Featured Articles

Committee announces finalists for associate vice chancellor/dean of undergraduate studies post

May 7 reception to honor retiring employees and those reaching career milestones

Emergency notification system test set for Thursday

Softball team gets
bid to NCAA championship, will host regional at Gelein Field
May 8-12

Initiative creates international opportunies for College of Business students, faculty

Recent alumni receive Fulbright awards

ORSP announces Student Research Day winners

Service abroad leads to fundraiser for children

Emeritus professor establishes history thesis award

Musical acts come to campus for Springfest

Early Birdie Golf Outing to benefit WYSP

Committee announces finalists for associate vice chancellor/dean of undergraduate studies post

The search and screen committee for UW-Eau Claire's associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of undergraduate studies has announced three finalists for the position.

The finalists will make campus visits Tuesday, May 6, through Wednesday, May 14, during which the campus community will have the opportunity to listen and speak to each candidate during an open forum. The forum topic will be as follows: "This new position brings together student support services and academics to create an integrated undergraduate experience. What do you see as the challenges and opportunities?"

The finalists and their open forum dates are as follows:

• Lance R. Grahn, dean of the College of Letters and Science and professor of history at UW-Stevens Point. Open forum: 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 6, in the Menominee Room, Davies Center.

• P. Joan Poor, assistant to the president for campus planning and legislative affairs at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Open forum: 11 a.m. Thursday, May 8, in Davies Theatre.

• Douglas Reimondo Robertson, assistant provost for professional development programs and professor of educational leadership at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Ky. Open forum: 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, in Davies Theatre.

May 7 reception to honor retiring employees
and those reaching career milestones
UW-Eau Claire's Service Recognition and Retirement Reception will be Wednesday, May 7, from 3-5 p.m. in the Council Fire Room, Davies Center. Employees approaching the anniversary of their 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th and 40th years of service will be honored at 3:30 p.m., followed by retiring employees. The event is open to all faculty and staff. More information.

Emergency notification system test set for Thursday

Get connected UW-Eau Claire faculty, staff and students who have not yet subscribed to the emergency cell phone notification system are encouraged to do so before the May 8 campuswide test. See the Emergency Information Web page for information about how to subscribe.

UW-Eau Claire will conduct a campuswide test of its recently enhanced emergency notification system between 2 and 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8.

The test will include the following notification methods:

• a text message to cell phones that have been registered in the new cell phone notification system 
• pop-up message on all university-owned computers, including those in offices, labs and classrooms
• e-mail to all students, faculty and staff
• unique ringtone and accompanying text message on all campus voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) telephones
• announcements on the UW-Eau Claire home page.

Thursday's test will help university officials determine how an alert will impact the campus and cell phone technology infrastructure. Following the test, faculty, staff and students will be asked to complete a brief Web survey to provide feedback regarding the emergency notification system.

Softball team gets bid to NCAA championship,
will host regional at Gelein Field May 8-12
The UW-Eau Claire softball team has received an at-large bid to the 2008 NCAA Division III softball championship, NCAA officials announced this morning.

UW-Eau Claire is set to host an eight-team, first-round regional tournament this weekend at Carson Park in Eau Claire. In addition to UW-Eau Claire, the other teams competing in the Eau Claire regional are St. Thomas (Minn.), Ripon College, Illinois Wesleyan University, Simpson College (Iowa), North Central College (Ill.), Aurora University (Ill.) and UW-Oshkosh. More information.

Initiative creates international opportunities
for College of Business students, faculty

Peter Chresanthakes, lecturer of accounting and finance at American College of Thessaloniki in Greece, speaks to a UW-Eau Claire finance class April 29. Chresanthakes visited campus April 28-May 2 as part of UW-Eau Claire's Partnerships in International Education initiative. (Photo by Rick Mickelson, LTS)

UW-Eau Claire senior Eric Becker will take a big step toward making his dream career a reality when he begins an internship this summer with H&T International Transportation Ltd. in Guangzhou, China.
Becker's internship is possible because of a year-old initiative aimed at globalizing the content of the curriculum within the College of Business.

"I'm thrilled with the way things have worked out," said Dr. Rama Yelkur, project director and author of the Partnerships in International Education (PIE) program. "Everything is falling into place. We've created international faculty exchanges, established international internships and have begun to support area businesses as they compete in a global economy."

PIE, which will run through June 2009, is funded by a $174,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Title VIB Business and International program. Full story.

Recent alumni receive Fulbright awards
Two recent UW-Eau Claire alumni have received 2008-09 Fulbright grants:

Sarah Janes

Sarah Janes, a December 2007 political science and Latin American studies graduate, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant to study the impact of male migration on women in sending communities of Veracruz, Mexico. Janes will collaborate with two researchers from the Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural. She said she hopes to emphasize the importance of incorporating non-migrant women's experiences into the immigration story, from public awareness to public policy and beyond. Full story.

James Patrick Hahn

James Patrick Hahn, a December 2007 Spanish and mathematics education graduate, has received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. Hahn, who currently teaches Spanish in the Oshkosh Area School District, will teach English or another subject in English in a secondary school in the Madrid area of Spain. In addition to teaching 16-20 hours per week, he will study the Spanish math education system and how multiple intelligences are used within the classroom. Full story.

