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Professors reimagine philosophy, psychology classrooms to amplify intentional student engagement

goersab — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Professors reimagine philosophy, psychology classrooms to amplify intentional student engagementgoersab April 20, 2026

Bozzo, Zhao named Universities of Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars

Two �� professors will have a unique opportunity this year to collaborate with other exceptional Universities of Wisconsin educators, representing various disciplines of study.

Selected as Universities of Wisconsin 2026-27 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars, Alexander Bozzo, Center for Applied Ethics director and assistant professor of philosophy; and Yuxuan Zhao, assistant professor of psychology, are among 23 faculty and instructors from 12 Universities of Wisconsin, nominated by provosts for their excellence in teaching and learning.

UW Teaching Fellows Assistant Professor of philosophy Alexander Bozzo and Assistant Professor of psychology Yuxuan Zhao.

During the fellowship, Bozzo plans to reimagine the philosophy classroom experience, drawing structure from a community forum he organizes. Zhao will create opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning within the psychology field, while encouraging critical reflection. Fellows and scholars each receive a $4,000 stipend from their university.

“Ongoing professional development is critical to our commitment as polytechnic educators. Each year, I am inspired by the student-focused projects put forward by �� faculty, and remain grateful for the Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars program,” said Provost Glendalí Rodríguez.

In addition to discussing effective evidence-based teaching and learning approaches, UW Teaching Fellows will be guided through systematic research focused on improving student learning through a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning project. The yearlong program begins in May and will culminate with a research presentation in spring 2027.

Transforming the formal model of a philosophy classroom

Bozzo has seen the university classroom change quickly and dramatically with a new generation of students and the emergence of new transformative technologies. As a UW Teaching Fellow, he ��. looking forward to collaborating with other professors and experts on the scholarship of teaching and learning to further evolve his pedagogical practices.

“My ultimate teaching goals are to have students intentionally and rigorously engage with the material, to find it interesting and relevant to their lives, to clearly and critically communicate their ideas to others, and to come away with a richer understanding and excitement about it,” he said. “The formula for accomplishing these ends is changing, and I plan to use this opportunity to rethink and restructure my courses and methods.”

For instance, on top of class discussion, Bozzo would like to find additional ways to make students’ expression of their views, and the critical assessment of them, front-and-center, rather than the mere regurgitation of terminology and information. Bozzo plans to base this model on a program he organizes as the director of the Center for Applied Ethics – The Philosophers’ Café.

“In class, I would like to place greater emphasis on the conversation and the exchange of ideas. To this end, my project is to see how I can transform the formal model of the classroom to be more akin to The Philosophers’ Café. Students are interested in the ideas covered in class, and I want to teach to that interest and maximize engagement,” Bozzo said.

The Philosophers’ Café is a public forum series, where community members engage in open, friendly and respectful dialogue in an informal setting. Meetings are led by faculty, with topics ranging from traditional philosophical problems to pressing contemporary ethical issues.

Intentionally incorporating student feedback in the psychology classroom

As a new member of the �� community, Zhao has been deeply impressed by the creativity and energy that shapes teaching here. “Many of our undergraduate students engage in hands-on learning experiences that are often part of graduate-level study. In my teaching, I aim to build on this strength by advancing psychology education in ways that prepare students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts,” they said.

Zhao strives to create opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning, while encouraging critical reflection on how these concepts operate within diverse social, cultural and political environments. As a UW Teaching Fellow, they hope to further develop inclusive and responsive teaching practices by actively listening to students’ experiences of belonging and representation in classrooms and lab settings.

“Understanding the influence of sociocultural context is essential when applying social science beyond the classroom, and as teachers, we do not always have full insight into the realities of our students,” Zhao said. “Through this opportunity, I plan to advance my approach of hands-on teaching by integrating student feedback more intentionally and continuing to learn alongside my students about their realities.”

They hope to foster a learning environment that is both experiential and reflective, preparing students to think critically and apply psychology in ways that are socially and culturally informed.

Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars is offered by the Universities of Wisconsin ��. Office of Professional and Instructional Development, which supports the 13 UW Centers for Teaching and Learning in fostering a culture of teaching and learning excellence in Wisconsin.

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Professors reimagine philosophy, psychology classrooms to amplify intentional student engagement

Bozzo, Zhao named Universities of Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars

April 20, 2026

Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama

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Bozzo, Zhao named Universities of Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars UW Teaching Fellows Xan Bozzo and Yuxuan Zhao

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Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama

goersab — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:34:32 +0000

Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyamagoersab April 13, 2026

Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions

Abbey Goers

A small black case rests atop a filing cabinet in Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche ��. office. He opens the case and begins strumming a ukulele. The soft music fills the office. Dietsche, an engineering technology instructor at ��, built the ukulele 15 years ago under the guidance of Kazukiyo “Jiggs” Kuboyama, a master in his craft who was honored by the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii.

In homage to Kuboyama, Dietsche tasked his own students to develop a process to build ukuleles in his New Product Development course this semester. “For me to do this is in honor of his tradition,” Dietsche said of Kuboyama, who was a 1957 �� industrial arts alum. He taught technology education in Oahu and passed away in 2019.

Professor Kevin Dietsche and Braden Kapitz watch as the CNC machine removes wood to shape a main ukulele jig.

The project grew to also include developing toolless bed connections, with one group expanding their design to work across different furniture types – a solution allowing for flexibility of use.

The engineering technology and mechanical engineering students worked in cross-disciplinary groups to research market trends and materials and to ideate preliminary designs before they were joined by engineers and designers from Ashley Furniture Industries, including industrial and product design alums Caleb Toft and Anna Lindner, as well as Emeritus Professor Jerome Johnson, who viewed the groups’ design presentations and provided insight based on their industry experience.

The groups then began their build process of the ukuleles and toolless connections in the Jarvis Hall Technology Wing Woods Lab.

“These projects are about teaching the students problem solving through the design process. The most difficult part is getting your first draft right. Once you’ve troubleshooted everything, you can build hundreds of models using your programming,” Dietsche said.

Creating ukulele building kits for beginners

The ukulele groups are meeting the challenge of making instrument-building kits more accessible to beginners. Two groups – Andrea Smith, of East Troy, and Brook Derks, of River Falls; and Konnor Kraft, of Plymouth, Minnesota, Alex Ogno, of DeForest, and Braden Kapitz, of Athens – researched ukulele construction methods, dimensions, and kerfing techniques, and how wood type and body shape affects sound quality and buildability.

Konnor Kraft shows a cardboard prototype and a CNCed jig for a ukulele.

“Traditional instrument construction requires a high level of craftsmanship, which can be difficult for those with limited woodworking experience. Our goal is to simplify the process so anyone can successfully build a ukulele using guided methods and fixtures,” Smith said.

