Outlook Magazine - Fall 2025

OUTLOOK ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2025

Women's Flag Football are Champions of the Inaugural Midwest Women's College Flag Football League

See page 43

1

Outlook 2025

Stout Traditions Your Alumni Association is interested in learning what

traditions were part of your days on campus. Were there bonfires after the hockey games; did you have weekly dances; what event(s) did your fraternity or sorority hold each year? As you think back to those events, please share them with us. Share Your News We’d love to hear from you, and your fellow alumni would too! Drop us a line about your promotion, a reunion or just to reminisce. Email: alumni@uwstout.edu Phone: (715) 232-1151 Online: uwstout.edu/alumni

/UWStoutAlumni_Official /UWStoutAlumni /StoutAlumni

Staff Tom Giffey

Communications Manager, Marketing Communications Abbey Goers

Communications Specialist, Marketing Communications Jack Hajewski University Photographer/Videographer, Marketing Communications Michael Huggins

Coach Hannah Iverson Women's Basketball advances to first Final Four in program history See Page 6

Strategic Marketing Officer, Marketing Communications Brenna Jasper

Alumni Relations & Communications Specialist, Stout Alumni Association Nicholas Katona Vice Chancellor for University Advancement & Alumni Relations, Executive Director of UW-Stout Foundation & Alumni Association Cheryl Keyes (‘92) Production Manager, Marketing Communications Zach Porter (‘20) University Photographer/Videographer, Marketing Communications Jennie Smith (‘11) Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, Stout Alumni Association Cade Walters (‘14)

Contents

5

42 Timberwolves Hoodie Flag Football Champions 43 Athletics Memoriams 43

Year in Review

8

Photos of the Year

12-37 Feature

38 Inspiring Grads

44 Alumni Awards 46 Class Notes 49 Upcoming Events

Creative & Brand Manager, Marketing Communications Jackson Yang (‘19, ‘23) Graphic Designer, Marketing Communications

40 Fulbright Winner

41 WIAC Hall of Fame

2

University of Wisconsin-Stout

A Human-Centered Collaborative Approach to Designing an Energy Efficient Wireless Sensor Network See Page 20

Feature Leadership & Management

16 Solid Success 14 Leadership in a Word

17 Supercomputing Heights

19 Enhancing Cultural Heritage

20 Recognizing Rural Needs

22 At the Forefront of Innovation

23 The Conversation 26 Preserving Our Wild Places

28 Innovative Infrastructure

32 Fun Facts from Entrepreneurs

34 A Leading Perspective

36 Insurance Executive’s Leadership Lessons 37 Helping Indigenous Students 36 College President Leaves a Mark

3

Outlook 2025

Greetings from UW-Stout!

StoutProud Numbers

99% Employed Or continuing education within six months of graduation.

A

s we reflect on another transfor mative year at UW-Stout, we’re filled with a deep sense of pride in the incredible momentum we’ve built together. Our shared commitment to making positive

As we look with pride on our accomplishments, we know this was made possible because of our supportive Stout community. Our greatest strength lies in our community — our alumni, supporters, business partners and regional neighbors who believe in UW-Stout’s mission. Your support fuels academic achievement and student success, advances academic innovation and fosters positive impact on industry, in our communities and on society. You help us create a vibrant, innovative and welcoming campus that prepares future leaders while contributing to the economic vitality of Wisconsin and beyond. As we continue to evolve and grow, we invite you to stay engaged. Attend events, serve on advisory committees, provide an internship, support Stout with your philanthropy and share your #StoutProud story. We often say that being #StoutProud isn’t just a slogan — it’s a way of life. It means standing behind a university that transforms students’ lives, fuels regional growth and leads the way in polytechnic education. Whether you’re an alum, a parent, a partner, a friend or a donor, you are part of this com munity. Thank you for your continued support and belief in UW-Stout. Let’s keep building, growing and showing what it truly means to be #StoutProud. With gratitude,

$57K Average Starting Salary For undergraduate degree-holders.

impact through student success, innovation and community partnerships has made UW-Stout not just Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University in name — but a national model of what applied learning and industry collaboration can achieve. As you know, UW-Stout’s polytechnic approach is more than a philosophy — it’s a lived experi ence. Through hands-on learning, cutting-edge labs and studios, and strong industry ties, our students graduate not only with knowledge but with experience. They are problem-solvers, critical thinkers, and creative leaders — ready to contribute on day one. In fact, our graduate employment rate remains consistent at 99%, a testament to the power of our model, the real world relevance of our programs and our part nership with the #StoutProud community. This year, we have much to celebrate. We’ve seen strong levels of student engagement, expansion in our research and development part nerships and continued investment in campus infrastructure and technology. Such investments include the $144 million ren ovation of Heritage Hall, which began this fall. They also include recently completed renova tions to five labs in the Jarvis Hall Technology Wing and the construction of a state-of-the-art esports arena in the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center. Projects like these complement the ongoing leadership exemplified by our students, faculty and alumni, highlights of which you’ll read about on the following pages — from Fulbright Scholar and supercomputer innovator to corpo rate leaders and athletic champions.

