News
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay announced that final enrollment numbers for fall 2021 were stronger than originally predicted. The 9% enrollment gain accelerates the upward trend the university has been on over the last six years.
Overall, 830 more students chose UW-Green Bay this year, representing total enrollment growth of 9% and making the university the fastest-growing UW school for the second consecutive year.
Here's How Indigenous Wild Rice is Helping Restore Wetlands in the Green Bay Area
As Cindy Reffke looks out across the Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, she imagines the wild rice plants that have disappeared, but are now desperately needed to restore the environment and sustain the waterfowl she loves.
“I’ve always believed that if we would’ve listened to the Native Americans we wouldn’t have the problems we have today (with the environment),” she said.
Reffke is president-elect of the Appleton Breakfast Rotary Club, which helped gather volunteers and funding to assist in a UW-Green Bay restoration project this month to plant about 300 pounds of wild rice seeding in the Green Bay region.
Experts say wild rice is an essential food source for many of the migratory birds in the area, including many species of ducks, pheasants, owls, cranes, geese and songbirds.
Podcast: Abler and Hein Interviewed on 'After Further Review on the Coolest Coast'
Professors Becky Abler (Water Science) and Rick Hein (Water Science) were interviewed for the radio show, “After Further Review on the Coolest Coast,” Nov. 11, 2021 on WOMT radio. During the interview they discussed their stream research, the importance of including students in these projects, and the importance of the Wisconsin Idea that links UW-Green Bay to our local communities. The interview aired live on Nov. 11 but is also now available as a podcast.
UWGB Works to Restore Oak Savanna
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is leading a project to restore rare oak savanna in Northeast Wisconsin.In the past, the area near UW-Green Bay’s campus wasn’t continuous moist forest, like most of the region, said Dr. Robert Howe, a biology professor and founder of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity. The first federal surveyors found open space, scattered oaks and Indigenous people who had shaped the land, he said. “So, our goal is to restore the 76 acres into a natural community that is oak savanna with a riparian forest running right through the middle of it,” he said. The university and its partners purchased about $30,000 worth of seeds. On a sunny afternoon in November, volunteers and students helped scatter them by hand in areas that couldn’t be reached by tractor. Once the grasses grow, the university will plant oak trees that will play host to red-headed woodpeckers and other species that are declining in the area, Howe said.
Sheboygan Campus Wins Collegiate Rocket Competition
Congratulations to Patrick Isken, Owen Rubenis, Dylan Schmidt and Ryan Bucholz, UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus students, and advisor, Associate Professor Bill Dirienzo (Physics, NAS), on winning this year’s Collegiate Rocket Competition!
The competition is open to Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) member schools for teams of 4-6 students. There are no other requirements. The teams design and build a custom high-powered rocket according to the competition guidelines, including a challenge unique to each year’s competition. Team members build the rocket and its internal electronics. They use software like CAD and RockSim to design and simulate the rocket design before building.
Eight colleges and universities participated in the program. The overall winners received a cash prize and are invited to Sierra Space Badger Army Ammunition plant in North Freedom, Wisconsin for a VIP tour.
According to Dirienzo, the team had to write three reports over the course of the year, do a low-powered test flight on campus with a tiny model rocket, give a presentation, and successfully launch the rocket at Bong Recreation Area in Kenosha County in April. The students presented their rocket at the annual Wisconsin Space Conference in August, held at MSOE.
Dirienzo said he would like to thank technical advisors Randy & Carol Lutz, campus members who supported the team, and WSGC for funding the program.
Wisconsin Ag Connection: Dairy Nutrition Videos Available
The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin have partnered with the University of Wisconsin Green Bay Dietetics Program to develop a ‘Dairy Nutrition 101’ training series to help equip Champions of Dairy with a basic understanding of nutrition terms and topics relevant to dairy and dairy promotion. These three training modules provide quick and easy to understand nutritional background information and terms that are relevant to dairy nutrition. The videos will help you answer the question ‘Why is dairy good for me?’ Modules provide basic dairy nutrition background, such as background info on nutrition for Americans, nutrition about dairy, why you should consume dairy, health benefits of dairy, and how much dairy to include in your diet. To access the files, go to: https://wisconsindairy.org
UWGB Faculty Member Makes a 'Moss' Exciting Discovery
In the average lawn, moss is rarely a welcomed sight. (Usually indicating poor soil nutrient levels and drainage issues.) But in Keir Wefferling’s world, as curator of the Fewless Herbarium within UW-Green Bay’s Cofrin Center of Biodiversity, encountering moss is not only welcomed but occasionally transformational. That was the case one morning this fall when he, along with a couple of eager volunteers, Joan Berkopec and Ron Eicchorn, went trekking through a sedge meadow in northeastern Wisconsin, happened upon Paludella squarrosa or “tufted fen moss”. To any passing hiker with an untrained eye—just another plant. But this expedition’s mission was to perform a preliminary bryological (mossy things) survey of the region. And even to Wefferling’s well-trained eyes, this was a mossy thing he had never seen before. “When I saw it, I didn’t know what it was. I knew it was a moss and I knew it was a moss I’d never seen before. It was just unique looking.”
Wefferling knows his plants. In fact, that’s why he’s here—starting in August 2020 as an assistant professor and Herbarium curator. Since then, an interest in moss has grown on him. “I started my studies with the flowering plants and then got into ferns. Only in the past year, while exploring Wisconsin, have I really begun to appreciate mosses. I would say moss is under-appreciated and not just in its usefulness to humans. They’re cool and valuable in their own right.”
