October 2003

UW-Green Bay speaker will address Civil War and religion

GREEN BAY-"The Civil War as a Crisis in American Theology and Religious Thought," is the topic for Mark A. Noll, who will speak at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7 in the Christie Theater, located in the University Union at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr.

Noll is McManis Professor of Christian Thought and professor of history at Wheaton College, Illinois. His academic interests focus on the interaction of Christianity and culture in 18th- and 19th-century Anglo-American societies.

Noll is the author of several books. Most recent are "America's God from Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln," and "The Old Religion in a New World: The History of North American Christianity," both published in 2002. He is an advisory editor for "Books and Culture: A Christian Review," and co-edits the "Library of Religious Biography" series for the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Noll has received two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and won grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Lilly Endowment, Inc. His Ph.D. in American religious history is from Vanderbilt University.

Noll's lecture at UW-Green Bay is sponsored by the Center for History and Social Change.

(03-203 / 23 October 2003 / VCD)

'Oil vs. Wilderness' is topic for UW-Green Bay speaker

GREEN BAY-"Oil Versus Wilderness" is the topic for speaker Jonathan Waterman at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the Phoenix rooms of University Union at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr. The program is free and open to the public.

Waterman is internationally known for his northern adventures, and for his award winning books and films.

The "Oil Versus Wilderness" program evolved from a credit course Waterman taught for the University of Alaska. Waterman and the students traveled to the Prudhoe Bay oil complex and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to look at the aesthetic values behind wilderness preservation compared to the value of northern industry.

Waterman is a veteran of half a dozen trips into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. His presentation will tell of his experiences crossing the Brooks Range, and discuss potential cultural and environmental impacts of drilling for oil in the refuge, contrasted with economic benefits of doing so.

Waterman is a world authority on the 20,320 ft. Mt McKinley where he has been a rescue ranger-work for which he received a National Park Service Special Achievement Award. His adventures have included a 10-month journey across the Northwest Passage by skis, kayak and dogsled.

Waterman is the author of eight books. He has twice won the Banff International Book Festival "Best Adventure Travel" award, and the American Alpine Club has given him its Literary Award. Waterman's documentary films, "The Logan Challenge," "Surviving Denali," and "Odyssey Among the Inuit," have been seen on PBS, ESPN, and the Outdoor Life Network.

(03-202 / 23 October 2003 / VCD)

Chamber Music at Green Bay presents flute-piano duo

GREEN BAY-Flautist Ulrike H. Anton and pianist Leonora Suppan-Gehrich will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2 in Fort Howard Hall of the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr.

The event is part of the University's Chamber Music at Green Bay series.

A native of Austria, Anton received her musical education in Austria, France and Great Britain. She began her solo career at the age of 17. Since then, she has appeared in concerto performances, duo recitals and chamber music performances, and on radio and television in Austria, France, Great Britain, Poland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, Turkey, and the U.S.

Anton's awards have included first prize for flute at the Concours Musical Regional Ile-De-France. She has recorded a CD and a music video.

Suppan-Gehrich, a member of the music faculty at Quincy University, Illinois, also is a native of Austria. She studied in Vienna, Warsaw and Venice, and earned a master's degree in performance from Indiana University. Suppan-Gehrich returns to Europe each year, and has performed in Austria, Germany, Italy, France, England, Portugal, Poland, and Hungary.

In additional to traditional concerts, she has presented music of women composers at events such as the 5th Interdisciplinary Conference of Women in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the Symposium of Black Women Composers at Hampton University.

The pair will perform "Pieces for Musical Clock," by Joseph Haydn; Sonata in D Major, op. 94, by Sergei Prokofiev; Sonata in D Major, op. 50, by Johann Nepomuk Hummel; and "Pictures from the Fair," by Grete von Zieritz.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. The numbers for tickets are 920) 465-2217, or (800) 328-8587.

(03-201 / 23 October 2003 / VCD)

Phuture Phoenix Day to feature more students, Wisconsin's First Lady

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay next week will build on the success of the initial Phuture Phoenix Day with an expanded program and special guest.

More than 600 fifth-grade students will visit the UW-Green Bay campus Tuesday (Oct. 28) for the second Phuture Phoenix Day, a day of activities encouraging students to pursue a college education.

Students from 10 Green Bay elementary schools and West De Pere Middle School will participate in the program. West De Pere is new to the program this fall.

Students will visit classrooms, residence halls, the Cofrin Library, the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts and other parts of the campus. The fifth-graders also are working with UW-Green Bay students who are serving as mentors and role models for the youngsters.

