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![Welcome to the Year of the Humanities at
UWM – an opportunity for scholars and students
to have a productive discussion about the role
of the humanities in college education.
“There was a certain amount of serendipity in the choice
of this year,” says Nigel Rothfels, director of the Office of
Undergraduate Research and chair of the organizing committee
for the Year of the Humanities. “It’s timely because our campus
discussion is part of a larger national discussion of the roles
traditionally played by the humanities.
“There has been a great deal of focus on STEM [science,
technology, engineering and mathematics] areas in recent
years. People are thinking now about what other fields are doing,
looking at the status of the humanities and clarifying their role.”
UWM’s core humanities departments include art history,
English, communication, languages, comparative literature,
women’s studies and philosophy. In addition, faculty in related
areas such as history, political science, geography, linguistics
and journalism, advertising and media studies also consider their
fields related to the humanities.
“Humanities are strong on our campus,” says Rothfels,
noting several nationally ranked departments. “We haven’t seen
a drop in the number of students taking humanities courses.”
Furthermore, research shows that while graduates in the
STEM fields and career-oriented majors often make more money
right after college, the pay gap narrows over time. Studies
in Britain and the United States have shown that leadership
in organizations often falls to people with core training in the
humanities. Nearly two-thirds of members of the British
Parliament and CEOs of Fortune 500
companies, for example, have degrees
in humanities, arts and letters.
(See infographic on page 17.)
“We’ll have much to show during
the Year of the Humanities about what
these fields have to offer to students and to our
society at large,” says Rothfels. Critical thinking about issues, the
ability to work effectively with others and communication skills are
among the valuable results of humanities studies. “There are jobs
out there… and good jobs.”
And, just as important in today’s increasingly
interconnected world is the knowledge that humanities
fields offer. “Our students are recognizing that it’s
important to know more about other countries if we
expect to have positive bilateral relations with them,”
says Rothfels. “We cannot expect to understand other
countries without a sense of their language, history
and culture.”
Languages, in particular, are growing in popularity,
with much of the growth in Spanish, Middle Eastern and
Asian languages. In these areas and other humanities
disciplines, the university works closely with employers
and surveys parents and students to make certain the
courses being offered are responsive to their needs,
according to Rothfels.
The Year of the Humanities at UWM will highlight
the value of the humanities, with 20 to 30 events each
semester. Some will be new events and others will be
ongoing, including the Distinguished Lecture Series and
film series sponsored by language departments. The
University’s 21st Century Studies, International Education,
and Jewish Studies centers, in addition to the humanities
departments, will all be involved.
“We’re taking this opportunity to highlight work that too
often goes on under the radar,” says Rothfels. “We want
to make this an opportunity for the campus and broader
community to learn more about the humanities and join
the discussion about the importance of these disciplines.”
See uwm.edu/humanities for more information on
presentations, conferences and events.
16 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 17
Anukware Selase Adzima
’06 MA Foreign Languages and Linguistics
Alumnus Anukware Selase Adzima is
general manager of CETRA Ghana Ltd., a
U.S.-owned company that specializes in
translation and interpretation. Adzima studied
both French and Spanish translation at UWM.
His specialty, however, is African indigenous languages.
His company also offers cultural consulting. “For example, if a
company wants to sell something to people in the Middle East, they
can’t put a bikini on their web page. In China, the color of happiness
is red, but in my country, Ghana, it’s the color for funerals.”
“The humanities are what helps every field of study make sense
of other cultures, other parts of the world, other histories.” The
humanities, he adds, help us connect with other cultures and share
the ideas that will become future innovations.
Translation technology and the business and marketing aspects
of owning a translation business blended seamlessly with his UWM
translation curriculum, a liberal arts combination Adzima
says benefited him greatly.
“I didn’t just learn how to translate words at UWM, but I learned
how to manage myself as a business.”
Bertha Alvarez Manninen
’01 MA Philosophy
Alumna Bertha Alvarez Manninen is the
first in her family to attend college. While
her family was very supportive of her studies,
she understands why some well-meaning
parents encourage their children to pursue
so-called “practical” fields over the humanities.
She resisted the advice and enrolled in UWM’s graduate program
in philosophy.
“I absolutely adored my two years here. The classes were small,
the teachers were really dedicated, the students were close knit.”
Manninen is now an associate professor in the College of
Humanities at Arizona State University. She teaches courses like
medical ethics and philosophy of religion.
Her humanities degrees have done more than just set her career
in motion, she says.
“I really, genuinely believe that I am a wholly better human being
because of my studies. I’m a better a parent, I’m a better wife, I’m a
better friend, I’m a better citizen, I’m a better voter… I really think I’m
all that because of the skills that philosophy gave me.”
Jennifer Flamboe
’07 MA Language, Literature
and Translation
Alumna Jennifer Flamboe spent her
undergraduate years searching for the right
major. She studied premed, planning to be a
physical therapist. She switched to journalism,
but that wasn’t right either. She kept up with Spanish courses
throughout. “To me they were the fun classes.”
After a semester in Ecuador, Flamboe worked part-time in a
clinic in Wisconsin. Asked to translate for Spanish-speaking patients,
something clicked. “It was the perfect blend for me.” That’s when
she decided to pursue her master’s at UWM.
“My path to success has been more indirect than anything,” says
Flamboe. “When people pursue a humanities degree, sometimes the
path is a little less direct. Most people who major in the humanities
do it because they love it. They don’t always know where they’ll end
up specifically.”
Specially, she ended up at Alverno College, where she is now
chair of the world languages department and an assistant professor
of Spanish.
Kyoko MorI
‘84 Ph.D. English/Creative Writing
Alumna Kyoko Mori could have pursued
many other more “practical” areas of study,
such as law. “But I would have been so
unhappy,” she now says as a professor of
creative writing at George Mason University.
“At UWM, I learned to take other people’s writing seriously. To
take someone else’s piece of writing and to try to be open-minded
and make constructive suggestions.
Mori thinks of literature as a particularly important area of study
for students because it helps develop empathy. “Literature allows
readers to imagine something other than what they live every day…
to imagine, to think, to see the similarities and differences between
things. Studying literature is both imaginative and systematic. I really
did learn how to think logically.”
Her time at UWM, she says, “helped me most in committing
to my writing. I really wanted to be a writer, and this taught me
that I should just go ahead and pursue this in whatever way I could.
And it did help me get a job teaching, which made it financially
possible for me to write.”
matter more than
b y K at h y Q u i r k
InfoGraphicCredit:Terras,M.,Priego,E.,Liu,A.,Rockwell,G.,Sinclair,S.,Hensler,C.,andThomas,L.(2013).“TheHumanitiesMatter!”Infographic,4humanities.org/infographic.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/d53bf1ec-e325-4253-93cb-464d72ad032e-150318100833-conversion-gate01/85/UWM_AlumniMag_FINAL-LR-10-320.jpg)
Uploaded byShelly Rosenquist
UWM_AlumniMag_FINAL(LR)
This document is a magazine from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) summarizing recent discoveries and events from the fall 2014 semester. It includes the following: - The interim chancellor provides an overview of recent "wild and wonderful" discoveries happening across UWM's natural classrooms and new buildings. - Stories on groundbreaking research being done at UWM such as identifying one of the coldest white dwarf stars and creating a digital archive of Milwaukee's Polish community. - Accomplishments of UWM students and alumni like winning a national journalism award and starting a new furniture collection.
UWM_AlumniMag_FINAL(LR)
- 1. Magazine of theUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Fall 2014 Vol. 16, No. 2 DiscoverIES in UWM’s natural classrooms ABOUND
- 2. Fall 2014 UWMalumni • 1 1 Panther & Proud 2 Quotable & Notable 4 New @ UWM 6 New Buildings on the Block 8 DISCOVERIES ABOUND IN UWM’S NATURAL CLASSROOMS Take a look at some groundbreaking, breathtaking UWM research through Mother Nature’s eyes. 16 YEAR OF THE HUMANITIES The humanities are at the heart of what it means to be a research university, and UWM declares that 2014-15 is the year to prove it. 18 Choking a forest’s ability to tame carbon What happens when rainforest trees fall prey to botanical competition? 20 UWM Honors Distinguished Alumni 25 UWM Arena 26 Panther Athletics 28 Innovation Campus Gifts 32 Class Notes Fa l l 2 01 4 VOL.16, No. 2 Interim Chancellor: Mark A. Mone Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Communications: Tom Luljak (’95) Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations: Patricia Borger Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations: Adrienne Bass Assistant Vice Chancellor of Integrated Marketing Communications: Laura Porfilio Glawe (’89) Editor: Angela McManaman (’00, ’08) Assistant Editor: Alex Vagelatos Design: Shelly Rosenquist Photography: UWM Photo Services UWM Alumni is published two times a year for alumni and other friends of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Send correspondence and address changes to: UWM Alumni Association P.O. Box 413 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413 Phone: 414-229-4290 ISSN: 1550-9583 Not printed at taxpayer expense Alumni 28 25 36 18 a l u m n i . u w m . e d u Like us: Facebook.com/uwmilwaukee Follow us: twitter.com/uwm Watch our videos: youtube.com/uwmnews Pin with us: pinterest.com/uwmilwaukee Watch our clips: viddy.com/uwmilwaukee Wild and Wonderful Many qualities of UWM can be summarized by the words “wild” and “wonderful.” I’m finding the “wild” can happen at almost any time, as we have an ever-growing population of wild turkeys on our Kenwood Campus. At least one has taken a particular liking to relaxing in the mulch beneath the oak trees surrounding Chapman Hall and can be seen there most days. Elsewhere in this issue is information about the wild habitats in southeastern Wisconsin that UWM helps oversee. Our responsibilities go well beyond the Downer Woods on campus and extend to wetlands and forests near Cedarburg and our Innovation Campus in nearby Wauwatosa. All of these places are home to the “wonderful,” too. At Innovation Campus we’re especially excited by the newly opened Innovation Accelerator Building. You can get a look at move-in day at the Accelerator Building elsewhere in this issue, plus an updated review of progress being made at the new School of Freshwater Sciences addition on Milwaukee’s harbor. A memorable, mid-September celebration occured at this breakthrough development. I’m certain future visitors will find many wild and wonderful elements inside of it. One last “wonderful” I would like to share is the wonderful response I’ve received from alumni during my first few months as interim chancellor. Because of my leadership roles in the Lubar School of Business and especially its Executive MBA program, I’ve always been part of an excellent network of UWM alumni. Now, thanks to events being hosted by our Alumni Association, I’m meeting many more alumni from all UWM schools and colleges. I want to say thank you for all the warm and positive responses I’ve been receiving from alums who are very supportive of UWM and its many initiatives. I look forward to meeting many more of you as the interim year progresses. Mark A. Mone Interim Chancellor Panther Proud On the cover: The Cedarburg Bog is one of the largest wetlands in southeastern Wisconsin. An important source of biodiversity, it provides exceptional educational and research opportunities for students. Cover photography by UWM Photo Services. TABLE of CONTENTS See page 8 for full story NEW YORK CITY CHICAGO Contact Amy Lensing Tate at lensing@uwm.edu or 414-229-3844 and get connected to your chapter.
