More than 200 pounds of clothing will be distributed to area residents in need, thanks to a fundraiser that encouraged participants to shed some garments for a good cause.

The Nearly Naked Mile, a one-mile run that covered much of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus, attracted about 150 students, who — in spite of bitterly cold weather — undressed at the starting line outside of Pollock Alumni House, donating the articles of clothing to student organization Circle K and Easter Seals.

Participants finished the run in shorts, T-shirts or other appropriate attire. In addition, 50 spectators donated clothing but decided not to join the race.

Flavio De Luca, a sophomore marketing major and international student from Brazil, said the race was a great way for students to give back to their community.

“The students who gave clothing should be recognized for such a great effort,” De Luca said. “This is an event that strengthens the partnership between campus and the Oshkosh community.”

The Nearly Naked Mile was sponsored by the Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA), a student leadership arm of the UW Oshkosh Alumni Association Board of Directors. All who donated clothing received a free T-shirt and hot chocolate and other refreshments at the Pollock Alumni House following the race.

The three “best dressed” runners also received gift certificates, including one student who completed the race on crutches with a fractured foot.

The 1999 political science graduate had enjoyed her job as development director of the American Red Cross of East Central Wisconsin, but the desire to become an entrepreneur, she said, was impossible to ignore.

“Opening my own business was something I had always wanted to do, and when this opportunity presented itself, I just had to pursue it,” she said. “The pieces all came together perfectly.”

In July, Massey bought Live Oak Market, 119 E. College Ave., in Appleton, from John and Janell Oakes, who had opened the store just one year earlier. She had become acquainted with the store as a customer and had shopped there often. The store was the perfect place to find products that fit her healthy lifestyle.

Massey’s 4-year-old son, Aydan, has severe food allergies, and serving him healthy foods became a priority in recent years, she said. So opening Live Oak Market was more than a business decision: It made sense for her family, too.

She kept much of what the former store had offered but removed a soda machine and updated the floor plan.

“The original owners really did a great job setting the stage, and we have just refined the store a bit,” she said.

Live Oak Market’s mission it to provide “better for you” foods and specialty foods not found elsewhere in the Fox Valley area. One example of both is Boar’s Head, a 100-year-old company that makes premium delicatessen products out of fresh meats. The company insists on offering only pure beef and pork, chicken and turkey, with no fillers, gluten, artificial flavors, colors or trans fat.

“You can’t get it anywhere outside Milwaukee, and the demand is growing mainly because parents are tired of serving junk foods to their kids — and to themselves, for that matter,” said Massey, who is a member of the UW Oshkosh Alumni Association Board of Directors. “I have had customers drive from as far away as Door County for Boar’s Head products.”

Massey also offers fresh fish, which is flown in daily from Hawaii, and a wide range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free products, such as Moo Moo’s Cuisine, a brand of frozen vegan and gluten-free entrees.

Live Oak Market also provides hard-to-find cheeses, baked donuts, fresh salads, gourmet pasta salads, and brown bag lunches for children and adults alike.

“About 9,000 people work in downtown Appleton, and we have found it a great place to do business,” she said. “People have told us they are happy we are here because we offer a healthy alternative to fast food and other typical lunch fare.”

Two part-time employees, who also had worked for the previous owners, have helped make the transition to new ownership as smooth as possible. They prepare all food from scratch and augment Live Oak’s reputation for personal attention and excellent service.

A lunch menu offers 16 pre-made sandwiches and wraps. Customers can choose to build their own, too. A children’s menu offers tasty lunch options, such as peanut butter and marshmallow fluff or peanut butter and banana.

A variety of packaged specialty foods and fine wines also are available, as are cleaning products made from natural ingredients.

“We really try to listen to the customers to learn what they would like to see offered,” Massey said. “Their feedback is so important to our success.”

After 22 years in that career, it’s safe to say that friend was right.

Chicoine currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the UW Oshkosh Credit Union, a position he has held since 1999. In that time, he has tripled the credit union’s assets, increased employees from eight to 14 and opened several branches — making it one of the fastest growing credit union in northeastern Wisconsin.

“The University is very much like a small city, with more than 11,000 students and 2,000 employees, and I just happen to be the banker,” he said.

Chicoine holds a unique position at UW Oshkosh. Because the credit union is a separate business from the University, Chicoine is not an employee. Yet the support he offers the University rivals that of the most dedicated employee.

Perhaps the most visible of Chicoine’s contributions is a $25,000 donation to the Oshkosh Sports Complex’s recent renovation. The credit union also sponsored the Sept. 16 ribbon-cutting at the complex.

