Center of pride

Not one to shy from a new challenge or experience, basketball prodigy Nate Barnes walked away from UW-Green Bay in May 1983 as its top rebounder — and arguably the best post player in Phoenix history — and into an equally successful pro career in Europe.

But in the transition he left something important behind. His diploma.

Unheralded before and since his hoops stardom, Nate Barnes returns

In the early 1980s Nate Barnes left Chicago and made a name for himself at UW-Green Bay.

He played college basketball, and played it well. He ranked among the nation's premier rebounders. He drew oohs and aahs for his incredible leaping ability, shot-blocking instincts, and hunger for the ball.

By the time he was a senior, he was applauded by one columnist for "giving fans night after night a taste of how the game is played in the major conferences." He was described as a "menacing presence" and the team's "Rock of Gibraltar." His importance, they said, transcended box scores and statistics.

All from a guy who was playing rec league ball only a few months earlier. Who had despaired of getting an education or having a college career. Who had virtually come out of nowhere or, some might argue, worse: the then-notorious slums of Chicago's Cabrini Green projects.

Barnes was no high school hoops star. He didn't even play. He attended Chicago Community College for one year and then had a tryout at DePaul. But the raw young talent couldn't compete with the likes of Mark Aguire, Teddy Grubbs, Skip Dillard, and the others who made DePaul one of the nation's elite programs.

On a tip from a former Phoenix center, James Bardney, UW-Green Bay assistant coach Chuck Aslakson made a trip to Cabrini Green to see Barnes play in a recreational league. Aslakson didn't have to watch long to know the impact Nate could have on the Phoenix program.

"I remember the night well," Aslakson says. "I was in Chicago to see some other people play. James had called Dave Buss (the Phoenix head coach) and said 'you've GOT to see him play.' It was about 7:30 at night in an area with a bad reputation. Bardney met me under an underpass and brought me to the gym in Stanton Park. James came out on the floor with another guy (Nate) who was about 6-9. During the course of the game, neither guy could get off a shot. They were swatting everything away. What sold me is when a guard took a long outside shot, and the ball bounced straight up off the rim, Nate just reached up with one hand and slammed it in. I thought, 'This kid doesn't have to do anything else.'"

Coach Buss made one requirement — that Barnes demonstrate his commitment by buying a bus ticket and traveling to small-town Green Bay, on his own.

"That long trip from Chicago to Green Bay gave me a chance to reflect on my life," Barnes says. "I didn't know what to expect. But I always considered myself a guy with an open mind, and I felt I could adjust to almost any situation. More importantly, I wanted to get away from the gangs and other problems of my home community."

To say he adjusted in a hurry is an understatement. With the unknown, unproven Barnes at center, the Phoenix team caught fire, going 23-9 during that 1980-81 season. His individual play was nothing short of sensational. He averaged 11.7 rebounds per game, 11th best nationally, and he totaled 373 rebounds for the year, a single-season record that still stands. He had 15 or more rebounds in ten games and twice pulled down 19. He teamed with Tom Diener and Joe Mauel to lead the team in scoring. For his efforts he was crowned team MVP.

In the biggest game of the year, he dominated. When the celebration began after the 65-39 rout of North Alabama in the national quarterfinals, Nate Barnes was lifted aloft by students and fans. He had carried the Phoenix to the NCAA Division II Final Four.

He also made an impact off the court. Says Aslakson, "I certainly didn't know when I scouted him that night what an outstanding individual he was, as I came to find out later."

"I recall him as unassuming and shy," says Steve Noel, president of the Phoenix Dunkers Booster Club. "He always had a smile for anyone that approached him. A touching moment was when some fans chipped in to purchase a bus ticket for his mom to see him play in a tournament. I think he about cried."

"My classmates and the fans were wonderful," says Barnes. "They were willing to help no matter the situation."

He fondly recalls the nucleus of that championship squad, his best friends Victor Moore, Tom Brown, Bob Hahn, and of course, Coach Buss (who is now retired). "It was Coach Buss who really groomed me," Barnes says. "I really miss him."

Barnes was well on his way again in 1981-82 -UW-Green Bay's first year in Division I. He had 32 blocked shots and 153 rebounds in his first 19 games before suffering a broken foot. The Phoenix lost four consecutive games without him before bouncing back to finish a respectable14-13. He was only able to play 22 games as a senior, since he had used a year and a half of his eligibility in junior college and at DePaul. He concluded his UW-Green Bay career — at least the basketball portion of it — in May of 1983.

He was only a few credits short of a bachelor's degree in Urban and Regional Studies when Luxembourg — the small country in Europe, not the Kewaunee County hamlet — beckoned him to continue his basketball career.

He led his pro team to two national championships, averaging 26 points and 17 rebounds per game. And he had a great time doing it. "I loved it," Barnes says. "I loved the culture and the language, and I met my wife (Marielaure) there."

But to Barnes, the statistic column that mattered the most remained ominously untouched. It read, "Bachelor's Degree - 0."

He would've been the first in a family of eight siblings to graduate from college. And he would have been one of the few from Cabrini Green, his home neighborhood, to receive a college degree.

