Campuses Stay Open, Offer Support in Wake of Terrorism

UW System campuses provided counseling, held prayer and candlelight vigils and facilitated discussion opportunities in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

"I urge everyone to remain calm in the aftermath of today's events," UW System President Katharine Lyall said Sept. 11. "This is a terrible and tragic day for our country. My heart goes out to the victims of these attacks and their families."

Sophomore Katie Sterwald shares her thoughts Sept. 12 on a poster board set up in the UW-Whitewater University Center. The "share your thoughts" board was created to give students, faculty and staff an outlet for their feelings concerning the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. UW System institutions set up a number of venues to provide support for their campus communities in the wake of the crisis.

Flags flew at half-staff at every UW System institution in memory of the victims and families affected by the worst terrorist strike ever on American soil. Classes were cancelled the afternoon of Sept. 14 in recognition of President George W. Bush's proclamation of the "National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001."

While many university events were also cancelled to honor the victims, campuses remained open to provide support for students, faculty and staff.

"We think that we can be of most help to all members of the campus community by coming together as we struggle to deal with our emotions during this time of crisis," said UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Donald Mash.

Study: Most Wisconsin Alumni Stay in State

The great majority of new UW System bachelor's degree graduates will stay in Wisconsin, and more than 98 percent of them will find employment, according to a university study.

Conducted by the UW System's Office of Policy Analysis and Research, the study indicates that more than 81 percent of Wisconsin-resident students in the UW System remain in the state after graduation. In addition, about 18 percent of the non-residents remain here, creating a brain gain for the state's workforce.

Among all new UW System alumni now living in Wisconsin - regardless of their state of origin - about 98.5 percent are currently employed, attending school, or caring for family members, according to the report.

"That means that for every thousand alumni in the sample, only 15 were unemployed when the survey was taken," says UW System President Katharine Lyall. "That really underscores what we've been saying for some time: our graduates have skills that are in high demand by Wisconsin employers. If the opportunities exist, there's no place alumni would rather work than in Wisconsin."

Lyall adds that it is critical for the state and the UW System to maintain and enhance this high level of alumni retention.

"For that to happen, our state has to become more competitive in terms of high-tech job opportunities, salaries, investment and other issues addressed at the Wisconsin Economic Summit and in the Board of Regents' Economic Stimulus Package. Given the tools, the UW System can do even more to contribute college graduates to the workforce and attract bright people to Wisconsin."

According to the report, which deals exclusively with recent graduates, 64.7 percent were earning $30,000 or more when the survey was taken, while 30.5 percent were earning $40,000 or more and 14.3 percent were earning $50,000 or more. Based on the survey, the UW System estimates that each graduating class contributes about $210 million more in income to the Wisconsin economy than it would have with high school diplomas alone.

The report is based on the ACT Alumni Outcomes Survey, conducted in June 2000. Approximately 59,000 people received bachelor's degrees in the UW System during 1996, 1997 and 1998, and about 13,000 of them were chosen at random for the survey. Nearly 3,300 surveys were received, a response rate of more than 25 percent.

The groundbreaking discovery in stem cell research at UW-Madison was celebrated at the Sept. 7 Board of Regents meeting, when the board adopted a resolution in support of the scientific work. Pictured are (from left) UW System President Katharine Lyall, Regent President Jay Smith, UW-Madison biologist James Thomson, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Managing Director Carl Gulbrandsen, and Regent James Klauser.

UW System Leads Way on Stem Cell Issue

One of the most important scientific, moral and ethical issues of this generation is centered at the flagship campus of the UW System.

UW-Madison researchers, led by developmental biologist James Thomson, became the first in the world to successfully isolate and culture human embryonic stem cells, in late 1998. Because embryonic stem cells are the precursor cells to all other cell types in the human body, this accomplishment has set the stage for a revolution in medicine and basic biology.

The promise of stem cells lies in their ability to be cultured in the laboratory and, ultimately, directed to become specific types of cells or tissue that can be used to treat a host of cell-based diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's and heart disease.

But opponents of embryonic stem cell research say the science is immoral because it destroys human embryos that have the potential to develop into people. They point to research on adult stem cells and stem cells from human placentas and umbilical cords as promising alternatives.

President George W. Bush announced Aug. 9 that he would allow limited federal funding for research on approximately

60 lines of stem cells already established, including five at UW-Madison. That decision was praised by UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley.

"The president's decision reflects a careful balance between ethical concerns and medical potential, and allows research to go forward under the carefully controlled conditions that are appropriate to the current state of medical knowledge," Wiley says.

Online: http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/stemcells/

The nation's premier forum for advancing undergraduate research will hold its annual conference in April 2002 at UW-Whitewater, with an anticipated draw of more than 2,000 participants from 300 universities.

Students, faculty and staff from throughout the UW System are encouraged to register for the National Conference of Undergraduate Research event on April 25-27 at UW-Whitewater. Participants will have the opportunity to take part in poster sessions or presentations of their work, hear addresses from nationally prominent speakers and attend workshops on how to advance and fund their research. Organizers at UW-Whitewater also are encouraging UW System campuses to participate in an informational fair promoting their graduate schools.

