The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science proudly announces that Dr. Xiaoguang Ma, associate professor, of electrical and computer engineering, has been selected as the 2025-2026 recipient of the EMS Excellence in Teaching Award. This distinguished honor recognizes Dr. Ma’s exceptional effectiveness in the classroom, unwavering dedication to student success, and nationally recognized innovations in engineering education.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science proudly announces that Dr. Joseph Wu, professor, chemistry, has been selected as the 2025-2026 recipient of the EMS Excellence in Research and Scholarly Activity Award. This prestigious honor recognizes Dr. Wu’s sustained record of innovation, impactful scholarly contributions, and dedication to advancing undergraduate research.

Dr. Wu’s research program stands at the forefront of sustainable materials, green chemistry, and analytical sensing, with an emphasis on translating scientific discovery into real-world solutions. His work has led to more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in respected scientific journals, contributing to the growing visibility and reputation of UW–Platteville in the broader research community.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science proudly announces that Dr. Christina Curras, professor, civil and environmental engineering, has been selected as the 2025–2026 recipient of the EMS Excellence in Advising Award. This prestigious honor recognizes Dr. Curras’ exceptional commitment to student success, her transformative advising practices, and her lasting impact on students and colleagues.

With 26 years of advising experience, Dr. Curras has guided hundreds of students through their academic journeys. Her philosophy – rooted in preparation, listening, care, and thoughtful questioning – empowers students to make informed decisions while fostering independence and confidence.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science proudly announces that Dr. Mohammad Rabbani, professor of chemistry, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the 2025–2026 EMS Excellence in Service Award. This recognition honors Dr. Rabbani’s exceptional and sustained contributions to students, faculty, the institution, and the broader community through leadership, collaboration, and impactful service.

Throughout his career at UW-Platteville, Dr. Rabbani has demonstrated a deep commitment to service as a foundational element of his professional mission. His work spans student mentorship, departmental leadership, college governance, university initiatives, and community engagement, reflecting a holistic and far-reaching impact.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announced that its Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation has earned accreditation from the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC), a body of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS). The accreditation covers all three emphases of the Forensic Investigation major: Crime Scene Investigation, Medicolegal Death Investigation and Laboratory. UW-Platteville is among a very small number of forensic science programs nationwide to hold this accreditation.

This spring marks a milestone achievement for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh as Sienna Isaacson will be the first graduate of the nursing pathway 3+1 dual bachelor’s degree program. This accelerated nursing program allows students to complete their Bachelor of Science in biology at UW-Platteville and their Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) from UW-Oshkosh in four years. Students who enter this intensive healthcare program study three years of science coursework and preparatory curriculum at UW-Platteville before attending one year with UW-Oshkosh’s hybrid accelerated nursing program. Often, students find a supportive foundation for their education on the UW-Platteville campus. Through advising, scientific preparation, and connections between campuses, students are prepared as they make a seamless transition from their undergraduate studies through the BSN program.

Four UW-Platteville Animal and Dairy Science students competed in the regional American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Academic Quadrathlon competition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, March 8^th and 9^th. The competition was part of the American Society of Animal Science Midwest Meetings held in Omaha, NE at the CHI Convention Center. The four-person team included Animal and Dairy Science students: Ayla Moss, Mia Dauphin, Kaelie Billingsley, and Holly Daly.

During the contest, teams of four students competed in four events. Part one of the contest was a 10-station lab practical, which quizzed students on a wide range of questions related to 10 different animal science related areas. Stations for the lab practical included: dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs, horses, sheep, poultry, companion animals, meats, anatomy and physiology, and general lab stations. Students had 15 minutes to complete each station.

Students from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and University of Wisconsin–Platteville Baraboo Sauk County presented their research projects at the Research in the Rotunda on Wednesday at the Wisconsin State Capitol, joining undergraduate researchers from across the Universities of Wisconsin.

The annual event highlights outstanding undergraduate research and gives students the opportunity to share their work with state legislators, university leaders and the public. Representing UW–Platteville and UW–Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, students presented projects spanning agriculture, psychology, biology and engineering.

Research in the Rotunda provides undergraduate students with a platform to highlight how their work contributes to solving real-world challenges and advancing knowledge across disciplines. Participation in the event reflects UW–Platteville’s continued commitment to hands-on learning and student research opportunities.

A delegation including UW–Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Dean Philip Parker met with Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation in February to advocate for federal support of engineering education, research, and workforce development that directly benefit UW–Platteville students and programs.

Parker joined Dean Brett Peters (UW–Milwaukee) and Dean Devesh Ranjan (UW–Madison) in Washington, D.C., for the annual American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Public Policy Colloquium, an event that brings engineering leaders together with policymakers to discuss national priorities impacting higher education.

During the visit, the group met with:

• Sen. Tammy Baldwin
• Sen. Ron Johnson
• Rep. Gwen Moore
• Rep. Tony Wied

They also attended a Wisconsin delegation breakfast with Rep. Mark Pocan and met with staff from the offices of Reps. Glenn Grothman, Bryan Steil, Pocan, and Wied.

A University of Wisconsin-Platteville student earned first place in the WiSys Innovation On-Ramp program after presenting an assistive zipper device designed to help people with limited hand mobility.

The Eazy Zip is an attachable cube that fits onto a zipper pull. Its cover wraps around the zipper tab and gently pushes surrounding fabric away from the zipper track, helping to prevent snags. The device was created by Leah Norgal, a junior mechanical engineering major from Waukesha, Wisconsin. Its design is specifically intended for individuals who may struggle to free fabric caught in a zipper due to reduced dexterity.

Norgal developed and presented her invention as part of WiSys Innovation On-Ramp, a multi-campus learning experience that gives Universities of Wisconsin students the opportunity to build innovation skills and advance their ideas, regardless of their field of study or career goals.

The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents presented the Regents Business Partnership Award to MSA Professional Services, Inc. at a ceremony Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. MSA is a Baraboo-based multi-discipline engineering company, dedicated to the sustainable development of communities. 

“MSA and UW-Platteville have developed a true collaboration over the past several decades,” said Regent Tom Palzewicz, who presented the award. “These partnerships are critical to solidify and grow the collaboration and connectiveness of each of our universities in their respective communities." 

Now in its third year, the Universities of Wisconsin Regents Business Partnership Award honors dynamic university–business collaborations that drive progress in academic programs, workforce readiness and community growth. 

It’s one thing to learn about your chosen profession within the confines of your major, but it’s another to put that knowledge into practice, especially when it could help solve a crime. That’s exactly what the Forensic Investigation Club at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is doing. The group is gaining applied experience that few students get before graduation. 

“It’s incredible that we’re using advanced equipment and teaming up with the Wisconsin State Crime Lab while we’re still students,” exclaimed Cassie Kniess, a senior forensic investigation major from Verona. Kniess has learned to skillfully operate the 3D scanner for evidence collection.

Future mathematics and science teachers at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will soon have the chance to receive generous scholarships, thanks to a new program funded by an $807,650 grant from the National Science Foundation. This project, submitted by Dr. Timothy Deis, Dr. Holly Attenborough and Dr. Leigh Monhardt, was awarded through the partnership of the UW-Platteville Mathematics Department and the School of Education, along with massive collaboration from across the university, tri-state school districts and CESA #3.

The HOME Scholarship program will provide eligible junior and senior secondary education majors in math or science with scholarships that cover tuition, room and board, and textbooks. In return, recipients commit to teaching in a high-need school district after graduation, with preference given to those who plan to stay in the tri-state area.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host the eighth annual Holiday Toy Hack, Saturday, Nov. 15 from 1-4 p.m. in the Huff Family Innovation Center, Sesquicentennial Hall.

The event brings together student volunteers from all majors to adapt electronic toys so they can be activated with an external switch, making them accessible for children with special needs. The modified toys are then donated to families, schools, clinics and others.

“I look forward to this event every year – and so do many students,” said Dr. Hal Evensen, professor of engineering physics and event organizer. “Working with charitable organizations, we have sent toys all around the region – from northern Wisconsin, into northern Illinois and over to Cedar Rapids and New Berlin. This event has grown to bring in students from across campus, which is very exciting!”

Evensen encourages interested students to volunteer, regardless of their background or previous experience.

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. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Department of Mathematics will host a Math Career Panel Discussion on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 4 p.m. in Room 104, Boebel Hall. The event will feature seven Pioneer alumni who majored in mathematics and will highlight the many ways the degree has shaped their careers.  

"This panel discussion offers a rare and invaluable opportunity for students to explore the diverse career paths available to math majors and data science majors—from data science and finance to education, tech and beyond,” said Dr. Leonida Ljumanovic, professor of mathematics at UW-Platteville.

The alumni panelists represent graduation years ranging from 2000 to 2024 and bring a range of professional perspectives and experiences. They will share insights into navigating the job market, offer practical advice for students and reflect on the skills that have helped them succeed in their industries.  

For a group of high school students from across Wisconsin, summer break meant stepping into the shoes of real scientists: micropipettes, reagents, test tubes and all. Last month, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville hosted an immersive Plant Biotechnology Boot Camp, a weeklong residential program designed to ignite curiosity and inspire future careers in science.

Funded by a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER grant awarded to Dr. Muthu Venkateshwaran, professor of crop physiology and molecular biology in the School of Agriculture, the camp offered hands-on experiences in plant biotechnology, genetics, molecular biology, tissue culture, microbiology and plant pathology. Students didn’t just learn about the science, they did science. 

Where else can you find research projects in theater lighting design, improving alfalfa with seed priming and the preservation of decades-old artifacts from the Isle of Man all under one roof? At the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Summer Undergraduate Scholars Program (SUSP), that kind of academic diversity is exactly what’s celebrated. Now in its eighth consecutive summer, the program welcomed 10 students for an intensive eight-week research experience.  

"It feels surreal. Only 10 people are selected for this scholarship, and I’m truly honored to be one of them,” exclaimed senior Ashten Wilson, a history major with an art history minor from Princeton, Illinois. “Being part of such a prestigious summer graduate scholarship program will hopefully help me stand out when I apply to graduate school for museum studies.” 

At Convocation each year, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville honors faculty and staff with UW-Platteville and Universities of Wisconsin awards, recognizing their excellence and dedication. In this year’s articles about the recipients, we are spotlighting their journeys, passions and the paths that brought them here. 

Dr. Chris Frayer, professor of mathematics at the UW-Platteville, was selected as one of the recipients of the 2025 Alliant Energy James R. Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Awards. This award is funded by an endowment from the Alliant Energy Foundation, Inc. to recognize and reward extraordinary undergraduate teachers at Universities of Wisconsin schools within Alliant Energy’s service area.

Q: How long have you been a mathematics professor at UW-Platteville?

Students put their engineering skills to the test in a flavorful way. The scent of freshly made waffles filled the air—not from a food truck, but from a solar-powered cooking station at Sesquicentennial Hall designed and built by students. The demonstration was part of a culminating event for Wind and Solar System Design (ENERGY 4330), a senior-level technical elective offered to Sustainable and Renewable Energy Systems (SRES) majors and minors, as well as mechanical engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

Sesquicentennial Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been recognized with the prestigious 2025 Merit Award in the Large Scale Design category by the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (WI ASLA).

The award celebrates excellence in landscape architecture and site design, and it highlights the building’s transformative impact on the campus environment. Designed in close collaboration with landscape architects and planners committed to sustainability and community engagement, Sesquicentennial Hall exemplifies innovative design solutions at scale.

Two teams from the Cybersecurity Club at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently achieved an impressive milestone, both placing in the top 3% out of more than 10,000 teams worldwide in picoCTF 2025, one of the most prestigious cybersecurity competitions in the world. The competition tested participants on real-world cybersecurity challenges, including cryptography, reverse engineering and web exploitation. This competition featured not only college teams but also seasoned cybersecurity professionals. This student organization is more than a club; it’s a training ground for what lies ahead for these students once they leave campus. 

What if earning a mechanical engineering degree didn’t require uprooting your life, quitting your job, or putting your family on hold? At the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, it doesn’t. The UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships (PEP) program is changing the face of engineering education—one success story at a time.

Madi Wunderli, now a lead engineer at ALKAR, Inc.—a company that designs industrial cooking and chilling equipment—describes the PEP program as “learning from afar with a strong sense of community.” Despite minimal in-person requirements, students collaborate regularly, tackle real-world problems together and build lasting professional connections.

“Even if we didn’t see each other in person, we still worked together on projects and helped each other whenever we could,” explained Wunderli. 

The Steel Bridge Team at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville proudly earned the prestigious title of first place overall at the 2025 Western Great Lakes Student Steel Bridge Regional Competition, held this month in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—a first for UW-Platteville. The competition is an annual event where student teams design, build and assemble a scale-model steel bridge. Teams are judged on construction speed, bridge weight and load performance. They competed against 15 other teams in the Western Great Lakes Regional Competition.  

UW-Platteville’s Mathematics Department is hosting the annual conference of the Wisconsin Section of the Mathematical Association of America on April 4-5. The Mathematical Association of America is a national professional organization with a specific focus on teaching and learning. 

This year's meeting will be attended by about 100 participants, including more than a dozen UW-Platteville students.  

The two-day meeting will include:

STEM Career Exploration Day provided 75 local high school sophomores with a hands-on opportunity to explore the vast world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students learned about various majors and career opportunities in STEM fields through engaging workshops across campus.

One highlight was the "Environment, Safety and Materials" workshop, where students explored renewable energy with engineers. They also had fun at the "Science and Your Senses" session, diving into the science behind one of their favorite treats—ice cream!

“This event is the best showcase of our collaboration across colleges,” said Megan Jensen, assistant director of the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. “We work with each college to create interactive workshops that show students the many exciting pathways in STEM. When we say we are a ‘leader in STEM,’ this is the type of event I point to.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville proudly announces that Sesquicentennial Hall has won the prestigious Grand Prize Award from Learning by Design Magazine. This national recognition celebrates the best in architecture for higher education, with Sesquicentennial Hall standing out for its innovation, sustainability and contribution to the campus community. The building took top honors by the magazine for new projects under 100,000 square feet.

The jury from Learning by Design commended the project with the following remarks:
 
“It’s a fantastic project overall. The well-designed façade breaks up the large footprint, and the roof terrace enhances sustainability. Natural finishes and curving elements connected students to nature, while visible engineering encourages interest in STEM fields.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is proud to announce the launch of its Executive Master of Science in Engineering program, designed to meet the needs of engineering professionals looking to advance their careers. The program will begin in May 2025 and is accepting applications now through May 13, 2025.

This innovative program is tailored to fit the demanding schedules of working professionals by offering a flexible hybrid format. Students will benefit from a combination of fully online courses and hybrid sessions, blending in-person and virtual learning. The cohort-based model fosters strong professional networks, providing participants with opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and career advancement.

Key program highlights include:

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse announce an innovative set of articulation agreements establishing 3+2 dual degree programs. These agreements offer students a seamless pathway to earn a Bachelor of Science in physics from UW-La Crosse and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, or mechanical engineering from UW-Platteville.

Students complete three years of coursework at UW-La Crosse, followed by two years of specialized study at UW-Platteville. Upon completion, students will graduate with two prestigious degrees, positioning them for success in a competitive job market.

On Jan. 8, Dr. Danny Xiao, P.E., ENV SP, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, presented research results at the 104th Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The research centered on the applicability of capillary pressure sensors on Wisconsin concrete.

Emma Gunderson is a lively, happy one-and-a-half-year-old who, despite her blindness and limited hearing, finds comfort in one place: her bouncy chair.

“It’s hard to put into words just how important this chair is for Emma,” said her mother, Rachel Gunderson. “She spends about a third of her day in it—it’s her safe space. She laughed for the first time in this chair. We take it everywhere with us because it’s the one place where she feels secure and comfortable.”

Emma has moderate hearing loss and wears hearing aids, though she is technically deaf and blind. She has retinal dystrophy—a condition that causes structural differences in her retinas, and limited testing can be performed on young children. Additionally, Emma has mild neurological abnormalities that have puzzled her neurologist. With no formal diagnosis, her mother calls Emma, “My little medical mystery.” However, her physical hurdles are offset when she’s in her bouncy chair.

As a new year begins, many people set resolutions to improve their health, often by scheduling a visit to their healthcare provider. But for those living in rural areas, like Southwest Wisconsin, finding a local provider can be a challenge. This is a reality the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is working to change. With the first class of physician assistant (PA) students set to graduate in 2025, the university is helping address this healthcare gap by preparing a new generation of providers who are likely to stay and practice in the region. 

