Featured Articles

Finalists named in provost/vice chancellor search

Input sought on proposed new mission statement

Math student wins award at national conference

Barron's names alumni as top financial advisers

Recipient, donor to participate in bone marrow donation panel discussion

Third civil rights trip planned for spring break

Winter Carnival celebration takes place this week

Black History Month events continue

Campus Campaign spotlight: New student group encourages philanthropy

Finalists named in provost/vice chancellor search
Six finalists have been named in the search for a provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UW-Eau Claire. The finalists and the dates they will visit UW-Eau Claire are as follows:

• Martin Tadlock, assistant vice chancellor for lifelong learning and community engagement, and professor of curriculum and instruction, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh: Feb 16
• Dominick Hart, former provost, Saint Xavier University, Chicago: Feb. 18
• Patricia Kleine, dean, School of Education and Professional Studies, Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, Conn.: Feb. 26
• Susan Carlson, former interim vice president for academic affairs and provost, and professor of English, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa:  March 2
• Guiyou Huang, dean, Biscayne College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and professor of English, St. Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Fla.: March 5
• John Wells, provost and vice president for academic services, Young Harris College, Young Harris, Ga: March 9

Links to the finalists' curriculum vitae, the times and locations of their campus open forums, and a forum feedback form are available online.

Input sought on proposed new mission statement
UW-Eau Claire's University Planning Committee has developed a proposed revised university mission statement that is ready for campus comment.

"UW-Eau Claire’s current mission statement weighs in at more than 175 words," said MJ Brukardt, special assistant to the chancellor for strategic planning. "While most faculty, staff and students know our university’s central purpose is student success, most would be hard pressed to recite our mission in detail."

Recognizing that the mission statement should be focused, memorable and help to provide long-term direction, the UPC was charged with developing a revised statement that reflects the university's core purpose, Brukardt said. After many consultations, including with the University Senate, a proposed 29-word mission statement is ready for campus comment, she said.

The proposed mission statement reads, "We serve Wisconsin’s public good by educating tomorrow’s leaders. We emphasize transformative learning through challenging, integrated liberal education that prepares ethical citizens to work toward a more equitable world."

Faculty and staff can read both the current mission statement and the proposed revised statement (with more detailed explanatory statements) and then provide feedback to the UPC. All documents and an anonymous comment form are available on the strategic planning home page.

All comments and suggestions received by March 1 will be reviewed by the UPC before a final draft is presented March 3 to the University Senate Executive Committee and March 10 to the University Senate. The goal is to have an approved mission statement ready to present to the Board of Regents for adoption when they are on campus in October.

Math student wins award at national conference
A UW-Eau Claire student earned high honors for his mathematics research during a prestigious national conference last month in Washington, D.C.

Mitch Phillipson, a senior mathematics and physics major from Chippewa Falls, won a poster award at the 2009 Joint Mathematics Meeting, an annual event that is the largest gathering of mathematicians in America. The conference is attended by members of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America.

Phillipson was honored for his poster titled "Extensions and Deformations of Associative Algebras." The 200-plus posters accepted by the Joint Mathematics Meeting were each reviewed by a panel of three experts. Phillipson's poster was among the 33 posters that received awards. Full story.

Barron's names alumni as top financial advisers
Two UW-Eau Claire alumni were ranked as the top financial advisers in Wisconsin and Minnesota on a list that appeared in the Feb. 9 issue of Barron's magazine. A third UW-Eau Claire graduate was ranked No. 7 in Wisconsin.

Barron's — a prestigious weekly business publication for investors — created a state-by-state list of America's top 1,000 financial advisers, a list that includes only the top 1 percent of all the advisers who work at large financial firms nationwide.

Andrew Burish, a 1981 UW-Eau Claire marketing graduate, was named the top adviser in Wisconsin. Peter Eckerline, who graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 1982 with a business administration degree and in 1983 with his MBA, was named the best financial adviser in Minnesota. Michael Markin, a 1975 UW-Eau Claire accounting graduate, was ranked No. 7 in Wisconsin. Full story.