“Scott is truly committed to advancing UW Oshkosh. His support is evident on so many levels,” said Darryl Sims, the University’s assistant athletics director.

Sims added that it’s hard to imagine the University without Chicoine — an alumnus who is “connected to the heartbeat of this campus and so willing to partner with us in sponsorship of scholarships, events and more.”

The credit union also contributes two $500 annual scholarships, renewable for four years. The scholarships are open to children of credit union members and seniors at any of Oshkosh’s four high schools.

“We wanted to make the scholarship renewable because our hope is that it encourages students to stay at UW Oshkosh,” Chicoine said.

Among other UW Oshkosh initiatives the credit union has supported over the years are Classified Staff Day and a variety of academic programs, including theatre, art, music and kinesiology. More than $83,000 has been given in total.

“Our focus is narrow — serving everyone who is connected to UW Oshkosh,” he said. “We have products specifically designed for faculty, staff and students because they are far from the average consumers.”

One way that the credit union serves UW Oshkosh faculty’s needs is a new faculty loan program.

“When a faculty member joins UW Oshkosh, they begin teaching in September but don’t get paid until October,” Chicoine said. “They still have bills to pay, moving expenses and security deposits to make, so we have a loan to help them until they become settled.”

Faculty who work nine-month contracts also present a unique situation.

“They don’t get a paycheck during the summer months, so we have a savings program that helps them distribute their income over all 12 months,” he said.

A history of investing in UWO

Since opening its doors in 1966, the UW Oshkosh Credit Union has had many homes.

“We started in Halsey and then were in Dempsey for many years,” Chicoine said. “Eventually we opened an office on High Street near Blackhawk Commons, which is now the Faculty Development Center.”

When Reeve Memorial Union was expanded in 2001, the credit union opened a full-service branch office there.

“It was small, but being inside Reeve — which is ideal because of its proximity to students and staff — was a huge leap forward in our growth,” he said.

In 2002, the credit union expanded significantly when it opened a new main office on Wisconsin Street, which Chicoine developed with local real estate developer Dennis Schwab.

“I have to admit that I am proud of the work we did together to improve the first impression of campus when people cross the bridge,” Chicoine said. “We are thrilled to have been part of it.”

In addition to the main office, the Reeve Union branch office still exists. In 2006, it moved to a new, larger location near the Algoma Boulevard entrance.

The new facilities have helped been instrumental in the credit union’s recent growth, Chicoine said. The people of UW Oshkosh — its students and alumni — also have been important partners in its success.

“We consider ourselves very fortunate here to have access to the human resources at the University,” Chicoine said.

Chicoine regularly employs College of Business interns, who primarily work as loan officers, and many staff members are UW Oshkosh alumni.

And during these times of economic uncertainty, he added, the UW Oshkosh Credit Union, along with all other credit unions, remain strong.

“We are very stable and unaffected by the national banking crisis,” he said. “All of our members can rest assured their money is safe with us.”

Related stories:

• Dismal student loan forecast does not reflect local market
• Seen on campus: OSC ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Oshkosh Sports Complex to be unveiled Sept. 16

The Titans will take on defending NCAA Division III champion UW-Whitewater at 1:30 p.m. CST at Oshkosh Sports Complex’s J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium, 450 Josslyn St. With the click of a mouse, Titans fans can access the game on streaming video from the UW Oshkosh athletics Web site (www.titans.uwosh.edu) by clicking on “live video.”

The online broadcast is free, courtesy of the UW Oshkosh Alumni Association’s sponsorship. Watching games online normally costs $8, the price of going to the game in person.

For best results, viewers should have a high-speed Internet connection. QuickTime Player, downloadable free at www.apple.com/quicktime download, is required.

Webcast coverage increases

First offered in early 2007 with select games, streaming video has been expanded this fall to include 12 games in a variety of sports, said Kennan Timm, UW Oshkosh sports information director. More than 50 athletic events have been webcasted since February 2007.

The play-by-play audio and video feed is provided by Titan TV and Stretch Internet. Timm is grateful to the students of UW Oshkosh’s Radio/TV/Film department, who make the service possible.

“It is a great partnership and we are fortunate to have their resources on campus,” Timm said.

Alumni Director Christine Gantner said she was eager to sponsor the game so that alumni everywhere have the opportunity to be part of their alma mater’s Homecoming celebration.

“Streaming the game live is another way to involve alumni, especially those in far away places,” she said.

A complete schedule of UW-Oshkosh webcasts can be found at http://secure.stretchinternet.com/demo/games.php?user=uwosh&o=cal_stamp.

