Former leaders of International Programs pledged $90,000 to establish scholarships for students who want to study abroad.

Christine Thomas, associate dean of the College of Natural Resources, was appointed to the state Natural Resources Board by Gov. Jim Doyle.

Michael Dombeck, Global Environmental Management (GEM) Pioneer Professor and UW System Fellow of Global Conservation, received the 2003 Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Conservation Biology. A 1971 graduate of UWSP, he is the only person ever to have led the nation�s two largest public land management agencies, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land management. He returned to UWSP in 2001.

Ten students received the Chancellor�s Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Creativity Awards. They were given $1,000 for participation and attendance at the UW System Symposium for Undergraduate Research at UW-Eau Claire in April and the 17^th National Conference on Undergraduate Research in March in Salt Lake City.

The first �Arts Bash� featuring visual art, design, theater and dance, was held during February in the Fine Arts Center to benefit a student scholarship endowment.

�Dismantling Racism Through Diversity Circles,� small groups of people talking together about important public issues, were sponsored by UWSP in collaboration with UW-Parkside.

Bob and Marilyn Worth, jazz enthusiasts and longtime friends of UWSP, established a $10,000 jazz program endowment in the College of Fine Arts and Communication to assist the UWSP Jazz Ensemble and jazz studies students in the Department of Music.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized the UWSP UW-Extension Lakes Program with the Clean Water Leader Award for outstanding leadership and accomplishments in water resources protection over the past 30 years. The staff published a manual, How�s the Water? Planning for Recreational Use on Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers. They also gave northern communities information through workshops and tool kits to prevent the spread of Eurasian Water Milfoil and other aquatic exotics.

Bill Meyer, retired provost, returned to UWSP to serve as interim assistant to the chancellor for University Advancement for several months following the resignation of Bruce Froehlke.

Zha Blong Xiong, the first Hmong faculty member at the University of Minnesota, headlined an annual regional Hmong conference at UWSP.

Students pursuing careers in teaching through the UWSP School of Education began creating electronic professional portfolios with support from a $25,000
UW System grant.

The first anniversary of the opening of the Wisconsin Learning Center, the result of a partnership among UWSP, Mid-State Technical College and Portage County Business Council Foundation, was marked with a Business After Hours event in February.

ROTC Cadet Courtney Clarksen of Two Rivers was selected to represent UWSP and Army ROTC 2^nd Brigade by the Olmstead Foundation Cadet Overseas Travel and Cultural Immersion Program. The program gives a select group of ROTC students the opportunity to visit a country where English is not the primary language.

UW System named Diane Bywaters of art and design and Joan Karlen of theatre and dance Wisconsin Teaching Scholars, and Brad Hinaus of physics and astronomy and Barbara Mihm of business and economics Wisconsin Teaching Fellows.

A Grand Slam campaign for the College of Letters and Science with a goal of raising $100,000 for teaching and learning within the college, was launched at a reception in March.

Professor Jim Ramsay, coordinator of UWSP�s safety and health protection minor, was elected vice chair and two years later, chair of the National Safety Council�s Health Care Section.

For the fourth year in a row, a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Refugee Teacher Training Grant to UWSP helped increase certified Southeast Asian refugee classroom teachers in Wisconsin.

Michael Dombeck, Pioneer Professor of Global Environmental Management and UW System Fellow of Global Conservation at the College of Natural Resources, greeted guests and signed copies of his new book in the University Store of the University Center. It was the first in a series of similar events throughout the country for the former head of the USDA Forest Service.

During its third year, nineteen tutors from UWSP participated in �America Reads� at six public schools and three Catholic schools in Stevens Point.

Associate Professor Theresa Kaminski, a specialist in 20^th century American women�s history, was invited to visit Chiba University in Japan for two weeks.

Darek Huckbody of Wausau, a junior political science major, received the George C. Marshall Award presented annually to the most outstanding cadet in UWSP�s Army ROTC program.

