Outlook Magazine - Fall 2019

ON CAMPUS

GOODBYE FROM CHANCELLOR BOB MEYER

Well, this is it … my last “welcome” for the Outlook alumni magazine.

As most of you probably know, I retired as of Aug. 18, ending 32 years on campus as a faculty member, dean, administrator and, for the last five years, as chancellor. Those years don’t account for the time I spent as a student earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW-Stout. I am Stout Proud! I want to take this time to thank everyone who has made these years so special for me and my family. After all, my wife, Debbie, has two degrees from UW-Stout, and my daughter Erica is an alumna. My daughter Melly is a UW-Madison graduate, as well as a STEPS for Girls camp graduate here, so Wisconsin higher education means everything to our family. My gratitude starts with the tremendous faculty, staff and students, who I was privileged to work with every day. As a former student here myself, I have a special appreciation for the bright, hard-working and innovative students who attend UW- Stout. I also am proud of the 98.7 percent employment rate our students have within six months of leaving campus. The success of our students is directly attributable to the dedication and excellence of our faculty and staff. As a former faculty member (and college dean), I know how hard our faculty and staff work and how that work translates into student and institutional success. Our alumni also are a source of tremendous pride and enjoyment for me. I attended as many alumni events as I could, and I always came away with a smile and a special appreciation for how fondly our alumni look back at their time on campus and how happy they are to get together with other UW-Stout graduates. A big part of UW-Stout’s success depends on us maintaining strong partnerships with business and industry. We rely on these partners to help us keep our curriculum current, to employ our students, both through our co-op program and after graduation, and to help us financially. We do our best to return the favor, especially through the Discovery Center, to help our business and industry partners thrive. As chancellor I worked closely with other chancellors in the UW System, our Board of Regents and UW System leadership, including President Ray Cross. These are true professionals who work hard under very trying conditions, and I was proud to call them colleagues. It is always hard to say goodbye, but I leave knowing that UW-Stout has a bright future. Interim Chancellor Patrick Guilfoile, our former provost, will do an excellent job. He is bright, hard-working, conscientious, and will be assisted by our senior leadership team. Now is the time for me and my family to start a new phase in our lives. We will always be grateful for our time at UW-Stout and will return as often as possible.

So, thank you and best wishes. Go Blue Devils!

2

U W - S T O U T O U T L O O K