This year, Blois Olson, a 1994 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism, will deliver the keynote address to the hundreds of guests expected to attend the event at Reeve Memorial Union. Olson is the principal of Fluence Media, a Minneapolis-based strategic communications firm that provides high-level media and communications strategy, visualization and insights, content creation and distribution and marketing.

Olson said he’s very excited to be back on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus to see all the changes and developments. Following the breakfast, Olson and attendees of the breakfast will be invited to tour Horizon Village, UW Oshkosh’s new suite-style residence hall.

See a two-year, time-lapse video of the Horizon Village project in the video below…

httpv://youtu.be/FnIio1i9UhM

The breakfast will also include a report to the community by UW Oshkosh Foundation President Arthur H. Rathjen and remarks by Chancellor Richard H. Wells.

The presentation of the annual Collaboration in Action award, which is annually given to an individual or an organization in Wisconsin who advances the mission of the University, will also be presented.

This year’s award will go to Oshkosh Mayor Burk Tower and City Manager Mark Rohloff for the role the City of Oshkosh played in moving the purchase of the downtown hotel forward. As part of the ongoing renovation project, the Oshkosh Common Council approved $3 million in public assistance. The downtown hotel was purchased in February through a partnership between the UW Oshkosh Foundation and local hoteliers Richard Batley of RB Hospitality and John Pfefferle Companies, Inc. The commitment by the City of Oshkosh assistance helped secure financing to make the sale a reality, revitalize a key property along the city’s waterfront and plant the seed for immediate and future job growth, tied to the hotel itself and within the greater downtown.

Last year’s recipient, BIOFerm Energy Systems of Madison, was recognized for helping the Foundation and the University establish the first-ever dry fermentation anaerobic biodigester in the Americas.

Learn more:

• UW Oshkosh Foundation 
• Community Breakfast

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Foundation and local hoteliers Richard Batley of RB Hospitality in Neenah and John Pfefferle of Pfefferle Companies, Inc. in Appleton announced their new ownership of the hotel, finalized Feb. 14. The partners have officially closed on the sale of the property, purchasing it from Nashco Hospitality Group LLC, which owned it since 2009. They plan to transform the 179-room waterfront property into a full-service, state-of-the-art business hotel, anchoring the city’s downtown and serving as an economic catalyst for the entire community.

“This local partnership’s vision, diligence and perseverance will result in great benefit to all of Wisconsin’s Event City,” said Oshkosh Area Community Foundation President and CEO Eileen Connolly-Keesler, who, in 2010, helped rally a local partnership around the hotel revitalization concept. “I’m pleased that the revitalized hotel will serve as one more successful example of how high-impact collaborations are improving our city’s economy and quality of life.”

The partners remain dedicated to the hotel vision originally proposed last fall: A renovated, state-of-the-art, full-service downtown business hotel with a new restaurant, reopened in early 2013. The hotel will complement the revitalized, attached Oshkosh Convention Center and enhance nearby UW Oshkosh’s vibrant academic conference business. It will also bring new downtown jobs and economic energy to Oshkosh retail storefronts, cafes, performance venues and other businesses aligned with the city’s ongoing redevelopment efforts.

Based on the level of shared investment in hotel renovations, it is estimated the project can directly create more than 200 new construction jobs. The reinvigoration of hotel business has the potential to create dozens of new hospitality jobs on site.

The new hotel owners said they also remain dedicated to using the revitalized hotel as an additional source of public good. They propose spinning off some revenue annually as UW Oshkosh Foundation scholarships for Oshkosh high school graduates. Another proposal suggests the potential, future establishment of a collaborative, off-campus academic hospitality program inside the hotel.

“This project is a perfect example of UW Oshkosh’s and the UW Oshkosh Foundation’s roles as community catalysts,” said UW Oshkosh Chancellor Richard Wells. “Not only can our Foundation help directly enhance job growth and conferencing business downtown and on campus, but it can additionally use this project to help generate some revenue to support homegrown high school graduates’ pursuit of college degrees and new academic programs. This project is a testament to collaboration, featuring two incredibly entrepreneurial nonprofit foundations, two stellar local hoteliers and city leaders and citizen stakeholders working hard to revitalize their community.”

