UWGB Transformed Katrina by…

…redirecting her career path.

When Katrina VerHagen began her college experience, she convinced herself that becoming a Business Administration major was the surest path to success. However, midway through her very first year at UWGB, Katrina realized that a business-oriented job simply wasn’t for her, and she allowed UWGB’s outstanding faculty and staff to steer her toward a career she truly loved.

“I was determined to become a Business Administration major, but UWGB’s education made me realize that I needed to get out into the community and make a difference,” Katrina says.

With the guidance of Georgiana Wilson-Doenges, Dennis Lorenz, and Ryan Martin, Katrina refocused her career path and earned a degree in Psychology and Human Development —her newly found passions — thanks to UWGB’s dedicated faculty and staff.

“I went from heading toward a career that would have been less than ideal toward one I truly love. The UWGB experience allowed me to grow as a person and truly find my passion, which sets you up for success,” Katrina says.

Name: Katrina VerHagen

Grad Year: 2013

Major: Psychology and Human Development

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We’ve asked alumni to either share stories of how their lives were transformed by the UWGB  experience or how they are making the world a better place with transformational work in their careers, homes, or volunteer experiences. As UWGB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, meet an alum each week who has experienced a “UW-Green Bay Transformation.” Stories were self-submitted and then edited by Zachary Taylor, a 2010 English Education graduate currently serving as Interim Associate Director of the Phuture Phoenix program.

UWGB Transformed John By…

…offering a world-class education right in his own backyard.

If anyone is the walking embodiment of “Eco U,” it may very well be Green Bay native and award-winning Professor John Katers. One may assume that a distinguished university faculty member would come from a scholastic pedigree, but Katers’ transformation story has humble beginnings.

“I have to admit that as a first generation college student, there was not a lot of thought put into college,” John explains. “And being from Green Bay, UWGB seemed like the easiest choice. However, UWGB really was transformative and has always been there for me when I needed it most: not the building or the campus, but the people.”

For Katers, UWGB offered the personal and academic support he needed, yet also an interdisciplinary approach to learning that has perfectly prepared him for the modern world.

“The close connection with faculty and staff [at UWGB] makes for a great learning environment. As a student who was not entirely sure which direction to go, it was not a problem for Professors Jack Day and Mike Troyer to assist me in creating a program that essentially included a major in Business Administration and Environmental Science — an odd combination in 1991, but perfect for the world we live in today.”

In keeping with Katers’ assertion regarding UWGB’s tightly knit learning community, he has dozens of UWGB faculty, staff, and friends to thank.

“There were numerous faculty and staff who contributed to my success as a student at UWGB, and later as a faculty member. At the top of that list would be Bob Wenger, Jack Day, Chuck Rhyner, Dave Jowett, John Stoll, Greg Davis, Bud Harris, Lee Schwartz, Jim Wiersma, and Mike Troyer. All were tremendous teachers, and I learned a lot from each and every one of them. I also had the great fortune of working with many of them as colleagues on a regular basis, which was an honor for me. Each and every one of them provided the foundation for my long-term success of UWGB.”

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1991 and his master’s degree in 1993 from UWGB, Katers continued his education at Marquette University, earning his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Katers was thrilled to return to UWGB, and to work alongside his mentors.

“Mary Kohrell worked for the UW Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) and was housed at UWGB,” Johns explains. “Mary literally changed my direction in life several times. The first time was when I was an undergraduate student and stopped in her office — located at the top of the stairwell closest to the elevator in the Laboratory Sciences building — to learn more about what she was doing. At some point during the discussion, I asked whether she needed any help doing research or working on projects. Mary responded that she had been waiting for somebody like me to come to her office.”

“I worked for Mary during my last year as an undergraduate student, developed some interesting research ideas, and ultimately continued to work for Mary as I completed my thesis project for my graduate degree in Environmental Science and Policy. Normally, that might be the end, as I then went to Marquette for my Ph.D. However, two years later, Mary tracked me down in Milwaukee to let me know that there were two full-time job openings with SHWEC at UWGB and that I would be a good candidate. I interviewed for the position, received my first full-time professional job, and had the opportunity to continue learning from Mary for the next four years.

