Congratulations to the Founders Award Winners!

One of the highlights every year of Faculty and Staff Convocation is recognition of the Founders Awards Winners by the Awards and Recognition Committee. This year, Prof. Laura Riddle and Anna Merry announced the awardees in a virtual presentation. The Committee selected the following to be recognized for excellence in each category:

Sherri Arendt, Academic Support Award for Excellence

Barbara Holschbach, University Staff Award for Excellence

Prof. Gaurav Bansal, Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship

Linda Toonen, Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching

Mai Lo Lee, University Award for Excellence in Community Outreach

Associate Prof. James Loebl, University Award for Excellence in Institutional Development

UntitledTown Board of Directors, University Award for Excellence in Collaborative Achievement

  • Rebecca Meacham, Co-President (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay)
  • Amy Mazzariello, Co-President (Lion’s Mouth Bookstore)
  • Derrick Holt, Vice-President (Audio/Music Professional)
  • Maria Konkel, Treasurer (Nicolet National Bank)
  • Mai J. Lo Lee (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay)
  • Cristina Ortiz (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay)
  • Jerod Santek (Write On, Door County)

Video Transcript…

Introduction
Good Morning! I’m honored to present the recipients of the Founders Awards and to share this honor with my Committee colleague, Anna Merry. We want to acknowledge the outstanding work of the members of the 2019-2020 Awards and Recognition Committee: Iftekhar Anam, Sarah Detweiler, Cynthia Estrup, James Kabrhel, Ruth Pearson, Katelyn Strzok, and William Yazbec, as well as the support and guidance provided by the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty and Academic Staff; Mary Kate Ontaneda and Steve Meyer.

Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching
The recipient of the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching began teaching at UW- Green Bay in 1985. Decades later, former students speak passionately about this devoted teacher who left an indelible impression as they pursued careers in myriad fields. Her colleagues speak with great respect about her exceptional dedication to making student success the highest priority and her compassion for students facing great challenges in pursuing a college education. A former student, now a colleague wrote, “When I look at all those students waiting outside her office on any given weekday, I can’t help but imagine that line stretching out into the classrooms and homes across our community. She makes this university more than just an institution of higher learning. She makes it a home. She is the meat and potatoes, the foundation of our students’ success.”

This year’s recipient of the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching is Linda Toonen.

Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship
The recipient of the Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship is an Internationally recognized scholar in the fields of management and organizational behavior, “big data,” environmentalism, gender, and cybersecurity. Holding the esteemed position of the Frederick E. Baer Professorship in Business, he is also a senior editor of the Journal of Information Technology- Case and Application Research he has over one thousand citations of his research and more than forty publications in the US and internationally in high impact journals such as Information & Management. A sought-after speaker on data visualization and ethics, he has enriched the regional business community with his presentations, and has been called

“one of the most influential thinkers worldwide on the issue of information security and privacy.” This year’s recipient of the Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship is Gaurav Bansal. 

University Award for Excellence in Institutional Development
The recipient of the University Award for Excellence in Institutional Development has distinguished himself as an excellent teacher, a dedicated contributor to the University, and a partner with the community. His University service has included multiple terms on the Faculty Senate and membership on the University Committee. But his greatest institutional contribution has been in support of the growth of the Cofrin School of Business. His oversight of the School of Business from an embedded department within the College of Professional Studies to a stand-alone School in 2016 will continue to benefit countless students, faculty, and staff for generations. Currently serving as the Chair of the University Committee, he has agreed to remain on this important Committee for his final semester before retiring to help transition into the 2021-22 academic year.

This year’s recipient of the University Award for Excellence in Institutional Development is James Loebl.

University Award for Excellence in Community Outreach
The recipient of the University Award for Excellence in Community Outreach has been involved in so many projects connecting our university to the community that her nominator wrote, “When reaching out to folks in regards to support, there were so many ideas for [this person’s] community building that I had not even considered when originally nominating her.” This person is widely connected within our community and regularly brings those connections to the university to the benefit of our students and those outside UWGB. Several notable initiatives include the Black in the Bay panel during Black History Month, the JumpStart program through MESA, and the Back to School Store, which brought 1,211 children and their families to the Kress Center last year to receive school supplies and health screenings. This year’s recipient of the University Award for Excellence in Community Outreach is Mai Lo Lee.