Indoor spaces at UWSP became smoke free in the fall. The Residence Hall Association banned smoking in all residence halls and the University Centers Policy Board decided to outlaw smoking in the University Center.

Claudia Rudolph of Fond du Lac and Julie Eberhardy-Baird of Belleville, two recent UWSP graduates, were the sole winners of the first student awards given by the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. They received silver awards for their design of �Crowley�s Ridge Nature Center,� a thesis project completed in their senior year.

Richard Wilke, UW System Distinguished Professor of Environmental Education at UWSP, was named to the board of the Wisconsin Stewardship Network.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funded a $53,000 grant to UWSP and
UW-Extension to educate and assist communities with sewage treatment facilities in their efforts to lower mercury and other harmful substances in their wastewater discharges.

�Oliver Button is a Sissy,� a production with original music by Alan Shorter, assistant professor of theatre and dance, was performed at Harold Washington Library Auditorium in Chicago, Carnegie Hall in New York and Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

UWSP�s Student Government Association and Student Legal Society co-sponsored a debate between Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Edward Brunner and Pat Roggensack.

Michael Zsido, adviser to the Residence Hall Association, was named Adviser of the Year by the Wisconsin United Residence Hall Association and the UWSP National Residence Hall Honorary chapter received the Building Block of the Year Award.

A new student organization, the Society for Ecological Restoration, was established at UWSP. Professor of Forestry Alan Haney advised the chapter whose purpose was to increase ecological awareness and assist in the recovery and management of ecosystems.

UWSP hosted a Regents listening session on the proposed 2003-05 state budget in March.

Family Adventure Vacations, including meals, lodging and programs, were held at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station on Sunset Lake during the summer.

Chancellor Tom George and Beth Richlen, president of Student Government Association, testified on behalf of the university at a public hearing of Wisconsin�s Joint Finance Committee in Rhinelander.

Jonathan DeNardis of Marshfield, a senior philosophy and international studies major and exchange student at Dokkyo University, was the first American student intern at Soka City Hall in Japan.

UWSP�s Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education hosted several environmental editors from Japan during a three-day tour of the state.

UWSP became a signatory of the international Talloires Declaration of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future, a group concerned about the state of the world that spelled out key actions universities must take to create a sustainable future.

Trumpet artist Robert Kase, professor and chair of the Department of Music, was commissioned to compose a work for the Alumni Association of his alma mater, the University of North Texas, Denton, in honor of his former professor, John Haynie.

Associate Professor of Art and Design Kristin Thielking was awarded a $5,000 grant from the University Personnel Development Committee for the construction of a glass-working kiln.

David Langlois, Elgin Ill., a senior organizational communication major and employee of Multicultural Affairs, was named Student Employee of the Year, Sue Beeken of Point Card Office was chosen On-Campus Employer of the Year, and Mike Houlihan of Portage House received the Off-Campus Employer of the Year designation. They were honored during Student Employment Week at UWSP.

Four master�s degree candidates in the CNR were awarded the 2003 Gaylord Nelson Earth Day Fellowship from the Wilderness Society for contributions toward promoting conservation ethics and environmental education and for future leadership potential in the field.

Annie Wetter, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics, coordinated an ongoing partnership between UWSP dietetics students and the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary. A product of this collaboration was a series of heart healthy recipes containing potatoes.

The Division of Communication hosted Communicare, two days of events with the intention of uniting people and sharing ideas.

Web and Digital Media Development, a new major housed in the Department of Mathematics and Computing, was approved by the UW System Board of Regents. It was designed to use technology to create, communicate and collaborate with an emphasis on the world of business and commerce.

Annual Lectures on Poland offered a $500 scholarship to a student of Polish descent who participated in International Programs semester abroad in Poland.

UWSP hosted the state�s first groundwater festival, an event to teach people about protecting and conserving Wisconsin�s Groundwater.

William C. Rowe, chief of the Clinton County Sheriff�s Office in Clinton, Iowa, for 13 years, was named director of Protective Services at UWSP.