Wisconsin's First Lady Jessica Doyle will participate in Phuture Phoenix activities Tuesday afternoon. She will take questions from students during an ice cream social in the Phoenix Rooms in the University Union.

The First Lady has been promoting the Community Connections program, which links middle school students to communities and communities to middle schools.

The Phuture Phoenix program involves students from Northeastern Wisconsin in activities that encourage their interest in future educational opportunities. A program objective is to increase the percentage of Northeastern Wisconsin high school graduates who continue on to college.

Phuture Phoenix is led by Cyndie Shepard, wife of UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard. Cyndie Shepard has an extensive background in K-12 education.

Shepard said Phuture Phoenix Day has received strong community support, both in terms of financial backing and volunteer time.

"We're seeing a great amount of support and interest from the community," she said. "It's been overwhelming."

The Phuture Phoenix program is more than a one-day field trip to the campus, Shepard emphasized. She said it connects the fifth-graders to mentors and keeps them involved in activities that encourage their interest in educational opportunities.

Shepard plans to make Phuture Phoenix Day an annual event at UW-Green Bay. The inaugural event was April 22.

Phuture Phoenix Day will start at 9:45 a.m. with an introductory program at the Weidner Center. The program will feature performances by the UW-Green Bay pep band, cheerleaders and dance team. Students also will participate in activities at the Phoenix Sports Center and attend an ice cream social at the University Union.

Green Bay elementary schools participating in Phuture Phoenix Day are Chappell, Danz, Eisenhower, Fort Howard, Howe, Jefferson, Lincoln, Nicolet, Sullivan and Tank schools.

(03-200 / 22 October 2003 / SH)

Two named to positions in UW-Green Bay Advancement Office

GREEN BAY - Two individuals with strong ties to campus and community have been appointed to positions in the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Office of University Advancement.

Shane Kohl is the new director of annual giving, with responsibilities for growing UW-Green Bay's comprehensive annual giving program. Kohl moved into the position from his prior position as the University's director of donor and alumni relations.

Mark Brunette returned to UW-Green Bay to succeed Kohl as director of donor and alumni relations. Brunette served as assistant director of alumni relations from 1991-96. He most recently was a territorial sales specialist for Modern Business Machines.

Kohl is a 1996 UW-Green Bay graduate with a degree in Communication Processes. He joined the UW-Green Bay Advancement Office in 2001 after serving as district director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Kohl's primary responsibilities in his new position include the development and implementation of the annual alumni phone-a-thon and service as a liaison and support staff for the Founders Association. He also will work to cultivate relationships and support for UW-Green Bay.

Brunette is a 1985 UW-Green Bay graduate with a degree in Business Administration. His responsibilities include serving as the primary liaison between the University and its 20,000 graduates, establishing and maintaining positive communications with alumni and financial donors, and developing alumni networks in support of the University's mission.

Funds generated by the UW-Green Bay Advancement Office and its donors are used for student scholarships, academic and facilities improvements and research support.

(03-199 / 21 October 2003 / SH)

Grant supports solid waste research at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Prof. John R. Stoll and graduate student Bethany Hemstreet are studying consolidation of solid waste management services in Wisconsin with the aid of a $29,998 grant from the UW System Solid Waste Research Council.

The study will look at small, medium and large communities across the state to discover where consolidation has taken place, why communities have consolidated, and what impediments to consolidation may have existed. Stoll says the study will result in a better understanding of the advantages of consolidation, including cost savings. "This is a timely area of research in the current environment of tight governmental budgets," says Stoll.

The grant runs through June 30, 2004.

Stoll is an economist who teaches in the Public and Environmental Affairs academic unit. He also serves as chairperson of the Environmental Science and Policy graduate program. The research is Hemstreet's master's degree project.

The UW-Green Bay proposal was one of four funded for the present fiscal year by the Solid Waste Research Council.

(03-198 / 21 October 2003 / VCD)

'Water Wars' is topic of UW-Green Bay talk

GREEN BAY- "Water Wars in U.S. Communities" is the topic of a lecture by Prof. Laurel Phoenix at noon Wednesday, Oct. 29 in the Christie Theater located in University Union at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Phoenix, who teaches in the Public and Environmental Affairs academic unit, will survey the increasing number and seriousness of community water problems in the United States. She'll begin with issues of groundwater pollution in Door County and the on-going water negotiations between the city of Green Bay and its suburbs in Brown County, and continue with water problems in selected locations around the country.