Arizona alumni plan Homecoming party

On October 18, an alumni event in Scottsdale, Ariz., will coincide with Homecoming; streaming video of the game will enhance that celebration.

“They will all be watching the game there with us,” Gantner said. “It’s exciting to see our alumni in Arizona planning their own Homecoming celebration and being a part of ours through the football game.”

The Arizona event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Salty Señorita. An unlimited build-your-own-taco bar, giveaways, prizes and a cash bar will be available for $16 per person. Send check payable to Jerry Gonyo to 6528 E. Whispering Mesquite Trail, Scottsdale, AZ 85266-7210 prior to Oct. 10.

For more information about the Arizona event, contact Jerry Gonyo ’64, at jerndar@cox.net or (480) 595-5653.

• Visit http://homecoming.uwosh.edu for a complete listing of 2008 Homecoming events.

Related stories:

• Harley-Davidson dealership owners rev up for Homecoming 2008

• The Bakers to spice up Homecoming

• 8 alumni will be honored at Homecoming

• Professors bring enthusiasm for motorcycling to class

Since retiring eight years ago, Kerrigan (1990-2000) has remained involved in promoting two of his favorite causes — higher education and international relations. Best of all, he has found a way to combine the two interests.

As an internationally recognized expert in public administration, Kerrigan serves as an academic consultant to universities, educational associations and government agencies. He has a special interest in developing countries, including those in the Middle East.

“I never get tired of traveling because I so enjoy learning about other countries,” Kerrigan said. “There is so much to be gained from visiting them.”

So far, Kerrigan has visited more than 30 countries, many of them multiple times. His first international assignment was in 1964, when he worked with the Ford Foundation on a project in Amman, Jordan. He served as a specialist for the National Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs before war broke out there in 1967. He and his wife, Pat, then moved their family to Beirut, Lebanon, where Kerrigan finished his three-year assignment.

“That was my first taste of international work. It was a great honor and privilege to have that opportunity to learn about another culture,” he said.

Kerrigan has worked tirelessly over the years to connect U.S. universities with those in other countries. He begins by having two universities — one from each country — sign a memorandum of understanding. The agreement specifies collaborative goals, such as sending faculty to teach and conduct research.

“What we are trying to do is assist another university by giving them the opportunity to come to the U.S.,” he said.

Kerrigan has served as a consultant to more than a dozen universities. Most recently, he has spent much time working with Sultan Qaboos University and the University of Nizwa, both in the Sultanate of Oman. The two universities have signed memorandums of understanding with UW Oshkosh as a result of Kerrigan’s leadership.

He began his relationship with the University of Nizwa during its infancy in 2003 and even proposed its beginning structure.

“We were hoping to have 400 students enroll in each of the first three years,” he said. “But we were pleasantly surprised to have around 1,100 enroll each year, and today there are more than 5,500 students.”

Kerrigan facilitates exchanges with faculty from other countries to help the international universities he works with. On two recent trips to Oman, two colleagues from UW Oshkosh — Stephanie Stewart of the College of Nursing and Tom Grogan of the Chancellor’s Office — were part of the visitation teams.

“It is rare that I travel without someone accompanying me,” he said.

UW Oshkosh enjoys a strong nursing program connection with Chennai and New Delhi, India. Kerrigan takes pride in having helped begin that relationship while he was chancellor.

“It is most certainly a win-win situation. UW Oshkosh has been a great help to those universities, and they have enabled our nursing students to gain valuable experience in return,” he said.

Kerrigan also has called upon faculty from other UW schools, such as UW-Platteville and the UW-Madison, depending on the need of the university. The visiting professors give advice on everything from engineering education to office management.

“There is always something to be learned,” Kerrigan said. “From their perspectives, these universities are being very wise not to walk alone. They have chosen some outstanding U.S. universities to partner with.”

In 2004, Kerrigan’s alma mater, Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, needed an interim president. He gladly returned to higher education leadership and served for a two-year terms until his successor was hired.

“I had always been at large, public universities, so I enjoyed learning how things operate at a small, private college.”

Since Kerrigan’s first higher-education experience was as a student at Loras, he felt that his career went full circle. “My office was located right next to the janitor’s closet that I worked from when I was a first year student.”

During his tenure as UW Oshkosh chancellor, Kerrigan was credited with building scholarships, campus technology and research opportunities for students and faculty.  The 1990s were a time of rapid change and transformation for the university.

He also gained respect throughout the region for his commitment to community — a reputation he enjoys to this day. Kerrigan is very actively involved in a variety of community projects.