For graduate degree-holders. $74K Average Starting Salary

Have hired UW-Stout grads in the past five years. 125 Fortune 500 Employers

Katherine Frank Chancellor, UW-Stout

Nicholas Katona Vice Chancellor for University Advancement & Alumni Relations, Executive Director of UW-Stout Foundation & Alumni Association

Annual economic impact in our immediate region. $306M+

4

University of Wisconsin-Stout

FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Year in Review August August - A new school year kicked off with new degree programs in illustration, biology, chemistry and phys ics (the science programs were formerly concentrations). Stout received a gold-level Family-Friendly Work place designation; and a national award for Career Services’ Cooperative Education & Internship Pro gram (CEIP) from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Jason Schmitt, formerly of Clarkson University, joined Stout as the new dean of the College of Arts & Human Sciences . And a team of Stout students learned Adobe Express Play, an app concept they developed to teach graphic design through mobile gaming, had won top prize at the international 2024 D&AD competition earlier that spring.

Cross Country - Mckayla Felton, Arely Jaime Lue vano and Brekkyn Lammert placed with top 100 fin ishes at the NCAA championship. Felton was named WIAC Athlete of the Year, the first in program history. Matt Schauf, Abigail Fouts and Logan Gullickson were named WIAC Women's Coaching Staff of the Year. Football - The Blue Devils’ season concluded with a 32-35 fall to Wheaton College in the Culver's Isth mus Bowl. Four players were selected to the D3foot ball.com 2024 All-Region 6 team: Luke Cool, Luke Parzyck, Brooks Brewer and Will Hammen. Eleven players earned spots on the All-WIAC team, includ ing Cool, who was named Co-Special Teams Player of the Year. Golf (Women) - WIAC Champion Julia Imai was named to the All-Region 3/Central Team, as well as WIAC Golfer of the Year and Newcomer of the Year and placed eighth at the PGA Works Championship. Volleyball - Brooke McCune and Emma Barton were named All-WIAC. Senior libero Terrah Moshier finished her career with 1,446 digs, fourth in program history, and was named to the WIAC All-Defensive Team.

October October - A new degree in game and media stud ies was approved for fall 2025, and the Pat Kell Golf Center officially opened to the campus community and public thanks to the generosity of the Kell family. The university launched a Center for Advanced Manu facturing & Artificial Intelligence to offer small- and mid-sized Wisconsin manufacturers access to Stout’s AI expertise. [ See page 22 ]. Additionally, Stout received a $125K U.S. Department of Defense grant to develop an AI-powered support system aimed at helping con tractors meet regulatory compliance associated with defense contracts, thanks to Professor Holly Yuan, who received the Visionary Academic Leadership Award at the 14th annual Cyber Security Summit. November - Stout was again named a Best for Vets College by Military Times, ranking first among Wis consin public universities and in the Midwest Top 15, and our hotel, restaurant and tourism management pro gram notched a pair of awards: CEOWorld.com ranked UW-Stout No. 9 on its best hospitality and hotel management schools in the world list, and the Wis consin Hotel & Lodging Association named Professor Jay Jones its 2024 Educator of the Year . And Stout, along with UW-Stevens Point, Northcentral Techni cal College, and other partners, launched the Central Wisconsin AI Center, a collaborative focused on inte grating artificial intelligence into workforce training and industry. November September September - Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University was named to Money magazine’s Top 100 Best Public Colleges in the U.S. and Research.com’s Top 50 Best Value Colleges , underscoring Stout’s affordability and graduate employment success. Engineering unveiled revamped R&D and plastics labs as part of a two-year $7.4M lab renovation project . The Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute secured an $8.1M grant from the U.S. Department of Education for an accelerated vocational rehabilitation training program. And Stout’s custodial team closed out the month with a UW Board of Regents University Staff Excellence Award for their dedication and service to students.

5

Outlook 2025

Year in Review WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS December December - Closing out the calendar year, mar riage and family therapy Professor Heather Hessel earned the Wisconsin Association for Marriage and Family Therapy’s Carl Whitaker Award for her innovative research into how technology and AI can benefit therapists, and Dana Fritz, assistant director of Housing, received an Outstanding Mid Level Professional Award from the Upper Midwest Region of the Association of College and University Housing Officers.

Basketball (Women) - The Blue Devils’ Cin derella run to the NCAA DIII National Tourna ment Final Four was their best result in program history. All five starting seniors earned WIAC postseason awards. Raegan Sorensen, Anna Mutch and Amanda Giesen were named to the All-WIAC Team. Sorensen capped off her career by becoming UW-Stout’s all-time leading scorer with 1,754 points and was named D3hoops.com Second-Team All-American. Sam Schaeffer was named to the WIAC All-Defensive Team, as well as the All-Sportsmanship Team. Lexi Wagner received WIAC Honorable Mention. Gymnastics - Six gymnasts qualified for the NCGA championships: NCGA Senior Athlete of the Year Gillian Cummins, Taylar Schae fer, Isabela Krulich, Sarah Lutz, Effie Ferguson, and WIAC Newcomer of the Year, Jamie Beatty, who earned national titles in both the all-around and the uneven bars. Beatty was named to the WCGA’s All-Around First Team. Hockey - Nicolas Pigeon, Gunner Moore, Noe Perez and Caleb Serre were named All-WIAC. Senior and team captain Jacob Halverson won the WIAC Max Sparger Scholar Athlete award. Indoor Track & Field - Hannah Zastrow (60 hurdles) was WIAC champion. At the NCAA championships, Leah Zastrow (pole vault) was national runner-up, and Hannah Zastrow (60 hur dles and high jump) and Karter Rashke (shot put) earned First-Team All-American honors. Brekkyn Lammert (mile) set a program record with a time of 4:56.73.

