Connecting with you,
in the new language
of our University

This magazine's readership comprises employees, community members and most of UW-Green Bay's 20,000 alumni. With all of you, I'd like to share a little plain talk about how we all talk... about UWGB.

This is an excellent academic institution. That's a belief not limited to those who've logged significant time inside Circle Drive, either. Major employers, prestigious graduate schools, independent accrediting agencies and evaluators all give UWGB solid marks.

In fact, if we have a shortcoming, I'm convinced it's that those of us closest to UWGB could be even more effective — concise, crisp and consistent — in communicating our distinctive advantage.

For 35 years, UWGB has stood proudly apart for what is formally described as our "interdisciplinary, problem-focused approach to learning." If you are an alumnus and recall your education as having incorporated the broad liberal arts, analysis of issues from multiple perspectives, and plenty of practical projects and hands-on opportunities, you understand. It's a great curriculum.

It also can be hard to capture in bite-size, bumper-sticker language. Consider the word "Interdisciplinary." It's a mouthful, an opaque reference for those outside academia. You'll probably not see it in many crossword puzzles, or on Wheel of Fortune. Few could solve it even if spotted an I, n, t, e, r, d, s, c, p, l, n and a.

So, when prompted to sing the praises of UWGB and its distinctly "Green Bay" experience, our graduates typically do so in individual fashion. Some do better than others, of course, and many do so with from-the-heart conviction, but their testimonies would resonate even more powerfully with a common chord.

We have that common chord, now, and it is a good one. Call it positioning phrase, tag line, or campuswide theme, "Connecting learning to life" will be seen and heard with increasing frequency. "Connecting" captures the academic connections our students find across various majors and minors, the real-world connections of practical problem solving, and our impressive connections to the community.

More than a motto, or a quick handle for what we've always been about, "Connecting learning to life" is a unifying theme for UWGB and, even, a call to action. If we're going to grow, as so many of you have told me we should over the next decade, it will be as an institution that connects with students, the community, the state.

Enjoy this issue of "Inside." We're glad you're connected to us, and delighted to be able to share a common message as we move forward connecting UW-Green Bay to its future.

Best wishes,



Bruce Shepard, Chancellor

SHEPARDB@UWGB.EDU

At 35, UW-Green Bay trumpets 'Connecting'

Browse an archive of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay catalogs and recruiting materials dating to 1968, and you'll see:

Image after image tracing the student fashion arc from tight to baggy, from long to short, and back again... hairstyles long and straight, tightly cropped or 1980s pouffy... the time-lapse effect of a bayshore campus growing ever more beautiful as facilities and plantings mature... and 35 years of fairly consistent language regarding an innovative university and its practical approach to learning.

What you won't see? A tag line. A motto. A positioning phrase.

Until now. With the rollout this spring of the theme "Connecting learning to life," the University has settled upon a common language for telling its story.

It's not that the story is changing. Or that it has never been told, successfully, by the institution or by individual programs. Phrases such as "An Environment for Learning" or "Where you matter most," for example, were used in successful student-recruitment campaigns. Never before, however, has a theme been consistently applied or widely embraced across campus.

University officials say "Connecting learning to life" describes both a coordinated, integrated marketing approach and "a call to action" — a succinct statement of purpose — for current students, employees and friends.

Costs are low, payoffs great

Planners knew tight budgets wouldn't allow consultants, outside design or paid advertising campaigns. Instead, they pursued visibility with in-house expertise and the knowledge that UW-Green Bay gets significant "free" exposure. The "Connecting" phrase is being added to UW-Green Bay Web pages as updates occur. The graphic will be phased in on stationery, catalogs and brochures as stocks run out, at no additional cost. A single vinyl banner ($180) was purchased to show the flag at special events.

'Well-crafted' plan means consistent campus image

The challenge: Enhance brand identity. Bring harmony to communication cacophony. Help delineate the focal point, the rallying point, for an institution of 5,500 students, 20,000 alumni and 100 or more wide-ranging programs serving a region of one million people. Do it at low cost or, better, no cost at all.

The solution: Convene a University Marketing Council. Follow its recommendation to focus on the theme "Connecting learning to life."

"This is a well-crafted plan," says Susan Finco, owner and president of Leonard & Finco Public Relations Inc. of Green Bay. Finco is one of numerous marketing and communication professionals who reviewed draft versions of the plan.

