Pathways to Excellence Board establishes fund to honor Cronon's legacy

The Pathways to Excellence Program Board of Visitors, made up of prominent friends and alumni of the College of Letters & Science, has established the Bill Cronon Fund for Pathways to Excellence.

Cronon (BA'76, English & History) has been a professor at UW since 1992 — he is the Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, Geography and Environmental Studies.  Cronon has received distinguished teaching awards from both Yale and the UW-Madison and in 2006 became an American Academy of Arts and Science Fellow. 

Cronon is known as the founder of the Pathways to Excellence Program which originated while he was Faculty Director of the Honors Program.  His idea was to create an opportunity where students could discover and realize their potential and their talent and their capacity for excellence.

To honor this visionary leader, the Pathways to Excellence Board of Visitors established a fund in his name.  The purpose is to directly benefit students in the Pathways Program and to address the program's top needs.

If you are interested in supporting the Bill Cronon Fund for Pathways to Excellence, please contact Cathy Webb at the UW Foundation at cathy.webb@uwfoundation.wisc.edu or (608) 263-2134.

Category: College Updates
Tags: ,

UW-Madison undergrad one of three to win system Liberal Arts Essay Scholarship Competition

Evan Mast, an undergraduate student studying economics and mathematics, is one of three students in the UW System to win the fifth annual UW System Liberal Arts Essay Scholarship Competition.

Mast is the only student to win from UW-Madison this spring for his essay, The Importance of Cartography.

The College of Letters & Science is proud to see such an great example of a liberal arts student putting into words the value of his degree and area of study.

The essay competition, which was established to support and promote liberal education throughout the state's public university system, invited students to discuss the transformative nature of their educations by focusing on an experience that changed how they viewed themselves and the world.

The competition, which is funded by private funds, is part of the UW System's Liberal Education Initiative, which seeks make the goals and outcomes of liberal arts education accessible and valuable to all UW students, regardless of major or degree program.

Winners will each receive a $2,000 scholarship to help fund the remainder of their undergraduate education.   

The awards were also briefly mentioned in The Capt Times.

Category: College Updates
Tags: , , , ,

Washburn Observatory wins Civic Rehabilitation award

The newly renovated and restored Washburn Observatory won a Madison Trust for Historic Preservation 2010 Award in the category of Civic Rehabilitation.

The observatory, built 1878, was rehabilitated for modern office use and is now the home of the L&S Honors Program.  The telescope is used by the Department of Astronomy for public viewings.

The rehabilitation was made possible by San Orr of the Nancy Woodson Spire Foundation, and Steve Skolaski of the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation.  Their leadership and support brought new life to this iconic campus building.

• Madison Trust for Historic Preservation 2010 Awards (Wisconsin State Journal)
  

Category: College Updates
Tags: , , ,

L&S Honors Program hands out first distinguished faculty awards

The L&S Honors Program recently held a reception to honor several faculty members as Distinguished Honors Faculty nominated by students and staff for their contribution to teaching Honors courses and supervising honors students in research and scholarship.

This is the first time the program has offered such awards and they hope to continue in the future.

Congratulations to the following faculty for being named Distinguished Honors Faculty in 2010:

• Janet Batzli, Associate Faculty Associate, Biocore Program
• Cyrena Pondrom, Professor of English
• Richard Begam, Professor of English
• Robert Booth Fowler, Professor Emeritus of Political Science
• Jenny Saffran, Professor of Psychology
• Kenneth West, Professor of Economics

Category: College Updates
Tags: , , , , , , ,

L&S 'Forward Under Forty' are movers, shakers

This year, 10 alumni of the College of Letters & Science were named Forward Under 40 honorees.

The award, given by the Wisconsin Alumni Association, honors UW grads under age 40 who are making an impact on the world by living the Wisconsin Idea.

The outstanding contributions by these young graduates are a reminder of the caliber of our alumni and a testament to the value of the liberal arts. 

Of the twelve honorees this year, ten graduated with liberal arts degrees. 

Congratulations to the L&S alumni!

Aaron Bishop ’94, ’95, MS’00
UW Major: Bacteriology, Genetics and Social Work
An adviser to Wyoming senator Michael Enzi, Bishop is a tireless advocate for Americans with disabilities and has shaped several laws aiding disabled people.

Phillip Chavez ’94, JD’98
UW Major: Political Science and Sociology; Law
A former Badger linebacker, Chavez is now the first elected Latino municipal court judge in Milwaukee’s history.

Jerry Halverson ’94, MD’99
UW Major: Psychology and Medicine
Now the medical director for adult services at Rogers Memorial Hospital, Halverson conducted research into new psychiatric therapies and interventions at UW-Madison.

Britt Lintner ’92
UW Major: Economics
Lintner, a London clothing designer, creates functional and fashionable apparel for professional women and has earned praise from Vogue and Marie Claire.

Brian Riedl ’98
UW Major: Political Science and Economics
Riedl is the lead federal budget analyst for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank, and he’s recognized as a national leader on tax and spending issues.

Elsworth Rockefeller MA’06
UW Major: Library and Information Studies
As the manager of children’s and teen services in the District of Columbia library system, Rockefeller writes an influential column that informs librarians around the country.

Angela Rose ’02
UW Major: Sociology
A survivor of sexual assault, Rose founded Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE) while an undergrad at UW-Madison. This grassroots organization now has chapters combating sexual assault in 55 cities and three countries.

Susanne Rust MS’99
UW Major: Physical Anthropology
Rust was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for her work as an investigative reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Her articles revealed the presence of toxic substances in food containers.

Ahna Skop PhD’00
UW Major: Cellular and Molecular Biology
An assistant UW professor of genetics, Skop leads a lab that has expanded our understanding of cell division, and she’s an accomplished artist whose exhibits adorn campus buildings.

Nelson Tansu ’98, PhD’03
UW Major: Applied Math, Engineering and Physics
Tansu is the youngest tenured professor at Pennsylvania’s Lehigh University, where his research focuses on nanotechnology, energy efficiency, and renewable energy sources.

Category: College Updates
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Support AAP students, meet former UW football players on May 20

Come to BD's Mongolian Grill on Thursday May 20th for lunch or dinner and your chance to meet former UW football players Ron Dayne, Anthony Davis, Jason Jefferson and Jonathan Clickscale.

This Badger Day event is to support the L&S Academic Advancement Program Student Organization.

Students in the organization are raising funds to support them on a trip to China this summer for the World Expo in Shanghai. 

For some students, this will be the first time out of the state, the country and for a few — their first time on a plane.

Come to BD's Mongolian Grill and support a great cause and Badger pride!

Lunch tickets are $15, dinner tickets $25, kids 6-11 are $10.99 and kids 5 and under free. 

Invitation flyer [pdf]

Category: College Updates
Tags: ,

AAP students try out an alternative Spring Break

Spring Break is all about crazy parties on beaches in Mexico, right?  Wrong.

A group of undergraduate students in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Academic Advancement Program proved that spring break can be fun in different ways.

Through the AAP Student Organization Alternative Break program, a group of ten UW students traveled to Denver to work on a building project with Habitat for Humanity - Collegiate Challenge.

At night, the students slept in a church community center and spent their your days busy in the Denver sun building homes.

Check out undergraduates Daniela Granados-Moody and Joseph Anderson on the local Fox 31 news and hear more about these Badgers and their inspiring work.

Alternative Spring Breaks contribute to student community building, an important pillar of the AAP Program. Past trips have included traveling to Florida City, Florida, to work for Centro Campesino and to Miami, Florida, to work for Habitat for Humanity.

Category: College Updates
Tags: ,