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Students from South Korea explore UW Oshkosh

Students from South Korea explore UW Oshkosh

Students from South Korea are getting a taste of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and the region in a two-week visit that continues to Aug. 25. UW Oshkosh’s international education office, College of Nursing and engineering department are hosting nursing and engineering students, professors and chaperones in academic and cultural activities on and off campus. Engineering students have collected water samples and performed lab analysis at UWO. They traveled to northern Wisconsin for academic and outdoor activities with professors, including a couple of campfire dinners. Nursing students received English classes, visited the College of Nursing simulation lab, as well as the YMCA, Oshkosh Seniors Center and BEAMING Inc.’s equine assisted services. All of the international visitors traveled to Madison Aug. 19 to explore the city and receive a Capitol tour.

Visiting South Korean students Aug. 17, 2023 -1.jpg

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UWO gymnastics celebrated for national championship by Milwaukee Brewers

UWO gymnastics celebrated for national championship by Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers honored the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh gymnastics team Friday night at American Family Field. The back-to-back national champions were recognized on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and head coach Lauren Karnitz ’06, ’12 MSE, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

The Titans earned a second consecutive National Collegiate Gymnastics Association championship in Winona, Minnesota in March. It secured the 49th national championship for UW Oshkosh athletics.

UWO Gymnastics team on Miller Field Aug. 4, 2023 -54.jpg

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A donation on UWO’s Giving Day can impact students for years to come

A donation on UWO’s Giving Day can impact students for years to come

Our Sesquicentennial Community Celebration is mere days away. Along with honoring our long history, we’ll build for tomorrow with our 150th Anniversary Giving Day on Sept. 12. We look forward to the Titan community coming together and recognizing UWO and the impact it’s had over 150 years.

In the video below, Chancellor Andrew Leavitt and many other Titan faculty and staff share the impact donations have on our students and university.

Giving Day – Why Give to UWO from UW Oshkosh on Vimeo.

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UW Oshkosh celebrates 150 years of excellence and opportunity

UW Oshkosh celebrates 150 years of excellence and opportunity

Consider this 150 years in nine minutes.

This video, directed and edited by University Marketing and Communications videographer Jason Page, tells the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s 150-year story of excellence and opportunity since its inception in 1871 as the Oshkosh Normal School for teacher training. UW Oshkosh archivist Joshua Ranger and Justine Stokes, television services director, provided the research for the video, which was narrated by retired director of WRST radio Randall Davidson.

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#TitansAre: Leaders, researchers and champions

LEADERS

▶︎ UWO will begin offering a new biomedical engineering degree this fall to prepare graduates for a growing biomedical technology and healthcare workforce in Wisconsin. The UW System Board of Regents approved the interdisciplinary degree—the first engineering degree at UWO—on March 31. Greg Kleinheinz, chair of the engineering and engineering technology department, said the degree will prepare graduates for a wide range of careers working with medical implants and prosthetics, devices and signal processing, and organ and tissue engineering.

▶︎ It could be a whole new ball game for Titans and area high school baseball players as Fox Valley philanthropist Mary Beth Nienhaus made a $500,000 matching pledge to help renovate UWO’s deteriorating baseball field. The current field, a natural surface field built on a former landfill, has been plagued in recent years with spring thaw issues and significant erosion from runoff. The renovation project will include installing an artificial surface and adding lights.

▶︎ Edwin Martini began serving as UW Oshkosh’s new provost on July 5, following the retirement of John Koker, who held the post since October 2018. As the new chief academic officer, he will be responsible for leading UWO’s colleges, faculty, instructional staff and academic programs.

▶︎ Josiah Benjamin, a junior human services leadership major from Oshkosh, was honored with the Oshkosh 94 Student Leadership Award at the third annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration and Awards Program in February. The award recognizes students who work to advance the standing and enhance the experiences of African American students at UWO. It also acknowledges students who have demonstrated leadership in promoting equity, inclusion and social justice for African Americans.

