UW for You Stories
Suzie Slota MS’98
Executive Director
Children’s Museum of Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Suzie Slota’s dream of giving back to her community became a reality in 2004, when the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire opened its doors. A founder and executive director, Slota says the communication skills she learned as a student at UW-Madison have been put to good use.
“Certainly, I think that when people find out that I have a master’s degree and that it’s from the University of Wisconsin, that means something,” says Slota.
The Children’s Museum of Eau Claire is a place where kids and adults can exercise their imaginations through hands-on activities, such as the “Bitty City,” complete with a play diner, city hall, grocery store and bank. More than 112,000 people have visited the children’s museum and Slota hopes it will continue to inspire the Chippewa Valley for years to come.
Bill Pokel BA’75, MS’83
Principal
WilsonElementary School
Neenah, Wisconsin
On the Monday after Bill Pokel finished his bachelor’s degree in education at UW-Madison, he was teaching in the Oconomowoc school district. That trial by fire may have worried some, but Pokel says the varied experiences he had at UW-Madison prepared him for the challenge.
“I had the chance to learn from professors who are still world-renowned today,” says Pokel.
Also a four-year member of the UW Marching Band, Pokel learned on the practice field what it means to be a leader. He recalls how much it impressed him that Band Director Mike Leckrone remembered his name after one audition. Ever since, Pokel has made it a point to know the name of every child at his school. He’s been a principal since 1984, leading Wilson Elementary for the past three years.
“That’s what’s neat about being in a neighborhood school,” says Pokel, “making those kinds of connections.”
Judy Sleik ’68
Teacher
EmersonElementary School
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Judy Sleik studied to be a social worker at UW-Madison, training that she says often comes in handy in her current line of work — teaching fifth graders. But Sleik gained more than a diploma from UW-Madison. She also gained an up-close view of American history.
“I went to school during the Dow demonstrations [in the Vietnam War years],” says Sleik. “It was extremely stimulating to be part of, and it got me really interested in politics and world affairs.”
Sleik has been teaching at Emerson Elementary School in her hometown for the past 21 years, in large part, she says, because she loves the enthusiasm of her students.
“Fifth grade is a wonderful age,” she says. “They’re just starting to see the world.”
Photo taken by Bob Seaquist
Beth Carlson ’86
Teacher
Waukesha South High School
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Beth Carlson came to the teaching profession after ten years as a water treatment engineer. Now she has the chance to share her real-world experience with students at the Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy, a new charter school set to open at Waukesha South High School next fall.
A science instructor at South, Carlson earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at UW-Madison. She says that her UW training will be put to use in her new role as an engineering teacher at the Academy, where she will teach students a specialized curriculum incorporating engineering, science, math and technology.
“There’s such a demand out there for engineers and for technically trained people,” says Carlson. “By exposing kids to science and engineering, hopefully they’ll see that it’s not totally out of reach.”
Photo taken by Mark Hines
Christine Freiberg ’72
Speech and Language Pathologist
Wausau School District
Wausau, Wisconsin
When Chris Freiberg needed better diagnostic tools in speech therapy, she turned to UW-Madison’s Department of Communicative Disorders. The result was win-win: she helped collect data that grew into a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction guide for speech and language pathologists throughout Wisconsin.
“With new and unique populations coming to central Wisconsin, we needed to make a distinction between speech and language pathology issues and the needs of culturally diverse groups,” says Freiberg.
Freiberg’s UW connection extends beyond her career. An active member of the Wausau alumni chapter, Freiberg met her husband, Charles ’71, on campus and their daughter, Katherine Freiberg Arrubla, is a 1999 graduate of Wisconsin.
Photo taken by Doug Moore
Tom Harvey ’95
Ophthalmologist
Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Tom Harvey was inspired to become an eye doctor while studying abroad in Chile. During his junior year in college, he was confronted with the brutal reality of blindness due to poverty, and he decided to make finding a solution his life’s work.
Now an ophthalmologist at the Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, Harvey is perfecting a new technique that could revolutionize the field of cornea transplantation. By replacing patients’ cloudy corneas through a small incision, Harvey says surgeons can reduce scarring and speed the recovery process.
His mission to save sight began at UW-Madison, where he studied genetics as an undergraduate, and the university continues to have an impact on his work.
“I was prepared every step of the way, thanks to my education,” Harvey says.
John ’55 and Sally ’58 Mielke
Retired Health Care Providers
Appleton, Wisconsin
John and Sally Mielke are on a mission. The retired cardiologist and nurse educator are striving to improve public health in the Fox Valley through their work on numerous community boards and initiatives. The two got their start at UW-Madison, where both earned degrees.
A deep respect for the value of a UW education has been in the Mielke family for generations. John’s father attended the medical school nearly a century ago, and his son is now enrolled at UW-Madison.
The Mielkes say UW-Madison taught them how to learn, a tool they’ve put to work over the last 50 years. Together, John and Sally helped establish the Fox Cities Community Health Center, which serves 6,000 people each year.
“We really try to push the education process in our community,” says John, “because it’s a very good way to improve health and practice preventive medicine.”
Photo taken by Mike Roemer
Stephanie Swartz ’74
Chief Nursing Officer
Gundersen Lutheran Hospital
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Stephanie Swartz has seen it all in her nursing career. She’s worked in the emergency room, as a flight nurse, in the intensive care unit, and now she’s the chief nursing officer at Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse.
She got her start as a nursing student at UW-Madison, and her career has come full-circle — Swartz is involved with the UW School of Nursing Western Campus, an innovative partnership between the university and the hospital that gives nursing students the chance to train in La Crosse and earn a degree from the UW School of Nursing.
