Three communication students spent the spring semester interning at the Wisconsin Public Radio central bureau in Wausau.
Assistant Professor of Geography and Geology Eric Larsen, an expert in satellite imagery, shared his expertise with New Zealand�s Department of Conservation in its efforts to plot the locations of albatross nests, and participated in a National Geographic science and natural history series that included his remote sensing of Aspen forest changes in northern Yellowstone National Park.
Wisconsin�s poet laureate and two musicians were among the featured presenters during Native American Awareness Week that concluded with the American Indians Reaching for Opportunities (AIRO) annual powwow.
An art and poetry exhibition in the Edna Carlsten Gallery, lectures, a piano recital and several panel discussions marked Women�s History Month this year at UWSP.
The student chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Department of Art and Design hosted the first annual UWSP nowHERE Design Conference, including presentations by three visiting artists.
Scott Johnson, a 1993 UWSP forestry graduate, was named director of the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station on Sunset Lake.
Paul Watson, longtime associate director, was named interim director of Financial Aid.
�Clash of Two Cultures, Crossing Cultural Barriers,� was the theme of the annual conference sponsored by the Hmong and Southeast Asian American Club at UWSP.
UWSP students sponsored several events to help tsunami relief efforts in south Asia.
Patti Clayton Becker, associate professor and coordinator of the University Library�s reference area, authored a new book, Books and Libraries in American Society during World War II: Weapons in the War of Ideas, published by Routledge, New York, N.Y.
Jerry Walters, an engineering specialist at UWSP, was recognized by the State Division of Facilities Services for �positive attitude and proactive approach in the administration of construction projects on the UWSP campus.�
The voices of victims� families and survivors of a 1959 Northeastern Pennsylvania mine disaster were highlighted in a book co-written by Professor of Sociology Bob Wolensky, co-director of the Center for the Small City at UWSP, his daughter, a doctoral candidate at the University of Iowa, and his brother, a Pennsylvania historian. Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Reflections and Remembrances of the Anthracite Coal Industry�s Last Major Catastrophe, January 22, 1959, was published by the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission Press.
The UWSP Student Government Association unanimously passed a statute, �Declaration of UWSP as a Civil Liberties Safe Zone.�
UWSP�s campus radio station, 90FM WWSP, broadcast the 36th annual world�s largest trivia contest, drawing about 12,000 players on 500 teams.
Dan Mitchell of Stevens Point, a senior jazz studies and composition major, has had two of his original compositions recognized for excellence through two national songwriting contests. His instrumental piece, �The Dawning of a Soul,� won the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers/H. Robert Reynolds Wind Ensemble Composer�s Competition and was debuted by the National Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. Mitchell also was named as Wisconsin�s finalist in the 2005 National Association for Music Education�s John Lennon Scholarship Program for his pop/rock song, �Anything But Fall in Love.�
Ashley Atkinson of Wittenberg, a senior resources management-environmental education major, and Sarah Orlofske of Oak Creek, a senior wildlife major, were selected to receive $5,000 Morris K. Udall Scholarships. Since this award was founded in 1996, UWSP has had 10 Udall Scholars.
Nick Scribner of Clayton, a CNR graduate student, was awarded a $5,000 National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) Centennial Scholarship. Scribner studies shoreline development and its impacts on fish habitats.
Kristy Schmidt of Merrill was named Student of the Year by the Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA). This is the second consecutive year a UWSP student has won the honor.
Three UWSP undergraduate students showcased their research at the State Capitol. Jessica Orlofske of Oak Creek, a senior wildlife and biology major, and Christopher Tyrrell of Hales Corner, a senior biology and ecosystem restoration major, presented research findings on species diversity as indicators of the overall health of suburban wetlands. Nicholas Jensen of Two Rivers presented findings on prescribed fire research on the Menominee Reservation.
The American Democracy Project (ADP), a collaboration between The New York Times and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), has linked up with UWSP�s growing sustainability initiative, and, in the process, provided art project paper for the Stevens Point Area Public School District. Seven paper science seniors were assigned a capstone project, �Recycling the NY Times,� in which they work as a team on recycling the newspapers and producing art paper using UWSP�s paper machine.