Inspired by Marielaure, Barnes made contact in the summer of 2000 with UW-Green Bay professors Peter Kellogg and David Littig to talk about requirements for completing his degree. To earn his remaining credits, he completed an independent study project researching the impact of redevelopment on Cabrini Green and its residents.

Last December, 17 years and a few months after he left the University for the first time, Barnes was awarded his diploma.

"I had to overcome so many obstacles to reach this juncture," Barnes said. "It wasn't ideal that I decided to wait so long... but I'm proud to say I have received my degree from UW-Green Bay."

And so are his wife, his siblings, and his friends from Cabrini Green.

Records

Nate Barnes' 21 rebounds against Central Michigan in 1982 remains the single game rebound record at UW-Green Bay.

His 373 rebounds during the 1981 season is also a Phoenix record.

His 760 career rebounds ranks third all-time despite only having played two-and-a-half seasons.

His 34 blocked shots is tied for ninth all-time.

Nate Barnes

Barnes now works as a police control technician at Northern Trust Bank in downtown Chicago and as a substitute teacher in the Chicago Public School System. His free time is devoted to his wife, and children Monique (14), Nathan Jr. (11) and Simone (5). He also has an adult son, Antonio (25), who was with him the night Nate led the Phoenix to the Final Four (see cover photo). Nate says he hopes to reconnect with UW-Green Bay and attend future alumni events in Green Bay.

For Bruce Shepard, 'importance of family' is a key

The father was dean of students at Berkeley during the 1950s post-war growth spurt, a high-ranking administrator in the University of California System during the turbulent 1960s.

The mother was an art teacher, a talented writer who never published but probably could have, someone who threw herself into campus and community service.

The two sons, two years apart... well, their upbringing in then-rural Lafayette, about 30 miles east of San Francisco Bay, was abundant with the experiences you'd expect in a family whose circle of friends included countless talented scholars and the occasional Nobel laureate.

"We were Berkeley brats," recalls Lor Shepard. "Bruce and I were brought to campus events from a very young age. Higher education was part of our lives."

It still is. Lor (short for Lawrence) is a professor of finance in the agricultural economics program at the University of California, Davis.

Bruce, who earned degrees through the doctorate at California, Riverside, is the new chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

He arrives this month with wife Cyndie, son Paul, and the hope that Paul, 13, will experience university life as the "exciting and stimulating environment" he enjoyed himself at that age.

He remembers that his own parents, William F. and Rose Marie Shepard, were adamant that university life — even with an administrator's all-hours schedule of events, meetings and entertaining — would only enrich their family.

In a sense, Bruce and Lor would come of age with the Cal campus. President Clark Kerr was amassing an all-star faculty with the likes of physicist Edwin Teller and atomic pioneer Glen Seaborg among a group of other Nobel laureates. The Shepards met them all. They were front and center at Harmon Gym for basketball games. They hosted visiting faculty at the house in Lafayette.

"One time, back in the '50s, my parents invited a Russian delegation to stay," Bruce recalls. "Back then kids thought Russians had horns growing out of their heads, but they were very fine people. They were fascinated by all things American. I remember them looking at our louvered windows and taking extensive notes. We, in turn, were fascinated by them."

Life at the university, however, was only one chapter in the Shepard family's California story.

William Bruce Shepard, the new chancellor, recalls learning of how his grandfather, Artemus, had quit school in Michigan at 14 and caught the train west to the Central Valley in the early 1900s. He labored in agriculture and food processing before he found work as a self-taught mechanic and eventually started his own irrigation-equipment business. Bruce knows that in the 1930s his own father began his working life not in academia but as a laborer in the California farm fields until he scraped together the $30-per-term a public education demanded in those days.

Bruce also recalls that years later his brother and he were encouraged to work, and to save for college. Bruce pulled dragline irrigation pipe through potato fields, and punched the clock on a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift, six days a week, at the local egg producers' co-op.

"I have absolute respect for those who make their living in agriculture and industry," he says.

There's no doubt, adds Lor, that agricultural roots influenced the Shepards.

"My dad was from a time when higher education was an institution of privilege," he says. "He and his colleagues wanted the University of California to grow as a place where higher education was available to all people. Not as a place of privilege, but as a place of opportunity."

From an early age, Bruce Shepard availed himself of opportunities at Cal and beyond. His high school had a solid swim program — classmate Donna DeVerona would become an Olympic champion — and he joined the team.

He caught the Peace Corps spirit in 1964 and became the nation's first high school student to study in Thailand via the American Field Service exchange program. "It was an experiment to see if an American could handle the tonal language and the culture," Bruce says. His year abroad was a success, and a bonus for the Thai coach who pressed the 6-foot-4 exchange student into service in the pink-and-purple satins of the school's basketball team.

Bruce returned for his first semester of college at Berkeley where he had a turn as an NCAA Division I athlete, rowing for the crew team, before he transferred to the smaller Riverside campus. It was there he found his academic niche.

"All through school I loved math and science until I hit analytical chemistry," Bruce says now. "You have to carefully weigh and measure, and be meticulous in cleaning your equipment and precise in following recipes. I appreciate the ability of those who can but, for me, at that time, it was just not engaging."

