UW-Green Bay: Top Moments of 2019

As we close out a decade, take a scroll through 15 standout moments and accomplishments of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2019!

Retired UW-Green Bay faculty member Robert J. Bauer endows $1 million strings professorship

In January, a generous donation of $1 million from retired faculty member Robert J. Bauer and his wife and UW-Green Bay alumna Joanne ’78 (Master’s Degree in Environmental Arts and Sciences) was announced. This gift was used to create an endowed professorship fund designated to support and advance the academic activities of the strings music faculty and students at the University. Read more.

New bachelor’s and masters degree offerings

In 2019, UW-Green Bay’s academic offerings continued to expand, mirroring the needs of the local and national workforce. New degrees approved and/or implemented in 2019 include: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing and Applied Arts, Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA), Bachelor of Science in Water Science, and Master of Science in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology.

Noodles & Company Founder Aaron Kennedy named as TitletownTech entrepreneur-in-residence

In April 2019, UW-Green Bay and the University of Wisconsin System announced that Noodles & Company founder and former Chairman/CEO, Aaron Kennedy would join the TitletownTech leadership team as UW-Green Bay’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Read more.

Cofrin Center for Biodiversity celebrates 20 years

This year marked the beginning of the celebration of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity’s 20th anniversary. Events included Lawton Gallery Exhibit “Museum of Natural Inspiration: Artists Explore the Richter Collection,” a gallery of artwork inspired by the collection of the Richter Museum of Natural History; Prarie Week, which included a “Yarn Bomb” in the Cofrin Arboretum and more! See more.

Marinette Campus ‘Mamma Mia’ is a sellout

UW-Green Bay, Marinette Campus Theatre on the Bay kicked off its 53rd season this year with sellout performances of Mamma Mia. And rollling with the punches, the cast and crew embodied the adage the “show must go on,” performing through a power outage opening night, finishing the show a-cappella by the light of cell phones.

Phoenix sculpture installed

A new photo opportunity and iconic piece of art, “Phoenix Rising” was added to the Green Bay Campus in late summer. The 13-foot steel and stainless steel Phoenix, now located in the library circle, was created by regional metal Artist Carl Vanderheyden and dedicated in September. See more.

Green Bay Athletics celebrates 50 years

The 2019-2020 season marks 50 years for Green Bay athletics. The fall of 1969 marked the first official competition and team with men’s soccer followed by men’s basketball, wrestling and tennis. Green Bay Athletics kicked off the yearlong celebration on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at a men’s and women’s soccer double header at Aldo Santaga Stadium. In addition to other special events all season long, Athletics has been naming the Top 50 Most Influential Leaders.

University names first female chancellor

After Chancellor Gary L. Miller announced his departure, UW System President Ray Cross named Sheryl L. Van Gruensven as the interim Chancellor of UW-Green Bay. Van Gruensven was UW-Green Bay’s vice chancellor for business and finance and will return to that role after her time as interim chancellor.

UW-Green Bay reports largest-ever enrollment

This year was a record year for enrollment. As of fall 2019, more than 8,800 students are a part of the Phoenix family and the Green Bay campus saw 9.7% growth in one year. Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Michael Alexander says the news is reflective of the growing support by the region for its public university and is also great news for the region. Read more.

Weidner Philharmonic is impressive (as expected) in debut

Buoyed by the strong community response to the orchestral concert that opened its 25th anniversary season in 2018, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay music faculty and UW-Green Bay’s Weidner Center for the Performing Arts debuted a Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019. The first performance was Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019 and the orchestra was comprised of music faculty from multiple UW-Green Bay campuses and other local musicians. See more.

Brown County STEM Innovation Center opens its doors

The newly-minted Brown County STEM Innovation Center opened its doors on Thursday, October 10, 2019. The 63,730-square-foot facility, located on the UW-Green Bay campus is home to many facets of UW-Green Bay’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology, including the Richard J. Resch School of Engineering; Extension Brown County; Brown County’s Land and Water Conservation Department and The Einstein Project!

Manitowoc Campus CEO named Manitowoc Future 15 Winner

Rachele Bakic, campus executive officer for UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus, was recently named a Manitowoc County Future 15 winner. “The ‘Future 15′ are young professionals, ages 21-40, ‘who have given back to the community, showed leadership, and helped in many ways to make the area a great place to live and work.'” Read more.

Sheboygan Campus Assoc. Professor James Kabrhel receives Underkofler Award for Teaching

The Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award is an endowed award from Alliant Energy and is awarded to three teachers each year within the University of Wisconsin System from the Madison, Platteville, Baraboo, Fond du Lac, Richland, Rock or Sheboygan campuses who personify dedication. The award committee looks for teachers who not only communicate their subject matter effectively, but also inspire in their students an enthusiasm for learning. This year, one of the recipients was Associate Prof. James Kabrhel, a teacher of General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry classes at UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus. Kabrhel is known for using current events and items in the news to make classroom content more interesting and appealing to students. See more.

Common CAHSS honors the 71st anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights

In recognition of world Human Rights Day on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences hosted the inaugural Common CAHSS 2019: Human Rights event at the Weidner Center. This year marked the 71st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Throughout the day, there was a total of 30 scheduled activities, capped off with keynote speaker Rais Bhuiyan, founder of the non-profit “World Without Hate.” See more.

 UW-Green Bay celebrates 100th Commencement

Dec. 14, 2019 was a monumental day for UW-Green Bay. The University community celebrated its 100th Commencement. More than 400 graduates were eligible to graduate, boosting the total count of alumni to nearly 40,000. Read more.