Report by President Ray Cross to the Board of Regents
UW-Platteville students are collaborating on a cutting-edge cancer research project. They are investigating a new way to target and kill cancer cells by inducing a pH change in the individual cell. The students will present their work at Research in the Rotunda on April 12.
The new Center for Community Engaged Learning at UW-Superior is a one-stop shop that supports student opportunities. Working with center staff, students participate in hands-on, practical learning experiences that align with community needs and help meet the region’s most pressing priorities.
UW-Stout’s employment rate for recent graduates has risen to more than 97 percent. For the third year in a row, an increased number of UW-Stout graduates are working within six months of graduation. In addition, the university’s annual economic impact in its seven-county region is more than $270 million.
Christine Thomas of UW-Stevens Point will be inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame this spring. Thomas is the College of Natural Resources Dean, and one of only three conservation leaders selected for induction in 2017.
UW-River Falls hosted its Innovation Challenge in March. Student teams created pitches for their business ideas, which they then presented to business and community leaders. Winning teams will now compete in the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament.
Nursing graduate students at UW-Oshkosh presented updates on the latest clinical practices for lower respiratory tract diseases to fellow students. They are part of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program and are currently working in clinical rotations across the state.
UW-Parkside’s commitment to high-impact teaching and learning was evident during Winterim when 13 political science students visited Standing Rock. Students gained an understanding of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and the complex issues surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline as part of their political science research.
Career Services at UW-La Crosse links hundreds of students with internships and jobs each year. Senior Amanda Hytry has already lined up a job when she graduates in May. She credits hard work in class, an internship, and connections made through Career Services.
UW-Milwaukee Civil Engineering Professor Konstantin Sobolev creates high-performance concrete composites that last up to 120 years – three times the lifespan of current roads. More than 100,000 people have viewed a Facebook video about his innovative work.
Engineering students at UW-Green Bay are using the advanced technology of 3D printers firsthand. The students fabricate intricate parts for their design projects, giving them a hands-on approach that rivals top research universities.
UW-Extension’s Center for Technology Commercialization kicked off a new course in March to boost diversity in entrepreneurship. Seven teams are learning how to make a case for an innovative business idea through real-world exercises.
UW-Eau Claire’s support for a performing arts center in downtown Eau Claire has led to a cultural revitalization of the Chippewa Valley. This building project was the topic of a recent Wisconsin Technology Council event.
The UW Colleges Writing Program earned national recognition last month for advancing first-year college literacy. The National Council of Teachers of English awarded only four such recognitions this year.
Sesame Street will emphasize kindness in its upcoming season with the help of UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds. The research center studies the science of well-being and created a mindfulness-based Kindness Curriculum that will be available free of charge this spring.
UW-Whitewater hosted Kiki Smith, the first Visiting Artist supported by a $1-million endowment given by alumna Annette Schuh and her husband, Dale. Smith presented a public lecture and spent a week producing original art prints, while students used the gallery as a printmaking lab.