"It captures UW-Green Bay's important position in Northeastern Wisconsin," she says. "The plan does what it's supposed to: Identify the strengths of the University and provide a road map for building a powerful, consistent image."

Ongoing efforts gained muscle and urgency when UW-Green Bay reactivated its dormant University Marketing Council upon the arrival of new Chancellor Bruce Shepard. Surveys and interviews had convinced him of the need for attention. He charged the Council to agree upon a common theme, and to better coordinate all activities that fall under the broad umbrella of "marketing."

"Focus and simplicity are necessities, or opportunities are lost," Shepard says. "You identify what you're good at, how that fits with others' needs, and you are accurate and consistent in communicating that match."

The Council included practitioners from across campus. Along with staff from the institution's central marketing and communication office, the group included major players from Alumni, Athletics, the Weidner Center and academic units, among others, with both private- and public-sector experience. Also contributing were faculty members with marketing expertise — Profs. Don McCartney and Ellen Rosewall, to name two.

It took only a half-dozen meetings or so to realize that while plenty of programs and areas "did marketing," they often were doing so independently, with little synergy achieved. Also shaping the Council's work were observations by Shepard and others that "engagement" and "connections" were powerful elements of the UW-Green Bay experience.

UW-Green Bay marketing plan is on the Web

The rationale for UW-Green Bay's move to adopt "Connecting learning to life" as the central message of its marketing and communications efforts is documented in a report available on the University Web site.

The report is a product of the University Marketing Council, which presented its recommendations to the University's senior leadership this spring. Following additional review by off-campus experts and more discussion on campus, the plan went live April 16.

The Marketing Council's analysis and recommendations can be found online at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/marketing/plan.htm.

Perfect tie-ming

Arriving just in time for Father's Day, and coinciding with the University's push to emphasize "connections" and its ties to the community, it's the new University of Wisconsin-Green Bay silk necktie! The tie is available in the $25-price range, online at http://www.thephoenixbookstore.com/.

UW-Green Bay students help plot strategy for small town's comeback

When Rodney Gillett, for whom the present-day town of Gillett, Wis., was named, came to Oconto County in the 1850s, it was said he owned a yoke of oxen, a cow and a few pieces of furniture.

Rodney Gillett's wealth grew, and so did the town that bears his name. It became a bustling, thriving little place, mostly because of a booming lumber industry. Stores opened at 9 a.m. and remained open past midnight for the convenience of the townspeople. Neighbors spent Saturday evenings gathered on the street corners to chat about the latest news, and dance two-steps and square dances at the pavilion.

Fast forward to the latter half of the 20th century, when State Highway 22 was rerouted around the downtown area. It rid Main Street of the heavy traffic and big, noisy semi-trailers, but it also sent business in search of more traffic, or out of the area entirely, leaving a 40 percent vacancy rate downtown that persists to this day.

Recent news is not much better. Last year, Evenflo, a manufacturer of car seats, safety gates and monitors, shut down its plant in neighboring Suring, putting 200 people out of work. In October, rumors began to fly about the possible closing of the Chiquita canning plant, a facility with a 100-year history in Gillett. The company employs 50 full-time and 200 seasonal employees, and holds contracts with area farmers for more than 9,000 acres of land.

Enter UW-Green Bay alumna Diane Nichols, a handful of UW-Green Bay interns, and Gillett townspeople. Their vision is to not only restore downtown Gillett to its original vitality, but to make greater Gillett a place of destination.

Nichols is program manager of Revitalize Gillett Inc. She was hired a year ago to lead the effort with the help of the federally sponsored and state-directed "Wisconsin Main Street Program," which focuses on downtown revitalization with an emphasis on historic preservation. Each year, the Department of Commerce selects communities to join the program, and then offers technical support and training to restore "Main Streets" as centers of community activity and commerce.

Nichols says she wouldn't have taken the job if townspeople weren't anxious to roll up their sleeves. What she found when she applied for the position is still in place today — a core group of about 200 folks (out of a population of 1,300) who not only had their sleeves rolled up, but their pants legs to boot.

"Not long ago we had a volunteer appreciation dinner and about 100 attended," Nichols said. "A local grocer catered the event and then unexpectedly picked up the entire bill. He said it was his contribution to the cause. That's the kind of people we have here."

Nichols said the local business owners are heavily invested, paying her salary and stipends for interns who are doing much of the "down and dirty work." The Wisconsin Main Street Program offers no financial aid — only training and direction to communities that are nominated and accepted into the program — making the work of the student interns immensely valuable and appreciated.