A publication and CD-ROM, �Advancing Education Through Environmental Literacy,� produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency�s environmental education training program at UWSP, was distributed nationwide to 15,000 school superintendents and curriculum directors.

Sculptors Paul Yank, Cedarburg, and his daughter, Karen Yank, Sandia Park, N.M., were the recipients of the Laird Youth Leadership Foundation Award for Leadership in Art.

Abigail Ruskey, co-director of the National Environmental Education Advancement Project (NEAP) at UWSP, was named president-elect of the North American Association for Environmental Education, a 2,500-member group with more than 70 institutional members dedicated to the support of environmental education.

Six students of the Department of Art and Design received recognition at the 17^th Annual Brass Ring Awards, a juried design competition at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City. The UWSP students competed with more than 450 entries from student artists in six states.

UWSP had an opportunity to highlight some of its most noteworthy programs when the UW System Board of Regents held its monthly meeting on campus.

Michael Dombeck, former chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Global Environmental Management (GEM) Pioneer Professor and UW System Fellow of Global Conservation at UWSP, addressed the spring graduating class. Beth Ann Richlen of Milwaukee, president of the Student Government Association and Albertson Medallion winner, gave the student address.

Jim Joque, an adventure education instructor, was named Wisconsin�s first advocate for Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, a nonprofit program to reduce the impact that recreation has on natural environments.

Chancellor Thomas F. George was named a 2003 Distinguished Alumnus of one of his alma maters, the Friends� Central School in Philadelphia.

Senator-elect Julie Lassa, a 1993 UWSP graduate, was sworn in as senator for the 24^th State Senate District. The Honorable William Bablitch, retiring justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, presided over the ceremony in the Fine Arts Center.

Associate Professor Cathy Palmini published �The Broad Lakes Roll Between Us: Wisconsin Women�s Letters Home� in the spring issue of Inland Seas: The Quarterly Journal of the Great Lakes Historical Society.

Assistant Professor Patricia Schoonover, director of the School of Education�s Creative Problems Solving Programs, co-authored a series of three books, Thinking with Standards: Preparing for Tomorrow, published by Prufrock Press of Texas.

Adam Hoffman of Park Falls, a senior paper science major, was named Student
of the Year by the Paper Industry Management Association (PIMA). He
was the first UWSP student to receive the prestigious award.

The Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program was awarded a $186,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a national assessment. Diane Lueck, outreach specialist and national director, was the grant�s principal investigator.

Professor Emeritus of History Russell Nelson, who taught at UWSP from 1963 to 1992, donated more than 1,600 items about history, classical music, art, feature films and cooking to the library.

UWSP�s Residential Living Program was sited by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators for effectively encouraging a reduction in binge drinking among students.

Professor Jin Wang, associate dean of the College of Letters and Science, was invited to participate in the 2003 Fulbright-Hays Seminar in Brazil.

William Horvath, a forestry specialist for the National Association of Conservation Districts, and Debra Castillo, a professor
of romance studies and comparative literature at Cornell and visiting professor of Spanish at Stanford, were named UWSP Distingushed Alumni.

The Wisconsin Bear Hunters gave $8,500 to support law enforcement internships
for students in the College of Natural Resources.

Chancellor Tom George, professor of chemistry and physics, and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Robin Tanke were awarded a $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a sophomore-level course in nanotechnology. Nanosized clusters of germanium that can be used to make materials such as plastics have been made by chemists at UC-Davis and UWSP, including Tanke.

Family and consumer education students participated in Smart Steps, training that certified them to work with stepfamilies in community organizations and schools. The Home Economics Centennial Endowment paid for the training.

Laura Hahn of Clinton, a junior interior architecture major, was elected by the student board of the Wisconsin Chapter
of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) to serve as its student representative.

