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Ed.S. school psychology alum empowers students through consistent, data-informed approaches

goersab — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:50:00 +0000

Ed.S. school psychology alum empowers students through consistent, data-informed approachesgoersab November 10, 2026

National School Psychology Week recognizes contributions of essential workers Nov. 9-13

Every day, school psychologists create and maintain connections that make a difference in the lives of children and youth, empowering students, families and educators through collaboration. They support students in building skills, confidence and a sense of belonging. They partner with educators and families to better understand and respond to students’ needs. And they help schools by aligning efforts, improving support systems and creating environments where all students can succeed, learn and grow.

Yet, while the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends one school psychologist for every 500 students, Wisconsin averages about one for every 772 students. The national ratio is one for every 1,071 students.

“So, many students, especially in rural districts, wait too long for evaluations, counseling and crisis support. At �� Polytechnic, we welcome approximately 12 new graduate students each year and give them high-quality, hands-on practical training, so they’re ready to work on Day One. Most of our graduates choose to stay and serve Wisconsin schools, and because we’re NASP-approved, our program prepares them for practice nationwide,” said Assistant Professor Angela Axelrod, M.S.Ed. & Ed.S. in school psychology program director.

Supporting the whole child: School psychology program aims to fill nationwide shortage

Graduate students visit Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School; learn how language, culture directly impact students

Supporting social-emotional learning to build essential skills

As student mental health, emotional well-being and learning challenges are on the rise, school psychologist Carly Cummings sees the most impactful approaches to empower students as consistent, data-informed and centered on connection, early intervention and prevention.

She places high value on nationally recognized frameworks to improve their students’ lives, such as the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which supports academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs for general education and special education students.

While Cummings’ time in the field so far has been short – she earned her Ed.S. in school psychology in 2023 – she continues to see growth in data-driven decisions made within the special education evaluations she conducts and the implementation of evidence-based instruction to fill student skill gaps.

Ed.S. school psychology alum Carly Cummings meets with a student / Carly Cummings

Cummings is a school psychologist at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School, located on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation in north-central Wisconsin. She has worked to strengthen the school ��. MTSS as the most impactful practice to help ensure students receive the right level of support early, as well as social-emotional learning to build essential skills, like self-regulation and problem-solving, Cummings said.

“One of the biggest lessons for me, as well as for students, staff, and families, has been the importance of flexibility and connection. Academic success is deeply intertwined with emotional well-being,” she added. “For students, their ability to engage, regulate, and persist depends heavily on feeling safe, understood and supported. When students experience stress, uncertainty, or unmet social-emotional needs, learning naturally takes a back seat.”

Cummings is proud to collaborate with her coworkers to maximize student and family engagement, as it ��. incredibly important for student success and wellbeing. “There is nothing that compares to having a direct impact on a child ��. social, emotional, and educational success and wellbeing,” she said. “Being a school psychologist allows you to reach students, staff and families all in one. You have the ability to advocate for children to achieve success, however success looks for them.”

M.S. and Ed.S. school psychology graduates students discuss lessons in the group lounge

�� Polytechnic and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School have collaborated since 2023, introducing M.S.Ed. and Ed.S. school psychology students to Cummings’ role at the K-12 school, visiting various classes, including special education math and reading classes; social-emotional learning (SEL) classes; and Ojibwe language classes.

National School Psychology Week is Nov. 9-13

�� Polytechnic ��. school psychology faculty and graduate students will join thousands of other communities in celebrating National School Psychology Week, Nov. 9-13. This year ��. theme, “Inspire Connection,” highlights how school psychologists build meaningful relationships that support students, strengthen collaboration and transform school communities.

Hailey Willner and her sister, Alyssa / Hailey Willner

“Growing up with an older sister with a disability, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for students and families to have people in their corner who understand their needs and advocate for them,” said M.S. school psychology graduate student Hailey Willner. “That experience has played a huge role in shaping my passion for working with students with disabilities and ultimately led me to pursue school psychology.”

One of the things Willner loves most about the field is the variety of ways school psychologists can make a difference. “We do so much more than assessments and evaluations. We work alongside students, families, and educators to identify barriers, provide support and help create environments where all students can be successful,” she said. “Through my practicum experiences, I’ve already seen how meaningful this work can be, and I hope to be a school psychologist who not only helps students navigate challenges but also recognizes their strengths and advocates for their individual needs.”

�� Polytechnic ��. school psychology program is thankful for the 22 field practicum supervisors and internship supervisors from across Wisconsin and Minnesota school districts who support school psychology graduate students and who serve as a bridge between the classroom and real practice.

“Our field and internship supervisors open their schools to our students and include them in the actual work: evaluations, team meetings, consultation with teachers and families, and the hard calls that no textbook fully captures. Just as important, they model the judgment, ethics, and care that set a good school psychologist apart. Our students graduate confident and ready for the field because these professionals invest so generously in their growth, and we are deeply grateful to them,” Axelrod said.

�� Polytechnic ��. counseling, rehabilitation and human services department offers five master ��. programs – including the COAMFTE-accredited marriage and family therapy program, CACREP-accredited clinical mental health counseling program, NASP-accredited school psychology program, and programs in rehabilitation counseling and school counseling – as well as three undergraduate programs, minors and certificates.

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Ed.S. school psychology alum empowers students through consistent, data-informed approaches

National School Psychology Week recognizes contributions of essential workers Nov. 9-13

Teachers are worried about students cheating with AI, but my survey suggests the deeper issue is learning

Professor Brett DeJager confronts the perceived and practical challenges artificial intelligence presents for educators and the future of education.

Supporting the whole child: School psychology program aims to fill nationwide shortage

Graduate students visit Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School; learn how language, culture directly impact students

National School Psychology Week recognizes contributions of essential workers Nov. 9-13 Ed.S. school psychology alum Carly Cummings meets with a student

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Dr. Angela Axelrod

Dr. Angela Axelrod is originally from Des Moines, Iowa and is a Licensed Psychologist and DPI-licensed School Psychologist and Pupil Services Director. Dr. Axelrod has been working in schools and private practice settings since 2002. Dr. Axelrod's professional interests include learning disabilities such as Dyslexia and universal mental health screening in schools. In addition to her work at UW Stout, Dr. Axelrod owns a private practice specializing in the assessment of learning disabilities.

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Teachers are worried about students cheating with AI, but my survey suggests the deeper issue is learning

hugginsm — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:14:36 +0000

Teachers are worried about students cheating with AI, but my survey suggests the deeper issue is learninghugginsm July 10, 2026

Professor Brett DeJager confronts the perceived and practical challenges LLMs present for educators

Dr. Brett DeJager

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

The risk of students using AI to cheat tends to get a lot of attention – with good reason.

A student can simply copy and paste a prompt into a chatbot and receive a polished paragraph, a five-paragraph essay, a lab summary or a reading response almost instantly. Teachers may then be left wondering whether the work reflects the student ��. thinking and actual work or what the chatbot generated.

An estimated 84% of high school students surveyed said they had used generative artificial intelligence for schoolwork in 2025, according to College Board, a nonprofit that administers the SAT and AP exams.

As an assistant professor of school psychology studying artificial intelligence in K–12 education, I think the question is not only whether students are using AI to cheat, but whether there is evidence that learning actually happened.

