Dr. Rachel Patzer and Menominee Nation College President Christopher Caldwell will speak to inspire graduates at UW-Green Bay spring commencement
More than 1,100 students are slated to graduate at the close of the 2024 Spring semester
Green Bay, WI – Student’s graduating from UW-Green Bay’s associate, undergraduate, and graduate programs on May 11, 2024 will hear from two visionary speakers. CEO of the Regenstrief Institute Dr. Rachel Patzer will speak at the 9:30 a.m. commencement ceremony; President of College of Menominee Nation Cristopher Caldwell will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
More than 1,100 students will be graduating in May through two ceremonies, held at the Kress Events Center on the Green Bay campus. Graduates of the College of Health, Education and Social Welfare and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will be celebrated at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. Graduates of the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology will be celebrated at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
Rachel Patzer, PhD, MPH, President & CEO, Regenstrief Institute is the President and CEO of the Regenstrief Insitute, a research institute dedicated to developing, conducting, and disseminating impactful research in health systems and across communities. Dr. Patzer is also a Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Fairbanks School of Public Health. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology and nutritional sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before attending Emory University in Atlanta. She received her MPH and PhD in epidemiology from Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health.
Dr. Patzer’s research investigations center around key areas such as inequities in access to high-value care, healthcare quality, health systems interventions, and health policy evaluations. She has been instrumental in reshaping the transplantation paradigm, advocating for a population health approach to inform the care of this patient population.
Dr. Patzer actively engages with national and local organizations to drive advancements in healthcare. This includes serving on the American Society of Nephrology Policy & Advocacy Committee, holding board membership with the Indiana Health Information Exchange, and acting as Lifetime Director of the Southeastern Kidney Transplant Coalition. With over 200 research publications, Dr. Patzer contributes valuable insights into the field, and the results of her work are often published in journals such as JAMA, Health Affairs, American Journal of Transplantation, and American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Christopher Caldwell, President of the College of Menominee Nation, is an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. He has led the College since February 2020, serving first as Interim President and officially installed by the Board of Directors in June 2021. Caldwell is the fourth person to lead CMN. He has been in a range of positions at the College, including student, director, adjunct, and President. An alumnus of the College, Caldwell began his higher education here at CMN, earning his Associate’s Degree in Sustainable Development. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and Policy from UW-Green Bay, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Environment and Resources from the UW-Madison Nelson Institute.
During his career, Caldwell has served in previous positions focused on sustainability, specifically within the forestry sector: Tribal Resources Director/Compliance, Enforcement Officer for the Menominee Indian Tribe, Forest Products Technician with the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, student/intern with the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs-NCCE, Timber Market/Forestry Technician with Menominee Tribal Enterprises and more recently as the Director of the Sustainable Development Institute at CMN.
About UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a school of resilient problem solvers who dare to reach higher with the power of education that ignites growth and answers the biggest challenges. Serving 10,300 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 67,500 continuing education learners annually, UW-Green Bay offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates. With four campus locations in Northeast Wisconsin, the University’s access mission welcomes all students who want to learn, from every corner of the world. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is a university on the rise – Wisconsin’s fastest growing UW. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