January February March January - Faculty scholars published two articles through a new relationship with The Conversation, a global research-based news publisher. [ See page 23 ] And packaging Professor Min DeGruson’s collabo rative work to enhance medical safety by developing better, sustainable packaging of sterilized medical devices made the news thanks to a $175K UW Inno vation Grant . February - U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Online Programs ranked a number of programs among the best in the Midwest: B.S. management & Leadership: Top 15, M.S. manufacturing engineer ing: Top 20, and M.S. education: Top 45. March - UW-Stout’s finest welcomed its furri est: The Stout Police Department swore in Officer Harvey , a “double doodle” mix, who will act as therapy dog and department ambassador. Before graduating in May, interior design senior Khendra Thompson (’15, ’25) bested a field of 1,600 submis sions to win Steelcase’s national NEXT Student Design Competition . April - M.F.A. design student Ashley Jandro’s “MicroWhat?” microplastics awareness campaign earned her an Integrated Consumer Campaign Silver Pin Award from the Advertising Federation of Minnesota. Industrial and product design students brought home prizes for winning designs in the annual Room & Board Competition . And a dozen Stout undergraduates presented applied research on robotics, dementia, 3D digital rendering, and more at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh. Princeton Review ranked our undergraduate game design programs and Master of Fine Arts among the Top 25 in the world , and VIQTORY recognized Stout as a Military Friendly School for the 16th year in a row. And thanks to stu dents and faculty, the middle/high school Science Olympiad and SkillsUSA Competitions held on campus were a huge success. April

6

University of Wisconsin-Stout

May May - Marriage and family therapy Associate Professor Candice Maier was named to the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program and will teach in Istanbul, Turkey, next year [ See page 40 ]. The new Center for the Advanced Manufacturing & Artificial Intelligence received a $647K Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation grant for its support of small- and mid-sized manufacturers. Packaging students took first place in the 2025 International Molded Fiber Association Student Competition for their sustainable molded fiber alternative. Design Wisconsin , which featured talks by alumni from Ashley Furniture, Loft Design, Polaris, Red Wing Shoes, Sherwin-Williams, Spectrum Brands, Trek, and more, came home to Menomonie, followed immediately by the International Polytechnic Summit , which welcomed polytechnic peers from around the world to Stout for the first time since 2019. During the summit, Career Services honored Market & Johnson as Employer of the Year. June - Stout received the Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce’s Large Business of the Year Award for its commitment to community and economic impact. Construction students experimented with new sus tainable, low-carbon concrete on a campus sidewalk, thanks to inter national concrete expert and Program Director Kevin MacDonald [ See page 16 ], and Stout’s Sustainability Office unveiled a pair of campus EV charging stations at Sorensen Hall that are open to the community. July - Following a national search, Erin Sullivan was named the new Athletics Director, following the retirement of Duey Naatz. Graduate food science student Prachi Sakariya earned the People’s Choice Award at the statewide WiSys Quick Pitch Competition for her protein-packed, algae-infused candy, and colleague Durga Bhavani Mahankali won second place in the product development division for her presentation at the Institute of Food Technologists’ FIRST Annual Event & Expo . June July

SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Outdoor Track & Field - Hannah Zastrow (100 hurdles, high jump) and Lilly Roberts (400 hurdles) were WIAC champions. At the NCAA champion ships, Hannah Zastrow (high jump) was national runner-up. She, Leah Zastrow (pole vault) and Jack Roeber (triple jump) earned All-American honors.

40+ All-WIAC Athletes

63 Scholar Athletes

Support UW–Stout & Make an Impact Today!

Innovative programs, hands-on projects, & life-changing opportunities are made possible through the StoutProud Fund.

Show your Blue Devil pride. Give today and power the experiences that set UW–Stout apart at UWStout.edu/Give

7

Outlook 2025

Photos of the Year

Senior Show

Wisconsin Wildlife Course

8

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Jarvis Hall

Engineering Toy Design

Photogrammetry Lab

9

Outlook 2025

Fashion Without Fabric

Unspooled Film Fest

Football Game

Blue Rah

10

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Welding Lab

Photos of the Year 11 Outlook 2025

"Infinite minded leaders understand that ‘best’ is not a permanent state. Instead, they strive to be ‘better.’"

