ORANGE & BLUE updates

“While showcasing our strengths in the recognition of more than 150 years of being Pioneers in education, Sesquicentennial Hall marks the beginning of a new era for UW-Platteville … Simply put, Sesquicentennial Hall transforms how we teach and learn. This building is a true Pioneer.”

Interim Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich at the grand opening of Sesquicentennial Hall last September. The new engineering building adjoins Busby Hall of Engineering to create a 200,000-square-foot state-ofthe-art complex that supports interdisciplinary engineering and computer science.

“Today we not only honor 12 heroes who attended the university and sacrificed their lives, but we honor all who served in Vietnam. Their service may not have been acknowledged in the manner of those returning home from earlier wars. They performed their patriotic duty and upon their return they faced a society which had political and philosophical disagreements … I cannot change the way Vietnam veterans were greeted home, but today I can say ‘Welcome home brother!’”

Lt. Col. Mac Kolar ’69 (third from right) at the dedication ceremony for the new Vietnam Veterans Memorial on campus. Kolar, along with Dr. James Lawton ’67, spent three years collaborating with people across campus to identify the 12 UW-Platteville students and alumni killed in action in the Vietnam War. Nearly 300 attended the Veterans Day ceremony and dedication, including next of kin and friends of the 12 veterans being honored.

Behind The Numbers

1,430

Students in the fall 2022 freshman class—a 13% increase over last year. “I am encouraged by this tremendous increase in the freshman class, and I look forward to building on this momentum by continuing to focus on improving recruitment, as well as retention rates,” said UW-Platteville Interim Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich.

“During times of limited state resources and enrollment challenges, when it seems the word of the day is competition, we have been quite active in pursuing another, what we think is a more productive angle, and that is collaboration.”

Interim Provost Dr. Wayne Weber at a signing ceremony with UW Oshkosh to celebrate a new agreement offering a unique 3+1 dual bachelor’s degree program. The program provides UW-Platteville students the opportunity to receive a Bachelor of Science in Biology from UW-Platteville and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UW Oshkosh in four years, while remaining in Platteville. The collaboration hopes to address the significant shortage of health care professionals in Wisconsin and the tri-state region, which is acutely felt in rural areas.

Collaboration yields first women-focused criminal justice mentoring program

UW-Platteville recently rolled out its first women-focused mentoring program for criminal justice majors, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the UW-Madison Center for Law, Society, and Justice. The University of Wisconsin Women in Criminal Justice Mentoring Program provides students with mentors from multiple agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. Nearly 40 mentors are participating in the program, including 22 alumni and faculty from UW-Platteville. Mentors represent 26 different organizations, covering a variety of experiences in the criminal justice field.

STUDENTS ‘HACK’ TOYS FOR GOOD CAUSE

In what has become an annual holiday-time tradition, UW-Platteville students across all disciplines join together to modify electronic toys for children with special needs. The students adapt the toys so that children can operate them using external switches and buttons, making them more accessible. During last November’s fifth annual Holiday Toy Hack, students “hacked” more than 55 toys, which were then donated to area families, organizations, and clinics.

$1.3

Million

Total grant amount that UW-Platteville will receive over a five-year period as a recipient of the highly-selective McNair Scholars Program. The U.S. Department of Education’s Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program provides grants to institutions of higher education for projects designed to support diverse, first-generation, low-income students with effective preparation for doctoral studies.

$7.4

MILLION+

The total amount raised by the UW-Platteville Foundation during the 2022 fiscal year. This marked the third consecutive year that the Foundation achieved a record year of donations. The Foundation received over 8,000 gifts from more than 5,300 donors.