Wisconsin Lutheran College Magazine

Wisconsin Lutheran College m a g a z i n e

Celebrating 40 years of …

• Growth under God’s grace.

• Christian academic excellence.

• Opportunities to travel and serve.

Fall 2012

from the president

Dear Friends, This fall is an appropriate moment in time to hit the pause button and say “Thank you, Lord.” Wisconsin Lutheran College will be celebrating its 40th year of preparing Christian servant leaders on January 31, 2013. In a world of centuries-old institutions of higher learning, we’re still considered an infant. The fact is – we are only 40 years old.

This is a time to reflect upon our 40 years with thanksgiving and praise. We stand in awe of the Wisconsin Lutheran College narrative and remember each of the four decades during which the Lord has allowed us to dream, plan, work, and grow – all for Jesus’ sake.

We began as a two-year college with adjunct faculty conducting part-time classes in a high school, teaching a handful of students. We didn’t have a campus, and we had very limited financial resources. But our founders did have a Godly confidence and an abundance of faith – a deep and abiding trust that God would provide the means and show them the way. He has done just that and so much more.

Today we are blessed with a 56-acre campus and we are enjoying another record number of students this year – nearly 1,100 students who primarily are traditional undergraduates, but also many adults who are earning their bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

Our students have choices within a crowded marketplace. Our over-arching vision is to be the Christian college of choice preparing servant leaders – a vision God continues to bless.

Our objectives are rather simply put: We want to honor God by delivering excellence in Christian education while providing a superior student experience. How God continues to bless the efforts of our outstanding students, faculty, and staff!

Throughout our past 40 years and forever moving forward, this place is all about Jesus … about wanting to impact Christian men and women who in turn go into the world and make a difference for his sake.

I thank you for your partnership and support as we expand our growing ministry, as we mark our 40th year, and as we boldly press on to the next exciting chapters of Wisconsin Lutheran College’s unfolding story.

Together in Christ’s service,

Dr. Daniel W. Johnson President

If you would like to receive regular e-news updates from the college, and also help us maintain accurate contact information, please share your email address at friends@wlc.edu.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

MISSION STATEMENT Wisconsin Lutheran College, affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, is a Lutheran liberal arts college for Christian men and women. The college is committed to providing quality teaching, scholarship, and service that are rooted in Holy Scripture; promoting the spiritual growth of students, faculty, and staff; and preparing students for lives of Christian leadership.

Executive director of Marketing and Communication Jason Van Acker ’00 Executive editor Vicki Hartig Editor and photographer Melanie Gohde Buellesbach

Wisconsin Lutheran College Magazine

Vol. 25, No. 1

Features

4 Believe In the Green

Departments

5 Homecoming 2012

6 International choir tour

photo contributors Ernie Mastroianni Jeffrey Wilson

8 Students as servants and leaders

Designer Jennifer Rueth Wisconsin Lutheran College Magazine is published for and distributed free of charge to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college. All correspondence, letters, news, corrections, and comments are welcomed and should be directed to: Jason Van Acker Wisconsin Lutheran College Magazine 8800 West Bluemound Road Milwaukee WI 53226 jason.vanacker@wlc.edu

ON THe cover

15 Biology: opportunities, innovation, and faith

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From the President

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On Campus

14

Academics

17

Faculty & Staff

18

Fine Arts

19

Athletics

20

Alumni

22

Development

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Coming Events

16 Dusseau retires from call, not calling

PRESIDENT Dr. Daniel W. Johnson, Germantown, Wisconsin

President Johnson, Milwaukee alderman Michael Murphy, and choir director James Nowack are joined by Wisconsin Lutheran Choir members at Milwaukee City Hall. See story on page 6.

Photo by Ernie Mastroianni.

BOARD OF REGENTS 2012-2013 James Fischer (chair), Waukesha, Wisconsin Ryan Barbieri ’00, Sussex, Wisconsin Steve Boettcher, Mequon, Wisconsin Matt Burow, Slinger, Wisconsin Gary Drska, Muskego, Wisconsin Dr. Gerald Fischer, Bethesda, Maryland Rev. Kenneth Fisher, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Stephen Granberg, Jackson, Wisconsin Justin Gregorius, Van Dyne, Wisconsin Dr. Terry Gueldner, Manitowoc, Wisconsin Rev. Jeff Gunn, Phoenix, Arizona Paul Hartwig, Appleton, Wisconsin Rev. Mark Henrich, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Rev. Dennis Himm, Grand Blanc, Michigan Charles Kluenker, Roseville, California

Dr. R. Bowen Loftin, College Station, Texas Scott Mayer, Franklin, Wisconsin Tom Plath, Collierville, Tennessee Kent Raabe, Brookfield, Wisconsin Dr. William Raasch, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Rev. Gene Sims, Grove City, Ohio C. Daniel Stefferud, Redondo Beach, California Dr. Gary Stimac, The Woodlands, Texas William Treffert, Naples, Florida Matt Trotter, Cudahy, Wisconsin W. Andrew Unkefer, Phoenix, Arizona Dr. Ronald White, Fort Myers, Florida Kerry Woody, Muskego, Wisconsin George Zaferos, Watertown, Wisconsin Wisconsin Lutheran College | 3

table of contents

Isaiah 41:10

athletic sponsorship

kick-off

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ports marketing at WLC has been kicked to new heights and expectations this fall. “Believe In the Green” is an initiative designed to create an unforgettable game-day experience for every fan attending home athletic events, according to Bill Curtis, director of athletic development. “This is definitely a bold, comprehensive program,” he said. “It’s also – quite frankly – a work in progress. ‘Believe In the Green’ (BIG) now will be responsible for managing the entire game-day experience at Raabe Stadium or in our Recreation Complex, from 60 minutes before the game until 30 minutes after it ends.

“To accomplish this, we needed to enhance video and streaming capacities, and we’ve done that,” he said. “We’ve also improved our signage, promotional and fan-interaction activities, music – in particular, the pep band – videography, announcing … everything.”

Though long-term plans will aim to use WLC’s own technology and equipment exclusively, these initial seasons will require contracting with some of the college’s outside partners.“We have great partners,” said Curtis. “We’re working with Time of Grace Ministry as a provider of video equipment and camera crew members. We’re partnering with Aaron Biebert ’04, executive producer of Attention Era Media. His company has created an intro video for our Warriors football team’s season that is now on YouTube and shown at all home games.

He also produces highlight videos for all games.

opportunities to have their corporate name displayed on our 10-foot video boards and in additional visual and digital content shown at WLC venues.

Three Wisconsin companies, QPS Employment Group, Catalyst Construction, and Kwik Trip, have joined the BIG program as “Champion Partners,” the highest level of sponsorship. “QPS is thrilled to be participating in the ‘Believe In the Green’ program, and we believe our involvement will help the QPS name become more visible in the community,” said Scott Mayer, president of the employment services company. “We feel that WLC prepares its students for the working world, and as a staffing firm, we’re happy to partner with such a solid organization.”

Future BIG program opportunities include the development of a new customized WLC Warriors app that will work with smart phones via a Rewards Program. It will track and reward fans for sponsorship support and event attendance, and provide sponsors with specific return on investment information.

“The whole program – especially its potential – is very exciting,” Curtis said. “Right now, our bottom line goal is this: When people walk into a WLC home athletic event venue, we want them to say, ‘Wow … what’s happened here!’ We’ve made a solid start, and we’re not done yet!”