ORSP announces Student Research Day winners

Left: Skye Doering, a senior chemistry/pre-med major, is the recipient of the Kell Container Corporation Scholarship, awarded each year to a participant in Student Research Day. Doering's faculty mentor is James Boulter. (Photo by Bill Hoepner, LTS). At right, winners of second-place honors in the behavioral and social sciences category posed by the poster for their research project, "Gambling Behavior in the Pigeon." Research team members included (from left) Alia Groth, Rochelle Smits, Travis Smith and faculty mentor Dan Holt. Also on the team but not included in the photo was Ryan Stone. (Photo by Rick Mickelson, LTS)

More than 400 UW-Eau Claire students displayed student and faculty collaborative research projects and independent student research projects at the 16th annual Student Research Day April 28-29. The event was sponsored by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs with support from the UW-Eau Claire Foundation.

Senior chemistry major Skye Doering was the recipient of the Kell Container Corporation Scholarship. Doering worked with faculty mentor James Boulter on a research project titled "Effect of Dissociated Oxygen on the Structure of Low-Temperature Water Ice Films."

A 10-member faculty judging panel with representatives from Montana State University, The College of Wooster, Depauw University, UW-Stout, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the University of St. Thomas, Oberlin College, Carleton College and Illinois Wesleyan University also selected several research projects for special recognition. The following students and faculty mentors received first-place honors in their categories (see other Student Research Day winners on the ORSP Web site):

• Arts and Humanities: Courtney Karns with faculty mentor Mitra Sadeghpour, music and theatre arts, “Samuel Barber's Use of the Texts of James Joyce.”
• Behavioral and Social Sciences: Joseph Milburn, Katelyn Parker and Angela Peper with faculty mentor Allen Keniston, psychology, “Self–efficacy and Locus of Control as Predictors of the Efficacy of a Lifestyle Modification Program for Patients with Pre-Diabetes.”
• Business and Professional Studies: Whitney Hay, Laura Geissler and Brittany Allen with faculty mentor Lance Dalleck, kinesiology,  “Transforming Our Future: Why Health and Wellness Needs to Be a Priority in the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Strategic Plan.”
• Life and Earth Sciences: Matthew Brewer and Nathan Butler with faculty mentors Darwin Wittrock and Julie Anderson, biology, “Molecular Identification of Cryptosporidium Species Infecting Wisconsin Dairy Calves.”
• Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Lee Behling with faculty mentors Warren Gallagher and Scott Hartsel, chemistry, “Structural Characterization of Methanobactin using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).”
• Graduate Entries: William Hintz, Matthew Faust and Mitch Banach with faculty mentor David Lonzarich, biology, “The Effects of Group Size and Microhabitat on the Behavior of Juvenile Coho Salmon.”

Service abroad leads to fundraiser for children
A group of UW-Eau Claire students has organized a run/walk to raise money for children in a small village in Nicaragua where the university students spent time while studying abroad.

The 5K charity run/walk will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 10, by the Nursing Building at UW-Eau Claire. Registration is $12 in advance or $15 the day of the event. All proceeds from the event will be given as scholarships to children in El Fortín, Nicaragua, so they can purchase school uniforms, shoes and supplies.

For two years, UW-Eau Claire students studying in Nicaragua have worked on a service-learning project in El Fortín. The students lived in the community, staying with local families while building a greenhouse so the community can raise herbs to sell. During the project, the university students became aware of the needs of the people, particularly the need to educate the children. Full story.

Emeritus professor establishes history thesis award

Dr. Thomas Miller

Dr. Thomas Miller, UW-Eau Claire professor emeritus of history and former chair of the history department, has given $12,000 to establish an award for the outstanding history thesis completed by a student in the senior thesis class.

The first Miller Prize was awarded this spring to Patricia Callaghan, a senior from Eau Claire, for her paper, "The Irish of Manitowoc County: Maintaining ethnic identity in a rural community." The $200 award will be presented each semester.

Miller, who joined the history department in 1967, served the university for 40 years before retiring in 2007. In addition to teaching, Miller served as associate vice chancellor and interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Full story.

Musical acts come to campus for Springfest

UW-Eau Claire's Springfest — the annual campus celebration of music and spring — will feature a variety of performers during shows from noon-1 p.m. today through Friday, May 9. The free performances will be held on the Central Campus Mall (rain site: The Cabin, Davies Center). A variety of grilled lunch items will be sold during the shows.

Performers will include Soap, an experimental rock fusion jam band from Chicago; Snifter, an experimental-psych-pop trio from Eau Claire; The Bright Life Soundtrack, featuring acoustic folk-rock performer Kevin Castillo of Menasha; the Trapper Schoepp Band from Milwaukee and Ellsworth; and Ada Jane (formerly the Matt Marka Band), a Minneapolis rock group. Full story.

Early Birdie Golf Outing to benefit WYSP
Registration for the May 9 Early Birdie Golf Outing at Princeton Valley Golf Course will remain open until Thursday, May 8. Proceeds from the outing, part of UW-Eau Claire's annual Rec Fest, will support the Wisconsin Youth Sports Program (formerly the National Youth Sports Program), UW-Eau Claire's award-winning program for boys and girls ages 10-16 who live in the greater Chippewa Valley. Full story.

University Bulletin
Published weekly during the fall and spring semesters by the UW-Eau Claire News Bureau. News items and notices should be sent to the News Bureau, Schofield 201, by 10 a.m. Monday for publication in the following week’s issue. E-mail submissions to Julie Poquette at poquetjm@uwec.edu are encouraged. Faculty/staff news items are published on a space-available basis.