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.
Alliant Energy’s pledge includes continued support of long-running programs, such as the annual EMS Expo, Women in STEM Banquet, and the outreach programs Pioneering Your Future in STEM and Girls Who Code club. It also includes the newly launched Women in STEM Scholars and Leadership Program, which aims to increase the number of distinguished women STEM leaders and graduates from UW-Platteville.
“We are so grateful for Alliant Energy’s strong support of our signature programs aimed at achieving gender equity in STEM fields,” said Dr. Molly Gribb, dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science.
UW-Platteville’s nationally-recognized Women in STEM program aims to create a more diverse, competitive and balanced workforce. Corporate partners, like Alliant Energy, help to make possible a number of services and events – for both pre-college and college women – that create a supportive community for women to help foster their success. Supported by such programs, women in STEM at UW-Platteville have among the highest retention rate on campus.
Alliant Energy’s premier corporate partnership with UW-Platteville’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will focus on community engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion. The partnership includes title sponsorship of the Leadership Lab, an intentional leadership development program for juniors and seniors in the Pioneer Leadership Institute (PLI). The PLI represents a leadership development and transition program for more than 600 student-athletes, 50 Chancellor's Scholars and 45 staff members.
“I am thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Alliant Energy as a premier partner,” said Dr. Kristina Navarro, director of Athletics and Recreation and assistant chancellor for sports administration at UW-Platteville. “This partnership represents an intentional focus on our shared organizational commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement. I look forward to our collaborative servant leadership work together through the Pioneer Leadership Institute.”
In addition to providing critical support for student-athlete programs, this partnership will enhance the game day experience as a lead contributor and premier partner featured in Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium.
The new corporate partnership restructure follows three main pillars to forward and demonstrate the value athletics bring to campus and the importance of the student-athlete experience – providing a transformational student-athlete experience, increasing philanthropic and corporate support and fostering a culture of competitive excellence.
“The workforce skill sets required in the energy industry are changing at a faster pace than ever, and our long-standing partnership with UW-Platteville helps us meet our evolving employment needs and build our talent pipeline,” said David de Leon, president of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin utility and a 1987 UW-Platteville graduate. “We’ve been honored to support the university and many of its programs. For example, we’ve been involved in UW-Platteville’s STEM program for many years and have been pleased to recognize some of the STEM participants with Alliant Energy scholarships.”