COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON

PERSPECTIVE
PERSPECTIVE For alumni and friends of the
UW-Madison College of Engineering

GIFT REPORT 2010

THE COLLECTIVE
POWER of GIVING
You support college excellence

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Thanks to the generosity of many Wireless giant Qualcomm sponsors
corporate partners, UW-Madison will
host the 27th annual National Science
Olympiad Tournament, a competition for
middle- and high-school students from
around the country that emphasizes
science, technology, engineering, and
math excellence. The competition will
take place May 18-21, 2011, and will
draw more than 6,000 students, parents,
educators and volunteers to campus.
Shown here are highlights from the 2010
Wisconsin Science Olympiad at UW-Madison.
PERSPECTIVE
The magazine for alumni and friends of the UW-Madison College of Engineering SPRING 2010
FEATURES
David Nevala
ON THE
COVER
4 In Depth
David Nevala
The rising tide of science and engineering talent.
By Dean Paul Peercy
6 Inventor inspires tomorrow’s engineers
Alum Carl Marschke is a driving force behind college
efforts to interest students in science.
By Brian Mattmiller
7 Excellence in undergrad education
Tutoring and supplementary instruction programs help
engineering students stay on track.
By Renee Meiller
The Collective Power of Giving In recognition of 2009 donors to the
College of Engineering and its programs.
8 Bascom Hill Society
10 Engineering alumni Why I give
19 Corporations and foundations
with matching gift programs pages 9-24
20 Alumni of other schools and colleges In their own words, alumni
at UW-Madison explain why they support
21 Friends of the College of Engineering the College of Engineering.
23 Corporations, foundations and trusts
25 Making the connection 30 Industry partnership fuels
nuclear education
a new student competition. In the 2010-2011 academic year,
By Brian Mattmiller Exelon’s gift to UW-Madison
surpassed the $1 million mark.
26 Celebrating 11 years of Camp Badger By Renee Meiller
The week-long summer sessions open
young minds to the possibilities of 30 ‘Cooking up’ a
careers in science and engineering. competitive future
A student hamburger
By Andrea Parins
stand yielded an
28 Study. Serve. Excel. endowment effort to
Rockwell Automation support helps preserve the five college
diverse students focus on their education. student vehicle teams.
By Andrea Parins By Sandra Knisely
3
 In Depth

Dean Paul S. Peercy

PERSPECTIVE
The magazine for alumni and friends of the UW-Madison College of Engineering
The rising tide of science and engineering talent
GIFT REPORT 2010
Volume 37, Issue 3

O
n May 18-21, 2011, UW-Madison
will take center stage in the national
Editor: Renee Meiller, 608/262-2481 effort to nurture a new generation
perspective@engr.wisc.edu
of talented scientists and engineers. More
Writers: Sandra Knisely, Andrea Parins than 6,000 participants and visitors will
Design: Phil Biebl descend on campus for the 27th annual
Photography: James Beal, Renee Meiller, Science Olympiad National Tournament,
David Nevala, Andrea Parins the largest scholastic science competition
in North America.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Science Olympiad is one of the best
www.engr.wisc.edu
programs I have encountered for inspiring
Paul S. Peercy, Dean
Steven Cramer, Associate Dean a lasting interest in science, technology,
for Academic Affairs engineering and math (STEM) fields.
Brian Mattmiller, Assistant Dean Its strength is in its diversity: Middle- and
for Alumni and Corporate Relations high-school teams engage in 23 different
David Nevala