Simon Sinek Author of The Infinite Game

12

University of Wisconsin-Stout

There is No Best, Only Better Leadership & Management

rue leaders — whether in the corner office or the classroom, on the factory floor or the foot ball field — are not con tent to let others do the hard work alone. They shoulder the burden necessary to move projects forward. They don’t just speak; they listen. They don’t avoid responsibility; they embody accountability. They don’t dwell on past successes or failures; they provide a clear vision for future improvement. In this issue of Outlook mag azine, we explore these and other lessons in leadership and management embodied by UW-Stout alumni and faculty who are at the forefront of their fields. As best-selling author and business consultant Simon Sinek has written, “‘Best’ is not a permanent state.” Instead, leaders with an eye toward the future “strive to be ‘better.’” Let the Blue Devils on the following pages inspire you on your jour ney toward improvement. T

13

Outlook 2025

leaders have the confidence to pause, reflect and question even their own ideas. When they listen and challenge, others feel heard, trust deepens and more effective teams emerge. It uncovers blind spots, invites diverse perspec tives, leads to better decisions and empowers people to invest in a shared mission.” EMPATHY Bill Flesch (’81) of Madison, is chief devel opment officer for Gordon Flesch Company Inc. and recipient of the 2024 Chancellor’s Alumni Award. He served as Cabot executive in 2010. “Empathy is a key component of leader ship skills. If a leader doesn’t have empathy for their team, the likelihood of success is exponentially more challenging. If a leader expects loyalty and maximum effort, the leader needs strong listening skills and the humility to accept there may be a more robust solution to the situation they are dealing with. Empathy opens the door to creative thinking without fear of voicing one’s opinion. It also leads to higher levels of satisfaction for the team players, which in turn leads to attract ing additional strong team members, creating longevity and stability for the entire team. The trust that an empathetic leader builds allows for projects to be completed faster with higher results. “Empathetic leaders also are quick to praise teams and team members with the proper recognition they have earned and deserve. Empathetic leaders understand they got to the position they have by the power and success of the team they represent.” VISION Claudia Knowlton-Chike (’83) has 40 years of extensive high-tech experience, progress ing from a foundational role as a packaging engineer to a global supply chain executive. She held diverse executive leadership posi tions and led large global organizations at industry giants like IBM, GE Health care, Motorola, and Facebook, culminating in her retirement from Google in 2022. She served as Cabot executive in 2006. “With vision, a leader provides a compel ling future, providing direction and purpose. Without a clear vision, people don't know where they're going. My favorite saying is: Be a CEO — Clarity in Communications, Lead by Example, Exude Optimism.”

Leadership in a Word UW-Stout Cabot Executives-in-Residence share ways to build a successful team

L

eadership can come in many forms — a respected manager, an admired friend, a trusted teacher. And while there are many virtues that a suc cessful leader may carry, what are the most important aspects of lead

ership? We asked five former UW-Stout Cabot Exec utives-in-Residence leaders what is key to building a successful team. Their answers were unwavering: Leaders listen. They have empathy, vision and integrity. They hold their teams accountable. LISTEN William Stoehr (’70) is a full-time artist and former president of National Geographic Maps. He served as Cabot executive in 2023. He and his wife, Mary Kay (’71) , live in Boul der, Colorado. “My most important aspect of leadership and management in one word is listen . Listen. Challenge. Act. Everything begins with listen ing — truly listening — to your stakeholders, team members, key players and the broader environment. “Then, challenge your assumptions. Strong

Listen Listen Listen Lis

Top to Bottom William Stoehr (’70) Bill Flesch (’81) Claudia Knowlton Chike (’83) Major General Marcia Anderson Shelly Ibach (’81)

14

University of Wisconsin-Stout

INTEGRITY Major General Marcia Anderson is the first African American woman to achieve the rank of Major General in the U.S. Army. She served as Cabot executive in 2014 and 2024. “Having good character and integrity is more important than you may realize because people can spot someone who is inauthentic or who lacks integrity a mile away. “At the end of the day, I want to be able to look myself in the mirror and be happy with the person that I see and be able to sleep at night. People know when you are faced with a difficult decision, and they will watch to see what you do. Have some personal courage. Be careful, be diplomatic. But remember, it’s important to do the right thing.” ACCOUNTABILITY Shelly Ibach (’81) is the recently retired CEO of Sleep Number, headquartered in Min neapolis. She served as Cabot executive in 2015 and 2024. “As a young leader, I developed a five-step process that I still use today. It’s a simple process to ensure as a leader that you instill accountability in your team. “The steps are: 1. Share a vision, 2. Set clear expectations, 3. Transfer responsibility, 4. Offer training and development to give team members the ability to be successful and 5. Inspect their work to send the message that you care and that you want to help them real ize their potential.”

Listen Listen Listen Lis "My most important aspect of leadership and management in one word is listen ." William Stoehr (’70)

Empathy Empathy Emp

Integrity Integrity Inte

Accountability Accoun

Vision Vision Vision Vis

15

Outlook 2025

Solid Success Paving a sustainable path with low-carbon concrete

A

MacDonald realized the project could be a learning opportunity for students and a real-world test for one of his concrete reci pes, which doesn’t use traditional portland cement – the manufacturing of which is highly resource intensive. “I have worked with (MacDonald) in many classes and other projects, which has only increased my appreciation for the expansive wealth of knowledge he so generously shares,” said Jeremy O’Connor (’25) , president of the Student Construction Association.

n unassuming slab of grey con crete poured at UW-Stout last April is much more than a sidewalk in front of two bus shelters — it’s an example of how engineering can lead the way to a more sustainable,

Scan to read the full story

lower-carbon future. On a bright spring day the innovative con crete concoction was mixed, poured, shaped and finished by about a dozen members of the Student Construction Association under the expert eye of Associate Professor Kevin MacDonald, director of the B.S. construction management program. Considering that concrete — the most-used construction material worldwide — is respon sible for about 8% of global carbon emissions, creating it more sustainably would have global benefits. “This is a perfect example of why polytech nic education works very well,” MacDonald said. “Because we’re not looking at making a single cylinder or maybe a paving stone of con crete. We’re looking at making a real sidewalk. We’re learning what are the implications, what are the problems that we encounter when we go to make it, and how can we solve them?”

