Spring 2011

Celebrating God’s Goodness• Giving a name – Generac Hall

• Creating the Center for Christian Leadership

• Breaking ground on the Outdoor Athletic Center

Wisconsin Lutheran coLLegem a g a z i n e

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Dear Friends,Our God continues to bless this young college in an incredible fashion.

Naming rights for our science building – a new Center for Christian Leadership – construction of our Outdoor Athletic Center – these are three examples of how God continues to shower his grace upon WLC.

In November 2008, we established and articulated strategic priorities. These priorities continue to guide our every action. Consequently, one significant challenge that we placed before God was the need to secure naming rights for our science/academic building in

order to reduce our debt burden.

As I met with our faculty and staff as a campus family recently, I could barely get the words out: WLC has received gifts that surpass $5 million in order to honor Generac Hall. Bill Treffert, a member of our Board of Regents, led this amazing initiative with former and present leaders at Generac Power Systems. You will learn more about this God-blessed transformational gift on page seven. We have a million and one ways that we would love to spend this gift. However, we are choosing to use the funds in a very un-exciting fashion: to reduce debt in the name of long-term sustainability. It is the right thing to do.

We continue to raise funds for our Vision to Lead comprehensive campaign – primarily focusing on scholarships, academic enhancements, and the endowment. May God continue to move his people to support this college. We yearn for nothing more than to use Christian leadership via higher education to change the world … one student and one person at a time. What an incredible God-blessed mission!

Speaking of mission, we are serious about ours: to prepare students for lives of Christian leadership. In fact, you will read on pages eight and nine that our Board of Regents recently affirmed the creation of a Center for Christian Leadership – a historic development for WLC.

For 38 years, WLC has been all about Christian leadership, and we have been setting the standard in servant leadership through our graduates for more than three decades. One of our 2008 strategic priorities was to create an integrated, campus-wide leadership program. The Center for Christian Leadership is the beginning of the process toward reaching this vision, as we incorporate leadership tenets throughout the campus and beyond.

Finally, Christian leadership is fostered in the classroom and on the fields … and we are breaking ground for our Outdoor Athletic Center to better meet the needs of our student-athletes and better serve our community.

Our Krauss-Miller-Lutz Outdoor Athletic Complex is outstanding. It is home to Raabe Stadium (football and track), Neumann Family Fields (baseball and softball), and our soccer fields. However, our current complex was just the beginning; significant needs remain – locker rooms, restrooms, and concession stands, to name a few. This $2 million project will be funded by leveraging land assets and fundraising, including opportunities for naming rights. Read more on page 19.

Generac Hall … the Center for Christian Leadership … and the Outdoor Athletic Center project … how great is our God! Thank you for your partnership with us in this most grand endeavor – Wisconsin Lutheran College.

In Christ’s Service with you,

Dr. Daniel W. Johnson President

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MISSION STATEMENT

Wisconsin Lutheran College, affiliated with the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, is a

Lutheran liberal arts college for Christian men

and women. The college is committed to

providing quality teaching, scholarship, and

service that are rooted in Holy Scripture;

promoting the spiritual growth of students,

faculty, and staff; and preparing students for

lives of Christian leadership.

ASSOCIATE VICE PrESIdENT Of MArkETING ANd COMMuNICATION

Vicki Hartig

EdITOr ANd PhOTOGrAPhEr

Melanie Gohde Buellesbach

PhOTO CONTrIbuTOrS

Dan Edlhuber

Meghan Folkerts

John-Paul Greco

Network Photography

Vincent Pelligrino

Dan Schmal

Katie Sloan

dESIGNEr

Jennifer Rueth

Wisconsin Lutheran College Magazine is

published for and distributed free of charge to

students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of

the college. All correspondence, letters, news,

corrections, and comments are welcomed and

should be directed to:

Vicki Hartig

Wisconsin Lutheran College Magazine

8800 West Bluemound Road

Milwaukee WI 53226

vicki.hartig@wlc.edu

414.443.8800

PSAlM 106:1

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Wisconsin Lutheran College Magazine Vol. 23, No. 2

fEATurES

7 Generac hall

Generac leaders’ generous gift will forever honor the company’s name

8 Creation of the Center for Christian Leadership

Intentionalizing the college’s core mission, on campus and beyond

10 focus on: academics

Updates from the college’s three divisions

14 the Vision to Lead: scholarships

It’s all about our students

19 Breaking ground to complete the Outdoor Athletic Center

Facility to be ready for 2011 fall season

ON ThE COVEr

A springtime view of Wisconsin Lutheran College’s front door, which is entered by thousands of students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors each year.

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PrESIdENTDr. Daniel W. Johnson, Germantown, Wisconsin

bOArd Of rEGENTS 2010-2011James Fischer (Chair), Waukesha, WisconsinRyan Barbieri, Sussex, WisconsinDr. Gerald Fischer, Bethesda, MarylandRev. Kenneth Fisher, Milwaukee, WisconsinDr. Terry Gueldner, Manitowoc, WisconsinRev. Jeff Gunn, Phoenix, ArizonaPaul Hartwig, Appleton, WisconsinRev. Mark Henrich, Milwaukee, WisconsinRev. Dennis Himm, Grand Blanc, MichiganCharles Kluenker, Roseville, CaliforniaPhilip Leyrer, Milwaukee, WisconsinDr. R. Bowen Loftin, College Station, TexasScott Mayer, Franklin, Wisconsin

Tom Plath, Collierville, TennesseeDr. William Raasch, Wauwatosa, WisconsinC. Daniel Stefferud, Redondo Beach, CaliforniaRev. Paul Steinberg, Milwaukee, WisconsinGary Stimac, The Woodlands, TexasWilliam Treffert, Pewaukee, WisconsinMatt Trotter, Cudahy, WisconsinW. Andrew Unkefer, Phoenix, ArizonaDaryl Weber, Germantown, WisconsinDr. Ronald White, Fort Myers, FloridaKerry Woody, Muskego, WisconsinGeorge Zaferos, Watertown, Wisconsin

depArtmentS

2 From the President

4 On Campus

13 Faculty and Staff

16 Students

17 Fine Arts

18 Alumni

Photo by Melanie Buellesbach

automatic berth to the 2011 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.