Kyle and Meg Buchmann

Recipient, donor to participate in bone marrow donation panel discussion
In preparation for a March 3 bone marrow registration drive at UW-Eau Claire, an informational panel discussion will be held from noon to 1 p.m. today in Davies Theatre, Davies Center. Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to bring their lunches and have their questions answered about how to save a life by signing up to be a bone marrow donor.

Introducing the panel speakers will be Dr. Asha Sen, UW-Eau Claire associate professor of English and widow of mathematics professor and social activist Dr. Eberth Alarcón, who died from a rare form of leukemia in September 2006. Sen and UW-Eau Claire graduate student Nichole Ray organized the panel discussion and bone marrow registry drive. Ray's father, Lt. Col. Frank Tall Dog Duran, died from multiple myeloma before finding a matching bone marrow donor.

Among the panel speakers will be Kyle Buchmann, UW-Eau Claire alumnus and major gifts officer for the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, and his younger sister, Meg Buchmann, now a high school senior. Kyle recovered from a battle with leukemia after receiving a bone marrow donation from his sister, then only 13 years old, in 2003. Full story.

Third civil rights trip planned for spring break
Another group of UW-Eau Claire students will spend their spring break on a Civil Rights Pilgrimage to the South, visiting sites of historic importance to the U.S. civil rights movement.

Students who take the March 13-22  trip also may also choose to register for one class credit (HIST 280, "History Travel Seminar") or to participate in a faculty/student research project coordinated by student planners Janna Casperson, Sarah Gonzalez and Tony Och.

Winter Carnival celebration takes place this week
Winter Carnival 2009 — "Let the Good Times Snow" — is set for Feb. 18-22 at UW-Eau Claire.

Highlights include a sold-out concert by reigning "American Idol" David Cook, a comedy showcase featuring Comedy Central funny guys Sheng Wang and Chad Daniels, the fifth annual Mr. Freeze competition and a midnight screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The celebration also features a number of outdoor recreation activities. See the full schedule of Winter Carnival events.

Black History Month events continue
The following Black History Month events are planned during the coming week at UW-Eau Claire:

• Dr. Ryan Jones, music and theatre arts, will present "Stevie Wonder and 1970s Musical Activism" from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, in the Presidents Room, Davies Center.

• A faculty forum will be presented from noon-2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Schofield Auditorium. The topic will be "We've Elected a Black President, Where Do We Go From Here? Race Relations and the Obama Effect." Featured faculty will include Dr. Selika Ducksworth-Lawton, history; Jones; Dr. David Shih, English and UW-Eau Claire's equity, diversity and inclusivity fellow; Dr. Richard St. Germaine, history; and Dr. Dwight C. Watson, College of Education and Human Sciences.

• A "Soul Food Buffet" will be offered from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 in The Dulany, Davies Center.

More information.

Campus Campaign spotlight
New student group encourages philanthropy

Faculty and staff who would like to support the efforts of the Student Philanthropy Organization can direct their 2009-10 Campus Campaign contributions to the group. For more information contact Diane Doudna at doudna@uwec.edu or 715-836-3819.

Four students who have been involved with the UW-Eau Claire Foundation Telefund fundraising effort have started a new organization aimed at increasing student knowledge about philanthropy.

Seniors Meghan Keyes, Heather Miller, Sarah French and Taylor King started the Student Philathropy Organization to make students more aware of ways to give back to society even though they may have limited finances. All four students are already acting philanthropically by giving their time and talents to Telefund. They also have made monetary contributions to the Foundation.

"We want students to realize they can start donating a little now and then later they can do more as they have better paying jobs," Keyes said. "Even if you don't have a ton of money now, you probably have more than someone else." 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. Wednesday to ensure 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.