▶︎ Brittney Harrison, a senior choral music education major from Racine, will serve as the drum major for the Titan Thunder Marching Band’s second season. The drum major serves as the leader and chief student liaison connecting the band’s members and staff. Musically, the drum major serves as the primary rehearsal and stands conductor and helps develop the routines for on-field performances.

▶︎ UWO’s commitment to advancing the outcomes of first-generation students was recognized in March by the Center for First-Generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and the Suder Foundation. More than 40% of UWO students are the first in their families to pursue a degree.

▶︎ In March, the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce recognized Dale Feinauer, assistant dean of the College of Business, with the Lynne Webster Leadership Award. Feinauer, an expert in labor and human resource management, was honored for his commitment to the Leadership Oshkosh program. He has inspired hundreds of budding community leaders for more than 15 years.

RESEARCHERS

▶︎ Pawel Olszewski, an associate mechanical engineering technology professor, recently was granted a U.S.patent for his flameless impingement oven, designed and built in the Teaching and Energy Research Industrial Lab on the Oshkosh campus. The hot new invention arranges natural gas and air jets to directly affect the object being heated, substantially transferring heat by impingement transfer rather than by conventional radiation and thermally induced convection. Olszewski is hoping a local company involved in melting aluminum, cast iron, steel or glass will take an interest in the technology.

▶︎ Seven UWO seniors and their faculty mentors presented research findings on a variety of topics to legislators, state leaders and alumni in Wisconsin’s Capitol Rotunda at the 19th annual Research in the Rotunda in March. The undergraduate researchers included: Yanet Fernandez, a mathematics major with a statistics emphasis from Oshkosh; Eric Giese, anthropology and geography major from West Bend; Catie Gullickson, history major from Oshkosh; Meagan Leach, criminal justice and psychology major from Monroe; Joseph Sandy, music composition major from Kaukauna; Adam Sobieski, microbiology major from Berlin; and Kendal Watwood, a biomedical science major from Centennial, Colorado.

▶︎ Six undergraduate scholars with the African American Studies program traveled to the University of Florida in Gainesville to present their research at the 47th annual National Council for Black Studies Conference in March. Those presenting were Samuel Maceno, a junior political science major from Sherwood; Jayden Nicole Flowers, a senior psychology major from Milwaukee; Ene Priscilla Idoko, an economics major from Abuja, Nigeria; Keashun J. Lawrence, a sophomore business major from Milwaukee; Imagine Rose Manders, senior psychology and sociology major from Appleton; and Makaylee Catherine Stewart, a senior psychology major from Menomonee Falls.

CHAMPIONS

▶︎  The Advance-Titan, the independent student newspaper covering UWO, earned 17 awards in the 2022 Collegiate Better Newspaper Contest at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Convention. Among the winners was editor-in-chief Katie Pulvermacher, a senior advertising and multimedia journalism major from Hartford, who received first place in breaking news reporting, first place in feature writing and a third place and honorable mention in page design.

▶︎ Mai See Thao, UWO’s Hmong studies director, was named in January as an emerging scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. She is a medical anthropologist with research interests in historical trauma, displacement, the refugee body, biopolitics and care (long-term care and chronic disease management).

▶︎ Zach’s Bingo Hall, an event presented by Reeve Union Board and hosted by student Zach Easton, a pre-social work major from Wisconsin Rapids, earned the Student-Driven Program of the Year Award in March at the Association of College Unions International. Easton works to bring energy, crowd participation and charisma to the fun game of chance.

▶︎ Professor of teaching and learning Tammy Ladwig was named Educator of the Year by the Fox Cities Chamber in April. She was honored for outstanding commitment to supporting students and efforts outside of the classroom to enhance educational experiences and outcomes of students. The selection committee couldn’t help but notice Ladwig’s eight independent nominations and two dozen letters of support.

▶︎ Taylor Swanson, a junior psychology major, earned the title Miss Oshkosh 2023 in March. The Wisconsin Rapids native received a $3,500 scholarship for her first-place finish. She also was awarded the Spirit of Miss America Award, earning an additional $300 in scholarships. For the talent portion of the competition, Swanson performed a cello solo. Her social impact initiative is mental health mindfulness.