On March 4 at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center, Laete scored a game-high 21 points and junior Rachel Johnson added 20 to lead Wisconsin Lutheran to a 73-59 win over the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. It was the first-ever NCAA tournament victory

for the women’s team.

The following day, the Warriors overcame a 16-point deficit in the first half but fell to seventh-ranked Illinois Wesleyan, 84-69, in the second round of the NCAA tournament, snapping a program-best 15-game winning streak.

“This season, the depth of our team allowed for our players to challenge each other at every practice,” said Coach Knueppel. “After defeating defending WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) champion UW-Whitewater early in the season, we were confident, knowing we had the ability to beat any team we played. We entered every game focused and ready to play.”

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The Warriors women’s basketball team finished the 2010-2011 season with an

all-time best record of 26-4 (16-2 NAC), earning its first trip to the NCAA tournament since the 2002-2003 season.

Led by seventh-year head coach Klay Knueppel and the team’s only senior, Erika Laete, the Warriors won a first-round NCAA tournament game before falling in the second round.

The postseason excitement began when the team won the Northern Athletics Conference Tournament Championship on its home court February 26 over Concordia University Wisconsin, 76-67, earning the conference’s

nCAA trip caps record season

the Milwaukee Bucks Rim Rockers entertained the crowd during halftime of the men’s game. One of its members, Josh Schedler, is a 2006 Wisconsin Lutheran College graduate.

The Recreation Complex was full of activity February 5 as the campus

celebrated Winterfest 2011. The Warriors split a doubleheader with MSOE on the basketball court. The women’s basketball team defeated the Raiders, 77-51, while the men fell to MSOE, 82-76. A dunk show by

Winterfest 2011

Coach Klay Knueppel (left) and the Warriors board the bus bound for their NCAA tournament game in Bloomington, Illinois.

The Warriors women’s basketball team finds out its opponent and game location during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which was shown in Wisconsin Lutheran College’s Siebert Center on February 28.

The Milwaukee Bucks Rim Rockers are perennial favorites at Winterfest. The high-flying dunk show brings the crowd to its feet.

Winterfest is a family affair. Each year kids look forward to getting autographs from their favorite Warriors players and coaches.

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Congratulations to the 20 Wisconsin Lutheran College graduates who received their diplomas at the mid-year commencement ceremony, held December 16 in

the Schwan Concert Hall.

Dr. Paul Boehlke (right), professor of biology, gave the commencement address, in which he talked about the distinctiveness of Wisconsin Lutheran – a small, personal, Christian college – and its graduates.

To the graduates, he said: “People should be able to tell who you are and wonder what drives you. They should see you as different. You ought to be the mask of God, doing good and serving your neighbor.”

He concluded with: “God has blessed this place, giving it fine facilities, a talented faculty, and you – students who will impact the future.”

Boehlke, who has served at WLC for 14 years, has taught at every level from elementary through college during the past 50 years. He has announced his retirement from the full-time public ministry effective at the end of this academic year.

The college will hold commencement exercises for the Class of 2011 on Saturday, May 14 at 2 p.m. in the Recreation Complex.

dr. Boehlke addresses graduates

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A program featuring Wisconsin Lutheran College’s 2010 Christmas Festival Concert was broadcast on Milwaukee

Public Television (MPTV Channels 10 and 36) in December.

The Wisconsin Lutheran Choir and Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dr. James Nowack, blended holiday chestnuts, sacred classics, and contemporary arrangements of familiar Christmas texts and melodies at the concert, which MPTV recorded on campus in early December.

As of mid-March, the concert was still available for online viewing at mptv.org/video.

Earlier this year, the Wisconsin Association of Independent

Colleges and Universities (WAICU) launched an initative aimed at protecting financial aid for college students in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Lutheran College, a WAICU member, is supporting this effort by encouraging students and families to learn more by visiting protectfinancialaid.com.

Founders’ Day – the date on which Wisconsin Lutheran College was first

incorporated – was January 31, 1973. This year, the campus community celebrated its 38th anniversary with a special chapel service, and by offering cake, historic photos, and a video presentation in the Warrior Underground.

Board member Rev. Ken Fisher (right), recently pastor at Risen Savior in Brown Deer and now head of the Wisconsin Lutheran High School mission advancement team, delivered the Founders’ Day chapel message with the theme “Jesus is Our Alpha and Omega.”

Choir broadcast

protect financial aidfounders’ day

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upcoming events

Eugene Schulz, who served in the 20th Corps under General Patton’s Third Army in Europe during World

War II, spoke to Wisconsin Lutheran College students on November 18. Schulz (left) witnessed the atrocities in the Ohrdruf, Germany, forced labor/concentration camp just days after it was liberated in April 1945. He showed photos he had taken and read a very moving letter that he had written to his brother at the

time. WLC freshmen, as part of their college orientation, had been asked to read and discuss Night, Elie Wiesel’s account of his experience in Nazi concentration camps. Schulz is the father of Dr. David Schulz, associate professor of computer science.