Batley and Pfefferle join the partnership having helped establish two distinguished and successful Fox Valley hotel businesses. Batley is an owner and operating partner in both Neenah’s BEST WESTERN PREMIER Bridgewood Resort Hotel and Conference Center and in downtown Appleton’s CopperLeaf Boutique Hotel and Spa. Pfefferle is the managing partner in the CopperLeaf.

“We look forward to working with our partners to breathe new life and enhance business at Oshkosh’s downtown, waterfront hotel,” Batley said. “This revitalization will be of great benefit to the connected Oshkosh Convention Center, nearby UW Oshkosh and the greater community.”

Arthur H. Rathjen, president of the UW Oshkosh Foundation, thanked Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce President and CEO John Casper, who helped connect the two foundations with Batley and Pfefferle. Previous hotelier partner WHG Companies, LLC, amicably opted to pursue other business opportunities last fall when a first proposed hotel purchase agreement could not be reached.

“We also thank Nashco Hospitality for their patience and cooperation in helping this second, successful purchase agreement come together,” UW Oshkosh Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Tom Sonnleitner said.

The UW Oshkosh Foundation, a separate nonprofit organization supportive of UW Oshkosh, abandoned its consideration of a brand new hotel construction project attached to the planned campus Alumni Welcome and Conference Center when the concept of the renovated, full-service downtown hotel just a couple of blocks away emerged. While dramatically enhancing the use of the downtown convention center, the renovated hotel will also support guests participating in UW Oshkosh’s current and future campus-based academic conferences and events, including those in the future Alumni Welcome and Conference Center (Learn more: http://www.uwosh.edu/home/campus-growth/welcome-and-conference-center).

No state or tuition dollars are involved in the hotel project’s financing. The UW Oshkosh Foundation in collaboration with its private sector partners will oversee and manage the investment in this project. That is in keeping with the nonprofit Foundation’s mission to support and enhance the academic mission of UW Oshkosh.

“We remain optimistic that a renovated, full-service convention hotel will enhance our community, serve area businesses, support scholarships and internships and complement our plans for the new Alumni Welcome Center — located two blocks from the downtown property,” Rathjen said.

“Additionally, this renovation project will solve our community’s need for another attractive, conference-hosting hotel that supports the efforts of the Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau to showcase Wisconsin’s Event City,” he said. “With quality, established, local partners like Rich Batley and John Pfefferle, we are confident we will, together, deliver a first-class facility. We truly appreciate how much this project means to the residents of Oshkosh, and the University and University Foundation are proud to be a part of an endeavor revitalizing and enhancing our community.”

The hotel’s new owners are currently regrouping private investors while refining business plans and renovation timelines. They will again request project financial assistance from the City of Oshkosh in the form of tax-incremental financing (TIF) to support the hotel renovation.

The Oshkosh Common Council agreed to withdraw consideration of the partners’ original TIF proposal last fall after unanticipated renovation costs and the inability to reach a mutually-agreed upon purchase price stalled the project. This year, the city plans to continue construction on public river walk along the Fox River from Main Street to Jackson Street, past the hotel property.

“The hope was always that this local partnership’s hotel renovation proposal might reemerge,” Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff said. “We are eager to again work with the partners and bring their exciting proposal back for the consideration and support of the Oshkosh Common Council and the Joint Review Board.”

Last fall, project partners had proposed renaming the hotel the “Athearn Waterfront Hotel – UW Oshkosh” as an homage to the former Hotel Athearn that was nestled in the city’s downtown for decades. While they remain supportive of establishing a tribute to the Athearn within the property, through the incorporation of historical photographs and displays, they are dedicated to keeping all options available on the hotel’s final naming, including potential incorporation of a franchise’s flag.

Learn more:

• Alumni Welcome and Conference Center
• UW Oshkosh: Community Catalyst in a Challenging Economy

The 22,000-square foot UW Oshkosh Alumni Welcome and Conference Center will serve as the new front door to the University while also providing an enhanced conference and visitor’s center for the campus and extended Oshkosh communities. The facility will house UW Oshkosh Alumni Relations, Foundation and Business Success Center offices in its location along Oshkosh’s Fox River adjacent to the Wisconsin Street Bridge on the southern edge of campus.

