February 2007

Visiting scholar to visit in March Finalists to interview for dean position Bands concert March 3 Fourth Estate wins top honor Choral concert Feb. 24 Presentation for parents on school safety Student-athletes to be recognized Theatre to present 'Five By Tenn' 'RUINS' exhibit opens in gallery Governor's budget to include funds for UW-Green Bay growth Student tax volunteers Presentation on China Downtown Third Thursdays lecture New book by Aldrete Speaker to discuss impact of social class Brys is SBDC counselor SIFE competition Successful Gardening conference Course for educators on Hmong	Visiting scholar to discuss Slovakia, Roma minority group GREEN BAY - Slovakian cultural advocate Lubomira Slusná will visit the Green Bay area in March, discussing her work on behalf of the Association for Culture, Education and Communication and her efforts to improve the lives of Europe's Roma population. Slusná's visit is sponsored by the joint St. Norbert College/University of Wisconsin-Green Bay International Visiting Scholars Program. The program provides opportunities for international scholars from developing countries to visit the two campuses and the greater Green Bay community. Slusná, who will arrive Monday, March 5, will speak to classes and meet with students, faculty and staff at UW-Green Bay and St. Norbert College. She also will visit K-12 schools in the area. The public will have numerous opportunities to hear presentations by Slusná. On Wednesday, March 7, she will speak on "Empowering Slovakia's Roma Women" in the Christie Theatre in UW-Green Bay's University Union. Her presentation is at 2 p.m. Slusná also will speak at noon on Thursday, March 8 at the UW-Green Bay American Intercultural Center in Room 207 of the David A. Cofrin Library. Later that day, she will be the featured guest at a celebration for International Women's Day. The public is invited to the celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Art Garage, 1400 Cedar St. Tickets for the event are $15 and will be available at the door. Proceeds will support the joint International Visiting Scholars Program. Slusná will visit Forest Glen Elementary School and Bay Port High School on Friday, March 9. She then will move on to the St. Norbert College campus March 10-14. At St. Norbert, she will speak to classes and meet with faculty and students. Slusná is a graduate in history of fine arts from Commenius University in Bratislava. After graduation she worked as a freelance art critic, organizing and opening independent art exhibitions. In 1999, she founded the Association for Culture, Education and Communication, which promotes Slovakia and develops and strengthens international cultural exchange. Her recent work has focused on the lives of the Roma people, Europe's largest minority. They live in nearly all countries in Europe and Central Asia. Her organization's efforts include special programs for Roma women and youth and training of Roma candidates for municipal elections. In her presentations, she will tell stories of the Roma people through words and photographs. She has worked with them to photograph their daily lives. For more information about Slusná's visit to the Green Bay area and opportunities to meet with her, contact Sarah Meredith at UW-Green Bay at (920) 465-2637 or meredits@uwgb.edu or Wendy Scattergood at St. Norbert College at (920) 403-3491 or wendy.scattergood@snc.edu. (07-34 / 28 February 2007 / SH) Finalists to interview for UW-Green Bay dean position GREEN BAY - Two finalists will interview for the position of dean of liberal arts and sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. On-campus interviews of the finalists will begin Monday (March 5), according to Prof. Greg Davis, chair of the search and screen committee. The candidates' visits to UW-Green Bay will include presentations open to the public. The finalists and the dates and locations of their public presentations are: • Gerard Magill, most recently executive director of the Center for Health Care Ethics, an independent academic unit at Saint Louis University. (Campus presentation: Monday, March 5, 2 to 3 p.m., 1965 Room, University Union.) • Jill Trainer, associate vice president, Office of Sponsored Programs, University of Northern Iowa. (Campus presentation: Tuesday, March 27, 2 to 3 p.m., 1965 Room, University Union.) Vitas for the two finalists for the dean position are online at http://www.uwgb.edu/provost/deanlas.htm. The finalists' visits to UW-Green Bay will include meetings with administrators, students, faculty and staff. The candidates also will tour the campus and community. The dean of liberal arts and sciences is one of two academic deans at UW-Green Bay. The other is the dean of professional and graduate studies. The dean of liberal arts and sciences has administrative and leadership responsibility for programs in humanities, fine and performing arts, natural and applied sciences and social sciences. Fergus Hughes has served as interim dean at UW-Green Bay since July 2004. (07-33 / 27 February 2007 / SH) Marches, musical theater selections to highlight UW-Green Bay bands concert GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band will perform popular songs, dances, marches and selections from musical theater Saturday (March 3) at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. The Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Weidner Center's Cofrin Family Hall. The concert will begin with the Symphonic Band performing the tuneful bugle-call-infused "Valdres" march, followed by Ron Nelson's "Courtly Dances" representing styles of European Renaissance dances from France, Germany, Spain, England, and Italy. The band then will perform Frank Ticheli's settings of two Cajun folk songs. The Symphonic Band portion of the concert will close with Leroy Anderson's arrangement of Meredith Willson's "Seventy-Six Trombones" from the "Music Man." The Wind Symphony will begin its portion of the concert with William Schuman's "Chester Overture" based on the popular Revolutionary War tune by William Billings. It will be followed by "Symphonic Dance Music from West Side Story," some of Leonard Bernstein's most popular music. The concert will conclude with the "Alte Kamaraden Marsch" by Carl Teike, which once was voted the most popular European march. UW-Green Bay Director of Bands Kevin Collins directs the two groups. Collins has been a member of the UW-Green Bay faculty since 1988 and was appointed director of bands in 1995. Tickets for the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band concert are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in advance through UW-Green Bay's University Ticketing Service by calling (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587 or by ordering online at www.uwgb.edu/tickets. Tickets also may be purchased at the University Ticketing and Information Center in UW-Green Bay's University Union. Regular box office services will be available prior to the performance at the Weidner Center. (07-32 / 26 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay student newspaper wins top honor - again GREEN BAY - The Fourth Estate, the student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, won the top honor for overall excellence in its division at the recent Associated Collegiate Press Best of the Midwest college newspaper competition. For the second consecutive year, the UW-Green Bay student newspaper won first place in the Best of Show category for four-year school newspapers of tabloid size. The award was for the Feb. 15, 2007 edition. Fourth Estate Editor in Chief Hannah Johnson said the newspaper's entire staff deserves credit for the award. "There was a lot of pressure on us this year to follow in last year's footsteps and keep our first-place title, and we were able to come through," Johnson said. "We are proud to represent UW-Green Bay and the surrounding community." The Fourth Estate has placed in the top four spots in the overall excellence category for seven consecutive years. The UW-Green Bay student newspaper competed with campus newspapers from Midwestern states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. The competition was part of the Associated Collegiate Press Best of the Midwest Newspaper Convention held Feb. 16-18 in Minneapolis. Eighteen Fourth Estate staff members and faculty adviser Tani Grimh attended the convention. (07-31 / 23 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay choral groups to perform Saturday at Weidner GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Concert Choir and Phoenix Chorale will perform their first concert of 2007 on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Weidner Center's Cofrin Family Hall, will feature music by composers from the 16th through the 20th centuries. Randall Meder, UW-Green Bay director of choral activities, will conduct the performances. The 30-voice Concert Choir will perform a varied program including works by John Wilbye (1574-1638), Charles Wood (1866-1926), Gustav Holst (1874-1934), and Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). The 45-voice Phoenix Chorale's repertoire will include a set of motets by 20th century French composer Maurice DuruflŽ based on Gregorian Chant themes, two vocal quartets by Johannes Brahms, a Venezuelan folk song and a piece by 20th century English composer Gerald Finzi. Meder holds degrees from UW-Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has taught at North Carolina State University and New Holstein High School. In addition to directing the choirs at UW-Green Bay, Meder teaches conducting and choral literature, and supervises student teachers. He is a frequent guest conductor and clinician, having worked with diverse choirs in Wisconsin, Illinois and North Carolina. Tickets for the choral concert are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased in advance through UW-Green Bay's University Ticketing Service by calling (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587 or by ordering online at http://www.uwgb.edu/tickets. Tickets also may be purchased at the University Ticketing and Information Center in UW-Green Bay's University Union. Regular box office services will be available prior to the performance at the Weidner Center. (07-30 / 20 February 2007 / SH) Presentation for parents Feb. 27 to focus on school safety GREEN BAY - A highly acclaimed expert on school safety will give a presentation to parents on "Keeping Your Child Safe in School" Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Green Bay East High School. Michael Dorn's parent presentation will focus on child advocacy and the importance of parents being connected to their children. He will speak from 7 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium at East High School, 1415 E. Walnut St. The event is free and open to all parents. The presentation is being held in conjunction with an anti-bullying workshop for area educators. Dorn is an experienced, trusted school safety expert. He has authored or co-authored more than 20 books on school safety. His training videos and DVDs are used by more than 75,000 schools and public safety agencies in more than 30 nations. Dorn has extensive anti-terrorism training and experience. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Georgia International Law Enforcement exchange program with the Israel Police, Defense Forces and Mossad. He serves as the executive director for Safe Havens International Inc., the world's leading nonprofit school safety center. Sponsors of the presentation are the school districts of Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Green Bay, Howard-Suamico, Pulaski, Seymour, West De Pere and Wrightstown; the Crime Prevention Foundation; KI Convention Center; Partners in Education of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Office of Outreach and Extension. For more information about Dorn's parent presentation, contact Barbara Dorff of the Green Bay Area Public Schools by phone at (920) 448-2184 or by e-mail at bdorff@greenbay.k12.wi.us. (07-29 / 20 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay to recognize classroom success of student-athletes GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will recognize student-athletes for their academic success when the UW-Green Bay men's basketball team hosts highly ranked Butler University on Monday night (Feb. 19). The University will recognize 105 student-athletes who earned a grade-point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or better during the spring 2006 or fall 2006 semesters. The ceremony will take place at halftime of the men's basketball game at the Resch Center. Game time is 7:05 p.m. UW-Green Bay faculty and staff attending the game also will be recognized in a pre-game announcement for their contributions to the classroom success of student-athletes. UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard and Athletics Director Ken Bothof said academic success on the part of student-athletes is a longstanding tradition at the University and in the athletics program. "Excellence in academics is at the core of what we do as a university," Shepard said. "This ceremony is a way to recognize the people responsible for maintaining a much-valued tradition at UW-Green Bay." "The academic success of our student-athletes is due to their hard work and commitment as well as the strong support they receive from faculty and staff," Bothof added. "Just like success in athletics, it's the product of a team effort." UW-Green Bay student-athletes combined for a 3.08 grade-point average in the 2006 fall semester, the 14th consecutive semester in which they surpassed a 3.0 grade-point average (B average). Other academic achievements of the student-athletes include: • Fifteen achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during the 2006 fall semester, while 72 earned Dean's List honors (3.5 grade-point average or higher). • Nine of UW-Green Bay's 15 athletics programs had grade-point averages higher than 3.0, with women's tennis leading the way with a 3.46 grade-point average. • The women's tennis and women's swimming and diving teams extended their streaks of semesters with grade-point averages exceeding 3.0 to 23 straight semesters. (07-28 / 16 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay Theatre to present evening of Tennessee Williams plays GREEN BAY - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Theatre will present "Five By Tenn," an evening of short plays by Tennessee Williams, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 22-24 and Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 27 through March 3. Laura Riddle directs the one-act plays in the intimate Jean Weidner Theatre of the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts at UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive. Riddle, chair of UW-Green Bay's Theatre program, personally selected the plays, which she said will give audiences a new perspective on Williams. "I wanted to find a nice variety of styles and themes that spanned Williams' career as a writer," she said. "I was careful to choose plays that are unique and dealt with different themes." The five plays are "The Municipal Abattoir," "These Are the Stairs You Got to Watch," "Moony's Kid Don't Cry," "The Long Stay Cut Short, or, The Unsatisfactory Supper," and "This Property is Condemned." Riddle said the plays lend themselves to being performed in settings imagined by the audience. She said they depend heavily on sound, light and costumes to communicate a sense of place. Many of the plays are about people who make a solitary journey through life, including a young boy losing his innocence and an older woman coming to terms with her mortality, Riddle said. The opening play, "The Municipal Abattoir," is a futuristic piece that takes place in a country with a totalitarian government. It deals with a mechanized society in which people are parts of a machine, according to Riddle. "It's a very political play," she said. "I'm using it as a curtain raiser to, I hope, throw the audience off balance. It's not what people would expect to see when coming to see an evening of Tennessee Williams' plays." Riddle said she hopes audiences take from the evening a sense of the resiliency of the human spirit and that people by their nature are survivors. The plays have casts ranging in size from two to eight. Cast members are: • "The Municipal Abattoir" — Josh Weishaar as the Boy, Alicia McCanna as the Girl, and Matt Fayfer as a clerk. • "These Are the Stairs You Got to Watch" — Doug Heiar as Carl Meagre, Mike Roderique as the Boy, Jessica Rolfsmeyer as Gladys, Nik Meurett as a man, Alicia McCanna as a girl, Chris McDermott as Mr. Kroger, Katie Klaus as a cashier, and Matt Fayfer as a policeman. • "Moony's Kid Don't Cry" — Zach McLain as Moony, Caitlin Olsen as Jane. • "The Long Stay Cut Short, or, The Unsatisfactory Supper" — Lindsey Lienhardt as Baby Doll, Neil Montour as Archie Lee Bowman, Andi Aldrich as Aunt Rose. • "This Property is Condemned" — Jillian Nelson as Willie, Nik Meurett as Tom. Advanced design and technical theatre students have prominent roles in the production. Adina Weinig is scenic designer, Amanda Scholz is lighting designer, Paul Heim is sound designer, and Brittney Roffers is assistant stage manager. In addition to Riddle, UW-Green Bay faculty members involved in the production are Kaiome Malloy, costume designer, Michael Ingraham, technical director, and Jeffrey Entwistle, scenic design adviser. Tickets for "Five By Tenn" are $15 in advance and $18 at the door for adults and $12 in advance and $15 at the door for seniors and students. Tickets for UW-Green Bay students with identification are $10. Tickets may be purchased through UW-Green Bay's University Ticketing Service by calling (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587 or by ordering online at www.uwgb.edu/tickets. (07-27 / 15 February 2007 / SH) Exhibition of video, photography from China opens at Lawton Gallery GREEN BAY - "RUINS: An Exhibition of New Video and Photography from China" opens Thursday, Feb. 22 in the Lawton Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Consisting of 23 large-scale color photographs and a weekly screening of six artists' videos, "RUINS" represents the work of 16 artists. It will introduce the Green Bay community to the complex web of themes and issues that contemporary Chinese artists are addressing amid China's accelerated modernization. The Lawton Gallery exhibition opens Feb. 22 with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Exhibition coordinator William Andersen will speak at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Andersen is a professor at UW-Milwaukee and helped bring the exhibition to the United States. He spent seven weeks in China in the summer of 2006 and is acquainted with many of the artists in the exhibition. His talk will provide an opportunity to better understand how the artists' works respond to the social and artistic environments in contemporary China. According to exhibition curator Zhang Zhaohui, the title of the show was inspired by Prof. Wu Hung's essay on Chinese art, "Ruins, Fragmentation, and the Chinese Modern/Postmodern." Ruins as a metaphor in this context carries three layers of meaning. First, it refers to the demolition sites of old buildings in urban or rural areas. Second, it encompasses social phenomena or spectacles that mix cultural icons without integration and judgment. Third, it signifies the fragmentation and collapse of a social order: the pervasive sense of ruin reflects people's desperation, helplessness, and frustration in a decaying society. Andersen will talk about broader issues related to the exhibition at noon Feb. 22 at UW-Green Bay's American Intercultural Center, located in Room 207 of the David A. Cofrin Library. Screenings of artists' videos will take place in UW-Green Bay's University Union throughout March. The screenings are scheduled for 12 to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 1 in Phoenix Room A; 12 to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 8, in the 1965 Room; and 12 to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 22, in Phoenix Room A. "RUINS" will be on display in the Lawton Gallery, located in Theatre Hall Room 230, through March 23. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The gallery will be closed for spring break the week of March 12. For more information about the exhibition and gallery, contact Stephen Perkins at the Lawton Gallery by phone at (920) 465-2916 or by e-mail at perkinss@uwgb.edu. More information also is online at www.uwgb.edu/lawton. (07-26 / 14 February 2007 / SH) Governor: Budget will include funding for UW-Green Bay growth GREEN BAY - Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday (Feb. 12) that his 2007-09 state budget proposal will include funding for Northeastern Wisconsin's Growth Agenda. At a news conference on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus, the governor said his budget plan will include $1.7 million to support the Growth Agenda, a plan to enable UW-Green Bay to meet the demands and needs of a rapidly growing and changing region. Doyle will introduce his budget plan to the state Legislature on Tuesday. The plan includes an investment of an additional $225 million in the UW System. The governor said his budget proposal will provide funding to begin increasing UW-Green Bay's enrollment by nearly 2,200 students over the next 10 years. The funding will support expansion of high-demand programs such as business, education and biology at UW-Green Bay, he said. "Wisconsin needs more college graduates, more nurses, teachers, engineers, and scientists to fuel this economy for years to come," the governor said. UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard expressed his gratitude to the governor for including the Growth Agenda funding in the budget plan. Shepard also thanked the community for its strong support of the initiative. "Our community and private sector partners have been strong and consistent advocates of the Growth Agenda," the Chancellor said. "Clearly, their message is being heard at the state Capitol." Northeastern Wisconsin's Growth Agenda was developed in response to needs expressed by people throughout the region. Three factors — diversity, the economic transition taking place in Northeastern Wisconsin, and strong demand for a UW-Green Bay education — are driving the Growth Agenda. Doyle also praised the Phuture Phoenix program, a program at UW-Green Bay that encourages disadvantaged youngsters to pursue a college education. Phuture Phoenix is a model for the Wisconsin Covenant, a plan to increase access to a UW education, the governor said. Under the Covenant, eighth-graders will sign a pledge promising they will take college-preparatory courses, maintain at least a B average in high school and be good citizens. In return, the state will guarantee adequate financial assistance for the students to attend a UW System school. The governor said Chancellor Shepard and his wife, Cyndie, director of the Phuture Phoenix program, have provided strong leadership in raising the aspirations of young people. "Much of their work has really provided the basis for the Wisconsin Covenant, which we are now working on statewide," he said. (07-25 / 12 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay student volunteers offer assistance with tax returns GREEN BAY - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student volunteers this month will begin providing free state and federal income tax preparation for taxpayers at campus and community locations. The free service — aimed primarily at low-income individuals and families, the elderly and students — begins Monday, Feb. 12 and continues through Tuesday, April 17 with the exception of the week of March 12 when UW-Green Bay students are on spring break. For the first time this year, the student volunteers will offer electronic filing of federal and state tax returns. Tax assistance community and campus sites and times are: • Oneida Center for Self-Sufficiency, 2640 West Point Road, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Mondays (except for March 12). • Fort Howard Resource Center, 520 Dousman St., 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays (except for March 13). • Salvation Army, 626 Union Court, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays (except for March 14). • Room 1129, Instructional Services building, UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, 2 to 4 p.m., Thursdays (except for March 15). UW-Green Bay students have been providing the free tax assistance for more than 30 years. The students are members of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), an organization through which volunteers assist millions of taxpayers nationwide in completing their tax returns. UW-Green Bay students Brooke Borchert and Amanda Tisch are student coordinators of the tax-assistance program this year. The faculty adviser is Marilyn Sagrillo, associate professor of business administration. Students involved in the VITA program had to pass an exam to demonstrate their competence in preparing tax returns. UW-Green Bay students assisted with about 200 returns in 2006. (07-24 / 8 February 2007 / SH) Presentation to focus on change in China GREEN BAY - Robert and Lena Wenger, who have visited China five times since 1987, will talk about changes they have observed in China over the past 20 years in a presentation Thursday, Feb. 15 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Wengers' presentation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Phoenix Rooms of the University Union at UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive. Robert Wenger is professor emeritus of Natural and Applied Sciences at UW-Green Bay. He has a special interest in the application of mathematics to environmental problems. Lena Wenger is a retired Registered Nurse with an interest in ornithology. She currently is looking for ways to assist the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center, a specialized rescue and rehabilitation center for hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and owls. The Wengers first visited China in 1987 when Robert spent a year as a visiting professor at Beijing Normal University. Their most recent visit to China was in October-November 2006. China became the world's largest exporter in 2006. In another two decades, China's economy is expected to become second in size only to the U.S. economy. The Wengers' talk is sponsored by the Friends of the Cofrin Library at UW-Green Bay. The talk is free and open to the public. Donations to the Friends organization will be accepted. (07-23 / 8 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay downtown lecture to explore romantic love GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay resumes its "Downtown Third Thursdays" lecture series Thursday, Feb. 15 with a topic fit for the week of Valentine's Day. Denise Bartell, UW-Green Bay assistant professor of Human Development, will talk on "Romantic Love in America: A Brief History and Exploration of the Importance of Love in Our Culture." Bartell's talk is from 11:15 to 11:55 a.m. at the Baylake Bank Learning Center in the Baylake Bank City Center. The center is located at 301 N. Adams St. in downtown Green Bay. The talk is free and open to the public. Registration in advance is requested due to space limitations. To register, contact Bob Skorczewski at UW-Green Bay by phone at (920) 465-2320 or by e-mail at skorczeb@uwgb.edu. Bartell will explore the evolving meaning and importance of romantic love in the United States, focusing on its role in our mate selection decisions and how the role of romantic love in shaping these decisions has changed over time in our society. Bartell teaches courses at UW-Green Bay on family development and close relationships. Her research focuses on mate selection as a developmental phenomenon and romantic development in adolescence and young adulthood. UW-Green Bay's "Downtown Third Thursdays" series provides an opportunity for the community to take part in lifelong learning and learn more about Green Bay's University of Wisconsin. It also aims to enhance the city's downtown and strengthen connections between UW-Green Bay and the community. The series is sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor at UW-Green Bay, the UW-Green Bay Alumni Association, Downtown Green Bay, Inc., Olde Main Street Inc., and On Broadway, Inc. in collaboration with the UW-Green Bay Division of Outreach and Adult Access. More information about "Downtown Third Thursdays" is available online at www.uwgb.edu/downtown. (07-22 / 8 February 2007 / SH) New book by UW-Green Bay's Aldrete looks at floods in ancient Rome GREEN BAY - A University of Wisconsin-Green Bay historian examines, in a first-of-its-kind study, the impact of floods on ancient Rome and offers a new understanding of how ancient and modern cities are affected by floods. In his new book, "Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome," UW-Green Bay Prof. Gregory Aldrete uses a wide range of scientific and cultural data to develop a detailed account of flooding of the Tiber River in Rome throughout the classical period. Aldrete said to study ancient Rome, the first truly gigantic city in human history, is to really study the problems of big cities - especially cities where floods occur. "As the recent devastation of New Orleans by Katrina has unfortunately reminded us, floods are the most destructive of natural disasters," he said. "As more and more of the world's population settles in floodplains, the need to understand how cities are affected by floods becomes more important." Many of the problems the Romans dealt with in the aftermath of floods are the same as the inhabitants of places like New Orleans currently are coping with, Aldrete said. "Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome," published this month by Johns Hopkins University Press, explores long- and