Amanda Lewin, Cudahy, a freshman music education major and trumpet student, was the first recipient of the $6,000 Andrew Naumann/Schilke Music Products Honorary Robert Kase Scholarship. Naumann, owner and president of Schilke Music Products, also founded Naumann Trumpets, Inc., a manufacturer of historical replications of Baroque trumpets from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Ten student �pioneers� from UWSP spent the spring semester in London serving internships in businesses and agencies ranging from NBC News to a psychiatric unit. This was the first opportunity for UWSP students to spend a semester interning in London under a new program sponsored by International Programs (IP).
Two new programs, �Talk About It,� featuring campus topics and personalities, and a Gem Critical Issues International Seminar Series, were aired on UWSP-TV, Cable Channel 10.
Brad Van Den Elzen of Columbus, Ohio, a doctoral candidate at The Ohio State University, was named director of UWSP�s Foreign Student Programs.
Professor Gerry Ring, interim chair of the Paper Science Department, was elected to the national board of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI).
A $20,000 contribution from Wisconsin Public Service Corp. has created a green roof project at the Library and supported educational kiosks on campus.
The Wisconsin Soil and Water Conservation Society presented the 2005 Chapter Achievement Award to Ron Hensler, coordinator of soil and water resources in the CNR and adviser to UWSP�s Soil and Water Conservation Society Chapter.
UWSP chose U.S. Bank to provide the banking function for the PointCard and operate two ATMs on campus.
Theatre students and faculty visited the Central Wisconsin Children's Museum for Theatre Day, an opportunity for children to experience hands-on costume designing, make up design, acting, set building, improvising and directing. Cast and production members from the Department of Theatre and Dance's "Seussical the Musical" helped and performed two songs from the show.
UWSP Student Government and Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group hosted a candlelight vigil to commemorate students who have been priced out of higher education and the staff members who will lose jobs as a result of further budget cuts to UW System.
Knutzen Hall, the ecologically focused residence hall, installed a fully operational solar water heating system. Costs were paid by student fees.
Andrew Koeser of Two Rivers, a senior urban forestry major, was selected to receive the 2005 International Society of Aboriculture Fellowship.
A joint doctorate in audiology, offered by UWSP and UW-Madison, was approved by the UW System Board of Regents.
Jodi Wilgoren, Chicago bureau chief of The New York Times, presented �Politics at 30,000 Feet: A Reporter�s View of the 2004 Election from the Back of the Campaign Plane,� sponsored by the American Democracy Project.
Visiting Artist Deb Oden, artist-in-residence at the University Place Art Center, Lincoln, Neb., worked with UWSP art students and gave a public presentation about her work.
Professor Ben Ofori-Amoah, chair of geography and geology, was awarded a $356,000 Rockefeller Foundation grant to build geographic information systems throughout the country of Uganda.
Good Stuff: The Story of a Man, a Dream and a Whole Lotta Kites, a film directed by Matt Nie, a UWSP communication graduate student, was named Best Short Film at this year�s Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was the keynote speaker at the 20th biennial Melvin R. Laird Youth Leadership Day at UWSP.
James F. Frechette, creator of the Menominee Clans Story, a series of hand-carved wooden figures exhibited in the UWSP Albertson Learning Resources Center, received the Laird Youth Leadership Foundation Award for Leadership in Art.
Jessica Orlofske of Oak Creek, Christopher Tyrell of Hales Corners and Nicholas Jensen of Two Rivers presented the findings from their research projects during �Posters in the Rotunda: A Celebration of Undergraduate Research� at the State Capitol.
James Stokes, an English professor and scholar of early English drama, was the inaugural speaker at the first University Evening, a celebration of faculty excellence at UWSP.
David Dumke, interim head of information technology, was named to the position of director of information technology, overseeing UWSP�s technology infrastructure and services for administrative information systems, academic computing, telecommunications and telephone support.
The School of Education sponsors Teachers 2010+ Teaching for the Future, a biannual program to promote and encourage multicultural middle school students to explore the positive aspects of a career in teacher education.