- 3. Fall 2014 UWMalumni • 32 • UWM alumni Fall 2012 b y G u y f i o r i Ta Quotable@notable PSOA film alumna thrives on hairy deadlines Tim Burton changed Brooke Duckart’s life. “When I saw ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ I knew right away what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.” After working in graphic design on the American Girl website and with Milwaukee- based advertising firm Hoffman York she decided to return to school to study animation. “Something was missing. I wanted to bring my work to life. I visited the film department at UWM’s Peck School of the Arts and saw that, even though they didn’t offer a degree in animation, the teachers were so flexible and supportive I knew I could create the degree I wanted and cultivate the education I desired.” Less than six months after completing her UWM BFA in Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres, she received a call from Laika in Hillsboro, Ore., the studio behind feature films “Coraline” and “ParaNorman.” “Laika was my goal. It was my dream. I didn’t think it would happen for at least six years. They had seen a project I did at UWM and called me. My head is still spinning.” Brooke’s official title is Hair and Fur Fabricator. “I spend my days making hairdos on puppets and I couldn’t be happier.” She says she doesn’t have a favorite animal to work on. “They all bring their own challenges. When working with hair or fur in stop motion the biggest problem is ghosting or seeing the imprint of the animator’s fingers on the hair. The trick is to find the balance between looking natural and being rigid enough to hold its shape when being moved.” Right now she is working on a new film but is not allowed to divulge any specifics. After that? “I am craving feathers. That would be a lot of fun. I’m just not sure if that falls into the Hair and Fur Department.” Inspired by MKE, millennials, SARUP alum debuts furniture collection By day, Ryan Tretow (’12 BS Architectural Studies) has what most recent architecture graduates would consider a dream job. He’s a full-time designer working on hospitality, restaurant and mixed-use office spaces for the Milwaukee-based firm Kahler Slater. By night and on weekends, however, he transforms into a furniture designer. “It began innocently enough,” he says. “Some friends expressed a need for a coffee table and desk lamp. I thought I could help. It’s basically a hobby gone awry.” Tretow’s “hobby” has just produced a six-piece modern furniture collection aimed at young urbanites. “I want to design furniture for the new millennials, young urbanites that have to deal with small spaces and tight budgets.” Each of the six pieces in the collection not only responds to this scale but is also designed to multi-task. There’s a bench that doubles as a coffee table, a lamp that can be wall mounted or moved wherever it’s needed and a mirror that doubles as a coat hook or art display. The collection is made entirely in Milwaukee. Tretow says the city’s manufacturing heritage was crucial to its success. “Craftsmen here understand the industrial process, working within a budget and how things come together. That makes for a very fluid relationship between the designer and the constructor.” For Tretow, moving from architecture to furniture design is not difficult. “My degree from UWM was very multi-faceted. I didn’t work specifically with furniture but the design instruction I received was very holistic. I can make a very literal translation from what I learned in class to the design of the pieces.” Tretow’s dream is to combine his daytime job, his nighttime passion and add in his love for photography. “I want to mix them all together into a single business. I may have to start my own company to do so.” Tretow’s work can be seen at ryantretow.com. ‘Marshall plan’ takes couple from UWM Hall of Fame to Big Apple She was a track and field star from Cudahy. He was a soccer player from the city of Milwaukee. They both ended up at UWM on athletic scholarships. Soon afterwards, Anne (’97 BS Education) and David Marshall (’98 BFA) met one afternoon in the athlete study room. “All student athletes were required to go eight or 10 hours a week. Little did I know that is where I’d meet my wife,” says David. Both Anne and David had great college careers. She set school records in the shot put and discus, and was inducted into the UWM Hall of Fame in 2006. David followed a successful school career with a four-year stint playing for the Milwaukee Rampage. “I made all of $2,200 a month,” David recalls. He too was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012. “Yes we are both in, and I never let him forget that I got in first,” Anne laughs. Since graduating, the two have crisscrossed the country following one another’s careers. The Marshall plan has taken them to Maryland where Anne worked on her doctorate, and New York where David held senior positions with ESPN and USA Today. In between they spent a few years back in Chicago before finally settling once again in Brooklyn. Today David works on the ING account for the iCrossing advertising agency and Anne is an assistant professor of Mathematics Education at Lehman College-City University of New York (CUNY). Outside of work their lives are filled with family and community service. They have a 12-year-old daughter, Natalija. “She’s 6’2” and soon to become a basketball star,” says David. The UWM couple is leaving their mark on the Big Apple in a number of ways. Anne teaches Sunday school and is a board member of Extraordinary Birthdays, an organization that helps provide birthday parties for children of homeless families. They are both involved in Love146 a nonprofit international human rights organization that works toward the abolition of child trafficking and exploitation. The Marshalls are also working with Adrienne Bass, associate vice chancellor for Alumni Relations, to start a New York chapter. “There are a lot of UWM alumni in the New York area. It’s in the very early stages but the response has been great,” says David. The group already has one event planned. They will be getting together at a local bar to watch a Packer game this fall. “I’m really excited about getting the alumni chapter moving,” says Anne. “UWM prepared me perfectly for my professional career. The athletics allowed me to travel and meet a lot of people. Plus I met my husband there. I owe a lot to UWM.” Ryan Tretow David and Anne Marshall Brooke Duckart Alumni power couple David and Anne Marshall with their daughter Natalija.
- 4. Ateam of astronomers– including David Kaplan, UWM assistant professor of physics – identified possibly the coldest, faintest white dwarf star ever detected. This ancient stellar remnant is so cool that its carbon has crystallized, forming – in effect – an Earth-sized diamond in space. “It’s a really remarkable object,” said Kaplan. “We expect a large number of old white dwarfs to be around. They are just hard to see, and if we don’t know where to look, they are basically impossible to pick out.” White dwarfs are the extremely dense end-states of stars like our sun that have collapsed to form an object about the size of the Earth. Composed mostly of carbon and oxygen, they cool and fade over billions of years. Kaplan and his colleagues found this 11-billion-year-old gem using the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s (NRAO) Green Bank Telescope (GBT). But the telescopes didn’t actually allow scientists to see the white dwarf. Instead, they were studying a millisecond pulsar, found two years ago by Jason Boyles, now a visiting assistant professor at Western Kentucky University, using the GBT. The next step, he said, is to actually detect the white dwarf in order to model conditions that will make it easier to find and study white dwarfs and other such cold objects in space. In June, UWM Libraries opened historic Polish Milwaukee to the world. “Milwaukee Polonia,” a digital collection of nearly 32,000 historic photographs of the city’s Polish-American community, is online at www.uwm.edu/mkepolonia. The collection was also be the subject of a large-screen exhibition in the cultural activities tent at Milwaukee’s Polish Fest. “This collection is the largest we know of documenting the Polish-American community,” said Michael Doylen, assistant director and head of archives at the UWM Libraries. The collection features the photography of Roman B. J. Kwasniewski, who lived and worked in Milwaukee’s South Side Polish community, Polonia, from 1910 through the 1940s. Photographs of this time period, Doylen said, capture Polonia at its most cohesive. “Milwaukee has one of the oldest and largest Polish communities in America,” said Doylen. Close-knit families lived in predominately Polish neighborhoods, attended Catholic churches and schools in the area, and spoke Polish at home and out in the community. The collection was donated to UWM in 1979 and opened for research in 1991, but this was the first time scholars and the public were able to view it from anywhere in the world. Shine on you crazy diamond Milwaukee’s Polish heritage – now online Imagine a football team from the state’s smallest high school winning the Super Bowl. That’s the metaphor Mark Zoromski used to describe an unprecedented achievement by a group of UWM journalism students. Eighteen students won what is considered the top professional award for investigative broadcast journalism, the Edward R. Murrow Award, sharing the limelight with large network TV stations in Boston and Washington, D.C. The series also won a regional category of the award. “I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some top journalists and 99 percent of them have never won a regional Murrow award, let alone a national one,” said Zoromski, a senior lecturer in Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies Department (JAMS). “These students have won before they even left the classroom. It’s just astonishing.” Given by the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Murrow awards are named after Edward R. Murrow, who produced TV news reports leading to the censure of Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1954. The students produced a series of investigative broadcast reports on the event of an active shooter on campus. “School Shooter Safety: An Act of Malpractice,” aired last year on PantherVision, a weekly broadcast produced by students in JAMS. “It feels surreal,” said Chris Verhyen, who was one of the original reporters covering the story. “Especially the national award, where we went up against large network TV stations.” Like winning a Super Bowl, probably better Birds, bees and chemical-free lawns Birds and bees – as well as UWM students, faculty, staff and neighbors – will benefit from a new natural lawn care program across all 23 acres of lawn on campus. “Our traditional lawn care program was safe, but completely reactive and chemical dependent,” said UWM Sustainability Chief Kate Nelson. “As a leading green campus nationally, we decided we could do better. Working through the shared governance process, we considered storm water run off issues, and the impacts of long-term chemical use on urban wildlife and human health. Chemical-free lawn care became an obvious solution.” A natural seasonal process of aerating, composting and two to three monthly mowings is replacing the university’s traditional lawn- care program. Natural lawn care at UWM will involve two to three aerations yearly to oxygenate soil densely compacted by years of pedestrian traffic. Soil health will get an additional boost with yearly application of a 1/8- inch cover of compost. Over seeding of grass will create a hardier turf environment that crowds out weeds naturally. A deeper emerald hue is one possible aesthetic bonus, but the natural lawn care might also result in more dandelions and clover cover. : In spring 2014, a natural seasonal process of aerating, composting and two to three monthly mowings replaced the University’s