Phoenix says quantity and quality of drinking water is the most often overlooked aspect of planning for new development. Says Phoenix, "Communities are fighting against each other, or nature itself, to try to provide a sufficient supply of good quality water for their growing populations."

Phoenix is a geographer who specializes in planning and water issues. She earned her Ph.D. at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her dissertation research looked at water quality, development and intergovernmental relations in a rural area of upstate New York.

The lecture is part of an informal Oxford Lecture Series in which UW-Green Bay faculty members open their classrooms to the public.

(03-197 / 21 October 2003 / VCD)

UW-Green Bay students 'make a difference' with $4,000

GREEN BAY-A "Steps to Make a Difference" walk organized by University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students on Saturday, Oct. 18 raised $4,000 for four nonprofit organizations. About 80 walkers participated.

The event in the Cofrin Arboretum on the University campus was organized by the nine students in the Public and Nonprofit Management class in advance of national "Make a Difference Day" on Oct. 25.

Beneficiaries of the event were N.E.W. Community Clinic, New Community Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, and the ALS Therapy Development Foundation (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Prof. Denise Scheberle said the event raised double the students' goal of $2,000. A thousand dollars came from Schreiber Foods, which pledged to match 50 cents for every dollar raised up to $1,000. In addition, about $250 in donations was mailed directly to the nonprofit organizations. "The students in the Public and Nonprofit Management Class deserve lots of credit for their hard work in organizing this big event," Scheberle added.

Scheberle says she wanted the class project to provide an experience that would enable students to apply leadership, organizational and analytical skills to a real project. Students organized the walk in addition to their "book learning" for the class.

Sponsors of the walk included the UW-Green Bay Office of Student Life, the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, and University Dining Services.

(03-196 / 21 October 2003 / VCD)

Blair gift for UW-Green Bay endowed chair to be immediate

GREEN BAY — University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students will not have to wait long to benefit from a major gift to create the University's John P. Blair Endowed Chair in Communications.

A gift of $1.5 million from Mrs. Dorothy Blair and the Blair Foundation, initially announced as a deferred gift, will be made available to UW-Green Bay immediately.

UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard said the University will begin the process of formalizing and filling the chair, the first fully-endowed chair in UW-Green Bay's history.

The commitment to endow the John P. Blair Endowed Chair originally was made as a bequest in the will of Dorothy Blair, wife of the late John Blair.

"As generous as that commitment was, Dorothy Blair has recently decided, 'Why wait?'" Shepard said. "And the funds to create the chair are being made available to us as a gift."

The chair will be a special faculty position dedicated to teaching and research in communications and the media. It highlights the late John P. Blair's influence as a media pioneer, his and Dorothy Blair's affection for the University of Wisconsin and the Green Bay area, the strength of UW-Green Bay's undergraduate programs in communications, and the community's impact as a communications and media leader.

John P. Blair, who died in 1983, was an early promoter of broadcast advertising. In 1948, after greatly expanding his radio station sales representative business, he established the industry's first agency of its kind devoted to selling spot television advertising.

The endowed chair will increase opportunities for more personalized faculty-student interaction, enhance the communications curriculum and strengthen University-community connections.

The University will look for a full professor with an accomplished research record and excellence in teaching in the areas of public relations, advertising and corporate communications.

Mrs. Blair was honored Monday night at a dinner at UW-Green Bay's Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. Shepard, Chancellor Emeritus Edward Weidner, UW-Green Bay faculty and students and Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt thanked her for her generosity and contributions to the campus and community.

Mrs. Blair, who resides in Naples, Fla., has been committed to numerous philanthropic activities. Her generosity will lead to a new level of excellence for student learning at UW-Green Bay, Shepard said.

The Chancellor also said UW-Green Bay's first endowed chair "needs company."

"Dorothy hopes, through her example, to energize our efforts to expand opportunities to contribute to the 'margin of excellence' at Green Bay's University of Wisconsin," he said.

(03-195 / 14 October 2003 / SH)

Religious tolerance is lecture topic at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY-"Is Tolerance Possible? Religious Diversity, Religious Commitment, and the American Experiment," is the topic of a lecture by Paul J. Griffiths, Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in the Christie Theater at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Theater is located in University Union.

Griffiths is author, co-author, editor and co-editor of several books. His newest book, "Lying: An Augustinian Theology of Duplicity," will be published in 2004. His most recent co-editing responsibility was for "Philosophy of Religion: A Reader," published this year. Griffiths received a bachelor's degree in theology, and a Master of Philosophy in classical Indian religion and Sanskrit, both from Oxford University, and earned a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies from UW-Madison.

