Nearly six years after earning her degree in actuarial mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Assistant Professor Ashley Peper has returned to her alma mater to co-teach alongside then take the reins from a former professor.
Peper, who joined the UW-Stevens Point Department of Computing and New Media Technologies ahead of the fall 2025 semester, will take over as adviser of the Center for Athletic Scheduling (CAS) from Professor Andy Felt when he retires in December. The center is a non-profit, student-run organization that uses mathematical techniques to create individual sports schedules for collegiate teams across the country.
A 2020 graduate of UWSP, Peper worked on projects for the center as an undergraduate and then as a volunteer while earning her doctorate in Industrial and Systems Engineering at UW-Madison. Depending on the complexity and team needs, schedules could take between one and 15 hours or more to design.
“It’s the same idea of a structure but everything is tailored to the specific situation,” she said. “Sometimes there are those little puzzles you have to solve.”
Felt recalls how Peper would often come up with concepts and discover trends that helped her solve issues and deliver on the types of needs of university clients. She was a deep thinker and a very strong student modeler. He was eager to write a letter of recommendation for her faculty appointment.
This past fall, the two were instructors of the computer information systems course in data structures. Coming full circle, Peper said co-teaching with Felt was such a positive experience of her first semester back at UWSP.
“I’ll be able to take inspiration from his teaching,” she said.
Felt said the CAS will be in excellent hands with Peper once he retires. He has plans to teach abroad part-time at a university in Europe, as he and his wife, Elizabeth, love to travel. Together, they hosted a UWSP semester abroad trip to Munich in 2007. During the 2022-2023 academic year, Felt had the opportunity to teach through the Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission at Gdansk University of Technology in Poland. It sparked the idea of a longer-term work abroad commitment. He will teach a financial math course in 2026 and his wife will teach remotely for UWSP.
“I really liked living abroad and getting to know the rhythm of life, walking the streets. We wanted to try it longer term,” said Felt. “You are immersed in a different culture. I like learning from people; you absorb so much.”
Felt is particularly proud of developing and teaching MATH 209: Mathematics for the Information Sciences, a complement to the data structures course that he has also been teaching over the past six years. MATH 209 covers material on the theoretical side at the same time data structures teaches students skills on the applied side. Students learn the concepts and then work in computer labs where they use their skills to write programs.
“I have students for eight credits between the two courses, and I really get to know them well,” said Felt.
Peper is one such student who made her mark while at UW-Stevens Point the first time. Now that she is back, Peper will lean into her advantage as a faculty member who used to be a UWSP undergraduate. Not only does she know her way around the Science Building, but she can also tap into her past student perspective to support her computing students.
“I can relate because I have been in their position. I’ll be a great resource to help them,” she said.