UW-La Crosse CLS Evening of Excellence Awards 2014

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College of Liberal Studies black + PMS 202 presents The 13th Annual

Evening of Excellence

PMS 202

April 29, 2014

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Order of Events Host ................................................ Mary Leonard, Theatre Arts Welcome .................................... Julia Johnson, Associate Dean .......................................................................... Mary Leonard Faculty & Staff Awards ........................ Ruthann Benson, Dean Performance: Collegiates–Vocal Jazz ..... Gary Walth, Director Graduate Student Excellence Awards .......................................Charles Martin-Stanley, Associate Dean Undergraduate Student Excellence Awards .......................................................................... Mary Leonard Performance: Young Frankenstein .................. Mary Leonard John E. Magerus Award ...............................Ruthann Benson Recognition of CLS Retirees ........................Ruthann Benson We have chosen to use gender-neutral pronouns ‘they’ and ‘their’ in order to respect gender diversity.

CLS Faculty & Staff Excellence Faculty Recognition of Excellence Award for Teaching Dr. Sara Docan-Morgan – Communication Studies

Dr. Sara Docan-Morgan joined the UW-L faculty in 2008 and teaches courses such as Interpersonal Communication, Research Methods, and the Senior Project in Communication. Described as an outstanding teacher, Dr. Docan-Morgan teaches some of the hardest courses in the department and receives among the highest student evaluations of instruction scores as well. Dr. Docan-Morgan’s colleagues comment that Dr. Docan-Morgan treats students with great respect and builds rapport with them, thereby creating supportive and productive classroom cultures. Dr. Linda Dickmeyer, chair of Communication, states: Dr. Docan-Morgan’s “teaching at UW-L has been nothing short of excellent.” Dr. Docan-Morgan has also been named the 2014 UW System Woman of Color in Education Award.

Dr. Marie Moeller – English

Dr. Marie Moeller arrived at UW-L in 2010 and regularly teaches courses such as College Writing, Technical Writing, and Writing for Management, Public Relations, and the Professions. Dr. Moeller regular receives excellent student evaluations for all kinds of courses, including online, face-to-face, and hybrid courses. Students comment that Dr. Moeller offers them new perspectives and makes “dry” topics interesting. In addition to Dr. Moeller’s regular teaching responsibilities, she revised the English department’s Professional and Technical Writing (PTW) minor, pursued partnerships with local and regional businesses to help place students as interns and employees, and serves as the sole advisor for the approximately 40 minors enrolled in the PTW minor.

Faculty Recognition of Excellence Award for Research/Creative Endeavors Prof. Laurie Kincman – Theatre Arts

Professor Laurie Kincman joined UW-L in the fall of 2009 and serves as the Production Manager and Stage Manager for the Theatre department.

Professor Kincman’s expertise is in Arts Administration and Stage Management, areas of study honed in the University of California, Irvine, M.F.A. program in Stage Management, as well as through experiences working in professional performance companies such as Malashock Dance & Company in San Diego, CA. Since arriving at UW-L, Professor Kincman has served as a Production Stage Manager for 13 productions, supervised student Stage Managers and Assistant Stage Managers on 15 others, in addition to publishing peer reviewed articles, completing a book titled The Stage Manager’s Toolkit, and writing 12 grant proposals (nine of which were funded). As Theatre Arts Chair, Joe Anderson, says: “Laurie brings a level of professionalism to our program that we have never seen.”

Dr. Heidi Morrison – History

Dr. Heidi Morrison has been teaching at UW-L since 2009 and studies topics related to the Middle East, Women and Gender, Arabic Autobiography, and Childhood. Currently, Dr. Morrison writes about the history of childhood in cultures where the majority of the population is young and also about nationbuilding in late-colonial Egypt and in contemporary Palestine. The chair of History, Dr. Chuck Lee, states that Dr. Morrison is already “an international authority on these issues.” Dr. Morrison could not join us for our awards tonight because she is currently a Fulbright scholar for 10 months of research in the West Bank after which she will continue to study in the West Bank as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. Thus far, Dr. Morrison has published multiple peer-reviewed articles, an edited volume addressing the global history of childhood, and has a contract to publish Childhood and Colonial Modernity in Early Twentieth Century Egypt.

Faculty Recognition of Excellence Award for Service Dr. Mahruq Khan – Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies

Dr. Mahruq Khan is described by Dr. Deb Hoskins as a stellar scholar, teacher, and member of the campus community. There is a strong interconnection between Dr. Khan’s teaching, scholarship and service, all of which focus on Islam, Islamophobia, sexual orientation, and gender.