Contact the college: competitions, in topics ranging from human

Brian Mattmiller, 608/890-3004 health, chemistry and ecology to cell
bsmattmi@engr.wisc.edu biology, geology and engineering. A team’s
Prospective students: success ultimately depends upon the collective effort across all of these different challenges.
Nancy Hansen, 608/262-2473 The 2011 event is going to be fun, high-energy, challenging and entertaining. We have a
EGRadvisor@engr.wisc.edu program in the works that will showcase UW-Madison as a world-class research university and
Industry, R&D: highlight Wisconsin and the upper Midwest as a hub for innovative companies and careers.
Lawrence Casper, 608/265-4104 And as you can see from the impressive list of logos on the next page, we have tremendous
casper@engr.wisc.edu support from corporate sponsors to help make this a truly memorable event for participants.
Professional education: At the College of Engineering, we are committed to Science Olympiad on a grassroots level
Department of as well. Through a program called Young Scientists of America (YSA), groups of engineering
Engineering Professional Development undergraduates have been traveling to middle schools and high schools across the region,
608/262-2061 or 800/462-0876 helping them set up after-school Science Olympiad teams. In the past decade, we have helped
custserv@epd.engr.wisc.edu add more than two dozen teams to the Wisconsin tournament. You will read more about YSA
Make a gift to the college: in our lead feature on alumnus Carl Marschke. His leadership and generosity has made this
Deb Holt, 608/263-0779 great program possible.
deb.holt@supportuw.org The current and predicted shortage of talent in STEM-related professions pose a threat
donate.engr.wisc.edu
to American competitiveness. We are committed to help stem the tide and have a number
of other programs that connect with young people at key junctures. Those include:
CONNECT WITH THE COLLEGE
• Camp Badger: This series of five weeklong summer camps targets eighth-grade students
UW-Madison College of Engineering and helps answer the question, “What do engineers do?” through hands-on exercises,
company tours, work in high-tech labs and team-building projects. We serve more than
engineeringuw
180 students each summer. Read more about Camp Badger on page 26.
@UWMadEngr
• Engineering Summer Program: The oldest summer program at UW-Madison at 38 years,
badgerengineers.engr.wisc.edu ESP gives 25 students a six-week immersion in the scientific rigor and hands-on nature
of engineering. This program is especially effective in getting underrepresented students
involved in engineering, including students of color, women of all backgrounds and first-
generation college students.
The common denominator in all of these programs is private investment. We could not be more
grateful for the support of our alumni and corporate partners in fueling the pipeline of future
engineers—and for all you do to help them succeed once they arrive here as undergraduates.
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Thank you to these corporate sponsors

Sponsor list as of Nov. 6, 2010

5 5
 PROFILE:

CARL MARSCHKE

F
or as long as Carl Marschke can remember, he’s kept five trusty
pens in his shirt pocket, in black, blue, green, red and purple ink.
When inspiration strikes for some kind of useful new machine,
Marschke uses the color combinations to sketch out the concept in
three dimensions.
It’s safe to say those pens have been put to good use. Over the
course of five decades of innovation, most notably as founder in 1968
of Marquip Corporation, Marschke has accumulated more than 70
patents on scores of industrial machines that have kept assembly lines
whirring in the building and paper industries. One of the signature
technologies of the Phillips, Wisconsin, company—a high-speed
splicer for corrugated paperboard—is in operation in more than
4,000 installations across the world. “Creating new things is what
keeps me going,” says Marschke.
Marschke, who is 69, is still at it today, working out of a sky-blue
manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Phillips. His new company,
Corrucomb Inc., is developing products, such as doors and walls, for
the building industry, made from corrugated, resin-reinforced paper
sourced exclusively from recycled materials. The prototype doors
being built in the plant have the same
strength and appearance as conventional
doors. He envisions being able to produce
entire preassembled home foundations
with this green technology.
A prolific northwoods
“I have spent my whole life making
productivity-enhancing technology for other
people,” says Marschke. “I have always been
inventor looks to inspire
looking for something that would complete
the cycle, where we make the machines and tomorrow’s engineers
the finished product. I have finally found that.”
Marschke has been on another quest ever
since Marquip became a success. That’s a quest to give back. Marschke The groundswell of interest generated by YSA will culminate May
is the leading force behind Young Scientists of America (YSA), a 18-21, 2011, when UW-Madison hosts the National Science Olympiad.
partnership with the College of Engineering to inspire more youthful Wisconsin participants can watch with pride as more than 6,000
interest in science and engineering. visitors descend on campus for the event, including the winning
The bachelor’s (1963) and master’s (1964) graduate of the middle and high-school teams from every state in the United States.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering says the program Marschke says he is gratified to see the surge in interest in science
helps middle- and high-school students form teams and compete in and engineering, a trend that is essential to American competitiveness.
Science Olympiad. That competition exposes students to nearly two The need for scientists resonates personally for Marschke. As a high
dozen challenges that run the gamut of science, from health and school student during the Soviet Union launching of the Sputnik satellite
medicine to hands-on engineering. in 1957, he remembered the nation responding with great urgency.
Marschke’s generous support has helped the college hire two By the time he enrolled in UW-Madison in 1959, entry requirements
retired Madison science teachers, Van Valaskey and Gary Graper, to were much tougher and the engineering curriculum was being
lead teams of engineering undergraduates into schools throughout transformed. “What was unusual in 1959 is the college just added 15
southern Wisconsin. To date, more than 25 area schools have additional credits of statics, dynamics and strength of materials,” says
participated in a YSA after-school program. In the past five years Marschke. “What they were trying to do is produce electromechanical
alone, engineering students have logged more than 14,000 hours engineers who would come out with both mechanical and electrical
of volunteer time as science and engineering mentors in the schools. savvy. I was very fortunate to be in the first class offered that sequence.”