Instead, he found engagement in his political science courses, where he loved the fact there often wasn't just one right answer. He also found this his mother's great influence, a love of good writing, was a wonderful gift.

"My mother has always been a very talented writer," says Bruce of Rose Marie, who knew John Steinbeck, still lives in Lafayette and remains at age 84, in Lor's words, a person "you have to cheat to beat" at Scrabble.

"She taught me to use the English language," Bruce recalls. "That's been such an important part of my career, and my life."

That skill would serve him well in his political science research at Riverside, and later at Oregon State, where he joined the faculty and delved into issues as diverse as voting patterns, the state's forestry industry, and water pollution.

"What I've really found rewarding is to take the same basic concepts from political science, and apply them to many different topics and disciplines," he says. "And I enjoy conveying that information to a larger audience, whether it's an academic presentation, something I'm writing for practitioners, or for a community audience."

Whatever the style, friends and colleagues say, he's a born communicator.

"He is direct and straight-forward and clear," says Nancy Hoffman, executive secretary to the provost at Oregon State and a friend and colleague for more than two decades. "I also think people like him because he appreciates the efforts of others. He is not a 'credit grabber.'"

She adds one more thing: in a high-pressure profession in which work eats time and time is scarce, Bruce Shepard still has hobbies. Apart from campus.

"He's a very hard worker certainly, but he also believes that people deserve time off, to be with their families," Hoffman says. "He loves to sail, and also finds time to do beautiful woodworking... furniture, hutch, buffet, end tables... he could make a living that way.

"Bruce has a great regard for the individual's need to be away from campus sometimes. He knows the importance of family."

Reunion welcomes Fort Howard Archives to campus

Dr. David Cofrin, a Green Bay native and the surviving son of one of the world's great papermaking families, headed the list of attendees for a special gathering on campus this fall.

The occasion was the Georgia-Pacific Corporation donation of the Fort Howard Corp. Archives to the University library. The event was part reunion with the three living former Fort Howard CEOs — Paul Schierl, Don DeMeuse and Mike Riordan — in attendance along with campus and community leaders and many former Fort Howard employees. Division President George Wurtz represented Georgia-Pacific, which acquired the former Fort Howard operations in Green Bay with its purchase of Fort James last year.

Green Bay Mayor Paul Jadin compared the distinguished gathering to his city's recent "Legends of Titletown" reunion of Glory Years football players.

"You can't tell the story of Green Bay without telling the story of two things: the Packers and papermaking, particularly Fort Howard," Jadin said. "This collection is a great resource for the University and our community."

Library Director Leanne Hansen says she hopes the gift encourages other major corporate institutions to consider similar actions to preserve local history. Too many times, archivists say, early corporate history can be lost in the shuffle especially when ownership changes hands.

Materials from the Fort Howard collection include business records, employee magazines, annual reports, product samples and photographs. UW-Green Bay officials describe the collection as a solid academic resource for students and faculty, and "another window into the history of our region, and one of its cornerstone corporate institutions."

The archive is housed in the Area Research Center on the seventh floor of UW-Green Bay's David A. Cofrin Library. The number for information is (920) 465-2539.

Spectacular building honors 'a sensational friend'

"Overwhelmed" is how Mary Ann Cofrin describes her feelings about UW-Green Bay naming its state-of-the-art new academic facility in her honor.

Mrs. Cofrin spoke during dedication ceremonies for Mary Ann Cofrin Hall. She was recognized at a private dinner on the eve of the formal dedication, and again at the outdoor ceremony that attracted a campus and community audience of more than 500 people to the plaque unveiling on Sept. 28.

"I am absolutely thrilled and honored," she said, "to have this beautiful, innovative classroom facility bear my name."

Those paying tribute included student government president Joanelle Jackson, who said, "I want you to know that every day when I walk in this building, Mrs. Cofrin, I will remember you, in my prayers and in my dreams, for touching the lives of so many students."

The University's new chancellor, Bruce Shepard, also spoke, describing Mrs. Cofrin as "a sensational friend" of UW-Green Bay, and adding that he was awed by "the magnitude of all this University has accomplished with her help."

Mrs. Cofrin and her husband, Dr. David Cofrin, have supported initiatives including the campus arboretum and the nationally acclaimed Weidner Center for the Performing Arts.

Now in their mid-70s, the couple lives in retirement in Florida. Mrs. Cofrin says her current hobbies include genealogy and local history in and around her hometown of Gainesville. Her husband, a former U.S. Air Force chief surgeon, is a Green Bay native whose family founded the Fort Howard Corporation. David and Mary Ann Cofrin came to share an interest in UW-Green Bay's development during the early 1970s, when nieces and nephews closer to Wisconsin established ties to the region's new university.

The Cofrins remain close to Edward Weidner, the founding chancellor, who offered his own words of praise.

"Real philanthropists have to be more than money givers," Weidner said. "They have to be real families with real values that express themselves through their philanthropy. That's very true with the Cofrins. They care about communities."

Weidner noted that Mary Ann Cofrin Hall and David A. Cofrin Library stand side-by-side on the UW-Green Bay campus just as the couple did on their first blind date in New York City more than 50 years ago.