The announcement of the welcome and conference center, which will provide a 30 percent increase in large-group campus meeting space, comes just as the representatives of a team of local investors, including the UW Oshkosh Foundation, announced they will purchase and renovate the City Center Hotel in downtown Oshkosh.

Plans for the welcome and conference center are years in the making for the UW Oshkosh Foundation. In the summer of 2008, torrential rains ripped through Oshkosh, campus’ River Center conference space, located along Pearl Ave. The facility was flooded and destroyed. Since, master planning efforts have been underway to explore the idea of a new welcome center – with and without the option of a hotel – at the Wisconsin Street entrance to campus.

As the first step in this project, the UW Oshkosh Foundation acquired the Carl Steiger Park property this summer where the welcome and conference center will stand. The University will maintain the park and green space to improve public access to the area.

The welcome and conference center paired with an up-to-date hotel, which is less than two blocks away from the University, is an asset for both the UW Oshkosh and Oshkosh communities, said Arthur H. Rathjen, UW Oshkosh Foundation president.

“UW Oshkosh’s robust year-round calendar of speakers, forums, conferences and events, hosted on campus makes large meeting space a necessity,” said Rathjen. “Events on campus provide a strong base of business for the downtown hotel. With more rooms to offer, the UW Oshkosh Foundation believes the hotel will be the campus guest and conference-hosting solution the University and downtown have long sought.”

To-date, renderings for the welcome and conference center have been created. However, cost and construction timelines are still being developed. The project will be funded through a developing UW Oshkosh Foundation fundraising campaign; the welcome and conference center project, like the hotel renovation and its operation, will not utilize state funds or tuition dollars.

Even without a hotel property, UW Oshkosh has developed a strong reputation as an award-winning event and conference host. Gruenhagen Conference Center is the state’s largest on-campus conference center, annually housing thousands of guests for University educational conferences and community events such as the popular Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture conventions and Badger Girls State.

The welcome and conference center will build on that success. It will feature a ballroom with capacity for 460 people, as well as meeting spaces for groups of 70-80 people, an oversized board room and breakout work rooms. The conference center, owned by the nonprofit UW Oshkosh Foundation and jointly operated by the University, will offer on-site catering and high-tech meeting spaces for alumni, faculty, staff and student events such as educational conferences and alumni reunions.

The collaboration possibilities between the downtown hotel and the welcome and conference center will strengthen the University tie to downtown and enhance Oshkosh as a destination for University guests, visitors and families of UW Oshkosh students, said Christine Gantner, alumni relations director at UW Oshkosh.

“With more than 80,000 alumni who frequently return to Oshkosh, this will give them another close-to-campus home away from home,” Gantner said.

The University-hotel-convention center partnership is not new in the country. Universities like Washington State, Penn State, Kent State, Virginia Tech and many others offer a community connection through convention and lodging space on or in close proximity to their campuses.

“We have examined how several universities around the country have creatively and successfully connected hotels and welcome and convention centers to their campuses,” UW Oshkosh Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Tom Sonnleitner said.

“We believe all boats rise in our hotel and Alumni Welcome and Conference Center proposal,” UW Oshkosh Chancellor Richard Wells said. “The demand for Oshkosh hotel beds is addressed. Just as important, the revitalized hotel’s relationship to our Alumni Welcome and Conference Center only two blocks away will significantly enhance UW Oshkosh’s first-rate reputation as a quality destination and host for educational conferences and events that advance our teaching, learning and public service mission.”

The welcome and conference center, when complete, will join a number of new, dynamic University developments, The Student Success Center, located along Elmwood Blvd, opened its doors in the summer of 2010 and UW Oshkosh’s first brand new academic building, Sage Hall, in 40 years will be open to students on the first day of classes this semester. The improvements were part of the University’s strategic plan.

The new developments paired with updates like those done to Reeve Union in 2001 and to the Student Recreation & Wellness Center in 2007 help UW Oshkosh stay competitive, Wells said.

“We are proud of our campus’s growth and evolution over the last 10 years but also realize it is the students, faculty, staff and alumni maximizing these state-of-the-art new buildings who truly define UW Oshkosh as a place of excellence and opportunity,” Wells said.

