Good News-Nov. 97

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Accomplishments
for March - October 1997

Compiled by News Services, October 1997

"A gift from students for students," a stained glass window bearing a likeness of the university’s seal, was installed at the University Center. Designed by local artist Jeff Vandeloop, the window was paid for with money from a fund established by the Student Government Association.

Michael P. Dombeck, newly appointed chief of the U.S. Forest Service, and Karen Engelhard, longtime director of Alumni Relations, were named UWSP Distinguished Alumni.

Alan Haney, dean of the College of Natural Resources, received the Wisconsin Idea Award from UW-Madison for his contributions to natural resources education.

Professor Clive David and a student wrote and presented a paper at Cornell University about their research on windbreaks in Portage County.

"Stevie Dog," UWSP’s mascot, was named the top collegiate mascot in the country and the cheer and dance teams placed second at national championships in Minneapolis.

Professors C. Marvin Lang and Donald Showalter spent their spring break demonstrating "Fun with Chemistry" at Disney World in Florida. The duo has developed a national reputation for entertaining and informative public presentations.

The College of Natural Resources new $11 million addition has been dedicated. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of Wisconsin, the construction increases the building’s area by 50 percent, adding much-needed laboratories, classrooms and greenhouses.

Susan Raab, chair of the department of Medical Technology, received a grant of more than $87,000 to help implement an integrated program with UW-La Crosse.

90FM’s 29^th Trivia Contest welcomed more than 13,000 players. The event continues to be the largest competition of its kind in the world.

Shelley Jansky, chair of UWSP’s biology department and 10 top student researchers were recognized by the area chapter of Sigma Xi national research society.

The UWSP chapter of Theta Xi fraternity decided to make its events substance free.

Wisconsin sculptor Robert Andrew Kanyusik of Rhinelander received the second Laird Youth Leadership Foundation Award for Leadership
in Art.

William H. Meyer, acting provost and vice chancellor, was named to fill the position on a permanent basis.

Professor of Physical Education Scott Frazier was cited by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance for his service as editor of an annual publication of abstracts of theses and dissertations in the field.

As students move out of the residence halls, the local Wisconsin State Employees Union at UWSP helped clean up the campus and recycle useable items.

Law enforcement authority was granted to Don Burling, director of Protective Services.

The first-ever economic impact study of the UW System, including UWSP, says the System’s operation has an annual impact of $8.2 billion on the state’s economy. Locally, UWSP’s economic impact on the Stevens Point area is about $300 million annually.

Taxidermy specimens from a collection donated by Michael Okray have been included in new exhibits at the Museum of Natural History.

UWSP’s Archives were dedicated in the name of Nelis R. Kampenga, the first archivist in the UW System, who served at UWSP from 1941 to 1974.

The Wilderness Society’s Gaylord Nelson Earth Day Fellowships for 1997 were awarded to College of Natural Resources students Michelle Kirk of Jackson, Tenn., and Robert Steele of Birmingham, Ala.

Philip C. George, director of student financial aid, was elected president of the Wisconsin Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators for the 1998-99 year.

Larry Graham, chair of the Department of Paper Science, was inducted as a Fellow of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI).

Anthony P. Timerman, professor of chemistry, received a $41,765 Cottrell College Science Award for his research on the molecular machinery which regulates muscle contraction.

Travis Booms of Kaukauna, a sophomore wildlife and biology major, received a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater National Scholarship to fund his junior and senior years at UWSP.

An historic agreement finalized a dual degree program between Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany, and UWSP, the first pact of
its kind between transcontinental campuses.

UWSP and Soonchunhyang University of Korea co-signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of academic links between the two universities. Communication Professor Hyun Kim was instrumental in forging the agreement.

Professor Christine Thomas, founder of Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops and author of the book of the same name, was the guest speaker at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus meeting in Washington, D. C. She is nationally known for inspiring women who wish to enhance and sharpen their outdoor skills.

Carole Holmes, former chair of the faculty Senate and longtime academic adviser, was named the first full-time student success specialist at UWSP.

Bruce Froehlke of Sioux Falls, S.D., a self-employed fund-raising consultant who has extensive experience in academia, was named the executive director of the UWSP Foundation.

The log cabin complex at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station was dedicated.

The university strengthened its commitment to diversity by appointing Ron Strege, a former residence hall director and activities adviser, director of Multicultural Affairs.

Associate Professor Sally Kent was chosen by the U.S. State Department to help prepare for local elections in Bosnia Hercegovina. She was recognized for her work by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

UWSP welcomed its best-prepared freshman class ever and raised admission standards. Potential freshmen must be in the top 20 percent of their high school graduating classes in order to enter UWSP.

A football practice area on the north campus was renamed and dedicated as Eddie Kotal Field. Kotal, a UWSP Athletic Hall of Fame member, coached several champion football and basketball teams in the 1930s and 40s.