traditional lawn-care program. “Bees love clover and hate pesticides,” said Nelson. “So we’re hoping to bring even more ‘black and gold back’ to campus with natural lawn care.” A decade in the making, but it covers a lot of ground The Encyclopedia of Milwaukee is an ambitious 10-year effort to put together a comprehensive, carefully authenticated resource with information on everything Milwaukee. Lead editors for the project are Amanda Seligman, associate professor of history, and Margo Anderson, distinguished professor of history. Working in collaboration with senior editors Thomas Jablonsky and James Marten from Marquette, IT professionals and a team of students, they’re creating a printed and online version of the Encyclopedia. The print version will include 740 entries spread across 1,000 pages and more than a million words. A preliminary website is online at emke.uwm.edu, and a comprehensive print bibliography is scheduled this spring from Marquette University Press. Northern Illinois University Press is under contract for the print version. Begun in 2008, The Encyclopedia of Milwaukee is projected to be completed in 2017. Total cost is estimated at $2 million, of which $1.3 million has already been raised through contributions and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “The Encyclopedia differs from conventional histories, which tell the story of the city in a linear narrative from start to finish,” said Seligman. With the Encyclopedia, researchers, journalists, students and anyone interested will be able to dip into the content at any point to learn more about a topic they’re interested in – whether it’s labor relations, Gertie the Duck or Hank Aaron. UWM student first Wisconsin Tillman Scholar The Pat Tillman Foundation earlier this year named the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee as a first-time University Partner. The Tillman Military Scholarship is designed for eligible active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses. In 2013, Rae Anne Frey, a UWM PhD student in Educational Psychology, applied at-large for the scholarship’s 5th class. When selected, she became the first Tillman Military Scholar to attend school in Wisconsin. The selection process is highly competitive, with Frey among 60 Tillman Military Scholars chosen from a field of more than 5,000 applicants for the 2013-14 academic year. A native of Cadott, Wis., she served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army. Frey met with groups of eligible students at the UWM Military and Veterans Resource Center to encourage them to apply for the scholarship. “It’s very competitive, but definitely worth giving it a shot,” she said. Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 54 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 new@UWM
- 5. A 100,000-square-foot additionto the School of Freshwater Sciences (SFS) on Milwaukee’s inner harbor, just south of downtown, integrates science, engineering, urban planning, policy and public health. Unique in the United States, SFS, formed in 2009, builds on UWM’s more than 40-year history of maintaining the largest academic research institute on the Great Lakes. The school’s expanded home offers a rare combination of capabilities – from microbiology to robotics, and aquaculture to policy-making support – all under one roof. The new building features bio-secure and quarantine facilities for studying wildlife; a pathogen-testing facility; and the Great Lakes Genomics Center, which can reveal information about lake and river contamination much quicker and with greater accuracy than current methods. Farther west, in Wauwatosa, is UWM’s Innovation Campus, a 72-acre, next-generation technical park, at which UWM bioengineers are working in close proximity to scientists and doctors at the regional medical complex. The aim of the park’s first 24,000-square-foot building, the Innovation Accelerator, is to conduct joint research with medical professionals to build products that solve health care problems – and bring those discoveries to the marketplace. It also houses a Mobile App Development Lab, in which UWM students work on health applications with medical professionals. Area philanthropists have given more than $6 million to the development that will eventually include housing, a hotel, another building for collaborative research and more private industry. Donors include the Nicholas Family Foundation, Wisconsin Energy Foundation, Michael J. Cudahy, the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation, Dennis Klein and KBS Construction, and an anonymous donor. Here is a look at UWM’s latest, exciting expansion projects. Members of the Center for Water Policy provide science-based support to policy makers charged with managing freshwater resources. Pictured in their new home are doctoral student Will Kort, left, assistant professor Ramiro Berardo, Center for Water Policy Director and Associate Professor Jenny Kehl, graduate student Victoria Lubner and research manager Aaron Thiel. The Accelerator Building at Innovation Campus includes a rapid prototyping facility in which proof of concept, fabrication and pilot manufacturing work takes place. David Garman, left, dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences, and Michael Carvan, associate professor, display zebra fish used in an experiment. The school has one of the top zebra fish research clusters in the nation for its toxicology studies. Brooke Slavens, assistant professor of Health Sciences, and a graduate student help set up the new lab for rehabilitation engineering and orthopedic biomechanics. The lab features a floor that tilts, allowing the lab members to photograph and document movement of the impaired. UWM Mechanical Engineering Professor Junhong Chen and Milwaukee gastroenterologist Lyndon Hernandez are partners in an effort to commercialize a biosensor they are developing that can help diagnose acid reflux disease noninvasively. Rebecca Klaper, director of the Great Lakes Genomics Center in the new addition at the School of Freshwater Sciences, where the most advanced molecular tools in North America are used to solve ecological questions. In the ergonomics lab led by Na Jin Seo, assistant professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineer- ing, graduate students take equipment training. Lab projects focus on grip and hand movement, including a prototype bracelet that improves the movement of fingers in stroke patients who have numbness and diminished function in their hands. With a gentle wave shape to its façade, the modern addition to the School of Freshwater Sciences con- tains state-of-the-art equipment necessary for training water experts and leaders to manage sustainable and equitable use of freshwater systems worldwide. The first building in UWM’s Innovation Campus in Wauwatosa overlooks the Medical College of Wisconsin, Blood- Center of Wisconsin, and both Froedtert and Children’s hospitals. It will act as a catalyst for academic, clinical and business organizations to develop new products and technologies. Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 76 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 UWM is celebrating the completion of two buildings that offer faculty and students the most up-to-date tools and facilities, while also fostering more research collaboration between UWM scientists and those at other agencies. New Facilities – Both local and globalEXPAND UWM’s Reach
- 6. Fall 2014 UWMalumni • 9 b y K r i s S o b c z a k “When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.” - John Muir Throughout southeastern Wisconsin, 400-plus acres of natural spaces are under the careful protection and management of UWM’s Field Station, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. These natural preserves include bogs, forests and a stopover for monarch butterflies on their journey south. These natural communities rely on UWM to be a strong steward of the environment and a leader in environmental sustainability. PhotobyPeteAmland DiscoverIES in UWM’s natural classrooms ABOUND Below: A gentle force of nature in his own right, James Reinartz, field station director and biological sciences professor, surveys the old-growth beech maple forest near the UWM Field Station.
- 7. 10 • UWMalumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 11 cedarburg BOG “These resources make it possible for a single researcher or student to consider asking a wide variety of questions, but they also bring together a larger community of researchers working in very different systems. Experiencing this diversity was particularly valuable for me as a graduate student at UWM.” - Steve Hovick Senior Research Associate Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology Ohio State University The morning stillness has enveloped the Cedarburg Bog, just as it has for thousands of years. The quiet is gently broken as graduate student Amberleigh Henschen whistles for the common yellowthroat birds she is researching. When one quickly returns her call, she smiles the way a mother smiles at hearing her children’s laughter — excited, happy, energized. Like her fellow researchers and others who hike the narrow boardwalks through UWM’s acreage of this diverse wetland, she is drawn by curiosity and a desire to learn in nature’s classroom. Just 30 miles north of campus, the Cedarburg Bog spans 2,200 acres and is owned primarily by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and UWM. It was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1973, and as an Experimental Ecological Reserve, is part of the National EER network. Anchored by the UWM Field Station, this outdoor laboratory frequently hosts students from UWM’s numerous scientific disciplines who explore its forests, swamps, meadows, marshes and lakes. Local residents are correct when they humorously refer to the area as the “Saukville Swamp.” With its neutral pH, this wetland is technically a swamp; bogs have a more acidic pH. Its name is also somewhat of a misnomer as geographically it is in Saukville. James Reinartz, a senior scientist at the University, presides over the area as the director of the Field Station, but his connection to the environment is deeper and noticeably profound. A fatherly ambassador and curator, he speaks with the calm, measured cadence of a man who has learned patience waiting for nature to do things in its own time. “The Cedarburg Bog is an exceptional asset and an important source of biodiversity,” Reinartz says. “Even though UWM is an urban campus, many students are interested in careers in environmental conservation. Researchers, students and visitors log more than 10,000 hours annually in these natural treasures, exploring, studying and simply enjoying a peaceful moment. In contrast to UWM’s metropolitan East Side campus, these natural gems provide a balance to the urban stresses that affect people and the environment — and a place for students to research questions that may one day help solve some of the bigger scientific puzzles of our time. For as naturalist John Muir understood, all things in nature are connected. Look through our camera lens into this world, with its pristine, natural wonders and areas singled out for careful restoration and preservation. These pages offer a glimpse of its unique and timeless beauty and relevance. PhotobyTroyeFox PhotobyPeteAmland St. Augustine Rd. Knollwood Rd. Newburg Saukville Grafton Cedarburg CEDARBURG BOG UWM FIELD STATION Cedar Sauk Rd. Y Y143 60 33 Continued on page 12 Access to UWM’s land is through the Field Station on Blue Goose Road. Main: In his role as director of the UWM Field Station, James Reinartz marvels at nature’s fragileness and resiliency. Above: A pale purple coneflower blooms near the UWM Field Station. Right: The Cedarburg Bog is a National Natural Landmark. Above: Common yellowthroat males have distinctive black facial masks. Right: Amberleigh Henschen prepares a mist net for her early-morning bird research.