Dr. Khan has organized teach-ins to address Islamophobia and violence against Muslims, as well as collaborating on or coordinating events addressing international human rights issues, economic justice, and a myriad of grants to bring visiting artists/scholars of color to campus. Dr. Khan also has an extensive record of committee service and curriculum development, including serving on committees such as Joint Minority Affairs and the Hate Response Team, as well as assisting the department in developing awareness of transnational issues, teaching resources, and community connections.

Instructional Academic Staff Recognition of Excellence Award

Prof. Michelle Collyar – Theatre Arts

Since 2009, Professor Michelle Collyar has taught courses in Theatre Appreciation, Theatre Foundations, and served as the Costume Lab Supervisor. Professor Collyar is being recognized for creative works/ scholarship as a Costume Designer. Professor Collyar has designed costumes and makeup for eight university productions and built costumes for 35 productions. Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival representatives have favorably reviewed Professor Collyar’s designs. Prof.

Collyar was an essential player in developing biking suits and ski suits for the U.S. Olympic biking and ski teams, and has written and received grants for sewing lab equipment. Joe Anderson, chair of Theatre Arts, describes Collyar as “an indispensable member of our production ‘team,’ and we deeply appreciate her dedication, insight, skill and incredible work ethic …”

Prof. Bruce Handtke – English

Professor Bruce Handtke is being recognized for excellence in teaching and has been teaching at UW-L since 1990. The chair of English, Dr. Susan Crutchfield describes Professor Handtke as “an invaluable member of our teaching community” and as someone who trusts students to achieve and as a faculty member who respects students. Students describe Professor Handtke’s teaching as “comparable to art” — it taught them how to think and “to care about things bigger than I am, and stand up for them.”

Handtke’s colleagues credit him with playing a formative role in the creation of the Rhetoric and Writing Emphasis major. Professor Handtke has also served the department by partnering with teachers in local school districts to assist them in achieving college-level learning outcomes with their students. Professor Handtke is also active in service in such capacities as serving as a reader/judge for the Wisconsin Academic Decathlon and as a volunteer with WAFER.

Classified Staff Recognition of Excellence Award Judy King – Modern Languages

Judy King is described by her department faculty as “kind,” “patient,” and “egalitarian.” Dr. Dorian Dorado, Spanish Language faculty, says that King “performs outstanding work” for one of the “most diverse academic units on campus.” King’s duties range from administrative paperwork, to budgeting, developing brochures for each language program, to coordinating all logistics for visiting scholars from around the world. When King is asked to complete a task, Dr. Dorado states “… it was already done thirty minutes ago.” King helps others excel in their work and “is universally applauded for her kindness and outstanding service to the department.”

CLS Undergraduate Student Excel Bailey Benedict, Department of Communication Studies, Eau Claire, Wis.

Bailey is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies. They are involved on campus as a member of the National Communication Association, Lambda Pi Eta, Comm Club, and Eta Phi Alpha. As a student research assistant, Bailey has been involved in two research projects: “Odd or Ordinary: Social Comparisons Between Real and Reality TV Families,” and “Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings.”

Nick Bezier, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Neenah, Wis.

Nick is majoring in Political Science and Public Administration. They are currently the President of the UW-L Student Association and Chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee for the UW System Student Representatives. Nick is also a policy debate judge at La Crosse Central High School and interned for Steve Doyle’s campaign for Assembly.

Eric Busse, Department of Theatre Arts, Neenah, Wis.

Eric is expected to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance with a minor in Ethnic and Racial Studies in May 2014. During their undergraduate career, they received full funding from the UW-L Office of Undergraduate Research and Creativity for four projects.

Eric also appeared in numerous UW-L Theatre productions, most recently Christmas Carol, Spring Awakening, and Daniel on a Thursday.

Rose Davey, Department of English, Lone Rock, Wis.

Rose is expected to graduate in spring 2014 earning a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Writing and Rhetoric and a minor in Creative Writing. During their time at UW-L, they reviewed, critiqued, and edited peer and professional documents. Rose achieved academic standing on the Dean’s List from 2011-2013.

They hope to enrich their knowledge of rhetoric in the production of ethical, equitable, and intelligible writing.

DelRae Felton, Department of Modern Languages, Waukesha, Wis.