“Salty Earth Productions, a digital cinema company, is the family business of former WLC student Jessica Zambo,” Curtis added. “We’ve hired her to manage and direct all game-day video production and operations, and we hope this entire initiative will generate opportunities for internships for WLC students soon.” “‘Believe In the Green’ is funding all of these athletic event enhancements,” Curtis said. “Six levels of sponsorship will financially support the deliverables of the program. Our partners who invest at these various levels will enjoy 4 | wlc.edu

Delivering enhanced game-day entertainment has required new equipment and additional camera crew members.

homecoming

Homecoming 2012

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or the sixth consecutive season, the Wisconsin Lutheran College football team won its Homecoming game, defeating Lakeland College 27-17 in its Northern Athletics Conference opener on September 29 at Raabe Stadium.

Senior wide receiver Josh Stodola caught seven passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Senior quarterback Zach Shaw finished the game completing 11 of 21 passes for 203 yards and three scores, while senior tight end John Klein had two fourth-quarter catches, resulting in 17 yards and a touchdown.

Members of the cheerleading team, including sophomore Hailey Moldenhauer, led Warriors fans in cheering for the football team. The cheerleaders are coached by Jody Brill.

Student musicians, including freshman trumpet player Steven Griebenow, comprise the Band of Warriors, which provided musical entertainment during the game.

Junior running back Donavin Tucker (#24) ran for a touchdown from three yards out to put WLC on top 7-0 in the first quarter.

Dr. Dennis Miller, WLC’s first and only head football coach, is in his 13th season. His team started the season with a 3-1 record for the third time in program history.

A new Homecoming feature this year was the Warrior Quarter.

President Daniel W. Johnson (above, right) hosted a barbeque after the game. The band Nature of Waves provided live entertainment for students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff.

A crowd of 1,400 enjoyed a beautiful 73-degree fall day at Raabe Stadium as they cheered the Warriors to victory during Homecoming 2012.

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choir tour 2013

Wisconsin Lutheran Choir plans fourth international tour Students will share their musical talents and message of Christ’s love in the United Kingdom and Ireland

“You could almost touch the anticipation before the concert. And we indeed sang with our hearts. Our voices united into one and proclaimed His Words. The church echoed our testimonies, witnessing to the audience our faith in our eternal God, who surpasses all languages to bring His church together in song. With His grace, we delivered His message.”

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hose words were written in 2009 by Hannah Zhang ’11 during the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir’s most recent international performance tour. Her recollections of the concert at St. Marien Kirche in Lemgo, Germany, beautifully summarize the reason behind the choir’s concert tours abroad.

On May 19, 2013, members of the 69-voice Wisconsin Lutheran Choir will travel to London to embark upon a 15-day tour of the United Kingdom. It will be the fourth international journey for the choir, which is directed by Dr. James A. Nowack, director of choral activities.

The talented group of students, who represent a wide range of academic majors, came to Wisconsin Lutheran College from 11 states and three foreign countries. But in May, the unified voice of the choir will represent the college abroad at stops in England, Wales, and Ireland.

Photo: © Greg Latsch

Nowack explained the importance of traveling abroad to perform in an age when concerts across the globe instantly

can be watched via YouTube: “Technology has made the world smaller by creating virtual experiences that can take us anywhere. But concert tours allow students to experience the world eye-to-eye with one person, one audience, one culture at a time in a very unique context,” said Nowack. “Performance creates an opportunity for choir members to personally and collectively share a powerful testimony of Christ’s love through the universal language of music.”

Varying venues Planning for the choir’s tour began in 2011 by working with Concert and Study Tours, a Minnesota-based company, to identify potential destinations. The United Kingdom and Ireland, two of the more affordable international locations to tour, also were seen as warm and welcoming places with a great deal of history.

An August reception with local and Irish politicians at Milwaukee’s City Hall included (left to right): Ald. Michael J. Murphy (10th Ald. District, Milwaukee), Dr. James A. Nowack, President Daniel W. Johnson, Mayor Thomas Welby (Mayor of Galway County), and Mr. Aiden Cronin (Council General of Ireland). The guests from Ireland were in Milwaukee to attend Irish Fest.

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The final concert on the 2013 tour has been confirmed for June 1 in Galway, Ireland, the Sister City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 2001. The event will be

“The tours provide such a contrast in performance venues,” said Nowack. “A concert in a small, rural town is a special event for residents, and they are so receptive. On the other Galway, Ireland

members and the exposure to new cultures. Home stays are an integral part of that.

“My group went back to our host family and had some local tea,” said Katie Meisenhelder ’12 of her stay in Veitsbronn, Germany, in 2009. “We talked about culture differences and the great appreciation of music we had. I was glad to hear that our German songs were very well done and pleased our host very much.”

Servant leadership Previous tours have taken the group to England, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, and Czech Republic. What has changed since the first tour in 2001, beyond the increases in costs and security?

“The musical bar has been raised since the choir’s first concert tour abroad, as have the expectations for students,” said Nowack. “Everyone works together, and everyone knows his or her job.”

hand, we have many opportunities to perform both The choir established a structure of student leadership formally and informally in cathedrals and other wellpositions with designated responsibilities, which has known venues in major cities, and developed into a solid, organized it’s an honor for us to perform in system to make tours run smoothly Travel to the such historic settings.” over the past 12 years. Positions From the mayor’s chambers in Colchester, England, to the renowned St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, the varying sites – and the accompanying changes in acoustics – have showcased the choir’s abilities on past tours.

“We entered France and stopped at the Rouen Cathedral Notre Dame,” recalled Anna Baxter ’12, who toured with the choir in 2009. “We gathered and sang in the cathedral. I was so amazed by how magnificent our sound was with the enhancement of the cathedral’s reverberation!”

Friendships and cultural exchanges Important aspects of the tour, beyond performing, include camaraderie with fellow choir

Emerald Isle with the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir

May 25-June 2, 2013

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oin Wisconsin Lutheran College’s president, Dr. Daniel W. Johnson, and his wife, Jana, in Ireland in spring of 2013. This nine-day companion tour will follow the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir through Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway – Milwaukee’s Sister City and Ireland’s cultural heart. Attend choir performances in notable venues, and between concerts, tour Ireland’s many cultural, historic, and geographic treasures at a relaxed pace.

Companion tour participants will share in a life-changing experience for choir members.

This is a unique opportunity to interact with faculty and students, and to expand WLC’s reach overseas. For more information visit 8 wlc.edu/EmeraldIsle, or contact Vickie Walther at 414.443.8962.

include student tour managers, wardrobe managers, public relations managers, and even tour nurses. Everyone in the choir has some area of responsibility, from robes and luggage to music stands and information tables.

Traditionally more than 95 percent of choir members have been able to participate in international tours.

Fundraising by the members is under way, with 100 percent of donations they raise going directly toward reducing students’ tour costs.

A preview tour in Wisconsin is planned for early March. Visit 8 wlc.edu/choir or follow the choir on Facebook (facebook.com/ WisconsinLutheranChoir) for the latest tour news and to learn about giving opportunities.

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choir tour 2013

held at historic St. Nicholas Collegiate Church, the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship, dating back to the 1300s.

students as servants

Mission trip to Mahahual, Mexico, changes lives

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small group of WLC students and a staff leader traveled to Mahahual, Mexico, on a mission trip in August.

They planned to help a young mission church grow by teaching Bible stories to children in its surrounding area.

Ramirez said. “Especially after the hurricane swept through, damaging people’s homes, we were helping remove large rocks from their gravel roads that had become impassable and delivering fresh drinking water to

“They so clearly witnessed the stark differences between their lives here and the lives of the people in Mexico,” she added. “These people didn’t even have fresh water after the hurricane. Our students were blown away by these realities, contrasting them with their own version of being ‘stressed out.’ They might have problems with classes, finances, relationships, or whatever … but as they readily admitted, at the end of the day they have their bed, their clothes, their cell phone, and certainly water!”