Prior to joining the University of Illinois at Chicago, Griffiths was on the faculty of the Divinity School at the University of Chicago.

The lecture is part of the Historical Perspectives lecture series sponsored by the Center for History and Social Change at UW-Green Bay. The lectures are free and open to the public.

Information is available online at www.uwgb.edu/galta/cindex.htm.

(03-194 / 14 October 2003 / VCD)

'Godzilla,' 'Voodoo' on the program for UW-Green Bay bands

GREEN BAY-Two highly theatrical musical compositions are on the program for the first fall concert of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Wind Ensemble and Concert Band at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 in the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr.

Director of Bands Kevin Collins will conduct the Wind Ensemble in "Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!" by Eric Whitacre. Rebecca Tout will conduct the Concert Band in Daniel Bukvich's "Voodoo."

Both pieces use unusual instrumentation and strategies. In "Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!" it's to tell a fanciful story. In "Voodoo," the effects create an atmosphere.

Thirty-three-year-old composer Whitacre says it took him seven years to earn his bachelor's degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and by that time he was "ready to eat Las Vegas." A commission from the University supported the composition of "Godzilla Eats Las Vegas."

Audience members receive program notes written by Whitacre that help them follow the story while they hear the roars of Godzilla, a barking terrier, a corps of Elvises, and other sounds invoking a great struggle and Las Vegas itself. Says Whitacre, "The musicians play in about 30 different styles ranging from mambo to cheesy lounge music."

Whitacre is a composer of choral and instrumental music, a conductor whose credits include serving as guest music director of the Tokyo Wind Symphony, and a lecturer. He has received commissions, and his music has been recorded. He has won composition awards, and got his first Grammy nomination last spring.

Bukvich explains that his composition, "Voodoo," has nothing to do with the practice of religion. Rather, he took the name of the piece from a conversation with a missionary friend serving in Guatemala, who remarked that sounds of the jungle at night "reminded her of 'those old Voodoo movies,'" he says. Flashlights, hand waving and playing on parts of wind instruments help to create the atmosphere.

Bukvich is professor of music at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho. He is particularly known for compositions for wind band, but composes choral music as well. Bukvich also conducts, and performs as a percussionist in classical, contemporary, and jazz settings.

Tickets for the Oct. 28 concert are $6 for adults and $3 for students. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students with ID who dress as Elvis will be admitted free. The numbers for tickets are (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587.

(03-193 / 14 October 2003 / VCD)

UW-Green Bay, community gatherings serve 'To Kill a Mockingbird' readers

GREEN BAY-Participants reading "To Kill a Mockingbird," in the new "One Book, One Campus" book club founded by the Friends of the Cofrin Library at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, have more than a dozen opportunities between Oct. 21 and Nov. 13 to meet and share with other readers of the book.

Most programs will be on the UW-Green Bay campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr., but three are scheduled at other community locations. All events are free and open to the public.

Interested participants voted to make Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" the first "One Book, One Campus" selection over four other nominated books. The book, first published in 1960, sold 2.5-million copies in its first year, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. The 1962 movie based on the book won three Oscars, including best actor for Gregory Peck.

The Phoenix Bookstore at UW-Green Bay and Dave's Book Center at East Town Mall are co-sponsors of the reading club with the Friends of the Cofrin Library. Dave's will host a discussion group. Also joining in to offer programs are The Reader's Loft in De Pere, and Barnes & Noble on Oneida St.

Book discussion groups and other programs will be led by individuals with a wide array of expertise and interests.

Voting for the spring term "One Book, One Campus" selection will begin in late November. For more information and schedule updates, the Friends of the Cofrin Library website is www.uwgb.edu/library/friends.html.

Here's the complete calendar for "To Kill a Mockingbird:"

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 10-11 a.m. - Book discussion. Led by Prof. Kim Nielsen of the UW-Green Bay Social Change and Development and Women's Studies academic programs. Alumni room A, University Union.

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 3-4 p.m. - Book discussion. Led by Ron Morris, program manager, UW-Green Bay Admissions Office. Vista conference room, Mary Ann Cofrin Hall.

Thursday, Oct. 30, 6-7 p.m. - Book discussion. Led by Prof. Regan Gurung, UW-Green Bay Human Development and Psychology academic programs. Vista conference room, Mary Ann Cofrin Hall.