Read more:

• Horizon Village takes shape, construction on schedule
• Campus’ newest academic building to be ready for students in September

Staying connected to UW Oshkosh

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s mobile app—the first in the UW System to become available for the Android Market and for iPhones—is a free application with a simple, clean user interface. Its functions make finding people and places at UW Oshkosh simpler and give instant access to events, campus information and news.

“With news from UW Oshkosh Today and the Advance-Titan and access to Twitter and YouTube, people on and off campus can more easily stay connected to UWO,” said Jamie Ceman, multichannel marketing and web development assistant director for Integrated Marketing and Communications.

Additional features include campus maps, which provide campus building locations, and Emergency Resources, which provides contact information for University Police, Risk Management, Safe Walk and Crisis Hotline. Ceman said the way people are accessing information is changing and the University needs to keep pace with that.

Advance-Titan

Directory

“Communication needs to happen on multiple channels if we want to be effective,” Ceman said. “University leadership is very committed to the integrated marketing and communications model, rolled out to campus almost five years ago, and is extremely supportive of the new methods we need to use to reach out to university constituents.”

Emergency

Campus Map

UW Oshkosh Advancement and Foundation President Art Rathjen explained that researching and creating new channels of communication, such as the mobile app, is part of advancing and engaging the campus community as well as strengthening both internal and external communications.

Twitter

UWO Today

“It is important that the University continues to create and build upon relationships through several mediums,” Rathjen said. “Having a mobile app readily available will assist in keeping the campus community and its visitors connected to UW Oshkosh.”

YouTube

Understanding the need to communicate on multiple channels, the UWO mobile team collaborated to develop a multi-platform app to fit the needs of its users. Students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors can download the app and use it on several devices, including Android smartphones and the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

“We saw that over a six-month period, Android traffic to the UW Oshkosh website grew from a small percentage to overtaking iPhone traffic,” Ceman said. “In order to deliver the app on devices that are actually being used by our campus, we needed to develop for both iPhone and Android.”

After making the decision to develop an app, a significant amount of research was conducted on what types of functionality is seen in university mobile apps, as well as discussing lessons-learned with UW-Madison, who launched an iPhone app late last year. A group of representatives from areas across campus was assembled to discuss what functionality could be launched for the University.

Creating a multi-platform mobile app

Development of the app began with a low-cost platform, discovered through collaboration with UW-Milwaukee, in Sept. 2010. IMC Web and New Media Programmer Joel Herron, who developed the app, said he hopes users find its functions helpful.

“We hope app users feel connected to UW Oshkosh through the combination of news, videos and Twitter feeds,” Herron said. “Currently our app is pretty similar to what most universities are offering, which makes sense in a lot of ways as higher education institutions all serve the same types of people.”

A lot goes into developing an app, including research, planning, programming and testing. Herron said he came across a few challenges throughout the development project but said these challenges were important to overcome in order to create a versatile app.

“The major issue in building apps for multiple platforms is that in most cases you have to build two completely separate applications using completely different programming languages. We were able to utilize a framework to allow us to develop both applications using a common language,” Herron said. “Another challenge we came up against is the sheer number of different Android devices and screen sizes that exist. We had to develop the app in a certain way so it would look the same on multiple devices.”

UWO’s mobile future

The University’s mobile team understands that not everyone has an iOS or Android device, and because of this they have built a mobile website (m.uwosh.edu) so others can utilize the features on their devices. For the their long-term strategy, the team is looking forward to working closely with campus faculty, staff and students to understand what functionality they want and need on mobile devices.

According to both Ceman and Herron, this is a pilot app and wants it to become a more substantial tool for campus to use and for the community to stay connected. Herron, along with the rest of the team, hopes that by working with campus and releasing updates, they will be able to differentiate the app from others and give its users a “UW Oshkosh-centric” experience.

“For the future, we’ll be looking at the statistics from the app to see where it should go next. Our goal is to keep improving and adding more features as time goes on,” Herron said. “My goal through this process is to make an app that the campus community doesn’t just download and use occasionally, but it becomes an ingrained part of how they interact with UW Oshkosh.”

