Lakeland University has been awarded two grants totaling $275,000 from The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation to house the Office for the Advancement Free Enterprise Education (OAFEE) and expand economic and financial literacy programs in the community.

For the last two years, OAFEE was housed at the Business and Economics Academy of Milwaukee (BEAM), which closed on June 9. The Bradley Foundation financially supported that partnership.

Over the past two years, OAFEE has developed and offered economic and financial literacy seminars for Wisconsin veterans and police, teachers, school leaders, journalists (with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago), elected officials and others.

This new Bradley Foundation grant will house OAFEE at Lakeland University, and the institution will expand programming to include:

• Economics for Heroes: A series of two-day, face-to-face, web-supported seminars on personal finance and free-market economics for Wisconsin’s heroes – military veterans police officers and fire fighters and their spouses – as a way to improve their financial well-being and to increase their understanding of free enterprise.
• Economics for Opinion Leaders: A series of two-day, face-to-face, web-supported seminars on free-market economics for Wisconsin opinion leaders – teachers, clergy, managers of non-profits, elected officials, and media professionals – to increase their understanding of free enterprise.
• Entrepreneurship Economics Community Partnership: A five-day, face-to-face, on-campus education program for high school juniors and seniors to increase their understanding of free enterprise and stimulate their interest in starting a business and/or working in the private sector.
• Economic Episodes in American History: Offer workshops for Wisconsin high school U.S. History teachers on integrating economics into their history curriculum.

Seminar participants, because of their various positions, will share what they have learned in their professional and personal circles, further contributing to the impact of the programming.

A goal of the high school program is to change the trajectory of these students’ lives by providing quality instruction focused on the key principles of entrepreneurship, economics and personal finance.

Mark C. Schug, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, will be named OAFEE program director and a seminar instructor.

Schug taught for 36 years at the middle school, high school and university levels. A widely recognized scholar, he has written and edited more than 230 articles, books and national curriculum materials. His latest books are “Teaching Economics in Troubled Times” published by Routledge Press and co-edited with William C. Wood of James Madison University and “Economic Episodes in American History” published by Wohl Publishing and co-authored with Wood.

Schug has received national awards for leadership, service and research in economic education. He received the Governor’s Financial Literacy Award in 2011. He has served on the boards of several non-profit and professional organizations including the (national) Association of Private Enterprise and the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy.

Scott Niederjohn, dean of Lakeland’s School of Business and Entrepreneurship and Charlotte and Walter Kohler Professor of Economics, will serve as OAFEE senior program advisor and a seminar instructor.

Lakeland University and Lakeshore Technical College are partnering again this year to help collect tax refunds for area residents who need it the most.

Students in the accounting program from each institution will provide free tax preparation and electronic filing for low income tax filers. This service is available through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), which is designed to help low-to-moderate income people file their tax returns. Schenck SC is sponsoring the VITA program again this year.

Students from Lakeland will be available at the Sheboygan Salvation Army, 710 Pennsylvania Ave. The tax preparation service will be open on Thursdays from 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. starting February 3 and ending April 12.

The service is also available at LTC’s Cleveland campus on Tuesday nights from 6-9 starting February 6.

Reservations are required for the tax service and will be accepted beginning January 25.

To reserve a spot at the Salvation Army, call 920-565-1000 ext. 2290. Phone calls are accepted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To reserve a spot at LTC, call 920-693-1398. Phone calls for the LTC site are accepted between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Last year, Lakeland and LTC students prepared and filed approximately 500 returns that helped local taxpayers collect more than $1 million in refunds.

People interested in taking advantage of this free service must have income under $54,000 a year. Applicants must bring:

• A photo ID
• Social security cards for themselves, their spouse and dependents
• W-2 forms
• 1099 forms
• Rent certificate or 2017 property tax bill
• A copy of their 2016 tax return.

Returns cannot be done for those taxpayers having income from outside Wisconsin sources, those having complex tax returns, those having rental income, those who are non-US residents and those who are married filing separately.

Timothy O’Driscoll, director of Lakeland University’s Center for Economic Education and a longtime Wisconsin educator, was named a Legacy Award winner as part of the 2017 Governor’s Financial Literacy Awards.

The awards, selected by the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy, were announced recently by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. O’Driscoll was one of 18 individuals, businesses, and organizations who were honored.

The Legacy Award is given to an organization, business or individual whose purpose and heritage is ingrained in sustained financial literacy and capability. This lifetime recognition is intended to be conferred once to the recipients.

O’Driscoll has gone far beyond the traditional classroom to educate and inspire others related to financial literacy. He has made more than 500 economic and financial literacy presentations for groups ranging from EconomicsWisconsin to Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, women’s clubs and public libraries.

During his 36 years of teaching at Arrowhead High School, O’Driscoll taught more than 10,000 students. In addition, his presentations to groups statewide have reached at least another 10,000 people.

O’Driscoll measured many programs’ results with pre- and post-presentations tests, and test results showed an average improvement in attendees’ financial knowledge of 20-30 percent.

This year’s winners will be honored at a ceremony at the Capitol later this year.

Associate Professor of Biology Paul Pickhardt will be part of climate change discussion as the League of Women Voters of Sheboygan presents the National Geographic documentary “Before the Flood.”