Many schools are still deciding whether and how they allow their students to use AI for coursework. hapabapa/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Cheating and plagiarism are common worries

I recently surveyed public school educators and administrators about how generative AI is affecting schools to better understand the answer to this question.

My study, conducted from spring 2025 to spring 2026, included 303 educators and other school professionals in Wisconsin – teachers, administrators, IT staff and technology directors, as well as school psychologists and counselors. I also surveyed another 132 professionals at schools across the country.

The results are not nationally representative, but they offer a snapshot of how some K–12 professionals are thinking about AI and student learning.

While a large number of respondents were concerned about AI bias, misinformation and data privacy, the most common worries were about academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

In Wisconsin, approximately 65% of respondents identified these issues as a concern, compared with 74% who did so on a broader, national level.

But respondents also pointed to a deeper issue: How do teachers know what students actually understand when AI can generate essays, summaries or math steps in seconds?

In the Wisconsin sample, 47% of respondents who answered this question said that “difficulty in assessing student learning when AI is used” is a concern.

That figure increased to 53% in the national sample.

When asked “What impact, if any, have you noticed AI has had on student behavior, mental health, or engagement?” respondents selected from a provided list of options. Among those options, 29% of Wisconsin respondents and 40% of respondents in the national sample selected “increased student reliance on AI,” while 19% and 33%, respectively, selected “reduced critical thinking or problem-solving.”

Finished work is becoming harder to interpret

Teachers have long known that a student ��. finished assignment is not perfect evidence of learning. A parent might help too much. A student might copy from a friend. A student might complete the work but not understand it well enough to explain it later.

Generative AI makes that problem more visible and more complicated.

Take a common homework task, such as writing a paragraph explaining the theme of a short story. In the past, teachers looked at students’ writing to understand whether they read the story, thought about the theme and could explain it in writing.

Now, this kind of homework prompt may produce a result that appears organized, accurate and polished. But it is becoming harder for teachers to understand whether students actually understood the story, identified the theme and articulated it independently, or whether students simply entered a prompt into an AI tool.

Some teachers do use AI-detection tools to determine whether students’ work is original.

In a 2025 national survey of sixth- through 12th-grade public school teachers, 43% reported used these kinds of apps regularly, while another 27% had tested or experimented with them.

But these tools can make mistakes in both directions. One study of 14 AI-detection tools found false-positive rates as high as 50% and false-negative rates as high as 100%, depending on the tool. The same study found that about 20% of AI-generated texts were misclassified as human-written; that rose to about 52% when AI-written text was manually edited and 71% when it was machine-paraphrased. Other researchers found that detectors falsely flagged nonnative English writing as AI-generated at an average rate of 61.3%.

I don’t think that means schools should abandon writing assignments or homework altogether. But educators may need to be more intentional about what each assignment is supposed to measure.

Some teachers are already making those kinds of changes, including asking students to show or explain their process, or asking them to include oral components to their written work or write more in class.

Some teachers are also giving students paper-and-pencil tasks when they need to see students’ independent thinking.

If the goal is writing fluency, teachers may need to see students write. If the goal is reading comprehension, they may need students to explain, apply or defend their thinking.

Having students write longhand answers is one possible way to deter students from using AI. SDI Productions/Stock Photos

Clearer assignment rules may help

Many schools are still deciding how to approach AI. In my survey, only 33% of Wisconsin respondents and 29% of national respondents said their district had a formal AI policy.

Teachers and students alike could benefit from clarity on how and when they can use AI.

Researchers who developed the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale, a tool that helps educators spell out when and how students can use AI on an assignment, have argued that educators should identify what level of AI use makes sense based on the learning outcomes being measured.

This mindset is useful because not all assignments are the same. One assignment might require no AI use because the teacher needs to see independent writing.

Another might allow AI for brainstorming but require students to submit original notes and a final reflection. Another might ask students to critique an AI-generated answer and explain what is accurate, incomplete or misleading.

The better question

The educators in my survey were not simply rejecting AI. Many reported using AI themselves for planning, communication, documentation, differentiation, administrative tasks and student-support activities.

Their concerns were more specific.

They were worried about academic dishonesty but also about assessment, student reliance, critical thinking, misinformation and privacy. Those concerns point to a practical challenge schools now face: how to preserve meaningful evidence of learning when AI can produce polished academic work.

The goal is not to catch every possible misuse of AI. That is likely impossible. The goal is to design learning tasks where teachers can still answer the question that matters most: What does this student actually understand?

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Supporting the whole child: School psychology program aims to fill nationwide shortage

goersab — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 13:45:00 +0000

Supporting the whole child: School psychology program aims to fill nationwide shortagegoersab October 16, 2025

Graduate students visit Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School; learn how language, culture directly impact students

Abbey Goers

The shortage of school staff in Wisconsin extends beyond teachers in the classroom. The shortage of school psychologists, who advocate for students’ behavioral, mental and emotional needs, has a significant impact on schools and students.

“When school psychologists are stretched too thin, they have less time to provide preventative services, which are essential for supporting student mental health and academic success. This also places additional strain on educators and families, who rely on these professionals,” said Assistant Professor Angela Axelrod, M.S.Ed. and Ed.S. school psychology program director at ��.

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, the 2023-24 ratio in Wisconsin was one school psychologist per 772 students, falling short of the recommended one per 500 students. Across the country, NASP reported the average ratio was one school psychologist per 1,065 students.

“�� . school psychology program is uniquely positioned to address this shortage,” Axelrod said. “Our polytechnic approach ensures that students receive extensive hands-on training in assessment, counseling and consultation. With more than 30 years of combined experience in the field, our core faculty bring real-world insights into the classroom. Additionally, our students exceed the practicum requirements set by NASP, gaining valuable experience in both school and clinic-based settings.

“As a NASP-approved program, �� continues to produce highly sought-after graduates who are well-prepared to serve in schools across Wisconsin, Minnesota and beyond,” she added.

�� Ed.S. school psychology alum Carly Cummings, a school psychologist at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School, believes there is no better profession to be in. “There is nothing that compares to having a direct impact on a child ��. social, emotional, and educational success and wellbeing,” she said.

Cummings’ role at LCO Ojibwe School is multifaceted. She completes full psychoeducational evaluations, provides individualized education program (IEP) counseling, collects and analyzes schoolwide student data, implements positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), leads social emotional learning (SEL) programming, provides teacher support services, engages in collaboration and consultation with school staff and families, and advocates for policies and procedures that benefit students.

“Being a school psychologist allows you to reach students, staff and families all in one,” she said. “You have the ability to advocate for children to achieve success, however success looks for them. You get to support young students from so many angles. It is also a job that looks so different in each district and school, and you are able to choose what type of impact you can have.”

Twelve �� M.S.Ed. and Ed.S. school psychology students recently visited the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School, located on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation. They met with Cummings, who shared about her role at the K-12 school, and visited various classes in small groups, including special education math and reading classes; RISE and SEL classes; and Ojibwe language classes.

The collaboration between �� and the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School began in spring 2023, when Cummings was completing her field practicum there. During a routine site visit as Cummings’ university supervisor, Axelrod was moved by the school ��. strong sense of community, rich cultural environment and the comprehensive role of the school psychologist.

