Written and Edited by Shane Stricker, Communications Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
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Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Collins is on the homestretch of a project many years in the making. The project first started to take shape when Collins was living in Ecuador in the 1990s, a time of great political change. During this time, Collins explains, “the Ecuadorian indigenous movement burst onto the political scene and became arguably the most powerful indigenous move- ment in the Americas. The focus of my work beginning with my dissertation and now unfolding with this book project studies how indigenous people in Ecuador and Bolivia have transformed themselves into powerful political actors.” After completing her doctoral coursework at University of California, San Diego, Collins obtained a Fulbright award to carry out her fieldwork in Ecuador. With this scholarship, she is spending the next five months interviewing national politicians, updating her collection of bibliographical materials, and carrying out two local-level case studies in the provinces of Chimborazo and Zamora Chinchipe. Her final goal is to collect all her years of research into a book which “will make an important contribution to the academic literature on the political processes that have been sweep- ing the region ...,” said Collins. Over the past decade and a half, Collins has seen a monumental shift in Latin American government. She says, “When I first went to Ecuador in the 1990s there were no indigenous people in government. Today, some fifteen years later there are indigenous people serving in the legislature as prefects and mayors in nearly all realms of govern- ment.” This shift, she explains, is similar to the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Although she is thousands of miles away, Collins has not forgotten about her role as a professor. “As only one of two professors in our department who is engaged in research outside of the United States, I play a central role in exposing our majors to global issues.” Collins goes on to say, “The Political Science Department is a relatively small, but strong de- partment. In spite of a high teach- ing load, our department prides itself on the fact that our faculty is active in research and publishing.” Collins has several chapters of her book written and is set to finish it in the next two years. She says, “I am confident that my book will be of in- terest, not only to Latin Americanists, but to academics with comparative interests in social and indigenous movements, democratization and processes of political change in the developing world.” Collins Earns Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship By Shane Stricker Symposium Showcases Collaborative Research COLS students and faculty showcased their collaborative research at the twelfth annual College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Research Symposium on Friday, April 29. A record of more than 400 students, parents, faculty, retired faculty and community members attended. The symposium, featured more than 100 research posters and presentations from students representing 12 departments within the college, and was held on the first and second floors of the Science Building. “Our annual undergraduate research symposium represents our students and faculty at their very best, fulfilling the college’s goal of focusing on undergraduate education and research,” said Dean Chris Cirmo. “From radon to foreign revolutions and everything in between, students and faculty are at the top of their games in not only the classroom but also in the laboratory and in the field. We are proud to highlight the major reason we exist as a college; to cherish and cultivate the special relationship which develops between the student and faculty member through directed research.” The public is invited to attend the 2012 COLS Undergraduate Research Symposium which will be held on April 27th from 2pm-5pm in the Science Building. Professor Jennifer Collins in Ecuador Enthusiastic students share their research with hundreds of fellow students and visitors. COLS College of Letters and Science Realizing Our Vision as The College-at-the-Core University of Wisconsin Stevens Point December 2011
Transcript
Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Collins is on the homestretch of a project many years in the making. The project first started to take shape when Collins was living in Ecuador in the 1990s, a time of great political change. During this time, Collins explains, “the Ecuadorian indigenous movement burst onto the political scene and became arguably the most powerful indigenous move-ment in the Americas. The focus of my work beginning with my dissertation and now unfolding with this book project studies how indigenous people in Ecuador and Bolivia have transformed themselves into powerful political actors.”
After completing her doctoral coursework at University of California, San Diego, Collins obtained a Fulbright award to carry out her fieldwork in Ecuador. With this scholarship, she is spending the next five months interviewing national politicians, updating her collection of bibliographical materials, and carrying out two local-level case studies in the provinces of Chimborazo and Zamora Chinchipe. Her final goal is to collect all her years of research into a book which “will make an important contribution to the academic literature on the political processes that have been sweep-ing the region ...,” said Collins.
Over the past decade and a half, Collins has seen a monumental shift in Latin American government. She says, “When I first went to Ecuador in the 1990s there were no indigenous people in government. Today, some fifteen years later there are indigenous people serving in the legislature as prefects and mayors in nearly all realms of govern-ment.” This shift, she explains, is similar to the Civil Rights movement in the United States.
Although she is thousands of miles away, Collins has not forgotten about her role as a professor. “As only one of two professors in our department who is engaged in research outside of the United States, I play a central role in exposing our majors to global issues.” Collins goes on to say, “The Political Science Department is a relatively small, but strong de-
partment. In spite of a high teach-ing load, our department prides itself on the fact that our faculty is active in research and publishing.” Collins has several chapters of her book written and is set to finish it in the next two years. She says, “I am confident that my book will be of in-terest, not only to Latin Americanists, but to academics with comparative interests in social and indigenous movements, democratization and processes of political change in the developing world.”
