LEADERS 

▶︎ Experienced academic leader Frank Braun joins UW Oshkosh as the new dean of the College of Business. He previously served as a professor in the School of Business at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and dean of the College of Business, Health and Human Services. He brings both executive and entrepreneurial industry experience to the college.

▶︎ Teri Gee, a scientist with experience in outreach presentations and an interdisciplinary background, is the new manager of the Barlow Planetarium on UWO’s Fox Cities campus. She plans to continue the focus at Barlow of involving school groups and public shows for the community.

▶︎ Alumnus Max Honzik ‘19, of Berlin, Germany, is using his communication skills and passion for sustainability to help transform global consumption habits. He works as a public relations and content manager at Ecolytiq, a startup that provides banks and financial institutions with digital infrastructure to fight climate change.

▶︎ UWO was recognized nationally in July for its comprehensive approach to sustainability. Chancellor Andy Leavitt and Campus Sustainability Director Brad Spanbauer traveled to Washington, D.C. to accept the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Postsecondary Sustainability Award. The award is given for reducing environmental impact and costs; improving the health and wellness of schools, students and staff; and providing effective environmental and sustainability education.

RESEARCHERS

▶︎ A UWO multidisciplinary team was awarded a nearly $1 million, three-year National Science Foundation grant aimed at increasing and retaining women in academic STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) departments. Associate chemistry professor Jennifer Schuttlefield Christus will lead the project as the principal investigator to address intersectional gender equity concerns at UWO identified by previous strategic planning work, a work-life balance study and a recent STEM work climate survey.

▶︎ Senior history major and anthropology minor Catie Gullickson, of Oshkosh, interned last summer with the Oshkosh Public Museum. She worked in the archives to help organize, create and digitize collections so that they are more accessible for the museum and the public. She also created “finding aids,” which describe materials and collections and make them easier to find within the museum’s database.

▶︎ Five UWO students were part of the first-ever group of American students to take part in an archaeological field school in Slovenia. Anthropology faculty Adrienne Frie and Kevin Gartski led the summer adventurers, including Abbey Braker, a junior anthropology major from Jackson, Wisconsin; Julia Dahms, a junior history major from Omro; Abby Holden, a senior anthropology major from Waunakee; Dana Lemke, a senior anthropology and history major from Saukville; and Meredith Volkman, a senior anthropology and biology major from Verona, plus four more students from other universities. They worked to excavate a settlement site in the town of Slavina.

▶︎ A UWO sustainability research team began work in September on a new $1.6 million National Science Foundation study of the social and environmental conditions that contribute to toxic algal blooms in freshwater systems. Stephanie Spehar, director of UWO’s Sustainable Institute for Regional Transformations, leads the interdisciplinary research team of seven faculty and instructional staff members. The project has broad implications as the blooms result in billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide to industry, recreation and public health.

▶︎ Students from UWO and other UW System schools took to Lake Michigan this summer to clean up trash in the water and along the shorelines in a new trash skimmer boat with the aid of a remote-controlled drone purchased with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The large project aimed at preserving water resources critical to the vitality of key Wisconsin communities also involves the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin and collaboration with the Council of the Great Lakes Region National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s marine debris project.

CHAMPIONS

▶︎ Kiersten Bloechl-Karlsen and Heidi Nicholls have each been recognized with an annual administration award from the UW System. Bloechl-Karlsen, an associate dean of students in the Dean of Students office, is the winner of the Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People. Nicholls, an assistant professor in the anthropology, global religions and cultures department, has earned UW System’s Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award.

▶︎ Forbes has named UW Oshkosh among the best 10 employers in Wisconsin. Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to compile this fourth annual list, which was created from an anonymous survey of 70,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees. The University also ranked No. 3 in the state among higher education institutions.

▶︎ Recent graduate Leah Porath ‘22, of New London, the most decorated player in UWO women’s basketball history, signed a professional contract with the Martini Sparks of the Vrouwen Basketball League in the Netherlands. The marketing and supply chain management major was named an NCAA Division III All-American on six occasions and was a finalist for the 2022 Jostens Trophy.

▶︎ Intense training paid off for UWO ROTC cadets who took second in a competition that tested them on everything from physical strength and endurance to weapons qualification and knot tying. The team included Katie Fruth, a senior nursing major from Union Grove; Christian Hecht, a senior international studies major from Weyauwega; Reed Polgar, a senior philosophy major from Zion, Illinois; and Emily Rivero, a sophomore psychology major from Lake Forest, Illinois.

▶︎ Alicia Stuedemann, the associate director of new student and family programs, was among those honored at the Opening Day Honors program on Sept. 6. She received both an Outstanding Service Award and the LGBTQIA+ Ally Award. Her recent efforts helped carry out the highest number of sessions (56) in the history of Titan Takeoff orientation while also building her professional team. She is the co-chair of the Beyond Equity and Action committee on campus, a team fellow for swimming and diving and an advocate and mentor for many student leaders.

▶︎ Nurse.org recently recognized UWO’s Accelerated BSN Option as the No. 2 online nursing program in the nation for non-nurses. As the first program of its kind to be developed in the United States, the Accelerated BSN Option was designed for individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree and are seeking a BSN. Available to students anywhere, the rigorous curriculum allows for non-nurses to achieve their dream of becoming a nurse in just 12 months.

▶︎ In August, UWO was one of 187 schools nationwide to be awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. Like other TRIO programs, McNair Scholars Program grants are awarded in five-year cycles. This marks the fourth successful grant application for UWO, which first welcomed McNair during the 2007-08 school year.

▶︎ UW Oshkosh is one of the best schools for military service members and veterans in the state, according to newly published rankings by Military Times. UWO landed at No. 2 in Wisconsin and No. 86 nationwide among public schools in the 2022 Best for Vets: College rankings.

More from Titan magazine:

• Their own path: Four students share how they found success at UWO
• Chancellor’s message: Welcome to UWO, where we’re dedicated to student success
• ‘Playing for each other’: Depth and trust helped UWO volleyball soar in ’22
• UW Oshkosh 1871 Society: New giving initiative supports scholarships for students
• Corporate connections: Alumni events strengthen Titan community