The film will be screened in the Rocca Room at the Mead Public Library on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

“Before the Flood” presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions individuals and society can take to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet.

The film travels to five continents and the Arctic and features speaking scientists, world leaders, activists and local residents to gain a deeper understanding of this complex issue and investigate concrete solutions to the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.

Following the film, there will be an open discussion about climate change, reactions to the issues and what can be done locally to address it. Pickhardt will be featured as part of that discussion.

Pickhardt, a member of Lakeland's faculty since 2006, previously served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Kiribati (Central Pacific) where he taught biology, chemistry and physics. An aquatic ecologist with strong backgrounds in both field and laboratory based investigations, Pickhardt has published and presented extensively on this work.

Lakeland University will be expanding services for prospective and current students and alumni who need help with funding their education.

Lakeland's Financial Aid & Educational Funding Office (previously financial aid) is expanding its efforts at a time when more students need help understanding the sometimes complicated world of paying for school.

"We want people to know we can help with all their funding needs, from finding the right scholarship to understanding how loans will impact their future," said Patty Taylor, senior director of the Financial Aid & Educational Funding Office.

Services the office will offer include:

• One-on-one and group sessions to help students understand the finances of their education.
• Access to tools to help students understand how to finance their education, including a loan tracker so students can track how much they are borrowing and understand the long-term impact.
• Helping Lakeland alumni understand repayment options.
• Assistance with scholarship applications including essay and résumé reviews.
• Making students aware of any new scholarship opportunities.
• Work with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and the tribal community for grant opportunities and the Veterans Educational benefits.
• Creating relationships with scholarship foundations to become a link between those foundation opportunities and scholarship applicants.

"We want our students to know we're here to serve in a variety of capacities, not just for need-based grants," Taylor said. "We have services for our entire Lakeland community."

As work on the Younger Family Campus Center continues, we wanted to share some details about what we'll all find inside when the facility re-opens this August.

The campus center renovation is part of the $12 million [Un]Common Ground campaign. To date, $10.3 million has been given or pledged, including $7 million toward the campus center.

The campus center will feature some amazing new spaces for students, employees, alumni and visitors, and food/drink options will be changing significantly. Meal plans for students will remain the same, so students will be getting a lot more options at no additional cost.

The Daily Grind coffee shop will be located on the lower level in the area that had housed the Pub. Features will include:

• A wide selection of food including subs and wraps (which can be heated in our new turbo oven), mini-pizzas and breakfast sandwiches.
• Milkshakes, malts and all of the popular drinks you've come to love.
• The popular Grab and Go will be located here, due to student requests.
• A large bar area and other seating so people can gather, giving this space a true coffee shop feel. This will be a popular spot on campus to hang out!

The new bar/grill will be called The Pub, as we bring back that popular name. It will be located on the second floor near the steps as you arrive on the second floor. Features will include:

• An expanded menu of a la carte food, including all your favorites from the Muskie Grill, along with more salad/healthy options and subs made to order.
• A full bar which will feature craft beers.
• A variety of seating – from high tops to booths – that can accommodate small and large groups. This will be another popular spot on campus to hang out!

Some other important food notes:

• There will be a Muskie Mart convenience store, located across from the student success area (more on that shortly).
• Our kitchen will be using more fresh ingredients in meals. "We toured almost a dozen other schools to see how they do things, and no one will be making meals like we will," said Mark Wagner, director of foodservice.
• Fresh stir fry made to order will be offered a couple times each week for lunch, and the popular Sizzlin' Salads will sometimes be available on weekends in the Pub.
• We're adding a three-tier pizza oven which will provide a variety of homemade pizzas and calzones.
• We're keeping the relationship with JB's in Howards Grove and the Wednesday deal with Domino's Pizza due to student requests.

The new Lauer Center for Student Success & Development (the former campus shop) will be the home to the student success team and career readiness and cooperative education offices. The area will be named for longtime faculty members David and Lynne Lauer, who came to campus in 1968 and retired after 38 years of positively impacting countless students.

The student success area will include a workspace with whiteboards for students and a large video screen that will display a calendar of events and other announcements. The campus shop will remain in South Hall for the immediate future.

Surrounding the campus center welcome desk will be a large student involvement area that will include four flex rooms that students can reserve at no cost for group projects, meetings, interviews, etc., as well as an ideas studio that will be fully wired for users' technology needs. Student mail will be picked up from the welcome desk. This will all be housed in the area that had been the info desk/Daily Grind/student success.

The campus center will also include lots of lounge space, booths and other places for students or employees to hang out.

Some highlights of the campaign include:

• A lead gift for the campus center from an anonymous donor.
• Gifts from Sargento, the estate of LaVerne Carter, the Boldt family, Johnsonville Sausage, the Brotz Family Foundation, the Bradley Foundation and Kohler Co.
• More than 1,000 individual donors to date.

Understanding the fast-changing world of digital marketing and its ability to grow business will be the topic of Lakeland University’s 17th Annual Charlotte and Walter Kohler Distinguished Business Lecture.