UW-Whitewater has been a strong past participant in NCUR. The campus had 73 of 76 proposals accepted for presentation at last year's conference in Lexington, Ky. As a host site, UW-Whitewater joins the company of prominent Division I schools such as the University of Kentucky, the University of Texas and the University of Rochester.

The mission of NCUR is to promote undergraduate research scholarship and creative activity in partnership with faculty or other mentors as a vital component of higher learning. Integrating research into the undergraduate curriculum is a growing practice in American universities, and is being further supported by federal research agencies such as the National Science Foundation.

For more information about the program, contact Lou Zahn, director of non-credit programming in UW-Whitewater's Continuing Education Services, at (262) 472-5209, zahnl@mail.uww.edu.

Online: www.uww.edu/ncur2002/index.htm

Michael Dombeck

Former Forest Service Chief Joins System

Former USDA Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck has come home.

Dombeck, who led the Forest Service from 1997 until April 2001, has joined the faculty at his alma mater, UW-Stevens Point, as the GEM Pioneer Professor and UW System Fellow of Global Conservation.

In his new role, he will help lead the planning and development of the Global Environmental Management (GEM) Education Center, a unifying theme and vision for UW-Stevens Point's College of Natural Resources.

The GEM Education Center is being developed as the college's integrating theme, program focus and world-class facility that will serve as an international model for training leaders in natural resources and environmental management. Dombeck will teach a graduate seminar on global conservation and help develop GEM as a world-class model for training future leaders.

"The fact that a leader of his caliber has selected UWSP is a clear testament to the excitement of the GEM initiative and to the national prominence of the curriculum and programs in our College of Natural Resources," says UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Tom George.

Bears Give to UW-Platteville Chicago Bears Director of Business Development Brian McCaskey presents a donation of $250,000 to UW-Platteville Chancellor David Markee at a luncheon honoring the Bears in July. The Bears, who have held summer training camps at UW-Platteville since 1984, will move their pre-season practice site to Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois starting next year. With McCaskey and Markee are (far left) Chicago Bears President and Chief Executive Officer Ted Phillips and UW-Platteville Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Steve Zielke (far right). The donation will go toward technology for the $18 million Pioneer Student Center.

Dombeck was born in Stevens Point, went to high school in Hayward, and grew up in northern Wisconsin's Chequamegon National Forest. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from UW-Stevens Point and the University of Minnesota and his doctorate in fisheries biology from Iowa State University. Dombeck has authored and edited numerous popular and scholarly publications, most notably "Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices."

Online: www.uwsp.edu/cnr/

UW-Superior, Red Cliff Collaborate on Aquaculture Demonstration Facility

UW-Superior and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa are working together to build and operate an Aquaculture Demonstration Facility adjacent to the Band's current fish hatchery near Red Cliff.

The state-funded facility will be the first dedicated to teaching people how to raise cold-water fish for human consumption. Construction is expected to start in June 2002 and be completed in a year.

"The Red Cliff location offers many possibilities for collaborative efforts between the Red Cliff Band and UW-Superior," says UW-Superior Provost Charles Schelin, chair of the facility's steering committee. "It's an excellent site, with a fish hatchery in place, good water and with a well-constructed wetland for handling discharge."

Tribal Chair Jean Buffalo-Reyes says the facility will serve as an important tool to establish a long-term vision for northern Wisconsin.

"We look at this project as a way to establish a partnership with the UW System," Buffalo-Reyes says. "It also will help us look at our economy and at ways to establish year-round jobs in this northernmost part of the state."

The Aquaculture Demonstration Facility will serve as a training and outreach center for people who want to operate cold-water fish farms featuring such species as trout, salmon and walleye. The 40-acre facility is designed to include a 34,200-square-foot building to house demonstration laboratories, offices, a resource center, classrooms and meeting rooms. The surrounding grounds would include rearing ponds, raceways and wastewater settling ponds.

When completed in 2003 and fully funded, the facility will be operated by 12 employees. Collaborative efforts involving the university and the Red Cliff Band also could lead to educational opportunities for UW-Superior students at the facility.

Online: http://aquaculture.uwsuper.edu/

Marrett Takes Over Top Academic Post at Sytem

Cora Bagley Marrett

Cora Bagley Marrett is delighted to have returned to Wisconsin in her challenging new role as UW System's chief academic officer.

"I am impressed with President Katharine Lyall's vision for the university, which is to expand the Wisconsin Idea and make the UW System central to the advancement of the whole state," says Marrett, who began her new position in August. "I also look forward to working with the Academic Affairs staff and my campus colleagues to position the UW System as the premier student-centered university system in the country."

Marrett comes to UW System from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where she served as senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost. Yet her ties to Wisconsin are strong: she was a member of the UW-Madison faculty from 1974 to 1997, with appointments in Sociology and Afro-American Studies. She advanced from associate professor to full professor and was associate chairperson of the Department of Sociology (1988-91), and was affiliated with the Energy Analysis and Policy Program and the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. During 1990-92, she held a half-time appointment while serving as director of two programs for the United Negro College Fund under a $2.4 million grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

During 1976-77, Marrett was on leave as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in California. During 1992-96, she served as assistant director of the National Science Foundation, where she led the Directorate for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences. She went to Massachusetts-Amherst, the 23,000-student flagship of the five-campus University of Massachusetts System, in 1997.