“I then accepted a faculty position in Natural and Applied Sciences at UWGB,” says Katers, “and the rest is history.” And what a history it has been.

In addition to serving as Chair of the Natural and Applied Sciences and Environmental Science departments, Katers has been honored with a Founder’s Award for Community Outreach and the UWGB Student Nominated Teaching Award. However for Katers, it has always been about his students.

“As a faculty member, the best memories are when students graduate and get their ‘dream job,’ which means that we have done our jobs as faculty. The longer I am at UWGB, the more I get to see students progress through their careers, which is rewarding,” he said.

But he’d never be able to make such an impact on his own students if he hadn’t received a transformative UWGB education, right in his own backward.

“Through my time at UWGB as student, I was really able to hone in my interests and take advantage of my skills. The faculty and staff allowed me to continue to grow by presenting new challenges and assisting me in meeting those challenges,” John insists.

“I am fully convinced that without UWGB, I would be in much different situation than I am today.”

John Katers

Major: Environmental Science, ‘91

Minor: Business Administration

Master’s Degree: Environmental Science and Policy, ‘93

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We’ve asked alumni to either share stories of how their lives were transformed by the UWGB  experience or how they are making the world a better place with transformational work in their careers, homes, or volunteer experiences. As UWGB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, meet an alum each week who has experienced a “UW-Green Bay Transformation.” Stories were self-submitted and then edited by Zachary Taylor, a 2010 English Education graduate currently serving as Interim Associate Director of the Phuture Phoenix program.

Video: Jeffreys’ Last Lecture

Humanistic Studies Prof. Derek Jeffreys delivered the first of a series of “Last Lectures” by UW-Green Bay faculty members as part of the University’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Jeffreys, who was asked to present a lecture topic as if it was his last chose, “The Mystery of the Person: Teaching Philosophy and Religion in a Maximum-Security Prison,” to a large audience of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members in the University Union’s Christie Theatre, Sept. 23.

A video recording of his presentation, surrounding the insights he gained teaching and working with inmates at the Green Bay Correctional Institution, is now available. Jeffreys imparted the dangers of dehumanization, the distinction between the “inner” and “outer” of a person, and the possibility of real change for some individuals.

UW-Green Bay’s “Last Lecture Series” takes place during the 2015-16 academic year in celebration of the University’s 50th anniversary. Each month, a UW-Green Bay faculty member will present on a topic of his or her choice. The monthly lectures will take place Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the University Union’s Christie Theatre, on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay. The lectures are free and open to the public.

The following is the list of Last Lecture participants and topics:

  • Sept. 23 — Derek Jeffreys, Professor, Humanistic Studies
    “The Mystery of the Person: Teaching Philosophy and Religion in a Maximum-Security Prison”
  • Oct. 28 — Jeff Entwistle, Professor, Theatre and Dance
    “We All Need Theatre in Our Lives and in Our Future”
  • Nov. 18 — Susan Gallagher-Lepak, Associate Professor, Nursing
    “E-Learning: The Train has Left the Station”
  • Feb. 17 — Lucy Arendt, Associate Dean, College of Professional Studies
    “Made to Serve: The Tragic Corruption of America’s Founding Values”
  • March 23 — Steve Meyer, Associate Professor, Natural and Applied Sciences
    “Forget the Three T’s: Focus on the Six C’s”
  • April 13 — Phil Clampitt, Professor, Information and Computing Science
    “The Magical Connection between Uncertainty, Innovation, and the Human Spirit.”

UWGB Transformed Mary by…

…preparing her to be a leader.

“UWGB did transform me,” explains Mary Quinnette Cuene, “from an office manager to an educator and leader. My education and work experience prepared me to begin a career in teaching at NWTC, a career which continues today. I had learned to learn, learned to think, and learned to communicate. But I had also learned to be a leader.”

However prodigious her UWGB education, Mary Quinnette Cuene insists it was her social experiences involving her children that left an indelible impression upon her.

“UWGB will always hold a special place in my heart,” Mary says. “While I attended classes, my two toddlers attended the UWGB pre-school — it is now gone — but they were both proud to have ‘graduated’ from the pre-school before beginning kindergarten.”