Still an Oshkosh resident, Kerrigan maintains an office on campus in Gruenhagen Conference Center. While he keeps regular hours that belie his retirement status, he is hard to find, due to his extensive travels and commitments to community efforts.

In addition to his significant international work, he still is involved in various leadership and board commitments. He served as Rotary District 6270 governor from 1999 to 2000. He also works with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, where he helps first-year chancellors learn about intercollegiate athletics and the NCAA.

Kerrigan serves on the board of the Midwest Higher Education Compact. This is one of his favorite assignments because the group of 12 states works to find ways to improve student access to higher education, increase efficiencies and reduce operating costs.

Outside of the higher education arena, Kerrigan has been active in such organizations as the Wisconsin Historical Society, Circus World Museum and, closer to home, Chamco — the Oshkosh Industrial Development Organization, the Oshkosh YMCA, the Oshkosh Symphony and the Oshkosh Area United Way.

Although these commitments are important to him, Kerrigan’s most significant passion is education, and his No. 1 mission is to bring higher education to countries outside the U.S.

“I am convinced that education, without a doubt, is the very best way to understand another culture and allow them to learn about ours,” he said.

Whether on campus or out of the country, Kerrigan is easily recognized by the red hair and twinkle in his eye that reflect his Irish heritage. Reportedly, he still plays racquetball and is wont to defeat opponents in friendly play at the downtown Oshkosh YMCA.

A closer look

Name: John E. Kerrigan

Service: UW Oshkosh Chancellor, 1990-2000

Where he lives today: Oshkosh, Wis.

Current affiliation: Higher education consultant and ambassador for UW Oshkosh

University accomplishments:

• Significantly grew endowed professorships with the Endowment for Excellence, begun in 1993 with private contributions.

• Strengthened scholarships and student research opportunities, including the $1,000 Chancellor’s Academic and Leadership Scholarships, which were first offered to entering freshman in 1992. The John E. Kerrigan Fund, established upon his retirement in 2000, extends scholarship opportunities to second-year students with strong academic and leadership abilities.

• Led the University to invest in emerging technologies.

• Engaged the community by working with area businesses to provide solutions to local industrial and commercial problems, including establishing the Center for Community Partnerships in 1997.

• Hosted a program on Titan TV to facilitate an open dialogue about higher education issues with faculty and academic staff.

• Began the Honorary Doctorate program in 1992 to recognize individuals who embodied the ideals of the University by making significant civic, business and scholarly contributions.

• Grew the University’s international initiatives by instituting faculty exchanges with other countries.

• Led all professional colleges to accreditation, a first for UW Oshkosh.

• During his tenure, three faculty members and one department were recognized for excellence by the Board of Regents, a record unmatched in the UW System.

Contact John Kerrigan at (920) 424-3130 or kerrigan@uwosh.edu.

This is the second in a two-part series featuring former University of Wisconsin Oshkosh chancellors. The first provided an update on Chancellor Emeritus Edward Penson (1978-1989).

Related story:

• Chancellor Emeritus Penson still champions higher ed

Lack of access to high-speed Internet limits a person’s ability to do business, participate with government and connect with the world. Not only that, but since 2001, the U.S. has fallen from fourth to 15th in the world for broadband penetration.

Advocates warn that this digital divide is not only separating many lower economic classes, ethnic minorities and rural residents from the mainstream in this country, but also separating this country from parts of the world that have leapfrogged the U.S. in broadband penetration.

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business graduates Franklin Cumberbatch ’84, and Mark Dodge ’88, are working to change that.

By merging their two companies, Trinidad Group and Granite Wireless, to form Granite Wave, they are hoping to do to wireless Internet service what cellular phones did to telephone communications.

The technology fueling the idea is Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), which transmits data through radio waves over long distances.

“It is unlike WIFI, because that transmission is done in a contained environment and the frequency degrades after 300 feet or so,” Cumberbatch said.

With WiMAX, voice, data and video signals can travel up to 10 miles. There, a receiving radio transmits the signal to another radio — and another — ¬until the signal is finally broken down to a wireless router at a business or residence.

As CEO of the new company, Cumberbatch primarily is focused on setting the new company’s vision and building relationships with municipal leaders.

“Working with municipalities is exciting because we are truly creating a win-win for everyone,” Cumberbatch said. “They need this technology to grow their businesses and satisfy their residents, who are asking for broadband service in rural areas to improve their quality of life.”

Small towns that agree to contract with Granite Wireless can get the service relatively quickly because using a municipality’s existing infrastructure — by collocating equipment — speeds up equipment installation.

