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Podcast Archives

Series 1 – Centering Women

What Fuels You? Featuring Jessie Fritsch, ‘06

I am a working artist, an art fair exhibitor, an encaustic workshop instructor, owner of Buzz in Art Studios, a mural artist, and an art event planner.

My first year of college, I stumbled across the book about ancient funeral portraits that were painted with beeswax titled “The Mysterious Fayum Portraits: Faces from Ancient Egypt” by Euphrosyne Doxiadis.  I became fascinated by the lost art of encaustic and have dedicated myself to working with the beeswax medium for the past 20 years.

In 2004 I received a research grant from UWSP to teach myself how to paint with molten pigmented beeswax. I graduated with a BFA in Studio Art with a painting emphasis in 2006. I didn’t get into graduate school so I began exhibiting at art festivals and have been showcasing my beeswax paintings across the Midwest.

Banner photo for Sarah Ross's episode of Point Out Loud
Find People to Have a Good Time With Featuring Sarah Ross

Sarah Ross joined the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin in 2023 as the Director of the Women’s Fund of Portage County. She works with a dedicated volunteer advisory board to build grant-making programs that support local non-profit organizations that center Portage County women and issues important to women. Philanthropy is a career shift for Sarah and is in response to the incredible support and mentorship she has experienced from women leaders and friends in the region. Her vision for Portage County is for every women to be unbounded and unrestricted to pursue the life they choose.

In another life, Sarah is an award-winning scenic, puppet, properties, and costume designer with credits at Forward Theater Company, Renaissance Theaterworks, American Blues Theater, Marriott Theater Lincolnshire, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Joffrey Ballet, The Second City, Paramount Theater, Shattered Globe Theater, and Theater at the Center among others. As an artist and designer, Sarah advocates for robust arts access for all to build empathy, curiosity and belongingness that strengthen community connections and civil discourse.

Banner photo for Nerissa Nelson's episode of Point Out Loud
Better Living Through Better Policies Featuring Nerissa Nelson

Nerissa Nelson is a librarian/professor at UWSP with over 30 years in the library profession in corporate and academic settings. At UWSP, she has served in shared governance leadership roles and is an active member of the AFT-affiliated faculty/academic staff union, SPARC. Previously, Nerissa coordinated the Women’s & Gender Studies program at UWSP for three years and served on its advisory council. Appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in 2019, she now serves as Vice Chair of the Wisconsin Women’s Council.

Outside academia, Nerissa teaches ballet to adults and is pursuing a certification to teach ballet to seniors. With a diverse background, including performing as a professional ballet dancer, and working as a corporate information analyst, she is politically engaged at the state and local levels, advocating for better and improved policies, especially for women. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Journalism (Columbia College, Chicago) and Library and Information Studies (UW-Madison), respectively, and a master’s degree in Communication with a focus on media studies, specifically the effects of media concentration on the quality of local news (UWSP).

Banner photo for Pratima Gandhi's episode of Point Out Loud
Lead By Example Featuring Pratima Gandhi

Pratima Gandhi, vice chancellor for Business Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is a financial officer with 20 years of academic experience.

Gandhi began her role as UW-Stevens Point’s chief financial officer in June 2020 after serving as the chief financial officer and treasurer at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., since 1993. While at Bradley, she provided leadership and operational management for the university’s financial, business and facilities functions, including a budget of $230 million and $110 million in construction projects.

Her philosophy helps her look at higher education as a whole, addressing and planning for challenges such as financial issues, changing student demographics and a national pandemic.

The vice chancellor for business affairs leads about 160 full-time employees in a division that includes Facility Services, Financial Operations, Budget and Planning, Human Resources, Capital Planning and Budget, Risk Management, Sustainability, Parking Services and Police and Security Services. As the university’s chief financial officer, Gandhi is responsible for UW-Stevens Point’s operating budget and serves on the chancellor’s executive team.

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Series 2 – Uplifting Women in Philanthropy

Banner photo for Angie Hueck's episode of Point Out Loud
Listen to the Whisper Featuring Angie Hueck

Angie Heuck, Uplift founder and director, is a champion of women’s rights, empowerment and encouragement. After stepping away from a career in strategic communications and foundation management, Angie founded Uplift after seeing individual need for direct financial assistance and witnessing three women in her own life experience crisis. Named Portage County Business Council’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Angie draws from her deep well of management and foundation experience that has equipped her for success, including her roles as Ministry Health Care’s Director of Foundation and Development, Senior Manager of Marketing Communications at Joerns Healthcare and owning and operating her own marketing agency, Advantage Communications and Design. Angie has uplifted countless women through her mentorship and leadership. Though she may be happiest when she is serving and mentoring others, in her free time, you can find her reading historical fiction on the beach, or spending time with her husband, Mark, and her two adult children, as well as her two dogs.

Banner photo for Lark Lewis' episode of Point Out Loud
Don’t Dim Your Light Feraturing Lark Lewis

Lark Lewis (she/her) is based in Washington, D.C. (but originally from Stevens Point) where she works in content and digital strategy, currently as the Senior Manager, Creative & Digital Strategies at the National Women’s Law Center. She was a founding board member of Uplift and considers herself a vocal and passionate advocate for women and women’s rights. Outside of her work and advocacy, she enjoys taking long walks through the city with friends, reading, and teaching classes at barre3.

Banner photo for Tracy Edmond's episode of Point Out Loud
Show Up As Your True Self Featuring Tracy Edmonds

Tracy is the author of Wild Hair, A Courageous Woman’s Guide to a Bold and Authentic Career where she shares her no-nonsense, empowering lessons on how women can use the power of authentic choice to create the career they love. Tracy is a genuine, passionate, and compelling speaker on the topics of authenticity, leadership, women and career, and diversity and inclusion.

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Series 3 – Unleashing Women in Natural Resources

Protecting Parks and Inspiring Change Featuring Cheryl Schreier ’79

Cheryl Schreier ’79, is a retired Superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial and passionate advocate for the protection of national parks and natural resources. She has worked at 10 different national park units throughout her career, and now serves as a member of the Midwest Regional Advisory Council for the National Parks and Conservation Association and Vice President of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.

Wildlife Advocacy and Women in Conservation Featuring Abbey Krumrie ’10

Abbey Krumrie ’10, has devoted her career to the conservation and education of raptors. Abbey worked with several environmental education groups including Lake Superior Zoo, National Eagle Center and Raptor Education Group Inc. before co-founding River Valley Raptors Inc. with her husband in 2017.

Education, Agriculture and the Power of Mentorship Featuring Bobbi Kubish B.S. ’96, M.S. ’01

Bobbi Kubish B.S. ’96, M.S. ’01, works to energize the next generation of natural resources and agriculture professionals. She currently serves as the Director of Educational Programming for the Food + Farm Exploration Center in Plover, Wis., supporting the center’s programming development and outreach initiatives. Before taking on this role, she enjoyed a rewarding career at UWSP for 23 years spanning various roles in the College of Natural Resources.

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