Innovation took center stage at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville during its inaugural Innovation Days, held Nov. 18-21. The celebration highlighted the university’s commitment to innovation as a core value and showcased its efforts to solve complex problems through collaboration across disciplines.

The events kicked off with the Innovation Showcase, which highlighted creative and scholarly achievements by students, faculty and staff. More than 100 students participated, presenting research, internship experiences, engineering capstone projects and more. Faculty members also shared insights from their sabbatical research.

Throughout the week, attendees participated in workshops focusing on topics including artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and grant writing.

Chemistry students from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently attended the 2024 American Chemical Society Midwest Regional Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, where they showcased their research, connected with industry professionals and explored graduate school opportunities. This annual event brought together students and experts from across the Midwest, offering a lineup of workshops, lectures and networking opportunities.

Ten UW-Platteville students presented their undergraduate research in a poster session at the event. Prior to the conference, students had the opportunity to hone their presentations at UW-Platteville’s 80th Chemistry Reunion during Homecoming weekend, where they shared their work with a couple dozen alumni and faculty.

In addition to sharing their own research, the conference offered students the chance to connect with other chemistry researchers from across the Midwest.   

Elliott Loughney, a junior civil engineering and music double major, will perform the first movement of Edvard Grieg’s "Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16," with the UW-Platteville Symphonic Wind Ensemble in concert on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Last spring, Loughney entered the annual concerto competition hosted by the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the music fraternity on campus. As the competition’s winner, he will perform the concerto with the wind ensemble in front of an audience.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Crops Team placed first overall at the Regional Crops Contest held in Brookings, South Dakota on Oct. 19.  Individual UW-Platteville team members Anna Hagemann placed first and Jack Lichte placed third.

Other UW-Platteville students taking part in the event included Allie Bizosky, Anna Koehler and Sydney Rider. The team was coached by Dawn Lee, Pioneer Greenhouse and Gardens manager and lecturer in the School of Agriculture; Rich Crow, assistant professor of soil and crop science in the School of Agriculture; and Dr. Roger Higgs, professor emeritus.

The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents honored A.Y. McDonald with the Regents Business Partnership Award on Oct. 30, recognizing the company’s longstanding support and impactful collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The award celebrates businesses that positively affect Wisconsin through their generosity and collaboration with the universities.

“A.Y. McDonald has been a longtime and valued partner of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville,” said Regent Jack Salzwedel at the ceremony.

Dr. Danny Xiao, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, received the opportunity to complete his sabbatical last spring semester at Hochschule Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany. During his time in Germany, Xiao was able to sit in several courses to experience higher education in a European institute. He was also invited to give several guest lectures, group discussions with students, field trips, and exchange workshops. Working with colleagues in Germany, Xiao also conducted a research project investigating concrete curing with capillary pressure sensors.  

Q: Why did you choose Germany for your sabbatical?

For the seventh consecutive summer, 10 students participated in the Summer Undergraduate Scholars Program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. SUSP provides an eight-week opportunity for students to explore their academic interests by carrying out a project in conjunction with their faculty/staff mentors. Students are provided with a $5,000 stipend and $500 to spend on costs associated with their project. The funding allows students to fully engage in their projects over the eight-week period. In addition to funding, students participate in eight professional development workshops on topics ranging from preparing for graduate and professional school to communicating advanced ideas to diverse audiences. SUSP culminates with student scholars presenting their work to the campus community over two days of oral presentations.

Eight high school students from the tri-state area participated in the Plant Biotechnology Boot Camp held July 29 through Aug. 2 at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The week-long residential boot camp offered hands-on learning opportunities in the areas of plant biotechnology, genetics, molecular biology, plant pathology and microbiology.

“The other goals of this boot camp are to develop interests among high school students to advance their education in plant biotechnology and to help students develop a higher appreciation for research and development and interests to pursue research in the above-mentioned fields,” said Dr. Muthu Venkateshwaran, professor of crop physiology and molecular biology in the School of Agriculture and the program director for the Plant Biotechnology Boot Camp.

Continuing their ongoing partnership, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Madison College have formalized a new articulation agreement to streamline the transfer process for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in data science. Effective July 1, 2024, this agreement underscores both institutions’ commitment to academic collaboration and student success.

Qualified Madison College students completing an Associate of Science degree will now have guaranteed admission into UW-Platteville's Bachelor of Science in data science program, provided they meet UW-Platteville's minimum admission requirements. Key provisions include completion of prerequisite courses such as Basic Statistics and Computer Science at Madison College before enrolling at UW-Platteville.

When Dr. Xiaoguang Ma, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, set out to teach a new computer engineering course this year, he knew he wanted a way to connect theory with real-life application in order to deliver the hands-on education that the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is known for. What resulted is a collaboration with a global software manufacturer that is opening the door to enhanced student learning and new student-led research opportunities.

Enrolling in the Applied Engineering Technology Management program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville offers students a unique pathway to a dynamic and impactful career across three key disciplines: engineering technology management, construction management and technology and engineering education. Formerly known as the Department of Industrial Studies, it equips students with specialized knowledge and practical skills highly sought after in today’s job market.

"Our Bachelor of Science programs in applied engineering technology effectively bridge the gap between a two-year technology degree and a full engineering degree," said Dr. Wayne Weber, dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture. "These programs emphasize hands-on experiential learning in our state-of-the-art labs, covering robotics, control systems, automation, metals and more. Students also gain industry experience through required internships with our many industry partners."

Biology students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville stepped into chest waders and took to the water to conduct fish sampling. Fish sampling provides a straightforward method to assess fish populations or communities, particularly in their habitats. It’s part of a broader collaboration with Trout Unlimited, a national nonprofit organization that focuses on conserving, protecting and restoring America’s coldwater fisheries and watersheds.

The research is led by UW-Platteville Biology Professor Dr. Kristopher Wright, who has been conducting long-term monitoring at 42 sites for the local chapter of Trout Unlimited. He describes streams as the barometer of the local environment, calling them the lifeblood of the surrounding ecosystem.

Dr. Mohammad Rabbani, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is being presented with the 2024 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. Rabbani, who has been teaching at UW-Platteville since 2013, has made lasting contributions to UW-Platteville’s chemistry department.

Based on his earlier teaching experiences using traditional lecturing techniques and flipped classroom techniques, Rabbani recently developed a semi-flipped classroom technique, which effectively engages chemistry students in in-classroom and outside-classroom activities. He also developed simulation experiments that cover all General Chemistry II lab sections on both of UW-Platteville’s campuses.

Rabbani says engaging students is a key challenge in effective teaching. He enjoys the “aha” moment when he realizes students are motivated and engaged in study materials and hopes students take away hands-on experience, motivation and confidence from his classes.

The Cybersecurity Club at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville participated in the picoCTF 2024 competition, where its team placed 17th out of 539 undergraduate schools.

“I am proud of our team's achievement and believe it reflects positively on our institution's commitment to excellence in cybersecurity education,” said Dr. Bassam Zahran, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering and club advisor. “This success underscores the value of our Cybersecurity program and the caliber of our students.”

UW-Platteville students who participated in the event included Matt Betanski, Brady Coenen, Tyler Freeman, Parker Stork and Riley Basaran.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville announces a new transfer agreement with the University of California-Los Angeles Extension. Students who complete the Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering certificate with UCLA Extension can automatically transfer 12 credits to UW-Platteville’s online Master of Science in Engineering program. In addition, UW-Platteville is adding an aerospace manufacturing engineering emphasis to its online master’s program.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Collegiate Soils Team recently competed in two national contests, where students describe and scientifically classify soils and landforms using tools and techniques employed by professional soil scientists. Students are scored based on agreement of their descriptions and classifications with that of professional soil scientists.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville junior Olivia Adams was recently named a recipient of the 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholarship. She is the first UW-Platteville student to be honored with this prestigious award and one of only 438 students nationwide to receive the 2024 scholarship.

“I was shocked to find out that I was a recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship,” said Adams, an animal science major with a pre-veterinary emphasis from Cassville, Wisconsin. “I am honored to be awarded such a competitive, prestigious scholarship and would like to thank those that supported me throughout the process.”

The Steel Bridge Team at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently competed in the Western Great Lakes Student Steel Bridge 2024 Regional Competition, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, where they took home multiple awards and are advancing to the national competition.

The team competed against 14 other teams and placed second overall, first in the categories of stiffness and structural efficiency and third in cost estimation.

Dr. Mohammad Rabbani, associate professor in the chemistry department at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is helping to train Platteville middle school students in order for them to get practical lab experience for Crime Busters, a Science Olympiad STEM event.

“It is very important to support the Platteville school system and promote STEM education,” said Rabbani. “When students build their skills and confidence in the STEM field, they can see themselves as future leaders in science and technology.”

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.

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.

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 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.

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.  

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.

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.”

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.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville celebrated a new milestone in its longtime partnership with Plexus Corp. at last week's naming celebration event and ceremonial ribbon-cutting of the Plexus Women in STEM Center. The new Plexus Women in STEM Center opened last fall and offers a supportive community to help women prosper at both UW-Platteville and in their careers. 

“We’ve had an incredible first year in the new Plexus Women in STEM Center in Sesquicentennial Hall,” said Kim Sargent, senior program manager for the Women in STEM Program. “The Women in STEM Program is honored to partner with Plexus in our mission to recruit and retain more women in the STEM fields.” 

The center is a hub of mentoring, outreach and success programs that engage UW-Platteville students and thousands of students in grades 5-12. 

A team of five students from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently competed in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition in Peoria, Illinois. The team competed against 18 other teams from across the United States and Canada and took home first place in the Maneuverability category.

According to the ASABE, this annual competition provides a realistic 360-degree workplace experience. Each team is provided only an engine and set of tires and must design and create their tractor, which is then judged by a panel of industry experts for innovation, manufacturability and serviceability, among other factors. The machines also compete in three performance events – tractor pulls, a maneuverability course and a durability course.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are helping biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey combat a growing problem in the Great Lakes region – the invasive zebra and quagga mussel, which has caused significant ecological and economic damage in the region since it was first discovered there more than three decades ago. As a Senior Design capstone project, four recently graduated mechanical engineering students  – Logan Budack, Kade Muehlenhaupt, AJ Pomplun and Dorothy Schildt – were tasked with designing and building a submersible, umbrella-like device that can infuse carbon dioxide to kill the zebra and quagga mussels.

Approximately 40 local engineering and manufacturing firms from in and around Sauk County convened at a listening session Tuesday at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County to offer their thoughts and share stories of their local businesses, in order to grow connections between UW-Platteville and Sauk County employer needs.

"As a regional leader in STEM, UW-Platteville is committed to serving industry needs in the region and across the state, and our Baraboo Sauk County campus is critical to succeeding in this mission,” said UW-Platteville Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich, who joined in the day’s discussions. “I am encouraged by the number of industry partners we engaged with today, and I am looking forward to building on this momentum.”

Mollie Johnson, a senior psychology major from Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is spending her summer conducting research that examines cognitive, affective and physiological aspects of human behavior, as a participant in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Summer Undergraduate Scholars Program.   

Johnson’s research focuses specifically on interoception – the ability to identify small internal signals a body sends, such as hunger, gastrointestinal cues or a faster heartbeat. In particular, she is exploring interoceptive accuracy – or, how accurate someone is at feeling these signals – and how that plays a role in a person’s response to different social situations.

The ubiquitous eastern redcedar tree – a native species but one that can encroach on the region’s pastures and prairies – may be seen as a nuisance to some, but actually has a very important story to tell about the region’s climate history. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are calling on the help of residents of the Driftless Area to identify redcedar tree samples to be included in National Science Foundation research that is studying the long-term history of drought in the region.

Ellie Zimmermann, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville from Lakeville, Minnesota, is spending the summer conducting research to explore the connections between community garden space and the perceptions of health and well-being and food security in the local community.

Dr. Ian MacKenzie, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is being honored with the 2023 Early Career Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence.

“I feel incredibly grateful and honored to receive this award,” said MacKenzie, who has been at UW-Platteville since 2019. “All of my achievements have been built upon the many gifts and blessings I have received from others, and this award is a direct result of the nurture and support that has been poured into me over the years. I am grateful for my loving wife, Sarah, who greatly supports my teaching and for all the teachers, colleagues, friends and students that have helped me grow and develop in my teaching.”

Sub-Zero Group, Inc., manufacturer of leading luxury kitchen appliance brands Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove, continues to show its dedication to engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a $100,000 gift to support the new Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Engineering Instrumentation Lab in Sesquicentennial Hall.

Dr. Ganapathy “Gana” Natarajan, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was selected for the 2023-2024 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars Program. He is one of two UW-Platteville faculty members selected for the UW System program this year.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s collaborative Master of Physician Assistant Studies program officially launched this week with an inaugural cohort of 10 students. The UW-Madison wisPACT@UW-Platteville program allows UW-Platteville students to earn a degree through UW-Madison’s nationally-recognized Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, while remaining on the UW-Platteville campus to complete the coursework.

The students will be learning in the newly renovated space on the first floor of Ullrich Hall, which includes a neuroscience lab, clinical exam room suite and dedicated lecture room with streaming video capabilities.

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 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 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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineering students are studying the effects of anti-icing on concrete and will present their findings at the 19th annual Research in the Rotunda on March 8 in the state Capitol. Senior Dylan Notsch and sophomore Will Straka are assisting Dr. Danny Xiao, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, on the project titled, “Impact of Anti-Icing on the Durability of Concrete Infrastructure.”

Three University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are looking at biochar as a way to reduce ammonia emissions and odors off of manure storages, which many farms in Wisconsin use.

According to the students’ research, manure storages are good for many environmental reasons, but are also a source of odor and greenhouse gas emissions. Jeffrey Smolinski, Zach Flitsch and Davin Dahl wanted to look at using biochar as a cover over the manure to reduce emissions. Biochar, which looks similar to charcoal, is a carbon-based material produced by heating biomass at high temperatures with limited oxygen.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture recently hosted its inaugural Healthcare Scholarship event, awarding $1,000 scholarships to seven students who have been admitted for fall 2023.

The event’s creators, Dr. Wayne Weber, interim provost; Dr. Jodi McDermott, assistant dean of the College of BILSA; and Dr. Amanda Trewin, chair of the Department of Biology, hoped to bring awareness to UW-Platteville’s growing healthcare programs. UW-Platteville recruitment staff reached out to schools in the tri-state area and asked biology teachers to nominate outstanding seniors who have voiced an interest in attending UW-Platteville. The scholarship committee initially planned to award four scholarships, but after reviewing the nominations, extended it to seven.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Student Chapter spent nearly two weeks in West Africa to examine the land in Adumasa, Ghana, with the goal of building a new school this summer. Six engineering students, Tara Abramson, Emma Ball, Cade Femrite, Bailee Mergen, Noah Miller and David Ranft, and faculty members Dr. Samuel Owusu-Ababio and Dr. Austin Polebitski traveled to Ghana in January to embark on the project. The students described their experience as once in a lifetime.

One University of Wisconsin-Platteville student spent her summer learning about bats and researching whether the species of bat Nycticeius humeralis, commonly referred to as the evening bat—which has historically stayed south of Wisconsin—may now be found in the Platteville area.

Kirsten Magedanz’s research, titled “A New Horizon for the Evening Bat?” will be showcased at the 19th annual Research in the Rotunda, held on Wednesday, March 8 in the state Capitol. Magedanz will present her findings to legislators, state leaders and peers from across the UW System.

When Alex Walechka and Rebecca Koble enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s online Master of Science in Engineering program in 2021, they went in with the expectation that most graduate students do. Namely, to attain an advanced degree in their area of specialty to improve their current careers and future job prospects.

Walechka and Koble both accomplished this, earning their diplomas this past December, but they also found something more than advanced learning during their time in the program. Something that could have easily never been, but once discovered, enriched both their academic and personal lives because of it.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is once again bringing real-world engineering projects to students, faculty and friends of the university with the spring 2023 EMS Engineering Seminar Series. Free and open to the public, the series will highlight four engineering projects and insight from experts in the field.