"A perfect example of why polytechnic education works very well... " Program Director Kevin MacDonald

16

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Garry McLeold/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

T

Supercomputing Heights El Capitan helps Norling ascend to AI role at AMD

hanks to the legendary Seymour Cray and his eponymous company, supercomput ing has deep roots in the Upper Midwest. Gina Norling (’00) is ensuring those roots continue to flourish as she manages teams that are engineering the fastest supercom puters on Earth. As senior engineering program manager for Hew lett Packard Enterprise, Norling oversaw the com plex work streams of more than a dozen engineering teams responsible for El Capitan — which took the crown as the world’s fastest computer when it went online in November 2024 — and its record-breaking predecessor, Frontier. Both computers operate at exascale, meaning they can perform more than a quintillion — that’s a 1 followed by 18 zeros — qua dratic equations calculated per second. Now, Norling heads the High Performance Com puting AI Center of Excellence for Advanced Micro Devices, better known as AMD, the firm that made the processors that power both El Capitan and Fron tier. In this role, she’s overseeing teams of compu tational physicists who are helping scientists from around the world make better use of supercomput ers for artificial intelligence. “It is a dynamic space right now,” she said of AI. “I feel like every day it’s been changing. It’s exciting,

17

Outlook 2025

but it’s also mind-spinning for me as well.” At UW-Stout, Norling delved into mathemat ics and computer science while pursuing her applied mathematics degree. As a first-gen eration college student, Norling said the uni versity made her feel at home, and the faculty exposed her to higher math, programming and logic. Two internships — one at a biomedical com pany, the other at a defense contractor — fur ther stoked her curiosity. “You’re still quite theoretical in college, but having those intern ships and a senior project was really helpful in driving home how varied these applications for math and computing are in real life,” she said. After graduating from UW-Stout, Norling spent a decade working as a software engineer at Lockheed Martin in the Twin Cities before joining Cray Inc. It was at Cray — now a sub sidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise — that she was “tapped on the shoulder” in 2018 and asked to become part of the CORAL-2 pro gram, which was aimed at creating the first exascale computers. “CORAL-2” stands for Collaboration of Oak Ridge, Argonne and Lawrence Livermore – three of the national laboratories operated by the U.S. Department of Energy. Working with such national laboratories — whose his tory goes back to such scientific luminaries as Einstein and Oppenheimer — is a humbling experience, Norling said. Frontier, which went online in May 2022, can be found at Oak Ridge National Labora tory in Tennessee, while El Capitan is housed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. While these supercomputers were being built, Norling managed 14 project work streams while also managing the cus tomers’ expectations. “We had so many engineering milestones that we needed to make sure that we hit, and that was my core responsibility,” she said. El Capitan is used primarily for classified sim ulations related to the U.S. nuclear program, while Frontier’s computational power is avail able for scientists in fields ranging from dis ease research to climate and weather science. “As the computational speed of these com puters gets larger, what we’re seeing is more refinement in our weather forecasting,” Nor ling said. “The number of parameters used in these calculations is absolutely humbling.”

In her new job at AMD, Norling leads a team of scientists who are working with national laboratories in Germany, France, Japan and elsewhere to develop their own supercomput ing capabilities. “The U.S. has had the leadership in exas cale (computing),” she said. “Now everybody else wants to have their own computational power.” Throughout her 25-year career, Norling has had the opportunity to hone the leadership skills she first developed at UW-Stout. “My leadership philosophy is always about empowering others and being the connector for others,” Norling said. “The way I do that is walking through what experiences folks want to have in their career and then finding assignments or potentials for them to have those experiences.” Norling can trace her leadership approach back to her days at UW-Stout, where in addi tion to excelling in classwork and internships she served as captain of the dance team. “When you get people involved, we all win,” she said. “That principle holds whether you’re dancing at UW-Stout or whether you’re build ing exascale supercomputers for national lab oratories around the world.”

"My leadership philosophy is always about empowering others and being the connector for others..."

Gina Norling (’00)

18

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Enhancing Cultural Heritage 3D modeling software revolutionizes online museum experiences

“The big thing that our software does is it allows you to process those photographs and then builds a compact representation of what the material of the object looks like so that we can create new, inter active, dynamic 3D renderings where the user can change the viewpoint, change the lighting,” Tetzlaff explained. The resulting 3D models can be rotated by the user, with virtual light playing off the details of the surfaces, whether they are dull or dazzling, giving a much more realistic representation of the item. These models can be shared widely, helping scholars and the public study and appreciate price less objects even if they can’t see them in person. Computer science graduate Luke Denney (’25) , who put in hundreds of hours on Kintsugi 3D, said the project has been invaluable in preparing him for his future career, in part because working on Kintsugi 3D required him to become familiar with a massive codebase. He expects that skill will be beneficial in his new job at IBM in Rochester, Min nesota. In addition to navigating thousands of lines of code and gathering user feedback to improve soft ware features, Denney said the project helped him learn to solve problems independently. “When I’d run into a roadblock and have the temptation to go ask for help, I thought, ‘Wait, I want to give myself more time to figure this out before asking.’ And most of the time I was successful with that, so that felt really good,” he said.