“The people we met during our trip were amazing,” said Bryan Gruenwald, a business major and resident assistant. “They did not have a lot of things, and we, as Americans, would consider them to be poor, but they were the most friendly and kind people that I have ever met. It was great to In August five WLC students, one from UW-Whitewater, and Pathways to College director and WLC staff member Kelly Ramirez and her husband traveled to Mahahual, Mexico, along the Yucatan coast. At Cruz de share God’s word with the children Cristo, a Mexican mission church that is in affiliation with the WELS, they held Bible classes for children in the at the mission, and they received it surrounding area. Until Hurricane Ernesto hit the area, midway through their stay, the WLC group was teaching with such open and happy hearts.

Bible classes to at least 18 children each day.

This trip was not only a blessing to families. When asked who we were, we the mission church we visited, but also The fact that Hurricane Ernesto ripped through that exact region of Mexico on could tell people that we were there for all of us who went along.” helping the new mission church – that day four of their nine-day trip added a “I believe our WLC students have been we were Christians, glad to be there sense of urgent practicality to the transformed by this trip,” Ramirez said. helping them. group’s already helpful purpose.

“I know I was. It has changed our lives.

“One of our last evenings in Mexico, But the real life-changing effects of the My husband and I plan on returning as we spent a couple of hours sitting on trip were experienced by the helpers often as we can – not only to help the themselves, according to Kelly Ramirez the beach, discussing all that we had church, Cruz de Cristo, and the people ’03, director of Pathways to College and seen and learned,” Ramirez said. “It in the Mahahual area – but also to keep was a very emotional conversation. The ourselves focused on why we’re here on the WLC staff leader in charge of the students each talked about how very mission trip. this earth. blessed we are to be living in the “I think the most valuable result of our “The timing and proximity of experience was the clear emergence of a United States, about how much we Hurricane Ernesto became a have and what we take for granted. passion – a passion that is driving us to They considered ways they could keep noteworthy part of our trip’s story – continue to help others,” she said. “By I realize that,” Ramirez said. “But helping these families – maybe book that I mean we each feel compelled to discovering the passion to help others drives or clothing drives. They were help others beyond our own determined to do these things on their who have overwhelming needs, to serve community and culture. them with the word of God and also own, knowing how important these “I love the fact that we were there basic needs are for the Mexican people with physical efforts, that was the true sharing the gospel by our actions,” value of our mission trip.” they had met.

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Business internship program getting high marks

orld-wide study abroad opportunities have been offered at WLC for years on an informal, individualized basis. Recently, the study abroad program has developed into a coordinated, viable option for upperclassmen, often driven by language majors’ curriculum requirement to study in a country that uses Spanish, German, or Chinese as its official language. Now other majors – biology, nursing, education, and more – are participating as well.

eather Stelzer, assistant professor of business, has developed a business internship luncheon program to help business majors connect with corporations and business organizations in the Milwaukee area. Leaders from the business community are invited to offer advice, describe their industry, and answer students’ questions.

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“This past year we had an increased percentage of our student body involved in study abroad,” said Carol Koelpin, assistant registrar and international student advisor. “Five students studied in Spain, three in China, two in Costa Rica, and one each in Jamaica, Zambia, and New Zealand. I’m seeing growing interest again this fall.

Stelzer also is in the planning process of incorporating sessions on résumé building and mock interviewing, and strongly urges her students to network with alumni who are business graduates. “We’re working on some of the intangibles as we fine-tune our internship program,” Stelzer said. “I’m focusing on details such as how students should conduct themselves during interviews for competitive internships, how to learn and mature through that interviewing process, and how to develop their ‘conference room’ skills. I know the business world has certain expectations for their interns and new hires when it comes to things like corporate office culture. I want our students to be well prepared for that environment.”

“We give our students the tools, but ultimately, the students themselves do the homework for their individual study abroad experience,” Koelpin added.

“We also do our best to manage our study abroad program with great care regarding our students’ comfort and safety, given the current and sometimes volatile situations throughout the world.”

WLC West

L to R: Mike Huempfner, Prof. Heather Stelzer, Hillary Gardner, Ryan Melby (assistant vice president for the Ebeling/Melby Group), Stephanie Kirby, and Michael Ebeling.

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Rebecca Schulz, a senior biology major, studied at Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand, during the spring 2012 semester. Her coursework took her to several natural wonders of the country (including Mt. Alfred near Paradise, shown). She visited cultural points of interest, educational centers such as the International Antarctic Center, and studied the language of New Zealand’s native culture, Maori.

wo WLC business majors are interning at the Waukesha office of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management this semester. They place phone calls to prospective clients, join senior management for breakfast and lunch sessions on topical issues, and absorb the world of financial consulting through daily corporate experiences. “I’ve dubbed our offices ‘WLC West,’” said Michael Ebeling, CRPC, vice president and wealth management advisor for The Ebeling/Melby Group of Merrill Lynch. “The WLC interns whom we’ve been working with for the past six semesters have been outstanding. They’re well prepared to work, to continue learning, and to jump in as productive members of our team.” Hillary Gardner ’12 interned for him last year and so impressed Ebeling that he personally recommended her for an opening at the Merrill Lynch office in Burlington, Wisconsin. She was chosen for the client associate position over more than 30 applicants in part because of Ebeling’s input.

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students as leaders

Study abroad program quietly comes of age

on campus

Year begins with record enrollment & recognition WLC blessed with record enrollment isconsin Lutheran College began its 40th academic year on August 27 with a record enrollment. Of the 1,090 students, 297 are new to WLC and 147 are part of the College of Adult & Graduate Studies.

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“We’ve been blessed with four consecutive large freshman classes while still maintaining our academic standards,” said Jeff Weber ’84, executive director of enrollment. “Our entering class has an average ACT score of 24 and a GPA of 3.43.”

New international students had additional activities to orient them to life in the United States, capped off by a trip to downtown Milwaukee for a boat cruise on Lake Michigan.

New students welcomed to campus

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embers of the Class of 2016 settled into campus during Warrior Orientation and Welcome (W.O.W.) weekend prior to the start of classes. In addition to three days of W.O.W. programming (learn more on page 11), events for new and Orientation volunteers efficiently moved new returning students included students into their residence halls on August 25. student employment job fairs; a welcome celebration on the Quad; Org Smorg, an event to learn about campus clubs and organizations; and an opening worship service.

New students took part in a weekend of orientation activities design to acquaint them with WLC, fellow classmates, and college life in general.

College receives national recognition he college continues to be recognized in national rankings. For the 11th consecutive year, U.S.News & World Report rates Wisconsin Lutheran College as one of America’s Best Colleges. For 2013, Wisconsin Lutheran College is ranked in the top tier of national liberal arts colleges, along with six other Wisconsin schools. Forbes.com included WLC on its 2012 list of America’s Top Colleges, compiled by Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. WLC was the sixth-ranked school in Wisconsin. In 2012, WLC was ranked among the top 25 homeschool-friendly colleges in the nation by 8 TheBestSchools.org.

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Upcoming visit opportunities

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igh school students who are interested in continuing their education in a Christian environment are invited to campus for Admissions Information Days on January 21, 2013, and April 26, 2013. Individual tours can be arranged by calling 414.443.8810. Students may apply online at no cost via wlc.edu. Look for merit-based scholarships and fine arts scholarships at 8 wlc.edu/scholarships.

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Road work ahead

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he Wisconsin Department of Transportation will be reconstructing the Zoo Interchange in western Milwaukee County beginning in 2013. Projects to improve traffic flow on alternate routes already are under way. Visitors to WLC’s campus on Bluemound Road or to the Krauss-Miller-Lutz Outdoor Athletic Complex on Watertown Plank Road may encounter detours or delays. Visit 8 wlc.edu/zoointerchange for updates on area road construction and closures.