- 8. 12 • UWMalumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 13 DOWNER WOODS These areas provide a balance, a hands- on opportunity, and a way to broaden their education.” For students like Henschen, the bog has been a place of boundless discovery. “The Cedarburg Bog and UWM Field Station have provided me with an area to conduct almost all my field research while staying close to home,” Henschen says. She is examining why female common yellowthroats seem to prefer to mate with males with larger black, Zorro-type facial masks, which she hypothesizes may indicate a better immune system and healthier male. “I hope to unravel what benefits females gain by being choosy about their mate,” she explains. Home to carnivorous plants, a beech tree forest, about 35 plants at the southern- most reach of their growing range, and an ecosystem that thrives just beneath the water’s surface, the area’s importance, will only increase as climate change, habitat fragmentation, and invasion by exotic species continue to influence natural areas around Wisconsin and the world. Carved into a quiet, rural expanse in southeastern Wisconsin, these unique wetlands play a vital role in preserving water quality and species diversity, and serve to enhance understanding of our environment. The sound of gravel crunching underfoot precedes Reinartz as he emerges from Downer Woods to welcome visitors. Reinartz surmises from the open branches on the mature trees that the site may have been a Native American gathering spot at one time. Around the turn of the 20th century, the land was owned and farmed by Guido Pfister, who eventually donated it to Downer College, on the site that became UWM in 1964. Since UWM’s Field Station began managing and restoring the 11-acre conservancy on the northern rim of UWM’s 104-acre main campus in 1998, Reinartz says it’s much easier to walk its meandering pathways. “When we were first assigned to care for the woods, it was a dense thicket of invasive buckthorn,” Reinartz explains. “Then garlic mustard took over. We worked very hard to eliminate those aggressive invaders and let the natural area recover.” Downer Woods now provides an easily accessible venue that is woven into the curriculum of UWM’s growing biosciences and conservation programs. It provides opportunities for scientific research, like one project underway to study when specific trees leaf out each spring, and is also a haven for casual visitors who venture in to enjoy the changing seasons. “A lot of native species, like jack in the pulpit and enchanters nightshade, are returning,” Reinartz says. “They’ve responded wonderfully. Our ultimate goal is to get the property back to being a beech maple forest.” While much progress has been made, the conservancy is not “out of the woods.” The emerald ash borer is a looming threat, and with almost half of the canopy comprised of ash trees, the insect invader’s impact could be significant. But this unique, urban natural area has weathered nature’s storms before. “Having been all around the globe over the past four decades, the UWM Field Station still blooms with pleasant memories from my experiences. Access to the land helped direct my graduate focus. Utilization of a safe, secure and bio diverse area was a novel and critical opportunity, across all seasons, to anchor me with the complexity and fragility of such ecosystems, all available with the benefit of world-class scientists as a guide. Many scientists, myself included, would not be where they are today without the environmental focus and conservation ethic that UWM espoused then and now.” - Charles E. Rupprecht, VMD, MS, PhD Associate Dean for Research Director, Centre for Conservation Medicine Ecosystem Health Professor, Epidemiology Public Health Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Kitts, West Indies Cedarburg Bog continued Center Photo: In Downer Woods, newly planted sugar maple trees are surrounded by chicken wire to protect them from deer and rabbits. Above Left: Narrow boardwalks provide access to wet areas of the Cedarburg Bog. Below Left: Jack Graham is researching whether bog peat is storing or releasing greenhouse gases. Above Right: Through diligent restoration, Downer Woods is once again home to native plants. DOWNER WOODS
- 9. 14 • UWMalumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 15 UWM MONARCH CONSERVANCY “I conducted research on distribution patterns and survivorship of monarch butterflies at the UWM Field Station. The biologically diverse and significant property provided an incredibly stimulating learning environment, further enhanced by the lab facilities, encouragement and opportunities for engagement with Field Station staff and other students. My career at the Milwaukee Public Museum is directly related to the research I pursued at the Field Station” - Susan (Sullivan) Borkin Head of Natural Sciences Curator, Invertebrate Zoology Milwaukee Public Museum This Page, Main Photo: Cedarburg Bog contains the southern-most string bog in North America. Small Circle: Black-eyed Susans are among abundant wildflowers in the Cedarburg Bog area. Big Circle: UWM’s Field Station, used extensively for teaching and research, is the base camp for all the University’s natural spaces. UWM MONARCH CONSERVANCY Like the monarch butterflies that rest en masse on the area’s huge sycamore during their southern migration, the UWM Monarch Conservancy at Innovation Campus is undergoing a metamorphosis. While still in its infancy, plans are to turn 11 acres of the former Milwaukee County grounds in Wauwatosa into lush prairie — a peaceful, natural refuge for these graceful creatures and other desirable plants and wildlife. Dave Gilbert, Innovation Campus executive director, says collaboration has been key as UWM works with a local group of naturists, Friends of the Monarch Trail, to revamp the site. “The discussion between UWM and the citizen group is making the entire campus development even more ecofriendly,” Gilbert says. “The early phase of the project has been to get the invasive species under control,” says James Reinartz, UWM Field Station director and the University’s conservation consultant at Innovation Park. “Last year, we planted the first prairie, which is just now establishing itself.” “It’s a work in progress, aimed at protecting these fragile butterflies,” says Barb Agnew, founder of Friends of the Monarch Trail. While she says the monarchs have become the symbolic reason for restoring and protecting the land, she and Reinartz emphasize that improvements will ultimately benefit all resident wildlife and plant communities, and purposefully restore a much-needed natural space. “There are people who really valued the open aspect of the former Milwaukee County grounds,” Reinartz explains. “It was viewed as essentially park land and was valuable for people to walk their dogs and provide a resting place for the monarchs. The concerns of these residents set the target for what UWM is doing here. We are committed to making this a beautiful natural area — better than it was before.” This Page, Top Circle: Monarchs fuel up on nectar from butterfly milkweed at the UWM Monarch Conservancy. Bottom Circle: A lower limb of the sycamore tree still brings in a tiny grouping of monarchs (photo taken before development began on the County Grounds.) Map Inset: The Monarch Conservancy at UWM’s Innovation Campus in Wauwatosa, Wis. Bottom Photo: UWM is collaborating with local citizens to protect this unique habitat for monarch butterflies. Watch a day in the life of the UWM Field Station unfold before your eyes in the latest UWM Spotlight on Excellence video, now playing at vimeo.com/uwmilwaukee/wildatuwm
- 10. Welcome to theYear of the Humanities at UWM – an opportunity for scholars and students to have a productive discussion about the role of the humanities in college education. “There was a certain amount of serendipity in the choice of this year,” says Nigel Rothfels, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and chair of the organizing committee for the Year of the Humanities. “It’s timely because our campus discussion is part of a larger national discussion of the roles traditionally played by the humanities. “There has been a great deal of focus on STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] areas in recent years. People are thinking now about what other fields are doing, looking at the status of the humanities and clarifying their role.” UWM’s core humanities departments include art history, English, communication, languages, comparative literature, women’s studies and philosophy. In addition, faculty in related areas such as history, political science, geography, linguistics and journalism, advertising and media studies also consider their fields related to the humanities. “Humanities are strong on our campus,” says Rothfels, noting several nationally ranked departments. “We haven’t seen a drop in the number of students taking humanities courses.” Furthermore, research shows that while graduates in the STEM fields and career-oriented majors often make more money right after college, the pay gap narrows over time. Studies in Britain and the United States have shown that leadership in organizations often falls to people with core training in the humanities. Nearly two-thirds of members of the British Parliament and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, for example, have degrees in humanities, arts and letters. (See infographic on page 17.) “We’ll have much to show during the Year of the Humanities about what these fields have to offer to students and to our society at large,” says Rothfels. Critical thinking about issues, the ability to work effectively with others and communication skills are among the valuable results of humanities studies. “There are jobs out there… and good jobs.” And, just as important in today’s increasingly interconnected world is the knowledge that humanities fields offer. “Our students are recognizing that it’s important to know more about other countries if we expect to have positive bilateral relations with them,” says Rothfels. “We cannot expect to understand other countries without a sense of their language, history and culture.” Languages, in particular, are growing in popularity, with much of the growth in Spanish, Middle Eastern and Asian languages. In these areas and other humanities disciplines, the university works closely with employers and surveys parents and students to make certain the courses being offered are responsive to their needs, according to Rothfels. The Year of the Humanities at UWM will highlight the value of the humanities, with 20 to 30 events each semester. Some will be new events and others will be ongoing, including the Distinguished Lecture Series and film series sponsored by language departments. The University’s 21st Century Studies, International Education, and Jewish Studies centers, in addition to the humanities departments, will all be involved. “We’re taking this opportunity to highlight work that too often goes on under the radar,” says Rothfels. “We want to make this an opportunity for the campus and broader community to learn more about the humanities and join the discussion about the importance of these disciplines.” See uwm.edu/humanities for more information on presentations, conferences and events. 16 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 17 Anukware Selase Adzima ’06 MA Foreign Languages and Linguistics Alumnus Anukware Selase Adzima is general manager of CETRA Ghana Ltd., a U.S.-owned company that specializes in translation and interpretation. Adzima studied both French and Spanish translation at UWM. His specialty, however, is African indigenous languages. His company also offers cultural consulting. “For example, if a company wants to sell something to people in the Middle East, they can’t put a bikini on their web page. In China, the color of happiness is red, but in my country, Ghana, it’s the color for funerals.” “The humanities are what helps every field of study make sense of other cultures, other parts of the world, other histories.” The humanities, he adds, help us connect with other cultures and share the ideas that will become future innovations. Translation technology and the business and marketing aspects of owning a translation business blended seamlessly with his UWM translation curriculum, a liberal arts combination Adzima says benefited him greatly. “I didn’t just learn how to translate words at UWM, but I learned how to manage myself as a business.” Bertha Alvarez Manninen ’01 MA Philosophy Alumna Bertha Alvarez Manninen is the first in her family to attend college. While her family was very supportive of her studies, she understands why some well-meaning parents encourage their children to pursue so-called “practical” fields over the humanities. She resisted the advice and enrolled in UWM’s graduate program in philosophy. “I absolutely adored my two years here. The classes were small, the teachers were really dedicated, the students were close knit.” Manninen is now an associate professor in the College of Humanities at Arizona State University. She teaches courses like medical ethics and philosophy of religion. Her humanities degrees have done more than just set her career in motion, she says. “I really, genuinely believe that I am a wholly better human being because of my studies. I’m a better a parent, I’m a better wife, I’m a better friend, I’m a better citizen, I’m a better voter… I really think I’m all that because of the skills that philosophy gave me.” Jennifer Flamboe ’07 MA Language, Literature and Translation Alumna Jennifer Flamboe spent her undergraduate years searching for the right major. She studied premed, planning to be a physical therapist. She switched to journalism, but that wasn’t right either. She kept up with Spanish courses throughout. “To me they were the fun classes.” After a semester in Ecuador, Flamboe worked part-time in a clinic in Wisconsin. Asked to translate for Spanish-speaking patients, something clicked. “It was the perfect blend for me.” That’s when she decided to pursue her master’s at UWM. “My path to success has been more indirect than anything,” says Flamboe. “When people pursue a humanities degree, sometimes the path is a little less direct. Most people who major in the humanities do it because they love it. They don’t always know where they’ll end up specifically.” Specially, she ended up at Alverno College, where she is now chair of the world languages department and an assistant professor of Spanish. Kyoko MorI ‘84 Ph.D. English/Creative Writing Alumna Kyoko Mori could have pursued many other more “practical” areas of study, such as law. “But I would have been so unhappy,” she now says as a professor of creative writing at George Mason University. “At UWM, I learned to take other people’s writing seriously. To take someone else’s piece of writing and to try to be open-minded and make constructive suggestions. Mori thinks of literature as a particularly important area of study for students because it helps develop empathy. “Literature allows readers to imagine something other than what they live every day… to imagine, to think, to see the similarities and differences between things. Studying literature is both imaginative and systematic. I really did learn how to think logically.” Her time at UWM, she says, “helped me most in committing to my writing. I really wanted to be a writer, and this taught me that I should just go ahead and pursue this in whatever way I could. And it did help me get a job teaching, which made it financially possible for me to write.” matter more than b y K at h y Q u i r k InfoGraphicCredit:Terras,M.,Priego,E.,Liu,A.,Rockwell,G.,Sinclair,S.,Hensler,C.,andThomas,L.(2013).“TheHumanitiesMatter!”Infographic,4humanities.org/infographic.