“Inspired by the potential for meaningful collaboration, I reached out this past spring to explore opportunities for collaboration. The response from LCO Ojibwe School was enthusiastic,” Axelrod said.

Immersing in a school ��. culture

During their visit, the school psychology students met with Dean of Students Jason Bisonette, who spoke about tribal history, the history of the school and the culture of the people. They learned about the school ��. immersion program and attended an all-school assembly to participate in community-building traditions.

Cummings’ biggest hope was that the �� students would see how language and culture are incorporated into the school day and how they directly impact students’ education at LCO Ojibwe School. “I also wanted them to see how a community-driven school supports the whole child,” she said.

The school psychology groups also designed and conducted social emotional learning (SEL) lessons for the LCO Ojibwe School students, which fit the school ��. theme for the month: self-control and personal space.

Anna Modeen ��. group ��. SEL lesson, taught in two fifth-grade classes, offered strategies on self-regulation that kids can use in the classroom and at home. Through real-life scenarios on how they may lose self-control or how another peer may step into their personal space, they problem-solved ways to navigate approaching these issues.

Lincoln Dallman ��. group met with kindergarteners about how to keep their emotions in check. Through a video of the book “Hands are Not for Hitting,” they talked about how hands are for positive activities, like making things and giving high-fives. The class created flashcards to talk about emotions.

School psychology students learned about the school ��. immersion program, which is aimed at preserving and revitalizing the Ojibwe language and culture by immersing young learners in the language.

“The program takes a step back from the traditional Western approach to education and puts an emphasis on Ojibwe culture,” said Modeen, of Chaplin, Minnesota.

During Bisonette ��. presentation, they gained new insight into cultural perspectives and learned about the heavy impact caused by the federally operated Native American boarding schools and the forced annexation of the reservation and how history plays into the generational trauma of families.

The school psychology students understand how a person ��. history and culture are a vital part of their education.

Dallman, of Eau Claire, said, “As a school psychologist, you have to keep in mind a people ��. culture. Getting to know a student and their family is important when you collaborate with them in their learning. The immersion school gives students the opportunity to embrace and to continue learning about their culture. Families as far away as Bayfield travel to the school to keep their culture alive in the 21st century.”

Modeen agreed. “Infusing a person ��. culture into their academics plays such a crucial part in their identity. It was so valuable seeing this in practice at LCO Ojibwe School,” she said. “Ojibwe common phrases and statements were implemented in every class, used for common activities such as asking to go to the bathroom, saying ‘thank you,’ and getting the instructors’ attention. Students also go out ricing, a sacred practice. Teachers and high school students foster this for the young students.”

Prepared to serve communities from day one

Dallman and Modeen enjoy working with young students and finding solutions to best support their academic needs, as well as supporting the overall community by building strong relationships with teachers, administrators, caregivers and families.

“A large part of our job is making data-based decisions, but also considering that in doing so, we are supporting a diverse population of students with different needs, goals and values,” said Modeen, who was inspired to join the field by her twin sister ��. experiences.

“Growing up, I watched my sister struggle in school. After she received support and resources from the school community, I knew I wanted to find a way to be involved within the education realm,” she said.

�� . applied learning approach begins on day one. During the school psychology cohort ��. first semester, they shadowed and volunteered onsite in schools to “see the field as it is before experiencing it firsthand in our practicums,” said Dallman, whose practicum is at Valley Crossing Elementary in Woodbury, Minnesota. “For those interested in school psychology, the field is always in need of more professionals. Research different programs and give it a try.”

“The professors focus on creating real-world experience building and provide a lot of opportunities for growth,” said Modeen, who serves as a graduate assistant and vice president of the Stout Student Affiliates in School Psychology organization. “I also chose Stout ��. program because of its connections to both rural and urban practicum experiences. I wanted to get as much experience as possible before applying to positions in the field.”

Modeen ��. current practicum is at Woodbury High School. “As we approach our last year of classes and are getting ready to experience our first year of internship, we feel the visit to LCO Ojibwe School has better equipped us with new knowledge and approaches to serve our communities,” she said.

Dallman and Modeen will both graduate in 2027.

�� . M.S.Ed. and Ed.S. school psychology is NASP-accredited. �� . School of Education also offers graduate degrees in career and technical education, education, and school counseling, as well as nine education certificates and certifications.

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Inspiring Graduate: Hailey Kollmansberger, M.S. Ed. School Psychology

goersab — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 16:40:00 +0000

Inspiring Graduate: Hailey Kollmansberger, M.S. Ed. School Psychologygoersab January 13, 2025

‘�� provided me with an opportunity to truly find myself as a student, future school psychologist and a human being within society.’

Inspiring Graduate: Hailey Kollmansberger (’24)

Hometown: Medford
Degree: M.S. Ed. School Psychology

First-generation college student Hailey Kollmansberger returned to �� to pursue her master ��. degree after earning her bachelor ��. in psychology.

Hailey Kollmansberger receives her master's hood at commencement / ��

“Based on the warmth and knowledge of the cohort and its staff I experienced during the Graduate Studies interview process, I knew I was making the right choice by pursuing further education at ��,” she said.

Kollmansberger received her master ��. in education in school psychology in a year and a half and graduated on Dec. 14, along with 510 graduates.

She will be entering the career field as a licensed school psychologist and is working toward her educational specialist degree.

“Hailey is one of our most energetic, eager and personable students. She is also outstanding academically and will be a fantastic school psychologist,” said Program Director Angela Axelrod.

Hailey Kollmansberger earned her master's on school psychology on Dec. 14 / ��

How has your �� experience changed you?

Throughout my time in the school psychology program, I have felt an immense amount of support from staff members, which has contributed to building my own personal confidence in my abilities and knowledge.

Because of our small cohort size, I have been able to develop lifelong friendships that make the overwhelming days on campus feel lighter and more achievable.

I would not be where I am today without the staff at ��, and I now have the best of friends that I can turn to throughout the entirety of my career and life.

How well has �� prepared you to work in your field?

I feel very prepared as I approach the window of job interviews. The whole first year of the program allows you to build a robust skillset prior to entering your practicum and internship in years two and three.

Before graduating, I completed a one-year practicum experience and a one-year internship experience. Each of the courses has played a significant role in the knowledge that I carry today and into my field experiences.

Hailey Kollmansberger celebrates at commencement / ��

What stands out about your �� experience?

The most outstanding experience about the school psychology program at �� is the relationship you build between the professors and the individuals within your cohort.

One experience that I feel is unique to �� . program is the ability to take on clinical clients at the university clinic.

This allowed me and my peers to translate our skills in assessments, report writing and building rapport with clients that we learned within the classroom into real life while still receiving guidance from our professors.

What challenges did you face in earning your degree?

As a licensed school psychologist, Hailey Kollmansberger is working toward her educational specialist degree / Hailey Kollmansberger

One of the biggest challenges that I encountered throughout my graduate program was conquering imposter syndrome.

Transitioning from undergrad to graduate school was night and day. I no longer was a face among others within a big lecture hall. I now was a person who my peers turned to for advice and a student who staff members looked at as a leader.

I have never been one to like the spotlight, yet I have never been one to be quiet either. My program at �� provided me with an opportunity to truly find myself as a student, future school psychologist, and a human being within society.

What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?

I am most proud of the confidence I have instilled within myself as I enter into a career I have been dreaming of since I was in high school.