Read more:

• UWO Mobile
• How to install on your mobile device

During the week of Jan. 31 to Feb. 4, Boldt Construction workers used heavy machinery to install metal doors and enclose each of the four dry fermentation chambers. They also moved forward with finishing the operations office, which is attached to the side of the liquid fermentation and gas chambers.

The renewable energy facility needs 6,000 tons of organic biowaste per year, which is to be provided by campus and community sources, to produce 400 kilowatt output. Throughout this process, added material will remain in each fermentation chamber for 28 days, with one out of the four chambers rotating out each week.

“The biodigester will take plant materials and food waste into the chambers and extract gas as the compost process continues,” said Craig Burkhart, BIOFerm project manager. “The liquid runoff also will be extracted and repurposed for future dry fermentation processes.”

The dry fermentation anaerobic biodigester was a collaborative effort with the UW Oshkosh Foundation, which purchased the land, and is partially funded with a $232,587 grant from Wisconsin Focus on Energy and a $500,000 grant from the federal government.

The plant is located on Dempsey Trail, adjacent to the Witzel Avenue Campus Service Center.

Read more:

• Snapshots Gallery: Groundbreaking for nation’s first dry anaerobic biodigester
• Groundbreaking for nation’s first dry anaerobic biodigester Sept. 15
• On Campus: UW Oshkosh to power campus by turning food into fuel
• Generating power from food
• University of Wisconsin Oshkosh to construct nation’s first-of-its-kind biodigster
• UWO to develop first-of-its-kind biodigester in U.S. to create heat, electricity

A diagnosis was made after several visits to the doctor’s office, but it came too late: The aggressive bone cancer had attacked her hip joint.

Pink, a 26-year-old nursing graduate from Monroe, took time away from school to undergo a lengthy treatment process, including nine months of chemotherapy and one month of radiation. She returned to the nursing program during her remission, but it wasn’t long before she fell ill with leukemia, a malignant disease of the bone marrow and blood.

“Doctors told me that chemotherapy was my only option because of how aggressive the cancer was,” Pink said. “It’s typical for chemo patients to get leukemia, but it was either that or dying, so I obviously chose chemo.”

Pink took additional time away from the nursing program to receive a stem-cell transplant for her leukemia.

During this recovery, Pink received $500 from the College of Nursing’s (CON) Student Emergency Fund. Dean Rosemary Smith and CON faculty wanted to make sure that the challenges Pink was facing would not prevent her from accomplishing her goal of attaining a degree.

Every year CON provides nursing students facing unforeseen challenges with financial support through the Emergency Fund, which originally was founded by a generous anonymous donor to help students complete the nursing program.

Since Pink was unable to walk long distances and needed to get exercise during her recovery, she put the money towards purchasing a stationary bike.

“The treatment was tough because I used to be a runner, and I was too weak to even walk short distances,” Pink said. “I decided to use the money and buy a bike, which really kept me in shape and played a part in my recovery.”

Pink said CON faculty and the nurses that took care of her, including a UW Oshkosh alumna, who encouraged her to go forward and complete her B.S. in nursing.

“The level of courage and resilience shown by Stephanie throughout this ordeal and treatment of a second life-threatening cancer was nothing less than remarkable,” said Becki Cleveland, assistant director of CON’s undergraduate program and student academic affairs. “A cancer survivor when she entered our clinical program, Stephanie shared her passion to someday help others endure what she had experienced.”

Pink walked alongside her colleagues at the University’s mid-year commencement ceremony on Dec. 18. Her family and professors attended to celebrate her accomplishments.

“I cannot express the pride as I witnessed her walking across the stage at graduation,” Cleveland said. “She is truly a gift to us, to nursing and to all the patients she will touch in her professional career.”

Pink currently is serving as a registered nurse at Theda Clark Medical Center’s cardiac and orthopedic sectors in Neenah. In March 2011, Pink will be cancer-free for three years, and after five years without having any re-occurrences, doctors will deem her as being cured.

• Those interested in contributing to the College of Nursing Student Emergency Fund may do so by specifically designating their gift to CON on a printable or online gift form. To learn how to give to, visit http://www.uwosh.edu/foundation/how-to-give/give-online.php?fund=EmergencyFund.