▶︎ Lecturer Grace Lim led an effort to preserve the details of UWO’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in a 250-page book called Campus COVID Stories. MaryAnn Reindl, a medical laboratory science major from Fremont; Tanner Sarauer, a political science major from Slinger; Emelia Smith, a nursing major from Oshkosh; and Cory Sparks, radio TV film major from Pleasant Prairie, gave a multimedia presentation about the effort in April as part of their Honors College thesis projects.

▶︎ The Cheer and Stunt team secured its fifth state championship in February at the Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches. The event, held at Oshkosh Arena, brought together more than 100 junior varsity, varsity and college teams from across the state.

▶︎ A team of five cadets representing Fox Valley Battalion Reserve Officer Training Corps showed its strength in a test of individual and team skills in the Northern Warfare Challenge in February at Fort McCoy. The competition is designed to test the limits as cadets compete in physical challenges and soldiering skills. The team included two cadets from UWO: Mike Conway, a sophomore business administration major from Slinger; and Emily Rivero, a sophomore psychology major from Lake Forest, Illinois.

 

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Sgt. Duenkel earns UW Oshkosh July STAR Award

Chance Duenkel, a sergeant with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh police department, has earned the STAR Award for July.

Duenkel was nominated as follows by Lt. Greg Weitz:

“Staffing shortages have required all members of our department to take on additional tasks and responsibilities, which is no different than a lot of University departments. Regardless of where someone works, that might typically mean working a few more hours a week to make sure the extra duties are getting some attention. The UW Oshkosh police department is no different. Chance Duenkel is a daytime sergeant for the UWOPD. His normal tasks include supervising daytime patrol operations, report and paperwork review, supervising our records personnel, scheduling training/ keeping officers updated with training requirements, and onboarding new employees, among several other duties.

“When our staffing reached a critically low level in September, Sgt. Duenkel volunteered to move from dayshift to nightshift for two months to cover vacancies in our patrol schedule. So, in addition to his regular supervisory tasks, he also took on the role of a patrol officer, responding to calls for service. Not too many people willingly switch from working daytime, Monday-Friday to nighttime, rotating days, but this move allowed the UWOPD to save dozens of hours of overtime and alleviated the strain that those extra overtime hours would have put on an already overburdened patrol division.

“While making the shift change from dayshift to nightshift, Sgt. Duenkel also agreed to be the department accreditation manager to help move forward with our goal of becoming an accredited law enforcement agency. This is a very time-consuming task, which involves meetings and training sessions, all of which occur during the day. Sgt. Duenkel worked longer hours and made adjustments to his schedule to accommodate training and meetings. He doesn’t complain or look for any extra incentives, he simply does it because, once completed, it will help move our department in a positive direction and is good for our community.

“Sgt. Duenkel’s work ethic, cooperation and constant focus on doing what is good for our department and the University as a whole, makes him a role model and provides an excellent example for our younger officers. Sgt. Duenkel is the definition of a dedicated UW Oshkosh employee and always puts the good of the police department and his coworkers over what might be easier or more convenient for him. He doesn’t seek out the type of recognition that comes with being a STAR Award recipient, but he is definitely a most deserving candidate.”

Mattingly leads UWO-Fond du Lac Foundation

Alicia Mattingly

Alicia (Brewer) Mattingly ’15, of Fond du Lac, has been appointed the new executive director of the UWO-Fond du Lac Foundation. She has been with the Foundation since February and began the executive director role in June.

Mattingly is a graduate of UWO Fond du Lac and majored in human services at UW Oshkosh. She has many years of nonprofit experience.

“I am beyond excited and honored to be back working with the University that helped get me to where I am today. I am a proud Titan and can’t wait to serve the Fond du Lac campus students,” she said.

The Foundation’s primary objectives are to provide scholarships for students and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff and to help improve the resources available to students, faculty and staff, the campus and the foundation.