short-term effects of floods including death, injury, disease, the collapse of buildings, and the destruction of property. Aldrete draws upon a variety of sources including ancient and modern written records, literary accounts, analyses of the topography and hydrology of the Tiber drainage basin, and visible evidence on surviving structures. One reviewer said "Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome" raises important questions about the effects of flooding of the Tiber on ancient Rome and its inhabitants and explores why Romans did not take more sweeping steps to reduce the dangers of urban flooding. "It will be of interest not only to students of ancient history, but to hydrologists and students of urban studies as well," said Harry B. Evans, Fordham University, author of "Aqueduct Hunting in the Seventeenth Century." Aldrete, whose research focuses primarily on ancient Greece and Rome, joined the UW-Green Bay faculty in 1995. He won the UW-Green Bay Founders Association Awards for Excellence in Teaching in 2003 and Excellence in Scholarship in 2006. Aldrete was a fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute "Models of Ancient Rome" at UCLA in 2006. He also received a full-year NEH Humanities Fellowship in 2004-05 that allowed him to concentrate on writing. He is the author of several previous books on ancient history, including "Daily Life in the Roman City: Rome, Pompeii, and Ostia." (07-21 / 8 February 2007 / SH) Speaker to discuss impact of social class GREEN BAY - Will Barratt, associate professor of educational administration at Indiana State University, will speak at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday (Feb. 8) about his research on the impact of social class on college campuses. Barratt will make two public presentations during his visit to UW-Green Bay. An afternoon presentation for faculty, staff and administrators is from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Phoenix Room A of UW-Green Bay's University Union. An evening session aimed at students begins at 7:30 p.m., also in Phoenix Room A. Barratt's talks are free and open to the public, including faculty, staff and students from other area colleges and universities. Like gender and ethnicity, social class is part of our identities and a source of conflict. Barratt will discuss what social-class identity and campus social class are about. He also will address questions related to how social class affects students, faculty, staff and the entire campus community, and how a campus can make a difference for first-generation students. Barratt has been a faculty member at Indiana State since 1984. He has a Ph.D. in student development in post-secondary education from the University of Iowa, a master's degree in personnel counseling from Miami University, and a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy from Beloit College. (07-20 / 5 February 2007 / SH) Brys joins Small Business Development Center as business counselor GREEN BAY - Charles "Chuck" Brys, who has 35 years of upper-level management experience, is joining the University of Wisconsin-Bay's Small Business Development Center as a business counselor. Brys has extensive experience in all manufacturing environments including process manufacturing, design and build, job shop, and specialty manufacturing. A Certified Public Accountant, his previous work experience has been with Lauber CFOs and the C.A. Lawton Co. Brys brings a strong financial background to clients of the Small Business Development Center. He has extensive knowledge of strategic planning, business plan development, sales and marketing, operations and product development. As a former general manager, he has directed organizations and mentored managers and small business owners. The UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center provides advising and programming to emerging and existing entrepreneurs. It is one of eight partners in the Business Assistance Center, 2701 Larsen Road, Green Bay. For more information about programs and services offered by the Small Business Development Center, call (920) 496-2117. (07-19 / 5 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay SIFE team takes second in case study competition GREEN BAY - A team from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay chapter of Students in Free Enterprise recently won second place in a case study analysis competition at UW-Madison. The competition, "Duel in Dairyland," took place Jan. 24-27. Members of the UW-Green Bay SIFE team are Matt Winden, Crystal Schliefer, Oris Vannieuwenhoven, and Pernille Sorenson. The case study was about the financial strain for a young married couple that was expecting children. The SIFE team drafted a budget and long-term financial goals for the couple. SIFE is an international organization that encourages students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations and to use their knowledge to better their communities through educational outreach programs. Valerie Jensen is president of the UW-Green Bay chapter of SIFE. Faculty advisers of the chapter are Professors John Stoll and Ismail Shariff. (07-18 / 5 February 2007 / SH) Gardening conference at UW-Green Bay to focus on native plants GREEN BAY - Gardeners will explore the benefits and "how-tos" of gardening in harmony with nature at a one-day workshop Saturday, Feb. 17 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. "Successful Gardening with Native Plants," part of the "Thoughtful Gardener" series, is designed to encourage and educate gardeners about alternatives to traditional gardening that are more environmentally friendly, incorporate native plantings, and require the use of less water and chemicals. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. in Mary Ann Cofrin Hall on the UW-Green Bay campus, 2420 Nicolet Drive. It is a joint project of the UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, the Green Bay Botanical Garden, and Wild Ones-Green Bay Chapter. The featured speaker in the morning session is Carol Spurrier, a federal Bureau of Land Management botanist and rare plant specialist who will discuss conservation biology and the "burning desire" to garden. She will share lessons from modern science, hands-on preservation and her lifelong experience managing native plants on public lands. In the afternoon session, Roy Diblik, co-founder of Northwind Perennial Farm, will explain how to consider plant growth rates, structure and cultural needs to create better garden communities. Participants can choose from three morning breakout sessions. Presenters at these sessions are: UW-Green Bay Prof. Mathew Dornbusch, who will talk about soil food webs and how they are important to gardeners in terms of plant growth and survival; James Havel of NES Ecological Services, who will discuss the "wonderful world" of wetlands; and UW-Green Bay botanist Gary Fewless, who will discuss the need to prepare for invasive species. In the afternoon, participants also can choose from three breakout sessions. Afternoon presenters are: Fewless, who will talk about Wisconsin's native ferns; Andrew Knapp, landscape designer for Green Bay Nursery, talking about designing for a sense of place; and Hal Sunken of Wild Ones-Green Bay Chapter, who will show the colors of native plants and offer guidance on their needs, habits and beauties. The conference fee is $39 for members of sponsoring groups and $47 for non-members. Registrations made after Feb. 9 are subject to a late registration fee of $8. Area vendors will sell garden-related products at the event. The Phoenix Bookstore at UW-Green Bay will have a table with gardening books. Other vendors include local and regional nurseries that specialize in native plants and a local sculptor who specializes in garden art. For more information, call (920) 465-5032. More information and registration materials are available online at http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/gardener/index.htm. (07-17 / 1 February 2007 / SH) UW-Green Bay offers course for educators on Hmong transitions, traditions GREEN BAY - Educators and community members interested in learning more about the Hmong community and traditions have a new learning opportunity offered by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Registration remains open for "Exploring Hmong in Transitions: Enhancing Teaching and Learning for Hmong Students and Community." The course will be offered at the Brown County Central Library on Friday, Feb. 23 (5 to 9 p.m.), Saturday, Feb. 24 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), and Saturday, March 31 (8 a.m. to noon). The course is geared toward school personnel and community members who want to learn more about the Hmong and explore more innovative teaching strategies that are culturally based to better serve Hmong students and the community. Dr. Pao Lor, assistant professor of education at UW-Green Bay, is the course instructor. Before joining the UW-Green Bay faculty, he was an assistant principal at Neenah High School. He also has been associate principal at Green Bay East High School and Green Bay Edison Middle School, language arts teacher in the Appleton Area School District, and an academic adviser at UW-Oshkosh. Course participants will learn about historical, cultural and educational transitions of Hmong students and community in the United States, how to improve communication with parents and the Hmong community, and about Hmong traditions such as weddings, funerals and births and their impact on learning. The course is aligned with Wisconsin standards for teacher and administrator professional development and licensure. Noncredit and graduate credit options for the course are available. For more information or to request registration materials, call the UW-Green Bay Education Outreach Office at (920) 465-2480 or (800) 892-2118. Online registration for the course is available at www.uwgb.edu/educationoutreach. Click on "Winter/Spring Course & Program Listings." (07-16 / 1 February 2007 / SH)