Mrs. Cofrin finds fun in nicknames, weather

Known to friends and family as someone who typically shies from the limelight, Mary Ann Cofrin displayed her considerable charm when the University's primary classroom facility was named in her honor.

Her acceptance remarks at the dedication dinner were — characteristically — humble and brief, but she also had some fun with the naming of her namesake building.

"I thank all of you for being here, and especially my family and friends who traveled such a long distance to join Dave and me in this wonderful celebration," she began. "I am absolutely thrilled and honored to have this beautiful, innovative classroom facility bear my name.

"I do have a little curiosity in the back of my mind, because I've been wondering... What kind of nickname will the students give this Mary Ann Cofrin Hall? That's quite a mouthful. So I'm counting on all of you to keep me posted and tell me what in the world they're going to call it."

Actually, Interim Chancellor William Kuepper told Mrs. Cofrin, students grasping for a nickname might not have to reach too far.

It might be in the title of the original fanfare created in her honor: "M.A.C.H. 01."

Said aloud, "Mach One" suggests something soaring and sleek but also, in literal fashion, the milestone it celebrates. The title is an acronym for Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, dedicated in the year 2001. Composer John Salerno of the jazz studies program says the title was suggested by fellow music professor Kevin Collins.

Salerno presented a signed copy of the score as a gift to Mrs. Cofrin. "M.A.C.H. 01" was performed publicly for the first time by the student Wind Ensemble, under Collins's direction, during the public dedication ceremony.

In addition to "Mach," other nicknames heard around campus include Mary Ann Hall and The Big MAC. Many also use the full name, Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, to distinguish the classroom building from the David A. Cofrin Library, renamed for Mrs. Cofrin's husband in 1990.

Mrs. Cofrin capped the formal outdoor dedication with warm remarks for her audience, many bundled up against the cool September day.

"Even this cold Wisconsin weather can't dampen a Southerner's feeling for today. And I hope you notice how tough we are because I didn't even put a coat on, so Floridians are pretty tough," she said. "This building is absolutely gorgeous. Everything is so...so... I'm just overwhelmed. Thank you all very much."

Professor's tiny discovery is big news in snail world

Prof. Jeff Nekola, Natural and Applied Sciences, has named a new species of snail. Nekola is the lead author of a paper, "Systematics and Ecology of Gastrocopta (Gastrocopta) rogersensis (Gastropoda: Pupillidae), a New Species from the Midwest of the United States of America," that will appear in The Nautilus, the oldest mollusk journal in North America. The "rogersensis" (slides 1-3) is from the first location where the snail was identified, near Rogers, Ark.

Nekola first discovered the snail a few years ago in southern Illinois and in the process of trying to identify what he'd found, became convinced it had been lumped together with a different species. Nekola met an independent researcher from Arkansas who found the same snail and had come to the same conclusion. Research took them through mounds of scientific snail literature and the collections of the Field Museum in Chicago and the Philadelphia Academy of Science. Smithsonian Institution staff loaned Nekola the type of snail specimen he needed from their collection. As soon as he saw it, he knew he had a new species.

"Even in a well-known landscape such as the Midwest, there are new species," he says. The snails have been identified at over 30 locations in Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Sept. 11 has special meaning for newest citizen

Prayer vigils, teach-ins, postponements and cancellations marked the week of Sept. 11 at UW-Green Bay as campus response mirrored that of colleges and universities nationwide.

For one professor, the terror and tragedy only reinforced a decision he had made years before and would finalize in an emotional ceremony just days after the attacks.

Regan Gurung, a professor of Human Development and Psychology at UW-Green Bay, became an American citizen. He and 165 others from dozens of countries around the world gathered Sept. 14 in an auditorium at Centennial Hall in Milwaukee, rose to their feet, raised their right hands and repeated the oath of citizenship before U.S. District Court Judge Russ Eisenberg.

Gurung, 32, is a native of India who has lived in the United States 14 years and took his first chance to become a naturalized citizen. He said the attacks and the looming prospect of war brought special meaning to all those who participated in the citizenship ceremony.

"The way I see it, this is probably the best week to be an American," Gurung said after the ceremony. "It just strengthened my resolve."

More campus news

All systems are 'go' for Lab Sciences rehab

The wait for the newest academic building lasted more than two decades. The wait for the next one should be only about two years.

UW-Green Bay has received a green light to remodel and expand the Laboratory Sciences Building for fall 2003. Final state approval for the $17.9 million project came this fall within days of the opening of the new Mary Ann Cofrin Hall classroom building.

Campus officials describe the Lab Sciences project as the equivalent of a new building because it will result in a near-total makeover. Instructional labs will be larger and better arranged, new research labs will be created, and all science facilities will finally be located in the same building.

Phoenix volleyball star is featured in 'SI'

The Oct. 8 issue of Sports Illustrated featured Phoenix sophomore Janelle Tomlinson (Stratford, Wis.) in the magazine's weekly "Faces in the Crowd" section. Tomlinson garnered national recognition for her NCAA-record setting performance of 15 service aces in UW-Green Bay's three-game win on Sept. 23.