"I don't know how we'd do it without them," said Nichols of current UW-Green Bay undergraduates Mindy Young and Kevin Hyde. The two history majors are researching and documenting the history of 21 buildings. The idea is to tap Gillett's history and small-town charm in building a business district for the 21st century.

Young spends her time at the Oconto County Register of Deeds, tirelessly scouring detail on property ownership of the buildings in question — "who sold the land to whom, for how much, and when," she explains. Hyde looks for references to Gillett's business history in old newspapers. His plan was to get much of the information from the Gillett Times, which circulated from 1900-1955. However, he's been unable to find the extinct issues in any Wisconsin library and is hoping to rely on some other Oconto County publications for his research. When the work by Young and Hyde is completed, a summer intern will begin the nomination process of the 21 buildings to the National Register.

Over the course of the next year additional UW-Green Bay students will join the team, applying what they've learned on campus to a real-life challenge. They'll design proposals for a new downtown streetscape to tie the historic district together. They'll research new uses and a new look for a downtown park. They'll explore the feasibility of developing a recreational trail.

They'll continue to connect learning to life.

Meanwhile, optimism is alive in Gillett. A few weeks ago the Chiquita Plant was sold to Seneca Foods. The plant will stay open and people will keep their jobs. In fact, Seneca is looking for additional acreage. "It's those kind of success stories we are going to build on," Nichols says. "Our economic development corporation was instrumental on working to keep them here."

Gillett sees connection as perfect fit

As program manager of Revitalize Gillett Inc., Diane Nichols, faced with the steep challenge of putting her town back on the map as a place of destination, turned to her regional university for help.

Nichols says Phase I of the partnership with UW-Green Bay (described in the accompanying article) has worked out beautifully. And she's eager for more.

"I'm anxious to continue with the next phases including a streetscape design, an environmental design project, plans for a revamped downtown park and even the possibility of a museum," she said. "I love working with the students, I'm interested in any ideas they might come up with. I encourage their creative juices.

"And frankly, this is a relationship between our community and UW-Green Bay that can continue for years."

When call came, UW-Green Bay responded

Diane Nichols, the point person for revitalizing Gillett's downtown, needed to recruit a few good men and women who could share her vision.

Volunteer Theresa Graham, like Nichols a UW-Green Bay alumna, had a suggestion — hire interns.

Nichols heeded the advice, rallied the support of her board, and turned to her alma mater for help. UW-Green Bay responded.

Nichols and Linda Peacock-Landrum, the University's director of Career Services, began discussions in fall. Peacock-Landrum and faculty members Laurel Phoenix and Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges followed up with a visit to Gillett to tour the town and get up close and personal with the dreams and goals of residents.

Nichols made a return trip to her alma mater to attend UW-Green Bay's Career Services Internship Fair. The end result was as many as eight UW-Green Bay students matched with potential internship opportunities over the next year.

"Since I earned my master's at UW-Green Bay, I naturally looked there when seeking help," Nichols said. "But what impressed me immensely was the follow-through of Linda and the visit by the faculty members. UW-Green Bay has certainly surpassed my expectations."

Intern Mindy Young said she jumped at the chance to work with Revitalize Gillett, after getting a great deal of satisfaction doing a lengthy paper for a history seminar.

"This internship reinforces my ambition to do this type of work," Young says. "I was surprised how difficult land research can be. It's quite different then reading through historical documents, but I enjoy the challenge."

The value of a liberal arts degree is major in the marketplace

For those who ponder the value of a liberal arts background in the real-world marketplace, they need only turn to current UW-Green Bay students Mindy Young and Kevin Hyde as successful examples.

Young will graduate in May with a double major in history and humanistic studies. Hyde is a triple major in political science, public administration and history. The two are using their liberal arts backgrounds to help build a foundation for the revitalization effort of an entire community &3151; Gillett, Wis.

Their research provides the necessary documentation for the historic-preservation rehabilitations that could eventually lead to a reinvestment of private and public dollars in the downtown area.

They're following a blueprint that has worked elsewhere. The state jump starts action with about $100,000 in on-site visits, training, technical and design assistance to each project, but private investment provides the power. Across Wisconsin, the Main Street program has documented significant job creation, many new businesses attracted, and millions of dollars privately invested in small-town downtowns.