Two speakers came to campus through the Milwaukee Area Biblical Archaeology Society. Dr. John Brug, professor of systematic theology and Old Testament at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, spoke February 15 about the Philistines. Dr. Jodi Magness, senior endowed chair in the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spoke about ancient synagogues on March 8.

Campus lectures

Pathways to College, a program at Wisconsin Lutheran designed to assist lower-income, first-generation

college students who have the potential to succeed in college, continues its Buy-a-Brick Campaign in an effort to purchase the former Finney Library in Milwaukee. Pathways hopes to turn the building into its Center for College Success. Pathways to College currently has pre-college offerings, including a monthly Saturday program, an after-school program, leadership training, and a summer program. For more information, visit pathwaystocollege.info or call executive director Milton Cockroft at 414.443.8729.

pathways to College

GAry’S GAllOP: Don’t miss the eighth annual Gary’s Gallop 5k run/2-mile walk Saturday, April 16 at the college’s Outdoor Athletic Complex, 10200 W. Watertown Plank Road. For information, visit wlc.edu/garysgallop.

PAlM SuNdAy CONCErT: Footsteps to the Cross, a musical narration, will be performed by Koiné on Palm Sunday, April 17. The 3 p.m. concert is free and open to the public. It will take place in the Recreation Complex at Wisconsin Lutheran College. For information, visit wlc.edu/koine.

VISIT OPPOrTuNITy: High school students are invited to Wisconsin Lutheran College for a Warrior Weekend Preview on Saturday, April 30. Take a campus tour, meet professors, and enjoy brunch in the Courtyard Café. To register, visit wlc.edu/admissions or call 414.443.8811.

uNdErGrAduATE rESEArCh SyMPOSIuM:

Wisconsin Lutheran College celebrates student research by hosting the 11th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, also on Saturday, April 30, with presentations beginning at 9 a.m. in the Science Hall. The public is welcome to attend.

GOlf OuTING: The 25th annual Roger Fleming Memorial Warrior Golf Invitational, benefiting WLC athletics, will take place May 16 at The Legend at Bristlecone. For details visit wlc.edu/golfinvitational.

TOurS AbrOAd: Join Rev. Richard Krause, Prof. Sibylle Krause, and Mark and Sue Neumann for a Holy Land tour departing December 27, 2011. For an itinerary, visit tempotravelservice.com/israeltour2011.htm.

Join Dr. William Braun, professor of music, on an Amadeus travel tour in January 2012. Three credits are available. For details, contact Braun, william.braun@ wlc.edu, or visit acis.com/trips/itinerary/program/AMA.

As part of the annual Pathways to College summer program, students study plants and organisms in area bodies of water, as the 8th graders did during a 2010 visit to Pewaukee Lake.

Wisconsin Lutheran College’s academic/science building is getting an official name. The

80,000-square-foot facility, completed in 2004, will be called Generac Hall as of Saturday, May 14, 2011. A naming celebration event will occur that morning, forever commemorating a partnership between several of the former and present leaders of Generac Power Systems and Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Bill Treffert, former CEO of Generac and a current WLC Board of Regents member, is the motivator and driver behind this transformational gift. He first mentioned his

collective gift concept to President Daniel Johnson more than a year ago. “Bill has spearheaded this entire program,” said President Johnson. “This was not an imaginable concept until Bill created it – gave it life. Thanks to Bill’s efforts, more than $5 million has been contributed so that we can eliminate the short-term debt on the building.

“Bill reflected on the fact that the Generac company was sold in 2007 – that already one of their former plants was up for sale. Maybe someday even the company’s name would disappear. He began to think through the idea of financially assisting WLC, a college he loves and believes in, with contributions from himself and several of his workplace colleagues. He hoped that the effort could result in a way to forever honor the Generac name.”

Treffert is matter-of-fact when asked to describe his idea. “We’ve been blessed by God,” he said, “and several of us have joined in this initiative. We wanted a way to pass on some of our financial blessings, help the college take care of some burdensome short-term debt, and honor the legacy of Generac, a company that has been very good to me and many others who worked there.”

A celebration of this gift, and the official naming of the college’s academic/science building to become Generac Hall, will occur on Saturday morning, May 14. For more information, visit wlc.edu/news.

Generac Hall’s namesake, Generac Power Systems, of Waukesha, Wisconsin, has been a leading, innovative manufacturer and marketer of portable and standby generators (and several other related products) since 1959. Generac recently was recognized as a top Milwaukee area workplace in the large employer category by The Business Journal of Milwaukee.

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Generac leaders’ generous gift willforever honor company’s name

but the time is now for us to create a systematic leadership program.”

The college’s Board of Regents affirmed the concept and creation of the Center for Christian Leadership at its February 2011 meeting. President Johnson has asked Rev. Paul Kelm, one of WLC’s two

campus pastors, to lead the development of the center.

“The priority of the Center for Christian Leadership will always be the development of students as servant leaders,” Kelm said. “While WLC has provided Christian leadership teaching and experience since the college’s inception, the future will mean intentional and integrated leadership development

for every student, undergraduate and graduate, and it will be an incremental process.

“What won’t change is the servant heart of Christian leadership,” Kelm added. “That heart is demonstrated on this campus through countless projects and mission trips, and captured in the statuary of Jesus washing a disciple’s feet.”

Provost John Kolander indicated that a faculty committee has been established to formulate specific recommendations as to how leadership can be intentionally promoted within the academic program of Wisconsin Lutheran College. Options

Even as Wisconsin Lutheran College’s founders were

formulating the documents and finding the funding necessary to create the fledgling college, the idea of educating Christian leaders served as their central inspiration and motivation.