Alexander Onish, head of marketing and digital communication for luxury Swiss watch brand IWC Schaffhausen, will deliver a talk entitled “Consumers At The Core: Accelerating Business Through Digital Transformation,” on Thursday, March 1, in Lakeland’s Bradley Theatre.

Onish will discuss how industries are disrupted by new players with pure digital tactics, and why listening to what consumers are saying and translating those needs to a brand’s product and communication strategy are key to survival.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6 p.m.

Onish oversees the media and content strategy, visual merchandising and public relations activities for IWC Schaffhausen’s North American market. He has spoken all over the world on the topic of digital transformation and its impact on business today.

Having spent more than five years working in the fast-paced beauty and personal care industry on multiple powerhouse brands within the L’Oreal Group, Onish knows how to connect consumer needs with products and services.

At L’Oreal, he brought two brands in to the top of the L2 Digital Intelligence Rankings (Maybelline #1 in 2017, Kiehl’s #2 in 2013) leaning into his digital expertise to keep brands relevant with consumers.

Yaron Zoller will join the faculty this fall as assistant professor of business and management. His start date is Aug. 20, 2018.

Zoller comes to Lakeland after graduating from the doctoral program in management from Nova Southeastern University, where he also served as an adjunct professor. His work focused on cross-cultural effects on management practices.

His teaching focuses on making class materials applicable to real-world business situations by using actual organizations and current events topics. For example, the allegations of fraud and faulty account creations by the financial institution Wells-Fargo were used in recent months in organizational behavior (OB) classes he taught to discuss motivation, goal setting and organizational culture.

Zoller's classes also emphasize group work to study real world cases. Recent examples from classes include studying employee motivation at ADT Corporation, minimizing employee burnout at Progressive Insurance and evaluating effects of acquisitions on motivation at DRB Financial Solutions. Findings by students are often shared with the studied organizations.

He is an active writer and researcher and has a number of business and management studies under review for publication.

Zoller graduated with honors with a master's degree in psychology and a bachelor's degree in neuropsychology both from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Fla.

He spent 11 years working for a multi-national technology firm in the areas of project management and quality assurance. He also served in the Israeli Defense Force from 1993-1998, rising to the rank of Lieutenant.

The popular TED Talks are coming to Lakeland University.

Lakeland will host its inaugural TEDx event on Thursday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The theme will be “The Other Side,” and Charlie Krebs, assistant professor of theater and speech, is organizing the event.

The event will be filmed, and only 100 people are allowed in the theatre at a time.

TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a media organization which posts talks online for free distribution, under the slogan ideas worth spreading.

The TEDx Program is designed to help communities, organizations and individuals to spark conversation and connection through local TED-like experiences.

Lakeland’s TEDx events will include a mix of live presenters and a screening of TED Talks videos intended to spark deep conversation. TEDx events are planned and coordinated independently, under a free license granted by TED.

Lakeland becomes one of just four TEDx universities in the state, joining UW-Madison, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire, and one of just six TEDx locations in the state.

Anyone interested in speaking who has questions should contact Krebs at krebsc [AT] lakeland [DOT] edu. Potential speakers can also submit a proposal here.

We are saddened to share that Bill Kuchler, a longtime Lakeland faculty member, athletic director and coach, passed away peacefully on Feb. 22, 2018. He was 68.

Bill came to Lakeland in 1988 after serving as head basketball coach and athletic director at both Mount Scenario College in Ladysmith, Wis., and Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa.

He served Lakeland as director of athletics, head coach for the men’s basketball, baseball and men’s golf teams and director of intramurals.

He later served Lakeland as a full-time assistant professor and taught a variety of exercise science courses including sociology and psychology of sport, kinesiology and freshman, sophomore and senior studies courses.

He left Lakeland in 2003 to join the faculty at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va.

Survivors include his wife, Luanne, and his sister, 1970 Lakeland graduate the Rev. Kathryn (Kuchler) Rust.

A complete obituary is here.

Nearly 300 students were named to the Lakeland University Dean's List for academic achievement for the 2017 fall semester.

To earn recognition on the Dean's List, undergraduate students must carry a full-time schedule of at least 12 semester hours and earn a 3.5 grade point average.

Lakeland's list includes students taking classes full time at Lakeland's main campus and through the university's Evening, Weekend & Online program.

Students on the Lakeland Dean's List include:

• Yolanda Alarcon
• Corey Allen
• Megan Amundson
• Isaac Anderson
• James Antley
• Charles Apostolik
• Scarlett Archuleta
• Megan Austreng
• Jack Banks
• Andrea Barile
• Jacob Barthels
• Desiree Bass
• Abigail Baumgartner
• Jessica Beaudry
• Nicholas Becker
• William Behrmann
• Alyssa Benike
• Cassandra Benoit
• Essence Blade-Simpson
• Gabrielle Boss
• Theodore Bouthilet
• Marissa Brakob
• Cailyn Branback
• Carly Brault
• Cole Brock
• Hipolito Brooks
• Karson Brown
• Emma Bruder
• Taylor Bubolz
• Meghan Bucholtz
• Taylor Bush
• Dedra Buteyn
• Allison Byrne
• Marlyn Caballero Carvajal
• Peter Caddell
• Karley Campbell
• Steven Canales
• Amanda Casperson
• Tina Castillo
• Lee Chang
• Courtney Christel
• Tali Coleman
• Thomas Coleman
• Nathaniel Cooper
• Samantha Czechan
• Alyssa Davis
• Cindy Davis
• Lorenzo De Nadai
• Zachary Decker
• David Del Ponte
• Calie Delisi
• Amalia Dodgson-Liosatos
• Madison Doll
• Kyle Domark
• Caitlin Dreier
• Terrie Dubois
• Garrett Duffin
• Naema Ennin
• Devin Equitz
• Megan Erickson
• Allison Errthum
• Meghan Etten
• Janai' Farr
• Tiffany Fischer
• Quintin Fischer
• Ashley Fogeltanz
• Ryan Frankel
• Zachary Fritz
• Tennita Funmaker
• Alyssa Gabrielse
• Katyna Gaines
• Jacob Gallipeau
• Dale Gamez
• Merjema Ganija
• Rylee Garand
• Chelsea Goakey
• Megan Goeser
• Kortney Goetsch
• Nathan Golownia
• Vladislav Gorbich
• Eric Grauman
• Emily Grzesiak
• Adrienne Guarnieri
• Talia Gutierrez
• Jolene Halbach
• Sandrah Hall
• Elizabeth Hamm
• Olivia Hansen
• Linjiabei He
• Joseph Heimann
• Megan Hellmer
• Kayla Hemb
• Russell Henke
• Brandon Herrin
• Gregory Hintz

• Joshua Hogan
• Tia Hoisington
• Dustin Holmer
• Lauren Holschbach
• Charley Hrobsky
• Joshua Huenink
• Matthew Hults
• Dakota Hunter
• Erin Iwanski
• Miranda Jacobson
• Alexia Janz
• Joseph Javorsky
• Nicole Jens
• Justin Jensen
• Hailey Jester
• Misaki Jimbo
• Brianna Johnson
• Brianna Johnson
• Jordan Johnson
• Gerhardt Johnson
• Sara Judge
• Abigail Juozapaitis
• Jasmine Kahly
• Saori Kambe
• Samuel Kaminski
• Jori Kapla
• Shari Kassube
• Abigail Kelly
• Heather Kirby
• Alexander Kleiber
• Daniel Koerber
• Nicholas Koerber
• Masaya Kojima
• Oliver Kornetzke
• Alexander Kornetzke
• Shyanne Koski
• Mitchel Larsen
• Victoria Lauren
• Jennifer Lee
• Dominique Lee
• Christopher Leopold
• Erin Leverenz
• Avinash Limbu
• Susan Linden
• Alexandra Lira
• Logan Lisowski
• Ariel Lochman
• Mai Lor
• Amanda Lor
• Rebekah MacDonald
• Israel Macias-Gutierrez
• Trevor Maki
• Stephen Maslowski
• Patrick McDonald
• Hannah McFarlin
• Joseph McNaught
• Haley Melby
• Heather Meyer
• Jenna Meyers
• Spencer Miesfeld
• Christine Mitchel
• Zachery Mock
• Amira Mongin
• Randall Moyer
• Kristin Mueller
• Zyta Mueller
• Rachel Nagel
• Jacob Nault
• Trenton Nickel
• RonniJo Nigro
• Reggie Nimmer
• Colleen Nolan
• Kalie Novak
• Jared Nummerdor
• Eric Nygaard
• Ryan Oharriz
• Miho Ohashi
• Samuel Olson
• Madison Olson
• Ericha Ostermann
• Christopher Otto
• Olivia Parrott
• Michelle Percudani
• Zachary Petrowsky
• Riley Phelps
• Alyson Piper
• Emma Posnanski
• Kayla Potter
• Mason Prunick
• Eugene Reece
• Melissa Reise
• Joshua Reisimer
• Andrew Richard
• Ethan Richmond

• Bryce Risch
• Steven Risser
• Elizabeth Roe
• Neil Rohde
• Aaron Rose
• Ellise Rose
• Mason Ross
• Robert Ross
• Natsuki Saito
• Nathaniel Sampson
• Zachary Samz
• Azucel Sanchez Beltran
• Brianna Sandvick
• Diana Santos
• Emma Schad
• Emilie Schartner
• Hannah Scherer
• Emily Scherer
• Rachel Schleicher
• Tegan Schneider
• Jamie Schneider
• Zoe Schrameyer
• Ann Schroeder
• Nicholas Schroeder
• Amber Schultz
• Grace Schumacher
• Michelle Schumacher
• Jennifer Schwartz
• Molly Schwibinger
• Brittini Scoles
• David Seefeldt
• Matthew Seider
• Cameron Sharp
• Jack Shevalier
• Meagan Simmons
• Amelia Sitte
• Chloe Skibinski
• Jorden Sodergren
• Zar Soe
• Zachary Solofra
• Jessica Spaight
• Rachel Stankevich
• Samantha Stauber
• Allison Stauber
• Tracy Stefanski
• Savannah Stenlund
• Mason Sterr
• Jennifer Strickland
• Danielle Sutton
• Kristen Sutton
• Sanjai Sydney
• Casey Takahashi
• Ririka Takizawa
• Mara TenHaken
• Michaela Teunissen
• Mai Yang Thao
• Fong Thao
• Aree Thao
• Mia Thaves
• Sarah Thomas
• Masaharu Tomizawa
• Brittnee Truttschel
• Jawon Turner
• April Tylla
• Luke Ulatowski
• Rachel Ulatowski
• Harrison Vang
• Shifee Vang
• Sa Vang
• Hannah Vassar
• Nicole Vercauteren
• Amanda Vertz
• Maui Adlenxel Viola
• Eeshi Vue
• Joseph Walcott
• Steven Wasmundt
• Shelby Welsh
• Calley Wesemann
• Courtney Wheeler
• Michael Whitley
• Sydney Wickman
• Ashlee Wierzbach
• Rachel Wilson
• Brandon Winter
• Christina Woelfel
• Dana Worden
• Corey Wright
• Elizabeth Wulff
• Ruby Yang
• Tyler Yost
• Alexis Zickuhr
• Bryce Ziemer
• Cal Zimborski
• Kendra Zipperer