What’s also underappreciated is the Fewless Herbarium’s wealth of about 45,000 painstakingly dried, cataloged plant specimens tucked away in the basement of Mary Ann Cofrin Hall next to the Richter Museum of Natural History (also part of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, housing animal specimens). As Wefferling explains, much like the plants themselves, this is a museum that leads a quiet existence. “All the specimens are in cabinets. To look at a specific plant you go to that cabinet and pull out the folder, bring it to a table and open it up to look at that plant.” But that doesn’t mean that the work going on, or the plants collected inside, aren’t important. “The museum isn’t just to hold specimens, just to sit there. Herbarium specimens are actively used for research; borrowed and loaned to other herbaria, potentially all over the world. We ship specimens to other herbaria, and somebody may borrow them for one or two years.”
Internship opportunities also exist for graduate students in Environmental Science and Policy— a flourishing program with currently more than 30 students. And as for any undergraduate student who enjoys collecting and time spent with pressed plants, work-study opportunities are also available.
Plans are in the works to photograph, digitize and upload the collection to a free and open portal to make the collection more accessible. That information would help clarify the understanding of the geographic and ecological relationships of plants throughout the region. And that effort aligns with one of the University’s core strategic priorities to make a profoundly positive impact on the environment of our region.
As far as the impact of discovering Paludella squarrosa in Wisconsin? Wefferling will be presenting his findings at the Wisconsin Wetland Association meeting next February. Plus the exact location of the moss remains as closely held as a coveted morel mushroom patch. For those who ask the inevitable “so what?” Wefferling’s answer rings true to the mission of all universities—that making a fresh discovery, even of a humble moss, and creating new knowledge is always eventful. “It’s never been found—at least not by botanists—in the State over all the years of exploration and scientific study. And it’s presumably been here the whole time. Of course it may be known by people of First Nations, and is therefore not a “discovery” so much as a “discovery to Western Science.” Whatever the case, the recorded knowledge of our regional flora is apparently—and excitingly—incomplete.”
Stay tuned for the next chapter in search of the lost moss.
By Michael Shaw, Marketing and University Communication
UWGB Master of Atletic Training Program Earns Valuable Accreditation
UWGB’s Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program earned valuable accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). CAATE is the current standard for professional athletic training programs as recognized by the Council for Higher Education.
“This is a very important achievement for the UW-Green Bay MAT,” said Program Chair William Gear, “Accreditation from the CAATE allows graduates of the MAT to sit for the certification exam administered through the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC). The Green Bay region provides a multitude of clinical education experiences for our students that prepare them for employment in a variety of healthcare settings.”
At UW-Green Bay, motivated students can earn an accredited MAT degree in only two years. In addition, the Greater Green Bay area is a sports-rich community, offering a wealth of clinical opportunities. Students can gain experience from a range of professional, minor league, collegiate and high school sports franchises or market-leading medical systems.
To become an athletic trainer, candidates must graduate with a degree in Athletic Training from an accredited athletic training program and successfully pass the Board of Certification (BOC) Exam. To practice as an athletic trainer in Wisconsin, the student must also be licensed by the state.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 16 percent in the next decade as demand for athletic trainers is expected to increase as people become more aware of the effects of sports-related injuries, and as the middle-aged and older population remains active.
“Accreditation” is review of the quality of higher education institutions and programs. In the United States, accreditation is a major way that students, families, government officials, and the press know that an institution and/or program provides a quality education.
To learn more about the Master of Athletic Training program please visit the website at https://www.uwgb.edu/athletic-training/ or contact the Office of Graduate Studies at gradstu@uwgb.edu
UWGB and Bay de Noc Community College: Enter Agreement to Provide More Environmental Engineers to the Region
Leaders from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) and Bay College (Escanaba, Wis.) have created a pathway for students who complete their Water Resource Management associate’s degree from Bay College to transfer seamlessly to earn a bachelor’s degree from UW-Green Bay in Environmental Engineering Technology.
“This partnership creates a smooth transition for students to continue their education after Bay College,” says Cindy Carter, dean at Bay College. “The College sees so many students looking to relocate to the Green Bay area and this partnership now makes it easier for them to do so.”
It’s been a year in the making for Dean Carter, Bay College instructor Troy Gallagher (a UW-Green Bay alumnus ’95, Environmental Science), UW-Green Bay Dean John Katers, and faculty members in UW-Green Bay’s Richard J. Resch School of Engineering. It is the first transfer agreement between the two institutions and another important step as UW-Green Bay works to meet the needs of the region through its access mission and “One university, four-campus model.” UW-Green Bay has campuses in Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan.
“We are very excited about this articulation agreement and the opportunity to partner in meeting the needs of the students,” Dean Katers said. “Both Bay College and UW-Green Bay have worked with organizations like NEW Water (a wholesale provider of services to 15 municipal customers, serving 236,000 residents in a 285-square-mile area. It collects and treats an average of 41 million gallons a day from its two facilities.) “This agreement will allow us to continue to meet the needs for skilled employees in these important careers.”
After a visit to the Bay College campus, Katers noted, “It has a very similar feel to UW-Green Bay and I think students would find UW-Green Bay to be a great place to transition as they pursue their goals in environmental engineering technology.”
Gallagher, the Bay Water Treatment Instructor, says he is looking forward to this new partnership as it opens alternative doors within the industry for students.
“The area of study focuses on more than just ‘general environmental’ studies,” Gallagher says. “It allows students to explore other opportunities in the field like higher-level management, consulting, and even industrial water positions, all of which require a four-year degree.”
Educated and trained professionals in this field are in high demand throughout the country, especially in the Midwest.