Saturday, Nov. 1, 1-2 p.m. - Book discussion. Led by Craig Jones, Reader's Loft. Reader's Loft, 611 George St., De Pere.

Tuesday, Nov. 4, noon-1 p.m. - Book discussion. Led by Prof. Peter Kellogg, UW-Green Bay Humanistic Studies and History academic programs. Alumni room A, University Union.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, noon-1 p.m. - Book discussion, Led by Prof. Francis Carleton, UW-Green Bay Urban and Regional Studies and Political Science academic programs. Alumni room B, University Union.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 3-4 p.m. - Book discussion, Led by Melissa Jackson, UW-Green Bay legal counsel. Cofrin Library, room 504.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 7-8 p.m. - Book discussion. Led by Randy Cothern of the Banned Books Club. Dave's Book Center, East Town Mall.

Sunday, Nov. 9, 1-2 p.m. - "To Kill a Mockingbird" trivia contest. Bring a question to stump the audience for prizes. Questions will be a springboard to discussion. Barnes & Noble, Oneida St.

Monday, Nov. 10-3:30-4:30 p.m. - "To Kill a Mockingbird: The Role of Conscience in a Deformed Society," presentation by Prof. Derek Jeffreys, UW-Green Bay Humanistic Studies (religious studies) academic program, followed by discussion. Cofrin Library room 504.

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 6-7 p.m. - "'To Kill a Mockingbird': Craft and Canon," program on the genesis of the work, author's writing process, and book's critical reception, presented by Professors Rebecca Meacham and Bryan Vescio, UW-Green Bay Humanistic Studies and English academic programs. Cofrin Library, room 504.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 10-11 a.m. - "Time and Timelessness: Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and Its Historical Context," program presented by Prof. Andrew Kersten, UW-Green Bay Social Change and Development and History academic programs.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 7-9:30 p.m. - Film, "To Kill a Mockingbird." Introduction by Prof. Brian Sutton, UW-Green Bay Humanistic Studies and English academic programs. Christie Theater, University Union.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, time TBA - UW-Green Bay actors present the closing arguments from the trial in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Location to be announced.

(03-192 / 14 October 2003 / VCD)

'Wit' partnership receives $10,000 Rallying Points Opportunity Award

GREEN BAY - A partnership involving the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Unity Hospice of Green Bay has received a $10,000 award for its efforts to improve end-of-life care.

The Rallying Points Opportunity Award will help cover production costs of "Wit," a play that promotes awareness and understanding of end-of-life issues. The play opens Friday night at the University Theatre on the UW-Green Bay campus.

Rallying Points assists community-based coalitions in improving care and caring for those nearing the end of life. UW-Green Bay and Unity are members of the Coalition to Support End-of-Life Care for Northeastern Wisconsin.

The production of "Wit" also is funded in part through donations from the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and Max and Erma's restaurant.

The play will coincide with a conference at UW-Green Bay for professionals who deal with end-of-life issues. The conference will be held Friday, Oct. 17 in the University Union on the UW-Green Bay campus.

The "Wit" performance schedule includes two performances at the University Theatre (this Friday and Saturday) and two at the Meyer Theatre in downtown Green Bay (Thursday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 17). All performances start at 7:30 p.m.

The conference and productions of the play are sponsored by the Wit Collaborative which includes Unity; UW-Green Bay's Human Development, Professional Nursing and Theatre departments; the UW-Green Bay Office of Outreach and Extension; the UW-Green Bay Institute on Dying, Death and Bereavement; and the Coalition to Support End-of-Life Care for Northeastern Wisconsin.

The play by Margaret Edson garnered critical acclaim in its off-Broadway run, and won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Prof. Laura Riddle, chairperson of the UW-Green Bay Theater academic programs, directs the play. Guest artist Amy McKenzie plays the lead role.

The central character in "Wit" is a 50-year-old professor diagnosed with advanced cancer, who is a patient in an experimental treatment program.

(03-191 / 9 October 2003 / SH)

UW-Green Bay Cultural Fair is Oct. 15

GREEN BAY-Music, food, and wares from many countries will be offered at the fifth annual Cultural Fair at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 in University Union on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. The event is free and open to the public.

Events take place in the Phoenix rooms and in the main Nicolet dining room. An international coffee cafe will be set up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the patio outside the Phoenix rooms. In case of rain, the coffee cafe will be moved into the Timber Lounge in the Union.