The two business partners are already working on their first location: Fond du Lac County. They hope to have service available in Ripon, Fond du Lac and outlying areas within six months.

Cumberbatch feels strongly that wireless broadband service is an integral part of helping New North businesses gain international economic strength.

“New North leaders said just recently that they want to share what they have to offer with China,” Cumberbatch said. “Attracting businesses to these areas and retaining those that are already there require using broadband technology to its fullest capacity. It is a critical piece of infrastructure to accomplish that goal.”

Cumberbatch understands what it takes to be successful. In 1979, he left his home in Trinidad and arrived in Oshkosh with a suitcase of all his worldly possessions and $35 in his pocket.

From those humble beginnings, he found a way to succeed at both academics and athletics, eventually setting the record at UW Oshkosh for the men’s indoor and outdoor 400-meter race. His records still stand today.

“It is one of the longest-lasting track and field records, and it is 25 years old,” he said.

Pretty good, considering Cumberbatch suffered from severe asthma as a child in Trinidad. He began running at age 14 because he heard it could help him overcome the disease.

“My very first race, even 36 years later, I will never forget,” he said. “It was the girls’ 200 meter dash. I came in fifth. I got beat by four girls, and to top it off, I had to walk home with them after that.”

Beating asthma isn’t all he is proud of — he also beat the cold. “That first winter in Wisconsin, I was never colder in my life,” he said, laughing. “But I endured, and I’ve been here for 29 years now.”

Cumberbatch recently reconnected with his former track coach and mentor, Jim Flood, during last May’s NCAA Divison III National Track and Field Championship in Appleton. He also met UW Oshkosh Chancellor Richard H. Wells and later took a tour of the Oshkosh Sports Complex.

After seeing the tremendous progress and learning about the need for additional funds to finish the project, Cumberbatch stepped forward with a donation.

“UW Oshkosh gave me a chance. I got pushed in every way — to be a good student and a good athlete. Those were the best four years of my life,” he said.

So it was an easy decision for Cumberbatch to help UW Oshkosh financially with the OSC project — and he challenges his fellow alumni to do so as well.

“Many alumni probably feel it is a good idea to give back to their alma mater, but for me, it is a personal obligation,” he said. “Without UW Oshkosh, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Cumberbatch brings many years of business development and municipal management experience to the new company. In 2004, he put his name in the race for Milwaukee mayor. Winning candidate Tom Barrett later appointed him Milwaukee’s senior assistant for economic development, a position he held until 2006.

During that tenure, he worked hard to bring jobs to Milwaukee, especially for two populations “near and dear” to his heart: teenagers and residents of the inner city’s minority communities. He’s most proud of bringing the Urban Entrepreneur Partnership to Milwaukee, now considered one of the nation’s best entrepreneurial programs for minorities.

“Helping individuals begin businesses and create wealth in their communities is the better alternative to government handouts and social programs,” he said. “Ninety percent of minority-owned businesses hire minorities.”

After he left his post in Milwaukee two years ago, Cumberbatch created the Trinidad Group, a business development firm that takes its name from Cumberbatch’s home country of Trinidad.

One of the Trinidad company’s many services is wireless broadband, and it was in that arena that he connected with Dodge — for a second time. They had met years earlier in Milwaukee, when Dodge was investigating new call center sites for Travel Guard.

“A colleague of mine recommended I contact Frank because we were both working on developing wireless broadband,” Dodge said. “I remembered his voice when we started talking on the phone, and he said, ‘You are the Mark Dodge from the call center program.’”

The two hit it off immediately, both as business associates and friends. “Mark is a technical genius,” Cumberbatch said. “Even more than that, we just get along so well.”

Dodge began his career in the Fox Valley, getting hired by the company then known as Wisconsin Bell. He broadened his IT skills in subsequent positions at Bank One and Sentry Insurance. Later, he joined the Noel Group, where he designed communications systems for companies such as Disney, Wells Fargo, GE and American Express.

“I was traveling the globe installing systems, and I decided it was time to get some semblance of a life back so I could see my family more,” Dodge said.

So three years ago, Dodge started Granite Wireless in his parents’ — also UW Oshkosh alumni — hometown of Shawano.

The customer response to Dodge’s business was immediate — and overwhelming.

“Small businesses, cities and counties began calling us, asking if we could help implement wireless Internet service.”

All this success is not a surprise to those who know Dodge well, such as John Bergstrom, of Bergstrom Automotive, an old family friend from Neenah. Bergstrom was one of Dodge’s most influential supporters and mentors.