The Lakeland University Board of Trustees Thursday approved tenure and promotion to associate professor for Richard Lemke and Karin Miofsky, both members of the institution’s criminal justice faculty.

Lemke joined the Lakeland faculty in 2012 after serving for almost three years as assistant professor at the University of West Georgia.  Lemke has remained an active scholar in the field of criminal justice, and his continued engagement with the field has elevated the profile and rigor of Lakeland's criminal justice program.

He won the Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2015, and he has actively served Lakeland, including leadership on the institutional review board and in academic assessment.

Miofsky joined the Lakeland faculty in 2014 after serving as assistant professor at the University of Hartford and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. She has developed a reputation among faculty, staff and students for being a strong teacher, a collaborative colleague and a student-centered advisor.

She has served as a faculty advisor to three student organizations, supported the Starfish implementation team and provided her expertise in Lakeland's ThinkHaus series and the School for Seniors in Neenah.

J. Garland Schilcutt, a Lakeland University icon and among the most revered employees in the institution’s long history, died on Friday, March 16, 2018. He was 88.

Lakeland will announced details on a celebration of his life when they are finalized.

Known simply as Prof to most, he arrived at Lakeland in January of 1958, and the Gary, Ind., native planned on staying until the end of that semester.

Lakeland, the development of its business school and the educating, mentoring and nurturing of countless Lakeland students became his life’s work and passion for 60 years.

Born on Dec. 12, 1929, Schilcutt retired in 2015, having served 57 years, the longest tenure of any employee in Lakeland’s 155-year history.

When Schilcutt arrived, Old Main was the only classroom building, and Krueger was the only one of the current 10 residence halls that existed. During his time, he worked under half of Lakeland’s 17 presidents.

Schilcutt created and sustained many of Lakeland’s business-related academic programs. He was an early leader in forming Lakeland’s evening and off-campus programs, serving as dean for the program for a time in the 1990s. He served as the first director of the Master of Business Administration program. He won numerous awards and honors over the years, including the 1992 Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and being named an honorary Lakeland alumnus in 1988.

Last fall, the Lakeland Board of Trustees approved establishing the J. Garland Schilcutt School of Business and Entrepreneurship. Trustees, current and former faculty and staff and graduates gathered on Homecoming eve at The American Club to celebrate with Prof.

But, his enormous academic and programmatic contributions to Lakeland were dwarfed by the impact he had on the lives of individual students. For years, Schilcutt lived on campus, teaching his classes by day, then tutoring, mentoring and coaching by night, often until the early morning hours.

Officially both professor and resident director, he was a mentor, father figure, disciplinarian, confessor, advisor, counselor, advocate, friend.

His students have worked on Wall Street and main streets all over the world. They have been captains of industry, business creators and owners, teachers, members of this institution’s Board of Trustees … the list goes on and on.

Schilcutt scheduled his classes to start later in the day so he could accommodate the hundreds of students and peers who spent countless hours visiting him throughout the evening. While they played pinochle or listened to him play the piano, his visitors shared their goals and fears, and they listened as he advised and encouraged them, creating relationships that have stood the test of time.

“Today we market how, thanks to technology, Lakeland delivers access to education for students around the clock,” said Lakeland President David Black. “Prof did that for almost six decades. Prof was a part of the very fabric of Lakeland. His devotion to his profession and his willingness to give whatever it took raised the trajectory of so many lives. It made him the most respected and most beloved teacher in Lakeland’s long history.

“He dedicated his life to imprinting on students and his coworkers a way to live.”

Approximately 300 works will be featured in the 2018 Lakeland University Annual Student Art Exhibition, a competitive show that features the best pieces by Lakeland students enrolled in the university’s various studio art and graphic design classes from the current school year.

Visitors will view a wide range of media and the best examples of any given assignment, in addition to the most advanced course work in which students largely set their own objectives.

A reception and awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, March 28, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Bradley Fine Arts Building on the Lakeland campus. The show will run through May 8. Attendance at the reception and admittance to the Bradley Gallery are both free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.

The Bradley Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, when Lakeland is in session.

The opening reception features an awards ceremony including Best of Show, second place, third place, several honorable mentions and a new award, the Lakeshore Art Supplies Awards, which will be redeemable at Lakeshore Art Supplies in downtown Sheboygan.

