Alumni Spotlight

Dr. Chris Matheny Named President

Dr. Chris Matheny began his new role as president of Fox Valley Technical College on August 1.

He has been with the college for 17 years and most recently served as executive vice president for instruction and chief academic officer at FVTC.

Dr. Matheny fills the position left open by Dr. Susan May, who retired on July 31 after 38 years of service with the college, including 13 years as president.

He was selected after the college conducted a nationwide search.

“As I begin my new role as president of FVTC, I am hopeful for our future and thankful for the dedication of the nearly 1,500 full- and part-time staff members who serve our students every day,” Dr. Matheny says. “We are committed to keeping Fox Valley Technical College a regional, state, and national leader in technical education and to improving educational outcomes for our students, customers, and partners.” Dr. Chris Matheny

Back to Class and Back IN Class

Campuses and centers welcome back students.

Students returned to classes at Fox Valley Technical College on August 23 with most being held in-person on campus. The college saw a 15% increase in the number of class selections being taught in person and a 15% decrease in the number of online classes. In total, FVTC will deliver more than 3,800 class sections in person, online and via virtual classroom.

Several programs started the semester at capacity, including Criminal Justice, Electricity, Phlebotomy, Cosmetology, several Auto Technology programs and several Nursing programs.

FVTC also started several innovative programs: Surgical Technology, Data Specialist, Virtual Assistant, Medical Laboratory Assistant, Technical Education Instruction and Foundations of Teacher Education.

Also coming soon, the college will offer a new collegiate transfer degree that focuses on general education course work. In a cooperative agreement with Madison College, this option allows students to complete a 60-credit associate in arts or an associate in science degree through FVTC. These credits maximize transferability to many four-year universities in several pre-major disciplines, such as Engineering, Education, Math, Science and Technology, and Arts and Humanities.

Take A Class

Learn a new skill, explore a new career, and stay close to home taking classes that will transfer to other colleges. New classes are added regularly, so visit often for the most current options. Search for classes and register online at www.fvtc.edu/TakeAClass.

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See something you like? The articles in this magazine are easily accessible with additional links, photos and videos at

www.fvtc.edu/Focus.

News Briefs

For the latest Fox Valley Technical College news, visit www.fvtc.edu/News.

• The FVTC Foundation welcomed 160 golfers to its 33rd annual Foundation Scholarship Golf Outing. The event, held

Aug. 4 at Royal St. Patrick’s golf course in Wrightstown, raised more than $110,000 for student scholarships.

• Student Mike Scepanski recently competed in the 2021

SkillsUSA competition in the Diesel Equipment Technology category. Mike placed first in Wisconsin and went on to secure a second-place finish at the national level.

• Outdoor Power Equipment Technology student Nic Hansen earned a first place award at the 2021 national SkillsUSA competition.

• Mike Gawel, a financial aid facilitator at FVTC and a Purple Heart recipient for his valor as a member of the

U.S. Army, was chosen to represent

Wisconsin as part of the 2021 Purple

Heart Patriot Project. With this distinction, Gawel traveled to New

York for a multi-day event honoring the courage and sacrifice of those wounded in combat. Mike Gawel • The Trucking Industry Defense Association recently awarded $6,500 to the FVTC Truck Driving program for helping to shape the future of the trucking industry. The funds will be used for student scholarships.

• Holly Maas has been named the recipient of the Fox Valley Technical

College 2021 Outstanding Alumni

Award. Holly is a 2016 graduate of the

Forensic Science program and currently works as an Evidence Technician at the Ashwaubenon Department of Public

Safety. Holly has the distinction of being the first full-time civilian property room manager/evidence technician in the state of Wisconsin.

Looking for Outstanding Alumni

FVTC is seeking nominations for its 2022 Outstanding Alumni Award. Each year, this distinguished honor is presented to a deserving alumnus who has completed a Fox Valley Technical College associate degree, technical diploma or apprentice program. The nomination deadline is noon (CST) on Feb. 15, 2022.

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/Alumni

SOLD: Student-Built House

Latest home by Residential Building Construction students has new owners.

The real estate market has been particularly active in 2021 and that activity fared well for students in the Residential Building Construction program at Fox Valley Tech. They finished their latest home build in June and new owners purchased it in October.

The 1,613 square foot 3-bedroom, 2-bath home was built in the Village of Harrison. The FVTC Foundation funds these home building projects by purchasing the lot, paying all construction expenses and listing the finished home for sale.

Once the home is sold, the Foundation recovers its investment and uses any profits from the sale for more building projects and scholarships.