Brian Sutton, chair of the Humanistic Studies major at UW-Green Bay, says some people, often those in the discipline itself, tend to underestimate the contributions of liberal arts majors in the marketplace.

"Whenever most people hear that the CEO of a huge corporation majored in, say, history or English or philosophy in college, they're surprised," he says. "But I'm not surprised. Liberal arts graduates have a lot to offer."

It should be no surprise, then, to have UW-Green Bay humanities students in on the ground floor of a local economic development project.

"While I wouldn't deny that a highly specialized education geared toward a specific career track may serve many people very well indeed," Sutton says, "I'd also argue that the marketplace deeply needs, and will reward, those who enter the workforce with intellectual flexibility, communication skills, 'people skills.' These are exactly the traits that attract college students to the liberal arts, and exactly the traits that a liberal arts education tends to develop in students."

Student researchers display connections worth celebrating

Connections to the community were evident in abundance last month at a campus celebration of UW-Green Bay's most advanced student research projects. Nearly 100 students set up poster displays, tabletop models and computer presentations in the Union's Phoenix Room to share their experience of putting classroom knowledge to work in the field.

"The work on display at this event," Chancellor Bruce Shepard said, "is the substance that supports our theme of 'Connecting learning to life.'"

The annual April gathering, known officially as the Academic Excellence Symposium, is open to students from all academic areas with outstanding scholarly and creative work to display. Participants were nominated by their professors. A representative sampling of exhibits is listed on this page, along with student presenters and faculty advisers.

UW-Green Bay students help autistic children make connections, learn

Two years ago Grant and Elona Winslow sat unprepared, as a doctor uttered five life-changing words — "Your son Danny is autistic."

The experience was painful. Grant, the program coordinator for UW-Green Bay's Office of Student Life, likened it to "a kick in the gut."

Not sure of where to turn, the Winslows heeded their doctors' advice and applied for admission to the Wisconsin Early Autism Project, Inc., or WEAP. Supported by grants, state and federal funding, the program brings the best new treatment to autistic children via intensive, in-home therapy. It is also a pipeline, the Winslows found, for UW-Green Bay undergraduates in search of employment and experience in fields of psychology, human development, and education.

Currently 45 UW-Green Bay undergraduates and 14 UW-Green Bay alumni work for WEAP. Therapists are everyday UW-Green Bay students with busy social lives and hectic class schedules &3151; as well as patience, persistence, devotion to the children, and a commitment to the project and its specialized approach to the once-baffling condition.

Danny has the good fortune of working with an exceptional all-UW-Green Bay team of therapists: undergraduates Jennifer Heiberger and Jenny Langill and alumni Jennifer (Jansen) Versch, '97, and Amy Biersdorf, '01.

Heiberger, a senior human development major, carries a 15-credit workload and spends about 11 hours a week with Danny and another 16 hours with another family. She calls the WEAP job the best she's ever had.

"WEAP has definitely changed who I am," she says. "It has brought out a very caring side of me. I love to give all of my effort to this job because it only helps the child become more successful. It's made me understand I can make a difference in a child's life and that feeling is what really makes the job such a joy."

For Grant, who shares the same school hallways with two of the Jennifers, and shares his home up to 35 hours a week with the therapists, there's a special kinship that stretches beyond patient-therapist relationship.

"We're not supposed to, but it's hard not to think of them as part of the family," Grant says. "I guess it's because I work with college students on a daily basis. I understand their social calendars, their exam pressures, these busy lives.

"I think about them. And how they are walking the halls, walking around campus, and most people don't even know the impact they are making on these children and the children's families."

Having been in the program for more than a year, Danny is now a social and vivacious five-year-old. He continues to struggle with the spoken language, but is making steady progress using sign language and a picture communication system.

"I came home from a four-day seminar the other day, and was just amazed at Danny's progress," says Grant. "He was able to take the picture communication system (something that had been used strictly in therapy and not yet incorporated in everyday life) and use it to communicate what he wanted from me. I walked in and he put a video in one hand, and the picture of the video in the other. He was being very specific, 'I want to watch this video, now!'"

It was a "wow" moment for Grant — not quite up to the level of "tear-jerking" progress that the Winslows have experienced a number of times in the past 18 months — but close.

It's that sort of progress that keeps the Winslow's committed to the program, and hopeful that Danny will be one of the 47 percent of WEAP children to eventually reach the designation of "normalcy."