There is also a People’s Choice Award determined by all those in attendance at the reception. Attendees will be given time to take in the entire exhibition and cast their ballot for their favorite piece.

Courses represented include Drawing I, II and III, Two-Dimensional Design, Painting I, II and III, Watercolor I, Color Theory, Printmaking I and II, Digital Photography, Graphic Design I–Digital Illustration, Graphic Design III–Page Layout, Print Production and Illustration.

"Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to … Avenue Q?"

This is not your parents' Sesame Street.

Lakeland University will stage the raucous comedy "Avenue Q," an award-winning Broadway musical featuring puppets that's filled with laughs. The content includes adult themes and is intended for mature audiences.

The show will be staged at Lakeland's Bradley Theatre on April 5, 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. and April 8 at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets online at Lakeland.edu/theatre or at the box office shortly before each show.

"I haven't had this much fun working on a musical in a very long time," said Lakeland Theatre Director Charlie Krebs. "At rehearsals, we can't stop laughing. While the show is R-rated, it's not crude—I mean it's puppets, so the adult themes are funny. It's irresistibly funny, charming, moving and inspirational."

Rehearsals took an unexpected twist when there was a snafu with the puppets. The plan was to rent puppets, but there was a problem with the order, and Krebs and his students were faced with the challenge of making their own.

"The shock quickly turned to excitement when we deployed a fleet of students under the direction of Lakeland alumna and costume designer Della Jahnke," Krebs said. "She taught herself puppet making, and then trained these amazing students to make them all from scratch. They are in every color imaginable, representing diversity in a very playful way."

Krebs said while humor and some colorful scenes will have people laughing, there's an underlying theme of acceptance that resonates throughout the show.

"These characters learn to accept themselves and one another," Krebs said. "Avenue Q is actually Quentin Avenue in Brooklyn where these characters live, learn and grow by living next door to each other. The stage has been transformed into a Sesame Street neighborhood that reeks of joy.

"The music is infectious, and I think the audience isn't going to be able to get it out of their heads. It's the first musical in a long time where both full-time music faculty have worked with me on a show. We're discovering that it's a perfect combination, and our enthusiasm is infecting the cast."

Cast and Staff

Orchestra:
Cyndall Gorde, Flute
Heather Vrba, Saxophone
Chris Kletzien, Trumpet
Alex Turicik, Guitar
Sarah Dahm, Cello
Dylan Zastrow, Electric bass
Ryan Hoey, Auxiliary percussion
Zach Mock, Drumset
Dennis Boettcher, Piano

Several students were among the winners at the 2018 Lakeland University Annual Student Art Exhibition, a competitive show that features the best pieces by Lakeland students enrolled in the university's various studio art and graphic design classes from the current school year.

The show, which includes approximately 300 works, runs through May 8. The Bradley Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, when Lakeland is in session.

The winners were:

• Honorable Mention to Stephanie Figueroa for "Color Design," Color Theory course, $25 at the Deep Art Mint Store.
• Honorable Mention to Ellie Roe, "Still Life," Drawing II, $25 at the Deep Art Mint Store.
• Honorable Mention to Rylee Garand, "Soldier," Digital Art, $25 at the Deep Art Mint Store.
• Honorable Mention to Heather Kirby, "Alla Prima Self-Portrait," Watercolor I, $25 at the Deep Art Mint Store.
• Lakeshore Art Supplies Award to Alyssa Gabrielse, "Flakes of Light," Printmaking I, $50 at Lakeshore Art Supplies.
• Third Place to Anna Colon, "Gamer," Printmaking II, $50 at the Deep Art Mint Store.
• Second Place to Heather Kirby, "Landscape," Watercolor I, $75 at the Deep Art Mint Store.
• Best of Show to Taryn Mills, "Waterford," Printmaking I, $125 at the Deep Art Mint Store.
• People's Choice Award to Rylee Garand, "Soldier," Digital Art, $75 at the Deep Art Mint Store.

The region's most popular night out is preparing for one of the biggest stages in the area.

The 11^th annual Lakeland University Movers & Shakers Gala is moving to the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Sheboygan. The show is Saturday, May 19, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

And that's not the only exciting change.

This year's lineup will include four community celebrity teams, along with four local celebrities paired with professional dancers in what will be one of the best shows yet.

The venue change is accommodating significant construction at Lakeland, as the institution is renovating its Campus Center.

"As we considered what to do for a year to accommodate all the great changes happening at Lakeland, we quickly settled on the most beautiful room in the county – the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts," said Deb Wente, a Lakeland Trustee and the chair of the Movers & Shakers Gala planning committee.

"This year's lineup on the amazing Weill Center stage will be impressive. The one thing that has not changed is the strong community support and volunteer interest, which keeps this event alive. These people join our celebrities, local companies and our guests who give financially to make this evening successful."

In 10 years, Movers & Shakers has raised more than $2 million for Lakeland and more than 35 public organizations.

All 2018 Gala proceeds will support Lakeland University student scholarships. Each dancer and each team has selected a student, and those students will each receive a $5,000 scholarship. The winning team and winning dancer will each earn an additional $5,000 for their student.