Welcome Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Meenakshi Verma
Help us in welcoming to campus Dr. Meenakshi Verma. Dr. Verma is a visiting Postdoctoral fellow in Dr Bakshi’s research group. She is also a WISTEMM Fellow (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine),which is a joint program of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum (IUSSTF)
https://www.iusstf.org/index.php. The program aims to provide opportunities to Indian Women Scientists, E
ngineers & Technologists to undertake international collaborative research in premier institutions in the United States, to enhance their research capacities and capabilities. Dr Verma obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Thapar University, Patiala (Punjab), India in 2015. She was also a National Post Doctoral Fellow at Indian Institute of Technology, Rupnagar (Punjab), India, before joining UWGB. Her specialization is Materials Chemistry.
Commercial Fish Hatchery Coming to Northeast Wisconsin
With the help of UW-Green Bay Associate Researcher Ken Webb and his partnership with
The Farmory, Work is underway to create the first full-scale, year-round commercial fish hatchery in Wisconsin. Over the next few months, the exterior of The Farmory in Green Bay will undergo a major transformation. Inside, it's already happening. With some very cutting edge techniques that have been developed for marine fish -- self-cleaning systems, automated systems, self-monitoring systems -- to turn yellow perch into a commercial product.
Groundbreaking Day!!
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and its many partners broke ground today (Monday, September 17, 2018) on the new Brown County STEM Innovation Center that will live on the UW-Green Bay campus and house the Richard J. Resch School of Engineering, the Einstein Project, UW-Extension and Brown County’s Land and Water Conservation departments. Turning the soil together were Governor Scott Walker, Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach, UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller and Einstein Project CEO Kelly Ellis. Joining in the festivities were many community partners, including Dick Resch, members of the Kress Family, WPS, UW-Green Bay science and engineering faculty and others.
The center will be an approximately 63,730 square feet, and received $5 million from Governor Walker’s 2017-19 capital budget, $5 million from Brown County and $5 million in donations through UW-Green Bay for construction. This unique collaboration will have a positive impact on Northeast Wisconsin’s economy and received broad support of the local business community, employers, the State of Wisconsin and the UW System.
STEM Innovation Center
Dr. Patricia Terry Wins 2017-2018 Founders Award for Excellence in Institutional Development
The University Award for Excellence in Institutional Development goes to Professor of Natural and Applied Science and Director of the Engineering Technology Program, Patricia Terry. Her work at UW-Green Bay spans the spectrum from department level to university-wide contributions. At a University which most recently has placed intense focus on the growth and expansion of engineering and engineering technology, Terry has worked tirelessly with technical college counterparts to reach articulation agreements and has done extensive training which has led to accreditation of the engineering technology program. At the same time that she was building the program, she was initiating a community-level advisory board that includes participation from more than 50 companies, many of which are now UW-Green Bay contributors and supporters of student internships. One nominator wrote, “there are few people on this campus who have contributed to the development of our university in as many and varied ways; whether it be in teaching, leadership through program and curricular development, service to shared governance, support of students or mentoring new faculty.”
UW-Green Bay Now Accepting Applications for New Mechanical Engineering Program
The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering will be UW-Green Bay’s first four-year engineering program and brings the total engineering programs offered at the campus to four. Since 2014, the University has collaborated with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to deliver Environmental, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs.
Students interested in applying to any of these programs should contact the UW-Green Bay Office of Admissions. More information can be found at http://www.uwgb.edu/mechanical-engineering.
Congratulation to Associate Dean Amanda Nelson
Associate Dean Amanda Nelson graduated from the class of 2018, Leadership Green Bay. The class professionals gather once a month to learn about social issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the Green Bay area, get exposure to relevant leadership education and skills, and become community stewards. Learn more about Leadership Green Bay at
https://tinyurl.com/y8h69ecy
College of Science, Engineering and Technology scholarship winners.
$155,649 in donor scholarship funds were distributed
119 students received scholarships
125 scholarships were awarded (some students received more than one)
https://tinyurl.com/ycaps72f
UW-Green Bay Human Biology majors Miranda Drechschmidt and David Propson are getting a jumpstart on their careers, with a high impact practice at Bellin Health Titletown Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. The future physical therapists operate the technology for Bellin physical therapists who are conducting performance assessments on their patients.
Watershed Hero Award Congratulation to UWGB's Natural and Applied Science program and Center for Biodiversity on receiving the Watershed Hero Award!
Accepting the award for UW-Green Bay was Kevin Fermanich, along with high school partners Lynn Terrien, Green Bay Southwest; Charlie Frisk, Luxemburg-Casco (retired) and Ryan Marx, Appleton East.
Watershed Award
The Lower Fox River Monitoring Program is a network of teachers and students from 11 area high schools that monitor seven environmentally impaired streams in the Fox River watershed for water quality and ecological health. The students and teachers take on the role of scientists and explore local streams and waterways, in partnership with the scientific community. Standardized methods and annual teacher training sessions allow students to collect quality-assured data in their watersheds. The data provides a measurement of pollution that flows to the Fox River and Bay of Green Bay.
Read more
UW-Green Bay Achieves Silver
With a solid effort from the UW-Green Bay Sustainability Committee, The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is again seeing STARS thanks to a newly confirmed environmental rating of SILVER from a program that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
UW-Green Bay has participated in the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System™ (STARS) which measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. This is a voluntary evaluation process completed every three years in which colleges and universities review their sustainability efforts against the STARS framework.
STARS is designed to:
- Provide a framework for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education.
- Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
- Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability.
- Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance.
- Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.
This framework assigns various levels of credit to topic areas and based on the number of credits accrued, a school achieves a reported, bronze, silver, gold or platinum level.