“I started college studying biology, and John thought I was nuts,” he said with a laugh. “He looked at me and said there is a certain amount of flair in entrepreneurs – that they always have enthusiasm for extremes – and he evidently saw that in me. I always admired him, and between John and my parents, I had very good examples to follow.”

Dodge studied at UW-Madison before transferring to UW Oshkosh. When comparing the two experiences, he feels strongly that Oshkosh offered a superior education.

“It was because of the practical experience I got – that and a lot of great professors,” he said. “The people who were writing the books were also teaching the classes at Oshkosh.”

The flood of interest in Granite Wireless’ services has kept Dodge busy, to say the least.

“What it comes down to is ‘so many opportunities and so little time to make them happen,’” Dodge said. “Everyone wants to know when the service will go live near them.”

Recently Dodge had an opportunity to work with billionaire Ken Hendricks from Beloit, Wis. Hendricks recently passed away, but his influence left a lasting mark on Dodge.

“Ken had an incredible insight into business and people,” Dodge said. “He believed in creating jobs, eliminating waste, preserving value and — most importantly — using all of that to generate jobs.”

Constantly evolving technology is one of the new company’s biggest challenges.

“Our team spends hours and hours doing due diligence before we choose equipment and software that we believe is best of class and a good value for our customers. Technology changes daily so quickly,” Dodge said. “Whatever products are choose, the realization is we are still buying a technology time frame and have to live with the decision for three to five years.”

Although Fond du Lac County is the first combined project on their agenda, Dodge and Cumberbatch have a much broader plan. They plan to expand the service throughout Wisconsin and beyond. Granite Wireless has provided a great foundation, already servicing 28 communities throughout North Central Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.

“We think we have a winning business model, skilled management and top-notch employees,” Cumberbatch said. “What sets us apart from many others is that we are focused on rural communities — communities that want access to advanced technology to attract and keep their young, best and brightest citizens.”

At 81, the former UW Oshkosh Chancellor (1978-1989) won’t use age as an excuse to slow down, largely due to an experience he had as a 15-year-old baseball player in Miami.

“Midway through the season, the 16- to 18-year-old league invited me to join them. Because that would make me the youngest player in the big guys’ league, I was a little hesitant,” Penson said.

His dad responded with a quote that Penson remembers word for word: “What does age have to do with it? If you believe you can do it, then do it! Pay no attention to chronological age.”

More than 65 years later, he still is taking his dad’s advice.

Penson announced his retirement from UW Oshkosh in 1989 because he was turning 62, which was the mandatory retirement age for UW System chancellors at the time.

However, the UW System Board of Regents had other ideas. They voted unanimously in executive session to allow Penson to remain as chancellor past the mandatory retirement age, but it was too late. He already had made commitments to the clients of his consulting firm, Penson Associates.

Penson followed through with his retirement plans and moved to Tallahassee. Since then, he and his associates have accumulated an impressive list of more than 400 clients in every state except Hawaii. Most are university presidents, chancellors and university system executives.

Some call it “coaching” or “mentoring,” but Penson describes his work as “assistive conferring,” since he and his clients explore options together, construct new solutions. Ultimately, the client makes the decisions.

Penson spent the 16 years following his UW Oshkosh retirement traveling nearly every week. But after 9/11, he decided to reduce the travel to a minimum to avoid the headaches of heightened security.

“I thought that would mean retirement,” he said, laughing. “But what happened is my clients were willing to confer with me over the phone. They also visit occasionally, and we work here at my home.”

Penson’s team consists of 14 other associates, each boasting a lengthy record of service and excellence in higher education. Much of Penson Associates’ work involves strategic planning, university president succession management, board orientations and development, reviews of presidents and their teams, team alignment, crisis management and mediation.

Penson values the countless relationships he has formed with higher education leaders throughout the country.

“We were competitors at one time, but now we are friends,” he said. “It’s pretty neat.”

Penson remembers his days in Oshkosh very fondly. In addition to his University commitments, he enjoyed 10 years of board service for the Chamco, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce and Valley Bank (now M&I Bank). He also recruited new business to Oshkosh, working with the city manager, and facilitated strategic planning for 150 area small businesses.

One of his favorite roles, which involved wearing both his University and community hats, was fostering partnerships with businesses and governments throughout the Fox Valley region. These partnerships were the beginning of the Center for Community Partnerships, which then was called the UW Oshkosh Technical Development Center.

“I still feel very great affection for UW Oshkosh,” Penson said. “Often I am reminded of the good people I worked with there. Many of my colleagues at UW Oshkosh were the most effective people I have found anywhere. Students who are now alumni still get in touch from time to time. It is exciting to hear them talk about their accomplishments.”