Vive le cinema! Film series thrives

International film is alive and thriving in Green Bay, thanks to the efforts of UW-Green Bay faculty members. The Green Bay International Film Series is drawing healthy crowds for showings of subtitled, often daring fare. The man behind the projector is Prof. David Coury, Humanistic Studies, who launched the series in conjunction with UW-Green Bay and the Neville Public Museum of Brown County, and has even brought directors to town for movie talks. The series wraps up its second fall season this month and next. Remaining films all begin at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the auditorium of the Neville Public Museum. They are:

— November 21: "Paths in the Night," Germany, 1999, Andreas Kleinert, director; presented by Prof. Jennifer Ham.
— December 5: "Secrets of the Heart," Spain, 1997, Montxo Armendriz, director; presented by Prof. Cristina Ortiz.
— December 19: "West Beirut," Lebanon/France, 1998, Ziad Doueiri, director; presented by Prof. David Coury.

We're No. 1 — nationally!

An NCAA Division I championship banner will hang in the Phoenix Sports Center reflecting the women's basketball team's championship season — in the classroom. The Phoenix was named the top NCAA Division I academic team by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association for a collective 3.481 grade point average during the 2000-2001 season.

"It's something we'll always remember," says Amanda Leonhard, senior guard from Ladysmith. "We're probably not going to win the national championship on the court, but if we can be No. 1 in the classroom, we'll take that."

Learning Partnership gives $80K in grants

The Institute for Learning Partnership at UW-Green Bay continues to promote improved learning for schoolchildren and teachers alike. Research grants for hands-on, in-school projects were presented to educators and schools across Northeast Wisconsin. Recipients are from Algoma, Clintonville, Denmark, Green Bay, Kohler, Manitowoc, Mishicot, Oconto Falls, Oostburg, Pulaski, Sturgeon Bay, Wausaukee, West De Pere and the CESA 7 district. Projects range from reading and writing improvement to science curricula and diversity education. Details are online at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2001aug.htm#grants.

Deckner Dean Savides is remembered

Theodore (Ted) Savides, last dean of the UW Center in Green Bay before the two-year school became a four-year university, was remembered fondly at a memorial service in his hometown of Baraboo, where he died Sept. 14. Savides was dean of the Deckner Avenue center in the 1960s and helped begin the transition to a comprehensive university.

New units will boost housing capacity

Much-needed new housing is on the way for UW-Green Bay. Ground has already been broken by University Village Housing Inc. to construct additional units, with a fall 2002 completion date for the first of three new 120-bed residence halls. Additional halls are expected to be ready by fall 2003 and fall 2004. Currently, about 1,600 students live on campus.

Broken record: UW-Green Bay stays popular

Improved retention of continuing students helped UW-Green Bay set a full-time student enrollment record this fall. Final enrollment figures for fall 2001 show an enrollment of 4,550 full-time equivalent students, an increase of 2.6 percent from fall 2000. The FTE enrollment is based on the number of credits taken and is used by the UW System in measuring a university's capacity. The headcount enrollment is 5,551.

Top trumpeter is Jazz Fest headliner

Add another name to the lengthy list of acclaimed guest artists to star at that UW-Green Bay tradition, Jazz Fest. Ingrid Jensen, selected by Down Beat magazine as one of the "25 most important improvising musicians of the future," will join Jazz Ensemble I and Vocal Jazz Ensemble in the 32nd annual UW-Green Bay Jazz Fest at 7:30 p.m. Saturday January 19 in the Weidner Center. Director of Jazz Studies John Salerno directs the UW-Green Bay Jazz Ensemble and Chris Salerno directs the Vocal Jazz group. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The number for tickets is 1-800 328-8587 or (920) 465-2217.

Web accessibility? UW-Green Bay leads

UW-Green Bay has adopted a new policy that will make its World Wide Web pages more accessible to people with vision or hearing impairments or other disabilities. Campus webmasters are directed to bring their pages into compliance with 14 top priority checkpoints. The goals range from using the clearest, simplest language appropriate for a site's content to providing text equivalents for non-text items such as maps and symbols, and ensuring that foreground and background colors afford sufficient contrast when viewed by persons with color-deficit vision. Copies of the campus policy may be viewed at http://www.uwgb.edu/accesspolicy.htm.

Artwork floors M.A.C.H. visitors

Descend the main staircase to the first floor of UW-Green Bay's new Mary Ann Cofrin Hall and behold, spread out beneath your feet: art.

"Voucher," to be exact. And it's stopping its share of admiring visitors these days. The visually striking, 12-foot by 19-foot inlaid stone floor is made of water-jet cut black, red and green granite, white marble, and tan limestone.

The subject matter — bird eggs, nests, animal bones, skins and plants — was inspired by the University's natural history collections, located in the building. The title comes from the term used to describe preserved specimens housed in such collections.

"Voucher" was created by St. Paul sculptors Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears. Its creation was supported by "Wisconsin's Percent for Art" program, providing a percentage of total construction costs of state buildings be allocated to commission or purchase art works.

Alma mater scores tier 2 in U.S. News

UW-Green Bay makes a repeat appearance in the "Tier 2" category among Midwest universities rated in the annual U.S. News College Rankings. With Tier 1 the highest, and Tier 4 the lowest, UW-Green Bay fared near the top of all Tier 2s in reputation score and freshmen in the top quarter of their high school graduating classes.