Today, 38 years later, President Daniel Johnson is ready to officially articulate and intentionalize that core mission of the college by creating the Center for Christian Leadership.

“I am unabashedly passionate about this concept,” President Johnson said. “We have a dozen strategic priorities upon which we maintain a disciplined focus,

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CrEATION Of ThE

Center for Christian Leadership

Community Outreach;Internship & Career Programming;Non-profit & Business Network;

Partnership & Collaborations;Conferences & Speaker Series

Community Outreach;

Undergraduate/Adult & GraduateCurriculum & Programming;

Campus Ministry & Volunteerism

Center for Christian Leadership

On Campus & Beyond

Rev. Paul Kelm will lead the center’s development.

WLC’s Christian Women’s Leadership Circle recently hosted its annual Butterfly Brunch — an event attended by 150 women. CWLC is focused on encouraging women to use their God-given talents to serve others as they lead. It will be working together with the new Center for Christian Leadership.

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the committee will investigate include internship and volunteer opportunities, additions of specific courses pertaining to leadership, capstone experiences within majors, and formally embedding leadership strands throughout the general degree requirements.

In addition to a Christian leadership program being developed by the faculty for inclusion in all students’ curriculum, the Center for Christian Leadership also intends to offer conferences and training resources for church leaders as well as networking opportunities for Christian business leaders.

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The topic of Christian leadership is discussed in classrooms as well as in casual conversations throughout campus.

Christian executive to speakCEO perspective: Christian servant leadership

Mark Wrightsman, president and CEO of PaR Systems, a technical

procurement and research company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will speak to Wisconsin Lutheran College students on April 19. The School of Business is

promoting his presentation on campus, “CEO perspective: Christian servant leadership,” and all students will be invited and encouraged to attend.

Prior to joining PaR in 1999, Wrightsman led five other very technical businesses, including two global businesses with more than $300 million in annual revenue. Three of the businesses he led were based outside of the United States. He lived in Singapore, Japan, and Italy, managing various engineering, account management, and business leadership assignments for General Electric in Asia, Japan, and Europe.

Wrightsman, who received his bachelor of science degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s in business administration from the University of Santa Clara, will synthesize his extensive education and career experiences into a single focused message when he visits WLC in April.

“My primary goal – when I speak on the WLC campus – will be to share the concept and reality of how one’s Christian faith can influence or direct decisions, actions, and results. From my 16 years in leadership roles in foreign countries for major international corporations, I know from experience that you don’t have to leave your Christian faith out of the board room.”

Wrightsman’s presence and interaction with WLC students exemplifies one facet that WLC’s new Center for Christian Leadership will be developing: offering a robust speaker series. Regional, national, and international Christian leaders – authors, statesmen, CEOs, and other professionals – will comprise an annual schedule of presenters. The speaker series’ purpose will be to teach and inspire students to serve others as they lead.

WLC students have traveled internationally to participate in ministry outreach programs, study abroad or internship opportunities, and humanitarian projects. In the future, the Center for Christian Leadership will be involved in developing more settings to learn, serve, and lead — throughout the world.

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On pages 10-12, please enjoy a glimpse at the students and professors inside the classrooms and majors of

Wisconsin Lutheran’s College of Arts & Sciences, College of Adult & Graduate Studies, and College of Professional Studies.

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Biological anthropology

For four months this spring, students studying biological anthropology have the rare opportunity to help measure, photograph, and analyze a

collection of crania on loan from the Milwaukee Public Museum. The crania are unique because they are pre-contact archaeological specimens from Peru and Canada, and they demonstrate a significant amount of cranial deformation. The skulls were intentionally deformed beginning at infancy as a physical marker of social position or status.

According to Ned Farley, assistant professor of anthropology: “The students and I are compiling a forensic mock-up on each specimen to assess how the intentional deformation may or may not have affected the condition of the brain.

Did they suffer from migraines? Did they have sensitivities to light or sound? Were there speech or vision impairments?”

Biological anthropology major Chris Sanchez will be working with the museum crania for his capstone project. Sanchez and Farley will digitize the crania using CT scan equipment at the Medical College of Wisconsin, WLC’s neighboring institution. Software developed by researchers at the Medical College will be used to mathematically reconstruct the brain.

Prof. Farley carefully measures a cranium from Peru that may date back to 900 A.D. Courtesy of the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Prof. Ned Farley works with sophomore Jessica Howard as she analyzes a skull, while junior Jeremiah Cady looks on.

Sport & exercise science

As part of their Exercise Physiology class, students visited the Froedtert Sports Medicine Center, located just north of campus, in February. Under

the guidance of WLC’s head athletic trainer Joe Hoff, who works for the center, students did VO2 max testing on a treadmill. The test results provided maximum levels of heart rate, oxygen uptake, and anaerobic threshold.

Rachel Kuehl, head of the sport & exercise science department, teaches the course, which has a number of lab activities. Kuehl said, “We’ve done heart rate and blood pressure measurement – both pre- and post-exercise – plus isokinetic testing for measuring muscle power and the Margaria-Kalamen Anaerobic Power Test.”

She said the students report on their individual lab findings, and she will save the data for comparison purposes in future classes. She also notes that the first sport & exercise science major is scheduled to graduate in May, with five more in the major planning to graduate next year.

Athletic trainer Joe Hoff fits junior Rachel Johnson with a mask before she gets on the treadmill for VO2 max testing.

Senior Jamie Matz runs on a treadmill during VO2 max testing at the Froedtert Sports Medicine Center.

