in their classes to student teaching, gain confidence in teaching students with a variety of disabilities, and modify instruction to meet the learning needs of students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in students making the transition to virtually teaching students with disabilities for their service learning experiences. As part of their field experiences, Swenson’s students are teaching physical education lessons through Zoom on a weekly basis, sometimes to one student with severe autism, sometimes to a group of 25 third graders.

As families continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Physical Education Homeschool Program is providing virtual instruction to area children and school districts. The program allows UW-Platteville students to design lesson plans and teach children about physical activity and health. Susanna Swenson, lecturer of health and human performance, introduced the virtual element into the homeschool program, which ties into her method courses. She implemented the idea in summer and continued the virtual instruction into the school year. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Health and Human Performance program recently rolled out three new minors that can be paired with majors across the university to increase the marketability of graduates. Beginning this fall, students can enroll in a health promotion, coaching or sports management minor.

According to Dr. Scott Ringgenberg, associate professor of health and human performance, the minors were developed with feedback from students outside of the Health and Human Performance program, and there are a number of ways skills gained from the minors can be used outside of the traditional education setting.

In light of the COVID-19 crisis and Wisconsin’s current safer-at-home order, Dr. Jeffrey Cowley, assistant professor of health and human performance at UW-Platteville, stressed the critical importance of making physical activity a priority.

“‘Safer at home’ may be true for COVID-19, but, being confined indoors can really limit healthy physical activity,” said Cowley. “Furthermore, online course delivery means many students, faculty and staff are spending more time at a computer than ever. The lifestyle changes imposed by sheltering at home threaten our physical and mental wellbeing. Making physical activity a priority can help us maintain health and sanity throughout the current pandemic.”

Cowley said that physical activity – bodily movement produced by muscles that requires energy expenditure – includes exercise and many other types of movement.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been adapting and making precautionary changes to campus.

Dr. Scott Ringgenberg, coordinator of the Department of Health and Human Performance at UW-Platteville, stressed the critical importance of staying physically fit during this unprecedented and uncertain time, and offered 10 tips on how to stay active and improve overall health.

“During these trying times, being physical active is fundamental to physical, emotional and psychological health,” said Ringgenberg. “Physical activity includes all forms of active recreation, sports participation, cycling and walking, as well as activities at work and around the home and garden. It doesn’t have to be exercise or sport – playing, dancing, gardening, and even housecleaning and carrying heavy shopping is all part of being physically active.”