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Left to right: Wearable Duct Tape Art Exhibit (Feb. 2010), Art Scholarship Sale (Dec. 2009), and Outdoor Art Exhibit (Oct. 2009). |
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Kyle Jero, Drew Anderson, and Samantha Jakel  | |
Physics Students Present at 2010 Posters on the Hill, Washington, D.C.
UWRF physics majors Kyle Jero and Drew Anderson, and UW-Rock County engineering major Samantha Jakel were selected to presented their research on "The Oden Ice Breaker Calibration Cruise: Extending the Ice Top Array for Solar Study," at the 2010 Posters on the Hill event in Washington, D.C. on April 13. The research is part of the international IceCube project. The students attended the event with physics Professor Jim Madsen and UWRF Grants Officer Bill Campbell. They also visited the congressional offices of Representatives Obey, Ryan, Kind, and Senators Kohl and Feingold (who they talked to personally). Several members of congress were present to view the posters including Wisconsin's Ron Kind.
The three students participated in a trip to Antarctica aboard the Swedish icebreaker Oden. They participated on three legs of the trip: Anderson traveled from Sweden to Montevideo, Uruguay, Jakel from Uruguay to McMurdo Station in Antarctica, and Jero from McMurdo to Punta Arenas, Chile. The students helped monitor an ice tank with a light sensor in it, as well as helped with daily operations on the ship. The measurements performed on the Oden cruise will allow similar tanks at the South Pole to measure particles given off during solar storms. These flares can disrupt and disable electronic equipment.
The UWRF Physics department is one of only two undergraduate programs in the United States to participate in the international IceCube project.
IceCube (a new kind of telescope) is the world's first high-energy neutrino observatory. Neutrinos are subatomic particles that can tell new information about the universe. The IceCube telescope uses the nearly 3,000 meter thick ice under the South Pole Station in Antarctica to study the neutrinos. Completion of the IceCube telescope, which will be a cubic kilometer in size, is scheduled for the austral summer of 2011.
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Randy Johnston Receives Distinguished Educator Award
Randy Johnston, College of Arts and Sciences professor and chair of the art department, is the recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award by the James Renwick Alliance of the Smithsonian.
This prestigious award honors three educators every other year, who have made a significant contribution to American Crafts. He was nominated by University of Minnesota Regents Professor Warren Mackenzie and supported by former UWRF students. Randy is widely known as a master in the field of ceramic arts.
Randy has taught in the arts for 37 years and is recognized internationally for his pursuit of functional expression, his fresh aesthetic vision in contemporary ceramic form, and for his many contributions to the development of wood kiln technology in the United States. He has received numerous awards including two national Endowment for the Arts awards and a Bush Artists Fellowship. His work is represented in the permanent collections of many museums including the Minneapolis Institute, the Boston Museum of fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum and the Victoria and Albert in London.
Visit James Renwick Alliance to view the Fall 2009 news article.
View the March 2010 UWRF University Communications report.
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Professor Erik Johnson Wins Beer Commercial Contest
Erik Johnson has tapped into his filmmaking dreams by securing the first place prize in the "Grain Belt Beer Make Your Own Commercial" contest. Erik's contest entry, "Built by Grain Belt," is inspired by his documentary film about the traditional 50's hot-rod scene and features four of his friends from Lucky Bastards Car Club.
Erik holds a Masters Degree in filmmaking and teaches filmmaking in the College of Arts and Sciences.
"My experience with the Grain Belt Commercial contest was overwhelmingly positive, and in addition to the gratification of being publicly recognized for my production work, has opened some new doors of opportunity," Erik reports. "This endeavor also serves to reinforce my advice to students of Digital Film and Television, that it is always advantageous to try new things and get your work out to an audience, which may lead to new connections and advancements, not to mention just the satisfaction of receiving reaction to your work."
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UWRF Chosen for Membership in the HHMI Science Education Alliance
UWRF was one of 12 schools chosen by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to be a member of the Science Education Alliance (SEA). Participating schools were selected through a national competition. Professors Karen Klyczek and Kim Mogen, both in the CAS biology department, submitted the successful proposal.