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College of Arts & Sciences

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new ipad in education course in demand

The College of Adult & Graduate Studies began offering its first three-credit graduate-level course in February to more than 20 students. The

eight-week iPad in Education class meets on campus five times and online three times and is being taught by Joe Du Fore, assistant professor of education. Students all receive an iPad, which is theirs to keep. Due to high demand, a second class began in April. This summer, additional sessions will be offered.

The course is designed to provide educators with the tools and understanding they need to implement this new iPad technology into their classrooms.

Ed Price, who teaches seventh-grade math and algebra at Whitman Middle School in Wauwatosa, said: “The iPad in Education class has really helped me see the possible uses of the iPad with students in my classes. The class is taught by a dynamic professor who understands the subject he is teaching.”

Price noted that his students want to use iPad technology, so it’s a way to draw students into the lesson. “We are dealing with a new type of student,” he said. “These ‘screenagers’ are not inspired by pencil and paper anymore. They live in a different world, a hands-on, instant, interactive, high-speed world that demands we reach them in their learning style and needs.”

The iPad in Education course is part of the master of arts in education program that begins in June 2011 with both on campus and online offerings. More information is available at ags.wlc.edu or by calling 414.443.8858.

Online courses begin

In January 2011, the College of Adult & Graduate Studies offered its first online course in the accelerated degree

completion program. This enables Wisconsin Lutheran College to serve students from around the world.

The first cohort of online students consists of students from four different states: Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Four of the students had previously enrolled at WLC and are returning to finish their degrees.

Students in the online cohort already have taken Foundations of Academic Success (taught by Dr. Rhoda Wolle) in

January and Communication in the Business Setting (taught by Tracy Tulle, operations manager for AGS) in February. Their current course is Servant Leadership, taught by James Brandt, vice president of AGS.

The online program is just under way, but Tulle already has observed that there is a strong desire to learn in the online environment. “The overall experience of teaching online has truly been rewarding,” she said, “and the flexibility and convenience the schedule provides is critical to the success of the working adults enrolled in the program.”

Students use iPads and laptops to look at apps and websites being discussed by fellow students during class presentations.

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College of Adult & Graduate Studies

Prof. Joe Du Fore teaches the iPad in Education course, which is a hybrid online/on campus class.

Once fully centered on the theory and scholarship that defines and explains the world of communication,

WLC’s School of Communication has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. “We believe this adjustment is well timed, allowing us to better serve students who want a liberal arts core for their college experience,” said Professor Deb Uecker, chair of the School of Professional Communication. “But these students also require the skills most in demand by today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving world of communication. That’s what our program is designed to deliver.”

In fact, the school’s faculty has been self-evaluating for the past two years and has recalibrated its offerings and emphases. Communication professors at WLC are confident that their graduates are better prepared for today’s world of business, commerce, personnel, and communication than ever before. “Now that our major – and the School of Professional Communication – are organized within the College of Professional Studies,” Uecker said, “our focus has become clear: to prepare students with a high regard for professionalism for their chosen careers.”

Uecker said the communication major becomes the perfect choice for many students, but they don’t always realize that as freshmen. “Every spring we have a healthy share of the graduating class who list communication as their major, or as one of their double majors. That’s because somewhere between their freshman and junior years they came to recognize that with an undergraduate degree in communication, they can go many places. It offers them a path to numerous career choices. Students can successfully enter fields such as public relations, human resources, sales, event planning, and graduate school.

Uecker and the rest of the communication faculty are intent on ensuring that their graduates have relational communication expertise that will exceed the expectations of the corporate world. Students will still study communication history and theory, but they will receive more emphasis on developing communication competencies and enhancing the practice of professional standards. They will learn, participate, and perform in courses such as interpersonal and professional communication, listening, small group dynamics, mass media, and intercultural contexts, for example.

“We’re preparing our students so that they can succeed in the particular niche of the corporate, business, or non-profit world which they are personally passionate about,” Uecker said. “They then will be well prepared and well positioned to emerge as leaders in these fields, because they will be able to relate to others, articulate and express themselves with competent professionalism, and serve their church and community.”

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College of professional Studies

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Prof. Deb Uecker, chair of the School of Professional Communication

Matt Braun ’01 is currently a product marketing manager for Manpower Inc. , Milwaukee. He is responsible for supporting business development opportunities through integrated marketing communication activities, and traces his passion for the world of marketing and communication back to his courses and professors at WLC.

Prof. Amanda Retberg, one of five full-time communication faculty, utilizes her law background in her courses teaching business and crisis communication.

Katie McCormack ’10 is a community relations partner at the American Cancer Society, Pewaukee, Wisconsin. She organizes five Relay for Life events each year and assists with other community events. McCormack says she uses information and insights received from her communication classes at WLC every day.

recalibrating the communication major

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faculty and staff notesIn January, dr. mark Braun, professor of theology, presented a paper at the Symposium on the Lutheran Confession at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, titled “The Reception of the Theology of C.F.W. Walther in the Wisconsin Synod.”

rebekah Carey, assistant professor of nursing, and student Jonathan fricke co-authored an article to be published in the Journal of Christian Nursing in spring 2011. It is titled “As we therefore have opportunity... A collaborative effort between a church and nursing program.” It describes the process of developing the Granville Neighborhood Health Center, a free clinic that provides services to the uninsured in the neighborhood of Risen Savior Lutheran Church on the northwest side of Milwaukee.

dr. Charles Cortright, associate professor of theology, presented a portion of his dissertation at the Sixteenth Century Society Conference in Montreal in October 2010.

dr. Angela ebeling, assistant professor of biology, gave an invited presentation at the

annual winter convention of the Wisconsin Liquid Waste Carriers Association (WLWCA). The talk was titled “Phosphorus in Septage: Study Update.” Ebeling received a grant from WLWCA and presented data that she and

student Alexis rwatambuga collected on phosphorus concentrations in septage and in soil amended with septage. This work is important because new DNR regulations restrict phosphorus runoff from farm fields and wastewater treatment plants where septage haulers usually dispose of the septage.