UW-Green Bay’s Sustainability Committee completed its initial STARS review in 2011 and achieved a silver level. In November 2017, UW-Green Bay once again earned a silver level ranking; the third time in a row. This ranking will be used by organizations such as Princeton Review and the Sierra Club to promote the most environmentally responsible colleges in the US, letting students know we are Eco U™.
Next goal – to achieve GOLD!
For more information about the STARS program and to view UW-Green Bay’s rating: UW-Green Bay STARS Report.
Prof. Fermanich talks the ‘Cost to keep roads clear’ with WTAQ
UW-Green Bay Prof. Kevin Fermanich (NAS) was featured in the news this week. “Truckloads of salt used to treat highways during our winters may be taking a toll on the environment. A recent study suggests more than 40 percent of lakes surveyed in the Midwest and Northeast have more salt than before,”
reports WTAQ. Salt run-off is measured by UW-Green Bay. “We are able to see in the winter time, that during high salt usage times, that the level of salt, or conductivity, in the water does increase particularly after snow melt, or rainfall events.” That could be dangerous to fish and other aquatic life. Some municipalities are looking into reductions and alternatives to protect the environment.
UW-Green Bay hosts seventh-grade science retreat
On Thursday (Jan. 25, 2018) UW-Green Bay’s College of Science and Technology hosted 72 seventh graders for a CESA7 retreat. After a welcome from Dean John Katers, the middle-schoolers rotated through three hands-on activities that included Joe Schoenebeck’s lab sciences tour and physics demo, a dissection and physiology demo in the anatomy lab with Associate Dean Amanda Nelson and Associate Prof. Dan Meinhardt, and a LEGO robotics lab with Assistant Professors Jagadeep Thota and Maruf Hossain.
Click thumbnails to enter slideshow view or
view the album on Flickr.
Wisconsin educators look to cultivate a new generation of scientists and antibiotics (with Associate Prof. Brian Merkel), WPR, Jan. 23
Read the full article and listen to the interview
here.
The Farmory/UW-Green Bay partnership makes the news
You will see more in a the new issue of
Inside Magazine, but WeAreGreenBay, describes a new partnership between The Farmory and UW-Green Bay. Associate Prof. Patrick Forsythe (NAS) is mentioned and it could mean great things for perch lovers.
Watch the video.
Alumni Erdman, Prestby
, Brinker, work on ‘snowy’ data collection
Look for birds and you may find
Tom Erdman ’86 (Population Dynamics) and many of his proteges. The recently retired Richter Museum curator was working with a team to safely trap and secure snowy owls to be examined, fitted with a transmitter and released. The work is part of
Project SNOWstorm. Research started in late 2013 to study the habits and assist with conservation of the big, beautiful white birds. UW-Green Bay alumnus
Tom Prestby ’16 (Environmental Science and Policy) (pictured) is among the snowy trackers.
Dave Brinker ’77 (Science and Environmental Change) is the lead scientist. Paul Smith from the
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel describes the people, the process and the importance.
Local instructors join initiative to fight shortage of new antibiotics
Green Bay, WI – University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is joining the push to mitigate one of the most critical public health crises facing the world: antibiotic resistance. Associate Professor Brian Merkel and Assistant Professor Lisa Grubisha took part in a week-long training to become a partner instructor in the Small World Initiative (SWI), a program founded by University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Jo Handelsman with a two-fold mission: to encourage students to pursue careers in science through real-world applicable laboratory and field research in introductory courses, and to address a worldwide health threat – the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics – by tapping into the collective power of many student researchers concurrently tackling the same challenge, living up to SWI’s motto, “crowdsourcing antibiotic discovery.”
To achieve these goals, the initiative leverages a network of partner institutions where instructors learn the curriculum and integrate the research protocols in their lab-based courses at universities, colleges, and high schools. SWI’s student scientists, many of them experiencing the scientific method in action for the first time, hunt for novel antibiotic organisms in soil samples. It’s a global and growing network—in 2017, the program added 40 new partner institutions. The community of instructors now encompasses 14 countries and 40 US states.
Dr. Merkel and Dr. Grubisha are part of the initiative’s commitment to engage schools, colleges, departments, and aspiring scientists across the state. To fulfill that commitment and grow the initiative in Wisconsin and underserved communities, SWI recruited five 4-year and three 2-year UW System schools, five technical colleges, one private women’s university, and one Wisconsin tribal college to become partner institutions. From January 8-12, 2018, instructors from UW-Parkside, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-River Falls, UW-Whitewater, UW Fond Du Lac, UW-Waukesha County, UW-Rock County, Northeast Technical College, Northcentral Technical College, Lakeshore Technical College, Madison College, MATC-Milwaukee, and Marian University attended an intensive five-day training at UW-Madison’s Discovery Building. “Extending SWI’s power of discovery-based learning across Wisconsin puts Wisconsin students at the forefront of the Small World Initiative’s army of student scientists tacking one of the most critical public health crises of our day,” says SWI Executive Director Sam Rikkers.
The program is also partnering with institutions reflecting the diversity of the United States. The training included instructors from three Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Howard University, Mississippi Valley State University, and University of Maryland Eastern Shore; two tribal colleges in the College of the Menominee Nation and Fond Du Lac Tribal and Community College; and Sacramento State University, a Hispanic-serving institution. “A diversity of student scientists, like a diversity of soil samples, only enhances Small World’s discovery potential and impact,” says Rikkers.
The Small World Initiative training took place January 8 through 12 at the Discovery Building in Madison, WI. Dr. Merkel and Dr. Grubisha are available for interview. More information is available at smallworldinitiative.wisc.edu.