The groups designed main jig blocks in SolidWorks to match the size and shape of a ukulele and then, using AI contour construction, they removed the inner material on a CNC machine to make the manufacturing process more consistent and repeatable.

Andrea Smith and Brook Derks discuss their ukulele design.

“We then steamed .08-inch-thick strips of ash wood for 45 minutes to make it malleable and clamped it to the inside of the main jig block for 48 hours to create the exterior curve of the instrument,” Kraft said. “The quality of the wood can affect how it curves, as well as how long it is steamed. We found that 45 minutes in the steamer was optimal for malleability, and that knots will affect the wood ��. strength. It will weaken and split at the knot when curved.”

The groups also made kerfing supports (flexible, notched wooden strips glued to the inside of the ukulele body to strengthen the structure). “The top of our ukulele will be made of spruce for sound quality and the neck will be made of cherry wood for its vibrant color,” Kraft said.

Konnor Kraft cuts pieces for a ukulele neck on a bandsaw, assisted by TA Annika Schleuter.

Smith and Derks expect bending the wood sides and achieving consistent kerf cuts to be challenging, since both directly affect the shape and structural integrity of the ukulele. “Designing jigs that ensure accurate alignment and repeatability has also required careful planning. We’re looking forward to testing to see how well our designs perform and what adjustments may be needed,” Smith said.

She ��. enjoyed researching everything that goes into making a ukulele and understanding how each component affects the final instrument. “It ��. been especially rewarding to take that knowledge and apply my design skills to create something that actually works. Seeing the transition from research to a functional build has been the most satisfying part of the process,” Smith said.

Andrea Smith and Brook Derks ready their ukulele jig block for the CNC machine.

Simple, functional, attractive and mass-manufacturable designs

One of the toolless connections groups – Alex Dill, of Hartland, Aden Story, of Holcombe, and Bethany Winge, of Cottage Grove – first worked to identify ways that toolless assembly works in conjunction with a flatpack bed frame (a bed designed to be deconstructed into individual components). They then compared their drafted ideas to existing market solutions.

“We found that a flatpack frequently involves various methods that have self-aligning or self-maintaining joinery. From there, we began to brainstorm connection methods that involved self-contained components, or single-step customer assembly and disassembly items,” Dill said.

TA Annika Scheuter and Bethany Winge construct a frame for an epoxy mold pour.

From Toft and Johnson ��. critiques, the group thought the most interesting was to remember how material affects customer perception and quality of an item. “For example, a nicely finished piece of stainless steel has a much more premium feel than injection molded plastic,” Dill said.

Dietsche required the toolless connection groups to produce their designs with three different manufacturing methods and materials. Dill, Story, and Winge ��. thumbscrew and locking head device is intended to work across different furniture types.

Their methods and materials include: 1.) a 3D-printed component, designed in SolidWorks and printed by Story on his home 3D printer; 2.) a poured epoxy component, produced using a two-part casting rubber mix; and 3.) a metal component, based on availability and machinability, such as stainless steel and aluminum, and cut out by Dill on the CNC machine in the Machine and Subtractive Processing Lab in Fryklund Hall.

TA Annika Schleuter and Bethany Winge mix the two-part casting rubber for an epoxy mold pour.

“The epoxy pour makes everything more repeatable in the manufacturing process. And our 3D-printed component is very well designed and thought out. But I think the metal component would sell the best in the real world,” Winge said.

The challenging part is almost always coming up with a design, as it needs to be simple, functional, attractive, and most importantly, mass manufacturable, Dill said. “Professor Dietsche facilitates a phenomenal environment to learn about CNC programming and other shop processes. Being able to go out in the lab and make things while learning how on the fly has proven very fun and interesting.

“More people should take technical manufacturing classes, as they build an appreciation for how the world around us is made,” he added.

Aden Story holds a 3D-printed thumbscrew for toolless furniture assembly.

�� . engineering and technology department offers six undergraduate degrees, including computer and electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, plastics engineering, engineering technology and packaging, as well as four minors and a master ��. in manufacturing engineering.

Technology education is offered through the School of Education, which is home to nine undergraduate degrees, five graduate degrees, certificates, certifications and online professional development courses.

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Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions Ukulele and toolless connections projects, Woods Lab

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�� honored for strong support of employees in National Guard and Reserve

goersab — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:22:08 +0000

�� honored for strong support of employees in National Guard and Reservegoersab March 18, 2026

Tech. Sgt. Nelson nominates Infrastructure Services Deputy CIO Janicki with Patriot Award

Abbey Goers

��, Wisconsin ��. ��, and its Learning and Information Technology (LIT) department received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Certificate of Appreciation on March 17. ESGR is a Department of Defense program that fosters strong relationships between civilian employers and their National Guard and Reserve employees.

Presenting �� and LIT with the ESGR Certificate of Appreciation were United States Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Nelson, System Engineer III with �� . Infrastructure Services, as well as Wisconsin ESGR Area 6 Chair Mike Hallquist and ESGR volunteer Martha Stratton.

Mike Hallquist, Chancellor Katherine Frank, Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Nelson, Tom Janicki, Sue Traxler and Martha Stratton

Accepting the recognition on behalf of the university and LIT were Nelson ��. supervisors, Assistant Chancellor of LIT and Chief Information Officer Sue Traxler and Deputy Chief Information Officer and Director of Infrastructure Services Tom Janicki. They were joined by Chancellor Katherine Frank. Janicki also received the organization ��. Patriot Award.

“I’d like to thank Tom, Sue, the Chancellor, and everyone at �� for the incredible support they’ve shown me throughout my Air Force Reserve career,” Nelson said. “I nominated Tom for the Patriot Award because he consistently demonstrates understanding, flexibility, and encouragement for my military obligations, ensuring I never feel conflicted between my responsibilities here and my service to our country.”

Janicki is honored by the recognition, but feels the real credit belongs to ��. “Our policies and culture empower supervisors to support Guard and Reserve members effectively, making service and work responsibilities easier to balance,” he said.

Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Nelson presents Deputy CIO Tom Janicki with the ESGR Patriot Award.

Within its Statement of Support from the Guard and Reserve, �� affirms, “We recognize the Guard and Reserve are essential to the strength of our Nation and the well-being of our communities.

“Therefore, we join other employers in pledging that:

We fully recognize, honor and comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
We will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage those employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve.
We appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills Service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to employ Guardsmen, Reservists, transitioning Service members and Veterans.
We will continually recognize and support our country ��. Service members and their families in peace, in crisis, and in war.”

�� employs 34 individuals who identify as veterans.