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fRev. Dr. Gregory Schulz, professor of philosophy, recently had his book Wednesday’s Child: From Heidegger to Affective Neuroscience, A Field Theory of Angst published by Wipf and

Stock in Eugene, Oregon.

On February 24, the college’s Academic Co-Curricular Committee sponsored a book signing and reception in the Schlueter Art Gallery. Schulz (right) gave a brief introduction to the book and fielded questions from the audience.

He also is the author of The Problem of Suffering, due out in an expanded second edition later this year, and its companion guidebook written for Christian caregivers.

Wednesday’s Child book signing

Dr. Mary Jo Brown, assistant professor of Spanish, talks with a student during the book signing and reception for Wednesday’s Child.

For more than three and half years, Chad Lindemann, associate professor of art, has been

working on creating a professional typeface. His font, Lindemann Sans, recently was published through one of the most renowned foundries in Europe. The geometric sans serif font is available from Parachute in Athens, Greece.

Twelve fonts – from ultra light italic to extra bold – make up the font family of Lindemann Sans. Lindemann also developed more than 800 glyphs for each font.

He displayed the book of his font and related artwork at the recent art department biennial faculty exhibition in the Schlueter Art Gallery.

Learn about the development of Lindemann Sans at upscaletypography.com/?p=2554.

Lindemann Sans published

Athletics director and men’s basketball coach Skip noon (center) was on SportsRadio 1250 WSSP’s Varsity Blitz show with host mike mcGivern (left) January 8. Noon discussed the men’s basketball program and the college’s January admissions information day. He appeared in the studio with Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School boys’ basketball coach todd Jahns (right).

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faculty and Staff

On the air

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“Scholarship support is key,” said President Johnson. “Those dollars enable us to give more students the opportunity to attend WLC. For that very reason, a significant component of our Vision to Lead campaign’s ultimate success rests on adequate student scholarship funding.”

“Having enough funding to help our students is absolutely essential,” said Linda Loeffel, director of financial aid. “We’re so grateful for those donors who help close that gap between what a family can afford to pay for a WLC education and what it actually costs. Those donors help create a bridge so that our students can pursue their education and future plans.”

A t the heart of Wisconsin Lutheran College, it’s all about the student: a young woman who’s a freshman 300

miles from home, the junior who’s the oldest of six children, the senior who has been working two part-time jobs since he was a sophomore in high school because he wants to become a doctor, and so many others.

A major portion of the college’s mission statement is to prepare men and women to lead lives of Christian service. “First things first, though,” said President Daniel Johnson. “We must make sure our deserving, determined students are able to afford their four-year college career here at WLC. Then we will continue to expand our ability to graduate powerful, effective Christian leaders, one graduate at a time.

it’S ALL ABOut our students

For the fourth – and last – time,I have the privilege of writing about

my gratitude for your generosity. As a senior, with graduation looming ahead, I sometimes forget about the blessings – my scholarship donors – who have allowed me to continue my education at WLC. The years I’ve spent here have been far more than gaining “book knowledge.” They have given me a myriad of adventures, and I’ve learned from professors and people who have made a difference. I have memories that will not age, and friendships that will not easily fade. And all of these would not have happened without you.

Hannah Zhang, Beijing, China

I would like to sincerely thank you for your generous support of Christian education.

Thanks to my scholarships, I have been able to spend a summer as a Volunteer in the Service to America (VISTA) teaching science in Milwaukee. I have also been blessed with opportunities to travel abroad, gaining tremendous insights into the lives of people around the globe.

I am a biology major and in the process of applying to medical schools. WLC has given me the foundational science background that is essential for a doctor. But more than that, I have also enjoyed the chance to discuss ethical issues in medicine with my Christian professors, volunteer as a Spanish translator at a free clinic, and have lunch with a Harvard medical professor.

WLC ensures that students have the chance to become well-rounded individuals. From leading a worship-and-praise band to being a small-group Bible study leader, I have had the chance to grow not only as a leader, but as a Christian servant-leader. In my mind, this sets WLC apart, and I want to thank you for supporting this mission.

Jonathan Fricke, Baraboo, Wisconsin

I am writing to thank you for the generous scholarship donation. My

husband and I were overjoyed when we learned that I was chosen as a recipient! I am a part of the first degree completion cohort at WLC in its Adult & Graduate Studies program. As a single-income family, we felt so blessed to receive a scholarship. This program has changed our lives. I will finally graduate this December, seven years after beginning my college journey. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I praise God for the generosity of people like you!

Susan Holdmann, West Allis, Wisconsin

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assistance, the foundation was glad to help,” said Ann Flynn, executive director of the foundation. “Over the years, the foundation has supported a number of scholarships at other schools, and it is especially interested in helping students afford an excellent Christian education.”

Other donors are moved to share their financial blessings, especially with motivated students who want to learn. “Making sure those who have a desire to learn are able to receive the education they need is something we feel strongly about,” said Paul Oswald. He and his wife, Linda, own Environmental Systems Inc., in Brookfield, Wisconsin. “We have been blessed in many ways,” he added, “and this is a very small way of giving back to help hard-working students achieve their goals.”

To continue attracting and retaining quality students – no matter what their financial capacity – Wisconsin

Lutheran College must be able to offer competitive financial aid packages, including scholarships.