S

oftware developed through faculty and student collaboration at UW-Stout is helping museums around the world preserve pieces of cultural heritage for future generations by creating 3D models that accurately capture every detail of the color, texture and bright

ness of objects. Kintsugi 3D is the creation of Michael Tetzlaff, an assistant professor of computer science, and more than a dozen UW-Stout students in a variety of disciplines, whose collaboration exemplifies the applied learning that is at the core of UW-Stout's mission. Their software has been used by notable institutions worldwide to create models of artifacts in their collections, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway; the National Gallery of Art in Wash ington, D.C.; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). “Documenting the art is incredibly important, and we want to get it out in the world however we can,” explained Mia Lead Collections Photographer Charles Walbridge, an avid user of the software. “The Kintsugi project has helped us be able to share more accurate 3D models that we’ve been making in the museum.” While existing photogrammetry software – which combines hundreds of photos from different angles to create a 3D model — can effectively record many aspects of an object’s appearance, it falls short in capturing the essence of materials and textures, Tet zlaff said. In particular, photogrammetry software struggles with specularity — the reflectivity of a sur face and how it varies — particularly with objects that are shiny or metallic. Kintsugi 3D solves this problem by creating much more true-to-life render ings, capturing the sparkle of a bit of gold leaf or the depth of a brush stroke in oil paint.

Make a gift to Stout today to further these important efforts at UWStout.edu/Give

19

Outlook 2025

Responding to Rural Needs Support for small towns, agriculture and student mental health

The high-tech future of farming

and student members of UW-Stout’s Artificial Intelligence Club, who are interested in the progression of technology, and how it can change the future of farming and be applied to other areas. The project is funded through a Universities of Wisconsin Innovation Grant. A center devoted to sustainable communities Faculty and students at the Center for Sus tainable Communities are supporting local communities, governments and nonprofit organizations with consulting and projects related to environmental and economic sus tainability, as well as civic engagement. The center aims to improve quality of life through applied research, consultancy and continuing education. Supported by a Fresh water Collaborative of Wisconsin grant, the center provides a range of services, includ ing economic impact analyses, GIS services, assistance with grant writing and planning, community needs assessments, strategic planning, water quality monitoring, and survey design, implementation and analysis. “The goal is for people in the community to bring projects to us that they are interested in having done. It’s a one-stop shop for small communities in the area, with a focus on improving both the natural environment and local economies,” Lee said. Connect with the center today.

A

s part of a two-year, cross-disci plinary project, social science Pro fessor Tina Lee and engineering Professor Yuan Xing are leading research in “A Human-Centered Collaborative Approach to Design

ing an Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Net work.” Their aim is to help farmers make informed decisions based on real-time and historical data. Last spring, they launched a survey in collaboration with UW-River Falls’ Survey Research Center. The survey asked area farmers about their current use of precision agricultural technologies, such as sensors to monitor field and weather conditions, robots, drones, GPS equipment for harvesting and planting, livestock monitoring systems and more. The survey also asked which technol ogies farmers were interested in trying, and what features would be the most important. The information was combined with the interviews Lee conducted to inform design work by the engineering team over the summer. To test technology, the team worked with a local farmer who grazes beef cows and Pondview Lavender Farm, in Chippewa Falls, owned by operations and management Lec turer Bob Sworski. The cattle farmer tested a livestock monitoring system with AI capa bilities to track an individual animal’s health, while Pondview tested the Farm-ng Amiga robot — an all-terrain, all-weather battery-op erated micro-tractor designed for 24/7 auto mation in specialty crop farming. Xing and the team presented their research, machinery and prototypes at Mann Valley Farm in River Falls to engineering faculty, college deans, area farmers, AI professionals

20

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Support for the well-being of Wisconsin’s young students

School counselors provide a variety of ser vices for young students in the prekinder garten to grade 12 setting, supporting their mental health and academic achievement. They build community partnerships and mul tilevel supports within schools and create and sustain data-driven programs. However, ongoing challenges across the nation to recruit, hire and retain quali fied school counselors have caused a mas sive shortage, particularly in rural schools, impacting students, their families and com munities. With 30% of Wisconsinites living in rural areas, the shortage is pronounced, and a pro jected 1,500 school counseling positions will need to be filled statewide within the next five years. UW-Stout’s online M.S. in school counsel ing program aims to increase the number of school counselors in Wisconsin. “We know there’s a high demand for school counselors in rural areas and educators who would love to get a license but can’t make the trip to campus for classes,” Professor Riley Drake said. “The online degree program helps them achieve their career goals.” Also available are two post-master's certif icates for educators and mental health coun selors that may be completed in one year and will prepare professionals to be license-eligi ble in Wisconsin.