DelRae expects to receive a Bachelor of Science in French Education in May 2014. They studied in Montpellier, France and are currently a student teacher at Longfellow and Logan Middle Schools in La Crosse. DelRae experienced working with students as a Tutor and Enrichment Coordinator for Upward Bound at UW-L. They are also involved on campus as the President of UW-L French Club, a member of Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society, and the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Stacy Fiedler, Department of Psychology, Mineral Point, Wis.

Stacy is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and studied in Alicante, Spain. In addition, they are involved on campus as a member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology, and UW-L Advocates for Children. Stacy is also a programmer for Boys and Girls Clubs in the La Crosse area and develops lessons plans and programs. They work specifically with youths focusing on behavior management and crisis prevention intervention.

Ben Frodl, Department of Psychology, Stratford, Wis.

Ben expects to graduate from UW-L in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Child and Youth Care. They are involved in the La Crosse community as part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the Children’s Museum of La Crosse.

Ben currently works as an assessment intern at a local counseling and consulting service and as a direct support professional to develop and implement programs and activities for individuals with developmental disabilities.

llence Awardees Olivia Hartwick, Department of Psychology, Fort Atkinson, Wis.

Olivia will graduate from UW-L in May 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in At-Risk Child Youth Care.

They were awarded an undergraduate research grant for their project, “Effects of an “At-Risk” Label on the Attribution of Student Behavior.” Olivia is an assistant for Advanced Research Methods and Statistics and Social Psychology this semester at UW-L. They are involved on campus as President of the UW-L Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Senator on the UW-L Student Association.

Spencer Kawell, Department of Archaeology, Minnetonka, Minn.

Spencer will graduate in May 2014 earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Archaeological Studies with minors in Anthropology and Geoarchaeology. They participated in field schools in Belize and Holmen, Wisconsin. Spencer has conducted various research projects; their thesis research is titled “Intense Lithic Tool Production in a Domestic Context: An Examination of Group B’s Lithic Assemblage at the Minor Center of Waybil.” Spencer has also been involved in the UW-L Archaeology Club, Wisconsin Archeological Society, and UW-L Residence Life.

Crystal Kelleher, Department of English, Richland Center, Wis.

Crystal will graduate in May 2014, and will receive a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Literature and a minor in Communication Studies emphasizing Interpersonal Communication.

Their research has been accepted to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Crystal writes book reviews for a blog, and is a judge for the Iowa High School Speech Association.

Katie Knapp, Department of Psychology, La Crosse

Katie will graduate from UW-L with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology minoring in Child and Youth Care. Their undergraduate research project “I Think You Did It …: Eyewitness Testimony and the Effects of False Memories,” has been accepted at the Midwest Psychological Association Conference. Katie is an assistant teacher at the La Crosse YMCA and President of Psi Chi National Honors Society of Psychology.

Dani Konstanz, Department of English, La Crosse

Dani expects to graduate from UW-L in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Secondary English Education and a minor in Psychology Education. They have student teaching experience in English, Psychology, and Language Arts in local school districts.

Dani was a member of the UW-L Screaming Eagles Marching Band, the Saxophone Section leader, and a member of Kappa Delta Pi.

Kathleen “Katie” Kubisiak, Department of Psychology, La Crosse

Katie is expected to graduate from UW-L in May 2014 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. They are a member of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Club, Psi Chi, and Psychology Club. They studied in Grenada Spain and were also active in UW-L Residence Life as a Resident Assistant and Desk Assistant. Katie is conducting undergraduate research, and investigating attributions made about students labeled “at-risk” versus “college bound.”

Brittney Long, Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, La Crosse

Brittney was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in December 2013 in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with an emphasis in Community Health Education. They participated in a study tour to Ghana, Africa and were awarded funding for an International Research Grant in Egypt, titled, “Colorism: Perceptions of Beauty.”

Brittney has been selected to present their findings at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research and White Privilege Conference. Their leadership experience includes serving as the Gender Issues Director for the UW-L Senate, and is involved in ALANA and BSU.

We have chosen to use gender-neutral pronouns ‘they’ and ‘their’ in order to respect gender diversity.

CLS Undergraduate Student Excel Emily Lovison, Department of Anthropology, La Crosse

Emily is majoring in Archaeological Studies with minors in Anthropology and Spanish. They are a volunteer lab technician at the Mississippi Valley Archaeological Center and was a teaching assistant for Anthropology 101. Emily participated in field schools in Ancash, Peru and UW-L at Tremaine as a student and teaching assistant.