The Patriot Award is given to patriotic employers for contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in America ��. National Guard and Reserve Force.

Chancellor Katherine Frank, Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Nelson, Deputy CIO Tom Janicki and CIO Sue Traxler

�� has also been recognized for its support of veteran and active service students. The university was named a 2025 Best for Vets College by Military Times for its commitment to serving veterans and their families, ranking first in Wisconsin among traditional and online universities and placing 24th in the Midwest.

Last spring, the university received a silver designation as a Military Friendly® School because of its efforts to create sustainable and meaningful education paths for members of the military community. It was the 16th consecutive year that �� earned a place on that list.

“At ��, we are proud to support veteran and active service students and employees across the university. Recognition from organizations like ESGR and others is important confirmation that we are succeeding as a university in support of our students, faculty, and staff. The fact that an employee nominated their supervisor for this recognition makes the award even more special, and we are ‘Stout Proud’ of the example set by Tom Janicki and LIT,” Chancellor Frank said.

�� saluted as Military Friendly School for servicemembers, veterans and their spouses

For the 16th consecutive year, university honored for efforts to help vets make most of their benefits

�� Veteran Services can provide advice on veteran and military education benefits and assists with applying for benefits. It can be reached by calling 715-232-1659 or emailing veteranstudents@uwstout.edu.

The university ��. most recent First Destination Report, released earlier this month, stated that 100% of veteran graduates were employed within six months of graduation.

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Tech. Sgt. Nelson nominates Infrastructure Services Deputy CIO Janicki with Patriot Award ESGR Certificate Award, March 2026

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Board game renaissance: �� professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

giffeyt — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Board game renaissance: �� professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design businessgiffeyt February 16, 2026

Dave Beck ��. Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Tom Giffey

The gift of a board game, a visit to a historic distillery and a sleepless night during a sabbatical in Scotland combined to inspire �� Professor Dave Beck to create a successful game design business.

These experiences also transformed Beck ��. approach to teaching students in �� . game design and development programs. Whether they come from the artistic or computer science sides of game design, students make their way to Beck ��. Introduction to Game Design course, where he stresses the fundamentals. And good design, he emphasizes, doesn’t have to start on a computer.

“It ��. really the concept of the design and creating a system and a series of problems and challenges for a player to overcome,” Beck said. “That can happen on paper, or it can happen in pixels.”

The first assignment happens on paper, a common first step for budding game designers, as Beck ��. students use cards, dice and other components to fashion paper prototypes. Paverson Games, Beck ��. acclaimed indie game design business, also started in analog fashion.

Luthier, like other Paverson Games titles, features rich detail and exquisitely designed pieces.

Professor Dave Beck

Back in 2014, Beck — who has academic expertise in 3D modeling, virtual reality, animation, level design and game engines — was given a board game by his wife, �� Senior Lecturer Emily Beck, as a gift. Initially skeptical, he was quickly enchanted by Dominion, a medieval-themed deck-building game, which was very different from the frustrating, luck-based board games he remembered from childhood. Soon, he said, “I fell deep into a rabbit hole” and acquired a basement full of similar board games.

Beck isn’t alone in having his imagination captured by the hobby: Tabletop gaming has undergone a renaissance over the past decade or so, expanding into a $27 billion industry worldwide with projected annual growth of more than 10%. The trend has been driven by the increased availability of well-designed, attractive games like those produced by Paverson Games.

Yet for Beck, board games remained a pastime rather than a vocation for several years until he found himself on sabbatical in Scotland with his wife, who was teaching there for a semester. Amid working on his own 3D augmented reality project, Beck found time to play board games and tour some of Scotland ��. legendary distilleries.

It was shortly after one such tour that Beck spent a sleepless night pondering a potential game. “Probably around midnight, this idea, truly a lightbulb moment, popped in my head about how I could represent the distilling process through a game mechanic, which is basically shuffling and removing cards to represent cutting out the heads and the tails,” he said. (In this context, “heads” and “tails” are byproducts from the beginning and end of the distillation process.)

The next morning found Beck scribbling notes and fashioning pieces of paper — much like his Introduction to Game Design students do. “The second I came up with this idea, I was cutting things out,” he recalled. “It was just like this energy inside me and this kind of joy — I don’t know how to better describe it — that I hadn’t felt in years.”

�� professors, left to right, Seth Berrier (computer science), Sarah Wood (psychology) and Andrew Williams (design) play test an early version of Professor Dave Beck ��. game D / Submitted photo

After more designing and play testing, Beck returned to Wisconsin with the basis of Distilled, which is marketed as a “spirited strategy game” in which players compete to become master distillers by creating whiskey, gin, rum and other spirits. He launched a Kickstarter in 2021, which raised its original goal of $18,000 in just 23 minutes. Ultimately, more than 8,000 backers pledged nearly $550,000 toward the project.

To make the game a reality, Beck leaned on the talents of some of his �� colleagues. Professor Erik Evensen, program director for the B.F.A. illustration program, created the artwork and served as graphic designer for the project. Professor Seth Berrier, program director in B.S. computer science (game design and development concentration), helped create an online version of Distilled, which allowed users to play test the game and give feedback. Meanwhile, Associate Professor Cody Reimer, program director for B.S. game and media studies, used his technical writing skills to edit the rulebook and game text.

More than four years after the original Kickstarter launched, Distilled has sold more than 50,000 copies across 10 different languages. (A cocktail-themed expansion launched last fall raised an additional $631,000 on Kickstarter.) And Beck ��. business has gained attention beyond board-gaming circles, including being named one of the best strategy board games of the year by The New York Times and landing Beck a profile on a recent episode of the PBS Wisconsin series “Wisconsin Life.”

"Wisconsin Life" segment about Paverson Games / PBS Wisconsin

Just like his board game collection, Beck ��. board game output didn’t stop at one. He co-designed a second game, Luthier, in which players take the roles of 18th-century instrument makers during the height of the classical music era. This meticulously detailed game hit the market in 2025 after another successful Kickstarter, which raised $790,000. Two more Paverson Games titles by different designers are now in the pipeline: Class of ’89, which focuses on creating a high school yearbook (with artwork by Evensen), and Ringyō, a forestry game set in feudal Japan (designed by former �� Lecturer Charlie McCarron).

�� game design students have also played a role in the business as paid interns. Most recently, Amanda Gagnon, a junior from Racine, interned for Paverson Games over the winter break. The internship reinforced skills Gagnon learned in her coursework, from updating and formatting files to assembling physical prototypes. The experience, she said, gave her a solid foundation in working on both digital and tabletop games.