Read the full stories at UWStout.edu/Rural-Needs

21

Outlook 2025

Elevating Industry Through AI Grant supports small- and mid-sized businesses

A

$647,000 grant from the Wisconsin Eco nomic Development Corporation (WEDC) announced in May will allow UW-Stout’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Arti ficial Intelligence — CAM-AI — to provide advanced manufacturing and AI support to

Predictions for the future of AI By Emily Laird (’22)

Wisconsin manufacturers. “The WEDC financial commitment will allow UW-Stout to fully build out the Center for Advanced Manufacturing & AI,” UW-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank said. “This investment will enable UW-Stout to expand its delivery of cutting-edge, industry-focused support and services to small- and medium-sized busi nesses throughout the state.” Seth Hudson, UW-Stout’s executive director for Cor porate Relations & Economic Engagement, said the funding will allow the university to invest in state-of the-art equipment to expand and enhance CAM-AI’s services to industry partners through advanced man ufacturing techniques and AI-driven solutions. The grant will allow UW-Stout to build out an Auto mated Demonstration line, enabling the university to showcase to its industry partners the applications of automation, robotics, vision inspection and AI-aided manufacturing. Once fully operational, the WEDC investment will allow CAM-AI to serve approximately 20 companies and 100-plus students each year. Quantum LEAPPs on Campus LEAPP — Leading Educational Advancement Through Polytechnic Pathways — was launched in 2024 (a leap year, naturally) to accelerate innovative ideas on campus. What kind of innovative ideas? “It could be something that changes the boundaries, or it could be something that changes the whole game. There are different levels of innovation,” explained Brenda Krueger ('16) , associ ated director of Strategic Planning, Innovation & Qual ity, a member of the university’s LEAPP team. In January 2025, five ideas were pitched to the campus and approved for implementation by Chancellor Kath

1. Domestic Production Will Surge: AI will erase offshoring advantages by automating precision manufacturing and logistics across U.S. industrial sectors. 2. Analysts Become Obsolete: Generative AI will absorb mid-level analysis, rendering human pattern recognition redundant in data-heavy industries. 3. AI Becomes an Energy Priority: States will integrate AI compute loads into grid planning, treating it as a primary energy demand. 4. AI Fluency Becomes Workforce Currency: Regions will subsidize AI training like skilled trades to close workforce gaps. 5. AI or Academic Extinction: Majors ignoring AI will be phased out in favor of AI-integrated programs. Laird is UW-Stout's AI Integration Technologist, respon siblefor driving campuswide integration, innovation and literacy around artificial intelligence.

erine Frank and her cabinet. One pitch proposed com munity courses and ongoing lab memberships for the public, while another focused on creating a mobile learning lab to spread UW-Stout’s polytechnic ideals. As those projects move toward implementation during the 2025-2026 academic year, LEAPP will con centrate on soliciting new department-specific ideas. “One of the things we really focus on is accessible innovation,” Krueger said. “We want anybody at any level in any department to feel like they can provide input on an idea or provide an idea.”

22

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Leading The Conversation

Space tourism’s growth blurs the line between scientific and symbolic achievement By Associate Professor Betsy Pudliner ( Hospitality) On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched the first all-female crew on a suborbital journey to the edge of space. The headlines called it a historic moment for women in space. But were they astronauts or space tourists?

pon arriving at UW-Stout as dean of the College of Arts & Human Sciences, it was clear to me that Stout would benefit from amplifying our faculty expertise through The Conversation, an invitation-only, independent news pub lisher. My colleagues immediately saw the value of impacting a broader audience through their research and, since joining The Con versation’s network in January 2025, Stout professors have amassed more than 500,000 readers from across the globe through some of the most respected publications on the planet, including Scientific Ameri can, Fast Company, Ars Technica, Medical Xpress, News Break, Astronomy Magazine, Phys.org, and others. And there’s so much more to come. Dean Jason Schmitt College of Arts & Human Sciences In addition to serving as UW-Stout’s dean of the College of Arts & Human Sciences, Jason Schmitt is a filmmaker and journalist. Schmitt has written for numerous news outlets, includ ing The Guardian, Forbes Asia, Huffington Post, Slate, BoingBoing, EuroDoc and DBusi ness. His photographic work has appeared in National Geographic, and his documentary, "Paywall: The Business of Scholarship," was released in 2018. U

How single-stream recycling works — your choices can make it better By Associate Professor Alex Jordan (Plastics Engineering)

Every week, millions of Americans toss their recy clables into a single bin, trusting that their plastic bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard boxes will be given a new life. But what really happens after the truck picks them up?

23

Outlook 2025

How 3D printing is personalizing health care

Plantation tourism, memory and the uneasy economics of heritage in the American South By Associate Professor Betsy Pudliner (Hospitality)

By Associate Professor Anne Schmitz (Engineering) & Dean Daniel Freedman , College of Science, Tech nology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management Since the 1980s, 3D-printed implants and pros thetics have advanced, shifting medical care from mass-produced solutions to affordable and accessible custom-made devices tailored to a patient’s needs. How will this technology impact the future?

Commentary on the recent loss of Nottoway Plantation, one of the nation's largest antebel lum mansions, fueled tensions around history, economics and social mores. Will we ever find peace about our past?