Mattingly replaces longtime executive director Barbara Senn, who recently retired.

 

UW Oshkosh alumni class notes: July 2023

’69 John Breaker (EHS) and ’75 (MSE), of Menasha, is a retired physical education teacher. Breaker coordinates the annual Menasha All-City Grade School Track and Field Wellness Day and other fitness events through the Menasha Joint School District.

’73 Jane (Esser) Gurno (EHS), of Fond du Lac, has taught in the Campbellsport School District for 50 years.

’79 LeAnn Jungenberg-Klumb (EHS), of Adams, is mayor of the city of Adams. Jungenberg-Klumb had been on the city council for six years and is a retired teacher from the Adams-Friendship Area School District.

’81 Julie Thenell (EHS) and ’87 (MSE), of Boulder, Colorado, is a private practice nutrition consultant who serves as chair for both the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board and Certified Dietary Supplement Professional Committee for the National Association of Nutrition Professionals.

’87 Ken Stephanie (B), of Fond du Lac, is the finance director for Green Lake County.

’89 Carla Buboltz (EHS), of De Pere, is retiring as superintendent of the Wrightstown School District where she has served since 2002.

’89 Joy (Vandenbush) Persinger (EHS), of Cato, is retiring after 32 years of elementary teaching, primarily at Valders Elementary School.

’90 Trevy McDonald (LS), of Durham, North Carolina, is the associate dean for ABIDE (Access, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

’90 Janet (Thorne) Paisar (EHS), of Gresham, was initiated as a new member in the Delta Kappa Gamma Nu Chapter, an international society of key women educators in Waupaca and Shawano Counties. Paisar is a second grade teacher at Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School in Clintonville.

’92 Dan Mella (EHS), of Glenbeulah, is retiring as Plymouth Schools superintendent. Mella has worked 21 years in the district and served as superintendent since 2020.

’95 Terri Trantow (MBA), of De Pere, a private wealth managing director at US Bank, earned the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award, which recognizes efforts made to support soldiers and veterans through a wide range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families and granting leaves of absence when needed.

’96 Brenda Valley (EHS) and ’99 (MS), of Green Bay, has taught second grade at Oneida Nation Elementary School for 17 years. Valley, who worked at the UWO Residence Life Fitness Center, still prioritizes fitness and is a member of the Green Bay Moms Run This Town/She Runs This Town for over five years.

’98 Albert Brass (MSE), of Joliet, Illinois, is the principal of Kankakee High School in the Kankakee School District. Brass was the former grade level principal at Proviso East High School in Maywood.

’98 Kelly (Risner) Heroux (B), of Peshtigo, will serve a three-year term on the Wisconsin Bankers Association Board of Directors. Heroux is the president and CEO of Peshtigo National Bank.

Nancy Ostrowski

’98 Nancy (Stelter) Ostrowski (B) and ’07 (MBA), of Oshkosh, leads the customer logistics organization managing Amazon, direct-to-consumer orders and Omnichannel integration for Kimberly-Clark.

’99 Dean Kane (B), of Denmark, will be inducted into the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame in August. Kane is a senior treasury analyst with Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company.

’99 Derek Owens (LS), of Chicago, Illinois, is senior vice president and general counsel at Caterpillar Inc. Owens will transition into chief legal officer and general counsel.

’00 Elisabeth (Salazar) Thomsen (LS), of Sussex, is the American Cancer Society’s executive director for Milwaukee. Thomsen has over 20 years of leadership in the nonprofit sector, previously working for Children’s of Wisconsin and March of Dimes.

’01 Jacquelyn (Carey) Kiffmeyer (EHS), of Oshkosh, is the director of secondary schools in the Oshkosh Area School District. Kiffmeyer was formerly the principal at Oshkosh North High School.

’01 Erin Kohl (EHS), of Oshkosh, is the director of elementary schools in the Oshkosh Area School District. Kohl has been the principal at Oshkosh West High School since 2013.