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David Nevala
2010 Science Olympiad participants get
their soda-bottle rocket ready to launch.
The combination proved to be perfect for Marschke. Virtually all
of his major inventions relied on that electromechanical expertise.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do all the things I did downstream if I
hadn’t had that education,” he says.
Marschke sees YSA and Science Olympiad filling another important
void. Many students today do not have the same opportunities he did
to tinker, to fix things, to assemble and disassemble, and to visualize
how things work. Growing up in the central Wisconsin community
of Rib Lake, Marschke spent a lot of time in a family friend’s machine
shop, working with lathes, welders, drill presses, and other tools that
became second nature to him.
Science Olympiad embraces those hands-on challenges. The
competition also can build confidence “to do something greater than
they ever thought they could.” Marschke’s first test of confidence came
as a UW-Madison master’s student, where at program’s end he needed
to pass the fiercely difficult PhD qualifying exam. He responded by
teaming up with close friend and future Marquip business colleague
Richard Thomas to make sure they were ready.
“We took an evening a week, typically Saturday, and went back
through all of the coursework and books from freshman year forward,”
Marschke recalls. “We would then develop a one-page outline that
captured the core principles of an entire book.”
The end result? Marschke and Thomas earned the two highest
grades on the exam. “That’s when I realized that if I put my mind to it,
I could compete anywhere,” says Marschke.
By Brian Mattmiller
Excellence
in undergrad education
David Nevala
By Renee Meiller
A gift from alumnus Wade Fetzer and his wife Bev transformed former interview rooms in
Engineering Hall into a vibrant space in which students study, learn and snack together.
I
n the past, surviving “gate-keeper” engineering undergraduate courses in subjects
such as statics, dynamics and general physics was somewhat of a rite of passage:
Students who “got” the material generally continued their engineering education.
However, some students who struggled in these courses simply dropped out of
engineering—a trend College of Engineering Dean Paul Peercy calls unacceptable.
“We needed a program that could help students succeed in engineering,” he says.
Launched a decade ago, that program evolved into what today is known as the
Undergraduate Learning Center. The program is made possible through a generous
grant from The Grainger Foundation. “The ULC/tutoring program was created to help
improve the quality of learning in engineering, and to promote student-centered
learning,” says Jia-Ling Lin, director of engineering supplemental instruction programs.
At the initiative’s core are thousands of year-round (including summer) one-on-one
and peer-to-peer tutoring sessions that students
say have enhanced their experience as engineering
undergraduates. “These programs provided another way
for me to gain a good understanding of the materials
taught in class. Since the tutor is also a peer, it provided a
comfortable learning environment,” says Mai Lee Chang,
who earned a certificate in international engineering
and her bachelor’s degree in engineering mechanics and
David Nevala
astronautics in 2010 and now is a first-year PhD student
in industrial and systems engineering.
Created specifically to reduce academic barriers for
underrepresented groups in engineering, tutoring by request enables women, minority
students and first-year transfer students to schedule an individual tutoring session. The
students can receive help in more than 20 introductory and intermediate-level courses.
Each week, undergraduate engineering students lead about 80 hours’ worth of drop-
in tutoring sessions for more than 40 engineering courses. Held four evenings a week,
this peer-to-peer tutoring in math, chemistry, physics, statistics or engineering helps
students enrolled in the associated courses complete homework and study for exams.
Supplementary instruction sessions also occur weekly. These more formal tutoring
opportunities, which meet two hours per week, support students enrolled in statics,
dynamics, calculus-based mechanics, and calculus-based electricity and magnetism.
The Undergraduate Learning Center initiative has helped to stem the age-old
course-induced exodus from engineering, says college Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs Steven Cramer. “This program has been attributed to significant increases in
undergraduate student retention, particularly in the first two years of their college
education and especially for students who originate from disadvantaged backgrounds,”
he says.
7 7
The Collective Power of Giving

THE BASCOM HILL SOCIETY

Membership in The Bascom Hill Society, the university’s premier donor recognition
program, is presented to alumni and friends who have made cumulative gifts over
the years totaling $25,000 or more, and/or a deferred gift commitment of $50,000
or more. The engineering donors are listed here.