Robots, Drones, and Cybersecurity for Increasing Computer Science Graduates at UW-Green Bay
The computer science program has recently been awarded $86,000 from the UW System Innovation Fund for Supporting Degrees in Information Technology. The equipment purchased with this funding will be used to increase UW-Green Bay’s ability to recruit and retain computer science students, with the overall goal of increasing the number of graduates from the program.
The majority of the money will be used to purchase two different types of robots (Softbank Robotics humanoid NAO robots and Sphero SPRK+ rolling robots) and a set of DJI Phantom 4 drones for use in computer science classrooms. Additional funds will be used to purchase cybersecurity-related equipment that will add to a recent donation of cutting-edge inventory from Thrivent Financial’s data center, as well as to support staff and students that will implement student recruitment activities and help transition the computer science program into the College of Science and Technology.
Additional Info
The computer science program at UW-Green Bay will transition to the College of Science and Technology on July 1, 2018. The program currently has 175 majors, with an emerging Center for Cybersecurity Education and Outreach, and faculty and staff with interests in security and privacy, computing education and K-12 outreach, computer vision and pattern recognition, app and game development, automated analyses of facial and behavioral expressions, machine learning, human-computer interaction, and assistive technology.
Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrated Health approved yesterday by BOR
Board of Regents (BOR) approved yesterday (Dec. 7, 2017) a Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrated Health at UW-Green Bay. The program will meet the new entry‐level master’s degree requirement recently established by the national accrediting agency, the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Physics Demonstration
Normally, trying to stop a swinging sledge hammer with your chest would be a bad idea. And doing it while you're on a lying on a bed of nails wouldn't make it easier! But, as Assistant Professor Brian Welsch demonstrated in his Physics lab today, you can cushion the blow ("reduce the impulse") from stopping a sledgehammer with a cinder block! Watch the video to the right to see it in action.
Great Lakes Conference was a success
Last week, 340 scientists, resource managers, municipal planners, non-profit organizations, educators and citizens gathered in downtown Green Bay to discuss ongoing challenges and recent successes in managing and protecting water quality, habitat and species in Lake Michigan. The 2017 State of Lake Michigan Conference hosted by International Association for Great Lakes Research was held at the Hyatt Regency, Nov. 7-10. About 40 attendees were affiliated — either as faculty, staff, students or alumni — at UW-Green Bay.
Many led presentations, poster sessions and field trips. Research and analyses conducted through UW-Green Bay was on display and included topics such as beach and wetland restoration, fisheries, invasive species monitoring and management, health, and water quality in Lake Michigan, especially in the Fox River and Bay of Green Bay.
The regional conference broadens discussion of lake-specific issues by connecting researchers to resource managers to policy makers. Attendees heard from top experts in their fields, participated in stakeholder discussions, and workshops related to education, communication and policy. Three field trips to the Lower Fox River watershed and the west shore of the Bay of Green Bay highlighted conservation efforts underway to reduce nutrient and sediment run-off, PCB remediation, habitat restoration and shoreline revitalization efforts by local communities.
The 2017 State of Lake Michigan conference was the first of an annual series of conferences hosted by the International Association for Great Lakes Research with support from state and local sponsors, and was aimed at promoting linkages between the science and policy communities. Highlights from this year’s conference can be found by searching #SOLM17 on Twitter.
Photo and text by Vicki Medland, Associate Director, Cofrin Center for Biodiversity
Mark your Calendar!
Wisconsin Roots Embraced Through Wild Rice Seeding
Nearly 2,000 lbs. of wild rice to be seeded in the bay of Green Bay (media welcome)
GREEN BAY – In an attempt to restore the historical aquatic ecosystem, a team of conservation professionals and volunteers from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, UW-Extension, Ducks Unlimited, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and others, are joining together to seed nearly 2,000
lbs. of wild rice in the bay of Green Bay during the week of November 13-17, 2017.
Wild rice has both an ecological importance as a food source for migrating waterfowl and ecological diversity in coastal wetlands and cultural value for native tribes associated with harvest, preparation and nutrition. Historical records suggest wild rice grew in large expanses throughout Green Bay, but has been uncommon to the bay in recent history. Rice re-establishment is part of a series of restoration projects in lower Green Bay and along the Green Bay west shore to enhance coastal wetland habitat for fish and wildlife and to improve the health of the bay itself.
Participants will hand seed the rice at six sites in lower Green Bay and along the Green Bay west shore on the following dates:
• Monday 11/13 – Longtail Point and Dead Horse Bay
• Tuesday 11/14 – Lower Green Bay: Duck Creek and Peters Marsh
• Wednesday 11/15 – Seagull Bar and Peshtigo River (Marinette County)
• Thursday 11/16 – Oconto Sportsmen’s Club (Oconto County)
• Friday 11/17 – Point au Sable
Media members are welcome to join on the boats, or view seeding from an observation point on land on Nov. 14. To reserve a space or to get more information about the project, contact Green Bay Restoration Project Coordinator, Amy Carrozzino-Lyon, at carrozza@uwgb.edu or 920-465-5029.
Elect. Engineering Students Visit Georgia-Pacific
Electrical engineering students of the ET 342 (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) class led by Assistant Professors Dr. M. Upal Mahfuz and Dr. Jagadeep Thota toured the Georgia-Pacific (Website:
https://www.gp.com/) facilities located in Green Bay last week as a part of their course. In Georgia-Pacific, the students had a rare opportunity to see and learn numerous aspects of a practical SCADA system in operation. Such an industry tour can be considered as an integral part of any SCADA course, which makes the classroom learning complete. Thanks to the Georgia-Pacific colleagues for their continuous support to the Engineering Technology program at the UW-Green Bay.