Jacob Meinertz, Department of Philosophy, La Crosse

Jacob is double majoring in English with a Literature emphasis and Philosophy. They are involved in the UW-L Philosophy club and has academic interests in Phenomenology, Ethics, Poetry, Hermeneutics, Epistemology, Music history, Education, and Logic. Jacob has experience working with autistic, behaviorally challenged, and cognitively disabled residents in the La Crosse community.

Yolona Ngandali, Department of Archaeology, La Crosse

Yolona will receive their Bachelor of Science degree in Archaeological Studies with a Program Option in Geography. They are currently an undergraduate assistant at the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center in La Crosse. Yolona’s Archaeological Honors Senior Thesis is titled “Contact Period Rock Art: GIS Analysis of Social and Spatial Interactions of Australian Aboriginal Peoples in Northern Territory, Australia.” As part of the UW-L Undergraduate Research and Creativity Grant, Yolona developed a website to visualize the daily life of Wisconsin’s prehistoric farmers.

Linh Nguyen, Department of Sociology, Green Bay, Wis.

Linh is a Sociology Honors major with a minor in At-Risk Child and Youth Care. They are a member of the Sociology Honors Society and the President of the Sociology Club. Linh is also a Co-Logistics Chair of Colleges Against Cancer and a member of Advocates of Children. They have conducted two senior research projects at UW-L. The first was a quantitative analysis of survey data they collected on the influence of physical attractiveness on mate selection and the second employs intensive interviewing to further investigate students’ perceptions of attractiveness, for which they were awarded an Undergraduate Research Grant.

Steven Nowak, Department of History, Milwaukee, Wis.

Steven is a History major with a minor in Criminal Justice. They have experience as an Executive Officer with UW-L Residence Life. Steven is an Academic/Career Coordinator in Reuter Residence Hall and previously served as Secretary in Sanford Residence Hall. They have been on the Dean’s List for seven semesters.

José Rubio-Zepeda, Department of Modern Languages, La Crosse

José is expected to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish with a minor in International Studies, Latin American emphasis. While at UW-L, they completed a grant proposal to travel in the Dominican Republic to analyze the construction of national identity among Dominicans and Haitians. They were published in Rainbow NAFSA: Association of International Educators, SIGnals Newsletter for the co-authored article, “Location & Identity: A Perspective on LGBT Bi-Cultural Identity.”

Trevor Rystrom, Department of History, La Crosse

Trevor is a History major and has presented their research, “Alexander the Great, 336-334 BCE: His Early Campaigns, His Exploitation of the Greek Crusade and the Belying of Pan-Hellenism” at the UW-L History Student Symposium. They are a member of the Golden Key International Academic Honor Society. In addition, Trevor has appeared on the Dean’s List for multiple semesters.

llence Awardees Matt Salvo, Department of Music, La Crosse

Matt is expected to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance and Music Theory. They have solo performance experience in the UW-L Honors Recital and musical theater experience in various UW-L productions, recently including Young Frankenstein, Backwards and in Heels, Songs for a New World, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Little Shop of Horrors, and Spring Awakening. They also have professional experience as a freelance accompanist, studio accompanist, and class accompanist.

Amber Schade, Department of Psychology, La Crosse

Amber will graduate from UW-L in May 2014 earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Child and Youth Care. They are active at UW-L as President of UW-L Advocates for Children Club, Secretary for UW-L Psi Chi Club, a member of UW-L Autism Speaks U and UW-L Eta Phi Alpha Honors Society Club. Amber was inducted into Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology and has experience as a teaching assistant for the UW-L Psychology Department. They also designed and executed an independent research project.

Lucas Schneider, Department of Communication Studies, La Crosse

Lucas will graduate from UW-L in May 2014. They will earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Interpersonal Communication and a minor in German Language Studies. Lucas studied in Frankfurt, Germany. They are a Public Speaking Peer Consultant and Scheduler for the UW-L Communication Studies Department, and have worked in UW-L Residence Life as a Resident Assistant. Lucas is also a Vanguard for the UW-L Office of Admissions.

Michael Spicer, Department of Art, Minnetonka, Minn.

Michael is expected to graduate from UW-L with a Bachelor of Science in Art. They have professional experience as a studio assistant and gallery assistant at UW-L. Michael is also involved in UW-L student organizations as the President of the UW-L Art Student Association. Michael was awarded an undergraduate research grant in 2013 for “An Exploration of the Art of Glassblowing.”