For more than a century, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has distinguished itself in the realm of engineering education, cultivating a widely respected reputation in the process. Recently, the university's prestige was bolstered by earning several top rankings from College Factual, an independent data analytics firm based in New York. College Factual's rankings took into consideration more than 20 factors, such as quality, cost, diversity, value and graduate outcomes.

A University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineering senior design team rolled out a new solution to help a startup company stabilize their bicycles. Company sponsor Boogie Bikes, based out of Sheboygan County, asked group members Mackenzie Darkow, Max Kisting, Ryan Leskela and Sierra Schellpfeffer to develop an electric bike more stable than a standard two-wheel bicycle. According to Schellpfeffer, Boogie Bikes has been receiving requests from senior citizens for a more balanced unit.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s bi-annual Senior Design Open House will be held Monday, Dec. 19. Open to the public, the event is an opportunity for engineering students to showcase their capstone Senior Design projects.

UW-Platteville’s Senior Design program pairs student groups with industry and community sponsors to solve real problems or create new products. Supervised by an industry and faculty advisor, the students explore every aspect of the project – from creative development and project management to engineering ethics, product safety, copyrights and patents and more.

One University of Wisconsin-Platteville student is volunteering his time while raising money for UW-Platteville’s Robotics Club.

Junior Scott McDermott, a Platteville native, has worked part-time at John Deere in a student position since 2021 while pursuing a mechanical engineering degree. McDermott works on John Deere’s electrification team, which essentially takes traditionally diesel-powered hydraulically-driven machines and works on electrifying them, switching the propulsion system to electric motors.

This past year, McDermott has donated $3,000 to the UW-Platteville’s Robotics Club through John Deere’s employee giving program, Dollars for Doers. The program allows employees to earn a cash reward for each hour they volunteer, which they then donate to a cause of their choice.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Dr. Ronald Meissen and his wife, Eileen, are supporting engineering students through their newly established endowed Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSSE) Scholarship fund. Meissen, a member of the UW-Platteville Foundation Board of Directors, presented his idea of creating the scholarship to the CSSE advisory board to help recruit and retain students to the program. After his announcement, an advisory board member matched the Meissens’ donation of $25,000.

In a ceremony today, officials from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Madison College signed an updated agreement to expand engineering offerings to Madison College students. The new agreement will add UW-Platteville’s Bachelor of Science in industrial and systems engineering to the existing offerings for Madison College students.

Madison College is an official UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships (UW-PEP) site. Designed for working adults and students unable to move to Platteville, UW-PEP provides an opportunity for students to complete their degree in mechanical, electrical  – and now industrial and systems – engineering from a distance, through a unique delivery model that includes both online courses and hands-on lab experiences.

Dozens of students from across all three colleges at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville came together for the fifth annual Holiday Toy Hack, to modify electronic toys for children with special needs. The three-hour event took place on Nov. 19, at the new Huff Family Innovation Center in Sesquicentennial Hall. According to Dr. Hal Evensen, professor of engineering physics and Holiday Toy Hack organizer, 50 students participated and ‘hacked’ 55 toys which will be donated to area families, organizations and clinics.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students, recognizing up to 161 students each year. Among the 2022 honorees is Cameron Pokorny, now a freshman software engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

“Being recognized as a U.S. Presidential Scholar was a tremendous honor,” said Pokorny. “I was proud to represent my family and community on the national level as a student who has achieved greatly in scholastic and service-based endeavors.”

In 2020, four University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior design civil engineering students were tasked with the project of solving the parking lot concerns at the American Players Theatre (APT) in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Together Ryan Henning, Drew Archie, Keegan Flynn and Josh Hendrickson presented their findings to the company, not realizing a couple years later APT would be receiving a nearly $1 million Tourism Capital Investment Grant from the state to embark on those parking lot improvements.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is now offering a new undergraduate degree in computer engineering. The program launched this fall with several students already declaring the major. Previously, computer engineering was only offered as an emphasis under electrical engineering. According to Dr. Asad Azemi, professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the new program supports major themes in the university’s strategic plan. 

Dr. Risper Nyairo is working to change the future of sustainability in the Platteville area, which starts in part by reconstructing the past. Nyairo, a postdoctoral scholar in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Environmental Sciences and Society program, is conducting a feasibility study on the potential of linking more local producers to the university’s Dining Services, in order to increase local food offerings and promote sustainable practices within the local watershed. 

There’s more to Becca Bartusewich than meets the eye. 

In addition to being an instructor, most know her as the advising manager for the Office of Professional Program Support at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville – but these titles only form part of the picture. Outside of overseeing a team of advisors and their 1,100 distance students, both graduates and undergraduates, Bartusewich maintains a different educational passion. One that doesn’t involve the people of the present, but those of the past.

Bartusewich is an archaeologist at heart. A quick glimpse at her educational background reinforces this fact, as she’s earned two master’s degrees – one in ancient history, the other in ceramic and lithic analysis – and a Ph.D. in anthropology over the past 14 years. Hers is a long journey filled with many highlights, yet most don’t know it all began with a single misstep.

Caleb Christiansen, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and member of the cross country and track and field programs, has always been interested in renewable energy. As an engineering physics major with an emphasis in electrical engineering and minor in sustainability and renewable energy systems, his summer internship at Pierce Manufacturing gave him hands-on experience with a company that is investing heavily in the electrification of their vehicles. 

Pierce Manufacturing is a part of the Oshkosh Corporation, with four manufacturing sites in the Appleton, Wisconsin area and one in Bradenton, Florida. Being the technological leader in the firefighting apparatus industry, Pierce designed and built the first electric fire truck in North America. This technology demonstrator is currently in front-line use at the Madison Fire Department in Madison, Wisconsin. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is the recipient of a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, which will create a unique scholarship program for civil and environmental engineering students and help bring an increased focus on equity in infrastructure to the field.

The Sociocultural and Place-Aware Civil and Environmental Scholars, or SPACES, program will establish two cohorts of 12 students each, for incoming civil and environmental engineering students entering in fall 2023 and fall 2024. Eligible participants will be from low-income backgrounds and will receive a scholarship of up to $10,000, renewable each year. The program’s focus is on developing engineers who have a holistic community and place-based perspective and influencing the future civil and environmental engineering workforce to produce solutions that appropriately address justice, equity and inclusion.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Tommy Jacobs spends his days bringing people’s imagination to life. As a custom lead design engineer at Landscape Structures, in Delano, Minnesota, it’s his job to take clients’ most creative ideas for playgrounds and turn them into reality. 

“Every day is always different,” said Jacobs. “We are building a brand-new product in some fashion each day, so it’s never stagnant. But, it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs to have – building things for communities and kids to be able to interact, grow and develop.”

Jacobs is originally from Hartland, Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Platteville in 2010 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He has worked with Landscape Structures for nearly five years and oversees a team of nine engineers. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is bringing real-world engineering projects to students, faculty and friends of the university with the fall 2022 EMS Engineering Seminar Series. Free and open to the public, the series will highlight five engineering projects and insight from experts in the field.

“We will continue the hybrid format to bring speakers from near and far together to showcase exciting projects,” said Dr. Danny Xiao, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UW-Platteville and an organizer of the event. “In a time of unprecedented challenges, engineers uphold their mission: develop and apply innovative, state-of-the-art practices and technologies to build a better quality of life for our society.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently wrapped up its inaugural summer coding camps and hackathon, introducing nearly 60 high school students to the rapidly expanding computer science and cybersecurity fields. The camps – focusing on computer games programming, esports, and cyber defense – were the first of their kind to be offered in the region.

“We heard from so many parents a sense of happiness at seeing these camps offered and gratitude that they were offered in this area. They expressed that they had been looking for something like this for a long time,” said Dr. Afzal Upal, professor and chair of the UW-Platteville Computer Science and Software Engineering Department. “The students were excited and genuinely interested and engaged.” 

Dr. Danny Xiao, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville received the opportunity to learn firsthand about the inner workings of being an engineer in the private sector, through a faculty internship with Strand Associates, Inc.® in Madison, Wisconsin. During his full-time internship this summer, Xiao was assigned to assist with several projects that cover a wide range of transportation engineering. These projects included the East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Madison, the Flex Lane project on the Madison Beltline, the I-39/90/94 Study between Madison and Wisconsin Dells, the US 51 Corridor Improvement project between Stoughton and McFarland and the West Court Street Safety Improvement project in Janesville.

Dayne Friday, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and a member of the football program, was hired for his first internship through the online job fair during the COVID-19 pandemic. He completed his first summer and impressed his supervisor at August Winter & Sons so much they invited him back for a second internship.

Doing back-to-back internships was something Friday found beneficial for him, as it allowed him to grow more as an engineer. 

"This is my second summer with August Winter & Sons," Friday said. "With playing football, I only had two months with them. That is not enough time to really grow with the company and learn a lot. With another two months, I continued to grow in the position." 

Friday's growth didn't go unnoticed to August Winter & Sons Engineering Manager and Friday's supervisor Jeff Luczak.

More than 300 members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville community and tri-state region gathered to celebrate the opening of Sesquicentennial Hall – UW-Platteville’s newest, $55 million state-of-the-art engineering building – at a ribbon-cutting celebration on Sept. 1. 

“While showcasing our strengths in the recognition of more than 150 years of being Pioneers in education, Sesquicentennial Hall marks the beginning of a new era for UW-Platteville,” said UW-Platteville Interim Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich. “Sesquicentennial Hall will not only attract more students, but most importantly, provide more hands-on learning experiences that will forever change the future of our students and university.” 

When the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s newest engineering building, Sesquicentennial Hall, opens next week, it will be home to one of the largest makerspaces in the Midwest – the Huff Family Innovation Center – and Joe Bormann, the center’s newly appointed director, is looking forward to fostering innovation, among both students and the business community, in Southwest Wisconsin. 

With a background in technology education, Bormann brings nearly two decades of teaching experience to the position. For the past seven years, he has worked with at-risk youth in Dubuque, Iowa, as a technology education teacher at Dubuque Community School District’s Alternative Learning Center. There, in collaboration with the local business community, he helped the students imagine and develop a number of projects – from a gridless tiny house to a food truck.

Originally from Platteville, Rachael Hallstrom grew up close to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, but once she enrolled as a student, she found that the campus provided what she describes as a different world – a separate, unique community with an engineering education that rivals any bigger school. 

Hallstrom graduated in 2014 with a degree in industrial engineering and used her UW-Platteville experience to propel her career. She worked more than six years at John Deere, and held a position at Mettler-Toledo, before most recently taking a position as a senior product quality engineer at Vertiv – a data center manufacturing company in Delaware, Ohio. 

“I work on the new product development process, including new product introduction and quality checks on new products, as well as looking at continuous improvement processes,” said Hallstrom. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will celebrate the grand opening of its newest engineering building, Sesquicentennial Hall, on Thursday, Sept. 1. The $55 million building will adjoin Busby Hall of Engineering to create a 200,000-square-foot state-of-the-art complex that supports interdisciplinary engineering and computer science. 

At the center of the building is the Huff Family Innovation Center, which is slated to be one of the largest makerspaces in the Midwest. It will provide a space for community members and students across any discipline to collaborate and create, using tools in woodworking, metals, 3D printing, robotics, textiles and vinyl, and more.

In his 30-plus years of teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Dr. Samuel Owusu-Ababio, professor of civil engineering, has had a transformational impact on the education of countless students. And by instilling in students the importance of using that education to engage in community and international humanitarian service, that impact extends far beyond campus. Owusu-Ababio will be recognized at UW-Platteville’s faculty and staff convocation on Thursday, Sept. 1 with the 2022 Nimocks Family Faculty Appreciation Award. 

Dr. Jodi Prosise, assistant dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science and chair of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has been selected for the Class of 2022-2023 of Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) program. The ELATES program is a national leadership development program designed to promote women in academic STEM fields, and faculty allies of all genders, into institutional leadership roles.

Andrew Ricks has always had a passion for aviation. He began taking flying lessons as a freshman in high school and earned his pilot’s license when he turned 17. But, his engineering education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is what gave him the opportunity to turn his hobby into a career designing and creating airplane parts.

Ricks graduated from UW-Platteville in 2021 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

“I have always been really interested in aviation,” said Ricks. “I worked at an airport in high school, fueling planes. I enjoyed flying, but when I talked to some airline pilots, they told me that once you fly as a career, it loses some of the fun. So, I decided maybe I could keep flying for fun but also build airplanes.”

A group of faculty and student researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are working to contribute solutions to the increasing threat of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. With the help of the UW System Ignite Grant Program and several industry partners, including ABB Inc., UW-Platteville will soon be home to a smart microgrid cybersecurity testbed.

Beginning this fall, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s industrial engineering major will be renamed to industrial and systems engineering – a change that is driven by a growing demand for systems engineering.  

“Industrial and systems engineers are specialized in utilizing a holistic approach (systems) in engineering problem solving,” said Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran, industrial and systems engineering assistant professor. “Rebranding and restructuring into the industrial and systems engineering curriculum will make our program the pioneers in performance and productivity evaluation of people, processes and products in the state of Wisconsin.” 

"Rebranding and restructuring into the industrial and systems engineering curriculum will make our program the pioneers in performance and productivity evaluation of people, processes and products in the state of Wisconsin." – Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran

Ask a student of Associate Professor of mechanical engineering Dr. Thomas Zolper about their research, and the answers will be quite varied. Some have worked side-by-side with scientists from the USGS to combat invasive aquatic species. Others are helping to examine the resilience of the Wisconsin energy and information infrastructure against natural or man-made failures. And a few are getting a taste of a different kind of research, as they attempt to scientifically measure what makes people like ice cream. 

Dr. Sara Getz, assistant professor of forensic investigation  and Dr. Patrick Byrnes, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, are collaborating on a research project titled, Clandestine Grave Documentation. Getz and her team of students are tracking local temperature, humidity, rainfall, soil moisture and temperature in undisturbed ground and monitoring mock clandestine graves with control graves at level depths of 18, 27 and 36 inches below the surface. Byrnes and his undergraduate researchers are taking a technological approach by using drone video to develop an algorithm to identify potential grave locations.

Dr. Douglas Selent, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is bringing awareness to neurodiversity through his Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars (WTFS) Program Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project. The program, “offers faculty and teaching academic staff a unique opportunity to collaborate with other exceptional teachers from across the UW System and from various disciplines.” As a selected teaching fellow, Selent is finalizing his research on developing a game to be used in his algorithm course this fall.

A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville mechanical engineering students partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to help combat the spread of invasive species by designing a ballast tank injection system. The project was one of more than three dozen Senior Design projects presented at the spring 2022 College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Senior Design Open House. The team included Nathan Christy, Cameron Ertl, Nick Schroeder and Tom Vanderwyst and was advised by Dr. Gavin Saari of the USGS and Dr. Thomas Zolper, associate professor of mechanical engineering. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville was recently awarded the Anderson Corporate Foundation Grant in the amount of $5,000 for Women in STEM K-12 outreach and programming.

“Grantmaking through the Anderson Corporate Foundation extends the reach of our company’s community impact to more people and more communities,” said Anna Bosak, community relations and corporate giving manager at Anderson Corporate Foundation. “We are fortunate to be able to give back and make a difference through the foundation and are proud to support organizations working every day to empower people and communities to achieve their full potential.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is expanding the reach of its engineering programs with a new partnership with University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wausau.

The agreement, signed on May 16, 2022, will offer students in the Wausau area the opportunity to earn a UW-Platteville industrial and systems engineering degree through the UW-Platteville Engineering Partnership Program. This is the first partnership that will be offering a degree in industrial and systems engineering. 

“This partnership is win/win/win for our universities, our students and the taxpayers of Wisconsin and demonstrates how serious UW-Platteville is at meeting the statewide need for engineers,” said Dr. Philip Parker, acting dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science. 

The Robotics Club’s VEX U team at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville traveled to Dallas, Texas, on May 5 to compete in the VEX Robotics World Championship, where they won the VEX U College and University Competition.

The VEX Robotics World Championship celebrates STEM excellence as robotics teams compete in heart-pounding competition matches to showcase their game strategy, design and teamwork skills to be crowned champion. Every year, colleges construct two different robots, using custom parts and components. Colleges compete against other college teams in head-to-head matches on a 12-by-12-foot field. Matches start with an autonomous routine, where robots run off of pre-programmed instruction, followed by a driver-controlled period. At the end of the match, the field is scored, and a winner is determined for the match.