February 2007

Visiting scholar to visit
in March

Finalists to interview for dean position

Bands concert March 3

Fourth Estate wins
top honor

Choral concert Feb. 24

Presentation for parents
on school safety

Student-athletes to be recognized

Theatre to present
'Five By Tenn'

'RUINS' exhibit opens
in gallery

Governor's budget to include funds for
UW-Green Bay growth

Student tax volunteers

Presentation on China

Downtown Third Thursdays lecture

New book by Aldrete

Speaker to discuss
impact of social class

Brys is SBDC counselor

SIFE competition

Successful Gardening conference

Course for educators on Hmong

Visiting scholar to discuss Slovakia,
Roma minority group

GREEN BAY - Slovakian cultural advocate Lubomira Slusná will visit the Green Bay area in March, discussing her work on behalf of the Association for Culture, Education and Communication and her efforts to improve the lives of Europe's Roma population.

Slusná's visit is sponsored by the joint St. Norbert College/University of Wisconsin-Green Bay International Visiting Scholars Program. The program provides opportunities for international scholars from developing countries to visit the two campuses and the greater Green Bay community.

Slusná, who will arrive Monday, March 5, will speak to classes and meet with students, faculty and staff at UW-Green Bay and St. Norbert College. She also will visit K-12 schools in the area.

The public will have numerous opportunities to hear presentations by Slusná.

On Wednesday, March 7, she will speak on "Empowering Slovakia's Roma Women" in the Christie Theatre in UW-Green Bay's University Union. Her presentation is at 2 p.m.

Slusná also will speak at noon on Thursday, March 8 at the UW-Green Bay American Intercultural Center in Room 207 of the David A. Cofrin Library. Later that day, she will be the featured guest at a celebration for International Women's Day. The public is invited to the celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Art Garage, 1400 Cedar St. Tickets for the event are $15 and will be available at the door. Proceeds will support the joint International Visiting Scholars Program.

Slusná will visit Forest Glen Elementary School and Bay Port High School on Friday, March 9. She then will move on to the St. Norbert College campus March 10-14. At St. Norbert, she will speak to classes and meet with faculty and students.

Slusná is a graduate in history of fine arts from Commenius University in Bratislava. After graduation she worked as a freelance art critic, organizing and opening independent art exhibitions.

In 1999, she founded the Association for Culture, Education and Communication, which promotes Slovakia and develops and strengthens international cultural exchange. Her recent work has focused on the lives of the Roma people, Europe's largest minority. They live in nearly all countries in Europe and Central Asia.

Her organization's efforts include special programs for Roma women and youth and training of Roma candidates for municipal elections.

In her presentations, she will tell stories of the Roma people through words and photographs. She has worked with them to photograph their daily lives.

For more information about Slusná's visit to the Green Bay area and opportunities to meet with her, contact Sarah Meredith at UW-Green Bay at (920) 465-2637 or meredits@uwgb.edu or Wendy Scattergood at St. Norbert College at (920) 403-3491 or wendy.scattergood@snc.edu.

(07-34 / 28 February 2007 / SH)

Finalists to interview for
UW-Green Bay dean position

GREEN BAY - Two finalists will interview for the position of dean of liberal arts and sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

On-campus interviews of the finalists will begin Monday (March 5), according to Prof. Greg Davis, chair of the search and screen committee. The candidates' visits to UW-Green Bay will include presentations open to the public.

The finalists and the dates and locations of their public presentations are:

• Gerard Magill, most recently executive director of the Center for Health Care Ethics, an independent academic unit at Saint Louis University. (Campus presentation: Monday, March 5, 2 to 3 p.m., 1965 Room, University Union.)

• Jill Trainer, associate vice president, Office of Sponsored Programs, University of Northern Iowa. (Campus presentation: Tuesday, March 27, 2 to 3 p.m., 1965 Room, University Union.)

Vitas for the two finalists for the dean position are online at http://www.uwgb.edu/provost/deanlas.htm.

The finalists' visits to UW-Green Bay will include meetings with administrators, students, faculty and staff. The candidates also will tour the campus and community.

The dean of liberal arts and sciences is one of two academic deans at UW-Green Bay. The other is the dean of professional and graduate studies.

The dean of liberal arts and sciences has administrative and leadership responsibility for programs in humanities, fine and performing arts, natural and applied sciences and social sciences.

Fergus Hughes has served as interim dean at UW-Green Bay since July 2004.

(07-33 / 27 February 2007 / SH)

Marches, musical theater selections
to highlight UW-Green Bay bands concert

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band will perform popular songs, dances, marches and selections from musical theater Saturday (March 3) at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts.

The Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Weidner Center's Cofrin Family Hall.

The concert will begin with the Symphonic Band performing the tuneful bugle-call-infused "Valdres" march, followed by Ron Nelson's "Courtly Dances" representing styles of European Renaissance dances from France, Germany, Spain, England, and Italy. The band then will perform Frank Ticheli's settings of two Cajun folk songs. The Symphonic Band portion of the concert will close with Leroy Anderson's arrangement of Meredith Willson's "Seventy-Six Trombones" from the "Music Man."

The Wind Symphony will begin its portion of the concert with William Schuman's "Chester Overture" based on the popular Revolutionary War tune by William Billings. It will be followed by "Symphonic Dance Music from West Side Story," some of Leonard Bernstein's most popular music. The concert will conclude with the "Alte Kamaraden Marsch" by Carl Teike, which once was voted the most popular European march.

UW-Green Bay Director of Bands Kevin Collins directs the two groups. Collins has been a member of the UW-Green Bay faculty since 1988 and was appointed director of bands in 1995.

Tickets for the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band concert are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased in advance through UW-Green Bay's University Ticketing Service by calling (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587 or by ordering online at www.uwgb.edu/tickets. Tickets also may be purchased at the University Ticketing and Information Center in UW-Green Bay's University Union.

Regular box office services will be available prior to the performance at the Weidner Center.

(07-32 / 26 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay student newspaper
wins top honor - again

GREEN BAY - The Fourth Estate, the student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, won the top honor for overall excellence in its division at the recent Associated Collegiate Press Best of the Midwest college newspaper competition.

For the second consecutive year, the UW-Green Bay student newspaper won first place in the Best of Show category for four-year school newspapers of tabloid size. The award was for the Feb. 15, 2007 edition.

Fourth Estate Editor in Chief Hannah Johnson said the newspaper's entire staff deserves credit for the award.

"There was a lot of pressure on us this year to follow in last year's footsteps and keep our first-place title, and we were able to come through," Johnson said. "We are proud to represent UW-Green Bay and the surrounding community."

The Fourth Estate has placed in the top four spots in the overall excellence category for seven consecutive years.

The UW-Green Bay student newspaper competed with campus newspapers from Midwestern states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The competition was part of the Associated Collegiate Press Best of the Midwest Newspaper Convention held Feb. 16-18 in Minneapolis. Eighteen Fourth Estate staff members and faculty adviser Tani Grimh attended the convention.

(07-31 / 23 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay choral groups to perform
Saturday at Weidner

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Concert Choir and Phoenix Chorale will perform their first concert of 2007 on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts.

The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Weidner Center's Cofrin Family Hall, will feature music by composers from the 16th through the 20th centuries. Randall Meder, UW-Green Bay director of choral activities, will conduct the performances.

The 30-voice Concert Choir will perform a varied program including works by John Wilbye (1574-1638), Charles Wood (1866-1926), Gustav Holst (1874-1934), and Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). The 45-voice Phoenix Chorale's repertoire will include a set of motets by 20th century French composer Maurice DuruflŽ based on Gregorian Chant themes, two vocal quartets by Johannes Brahms, a Venezuelan folk song and a piece by 20th century English composer Gerald Finzi.

Meder holds degrees from UW-Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has taught at North Carolina State University and New Holstein High School. In addition to directing the choirs at UW-Green Bay, Meder teaches conducting and choral literature, and supervises student teachers. He is a frequent guest conductor and clinician, having worked with diverse choirs in Wisconsin, Illinois and North Carolina.

Tickets for the choral concert are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased in advance through UW-Green Bay's University Ticketing Service by calling (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587 or by ordering online at http://www.uwgb.edu/tickets. Tickets also may be purchased at the University Ticketing and Information Center in UW-Green Bay's University Union.

Regular box office services will be available prior to the performance at the Weidner Center.

(07-30 / 20 February 2007 / SH)

Presentation for parents Feb. 27
to focus on school safety

GREEN BAY - A highly acclaimed expert on school safety will give a presentation to parents on "Keeping Your Child Safe in School" Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Green Bay East High School.