Lakeland students were invited to apply for the scholarship, and the winners were selected through an interview process.

Major sponsors of this year's Gala are the Presenting sponsor: Frank G. and Frieda K. Brotz Family Foundation; Reception sponsor: Sargento Foods Inc.; Production sponsor: Studio Gear; Technology sponsor: BMO Harris Bank; Invitation printing sponsor: Zimmermann Printing Co.; VIP swag bag sponsors: Bemis Manufacturing Company and Festival Foods; Partners: Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts and The Berkshire.

The 2018 teams include:

• Team Great Marriages, which includes board members, donors and friends of Great Marriages, a Sheboygan County nonprofit organization with a vision of a community of vibrant, strong, joyful, life-long marriages.
• Team Coastal YPN, which includes leaders from Coastal, the young professional's network of the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce.
• Team RCS Empowers, which includes staff, board members, participants and friends of RCS Empowers, a nonprofit which empowers individuals with disabilities and special needs so that they may work, live and function with dignity and respect.
• Team Lakeland, which is a group of Lakeland graduates and current/former Lakeland employees.

The 2018 dancer lineup is made up of:

• Deidre Martinez, the new executive director of the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce.
• Brent Neevel, owner of Sheboygan Fit Body Boot Camp.
• Grant Pauly, founder and brewmaster of 3 Sheeps Brewing Company.
• Cassy Tully, an accomplished artist known for creating landscapes using her signature relief-painting technique.

Complete biographies of each dancer are available on the Movers & Shakers website, https://moversandshakersgala.org/dancers.

Emcee for the evening will be Charlie Krebs, Lakeland associate professor of theatre and speech.

There are three ticket options available. Purchase tickets online at https://moversandshakersgala.org/tickets or contact Kym Leibham, Lakeland manager of corporate relations and special events, at leibhamk [AT] lakeland [DOT] edu.

You don't have to attend the event to help support your favorite dancer. Anyone can purchase votes for $20 each, prior to the event at the Movers & Shakers website.

You can also be part of the pre-event buzz by joining dancers, committee members, guests and volunteers on Facebook at https://moversandshakersgala.org/facebook. "Like" the event page for regular updates.

If you want to get behind the scenes and help make this evening possible, a number of volunteer opportunities are open to the community. More information is available at https://moversandshakersgala.org/volunteer.

Award-winning author and journalist Jelani Cobb will discuss race relations in today's America as part of the fifth annual Lakeland University Community Book Read.

Cobb will deliver a talk entitled "The Half-Life of Freedom: Race and Justice in America Today" on Thursday, April 12, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Bradley Theatre on the Lakeland campus.

The event is free and open to everyone.

Cobb is appearing as part of the LU Community Book Read, which this year invites the community to read the award-winning "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

A discussion of Coates' book will be held on April 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Rocca Room at Mead Public Library in downtown Sheboygan. Lakeland faculty members Peter Sattler and Lex Cade-White will facilitate a discussion exploring the book and its themes.

Books are available for checkout at Mead. The book discussion is also a free event.

A number of other events are planned, and can be found at Lakeland.edu/bookread.

Cobb is the Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, a staff writer at The New Yorker and a frequent commentator on national television. He is the author of "The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress" and "To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic."

His articles and essays have appeared in the Washington Post, The New Republic, Essence, Vibe, The Progressive and TheRoot.com.

He is the recipient of the 2015 Sidney Hillman Award for Opinion and Analysis writing and writes frequently about race, politics, history and culture.

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Cobb is a graduate of Howard University and Rutgers University where he received his doctorate in American history.

"Between the World and Me" is the 2015 National Book Award winner, a work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son. Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences.

The LU Community Book Read is an opportunity for the greater community to come together with Lakeland students, faculty and staff and discuss good books and powerful stories.

The LU Community Book Read is supported by the Kohler Foundation, Inc. and the Zieve Foundation.

Lakeland University senior Michael Whitley, an accounting major from Vidalia, La., has been named the winner of the 53^rd annual Clarence H. Koehler Award, the university's top award for undergraduate students. The award was announced at the annual Honors Banquet on April 11.

Whitley, perhaps best known for his achievements on the football field, translated that notoriety into an impressive resume of leadership and involvement during his time at Lakeland.

The Koehler Award is presented each year to a Lakeland senior who best exemplifies "The Lakeland Spirit" by his or her participation in and support of the university's programs and activities. To be eligible, graduates must complete all four undergraduate years at Lakeland and maintain a high level of academic achievement.

Whitley worked six on-campus jobs during his four years, many of them related to his major, including accounting assistant and accounts payable assistant in the LU business office, and preparing and filing tax returns as part of Lakeland's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. This spring, he has been serving an accounting internship with Sheboygan North and South High Schools.

Through those connections, Whitley has been mentoring North High students through their at-risk program. His work involves helping students with anything from academics to general life skills such as time management, professional communication and handling adversity. He's also become an assistant track coach at North and he's spoken to students at Howards Grove and Oostburg high schools.

"I'm working on creating a program to connect the kids of Sheboygan North with the students of Lakeland," Whitley said. "My goal is to show the youth they can do outstanding things with a great work ethic and attitude. I feel blessed to have been at Lakeland and want to share that blessing."

