Featured Articles

Alexandre Dossin wins international piano competition

Oct. 9 telecast and discussion to focus on sustainability

'Sprites' and 'Resurrection' sculptor dies

Preservation Hall Jazz Band to open Artists Series

Two student leaders selected to attend civic leadership fellows program

'When Did Our Professors Become Buildings?' exhibit on display

Rita Webb, an academic adviser and coordinator of the Adult Opportunity Office at UW-Eau Claire, will leave for Sri Lanka Sept. 25 to serve two years there as a member of a civilian “peace army.”

Webb, a longtime peace activist from Eau Claire, was selected from a pool of more than 150 applicants to participate in the initial pilot peace project by the international Nonviolent Peaceforce organization, based in St. Paul. Webb will join 10 other participants from nine countries in Sri Lanka.

Webb has been granted a one-year leave of absence from UW-Eau Claire (with the possibility of an extension), allowing her to become an international peace keeper trained by the Nonviolent Peaceforce group.

"I feel very honored to have been selected and extremely grateful for the outpouring of support I've received from the university community," Webb said.

Sri Lanka is an island off the southern coast of India that has seen much conflict because of ethnic violence between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil separatists. A cease-fire in 2001 led to peace negotiations.

Peaceforce will work with local groups to protect human rights, deter violence and help local peace workers.

"I see this as a really historical moment to involve civilians in the work of conflict transformation," Webb said. "I do believe that conflict is inevitable, but violence is not."

Information about the Nonviolent Peaceforce organization is available online.

Alexandre Dossin wins international piano competition
Alexandre Dossin, assistant professor of music, was recently awarded the First Prize and the Special Prize for the best performance of the Sonatina Espanola by J.J. Castro during the second Martha Argerich International Piano Competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The distinguished panel of jurors included Martha Argerich, Gyorgy Sandor, Eduardo Delgado, Akiko Ebi and Alexis Golovin. Dossin describes Martha Argerich as one of the most important pianist in all times. The competition was held in the world-famous Teatro Colon, one of the most prestigious opera theaters in the world.

Watch next week's University Bulletin for a feature story on Dossin's most recent accomplishment.

Oct. 9 telecast and discussion to focus on sustainability
“Making Sustainability a Foundation of Higher Education Learning and Practice” will be the subject of a telecast and discussion to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in Davies Theatre.

Please bring your lunch and attend all or part of this telecast and participate in the discussion to help shape this critical issue in our planning and operations. Full story and additional online information.

'Sprites' and 'Resurrection' sculptor dies

"Sprites" is a cast bronze sculpture created by Paul Granlund in 1979. (UW-Eau Claire photo by Rick Mickelson.)

Sculptor Paul Granlund died Sept. 15 in Mankato, Minn., of complication of long-term exposure to the chemicals and dust involved in sculpting bronze. He was 77.

Of the 650 mostly bronze sculptures Granlund created, three are in Eau Claire, including "Sprites" on the Campus Mall, "Resurrection" outside the Ecumenical Religious Center and "Family Circle" at the Luther Hospital entrance.

More information about Granlund can be found by searching the online Star Tribune.


Preservation Hall Jazz Band to open Artists Series at UW-Eau Claire
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will open the Artists Series season at UW-Eau Claire with an evening of traditional New Orleans jazz Thursday, Sept. 25.

Called “the best jazz band in the land” by the San Francisco Examiner, the group will begin its show at 7:30 p.m. in Zorn Arena. The band will play two 45-minute sets with one intermission.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band does not plan its concerts in advance but instead improvises a song order on the spot. Some of the group’s featured numbers include “Basin Street Blues,” “Little Liza Jane,” “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” “His Eye is On the Sparrow” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Originating in the early part of the 20th century, New Orleans jazz is a shade slower in tempo than other jazz forms and the melody is always clearly heard with improvisation at its heart. Unobscured by complicated arrangements, its greatness lies in its simplicity.
Full story and ticket information.

Two student leaders selected to attend civic leadership fellows program
Two UW-Eau Claire students were among 10 students from Wisconsin selected to attend the first Student Civic Leadership Institute Fellows program Sept. 11-14 in Eden Prairie, Minn.

Eric Ristau, a junior political science and economics major from Eleva, and Kate Demerse, a junior political science major from Green Bay, joined students from Minnesota and Iowa for the program, which exists to promote students as powerful citizen leaders.

“Both Eric and Kate have been active in campus and community life since they came to UW-Eau Claire,” said Service Learning Director Donald Mowry, who nominated them. “They both place a high value on service to the community and will benefit greatly from this experience.” Full story.

'When Did Our Professors Become Buildings?' exhibit on display

Schofield Hall in the early days.

A new exhibit titled "When Did Our Professors Become Buildings?" will be on display through Oct. 31 in the Grand Corridor of McIntyre Library. The exhibit features the history of 18 campus buildings named for former faculty members or administrators. An online version of the exhibit also is available. For more information, contact Heather Muir, McIntyre Library, at muirha@uwec.edu or 836-3873.

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 Liz Wolf Green at greenew@uwec.edu are encouraged. Faculty/staff news items are published on a space-available basis.