A closer look

Name: Edward M. Penson

Service: UW Oshkosh Chancellor, 1978-1989

Age: 81

Where he lives today: Tallahassee, Fla.

Current affiliation: General chairman and senior scholar of Penson Associates Inc., a consulting firm that provides services to universities, colleges, university systems, health-related organizations and not-for-profit enterprises.

University accomplishments:

• Raising the bar in teaching, scholarship and quality of students at UW Oshkosh. Under his leadership, the University changed its enrollment policy, attracting more high-caliber students.

• Bringing National Merit Scholars to UW Oshkosh. In 1986, UW Oshkosh attracted 23 merit scholars — more than UW Madison that year.

• Raising student applications 45 percent, from 3,610 in 1979-80 to 5,235 in 1988-89.

• Beginning the first automated (phone) registration in the UW System in 1988.

• Instituting the annual recognition of teaching excellence by developing the John McNaughton Rosebush Distinguished Professorship.

• Establishing the Outstanding Teaching Award and the Academic Staff Award.

• Leading UW Oshkosh to reaccreditation with no recommendations in 1987. The campus later spent three years as a national model in the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

• Initiating the Edward M. Penson Award, which recognizes full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty who have a record of excellence in teaching, scholarship or service to the University.

This is the first in a series of articles featuring former UW Oshkosh chancellors. Part 2 will highlight how John E. Kerrigan (1990-2000) continues to build bridges for higher education.

Victory was sweet because their competition was fierce — nine other schools from Canada, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, including schools such as second- and third-place winners Marquette University and UW-Madison, respectively.

The team’s regional win qualified them for the national competition, in which they earned a respectable 11th place. This was the third time the UW Oshkosh NSAC team has won the regional contest; they took home the prize in 1996 and 2003, too.

This year’s group showed a true cross-section of student communicators from across campus. Majors of the team members included design, journalism, marketing and radio/TV/film.

Sweat and tears

Hopkins, Minn., native Sam Mark won’t graduate until December, but he already has used his experience on the UW Oshkosh NSAC team in the business world.

Mark recently completed a summer internship at Urban Legends Entertainment in Los Angeles. In exchange for exhausting, 18-hour days, he received valuable real-life experience, coordinating film shoots for Fox Sports and “Trading Spaces: Paige’s Perfect 10” on The Learning Channel (TLC). He also wrote advertising copy for Skechers; cut a trailer for “The Prince and Me” trilogy; and cut, wrote and produced promos for several TLC shows.

Being a part of NSAC was instrumental in building the skills he needed to be successful during his summer internship, Mark said.

“When I was working on a film shoot with the Fox Sports Network vice president of integrated marketing and emerging media, he asked me when I’m graduating,” he said. “If it weren’t for what I learned during the NSAC campaign, my skills would not have impressed the VP like they did.”

When Mark first learned about NSAC, he heard it was challenging. That, he added, was an understatement.

“While I don’t regret anything about NSAC, the term ‘challenging class’ doesn’t seem fit to explain how much sweat, tears and hard work I put into this class. Yes, there were tears. I don’t care if you print that,” Mark said.

Journalism major Kelly Meyer, who plans to graduate in May 2009, said the experience was overwhelming at times.

“But I learned a lot about teamwork — patience, compromise, listening, sharing and defending my ideas,” she said. “It also helped me determine which direction of advertising I am most interested in pursuing.”

Mark said every student on the team had tremendous respect for one another.

“I think the biggest challenge was working as a unified team,” he said. “We all had our own opinions, but we all had to come to a conclusion about which was best.”

Opening doors

The NSAC competition encourages students to work as if they were employed by a professional advertising agency. Kirsten Strom, who graduated in May with a marketing degree, said the experience helped her secure her first professional job in Chicago.

Strom is an assistant strategist for media agency OMD, where she plans and reports on all online campaigns for Universal Studios Theme Parks in Orlando and Hollywood.

“My boss at OMD was involved in NSAC when she was in college and was a district judge in 2008 — the year I competed,” Strom said. “Having the experience in NSAC really separated me from my competition.”

NSAC advisers Dana Baumgart of the journalism department and Kathy Fredrickson of the College of Business worked hard to bring the team to championship.

“They treated us like professionals, never babying us,” Mark said. “They told us, ‘This is your project.’ We took a lot of pride in that. If we needed guidance, they offered it. But they never gave us the answers directly.”