After several years of planning, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s collaborative Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is officially open to applicants, with the first cohort scheduled to begin in summer 2023. The UW-Madison wisPACT@UW-Platteville program will allow UW-Platteville students to earn a degree through UW-Madison’s nationally-recognized Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, while remaining on the UW-Platteville campus to complete the coursework.

“We’re really excited about this program,” said Dr. Wayne Weber, dean of UW-Platteville’s College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture. “This is a strategic initiative to increase access to health care education opportunities in Southwest Wisconsin and the Tri-State area, growing the health care professional workforce in high need rural areas in the region.”

The We Energies Foundation recently donated $5,000 to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Women in STEM program to support outreach and programming efforts. 

UW-Platteville’s nationally-recognized Women in STEM program offers many programs and events for young women and girls from fifth grade through college, in order to create a supportive community where women prosper at UW-Platteville and in their future.

“Women in STEM program individual and corporate partner support are essential in helping to create a diverse workforce for the future,” said Tammy Salmon-Stephens, Director of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Student Success Programs at UW-Platteville. “Our students benefit greatly from the engagement with these partners.”

In a year and a half, the Women in STEM program has grown from serving 15 majors to 35 majors, doubling the number of women on campus who benefit from the program to more than 1,000.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is continuing its commitment to sustainability with the construction of its newest engineering building, Sesquicentennial Hall. Set to open this fall, it will be the university’s first building to seek certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s internationally-recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Development rating system, known as LEED. To achieve LEED certification, a building project earns points based on meeting prerequisites in the areas of carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. 

Eli Trast, a senior civil engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville from Green Bay, Wisconsin, was recently honored with the 2022 Outstanding Senior Civil Engineering Student Award by the America Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Wisconsin Section. The award recognizes civil engineering students in their senior year who demonstrate excellence in engineering, academic achievement and service to the profession.

With sights set on creating enduring change in higher education, seven universities – University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Boston College, Drexel University, Rowan University, University of St. Thomas, University of North Alabama and Clarkson University – are launching a transformation of industry engagement in higher education. The intent is to help advisory boards move from a traditional advisory role to an active partnership in engineering education with a goal of helping institutions advance an entrepreneurial mindset in engineers.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering is offering three interactive summer coding camps for high school students. The first camp, Computer Games Programming, will run from Wednesday, June 8 through Friday, June 10. Cyber Defense, will take place from Monday, Aug. 15 through Friday, Aug. 19. The series wraps up on Saturday, Aug. 20 with the Hackathon, where a participant has the opportunity to win a $5,000 UW-Platteville scholarship.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will receive $55,373 in support from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin this year to enhance its water-related academic programs. The funding is part of a statewide initiative, backed by the Wisconsin State Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers, to tackle 10 grand water challenges and support curriculum development, undergraduate research opportunities, career development and field training experiences for students interested in studying water-related fields at the 13 UW Schools. 

Funding includes support for the following projects at UW-Platteville:

Dr. Chris Underwood, department chair and associate professor of environmental science and society at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is working on a project, funded by the National Park Service, to expand fire history research in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At the conclusion of the project, the researchers will have a spatially comprehensive fire and vegetation history of the entire park that dates back to the last major North American glaciation.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville graduates have been awarded the annual American Society of Civil Engineers Martin S. Kapp Excellence in Foundation Engineering Award for the past two consecutive years. Ryan Berg, P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE was the 2021 recipient, and Van E. Komurka, P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE is the 2022 recipient.

Each year, the award is bestowed upon an individual on the basis of the best example of innovative or outstanding design or construction of foundations, earthworks, retaining structures or underground construction.

“It was an honor to receive a national ASCE award,” said Berg, who graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. He is currently a geotechnical engineer consultant at Ryan R. Berg & Associates Inc. and serves clients primarily in highway construction and land development industries.

A dozen University of Wisconsin-Platteville students recently competed against each other, while helping local Platteville businesses reduce their carbon footprint and save money, as part of Trane Technologies’ inaugural Carbon Reduction Energy Blitz Challenge at UW-Platteville. 

The week-and-a-half-long challenge partnered four teams of three UW-Platteville students with a faculty mentor and a mentor from Trane. Students worked with a Platteville business to identify ways it can reduce its carbon footprint, exploring all areas from energy use to waste to habits and culture. Participating businesses included Los Amigos, Barbershop Rock, Driftless Market and The Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is helping to address the critical shortage of qualified math and science teachers in Southwest Wisconsin by partnering with local school districts and STEM teachers to implement a “grow your own” program. The program was created by Dr. Tim Deis, professor of mathematics at UW-Platteville, and Dr. Jodean Grunow, senior lecturer in UW-Platteville’s Department of Mathematics, after receiving a National Science Foundation Noyce Capacity Building grant. The program’s title, “E’s 2 STEM,” highlights its guiding objectives – envision, engage, encourage, establish, enumerate, evaluate and empower. 

A group of mechanical engineering majors at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are researching new ways to harvest energy and will present their findings to legislators, state leaders and the public at next week's annual Research in the Rotunda event in the Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin. 

The students are working with Dr. Edoardo Rubino, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, on the project, which consists of two components that share the same goal – to generate clean and renewable voltage, which equates to energy. 

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville students received the opportunity to conduct undergraduate research focused in the area of dendroecology, by assisting Dr. Evan Larson, professor of environmental sciences and society, with his project titled, “Groundwater Access Impacts Tree Productivity in the Central Sands of Wisconsin.” S. Blossom Ramos, John Rodwell, Grace Trenkamp and Lucas Turpin will present their findings at Research in the Rotunda, held in the state Capitol on Wednesday, March 9.

“Our research is seeking to investigate how groundwater availability influences tree growth and how that applies with resource management in the Central Sands region of Wisconsin,” said Rodwell, a junior environmental science and conservation major, from Cottage Grove, Wisconsin.

Dr. Mark Levenstein, assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is the recipient of the Regent Scholar Award for his proposal titled, “Aryl Fluorinated Ethers to Develop the Next Generation of Agrochemicals.” Through the recognition, Levenstein received a $50,000 grant from UW System to pursue his research.

“I’m humbled to receive the award,” said Levenstein. “It’s a new project. I’m excited to explore something new with students. I’m hoping we have some interesting results.” 

A group of civil and environmental engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are researching a solution for safer long-term nuclear waste disposal by studying the characteristics of bentonite, a naturally-occurring clay. They will present their findings at next month’s annual Research in the Rotunda event in Madison, Wisconsin. 

Bentonite is used in the construction of barriers for waste – from every day municipal waste to hazardous or radioactive waste. Its high-swelling and low permeability properties help protect the soil and groundwater below the waste.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville electrical engineering students will showcase their research project, “Carbon Nanotube Electronics” at this year’s Research in the Rotunda held on March 9 in the state Capitol. Devon Lee, a junior from Madison, Wisconsin, and Eliot Driessen, a sophomore from Kimberly, Wisconsin, are assisting Dr. Hal Evensen, professor of engineering physics, with his research in the nano lab.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville chemistry majors Brooke Steeno and Natalie Hayes will travel to the state capitol on March 9 to present their research project, “Turning on the Light: Developing Next Generation Agrochemicals via Organic Photochemistry” at Research in the Rotunda. Together, they are assisting  Dr. Ian MacKenzie, assistant professor of chemistry in the area of photochemistry, using light to power new chemical reactions. 

Phosphorous concentrations are at an almost dangerously high level in Wisconsin, says University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Olivia Kozlowska – an environmental engineering major from Chicago, Illinois – and it’s a problem she hopes her research will address. Kozlowska will present her project, “Evaluation of Filter Media for Phosphorous Removal Systems” at next month’s annual Research in the Rotunda event at the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. 

As Luke Strenn navigated his professional career in law enforcement, he always felt he was missing his calling of working in the fields of engineering, mathematics and science. Now, after 20 years, Strenn is preparing to graduate this May from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in mechanical engineering. Strenn credits the Platteville Engineering Partnerships (PEP) program with giving him the opportunity to fulfill his dream. 

“The UW-Platteville staff that is on the UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus has been super supportive and loving. I can’t emphasize that enough,” said Strenn. “Every time I would go back after taking breaks, I would be embarrassed. [The instructors] were always receptive, supportive and understanding.”

A group of mechanical engineering students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are tackling the growing problem of plastic waste in landfills by creating a way for anyone in any community to easily get involved in reusing and recycling plastic. They will present their research to legislators, local leaders and other members of the public at next month’s Research in the Rotunda event at the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.

Working with Dr. Jodi Prosise, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, the students’ research aims to create simple and affordable machines – that anyone can build – to increase recyclability. This includes a shredder, injection molder, sheet press and vacuum former.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is bringing real-world engineering projects to students, faculty and friends of the university through the spring 2022 EMS Engineering Seminar Series. Free and open to the public, the series will highlight six engineering projects and insight from top experts in the field.

“This semester’s seminars cover a broad range of topics,” said Dr. Danny Xiao, associate professor of civil engineering at UW-Platteville and an organizer of the event. “We will continue the hybrid format to bring speakers and audiences from far and near together to discuss how cutting-edge technologies are engineered to benefit the humankind.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Dairy Judging Team traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest, held on Jan. 16, where they took home top honors. The team consisted of four seniors: Emma Buss, Brianna Miesen, Brooklynn Hollis and Maddy Gwidt.

“Dairy judging has opened so many doors and opportunities to make new friends and connections in the dairy industry,” said Buss, a Belmont, Wisconsin native, double majoring in agribusiness and dairy science. “Dairy judging has been a highlight of my collegiate career. It’s sad that it’s over, but I feel very blessed to have ended it on a high note.”

A team of University of Wisconsin-Platteville biology students have been researching watersheds in Southwest Wisconsin to study mussels and the environmental factors that may influence them. They will present their findings in March at the annual Research in the Rotunda event, where they will have the opportunity to share with legislators and other state leaders the importance of these organisms to the ecosystem. 

“Mussels impact our lakes and rivers,” said Travis Tucsek, a senior biology and forensic investigation major from Woodstock, Illinois. “They are invertebrates and filter feeders, so they filter and help clean the water.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineering students have had a hand in some of the new or redesigned household appliances recently hitting the market and industry trade shows, thanks to a partnership between Spectrum Brands and the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science’s Senior Design program. 

The Senior Design program pairs groups of engineering students with industry partners to solve real problems or create new products under the supervision of both the industry partner and a faculty member. Over the past five years, Spectrum Brands has partnered with UW-Platteville on more than 25 projects. Products that students have worked on include a cold brew coffee maker, smart blender, griddle, hair dryer, hair straightener and a pressure cooker, among others.  

A group of animal science students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville spent a portion of this semester designing and conducting a feeding trial in broiler chickens, with the goal of helping Wisconsin growers better understand how to use and market hazelnuts. When the trial ends next week, students will partner with the Southwest Wisconsin Community Action Program to donate the 60 processed chickens to local food pantries across the Driftless region. 

The American hazelnut is a perennial shrub that is being developed for commercial nut production in Wisconsin and other parts of the upper Midwest. Producers have found, however, that if the hazelnut is too small, it is ineffective to run through the cracking machine and cannot be processed. 

Three University of Wisconsin-Platteville civil engineering students recently conducted research at MnROAD, the largest full-scale pavement research facility of its kind in the world, located near Albertville, Minnesota.

The research project, led by Dr. Danny Xiao, associate professor of civil engineering, gave Dylan Notsch, Will Straka and Nic Oesau the opportunity to investigate the impact of anti-icing on concrete durability and how to protect concrete infrastructure from the impact.

“MnROAD is a prodigious facility with worldwide impact,” said Straka, a freshman from Mineral Point, Wisconsin. 

“Visiting MnROAD was a great experience to learn about concrete and pavement outside and get hands-on, real-world experience,” added Notsch, a junior from Sartell, Minnesota.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Spencer Butterfield is one of only two student-athletes nationwide handpicked to represent the United States at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World Forum in Costa Rica this spring. This biennial forum brings together students, officials and other partners from more than 60 countries to engage in discussions on education, culture and sport. Butterfield, originally from Shawnee, Kansas, is a member of the men’s soccer team and president of the Pioneer Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  

Spencer Butterfield had a summer internship experience like few others. Combining his double majors in sustainability and renewable energy systems and Spanish, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior from Shawnee, Kansas, spent two months in the Amazon Rainforest, conducting research on solar panel policy in the rural community of Monterey, Peru.  

After his initial internship for summer of 2021 was cancelled due to COVID-19, Butterfield found a nonprofit organization called Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon (ASA), which hired him as one of its summer interns. Being located in Spanish-speaking Peru was the perfect fit for Butterfield, giving him the opportunity to also fulfill his internship requirement for his Spanish major.

As Melynda Vang, a senior from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, prepares to graduate next month, she reflects on the opportunities the University of Wisconsin-Platteville offered her, setting her up for success and a job before graduation. Vang is majoring in computer science with a minor in business administration, and recently accepted a position at Travelers, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. 

Vang is the youngest of six children and credits her family as being the biggest influence and motivator for her academic pursuits. 

“My parents were immigrants from Laos and always encouraged us to do well academically to have better lives,” said Vang.  “All of my siblings are great role models. We all took different paths so we can help each other out in a variety of areas.”

Led by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a consortium of four universities (UW-Platteville, Virginia Tech, Colorado State University, and Lafayette College) recently received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Under the direction of Dr. Philip Parker, interim dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, the Center for Infrastructure Transformation and Education (CIT-E) will use the grant to transform the approach to diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of civil and environmental engineering education.

Community partners have stepped up to provide support for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s new FIRST LEGO League, a program that introduces STEM to children ages 4 to 16. Corporate and organization donations so far have included $1,750 from Walmart, $1,500 from Veridian Homes, $1,000 from the Rotary Club of Southwest Wisconsin and $250 from Kraemer North America. In addition to these monetary donations, Envision Tees has also agreed to be the FIRST LEGO League T-shirt sponsor. Five individual donors have contributed a combined amount of more than $400.

"Walmart is proud to be part of the Platteville community and strives to be a part of its development whenever possible," said Josh Ovsak, general manager of Platteville Walmart.

Dr. Gana Natarajan, assistant professor of industrial and mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is being honored with two awards from the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM). Natarajan will receive the 2021 ASEM William Daughton World Headquarters Service Award and Fellow Award at the virtual International Annual Conference held Oct. 27-30.

“It feels great. It means my work and service has been recognized by the society,” said Natarajan. “I joined the American Society for Engineering Management in grad school. I’m originally from India and came to Texas Tech University for grad school and joined. It’s stuck with me.”

Dr. Pete Lammers, associate professor in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville School of Agriculture, is contributing to a $10 million project, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and led by Purdue University, to make Midwestern agriculture more resilient by diversifying farms, marketing and the agricultural landscape. 

The main objectives of the five-year project, titled “#DiverseCornBelt: Resilient Intensification through Diversity in Midwestern Agriculture,” are threefold. The project team seeks to identify a viable set of economically, environmentally and socially sustainable cropping systems that are more resilient to market volatility and environmental stressors and then deliver these new, diversified approaches to farmers, landowners and communities through a network of tools, training and resources.

Dr. Danny Xiao, University of Wisconsin-Platteville associate professor of civil engineering, was recently elected as president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers Wisconsin Section.

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) currently represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. The Wisconsin Section has approximately 2,000 members in its four branches and six technical committees

Xiao will serve a three-year term, starting as president-elect, then president, and completing as past-president.

After being accepted as a member in the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) last summer, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville was recently awarded a $290,000 grant to further its work in the Network and take the next step in advancing entrepreneurial-minded learning for engineers. The grant is being used to initiate a faculty development program to advance the entrepreneurial mindset in curricula over the next two years.

KEEN is a partnership of more than 50 colleges and universities across the United States, committed to instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in 100% of their undergraduate engineering students. The concept encourages engineering students to think more broadly about the impact of their work.

Members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville community, partners, and local leaders gathered on Oct. 6 to celebrate the construction of the forthcoming Sesquicentennial Hall – UW-Platteville’s newest state-of-the-art engineering building.

The $55 million Sesquicentennial Hall will adjoin Busby Hall of Engineering to create a 200,000-square-foot complex that supports interdisciplinary engineering and computer science. A massive innovation center, an accessible green roof, exposed building infrastructure, and several state-of-the-art teaching laboratories will make the building itself a learning tool and a national exemplar for transforming engineering education. 