Mary continues by asserting, “One of my favorite memories is my children making a field trip from the pre-school to the Ecumenical Center–now called the Mauthe Center — where I worked as the office manager from 1985 to 1988. The little group would hike the length of the campus and then settle in for a video in the center’s TV lounge–an excursion for them and heart-warming for me.”

But of course, Mary’s coursework and influential teachers were at the forefront of her UWGB transformation.

“While on campus, many professors and staff encouraged me to learn and achieve. I worked hard, as so many UWGB students do, having a family, a job, and homework. Professor Michael Kraft instilled in me a love of public policy, explaining just what it invokes and why it is important, and I loved dissecting policies in his classes,” Mary explains.

And Mary also remembers an interaction on graduation day with a another influential teacher who immediately questioned her sunny disposition.

“It was all worth it on graduation day, receiving my diploma and marching proudly. As I exited the ceremony, Professor Ron Baba challenged me yet again, asking me why I was smiling, as he insisted I wasn’t nearly done. I was quizzical. But, how could he have known I would begin my graduate work only a few months later?”

In her professional career, Mary Quinnette Cuene has left an immeasurable mark on Wisconsin’s educational landscape. During her tenure at NWTC, Mary served for five years as President of the faculty. She was also appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to the Wisconsin Technical College System Board of Directors in 2003, with her tenure ending in May 2015. While on the board, Mary served on countless committees–both as Vice President and President–with the latter appointment leading to her service on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents for three years.

And ever since her graduation in 1988, Mary has stayed connected to the UWGB campus, serving on the UWGB Alumni Board for a number of years and becoming a lifetime member of the Alumni Association. Currently, Mary serves the Alumni Association by evaluating applications for the Legacy Scholarships, Alumni Scholarships, and Outstanding Student Awards, a service that she insists is rewarding in multiple ways, just as her relationship with UWGB has always been.

“Indeed, UWGB transformed me from an office manager to positions where I could affect higher education public policy in the state of Wisconsin for many years,” Mary says. “A dream come true.”

Name: Mary Quinnette Cuene

Grad Year: 1988

Majors: Public and Environmental Administration and Political Science

Minor: None

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We’ve asked alumni to either share stories of how their lives were transformed by the UWGB  experience or how they are making the world a better place with transformational work in their careers, homes, or volunteer experiences. As UWGB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, meet an alum each week who has experienced a “UW-Green Bay Transformation.” Stories were self-submitted and then edited by Zachary Taylor, a 2010 English Education graduate currently serving as Interim Associate Director of the Phuture Phoenix program.

UWGB Transformed Tyler by…

…welcoming him back home.

Although many UWGB students begin and end their college education as a Phoenix, countless UWGB alumni are transfer students who began their academic careers elsewhere. Tyler Gajewski is one of those transfer students, and he credits UWGB for refocusing his education and welcoming him back home.

“My first semester of college was at another university, and I hated it,” Tyler says. “I had a terrible rooming situation, it was an unfamiliar setting, and I was from a small town but was dropped into a place where I was basically a number instead of a person.”

Being a graduate Gajewski, Tyler 3of nearby Pulaski High School, Tyler decided it was best to come home, and UWGB welcomed him with open arms.

“It was a difficult time, but I decided to transfer to UWGB. It was fresh start, and one of the things I like telling people is that UWGB gave me more opportunities than I would have had staying where I was,” Tyler says.

Tyler explains that traveling to Italy for a studyabroad art program, being showcased in art shows at the Lawton Gallery, working at the Learning Technology Center, and becoming an Apple Campus representative were just a few of the opportunities that were awaiting him once he embraced UWGB. And the people he met exceeded his expectations.

“Several people provided a huge influence on me including Christine Style, Toni Damkoehler, Jeni Mokren, Frances Coates, Eric Lightbody, Andy Speth, Josh Goldman, and many others,” Tyler explains. “These people taught me to be a better student, better artist, better employee, and shaped who I am today.”

Now holding a job with the Green Bay Packers, Tyler insists he made the right choice, saying UWGB allowed him to “develop a foundation in education, arts, and people skills that translated into my career.”

