Stories from the November 2006 Issue / page 4

Alumni, researchers band together on bird bible

 

Prof. Bob Howe and several dozen UW-Green Bay alumni, faculty and staff are fielding congratulations these days.

Their book, the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin, has finally left the nest. The 602-page, full-color volume — years in the making and a must-read for any serious birder — is now available online and on shelves.

The Atlas is an authoritative summary of distribution, nesting sites, relative abundance and related information on 237 species. Its publication by the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology culminates what is believed to be the largest natural history survey ever conducted in Wisconsin.

Biologist Howe, co-editor and an author of major sections, set the project in motion a decade ago by convening the first meeting. He enlisted faculty and staff colleagues and recruited dozens of alumni, undergraduates and grad students to supplement the network of more than 1,000 WSO field observers statewide.

Jennifer Davis, a research specialist with UW-Green Bay's Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, prepared all species maps and charts, and handled publication on the Web. Authors of species accounts include Howe, Jennifer and Prof. Greg Davis, Prof. Amy Wolf, Tom Erdman of the Richter Museum, and former students Joel Trick, Joan Elias and John Jacobs. Photographers who contributed images include Howe, Gary Fewless of the Herbarium, and student Nick Walton. Dozens of others contributed as field observers, including all of the above plus former UW-Green Bay students Ryan Atwater, Joan Berkopec, Ron Eichorn, Dan Goltz, Brian Henrickson, Mike Grimm, Elizabeth Hartman, James Havel, Jim Meeker, Linda Parker, Andy Paulios, Steve Petzke, James Robaidek, Jon Robaidek, Patrick Robinson, Todd Schneider, Joel Whitehouse, and others.

All of the data, maps, photographs, and other technical materials are housed at UW-Green Bay, and have been made available on the Web at http://www.uwgb.edu/birds/wbba. The book can be purchased at the Phoenix Bookstore, or for $40 plus tax and shipping from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology through a link at the above site.

Local fans know the name 'Grzesk' Thrilled to get back to the area where he spent "the best years of my life," Gary Grzesk '96 enters his first season as men's basketball coach at St. Norbert College in De Pere. His Division III Green Knights open the year Oct. 31 with a David-vs.-Goliath exhibition at the Resch Center against his old team, the UW-Green Bay Phoenix. "I'm really excited about the upcoming year," Grzesk says. "We have a good core group of guys returning, and some good recruits." Now 33, the Wauwatosa native was a blue-collar hero of UW-Green Bay's great Division I teams of the mid-1990s. Fans learned to pronounce his name (GRESH) when he cracked the starting lineup as a freshman and helped the Phoenix to three NCAA tournament appearances. Many credit his defense on future NBA all-star Jason Kidd for the first-round upset of California in 1994.

After stints as a D-I assistant with Youngstown State and UW-Green Bay (2002-03), he became a head coach in the small-college ranks at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, going 51-31 with an NCAA berth in three seasons. Gary and his wife, Liz (herself a former Phoenix women's assistant), have two children, Garrett, 3, and Gracie, 1.

Alumni authors

Political jabs land 4-E columnist a national following

When humorist Tom Breuer '93 started doing the national interview shows - the Keith Olbermann "Countdown" on MSNBC and Al Franken's radio program – we knew it was time to invite the onetime Fourth Estate editor to re-connect with his former readers. Whether they like it or not. Here's a guest column:

If you attended UW-Green Bay in the early '90s, you may remember me standing in line behind you in the Garden Café, puzzling over your choice of the taco salad, or perched astride the couch in the Fourth Estate office, appearing to all fair observers like a beluga whale calf with hair, yet improbably assessing my chances with the fetching female reps across the hall in student government.

But if you know me at all, it's most likely through the humor column I wrote for a couple years at the 4-E.

Well, I have returned. Last year I co-wrote Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly, which was released in April by Nation Books (and is available pretty much anywhere-hint, hint). Among the highlights:

– I appeared with my co-author, Joseph Minton Amann, on Al Franken's Air America Radio program. It was my most thrilling brush with greatness since beatific b-baller Tony Bennett glowered at me in the halls of our alma mater-presumably because of a very unsavory Fourth Mistake article he'd assumed I'd anonymously written about him but, for the record, hadn't. Franken loved the book, calling it "hilarious."

– We appeared on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann, which was great fun. Olbermann told us to "keep up the good work." (We would get a brief mention, later, in his own new book.)

– Our book was overlooked by both the New York Times and my mother's Christmas newsletter, which elected to run an item about my niece's swim meets instead. May have to buy an ad next time.

– Still haven't heard from O'Reilly himself. I presume he's hiding under his desk.

Her great-grandmother died at age 38 of breast cancer, her grandmother at 45. It wasn't long after her own 40th birthday that Anita DuJardin Hockers '86 received the diagnosis "invasive adenocarcinoma." The malignant tumors were caught in time, but just barely. Now, two years later, following an emotional rollercoaster, chemotherapy treatment, radiation and radical surgeries, Hockers is healthy, happy and the author and publisher of Breastless But Still Breathing: a Breast Cancer Survivor's Journey.