- 11. UWM biologist StefanSchnitzer and student researchers in the Panama jungle have found that tree vines – or lianas – are threatening the ability of tropical forests to combat climate change (photo provided by Stefan Schnitzer). 18 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 19 b y L AURA O T T O UWM researcher shows how plant competition could impact climate change a Forest’s Ability to Choking Sergio Estrada is a doctoral student working with biologist Stefan Schnitzer (pictured on page 19) who has found that tree vines – or lianas – are threatening the ability of tropical forests to combat climate change. Stefan Schnitzer of the School of Freshwater Sciences is getting a grip on the relationship between carbon loss and botanical competition in Panama. The dense forests of Panama are representative of many of the Earth’s tropical forests. Here, UWM biologist Stefan Schnitzer and his team of student researchers are using machetes as well as sophisticated data-collection equipment to prove that a botanical competitor in the forest is threatening the trees. The loss of trees weakens Earth’s best defense in the battle against rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) – a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. All trees soak up CO2 during photosynthesis, but tropical forests alone store around one-third of the terrestrial carbon on Earth. The competitors are woody vines, or lianas, and Schnitzer has found that they are increasing in tropical forests throughout Central and South America, choking out mature trees that store the most carbon. Lianas are structural parasites, using trees to support their thin stems as they climb to the forest canopy. There they blot out sunlight required for tree growth and, because they are more drought resistant than many tree species, lianas continue to grow during the dry season, when trees fall dormant. Although lianas also take up carbon during photosynthesis, he says, they account for only a mere fraction of the amount of carbon that trees accumulate. “When plants compete in a tropical forest, people think it’s a zero-sum game – the one that prevails takes up the same amount of carbon that the one that was displaced did,” says Schnitzer, professor in the School of Freshwater Sciences. “But this assumption is now being challenged.” Getting a foothold In the first experimental study to demonstrate that com- petition between plants can result in losses of forest carbon, Schnitzer has quantified the outcome of runaway liana growth. The verdict: Lianas can reduce forest-wide biomass accumula- tion (which is mostly trees) by nearly 20 percent. “Lianas grow quickly in gaps created by fallen trees, a pro- cess that tells the carbon-imbalance story best,” says Schnitzer. To determine how much damage was being done, he conducted an eight-year liana-removal experiment. In research supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), he and his team, armed with machetes, chopped out lianas in some plots in the Panamanian forest and recorded the rate of liana fill-in. By comparing data from liana-free plots with naturally liana-filled plots in the same forest, they quantified the extent to which lianas limited tree growth: Liana fill-in reduced tree biomass accumulation by nearly 200 percent in the cleared gaps. Data collection has been daunting. Across a 125-acre plot, the research- ers have tracked over 67,000 lianas. No matter what species of liana, the researchers found that most of the trees in plots where treefall occurred were negatively affected by the vines. What is driving this proliferation of lianas? Schnitzer says it still isn’t clear. His lab has an NSF grant pending to investigate this question. The outlook isn’t completely bleak, however. Despite the lianas’ hardiness, Schnitzer doesn’t believe the encroachment of lianas will ultimately smother whole forests. “It’s still beneficial to be a tree,” he says. “Once they gain a canopy position, they could be there for 500 years, putting out lots and lots of seeds year after year. Also, vines have a higher mortality rates than trees.” About 1 percent of the tropical forest turns over annually. When trees fall, they rip some of the lianas away from the canopy. If the remaining trees are big enough, they stay vine-free for a long time, says Schnitzer, because it’s more difficult for the lianas to make their way back up when a tree is exceptionally large. “Once trees gain a canopy position, they could be there for 500 years, putting out lots and lots of seeds year after year.” PhotoscourtesyofStefanSchnitzer.
- 12. Lifetime Achievement Award Thisaward is presented on limited occasions when the UWM Alumni Association recognizes an alumnus/alumna with exemplary achievements over the span of a lifetime. In the history of the UWM Alumni Association, only 15 alumni have received the award. Steven A. Davis ’80 BBA Marketing Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Bob Evans Farms Inc. Steven A. Davis has built a career on innovation and through strong, often life-long, relationships. Currently Chairman of the Board and CEO of Bob Evans Farms Inc., a large restaurant and food products company with sales of approximately $1.6 billion, Davis got his start in business with an internship at Northwestern Mutual where the man who hired him became a mentor and a friend. Henry J. Davis Jr. notes that his brother, like many UWM students, worked to pay for his degree and never lost the values their parents instilled in the five Davis siblings, all of whom attended UWM. Davis went on to shape retail food offerings into nationally recognized products at Kraft Foods and Yum Brands, which includes Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and AW. As Senior Vice President of Concept Development with Pizza Hut, Davis led the team responsible for the Wing Street idea. Since moving to Columbus, Ohio, to head Bob Evans in 2006, Davis and his spouse, Lynnda, have immersed themselves in philanthropic work, becoming active on numerous charitable and research boards and with Operation Feed, which provides food for hungry families across central Ohio. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Alumni Association (UWMAA) is pleased to present the 2014 alumni awardees. These alums have demonstrated excellence and outstanding achievements in their careers and/or civic involvement. The honorees are celebrated at the UWMAA’s annual Alumni Awards Evening on November 14th , 2014. AlumniAwards.uwm.eduALUMNI UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN -M ILWAUKEE A S S O C I A T I O N 2014 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14th 20 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 21 Distinguished Alumni Service Award The Distinguished Alumni Service Award celebrates outstanding UWM graduates whose professional achievements and commitment to the community bring honor to the university. Allyson Nemec ’90 MA Architecture Principal Architect and President, Quorum Architects, LLC Former UWM Alumni Association Board President Allyson Nemec has held numerous leadership roles in Milwaukee and beyond, including with the Catch a Rising Star Foundation, the Next Act Theater Advisory Board, the Wisconsin Architects Foundation and the Historic Preservation Commission. Although Nemec was “thrilled” when she heard, it did not even occur to her that she would ever be nominated for this award. “There are so many other outcomes of the work I’ve done with the university,” she says. “The friends and connections I’ve made with staff and board members all helped me learn more about UWM and its mission. Our firm’s work is making Milwaukee a better place to learn, work and live.” In both her role as President of the American Institute of Architects-Wisconsin and as a past recipient of the Alumni Association’s Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award, Nemec has guided young students and interns in architecture and helped them achieve their goals. She continues to volunteer her time to SARUP. “Architecture is a great profession,” says Nemec. “I try to open that door to whomever I can. Tying what they’re learning in school to what we’re doing in the studio offers an important reality check to the profession, asking: ‘How can I take what I learn and apply it?’” UWM Foundation Alumni Achievement Award This award recognizes alumni who have achieved prominence, accomplishment, recognition and demonstrate leadership in their profession. Honorees represent characteristics of UWM’s mission to serve a broad and diverse student body, who go on to contribute to their community and/or profession in impactful ways. This award is presented to one alumna/us annually. Margaret Rykowski ’76 BS Nursing, ’80 MS Nursing Home Health Agency and Integrated Rehabilitation Service Administrator, San Francisco Department of Public Health Margaret Rykowski is a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, one of only 18 nurses to ever achieve this rank, and was the Navy’s first nurse to serve as Deputy Fleet Surgeon, a post formerly held only by physicians. Rykowski served 26 years in the Naval Reserve and was called to active duty three times, the first in 1991 to support Operation Desert Shield/Storm, again in 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and a third time in 2007 when she was stationed in Germany as chief nurse, Deployed Warrior Medical Management Center. Rykowski retired from the Navy in 2013 as Deputy Director of the Nurse Corps, Reserve Component, the highest position a Navy nurse can attain. She was recently a nursing director at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, one of two in the Department of Public Health, where she has now assumed a number of larger administrative positions. Even with her decorated, barrier-breaking Naval career and continued civilian accomplishments, Rykowski was surprised to learn of her nomination for the Foundation Achievement Award. “It’s quite an honor to be recognized,” she says. “I am very fortunate and grateful to have had the opportunity to attend nursing school at UWM; its innovative program laid down a solid foundation for me so I could progress in my career.” DistinguishedALUMNI UWM HONORS
- 13. 22 • UWMalumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 23 Panther Pride Volunteer Award The Community Service award honors alumni who have generously contributed their time and talents for the enrichment of others and the betterment of their communities. The Green Gulls are an active group of, primarily, octogenarian alumni, student-athletes at the Wisconsin State Teachers College-Milwaukee, UWM’s predecessor institution from 1927 to 1956. Although the Green Gulls was the previous institution’s mascot name, this group of dedicated alumni have nothing but Panther Pride, raising $40,000 to endow a scholarship in their name for current UWM athletes and supporting the soon-to-be endowed John Tierney Track and Field Scholarship. “Many of us, perhaps most, who participated as a Green Gull became educators and made important contributions in the Milwaukee metropolitan area as teachers, principals, superintendents and a few UWM faculty,” says William Emanuelson, a Green Gull living in Pewaukee. A number of different Green Gulls groups convene regularly to share memories and plan social outings to Panthers games, but also to generate more ideas to support UWM and its Athletic Department. Among the largest group of Green Gulls who meet at a bi-monthly luncheon is David Bogenschild, a retired teacher in the Brown Deer School District. “As a 73-year-old I was the youngest of the group and was the last graduating Green Gull class,” says Bogenschild, “Each Green Gull has exhibited loyalty to and aid for both athletic and academic programs at UWM.” Members of the Green Gulls gather at a recent lunch meeting. Community Service Awards The Community Service Award honors alumni who have generously contributed their time and talents for the enrichment of others and the betterment of their communities. Matthew Jandrisevits ’06 PhD Urban Education Psychologist, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Matthew Jandrisevits is a community advocate for mental health who works tirelessly, with many other volunteers he admires, as a psychologist at Milwaukee’s Bread of Healing Clinic, Agape Community Center and Cross Lutheran Church. Jandrisevits supervises and mentors graduate students in their practicum placements while remaining attentive to children and the disadvantaged, thus ensuring the betterment of our community for all. Michael J. Murphy ’86 Geological Sciences Milwaukee Common Council President, 10th District Alderman Through 25 years of public service, Alderman Michael Murphy has helped Milwaukee through financial difficulties and into an economic resurgence. Murphy’s strong civic ties and belief in education were fostered by his immigrant parents, and his siblings also graduated from UWM. Murphy was named a Common Ground Hero for his work securing 800 supportive housing units for at-risk groups. Ursula Twombly ’85 BS Architectural Studies Co-founder and Principal Architect, Continuum Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has recognized Ursula Twombly as a “Citizen Architect” for her commitments to both her community and to the profession. As president of the Walker’s Point Association, Twombly has dedicated countless hours toward the Milwaukee neighborhood’s growth and in support of initiatives that sustain and enhance the quality of life for all its residents. Honorary Alumni Awards Mary B. Emory Corporate Secretary for the Board of American Friends of the Musée d’Orsay A longtime supporter of UWM in numerous roles, Mary Emory has most recently been an active member of the Friends of the Golda Meir Library board and the UWM Foundation’s Development Committee. A champion of the French program, Emory worked to build the largest scholarship endowment for French students and helped found the annual Festival of Films in French. F. William Haberman Attorney, Michael Best and Friedrich Bill Haberman has served the UWM community for nearly a decade, including as chair and vice chair of the UWM Foundation Board of Directors. Haberman’s commitment to philanthropic giving in his role as president of the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation has greatly benefitted UWM, including in the development of the Innovation Campus in Wauwatosa. Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Awards The GOLD award recognizes recent undergraduates who have achieved a measure of success in their fields, bringing credit to themselves and the university. Michael Cotey ’08 BFA Theatre Acting Founding Artistic Director, Youngblood Theatre Company Michael Cotey has created his own performance spaces in Youngblood with four other actors from the BFA program, acted at the Milwaukee Repertory, First Stage Children’s Theatre and Next Act Theatre. He has gone on to direct productions at the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, among others. He will continue to hone his considerable talents in the MFA Directing Program at Northwestern University. Nicholas W. Wichert ’07 BA Psychology Co-founder, Global Entrepreneurship Collective, Vetransfer Inc. and Offermation A Division I scholarship athlete, Nicholas Wichert is now a leader in founding seed accelerators and start-ups. Recognized by the White House as a “Champion of Change,” Wichert’s similarly award-winning start-up companies have reduced unemployment in Milwaukee’s central city and increased entrepreneurship opportunities for veterans. Wichert is also part-time faculty at UWM and Milwaukee Area Technical College. Corporate Partner Awards The Corporate Partner Award recognizes corporations or nonprofit organizations that have a significant impact on the campus and/or on the lives of alumni and students by assisting in the advancement, growth and/or development of UWM. Northwestern Mutual has supported programs across the university since 1976. Northwestern’s scholarship support of full tuition and books has been awarded to 41 UWM students since 2006, and its many alumni employees have provided mentorship relationships to recipients. Northwestern’s support for Actuarial Sciences advanced the program to be on par with the nation’s highest ranked and increased the number of graduates sevenfold. In addition to sponsoring the Student Design Awards for 10 years, Spancrete has partnered with the School of Architecture and Urban Planning to develop and sustain the country’s first academy/industry-based architectural design school focused on precast concrete. Spancrete has been a leader in the precast industry for nearly 70 years and a prominent community supporter of organizations like the Ronald McDonald House. We Energies has been investing in research and philanthropy with various university partners for 39 years, from funding faculty members’ research programs to sending employees to judge student presentations. In addition to funding major competitions on campus, strategic investments include wind energy research, the Renewable Energy Research Fund and Innovation Campus, the UWM Real Estate Foundation’s new campus in Wauwatosa. DistinguishedALUMNI UWM HONORS
- 14. Fall 2014 UWMalumni • 2524 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 b y L AURA O T T O Milwaukee’s downtown arena is the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. A NEW NAME – UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena – defines more than basketball The naming puts UWM in the heart of Milwaukee’s entertainment district, giving the university visibility with commuters, residents and tourists, while also providing UWM students and alumni a larger venue for events. In a broad agreement that gives the university more than just naming rights, the Wisconsin Center District (WCD), which owns and operates the arena, will also give UWM priority in choosing dates for its use, guaranteeing that all Panther home games can be played there. As part of the agreement, the university will also have use of any of the WCD buildings for entertainment events, such as concerts or speakers. Besides the arena, WCD owns and operates the Wisconsin (Convention) Center and the Milwaukee Theatre. UWM Interim Chancellor Mark Mone said the agreement helps underscore UWM’s role as the region’s leading university. “Having UWM’s name on the downtown arena is an important symbol of our deep commitment to Milwaukee and the entire region,” Mone said. “It fits well with our strategic plan to enhance the university’s brand and to further position UWM as Milwaukee’s university.” Mone said that no tax dollars are being used for the marketing and sponsorship initiative, which costs $300,000 a year. Instead, it is being financed with UWM Foundation resources and by reallocating funds in the existing budgets of three university divisions – University Relations Communications, Student Affairs and Athletics. The term of the agreement is 10 years, but the university has the option of extending it to 2029. UWM will continue to use the arena for its commencement ceremonies under a separate contract. The arena has been the site of most Panther men’s basketball games over the past decade. Now, red and blue spectator seats will be replaced with black and gold seats, a new overhead scoreboard with UWM signage will be installed and locker rooms will be updated. UWM Athletic Director Amanda Braun sees the agree- ment as a boon for recruiting student athletes. Stronger bonds among new students and deeper alumni connections are other expected outcomes. UWM will continue to use the arena for its commencement ceremonies in December and May. “It’s going to be great for recruiting and it’s going to be great for our student congregation – a place for them to come to the heart of the city and a presence for our institution,” said Braun. “UWM students also will benefit from the ability of UWM to attract more popular entertainment acts in a venue with more than four times the capacity of the Klotsche Center,” said Michael Laliberte, vice chancellor for student affairs. And tickets for many of the non-athletic events will be offered to UWM students either for free or at a greatly reduced cost. “On campus we have the capacity of bringing only about 3,200 of our 28,000 students together,” said Laliberte. The arena can accommodate 11,000. For Panther head basketball coach Rob Jeter, the agreement means UWM finally has a place of its own. “It’s going to help us tremendously, not only with recruiting and visibility but more importantly, with our connectedness to the community,” said Jeter. “Our student athletes have done close to a 1,000 hours of community service in Milwaukee in the past year and there is no better way to tie that messaging together than by having a downtown home. This is our home.” “It’s going to help us tremendously, not only with recruiting and visibility but more importantly, with our connectedness to the community…” 2014 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14th There are no limits to where your UWM degree can take you. We’re reminded of that each year when the Alumni Association recognizes outstanding alumni and university partners for their commitment to UWM, volunteerism and professional achievements. Join us for this exclusive evening at the Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee. The celebration includes a reception, dinner, awards ceremony, and a silent auction benefiting student scholarships. Join us celebrate ticketsNOWavailableAlumniAwards.uwm.edu
- 15. what a yearit will be. What a year it was, When approaching the fall athletic season for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Athletics, expectations of success across the board have almost become the standard. The 2013-14 season stands as further proof that the Panthers’ multi-sports success continues, as UWM cemented its hold on the Horizon League’s McCafferty Trophy – awarded annually to the league’s all-sports champion. When the season was over, Milwaukee had a pair of title sweeps, with volleyball and women’s soccer claiming crowns for the regular- season title and the Horizon League Tournament championship. Men’s soccer nearly made it a trifecta, with a close runner-up finish in second place of the regular season before knocking off the top finisher in the Horizon League Tournament championship en route to a third team NCAA Tournament appearance. The department was a success on the team level, as well as the individual student-athlete level. UWM pulled off the near- unprecedented accomplishment of having the Horizon League Player of the Year in volleyball, women’s soccer and men’s soccer. The only other time this was accomplished in conference history came in 1993, by none other than Notre Dame. Visions of volleyball success in ’14-‘15 Volleyball has won either the regular season or tournament championship in league play in 16 of its 17 seasons under Head Coach Susie Johnson. Ten of the last 17 Panther squads have qualified for the NCAA Tournament. And, Johnson completed an impressive turnaround a season ago. A year after injuries to key players kept Milwaukee out of the postseason, Johnson led the squad back to the top of the league. Milwaukee does lose Horizon League Player of the Year Rachel Neuberger from last year’s team but otherwise brings back the full roster. The list of returnees is highlighted by All-Horizon League performers Julie Kolinske and Kayla Price, and all-freshman team honoree Myanna Ruiz. The Panthers will be seeking their tenth league regular season crown in the last 12 years along with their eleventh NCAA Tournament berth. Women’s soccer aims for regular-season title no. 15 Women’s soccer continues to reach the top of the conference standings year-in and year-out. The team has now extended the longest active streak in the country to 14 consecutive regular- season titles. The team came up big in postseason play. The Panthers had already erased deficits of 1-0 and 2-1, but found themselves down 3-2 to Oakland with less than five minutes to go in the tournament championship last year. UWM stayed cool under pressure as Kelsey Holbert netted the equalizer in the 87th minute, setting the stage for the Horizon League Player of the Year as Kelly Lewers netted the dramatic winning goal with 23 seconds left. Men’s soccer builds on last year’s best-in-ten season Head coach Kris Kelderman has led a men’s soccer resur- gence. It didn’t take him long to make a positive impression with the Panthers, posting the first winning regular season for the team in seven years in his initial campaign in the fall of 2012. He upped the ante in year two, guiding his team to a 15-3-2 record during the 2013 campaign, capped by the ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. A 2013 WSA ‘College Coach of the Year’ nominee, his two-year turn- around of the program has been remarkable – Milwaukee is 23-11-4 since his arrival after having posted a win-loss record of 24-55-15 the prior five seasons combined. The 15 victories in 2013 marked the most for UWM since 2003. They have also been very tough to beat at Engelmann Stadium under his watch, posting a 12-2-2 mark in that span. The team was prolific on both sides of the ball in 2013. The offense, led by All-American Laurie Bell, paced the Horizon League in nearly all categories, finishing 13th in scoring and 16th in total goals at the NCAA Division I level. It was just as good on defense, setting a school record with a 0.63 goals against average – breaking the mark of 0.67 set in 2002 – in ranking seventh in the NCAA in team GAA and 11th with its 10 shutouts, doing it all with a rookie freshman Liam Anderson – in net. The team got off to the second-best start in program history, posting a 9-0-1 record in the first 10 games before an overtime loss ended the streak. That stretch helped the Panthers earn their first national ranking since 2003, peaking at third in the region and 24th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll in early October. all-sports excellence Panthers plan to extend into 2014-15b y C h r i s Z i ll s 26 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 27 (414) 229-5886oruwmtix@uwm.edu PAYMENT INFORMATION p Check made payable to“UWM Athletics” p Charge my: p MC p Visa Name on Acct. Cardholder Signature 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Month Exp. Date Year Personal Information Name (Class of): Address: City, State: Zip: Daytime Phone: Email Address: Alumni deals for just $80 or $130! SendCompletedFormTo: 3409N.DownerAve.,Milwaukee,WI53211 presents the UWM Alumni Gold Zone Alumni Gold Zone Alumni deals for just $25! T ALUMNI $130 YOUNG 10 '14 * $80 LOGE 2/$125 T COURTSIDE $100 ALUMNI $25 TotalTicket Cost + Handling Fee $10 TOTAL UWMPANTHERARENA KLOTSCHECENTER GENERAL ADMISSION COURTSIDE * Any Almuni that graduated between 2010 - 2014 Panther Athletics