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‘�� provided me with an opportunity to truly find myself as a student, future school psychologist and a human being within society.’ Hailey Kollmansberger

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M.S. school counseling program to go online to help meet high state demand for trained professionals

goersab — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:26:08 +0000

M.S. school counseling program to go online to help meet high state demand for trained professionals goersab October 16, 2024

Wisconsin projected to need 1,500 more counselors within five years; need in rural schools is critical, professors’ research shows

Abbey Goers

School counselors provide a variety of services for students in the prekindergarten to grade 12 setting, supporting both students’ mental health and academic achievement.

However, ongoing challenges across the nation to recruit, hire and retain qualified school counselors have caused a massive shortage, particularly in rural schools, impacting students, their families and communities.

�� . M.S. in school counseling program “aims to increase the number of school counselors in Wisconsin, which will increase student achievement and create stronger communities,” said Assistant Professor Riley Drake, who, with Assistant Professor Molly Welch Deal, researched the shortage of school counselors in rural Wisconsin areas and how it is affecting children ��. access to mental health care.

Assistant Professor Riley Drake, center, with master's students in a practice and theory course / ��

Through a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Federal School Based Mental Health Professionals grant, the program is shifting from on-campus to 100% online beginning in fall 2025 to make it more accessible and meet the needs of prospective graduate students.

“We know there ��. a high demand for school counselors in rural areas and educators who would love to get a license but can’t make the trip to campus for classes,” Drake said. “The online degree program will help them achieve their career goals.”

According to the National Education Association, U.S. schools are facing a shortage of approximately 300,000 educators and staff. In Wisconsin, 30% of the population lives in rural areas, where the shortage is pronounced.

At the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year, there were 56 school counseling vacancies across the state. Wisconsin is projected to need to fill 1,500 school counseling positions within the next five years, Drake said.

Assistant Professor Molly Welch Deal, third from left, with master's students in a practice and feedback course / ��

The WDPI grant covers the period of July 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, in the amount of $156,000. The grant also supports the development of a post-master ��. certificate leading to Wisconsin endorsement for licensure in school counseling designed for people with clinical mental health and general education backgrounds to help strengthen the number of school counselors available to young students. It will also support to diversify applications and enrollment to �� . Ed.S. in school psychology specifically, and into Wisconsin graduate programs more generally.

Joining the helping field and positively impacting young students

�� . polytechnic focus gives graduate students experience working with volunteer clients from childhood to adulthood through clinical experiences beginning in their first year of the program.

Students learn culturally sustaining practices in school counseling, legal and ethical issues, the psychology of development, assessment, school consultation and more, earning their master ��. degree in four semesters, with graduates working in the profession in just two years.

The school counseling master's program aims to increase the number of school counselors in Wisconsin / ��

Lucas Zuiker, the university ��. School Counseling Organization president, chose the program because he had strong leaders and role models in his schools growing up in Marshfield. “They dedicated themselves to education and took the profession very seriously. I hope to emulate that, while also carving out my own identity as an educator,” he said.

By providing his future students with authentic information and practical experience, “whether they want to pursue higher education, the workforce or another path, my goal is to work with them to see what that looks like and help them navigate the challenges and truths of post-secondary life after high school,” he added.

Since arriving at �� two years ago, Drake and Welch Deal have revised the school counseling program to emphasize culturally responsive and sustaining practices, with a focus on equity and justice.

School counselors help boost student achievement and create stronger communities / ��

This focus was the reason Abigail Smith, of Marshfield, chose the program.

“I always wanted to work in the helping field. I chose school counseling because I am passionate about helping underrepresented and marginalized youth and want to be a positive influence to as many students as possible. I want to keep equity and justice at the center of my work so that all students can access the necessary resources,” Smith said.

School counseling incorporates equity and justice more so than other mental health professions, she added, and it uses a holistic approach to help students by incorporating their school, community and family.

“Dr. Drake and Dr. Welch Deal do a fantastic job of incorporating discussions on equity and justice in all aspects of the program. We are pushed to analyze critically the information presented to us and use a social justice framework in our work. The program truly emphasizes the importance of supporting all students we will work with,” Smith said.

Students are required to complete a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship with supervision from licensed professional school counselors and �� faculty, per Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction guidelines.

Smith ��. practicum will be at Chippewa High School. She will graduate in May 2025 and plans to work at an inner-city school in the Madison-Milwaukee area.

Difficulty retaining school counselors in rural areas

Drake and Welch Deal ��. research, titled “School Counselors and Rural Cultural Wealth: Exploring Resistance to Abandonment,” incorporated findings from several national and state organizations.

The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, administered to students in Wisconsin schools every two years, indicated in 2021 that a significant number of youths are struggling with potentially undiagnosed anxiety, depression, self-harming behaviors and suicidal ideation.

Students experience working with volunteer clients from childhood to adulthood through clinical experiences / ��

In 2022, WDPI noted several factors that affect the retention of school counselors in rural areas, including unmanageable caseloads.

The average school counselor is assigned to nearly 390 students, a number significantly higher than the American School Counselor Association ��. recommended ratio of one school counselor to 250 students.

Often in rural areas, the school counselor is the only mental health provider available to prekindergarten through grade 12 students, and their mental health needs are not adequately addressed, Drake said.

“When school counselors are not available, students’ mental health suffers. They also won’t benefit from the advocacy for equitable educational access that school counselors are ethically obligated to provide,” she added.

Cooperative Educational Service Agency – CESA #12, for example, located in Ashland County, includes 17 rural school districts with approximately 14,000 students in prekindergarten through grade 12.

In their research, Drake and Welch Deal found that school counselors are chronically unavailable in CESA #12, where at least six of the school districts have only one or no school counselor available to students.

CESA #12 Director of Special Education and Pupil Services Jennifer Ledin noted that students in two-thirds of school districts need additional mental health support and referrals for counseling. Also, special education services have increased in most of the districts.

Because of the rurality of the area, there are few, if any, community-based mental health services, making the need for school counselors even more critical, Ledin said. Often, school personnel with no specialized training help address the mental health needs of students, including those with alcohol and other drug abuse-related or those who need behavioral discipline referrals.

Welch Deal, Drake and school counseling graduate students will be presenting on Rural Cultural Wealth in School Counseling at the Wisconsin School Counselor Association ��. annual conference on Thursday, Nov. 7, in Wisconsin Dells.

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‘I’m proud of the authentic conversations we got to have in and out of school.’

Educators find creative work-arounds to new laws that restrict what they can teach

Professor Riley Drake recounts how teachers are continuing to support their students without violating executive orders or the law.

M.S. school counseling program to go online to help meet high state demand for trained professionals

Wisconsin projected to need 1,500 more counselors within five years; need in rural schools is critical, professors’ research shows

Wisconsin projected to need 1,500 more counselors within five years; need in rural schools is critical, professors’ research shows M.S. school counseling, practice and theory course

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Dr. Molly Welch Deal

Dr. Welch Deal is an assistant professor of school counseling at UW Stout. Although she is new in her current role, Dr. Welch Deal has been teaching full time at Stout since 2005, primarily in the Psychology Department. Prior to 2005, Dr. Welch Deal was a High School Guidance Counselor. Dr. Welch Deal's research interests include trauma-informed care, culturally responsive practices, gender difference, and positive psychology.