Name: Tyler Gajewski
Grad Year: 2011
Major: Studio Art
Minor: Education

Photos submitted by: Tyler Gajewski

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We’ve asked alumni to either share stories of how their lives were transformed by the UWGB  experience or how they are making the world a better place with transformational work in their careers, homes, or volunteer experiences. As UWGB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, meet an alum each week who has experienced a “UW-Green Bay Transformation.” Stories were self-submitted and then edited by Zachary Taylor, a 2010 English Education graduate currently serving as Interim Associate Director of the Phuture Phoenix program.

Scott Knapp’s UWGB 50th Anniversary Kickoff Address

On a cold, windy day in November nearly 50 years ago, Scott Knapp was there at the beginning of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. As president of what would become the UW-Green Bay Student Government Association, he was given the honor of saying a few words at the first groundbreaking for the new campus. Knapp recalled that day in his keynote address to a 50th anniversary breakfast on the UWGB campus Sept. 2, 2015. Today the president of Central Maine Community College, he said he learned a lot about leadership from Founding Chancellor Edward Weidner. He recalled that the soon-to-open UWGB — short-staffed, operating out of makeshift offices and scrambling to prepare for the fall 1969 opening of the Shorewood campus — delegated plenty of work to students, and involved them in key decision-making.

UWGB Transformed Susan by…

…embracing interdisciplinarity to make the impossible possible.

UW-Green Bay is known for its many high-quality academic programs, but for Susan Frost, UWGB’s Adult Degree program proved to be life changing. “What I remember is the very personal involvement and support that the staff of the Adult Degree program provided,” Susan says. “This was a formula for success. It was comforting and encouraging, and it was powerful in retention and in motivation. The people involved changed my life.”

When Susan arrived on the UWGB campus, she was already a successful business woman and in fact, Susan brought her secretary along for the ride.

“We both earned degreeFrost, Susans,” Susan recalls, “and when I started, I came to get a piece of paper to nail to my office wall that said I was ‘certifiably smart.’ What I got was something far more important, much to my surprise.” Susan asserts that her UWGB experience provided her with a deeper understanding of how interdisciplinarity works in the marketplace, crucial to her future success in the business world. “This understanding allowed me to transform my business from an ordinary advertising agency to a marketing company that has survived the test of time, when others have fallen, because true marketing is based in the humanities and understanding the human condition,” Susan says.

Of course, Susan did not arrive at this conclusion on her own. She credits Bill Laatsch for “engaging me in topics I never thought I’d like and teaching me how to teach,” Fritz Fischbach who “taught problem solving and helped me define my life’s work and passion,” and Cheryl Grosso whose class “let me put my toe in the water and understand that I could earn a degree.” And not surprisingly, Susan gleaned insight from a truly eclectic, interdisciplinary group of UWGB educators. “As anyone can see, this is an interdisciplinary education,” Susan explains, “and this why I have donated to the university. I want other students to have this amazing experience.”

Embracing this sense of interdisciplinarity, Susan has engaged herself to make a lasting impact on her community. “I have a very comprehensive understanding of how the dynamics within a community play out, and it has given me a foundation to contribute to the community I love by serving on the Neville, the Brown County Historical Society, the Founders Association, and the Evergreen Productions Board in a way I never could have in the past,” Susan insists. “None of this would have happened without the transformative experience of the university which provided me with the tools needed to provide broad community education.”

Now working as an Associate Lecturer, Susan says that UWGB helped make the impossible possible.

“My UWGB experience not only assured me of my ‘smartness,’ but it also opened the door to obtaining a master’s degree at UW-Milwaukee, something I never imagined possible,” Susan explains. “For all of this, I am eternally grateful to this institution. I owe it to the professors who opened so many doors, a profound debt which I try to repay with every student I touch now as an Associate Lecturer: again, this is something I never imagined was possible.”

Name: Susan Frost
Grad Year: 1997
Major: Business, Communications, and Humanistic Studies

Photo submitted by: Susan Frost

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We’ve asked alumni to either share stories of how their lives were transformed by the UWGB  experience or how they are making the world a better place with transformational work in their careers, homes, or volunteer experiences. As UWGB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, meet an alum each week who has experienced a “UW-Green Bay Transformation.” Stories were self-submitted and then edited by Zachary Taylor, a 2010 English Education graduate currently serving as Interim Associate Director of the Phuture Phoenix program.