“This building project is one of the ways that we can continue to provide our campus, our staff and our students with the best possible environment to achieve their academic and professional goals,” said Chancellor Dennis J. Shields. “We are educating students for the jobs of the future.”

Dr. Thomas Zolper, University of Wisconsin-Platteville associate professor of mechanical engineering and sustainability and renewable energy systems has been awarded a faculty research grant from the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership for his project titled, “The Wisconsin Strategy: Independent Infrastructure.”  Zolper is examining how to enhance the resilience of Wisconsin energy and information infrastructure against natural and man-made failures to reduce public emergencies. 

“It’s a great honor,” said Zolper. “The research is going to focus on energy infrastructure. It includes both the fossil fuels and electricity grids – it’s a pretty broad scope. Energy infrastructure generally denotes petroleum pipelines for gas and diesel fuel as well as electricity generators including wind turbines, solar arrays, nuclear, coal, gas and hydroelectric power plants, as well as all their interconnections.”

Already known as a hub for creativity and innovation in the tri-state region, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville will soon be offering additional services to budding entrepreneurs throughout the region with the launch of Pioneer Prototyping Services. In March, UW-Platteville was awarded an Entrepreneurship Support Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in order to create the infrastructure needed to help rural entrepreneurs turn their product ideas into prototypes.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, in conjunction with UW-Platteville Corporate Relations, is bringing real-world engineering projects to students, faculty and friends of the university, through the fall 2021 EMS Engineering Seminar Series. Free and open to the public, the series will highlight six engineering projects and insight from top experts in the field.

“A total of six seminars will be offered, two more than the traditional four seminars,” said Dr. Danny Xiao, associate professor of civil engineering at UW-Platteville and an organizer of the event. “Topics will include municipal, transportation, environmental, structural, construction and geotechnical. We hope the new hybrid format and increased content can further serve UW-Platteville’s mission: empower each student to become broader in perspective, intellectually more astute and contribute wisely to our community.”

Dr. John Obielodan’s work as a researcher, educator and inventor, as well as helping other inventors develop prototypes, make him a 2021 WiSys Innovation Champion.

The WiSys award recognizes UW System leaders, faculty, staff, students or community partners who have played an integral role in building a culture of innovation at a UW System regional institution.

A Resource for Inventors

In addition to his primary work at UW-Platteville as an associate professor of mechanical engineering, Obielodan stepped up to serve as the manager of the university’s Prototyping Center—a collaborative effort with WiSys—in 2019.

Dr. Mark Levenstein, an active inventor and champion of student research opportunities at UW-Platteville, has been named a 2021 Carl. E Gulbrandsen WiSys Innovator of the Year.

The award is bestowed upon UW System faculty, staff or students who make exemplary contributions as a WiSys innovator. The award is named for the former managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation who supported WiSys throughout his tenure.

Active Researcher and Inventor

Levenstein, who specializes in molecular biology and biotechnology, is an assistant professor of biology and director for the Master of Science in Applied Biotechnology program at UW-Platteville. He has been involved with multiple invention ideas submitted to WiSys and excels at collaborating with colleagues in different fields.

More than one hundred members of the UW-Platteville and greater Platteville communities celebrated the official re-opening of Boebel Hall at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 27. The university’s science building underwent a $23.7 million state-funded renovation to improve, expand and update instructional laboratories, preparation and support space, undergraduate research space and a general assignment classroom. 

Edgewood College announces a new, enhanced partnership with the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Now, students located anywhere in the state of Wisconsin can earn the UW-Platteville degree through a unique hybrid delivery of face-to-face and online courses, along with hands-on lab experiences.

With the Engineering Dual Degree program, students complete two degrees simultaneously. Students may earn a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Edgewood College, as well as a bachelor’s degree in either electrical or mechanical engineering at UW-Platteville.

“This new enhanced approach leverages technology and modes of delivery that make an already strong partnership even better for our students,” Andrew P. Manion, president of Edgewood College, said. “Our academic programs, delivered in a close-knit community of learners, position our students to achieve their goals, including the outstanding engineering programs at UW-Platteville.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Women in STEM program received the 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. UW-Platteville will be featured, along with 78 other recipients, in the September 2021 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 

Inspiring Programs in STEM Award winners were selected by INSIGHT Into Diversity based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research and successful programs and initiatives. 

New inventions poised to make an impact in a variety of fields are getting their start on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus, being designed, prototyped and tested by a UW-Platteville faculty member and students. Thanks to a partnership between WiSys – the technology transfer arm of the 11 UW System regional comprehensive campuses – and Dr. John Obielodan, associate professor of mechanical engineering, half a dozen inventions have gone from idea to reality over the past two years.

WiSys, the technology transfer arm of the 11 UW System regional comprehensive campuses, was recently awarded a U.S. patent for an invention disclosed by Dr. Fang Yang, University of Wisconsin-Platteville associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. Yang, and her co-inventor Zhao Li, of LY Grid Innovation, created a software-based micro-grid energy management system with proactive and comprehensive control.

Responding to the increasing demand for computing skills in the workforce — in both technical and non-technical professions alike — the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is rolling out a new Computer Science + X degree program, giving students more flexibility to pursue majors they are passionate about while acquiring in-demand computer skills. The CS+X degree is an interdisciplinary major that combines a core curriculum in computer science with most of the major requirements for another chosen discipline. Available degrees for fall 2021 include a Bachelor of Science in CS + Business and a Bachelor of Science in CS + Supply Chain Management.

Dr. Evan Larson, professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and his collaborators have been paddling the lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for the past 15 years to conduct a sprawling research project. Initially focused on finding old trees to provide perspective on past climate, the work developed into a career-defining project better understanding the relationships between people and historical fire regimes with implications for fire management in the United States, the perception of wilderness and social justice around Indigenous land use practices and traditional practices. After years of building upon their research, Larson; Dr. Kurt F. Kipfmueller, associate professor of geography, environment and society at the University of Minnesota; Lane Johnson, forest research specialist at the Cloquet Forestry Center and Dr.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently awarded six faculty research fellowships to help increase dairy-related research capacity through the Dairy Innovation Hub initiative. Known as the Dairy industry – impact and innovation - faculty fellowships or “DI3 faculty fellowships,” selected faculty members will tackle research projects in the Hub’s four priority areas: stewarding land and water resources; enriching human health and nutrition; ensuring animal health and welfare; and growing farm business and communities.

Caitlin Warren had a plan to become a veterinarian from a young age, and now having just completed her junior year at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, she is enrolling in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program at UW-Madison this fall, thanks to a new articulation program created by UW-Platteville. 

Dr. Chelsea Lancelle, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is one of four University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty members selected for the 2021-22 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars Program. The UW System program offers faculty a unique opportunity to collaborate with other teachers from across the system and complete a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning project. 

Lancelle’s project will explore the Micro-Spiral Method and whether it can change students’ perception of their learning and metacognition in a general education science course. The Micro-Spiral Method involves structured repetition built into a course. It has previously been used in a middle-school setting to address student learning and absenteeism. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is several steps closer to the launch of a new partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Physician Assistant Program. The new program, called UW-Madison WisPACT@ UW-Platteville, will allow UW-Platteville students to earn a degree through UW-Madison’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program, while remaining on the UW-Platteville campus to complete their classes. 

“This collaborative program with the nationally recognized UW-Madison Physician Assistant program is an intentional effort to help meet the significant rural health care professional needs,” said Dr. Wayne Weber, dean of the UW-Platteville College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture. “It is an incredible opportunity for students in the tri-state area to pursue their undergraduate degree in biology and transition directly into a PA program all at UW-Platteville.”

Dr. Austin Polebitski, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is being honored with the 2021 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. The purpose of the award is to recognize a tenure track faculty member who has made distinguished contributions to the mission of UW-Platteville as an outstanding teacher. Polebitski credits his colleagues with helping him get to this point.

“I’m excited to continue my progress towards becoming a full professor,” he said. “My peers nominated me for the award, hopefully it means I’m headed in the right direction. I appreciate that I have co-workers who thought I was deserving. It makes me happy and humble to be amongst really good educators in the department.”

Dr. Chelsea Lancelle, assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is this year’s recipient of the UW-Platteville Early Career Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes a tenure-track faculty member who has made distinguished contributions to the mission of UW-Platteville as an outstanding teacher. 

“I am beyond thrilled to have received this,” said Lancelle. “My goal when I entered graduate school was to teach, and I knew I wanted to teach at a smaller institution where I could get to know and connect with my students on a personal level.”

Lancelle teaches geology courses, covering topics that include physical geology, geology for engineers and hydrogeology. 

A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering ranked among the top teams, nationwide, in the recent Student Steel Bridge Competition, sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction. Twenty-five teams competed in this year’s event. The UW-Platteville team ranked eighth overall and achieved a second-place ranking in the efficiency category and third place in the lightness category. 

Husco International, a manufacturing and engineering company in Waukesha, Wisconsin, is giving University of Wisconsin-Platteville mechanical engineering students the opportunity to work full-time while pursuing their education. It is part of the Husco Scholars Program, through which the company will pay 100% tuition assistance for students earning degrees through UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships. Husco Scholars are mentored and work on a rotational basis, applying their coursework to hands-on applications. In return, students continue to work at Husco full-time for at least three years upon graduation. Ariosto Lopez Rodas is the first Husco Scholar.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is one step closer to launching the new Dairy Pilot Plant, thanks to a recent $10,000 grant from Compeer Financial. The proposed plant, which will be located at Pioneer Farm, will provide research and education on dairy food product development while also giving students an opportunity to learn about rural economic development, entrepreneurship and sustainability. The Dairy Pilot Plant will also be integrated into system level research on feed efficiency, energy usage and water usage.

The investment from Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America was the catalyst that helped garner additional funding required to secure an architect engineering firm to bring the vision of the Dairy Pilot Plant to life.

In January of 2020, four University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineering students partnered with the City of Cuba City to enhance the Presidential Plaza. This spring, the City of Cuba City received the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Main Street Program Award for its downtown innovation. The senior design team featured 2020 civil engineering graduates Chris Moore, team project manager, Dustin Reynolds, Kyle Samann and Ryan Schuppie.

This past year, COVID-19 has brought many challenges for Wisconsinites, with one of the biggest struggles being internet access and network performances. To examine the issues, two University of Wisconsin-Platteville electrical engineering students, Troy Januchowski and Jacob Hanacek, spent two semesters conducting an independent study with Dr. Xiaoguang Ma, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. 

The Presto Foundation recently furthered its commitment to University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineers with its renewal of funding for the Presto Engineering Scholarship. Established in 2012, the scholarship awards mechanical, industrial and electrical engineering students $13,200 each year. Since the scholarship’s inception, The Presto Foundation has awarded more than $700,000 in scholarship funds, through the UW-Platteville Foundation, benefiting 23 students. Recipients can renew the scholarship each year if they meet the academic criteria. 

Innovation and creativity will be on full display as University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineering students showcase their capstone projects to students, faculty and industry representatives at the spring Senior Design Open House on Wednesday, May 19.  

Dr. Holly Attenborough, associate professor of mathematics at UW-Platteville, was recently honored with the 2021 Distinguished Teaching Award from the Wisconsin Section of the Mathematical Association of America.

The Wisconsin Section Distinguished Teaching Award was established in 1991 to emphasize the high importance that colleges and universities in Wisconsin place on teaching mathematics. Winning nominees must display extraordinary success in teaching mathematics. At most, one award is given per year. Attenborough is the 25th recipient in the 30-year history of the award, and the fourth from UW-Platteville. 

Justine Horst, a senior electrical engineering major from Hartford, Wisconsin, recently had a paper published for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Integrated STEM Education Conference. Horst’s paper, “STEM Code Using Drones,” is based off of her undergraduate research and describes a methodology of STEM education that would utilize programmable drones. Horst’s research shows that by integrating a programmable real-world element into the curriculum, this method can intersect the line between visual and gamified learning and increase engagement with the student body.

How was your experience conducting the research for this paper?

University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumna Morgan Hartman, a 2018 industrial engineering graduate, credits her experience as a student-athlete with giving her the tools to become a marketing engineer for centrifugal water-cooled chillers at Trane Technologies in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Hartman describes her position as a multi-faceted role where she provides pre-sale support, meets with customers and helps the sales force team strategize and understand the market. 

A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are gaining a valuable experience in the health care field, while making an impact in local communities’ response against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Travis Clary, a senior biology major from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, is one of four students interning with the Grant County or Lafayette County health departments this semester. Clary works up to 16 hours each week for the Grant County Health Department, doing COVID-19 contact tracing, assisting at vaccination clinics and answering questions from the public. 

It has been less than a year since Katie Koenig graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and her career is already reaching new heights – from job sites in Washington and New Mexico to the occasional top of a wind turbine. Koenig, a field engineer for Blattner Energy, attributes much of her success to opportunities UW-Platteville gave her to discover her interests and build her skills, both inside and outside the classroom. 

Originally from Wausau, Wisconsin, Koenig began her college career at UW-Madison. She made the decision to transfer to UW-Platteville her junior year, where she continued studying mechanical engineering.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host Pathway to Progress: A Panel Discussion on the importance of Diversity in the Engineering, Construction, and Safety Industries on Wednesday, April 14, from 5:15-6:45 p.m. The virtual event is free and open to the public. 

“This panel directly supports a UW-Platteville Strategic Plan goal of enhancing students’ diversity, equity, and inclusion competencies through the curriculum,” said Dr. Kristina Fields, professor of civil engineering at UW-Platteville and an organizer of the event. “The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Industrial Studies have been partnering this past year to develop curriculum in hopes of increasing students’ confidence in construction.” 

UW-Platteville offers five construction specific degrees: civil engineering, environmental engineering, construction management, construction safety management, and occupational safety. 

As Trevor Wavrunek, a senior engineering physics major, prepares for graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville this May, he credits his experience as an undergraduate researcher with helping him with his next academic goal. “I’m planning to go to grad school and earn a Ph.D. in material science engineering,” he said. “The skills I have learned will transfer directly after I graduate.”

With near-record cold stretches and snow accumulation this winter, de-icing of Wisconsin roads and highways is a common sight, but a research project at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is studying the long-term impacts of these treatments on concrete durability. After receiving the Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity Scholarship his freshman year at UW-Platteville, Dylan Notsch, now a sophomore, is working on this research with Dr. Danny Xiao, assistant professor of civil engineering.

Jesse Ward, a senior, civil engineering major from Ladora, Iowa, was recently honored by the Wisconsin Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers with the Outstanding Senior Civil Engineering Student Award. The recognition is awarded annually to one senior-level civil engineering student who has made significant contributions both to the organization, their own academic career and the career of their fellow students. 

Ward works as a student assistant in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, assisting professors with grading. He has been an active member of ASCE since 2018, acting as the organization’s vice president during 2020, as well as a member of various committees, including the Planning Committee for concrete canoe competitions. 

WiSys, the technology transfer arm of the 11 UW System regional comprehensive campuses, was recently awarded U.S. patents for inventions disclosed by two College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science faculty at UW-Platteville. Dr. Hal Evensen, professor of engineering physics and co-inventor Charles Nelson, a 2018 UW-Platteville electrical engineering graduate, created the “Planar Field Emission Transistor.” Dr. Thomas Zolper, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and his team, which included alumnus Corey Flores, a 2016 mechanical engineering graduate, invented the “Variable Volume Flow Injection Nozzle.” 

Dr. Songqing (Joshua) Yue is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at UW-Platteville. This fall, Yue will be teaching courses in the new undergraduate cybersecurity program. 

“I would encourage prospective students to step up and choose a career in cybersecurity to help make the world a better place by combating the ever-growing cybercrime,” he said.

Yue earned his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Alabama. His research interests include cybersecurity in IoT, security risk management, and software engineering with a special focus on program transformation systems and domain-specific language.

Why is it important for UW-Platteville to offer the new undergraduate degree in cybersecurity?

Dr. Yanwei Wu is an associate professor in Computer Science and Software Engineering at UW-Platteville. Wu earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in computer science from Tianjin University in Tianjin, China, before attending Illinois Institute of Technology to pursue her Ph.D. Prior to joining UW-Platteville, Wu taught computer science at Minnesota State University-Mankato and Western Oregon University. She is one of the faculty who will be teaching in the new Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity program this fall.