In addition to her work at ��, Dr. Welch Deal is also a mental health consultant for Head Start CESA 11. In her role as a mental health consultant, Dr. Welch Deal supports teachers, staff, students, and families. She also provides regular trainings on topics including the impact of trauma and secondary trauma on behavior and development, care strategies for effective leaders, effective communication strategies, and optimism and well-being.

On a personal level, Dr. Welch Deal is passionate about the outdoors and enjoys biking, camping, fishing, and exploring with her husband, her three boys, and her dogs.

Full Name: Dr. Molly Welch Deal

Job Title: Assistant Professor / Program Director

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Area of Expertise: Culturally Responsive Practices Counseling & Consultation Trauma-Informed Practices Leadership & Communication Training

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Education Counseling, Rehabilitation & Human Services Department

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All Degree Programs

M.S. School Counseling

Education:

Degree: Psy.D. Clinical and Counseling Psychology

University: University of St. Thomas

Degree: M.S. K-12 School Counseling

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

Degree: B.A. Psychology

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

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Dr. Riley Drake

Riley Drake, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of School Counseling in the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation, and Human Services. A former elementary school and family counselor in Iowa, Riley brings over a decade of direct practice to her academic work. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Truman State University, M.S. in Counseling from Drake University, M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Iowa State University, and Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Studies of Education, with a concentration in Education for Social Justice, from Iowa State University.

Riley is committed to “education as the practice of freedom,” and her research explores how educators, particularly school counselors, honor and struggle alongside young people, families, and community organizers in the movement for abolition. Specifically, Riley ��. scholarship challenges school counselors to reckon with the ways the profession has been shaped by surveillance, control, and compliance, and to build community-based approaches and practices rooted in abolition. She is the author of Abolition in School Counseling: Practicing Liberation and Community in PK-12 Schools, with Alicia Oglesby (Routledge, Equity & Social Justice in Education Series, 2026). Her peer-reviewed publications appear in journals including Race Ethnicity and Education, Professional School Counseling, Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, Journal of Career and Technical Education, Urban Education, and the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, among others. She has also co-produced multiple zines with the Abolitionist School Counseling Collective and has written for practitioner audiences through Learning for Justice and Language Arts.

In the Chippewa Valley and beyond, Riley practices community-engaged commitments to transformative justice. She is an Abolition Accountability Facilitator and Action Mobilization Team member with Showing Up for Racial Justice-Twin Cities (SURJ-TC), a network that organizes white people through political education and direct action in solidarity with Black and Brown-led movements to end white supremacy, and collaborates with organizations building non-carceral, consent-based alternatives to mental health services. These commitments directly inform her approach to school counselor education and how she prepares future school counselors to support community-led advocacy and organizing, rather than positioning themselves as mere service providers.

Reference:
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

Full Name: Dr. Riley Drake

Job Title: Assistant Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Abolition in School Counseling Critical Carceral Studies Education in Movement Spaces Pedagogies of Solidarity

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Education Counseling, Rehabilitation & Human Services Department

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M.S. School Counseling

Curriculum Vitae: Riley Drake CV (386.21 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Social and Cultural Studies of Education

University: Iowa State University

Degree: M.Ed. Educational Leadership

University: Iowa State University

Degree: M.S. School Counseling

University: Drake University

Degree: B.S. Psychology

University: Truman State University

Degree: A.A. General Education

University: Indian Hills Community College

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�� . Child and Family Study Center looks to strengthen Wisconsin ��. child care workforce

goersab — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 20:50:46 +0000

�� . Child and Family Study Center looks to strengthen Wisconsin ��. child care workforcegoersab March 10, 2023

Center at the heart of Heritage Hall project provides critical career training through community service

Abbey Goers

Families from around Wisconsin are facing significant shortages of quality child care programs, caused in large part by a shortage of licensed early childhood staff.

�� is committed to building the state ��. child care workforce through its Child and Family Study Center, School of Education programs and collaborative programs within Heritage Hall and across campus.

The Child and Family Study Center helps train future teachers, counselors and dietitians to build Wisconsin's child care workforce and support families. / ��

Recently, Child Care Partnership conducted a survey on child care capacity related to the early childhood teacher shortage and the impacts in western Wisconsin. Of the 116 licensed group child care centers in the 10-county area, 70% responded to the survey.

They reported having to adjust their capacity because of a shortage of qualified staff. And although the group centers reported hiring almost 600 times in the last 12 months, there are still more than 300 staff positions open. In addition to adjusted capacity, more than 50 classrooms closed, resulting in a loss of more than 1,600 child care slots.

In these counties, waiting lists for families outweigh availability, with 90% of programs reporting a waiting list of more than 4,000 children. And across the state, three or more children compete for every available child care spot, with 54% of Wisconsin residents living in child care deserts.

Without support around the child care staffing crisis, 16% of CCP group child care programs reported they were facing closure due to the ongoing issue of not having qualified staff.

As part of Gov. Evers proposed 2023-25 budget, $340 million would be invested in the Child Care Counts: COVID-19 Stabilization Payment Program, along with $22 million to support the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families’ Partner Up! Program.

Without ongoing financial support through programs like Child Care Counts and Partner Up!, 44% of CCP programs were unsure they would remain in business, and 21% felt they would close in the near future.

Child Care Partnership, a Western Dairyland Community Action Agency program, serves Buffalo, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and Trempealeau counties and the Ho-Chunk Nation. Its goal is to increase access to consistent, affordable and quality child care services.

University center helping to make a difference

The Child and Family Study Center practices the university ��. polytechnic mission of providing hands-on experiences to undergraduate and master ��. students to prepare them for careers in child care and early childhood education. The CFSC also helps train future teachers, counselors and dietitians through academic instruction, research, classroom observations and service-learning.

This year, 63 children of university students, faculty, staff and community members are participating in CFSC programming. / ��

The CFSC is licensed by the state. Instructional staff teach in five classrooms and labs in two locations on campus: the Infant/Toddler Lab in Heritage Hall, with children 6 weeks through 3 years of age; and the Preschool, with children 3 to 6 years, including the 4K program, in partnership with the School District of the Menomonie Area.

As a National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited program, the CFSC is held to guidelines regarding teacher preparation. It holds a five-star rating in the YoungStar system, which ensures the health and safety of child care in Wisconsin.

“We have a reputation of quality and intentional programming to support children's success,” said Director Allison Feller. “Our qualified staff exemplify excellence and directly impact our program's success. By staying abreast of current research and developments in the field of early childhood education, they mentor future educators who are prepared to enter the workforce.”

This year, 63 children of university students, faculty, staff and community members are in CFSC programming. They represent diverse cultural backgrounds and receive care and learning opportunities for up to 10 hours each day, 50 hours each week.

Each year, the CFSC collaborates with more than 20 programs across campus, with more than 650 university students engaging in professional development practices.

Undergraduate programs represented include early childhood education; art education; and human development and family studies; and master ��. programs include school counseling; school psychology; clinical mental health counseling and nutrition and dietetics.

The Heritage Hall renovation will support new state-of-the-art programming in a new CFSC space. / ��

“We're educating highly qualified candidates for programs when children are at the most critical stage of development,” Feller said.