Respite event connects students to community

or the second year at WLC, a team of students took responsibility for successfully welcoming incoming students to campus in August. The 2012 Warrior Orientation and Welcome (W.O.W.) team was comprised of 12 sophomores, who were led by two junior co-captains (and former W.O.W. team members).

ixteen WLC nursing students as well as 135 of their campus and community friends spent a Saturday in September volunteering with children who have special needs. WLC and its School of Nursing hosted the respite day in partnership with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Held in the gymnasium of the Recreation Complex, the event provided parents with a much-needed break from the constant demands of caring for children with special needs.

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Members of the 2012 W.O.W. team are: Back row L to R: Dan Haugly, Kyra Munoz, Anna Biedenbender (co-captain), Erika Peterson, Katie Molter, Katie Schleicher (co-captain). Front row L to R: Andrew Brondos, Jacob Werre, Hailey Schwartz, Kathryn Liestekow, Jenny Polzin, Emily Treichel, Dan Moldenhauer. Not pictured: Lachrisa Grandberry.

“Participating on WLC’s W.O.W. team has become a great leadership opportunity for sophomores,” said Karen Fischer, orientation director. “It’s a highly visible role that demands a lot of dedication and a heart of understanding. These students become mentors, serving freshmen students throughout the summer and orientation weekend. They are amazing young people – all models of their faith, and I’m very proud to serve with them.”

Fischer credits the W.O.W. team with the creation and implementation of many orientation weekend programs, including sessions on prioritization, time management, and a lighthearted skit series on the wisdom of abiding by campus policies. “Several of their programs were interactive, and they used a creative video to tour campus and introduce key faculty and staff,” she said. “They made it interesting.”

The highlight of the weekend was Saturday morning, according to Fischer. The W.O.W. team wrote and produced “Body of Believers,” a program which first required gathering each new freshman’s signature on a giant jigsaw-puzzle piece. All pieces later formed a cross that was integrated with other Christian elements such as music, a slideshow, and special lighting effects.

As the multimedia program concluded, W.O.W. team member Jacob Werre spoke these words: “Your heavenly Father has guided you and given you the talents and abilities to get to where you are today. The piece of the puzzle you signed today helps signify the unity that all Christians share. Coming together piece by piece, with all of our different abilities, is a Body of Believers that through Christ has the power to be the light of the world.”

“It was a very powerful moment,” Fischer said. “Our freshmen were being assured that even though they may have questions and uncertainties right now, we’re all here together, to help and bond with one another as believers in Christ.”

In partnership with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, WLC’s nursing students as well as students from special education, human social services, and psychology volunteered to provide a day of respite for parents of children with special needs.

More than 65 children with special needs and their siblings spent the day participating in games, arts and crafts projects, and musical activities. They also enjoyed a special visit from Bernie Brewer, mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club.

“This respite day not only gave our nursing students an opportunity to learn about the special needs that many children have,” said Amanda Passint, RN, MSN, CPNP, assistant professor of nursing, “the event also supported the servant leader qualities that are developed within WLC students on and off campus. It was truly an amazing multi-disciplinary service learning project – and it was great to see our program reaching out and partnering with the community.”

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on campus

Orientation: illustrating servant leadership from day one

on campus

Christian Leadership Speaker Series announces slate of inspirational presenters

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LC’s 2012-2013 Christian Leadership Speaker Series will offer a three-speaker program. “Our goal is to bring Christian professionals

to campus who will speak about their path to success and how they’ve used their faith as a moral compass to navigate through the

challenges of their individual careers,” said Lisa Leffel ’98, director of alumni relations and coordinator of the speaker series.

f On Wednesday, November 14, Christine Specht-Palmert, President and COO of Cousins Subs, will speak on Christian Ethics and Servant Leadership in Today’s Workplace.

Specht-Palmert literally grew up with Cousins Subs, the sub sandwich chain her dad, Bill Specht, founded with his cousin in 1972, two years before she was born. She visited the stores as a child and worked in them as a teenager, but took a self-directed detour before returning to the company a dozen years later.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology and law studies from Marquette University and a master’s degree in public administration from American University in Washington, D.C. She worked for years in the public sector, then became President of Cousins Subs in 2008. Today, the company has grown to become a franchisee network of more than 150 Cousins Subs stores in six states.

f On Wednesday, February 27, 2013, Brian Anderson, television announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, will speak on Being Faithful in Your Career.

Anderson was named Brewers play-by-play announcer in January 2007. For the past five seasons, he has been tapped by TBS to do play-by-play for the network’s Major League Baseball Postseason, and called the Brewers-Cardinals National League Championship Series in 2011.

Since 2010, Anderson has called network play-by-play for Turner Sports Sunday Major League Baseball. In addition to baseball, Anderson also does NCAA basketball play-by-play for CBS Sports and Big Ten Network. Last March, he joined Turner/CBS Sports to cover the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Anderson joined the Brewers from the Golf Channel, where he worked as a play-by-play announcer from 2003-2006. In his role there he served as a host for a variety of the network’s events, including the PGA and Nationwide Tours.

f On Wednesday, May 8, 2013, Paul Wessel, inventor and entrepreneur, will speak on An Innovator’s Journey; 10 Years, 9 Months, and 4 Days.

Wessel has spent the past 25 years involved in different disciplines of industrial and health care automation.

He has held various executive leadership roles in sales, marketing, and new product and intellectual property development within large and medium-sized corporations. As an inventor and entrepreneur, Wessel has successfully built and sold several medical device companies, and received several awards for his innovation and creations within the world of medical technology.

Wessel has been issued two United States patents with six more domestic and international patents still pending. His groundbreaking work in automated healthcare incentive delivery has been extensively covered on domestic and international television and in print media including Business Week, CNN Headline News, National Public Radio, The Geek Squad, Die Deutche Zeitung, ZTV, MSNBC, and The Washington Post.

The 2012-2013 Christian Leadership Speaker Series will be held on campus in the Center for Arts and Performance from 7-9 a.m. A breakfast buffet will be offered before the keynote speaker, with time to network before and after each presentation.

Tickets are $20 for each event, or $50 for the entire series, which is being sponsored in part by Thrivent Financial and WLC’s Christian Women’s Leadership Circle. All proceeds from the series will be applied to scholarship support for WLC students.

For more information about additional scholarship opportunities or to register, visit 8 wlc.edu/speakerseries or contact Lisa Leffel at lisa.leffel@wlc.edu or call 414.443.8796.

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n May 10, 2013, WLC will serve as southeastern Wisconsin’s setting for a “leadercast,” a one-day leadership event presented by Chick-fil-A, a national restaurant franchisee corporation known for its conservative Christian values. The six-hour leadercast, which will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, will be broadcast live from Atlanta, Georgia, to hundreds of host sites across the country and around the world. The college’s Center for Christian Leadership will sponsor the local host site for the simulcast, to be held in the Center for Arts and Performance.

Each year Chick-fil-A assembles a lineup of well-known speakers on the subject of leadership, including business, political, and media leaders, sports figures, and authors. In 2012 more than 120,000 people attended the leadercast at one of 720 participating host sites in 14 countries.

For more information on the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, email lisa.leffel@wlc.edu, or visit 8 chick-fil-aleadercast.com.

Digitally Engaged lecture series begins second year

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Chris Coyier

he Digitally Engaged talk and lecture series will bring two speakers to campus this year. “We invite those who have careers that have successfully blended life and technology,” explained Prof. Chad Lindemann, associate professor of art and founder of the series. “We want our students to stay in touch with innovative, current careers in the world of media and technology.”

On October 26 web designer Chris Coyier will speak on “Modern Web Design Work Flow.” A web craftsman, blogger, author, and speaker, Coyier explains why he enjoys what he does as a profession. “I create websites and help people make theirs better through writing, speaking, and working on web applications,” Coyier said. “I consider myself a lucky man.”

Erin McLaughlin, a graphic designer originally from Milwaukee but now working in New York City, will be the Digitally Engaged speaker for second semester. For details, visit 8 wlc.edu/digitallyengaged.