“In addition to the generosity of many individuals who contribute annually to our scholarship fund, we appreciate those foundations and corporations that also are recognizing and responding to this vital need,” said Sharon Patterson, director of corporate and foundation relations.

WLC approached the Theodore W. Batterman Family Foundation in 2009, asking it to help bridge a scholarship gap that had grown wider because so many students’ families, as well as the college’s endowment, had been hit hard by the economic downturn. “When we learned that 98% of WLC’s students receive financial

for 98% of all students — financial assistance is vital

In December 2010, legislation was signed by President Obama that extends the Charitable IRA

Rollover through 2011. Individuals who are 70½ or older may make a tax-free gift to qualified charitable organizations such as Wisconsin Lutheran College using funds transferred directly from their IRA now through December 31, 2011.

Benefits? First, this gift from the IRA may count against one’s unsatisfied Required Minimum Distribution. Second, the transfer generates neither

taxable income nor a tax deduction, so the giver would receive the benefit even if he or she did not itemize tax deductions. Third, up to $100,000 may be transferred directly from one’s IRA; one’s spouse can do the same. And finally, a donor would have an immediate and positive impact on WLC!

Consult a tax advisor to determine any tax implications of a gift to WLC of this kind, and contact Kris Metzger (414.443.8925 or kris.metzger@wlc.edu) with questions or to make a gift.

mAke A Gift tO StudentS’ SChOLArShipS thrOuGh yOur irA

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A record number of students – nearly 60 – attended the campus ministry office’s annual Winter Weekend Retreat February 18-20 at the Lions

Camp near Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Students, along with the current vicars and campus pastor Rev. Nathan Strobel, gathered for a weekend of fun and fellowship as they discussed the topic “Citizens of an Amazing Kingdom.”

Participant Rebekah Ungemach, a junior music major from Trevor, Wisconsin, said: “Winter Weekend Retreat is a welcome break from school. It is not only an opportunity to study God’s word and have our souls refreshed, but also a great opportunity to learn more about the other students who are there and to strengthen friendships.”

Campus ministry student retreat Student-athlete recognized

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Senior Erika Laete, an education major from

Spokane, Washington, earned two honors this semester. She was named Wisconsin Lutheran College’s Student Employee of the Year for her work in the student affairs office and also was named the 2011 Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Laete helped lead the Warriors women’s basketball team to the NAC North Division and NAC tournament titles this season. She had a 50-point performance February 19, when she broke the conference’s single-game scoring record. Laete also became the 13th player in WLC history to surpass 1,000 career points. For her efforts, she was named to the 2010-2011 D3hoops.com All-Central Region Second Team.

honored on and off the court Music major Meghan Folkerts of Scottsdale, Arizona, was a directing

intern this spring for the Skylight Opera Theatre’s production of Cosi Fan Tutte by W.A. Mozart. The production ran at the Milwaukee theatre March 18 through April 3. Her duties included observing

rehearsals, taking notes on stage blocking and acting, and writing a blog for the director to help attract a larger audience. (Visit the Skylight Opera blog at skylightopera.blogspot.com.)

Folkerts (center), a member of the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir, also wrote about her internship on the choir’s blog (blogs.wlc.edu/choir): “For me personally, this has been a great learning experience. I have observed how to stage an aria, a fight scene, and an opening sequence where the singers have to move set pieces. I have been able to ask cast members about their background to gain insight for my own performance career. It has been a great experience to watch professional opera singers in the rehearsal process.”

Skylight Opera internship

Junior psychology and communication major

Katie Schommer of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, earned 2010 NCAA Division III All-Academic Cross Country status. She

was one of 170 student-athletes representing 82 institutions that comprised the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Women’s Cross Country Team. To qualify, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or greater through the most recent semester and have placed in the top 35 at the NCAA Regional Championships.

Schommer placed 12th overall out of 263 competitors at the 2010 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. She became the first person in WLC women’s cross country history to qualify for the NCAA Championships, where she finished 47th out of 279 competitors.

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SIn February, world-renowned marimbist

Naoko Takada spent three days in residency at Wisconsin Lutheran College, performing and working with students and faculty on mallet percussion.

On February 3, Takada led a master class in the Schwan Concert Hall, working with WLC music majors Quinten Petersen (above) and Arik McGathey on the college’s new Yamaha five-octave marimba. She also led a seminar on mallet percussion performance.

Takada performed a Guest Artist Series concert on February 4, then on Saturday performed with the WLC Percussion Ensemble conducted by James A. Sewrey and the WLC Concert Band conducted by Prof. Terry S. Treuden. With the Percussion Ensemble, Takada used four mallets on the

chorale sections of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Performing with the Concert Band, Takada used six mallets for a portion of the 15-minute marimba showcase work by Keiko Abe called Prism Rhapsody.

“She was amazing to watch,” said Treuden. “This concert was truly a highlight of this school year for our instrumentalists. They all performed magnificently!”

Learning from a world-renowned musician

During February and March, Wisconsin Lutheran College art department faculty displayed their

current work in the Schlueter Art Gallery. Professors Paul Burmeister, Kristin Gjerdset, and Chad Lindemann participated, along with art adjunct Stephanie Barenz.

“The older I get the more I am convinced that what an artist does in his work is to show or share a way of seeing,” said Burmeister about his artwork, shown below. “When I am working on a piece I find it unavoidable or inevitable that I am moved, as I finish, in a direction that is really about how I see art, with regard both to concept and technique.”

On display through May 20 is a series of ceramic pieces that James Matson, professor of art, created during his fall 2009 sabbatical. Visit wlc.edu/gallery for gallery hours.