Hummel, who has worked as the community education and outreach coordinator at Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services since February 2009, will assume the new post Jan. 10.

At UWO, Hummel will develop strategies for issues management and crisis communications that best reflect the University’s brand; develop communication campaigns for major events and milestones; provide creative and editorial direction for significant marketing pieces; and build relationships with local, regional and national media.

“I am most confident that Alex’s experience in managing news will serve us well at UW Oshkosh as we expand our news outreach efforts into the Fox Valley and northeastern Wisconsin,” said Arthur H. Rathjen, president of the UW Oshkosh Foundation and executive director of University Advancement. “He has the ability to diversify our news delivery capabilities and expand our delivery process into growing audiences within the region. This is a strong appointment for our University community, and I truly look forward to having his previous work experience compliment the current Integrated Marketing efforts already underway for our University.”

A graduate of UW-Platteville in broadcast technology management, Hummel has experience as a reporter for the Marshfield News Herald and as a public affairs reporter and editorial page and community conversation editor at the Oshkosh Northwestern.

“I am honored by and excited for this opportunity,” Hummel said. “There are so many amazing stories to amplify that are coming out of UW Oshkosh about the students, faculty, staff, alumni and everybody. I am looking forward to working with IMC to tell these stories and to give new opportunities to the subjects to share their own stories.”

An award-winning journalist, Hummel has earned a first place in investigative reporting from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and been named employee of the year at the Oshkosh Northwestern, among other honors.

Hummel also is active in the community with the Fox Valley Voices of Men, Oshkosh Public Library Board of Trustees, and the Winnebago County Literacy Council.

Ruth DeYoung Kohler

Ruth DeYoung Kohler, a nationally respected leader within the arts and higher education community of northeast Wisconsin, has been named to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Since 1972, Kohler has expanded Sheboygan’s John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) into an internationally recognized art center through its renowned facilities and programs, therefore enriching the state’s presence. Her dedication makes her a continuing force behind the scenes and spotlights her as someone who cares about and improves Wisconsin’s regional art culture.

UW Oshkosh awarded Kohler an honorary doctorate in 2005, and she received the 2007 Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Award for her visionary goals and leadership at JMKAC.

“Ruth DeYoung Kohler is a visionary and creative thinker,” said Richard H. Wells, chancellor at UW Oshkosh. “Thanks to her work, the JMKAC has become one of the most innovative, comprehensive and distinguished contemporary arts centers in the nation.”

Kohler’s other accomplishments include serving as chairperson and member of the Wisconsin Arts Board; president of the Kohler Foundation; and a panel member for the National Endowment for the Arts, government agencies and academic institutions.

As former president of the Kohler Foundation, Kohler has awarded 45 scholarships annually to graduating high school students for their outstanding leadership and artistic accomplishments, including the $60,000 Ruth DeYoung Kohler Scholarship to exceptional seniors in Sheboygan County high schools.

“Ruth’s dedicated leadership and contributions to northeastern Wisconsin’s New North, as well as higher education, has been proven time and time again,” said Arthur H. Rathjen, UW Oshkosh Foundation president. “We are grateful for her willingness to serve on the Foundation’s board.”

Kohler’s continuous acts of volunteerism and devotion to the Kohler Foundation, as well as other recognized organizations, will be welcomed by fellow UW Oshkosh Foundation board members.

The UW Oshkosh Foundation Board of Directors is made up of individuals committed to positioning the University as an educational institution dedicated to the success of its students. The Board is responsible for managing business and affairs of the Foundation, including the management and administration of more than $20 million in total assets.

Learn more:

• UW Oshkosh Foundation
• UW Oshkosh Foundation Board of Directors
• Kohler Foundation Inc.
• John Michael Kohler Arts Center

The Wisconsin Nurses Association named Suzanne Marnocha on the list of the top 100 nurses in Wisconsin. Marnocha received the award at the 2010 WNA annual convention, Oct. 7 to 9, at the Monona Terrace and Convention Center in Madison.

Melissa Lantta, University Advising Resource Center, is the president-elect of the Wisconsin Academic Advising Association. The association represents Wisconsin technical, private and public colleges and all areas of the advising spectrum. WACADA is affiliated with the National Academic Advising Association.