Reggae band New Flavor will perform from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Phoenix rooms. They'll be followed from 1:30 to 2 p.m. by vocalist/guitarist and UW-Green Bay student Ricardo Vogt, who'll perform Brazilian music.

Latin drummer Miguel Jessup and American folk music performers Tom Naber and his son will alternate performances between the Phoenix rooms and the Nicolet dining room between 10 a.m. and noon.

About 20 vendors of international goods will set up in the Phoenix rooms.

University Dining Services will feature some international selections on its lunch menu in the Nicolet dining room. Popcorn and some packaged international snacks will be available in the Phoenix rooms.

The Offices of International Education and Student Life and the American Intercultural Center sponsor the event. They've named Oct. 15 as "Cultural Heritage Day" at UW-Green Bay and are encouraging those on campus to wear something symbolic of their ethnic heritage.

(03-190 / 9 October 2003 / VCD)

UW-Green Bay's first endowed chair to be named for John P. Blair

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay today announced plans to create the John P. Blair Endowed Chair in Communications, the first fully endowed chair in the University's history.

The chair, which will be a special faculty position dedicated to teaching and research in communications and the media, is made possible by the generosity of the Blair Foundation and Mrs. Dorothy Blair.

A deferred gift of $1.5 million from the Blair Foundation highlights the late John P. Blair's influence as a media pioneer, his and his wife Dorothy's affection for the University of Wisconsin and the Green Bay area, the strength of UW-Green Bay's undergraduate programs in communications, and the community's impact as a communications and media leader.

The Blairs were early supporters of UW-Green Bay. Their concern about environmental problems inspired their generous contributions to the University for support of various projects. In 1972, they received the UW-Green Bay Chancellor's Award of Merit.

The Blairs also donated "Doe with Fawns," a bronze sculpture by Dr. William Turner and David Turner. The sculpture, which was dedicated in 1989, is at the Southwest Entrance to UW-Green Bay and Nicolet Road.

Dorothy Blair, who resides in Naples, Fla., has been committed to numerous philanthropic activities. Her generosity will provide a margin of excellence for student learning at UW-Green Bay, according to UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard.

"We are incredibly grateful to Mrs. Blair for this generous gift," Shepard said. "It will strengthen our work in communications and the media and will benefit our students for years to come."

The Chancellor said he is honored to have UW-Green Bay associated with someone who was as influential in his field as John Blair.

John P. Blair, who died in 1983, was an early promoter of broadcast advertising. In 1948, after greatly expanding his radio station sales representative business, he established the industry's first agency of its kind devoted to selling spot television advertising.

With offices in most major America cities, John Blair & Company became the representative for 120 TV stations and 196 radio stations. The company also owned printing companies and the largest direct mail business in the country.

Shepard described the Blair gift as a milestone for the University. Although UW-Green Bay has several named professorships, the John P. Blair Chair is the first fully endowed chair.

Private gifts for endowed chairs and named professorships enhance UW-Green Bay's ability to compete for top faculty and students. They also add to the University's capacity to serve the region.

The Blair gift will fund an additional faculty position in the area of communications and the media. It will support research and creative work of a distinguished senior faculty member.

The endowed chair will increase opportunities for more personalized faculty-student interaction, enhance the communications curriculum, and strengthen University-community connections through internships and other programs with area employers.

"As a result of this gift, UW-Green Bay will have the opportunity to attain a new level of excellence in the study of communications and the media," Shepard said. "The Blair name will be synonymous with academic excellence."

(03-189 / 12 October 2003 / SH)

Ortiz wins UW 'Women of Color' award

GREEN BAY-Cristina Ortiz, associate professor of Humanistic Studies (Spanish), at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, will be honored with the "Women of Color" Award during the annual UW System Women's Studies Conference on Oct. 25 in Menominee.

Ortiz serves UW-Green Bay as director of international education.

The award, initiated in 1994, highlights shared concerns about women's studies and ethnic studies among administrators, faculty, staff and students in the UW System, and affirms continuing commitment to the system's Plan 2008: Educational Quality through Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Ortiz is among 15 from throughout the UW System who will receive the award this year.

Ortiz joined the faculty at UW-Green Bay in 1993. Her responsibilities at UW-Green Bay have included serving on the International Education Board of Advisers, the Chancellor's Diversity Advisory Committee, and as acting chairperson of Modern Languages, adviser to the Spanish language program, and adviser to the Spanish Student Organization. She frequently leads travel-study tours to Yucatan and Spain.

