Author: Michael Shaw
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From Baker to Biologist: UW-Green Bay Grad Soars into Bird Conservation Career
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Photos by UW-Green Bay Photographer, Dan Moore Q: What do a UW–Green Bay Phoenix and a master baker have in common? A: Rising is essential. Sarah Baughman—a 2025 UW–Green Bay graduate with a Biology degree—knows this firsthand. Her “rise” took time: investing ten years devoted to baking before returning to college to rediscover her love…
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Transferring to UW-Green Bay: The Journey of One Migrating Phoenix
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Have you ever needed to change your surroundings to achieve your academic dreams? You’re not alone. In fact, in the Fall of 2024, about 13% of all undergraduates in the U.S. (that’s about 1.5 million!) were transfer students. One characteristic many of them share, other than seeking a fresh start, is they tend not to…
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Returning to Rise
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Photos by University Photographer, Dan Moore. Jessica Plascencia was ready to break free. She believed success meant leaving Green Bay behind—and in 2017, she did just that, choosing UW–Oshkosh for its distance and her independence. It wasn’t far on the map, but for Plascencia, a first-generation college student, that hour-long drive was a radical act of…
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Software Sparks
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Photos by Dan Moore, University Photographer. Engineering is more than high-level tinkering—it’s the art of imagining what doesn’t yet exist and building it into reality. It’s a bold blend of imagination and precision, where ideas leap off the page and into the world. No longer limited to mechanics or chemicals, today’s ever-expanding engineering universe spans…
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The Power of Justice
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It started with the determination to find answers. Justice Saxby, a first-generation college student and UW–Green Bay alumna of the Class of 2025, always had a unique way of seeing the world. “I used to think that clouds were made from smokestacks,” she recalled. “I’d think, ‘Oh, they’re making the clouds today.’” That early misunderstanding…
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Full Circle
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On a blustery August evening in 2024, Dr. Evan Wenig stepped out of HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. His long hours as an attending physician overseeing patient care had turned daylight into darkness. But on this night, as he walked to his car, a wave of familiarity washed over him. “Years ago, I…
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A Career in Crisis Management
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This story was updated on May 27, 2025. Crisis is at the heart of Alex Freeman’s career—anticipating, managing and overcoming a crisis, to be exact. And he readily admits, “It’s a unique profession.” As the Emergency Management Coordinator for Waukesha County, Freeman is responsible for developing and implementing emergency response plans, coordinating with local agencies…
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Meet Aashvi Pandey, 2025 Graduating Class Student Speaker
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Putting the Pieces Together Adaptability and perseverance are essential for a successful college career, especially when aspiring to medical school. For Aashvi Pandey, the ability to adapt came early when she moved half a world away as a child. Equally important as mastery of the art of healing, is the art of caring. She says,…
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Meet Monica Garcia, 2025 Graduating Class Student Speaker
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A Mentor is Born What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a common question that young people often get asked. And that answer becomes even more important as college looms on the horizon. As Monica Garcia approached college four years ago, her answer was clear and profound: to be her truest…
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Driving change, meaning business: UW-Green Bay’s Master’s in Public Administration is shaping the future of service
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While it’s easy in our “return on investment” higher education landscape to prioritize fields like computer science and biomedics for their direct financial rewards, students like Gage Beck at UW-Green Bay are more drawn by the call to serve. Beck’s journey into the public sector is not solely driven by financial gain but by a…