Prior to her appointment at UW-Madison, Marrett was an assistant professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina (1968-69) and an assistant/associate professor of sociology at Western Michigan University (1969-74). During 1973-74, she was a senior policy fellow at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.

Her academic background includes a bachelor's degree from Virginia Union University and master's and doctoral degrees from UW-Madison, all in sociology. She received an honorary doctorate from Wake Forest University in 1996, and was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1998 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1996. She has published widely in the field of sociology, and has held a variety of public and professional service positions.

Ronald M. Singer has taken over as associate vice president for academic affairs with UW System. He was associate vice chancellor for planning, budget and resource allocation and graduate dean at UW-Parkside.

Singer, who joined UW System in July, serves as the deputy to the chief academic officer. He is responsible for providing leadership in the development and implementation of policies and procedures governing academic program approval and array. In addition, he supervises the directors of the Office of Professional and Instructional Development, the Women's Studies Consortium, the PK-16 initiative, and other academic planners.

Singer had been at UW- Parkside since 1973, where he was a tenured faculty member and held a number of administrative positions. His academic background includes a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, a law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and M.B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in accounting from UW-Madison.

New UW-Green Bay Chancellor W. Bruce Shepard speaks to the campus community during the university's convocation Aug. 29. Shepard begins his new position Nov. 1.

W. Bruce Shepard doesn't take himself too seriously. As provost of Eastern Oregon University, Shepard set up the "Provcam," a web camera that allows people to watch him over the Internet while he works in his office.

Shepard promises to bring this lighthearted touch to Wisconsin in November, when he takes over as the next chancellor at UW-Green Bay. He says having fun should go along with the hard work necessary to run a university.

"My wife and I are excited about joining a university with a strong foundation and bright future," says Shepard. "It was the people - those on the campus and throughout the community - and their kindness, commitment, and energy that convinced us that great things are ahead for Green Bay and for Green Bay's university."

Shepard was named the fourth chancellor of UW-Green Bay in August by the Board of Regents' Executive Committee. He takes over the top position at the university Nov. 1. He is regarded as a straight-talking, student-focused leader with an inclusive style of management.

"For this campus at this stage in its history, Bruce Shepard is an exceptional leader who is ready for a challenge of this kind," says UW System President Katharine Lyall.

"I am confident Bruce Shepard can build important connections with the community and make further progress in advancing the UW-Green Bay Learning Experience - a strategic plan designed to improve retention and graduation rates and provide well-educated graduates for Wisconsin," adds Regent President Jay L. Smith.

Shepard has served as provost since 1995 at Eastern Oregon University, where he is also a professor of political science. Prior to joining EOU, Shepard spent 23 years at Oregon State University, where he earned tenure and served in a number of top administrative roles. Shepard has also worked as a visiting scientist at the Population Study Center in Seattle; policy analyst for the USDA Forest Service; and visiting fellow at the Mitchell College of Advanced Education in Bathurst, Australia.

Shepard's academic background includes bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of California, Riverside. His scholarship and teaching focuses on American government, public policy and policy analysis, research methods, and environmental and natural resource politics and policy.

Online: www.uwgb.edu, www2.eou.edu/provost/office.htm

Regents Present Teaching Excellence Awards

The 2001 Teaching Excellence Awards were presented at the Sept. 7 UW System Board of Regents meeting in Madison.

Winners are Gary Gilmore, professor and director of community health programs, UW-La Crosse and UW-Extension; Cyrena Pondrom, professor of English, UW-Madison; and the Department of English, UW-Oshkosh. Each winner receives $5,000 for professional development purposes.

"These awards reflect the UW System's vigorous commitment to teaching," says UW System President Katharine Lyall.

Stout Unveils New Recreation Facility

The Dan and Nona Williams Stadium at UW-Stout features artificial turf, which offers a more flexible, multi-use field. One sport can be played right after another, with no maintenance time needed in between events.

Students, staff, alumni and community members will get a personal view of UW-Stout's new $8.9 million Recreation and Athletic Complex during this month's homecoming festivities.

The project involved redeveloping 30 acres for recreation, adding 17,800 square feet to the Physical Education Building and constructing the 4,500-seat Don and Nona Williams Stadium, which features an artificial turf field.

The new complex also includes an outdoor adventure challenge course, a group fitness facility, a health and fitness center, natural grass fields, an indoor climbing wall and adventure trip planning area, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a soccer field, a NCAA softball field and multiuse sidewalks.

In addition to donor gifts and student fees, the City of Menomonie, Dunn County and the Menomonie Area School District have all contributed to financing the project. An exclusive pouring-rights contract between the university and Pepsi has also generated funds. The grand opening ceremony will take place in front of the new stadium on Oct. 19 at 11 a.m.

Online: http://www.uwstout.edu/athletics/rac/index.html