Ortiz earned a Ph.D. in Latin American and Peninsular literature and a master's degree from the University of Cincinnati. Her bachelor's degree is from the University of the Basque Country, Spain.

(03-188 / 6 October 2003 / VCD)

Institute for Learning Partnership conference focuses on "No Child Left Behind"

GREEN BAY - What happens to the educator in an era of "No Child Left Behind"? The Institute for Learning Partnership at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will address the subject at its annual Fall Conference, Thursday, Oct. 23.

Michael White, a consultant from the Douglas Reeves' Center for Performance Assessment in Denver, Colo., will lead a 7 p.m. keynote discussion on how not to leave any child or teacher behind.

The event will be held in the Phoenix Room of the University Union on the UW-Green Bay campus. Refreshments will be provided during a "Showcase of Educators" at 6 p.m. and following the keynote address.

The fifth annual Fall Conference will focus on the relatively new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) - commonly known as "No Child Left Behind." The legislation has raised divergent opinions among teachers, parents and policy makers. But the one point most agree on is that this legislation will have a dramatic impact on public education.

A few schools falling under the umbrella of the Institute's "partnership" have been sanctioned under this legislation because of students' low test scores. Several others have been listed as "Schools in Need of Improvement." The legislation is therefore a timely topic for discussion.

White, a consultant for urban/suburban schools, educator, author and researcher, will explore with his audience the use of common-sense instruction, research-based strategies and real collaboration between business leaders and educators to raise student achievement and to ensure that no child or teacher is left behind. He also will be offering workshops for educators at the Green Bay Area Public Schools district office and will make a presentation to the business community.

His presentation and Web site - Learning Connection Online - are the result of 19 years of teaching and coaching experience and a firm belief that schools and communities must quickly respond to the challenge of "No Child Left Behind" legislation.

The annual showcase of educators is held in conjunction with the Fall Conference to demonstrate the work of educators and others in their mission to improve teaching and learning in the local schools. All of the presenters are current members of UW-Green Bay's Master's Program in Applied Leadership for Teaching and Learning.

For more information, contact the Institute for Learning Partnership at 920-465-5555.

(03-187 / 2 October 2003 / SB)

UW-Green Bay sets full-time equivalent enrollment record

GREEN BAY - With students taking larger credit loads, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay set a full-time equivalent enrollment record this fall, new enrollment figures show.

Final enrollment figures for the fall 2003 semester show an enrollment of 4,668 full-time equivalent students, an increase of 2.6 percent over the previous FTE record set in fall 2001.

The FTE enrollment is based on the number of credits taken and is used by the UW System in measuring the University's capacity. UW-Green Bay set the enrollment record despite efforts to limit enrollment, including cutting off new-freshman applications Feb. 14.

UW-Green Bay has a headcount enrollment this fall of 5,420 students. The headcount enrollment - the actual number of students attending classes - is up 2.9 percent from fall 2002.

UW-Green Bay also topped 300 minority students for the first time in its history. The University has 301 minority students - 287 undergraduates and 14 graduate students - this semester. That's an increase of 6.4 percent over the number of minority students in fall 2002.

The overall enrollment record is due largely to improved retention of continuing students. A record 83.1 percent of freshmen who started at UW-Green Bay in fall 2002 returned for their second year this fall.

The FTE enrollment record also is an indication that UW-Green Bay students are taking heavier credit loads, according to Deborah Furlong, UW-Green Bay director of institutional research.

"Our growth is coming in full-time students, and full-time students are taking more credits," she said.

Furlong said traditional college-age students may be attracted to UW-Green Bay because of the increased availability of on-campus housing and the University's growing emphasis on the first-year experience.

Minority students - American Indian, African American, Asian, Southeast Asian and Hispanic American - make up about 5.5 percent of UW-Green Bay's student body. Southeast Asian students are the largest minority group with 94 students.

Female students continue to outnumber male students this fall. UW-Green Bay has 3,570 female students and 1,850 male students.

About 95 percent of UW-Green Bay's students this fall are Wisconsin residents. Students also come from 23 other states and 27 foreign countries.

(03-186 / 1 October 2003 / SH)

'Neo-Sublime' painting exhibit opens at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- "Neo-Sublime: Paintings by Steve Hough," will open with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 in the Lawton Gallery located in Theater Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr. The artist, who lives in Glendale, Wis., will speak about his work at 5 p.m.

Hough says his work is not about representing things that are observable, but with creating a "synthetic sublime." "As with many of the post-minimal artists I share an interest in the plumbing of the divine," he says. Hough's paintings are sheet Plexiglas carved and sanded into ripple effects, then painted with color changing paints and buffed to a mirror finish.