The former marketing and communication student has written a book that is part family memoir, part medical journey, sometimes sobering but always optimistic and even irreverent. Among the chapter titles: "I Always Hated Tests" and "My New Aerodynamic Body."

Hockers says she has heard from other cancer survivors. ShopKo and hospital gift stores are stocking the book. She can be reached at breastless@new.rr.com.

Wind at their backs

That's Craig Mueller '71, right, at the helm of his 51-foot sailboat Brushfire on the Pacific near San Diego. Mueller was paid a special visit this summer by Chancellor Bruce Shepard, who presented him the Chancellor's Award, the University's highest community honor. The retired air-transport pilot was recognized for his enthusiastic advocacy and philanthropy, including a substantial planned gift for student scholarships, a challenge grant to the Alumni Phone-a-Thon and support for restoring historic Lambeau Cottage. (Photo courtesy of Craig's sister, professional photographer Marcia Mueller.)



Homegrown talent

Several UW-Green Bay alumni have returned to their alma mater in professional capacities — or have been promoted to new capacities — over the past year. Among them:

Daniel Linssen '74 is a lecturer in business administration and will teach courses in marketing. He has had a long career in consulting and training on topics such as leadership development, organizational design and effectiveness. He most recently was vice president for operations at Tosca Ltd. Linssen has a long list of related community experiences including serving on the executive committee of the board of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the board for Advance Economic Development Corporation and a member of the board of the Northeast Wisconsin Quality Improvement Network. He majored in managerial systems at UW-Green Bay and earned an MBA at Arizona State University.

Jeanne Stangel '87 returned to UW-Green Bay as director of the Phoenix Fund — the fundraising branch of Phoenix athletics. Stangel returned to UW-Green Bay in March 2006 from a position as senior manager for customer services and corporate relations for Tufco Technologies. The former Phoenix women's basketball player is a Phoenix Hall of Fame inductee and one of only two women's basketball players to be honored with a retired jersey. She majored in business administration.

Lucy Arendt, '87 and '90 has been named assistant professor in business administration. She completed a Ph.D. in management science at UW-Milwaukee with a dissertation on "Leaders' Use of Positive Humor: Effects on Followers' Self-Efficacy and Creative Performance." She majored in business administration and Spanish, and has a master's degree in administrative science, winning the Outstanding Thesis Award for her culminating research project.

Aubrey (Baehman) Schramm '98 is an admissions adviser, working previously at UW-Oshkosh where she was an adviser and earned a master's degree in education counseling. She was also a student services coordinator at UW-Marinette. She has worked as a community living specialist, in domestic abuse services, and as a special education teaching assistant. Her degree is in human development.

Nathan Rusch '99 was named golf course superintendent at Shorewood Golf Course. His new position follows nine years with the Branch River Country Club in Manitowoc. He majored in environmental science and biology.

Mary Braun '01, a former student assistant in the Cofrin Library, returns to the University as an electronic resources manager and catalog/reference librarian. Braun earned a master's degree in library and information studies at the University of Alberta, Canada. She is a member of Phi Alpha Theta international history honorary and was a history major.

Pamela Gilson '01 moved from student status examiner in the Registrar's Office to coordinator of testing services at UW-Green Bay. She majored in human development and psychology.

Joe Schoenebeck '01 is a senior laboratory preparation technician with Natural and Applied Sciences. He returns to campus from the University of Iowa's Hygienic Laboratory. He also worked for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Schoenebeck has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from UW-Green Bay.

Jeff Brunner '02 is the interlibrary loan supervisor in the Cofrin Library. He previously worked at Georgia-Pacific. He majored in history.

Eric Knapowski '02 was promoted from clerk to director of the Mail Center at UW-Green Bay. He also served as floor director for the morning news at WBAY-TV. His degree is in biology.

Louna (Moua) Yangsao '02 returns as an adviser for the American Intercultural Center where she worked on a temporary basis in 2004-05. Through the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Undergraduate Fellowship Program, Yangsao interned in four different student services areas. She was also a community integration specialist at Lutheran Social Services and served as a parent resource counselor at Family Services. She majored in human development and psychology here and holds a master's degree in educational leadership from UW-Oshkosh.

Amy Plotner '04 was named human resources manager at UW-Green Bay. She previously worked for PDQ Manufacturing Inc. She has an interdisciplinary studies degree through the Adult Degree Program.

Jennifer Schwahn '05 is an adviser in the nursing program. She had been a staff nurse in the medical/surgical intermediate care unit at St. Vincent Hospital since 2001, and was a clinical nurse specialist and adjunct faculty member at Lakeshore Technical College. She has an associate degree in nursing from Lakeshore Technical College and a bachelor's degree in nursing from UW-Green Bay. She also has completed Wisconsin Technical College System certification courses in teaching methods and course construction.

Mary Kulenkamp '06 was named assistant coach for the Phoenix women's basketball program. The former two-time Horizon League all-defensive team honoree worked with the team previously as a student assistant. The Woodbury, Minn. native majored in communication processes.



Alumni notes

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