’02 James Nighbor (EHS), of Berlin, is the 2023 Clintonville Public School District Teacher of the Year. Nighbor has taught health and physical education for 21 years.

’03 Danen Kane (LS), of Ronkonkoma, New York, is a Christian singer/songwriter who has played almost 3,000 events in multiple states and three countries.

Deanne Koll

’03 Deanne (Bahti) Koll (LS), of Roberts, an attorney with Bakke Norman, S.C., was elected treasurer of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

’03 Tressa (Wilson) Votis (EHS), of Argonne, delivered the commencement speech at her alma mater, Crandon High School, where she taught advanced placement classes. Votis also established the Crandon chapter of Psi Alpha Honor Society in Psychology and received the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation for Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022.

’04 Jill (Kincaid) Oelslager (EHS), of Muskego, is interim superintendent for the Burlington Area School District for the 2023-24 school year.

’05 Sara (Walzer) Clark (N), of Kaukauna, graduated from the 2022-23 Leadership Fox Cities program. Clark is a manager of patient care with Ascension.

’05 Elizabeth (Woodworth) Kujawa (LS), of Berlin, is a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s NCAA Division III Athlete Hall of Fame class of 2023. Kujawa won three consecutive indoor and outdoor 800-meter run titles from 2002-04 to become the only athlete in NCAA Division III history to accomplish that feat.

’07 Meghan (DuFour) Sherwood (EHS), of Appleton, graduated from the 2022-23 Leadership Fox Cities program. Sherwood is the associate director of community engagement at United Way Fox Cities.

Kate Bennett

’09 Kate (Goedtel) Bennett (LS), of Oconomowoc, is a lead behavioral health consultant at Children’s Wisconsin. Bennett received her doctoral degree in clinical social work from the University of Kentucky in 2022.

’09 Adam Dorn (LS), of New London, graduated from the 2022-23 Leadership Fox Cities program. Dorn is the assistant chief of fire prevention/fire marshal with Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue.

’09 Jacquline Smedberg (MSE), of Appleton, graduated from the 2022-23 Leadership Fox Cities program. Smedberg is principal of Appleton East High School and the Tesla Engineering Charter School.

’13 Anthony Miller Jr. (LS) and ’15 (MS), of Neenah, is the Oshkosh Area School District’s director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Miller was formerly the Scholars for Success manager at Fox Valley Technical College.

’14 Craig Schott (LS), of Neenah, graduated from the 2022-23 Leadership Fox Cities program. Schott is a senior architect with Thrivent.

’14 Chris Tarmann (EHS), of Neenah, was honored with the Dale Brunner Hall of Fame Award, a prestigious service honor granted to law enforcement members supporting Special Olympics Wisconsin.

’15 Matthew Onstad (LS), of Middleton, was the featured musician at the Middleton Community Orchestra’s spring concert in May. Onstad is an assistant professor of trumpet at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he teaches applied trumpet, coaches chamber music, performs with the Whitewater Brass Quartet and teaches arts appreciation courses.

’15 Ryan Steiskal (LS), of Milwaukee, won the Wisconsin Fairtastic Poster Art Competition; the only artist to have won the competition twice. Steiskal’s illustration will be printed and sold as posters and postcards during the Wisconsin State Fair, with proceeds benefitting the Wisconsin State Fair Park Foundation.

Ryan Steiskal

’16 Melissa (Kaminski) Smith (B), of Freedom, graduated from the 2022-23 Leadership Fox Cities program. Smith is a tax manager with Wipfli LLP.

’16 Amanda Sosnosky (MBA), of Mishicot, was named president of the board of directors Association of Wisconsin Surgery Centers. Sosnosky is the administrator of Orthopedic Surgery Center of the Fox Valley and Orthopedic Surgery Center of Green Bay.

’17 Zach Zabel (B) and ’21 (MBA), of Oshkosh, is vice president of programs for the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce. Zabel was formerly the workforce program coordinator.

’18 Ariel Kimbalek (N) and ’22 (DNP), of Green Bay, joined the gastroenterology team at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center.