Kayla Hewitt, an early childhood education alum, is a behavioral therapist with an early intervention program. She works one-on-one with children ages 2 and older, who are on the autism spectrum. Using applied behavior analysis, Hewitt guides children to understand their abilities to their best advantage, so that they may have the most independent life they can.

“My education from Stout has given me the best tools to excel in my position,” Hewitt said. “I use individualization and differentiation every single day. I also utilize the training I received at Stout to create plans for programming, thinking outside the box for creatively presenting new learning objectives while aiming for the most multimodal experience for the child. The skills I learned to help manage classrooms and learning environments, as well as building family relationships and rapport, has helped me to be the best behavior therapist I can be.”

The Preschool building opened in 1971; the Heritage Hall Infant/Toddler Lab opened in 1973.

The Heritage Hall renovation will support building a new CFSC, strengthening state-of-the-art programming and curriculum to keep �� students at the forefront of innovative and evidence-based early childhood services. A newly designed center will also include a common space for faculty, staff, community partners and families to expand existing collaborations and campus initiatives.

The renovation of Heritage Hall, which received priority approval from the UW System Board of Regents, is ranked No. 1 in the Chippewa Valley and No. 3 for major academic building renovation projects. Renovation is slated to begin in 2026.

Heritage Hall Renovation

This project creates a new, unified home for workforce-critical degree programs in the College of Art & Human Sciences and more.

Community partnerships, campus collaborations benefit multiple stakeholders

The collaborations between the Child and Family Study Center and cross-campus programs offer university students – who are preparing to enter Wisconsin ��. child care workforce – multiple experiential learning opportunities to work with children and families.

Professor Christine Peterson believes the CFSC positively impacts M.S. and Ed.S. school psychology students. They assess 3K students for their clinical practicums to profile preacademic skills at the beginning and end of each academic year.

This collaboration benefits multiple stakeholders, Peterson explained, including the graduate students who receive applied learning experience; and CFSC instructional staff and parents who receive meaningful information about instruction and a benchmark measure of progress. CFSC submits this data annually to the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Each year, the CFSC collaborates with more than 20 programs across campus, with more than 650 university students engaging in professional development practices. / ��

“The CFSC stands out on our campus as a model for lab-based programming; it simultaneously serves multiple programs, enhances the applied student experience for not only preservice teachers but multiple other disciplines, and provides a critical community service,” Peterson said.

Clinical mental health counseling Professor Julie Bates-Maves believes �� . labs, like the CFSC, are at the heart of the university ��. polytechnic distinction.

“This indispensable lab brings life to the developmental considerations, attachment theory, and social and emotional development we teach in our courses,” Bates-Maves said. “Having the opportunity to try on one ��. counseling skills with young populations is critical, as is the opportunity to observe developmental expression in person versus simply reading about it.

“The center provides a model of healthy caregiving, allowing our students to further observe interactional styles between adults and children that support emotional development. As emerging professional counselors, our students will educate parents and caregivers on how to support children in the midst of normal development, but also those experiencing developmental crises,” Bates-Maves said.

This spring semester, Assistant Professor Lindsay Heidelberger, program director of M.S. nutrition and dietetics, has connected Professor Deb Sheats to collaborate with CFSC staff to provide master's students in the Nutrition Education and Counseling course with hands-on, polytechnic learning. Students will observe meal times at the CFSC, conduct needs assessments with staff and create nutrition education video lessons for children and their families.

“Having access to the CFSC has been integral to the students’ learning by providing experiential learning in a real-world setting as a nutrition educator,” Heidelberger said.

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Wisconsin representatives Moses, Summerfield celebrate ��'s Heritage Hall funding, workforce impact

Project addresses workforce needs by producing dedicated, skilled graduates across multiple disciplines

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Chancellor Katherine Frank issues a statement following funding approval of Heritage Hall by the Joint Finance Committee.

Center at the heart of Heritage Hall project provides critical career training through community service Child and Family Study Center, 2022, 3

School of Education

The School of Education offers challenging education programs that prepare highly qualified, successful teachers, leaders, and student services professionals.

Child & Family Study Center

Helping children develop intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally.

The Child & Family Study Center (CFSC) focuses on the "whole child" representing all areas of development: intellectual, physical, social, and emotional. The program goals are to develop: self-concept and self-worth, language skills, social interaction skills, independence, curiosity, self-expression, appreciation, problem-solving, large and fine motor coordination, creative expression, along with awareness and respect for other's experiences and backgrounds as well as their own.

Alumna ��. focus is on children with $1 million donation

Mary Ross Denison knows firsthand that an investment in someone ��. future can make a difference.

Educational Theory & Hands-On Practice

The Child & Family Study Center is a university education laboratory school committed to creating a link between educational theory and hands-on practice. Students from undergraduate and graduate courses across campus can observe, participate, develop research, and execute lessons under the guidance of experienced and highly qualified educators.

Laboratory access at the CFSC allows for cross-campus collaborations with other departments and programs, implementation of class projects, observation, service-learning and increased demand for meaningful and related student work experience which is in line with �� Polytechnic's mission. The polytechnic approach to education is hands-on and career-focused, supporting state-of-the-art programming and curriculum to keep college students at the forefront of innovative and evidence-based early childhood services.

The center serves as a catalyst for excellence and innovation in early learning and the preparation of future educators. The center creates a common space for faculty, staff, community, and families to not only collaborate to train future teachers but also as a facility for professional development and academic research while modeling best practices in many fields of study.

Infant & Toddler Education Lab

�� Polytechnic's Infant & Toddler Education Lab is a certified childcare center for the university staff, students, and the Menomonie community. Students in the School of Education's B.S. Early Childhood Education program provide childcare for children ages 0-3. Aaron Wisecup, a senior in ECE, assists in and teaches children for nine weeks during the semester.

"We really focus on teaching the children self-help skills and social and emotional skills, like learning to share toys, take turns, and asking friends if they are hurt," Wisecup said.

Working alongside other student staff and experienced faculty, and watching the children progress gives students the necessary experience to benefit in their future teaching careers.

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Marketing & business education student, alum named WMEA Emerging Educator, Teacher of the Year

Future and current teachers prepare students for success beyond the classroom, honored at annual statewide conference

Engineering, technology professor researches impact of AI on students’ creativity, problem-solving

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Professor Lindsay Barnhart deciphers what 'tantrums' really say about children, and what we might be missing.

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Symphony Band students at the CFSC

Contact Information

Allison Feller

108 Child & Family Study Center

715-232-2554

fellera1995@uwstout.edu

Enrollment Inquiries

Please contact 715-232-1478.

Locations

The Child & Family Study Center operates in two separate locations:

The Infant/Toddler Lab 1 serves children six weeks through three years of age.
811 6th St East

The Toddler 2 and Preschool location serves children two years through six years, including the 4K program operated in conjunction with the School District of the Menomonie Area.
1412 6th St East

Hours of Operation

Full-Day Program: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
4K Program: 8:30 - 11:45 a.m.

The center operates in accordance with the University Calendar. For your convenience, we also provide a Center Calendar for parents and families.