Jin Wang, associate professor of economics, attended the International Faculty Development Seminar in China entitled "Sustaining the Masses: Environmental Protection and Economic Development in China."

Conrad Kelley, a producer/director with University Telecommunications, was one of three film program-design directors contracted to script and design film in Sierra Leone, Africa, for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

On Labor Day, the Fourth Annual Labor of Love, sponsored by University Housing, brought 325 new freshmen to locations throughout the community to complete community service projects.

UWSP faculty and staff brought in more than $2.5 million in grants from outside sources during the past fiscal year.

UWSP Extension Credit Outreach offers several courses via the Internet, meeting the demands of students otherwise unable to take courses because of time or location limitations.

A reorganization of the College of Professional Studies was approved by the UW System Board of Regents.

Shelley Jansky, chair of biology, and two colleagues from UW-Madison are working to create a hybrid potato that resists fungal pathogens and root lesion nematodes which trigger early dying in the plants.

Upgrading technology was the primary focus on campus over the summer. Several classrooms were remodeled to take advantage of multi-media capabilities including computer technology and links to the Internet.

The Association for Community Tasks, UWSP’s volunteer service organization marked its 20^th anniversary.

UWSP has launched the Paper Academy, a new educational program developed by university and paper industry representatives to meet the managerial and technical training needs of industry personnel.

Patricia Dreier, a Prairie du Chien native who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UWSP and has administered programs across the country and abroad, has been named director of the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES).

Special events during Homecoming weekend recognized Gerald Vance, the first African American student at UWSP and helped raise money for two scholarships.

Professor of Education Ed Sontag served on the Governor’s Council on Model Academic Standards and helped to develop the initial draft of the state’s first set of standards.

UWSP’s chapter of The Wildlife Society was named top student chapter in the nation for the third year in a row. James Hardin, professor of wildlife, is the group’s adviser.

Dan Trainer, dean emeritus of Natural Resources at UWSP, was awarded emeritus membership in the Wildlife Disease Association for his contributions to the study and control
of diseases of wildlife.

The master of science in natural resources program is the only graduate environmental education program for teachers offered in Wisconsin. It is open to kindergarten through grade 12 teachers in all subject areas.

Twenty-five School of Education interns spent the fall semester teaching full-time at area schools.

"Women with arthritis can achieve greater strength, balance and range of motion by performing water exercises recommended by the National Arthritis Foundation," according to research conducted and published by Rory Suomi, director of physical education and of the special needs aquatic program.

James Anderson, president of the UWSP Foundation’s Board of Directors, presented a $115,000 check to support unrestricted needs on campus to Chancellor Thomas F. George.

Professor Katherine Ackley has authored a third edition of "Essays from Contemporary Culture," a collection of readings for freshman English students, published by Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Emily Engen of Spring Grove, Minn., a junior, and Bryan Oeschner, of Hartford, a senior, both communication majors, have received Milwaukee Foundation’s Journal Foundation-Walter Jay and Clara Charlotte Damm Scholarships.

Composer and saxophonist Charles Rochester Young has been chosen to receive an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) award for the third consecutive year.

The University Child Learning and Care Center (UCLCC), which will mark its 25^th anniversary in January, has been reaccredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs in Washington, D. C.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has renewed an annual $275,000 grant to the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership at UWSP. The partnership’s role is to help lake associations and districts organize and educate lake property owners.

Mystery buffs will have an opportunity to explore London and hear writers talk about their work in a new summer tour offered for the first time by UWSP’s International Programs.

Students will now be able to earn additional credits during a two week Winterim period between New Years and the spring semester.

David F. Henry, assistant professor of audiology, and Charles R. Young, assistant professor of music, have each been awarded $4,300 from the Wisconsin Teachings Fellows Program and the University Personnel Development Committee.

UWSP received the Portage County Business Council’s 1997 3-R Environmental Award for outstanding success in reducing, reusing and recycling campus waste.

The University Orchestra, directed by Patrick Miles, and the Concert Choir, directed by Lucinda Thayer, performed at the Wisconsin State Music Conference. Deb Ruckwardt, Pittsville, a senior music education major, received the Richard G. Gaarder Award for leadership, musical excellence and service to the campus and community.

T. J. Wahouske, a senior urban forestry major from West Bend, won the national Game of Logging competition in Nelsonville, Ohio.

C. Marvin Lang, professor of chemistry, has had articles published in two Finnish scientific journals following a professional visit to Scandinavia.

Charles "Corky" McReynolds, director of Treehaven field station, was elected president of the Association of Nature Center Administrators and gave the keynote address at the National Interpreters Workshop in Beaumont, Texas.

Professor of chemistry Donald Showalter has a starring role in the demonstration segments of the PBS television series, "The World of Chemistry."

UWSP’s student chapter of the American Chemical Society received national recognition as an honorable-mention chapter for its activities during the 1996-97 academic year.