Campus Connection

 

Sum of excellence: UW-L Math Department honored   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmewVjFG9SU   Similar discussions are just one small reason why the department is the UW System 2015 Regents Teaching Excellence Award recipient. It’s the only department in the state to earn the honor. Read more »

In this issue: Announcements & Notices Athletics Be Well @UW-L Campus Kudos UWLDining Human Resources In The News Murphy Library Notes Remembering Classifieds

Gulf War vet writer to speak on campus An award-winning writer who is an Iraq War Veteran and former NATO peacekeeper will speak at UW-L. Brian Turner, whose recent memoir “My Life as a Foreign Country” has garnered critical acclaim, will speak and give a reading from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in 1309 Centennial Hall. Admission is free; a book signing will follow his presentation. Read more »	Barbados band set to perform The Cover Drive, a popular band from Barbados, will perform at UW-La Crosse. The group performs at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in Valhalla, Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition.  Read more »
UW-L Jazz bands to present final big band concert The UW-La Crosse Jazz Studies Program presents its final big band concert of the 2014–15 season at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19, in Valhalla, Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition. The concert, part of Jazz Appreciation Month, is free. Read more »	UW-L vocal jazz ensembles set concert UW-La Crosse’s three vocal jazz ensembles will conclude their busy performance seasons with a concert at 7:30 p.m.Saturday, April 18, in Annett Recital Hall, Center for the Arts. Admission is free. Read more »
Citizens’ recorded oral histories played in downtown La Crosse On April 12, La Crosse’s downtown came alive with the memories of local citizens who worked, lived and shopped on the streets. Read more »	Students advocate for education; UW-L students share the value of UW-L education with legislators   UW-L senior Julianne Merkes was one of four UW-L students who stood up for the value of preserving higher education in front of hundreds of Wisconsinites at the end of March. Read more »
Spring art show to feature work of graduating seniors April 17 Eleven graduating seniors will showcase their best work in the annual spring senior exhibition. The exhibition opens with a reception from 4-6 p.m. Friday, April 17, in the University Art Gallery, Center for the Arts. The show runs through Friday, May 8. The reception and show are free. Read more »	Forum highlights advancements in Alzheimer’s research Today at least 5 million people in the U.S. and 44 million worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease. A forum at UW-La Crosse Thursday, April 16, will highlight progress being made in Alzheimer’s research including state-of-the-art medical research happening in Wisconsin. The forum will be from 6:30-8 p.m. in 1309 Centennial Hall. Read more »

 

Watch TEDxUWLaCrosse January events online

Videos from the 2015 TEDxUWLaCrosse event that happened in January on campus are now live.

Jimi Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland' to be featured at April 17 Album Encounters; 'The Extra Terrestrial Files' is April Public Program

The next Album Encounters multimedia light and laser show will feature Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland" at 8 p.m. Friday, April 17, in 20 Cowley Hall. Admission is $5. The Planetarium’s Public Program for April is "The Extra Terrestrial Files." The talk, followed by a multimedia audiovisual presentation, will be at 1 p.m. Saturdays, April 18 and 25. Admission is $3 for students, seniors and children, and $5 for others. For more information, contact Bob Allen at allen.robe@uwlax.edu or 608.785.8669. See more about the Planetarium at www.uwlax.edu/planetarium.

Deadline to sign up for April 26 Volleyball clinic for children with special needs is April 17

UW-L Men's and Women's Club Volleyball is teaming up with Inspire Sports to host on a free volleyball clinic for individuals with special needs or extra challenges to overcome.

The clinic will be in Mitchell Hall from 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday, April 26, with check-in starting at noon. The registration deadline is Friday, April 17. Register online at www.inspiresportswi.org.

This is a first-time event for UW-L Club Volleyball teams. Participants in this clinic will be paired up one-on-one with UW-L club volleyball players to practice skills, create relationships and have fun. All participants receive a free event T-shirt.

For more information contact Laura Neubert at neubert.laur@uwlax.edu.

Purchase tickets for April 18 drag show by April 17 and save money

The Pride Center, Rainbow Unity, Transform and Fierce will host the 13th annual drag show at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18. Support students and colleagues in the "7 Deadly Sins Drag Show" in Valhalla, Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition. This year's tips will go to the Eagle Pride Scholarship and the Sara Sullivan Study Abroad Scholarships. Cost is $5 for students and $10 for general admission. Tickets go up $3 the day of show.

J. Craig Forrest is keynote speaker at the April 20 bioresearch forum

Professor J. Craig Forrest, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, will present "Goldilocks and the Gammaherpesviruses: Viral Interactions with p53 Must be Just Right" at the Monday, April 20, La Crosse Bioresearch Forum. The presentation runs from 12:15-1 p.m. in the Overholt Auditorium, Gundersen Health System. The free forums are open to the public and hosted by the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation. Those attending should park in the Green ramp or use valet parking. Use the entrances at the north end and northeast side of the medical center.