Program Application

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Master's in school counseling program, centers meet a critical need in Wisconsin, community

goersab — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 17:11:15 +0000

Master's in school counseling program, centers meet a critical need in Wisconsin, communitygoersab December 5, 2022

Heritage Hall renovation to offer interdisciplinary learning, better accessibility to services

Abbey Goers

With Wisconsin facing a shortage of licensed professional school counselors, the value of graduates from �� . Master of Science in school counseling program has never been greater for communities throughout the state.

Over the next five years, Wisconsin is projected to need nearly 1,500 additional school counselors and psychologists, with job growth expected to increase by 11% over the next decade.

The need for licensed professional school counselors is being heightened by increased student social and emotional needs, which rose exponentially during the pandemic. There is also a dramatically disproportionate ratio of counselors available to students across the state.

The ideal caseload recommended by the American School Counselor Association is a ratio of 250-to-1, students to counselor. However, school counselor ratios in Wisconsin were 387-to-1 during the 2020-21 academic year, the most recent year for which data is available. The national average that year was 415-to-1.

Graduate students Alexandra Lee and Kaitlyn Eyerly, reflected in the mirror, in the Counseling Lab. / ��

“School counselors are often the first, and sometimes the only, mental health providers students may have,” said Program Director Sharon Hansen. “Our graduates are equipped with the skills necessary to help elementary, middle and high school students succeed.”

As vital members of school leadership teams, school counselors promote equity and access for all students, helping with academic strategies, emotional support, interpersonal skills and postsecondary goals. They offer short-term counseling to students and make referrals for long-term support, while collaborating with families, teachers, administrators and community agencies to help with student success, needs and challenges.

Renovation to support interdisciplinary learning between counselors and educators

�� . master ��. programs in school counseling; clinical mental health counseling; marriage and family therapy; and school psychology are in the Vocational Rehabilitation Building but are scheduled to relocate to Heritage Hall.

Heritage Hall, a near-50-year-old building, is scheduled for major renovation after receiving priority approval from the UW System Board of Regents. The project is ranked No. 1 in the Chippewa Valley and No. 3 for UW System academic buildings. The project includes the demolition of the 1954 portion of the Vocational Rehabilitation Building, where the four programs are housed.

M.S. school counseling Program Director Sharon Hansen with graduate students in the Counseling Lab. / ��

Heritage Hall is also home to the School of Education. Hansen believes that having all of �� . mental health professions and School of Education under one roof will allow for more interdisciplinary learning.

“School counselors often have to network with other school-based and community resources, so having the ability to interact with those programs within Heritage Hall will provide for better consultation and collaboration between professions,” she said.

Meeting a critical community need

Maria Alm, dean of the College of Arts and Human Sciences, believes the Heritage Hall renovation will have a significant impact on the programs, labs and centers that will relocate there.

Also anticipating relocation is the Clinical Services Center, which has offered community members affordable counseling services by graduate students since 1974. It serves approximately 1,000 clients a year.

Graduate student Caleb Schauf observes a session in the Counseling Lab from behind the mirror. / ��

“We are hoping to expand services in the new Clinical Services Center by offering not only play therapy, relational couple and family therapy, and psychological assessments and testing, but also branch into new areas such as nutrition education,” said Associate Professor Candice Maier, director of the center.

The center is currently in a facility that was not originally intended to serve as a counseling center and lacks easy parking access.

“The new location in Heritage Hall will provide a welcoming, clearly marked exterior entrance with convenient parking, professional quality check-in and waiting areas, and state-of-the-art equipment and counseling spaces,” Alm said. “The need for counseling services, and in particular low-cost services, is critical to our community, and we look forward to continuing and enhancing our offerings in the newly designed space.”

Graduate student Michaela Blomberg in the Counseling Lab. / ��

The university ��. Disability Services, Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute and Counseling Center, which offers free services to students, are also planning to move to Heritage Hall. Disability Services is in the University Library; SVRI in the Vocational Rehabilitation Building; and the Counseling Center in Bowman Hall.

“The intention for moving these centers is to centralize services and make them more accessible for students and the community,” Associate Professor Andy Felton said. “While still respecting privacy and confidentiality, the centers will have a visible presence in Heritage Hall, with a further hope to broach stigmas and raise awareness around different student and community services.

“�� is giving a lot of attention to mental, emotional and behavioral health. We are ready to show we are working together to help students and the community thrive, making sure individuals seeking any services on campus can get proper, well-rounded support, and students get practical experience to prepare them for their careers,” Felton said.

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‘Power of Partnership’: �� celebrates groundbreaking for $144M Heritage Hall renovation

Chancellor, lawmakers, community and campus leaders join to highlight project that will boost Wisconsin workforce

Wisconsin representatives Moses, Summerfield celebrate ��'s Heritage Hall funding, workforce impact

Project addresses workforce needs by producing dedicated, skilled graduates across multiple disciplines

Chancellor's Statement on Heritage Hall Funding

Chancellor Katherine Frank issues a statement following funding approval of Heritage Hall by the Joint Finance Committee.

Heritage Hall renovation to offer interdisciplinary learning, better accessibility to services Counseling Lab, student Alexandra Lee

Counseling, Rehabilitation & Human Services Department

We prepare students to perform a vital role as counselors who have specialized knowledge and skills for both mental health and rehabilitation service delivery.

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Faculty members continue lifelong learning through sabbaticals, professorships

goersab — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 15:04:35 +0000

Faculty members continue lifelong learning through sabbaticals, professorshipsgoersab September 20, 2022

Seven professors earn awards for research, to improve teaching expertise through professional development

Abbey Goers

Lifelong learning is part of �� . vision, offering applied learning, theory and research not only to its students but to its faculty and staff as well.

As a part of the lifelong learning process, seven professors and associate professors have been awarded sabbaticals and earned professorships for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years.

Sabbaticals, which enable recipients to engage in intensive study to become more effective teachers and scholars, are granted to faculty based on their merit of past academic contributions. This academic year ��. recipients are:

Professor Jim Bryan, design department chair
Professor Dmitry Kadnikov, chemistry and physics department
Associate Professor Kimberly Loken, program director of game design and development-art

Jim Bryan, center, with a class outside of Applied Arts / ��

Bryan will research two projects during his sabbatical: a proposal for an art museum exhibition and a study of Frank Sinatra ��. political stances.

His exhibition will feature “works of art in which real people take on the guise of someone else, such as in religious masquerading ceremonies in which participants are believed to manifest the supernatural beings they are dressed as, or in portraits in which the sitter adopts the costume and accessories of some mythological character,” he said.

Bryan's second project is to research Sinatra ��. mid-1950s bachelor pad, for which he hired African American architect Paul R. Williams. “At the time, Sinatra was a very prominent celebrity supporter of the civil rights movement and was liberal in his political views. But in a televised tour of his apartment, he never mentioned his Black architect,” Bryan said. “This is a fascinating example of what was considered ‘progressive’ in Eisenhower-era America, and how far even a legendary celebrity would or would not go on live TV then.”

Kim Loken, center, and game design students. / ��

Loken teaches game design and talks with students about systems and the cause-and-effect relationships within them. As a licensed architect, she tends to research ecosystems.

“I’ll be designing a tabletop game about re-wilding rivers,” she said. “But my reading on land use and resource management also feeds another creative inquiry – a prototype for an agri-hood, in which I will study a modular approach to blending food production with moderately dense housing.”

Bryan believes sabbaticals are valuable in that they allow faculty a set amount of time to focus on what is important rather than just what is urgent.