Symposium Showcases Collaborative ResearchCOLS students and faculty showcased their collaborative research at the twelfth annual College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Research Symposium on Friday, April 29. A record of more than 400 students, parents, faculty, retired faculty and community members attended. The symposium, featured more than 100 research posters and presentations from students representing 12 departments within the college, and was held on the first and second floors of the Science Building.
“Our annual undergraduate research symposium represents our students and faculty at their very best, fulfilling the college’s goal of focusing on undergraduate education and research,” said Dean Chris Cirmo. “From radon to foreign revolutions and everything in between, students and faculty are at the top of their games in not only the classroom but also in the laboratory and in the field. We are proud to highlight the major reason we exist as a college; to cherish and cultivate the special relationship which develops between the student and faculty member through directed research.” The public is invited to attend the 2012 COLS Undergraduate Research Symposium which will be held on April 27th from 2pm-5pm in the Science Building.
Professor Jennifer Collins in Ecuador
Enthusiastic students share their research with hundreds of fellow students and visitors.
COLSCollege of Letters and Science
Realizing Our Vision as The College-at-the-Core
University of Wisconsin
Stevens Point
December 2011
Beyond the classroom, students gather information from popular websites, video sources and social media. An interac-tive textbook authored by Geography Professor Michael Ritter is now available online for geography students, using the same multiple communication channels they use every day.
The Physical Environment: An Introduction to Physical Geography integrates traditional educational content, but adds historic video clips, select websites and interactive discussion opportunities all in an organized and categorized online platform. Based on this textbook and its quality and impact in advancing the learning and teaching of geog-raphy at any level for any group, the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) recognized Ritter with the annual Geographic Excellence in Media Award at its national confer-ence in August.
Ritter’s online teaching methods and materials evolve as new tech-nology evolves, so he is constantly creating updates for new platforms and applications. His testing and quiz time intervals have changed over the years to foster improved learning. Students taking his online course must complete 20 units in 15 weeks with an emphasis on student-assessment. “The course is designed around the concept mastery approach with multiple means of engaging in content through the online textbook,” Ritter said. “Students in
the online course take a more active role in their learning than sitting passively through a conventional lecture.”
Ritter sees the future land-scape of textbooks continu-ing to evolve with technology and an even greater empha-sis on student self-assessment. “Students are no longer being fed the information, now they are seeking it out.” He hopes to change the nature of textbook
publishing and improve access to education. “With the multitude of information sources, the role of faculty as the dispenser of information is changing, and so is the nature of learning,” he said. “In an online course, the instructor becomes more of a facilitator of learning than a dispenser of content. It’s just as impor-tant for students to be ‘knowledge-able’ as it is knowledgeable. When presented with a problem, students need to know where they can turn to find the answer and effectively assess the information they retrieve.”
A preview of The Physical Environment: An Introduction to Physical Geography and other select materials by Michael Ritter is available by visiting http://www.mritter.net.
Interactive Textbook for New Learning Environment Wins AwardBy Mark Williams
Psychology Nominated for Prestigious Award
The Department of Psychology has been nominated for the UW System’s Regent’s Teaching Award. According to the award guidelines, “This award aims to recognize an academic department… that dem-onstrates exceptional commitment to and effectiveness in teaching.” Department Chair Craig Wendorf, said, “The department is sincerely honored to be nominated for the award. The department remains committed to excellence in teaching students about the importance of psy-chological science. Finally, we thank Dean Chris Cirmo for his support of this nomination.”
Psychology Department
The new academic year has been exciting but stressful considering how the current economy and the political climate have affected higher education in Wisconsin. UWSP and the College of Letters and Science (COLS) have not been immune to decreased UW System funding and the challenges of remaining competitive and productive during difficult times. When I arrived two years ago we were concerned about the possibilities of such reductions. This reality is forcing us to respond to the challenge by acting strategically. As I have said in many venues this year, we are here to support one thing: the faculty/student interaction. The fundamental role of administration, office staff, maintenance and custodial, residential services and support staff is to make certain this relationship remains our top priority. In our College Mission Statement, we aim to “…foster student’s career preparation, professional expertise, civic responsibility, personal development and global adaptability.” Promotion of the faculty/student interaction is fundamental to accomplishing this mission. We consider the College of Letters and Science “The College-at-the-Core” recognizing its central role in delivering a liberal arts and science education to all students at the university. Every student at UWSP must take courses in our college and demonstrate proficiencies in reading, writing and quantitative sciences, the ability to speak in public, and the capacity to think critically. I have made the case this year of the value of the Humanities, the Social Sciences and the Natural Sciences in any true liberal arts and science education. The fundamental mission of a liberal arts education is to “liberate” the mind and open it to experiences, knowledge and skills to be used in being a professional and a contributing, socially minded citizen. A consistent message from potential employers and graduate schools is that they want potential employees and graduate students with skill sets that include reading comprehension, critical and creative writing skills, critical thinking and decision making, historical perspectives, and an ability to present information to others clearly. I am pleased to say that the College of Letters and Sciences has as a fundamental mission the mentoring of all students at UWSP to master these very skills in becoming all they can be in our society. I welcome you all to a new academic year, and hope you will be in touch with your thoughts, ideas and contributions. Thank you.