Academic Support Award for Excellence
The recipient of the Academic Support Award for Excellence is known for her dedication, passion and advocacy for the students of our university. One nominator wrote, that “students feel welcomed and safe with her,” and continued “She is the ultimate collaborator and connector,” meaning not only does she make students feel like they belong, but she also works across many, many departments and initiatives to improve student success at UWGB. In 2017, this person led a remodel of their area that led to a 65% increase in the use of their services over the previous year! That is incredible, but just as impressive to me was the recent UWGB graduate who submitted a letter of support saying, “As I look back, I can honestly say that of all the staff I have met, she has had the greatest impact on my growth as a student and on my life as an adult.” This year’s recipient of the Academic Support Award for Excellence is Sherri Arendt.

University Staff Award for Excellence
The recipient of the University Staff Award for Excellence impacts departments all over campus with her high quality work, from university finances, to admissions, to advising. Her attention to detail and commitment to testing and problem-solving before the final deadline have probably saved every single one of us headaches that we didn’t even know we were missing. As this person’s nominator wrote, “There is not an area on this campus that does not have a need to produce or consume data, and it is [this person’s] responsibility to ensure that our systems are developed to meet those needs, to ensure that data is accurate, and that everyone understands how it all interconnects.” Major projects that our award winner has played a key role in include: the integration of UW Colleges Prism data into UWGB’s SIS, and student data inputs into the Incentive Based Budget model. This year’s recipient of the University Staff Award for Excellence is Barb Holschbach.

University Award for Excellence in Collaborative Achievement
The recipient of the University Award for Excellence in Collaborative Achievement is a group that seeks to put the city of Green Bay on the map for something other than “football, beer and cheese.” As one letter of support stated, “Though we do love all of those things, we know we are made up of so much more.” This project, which began in 2016, has been bringing more to the Green Bay area, while promoting the values of UW-Green Bay. That “more” includes panels, discussions and performances. It includes authors from R. L. Stine to Margaret Atwood, as well as a diverse mix of literary voices. This year’s recipient of the University Award for Excellence in Collaborative Achievement is the Board of UntitledTown Book and Author Festival, a festival that has been ongoing for three years, plus the planned but unfortunately cancelled festival that would have taken place this past spring. Congratulations to the board members, past and present.

Closing
Congratulations to all recipients of this year’s Founders Awards!

 

 

Nominations requested for 2018 Founders Association Awards

It’s time to start submitting nominations for the 2018 Founders Association Awards. The Awards & Recognition Committee encourages anyone from the UW-Green Bay community to nominate a faculty member, instructor, lecturer or staff member they would like to see honored at next year’s Fall Convocation. A list of awards and descriptions of award criteria, as well as a list of previous award winners can be found online. The deadline for submission is March 9, 2018.

The nomination form can be completed electronically. Individuals and groups who have received the Founders Association Award for a given category within the last 15 years will not be eligible for that same category. Also, self-nominated individuals and groups will not receive consideration. If the individual(s) you nominate is (are) selected as a finalist(s), you will be contacted to provide further information such as background information on your nominee, letters of support addressing the nominee’s qualifications for the award, etc. All awards will be presented at the campus-wide convocation in August.

If you have any questions or need assistance completing your nomination(s), please feel free to contact Eric Morgan, Chair of the Awards & Recognition Committee, or any Committee member – (Toni Damkoehler, Mike McIntire, Kathleen Burns, Rosa Serrano, Nathan Kraftcheck, Hannah Fameree, Ruth Pearson and Janet Ludke). Awards & Recognition Committee members are not eligible for nomination.

Former Founders Association member Greg Conway passes away

Members of the UW-Green Bay campus community send condolences to the family of Greg Conway of Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry Law Firm, who passed away on Sept. 15, 2017. He served on the Founders Association Board of Directors for several years in the 1990s. He and his wife Diane were also friends, donors and patrons of the Weidner Center as well as many community charities in Brown County. See the full obituary.  

Passing of Bob Southard


Word was received Monday of the passing of Robert “Bob” Southard, 91, a local broadcasting executive who became an early and lifelong champion of UW-Green Bay. Southard’s record of support is well documented, culminating with presentation in May 2012 of a Founders Lifetime Achievement Award. The University and its Founders Association Board thanked him “for lending his voice through gracious persuasion, philanthropy and advocacy on behalf of UW-Green Bay faculty, staff and students… and for expressing, over the course of four decades, the importance of a local, public University to a healthy and vibrant region for generations to come.” Southard’s involvement with UWGB dated to the days when the campus was still mainly a concept, as newly arrived Founding Chancellor Ed Weidner reached out in 1966 to discuss how the University could best partner with its community. Visitation is 4 to 8 p.m. this Thursday (Oct. 29) at Proko-Wall Funeral Home on East Mason, and at 10 a.m. Friday at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Bay Settlement Road, prior to the 11 a.m. Mass. For photos and more from the 2012 ceremony honoring Southard, see our archived coverage.