“In an organization as big, and with as many different needs as a university, there are always lots of things to be addressed – classes to teach, students to advise, meetings to attend, forms to be filled out, problems to be resolved, future plans to be made. All of this matters, but it demands a lot of time and energy,” he said.

“The sabbatical means that those long-term goals can be given exclusive attention. It allows faculty to ‘uni-task’ rather than multitask so that through their research they can make further contributions to society ��. total body of knowledge, which is one of their professional obligations,” Bryan said.

Professorships are prestigious positions awarded to high-performing faculty to help them improve their areas of teaching expertise through professional development.

This academic year ��. professorships were awarded to:

Diane Klemme / ��

Professor Diane Klemme, program director of family and consumer sciences education: Q Endowed Chair, awarded for two years, $46,000.
Assistant Professor Karen Ostenso, program director of dietetics: Grace Laudon Ostenso Nutrition and Food Science Endowed Chair, awarded for two years, $19,000.
Professor Chris Peterson, program director of M.S.Ed. and Ed.S. school psychology: Maybelle Ranney Price Professorship, awarded for one year, $2,000.
Assistant Professor Vivek Singhal, engineering and technology department: John “Jed” Copham Memorial Professorship, awarded for one year, $10,000.

Klemme will explore the teacher shortage in career and technical areas by looking into the factors that contribute to students' choices in pursuing a CTE teaching career. She'll work to identify career development programs and practices used in secondary schools that help students seek a CTE teaching career.

Her research methods will include student surveys and interviews with secondary school staff. She'll also explore the research regarding the Alpha Generation and potential avenues for this generation to opt for a CTE teaching career.

Karen Ostenso / ��

Karen Ostenso will address the lack of evidence-based nutrition interventions for community-dwelling older adults to reduce malnutrition and promote successful aging.

“The goal is to develop, implement and evaluate an evidenced-based cooking curriculum for community-residing older adults and caregivers as part of a comprehensive nutrition program model being initiated through the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources Inc.,” Ostenso said.

Grace Laudon Ostenso, a 1954 graduate of the family and consumer educational services program, now the dietetics program, founded the endowed chair to provide leadership and vision to ensure expert instruction for �� students and the continued success of its food- and nutrition-related programs.

Chris Peterson / ��

Peterson plans to attend conferences and workshops that align with her interests in literacy and intervention for struggling readers. “Literacy and particularly reading intervention expertise is critical to the role of the school psychologist, and I am grateful for the opportunity to update my own professional development in the area, which will enhance teaching and learning in the classroom,” she said.

Maybelle Ranney Price graduated from the Stout Institute. The professorship is awarded in recognition of outstanding ability and promise and provides support for professional activities.

Vivek Singhal / ��

Singhal plans to collaborate with the local industry to develop an applied, hands-on course on laser material processing. “There is a regional and national shortage of qualified people in this field, and only a few programs in the country offer any relevant training,” Singhal said.

The John "Jed" Copham Memorial Professorship is in memory of Copham, a 1997 industrial technology graduate who died in a swimming accident in 2018. This professorship is intended to support faculty and staff in the engineering and technology department, with preference for projects that have a connection to automobiles or motorsports.

Faculty must apply for the professorships, which are funded through the Stout University Foundation. They are awarded based on recommendations made by the Named Professorship Committee and are approved by Chancellor Katherine Frank. Use of the stipends must meet state guidelines and be approved by the UW System.

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Speaker encourages student educators to believe in themselves

powersp — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 18:04:51 +0000

Speaker encourages student educators to believe in themselvespowersp November 19, 2018

Alum Carl “Energizer” Olson uses magic and sleight of hand as icebreakers

Carl “Energizer” Olson likes to collect dots.

To the nationally known speaker, trainer and author, who has presented to more than 1.5 million people throughout the U.S. and Canada, each person he meets is a dot.

“Tonight is a dot for you,” he said while speaking at University of Wisconsin-Stout Wednesday, Nov. 14, as part of School Psychology Awareness Week, which ran from Nov. 12-16. “You want to have as many dots in life as you can. You never know when the dots will connect in life. Every person I meet expands my life.”

Olson, of Sun Prairie, is a �� alumnus with a master ��. degree in guidance and counseling. He taught in the Chetek and New Richmond school districts and was an administrator in the Barron school district.

Learning happens in waves, Olson said, making the motion with his hands. School counselors must encourage students to find out what they are good at and strive to increase students’ confidence.

“You are going to be faced with teachers that will say a kid is no good,” Olson told the students attending the presentation.

Their job will be to keep working and working until good things happen for those children. “Never give up,” he added. “You can make a difference in someone ��. life and make it work. It ��. amazing stuff folks. I’m telling you you’re entering into one of the best jobs you’ll ever do in your life.

“It ��. self-talk,” he added. “You have to believe in yourself. We’ve got to teach students to do that and believe in themselves.”

Mixing in magic tricks and sleight of hand, Olson, 73, said as an educator he used those tricks to provide mental breaks for students and also as ways to get them talking and sharing with each other.

One trick involved the use of iodine in water. Once stirred with a stick dipped in bleach, the iodine cleared up. At one point he had participants put a penny in a balloon, blow it up and spin the penny. He then had them put a metal nut into the same balloon and rotate it, creating a whirring noise. “Learning happens like this,” Olson said, noting most people don’t realize the piece of hardware would make that noise.

Olson started speaking to groups in 1993, drawing on his experiences as an educator. Some of his books include “Presenting and Training with Magic,” “Taking Time for Teamwork,” “The Leadership Cookbook,” “100 Awesome Icebreakers,” and “Entertaining an Elephant.”

He encouraged gratitude and taking the time to tell people who have made a difference in one ��. life.

Jessica Boston, of Colby, a �� graduate student in school counseling, said she learned from Olson the importance of saying, “That ��. interesting,” and encouraging students to tell them more. “I like all his ideas how we as future school counselors can connect with kids,” Boston said.

Molly Borman, of Ladysmith, a graduate student in school counseling, said Olson had great energy. “I loved it all,” she said. “He just keeps you involved.”

For Harly VanBrunt, of Durand, a graduate student in school counseling, Olson kept her engaged and listening. “I liked when he talked about how we are supposed to help build kids up and build their self-esteem,” she said. “That ��. important.”

School Psychology Awareness Week ��. theme was Unlock Potential. Find your Password. A password is a personal key for unlocking any number of areas of one ��. potential. School psychologists assist students and staff in unlocking the resources, proactive and preventative skills and positive connections necessary to find their full potential to thrive in school and life.

�� . Master of Science degree in school counseling has been ranked one of the top six programs in the nation by Top Counseling Schools.org and Best Counseling Degrees.net. The university also offers a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a Master of Science in applied psychology.

�� is Wisconsin ��. ��, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes.

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Photos

�� graduate students Molly Borman, Harly VanBrunt and Jessica Boston laugh as they twirl a penny in an inflated balloon. All three agreed Olson was an engaging speaker with ideas how future counselors can connect with their students.

Olson, at right, with Borman, demonstrates how to work together to get yarn strings untangled. Olson uses magic and sleight of hand tricks to engage listeners and give them mental breaks.

Carl “Energizer” Olson likes to collect dots. Olsen photo 2

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