Schools are harnessing AI to revolutionize courses in hospitality management By Associate Professor Betsy Pudliner (Hospitality) As universities race to balance artificial intelli gence's opportunities with its shortcomings, a new Stout hospitality course investigates: How can AI enhance guest services and staff trainings through interactive simulations?

Why is sky the blue? and Why are rubies red and emeralds green? By Dean Daniel Freedman , College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management The simplest of questions can ignite scientific excitement (and understanding), no matter how old we are. Satisfy your curiosity.

24

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Generative AI is coming to the workplace, so I designed a business technology class with AI baked in By Assistant Professor Camille Banger (Bus. Info. Technology) A Stout professor investigates how AI can be used to teach business practices without sac rificing critical thinking, accuracy and ethics. How can AI be used to enhance original thought without replacing it? Educators find creative work-arounds to new laws that restrict what they can teach By Assistant Professor Riley Drake (School Counseling) As educators navigate new laws related to teach ing race, gender and identity in classrooms, how can teachers ensure students feel seen and sup ported without violating federal policies? Can Trump just order new names for Denali and the Gulf of Mexico? By Associate Professor Innisfree McKinnon (Geography) In January 2025, Denali and the Gulf of Mexico were renamed by executive order, raising ques tions over how and when geographic names can be changed. How often do names change? Who decides? How does this impact the world?

INNOVATION DRIVEN Spectra Print continues to be on the leading edge of productivity and technology. 715-344-5175 www.spectraprint.com 5000 Woodward Drive, Stevens Point, WI

Read the full stories at UWStout.edu/Conversation

25

Outlook 2025

Preserving Our Wild Places P.S.M. conservation biology alums across the globe

A cleaner, greener, healthier B.V.I.

E

ast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea, lies the British Virgin Islands, an archipelago made up of four main islands and more than 50 smaller islands. As senior project manager at Green

VI, a nonprofit focused on environmental improvements and sustainable practices on the British Virgin Islands, Natasha Harrigan (’20) seeks to create positive human behavior change to lessen the impact of stressors on the environment. “Coming from a territory made up of small islands, rocks and cays that are filled with endemic flora and fauna, I understand the intricacy of small ecosystems and how inter connected they all are. The loss of any part of these systems can have lasting effects. The conservation of our wild places is very important, more now than ever due to climate change and human impact,” said Harrigan, who completed her professional science mas ter’s degree in the midst of two hurricanes. Harrigan, who also worked with the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands, is responsible for the infrastructural and curric ulum development of 11 public school garden classrooms, including at BVI’s largest high school, Elmore Stoutt High School, in Road Town. “I mostly work with students in the school gardens. The trickle effect of the behavior change from students to parents is always great and proves positive results, which I am always proud of,” she said. Harrigan is responsible for the development and maintenance of two Green VI Ecopark Gardens and the development of the territo ry’s organics management plan. “This plan will have long-lasting effects

26

University of Wisconsin-Stout

for future generations, and I hope that I can impact my community by contributing to a much cleaner, greener, healthier environ ment for our territory,” she said. Currently, at least 40% of food and paper waste enters the territory’s landfill. Through the organics management plan, Harrigan hopes to: • Create a healthy compost product that can be used by local gardeners and farmers. • Contribute to food security, as the territory is susceptible to hurricanes. • Reduce the amount of methane gas released into the atmosphere at the landfill. • Reduce greenhouse gas pollution. “Sustainable practices should be backed by legislation, but be balanced by taking into account the social, economic and environ mental perspectives of these conservation efforts. This is very important in order to have healthy environments and resources for future generations,” she said. Forestry stewardship in the U.P. The Ottawa National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan covers nearly one million acres, with more than 500 lakes and nearly 2,000 miles of rivers and streams flow ing into Lake Superior. As stewardship coordinator with the U.S. Forest Service, Craig Carlson (’18) , headquar tered in Ironwood, ensures conservation of and sustainable practices within the forest. “The conservation of wild places is essen tial. The uninhibited vegetative growth pat terns of these locations can be studied and provide wildlife refuge. A well-thought for estry management plan will provide wild places and suitable habitat for species, along with providing the resources our communi ties need,” Carlson said. Interacting with partner organizations and coworkers enlightens Carlson to the vast scope of work that is needed – from programs that provide temporary habitat for various species to dam removal and stream restoration, polli nator plant germination, planting and more. Carlson reviews project specifications and ensures they align with the stewardship authority and works with external partners

to achieve landscape restoration. He ensures programs run smoothly and within the limita tions of the authority for contracts, following individual timelines for simultaneous proj ects, each needing a detailed review while meeting the scope and scale requirements. “Lumber is necessary to sustain our way of living and is a large economic driver of this area. I hope I make a difference through pro viding restoration to the forest and wildlife after timber harvests. Stewardship helps to remove nonnative invasive plants and replant species or prepare the area for natural regen eration after a timber harvest,” he added. Carlson hopes to add to his positive impact on future generations with the uplifting mes sage in his book, Look Ahead Moon , a story about appreciating the gifts we each have.

"A well-thought forestry management plan will provide wild places and suitable habitat." Craig Carlson (’18)

27

Outlook 2025