“I think a lot of people that first begin to pursue a game design degree — myself included — start out really excited to create the art, the code or the narrative,” Gagnon said. “However, when you’re introduced to tabletop design, it really makes you focus on the mechanic design and player experience instead. Learning more about tabletop design and working with a tabletop company emphasized to me the importance of play testing and making sure players enjoy your game, which can sometimes get missed in digital game design.”

All of the Paverson Games titles rely on strong themes that attract players and keep them fascinated, not frustrated. “I believe very strongly in theme-driven design,” Beck said. “It ��. something that not only helps people learn the game a little easier, because they can understand the real-world connection, but also it oftentimes will have more of a lasting impression that will allow you to really dive deeper into the art of that game as well to create that world for the player.”

Such focus has made Beck a success in both the classroom and the world of board gaming. “It ��. crazy to think how one sleepless night can literally change your life,” he said.

The Paverson Games booth at the Essen Spiel, the world ��. largest board game fair, in Essen, Germany, last fall. / Submitted photo

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Dave Beck ��. Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty Dave Beck with Luthier game in Furlong Gallery

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Hero Caption: Professor Dave Beck poses with Luthier, a board game he co-designed, which is on display at ��'s Furlong Gallery as part of the School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibit.

Dave Beck

Dave Beck is a practicing game designer and owner of the board game company, Paverson Games. He is the designer of the award-winning board game Distilled: The Spirited Strategy Game and co-designer of Luthier: The Art of the Instrument.

Beck has also designed video games, such as Tombeaux, released on Steam in 2018. This interactive experience investigates the convergence between cultures and the environment across a few hundred years of midwestern American history.

Beck is the recipient of the 2010 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge Award, given by the National Science Foundation, and his artwork has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Sculpture Magazine, National Geographic, the journal Science, and the book GameScenes: Art in the Age of Videogames.

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Building with air – how nature ��. hole-filled blueprints shape manufacturing

hugginsm — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:29:24 +0000

Building with air – how nature ��. hole-filled blueprints shape manufacturinghugginsm February 5, 2026

Professor Anne Schmitz examines the influence of the natural world on engineering and additive manufacturing.

Anne Schmitz

This article appeared in TechXplore and others, and originated from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

If you break open a chicken bone, you won’t find a solid mass of white material inside. Instead, you will see a complex, spongelike network of tiny struts and pillars, and a lot of empty space.

It looks fragile, yet that internal structure allows a bird ��. wing to withstand high winds while remaining light enough for flight. Nature rarely builds with solid blocks. Instead, it builds with clever, porous patterns to maximize strength while minimizing weight.

Cross-section of the bone of a bird ��. skull: Holes keep the material light enough that the bird can fly, but it ��. still sturdy. Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Human engineers have always envied this efficiency. You can see it in the hexagonal perfection of a honeycomb, which uses the least amount of wax to store the most honey, and in the internal spiraling architecture of seashells that resist crushing pressures.

For centuries, however, manufacturing limitations meant engineers couldn’t easily copy these natural designs. Traditional manufacturing has usually been subtractive, meaning it starts with a heavy block of metal that is carved down, or formative, which entails pouring liquid plastic into a mold. Neither method can easily create complex, spongelike interiors hidden inside a solid shell.

Bird bones, seashells and honeycombs use clever, porous designs to stay strong without the extra weight. Now, 3D printing is letting engineers copy those natural blueprints.

The sustainable future

Beyond performance, mimicking nature ��. less-is-more approach is a significant win for sustainability. By “printing air” into the internal structure of a product, manufacturers can use significantly less raw material while maintaining the necessary strength.

As industrial 3D printing becomes faster and cheaper, manufacturing will move further away from the solid-block era and closer to the elegant efficiency of the biological world. Nature has spent millions of years perfecting these blueprints through evolution – and engineers are finally learning how to read them.

The invisible architecture

That paradigm changed with the maturation of additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, when it evolved from a niche prototyping tool into a robust industrial force. While the technology was first patented in the 1980s, it truly took off over the past decade as it became capable of producing end-use parts for high-stakes industries like aerospace and health care.

3D printing makes it far easier to manufacture lightweight, hole-filled materials. kynny/iStock via Getty Images

Instead of cutting away material, printers build objects layer by layer, depositing plastic or metal powder only exactly where it ��. needed based on a digital file. This technology unlocked a new frontier in materials science focused on mesostructures.

A mesostructure represents the in-between scale. It is not the microscopic atomic makeup of the material, nor is it the macroscopic overall shape of the object, like a whole shoe. It is the internal architecture, including the engineered pattern of air and material hidden inside.

It ��. the difference between a solid brick and the intricate iron latticework of the Eiffel Tower. Both are strong, but one uses vastly less material to achieve that strength because of how the empty space is arranged.

If engineers wanted to make a part stronger, they generally had to make it thicker and heavier. This approach is often inefficient, wastes material and results in heavier products that require more energy to transport.

I am a mechanical engineer and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where I research the intersection of advanced manufacturing and biology. For several years, my work has focused on using additive manufacturing to create materials that, like a bird ��. wing, are both incredibly light and capable of handling intense physical stress. While these “holey” designs have existed in nature for millions of years, it is only recently that 3D printing has made it possible for us to replicate them in the lab.

From the lab to your closet

While the concept of using additive manufacturing to create parts that take advantage of mesostructures started in research labs around the year 2000, consumers are now seeing these bio-inspired designs in everyday products.

The footwear industry is a prime example. If you look closely at the soles of certain high-end running shoes, you won’t see a solid block of foam. Instead, you will see a complex, weblike lattice structure that looks suspiciously like the inside of a bird bone. This printed design mimics the springiness and weight distribution found in natural porous structures, offering tuned performance that solid foam cannot match.

Engineers use the same principle to improve safety gear. Modern bike helmets and football helmet liners are beginning to replace traditional foam padding with 3D-printed lattices. These tiny, repeating jungle gym structures are designed to crumple and rebound to absorb the energy more efficiently than solid materials, much like how the porous bone inside your own skull protects your brain.

Testing the limits

In my research, I look for the rules nature uses to build strong objects.

For example, seashells are tough because they are built like a brick wall, with hard mineral blocks held together by a thin layer of stretchy glue. This pattern allows the hard bricks to slide past each other instead of snapping when put under pressure. The shell absorbs energy and stops cracks from spreading, which makes the final structure much tougher than a solid piece of the same material.

I use advanced computer models to crush thousands of virtual designs to see exactly when and how they fail. I have even used neural networks, a type of artificial intelligence, to find the best patterns for absorbing energy.

My studies have shown that a wavy design can be very effective, especially when we fine-tune the thickness of the lines and the number of turns in the pattern. By finding these perfect combinations, we can design products that fail gradually and safely – much like the crumple zone on the front of a car.