Embracing technology: innovative instruction for 21st century learners

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ew educational technologies have provided the College of Adult & Graduate Studies with an opportunity to engage educators with hands-on learning.

Innovative course and certification offerings, such as iPad in Education, Transforming Education with Google Apps, and an online teaching certification, as well as an annual

Google Education Summit, have impacted more than 325 educators seeking to bring their classrooms into the 21st century. In just a few short years, the College of Adult & Graduate Studies and WLC’s Instructional Design Center have positioned Wisconsin Lutheran College at the forefront of digital education.

“Technology is no longer just a part of learning and educating, it’s the driving force,” said Joe Du Fore, director of digital education. “The digital tools we use shape the way we think, communicate, and interact with our surroundings. Technology has to be a vital part of the educational curriculum.”

Nearly 100 educators from around the country participated in the 2012 Google Education Summit. The 2013 Summit will be held June 16-21.

Instructional technology is impacting WLC students as well. Students in the College of Adult & Graduate Studies have the opportunity to take classes in a online learning environment.

This fall, select classrooms on campus have been equipped with lecture capture technology. Visit 8 WLCdegrees.com for more information about AGS course offerings.

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on campus

Center for Christian Leadership to host global simulcast

academics

New special education major will help meet demand

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he teacher education department has added a new major: special education. Dual certification will be required of students choosing the major, and graduates will be certified to teach in both general education and special education settings, a valuable combination that school districts seek.

elevated rate of turnover. We’ve designed a cross-categorical structure so our graduates also will have a learning disabilities concentration and a strong Response to Intervention component built into their curriculum. This will complement and broaden their special education credentials, and lead to many good opportunities in the marketplace for fulfilling, productive teaching careers.”

Plans are under way to incorporate experiential learning projects into the curriculum as well. One project will involve a three-week mission trip to Kenya, volunteering with special needs students. A second offering will include guest speakers on campus who are veteran leaders in the world of exceptional education and will provide special education majors the opportunity to absorb their expertise and learn from their life stories.

Prof. Mark Murphy teaches “Educating the Exceptional Individual” to all education majors. He is completing his Ph.D. in special education leadership with an emphasis on learning disabilities.

“A huge aspect for implementing this major – for me – is positioning it within the context of servant leadership,” said Mark Murphy, assistant professor of education and faculty lead of special education. “It will mesh well with WLC’s mission of graduating Christian servant leaders.

“It’s true that there is a high demand for special education teachers,” Murphy added, “in part because the field has an

“Our special education graduates can and will be helping to change lives for the better,” said Murphy. “They will become their students’ best advocates; they will be highly valued for helping their schools and districts provide more effective and successful teaching for their students with special needs.”

“We’re very excited about the addition of a special education major,” said Prof. James Holman, director of teacher education. “We’ll be helping to fill a definite need in our schools, and we’ll be doing so with highly qualified, dedicated servant leaders. It also will allow us to continue collaborating with an ever-expanding network of education colleagues throughout the state and region.”

Honors Program serving 22 freshmen

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his fall WLC has welcomed its first cohort of 22 honors students to campus. These students, who come from all over the country, are preparing to enter a wide variety of majors and professional programs.

The Honors Program offers these students an alternative core curriculum, in which they take a series of interdisciplinary great books courses, culminating with a senior project that will bridge their work in the Honors Program and their major. Students and faculty in the program also are integrating iPad technology into the classroom.

The program’s first course is The Ancient World, being taught this fall by Dr. Kevin Glaeske, professor of chemistry. “The students also are looking forward to a visit from Neil Curry in November,” said Dr. Erik Ankerberg, associate professor of English and director of the Honors Program. Curry, a British poet who has written a collection of poems based on Homer’s The Odyssey, will visit with 14 | wlc.edu

Honors Program students Emily Ostgaard and Cody Morse interact with Dr. Erik Ankerberg, associate professor of English, and Dr. Kevin Glaeske, professor of chemistry (right).

students in the Honors Program and make presentations to the campus community.

Honors Program students may take electives in Astronomy or Presidential Rhetoric during the upcoming January term, and will take The Medieval World with Dr. Paul Lehninger, professor of theology, in the spring.

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ithin WLC’s School of Life Sciences, several majors are experiencing amazing growth. One in particular is biology, a major created in 1994 by Dr. Robert Anderson, WLC’s sole biology professor who had arrived the year before. The faculty now includes six full-time (and one half-time) members, and biology has earned a reputation as one of WLC’s strongest areas of study.

There is expertise among the biology faculty that spans an impressive scope of specific areas of concentration within the field. Together, they offer students cellular biology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, plant genetics, natural resources, ecology, zoology, and marine

faculty and institution share core values and a common vision for the future,” said Werner. “The quality and friendliness of the WLC faculty and students made it a very easy decision for me to accept this call,” Henkel added.

“Our graduates provide the ultimate measurement of how we’re doing as a program,” said Dr. Jarrod Erbe, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and professor of biology. “We receive feedback from the nearly half of our alumni who have gone on to graduate school – that their WLC preparation, innovative lab work, and one-on-one research opportunities all have helped pave a successful path for their academic and career goals.”

Several biology faculty members ­— all researchers as well as teachers ­— met recently to collaborate on writing a major grant request for the department. L to R: Dr. Allison Phillips, Dr. James Henkel, Dr. John Werner, Dr. Robert Balza ’98, and Dr. Jarrod Erbe.

biology as curriculum focus options. Varied as their backgrounds are, an obvious bond is the freedom to express their Christian faith as they collaborate, investigate, teach, write, and mentor students.

Growth and reputation “The breadth and depth of our biology faculty, combined with our focus on both teaching and research from a Christian perspective, allow us to provide opportunities for students that normally do not occur until they reach graduate school,” said Anderson, now chair of the School of Life Sciences. “We are graduating biology majors who are regularly accepted into the graduate school of their choice with especially strong preparation for those in the medical track – pre-med, pre-vet, pre-dental, and pre-pharmacy.”

The biology program has grown by 40 percent in declared majors from October 2009 to this fall. Enrollment in biology courses has grown from 131 in 2009 to 350 this year, driven primarily by the recent addition of nursing and sport and exercise science majors, according to Brett Valerio ’97, WLC registrar. In response to the increased demand, two new faculty members arrived this fall – Dr. James Henkel and Dr. John Werner (learn more on page 17). “I am excited to be here teaching talented students in an environment where the

A recent example involves biology major Abby Kroken ’07 and chemistry major Faith Blum ’08, who both now are in the Ph.D. program at the Medical College of Wisconsin working in its microbiology and immunology department.

Last spring they co-authored an article, “Tetanus Toxin and Botulinum Toxin A Utilize Unique Mechanisms to Enter Neurons of the Central Nervous System.” Not only was their article selected for publication in the May 2012 issue of Infection and Immunity, but their research slides also were selected for the publication’s front cover illustration.

Impressive graduates Erbe recently received a note from an administrator and faculty leader at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “I’ve hired two WLC biology major graduates,” wrote Dr. David Friedland, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Division of Research and Medical Director of the Koss Cochlear Implant Program. “They were both extremely well prepared and had the skills to start work in an NIH-funded molecular biology lab immediately. I’ve been most struck by how thorough they both were in regards to the scientific method, use of controls, troubleshooting problems, and scientific integrity. I would hire another WLC biology graduate without hesitation.”

The “bio board” wall on the second floor of Generac Hall posts information about where biology majors have gone after receiving their degrees from WLC. Graduate schools named include the University of Wisconsin Madison’s School of Pharmacy and School of Medicine, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Dartmouth. Careers noted include a flight surgeon in the Air Force as well as emergency room and family practice doctors, veterinarians, dentists, and environmental scientists.