Students in the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir and

Chamber Choir shared their musical talents with audiences in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois

during the 2011 Midwest Concert Tour, March 12-20. The choirs presented a diverse, mostly a capella program of sacred and secular choral works in original languages. The program concluded with favorite hymns and spirituals by the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir. Receptions hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College gave audience members at each tour stop the chance to learn more about the college.

Prof. Chad Lindemann’s Nebraska Sandhills painting was the artwork featured on the choir tour’s posters, programs, and postcards (shown above).

On May 16, the WLC Concert Band leaves for a ten-day tour through Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The program features a lineup of all American composers, concluding with John Philip Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. The home concert, which precedes the tour, will take place May 6 at 8 p.m. in the Schwan Concert Hall. Free tickets are available from the box office at 414.443.8802.

Art department biennial faculty exhibition

On the road

expanded capacity for alumni involvement

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The WLC Alumni Board is only six years old, yet its 12 members are

ready to expand and strengthen its effectiveness. In the process, they hope to motivate many of their former college classmates to join in and benefit their alma mater too.

They have decided to create four new subcommittees, focused on activities related to admissions, careers, fundraising, and events.

“We know there are significant gains to be made by connecting alumni with student applicants, parents, current students, and other graduates,” said Jon Maertz ’93, current chair of the Alumni Board. “We’ve found that we can serve as a huge testament to high school students who are making decisions about their choice of college and to current students about their choice of careers.

“We also recognize the need to focus our own talents and resources, as alumni,” Maertz added. “The subcommittees

will allow us to engage more alumni, make more connections that are effective, and integrate more of us with various groups on campus in the areas of admissions, careers, fundraising, and events.”

“I’m very grateful for this Alumni Board and its members’ willingness to get involved as well as to actively invite other alumni to join in their efforts,” said Lisa Leffel, director of alumni relations. “This invitation is for all alumni, no matter where they

live, because these days we can connect with them and involve them through teleconferencing or Skype, so distance is no longer an obstacle. I believe the creation of these subcommittees is the beginning of some very significant alumni activity on behalf of WLC.”

To join one of the new subcommittees of the Alumni Board go to wlc.edu/alumni.

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Jeff Musa ’07 and Jon Maertz ’93 are two current members of the WLC Alumni Board who have been instrumental in creating several new subcommittees of their board.

Alumni take over the Black Box

See Rock City, the second play in a trilogy by Arlene Hutton produced in the Black Box Theatre this school year, had many alumni ties.

The February production was directed by alumna Rachel (Leverence) Williams ’02 and featured a cast of alumni John ’05 and Naomi ’05 (LaGrow) Tiefel (below right) and Sarah Tullberg ’09 (second from left), along with theatre major Deanna Strasse (below left).

Vincent Pelligrino ’10 directed costume design, while Erica Ortenblad ’10 coordinated hair and makeup design. Bryan Quinn ’04 was lighting designer and Erin Eggers ’04 was the stage manager.

For a backstage look at this and other WLC theatre productions, watch videos by Pelligrino on youtube.com/ghostofbanquotv.

Sorensen honored

Lisa (Adamski) Sorensen ’84 of Molt, Montana, received the 2011 Alumni

Service Award from Lisa Leffel (left) and President Daniel Johnson at Winterfest on February 5.

Sorensen graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College in 1984 with an associate of science degree. She was a member of the college’s admissions team from 1986-1997 before becoming director of campus life. Sorensen served on the WLC Alumni Board from 2005-2007.

In 2003, Lisa and her husband, John ’00, moved to Montana, where she is a retirement counselor at Mission Ridge and The Vista in Billings.

facility to be ready for 2011 fall season

The Warriors will take the field next fall enjoying a completed Outdoor Athletic Center – finally! After several years of waiting, the decision to finish Phase One of the entire Krauss-Miller-Lutz Outdoor Athletic Complex has been made, and implementation has begun.“The economic uncertainty we’ve been dealing with in recent years has kept this project on the back burner,” said President Daniel Johnson. “However, with our growing enrollment, a desperately overcrowded locker room and student-athlete situation in our Recreation Complex, and the need to better serve our sports program, our outdoor venue renters, and all the fans who frequent the facility, we decided the time to begin this project was now. We are funding this project by fundraising aggressively, securing naming rights, and leveraging land assets, while not incurring long-term debt. We are moving forward immediately.”Ground was broken in early April, and construction will proceed as quickly as weather permits. The new Outdoor Athletic Center will include locker rooms, restrooms, training, laundry, and equipment rooms, a coaches’ room, and concession stands. The facility will be used by football players but also by student-athletes who compete in track and field, soccer, baseball, and softball.

“The completion of our Outdoor Athletic Center will provide the finishing touch to an outstanding venue,” said Dr. Dennis Miller, head football coach and vice president of student affairs. “It will truly take Wisconsin Lutheran College and its athletic program to an entirely new level, and the new facilities will have fans returning as often as possible.“In addition to fully serving our own student-athletes, this athletic center will attract teams and fans from the entire southeastern Wisconsin area. In fact, it may very well attract regional and state competition and attention.“Every now and then we all have the chance to be part of something special – something exciting,” Miller added. “I believe now – participating in this project – is that kind of opportunity. I would encourage anyone interested in helping us fund the locker room that will serve all of our student-athletes to contact me at dennis.miller@wlc.edu or visit wlcsports.com.”

Box Office: 414.443.8802 Website: wlc.edu/arts

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Generac Hall page 7 iPad in Education page 11 Outdoor Athletic Center page 19Musician in Residence page 17

Join the conversations about WLC! for a complete list of the college’s social media pages, including facebook, twitter, and youtube, visit wlc.edu/pa.

Congratulations on a record 26-4 season!