Michael Dorn's parent presentation will focus on child advocacy and the importance of parents being connected to their children. He will speak from 7 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium at East High School, 1415 E. Walnut St. The event is free and open to all parents.

The presentation is being held in conjunction with an anti-bullying workshop for area educators.

Dorn is an experienced, trusted school safety expert. He has authored or co-authored more than 20 books on school safety. His training videos and DVDs are used by more than 75,000 schools and public safety agencies in more than 30 nations.

Dorn has extensive anti-terrorism training and experience. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Georgia International Law Enforcement exchange program with the Israel Police, Defense Forces and Mossad. He serves as the executive director for Safe Havens International Inc., the world's leading nonprofit school safety center.

Sponsors of the presentation are the school districts of Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Green Bay, Howard-Suamico, Pulaski, Seymour, West De Pere and Wrightstown; the Crime Prevention Foundation; KI Convention Center; Partners in Education of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Office of Outreach and Extension.

For more information about Dorn's parent presentation, contact Barbara Dorff of the Green Bay Area Public Schools by phone at (920) 448-2184 or by e-mail at bdorff@greenbay.k12.wi.us.

(07-29 / 20 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay to recognize
classroom success of student-athletes

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will recognize student-athletes for their academic success when the UW-Green Bay men's basketball team hosts highly ranked Butler University on Monday night (Feb. 19).

The University will recognize 105 student-athletes who earned a grade-point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or better during the spring 2006 or fall 2006 semesters. The ceremony will take place at halftime of the men's basketball game at the Resch Center. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

UW-Green Bay faculty and staff attending the game also will be recognized in a pre-game announcement for their contributions to the classroom success of student-athletes.

UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard and Athletics Director Ken Bothof said academic success on the part of student-athletes is a longstanding tradition at the University and in the athletics program.

"Excellence in academics is at the core of what we do as a university," Shepard said. "This ceremony is a way to recognize the people responsible for maintaining a much-valued tradition at UW-Green Bay."

"The academic success of our student-athletes is due to their hard work and commitment as well as the strong support they receive from faculty and staff," Bothof added. "Just like success in athletics, it's the product of a team effort."

UW-Green Bay student-athletes combined for a 3.08 grade-point average in the 2006 fall semester, the 14th consecutive semester in which they surpassed a 3.0 grade-point average (B average). Other academic achievements of the student-athletes include:

• Fifteen achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during the 2006 fall semester, while 72 earned Dean's List honors (3.5 grade-point average or higher).

• Nine of UW-Green Bay's 15 athletics programs had grade-point averages higher than 3.0, with women's tennis leading the way with a 3.46 grade-point average.

• The women's tennis and women's swimming and diving teams extended their streaks of semesters with grade-point averages exceeding 3.0 to 23 straight semesters.

(07-28 / 16 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay Theatre to present
evening of Tennessee Williams plays

GREEN BAY - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Theatre will present "Five By Tenn," an evening of short plays by Tennessee Williams, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 22-24 and Tuesday through Saturday, Feb. 27 through March 3.

Laura Riddle directs the one-act plays in the intimate Jean Weidner Theatre of the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts at UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive.

Riddle, chair of UW-Green Bay's Theatre program, personally selected the plays, which she said will give audiences a new perspective on Williams.

"I wanted to find a nice variety of styles and themes that spanned Williams' career as a writer," she said. "I was careful to choose plays that are unique and dealt with different themes."

The five plays are "The Municipal Abattoir," "These Are the Stairs You Got to Watch," "Moony's Kid Don't Cry," "The Long Stay Cut Short, or, The Unsatisfactory Supper," and "This Property is Condemned."

Riddle said the plays lend themselves to being performed in settings imagined by the audience. She said they depend heavily on sound, light and costumes to communicate a sense of place.

Many of the plays are about people who make a solitary journey through life, including a young boy losing his innocence and an older woman coming to terms with her mortality, Riddle said.

The opening play, "The Municipal Abattoir," is a futuristic piece that takes place in a country with a totalitarian government. It deals with a mechanized society in which people are parts of a machine, according to Riddle.

"It's a very political play," she said. "I'm using it as a curtain raiser to, I hope, throw the audience off balance. It's not what people would expect to see when coming to see an evening of Tennessee Williams' plays."

Riddle said she hopes audiences take from the evening a sense of the resiliency of the human spirit and that people by their nature are survivors.

The plays have casts ranging in size from two to eight. Cast members are:

• "The Municipal Abattoir" — Josh Weishaar as the Boy, Alicia McCanna as the Girl, and Matt Fayfer as a clerk.

• "These Are the Stairs You Got to Watch" — Doug Heiar as Carl Meagre, Mike Roderique as the Boy, Jessica Rolfsmeyer as Gladys, Nik Meurett as a man, Alicia McCanna as a girl, Chris McDermott as Mr. Kroger, Katie Klaus as a cashier, and Matt Fayfer as a policeman.

• "Moony's Kid Don't Cry" — Zach McLain as Moony, Caitlin Olsen as Jane.

• "The Long Stay Cut Short, or, The Unsatisfactory Supper" — Lindsey Lienhardt as Baby Doll, Neil Montour as Archie Lee Bowman, Andi Aldrich as Aunt Rose.

• "This Property is Condemned" — Jillian Nelson as Willie, Nik Meurett as Tom.

Advanced design and technical theatre students have prominent roles in the production. Adina Weinig is scenic designer, Amanda Scholz is lighting designer, Paul Heim is sound designer, and Brittney Roffers is assistant stage manager.

In addition to Riddle, UW-Green Bay faculty members involved in the production are Kaiome Malloy, costume designer, Michael Ingraham, technical director, and Jeffrey Entwistle, scenic design adviser.

Tickets for "Five By Tenn" are $15 in advance and $18 at the door for adults and $12 in advance and $15 at the door for seniors and students. Tickets for UW-Green Bay students with identification are $10.

Tickets may be purchased through UW-Green Bay's University Ticketing Service by calling (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587 or by ordering online at www.uwgb.edu/tickets.

(07-27 / 15 February 2007 / SH)

Exhibition of video, photography from
China opens at Lawton Gallery

GREEN BAY - "RUINS: An Exhibition of New Video and Photography from China" opens Thursday, Feb. 22 in the Lawton Gallery at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Consisting of 23 large-scale color photographs and a weekly screening of six artists' videos, "RUINS" represents the work of 16 artists. It will introduce the Green Bay community to the complex web of themes and issues that contemporary Chinese artists are addressing amid China's accelerated modernization.

The Lawton Gallery exhibition opens Feb. 22 with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Exhibition coordinator William Andersen will speak at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Andersen is a professor at UW-Milwaukee and helped bring the exhibition to the United States. He spent seven weeks in China in the summer of 2006 and is acquainted with many of the artists in the exhibition. His talk will provide an opportunity to better understand how the artists' works respond to the social and artistic environments in contemporary China.

According to exhibition curator Zhang Zhaohui, the title of the show was inspired by Prof. Wu Hung's essay on Chinese art, "Ruins, Fragmentation, and the Chinese Modern/Postmodern." Ruins as a metaphor in this context carries three layers of meaning. First, it refers to the demolition sites of old buildings in urban or rural areas. Second, it encompasses social phenomena or spectacles that mix cultural icons without integration and judgment. Third, it signifies the fragmentation and collapse of a social order: the pervasive sense of ruin reflects people's desperation, helplessness, and frustration in a decaying society.

Andersen will talk about broader issues related to the exhibition at noon Feb. 22 at UW-Green Bay's American Intercultural Center, located in Room 207 of the David A. Cofrin Library.

Screenings of artists' videos will take place in UW-Green Bay's University Union throughout March. The screenings are scheduled for 12 to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 1 in Phoenix Room A; 12 to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 8, in the 1965 Room; and 12 to 1 p.m., Thursday, March 22, in Phoenix Room A.

"RUINS" will be on display in the Lawton Gallery, located in Theatre Hall Room 230, through March 23. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The gallery will be closed for spring break the week of March 12.