Science is Leading the Way......as UW-Green Bay records highest enrollment to date
WBAY picked up on the great news — UW-Green Bay is seeing an
incline in enrollment, even as some other UW schools are struggling to enroll. UW-Green Bay’s Jen Jones and Eric Arneson were interviewed for the piece. See the
Inside Story here as it goes into more details.
Health takes precedence at UW-Green Bay Food Day
Help promote healthy eating by attending the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s annual Food Day event. The event will be held Wednesday, October 25, 2017 from 1 to 7 p.m. in the Phoenix Room of the Union University. The event is free and open to both the campus and Green Bay community.Sponsored by the UW-Green Bay student organizations Dietetics Health Fitness Club, the Public and Environmental Affairs Council (PEAC) and Sustainable Local and Organic (SLO), the purpose of Food Day is to educate, spread awareness and motivate the campus and community to support local farmers by choosing more locally sourced whole food through a fun, educational event.
The list of activities at the event is as follows:
- 1-3 p.m. – Presentations by local businesses, farmers and professors
- 3-6 p.m. – Food, Health, and Sustainability Expo.
- 5 p.m. – Free, locally sourced farm to table dinner
- 6 p.m. – Special guest speaker Polly Dalton, community supported farmer in Stevens Point
- Desserts and refreshments will also be served at this time
The UW-Green Bay Dietetics Health Fitness club consists of about 100 students who love nutrition and overall health. The annual Food Day is their biggest event, but they do put on others like the Spring Food Fair and the Earth Day Picnic. It is their goal to promote healthy eating and fitness throughout the campus and the Green Bay communities by providing fun and education events.
Engineering a solid investment, UW-Green Bay says
A
weekend story in the Green Bay Press-Gazette explains why the time is right for engineering at UW-Green Bay. “As a community, we’ve invested in infrastructure, in the Green Bay Packers and beyond. Now, it’s time to reinvest in education,” said Dean of UW-Green Bay’s College of Science and Technology, John Katers. Katers was referencing support for the University’s hope to create a mechanical engineering degree program and a school of engineering that would encompass the new degree and the courses the university already offers in environmental, electrical and mechanical engineering technology. The engineering program is key in a plan to develop a 63-acre research and innovation park on the south end of the UW-Green Bay campus. “This should be a great place for our students to learn and for the area to retain our best and brightest while attracting more talent here,” Katers said in the story. “As a community, we’ve invested in infrastructure, in the Green Bay Packers and beyond. Now, it’s time to reinvest in education.”
Michael Draney featured in Fox 11 Facebook live video
Prof. Michael Draney (Natural and Applied Science) and his eight-legged friends were the stars of a Facebook live video this morning (Tuesday, Sept. 26) on Fox 11’s Facebook page. Draney educated viewers about common local spiders, encouraged questions and shared, “Have a happy fall, and don’t be scared of spiders. They’re not really anything to worry about.” Watch the
video. The content begins at 1:29.
Geoscience Field Course Explores Parts of WI and Adjacent States During a Weekend Field Trip
Bed Bug Banishers
Everyone knows about bomb-sniffing dogs, but a dog that sniffs out bed bugs? UW-Green Bay entomologist Professor Mike Draney has teamed up with alumnus Jon Sandberg ‘11 and Jon’s bed bug-sniffing dog Chester, to reduce the spread of bed bugs in Brown County. Don’t be alarmed, this is a community initiative. See more.
The College of Science and Technology Welcomes New Faculty
UW-Green Bay faculty present at next STEAM .jpg?width=300&height=463)
Engine event, Sept. 19
Assistant Prof. Brian Welsch (Natural and Applied Sciences), Dean Susan Gallagher-Lepak (College of Health, Education and Social Welfare and Nursing), and Associate Lecturer Susan Frost (Humanities) will each present at the next STEAM Engine event on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Neville Public Museum. These change makers have innovative ideas to share at this new format community sharing venue aimed at strengthening the creative economy, fostering community discussion and sharpening the collective knowledge. STEAM stands for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend, hear four short presentations and discuss ideas. It’s a free event with presentations followed by informal discussion and refreshments for purchase. Presentation titles:
-Susan Frost:
Thinking Through the Humanities: The Linear vs. The Dynamic
-Mads Gjefsen and Susan Gallagher-Lepak :
Innovation in Aging Model
-Brian Welsch:
Weak Links vs. Strong Links: A Framework for Strategic Investment
2017 Convocation Founders Award Winners
EMBI DNR acknowledgement from Sen. Cowles
Congrats to EMBI
The Environmental Management and Business Institute (EMBI) and the Wisconsin DNR jointly received a citation from Sen. Rob Cowles recognizing the revival of an online tool allowing users to search for recycling outlets for hard-to-recycle or unusual recyclable materials. See more.
Eclipse-Ready
UW-Green Bay Assistant Prof. Brian Welsch led “Oh, the Things You’ll See! A 30-minute Discussion of the Upcoming Eclipse,” Friday, Aug. 11 in the Christie Theatre. A total solar eclipse will be observable in Green Bay around midday Monday, August 21. Green Bay Assistant Prof. Brian Welsch led “Oh, the Things You’ll See! A 30-minute Discussion of the Upcoming Eclipse,” Friday, Aug. 11 in the Christie Theatre. A total solar eclipse will be observable in Green Bay around midday Monday, August 21. See more....
