Central Wisconsin News

Several faculty and staff members at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point have been recognized for excellence within their professional fields.

Associate Professor Rebecca Franzen has been appointed as the new director of the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education (WCEE) at UWSP, succeeding Anna Haines. The WCEE focuses on promoting environmental literacy and stewardship through educational initiatives for students and educators statewide.

Professor Holly Schmies from the athletic training department at UWSP has been awarded the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association Outstanding Educator Award for her significant contributions during her tenure at the university.

Associate Professor James Berry from the English department and Associate Professor Saemyi Park from the political science department recently presented at an international conference in Georgia. Berry discussed his study on indigenous languages, while Park shared her work on effective retention strategies in online courses.

Associate Lecturer Marcus Lewis, specializing in educational sustainability, was recognized as one of Wisconsin’s 32 Most Influential Native American Leaders for his advocacy in diversity and equity in education.

Greg Diekroeger, retired assistant director of Campus Activities and Student Engagement, received the Lifetime Membership Award from the National Association for Campus Activities, along with the prestigious Founders Award, in recognition of his longstanding dedication to student activities at UWSP.

Susan LeBow, former associate director of the University Centers, was honored with the Association of College Unions International’s Emeritus Award for her leadership and commitment to student services during her 28 years at UWSP.

Associate Professor Sinan Kanbir, a mathematics educator, attended the Romanian Master of Mathematics competition where the U.S. math team achieved first place. Kanbir is also known for coaching Andrew Carratu, who earned a silver medal.

Associate Professor Thomas Leek, specializing in German studies, was awarded a System Fellowship for the upcoming academic year by the Institute for Research in the Humanities at UW-Madison for his proposal involving Natural Language Processing techniques applied to ancient languages.

Emeritus Professor Bob Rosenfield, a noted biologist, was honored with the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology’s Golden Passenger Pigeon Award for his outstanding contributions to ornithology, particularly his research on Cooper’s hawks and climate change impacts on their breeding.