By understanding the mechanics of these structures, engineers can tailor them for specific jobs, making one area of a product stiff and another area flexible within a single continuous printed part.

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Professor Anne Schmitz investigates how nature provides a blueprint for better engineering. bee-honeycomb.jpg

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Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering

The Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering focuses on enhancing the learning experience for students in ��'s engineering programs.

Search Keywords: engineeringmaterial sciencemanufacturingadditive manufacturing3D printing

Hero Caption: Engineers use structures found in nature – like the honeycomb – to create lightweight, sturdy materials.

Anne Schmitz

Full Name: Anne Schmitz, Ph.D.

Job Title: Associate Professor

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College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering Engineering & Technology Department

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B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Website: Anne Schmitz CV

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering

University: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Degree: M.S. Biomedical Engineering

University: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Degree: B.S. Mechanical Engineering

University: University of Wisconsin-Madison

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AI reshaping industry: New �� course sets AI-use as baseline competency in filmmaking

goersab — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:50:00 +0000

AI reshaping industry: New �� course sets AI-use as baseline competency in filmmakinggoersab January 14, 2026

Wheeler ��. ‘Relic’ offers students glimpse into possibilities as they create original films

Abbey Goers

This summer at ��, students in a new AI Assisted Film and Video Production course will use AI tools from pre-production concepts to completion, generating scripts, storyboards, shot lists, visual effects, video, music, voice-overs and sound effects to produce a short film.

With the course, �� video production faculty are establishing AI use in filmmaking as a baseline competency.

“The core philosophy of the course is that AI tools are utilized to handle the technical ‘grunt work,’” Assistant Professor Jonny Wheeler said. “By offloading labor-intensive tasks, we are opening the potential for a high level of creativity, allowing students to focus entirely on their narrative vision without being limited by traditional budget or production constraints.”

With creative freedom over their storylines, students will develop a complete concept package for an original film. The specific deliverables will include a creative pitch document, a sizzle reel and a short video teaser.

The course will incorporate AI-generated images and short films as examples, including “Relic” by Wheeler. “Relic” is loosely based on the Old English epic poem “Beowulf,” but which takes place on a post-human Earth with an intelligent ape as the hero.

The film is set in the overgrown, futuristic ruins of a once-great city. The lone warrior navigates this concrete wasteland to hunt down a powerful, ancient weapon to end a reign of terror. His journey leads him into the heart of a monster ��. lair, where he must use this artifact to vanquish the creature or face extinction.

Wheeler was inspired by “Beowulf” and the famous quote by science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

“I wanted to take the ‘magic’ of the Beowulf tale and give it a technological origin – reimagining the mythical swords and monsters as remnants of a high-tech past,” Wheeler said. “Using AI allowed me to cast an ape as the lead and create a massive, ruined world – elements that would have been impossible for me to film live with a meager budget.”

The course, possibly a first-of-its-kind in the Universities of Wisconsin, was developed by professors Keif Oss, Co O’Neill and Wheeler.

�� . School of Art & Design is one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. It offers bachelor ��. degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design. �� also has a new program in game and media studies.

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Wheeler ��. ‘Relic’ offers students glimpse into possibilities as they create original films Jonny Wheeler AI image, Cheetah, a frame used as an example in the summer class

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Jonathan Paul Wheeler

Jonny has a diverse and extensive background in stop-motion animation, photography, video production, graphic design, sculpture, and art/design education. Over the years, he has honed his skills across multiple disciplines, blending traditional techniques with contemporary technologies to create visually compelling and thought-provoking works. His work in sculpture, in particular, has given him a unique perspective on the intersection of physical and digital media, enabling him to explore how tactile, three-dimensional forms can enhance narrative storytelling in film and animation.

Jonny's formal education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, where he developed his foundational skills in the arts. He later earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Education, equipping him with the tools to teach and inspire others in the creative fields. His academic journey culminated in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he further refined his expertise in design and creative processes.

In addition to his academic achievements, Jonny has dedicated much of his career to education, designing and hosting cinema workshops for secondary students, where he nurtures the next generation of filmmakers by guiding them through the creative and technical processes of filmmaking. He has also taught summer video production camps on campus, helping young students explore video production techniques and the power of storytelling through film. His ability to make complex concepts accessible and engaging has earned him praise from both students and peers. He has also contributed to the Visioneers Design Challenge at the Peck School of the Arts, where he mentors students to develop innovative design solutions, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and problem-solving.

Jonny ��. educational journey also includes a transformative study abroad trip to Iceland, where he taught photography. Immersed in the unique landscapes of Iceland, he shared his expertise with students while also drawing inspiration from the country ��. dramatic natural beauty. This experience deepened his understanding of visual storytelling and enriched his approach to teaching and creating art.

Currently, Jonny ��. research is focused on the development of narrative cinema, with an emphasis on virtual production—a rapidly growing field that integrates real-time digital environments with live-action performance. He is particularly interested in how new technologies, including AI, can enhance storytelling, automate certain aspects of production, and open up new creative possibilities for filmmakers and animators alike. His work explores the intersection of human creativity and technological innovation, with a keen eye on the future of the film industry.

In addition to his research, Jonny is actively involved in the development of the Unspooled Film and Animation Festival. This festival aims to bring together emerging and established filmmakers, animators, and creators who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling through both traditional and digital media. By embracing AI-driven creativity, innovative techniques, and cutting-edge production methods, the Unspooled Film and Animation Festival celebrates the evolving landscape of film, animation, and sculpture while fostering a space for collaboration and experimentation in the arts. Through this festival, Jonny hopes to inspire a new generation of creators to explore the limitless potential of storytelling in the digital age, encouraging the integration of multiple artistic forms, including sculpture, into cinematic experiences.

Full Name: Jonathan Paul Wheeler

Job Title: Assistant Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Photography Video Production Digital Cinema Fine Arts Curriculum Design

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

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Website: Jonathan Paul Wheeler

Education:

Degree: M.F.A. Design

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

Degree: B.F.A.

University: Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

Degree: B.S. Art Education

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

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AI reshaping industry: �� professor develops unique approach to chatbot use in pharmacology, human biology

goersab — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:45:00 +0000

AI reshaping industry: �� professor develops unique approach to chatbot use in pharmacology, human biologygoersab January 14, 2026

Grant develops student-driven projects; finds high accuracy in AI-dispensed information

Abbey Goers

Professor Jennifer Grant, with �� . biology department, has been curious about how well everyday chatbots dispense health information, including pharmacology advice and influences on human health.

“You sometimes hear that these tools can give distorted or misleading answers, and that ��. what first caught my attention,” she said.

To quell her curiosity, Grant began several lines of AI research and developed projects for her introductory pharmacology and 100-level human biology students. For the results of the first study, Grant published a peer-reviewed manuscript, with reviews that noted that she is developing a unique angle on chatbot use in health care.