“It’s a wonderful model where your practitioners are your educators,” says Swartz. “That’s the greatest contribution that UW-Madison has [in La Crosse]. It’s truly a mutual partnership with lots of joint gains.”
Chris Davies ’85, MD’88
Surgeon
Waukesha Surgical Specialists
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Chris Davies comes from a long line of Badgers. He works with his father, also a doctor at Waukesha Surgical Specialists who received training at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. His grandfather, brothers and sisters, wife, and two daughters all attended UW-Madison.
But Davies says the work alumni do everyday is the real Badger legacy. Many of the physicians in the Waukesha area received their training at UW-Madison.
“There’s a lot of alumni impact just in this community,” says Davies.
A solid UW medical background put Davies in prime position when it came time to seek a residency. He earned a bachelor’s degree and MD at the UW, and says his time in Madison broadened his horizons.
“I had a great deal of opportunities,” he says. “Coming out of Madison, I was well-trained.”
Photo taken by Mark Hines
Mary Jo Freeman MD’76
Doctor
Aspirus Hospital
Wausau, Wisconsin
Mary Jo Freeman has been working for change ever since she began her Wausau practice in 1979.
Dr. Freeman led the effort to get Aspirus Hospital’s very first bone density scanner. Now it’s the standard in osteoporosis care. A Medical School alumna, Dr. Freeman says UW-Madison prepared her for her career.
“There are many other UW alumni that I work with here,” she says. “I’ve found them all to be uniformly well trained.”
It’s those specialists, Dr. Freeman says, that raise the level of health care in Wausau for the entire community. Doctors who are UW grads often recruit the latest crop of Medical School graduates, so there’s a constant stream of highly skilled physicians. Dr. Freeman says Wausau wouldn’t have such high-quality medical services without the vital resources UW-Madison provides.
Photo taken by Doug Moore
Joel Garcia-Trevino MS’82
Physical Design Manager
Silicon Graphics
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Joel Garcia-Trevino rode the wave of super computing. “Twenty-five years ago, I studied computer-aided design at UW-Madison when the field was so new, there wasn’t even a title for it,” he says.
Now he’s working to make Chippewa Valley a world leader. “At Silicon Graphics, I have seen the creation of many inventions that keep us on the leading edge of supercomputer development,” says Garcia-Trevino. “To continue to be that great, Wisconsin requires educated professionals.”
With corporate headquarters in California’s Silicon Valley, Silicon Graphics calls its Chippewa Falls location, with its strong educational system, a “jewel.” Garcia-Trevino agrees. “Every engineer that graduates from the UW and stays here is a big win for the state.”
Photo taken by C&N Photography
John Davis MBA’86
President
Great Northern Corporation
Appleton, Wisconsin
When John Davis reviews the Wisconsin MBA curriculum, he likes what he sees: career specializations in supply chain, operations and technology management.
“I have a heavy stake in the manufacturing side of Wisconsin,” says Davis, who leads a second-generation family business in packaging, Great Northern Corporation in Appleton, Oshkosh, Racine and Chippewa Falls. He has also joined forces with community business leaders to form the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance to promote manufacturing opportunities in Wisconsin.
Great Northern does its share of recruiting hometown talent: about half of its leadership team grew up in Wisconsin and attended UW-Madison or another UW System school. Davis believes the net result is win-win: “A lot of talented UW grads have joined our team.”
Photo courtesy of GNC
Sabina Bosshard JD’73
President
Bosshard Parke Ltd.
La Crosse, Wisconsin
Sabina Bosshard has a unique understanding of how law, manufacturing and banking are intertwined in her community. A third-generation attorney and UW graduate, Bosshard and her brothers share ownership of City Brewing and Citizens State Bank in La Crosse.
Bosshard Parke law firm traces its origins in La Crosse to 1900. “My father thought he owed everything to the UW,” Bosshard says, recalling his gratitude for receiving scholarship assistance. “We have strong feelings for the University of Wisconsin.”
She also likes the direction the UW is heading. “The university is actively trying to partner with schools and businesses in the La Crosse area,” she says, and the net result is positive for the community’s economic prosperity.
Photo taken by Megan McCluskey
Bruce Dennert MEPP’02
Principal Engineer
Harley-Davidson
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Bruce Dennert was a professional engineer with 30-plus years under his belt when he earned a master’s degree through a University of Wisconsin online learning program.
The experience was so positive that he began team-teaching a series of online courses for the UW Master’s of Engineering in Engine Systems. The program graduates its first class in spring 2007, and seven of its 10 students are working at Wisconsin companies.
Dennert puts his training to use designing engines for Harley’s signature motorcycles. “The program has made me realize that the university is not bounded by the campus, nor is it bounded by state lines,” says Dennert. “The university is truly for everyone.
“I think the university is the shining jewel of the state.”
Photo taken by C&N Photography
Jim O’Connell MA’75
Executive Director
Wausau Area Performing Arts Foundation
Wausau, Wisconsin
When Jim O’Connell is looking for strategic planning advice for a nonprofit arts and cultural venture, he contacts the UW Bolz Center for Arts Administration. “It’s
a tremendous resource,” he says.
“The university gave me a set of specific skills that I use every day, not only in
my own business but to forge effective partnerships,” says O’Connell, who earned a
master’s degree in business and arts administration.
“The UW provided me with a peer group of incredibly talented and dedicated folks I can call upon.”
O’Connell’s network helped him lead a multimillion dollar renovation and building project in downtown Wausau, the Grand Theater on ArtsBlock, enhancing the arts and education as well as the economic development of his community.
Photo taken by Bob Rashid