Beatrice Steinhilber, Department of Modern Languages, La Crosse

In May 2014, Beatrice will obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with a minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. At UW-L, they tutor students enrolled in Spanish and German classes and have taught independent study courses for the German department. Additionally, Beatrice has experience tutoring local bilingual elementary school students.

Randy Stringer, Jr., Department of Ethnic and Racial Studies, La Crosse

Randy is double majoring in Theatre Performance and Professional and Communication Studies, Professional and Organizational Communication Emphasis along with a minor in Ethnic and Racial Studies. They have experience with youth performances focusing on issues such as sexual assault, alcohol, depression, and stress.

Bree Trisler, Department of Communication Studies, La Crosse

Bree will graduate from UW-L in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies, Professional and Organizational Communication Emphasis and a minor in English Literature. In 2013, they studied in Galway, Ireland. Bree is involved at UW-L as a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honors Society. They are conducting a complete study, formal research paper, and presentation titled “#TMI: A Qualitative Analysis of Romantic Disclosure on Twitter.”

We have chosen to use gender-neutral pronouns ‘they’ and ‘their’ in order to respect gender diversity.

CLS Graduate Student Academic Achievement Brett Schieve

Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education, Janesville, Wis. Brett is a second-year online master’s student and will graduate in May 2014. Brett spent the last two years as the International Studies Program Coordinator at the University of Dubuque and recently accepted a position as the Cultural Engagement and Study Away Program Manager at the University of Minnesota-Rochester.

Brett exhibits a commitment to international education both academically and professionally. Brett’s Applied Research Project enabled the University of Dubuque to implement an orientation program for all students studying abroad. Dr. Jodie Rindt wrote that Brett “is the type of student that we will be proud to say is a graduate of the SAA Department and UW-La Crosse.”

CLS Graduate Student Recognition of Excellence Carrie Bero

Student Affairs Administration, La Crosse Carrie’s graduate career is full of academic and professional success. A second-year on-campus master’s student, Carrie holds a cumulative GPA of 4.0. Carrie is actively involved on the UW-L campus as a graduate assistant for the Office of Multicultural Student Services, and as a graduate intern in the UW-L Athletics Department.

They also have experience working with the Campus Climate Office as a Diversity Awareness Intern. Carrie’s experience extends beyond UW-L, as they completed an internship at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. Carrie will graduate from UW-L in May and has accepted a position at UW-Madison in the College of Business as the Compass Program Manager.

Sarah Jacobson

School Psychology, Franksville, Wis. Sarah leads her graduate cohort with a GPA of 3.96. Sarah presented their capstone project at the NASP 2014 Annual Convention and participated in an assessment of oral reading fluency in local school districts. In addition to strong academic and community service, Sarah completed a practicum as an emergency school psychologist. According to Dr. Robert Dixon, Sarah’s “positive disposition, strong academic skills, and adept interpersonal skills … make the type of school psychologist that I am proud to say that UW-L had a significant hand in creating.”

John E. Magerus Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior Karin Johnson

Rhetoric and Writing, Political Science, Public Administration, La Crosse Karin is a distinguished undergraduate student at UW-L. Karin is a triple major in Rhetoric and Writing, Public Administration, and Political Science, holds a 3.9 GPA, and have been on the Dean’s List every single semester of their attendance at UW-L. In addition, Karin received two internal and four external scholarships to attend UW-L, including the American Association of University Women scholarship and the Dr. Richard Linblad Political Science Leadership Award. Karin conducted a large-scale, grant-funded two-year study of civic engagement. Dr. Marie Moeller described Karin as representing “what we hope all our CLS graduates do – take their passion, and their critical, theoretical and interdisciplinary knowledge, and put it into play in public arenas.”

CLS Retiring Faculty & Staff Jim Putz —Communication Studies Tom Pribek and Paul Heckman — English Greg Balfany — Music Chuck Lee — History

Special Thanks Thank you to the following people for their work to make this evening a success: Joe Anderson, Maripat Coughlin, Sanja Dojcinovic, Laurie Kincman, Sue Lee, Mary Leonard, Brad Quarberg, Ron Stoffregen, and Gary Walth.

Excellence Awards Committee: Joe Anderson, Julia Johnson, Charles Martin-Stanley, Betsy Morgan, and Leslee Poulton.

We have chosen to use gender-neutral pronouns ‘they’ and ‘their’ in order to respect gender diversity.