Beverley David, a senior lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages, was chosen as a UWSP Woman of Color honoree. She joined 15 other women from throughout the state to be cited by the UW System�s Women�s Studies Consortium, Office of Diversity and Development and Office of Women�s Issues for contributions to campus and community. The honorees were recognized at the UW System Women�s Studies conference at
UW-Madison.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Renae Franiuk received national attention in USA Today, CNN, and Canada�s Discovery Channel for her personal relationship theories.

Twenty-four participants from 15 nations traveled throughout the state during the CNR�s second annual international watershed seminar, funded by a $78,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service International Programs Office and sponsored by the college�s Global Environmental Management (GEM) Education Center.

The UWSP Foundation revised its charter agreements, projected a balanced budget and searched for a new executive director.

Professor Sally Kent, a specialist in Croatian history, helped prepare the U.S. ambassador to Croatia, Ralph Frank, for his new role in the political life of the former Yugoslavia.

Mary Robus of Auburndale was the first recipient of the Associated Bank of Wausau Scholarship, established under the leadership of Regional President John P. Evans, to benefit students from northern Wisconsin who participate in the Upward Bound program and are pursuing a degree at UWSP.

Nathan Lamon of Stratford, a junior business and German major, was the first recipient of the Ryan Wallock Theta Xi Memorial Scholarship, given to a member of Theta Xi in memory of a founding member of the fraternity who was killed in an automobile accident last year.

Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Greg Taft and Chancellor Tom George were awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation as part of the U.S.-Hungary Cooperative Research Program to collaborate with Hungarian scientists on ultrafast phase changes in semiconductors.

The unveiling of the Home Economics Centennial Leadership Tree Plaque and the Centennial Garden marked the �lasting legacy of home economics� at UWSP.

Tom and Connie Bestul, owners of a local dairy farm, UWSP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted a public pasture walk to demonstrate how a rotational grazing system operates and why such systems reduce environmental impacts.

For the fourth time in six years, Doug Moore, photography program manager at UWSP, and Don Kelman of Marshfield, area rock collectors, won national honors for a slide program they developed.

UWSP�s chapter of the Student Wisconsin Education Association (StWEA) was named National Chapter of the Year, and Diana Spargo, Wisconsin Dells, was named National Leader of the Year by the National Education Association. This is the fourth year in a row the UWSP chapter has received the national award.

The Association for Community Tasks, student volunteer service-learning program, contributed more than 7,000 hours of service to schools, agencies and organizations in Portage County.

Robert Mosier, director of residential living at UWSP, received the Association of College and University Housing Officers International Research and Publication Award for his contributions to the body of research and publications related to the housing profession.

Faculty and staff amassed $8.8 million in grants from outside sources during fiscal year 2002, the largest amount ever garnered at UWSP.

Provost/Vice Chancellor Virginia Helm became the first woman to head UWSP in its 109-year history.  Chancellor Tom George, who came to UWSP in 1996, resigned to become chancellor of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Until a new chancellor was appointed, Helm served as interim chancellor, Nancy Bayne, associate vice chancellor for personnel and budget, served as interim provost, and Professor of Chemistry Steve Bondeson became acting associate vice chancellor.

UWSP�s student chapter of The Wildlife Society was selected as National Student Chapter of The Year. One of 80 chapters in the country, the UWSP group showed a level of activity, initiative and dedication that garnered the award for the fourth time in 10 years.

For the second year in a row, UWSP was included in Kaplan�s Annual National High School Guidance Counselor Survey, published in The Unofficial, Unbiased Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges 2004 by Trent Anderson and Seppy Basili, published by Kaplan/Simon & Schuster.

Students have an opportunity to study at the University of Limerick, Ireland, through a new program offered for the first time by UWSP�s International Programs during the spring semester of 2005.

Wendy Lein, former owner of a custom pottery company in Cambridge, joined the UWSP staff as a development specialist for the College of Professional Studies. She assisted Dean Joan North who continued as college development director.