The 2005 UWSP Student Employee of the Year is Catherine Duemler of Brodhead, who works as student manager in the UWSP Foundation Office. On-Campus Employer of the Year is Susan Crotteau, assistant director of the University Centers, and Off-Campus Employer of the Year is Tehri Parker, executive director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. They were honored during Student Employment Week in April.
The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Foundation recognized the voice area in the Department of Music with a 2005 Vocal Excellence Award. UWSP is one of only three programs to earn the award in 2005.
Christopher Hartleb, a UWSP biologist and aquaculture specialist, is studying the feasibility of raising freshwater prawns in Wisconsin.
Valentina Peguero, a professor of history, was appointed by the library of Congress as one of the 130 contributing editors from around the world who choose works for a guide of materials published on Latin America. She will review works about the Hispanic Caribbean countries of Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico for the library�s Handbook on Latin American Studies.
Azaree Lintereur of Tomahawk, a physics major at UWSP, became the seventh UWSP student to win the prestigious, federally funded Goldwater Scholarship awarded to undergraduates with exceptional potential for a career in science. It carries a yearly stipend of $7,500.
Fred Bubolz, Marshfield, Shane Kole, Wausau, Rachel Leach, Stevens Point, Maryani Liauw, Indonesia, and Tom Stanislawski, Rosholt, senior students in UWSP�s Division of Business and Economics, won the Lydecker Award for Best Overall Business Plan at the Young Entrepreneurs Conference at UW-River Falls.
Nelson Hall, the second-oldest building on campus and the oldest existing dormitory of the former State Normal School System, has been added to the state Registry of Historic Places and is therefore nominated for the National Registry of Historic Places. Professor of History Eric Yonke and Professor Kathe (Stumpf) Julin, head of the Division of Interior Architecture, wrote the application, supported by University Affairs Historic Preservation Subcommittee.
Jeremy Solin, UWSP�s Wisconsin school forest education specialist, is informing school districts about how to gather data on garlic mustard encroachment into their school forests. The pilot program is funded by the Wisconsin DNR Citizen-Based Monitoring Program.
Stevens Point native and former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice William A. Bablitch and graduating senior Nicole Wilson of Seymour, Class of 2005 representative, addressed 1,200 spring graduates and their families at two May commencement ceremonies at Quandt Fieldhouse.
Darcy Lang of Oshkosh and Ginny Brooks of Rochester, Minn., had their work selected as best of show in the categories of posters and advertisements at �Wisconsin Concepts,� a juried student graphic design competition at Nicolet College in Rhinelander.
Tom Charlesworth and Doug Moore, media specialists in News Services, received top awards for their work in a juried photography exhibition at the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center in Wisconsin Rapids.
Daniel S. Kellogg, a student records manager at the University of Iowa�s School of Engineering, has been named the new registrar at UWSP, succeeding Larry Sipiorski, interim registrar who retires in July, and registrar emeritus Dave Eckholm.
UWSP�s Student Government Association issued a statement on the Joint Finance Committee cuts to the UW System budget, calling the committee�s �decision to gut funding to the UW System, a disgrace to Wisconsin values and priorities.�
Jeffrey Morin, chair of the department of art and design, was appointed dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, succeeding Gerard McKenna, who retires this summer.
Stephen Bondeson, a professor of chemistry who has served two interim administrative positions at UWSP, was named associate vice chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Academic Programs.
Laura Gehrman Rottier, a 2002 alumna of UWSP, assistant director of annual giving at Lawrence University, was named director of UWSP Alumni Affairs.
ATHLETICS
UWSP senior Amanda Nechuta of Mosinee was named State Farm /NCAA Division III National Player of the Year by the Women�s Basketball Coaches Association, Division III Kodak All-American, and first-team All-American by D3hoops.
Matt Legel of Crystal Lake, Ill., a senior biology major, was named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Co-Scholar Athlete in Men�s Outdoor Track and Field and Charles Brehm of Spencer, a senior physical education major, was named WIAC Co-Scholar-Athlete in Baseball.