WEAP is believed to be the first autism program worldwide to achieve a success rate that high. Through their tireless work, the UW-Green Bay students and their clients throughout Northeastern Wisconsin contribute to a national database, one that appears to be validating theories developed at UCLA to unlock the potential of autistic children.

"Every day is something new that Danny is able to accomplish," Grant says. "He's advancing so quickly with the therapists. He likes them so much and he enjoys having them come to the house. I think he understands, in some way, that he's benefiting."

Because the program discourages the Winslows from expressing gratitude in material ways, they've found other avenues. Last year, Grant sent a Christmas card to the therapists' parents, explaining the impact their daughters have had on Danny and the entire Winslow family.

"I just wanted their parents to know the impact their kids are making on lives, here at school," says Grant, who with Elona has become among WEAP's most vocal supporters.

"There's a confidentiality issue, but I tell them (the therapists) that anytime they want to talk about Danny, they may. Or anytime they have new parents who don't know where to turn, they can send them to us for a reference. This program is doing wonders for Danny."

Work became love affair

In her college days, Jennifer (Jansen) Versch, '97, dreamed of graduating, attending graduate school and becoming a dance therapist. But love changes plans.

"I started out working for the Wisconsin Early Autism Project to get a little experience in my field (psychology and human development), but I just fell in love with the little boy I was working with," she explains. "So I would take on another case, and another, until I was working 40 hours a week for WEAP by the time I was a senior. I really just loved it so much."

She went from being a "line" therapist to a lead therapist and, after 2,000 hours, a senior therapist. Now she is one of 18 senior therapists, a supervisory and management position, one that helps to oversee therapy for approximately 105 children annually in Northeast Wisconsin.

She sees WEAP as great training ground for UW-Green Bay students, whether they remain to advance their careers in the program, or end up in related fields such as education or social work, human development, psychology, or many others.

"Just recently a public school administrator commented to me about the skills of a newly hired teacher because of her experience as a therapist in our program," Versch says. "He said he couldn't believe the patience and skills in dealing with different behavior and situations."

For more information on the Wisconsin Early Autism Project call 338-1616 or see the Web site: www.wiautism.com.

What is autism?

Autism is one of the most common developmental disorders, affecting up to 1 in 500 children. Autistic children have difficulties in language, social interaction, immature play or limited pretending. The Wisconsin Early Autism Program uses an intensive behavioral treatment based on outcome-supported research and modeled after a program designed by Dr. Ivar Lovaas at UCLA. The Lovaas approach teaches skills in small steps using a developmentally based curriculum modified to reflect the strengths and problems of autistic children. The individualized treatment is totally positive and focuses on presenting new material in a way that the child will find fun and easy to master.

Wisconsin children in the program increased an average of 22 IQ points, and over 70 percent learned to speak in phrases within one year. Once the child has learned a process and can use language, the program targets social skills.

Bellin Run's elite follow campus map to victory

For 26 consecutive summers the Bellin Run, organized by Bellin Hospital of Green Bay, has attracted some of the world's elite runners. Because of the work of UW-Green Bay professor Bill Niedzwiedz and student Ben LaCount, those runners can prepare just a little better.

Niedzwiedz and LaCount worked together on an elevation map for the run. It gives the runners the ability to see hills and valleys before they set foot on the course.

Knowing that elevational data exists for many urban features (fire hydrants, manhole covers), the pair located such points along the 10K course, and then plotted these data using GIS (Geographic Information System) technology. Previous maps had offered only a basic outline of the course.

The GIS designed map combines several layers of information including the course (highlighted in red), local streets, kilometer locations with elevations, an elevational chart that tracks slope changes, and the locations of facilities (water, restrooms, first aid). The result added a professional dimension to the race, much appreciated by Bellin Run organizers.

LaCount, a senior environmental policy and planning and earth science major, was recognized for his work with a $1,000 award from the International Geographic Information Foundation (IGIF), an organization that highlights new and every-day uses of spatial data.

Students help Sisters manage their acreage

The Bay Settlement Franciscans and UW-Green Bay students have formed a partnership to develop a land-use plan incorporating the Order's views on stewardship, preservation and development. The site is 200 acres near their Bay Settlement Road convent in Green Bay.

For the students in the Environmental Planning class, it's a way to apply classroom knowledge to a real-life situation. The students presented their findings and recommendations in two meetings in December and another class is taking a look at adjoining property this spring.