Ray Mundt, a retired business executive, and his wife, Ruth (Stanchik) Mundt, donated $2.5 million to UWSP, the single largest gift received by the university to date. The gift was intended to lead to the establishment of a center for entrepreneurship in the Division of Business and Economics and enhance the offerings in business ethics.

The widow of the late Jay Reed of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, one of Wisconsin�s best-known and respected outdoor writers, established a scholarship in his name to be presented annually to a qualified student in the CNR.

UWSP ranked number six in the top tier of Midwestern public master�s degree institutions, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Kit Werner, a specialist in nutritional sciences who formerly served an administrative internship in the Office of Academic Affairs, was appointed executive assistant to the chancellor and to the provost/vice chancellor for academic affairs.

A permanent exhibit of hand-carved wooden figures created by Menominee traditional artist, James Frechette, was dedicated in the Albertson Learning Resources Center. Intricately carved and painted, the 36 figures were set in a representation of the Village River in Northeast Wisconsin. Three ornate maps depicting the history of the Menominee Tribe and sets of note cards featuring photos of the clan figures were available
for sale.

The UWSP Department of Geography/ Geology was chosen by the UW System Board of Regents to receive the 2003 Teaching Excellence Award for an academic department.

Milwaukee native Terry Porter, �93, UWSP star basketball player under Coach Dick Bennett, 1999 Distinguished Alumnus and 17-year NBA veteran, was hired as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Worzalla Publishing Company President Chuck Nason and his wife, Vikki, donated $50,000 to the College of Fine Arts and Communication Great Artists and Speakers Endowment. The gift was made in memory of Nason�s parents and family, longtime Stevens Point residents.

The establishment of a Web camera atop the Learning Resources center gave a real time, bird�s eye view of the $26 million addition to the Fine Arts Center.

For the second year in a row, students who graduated from UWSP had one of the best records in the state and the nation for repaying student loans.

A 17-member search and screen committee, chaired by Professor Padmahabhan Sudevan, was appointed to help identify a successor to former UWSP Chancellor Thomas George. Provost/Vice Chancellor Virginia Helm served as UWSP�s first female chancellor for 10 months during
the interim.

With the assistance of Professor of Biology Chris Hartleb and three of his students, area cranberry growers learned how to conserve water, become more economically viable and raise two crops, fish and cranberries, at the same time using �floating raceways.�

Donald J. Gunderson of Plover was named executive director of the UWSP Paper Science Foundation.

The EPA approved an additional $2.5 million for the National Environmental Education Training Partnership (EETAP) located at UWSP.

Mary Stevens of Marshfield and Kitty Schuler of Greendale established an endowment in memory of their parents, the late Henry �Tiny� and Margaret (Donermeyer) Bannach of Antigo to fund a rotating scholarship.

Holly Voll, development specialist for the College of Letters and Science, earned fund-raising certification as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Former Wisconsin 71st District Representative Stan Gruszynski, joined the staff of the Global Environmental Management (GEM) Education Center as director of the Rural Leadership and Community Development Program.

Clarinetist Abigail Kreisa of Stevens Point, a senior majoring in instrumental music education at UWSP, received the Richard Gaarder Award as an outstanding future music educator from The Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA) at their annual state convention in Madison.

Sheila Sullivan, associate lecturer of art and design at UWSP, received a $3,900 UPDC grant to collect, exhibit and analyze the art work of autistic children.

The WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc., received notice from the U.S. Patent and Trade Office that a patent was forthcoming on a process for sampling multiple dissolved gases in surface and groundwater, created by Bryant Browne, associate professor of soils in the CNR.

UWSP�s International Programs was ranked 17th in the national among comprehensive universities for the number of students studying abroad.

Michael P. Nelson, associate professor of philosophy and of natural resources, has co-published a book with former UWSP Professor J. Baird Callicott, now of the University of North Texas, focusing on the environmental ethics of American Indians.

Rick Wilke, distinguished professor of environmental education, has been elected as an ex-officio board member of the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation in Washington, D.C.