As many UW Oshkosh alumni have found, connections with fellow graduates go a long way in lending a helping hand. Steve Behnke ’03, helped Mark secure his recent internship.

“He came to UW Oshkosh to talk about his job cutting promos for TNT, and I was quite captivated,” Mark said. “Two years later, I had just finished telling my adviser, Troy Perkins, that I wanted a summer internship. That same day, he got an e-mail from Steve saying he was looking for an intern. I think the stars aligned.”

Mark plans to return to California next summer and, with his bachelor’s degree completed, land a full-time job there. As he did this summer, his method of transportation will be his car.

“And I’ll be waving and thanking UW Oshkosh the entire way,” he said.

• For more information about NSAC, visit www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=122.

Related stories:

• UW Oshkosh to compete at District 8 National Student Advertising Competition
• COB, COLS students win national advertising competition
• UW Oshkosh students compete at advertising competition in Atlanta

• For more information about the Titan Touchdown Club, visit www.titantouchdownclub.com.

When Jana Hoglund ’04, arrived at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., for graduate school, she noticed the poor and homeless populations living among the students, faculty and other city residents.

She also noticed how easily most people ignored them.

“I observed huge discrepancies between the predominantly white, middle- and upper-class citizens and the ever-present poor community downtown,” she said.

At first, Hoglund tried to help, offering pocket change. But with every passing day, she found it easier to walk past the poor — like nearly everyone else did.

“I quickly fell into the habit of looking straight ahead and ignoring them,” she said.

But she didn’t forget them, though. In fact, she couldn’t stop thinking about them.

“I started recognizing how people — including myself — ignored them, and decided that I needed to address it,” she said.

In order to bring their humanity into the spotlight, she wrote an opera about New Haven’s poor.

The idea originated after Hoglund wrote a research paper for a graduate theatre history class. She compared two productions featuring the poor and homeless as a theme – John Gay’s “The Beggar’s Opera” (1728) and Bertolt Brecht’s “Threepenny Opera” (1928).

Hoglund’s production, “Sidewalk Opera,” was performed at Yale in April.

“I decided that, in order to attempt to be as effective today, I would create a production that was specific to New Haven today,” she said. “The characters were based on recognizable people around New Haven and much of the set was taken from construction sites downtown.”

Hoglund said the crew — and particularly the cast — believed in the work and wanted to be as truthful as possible with these people’s stories.

“That felt amazing,” she said. “There was some fear going into performances, with such a fragile subject and with little rehearsal time, but everyone was so committed to the show, I felt confident.”

Before writing the opera, Hoglund interviewed six people living in poverty — one selling flowers on the street and five eating at a soup kitchen downtown. Two of those individuals attended the opening night of “Sidewalk Opera.”

“They had wonderful things to say about it,” she said.

The words for “Sidewalk Opera” originated from Hoglund’s verbatim transcription of the interviews.

“I transcribed everything that was said exactly the way it was said, preserving every stutter, pause, repeated word, broken sentence and grammatical error. We really believed that this was the most truthful and faithful way of telling their stories,” she said.

Finally, she composed music to accompany the stories.

“I started to become in tune with the musicality of speech,” she said. “I recognized patterns in rhythms, intervals, meter, etc., and was completely fascinated.”

The production featured audio clips of the interviews.

“We originally intended not to use recorded playback of the interviews during the performance, but this idea also changed while I was composing the piece,” Hoglund said. “It was difficult for our sound designer to clean up the recordings, but it proved to be very effective during the production.”

The audience’s response was everything Hoglund dreamed of and more.

“One individual said we were changing people and that she realized how arrogant she has been,” she said.

Most fulfilling for Hoglund was a response from David Harris, who was formerly homeless in Washington, D.C. Visiting New Haven for a panel discussion on homelessness, Harris took in “Sidewalk Opera” while in town.

“There’s a lot of pain in the lives of the homeless, and I got that through those actors — not just the words, but even their body language” he said of the play. “That’s how people I know move and talk and live. So I congratulate everybody involved in that, especially the composer. Everyone did a beautiful job.”

A 2008 graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Hoglund now lives in New York, where she is pursuing a future production of “Sidewalk Opera.” She also is the sound designer for “King is Dead,” produced by Highwire Theater and opening in August as well as for “Eurydice” at Montclair State University, opening Oct. 9.

A native of Appleton, Hoglund is the daughter of UW Oshkosh Theatre Department chair Roy Hoglund.

PHOTO CREDITS:
Paul Gelinas – Jana Hoglund at the sound board (upper left)
Erik Pearson – Sidewalk Opera photos (upper right and lower left)