UWO Professor designs new penny
A University of Wisconsin Oshkosh professor's work will be among the most widely circulated art in the country, beginning next year.
Richard Masters' design of Abraham Lincoln's log cabin was selected as one of four new designs for the reverse of the circulating U.S. penny. The four coins each represent a different era of Lincoln's life. Masters' design features a log cabin that represents his humble beginnings in Kentucky with the inscriptions, "United States of America," "E Pluribus Unum," "One Cent" and "1809."
"The Lincoln penny will also be 100 years old, having been first minted back in 1909, making our penny the longest coin design type in U.S. history," said Masters. "The last and only time the penny's design was changed was in 1959 from the old 'wheat ears' reverse design to the 'Lincoln Memorial' design we have today."
Masters also designed the reverse side of the Nebraska quarter in 2005.
The new pennies will be released into circulation on Lincoln's 200th birthday, Feb. 12, 2009.
"This is a momentous occasion in the history of our nation's coinage, because these designs represent the first change in the Lincoln cent in half a century," said U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy. "These coins are a tribute to one of our greatest presidents whose legacy has had a lasting impact on our country. He believed all men were created equal, and his life was a model for accomplishing the American dream through honesty, integrity, loyalty and a lifetime of education."
Alum brings Yahoo! to UW Oshkosh
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh welcomed Internet giant Yahoo! to Oshkosh this fall, thanks to a collaboration that created a student-staffed technical support center for Yahoo! employees.
The Yahoo! CareCenter, which opened in September, employs UW Oshkosh students and provides technical support to some of Yahoo!'s 17,000 employees. Three other such centers exist in California, New York and India. The University's Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) spearheaded the search for students to work at the support center.
Almost two years in the making, the collaboration was the brainchild of UW Oshkosh alumnus Adam Kostrzak '97, senior manager of Yahoo!'s Global Service Desk, located in the Silicon Valley. Kostrzak immediately thought of the University when strategizing a location he could partner with to build a student-run support desk location.
Kostrzak looked at a number of universities, including other UW System schools, but found that the CCP offered a business support model unique from other university environments.
"UW Oshkosh's CCP is truly unique in the way it partners with companies," Kostrzak said. "While other places said there were too many obstacles, CCP went above and beyond to make the partnership work."
Oshkosh Sports Complex complete
The second phase of renovations to the University's Oshkosh Sports Complex were completed this summer, bringing to a close a $9.8-million endeavor that resulted in the premier athletic facility in the Midwest.
The $9.8-million renovation of the complex was completed in two stages. The $4.3-million second phase included a new plaza entrance; updated and expanded locker rooms for approximately 300 student athletes, coaching offices and classrooms; and improved restroom facilities, a softball field and parking. The first phase included $5.5 million in enhancements, including the state-of-the-art J. J. Keller Field, a new football/soccer field featuring synthetic turf, softball and baseball fields and an Olympic-quality outdoor track.
Significant donors to the campaign included J. J. Keller and Associates Inc., the Oshkosh Student Association, the Oshkosh Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Oshkosh Community Foundation.
The facility has already hosted major regional and national competitions, including the NCAA Division III men's and women's track meets, Badger State Games, the state's All Star football games and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meets.
It is anticipated that the complex will generate at least $25 million annually for the local economy, according to Tom Sonnleitner, vice chancellor for administrative services.
For more information about the Oshkosh Sports Complex, visit www.titans.uwosh.edu/OshkoshSportsComplex.
Record class graduates
Continuing three years of record-breaking graduating classes, 2,073 students received degrees at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's 134th Spring Commencement ceremonies.
"We are very proud of our graduates," said Chancellor Richard H. Wells. "Our business graduates scored in the top 5 percent on the national Educational Testing Service business knowledge exam; our nursing and education students consistently score above state and national pass rate averages on their licensure exams; and students from the College of Letters and Science are coveted by the best professional and graduate schools in the country."
Graduating class speaker Jessica Kamrath, of Oshkosh, spoke at the afternoon ceremony of her decision to return to college for a second bachelor's degree, the support of her friends and family, and the importance of following one's heart.
"As we think about all of the incredible opportunities that lie ahead and the many more afforded to us by attaining a college degree, do not let life get in your way of living and making the choices that exude your passions, govern your convictions and, most of all, lie deep within your soul and, of course, are encompassed in your heart," she said.
The morning speaker was Vanessa Virbitsky, of Hershey, Penn. To read the complete text of the commencement speeches, click here.
Campus Clips
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This summer, Provost Lane Earns was named interim chancellor of UW-Parkside. He will serve in that capacity until July 2009. E. Alan Hartman, dean of the College of Business, was named interim UWO provost; C. Burk Tower will serve as interim dean for the College of Business.
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The UW Oshkosh chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) was honored as among the best in the nation in the Bateman National Case Study competition. The UW Oshkosh chapter received an Honorable Mention, ranking it among the top 18 nationally. This was the third time the campus's PRSSA chapter has placed since 2000.
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UW Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire's nursing programs began planning a collaborative doctorate of nursing practice program that will help advanced practice nurses in Wisconsin meet new educational requirements. Beginning in 2015, advanced practice nurses will be required to have a doctorate; currently a master's is required.
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The University sustained nearly $5.5 million in damages following a June flood that impacted nearly 75 percent of Oshkosh. While 45 of the 53 buildings on campus sustained damage, all but one of the facilities (the River Center) was open and operational for the start of the academic year. To read more about the flood, visit www.uwosh.edu/news/?p=1217.