For more information about the exhibition and gallery, contact Stephen Perkins at the Lawton Gallery by phone at (920) 465-2916 or by e-mail at perkinss@uwgb.edu. More information also is online at www.uwgb.edu/lawton.

(07-26 / 14 February 2007 / SH)

Governor: Budget will include
funding for UW-Green Bay growth

GREEN BAY - Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday (Feb. 12) that his 2007-09 state budget proposal will include funding for Northeastern Wisconsin's Growth Agenda.

At a news conference on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus, the governor said his budget plan will include $1.7 million to support the Growth Agenda, a plan to enable UW-Green Bay to meet the demands and needs of a rapidly growing and changing region.

Doyle will introduce his budget plan to the state Legislature on Tuesday. The plan includes an investment of an additional $225 million in the UW System.

The governor said his budget proposal will provide funding to begin increasing UW-Green Bay's enrollment by nearly 2,200 students over the next 10 years. The funding will support expansion of high-demand programs such as business, education and biology at UW-Green Bay, he said.

"Wisconsin needs more college graduates, more nurses, teachers, engineers, and scientists to fuel this economy for years to come," the governor said.

UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard expressed his gratitude to the governor for including the Growth Agenda funding in the budget plan. Shepard also thanked the community for its strong support of the initiative.

"Our community and private sector partners have been strong and consistent advocates of the Growth Agenda," the Chancellor said. "Clearly, their message is being heard at the state Capitol."

Northeastern Wisconsin's Growth Agenda was developed in response to needs expressed by people throughout the region. Three factors — diversity, the economic transition taking place in Northeastern Wisconsin, and strong demand for a UW-Green Bay education — are driving the Growth Agenda.

Doyle also praised the Phuture Phoenix program, a program at UW-Green Bay that encourages disadvantaged youngsters to pursue a college education.

Phuture Phoenix is a model for the Wisconsin Covenant, a plan to increase access to a UW education, the governor said. Under the Covenant, eighth-graders will sign a pledge promising they will take college-preparatory courses, maintain at least a B average in high school and be good citizens. In return, the state will guarantee adequate financial assistance for the students to attend a UW System school.

The governor said Chancellor Shepard and his wife, Cyndie, director of the Phuture Phoenix program, have provided strong leadership in raising the aspirations of young people.

"Much of their work has really provided the basis for the Wisconsin Covenant, which we are now working on statewide," he said.

(07-25 / 12 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay student volunteers
offer assistance with tax returns

GREEN BAY - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student volunteers this month will begin providing free state and federal income tax preparation for taxpayers at campus and community locations.

The free service — aimed primarily at low-income individuals and families, the elderly and students — begins Monday, Feb. 12 and continues through Tuesday, April 17 with the exception of the week of March 12 when UW-Green Bay students are on spring break.

For the first time this year, the student volunteers will offer electronic filing of federal and state tax returns.

Tax assistance community and campus sites and times are:

• Oneida Center for Self-Sufficiency, 2640 West Point Road, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Mondays (except for March 12).

• Fort Howard Resource Center, 520 Dousman St., 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays (except for March 13).

• Salvation Army, 626 Union Court, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays (except for March 14).

• Room 1129, Instructional Services building, UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, 2 to 4 p.m., Thursdays (except for March 15).

UW-Green Bay students have been providing the free tax assistance for more than 30 years. The students are members of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), an organization through which volunteers assist millions of taxpayers nationwide in completing their tax returns.

UW-Green Bay students Brooke Borchert and Amanda Tisch are student coordinators of the tax-assistance program this year. The faculty adviser is Marilyn Sagrillo, associate professor of business administration.

Students involved in the VITA program had to pass an exam to demonstrate their competence in preparing tax returns. UW-Green Bay students assisted with about 200 returns in 2006.

(07-24 / 8 February 2007 / SH)

Presentation to focus on change in China

GREEN BAY - Robert and Lena Wenger, who have visited China five times since 1987, will talk about changes they have observed in China over the past 20 years in a presentation Thursday, Feb. 15 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

The Wengers' presentation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Phoenix Rooms of the University Union at UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive.

Robert Wenger is professor emeritus of Natural and Applied Sciences at UW-Green Bay. He has a special interest in the application of mathematics to environmental problems.

Lena Wenger is a retired Registered Nurse with an interest in ornithology. She currently is looking for ways to assist the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center, a specialized rescue and rehabilitation center for hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures and owls.

The Wengers first visited China in 1987 when Robert spent a year as a visiting professor at Beijing Normal University. Their most recent visit to China was in October-November 2006.

China became the world's largest exporter in 2006. In another two decades, China's economy is expected to become second in size only to the U.S. economy.

The Wengers' talk is sponsored by the Friends of the Cofrin Library at UW-Green Bay. The talk is free and open to the public. Donations to the Friends organization will be accepted.

(07-23 / 8 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay downtown lecture
to explore romantic love

GREEN BAY - The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay resumes its "Downtown Third Thursdays" lecture series Thursday, Feb. 15 with a topic fit for the week of Valentine's Day.

Denise Bartell, UW-Green Bay assistant professor of Human Development, will talk on "Romantic Love in America: A Brief History and Exploration of the Importance of Love in Our Culture."

Bartell's talk is from 11:15 to 11:55 a.m. at the Baylake Bank Learning Center in the Baylake Bank City Center. The center is located at 301 N. Adams St. in downtown Green Bay. The talk is free and open to the public.

Registration in advance is requested due to space limitations. To register, contact Bob Skorczewski at UW-Green Bay by phone at (920) 465-2320 or by e-mail at skorczeb@uwgb.edu.

Bartell will explore the evolving meaning and importance of romantic love in the United States, focusing on its role in our mate selection decisions and how the role of romantic love in shaping these decisions has changed over time in our society.

Bartell teaches courses at UW-Green Bay on family development and close relationships. Her research focuses on mate selection as a developmental phenomenon and romantic development in adolescence and young adulthood.

UW-Green Bay's "Downtown Third Thursdays" series provides an opportunity for the community to take part in lifelong learning and learn more about Green Bay's University of Wisconsin. It also aims to enhance the city's downtown and strengthen connections between UW-Green Bay and the community.

The series is sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor at UW-Green Bay, the UW-Green Bay Alumni Association, Downtown Green Bay, Inc., Olde Main Street Inc., and On Broadway, Inc. in collaboration with the UW-Green Bay Division of Outreach and Adult Access.

More information about "Downtown Third Thursdays" is available online at www.uwgb.edu/downtown.

(07-22 / 8 February 2007 / SH)

New book by UW-Green Bay's Aldrete
looks at floods in ancient Rome

GREEN BAY - A University of Wisconsin-Green Bay historian examines, in a first-of-its-kind study, the impact of floods on ancient Rome and offers a new understanding of how ancient and modern cities are affected by floods.

In his new book, "Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome," UW-Green Bay Prof. Gregory Aldrete uses a wide range of scientific and cultural data to develop a detailed account of flooding of the Tiber River in Rome throughout the classical period.

Aldrete said to study ancient Rome, the first truly gigantic city in human history, is to really study the problems of big cities - especially cities where floods occur.

"As the recent devastation of New Orleans by Katrina has unfortunately reminded us, floods are the most destructive of natural disasters," he said. "As more and more of the world's population settles in floodplains, the need to understand how cities are affected by floods becomes more important."

Many of the problems the Romans dealt with in the aftermath of floods are the same as the inhabitants of places like New Orleans currently are coping with, Aldrete said.

"Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome," published this month by Johns Hopkins University Press, explores long- and short-term effects of floods including death, injury, disease, the collapse of buildings, and the destruction of property.

Aldrete draws upon a variety of sources including ancient and modern written records, literary accounts, analyses of the topography and hydrology of the Tiber drainage basin, and visible evidence on surviving structures.

One reviewer said "Floods of the Tiber in Ancient Rome" raises important questions about the effects of flooding of the Tiber on ancient Rome and its inhabitants and explores why Romans did not take more sweeping steps to reduce the dangers of urban flooding.