Why is it important for UW-Platteville to offer the new undergraduate degree in cybersecurity?

There is a severe shortage and an urgent need for cybersecurity professionals in government and private sectors. By providing a cybersecurity major, UW-Platteville is filling the gap by providing much needed cybersecurity professionals.

In the fall of 2019, Megan Bunyer, a University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior psychology major from Shannon, Illinois, began exploring potential research topics, guided by particular interests she had in emotion, memory and sense of control. When the pandemic hit last spring, it presented Bunyer with the opportunity to explore these interests in a much more timely and novel project, as she set out to examine the relationship between knowledge surrounding the Covid-19 outbreak and emotion and sense of control. 

University of Wisconsin-Platteville freshman Eliot Driessen, an electrical engineering major from Appleton, Wisconsin, is embarking on his first year of undergraduate research. After being awarded the Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity Scholarship, Driessen has been assisting Dr. Hal Evensen, professor of engineering physics with his research in the nano lab. 

“During my first semester, I learned about the fabrication steps to making a transistor. I made a transistor out of carbon nanotubes and got to test it,” said Driessen. “This semester we are working on more advanced materials with field emissions from nanotubes.”

Often reserved for upperclass students at many universities, research has been a part of Kaylee Finseth’s college experience since nearly the time she first stepped foot on campus at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Now a junior, the Verona, Wisconsin native has been engaged in several research projects involving plant-microbe symbioses for the past three years. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host a panel of experts to discuss the latest information regarding the coronavirus and vaccine. The event – COVID-19: Vaccines, Variants and Community Health – will take place virtually on Thursday, March 11, from 5–6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science  is inviting students, faculty and the public to its Engineering Seminar Series. The virtual events are free and will highlight four engineering projects and insights from experts in the field. The first seminar will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m., featuring Dr. Bassam Zahran, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is being celebrated for its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) recently recognized the college with the Bronze Level Award for the ASEE Diversity Program – the highest-level award issued this cycle.  

A longtime supporter of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students, Alliant Energy recently furthered its commitment by pledging continued support to several College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science programs for 2021–22 and signing on as a premier corporate partner with UW-Platteville Intercollegiate Athletics.

Felicia Holmes, a biology major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has had a goal to become a physical therapist since the seventh grade, when she job-shadowed professionals in the field.

“I saw how they could help patients heal and get back to their full 100% after surgery or an accident, and I just really wanted to do that and be able to help people get back to their normal lives,” said Holmes.

Holmes, who is originally from Lancaster, Wisconsin, didn’t have to travel far to find an affordable program that would set her on this career path. She enrolled in the Pre-Physical Therapy program at UW-Platteville, and now in her junior year was already accepted into Clarke University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program for fall 2021.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s longstanding, nationally-recognized Women in Engineering, Mathematics and Science program recently expanded to become the Women in STEM program, allowing for a greater impact on women students across campus. Wrapping in additional academic majors – including construction management, industrial technology management, agriculture, geography, forensic investigation and more – the Women in STEM program nearly doubled the number of women on campus it serves, which is estimated at 1,000.   

Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran is an assistant professor of industrial engineering, with research and teaching interests in biomechanics, statistics, quality control, supply chain, engineering management and engineering education. He is currently working on a Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium-funded research project, with 20 students, to quantify the perceived finger forces with glove use. Additional research projects he is developing include the biomechanical modeling of text-messaging using smartphones and the ergonomic redesign of a one-handed video game controller. 

How did you first gain an interest in the field of industrial engineering?

Dr. A.L. Ranen McLanahan, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was selected by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) as a community catalyst. McLanahan is one of only 20 faculty across the nation to serve in the current group of community catalysts.

KEEN is a nationwide network of more than 45 engineering institutions, all of which have committed to instilling an entrepreneurial mindset in 100% of their undergraduate engineering students. UW-Platteville was accepted as a partner of KEEN in 2020.

Community catalysts assist in KEEN’s mission by connecting faculty across institutions nationwide who have similar interests.

When Nuria Madueno Morales traveled from her hometown of Lima, Peru, to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in January 2019, she expected to be on campus only one semester as part of an international exchange program. Now, nearly two years later, she is preparing to graduate from UW-Platteville with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, after finding opportunities and support on campus that made it feel like home.

“I was looking for a destination for my international exchange at a university that is very good in engineering, and UW-Platteville met all the requirements,” Madueno Morales said. “But then I really fell in love with how the professors teach at UW-Platteville. I enjoyed the dynamic of the professors. I learned a lot, and I started doing research on my own, because professors encourage you to seek more information, and that’s something I wanted to reinforce in myself.”

As mechanical engineering senior Rkia Talbi prepares for her final days at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, she is being recognized for her academic success and professional experience through two scholarships. Talbi, an Onalaska, Wisconsin native, was selected as the “Top Draft Pick” at the manufacturing career fair Internship Draft Day and named one of two recipients of the 2020 Alliant Energy Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Academic Achievement Award.

“I’m very thankful, surprised and shocked,” said Talbi. “It’s a great way to end [my college career] and start into the workforce.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host a virtual Senior Design Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 16, offering engineering students the opportunity to showcase their capstone projects to students, faculty, industry representatives and the general public.

The Senior Design program pairs student groups with industry sponsors to solve real problems or create new products. The students are supervised by an industry and faculty advisor while they explore all aspects of the project – from creative development and project management to engineering ethics, product safety, copyrights and patents, robust engineering and more. The open house will feature projects from more than 130 students in the disciplines of mechanical, industrial and software engineering.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Lavern Nall, a 1972 civil engineering graduate, will present at the final virtual event of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Engineering Seminar Series on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Nall, who is the president of Strass Maguire and Associates, a civil and structural engineering consulting company in Mequon, Wisconsin, will discuss the topic of Protection of Buildings from the Construction of Milwaukee’s “Deep Tunnel.” Nall will draw on his nearly 50-year engineering career to highlight different aspects of large infrastructure from identification of building damages caused by tunnel construction to preconstruction inspections.

This summer, Dr. Asad Azemi joined UW-Platteville as the department chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering. Prior to his move to the Midwest, Azemi was an associate professor of engineering at Penn State. His research interests are in the areas of estimation and signal processing with agriculture and health science applications.

Azemi became interested in engineering at a young age. It continued to grow after a family member pursued the degree. "I feel like anyone who is interested in math and physics tends to look into engineering as an option for a major," he said. "My cousin went to school for engineering and I followed."

Azemi earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UCLA. He continued his education at Loyola Marymount and the University of Arkansas, where he received his master's and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville chapter of the American Concrete Institute recently participated in the 2020 Concrete Solutions Competition, where students competed against 18 teams representing six countries. Held virtually, the competition tasked teams with conceptualizing and demonstrating a use of concrete that could positively impact the world.

Eight UW-Platteville students began working on a concept for the competition in mid-September. They brainstormed several ideas, considering innovations in pervious concrete and 3D printing concrete, before selecting their final idea for eco-friendly concrete.

“We selected this because we saw issues of global warming as some of the biggest problems in today’s world,” said Cole Nellis, a senior mechanical engineering major from New Franken, Wisconsin, and president of the student chapter.

When Beth and Gary Goldberg graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1981, they had no idea their degrees in mining engineering would take them around the world.

“It was far beyond what we ever expected to do. We lived in England for two years and Australia for three years. It gave us a whole different perspective of the world,” said Gary. “At one point I visited 25 countries and their capital cities before I made it to Washington, D.C.”

“Sometimes we look at each other and say we are two kids from UW-Platteville,” said Beth. “We have lived all over; what an experience.”

Dr. Afzal Upal joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in July as the chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department. He has more than 20 years of experience in the computing field, with an expertise in artificial intelligence and cognitive science. Upal has held several technical and leadership positions in the computer science and software engineering industry and government, however his love for education brought him back to academia.

“My mother was an elementary school teacher and I’ve always believed that there is nothing more noble or rewarding than teaching the future generations,” said Upal. “My experience in computing industry and government allows me to draw on real world problems to inspire them to develop solutions that will make a real difference in people’s lives.”

Wisconsin is known worldwide for its dairy products, and ice cream is an almost universal favorite. Yet what we love about it can often be hard to describe. Now, mechanical engineering professors Dr. Thomas Zolper and Dr. Bidhan Roy are looking at the science behind one of the world’s most popular treats as part of their research for the UW-Platteville Dairy Innovation Hub.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is hosting its third virtual event in the Engineering Seminar Series on Tuesday, Nov. 10, featuring alumna Lauren Ray, a 2001 civil engineering graduate, and Marc Ruden, both of IIW, P.C. Their presentation is titled Bee Branch Pumping Station: Solution to Aid the City of Dubuque’s Flooding Issues. Attendees will receive an inside look at what went into the planning and design of the project.

Since joining UW-Platteville in 2015, Dr. Hynek Boril, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been instrumental in providing students with unique research opportunities on campus, particularly through his creation of the Pioneer Speech Signal Processing Laboratory.



Boril earned both a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and information technology from Czech Technical University in Prague. He then started a position as a research associate at the University of Texas at Dallas, in the Center for Robust Speech Systems. There, he met his future wife, Dr. Yan Shi, who was completing her Ph.D. at UT-Dallas at the time. After graduation, Shi found a tenure-track position at UW-Platteville, and she is now an associate professor of computer science and software engineering.

Last week, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Industrial Studies hosted an open house to celebrate the newly-renovated electronics and industrial controls systems laboratory. Located in Russell Hall, the lab is one of two automation labs that underwent a $1.5 million renovation to offer students the opportunity to use world-class technology and give them an edge in the workforce.

The lab space serves a range of courses – from basic AC/DC to advanced automation and control. Lab activities include electronic devices exploration, troubleshooting, data acquisition and control with LabVIEW, digital logic, instrumentation, circuit analysis and simulation.

A new agreement between the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Carroll University will allow Carroll students to earn Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering without ever leaving southeast Wisconsin. Carroll students will complete UW-Platteville engineering courses in an online format through UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships (UW-PEP).

Dr. Kristina Fields, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was named one of four recipients across the UW System of the 2020 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award. The $3,000 award, funded by an endowment from Alliant Energy, is intended to recognize and reward extraordinary teachers at UW System institutions within Alliant Energy’s service area. 

“I am humbled and grateful to receive this award,” said Fields. “It is rewarding to work each day with faculty, staff and students who are dedicated to using their talents to improve the quality of lives for people in our communities.”

Fields earned her Ph.D., Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University. She began teaching at UW-Platteville in 2007.

Dr. Hal Evensen, University of Wisconsin-Platteville professor of engineering physics, is the recipient of the inaugural Dale Dixon Professor of Engineering Award. The award was established by Dr. Dale Dixon, a former engineering department chair in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, to celebrate engineering faculty excellence.

“To be recognized is humbling,” said Evensen. “We have a lot of good, young faculty members who really inspire me. Through them I see new and better ways to do things. It’s very gratifying. I work hard at what I do. It’s nice to be recognized.”

The award provides a total of $15,000 over a three-year period to be used for summer salary, professional development, research and/or student salaries. Evensen focused his budget on research, supplies, student salaries and professional development opportunities.

For more than 50 years, the Busby family has helped transform and enrich the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and greater Platteville community. From paving the way for UW-Platteville’s esteemed engineering programs to volunteering in the community and supporting students with scholarships, the Busby family – Edward and Lois, and their children John, Thomas and Paula (Latta) – have left their mark. To honor their family legacy, UW-Platteville will rename Engineering Hall to the Busby Hall of Engineering.

The Busby family moved from Madison, Wisconsin to Platteville in 1966, when Edward was hired as the dean of UW-Platteville’s College of Engineering. For the next 18 years, Edward played an instrumental role in the growth of the college, overseeing the process for the first ABET accreditation and the addition of mechanical, industrial and electrical engineering programs to the curriculum. He retired from UW-Platteville in 1988.

It’s an idea that has evolved since 2019 when four University of Wisconsin-Platteville engineering students and Dr. Gokul “Gopal” Gopalakrishnan, associate professor of engineering physics, discussed their passion for rock climbing and developed the first prototype of Skillzboard. The device won first place at the  2019 WiSys Innovation Showcase at the Wisconsin Science and Technology Symposium, and second place at the Prototype Hackathon. Today, Gopal; Brian Tuttle, a 2019 mechanical engineering major; Chloe Thomas, a 2019 mechanical engineering major; Bobby Hebel, a 2019 mechanical engineering major; and Seneida Biendarra, a 2020 industrial engineering major, are now partners and have started their own company.

The growing interconnectedness of smart devices – known as the “internet of things” – is changing the way the manufacturing industry operates and the products it produces, and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is continuing to lead the charge of ensuring that the next generation workforce is prepared for these changes.

At the start of 2019, UW-Platteville jointly hosted an Internet of Things (IoT) Curriculum Workshop to kick off the initiative to develop a series of IoT modules that can enhance existing curricula in engineering and related courses. The work was funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the University of Wisconsin System.

When Hannah Exner, a senior mechanical engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, accepted a summer internship offer last September, she expected to spend the summer of 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, working for Thermo King – a Trane Technologies brand. But when the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold last spring, Exner, who is from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, began to worry about the possibility of her internship being canceled, as she saw happening to others. Thanks to longstanding relationships with UW-Platteville, many industry partners like Trane Technologies, made it a priority to honor these internship commitments, finding creative solutions to provide meaningful experiences.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science shop supervisors are producing self-supporting plexiglass barriers to help protect the campus community against COVID-19. The shop supervisors are teaming up with the Facilities Management department in creating the two-foot by two-foot countertop items with an etched university logo and a slot to pass papers through.

According to College of EMS Lab and Shop Director Paul Dorsey, their first order consists of 70 barriers with each one taking about 10 minutes to make.

“We have enough material for 70,” Dorsey said. “We are in the process of finishing up that order. At last count facilities had work orders for 15 or 20 so far, but faculty hasn’t come back to campus yet so we are expecting it to go up quite a bit. We are working ahead.”

As the recipient of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s 2019-20 Innovations in Technology for Teaching and Learning Award, Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran, assistant professor of industrial engineering, will use the award funds to implement new learning glass technology on campus. Sponsored by UW-Platteville’s Teaching and Technology Center, the award provides faculty and teaching academic staff with funds to purchase technology with the potential to improve teaching and learning.

The learning glass technology, also known as a lightboard, enables instructors to record the writing that would typically occur on a whiteboard during a lecture, while maintaining face-to-face contact with students who watch the video.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science is bringing real-world engineering projects to students, faculty and the public, through the fall 2020 EMS Engineering Seminar Series. Free and open to the public, the series will highlight four engineering projects and insight from top experts in the field.

Area high school teachers from across Wisconsin met virtually with engineering professors from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science for the STEMStart Summer Institute. The two-day event took place on Aug. 3-4. STEMStart is an early college credit program for engineering. UW-Platteville offers two courses for high school students: General Engineering 1030, Introduction to Engineering Projects for one credit and General Engineering 1320, Engineering Graphics for two-credits.

Joseph Creanza, a junior soil and crop science major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, scored first place at the recent 2020 Student Research and Innovation Showcase for his project, “Plant Essential Oils as Natural and Safe Pesticides for the Control of Soybean White Mold Disease.” The event featured 15 students from across the UW System and was sponsored by WiSys, an independent, nonprofit organization that advances scientific research throughout the UW System by assisting with grants, patents and licensing processes. Creanza will receive a cash prize of $750.

Dr. Douglas Selent, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering, joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2018. He also serves as the software engineering program coordinator. His interests include bringing active learning into his classroom through different activities and gamification.

Throughout his career, Selent has created several applications including a machine-learning algorithm to derive student incorrect processes from the problem inputs and their answer, and an online learning platform called PeerASSIST, which was used by 60 teachers and 600 students. “It benefits students where they are hopefully receiving better content,” he said. “The system was designed to automatically self-improve to be getting better tutoring content to students.”

This summer he is working with a small team of UW-Platteville students, focusing on the topic of counterfactual inference.

Big data and artificial intelligence are increasingly ubiquitous in society today. From social networks and ecommerce websites to streaming video, apps and other emerging technologies, it is estimated that more than 2.5 million terabytes of data is generated worldwide every day, according to Dr. Arghya Das, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Analyzing this data, Das said, can help answer fundamental questions of basic science, social science, humanities, life style and more. However, laptops, desktops and small servers lack the computational power to process the data. Thanks to a recent collaboration with IBM and OpenPOWER Foundation, spearheaded by Das, UW-Platteville is now home to a high-performance computing server.