"It doesn't make sense to study land in isolation," says the class instructor, Prof. Bill Niedwiedz of UW-Green Bay's Public and Environmental Administration program. "If the Sisters make a decision to do something with the land, they'll need buy-in from those that own property around them."

Students in professor Bob Howe's Ecological Applications class were also involved in the project last semester.

They asked, you answered! Increase is 35 percent

The annual UW-Green Bay Alumni Phone-a-thon generated more than $50,000 in scholarships for current and future UW-Green Bay students.

With pledges still rolling in, Julie Curro, UW-Green Bay director of annual giving, expects to reach the goal of $60,000 in the coming weeks. She says this year's team of 15 student callers was exceptional, calling it an "honor to supervise these top-notch students." (If you recall, you met some of them via our February 2003 issue of "Inside UW-Green Bay.") Some facts and figures from the effort:
• Approximately 8,000 alumni were reached
• A total of $51,783 was pledged (up 35 percent from last year)
• Those making pledges number 1,083 and counting
• 26 percent of pledges were from donors who recommitted after not donating last year; 14 percent from first-time donors

Curro says the annual fund drive continues through early summer as alumni fulfill their pledges and new donors are made aware of the campaign. She says she advises those who haven't yet heard from the University, but are interested in making a gift, to visit the University Advancement Web site at http://www.uwgb.edu/advancement/gift_giving.html.

May 21 visit by Lyall marks Founders' 30th

A special visitor will bring greetings and congratulations from the University of Wisconsin System when the UW-Green Bay Founders Association holds its spring reception on campus Wednesday, May 21.

President Katharine Lyall will commend the group on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, and comment on its future and that of UW-Green Bay.

The Founders Association dates to 1973 and a nucleus of about 50 founding members. This year, under the direction of President Nan Nelson, the Founders Association is a focal point for 1,300 donors accounting for about $340,000 in annual philanthropic support.

Unrestricted giving by donors helps support:
• Student scholarships
• Special events, lectures
• International opportunities
• Student recruitment
• Faculty/staff awards, skills development

Firsts for Phoenix Women

One last "congratulations" to the Phoenix women's basketball team for a season of firsts:

• First women's team in Phoenix history to record 28 wins (28-4)

• First to earn a Top 25 ranking at the Division I level (as high as No. 16, AP)

• First to sell out a regular-season game (several times) at the Phoenix Sports Center

• First to be seeded as high as #8 in the NCAA Tournament

• First to win an NCAA tourney game (78-65 over the Washington Huskies)

• First-ever women's basketball program, among all Division I institutions, to rank in the academic top 10 for three consecutive years

Word association with Jerrold Rodesch

Secretary of the Faculty and Academic Staff and member of the Humanistic Studies faculty since fall of 1971. Retiring in August after 32 years of service.

UW-GREEN BAY:
Growth and maturity. I walk through the campus and the trees and shrubs are really trees and shrubs. The academic programs have matured in much the same way, although I still think we have room for flexibility as we did in the beginning.

UW-GREEN BAY STUDENTS:
Wonderful. I've witnessed a change from the early years when we invited them to come and shake things up. They came and shook things up. I've always experienced students who were attentive and anxious to participate.

PHOENIX PRIDE:
Our women's basketball team. Institutional representation at its finest with everything they've accomplished this year.

SPRING:
In Green Bay? Teaching my last class. Taking part in commencement for the largest graduating class in our history.

FAVORITE PLACES:
Florence, Italy, Montreal, Canada; just about every place I've been. I haven't been bored since I was 18.

RETIREMENT:
Plans. Thousands of them, but yet, not having to make plans. I'll be doing all the things I've been doing all along: traveling, gardening, hiking, walking, theatre. There won't be enough time! I'll be traveling with half a dozen people to Peru in June. We'll hike the Inca Trail into the Andes. There's nothing like the night sky in the Andes. It's indescribable...

They were testing for tickets

Some brought tents and food and nearly all brought hats, mittens and blankets. The "they" are UW-Green Bay students who camped out for front-row tickets to see the musical "Rent" this spring at the Weidner Center. The tickets were released the morning of the show ($20 apiece) to UW-Green Bay students. Students can see classic concerts or smash Broadway hits for as little as $6, and up to $20, if extra seating is available the night of a show.

What shows might bring out the campers again? Only time will tell, but the new Disney musical "Aida" in May, and high-energy "Stomp" and "Grease" in June, are good bets.