Alumni news

Advancement hires three with strong community ties

Suzette Pfeifer, former director of development for Encompass Child Care, Inc.; Shane Kohl, former district director for the Muscular Dystrophy Association; and Julie Curro, a 15-year employee of Schreiber Foods, have joined the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Advancement Office.

Pfeifer, the new director of major gifts, led capital campaigns that resulted in two new child care centers for Encompass, and served as board president. She was an executive/buyer for major retailers. She's an Indiana University graduate.

She served on the boards of The Samaritan House, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Green Bay Symphony, United Way, Start Smart, Service League Auxiliary, the Chancellor's Council of Trustees, and Union Congregational Church.

As director of donor and alumni relations, Kohl is responsible for establishing and maintaining communication with donors and alumni, and cultivating philanthropic support. His projects include assisting the Alumni Association, developing a statewide alumni network and overseeing the alumni web sites and publications.

Kohl is a 1996 UW-Green Bay graduate with a degree in Communication Processes. He served as MDA district director for four years.

Curro has been named the director of annual giving with responsibilities for growing the annual giving program, and serving as a liaison to the Founders Association.

Her background at Schreiber includes managing a telephone sales district, developing and delivering corporate training programs, and fundraising in the community. She served as business sales manager. Curro is a 1980 graduate of St. Norbert College with a personally designed major in human relations.

Students, donors connect at luncheon

Heather Rose from New London is the oldest and first in a family of six children to attend college. Neither parent earned a college degree, making her the higher education pacesetter in her family.

Nicole Ford from West Allis has financial concerns. Her mother is single and provides for her four children on a waitressing salary.

Their paths to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay are uniquely their own, but their support systems are very similar since each will benefit from the generosity of private support to help them meet their financial needs in college.

Rose and Ford were among 116 students honored along with 45 donors at the September Scholarship Luncheon. They are among those selected to receive the Oliver and Margaret Trampe Scholarship, established by Mr. Trampe, a prominent Milwaukee businessman. Although Mr. and Mrs. Trampe are deceased, their generosity benefits generations of exceptional students including Rose and Ford, helping them achieve their dreams.

"I am very grateful for this award and the faith that people have in me to do well," says Ford. She said that tutoring a high school classmate and helping him to restore pride in himself is the motivating factor in her goal to become a high school math teacher.

The scholarship, the good education program, and the ability to stay close to home sealed her decision to attend UW-Green Bay, Ford says. "I love it up here."

The scholarship and a college education are "a dream come true," for Rose, who also wishes to become a mathematics teacher.

"College is more than I ever dreamed... Neither of my parents went to college so the experience is new for them as well. My family and I are all taking it in together, but from what I've told them about college, I think I have persuaded my sisters and brother to go to college, too. My youngest sister is only twelve but she is already dreaming of college life someday."

Recipients share personal stories of college, dreams

Stephanie Claire Reitemeier, Fond du Lac, WI
University Memorial Scholarship
"It is hard to express how appreciative I am for being chosen... In high school I was a very dedicated student, and being recognized for that is something that truly makes me appreciate how hard work can definitely pay off. Since my academic habits in high school were rewarded through scholarships, I am even more determined to maintain good study habits in college and strive for even larger goals."

Karrie Koch, Lake Villa, IL
Byron L. Walter Family Scholarship
"A scholarship will make the economic burden on my family and me much lighter. As an out-of-state student, I have to pay much more to attend. This scholarship will make it so much easier for my family to afford the schooling that I have chosen. I am thankful that I have been chosen to receive this gift from such generous people. I really do appreciate it. It makes a college education that much more in reach for me."

Julie Linsmeyer, Butternut, WI
Byron L. Walter Family Scholarship
"I realize how great of an opportunity this has been for me. Without this financial help, my goal of achieving a higher education would not have been possible. It is amazing how someone who hasn't even met you can have such an influence on your life. I will do my best at achieving high academic standing while attending UW-Green Bay."

Josh Wintersteen, Union Grove, WI
Meredith B. and John M. Rose Scholarship
"The Roses have given so much to so many of us, and I'm so thankful for this gift. The fact that others who I've never personally met have enough faith in me (and my desire for an education) to invest their hard-earned money in my future is amazing. I really feel it gives me the incentive to work harder, knowing that I've got two more people out there hoping I will succeed..."

Alums return with advice

Alumni with majors in Human Development, Public Administration and English recently visited classes to talk about careers in their fields as part of the alumni speaker program organized by Career Services. Lynn Weber, '86, Mandy Soland, '98, and Jessica Griesbach Hoesly, '00, spoke to about one hundred Human Development majors. The Public Administration alumni were Tim Nixon, '87, Vickie Patterson, '95, Nicholas Whitman, '95, and Marcy McGrath, '99. English graduates Robert Bloedorn, '79, Matthew Van Ess, '90, and Kim Viduski, '92, spoke to English majors about their careers.

Director of Career Services Linda Peacock-Landrum initiated the alumni career speaker program last academic year with sessions in Business Administration, Accounting, Communication Processes and Human Development.