- 16. Energetic, Engaged, SuccessfulAlumni Work with Students to Make the Right Choice with UWM Graduates across the UWM community are proud of their alma mater. From the institution’s successful basketball programs to our innovative teaching practices and community investments, UWM is easy to take pride in. That’s why more than 200 UWM alumni have already stood up to spread the word about all that UWM has to offer by becoming an Alumni Ambassador. Alumni are focusing their enthusiasm for their alma mater to help make a difference. UWM’s Alumni Ambassador Program, launched in the spring of 2013, is providing alumni the opportunity to give back to their alma mater with their time and talent. By joining UWM recruiters at college fairs, high school visits and campus events, Alumni help paint a colorful picture of the UWM experience for prospective students. Providing a memorable connection with prospective students increases the odds that a prospective student will make the decision to commit their future to UWM, and will enrich the institution for future generations. When asked what she enjoyed most about her recent experience at an on-campus recruitment event, Alumni Ambassador Celita Kouzes (’02) said: “I loved being on campus and getting to know this amazing young group. The parents were amazing too! I met with people from Green Bay, Beloit and Appleton. I hope they all pick UWM because it is the best place to get a great education and enjoy unique surroundings. Whether you are looking for friendship, different cultures or something else, I can guarantee you will find a place at UWM.” By engaging well-trained, knowledgeable and enthusiastic alumni as active participants in the university’s recruitment efforts, the Alumni Ambassador Program is making a difference for the broader UWM community. This fall, the university is already outpacing last year’s enrollment numbers and this is just the beginning. Opportunities to join Alumni Ambassadors and give back to UWM include: • College Fairs Tell your story and answer questions of prospective college students alongside college representatives. • Campus Admission Nights Represent alumni, connect with prospective students, and engage future alumni at events right on campus. • Project Welcome In this phone call and letter writing campaign, congratulate incoming freshmen and encourage them to become a part of the Panther family. • High School Visits Represent UWM at a high school in your area and share your experience with prospective students. Alumni Ambassadors Connectwith Future UWM Students Sign up at ambassadors.uwm.edu Contact Gillian Drummond at AlumniAmbassador@uwm.edu or call 414-229-3000 for more information. alumni U n i v e r s i t y o f W i s c o n s i n - M i l wau k ee P ro g ram 28 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 The transformation of vacant space on the Milwaukee County Grounds into a third-generation research park anchored by the University will take place over the next 10 years. Already the UWM Innovation Accelerator is up and running. The first corporate tenant, ABB, has occupied its 95,000-square-feet building and architects for the $75-million UWM research building will begin work this fall. Key gifts from regional leaders and innovators continue to move Innovation Campus forward, and further signal that southeast Wisconsin is ready for a powerful combination of industry, academia and nonprofit research organizations working in partnership at one strategic location. Notable among those gifts are two major contributions from the Nicholas Family Foundation and the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation. “I hope the Nicholas Family Foundation gift will inspire others to commit resources to Innovation Campus,” says Nicholas Family Foundation President Lynn Nicholas. “The launch of the Innovation Accelerator building has already brought new energy to the area, and I expect other successes will follow.” When Wauwatosa native Nicholas first toured the campus in fall 2013 with UWM Director of University Corporate Relations Gillian Stewart, the Accelerator building was little more than a shell. But the University’s message about innovation and job creation resonated with the Foundation – and with more than a dozen local mayors who had toured the grounds during early stages of construction. Nicholas announced a $750,000 gift to coincide with the accelerator’s grand opening in 2014. This gift mirrors an earlier investment made by the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation, longtime contributors and partners to the University on multiple fronts: architecture, the performing arts and breakthrough science research through the Catalyst Grant program. “The history of the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation is a colorful tapestry of strategic investment – in the arts and culture, in education, in our overall civic life. In so many varied and vibrant ways, your generosity has made the fabric of Greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin stronger,” Interim Chancellor Mark Mone says of this $750,000 gift. Says Stewart, “We are deeply grateful to the Nicholas Family and Herzfeld foundations for their generous expression of confidence in UWM’s vision for Innovation Campus. We invite other community leaders to see for themselves the exciting changes that are taking place.” UWM’s vision for a world-class public-private research park on the Milwaukee County Grounds – as well as for a more prosperous, innovative and collaborative economy in southeast Wisconsin – took a major step in spring 2014, when the Accelerator building on UWM’s Innovation Campus welcomed its first tenants. Gillian Stewart, left, and Nicholas Family Foundation President Lynn Nicholas during a tour of UWM’s Innovation Campus in summer ‘13. The campus has come a long way since then with the help of major contributions from the Nicholas Family and Herzfeld Foundations. Herzfeld and Nicholas Foundations are Key Players Innovation Campusat
- 17. Luis Arreaga ‘75, BBAMarketing, ’76, Masters in Management, ’81, PhD Economics Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Ambassador Luis Arreaga serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. In this role, he is responsible for programs that combat illicit drugs and organized crime. Prior to this appointment, Ambassador Arreaga served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland and Director of Recruitment, where he led efforts to recruit and hire the largest increase in Foreign Service personnel in State Department history. He is a career member of the Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor. He has also served in a variety of governmental positions including Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, U.S. Consul General in Vancouver, Canada, and as director of the Executive Secretariat Staff at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Overseas postings include the United Nations in Geneva, the U.S. Embassy in Spain and the Agency for International Development in Peru, El Salvador and Honduras. Luis Arreaga was born and raised in Guatemala before immigrating to the U.S. and eventually attending UWM. “My goal on the board is to bring my 30 years of experience as a diplomat to help formulate approaches that reach alumni living overseas, and enlist them in our efforts to strengthen UWM,” says Arreaga. UWM Alumni Association Board of Trustees 2014-15 Adrienne Bass, Executive Director Officers President: David Misky (`92), Assistant Executive Director, Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee Vice President: Brentell Handley (`92), Vice President, Business Banking, BMO Harris Bank, N.A. Secretary: Kathryn Gilbert (`80), Associate Dean of the Arts, Alverno College Treasurer: Scott Conger (`91), Senior Vice President, Pennant Management Trustees Luis Arreaga (`75, `76, `81), Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Benjamin Butz (`04, `07), Director-Membership Engagement and Innovation, American College of Preventive Medicine Filippo Carini (`88), Chief Administrative Officer, United Way of Greater Milwaukee Barbara Cooley (`78, `91), Budget Policy Analyst, UWM Office of Budget Planning Jason Eggert (`10), Vice President-Business Banking, Associated Bank Stelios Fakiroglou (`80), Project Manager/Architectural Sales Representative, Weather-Tek Design Center Meg Jansky (`85), Vice President-Field Services and Support, Northwestern Mutual Chris Larson (`07), Senator, District 7, Wisconsin State Legislature Alberto Maldonado (`96, `10), Assistant Director for High School Recruitment, UWM Department of Admissions Recruitment Rita Nawrocki-Chabin (`00), Professor, Program in General Education, Alverno College Allyson Nemec (`90), President, Quorum Architects Dele Ojelabi (`99), CEO, Comcentia, LLC Rosalee Patrick (`91), Order Management Specialist, GE Healthcare Frank Schneiger (`64), Founder and President, Frank Schneiger and Associates Adrien Tigert (`05, `06), Territory Manager, EMC Corporation Michael Wolaver (`02), Owner, Magellan Promotions, LLC Clarice Yenor (`73), Manager of Policy Performance, Walt Disney Parks Resorts U.S. Misky Handley Gilbert Conger 30 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 31 Meg Jansky ‘85, BBA Management Information Systems and Industrial Relations Vice President – Field Services and Support, Northwestern Mutual As vice president of field services and support at Northwestern Mutual, Meg Jansky is an expert at leading organizational development. She now combines that expertise with her passion for UWM to contribute to the growth of the university. Shortly after graduating, Jansky joined Northwestern Mutual and has worked in key operational and information technology positions throughout her career. In her current role, she provides a foundation for efficient operations to grow Northwestern Mutual’s distribution system. Her department is responsible for field technology, contract, licensing and registration, and support of various operations in field network offices across the country. She also continues her commitment to her alma mater. “Currently, approximately 20 percent of Northwestern Mutual’s workforce are UWM graduates,” says Jansky. “I am excited to connect these employees to the university so that they too will become advocates for UWM.” Jansky lives in the UWM area where she raised two children with her husband, Joe. She is active in a mentoring program associated with the Bruce Guadalupe School, and participates in many university activities including basketball games, library events and running in several Panther Prowl races. Frank Schneiger ‘64, BS Political Science and History Founder and President, Frank Schneiger and Associates Since graduating from UWM, Frank Schneiger has put his education to work in a variety of ways. Currently, he is founder and president of Frank Schneiger and Associates, a management planning and consulting firm that serves public, small business and nonprofit organizations. Past roles include founder and CEO of Comprehensive Medical Management Inc., Health Commissioner for the City of New York, Executive Director of Implementation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Children and Family Services department, Executive Director of the Region II Child Protective Services Institute and Executive Assistant to Congressman James Scheuer, during which he organized the first Vietnam veterans conference held in the northeast U.S. He served as the United Nations Association consultant on the Soviet environment for the first Earth Day, is an accomplished author and has served on the executive committees for several organizations including the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. In 2013, he received the UWM Distinguished Alumnus Award for Community Service. “UWM is the best school I have ever attended and it was life-changing for me,” says Schneiger. “Now I look forward to helping grow a strong alumni organization, and engaging other alumni that had the same great UWM experience as I did.” Welcome, new board members The UWM Alumni Association proudly welcomed the following new members to its Board of Trustees this summer.