“We all are humbled and blessed to teach and conduct research with these extraordinary students,” Anderson said.

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academics

Biology major: opportunities, innovation, and faith

faculty retirement

Dr. Ray Dusseau

Call concludes – but not his calling “

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or those of us who serve in the public ministry, the end of our call is not the end of our calling,” said recently retired Dr. Ray Dusseau, WLC professor of education and a founding director of the Center for Urban Teaching. “For me, after 46 years – 20 of them at WLC – this was the time for me to retire from my call – though I’ll continue responding to my calling.”

Dusseau spent his entire teaching ministry in southeastern Wisconsin, serving as the principal of Pilgrim (Menomonee Falls) and Atonement (Milwaukee) Lutheran Schools and Shoreland Lutheran High School in Somers, near Kenosha, before joining the WLC faculty as a full-time

Dusseau’s first decade at WLC included several responsibilities beyond teaching in the classroom. He chaired the social sciences department, then served as academic dean in 2000-2001. He was asked by the president to research and provide a list of “legacies and traditions” that WLC should develop as it grew into a quality liberal arts institution.

“I reported that we should feature our bell tower, and create a symbolic mace as well as a presidential medallion to become part of our academic processions,” Dusseau said. “I also was asked to head up a convocation committee responsible for bringing well-known, thought-provoking speakers to campus.”

Dusseau’s most notable contribution to WLC, though, has been his enthusiastic, tireless, and bold leadership of the Center for Urban Teaching. He, along with then fellow WLC education professor James Rahn, created the Center in the early 2000s. “I remember going to President Gary Greenfield,” Dusseau recalled. “We asked if we could start a program to For the next two years, Dr. Ray Dusseau will continue to work with help students in the inner the Center for Urban Teaching. He will focus on securing grants, recruiting students to the program, and increasing its external city schools by preparing connections and relationships. our teacher education majors to succeed as effective urban education professor in 1992. Earlier, in 1977, Dusseau taught a “computers in teachers. Gary applauded the idea, and told us that we should go full steam the classroom” course and served on a ahead and make a difference for those three-member self-study committee students – but not to ask for any charged with the task of preparing funding from the college!”

WLC’s formal application for status as an accredited two-year, associate’s degree-granting institution.

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works in partnership with education departments at several colleges and universities: to be the number one provider of excellent urban teachers in southeastern Wisconsin, the state of Wisconsin, the Midwest, and – eventually – the nation. It is projecting an annual 40 percent growth rate during the next three years, from 262 students in the program this fall to 500 projected for 2015. “Our first cohort was three students,” Dusseau reflected, “and we discovered the power of believing. We believed in our purpose, and we had passion – to make a difference in the lives of our students. The Center’s students see the undeniable need as well as the opportunities for strong and effective urban teaching.

One of those students is Rebecca Jeppesen, a senior elementary education major now in her teaching residency.

She describes Dusseau as a model of Christian servant leadership. “Dr. Dusseau’s light-hearted disposition encourages us, even when we need pushing,” she said. “And his eagerness to give of his time and energy is surpassed only by his love and dedication to Christ.”

Though Dusseau has retired from his faculty role at WLC, he – and his wife, Ruth – are looking forward to an ongoing relationship with many friends and colleagues from the faculty and staff, students past and present, and especially the Center. “God has given me an unbelievable, amazing journey – to have served at WLC and the Center,” he said. “Every day we wake up knowing we have a calling to serve.

So I’ll continue doing what I can to help our students and the children Today, the decade-old Center for Urban they’re teaching – making an impact Teaching has a more visionary goal, as it and a difference.”

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n September, Matthew Burow (left) of Slinger, Wisconsin, and Steven Boettcher (right) of Mequon, Wisconsin, were nominated and elected to its Board of Regents. Burow is the president of Catalyst Construction in Milwaukee.

Boettcher owns BT Media in Thiensville. Both business owners have been supportive of college initiatives and programming for several years.

Kruse retires

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n June, Merlyn Kruse announced his retirement from WLC, effective July 2012. He accepted a full-time call to WLC in 2006 to serve as the college’s major gifts officer for the Office of Institutional Advancement. He also worked to formalize the Center for International Education, secured grants for its growth, and directed its development.

Kruse then was asked to become the interim vice president of institutional advancement, a position he fully assumed in 2008. Early in 2011, he decided to retire from full-time ministry and served in a part-time role at WLC, continuing as the administrative leader for the Center for International Education and the English Language Institute until this past June.

“We thank God for Merlyn’s past service at WLC as well as for his ministry impact upon our Lutheran elementary and high school system,” said President Daniel W. Johnson.

“We wish Merlyn and his wife, Lee, the Lord’s richest blessings during their retirement years.”

Faculty promotions Wisconsin Lutheran College announced the following faculty promotions effective July 1: Dr. Kevin Glaeske (left) to professor of chemistry, Dr. Robert Balza Jr. to associate professor of biology, Dr. Stacy Hoehl to associate professor of communication, Dr. Kristen Meyer to associate professor of mathematics, Dr. Andrew Mundt to associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. Aaron Palmer to associate professor of history.

Seven professors joined faculty in 2012 Prof. Kevin Fedewa ’08, China studies: Fedewa earned his M.A. in Chinese studies from Valparaiso University, then taught English as a Foreign Language in South Korea. After a year abroad, he returned to WLC to teach English as a Foreign Language as well as Mandarin, and during the last academic year served as a full-time instructor of Mandarin Chinese.

Prof. Sheena Finnigan ’06, history: Finnigan (left) earned her B.A. in history and theology from WLC and her A.M. in the Master of Arts program in the social sciences, with an emphasis in history, from the University of Chicago. Finnigan was the registrar and an adjunct professor of history at AmeriTech College in Draper, Utah.

Dr. James Henkel, biology: Henkel earned his Master of Clinical Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse while studying the West Nile Virus. He earned a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the Medical College of Wisconsin, then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in Bethesda, Maryland, at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Prof. Aimee Lau ’03, communication: Lau earned a B.A. in both communication and psychology from WLC then received her M.A. in communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Since 2006, Aimee has served one year at WLC as a full-time instructor and several years as an adjunct instructor.

Prof. Lisa LeBlanc, nursing: LeBlanc (left) received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Marquette University in 2007, with a minor in family studies.

She began her nursing career at St. Joseph Hospital in Milwaukee in 2005 and specializes in obstetrics.

LeBlanc has served in an adjunct role of clinical instructor for WLC since 2011.

Prof. Gregg Pfarr, business: Pfarr earned a master’s in banking from the Executive Banking Institute, in affiliation with the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking. For the past 12 years of his 34-year banking career, he has worked as a senior vice president at Southport Bank in Kenosha. Over the last two semesters, Pfarr has been an adjunct instructor at WLC.

Merlyn Kruse (fourth from left), who traveled regularly to China, was instrumental in creating a partnership with Jiangxi Normal University and WLC in 2009. Several representatives of the Chinese university visited WLC in 2010 to meet with Kruse and other administrators.

Dr. John Werner, biology: After working for three years in the biotech industry, Werner attended Arizona State University, where he received his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology. He spent the past six years performing postdoctoral research at Princeton University. This work entailed characterizing the inner workings of bacteria to potentially identify new antibiotic targets.

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faculty & staff

Business owners join Board of Regents

The Bending of the Bow retells Homer’s The Odyssey

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isconsin Lutheran College’s theatre department will present The Bending of the Bow, a modern adaptation of the final books of Homer’s The Odyssey by British poet Neil Curry.

“This is a process known as ‘devising’ a theatre piece into an artistically and intellectually coherent performance,” Sierszyn said. “It’s the first time this particular method has ever been used to create a piece to be presented on our campus.”

“This will be an ensemble theatre piece,” explained Prof. Jay Sierszyn, director of WLC’s theatre department.