Campus Seen: Hot tickets

Seen on campus over the past year were big crowds for concerts, shows and lectures, either at the Weidner Center or University Union. Top choices included:

Jimmy Eat World, alternative band
The Gadjits, alternative band
Lewis Black, comedian (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Fallon, comedian (Saturday Night Live)
'Rent,' Broadway musical
Badger-Phoenix hoops, sellout at the Resch
Lecture by Franis Bok, escaped Sudanese slave
Lecture by Judy Shepard, mother of hate-crime victim

More campus news

Fireworks over campus on Friday the 13th

Bayfest returns for its annual campus run the second weekend in June. As always, among the highlights is the Friday night (June 13) fireworks extravaganza, choreographed to recorded music. For more on the music, food and fun festival, a fundraiser for Phoenix athletics scholarships, click to http://www.uwgb.edu/athletics/bayfest/.

Spots still open in UW-Green Bay summer camps

Mona Christensen, Class of '80, is back with the University's Office of Outreach and Extension and touting the virtues of what she has always described as the best summer camp program around. She advises fellow alumni that there's still time to sign children up for:

Stars of the Future video, June 15-27
Young Writers, June 15-27
Theatre Academy, June 16-20
Computer Multimedia, June 22-27
Leadership Development, June 22-27
Regional Center Math/Science, June 22-Aug. 2
Jazz Ensemble, June 29-July 3
Multicultural Pre-College, July 6-18
Vocal Jazz and Gospel, July 6-11
Summer Art Studio I and II, July 6-11, July 13-18
Spanish Language/Culture, July 13-18
M.S. Band/Orchestra/Choral, July 20-26
H.S. Band/Orchestra/Choral, July 27-Aug. 2
Guitar/Bass guitar, Aug. 4-8
Discovery/Pre-Discovery Aug. 4-8, 11-15

Registrations are still being accepted for many of these summer programs for youth. For info on age ranges, fees, availability and more, a good place to start is the Office of Outreach and Extension at (920) 465-CAMP, or 1-800-892-2118.

Alumni news

Reluctant camper turned eye on Ph.D.

Joe Carroll says a career in math and science is an obtainable goal for anyone — it's just a matter of developing that 20-20 focus.

Carroll should know. He had given little thought to a science career, much less college, while growing up in the small town of Tigerton about 50 miles west of Green Bay. That changed with a visit to Green Bay a decade ago as a teen-age participant in the Regional Center for Math and Science.

Prodded by high school teacher Gary Kuchenbecker (UW-Green Bay Class of 1970), Carroll tried the six-week RCMS camp designed for low-income teens and potential first-generation college students. The program helps students from throughout the Midwest see the opportunities available in math and science-oriented careers. Carroll admits he also had his eye on leisure-time recreation activities including canoeing and a trip to Great America.

He went back to Tigerton transformed. "I was always good at math, but I didn't see it as a skill that I could do anything with," Carroll says. "I didn't know it was valuable until RCMS." He pursued his new interest in college, at UW-Green Bay, and earned his bachelor's degree in human biology in 1997.

When he returned to campus recently, it was as the first student from RCMS to have continued on for an advanced degree — a doctorate in neuroscience from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He followed up with research for MCW's department of cell biology, neurobiology, and a fellowship at the Center for Visual Science at the University of Rochester.

Carroll spoke at last year's RCMS graduation, encouraging the high school students to keep their goals in focus and use their camp experience as a stepping stone to bigger dreams.

"I want them to know they are fortunate to be part of this program," he said. "I want to help them understand what their opportunities are. I told them to learn on the go, and don't let anything hold you back."

Gorzek, Class of '94, is class of state's amateur photographers

With the click of his shutter, Don Gorzek can capture the grief of a nation, humor in an egg yolk or the anguish of a mental illness.

For years, Gorzek, a1994 UW-Green Bay Extended Degree graduate, has been producing award-winning films, photos and digital images. And photography isn't even his chosen profession — education is. But photography is his hobby, and obviously, his passion.

Last year he was named grand-prize winner of the 2002 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Photo Contest. Out of 895 entries limited to amateur photographers who live in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Gorzek's "Tears for America" was chosen as the best. Just recently he captured first place in the "people" category of the Wisconsin Imaging and Photographic Association's Print Competition for his entry, "Schizophrenia: A Broken Mind."