Dr. Aric Ranen McLanahan, University of Wisconsin-Platteville assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, describes the moment as humbling when he found out he was selected for the Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. The purpose of the award is to recognize a tenure-track faculty member who has made distinguished contributions to the mission of UW-Platteville as an outstanding teacher.

McLanahan strives to empower his students through the development of new teaching innovations. In his lab course he divides his students into consulting teams. Instead of lab handouts, students receive letters from a pseudo-company called Compressor Overflow Inc. According to McLanahan, the company then “hires” the consulting teams to explore problems on the equipment, find solutions and make recommendations. The students are then required to report to the company’s chief operations officer with their results.

Building on its tradition of offering active, hands-on and problem-based learning, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science recently affirmed its place as a leader in engineering education with its acceptance as a partner in the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN).

KEEN is a nationwide network of more than 45 engineering institutions, all of which have committed to instilling the entrepreneurial mindset in 100% of their undergraduate engineering students. By championing the entrepreneurial mindset, UW-Platteville engineering students will be better equipped to solve today’s grand challenges and build a better world for tomorrow. UW-Platteville’s participation in KEEN also supports professional development of faculty and staff by providing additional opportunities for collaboration and sharing with the other partner institutions.

Dr. Yan Shi, associate professor of computer science and software engineering joined the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2011. Shi’s interest in computer science and software engineering began when she was earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing.

“I started my undergraduate as an electrical engineering major in control track. After my undergraduate study, I joined a research lab in software cybernetics as a master’s student,” she said. “My main research focus was applying control theories to software testing process. This experience made me become more and more interested in software engineering and computer science. After I graduated, I applied for a Ph.D. program (University of Texas at Dallas) in computer science with a focus on software engineering.”

Donna Gavin, a senior lecturer in computer science and software engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and founder of Platteville’s Girls Who Code Club, recently received a grant of more than $1,500 from the Platteville Community Fund, which will help support new opportunities for both the middle and high school-aged girls in the club and their college mentors.

The creative concepts of five University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty and one student were recently selected by WiSys in the organization’s Innovation Challenge: COVID-19. WiSys announced the contest in April, calling for fast, functional solutions to boost local community preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From leveraging social media to designing medical devices, the UW-Platteville community responded with a range of innovative solutions.

WiSys offered $100 to those whose projects were selected in order to create a proof of concept or begin implementing the idea.

UW-Platteville recipients include:

Dr. Vettrivel Gnaneswaran, assistant professor of industrial engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was recently awarded a Research Infrastructure Program grant by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium for his research exploring the use of gloves and their effect on performing tasks – the results of which could potentially influence glove redesign in manufacturing, aerospace and healthcare industries, helping people select gloves to maximize safety and productivity.

To help combat the shortage of personal protective equipment during this COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jodi Prosise, chair of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and a team of undergraduate researchers are designing a system to turn recycled plastic into respiratory face masks. Prosise, along with mechanical engineering students Jason Hackbarth, Rkia Talbi and Mackenzie Darkow, were initially working on a process to create prosthetic devices, but once the coronavirus hit, they transitioned to personal protective equipment.

“It’s a system for recycling that will be easy for anyone to build themselves; in rural communities in Wisconsin, the Midwest or third-world areas,” said Prosise. “By the end we will have simple instructions so anyone can construct this system to recycle their plastic into face masks.”

Recent graduate Caleb Dykema is taking the experiences in innovation he found at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and inspiring others to achieve the same through his new podcast, Just the Bulb.

Dykema graduated in December 2019 with a degree in mechanical engineering and now works as a product engineer. As a student, he took full advantage of all of the resources offered at UW-Platteville to help students develop entrepreneurial ideas, particularly those offered in collaboration with WiSys, which honored him with the 2019 Carl E. Gulbrandsen Innovator of the Year Award.

Adaptability is perhaps one of the most important skills an engineer must have, and engineering students in the Senior Design Program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville this spring have had a chance to put this skill to the test.

The Senior Design Program pairs student groups with an industry partner to solve real problems or create new products. A defining experience for seniors in the engineering programs at UW-Platteville, this capstone project lasts an entire semester and culminates in an open house where students present the results. When the COVID-19 pandemic required students to transition to remote learning, students and their industry partners had to make some quick adjustments. On Wednesday, May 20, students will virtually present their final projects to the public during the Senior Design Open House.

A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students and one alumnus have found a creative way to team up, while staying at home, to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. They formed a UW-Platteville team to contribute to the Folding@home project – a distributed computing project that relies on people around the world to volunteer their personal computer resources to run simulations of protein dynamics to help scientists find cures for diseases.

After hearing about the growing shortage of personal protective equipment for health care workers, University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Sam Smith decided he needed to help those battling the COVID-19 crisis. Smith, a computer science major from Kaukauna, Wisconsin, started producing ear guards with his 3D printer. He can create five guards every two hours.

“I have been able to produce around 250 ear guards for multiple medical facilities and community programs around the state,” Smith said. “As long as people continue to reach out, I’ll keep the printer running.”

The purpose of ear guards is to help stop the elastic bands from medical masks from resting on a person’s ears. For some health care professionals, the elastic bands can form rashes and inflammation. Smith’s first-drop off was to the Appleton Medical Center in the Fox Valley.

Dr. James Hamilton, professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is working with the state of Wisconsin to produce tens of thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer to help protect communities from COVID-19.

“The state contacted me and those in the chemical manufacturing space to ask if any of us could produce hand sanitizer because there wasn’t any around,” Hamilton said. “Now we will be shipping to a state warehouse in Madison (Wisconsin) 25,000, bottles of hand sanitizer.”

“We are all sacrificing much for the COVID-19 crisis. I didn't want my students to sacrifice anything more than they had to,” said Dr. A. L. Ranen McLanahan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. To help transition his thermal systems lab courses into a new alternative delivery, he created four interactive lab-simulating applications for his students to download, calling the series, “Little Dude in Consulting World.” The apps allow students to control a 2D avatar who explores a 2D lab world from inside the classroom.

“I had the idea to use game creation software to make online material more interactive for a while,” said McLanahan. “When alternative delivery mode was announced, and students were no longer allowed to meet in the classroom, I went to work on it.”

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is partnering with a local hospital to help protect health care workers on the front lines of COVID-19. The College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science shop supervisors are using 3D printers to create face shields for medical professionals at Southwest Health.

On March 30, Southwest Health approved the prototype, and the design is now in production. According to the College of EMS Lab and Shop Director Paul Dorsey, the first order includes 50 face shields.

“We have all of the materials on campus,” said Dorsey. “We should be able to complete the order this week.”

To fulfill the request the four shop supervisors are working in shifts. There are three 3D printers between the two shops. They have also received an offer from Platteville High School to use their 3D printers.

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

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering is partnering with OpenPOWER to present the Big Data and AI Workshop on Tuesday, April 7 on Bo Ryan Court, Williams Fieldhouse. The workshop will run from 9a.m.-4:30p.m. Attendees will learn about the latest research and development on big data, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

Ongoing work, involving students, in analyzing, cataloging, and sharing the DNA profiles of native grasses and other plant life in preserves and open spaces around Sauk County will aid prairie restoration efforts in communities across Wisconsin and in other regions as well.  That’s according to research currently performed by University of Wisconsin-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County students Emily Forbush and Brooke Martin, who together are working to understand what grasses and plants make up a thriving prairie in the rocky and all-season conditions found near the campus. They will talk about their experience and their findings with legislators, state leaders, alumni and the public at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda event in the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday, March 11. 

Four University of Wisconsin-Platteville chemistry students are preparing to present their undergraduate research, learning biochemistry the write way: applying writing-to-learn in STEM, at three different events across the country. Frances Tempesta, Michael Schneider, Hannah Frank and RevaLu Ronnfeldt will showcase their work at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda in Madison, Wisconsin. Tempesta, Schneider and Ronnfeldt will then travel to the American Chemical Society National Meeting and Expo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Posters on the Hill in Washington, D.C.

UW-Platteville and Edgewood College are pleased to announce the Engineering Dual Degree that will allow students to complete two degrees simultaneously. Students will earn a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physics from Edgewood College, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in either Electrical or Mechanical Engineering at UW-Platteville. The two institutions celebrated the agreement at a signing ceremony held today.

“We are so pleased to enter into this wonderful partnership with one of the state’s finest universities,” Mary Ellen Gevelinger, Interim President of Edgewood College, said. “The benefits of the liberal arts education we offer - problem-solving and critical thinking – will be a wonderful complement to the outstanding programs at UW-Platteville.”

Students in the American Foundry Society Club at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville recently topped their previous successes in a regional casting competition by not only taking a first-place finish, but also earning the competition’s Imagination in Metalcasting Award – a first in the competition’s history. The team took home a total of $4,100 in award money.

The 2020 American Foundry Society Wisconsin Regional Casting Competition was held Feb. 13-15 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eleven students attended with advisors Dr. Kyle Metzloff, professor of industrial studies, and Henry Frear, associate lecturer in industrial studies. The team competed against six other schools, including large programs such as Michigan Tech University and UW-Madison.

Natural disasters are inevitable, but a group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are researching how an application can assist with disaster response. Jonas Wagner, Logan Shefchik and Keegan Smith are collaborating with Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Mehdi Roopaei on their research topic, device analytics for disaster response applications. They will be showcasing their findings at the 17th annual Research in the Rotunda on March 11 in Madison, Wisconsin.

The race to create faster, smarter and smaller electronic devices has consumed the tech industry for decades, but is there a physical limit to just how small they can go? It is a question being explored in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Material Fabrication and Nano Characterization Lab. Kayla Golden, a senior electrical engineering major from Muskego, Wisconsin, will present her research on nanoscale vacuum-channel field emission transistors at the annual UW System Research in the Rotunda event in Madison, Wisconsin.

“Transistors are basically the building blocks of all electronics,” said Golden. “Even your own smartphone has billions of transistors in it. They can function as amplifiers or as switches, and their switching abilities are used to create the ones and zeros in a computer’s code.”

As an associate professor of electrical engineering, Dr. Fang Yang specializes in power engineering – an interest she developed during a summer camp in middle school, where she had a chance to visit power plants. Now she teaches these concepts to a unique group of students on the UW Oshkosh Fox Cities campus through the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Engineering Partnership. Designed for working adults or students unable to move to Platteville, the program offers place-bound students the opportunity to earn their UW-Platteville degree in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering at one of several partner sites across the state.

How did you become interested in teaching, and what do you enjoy most about teaching?

Many wonderful teachers who had positively impacted my life inspired my interest in teaching. I love sharing knowledge with students and enjoy how teaching keeps me learning.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville Professor of Mathematics Dr. Chris Frayer will receive the 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award from the Wisconsin Section of the Mathematical Association of America. 

The Wisconsin Section Distinguished Teaching Award was established in 1991 to emphasize the high importance that colleges and universities in Wisconsin place on teaching mathematics. Winning nominees must display extraordinary success in teaching mathematics. At most, one award is given per year. Frayer is the 24th recipient in the 29-year history of the award, and the third from UW-Platteville.

For the past several years, University of Wisconsin-Platteville students, led by Dr. John Peterson, associate professor of biology, have been researching an emerging snake fungal disease that threatens to disrupt the balance of ecosystems across the country, including in Wisconsin. Next month, senior biology majors Sarah Bauer and Allison Sheldon will have an opportunity to present their newest research, which explores the relationship of thermal ecology and infected snakes, at the annual Research in the Rotunda event in Madison, Wisconsin.

“The disease is characterized by crusty scales, opaque eyes, abnormal shedding and early emergence from burrows,” explained Bauer, who is from Greenfield, Wisconsin. “The way I see it is that it kind of eats them from the inside out.”

Anyone who has touched a light switch in the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Ottensman Hall recently may have noticed a small green placard near the plate urging people to turn the lights off when they leave the room. That placard is the work of Dr. Ilke Celik’s Green Building Design students, who are trying to get everyone to think about how the tiny choices they make add up to big energy savings. Along the way, Celik’s students learned a sobering lesson about the energy used by devices and lights when nobody is in the room, a lesson which Celik, an assistant professor of sustainability and renewable energy systems, hopes to expand to other buildings in the university – and beyond.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students from the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science are using a creative outlet to enhance their education. Brady Zink and Sam Horsnell share a passion of science and ceramics, which has led their collection of pottery to be showcased in the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery until March 3. Their collection of art is titled Kiln Rats.

“It’s such a wonderful experience to be able to have this opportunity to show my work,” said Horsnell, a senior engineering physics major from Oregon, Wisconsin. “This is my first show I’ve ever been in. This is the first time someone has asked me to be in a show and celebrate my works of art.”

When you ask Dave Murphy to describe the goals of the UW-Platteville scholarship that bears his name, the recently-retired president of MSA Professional Services is typically modest. “I really hope that I made it easier on the students’ parents, on the families who are supporting them,” he said. “And I hope it makes a difference to the students.”

But when you begin to delve into Murphy’s career and life experience, you quickly discover that the civil engineer has blazed a trail that any Pioneer would be hard-pressed to follow—not least because if you follow in Dave Murphy’s footsteps, you had better grab a paddle. And some hiking boots. Oh, and a backpack, a sea kayak, a dogsled, a reinforced pickup truck capable of withstanding subzero temperatures, and some skis.

A longtime partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Strand Associates was recently reaffirmed with a $200,000 commitment from the engineering firm, located in Madison, Wisconsin.

“The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is an important strategic partner for Strand Associates Inc.,” said Matt Richards, president and CEO of Strand Associates. “UW-Platteville graduates are well-educated and well-prepared, and have and will continue to play a large role in Strand’s growth.”

Strand Associates currently employs nearly 50 UW-Platteville alumni, including Richards, who graduated in 1991.

“Strand’s UW-Platteville graduates recognize the tremendous value of their education and are honored to be able to give back and share their success,” said Richards. “We wish continued prosperity for UW-Platteville as it embarks on the construction of Sesquicentennial Hall.”

Somewhere, right now, on the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s idyllic rural campus, a battle is brewing. Dr. Doug Selent’s students are feverishly perfecting their programmed pets for Pokemon-style virtual combat, in a game tournament the software engineering assistant professor calls “Battle Pets.”

“The purpose of Battle Pets is to for students to learn good Object-Oriented Programming and Design to create maintainable, reusable, and extendable software,” said Selent, who launched the first Battle Pets project last year in an attempt to make programming skills more relatable and immediate than a textbook exercise. “With Battle Pets, I get to try a large amount of Active Learning techniques, which are drastically more effective than any lecture format (from my own observation).”

Renovations to Boebel Hall are set to begin in the upcoming weeks on the UW-Platteville campus. The $23.7 million project will renovate existing laboratory and classroom space to become instructional laboratories, preparation and support space, research and undergraduate research space and one general assignment classroom. The state-of-the-art science laboratories will serve majors from a wide range of disciplines including biology, chemistry and the newly approved environmental science and conservation bachelor of science degree program.

The State of Wisconsin designated capital building project money (not tuition dollars) for this important project, which completes first-floor renovations done in 2010.

It is no secret that Wisconsin has great fishing opportunities, attractive to both residents and tourists from surrounding states. However, many are unaware of a threat posed to the state’s fishing industry by invasive fish, such as bighead carp and silver carp. Dr. Thomas Zolper, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UW-Platteville, and his students, have spent the past several years collaborating with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to combat this threat.

“Invasive carps can grow up to 100-plus pounds and consume two to three times their body weight daily,” said Zolper. “They are able to outcompete many native species and threaten the local ecosystems that support the major game fish.”

Dr. Robabeh Jazaei is an expert in the characterization and simulation of advanced materials subject to static and dynamic loadings; but more than that; she is an expert in a special type of failure. The lecturer in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has forged her career around the study of failure mechanism in all its forms: cracking, crumbling, and collapsing. Failure that is not marked with a red grading pen, but with lives lost and cities damaged. Jazaei studies concrete reinforced by nano materials, because, as it turns out, conventional concrete fails a lot.