Sign up now to play in UW-L's Alumni & Friends Aug. 12 Golf Outing

Reconnect with UW-L friends and alumni while raising funds for programs that strengthen UW-L. The UW-L Alumni & Friends Golf Outing is set for Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Cedar Creek Golf Club. The unique, five-person golf scramble is $125 per person and includes: lunch, 18 holes of golf with cart, special edition UW-L polo shirt, team photo, beverages on the course, special hole events, dinner and a raffle with great prizes. In 2014, more than $15,000 was raised to support the Alumni Association's legacy scholarships, the Lantern magazine, networking events, alumni reunions and much more. Sign up online here or call the Alumni Association at 608.785.8489. Twenty-six years and still going strong, thanks to the support of UW-L's friends and alumni.

Writing Center seeks writing tutors

The Writing Center is accepting applications for writing tutors for the 2015-16 school year. Students from all majors who will be at least sophomores in the next school year are encouraged to apply. Center staff are looking for confident and outgoing students who are comfortable working with other students on writing skills. Writing Center tutors are paid $10 per hour, work six-10 hours per week, and are required to take a one-credit training course, ENG 299. More information about the Writing Center or the application, click Writing Center. For questions, contact Virginia Crank at vcrank@uwlax.edu.

News and upcoming events

• Softball hosts Luther College 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. Admission is free for faculty and staff with a UW-L ID.
• Baseball plays UW-Stevens Point 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 15.
• Women's and Men's Track will kick off the Phil Esten Challenge 2 p.m. Thursday, April 16. The Challenge will continue 3 p.m. Friday, April 17.
• Baseball will host UW-Stout noon Saturday, April 18 at Copeland Park. Another game is at noon Sunday, April 19. Join us for some great giveaways.
• Mark your calendars for the 14th Annual Eagle Eye Open. The golf outing features UW-L athletic teams at each hole, and includes 18 holes with a cart, box lunch, dinner social, golf polo, a sleeve of golf balls, and the opportunity to enter a raffle and silent auction. Register here for this event.
• Eagles Swimming has five new clinics scheduled.  The Freestyle Clinic is April 27; Backstroke Clinic is April 28; Breaststroke Clinic is April 29; Butterfly Clinic is May 1; and Starts and Turns Clinic is May 2. For more information about each clinic and to register, visit http://swimming.uwlcamps.com/technical-swimming-clinics.cfm.
• UW-L Football Spring Youth Camp is set for April 19, 26, and May 3. Camp is open to grades K-8. Participants will learn offensive and defensive position specific skills, drills and fundamentals. To register, click here.

Laughter has been shown to influence physiological and psychological well-being and to influence health outcomes.  Even fake .. read more

Mark W. Chavalas, History, co-authored book "The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament" has undergone its 15th printing since its original publication in 2000. Tushar Das, Mathematics, presented an invited research talk "Pseudorectifiability and topological rigidity of Kleinian groups and IFSes in infinite-dimensions" at the American Mathematical Society Special Session on Fractal Geometry and Ergodic Theory, University of Alabama, Huntsville, March 28. Das also presented an invited research talk "Geometric measure theory and dimension rigidity in conformal dynamics"  at the RTG Logic and Dynamics Seminar, University of North Texas, April 3. Víctor M. Macías-González, History, presented preliminary findings from his sabbatical research at four scholarly meetings in March. He presented at the First Conference of the Iberian and Latin American Social History Association, El Colegio de México, March 23. He was invited by the new Mexican LGBT Historical Memory Project (Archivos e Historias Diversas, A.C.), to lecture at El Museo del Estanquillo, Mexico City, and at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Macías-González also presented his work by invitation of the Five College Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Digital Humanities Initiative, LGBT Rights in the Americas Timeline Project, at the LGBT Rights in Latin America and Beyond Conference, April 3, at Amherst College. Kristy McManus, Marketing, received the Hugh G. Wales award for Outstanding Faculty Advisor Saturday, March 21.

What’s Happening In Dining Services — By Registered Dietitian Katie Callahan Buying organic: is it worth it? Organic, along with words such as “gluten-free” and “clean,” is a common nutrition buzzword. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states the goal of organic food and farming is to “integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.” In simpler terms, items that are labeled “USDA Organic” or “Certified Organic” must have an ingredient list that is 95 percent or more free of synthetic additives such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers and dyes. Items must also not be processed using industrial solvents, irradiation or genetic engineering. Some of the many reasons why it can be beneficial to purchase organic include the positive environmental impacts, restricted amount of pesticide and antibiotic use and quality taste. Studies have demonstrated organic items tend to have more protective antioxidants than non-organic counterparts. But, there are some organic products that are worth purchasing over others. You want to prioritize food according to how likely items are to contain pesticides. You do not necessarily need to purchase items such as organic bananas, avocadoes and pineapple, since they have a protective coating. These items are less likely to contain pesticides. On the other hand, it might be a good idea to purchase items such as berries, peaches and apples since they have a thin protective layer and a higher likelihood of pesticides and antibiotics. While the long-term effects on organic food products have yet to be determined on human health, the positive environmental impacts are worth the extra money! For more information on organic farming practices, visit http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=organic-agriculture.html