Photos: Smiles, awards, Convocation ’14

top-story-convocationLess than one week out from the official start of the fall 2014 semester, UW-Green Bay faculty, staff and community friends gathered in the University Union’s Phoenix Room on Aug. 27 for the annual kickoff convocation. Relaxed smiles, laughter and school spirit were on prominent display. As always, a high point was announcement of the Founders Association Awards for Excellence, acknowledging the contributions of outstanding colleagues for service to the University and its students. (Among them, above, was financial specialist Cheryl Pieper, recipient of the award for classified support staff, crossing the stage to accept her plaque and greetings from Chancellor Gary Miller, selection committee chair Lidia Nonn and Founders President Anita Resch.) Also popular: Introduction of new faculty and staff, who stood while brief introductions were read from the stage by University officers, officials and deans.

(Click thumbnails to enter slideshow view.)
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Photos by Kimberly Vlies, Marketing and University Communication

Founders’ Resch shares own reasons for giving back

Anita Resch, President, UW-Green Bay Founders Association

Anita Resch, the incoming president of the UW-Green Bay Founders Association, shared a powerful testimonial on Wednesday (Aug. 27) about the power of higher education.

Resch is a vice president and trust officer with Nicolet National Bank in Green Bay. As the new executive officer of the Founders Association board — the oldest fund- and friend-raising organization rallying private support for UW-Green Bay — she had the honor of bringing greetings from the Founders as part of the annual faculty/staff convocation on campus.

Resch told the more than 500 current and former employees, and fellow community representatives, that local support for the University is deep. Last year, more than 3,100 citizens, employees and alumni made financial contributions to the cause.

“We all have our own reasons for loving this University,” Resch said. She then went on to describe her own experiences as a part-time student who persevered to earn her degrees.

“My reason, as a single, non-traditional student and, at the time, a single mom, was that this campus and my professors gave me the opportunity to become strong and independent.”

There were many times, Resch recalled, that she brought her young daughter to class because she couldn’t find or afford a babysitter.

“She had her backpack of crayons and fruit snacks and, together, we went to class,” Resch said. “My professors and advisers were accepting… and amazing.”

Those faculty and staff encouraged her to continue down “the long road” of a part-time student, she said, and promised that she could do it if she didn’t give up.

“And they were right. I didn’t give up, and after my bachelor’s, I got my master’s. I truly believe that no other university would have helped me achieve my education the way that UW-Green Bay did.”

Resch closed by applauding today’s faculty and staff — including more than a few she knows well from her days on campus — for extending the same professionalism and encouragement to all students.

“On behalf of the Founders,” Resch said, “we continue to be amazed by the impact you have not only on students, but on this community as a whole. We’re honored to help support an institution that features so many employees determined to make a difference in the lives of others. It’s a partnership, and a partnership the Founders Association is incredibly privileged to be a part of.”

Resch earned bachelor’s degrees in both Business Administration and Human Development, and a master’s in Management.

Farewell to Andy Kersten

Longtime faculty member Andrew Kersten took part in his final commencement at UW-Green Bay last Saturday and, today, he left his administrative office, CL 835, for the final time in preparation for his move west. Kersten will begin his duties in late June at the University of Idaho as dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, that institution’s largest academic division with nearly 4,100 students in 11 departments. Kersten was one of only two professors here to be a four-time recipient of the Founders Association Award for Excellence. When he joined the faculty in 1997, he became the second generation of UW-Green Bay’s first family of professors. We have one last UWGB photo and a little history on his family ties.

Hinckleys got warm welcome at May 2012 commencement

Dr. James and Patricia Hinckley received an extended ovation at UW-Green Bay’s May 2012 commencement when they were recognized with the institution’s highest community honor, the Chancellor’s Award. Jim is a member of the UW-Green Bay Athletics Hall of Fame, and the training and sports medicine area at the Kress is named the James Hinckley Sports Medicine Center in his honor. In 2008 the Hinckleys endowed a UW-Green Bay scholarship fund — one of the University’s largest — in Patricia’s name, with preference to women student athletes pursuing careers related to mathematics, science or education. The couple’s philanthropy on behalf of the University began in 1981 with generous annual contributions to the Founders Association for student scholarships and academic enhancements. They later became active supporters of the Phoenix Fund for athletics, and the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. For a photo and our original news post from May 2012.

In case you missed it: News from Friday’s Log Extra

In case you missed Friday’s Log Extra, here are a few of the stories making news:
“Ganyard earns UW System Regents Teaching Excellence Award”
“Psych, Human Development projects beautify campus with purpose”
“Giving back: Celebrating donors, students and research”
“Middle school students reminded about college aspirations”