’20 Paige Zoelk (LS), of Appleton, graduated from the 2022-23 Leadership Fox Cities program. Zoelk is an assistant branch manager with Community First Credit Union.

’22 Brady Bierman (LS), of De Pere, is a digital AV coordinator with PMI Entertainment Group. Bierman was previously a director at NBC 26 in Green Bay.

’22 Nina Loomis (LS), of Oshkosh, is the urban farm manager at Grow It Forward, Wisconsin’s largest nonprofit hydroponic farm. Loomis oversees 51 hydroponic units and is passionate about providing dignified access to good food for those in need.

’22 Gideon Patrick (LS), of Oshkosh, is a filmmaker who released a new independent film, u bored u die. Patrick has created several narrative shorts and more than 50 documentary shorts,

’23 Brianna Gonnering (LS), of Kimberly, is the special events coordinator for the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce.

’23 Tommy Truty (EHS), of Oshkosh, led Shoes for Sunshine, a collection of new and gently worn shoes gathered by the Franki Moscato Foundation in Oshkosh. The shoes will be sold by the pound and funds will be used to support Moscato’s mission of preventing teen suicide.

UW Oshkosh alumni obituaries: July 2023

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Alumni Relations Office has received the following death notices:

‘40s

Wilbur Sperling (EHS) ’47, River Falls, May 25, 2023

‘50s

Godfrey Gabriel (EHS) ’52, Antigo, May 23, 2023
Donald Orlowski (EHS) ’56, Milwaukee, March 22, 2023

‘60s

David Breister (B) ’65, Oshkosh, June 7, 2023
Patricia (Prevost) Clark (EHS) ’64, Green Bay, May 28, 2023
Alberta Graham (EHS) ’61 and (MS) ’78, Pulaski, May 31, 2023
David Jenkins (LS) ’66, Portage, June 7, 2023
James Reed (LS) ’69, Oshkosh, May 26, 2023
Gordon Rieden (EHS) ’60, Crivitz, May 30, 2023

‘70s

Bernie Barribeau (EHS) ’73, Oshkosh, June 14, 2023
Michael Mann (B) ’79, Mount Calvary, May 22, 2023
Jon Martzahl (LS) ’71, Kaukauna, June 12, 2023
Jane (Warnecke) Schiedermayer (EHS) ’71, Hortonville, May 28, 2023

‘80s

Gloria Blackwell (B) ’82, (MBA) ’89, Knoxville, Tennessee, June 9, 2023
Todd Schulz (B) ’87, Racine, May 29, 2023

‘90s

Todd Hencsik (EHS) ’96, De Pere, May 28, 2023
Holly Johnson (MPA) ’94, Venice, Florida, May 24, 2023

‘00s

Maisi (Harris) Schrauth (LS) ’07, Neenah, March 31, 2023
Denise Siemers-Babish (MPA) ’01, Evansville, May 28, 2023

Faculty and friends

Bruce Erickson, assistant baseball coach 2007-08, Appleton, June 4, 2023
Roxana Huebscher, associate professor 1993-97, 2000-04; director of graduate studies 2005-10; Abrams, April 25, 2023

🟨 ⬛️ 🟨

ABBREVIATION KEY

COLLEGES

• AAS — Associate of Arts and Science Degree
• B — Business
• EHS — Education and Human Services
• LLCE  — Lifelong Learning and Community Engagement
• LS — Letters and Science
• N — Nursing

GRADUATE DEGREES

• DNP — Doctor of Nursing Practice
• EdD — Doctor of Education
• GMBA — Global Master of Business Administration
• MA — Master of Arts
• MBA— Master of Business Administration
• MPA — Master of Public Administration
• MS — Master of Science
• MSE — Master of Science in Education
• MSN — Master of Science in Nursing
• MST — Master of Science in Teaching
• MSW — Master of Social Work

If you know of a classmate, family member or other UW Oshkosh friend who has passed away, send an to email alumni@uwosh.edu or call the Alumni Relations Office at (877) UWO-ALUM or (920) 424-3449.

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