"It will be of interest not only to students of ancient history, but to hydrologists and students of urban studies as well," said Harry B. Evans, Fordham University, author of "Aqueduct Hunting in the Seventeenth Century."

Aldrete, whose research focuses primarily on ancient Greece and Rome, joined the UW-Green Bay faculty in 1995. He won the UW-Green Bay Founders Association Awards for Excellence in Teaching in 2003 and Excellence in Scholarship in 2006.

Aldrete was a fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Institute "Models of Ancient Rome" at UCLA in 2006. He also received a full-year NEH Humanities Fellowship in 2004-05 that allowed him to concentrate on writing.

He is the author of several previous books on ancient history, including "Daily Life in the Roman City: Rome, Pompeii, and Ostia."

(07-21 / 8 February 2007 / SH)

Speaker to discuss impact of social class

GREEN BAY - Will Barratt, associate professor of educational administration at Indiana State University, will speak at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday (Feb. 8) about his research on the impact of social class on college campuses.

Barratt will make two public presentations during his visit to UW-Green Bay. An afternoon presentation for faculty, staff and administrators is from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Phoenix Room A of UW-Green Bay's University Union. An evening session aimed at students begins at 7:30 p.m., also in Phoenix Room A.

Barratt's talks are free and open to the public, including faculty, staff and students from other area colleges and universities.

Like gender and ethnicity, social class is part of our identities and a source of conflict. Barratt will discuss what social-class identity and campus social class are about. He also will address questions related to how social class affects students, faculty, staff and the entire campus community, and how a campus can make a difference for first-generation students.

Barratt has been a faculty member at Indiana State since 1984. He has a Ph.D. in student development in post-secondary education from the University of Iowa, a master's degree in personnel counseling from Miami University, and a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy from Beloit College.

(07-20 / 5 February 2007 / SH)

Brys joins Small Business Development Center as business counselor

GREEN BAY - Charles "Chuck" Brys, who has 35 years of upper-level management experience, is joining the University of Wisconsin-Bay's Small Business Development Center as a business counselor.

Brys has extensive experience in all manufacturing environments including process manufacturing, design and build, job shop, and specialty manufacturing.

A Certified Public Accountant, his previous work experience has been with Lauber CFOs and the C.A. Lawton Co.

Brys brings a strong financial background to clients of the Small Business Development Center. He has extensive knowledge of strategic planning, business plan development, sales and marketing, operations and product development. As a former general manager, he has directed organizations and mentored managers and small business owners.

The UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center provides advising and programming to emerging and existing entrepreneurs. It is one of eight partners in the Business Assistance Center, 2701 Larsen Road, Green Bay.

For more information about programs and services offered by the Small Business Development Center, call (920) 496-2117.

(07-19 / 5 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay SIFE team takes second
in case study competition

GREEN BAY - A team from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay chapter of Students in Free Enterprise recently won second place in a case study analysis competition at UW-Madison.

The competition, "Duel in Dairyland," took place Jan. 24-27. Members of the UW-Green Bay SIFE team are Matt Winden, Crystal Schliefer, Oris Vannieuwenhoven, and Pernille Sorenson.

The case study was about the financial strain for a young married couple that was expecting children. The SIFE team drafted a budget and long-term financial goals for the couple.

SIFE is an international organization that encourages students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations and to use their knowledge to better their communities through educational outreach programs.

Valerie Jensen is president of the UW-Green Bay chapter of SIFE. Faculty advisers of the chapter are Professors John Stoll and Ismail Shariff.

(07-18 / 5 February 2007 / SH)

Gardening conference at UW-Green Bay
to focus on native plants

GREEN BAY - Gardeners will explore the benefits and "how-tos" of gardening in harmony with nature at a one-day workshop Saturday, Feb. 17 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

"Successful Gardening with Native Plants," part of the "Thoughtful Gardener" series, is designed to encourage and educate gardeners about alternatives to traditional gardening that are more environmentally friendly, incorporate native plantings, and require the use of less water and chemicals.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. in Mary Ann Cofrin Hall on the UW-Green Bay campus, 2420 Nicolet Drive. It is a joint project of the UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, the Green Bay Botanical Garden, and Wild Ones-Green Bay Chapter.

The featured speaker in the morning session is Carol Spurrier, a federal Bureau of Land Management botanist and rare plant specialist who will discuss conservation biology and the "burning desire" to garden. She will share lessons from modern science, hands-on preservation and her lifelong experience managing native plants on public lands.

In the afternoon session, Roy Diblik, co-founder of Northwind Perennial Farm, will explain how to consider plant growth rates, structure and cultural needs to create better garden communities.

Participants can choose from three morning breakout sessions. Presenters at these sessions are: UW-Green Bay Prof. Mathew Dornbusch, who will talk about soil food webs and how they are important to gardeners in terms of plant growth and survival; James Havel of NES Ecological Services, who will discuss the "wonderful world" of wetlands; and UW-Green Bay botanist Gary Fewless, who will discuss the need to prepare for invasive species.

In the afternoon, participants also can choose from three breakout sessions. Afternoon presenters are: Fewless, who will talk about Wisconsin's native ferns; Andrew Knapp, landscape designer for Green Bay Nursery, talking about designing for a sense of place; and Hal Sunken of Wild Ones-Green Bay Chapter, who will show the colors of native plants and offer guidance on their needs, habits and beauties.

The conference fee is $39 for members of sponsoring groups and $47 for non-members. Registrations made after Feb. 9 are subject to a late registration fee of $8.

Area vendors will sell garden-related products at the event. The Phoenix Bookstore at UW-Green Bay will have a table with gardening books. Other vendors include local and regional nurseries that specialize in native plants and a local sculptor who specializes in garden art.

For more information, call (920) 465-5032. More information and registration materials are available online at http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/gardener/index.htm.

(07-17 / 1 February 2007 / SH)

UW-Green Bay offers course for educators
on Hmong transitions, traditions

GREEN BAY - Educators and community members interested in learning more about the Hmong community and traditions have a new learning opportunity offered by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Registration remains open for "Exploring Hmong in Transitions: Enhancing Teaching and Learning for Hmong Students and Community."

The course will be offered at the Brown County Central Library on Friday, Feb. 23 (5 to 9 p.m.), Saturday, Feb. 24 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), and Saturday, March 31 (8 a.m. to noon).

The course is geared toward school personnel and community members who want to learn more about the Hmong and explore more innovative teaching strategies that are culturally based to better serve Hmong students and the community.

Dr. Pao Lor, assistant professor of education at UW-Green Bay, is the course instructor. Before joining the UW-Green Bay faculty, he was an assistant principal at Neenah High School. He also has been associate principal at Green Bay East High School and Green Bay Edison Middle School, language arts teacher in the Appleton Area School District, and an academic adviser at UW-Oshkosh.

Course participants will learn about historical, cultural and educational transitions of Hmong students and community in the United States, how to improve communication with parents and the Hmong community, and about Hmong traditions such as weddings, funerals and births and their impact on learning.

The course is aligned with Wisconsin standards for teacher and administrator professional development and licensure. Noncredit and graduate credit options for the course are available.

For more information or to request registration materials, call the UW-Green Bay Education Outreach Office at (920) 465-2480 or (800) 892-2118.

Online registration for the course is available at www.uwgb.edu/educationoutreach. Click on "Winter/Spring Course & Program Listings."

(07-16 / 1 February 2007 / SH)

February 2007

Visiting scholar to discuss Slovakia, Roma minority group

Finalists to interview for UW-Green Bay dean position

Marches, musical theater selections to highlight UW-Green Bay bands concert

UW-Green Bay student newspaper wins top honor - again

UW-Green Bay choral groups to perform Saturday at Weidner

Presentation for parents Feb. 27 to focus on school safety

UW-Green Bay to recognize classroom success of student-athletes

UW-Green Bay Theatre to present evening of Tennessee Williams plays

Exhibition of video, photography from China opens at Lawton Gallery

Governor: Budget will include funding for UW-Green Bay growth

UW-Green Bay student volunteers offer assistance with tax returns