The Faculty/Student Interaction: Our Lifeblood in COLSfrom the desk of Dean Chris Cirmo
COLS News & NotesMark Williams has been named
as the Assistant to the Dean for Advancement and Marketing for the College of Letters and Science. For the last four years Williams served as devel-opment director for the college with a focus on major gift development. In his new role, he will be responsible for collegewide market-ing across all media, communications, public relations func-tions and events. “The opportunity to use my background in advertising and marketing at UWSP, my alma mater, is a dream combina-tion for me,” said Williams.
Julie Smith of Marshfield has been named as the Development Director
for the college. She began her new role in October. Smith received her bach-elor’s in political sci-ence from Indiana University and has previously held de-velopment positions
at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, the University of Rochester and Purdue. “I am delighted to be representing the College of Letters and Science at such an exciting period in its history, and look forward to working with our many talented and committed alumni and friends,” said Smith.
Visit the College of Letters and Sciences website!www.uwsp.edu/cols
Magdeburg Summer VisitOn August first, exchange students from
Germany touched down in America, ready to spend the next three weeks with host families in Stevens Point through the Magdeburg Program. In this program, students from Otto von Guericke Universität in Magdeburg, Germany had the opportunity to explore the economic, historical, and culture aspects of Wisconsin, especially those aspects that have connections to Germany. After the tour of the facility, the German professor and leader of the program, Thomas Leek, said, “One of my favorite new afternoon trips that we undertook this year was to the ThyssenKrupp Foundry in Waupaca. ThyssenKrupp is a steel firm from Germany, and after the tour of the facility, the German CFO, Juergen Zirnstein, met with the group to discuss the business and employment environment in Wisconsin.” The exchange students attended English classes taught by Mary McComb, which centered on writing resumes in America and other communications-centered activities. Leek said, “The Magdeburg Program this year was a great success – so much so that I’m investigating how to extend the program for a week next year.”
German exchange students Marcel and Tammo in class
Free Lectures to the Public ● December 8, 2011 - 7 p.m.Games and Toys of Yesteryear and Today in the Caribbean Island of GuadeloupeBeverley David, Foreign LanguagesPinery Room, Portage County Public Library
● February 9, 2012 - 7 p.m.Removing Classroom Walls: University-Community PartnershipsTim Krause, Computing and New Media TechnologiesPinery Room, Portage County Public Library
● March 8, 2012 - 7 p.m.The Devil’s Church: Evangelicals and Hollywood in the 1940sShanny Luft, PhilosophyPinery Room, Portage County Public Library
● April 12, 2012 - 7 p.m.UWSP’s Nanowires: High-tech, Cutting-edge Research in an Unexpected Place Mike Zach, ChemistryPinery Room, Portage County Public Library
● May 10, 2012 - 7 p.m.Social Class in Education: Psychological Factors Limit Upward Social MobilityJody Lewis, PsychologyPinery Room, Portage County Public Library
Shane Stricker, Editor
The Academy of Letters and Science serves as a volunteer support group for the college. The Academy helps shape college policies and provides models of excellence for students and access to the community. On April 23, 2011, the Academy celebrated the value of an education in Letters and Science by recognizing 31 COLS students, two faculty members and commu-nity award winner Karl Pnazek at the annual awards banquet. In the picture above, Academy of Letters and Science President and UWSP Alumnus Fritz Wenzel congratulates COLS student Lauren Golla.
Please consider making a positive impact on UWSP students and programs by making a gift. You can make a donation to your favorite department, schol-arship or program online by visiting www.uwsp.edu/foundation. For information about creating a legacy at UWSP or creating one for a friend, mentor or loved one, please contact Julie Smith at 715-346-2406 or email [email protected]. Thank you for your consideration.
Academy of Letters and Science
www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries
Fritz Wenzel and Lauren Golla
University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointCollege of Letters and Science130 Collins Classroom CenterStevens Point, WI 54481