She puts seniors back in business

Melissa Greil, '98, currently supervises six trainers in a 15-county radius as field operations coordinator for Green Thumb, Inc., a national non-profit organization helping senior citizens find employment and gain job training.

"We serve people 55 and older who are looking for employment. If they are job-ready we help them look for a job, and if they need job-training, we are able to pay for them to receive pay for working in local, state and federal community service agencies, and acquire the skills they need to become job-ready," Greil says.

Greil, who began the job in February of 2001, says her degree in Public Administration and emphasis in public and non-profit management was great training for the position. Green Thumb originated in 1965 as a demonstration project to help retired farmers gain alternative employment in areas of beautification and conservation. It has grown to 44 states and Puerto Rico.

Greil graduated magna cum laude and was honored as UW-Green Bay's Most Outstanding Student in May of 1998 commencement ceremonies. She resides in Appleton.

Graduates join Peace Corps

Linda Peacock-Landrum, director of Career Services at UW-Green Bay, shared the following information regarding UW-Green Bay graduates currently serving in the Peace Corps:

— Sarah Shea, '99, BUA, has accepted a business advising program in Uzbekistan,
— Jonathan Semrau, '01, BUA, has accepted a business advising program in the Philippines and
— Sara Jacenko, '96, Nutrition, is doing a nutrition education program in Guatemala; and Christine Barnes, '01, Education, has accepted an elementary education teacher-trainer program in Kiribati.

Alumni notes

1970s

Catherin A. (Vogl) Gumpert, '76, received the Master of Theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary at the school's spring 2001 commencement exercises. The Master of Theology is an advanced degree beyond the basic professional degree in ministry. Gumpert earned her degree in Urban and Regional Analysis.

Michael J. Skubal, '77, COA, and his writings will be part of the first annual Off Broadway Theater Festival to be held in Green Bay in summer 2002. Skubal is part of the Playwrights' Center of Minneapolis, an organization dedicated to supporting new theatrical works by emerging playwrights. "The Hodag Increments," a 30-scene play written by Skubal is the premiere production of the festival. The play is based on the prank that started the legend of the hodag of Wisconsin's Northwoods. On Broadway, Inc., a co-sponsor of the festival, also commissioned Skubal to write a 20-minute play telling the story of Green Bay's Broadway district in its heyday.

Deborah A. (Hutter) Menacher, '79, is the director of the Marathon County Aging and Disability Resource Center, a position she has held since 1993. She recently coordinated the agency's move into a new building that doubled their capacity to serve people. Menacher earned a major in Regional Planning at UW-Green Bay, and went on to UW-Madison to earn a Master's degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in gerontology. She relates that her UW-Green Bay degree has served her well especially in helping her to "develop a vision for serving a population that is both urban and rural."

W. Michael McDavit, '79, was awarded a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University in May 2000 and was inducted into the Pi Alpha Pi Honor Society. McDavit was also recently selected as a 2001-2002 Excellence in Government Fellow. He is currently the Acting Chief of the Special Review Branch, Office of Pesticide Programs, USEPA in Arlington, Va. McDavit earned a degree in Science and Environmental Change.

Joe Krawczyk, '79 and his wife Mary Ellen hosted the Spring 2000 Workshop of the Shitake Growers Association of Wisconsin at Field and Forest, Inc. in Peshtigo. Krawczyk, a graduate in Science and Environmental Change, and his wife, a UW-Madison agronomy graduate, got hooked on mushrooms after reading a Readers Digest article in 1982. Their mushroom growing business, based in Peshtigo, has customers located worldwide including England, Italy, Spain and Uruguay as well as thousands of U.S. customers.

1980s

Fay B. (Hoogstra) Uraynar, '83, is president of Innovative Solutions for Business, L.L.C., a Sheboygan-based company she formed that offers services to small and midsize businesses in the areas of accounting systems, business plans and financial strategies. After earning her degree in Managerial Accounting, Uraynar continued on to the Keller Graduate School where she received her MBA. She then worked for an accounting firm for several years and earned her CPA. In 1995, Uraynar began her current business based out of her home. Within a year, the business grew enough to warrant relocation to more spacious office accommodations.

Kim Wacek, '84, a Green Bay attorney for the past 13 years, has decided to expand her practice in a big way. She is in the process of becoming a barrister (trial) lawyer in the United Kingdom. Wacek cites the history and tradition of English common law as the reason for her pursuit of a legal profession on the other side of the ocean. "It's almost a religious feeling, full of respect. I want to be a part of it," explains Wacek. Wacek, who plans to continue her law practice in the United States, earned a major in Public and Environmental Administration and received her law degree from Hamline University Law School in St. Paul, Minn.

Dale Seidl, '84, and Darin Schumacher, '96, were recently elected officers for the executive committee of the 2002 Green Bay Advertising Federation. Schumacher, serving as president-elect, earned a major in Communication Processes with a minor in Business Administration and is currently with Media Management. Seidl, vice-president elect and owner of Seidl Publishing, holds a degree in Business Administration.

Timothy Kozlovsky, '89, directs the eighth grade bands in the Pulaski School District and has been musical director as well as a singer/actor in Theatre on the Bay. Kozlovsky counts membership in a number of musical performance groups and organizations including choir director and cantor for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Pulaski, co-principal of the Northeastern Wisconsin Concert Band, and a member of the Green Bay Civic Symphony. He earned his degree in Music Education.