Whitley completed his football career at Lakeland as one of the best players in program history, breaking numerous game, season and career records and becoming among the most decorated athletes in Lakeland history. He served as president of the Gentlemen of Virtue group, vice president of the Student Government Association and was a student leader in Lakeland's Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter.

"I want to be looked at as a leader more than a football player," Whitley said. "Every student here can impact Lakeland, especially if you demand yourself to grow, and I did here. I came here as a shy kid and I've become a confident man."

The award is named for the Rev. Clarence Koehler, who graduated from the college in 1937 and from the seminary in 1939. He later became a member of the college's board of trustees and was chairman of the board in 1957 when he passed away at age 48.

The Rev. Koehler was an outstanding student and participated in numerous activities on campus, including music, athletics, student publications and managing the campus bookstore. He maximized his college experience, and this award honors that spirit.

Other winners at Wednesday night's banquet included:

School of Business & Entrepreneurship

• Outstanding Student in Accounting: David Del Ponte
• Outstanding Student in Business Administration: Marlyn Caballero
• Outstanding Student in Hospitality Management: Patrick Webster
• Outstanding Student in Management Information Systems: Alexia Janz
• Outstanding Student in Marketing: Hannah Scherer
• Outstanding Student in Sport Management & Leadership: Charles Apostolik

School of Humanities & Fine Arts

• Outstanding Student in Art: Heather Kirby
• Outstanding Student in Communication: Jennifer Schwartz
• Outstanding Student in English: Brianna Johnson
• Outstanding Student in History: Zar Chi Soe
• Outstanding Student in Music: Melissa Landgraf
• Outstanding Student in Religion: Adrienne Guarnieri
• Outstanding Student in Spanish: Allison Stauber
• Outstanding Student in Theatre: Zachery Mock

School of Science, Technology & Education

• Outstanding Student in Biology: Maddy Doll
• Outstanding Student in Computer Science: Devin Equitz
• Outstanding Student in Criminal Justice: Kendra Zipperer
• Outstanding Student in Ethnic & Gender Studies: Elizabeth Hahn
• Outstanding Student in Mathematics: Matthew Seider
• Outstanding Student in Psychology: Mai Lor
• Outstanding Student in Sociology: Elizabeth Hahn

Other awards

• Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Award: Jennifer Lee
• Ellen J. Kregel Athletic Award: Maddy Doll
• Outstanding Student at Lakeland University Japan: Anjyu Higo
• Senior Honors: Brook Bignell, Megan Hellmer, Jacob Nault

Lakeland University's Karin Miofsky, associate professor of criminal justice, is the 2018 winner of the annual Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Miofsky, who joined the Lakeland faculty in 2014, is Lakeland's 27^th winner of the Underkofler, which recognizes outstanding performance in undergraduate teaching. The award was presented on April 11 at Lakeland's annual Honors Banquet.

Miofsky has developed a reputation at Lakeland for being a strong teacher, a collaborative colleague and a student-centered advisor.

Richard Lemke, also an associate professor of criminal justice and the 2015 Underkofler winner, said support for Mifosky during the nomination process settled into four themes – authentically present, intellectually challenging, selfless and professionally inspiring.

Lemke said Miofsky consistently puts the needs of her students and the institution ahead of her own, and nurtures students' professional goals by helping them develop a cognitive tool kit and pushing them to always be at their best.

One student nomination said, "Dr. Miofsky has always gone above and beyond for her students. If you are going through something, she is very understanding and will work with you, and she takes a personal interest in the success of all of her students. She does a phenomenal job of preparing students for real life after graduation."

Another student said. "Dr. Miofsky is always willing to help students out with almost anything, even if it doesn't relate to her classes. She is very motivated to see her students succeed and is willing to go the extra mile to help them."

Students said her classes are challenging, making them all the more rewarding upon completion.

"If you want a career in the criminal justice field, Dr. Miofsky will help prepare you for this career," one student said. "Expect to be challenged so that you can be the best student and future employee possible. A class taught by Dr. Miofsky is not one that you can skate through, and you will feel incredibly proud of yourself when you complete the class."

In addition to her classroom teaching, Miofsky has served Lakeland as a faculty advisor to three student organizations, supported the Starfish implementation team and provided her expertise in Lakeland's ThinkHaus series and the School for Seniors in Neenah.

"In Karin's short time at Lakeland not only has she demonstrated great teaching, but the admiration of the students, said Brian Frink, dean of Lakeland's School of Science, Technology & Education. "But, above all that, she has modeled great teaching for her fellow faculty members."

Miofsky earned her Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her primary areas of interest explore patterns of bullying and victimization within schools, the conceptualization of teen sexting and the nature of community crime control. She has written about and presented on these areas extensively.

Prior to earning her Ph.D., Miofsky earned her master's in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She received a bachelor's in psychology and criminal justice from Saint Louis University.

Before joining Lakeland's faculty, Miofsky served as an assistant professor at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.

The Underkofler Award is presented through the Alliant Energy Foundation and the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges, Inc. The Underkofler Endowment Fund was created in honor of past Wisconsin Power & Light president and chairman James R. Underkofler to recognize his 48 years of service to the utility industry.