“Curry’s book of poems, based on Homer’s The Odyssey, is written in epic form, like the original.”

The Bending of the Bow performances will be presented in the Raabe Theatre on Nov. 2-4 and 8-10, with all performances at 8 p.m. except Sunday, Nov. 4, when the play will begin at 3 p.m.

Sixteen students, costumer Stephi Molitor ’08, scene designer Dana Fralick, and Sierszyn himself are creating and developing the script as well as all other production aspects.

Homer’s The Odyssey

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LC’s Jazz Band concert will be performed in the Schwan Concert Hall on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 8 p.m.

Instrumental Ensembles will perform on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The Winter Band Concert will be presented on Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.

“As a special note regarding this theatre production,” added Sierszyn, “Curry himself will be visiting the WLC campus during the second weekend of our performances and will be leading a post-play discussion following the performance on Thursday evening, Nov. 8.”

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wo WLC seniors, four alumni, two visiting artists, and two WLC professors, including associate professor of art Kristin Gjerdset, traveled to Ireland in June for an opportunity to draw, paint, and “appreciate God’s beautiful creation,” according to Gjerdset. “We visited several incredible spots and especially enjoyed working surrounded by Ireland’s enchanting Wicklow National Park.”

Christmas choral concerts are scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 29, 30, and Dec. 1, 2. They also will be performed in the Schwan Concert Hall in the Center for Arts and Performance.

For more details, visit 8 wlc.edu/arts.

Kristin Gjerdset, WLC art professor (front row, second from left) organized a trip for artists to Ireland.

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Carol Schwartz

Trip to Ireland inspires artists

Winter concerts scheduled Diane Canfield Bywaters

fine arts

Theatre presents first-ever ensemble piece

athletics

Pierce ’98 returns as women’s head soccer coach

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ony Pierce has returned to Wisconsin Lutheran College as its head women’s soccer coach. He previously served as the Warriors women’s soccer coach in their 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Pierce brings a wealth of collegiate coaching experience to the Warriors at both the NCAA Division I and III levels. He comes to Wisconsin Lutheran College from fellow Northern Athletics Conference member Lakeland College, where he served as the head men’s and women’s soccer coach for the past two seasons. Prior to coaching at Lakeland, Pierce spent six seasons (2004Coach Tony Pierce surrounded by the 2012 women’s soccer team and staff.

2009) as an assistant men’s soccer coach at “I’m very excited to return to WLC,” said Pierce. “As an alumnus the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Pierce also and former coach, it’s nice to come back and see how the program has held head coaching positions at Milwaukee School of Engineering, Concordia University Chicago has grown. I look forward to continuing to develop the program into a successful conference contender.” and Midland College (Texas), and served as an “Having Tony back as head women’s soccer coach is a great blessing assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. for Wisconsin Lutheran College,” said athletic director Skip Noon.

A student-athlete at the University of Connecticut “The soccer coaching knowledge that he possesses is incredible. from 1980-1984, Pierce was a member of the Most importantly, in working with Tony, one soon realizes that he Huskies’ 1981 NCAA Division I Championship embodies the ‘servant leader’ attitude that is so important to our soccer squad. He played for the Milwaukee Wave identity at WLC.” from 1985-1993, where he was a three-time All-Pro Pierce graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College in 1998 with a Goalkeeper. He was inducted into the Milwaukee degree in education.

Wave Hall of Fame in 2010.

Fall athletes excel for Warriors

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his fall more than 200 studentathletes are competing for the Warriors in NCAA Division III sports.

Two of the many athletes who are contributing to their teams are spotlighted here. For more athletics news, visit 8 wlcsports.com.

Freshman Sean Esenberg, a business major from Jackson, Wisconsin, became the first men’s golfer since Danny Behm in 2008 to earn medalist honors. Esenberg (pictured with head coach Adam Volbrecht) shot a two-round score of 143 as the Warriors men’s golf team placed third

at the WLC Invitational in September at Washington County Golf Course. He topped the 68-player field, winning by four strokes. Esenberg, who played this course in high school, said, “It really helped knowing the whole course from back to front, knowing where you have to be and how the greens roll.”

Senior Steph Cox (right), an English and Spanish major from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, leads the Warriors volleyball team and is third in the conference in assists this season. Despite playing her previous

three seasons at WLC as an outside hitter, she transitioned to the setter spot for her final year. “Steph has played the game at a high level and at a pace that we expect from a setter,” said third-year head coach Bruce Meredith. “I knew that as a senior she could handle the switch.” Cox had a season-high 52 assists in a September 15 victory over Carroll University, placing her third in assists in the Warriors all-time individual match record book.

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alumni

Alumni experience the London

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Olympics

t least three WLC alumni attended the 2012 Summer Olympics in London this August. Sandy (Piepenbrink) Parker ’98 has worked for BT since she married a Brit and moved to the U.K. in 2000. “As the official communications provider for London 2012, BT has been working to make these the most connected games – ever – since the day London was named to be the 2012 Games site back in July 2005,” she said.

As part of that official partnership, some BT employees were able to serve as torch bearers for the Olympic Games, as volunteers, or recipients of Olympic Games tickets in recognition of projects completed at work “in the spirit of the games.”

easier was the fact that one of Leah’s friends, who was on the Iceland trip, is a Brit who lives six blocks from London’s famous Tower Bridge,” Kastens said. “He offered us free lodging for the duration of the trip. So once the decisions were made, tickets bought, and reservations booked, the Olympic mystique took over.

Sandy (Piepenbrink) Parker holds the Olympic torch that a BT colleague was able to carry during the relay.

“The Olympics provide experiences beyond the sporting events – although the events themselves were memorable,” Kastens added. “We saw men’s soccer at Wembley Stadium and men’s volleyball in West London. I saw Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte duel it out in the 200M individual medley semifinals. The reality is – the

“I’m proud to say that I was able to attend the Paralympic Athletes event in the Olympic Stadium in London on August 31, thanks to BT,” Parker said. “I was on a team at work that – within a six month window – delivered a brand new project to the U.K. market which doubled the fiber broadband speeds available nationally to 12 million U.K. households.”

For two other WLC alumni who attended the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, even their initial decisions to travel to England this past August had an international setting. Aaron Kastens ’99 committed to attending in London two WLC alumni and friends Leah Bauer, now of Heidelberg, Germany, and Aaron Kastens, attorney and partner at Michael Best, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, met up at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. years earlier while he was at his first-ever Olympics, the 2010 Winter Games in Olympics give people the opportunity to bond with fellow Vancouver, B.C. Leah Bauer ’00, who now lives in countrymen in circumstances that can’t be replicated Heidelberg, Germany, made her decision a bit later when anywhere else.” she, Kastens, and a host of her Heidelberg friends were Kastens is contemplating a trip to Sochi, Russia, for the discussing the upcoming London Games during a long next Olympics – the 2014 Winter Games. weekend in Iceland in January 2012. “Making the decision

Winterfest 2013

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interfest is scheduled for Saturday, February 9, 2013.

Alumni basketball games will begin at 9 a.m. in the Recreation Complex. The Warriors men’s and women’s basketball teams also play that afternoon. As is tradition, the annual Alumni Service Award will be announced during 20 | wlc.edu

halftime of the women’s game, and the Milwaukee Bucks high-flying Rim Rockers slam dunk team will perform during halftime of the men’s game.

Learn more and register to attend a luncheon by visiting 8 wlc.edu/winterfest.

Airborne – yet grounded

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or years, Warriors fans have been in awe of the soaring acrobatic feats performed by the Milwaukee Bucks Rim Rockers at WLC’s annual Winterfest basketball halftime shows.