Pat Gottfredsen, '89, BSN, and Bonnie Groessl, '91, BSN, have opened Bay Area Legal Consultants, a consulting firm used by attorneys and insurance companies to assist in understanding clients medical histories and health care language. Gottfredsen is a risk manager at St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay. Groessl, who also earned a Master's degree from UW-Oshkosh, is an internal medicine nurse practitioner for Prevea and the director of quality care management at St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center.

1990s

Julie Van Straten, '91, was named earlier this year as vice-president and corporate legal counsel for American Medical Security, Green Bay. Van Straten was promoted after serving as senior associate general counsel for AMS since 1998. She completed UW-Green Bay majors in English and Humanistic Studies and holds a law degree from Marquette University Law School.

Laurie Ann (Fellner) Finley, '91, has been promoted to program manager for integrated systems solutions with Sprint in Kansas City, Mo. A two-time Olympian, Finley competed as a member of the women's handball team in 1992 in Barcelona and 1996 in Atlanta. Finley earned her degree in Public and Environmental Administration with a minor in Psychology.

Joe K. Krueger, '91, has made the move to Salt Lake City where he is assignment manager for a local television station. Krueger was previously employed by WBAY-TV in Green Bay for the past five years, which included the opportunity to travel to Sydney, Australia for the Summer 2000 Olympics. He is looking forward to covering the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He earned a major in Communication Processes.

Craig Coenen, '92, presented a lecture titled "The Little Town That Could: Green Bay's Survival in the Early National Football League, 1921-1940," as a part of the Historical Perspectives Lecture series sponsored by the Center of History and Social Change at UW-Green Bay. His lecture is based on research completed for his Ph.D. dissertation (American History) at Lehigh University. Coenen majored in History at UW-Green Bay with a minor in Social Change and Development.

Debra Holewinski, '93, obtained her license this spring to practice as a certified public accountant. Her practice at Schober & Ulatowski SC in Green Bay includes general business, corporate law, estate planning and mergers and acquisitions. Holewinski received her undergraduate degree in Managerial Accounting and is a graduate of the UW-Madison School of Law.

Dan Janowski, '93, has been promoted to manager of compliance implementation at American Medical Security in Green Bay. His job includes leading a team of corporate project leaders to insure compliance with new laws related to the health and life insurance business. Before his present position, he was a senior research analyst for AMS. Janowski earned majors in Communication Processes and Public and Environmental Administration.

Vickie Cloutier, '95, graduated this spring from UW-Madison Medical School and is planning to complete a family practice residency in Eau Claire. Her degrees include an associate of arts and sciences from UW-Marinette in 1993 and a bachelor's degree in Human Biology with a minor in Psychology from UW-Green Bay. Prior to receiving her medical degree, she worked for several years in an area medical center.

Kevin Johnson, '95, was awarded the prestigious state community service award of "Wisconsin State Firefighter of the Year" for 2000 by the International Order of Eagles (Wisc. Aerie). Johnson is a science teacher at the Chilton Public Schools, and is also employed as a firefighter/engineer with the Chilton Fire Department, assigned to Ladder Company 107, and as an EMT instructor. He completed a UW-Green Bay major in Earth Science and a Master's degree from Viterbo University.

Karen Londre, '95, received a Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from Minnesota School of Professional Psychology in October 2000. Her undergraduate degree was in Psychology.

Christine R. Boyle, '97, received her Michigan Funeral Directors License in June of this year after passing the state exam. She was licensed in Wisconsin in 1999 after completing a year of apprenticeship with Thielen Funeral Home of Marinette. After receiving her associate degree in Human Biology from UW-Green Bay, she attended Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, Ill., where she received her mortuary degree. She is currently working for Thielen Funeral Home of Marinette and Lemieux-Thielen Funeral Home of Menominee.

Paul Rufener, '98, credits Theatre, one of his three areas of study along with Business Administration and Communication Processes, as help in honing his skills in sales and in presenting a product and in making the sales pitch. He explains that selling a product to a customer is very similar to being on stage and trying to sell a character to an audience. Rufener is midwest senior account executive with RollingStone.com in Chicago.

Leua Fekusone Latai, '99, recently had a collection of her work, which included mixed media installations, wall pieces and flatwork, featured in the first floor gallery of the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay. Latai, an artist from Samoa who focuses much of her work on the issues raised through a person living in two cultures, earned a major in Art and is currently working toward an advanced degree at the School of Art Institute of Chicago.

2000s

William Whiting, '00, was awarded a full scholarship by the Navy to attend Des Moines University School of Osteopathic Medicine. He graduated with majors in Human Biology and English.

Diane Przybelski, '01, is keeping busy after earning her degree this spring in Interdisciplinary Studies. Przybelski continues her work as newsletter and website editor for the Prairie Island Indian Community in Welch, Minn. Before going on to graduate school, she plans to pursue the publication of her first novella for young adults which looks at the Dakota Conflict of 1862 and to enroll in the master gardener program offered by UW-Extension in Pierce County.