Michelle Michalski, biology/microbiology, is project director of “Animal Models of Infectious Diseases,” which received $123,910 from the National Institutes of Health through the University of Georgia.

Marianne Johnson, economics, will visit German universities with funding from the Hessen University system and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany. Eric Kuennen, mathematics, will participate but will fund his own way. The trip takes place Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, and was organized to familiarize UW System faculty with the Hessen university system and opportunities for internships and research in Germany.

Faculty and students from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will present their research at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference in Denver, Colo., Oct. 10 to 13. AASHE connects colleges and universities with resources and support to engage the higher education community to work towards a sustainable future. UW Oshkosh faculty and staff presenting at AASHE include: Aaron Campbell, Korin Franklin, Nadeesha Thewarapperuma, Steven Dunn, Michael Lizotte and Tom Sonnleitner.

• Read more.

Richard Kalinoski, theater, received notable reviews from LA Weekly and Backstage magazine on his play, “Beast on the Moon.” Kalinoski’s play also has been recommended for the LA Alliance Ovation Awards, which are the highest theatre awards given in Los Angeles. A performance must be recommended before it can formally be nominated for an Ovation Award. Only 15 percent of professional productions in Los Angeles receive recommendations for the Ovation Award.

The play focuses on two survivors of the Armenian genocide and the development of their relationship as immigrates in Milwaukee. Nominees will be announced, Monday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., at the Autry museum in Los Angeles, Calif.

• Read the Backstage review.
• Read the LA Weekly review.

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh elementary education major Molly Cosgrove, received the WAEOPP scholarship for $1,000. The WAEOPP is funded by the Higher Education Act and provides opportunities for low-income, first-generation students to be successful as they continue their education. Cosgrove is president of the First in the Family student organization and an active member of Student Support Services.

The Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club awarded Tom Sonnleitner, vice chancellor of administration, with the Ruby K Award for bringing five or more new recruits to the club.

In addition, UW Oshkosh Foundation President Arthur Rathjen, was presented with a certificate for perfect attendance and for contributing nearly 90 hours of volunteer time. Rathjen also worked with the club to build a new club website and was named the Kiwanian of the Year.

• Read more about the Kiwanis Club at the Northwestern.
  

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.

• Publish your own announcement.
• Make a story suggestion.
• E-mail the editors.

Eileen Connolly-Keesler ’02, president and CEO of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, accepts the Collaboration in Action Leadership Award.

The Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (OACF) was recognized for its support of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh at the UW Oshkosh Foundation’s fifth-annual Report to the Community Breakfast on Oct. 8.

The Collaboration in Action Leadership Award was presented to OACF President and CEO Eileen Connolly-Keesler ’02, before members of the UWO campus community, Oshkosh area leaders, key donors and friends of the University. OACF, a nonprofit organization serving Winnebago, Waushara and Green Lake counties, was recognized for its demonstrated commitment to improving the quality of life in the region by developing partnerships and providing leadership gifts to launch campaigns.

For many years, OACF has partnered with the University, its departments and the UW Oshkosh Foundation, administering scholarships that support students pursuing their education at UW Oshkosh. Furthermore, OACF took a leadership role in improving Titan Stadium, and OACF’s Leave a Legacy effort encourages area residents to include philanthropic gifts in their wills and estate plans.

“This award was created to recognize an individual or organization in northeastern Wisconsin who advances the mission of the University and whose efforts impact educational, cultural and economic change within our region,” UW Oshkosh Foundation President Arthur Rathjen said. “The Oshkosh Area Community Foundation; its Board of Directors; and its CEO, Eileen Connolly-Keesler, embody a ‘spirit of collaboration’ that is virtually unparalleled within our community.”

In addition to her work with OACF, Connolly-Keesler championed the University within UW System and region while serving on the Board of Regents.

Previous recipients of the Collaboration in Action Leadership award include J. J. Keller, Affinity Health System and Door County Government.

• For more information about the Report to the Community Breakfast, visit www.uwosh.edu/today/6252/uwo-foundation-event-celebrates-collaboration.

• For more information about the UW Oshkosh Foundation, visit www.uwosh.edu/foundation.