The first employee

The state set plans for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in motion in 1965 with legislative approval, but the school wouldn’t have its first employee until Oct. 6, 1966. That’s when the UW Board of Regents ratified President Fred Harvey Harrington’s decision and announced the appointment of Dr. Edward W. Weidner, 45, as chancellor. Weidner was a rising star at the University of Kentucky with significant international experience as both a political scientist and leader in developing new models for higher education. Weidner was also highly accomplished for one so young, by the standards of academia. He had achieved the rank of full professor and chair of political science at Michigan State at the age of 31. By early 1967 Weidner was on the ground at the Shorewood site, the future home of his new University, and staking out plans for new hires, an innovative academic plan and rapid-fire construction of new academic buildings. Weidner would serve 20 years as UWGB chancellor, stepping down on the last day of June 1986. He remained an active presence at the University he founded for most of the remaining two decades of his life.

UWGB Transformed Angela by…

…helping her help others.

When Angela Bub started her freshman year at UWGB, she was undecided as to what to do with her life. But she found a sense of belonging in Zeta Omega Tau, the Sheepshead Review and Habitat for Humanity.

“By becoming connected with older students, I was able to become more engaged in school,” she said. “In doing so, I significantly raised my GPA and found my passions: helping others and writing.” Angela asserts that these organizations not only provided her with a purpose, they also transformed her into a well-rounded individual who thrived in the interdisciplinary setting that UWGB offered.

Angela credits Karen Bircher, Mike Stearney, and Rebecca Meacham as role models throughout her academic career, fueling her passion for helping others. Ultimately, Angela parlayed this inspiration into a career in education and now works as a therapist in a non-public school in Oakland, California, helping those in need. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work, an accomplishment she never could have imagined without UWGB’s help.

“My UWGB experience transformed me and the foundation of my educational career. These organizations [Zeta Omega Tau, the Sheepshead Review, and the Humane Society] impacted me in countless ways and have shaped who I am as a person today,” Angela says.

Name: Angela Bub
Grad Year: 2012
Major: English
Minor: Secondary and Human Development

Photo submitted by: Angela Bub

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We’ve asked alumni to either share stories of how their lives were transformed by the UWGB  experience or how they are making the world a better place with transformational work in their careers, homes, or volunteer experiences. As UWGB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, meet an alum each week who has experienced a “UW-Green Bay Transformation.” Stories were self-submitted and then edited by Zachary Taylor, a 2010 English Education graduate currently serving as Interim Associate Director of the Phuture Phoenix program.

Eco U®

In 2010, UW-Green Bay obtained trademark rights to the words “Eco U.” The move by Chancellor Thomas Harden both honored the University’s ecological roots and protected the institution’s rights to the nickname first bestowedat its founding. In fall of 1969, reporters from the Associated Press, the Chronicle of Higher Education and Harper’s and Innovation magazine all trumpeted the new UW-Green Bay as a national model for innovative, environmentally focused higher education. While founding Chancellor Edward Weidner would years later say the media wrote too narrowly about UWGB’ ecology focus — “The Man and His Environment” theme was much broader and included the social science, business and cultural environments, he said — campus officials didn’t much protest when a lengthy article in the February 1971 issue of Harper’s magazine extolled UWGB as “Survival U.” Contributing editor John Fischer described a University “where all work would be focused on a single unifying idea, the study of human ecology and the building of an environment in which our species might be able to survive.”  He called it “the most exciting and promising educational experiment that I have found anywhere.” Reprinted in the Press-Gazette, it spawned related articles across Wisconsin, in other U.S. publications and even abroad (the Cape Times of South Africa.)  When Newsweek dubbed the campus “Ecology U,” the name stuck.  Inquiries about the University flooded in from the East Coast and from overseas. Earth Day and the federal Clean Water Act resulted from the national, early-1970s wave of activism but before the decade was out, the Oil Crisis and a worldwide economic slump took some of the wind out of the environmental movement’s sails. UWGB, however, retained strong academic programs in the environmental and natural sciences, a reputation it maintains to this day.