Recent graduate receives Fulbright for research, teaching in Turkey and Austria

Jenna Cushing-Leubner

Jenna Cushing-Leubner, Menomonie, a December 2005 UW-Eau Claire English and German graduate, will leave this week to begin the first part of a two-part Fulbright Award she was notified she had received this spring. Cushing-Leubner, daughter of Joan Cushing and Chris Leubner, received a combination research and teaching grant for travel to Vienna, Austria, as well as a supplemental Fulbright Language Training Initiative grant to study Turkish, which is critical to the research she will conduct in Austria. Full story.

Cushing-Leubner and Amanda Hill, a May 2005 UW-Eau Claire graduate, are two of more than 1,200 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad for the 2006-07 academic year through the Fulbright Student Program. (See June 22 news release about Hill's Fulbright Award.) UW-Eau Claire has had six successful Fulbright applicants since 2000.

Putnam Park walking trail to reopen July 8
"Trail Closed" signs and barricades (top photo) will soon be removed from the entrance to the Putman Park walking trail along the Chippewa River as work is completed on a repair project along the trail. The small skid-steer loader in the lower left photo was used throughout the project to bring sand, gravel and concrete to and from the hard-to-reach construction site as well as to do some of the grading work. At right, workers made progress on grading the repaired section of the trail and installing a new hand rail. (Photos by Rick Mickelson, LTS)
The Putnam Park walking trail along the south bank of the Chippewa River on the UW-Eau Claire campus, closed since November 2003, will reopen July 8 following completion of a seven-week construction project to repair a section of retaining wall and trail that collapsed 2½ years ago as a result of heavy rains. The collapsed retaining wall left a steep drop to the river, and university officials immediately closed and barricaded the trail. The repair project, which began May 22, involved removing approximately 125 feet of stone masonry retaining wall, including the portion that had collapsed, and 75 feet of wood handrail, said Terry Classen, UW-Eau Claire's director of facilities planning and management. Contractors then constructed approximately 70 feet of concrete foundation on rock, 125 feet of modular block retaining wall with geogrid soil reinforcing and 75 feet of wood handrail. They also are restoring approximately 75 feet of crushed aggregate walking path, Classen said. See UW-Eau Claire news release and related Leader-Telegram story.

Third Ward street parking changes now in effect
Effective July 1, new parking regulations are being enforced on select public streets in the Third Ward neighborhood adjacent to UW-Eau Claire. In addition to eliminating the two-hour parking limit, the new regulations include increased setbacks from intersections, fire hydrants and private driveways. The setbacks are clearly marked by painted yellow curbs (intersections) and painted white lines on streets (driveways). Signs also are posted on each block where new regulations are in effect. In addition, fines for violating parking setbacks throughout the city of Eau Claire have been increased to $30 per violation.

Son's $100,000 scholarship pledge honors mother

Richard H. Egdahl

Dr. Richard H. Egdahl, son of the late Harry Egdahl, a longtime Eau Claire dentist, and his deceased first wife, Cassandra Ball Egdahl, has committed $100,000 to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation's Cassandra Ball Egdahl Music Scholarship. The scholarship was created in 2003 with a bequest from Harry Egdahl's estate following his death at the age of 107. The fund provides scholarships to students who participate in the UW-Eau Claire Holiday Concert, the university's annual holiday gift to the community, which features various UW-Eau Claire music ensembles.

Richard Egdahl graduated from Eau Claire High School and briefly attended UW-Eau Claire before enlisting in the Naval Reserve during World War II. He went on to graduate with a medical degree from Harvard University Medical School and a doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota. He has enjoyed a successful career as director of the Health Care Entrepreneurship Program and surgeon, administrator and researcher at Boston University's School of Medicine. Full story.

Summer series to feature independent films
A free Wednesday evening film series called "Summer Cinema Revolution: A Declaration of Independents" will begin this week as a continuation of UW-Eau Claire's Summer Session Programs. The series will begin July 5 with "A Night with the STIFFE," a screening of a selection of short films at 7 p.m. in Davies Theatre. The annual STIFFE (Student Independent Film Festival) was created by the University Activities Commission of the Student Senate in 2000. Short films ranging from comedy to drama to action to silent films and more will be included in this selection of the best festival entries submitted by UW-Eau Claire students. The full film series schedule, as well as other Summer Session Programs schedules, is available on the Summer Session Programs Web site.

Planetarium to present shows through August
Planetarium shows for adults and children are being presented at the L.E. Phillips Planetarium in UW-Eau Claire's Phillips Science Hall through July and August.

Tuesday evening shows begin at 7 p.m. and are generally designed for adults. The suggested minimum age is 13. One exception, on July 18, features Professor Photon teaching about light and is appropriate for all ages above 10. Saturday shows, aimed at children ages 4-11, begin at 11 a.m. In addition to a multimedia presentation, all shows discuss what constellations and planets can be seen in the summer night sky.

Summer admission, paid at the planetarium door, is $2 for Tuesday shows and $1 for Saturday children's shows. Full story (including show schedule).

Summer Bulletin
Published weekly during the summer session by the UW-Eau Claire News Bureau. News items and notices should be sent to the News Bureau, Schofield 201, by 10 a.m. Thursday 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.