Katers, Zorn lead travel course, present at the Universidad del Desarrollo
Dean John Katers and Associate Dean Michael Zorn (College of Science and Technology) are leading 15 students from UW-Green Bay (one undergraduate and 14 from the Master’s in Sustainable Management) on a travel course to Chile, August 8-21. In the process, they are returning to the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD) in Chile to present at the Second Green Innovation Conference: Water-Energy-Wastes Nexus. Zorn will give an overview of the issues impacting the Lower Fox River and Green Bay, with Katers following on the topic of food, water and waste management. A few of the master’s students will also be speaking at the conference. UW-Green Bay hosted a contingent from Chile in June. The itinerary is extensive and includes visits to landfills, sustainable vineyards, an agricultural school, the Yeso Dam and more. This is part of a long-standing partnership with UDD and also a criteria of the $25,000 “100,000 Strong in the Americas” grant from the Coca Cola Foundation.
Chile-Sustainability and Water Resources Travel Course
Professor Meinhardt to present on ‘The Complex Mosaic of Human Sexes’
UW-Green Bay Associate Prof. Dan Meinhardt (Human Biology, Women’s and Gender Studies, Art) will present “The Complex Mosaic of Human Sexes” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5 at the Neville Public Museum. “Oh, you had a baby. What is it?” is often the first question asked… and most think it’s a simple question with one of two simple answers, but the reality of human sexual categorization is much more interesting. Join Meinhardt as he explores the complex mosaic of human sexual anatomy, including variation that causes individuals’ sexual anatomy to change from female to male at puberty. This talk is part of the “Please Check a Box” series of events organized around UW-Green Bay’s Lawton Gallery art exhibition (Sept. 7 through Oct. 5). More information will be available on the Facebook page of Positive Voice (Northeast Wisconsin’s largest LGBTQ support and outreach organization).
Professor Terry talks Foxconn
In the news last week,
WTAQ interviewed UW-Green Bay Director of Engineering Technology, Prof. Patricia Terry on plans for a new $10,000,000,000 manufacturing facility at an undisclosed location in Southern Wisconsin. Foxconn’s Wisconsin location is expected to initially add 3,000 jobs, with the potential of that number growing to 13,000 over time. Terry believes UW-Green Bay can provide some of those workers, saying employer feedback has prompted them to expand manufacturing-related offerings in recent years.
See the interview.
Widow Watcher: UW-Green Bay’s entomologist is first call for the black widow… and ticks, and mosquitoes, and more
UW-Green Bay’s spiderman, biologist Michael Draney, has always been known for his expertise by colleagues across the nation and the world. But recent sightings of the elusive black widow spider in Wisconsin, talk of Zika Virus-carrying mosquitoes and an uptick of tick sightings, is throwing the entomologist in the public spotlight, as well. In this segment he confirms and dispels some black widow spider rumors while sharing his excitement over a recently captured black widow, now added to his collection.
Draney says black widow is rarely seen
The black widow spider is native to Wisconsin but rarely seen, said UW-Green Bay professor Michael Draney. “I’ve been collecting spiders pretty widely since 1999. I’ve collected thousands and thousands of spider specimens, but I’ve never myself collected a northern widow in Wisconsin,” Draney said. Usually, when black widows are found in Wisconsin, they come in on produce trucks from places like California. Those are western widows, not the northern widow native to Wisconsin, Draney said. This is one of many media interviews for Draney, Chair of UW-Green Bay’s Natural and Applied Sciences program.
Wisconsin Public Radio has the latest interview.
More than 50 scientists and professionals gather to assess Bay health and plan for restoration
Fifty scientists, managers and professionals will work together to assess whether currently recommended and future proposed management practices will be sufficient to restore the bay of Green Bay, which is impacted by massive ongoing changes in climate, agriculture, urbanization and development within the watershed. The Cofrin Center for Biodiversity is hosting the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) Summit on the Ecological and Socio-Economic Tradeoffs of Restoration in the Green Bay, Lake Michigan Ecosystem, July 18-20, 2017. The Science Summit workshop will develop a long-term research and management framework that will help researchers and managers to better forecast future conditions in the Bay of Green Bay. The Summit is being led by UW-Green Bay Professors Bob Howe and Kevin Fermanich and by J. Val Klump from the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences and is supported by funding from the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR). Teams of scientist, managers and professionals will meet to summarize the state of current understanding of ecology of the bay ecosystem and, most importantly, the gaps in this understanding. They will then work together to identify what will be needed to develop a lasting, cost effective and scientifically robust restoration strategy and plan.
Engineering Technology is featured story for UW System
The UW System took a new twist on a story from May and Engineering Technology graduate Dessi Koss is getting credit for “paving the way for a new era of academic programming at the University in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.”
Read the story on the UW System website. “Our college students are to be commended. They’re working harder than ever before to maximize their investment in their education,” said Chancellor Gary L. Miller. “They want to help our economies grow and improve community quality of life, and they know that the challenges awaiting them require a varied skill set across multiple disciplines. For some, that means a double or a triple major, or gaining ample college credits in high school so they can accelerate their education and start solving problems sooner. They are doing whatever they can now to be quick and agile learners, able to easily adapt and be successful in a world that is forever changing with rapid technology and marketplace needs.”
Engineering Tech highlighted in ‘News Around the System’
Take a look at what is happening across the University of Wisconsin with this
News Around the UW System video. Engineering Technology is the featured program at UW-Green Bay.
Draney weighs in on large mosquito and tick population
Entomologist and Professor, Michael Draney (Natural and Applied Science), spoke with Fox 11 in a
piece about the large mosquito and tick populations this season on Sunday, June 25. “The mild winter, there was a lot of survivorship for the parents of these mosquitoes. All you really need is warm wet weather; we’ll probably have a severe mosquito season this summer.” Watch the
video.
