In observance of UW-Green Bay’s 50th year, the Alumni Relations Office is collecting stories of transformation with the goal of sharing 50 alumni-submitted stories in the special 50th Anniversary celebration edition of Inside Magazine. Alumni are asked to share how their time at UWGB transformed their lives. Submissions may also be found in the “Shared Stories” section of the 50th Anniversary site.
In August of 1983 I traveled from my native Malaysia to UWGB. It is the place where I grew up from a school boy to an adult. UWGB itself and its people might have changed and grown since I left, but it has been a part of my life. Many members of the faculty and staff had profound influence on me, and some I am still in contact with… Ron Baba, Ray Hutchison, Per Johnsen, Ismail Shariff, Kumar Kangayappan, Bill Niedzwiedz, David Damkoehler, and Johnson (Patricia). I am now an Urban and Regional Planning Associate Professor at the MARA University of Technology, one of the public universities in Malaysia.
My fondest memories came from his time at the International Student Center, at that time located on the seventh floor of the Cofrin Library. The center was headed by Elizabeth K. Hocking, the Assistant Dean of Students, and she was assisted by her secretary, Nancy Long. They were among the sweetest ladies I have ever met during my stay there. The center was our home away from home, away from home (twice). That’s the place we used to hang out between classes, for drinks and food. There were also the International Dinners, when we played host to our American friends. We cooked our traditional dishes, put on our traditional clothes and got to showcase our cultural dances and customs.”
My experience at UWGB has helped me in many ways. Being a student in a foreign land gave me a different perspective and appreciation about America and its people and cultures, apart from what I saw on TV when I was growing as a child in Malaysia. Although I studied about North American geography in high school, being there myself was amazing. I also got to meet and know some American families on Washington Island and Door County during a program arranged during the 1986 Easter Break. We became good friends and they became my foster families to this day. And then, there was the Green Bay weather and the Green Bay Packers. I played rugby at my school, so American football comes naturally for me.When I wasn’t in class or “LL730” (Library Learning Center), I spent time at the Phoenix Sports Center playing indoor soccer and swimming.
I invite anyone who knew me or my international student friend to join our facebook group… UWGB Alumni – Malaysia.
Throughout time, student activism has played a role on many university campuses, including Green Bay. In spring 1970, UWGB students led a “Ban the Car Campaign.”
This photo was donated by one of the student participants, Keith Pamperin (second from left).
UWGB Alums can you tell us more or identify any of the other people?
GREEN BAY – The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is making plans to celebrate five decades of history by engaging alumni, students and the community in opportunities to share their memories.
We are always pleased to receive new donations for the University Archives. Justin Mallet, director of the UWGB American Intercultural Center, recently gave us boxes of photo albums and documents.
The items tell the story of the Ethnic Heritage Center which was established in 1971-1972 “to promote an awareness of, sensitivity to, and acceptance of the cultural differences represented by the diverse people of the region.” The Ethnic Heritage Center transitioned to the American Intercultural Center in the fall of 1981.
Campus Pow Wow. From Left to Right: Sarah Butler, Chancellor Bruce Shepard, Cyndie Shepard, Darwin Dick, April 2002.
American Intercultural Center Graduation Banquet, May 2003. From left to right: Priscilla Moore (Black Student Union President, 2002-2003); Alana; Justin Willis; Nicole Vaux.
Second from left to right: Jerry Olson, Norbert Hill Jr., Chancellor Ed Weidner, and Thelma Sias
On August 25, 1974, a date that will forever be a shining moment in my life, I started my University of Wisconsin-Green Bay experience. It seems like it was so long ago, and yet, I can still remember how beautiful the day was…and the University. It was the first time my parents and brother Art had a chance to see the campus. I was so excited showing them around and happy to be in an apartment…not a dorm room like my brother at Lambuth College in Jackson, Tennessee. He was pretty jealous of my digs at UW-Green Bay. I really was not prepared for the emotions of my being dropped off at the Shorewood Club. The picture here is just before that moment. Saying goodbye to my family was very hard! I do remember crying as they drove away and as I walked back to the Bay Apartments. It was a great day for me!
Shortly after I return to the apartment, Jerry Blackwell was moving in with his folks. He was from Gauley Bridge, West Virginia. We hit it off right away. We played basketball together for the Phoenix and we are still friends today, along with Bryan Boettcher and Dave Getman. My time at UW-Green Bay was a very special time in my life. I still enjoy being a part of this fine university. Go Phoenix!
Steve Taylor
Class of 1979
Business Administration
Good Times Programming (GTP) is a student group that contributes to the educational mission of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay by designing, developing, implementing, and presenting leisure programs, which improve the value of student life. GTP organizes and plans various events for campus, from comedians and bands, to guest speakers and adventure trips. In celebration of UW-Green Bay’s 50th anniversary, GTP alumni compiled a list of their favorite shows from the past 20 years. Continue reading “50 GTP Alumni Favorites”→
I began working at UW-Green Bay on October 1, 2007, just one month prior to the grand opening of the Kress Events Center. I’ll never forget the excitement and ostensible chaos that enveloped my first weeks on campus. Advancement, the division that took me on, was swept up in a whirlwind of last minute planning, donor events, acknowledgement of stewardship, naming rights, and signage. My first projects were illustrations for the corian plaques that formed the donor wall and a grand opening website. It was marvelous!
Kimberly Vlies
Web/Graphic Designer
Marketing and University Communication
UW-Green Bay
UW-Green Bay’s 50th anniversary celebration received mention in the Winter 2015 edition of Collective Impact magazine. Collective Impact is the Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce quarterly publication that provides Chamber information, membership benefits and business news. The article titled: 50 years, and the Powers of the Phoenix, highlights Chancellor Miller’s vision for UW-Green Bay. By looking outward and pursuing partnerships within business, government, and the non-profit sector in the region, it will add value by anticipating the ever-changing needs of the regional economy. Focusing on the future, UW-Green Bay will use the three Powers of the Phoenix: Innovation, Transformation and Place, to launch reinvigoration and shape the future of the University for the next 50 years and beyond.