When Joanne Wilson arrived in Platteville to take a job as an assistant professor in general engineering in 1986, she could not have known that she was embarking upon a career journey which would last for 34 years and take her into some of the highest leadership roles the university had to offer. But surely at some point during this October’s Homecoming Parade, while riding down the middle of Main Street wearing the Grand Marshal’s orange satin sash, the penny must have dropped: her time at UW-Platteville has been a resounding success.

UW-Platteville students recently took part in the second annual Holiday Toy Hack. During the event, students from across campus joined together in Engineering Hall and made adaptations to toys so that they can be used by children with special needs.

Dr. Mesut Muslu is a professor and interim chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He is also a professor of sustainability and renewable energy systems.

“I came here [UW-Platteville] in fall of 1986; it’s been almost 34 years,” Muslu said. “I really enjoyed every minute of it. I love the students and the people I work with.”

Muslu who teaches power/energy courses in Electrical Engineering and SRES programs led the effort to establish a renewable energy minor in 2008 and then helped with creating the Sustainability and Renewable Energy Systems major in 2013.

More students at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at Rock County will soon be able to pursue engineering degrees thanks to a recommitment to a partnership and a commitment of resources to grow a longstanding program.

The agreement, signed on Thursday, Dec. 5, will offer UW-Platteville Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering to more students in the region through UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships, and makes UW-Whitewater at Rock County an official UW-PEP Site.

Walk the campus of UW-Platteville and you’ll notice a few things that set this rural state university apart; for starters, the gigantic chalk-white M which towers over the town. You’re likely to see surveying students marking chalk lines on all the available sidewalks, and slackliners balancing between trees. And if you visit the research labs and classrooms of Ottensman and Engineering Hall, you’ll see professors and students engrossed in exploration, working on problems that range from the nanomolecular to the global in scale. But one of the most unique features of UW-Platteville only becomes apparent when you step back and notice who those students are: undergraduates. Unusually within the academic community, UW-Platteville undergraduates have the opportunity to assist in research almost from the moment they arrive, building key skills and gaining real-world experience which helps them stand apart from the crowd.

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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. 

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host the 29th annual Wisconsin Space Conference on Thursday, Aug. 15 in Velzy Commons, Ullsvik Hall. The event will bring together faculty, industry, students and community members from across the state with a common interest in aerospace.

The annual conference is sponsored by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, which is a joint effort between NASA and statewide organizations dedicated to helping provide Wisconsin residents with tools, connections and resources needed to support the aerospace community in the state. UW-Platteville is an affiliate member of the consortium, and according to Dr. Katie Rabidoux, assistant professor of engineering physics and WSGC institutional representative, bringing the conference to campus is a great opportunity that aligns UW-Platteville’s institutional values with WSGC’s mission.

Sixteen University of Wisconsin-Platteville students recently collaborated with teaching staff at Dodgeville (Wis.) Elementary School to present Family Math Night for students and their families. It was the first time the program has been held for students from Early Childhood through fifth grade.

Students were enrolled in the university’s Teaching Elementary Mathematics course, taught by Dr. Jodean Grunow, senior lecturer of mathematics at UW-Platteville.

Under the direction of Grunow, students developed and delivered the program activities, working side-by-side with Dodgeville Elementary School teachers. All of the Dodgeville teachers, with the exception of one, are UW-Platteville graduates. All had planned and coordinated Family Math Nights, as UW-Platteville students, through the university’s Teaching Elementary Mathematics course.

When Sean Hayes heard he’d been selected for the 2019 Dawn Drake Excellence in Distance Education Scholarship, the impact went well beyond finances. When pursuing his undergraduate on campus at UW-Platteville he was focused on passing and getting out into the workforce. Now, as a Managing Engineer at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the father of two said taking the time to earn his Master of Science in Engineering online from his alma mater felt more serious.

“My wife and I thought a lot about a master’s degree – if we could afford it, if I could afford the time,” Hayes said. “Winning the scholarship is great to defray the costs of school, but it also proved the hard work is worth it, that I’m really earning this degree.”

University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty recently participated in Declaration Day at Racine Unified School District’s Park High School, helping students explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and careers.

Park High School, which has an enrollment of 1,400 students, celebrates a Declaration Day for students to officially declare their area of study and select an Academy and Pathway for their high school career. Closely aligned with STEM programs, the Academy and Pathway programs are novel programs implemented at Park High School where minority enrollments are prevalent – 35% African-American, 31% Hispanic-Latino, and 70% Economically Disadvantaged – according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

For exemplary contributions to Wisconsin innovation, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Caleb Dykema will receive the 2019 Carl E. Gulbrandsen Innovator of the Year Award.

The honor will be given to Dykema at WSTS, a two-day UW System-focused research and innovation symposium, that will be held at UW-Stout in July.

“We have been very impressed with Caleb’s determination and progress as an inventor and entrepreneur," said WiSys President Arjun Sanga. "Each year he has improved upon his ideas through participation and success in various competitions including WiSys’ Prototype Hackathon. It’s remarkable how much he has accomplished while balancing his course load as a student.”

Health care is an innovative and demanding field, but the work goes far beyond doctors and nurses. There are hundreds of people behind the scenes in business management, research, and more who drive progress. Krista Lea has had the opportunity to learn this first hand after joining the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota last year as a Health Systems Engineer.

Lea started her career in food manufacturing but was excited to transition to a role that would better utilize her industrial engineering skills. In her new role, she and her team provide management engineering and business consulting services to practices across the Mayo Clinic enterprise. “We help teams solve complex problems that ultimately benefit our patients in terms of care, value, and quality,” Lea said. “It is incredibly rewarding work, and I feel honored to do what I do.”

A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville mechanical engineering students have spent the past semester tackling a big problem that stems from a rather small animal – the zebra mussel. As part of a senior design project, sponsored by the United States Geological Survey, a six-student team created a test apparatus to infuse carbon dioxide into the water to decrease the population of this invasive species.



Advised by Dr. Thomas Zolper, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, the students included Robert Brunker, Hailey Mayer, Luke Johnson, Kolbi Lackey, Kian Costea and Sara Scofield.

The online Master of Science in Engineering program at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been ranked in the 2019 Most Affordable Master’s in Engineering Management Online by SR Education Group.

“The affordability and accessibility of the Master of Science in Engineering program provides students with opportunities that can help them achieve their career goals,” Program Coordinator Mike Zampaloni said. “This award reaffirms the important role programs like ours can play in preparing individuals to advance and excel in the workforce.”

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville faculty members are being recognized for their innovative ideas to improve living and working environments in Wisconsin. A yearlong competition, sponsored by Foxconn Technology Group in partnership with the University of Wisconsin System, among others, invited participants to submit innovative ideas that enhance quality of life, improve working environments, expand transportation networks, inspire creative city planning and promote sustainable energy solutions. After narrowing down an initial 325 participants, officials recently announced the top 12 final winners, which include Dr. Hanwan Jiang, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Fang Yang, assistant professor of electrical engineering in the UW-Platteville Engineering Partnerships Program.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Carolina, LeAnn Clark thought she’d finished her education. She’d secured a job at Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, as a mechanical systems design engineer. In that role, she performs everything from the development and documentation for environmental control systems to system maintenance and modification. Each day brings new challenges as she works with customers, suppliers, and colleagues.

Clark, however, has never been afraid of challenges. Her hobbies include everything from video games and volunteering at animal shelters to motocross racing and road trips on her BMW F700GS motorcycle. She has a drive to improve no matter the circumstances, and this lead her to the UW-Platteville Master of Science in Engineering program.

The second annual Pioneer Creative Activities and Research Day was held on April 24 and showcased the creative and scholarly activities of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students, faculty and staff. One of those projects was the Animal House, which has a mission to educate the Platteville community by introducing people to exotic organisms in order to generate interest in the biological sciences and teach the importance of conservation efforts, proper animal care and providing animal care, enrichment research and outreach experiences for zoology and animal science students.

Sixteen University of Wisconsin-Platteville elementary education students recently led “Power Up Your Math Skills Night” for students at Darlington (Wisconsin) Elementary School and their families.

The goal of the event was to provide worthwhile, exciting mathematics explorations for the Darlington elementary students and their parents and a meaningful public relations connection between the Darlington Title I program and the Darlington community. For UW-Platteville students, it was an opportunity to research and prepare enticing investigations and deliver them, tailoring them to the widely diverse audience of children and parents as they came to participate in the activities.

The UW-Platteville students are enrolled in Teaching Elementary Mathematics, taught by Dr. Jodean Grunow, senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and academic staff member in the School of Education at UW-Platteville.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host its sixth Senior Design Open House on Wednesday, May 15 at the Markee Pioneer Student Center. Nearly 220 students from the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science are participating in the event.

The Senior Design Open House will feature 42 projects in the areas of mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, sustainability and renewable energy systems, computer science, software engineering and engineering physics.

Seth Oren, a junior agriculture and technology education major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has helped to expand a branch of the agriculture technology company Crop Search into his hometown of Edgerton, Wisconsin. There are two other Crop Search locations in Okeechobee, Florida, and Vermillion, Ohio.

Crop Search was founded in 2018 by David Hille. According to the website, Hille has been involved in the agriculture industry for his entire life. After working with Eric Jackson, who has an education in plant science, Hille came up with the idea to use drones for crop scouting.

Crop Search is a tech-based company that strives to assist “growers, producers, and end users maximize yields of the highest quality products with the smallest environmental impact.”

From an early age, Marissa Wildeck was fascinated by how her parents and contractors seemed to know what would work for each component of her family’s many house projects. This interest inspired her to pursue a career in engineering and she took the first step toward that goal with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. UW-Platteville’s engineering program stood out to her because of its reputation, however, the family connection that sparked her interest in engineering intertwined with the university’s past, as well.

Caleb Dykema, a senior mechanical engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is currently working on advancing his second prototype of 1Swipe. 1Swipe is a new product that assists professors when they are using whiteboards or blackboards, helping to cut down the time they spend erasing.

“The idea for 1Swipe came to me in class during fall 2017. I was watching my professor erase [the board], and I could just remember him twirling his hand in small swipes. It would take forever,” Dykema, a native of Allenton, Wisconsin, said. “I remember watching everyone lose focus, falling asleep, getting bored, or going on their phones. I started thinking there has to be a better way to erase whiteboards, but after doing some research, I realized that there really is nothing else but those small handheld erasers or rags.”

Daniel Zellmer, a junior software engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, has been researching the topic of emotion mining on Twitter. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native will present his research at the 16th annual Research in the Rotunda on April 17 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Zellmer is being mentored by Dr. Suboh Alkhushayni, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering. They are classifying the tweets into one of seven emotions: anger, sadness, guilt, joy, surprise, fear and disgust. “We are trying to narrow it down to just one of these emotions per tweet. It may not be the only emotion, but to find the strongest emotion from that tweet,” said Zellmer. “We took certain hashtags and certain buzz words that correspond to each of our seven emotions and we use those words as a filtering criteria to establish a baseline for comparison.”

More than 325 middle school girls from across the tri-state area gathered at UW-Platteville on Feb. 26 and March 26 to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Alliant Energy Pioneering Your Future in STEM is coordinated by faculty, staff and students from the Women in Engineering, Mathematics and Science Program in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science and the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture. Amanda Trewin, chair of the biology department and Nadia Sifri, biology advisor, are co-chairs on the PYF Committee along with Kim Sargent, Women in EMS Program Manager. The event was open to girls in fifth through eighth grade.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are contributing to research on the properties of bentonite, a naturally-occurring clay that is used in the construction of waste barriers. Next month, they will present their findings at the annual Research in the Rotunda event in Madison, Wisconsin, where they hope to inform legislators and other state leaders about the critical impacts their research can have on environmental protection.

Thirty-two University of Wisconsin-Platteville elementary education majors recently led meaningful activities at Family Math and Reading Night for more than 100 elementary students from Platteville’s Westview Elementary School and Neal Wilkins Early Learning Center and their parents.

The UW-Platteville students are enrolled in Teaching Elementary Mathematics, taught by Dr. Jodean Grunow, senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and academic staff member in the School of Education at UW-Platteville, and in Reading, Literacy, and Literature, taught by Dr. Lindsay Hollingsworth, associate professor of education at UW-Platteville.

University of Wisconsin-Platteville student research teams have been experimenting to find the limitations of the First Contact™ adhesive polymer, which is already being used by NASA to clean its astronomical equipment, like telescopes, mirrors and lenses. Michael Schneider, a senior criminalistics and DNA major from Stratford, Wisconsin, and Caitlyn Guldenpfenning, a senior biology major with an emphasis in molecular/genetics from Letts, Iowa, have been working alongside Assistant Professor of biology Dr. Mark Levenstein to explore the abilities and limitations of the polymer.

The successful University of Wisconsin-Platteville Engineering Partnerships program will continue in the Fox Valley, UW-Platteville Dennis J. Shields and UW Oshkosh Chancellor Andy Leavitt announced at a joint news conference Friday in Menasha, Wisconsin.

UW-Platteville has been offering its accredited engineering program at what was known as UW-Fox Valley and other two-year institutions since it was approved in the 2001-03 biennial budget. Currently, 145 UW-PEP students are enrolled in engineering courses, including 56 in Fox Valley, working towards UW-Platteville degrees in mechanical or electrical engineering. 

As part of the 2017 UW System restructuring, UW-Fox Valley is now a branch campus of UW Oshkosh, necessitating the memo of understanding. UW Oshkosh offers engineering technology. Students can live and study on the Oshkosh campus and still earn the UW-Platteville engineering degree.

Two University of Wisconsin-Platteville chemistry students will present their research project in Madison, Wisconsin, at the 16th annual Research in the Rotunda on April 17. Student researchers JaLynn Schuh, a senior from Plymouth, Wisconsin, and Hyeong Cheol Yoo, a junior from Seoul, South Korea, are collaborating with Dr. Mohammad Rabbani, assistant professor of chemistry, on his research of post-synthetic modification of metal organic framework for application in toxic metal removal.

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is collaborating with the Platteville School District in teaching students computer science. Donna Gavin, senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at UW-Platteville, has piloted a program this semester teaching high school students C++.

Donna Gavin, senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been accepted into the Amazon Future Engineer program for her work with the Girls Who Code Club.

The Amazon Future Engineer program is a “comprehensive childhood-to-career program to inspire, educate and train children and young adults from underserved schools and communities to pursue careers in computer science.”

Students and faculty from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville presented at the Regional Materials and Manufacturing Network (RM2N) symposium on Jan 16. The symposium is an annual networking activity that aims to bring together the UW System campuses and several companies and industry partners from across the state to improve collaborations and increase networking opportunities. UW-Platteville’s faculty and staff led the way with the highest number of presenters at the symposium, and UW-Platteville students took home both first and second place recognitions for poster presentations.

In early January 2019, seven members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Engineers Without Borders chapter traveled to the community of Chinderi in Ghana for three weeks. Chinderi is about six to seven hours from Accra, the capital of Ghana. Their goal was to begin the construction of a new junior high school.

The students who attended the trip were Zeb Kielar (civil engineering), Justin Prochaska (sustainability and renewable energy systems), Matt Buffo (electrical engineering), Taylor Martin (environmental engineering), Brendan Carr (mechanical engineering), Skylar Lopez-Kohler (mechanical engineering), and Karisa Rusch (civil engineering).

During her time with UW-Platteville, Autumn Fisher has played many different roles—including one she still performs since graduating in the spring of 2017.

After obtaining her Master of Science in Project Management degree, Fisher started her current position as a regional director for CLEARAS Water Recovery, where she oversees multiple wastewater treatment projects throughout the Great Lakes area. The position is a good fit for Fisher, given that CLEARAS’s process involves using algae to clean and recover nutrients from contaminated water, resulting in someone needing to be versed in both managerial and biochemical knowledge to oversee project delivery—which, thanks to an undergraduate degree in chemistry, Fisher has.

Last winter, a representative from NASA reached out to Dr. James Hamilton, professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, requesting that he submit a proposal to the Small Business Innovation Research program. Two NASA scientists had attended a presentation of Hamilton’s at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena California in October and were impressed with his product. Hamilton has created First Contact Polymer (FCP), a peel-able coating that cleans and protects optical surfaces like those on giant telescopes and satellites. The purpose of the grant, that was awarded last week, is to develop a similar polymer system specifically for the special needs of the Starshade Telescope Project that will be launched in the middle 2020s.