- 18. 32 • UWMalumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 33 David J. Maher (’87 BS) is a new member of Mays Kerr LLC. The firm is expanding its Employment Law Litigation, Wage Hour, and Appellate practices. Maher’s focus will be on cases involving employment, litigation and wage and hour issues, including individual and collective actions, misclassification, unpaid hours claims and discrimination suits that violate the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Kelly Womer (’89 BA) was welcomed into the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows. Womer is currently a vice president and partner at Linhart Public Relations. Cheryl A. Michalek (’89 BFA) joined The Starr Group as its new Marketing/Social Media Specialist. Mark A. Kassel (’89 MS) is an intellectual property lawyer with Foley Lardner in Verona, WI. Kassel was recognized as one of the leading lawyers in his field in the 2014 edition of “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.” Foley and Lardner LLP has approximately 900 attorneys in 21 offices across the country. Mike Flory (’88 BS) was awarded the Blackhawk Technical College Instructor of the Year Award in May 2014. This award is chosen through an online nomination process in which the faculty, staff and students nominate the instructor that goes “above and beyond. “ 1990s Satya Nadella (’90 MBA) started his career with Microsoft in 1992 and most recently oversaw the company’s computing platforms, developer tools and cloud services. As the third CEO of Microsoft, he succeeds Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates. Leda Strand (’90 BS, ’03 MBA) has been named Wixon’s Vice President of Research and Development, a manufacture of seasonings, flavors and technologies for the food and beverage industry. Teresa Heil (’98 BFA) has been named the 2014 Montana Art Educator of the Year by the National Art Education Association (NAEA). This award recognizes excellence in professional accomplishment and service by a dedicated art educator. Heil teaches K-12 visual art at Frazer School and is an adjunct instructor at Fort Peck Community College, both located n the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana. Phillip Fader (’90 MBA) has been elected to the partnership of Wipfli LLP, a national CPA and consulting firm with 23 offices across the United States. Cynthia Marifke (’93 BS) recently joined UWM’s Graduate School as a University Associate. Andy Narrai (’90 BA), Director of Marketing at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, received American Advertising Federation (AAF), Barton A. Cummings Gold Medal Award. The annual award recognizes distinguished volunteer service to the advertising industry through the AAF. Erich Guenther (’90 BBA) recently started and self-funded Guenther National Management. Inc., a Texas-based corporation. Guenther National Management will assemble several small service businesses under the ownership of one firm and apply information technology concepts of service automation and business intelligence to increase client satisfaction. Dorothy Snow (’97 BBA) is Director of Marketing at Wangard property management and brand experiences. Sara Van Deurzen (’99 BA) has been an educator since 2001 and returned to school at UWM to receive her second teaching license in Special Education. In 2011 she graduated from Marian University with a Principal and Director of Special Education and Pupil Service licenses. Dave Perron (’99 BS) is a lead singer for the alt-country/ roots-based band, The Laughing Bones, from Vail Valley. Perron has been an active member of the Colorado music scene for more than 10 years. Share your stories. We love bragging about you. Won an award? Started a business? Had an adventure? Welcomed a baby? We’d like to hear about it. Email your class notes to alumni@uwm.edu or write to UWM Alumni Association, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee WI 53201. Please be sure to include your full name (including maiden name, if applicable), address, year(s) of graduation, degree(s) and major(s). Photos are welcomed! 1950s Carl Dietrich (’59 BS) has had a major influence on United States history from traveling with the Navy to being a NASA team member. Dietrich worked on the bomb-navigation system for the B-52, the Titan I missile, the guidance and navigation for the Titan II missile, the Ace missile, the Regulus, the Poseidon and the Apollo program. Dietrich is now retired and enjoying his down time. 1960s Thomas Trimborn (’67 BFA and ’68 MM) retired in spring 2014 as Emeritus Professor of Music from Truman State University where he taught since 1993, in a teaching career that spanned 45 years. Prior to his joining the Truman faculty, Trimborn taught at Palatine High School in Illinois, and Valparaiso University in Indiana. 1970s Jed Dolnick (’78 BS) was elected as President of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association in Jackson, WI. Dennis R. McBride (’76 BMC) is an alderman for the city of Wauwatosa. McBride was elected by his colleagues to a second term as president of the Common Council. Doctor Stanley Rothman (’70 Ph.D) is the author of “Sandlot Stats: Learning Statistics with Baseball” published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. The book was written as an introductory college statistics course for non-majors but can also be appreciated by high school statistics classes and for individuals who are interested in statistics. Rothman has been a professor of mathematics since 1970 at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. Phillip C. Schwartz (’76 BS) is following his passion through missionary work in Hong Kong, China and Nepal. Sarah G. Holterhoff (’75 MBA) received the 2014 Robert L. Oakley Advocacy Award. Holterhoff is the government information/ reference librarian and associate professor of law librarianship at Valparaiso (Ind.) University Law School Library. Harold (Hal) E. Mattson (’77 MBA) was named Taxaide Local Coordinator for the Mission Viejo, CA area. AARP Foundation. Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service with more than 35,000 volunteers serving over 2.6 million low to mid-income taxpayers annually at nearly 6,000 sites nationwide. Chuck Topetzes (’76 BA) and Jean Raetz-Topetzes (’74 BFA) have been married for more than 30 years and have two children. They reside in Atlanta, Ga. Evelyn Patricia Terry (’70 BFA, ’73 MS) was one of two artists selected as Artists of the Year by the Milwaukee Arts Board. Maureen A. McGinnity (’77 BS) is a business litigation lawyer with Foley Lardner in West Bend, WI. McGinnity was recognized as leading lawyer in her field in the 2014 edition of “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.” Foley and Lardner LLP has approximately 900 attorneys in 21 offices across the country. 1980s Brian Wagner (’88 MBA) is president of Gamber-Johnson LLC in Stevens Point, Wis. Wagner was awarded the President’s “E” Award by the United States Secretary of Commerce. Rich Bub (’82 ME) former CEO of GREAF, will receive the Lifetime Achievement award from the University of Wisconsin Construction Club. Maytee Aspuro (’82 BBA, ’91 MS) retired as Chief Information Officer/ Information Technology Director of the Wisconsin Department of children and Families. Aspuro has formed AYG Management consulting, a sole proprietorship providing business and management training and consulting service in Madison, Wis. Donald J. Terras (’83 MS), director of the Lighthouse District of Evanston and Grosse Point Lighthouse National Landmark, has received the Award for Life Achievement/ Preservationist of the Year award. Scott F. Georgeson (’84 MAR) was invited to the Speakers Committee of the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference to present at ITEAC 2014 in London. The ITEAC will bring together the world’s leading theater designers and practitioners. Judy Steffes (’86 MA) has raised more than $26,000 in sponsorships for individuals facing Alzheimer’s disease, through Alzheimer’s programs at Cedar Community’s new Cottages at Cedar Run memory-loss assisted living. Steffes is raising the money by riding her bike from Nova Scotia to Wisconsin. CLASSnotes Trimborn TopetzesRothman Terry Steffes Maher Fader Narrai Snow Van Deurzen Strand
- 19. 34 • UWMalumni Fall 2014 Fall 2014 UWM alumni • 35 2000s Danica Rae Duening (’01 BA) was initiated as an alumna at UCLA into the Alpha Iota Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta. Karen Schlieve (’05 BA) was selected Vice President of Red Shoes Firm. Schlieve was selected as one of the 15 young professionals. Paul Klajbor (06’ MBA) is the Assistant Dean for UWM’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. Klajbor is the Unit business Rep and Human Resources Rep handling the finances and human resources for the college. Antoinette D’Acquisto-Jackson (’02 BS) welcomed a new addition to her family, baby girl Victoria Elia. Jennifer Kraft (‘04 BBA) was promoted to director of business development of GREAF. GREAF is a Milwaukee-based engineering and consulting firm. Drew Morton (’06 BA) is an Assistant Professor of Mass Communication at Texas AM University-Texarkana. Morton established the first peer- reviewed academic journal of videographic film and moving image studies. Joan Zivich (’05 MLIS) received the 2014 OVATION Award. The OVATION Award honors an individual librarian who has made outstanding professional contributions impacting Indiana Health Sciences Librarian Association (IHSLA), her individual library, and the provision of health information. Maureen Fay (’07 BA) is the Marketing Manager at DCI-Artform. DCI-Artform is an industry-leading company that provides retail marketing solutions for clients. Fay brings seven years of traditional agency experience with BVK and Laughlin Constable in Milwaukee. Katie Rhyme (’09 BFA), co-founder of Dance Revolution Milwaukee, announced the seventh installment of her and co-founder Karen Zakrzewski’s (’09 BFA) successful variety show “MKE Follies.” The show is featured every other month and contributes to local artist’s work in dance, music, theatre, and comedy. Chad Venne (’05 BA) is Executive Vice Property Management at Wangard property management and brand experiences. Curt Hoffmann (’03 BSAS), AIA, LEED AP, was elected to serve as an associate of GRAEF at the firm’s 2014 annual meeting. GREAF is a Wisconsin-based engineering and consulting firm. 2010s Adam Ausloos (’12 MBA) was named the financial advisor as the Brookfield, Wis., office of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. Rob Baunoch lll (’11 MBA) is the co-founder of HIPZEE, a new storytelling company and website. Baunouch had the opportunity to be part of the producer team of the off- Broadway hit, “Heathers the Musical.’” Connie L. Lindsey (’11 BBA), executive vice president and head of corporate social responsibility and global diversity inclusion at Northern Trust, was elected to the national board of directors of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS). Jim Heinden (’12 Ph.D), a career special educator, administrator and longtime volunteer leader within The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), was elected president of CEC. Bekaah Schultz (’10 BS) is an international logistics specialist for Trek Bikes in Waterloo, Wis. Schultz is working with imports and exports in Mexico. BASEBALLSAVE THE DATE for SPRING TRAINING MARCH 4th 2015 Join us in Arizona on March 4th at Maryvale Baseball Park for a special exhibition game between the UWM Panthers and the Milwaukee Brewers. This is the first time the Brewers have faced a collegiate team in an exhibition game since 1983, and the first time playing the Panthers, the only Division One baseball team in Wisconsin. JOIN THE MAILING LIST Contact Sarah McCalvy at mccalvys@uwm.edu or 414-229-3291 for additional event details. Phoenix ARIZONA alumnidirectory.uwm.edu/SpringTraining2015 CLASSnotes Kraft Fay Venne Hoffmann Ausloos Baby Victoria Elia
- 20. b y Kat i e Z a p f e l Color runs, mud runs, glow runs…these days, 5Ks are all the rage. But when it comes to fun and philanthropy, Panther Prowl is finishing first and turning 10 on Sunday, Oct. 12. Marking its 10-year anniversary, the race takes off from UWM’s eastside campus and winds through Upper Lake Park. The race supports UWM student scholarships, and is open to all alumni as well as their friends, families and supporters of the University. “Panther Prowl is a great opportunity for alumni to reconnect with the campus,” says David Misky, president of the UWM Alumni Association board of trustees. “Part of that connection is sharing memories and making new ones with family and friends.” This year, the event features something for everyone including a new route and a Kids Dash event – a quarter-mile race open to children ages 12 and under. But the party doesn’t stop there. Prowlers will be able to use all their post-race adrenaline cel- ebrating after they’ve crossed the finish line. Festivities include an awards ceremony with individual and team prizes, a Packer party at the Gasthaus and even a ‘Best-Dressed Dog” competition. Yes, four-legged friends besides Pounce are also welcome to join in the fun. More than just a great workout In addition to community building, Panther Prowl helps build and strengthen UWM student scholarship programs to ensure that the university’s proud academic tradition continues to grow for years to come. Approximately 42 percent of UWM students who applied for financial aid are first generation college students. Panther Prowl contributions help increase educational opportunities for many students who may not otherwise be able to pursue a college education. “The alumni scholarship not only lifted some of the burden of financing college, but allowed me to connect with many successful UWM alumni,” says Sierra Townsend, a senior in the Lubar School of Business and UWM Alumni Association scholarship recipient. Making strides through generosity Individuals and teams participating in Panther Prowl are encouraged to collect pledges – and their efforts don’t go unnoticed. This year, the top pledger will win a unique UWM bicycle courtesy of the UWM Bookstore. Panther Prowl is also made possible by the contributions of many sponsors, including Liberty Mutual, Delzer, Army ROTC and many other generous organizations. Every dollar collected from these sponsors goes directly toward student scholarships to help enrich the lives of hard-working UWM students. As the 10-year anniversary celebration kicks off, it’s safe to say Panther Prowl is making strides to a bright future for the entire UWM community – past, present and future. “Hearing stories from UWM alumni provides perspective on my educational career,” says Townsend. “I am honored to be a part of a school that embraces the future while cherishing its past.” OCT 12122 0 1 4 10‘Paw-some’ YearsCelebrating pantherprowl.net. Learn more about Panther Prowl at 36 • UWM alumni Fall 2014 VS. Alumni ticket package includes: - Alumni Pre-Game Bash - Dinner Cash Bar - Game Ticket - Spirit Gear DECEMBER 10 UWM PANTHER ARENA TICKET 40$ BASH GAME PRE-GAME BASH ONLY $22 Limited tickets available, RSVP before November 24th: alumnidirectory.uwm.edu/PantherBash TICKET $ 40 BASHPre-Game Bash @ 6:00, Game @ 8:00
- 21. AlumniAssociationandFoundation P.O.Box413 Milwaukee,WI53201-0413 Nonprofit Organization U.S.Postage PAID Milwaukee,WI PermitNo.864 ALUMNI U N IV E R S I T Y O F W I S C O N S I N - M I L W A U K E E P R O G R A M VOLUNTEER TODAY! alumni.uwm.edu/panther UWM Alumni Association 414-229-3000 | alumniambassador@uwm.edu to your alma mater by becoming an Giveback AMBASSADOR