Currently Viewing: Summer 2007

PEOPLE

Recent statewide, regional and national professional awards and appointments received by UW Colleges and UW-Extension faculty and staff

The following individuals have been elected to the UW-Extension Academic Staff Council for two-year terms (2007-09):

• Allisanne Apple, Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
• Lynne Blinkenberg, Broadcasting and Media Innovations
• Ja'twan Campbell-Pinson, Cooperative Extension
• Tom Culviner, Division of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning

The eight council members assist with the development of policies and procedures concerning UW-Extension academic staff members.

Brett Barker, assistant professor of history, UW-Marathon County, has been awarded the UW Colleges 2007 Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Barker was cited for his approach in teaching students how to learn history, bringing history alive, applying extensive research for use in his courses, and for challenging students to learn in complex ways.

The following employees have received UW-Extension Academic Staff Council Awards for their excellence and outstanding service to the university community and beyond:

• Franklyn Boll, distinguished television artist, Broadcasting and Media Innovations, Academic Staff Regents Award for Excellence nominee
• Jill Hicks, Healthy Beginnings staff mentor/home visitor/nutrition educator, Cooperative Extension, Instructional Award
• Nathan Trick, online resources specialist, Broadcasting and Media Innovations, Noninstructional Award

Andrea De Palma of UW Colleges and Cheryl Horns of UW-Extension are each a recipient of a UW System Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award, which annually recognizes 16 women for their extensive contributions to their campuses and communities. De Palma is an assistant professor of computer science at the UW-Marshfield/Wood County. Cheryl Horns is a nutrition educator/instructional specialist for the Cooperative Extension Family Living Program, UW-Extension Milwaukee County.

The ide@s.Wisconsin.edu Web site, which provides resources for Wisconsin educators, received high marks in searchability and resource quality in a recent study by Elisabetta Patrimia at the University of Bari in Italy. Patrimia ranked 27 Web-based international education-related repositories on searchability, ease of date entry, resource quality, user management and Web services. ide@s, funded by the UW-Extension Division of Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning and UW System, placed seventh overall, ahead of repositories created by NASA and AT&T. Jeff Horney, an ad hoc program specialist with the continuing education dean's office, coordinates the site.

Wisconsin Public Radio capitol reporter Shawn Johnson is the winner of a Wisconsin Associated Press First Place Broadcast Award for his "Governor's Election" series. WPR student intern Danielle Kaeding, UW-Superior, received a First Place Award for her documentary "I Can Handle My Drugs: Fighting Methamphetamine."

Jonathan Kasparek, assistant professor of history, UW-Waukesha, has received the 2006 First Place Award in the political science category from the Midwest Independent Publishers Association for his book, Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Ron Lippi, professor of anthropology at the UW-Marathon County, has received his sixth research grant in as many years from the Butler Foundation of New Hampshire to continue archaeological excavations at Palmitopamba, Ecuador, this coming summer.

Donna Menart, assistant state 4-H/youth development leader, Cooperative Extension, is the recipient of the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Air Force Recruiting Award. This is the first time that a Wisconsinite has been honored with this annual award from the U.S. Air Force.

Shelley Ryan, host of Wisconsin Public Television's "Wisconsin Gardener," is the recipient of an Award of Merit from Seed Savers Exchange, an international nonprofit organization that is a leader in horticulture and gardening. The award recognizes Ryan's outstanding contributions to the world of gardening and notes that she has "...helped change the way America gardens."

The UW-La Crosse Continuing Education/Extension Master of Education-Professional Development Learning Community Program recently was honored with the Outstanding Credit Program Award from the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). The award recognizes program originality, a contribution to the field of continuing education, and excellence in achieving educational objectives. The program offers practicing PK-12 educators the opportunity to improve their teaching and make immediate applications to their classroom while earning their master's degree.

Jim Veninga, dean and campus executive officer, UW-Marathon County, has been awarded the Outstanding External Contributor to Student Services Award, presented by the student services departments from the 13 UW Colleges. He was also recently appointed to a three-year term on the Wisconsin Humanities Council.

Click on "Contacts" to submit "People" items to your UW Colleges campus university relations specialist or UW-Extension unit/division Communications Team member.