“Looking ahead, I plan to develop curricula that teach both students and, eventually, patients how to critically evaluate the quality of chatbot responses. Those skills will be of paramount importance in a world overflowing with digital advice,” Grant said.

When everyday chatbots dispense advice

A plot graph comparing ChatGPT and Copilot / Jennifer Grant

Grant asked her pharmacology students to put three chatbots to the test: ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini. Their task was simple: ask the chatbots about the safety profiles of specific medications and look for errors. They looked at correctness and rated how thorough and helpful the generated answers were.

“To my surprise, and theirs, students found that the chatbot responses were highly accurate,” she said. “And yes, the chatbots differed. Each had their own style, and students preferred when chatbots organized information in a helpful way.”

Grant recently published an article on her findings in the open-access journal Discover Artificial Intelligence, titled “Undergraduates perceive differences in helpfulness and thoroughness of responses of ChatGPT 3.0, Gemini 1.5, and Copilot responses about drug interactions.”

“I published this research because this is truly a new academic frontier. This work is also very timely, because we believe that many people already consult everyday chatbots for medical advice,” she said.

Access to better information on human health

The pharmacology project experience led Grant to wonder how this approach could help students in her human biology class. Because the goals in that course are different, Grant redesigned the activity.

Instead of focusing on medications, students used Copilot and ChatGPT to explore how molecules influence human health. Every other week, students asked the chatbots a question tied to the organ system the class was studying. Early results showed that the chatbots provided accurate information, and Grant is excited to work up the rest of the data.

“Chatbots are everywhere now, which means learners and patients have more information at their fingertips than ever before. My hope is that this work will help people get better information, not just more of it,” she said.

A third line of Grant ��. research addresses biochemistry, using AI software to look at how proteins fold. These student projects are in mid-stage, with outcomes expected by June.

“I am very excited about these projects and will start looking for high-power collaborators with bespoke AI chatbots this spring,” she said.

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Grant develops student-driven projects; finds high accuracy in AI-dispensed information Jennifer Grant research, ChatGPT vs Copilot plot graph

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Biology Department

Biology helps us understand ourselves, other species, and our place in the earth's ecology, and what life is and how it functions.

�� . biology department offers undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology; applied science; biology; environmental science; as well as an online professional science master's in conservation biology. �� also offers degrees in chemistry and physics.

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Jennifer Grant

Teaching Interests: Proteomics (Bio425); Biochemistry (Chem311); General Chemistry (Chem135); Human Biology Lecture & Laboratory (Bio132); Biochemistry Lecture & Laboratory (Chem311); Introduction to Biotechnology (Bio210, Online); Advanced Biotechnology (Bio470); Introductory Biology (Bio101); General Chemistry (Chem 135); Biology of Aging (Bio125)

Research Interests: The impact of proteins in disease and the creation of functional foods using biochemistry.

Professional Interests: Mass spectrometry, protein chemistry, protein separations.

Full Name: Jennifer E. Grant, Ph.D.

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Mass Spectrometry Protein Chemistry Protein Separations

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Biology Department

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All Degree Programs

Website: LinkedIn Profile

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology

University: University of Wisconsin Medical School

Degree: M.S. Biochemistry

University: Case Western Reserve University Medical School

Degree: B.A. Biochemistry

University: Oberlin College

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AI reshaping industry: �� professor examines impact on manufacturing, supply chains, health care, more

goersab — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:40:00 +0000

AI reshaping industry: �� professor examines impact on manufacturing, supply chains, health care, moregoersab January 14, 2026

Karaman Kabadurmus develops new economics course on AI in the Modern Economy

Abbey Goers

Assistant Professor Fatma Karaman Kabadurmus, with �� . social science department, researched how digital technologies and emerging tools, often described as “AI-enabled” or part of Industry 4.0, are reshaping how firms innovate, manage supply chains and compete in today ��. economy. A central focus of this work is how digitalization helped firms respond to the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through her research, Karaman Kabadurmus recently co-authored two book chapters in “The Palgrave Handbook of Supply Chain and Disruptive Technologies.” The chapters were “The Impact of Digitalization on Firm-Level Innovation Performance During the Pandemic” and “Revolutionizing Last-Mile Delivery: Discovering Disruptive Technologies and Innovative Solutions.”

The role of AI and predictive analytics in health care / GetOnData

Her chapters examine how supply chain digitalization influenced firms’ innovation performance during the pandemic. “The findings highlight that digital transformation helps firms adapt to shocks in logistics, inventory management, labor availability and rapidly changing demand,” she said.

Her research on last-mile delivery and Industry 4.0 critically reviewed emerging technologies, such as AI/ML (machine learning) applications, big data analytics, blockchain, IoT, digital twins, and autonomous systems, and evaluated their implications for efficiency, innovation, and implementation barriers in supply chain operations.

A smart factory ecosystem diagram / LightGuide, Inc.

“This work builds on my broader research agenda in the economics of innovation. Rather than focusing on the technical design of technologies, my research asks economic and social science questions: When do firms adopt new technologies? What barriers do they face? And how do market conditions, competition and institutions shape innovation outcomes?” Karaman Kabadurmus said.

Impact on students and career readiness

Karaman Kabadurmus’ research has a direct impact on her teaching and students’ learning, particularly through a new course she developed, which launches this spring semester: Innovation and Artificial Intelligence in the Modern Economy.

“Employers want AI literacy,” Karaman Kabadurmus said. “As part of the Stout Core foundational education classes, I designed this course for students from all majors. They will learn to understand AI through an applied economic and social science lens.”

The course is an introduction to how digital and AI-enabled technologies shape innovation across sectors, such as health care, manufacturing, supply chains and more. Students examine real-world case studies, such as Amazon, Tesla and Google; observe changes in labor markets and firm strategy; explore ethical and regulatory dimensions; and study public policy debates that affect everyday economic decisions.

Stout Core ��. areas of expertise offer students opportunities to grow their global perspective, communication and critical thinking skills, ethical reasoning, and more, so they graduate ready to do more on day one.

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Karaman Kabadurmus develops new economics course on AI in the Modern Economy Fatma Karaman Kabadurmus research, role of AI and predictive analytics in health care. Graphic by GetOnData

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The Social Science Department provides courses in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology and global languages.

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Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus

Dr. Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus is an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Social Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She was also an Artificial Intelligence Fellow for the 2024–2025 academic year. At ��, she teaches economics while developing courses and applied learning experiences that connect economics, innovation, and artificial intelligence.