Josh Schedler ’06 is the individual responsible for bringing this professional sports entertainment group to the Recreation Complex. His association with the Milwaukee Bucks organization began when he was a sophomore at WLC. An avid Bucks fan,

Schedler, also an account rep for the Milwaukee Bucks, posed with several young NBA fans while in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where Rim Rockers represented the Bucks at NBA Jam Fest in 2010. He began his sales career with the Bucks in 2007, one of eight rookie sales associates.

Promoted each year since, Schedler is the only 2007 recruit there today. For Warriors looking for Bucks tickets, contact jschedler@bucks.com.

he took a part-time job with Hoop Troop, a group that entertains during timeouts at all home games. He made the team primarily for his personality and ability to perform in front of large crowds of people.

In his second season and junior year he was named team captain of Hoop Troop. During his senior year, he also was tapped to become the Milwaukee Bucks’ mascot assistant, a more substantial position than it might sound. “Since Bango, the mascot, can’t talk, I was his voice,” Schedler said. “We made ‘Read to Achieve’ appearances several times a week in Milwaukee area

schools. I sat in on brainstorming sessions for on-court and promotional video skits. With Bango as our leader, I was the original Rim Rocker, a new group focused on delivering innovative, high energy, trampoline-based, slam dunking excitement. The Rim Rockers began performing during the 90-second break between the third and fourth quarter of about a dozen home games.”

Today Schedler still is connected to the NBA world, not only as a veteran of the Rim Rockers but also as an account representative for the Milwaukee Bucks’ front office. “My degree (business major and communication minor) from WLC has been a solid asset for me. It has prepared me for the real world, and I appreciate having had a liberal arts education to help shape my business world perspective. I’ve been able to work hard and – essentially – operate and grow my own business.”

Homeschooled through eighth grade, Schedler remembers dreaming in high school about becoming part of the professional sports world – the National Basketball Association in particular. “I also always believed I’d join the business world after college, whether that meant I’d join my dad in our family plumbing, heating, and electrical company in Tomah, Wisconsin, or through another opportunity,” he said. “My parents instilled solid, ethical business concepts in me. Then when I got to WLC, the servant leadership emphasis was a clear priority. I wouldn’t be where I am today without learning this servant leadership from my parents, WLC, and my Savior Jesus Christ.”

Schedler graduated in 2006, married his wife, Jamie, in 2007, and remained involved with the Bucks. They became more active in their church, St. Marcus, in Milwaukee. Jamie teaches first grade

WLC alumus Josh Schedler was one of the high-flying Rim Rockers at last year’s Winterfest.

at St. Marcus Lutheran School, and Josh has become especially instrumental in coaching and mentoring Community Group leaders. “We reach out and form small groups that meet weekly and discuss how our Sunday night sermons and God’s Word relate to our lives,” he said. “At first Jamie and I didn’t think we’d have time for another meeting each week. But in the end – now that I’ve helped grow five other groups – we’re the ones who’ve been strengthened in our walks with Jesus.”

Schedler also reflected on the amazing experiences he’s had during his years with the Milwaukee Bucks organization.

“This has been an awesome opportunity to be part of the NBA entertainment world,” he said. “I’ve been able to travel to places like Dubai and Mexico. We’ve been honored to perform locally at schools and universities as well as at events like the NBA All Star game in New Orleans. I love it.

“Jamie and I have been very blessed,” he added, “and we know that our walk with Jesus is our top priority in life.”

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alumni

warriors on their way

development

Servant Leader Society: Servant leadership in action

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year ago we announced the creation of the Servant Leader Society,” said WLC’s President, Dr. Daniel W. Johnson, “a giving society that recognizes those generous donors who have given $1,000 or more to the college in the course of a fiscal year. We are pleased to note that after one year in existence, the society counts more than 240 individuals and organizations as members. We thank God for the continued partnership of our friends and donors who help us make a life-changing education available to our students.”

“We have so many students who exemplify the qualities of a servant leader – both on and off campus – that we’ve decided to highlight one of them in each issue of WLC Magazine,” added Craig Russow, vice president of development. “John Klein is one such student.”

Leadership on and off the field John Klein, a native of West Allis, Wisconsin, came to WLC after graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran High School. With an interest in

worth all the sacrifice, and time and effort,” he said, “and I wouldn’t change a thing about my busy schedule.”

This fall John Klein (left), leader of “Warriors at Work,” organized a group of WLC students who volunteered to clean up the beaches along Lake Michigan as a community service project. With him is Brad Snyder, a senior from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, who is assisting the “Warriors at Work” program.

nursing and football, everything just “fell into place,” he said. “It was God’s decision that I would be here.”

Klein, now a senior in the nursing program and a tight end on the Warriors football team, models a powerful example of a student-athlete both on and off the field. Balancing the responsibilities of nursing clinicals, a one-year “externship” at St. Luke’s Hospital, work in the campus ministry office, and football is not easy. “It’s

“John is a living, breathing example of a servant leader,” said Dr. Dennis Miller, vice president of student affairs and head football coach. “He always gives his best effort and he motivates others to do their best as well. John lives and reflects his faith on a consistent and clear basis.”

Klein also reflects his faith off the football field as a leader in WLC’s campus ministry program called “Warriors at Work.” The program was established last year to provide students with service opportunities such as mission trips and community service projects. “As students we have many opportunities to participate in Christian service,” Klein explained, “but not as many opportunities to actually lead.

‘Warriors at Work’ provides both!”

“John is an amazing young Christian who makes you stand in awe of Jesus and his gift of the Spirit,” said campus pastor Nathan Strobel. “Servant leadership just flows naturally from John Klein!”

For more information about the Servant Leader Society, or to read more Servant Leader Profiles, visit 8 wlc.edu/ServantLeaderSociety.

The Vision to Lead campaign finishes by surpassing goal

J

une 30, 2012, marked the conclusion of the Vision to Lead comprehensive campaign with more than $52.7 million raised, surpassing the goal of $46 million. Some of the campaign’s key accomplishments were: • Completion of the Krauss-Miller-Lutz Outdoor Athletic Complex.

• Enrollment of more than 1,000 students for the first time in WLC history, and $9 million annual scholarship assistance.

• Establishment of the School of Nursing.

• Creation of the College of Adult & Graduate Studies.

• Addition of majors such as environmental science, computer science, media design, and more.

The Vision to Lead campaign helped establish WLC’s School of Nursing, among other academic program developments.

Funds received as part of the campaign included more than $6.1 million in gifts to Generac Hall and to the Outdoor Athletic Center. “We thank and praise God for these blessings, and for our faithful, generous partners who have supported WLC in this campaign,” said President Daniel W. Johnson.

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40

years of

God’s Grace

2012-2013 Guest Artist Series

Founders’ Day Bb

January 31, 2013 t Attend a special Founders’ Day service focused

on WLC’s 40-year-old mission and ministry, to be held at 11 a.m. in the campus chapel.

t Following the service, a reception will take place in the Campus Center with refreshments, photos, videos, and more.

For more details on the 2013 Founders’ Day celebration, visit 8 wlc.edu/foundersday.

Home Free Vocal Band

Save this special Saturday March 9, 2013 Jeffrey Siegel

Attend the Christian Women’s Leadership Circle’s Butterfly Brunch March 9, 2013. Hear a special presentation from one of Wisconsin’s well known women, a strong Christian leader with a story you won’t want to miss. Enjoy a delicious brunch with friends, and meet other women who believe in helping Wisconsin Lutheran College’s female students become leaders who will serve others as they model Christian servant leadership.

Call 414.443.8823 or visit 8 wlc.edu/cwlc for more information.

Proceeds from the Butterfly Brunch will benefit students through the Sharon A. Schoeneck Christian Women’s Leadership Scholarship and other programs that encourage Christian leadership principles.

lon Quintet

Thüringer Sa

Center for Arts and Performance Box Office: 414.443.8802

Website: wlc.edu/arts Wisconsin Lutheran College | 23

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