Engineering School Planned for UW-Green Bay
On Thursday (May 25) the Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee approved a new engineering school for UW-Green Bay, an important first step in the process. Local news outlets
WLUK,
WBAY and
WTAQ have the story.
Greater Green Bay STEM Network selected
to join a national initiative
The STEM Learning Econsystems has selected the Greater Green Bay STEM Network, of which the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is an active member of, to join a national initiative and receives support to build regional partnerships focused on STEM Education Pathways. See the full press release.
UW-Green Bay Celebrates First-ever Engineering Technology Graduates on Saturday, May 13th
Fox 11 news spent some time on campus last Saturday, May 13, 2017, reporting on UW-Green Bay Commencement. The news source focused its coverage on the University’s fastest-growing program, Engineering Technology and the job market for engineering grads, interviewing Dean John Katers (College of Science and Technology) and graduate Ryan Ewert.
EMBI Collaborates with Alliance for the Great Lakes on two newly funded projects
The Environmental Management and Business Institute (EMBI) collaborated with the Alliance for the Great Lakes on two newly funded projects; Agricultural Outreach in the Lower Fox Basin and the Lower Fox Perennial Forage Project. To oversee the projects, a joint position was created in partnership with the Alliance for the Great Lakes and will be […] See more.
De Pere’s Angela Smet is UW-Green Bay’s ‘Most Outstanding’
Congratulations to Most Outstanding Student Award recipient Angela Smet who won the highest award presented by the Alumni Association to a graduating senior. The Medical College of Wisconsin-bound Smet graduates summa cum laude, or highest distinction, in Human Biology. Read her story.
UW-Green Bay’s First Engineering Technology Graduates Among 947 to Receive UW-Green Bay Degrees
Dessi Koss is doing more than graduating from college on Saturday. She is also making history. Koss, the first student to enroll in the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s new program in Engineering Technology in 2015, will also be the first to graduate in the Mechanical Engineering Technology track, paving the way for a new era of academic programming at the University in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. See the full story here.
UWGB students’ rocket flies in NASA-supported Collegiate Rocket Launch
Each year, the NASA-funded Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) sponsors a launch competition for rockets built by student teams from WSGC member colleges and universities. Each team must construct a rocket that meets some engineering challenge.
This fall, four engineering students from UWGB, registered as Team Phoenom, entered the competition for the first time. This year’s task was to build a payload that generated electrical power using some aspect of the flight process. The team (from L to R) – Justin Rasmussen (Team Lead), Eric Short, James Vasquez and David Ginsburg – chose to exploit the thermoelectric effect, generating a voltage from the temperature difference between the hot side of the rocket engine and the ambient temperature inside the rocket’s body.
The students planned and built the rocket, which involved several steps: conceiving the power generation concept; modeling the rocket’s center of gravity and center of pressure to ensure its stability in flight; ordering parts to build the rocket body, its power-generation system, and its recovery system (engine-payload separation and parachute deployment); assembling the rocket; and programming electronics to monitor flight parameters and initiate the recovery system. Team Lead Rasmussen also painted the rocket and added decals (using expertise from custom-decal business that he runs). Assistant Professor of Physics Brian Welsch (CST/ UWGB) was their faculty advisor.
The competition was held on Saturday, April 22, at the Richard Bong State Recreation Area, under clear skies. Team Phoenom’s rocket launched successfully, attained the minimum required altitude (> 2000 ft), and successfully generated power. Teams submitted final reports about their designs and flights to WSGC for judging on Monday, May 8. Results of the competition will be announced in the coming weeks.
The students are enthusiastic about using what they learned this year in future years’ competitions.
Student Scholar
Congratulations to Human Biology junior Napho Xiong who has been selected to a prestigious Summer Public Health Scholars Program (SPHSP) through Columbia University Medical Center in New York. The program is designed for undergraduate students to increase interest in and knowledge of public health and biomedical science careers. Learn more.
Tri-Beta holds Induction Ceremony
Chancellor pens piece for Collective Impact
The Chamber of Commerce Strategic Framework, the proposed Phoenix Innovation Park and new engineering programs at UW-Green Bay, gives Northeast Wisconsin a unique opportunity to significantly advance the economy of this region in the next decade. UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller penned a piece for the Chamber’s Collective Impact. Read “Engineering Fuels Greater Green Bays Future: Now is the Time,” (Page 11).
County Supervisor Streckenbach says his vision includes STEM Center
“In northeast Wisconsin, Brown County needs to start to position itself to be successful in the future, and it needs to start to make the appropriate investments to do that,” Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach, says. The STEM Innovation Center look promising, he says, in an editorial piece by the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “…the county announced it is looking to move the center from county-owned land on the far east side of Green Bay to the UWGB campus, at the invitation of the chancellor,” the PG reported. “We liked the idea of the center at the old mental health center as a way to bring the university closer to the community. However, an on-campus location has its benefits, too, and in effect brings the community to the campus…”
Resources for Southern Door Fab Lab could mean growing interest in Engineering Technology
UW-Green Bay College of Science and Technology Dean John Katers was at Southern Door this week for a big announcement and
was interviewed for the story about nurturing the pipeline for high-demand careers. (See the second of the two stories posted on the WBAY webpage for the Katers interview.) Congratulations to Southern Door High School — one of 21 districts throughout the state to receive a $25,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Council to improve its “Fab Lab” and expand interest in fields of engineering, machining and fabrication.
Innovation on Wheels
Members of campus and the community enjoyed viewing a mobile engineering lab on April 19, built by Turbine Technologies. This climate-controlled lab houses equipment used in educational institutions all over the world. Engineering Technology faculty and students were the prime audience. These are some of the photos taken during the day on campus.
Inside News
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