Before joining ��, Dr. Karaman Kabadurmus taught in the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University from 2022 to 2023. Earlier, she served on the faculty in the Department of Economics at Yasar University from 2013 to 2021 and was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Kalamazoo College after completing her Ph.D. in Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Her research focuses on the economics of innovation, industrial organization, health economics, and international trade. Her work examines how firms, institutions, and policy environments shape innovation, technology adoption, and economic outcomes. She is especially interested in applied, interdisciplinary research that links economic analysis to real-world challenges in industry, workforce development, and emerging technologies.

Full Name: Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus

Job Title: Assistant Professor

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Area of Expertise: Economics of Innovation Health Economics Industrial Organization International Trade

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: Social Science Department

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B.S. Applied Social Science

Curriculum Vitae: Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus CV (194.44 KB)

Website: Google Scholar

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Economics

University: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Degree: M.S. Economics

University: Istanbul Technical University

Degree: B.A. Business Administration

University: Istanbul University

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On the vanguard: An artificial intelligence filmmaking course emerges at ��

goersab — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

On the vanguard: An artificial intelligence filmmaking course emerges at ��goersab January 12, 2026

AI-Assisted Film and Video Production class to open summer 2026

Abbey Goers

A new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assisted Film and Video Production course will launch at �� in summer 2026. The course, possibly a first-of-its-kind in the Universities of Wisconsin, was developed by a video production faculty trio – Keif Oss, Jonny Wheeler and Co O’Neill. Students in the course will produce a short narrative film, using AI tools from pre-production concepts to completion.

“It is certainly on the vanguard. We are moving beyond ‘allowing’ the use of AI in filmmaking to establish it as a baseline competency. Students will use AI tools to generate scripts, storyboards, shot lists, visual effects, video, music, voice-overs and sound effects,” said Wheeler, who will teach the course.

The course will also include films and shorts as examples, including AI-generated images and shots used in a short by Wheeler that is loosely based on the Old English epic poem “Beowulf,” but which takes place on a post-human Earth with an ape as the hero.

An AI-generated still frame of a chimpanzee, from Jonny Wheeler's short film based on 'Beowulf.'

The idea for the course germinated in spring 2025, when Oss applied for professional development funding to attend the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas, specifically to study emerging uses of AI in video production, filmmaking and entertainment.

“At that time, most industry applications centered on productivity rather than replacing human image creation, though AI-generated imagery was clearly already a part of many preproduction and visualization pipelines,” Oss said.

While there, Oss connected with Curious Refuge, a leading AI production training company, and FBRC.ai (Fabric), which consults on AI workflows for feature films and other high production value projects.

An AI-generated still frame of a futuristic city taken over by the jungle, from Jonny Wheeler's short film based on 'Beowulf.'

Following NAB, Oss, Wheeler and O’Neill leveraged their combined experiences to apply for a Chancellor ��. Professional Development Fund grant supporting teaching excellence. With additional departmental support, they secured resources to purchase training with Curious Refuge and complete specialized online courses in AI filmmaking.

“We intentionally divided focus areas: Jonny concentrated on AI-driven narrative filmmaking, virtual production and speculative fiction; Co on advanced narrative workflows; and me on documentary production using AI-assisted methods,” Oss said. “This distributed learning diversely informed the development of our new course. Micheal Heagle, animation, had also been studying this extensively and provided valuable contributions to the course ��. design.”

Which tools do they use? Although new AI tools pop up daily, they recommend:

Artist.io for voice over, ElevenLabs for sound effects, Gemini for scripts, Kling and Midjourney for images, Sora to generate videos from images, Suno for music and VEO (Flow) for video.

However, everything is changing so fast, O’Neill said. “The best tool for something today might be a different tool next week, and new platforms – or new names for old platforms – are popping up monthly. Nano Banana, for example, is Google ��. image generator under a new name that they announced in November,” he said.

O’Neill, who used to work in visual effects, noted that many students are already using AI to brainstorm script ideas and camera shots, to experiment with visual effects, to generate mood boards or to adapt hand-drawn storyboards into pitch-ready deck elements.

An AI-generated image of a man repairing a machine, created by Co O'Neill.

“AI ��. potential in making amazing-looking visual effects without the time, expense and danger of a full production is undeniable. The speed at which a creator can iterate! AI is an amazing pre-production tool because you can try out thousands upon thousands of shots and shot combinations before getting the whole crew together,” said O’Neill, a fan of the democratization of the filmmaking process.

“I feel that AI tools are equivalent to inexpensive, high-quality cameras, editing software, lighting and other equipment. Any tool that helps someone visualize a story is a good thing,” he said.

With a focus on narrative cinema, Wheeler also sees generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as most useful in the pre-production and ideation phases. “It is an incredible tool for ‘world-building,’ helping us visualize the iconography for a new landscape before we ever pick up a camera. It allows us to iterate rapidly on set designs, color palettes and lighting schemes,” he said.

An AI-generated image of a weathered 1970s neighborhood, created by Co O'Neill.

Oss ��. interests lie in how AI can accelerate informed decision-making and strengthen the overall filmmaking workflow. In his documentary courses, students use Elicit and Perplexity as elevated forms of research support. Elicit helps to cross-reference peer-reviewed journals and legitimate studies, while Perplexity enables them to investigate topics, identify resources and locate subject-matter experts. ChatGPT can help them confidently draft emails and clarify their goals when contacting potential interview subjects or organizations.

“I frame AI as a starting point, not a replacement for authentic communication, but for students who are apprehensive or inexperienced, it lowers the barrier to initiating human contact. In this way, AI becomes a scaffold that supports and strengthens their communication skills,” Oss said.

A means to enhance, not replace human creativity

While the video production faculty sees AI as a means to enhance the traditional creative pipeline, it cannot replace it, as all forms of AI filmmaking need human input. O’Neill and Wheeler do not recommend using AI to replace the human element of performance. “Gen AI should augment the diegesis, not entirely replace the elements that give a story its soul,” Wheeler said.

An AI-generated still frame of the monster Grendal, from Jonny Wheeler's short film based on 'Beowulf.'

O’Neill added, “Acting will never be good with AI because so much of performance is nuanced. AI could help with replacing wardrobe, de-aging or stuff like that. But there will never be enough data centers in the world that can replicate the delicate pauses and intonation of a performance like George Clooney in ‘Michael Clayton’ or Zoe Saldaña in ‘Star Trek.’”

Oss also noted that “AI isn’t always necessarily faster. It doesn't immediately get anything right. Almost every artifact you generate takes a further human curation and expansion,” he said, adding, “If your approach is to feed a prompt, copy it, then paste that as your work, 1) It ��. not your work, and 2) It ��. probably not good work. It only gets you to a point where you can leap from the idea lead and take the next steps.”