A native of Britain where he received his training in art, Hough was named "Emerging Artist of the Year for 1995-96" in the British Student Art Awards.

A panel discussion, "Exploring the Sublime," is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16 in the Lawton Gallery. Panelists include Curator of Art Stephen Perkins, and Professors David Coury, Andrew Fiala, and Bryan Vescio, all of the Humanistic Studies academic unit.

The reception and the panel discussion are free and open to the public.

The exhibit continues through Nov. 8.

Lawton Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The gallery is located in room 249 of Theater Hall.

(03-185 / 1 October 2003 / VCD)

Reception celebrates UW-Green Bay purchase of Hmong art

GREEN BAY-A reception at noon Tuesday, Oct. 14 on the plaza level (second floor) of the Cofrin Library at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, will celebrate the University's purchase of 24 Hmong textiles for its permanent art collection.

The artist, May Chao Lor, Green Bay, will be present at the reception. A representative from the Hmong community will speak about the historical importance of the textiles (paj ntaub) within Hmong culture.

"This acquisition adds a significant body of work that has, up until now, been sorely underrepresented in the permanent collection," said Curator of Art Stephen Perkins. The pieces were purchased with the aid of a UW-Green Bay Campus Diversity Grant and funds from the Lawton Gallery.

The textiles will be on display in cases outside of the American Intercultural Center during the reception and for the remainder of the month of October. After the exhibit, the works will be available on loan for display in campus offices.

The reception is sponsored by the Lawton Gallery and the American Intercultural Center. Information is available from Perkins at (920) 465-2916 or Diana Borrero-Lowe, coordinator of the American Intercultural Center at (920) 465-2720.

(03-184 / 1 October 2003 / VCD)

UW-Green Bay students plan 'Steps to Make a Difference Walk' for Oct. 18

GREEN BAY- Students in the Public and Nonprofit Management class at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay are inviting support for a campus-community Steps to Make a Difference Walk in observance of national Make a Difference Day on Saturday, Oct. 18. They're coordinating and leading the walk in the Cofrin Arboretum on the University campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. to benefit four nonprofit organizations.

The nine class members are seeking walk participants and donations to any of the organizations they've identified as beneficiaries: N.E.W. Community Clinic, New Community Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, and the ALS Therapy Development Foundation (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

"What was at first an assignment has become a project of passion for all of us in the class," says student Andrew Cieslewicz, a senior majoring in Social Change and Development. Cieslewicz said hearing the representatives from the nonprofit organizations who spoke to the class has changed his outlook on careers. "Money isn't everything," he adds.

Political Science major Shannon Balthazor agrees that the project has led to learning on several levels. In addition to learning how to work as part of a group organizing a major effort, she says, "It makes you realize how hard people work in the nonprofit sector."

Cieslewicz has insisted that the event be billed as "first annual." "This is ground-breaking and we should build on it next year," he says.

Prof. Denise Scheberle, Public and Environmental Affairs, says she wanted students to have an experience that would enable them to apply leadership, organizational and analytical skills to a real project. And she wanted to apply principles of "service learning"- learning through community-oriented projects - to the class. "I've always felt that if I am teaching in a department called PUBLIC and Environmental Affairs, one of the outcomes should be that students are grabbed by the idea of community commitment and civic participation," she notes.

Scheberle says the students are organizing the walk in addition to their "book learning" for the class. "The students are superb," she adds. "I couldn't have asked for more enthusiasm."

Registration begins at 9 a.m. in the Nicolet Room of University Union, and the actual walk on the Arboretum trail begins at 10 a.m. Participants will learn about unique features of the Arboretum while they walk from guides stationed at various points along the trail.

Walkers can complete the entire 4.5-mile Arboretum trail, or may choose a shorter 2-mile walk. The student leaders also are mapping out an indoor route using the University's enclosed concourses, for use in case of bad weather.

The walkers will accept donations for the beneficiary organizations in the form of cash, or checks made out to the organization of choice. Walkers also will carry pledge forms. Checks also may be sent to the Office of Student Life at UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr., Green Bay, 54311. The minimum suggested donation is $10.

Sponsors of the walk include the UW-Green Bay Office of Student Life, the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, and University Dining Services.

John Landrum, program coordinator for the Office of Student Life, says the walk is the first event of its kind on campus for Make a Difference Day.

(03-183 / 1 October 2003 / VCD)