The SEA was created in 2007 to increase the number of undergraduates who choose science as a career. SEA faculty bring the excitement of doing science directly to students in a novel, collaborative way. Beginning fall semester 2010, Klyczek and Mogen and their freshmen biology students will participate in the National Genomics Research Initiative (NGRI), the SEA's first project. This national experiment involves first year students in authentic research. In this full year course, students will:
- Isolate and characterize bacterial viruses from their local soil
- Prepare the viral DNA for sequencing
- Annotate and compare the sequenced genome
"We are very pleased to be part of this important initiative that seeks to transform science education and prepare the next generation of research scientists," Kim said.
Karen added, "This is an incredible opportunity to provide authentic research experience for biology students early in their career. By collaborating with a network of research scientists, students will be able to make real contributions to the field of bacteriophage biology." |
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Blanche Davis Theatre Rededicated
The Blanche Davis Theatre was re-dedicated on Oct. 24, 2009, after a remodel. Thanks to donors, the 30-year-old seating and carpet was replaced.
On the set of the musical "Urinetown," the theatre faculty Jim Zimmerman, Gorden Hedahl, Robin Murray, Ken Stofferahn, and Meg Swanson participated in the ribbon (or toilet paper to go along with the musical) cutting ceremony.
Though the Kleinpell Fine Arts Building was built in 1972, the theatre was not named Blanche Davis Theatre until April 27, 1991, in honor of the former chair of the speech communication and theatre department. Davis joined the UWRF faculty in 1949 and demanded high standards that helped to develop a strong speech and theatre program and enhanced the role of theatre on campus and in the community.
More than 114 people have contributed to the restoration. Sixty-seven of the 282 new seats have been named in honor of special patrons, in memory of loved ones or as a gift of the donating party. The program will continue until all the seats have been named. For more information or to receive a donation card, contact the theatre department office at 715-425-3971 or e-mail. |
Moody Participates in National Geographic Internship
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UW-River Falls graduate, Andy Moody, is participating in an internship for the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. Moody graduated in December 2009 from CAS with a major in geography and a double minor in geographic information systems (GIS) and business administration. This national internship program is very competitive, only accepting 8-10 applicants per semester out of several hundred applicants per year.
Andy is working on two major projects. One is an environmental education guidebook to inform teachers about teaching topics such as climate change, oceans, freshwater, and energy. The second is creating an animated map of how railroads spread throughout the United States. He is looking for GIS layers of U.S. railroads to work towards that goal.
When he returns from the internship, Andy hopes to live in the River Falls area and find a GIS related career position.
Read more in the March 2010 UWRF University Communications report. |
Dean Terry Brown Accepts Provost Position at UW-Parkside
After more than 20 years of service at UWRF, CAS Dean Terry Brown has accepted a new challenge as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UW-Parkside.
"It has been a privilege to serve as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences which daily confirms through the commitment of its faculty and staff that it is the intellectual and creative heart of this university," Brown said. "I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity that I have had to work with such wonderful people since I began my work here as an assistant professor of English (1989)."
Brown served as the UWRF interim provost from April 2008 to June 2009, but returned to her post as Dean for 2009-10. She was named Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2006, and prior to that was an interim dean (2005-06), assistant dean, associate dean, and faculty member in the English department. Brown earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Virginia Tech University and her Ph.D. from the University of Florida.
UWRF Provost and Vice Chancellor Fernando Delgado stated, "Dean Brown has been a vital member of this campus for two decades, and she has made significant contributions to our students, her home department, the College of Arts and Sciences and the University. Succinctly put, she will be missed, and we wish her all the best."
At her farewell reception on March 5, Brown told well-wishers that she has enjoyed a long and satisfying career at UWRF.
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In Memory of Merle Michaelson
| Merle "Mike" Michaelson, former Associate Dean of UWRF College of Arts and Sciences, died on Dec. 30, 2009, at age 88. Merle graduated from UWRF in 1943. He returned in 1967 as chair of the biology department. After retirement in 1983, he taught at Balob Teacher's College in Papua New Guinea, but later returned to UWRF as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for five quarters. He is survived by his wife, Lois Michaelson, UWRF English department emeriti professor.
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