As �� continues to strengthen its 360-degree approach to artificial intelligence, embedding skills across all programs, faculty experts across degree fields build on their growing knowledge with research spanning GenAI, machine learning, AI deep research methods and more.

The university ��. AI Fellows and AI Innovation Committee, led by faculty and staff, ensures AI is embedded into learning, operations and innovation, while directing AI integration, governance, ethics and literacy. The interdisciplinary AI Fellows are supported by 2023-25 Workforce Development funding.

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January 14, 2026

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January 12, 2026

AI-Assisted Film and Video Production class to open summer 2026 Co O'Neill AI image, a red spherical drone

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Explore how �� is leading AI innovation with hands-on research, industry partnerships, and real-world solutions.

Hero Caption: An AI-generated still frame of a red spherical drone on a prairie, created by Co O'Neill.

Keif Oss

Keif has an M.S. in Career and Technical Education and an MFA in Digital Filmmaking. He is an Assistant Professor of video production and serving as Program Director for the B.S. Video Production degree. Keif teaches a variety of courses in video production and photography with both narrative and commercial aspects.

Keif has worked on a range of professional and commercial video projects as a senior video producer and owner/independent contractor of A Creative Advocate, LLC. His work includes television/web advertising, documentary, motion graphics and a variety of marketing-oriented materials. Keif ��. expertise and creative contributions include work for 100+ clients including Mayo Clinic, Seventh Generation, State Farm Insurance, Royal Credit Union and others.

Keif has also worked on short and feature film projects in various capacities including writing, producing, directing, camera operation and post-production/VFX.

Full Name: Keif T. Oss

Job Title: Assistant Professor / Program Director

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Video Production Cinema Production Photography Graphic Communications Cross-Media Graphics Technologies

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

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All Degree Programs

B.S. Video Production

Curriculum Vitae: Keif T. Oss CV (408.56 KB)

Education:

Degree: M.F.A. Digital Filmmaking

University: Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Filmmaking

Degree: M.S. Career & Technical Education

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

Degree: B.S. Graphic Communications Management

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

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Polytechnic universities focus on practical, career-oriented skills, offering an alternative to traditional universities

hugginsm — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 16:51:00 +0000

Polytechnic universities focus on practical, career-oriented skills, offering an alternative to traditional universitieshugginsm December 11, 2025

Professors Kelly Droege and Laura Reisinger details what defines and distinguishes the poly education advantage.

Dr. Kelly Droege Laura Reisinger

For decades, a four-year college degree was widely seen as the standard path to getting most midlevel jobs in the United States. It was the expected entry point for getting a job as a marketing specialist, project manager, IT support analyst, among other roles.

But this expectation is shifting. Many fields – including cybersecurity, health care and advanced manufacturing – are facing significant shortages in skilled workers. The gap between available skilled jobs and workers is likely to push employers to rethink what they require from job candidates over the next decade.

A major demographic shift will also play a role. Between 2024 and 2032, an estimated 18.4 million experienced workers with education beyond high school are expected to retire, according to September 2025 findings by Georgetown University ��. center on education and the workforce.

Only 13.8 million younger workers with similar education levels are expected to enter the workforce during the same period, these findings show. This trend will also make it harder for employers to fill roles that traditionally require a college degree.

At the same time, 25 states over the past few years have enacted legislation and executive orders to remove college degree requirements for people applying for some public sector jobs, signaling a shift in how essential college degrees are for getting hired for some kinds of work.

These shifts underscore a broader trend: A four-year degree is no longer essential for many kinds of work.

Hiring data tells a similar story. As of January 2024, 52% of U.S. job postings on Indeed did not mention any formal education requirement, up from 48% in 2019. Job postings requiring at least a bachelor ��. degree also dropped from 20.4% to 17.8% between 2018 and 2023.

As hiring expectations change – influenced in part by advances in artificial intelligence – employers may struggle to find candidates who already have the right job-specific skills.

With over 20 years of experience as professors who also train employees in industries such as manufacturing, health care and business information technologies, we believe that college degrees shouldn’t be mandatory for some jobs.

Florida �� is one of several polytechnic universities in the U.S. offering a STEM and career-focused education. John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

A widening gap

Nearly half of recent college graduates say they feel unprepared for entry-level work, and 56% cite a lack of job-specific skills as the biggest issue, according to a 2025 report by Cengage Group, an education and workforce training company.

Alternative pathways – apprenticeships, certifications and on-the-job training – can give workers practical skills and help employers fill crucial roles more quickly.

Employers dropping degree requirements is only one step toward this goal. We think it is also important that prospective college students and their families are aware of educational opportunities besides a traditional four-year degree.

Understanding polytechnic universities

Some people think of higher education in terms of traditional liberal arts colleges or research universities. But there are also polytechnic universities, which focus on hands-on, career-aligned learning and emphasize strong STEM and technical programs. These schools often prepare students for exactly the kinds of jobs employers struggle to fill.

There are about 10 major polytechnic universities in the U.S. Some well-known polytechnic universities are California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, and State University of New York Polytechnic Institute in Marcy and Albany, New York.

Instead of offering a wide range of liberal arts majors, polytechnic universities offer majors such as engineering, robotics, construction management and information technology.

A central feature of these schools is applied learning – hands-on labs, real-world projects and problem-solving experiences.

Polytechnic students can earn bachelor ��. and master ��. degrees, but they also can often get short-term certificates in fields such as human resources, instructional design, project management and digital marketing. Many programs also include apprenticeships, such as workplace training specialists.

Students can also pursue microcredentials, which involve short course sequences that build targeted skills, such as business writing or engineering mechanics. These options give students more flexible and affordable ways to learn without committing to a traditional four-year degree.

Polytechnic universities also tend to cost less than research universities and private colleges, and students can use federal financial aid or private loans to attend.

There are some limitations. Polytechnic schools generally offer fewer majors, usually within STEM fields. Their alumni networks may be smaller, and we have found that some people perceive them as less prestigious than traditional universities because they focus more on teaching than on research.

Real world relevance

In March 2025, we asked 10 online instructors at different polytechnic universities how they bring career-focused learning into their classes.

Our research, which will likely be published in 2026, shows that every instructor tried to make their courses feel relevant to real workplaces.

Some instructors used simulations in the course. Others shared examples from their own industry backgrounds with students. All agreed that students learn best when they can clearly connect their coursework to their career goals.

One of the most effective strategies is hiring instructors with deep industry experience. Their professional networks help programs stay aligned with the skills employers currently value.

Not every college wants to become a polytechnic, and not every student wants that style of education.

However, traditional universities can still learn from this model by adding more applied learning, embedding essential job skills into their programs, and partnering more closely with industry. These changes can better prepare students to succeed in the workforce.

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