Not bad for a guy who spends most of his days teaching and filming. His "real" job for 17 years and counting is as the audio-visual/computer specialist for the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District.

Gorzek has invested much of his life in various forms of imagery since high school. He has served as a news cameraman, a director of photography for a media production house, and as a freelance media producer. His motion pictures have won medals for creative excellence in a national venue. And he accomplished most without a college degree.

But not having a degree nagged at him for years, until his own realization that a degree is as much a license to apply for a career change, as anything else. Not that he's planning a career change, but still...

Through his coursework he made one additional discovery — that the process of earning a degree isn't just a means to and ends, but an incredibly enriching experience. So much so that he followed up his bachelor's degree at UW-Green Bay with a master's degree from Cardinal Stritch in computer science education. He says he's become so hooked on lifelong learning he's even considered a Ph.D. track.

"I was initially apprehensive about going back to school," Gorzek explained. "But when I talked to the Extended Degree advisors, and survived my first course, I felt I could make it through. I especially enjoyed summer courses which were more on pace with a traditional college experience."

His favorite course was "America in the 1960s" which focused on political, social and cultural movements of the turbulent decade.

"I remember the class comparing notes when my teacher, Cheryl Kalney, and I discovered we had been at the same protest on the UW Madison campus in the '60s. She was there inside with Tom Hayden and Jane Fonda, and I was outside covering it for the news."

Gorzek makes his home in Menomonee Falls. His son Dave is also a UW-Green Bay graduate ('01) and four-year letterwinner on the University's swim team. Dave got his first taste of campus years ago, when he tagged along with his dad during a summer course. Dave now makes his home in Green Bay.

Alumni hope bigger 'pipeline' grows diversity, multicultural enrollment

UW-Green Bay's summer programs for children — especially those encouraging minority students to track toward college &3151; continue to grow.

The state Department of Public Instruction has agreed to channel additional funds here (now totaling $83,800) to expand workshops that challenge young teens academically. UW-Green Bay will be able to serve nearly 300 children of color, reducing the waiting list for short courses in writing, science, the arts, "intro to college" basics and a variety of topics.

The DPI award recognizes the growing cultural diversity of Northeast Wisconsin and UW-Green Bay's success in reaching out to those communities. Pre-college orientation of younger students (experts say high school is sometimes too late) is a priority of the University's Diversity Plan 2008 to "grow the pipeline" of college-bound seniors.

Alumni have a hand in the success. Sandra Deadman, '75, is director of Educational Support Services, a position formerly held by Michael Stearney, '80, who continues to be an advocate for multicultural and pre-college programs as assistant dean for student development.

You're in demand

Working the Bayfest Corn Tent is slick and slippery, but fun, and the company is second to none. That's because the venue serves as a reunion center for many UW-Green Bay alumni who are working a shift or just hanging out at the festival. To work a shift, June 12 to June 15, call (920) 465-2586 or e-mail Shane Kohl at alumni@uwgb.edu. The Alumni Association is also looking for those interested in serving on the Board of Directors. Use the above contact information to sign up.

On par for scholarships

The 22nd Annual Scholarship Golf Outing begins with a bang (shotgun start) at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Shorewood Golf Course. It's a best-ball tournament with food, beverages, prizes and contests. Revenue generated goes to alumni scholarships for continuing undergraduate students. Call (920) 465-2586 or e-mail alumni@uwgb.edu for information on registration or sponsorships.

Alumni Awards night

Diane Ford '75 and Steve Taylor '79 were honored as Distinguished Alumni Award winners for 2003. The event was held March 16 in the University Union. Ford is a vice president with Wisconsin Public Service Corp. and a member of the Chancellor's Council of Trustees. Taylor is a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and a member of the Phoenix Fund Board of Directors. Also honored were John Maino, voice of Phoenix men's basketball as an "honorary alumnus," and Outstanding Thesis Award winner Jay Hodgson. In addition, Pam Stoll '74, Lisa Cribben '92, John Schuster '95, Philip May '99 and Mischelle Wright '96 received recognition for their service on the Alumni Association board.

Alumni notes

An archive of alumni notes is available online at www.uwgb.edu/alumni/outreach/classnotes.htm. Check the Website often for the latest news on your fellow graduates.

Keep in touch

We want to know about your career, your achievements, and your adventures, and so do your classmates! Help us keep in touch. Go online at www.uwgb.edu/alumni and fill out the form. Color photos for publication are appreciated (300 DPI if digital).