Richard D. Aaronson Lee S. Bublitz David M. Ehlers

John E. Ahern George Bunn Kornel F. & Svetlana Ehmann
Daniel M. & Eleanor Albert Kenneth J. Bures Gary G. & June R. Ehn
S. Craighead & Betty Alexander Ann B. Burgess Thomas W. & Patricia D. Ehrmann
Franz R. & Karen J. Altpeter James E. & Catherine E. Burgess Harry C. Jr. & Susan J. Engstrom
The UW Foundation engineering development team (from left): Fernando L. & Carla J.B. Alvarado James G. Burke David I. & Sarah B. Epstein
Marc A. Anderson Martin E. Burkhardt James J. Erdman
Kelly De Haven, Ann Leahy, Eric Yin, Deb Holt and Gillian Fink. Richard C. Anderson Robert H. Burris M. Rustin Erdman
Ronald G. & Patricia J. Anderson Bruce F. Buske Phyllis D. Ermer
Theodore & Graciela Ansusinha Robert J. & Donna M. Byrne Richard A. Erney
Dear alumni and friends, Richard L. Antoine & Dorothy O’Brien Max W. & Phyllis C. Carbon Betty L. Eschenbauch
Gary Antoniewicz & Martha Taylor Martha L. Casey Virginia A. Esser
When it comes to supporting the UW-Madison College of Engineering, Michael D. Arneson Robert L. Cattoi Gerald & Thelma Estrin
Dean J. Arnold David A. Cech Jere C. Fabick
a little simple math demonstrates the power of participation. William R. Arpe Robert F. & Debra Cervenka Carlyle W. Fay
Currently, about 7 percent of College of Engineering alumni donate Eileen H. Arvold Y. Austin & P. Jean Chang Richard S. & Harriet K. Fein
Thomas H. Aschenbrenner Marilou W. Chapman Owen R. & Elizabeth Fennema
annually to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence. Let’s say in 2011, an additional Atul M. & Mohana A. Athalye Thomas Chapman & Donna Breslin R.I. Fenton-May
5 percent of you—or about 2,000 people—decide to give $100 per year to Hilton Augustine Jr. & Glenda Henning Simon K. & Rosemary H. Chen Rick J. Ferraro
John M. Ausman Patricia A. Cheney Wade Fetzer III
the Fund for Excellence. That commitment would provide another $200,000 Owen & Janice M. Ayres Edward T. & Shu-Ching L. Cheng Ronald R. & Joanne M. Fiedler
Richard A. Bachhuber Jr. Hyung T. & Gertrude D. C. Choe Jaime M. Fink
to support important college priorities for our students and faculty. Glenn W. & Cornelia T. Bailey James O. Christenson Jerome A. Fink
Mary Baker Russell J. Christesen Patrick M. Finley
What kind of impact could $200,000 per year make? It could, for example: James J. Bakke Robert L. Christianson Marshall F. Finner
Donald E. Baldovin David & Kim Christopher Eugene J. & Judith A. Flath
• Fund a full year of tuition for 23 engineering undergraduates with Thomas C. & Betty L. Ball Kwen-Hwa F. Chu John M. & Jeanne C. Flesch
Alice J. Barnes Kenneth R. & Yvonne M. Cisewski Rockne G. & Jo A.R. Flowers
demonstrated financial need, Paul W. Barrows Clarence S. & Jane Clay Wesley K. & Ankie C. Foell
Richard L. Barrows John R. Clements Karl E. Forsgren
•  Cover the annual budget of the UW hybrid vehicle teams, which include Merton R. Barry Bernard C. Cohen Andrew A. Frank
Robert M. & Barbara M. Bartholomew Michael J. Cohen Scott B. & Sharon L. Frank
more than 120 student members, Carol A. Bartz Christopher A. Coleman Mary W. Franke
David S. Baum David Y. & Annabelle Collins Kenneth L. Frazier & Frances Ingebritson
• Help send 20 students to a study-abroad experience in Hangzhou, China; Ned W. Bechthold Duane E. & Barbara J. Collins William R. Frazier
Earl J. Beck Kenneth W. Conger David N. & Karlynn A. Fronek
Buenos Aires, Argentina; or London, England, Edwin L. Behrens Douglas E. Connell Bruce O. Frudden
Robert G. Bell Gordon P. Connor Keith J. & Christine M. Garnett
• Provide vital research stipends for 10 engineering graduate students, Walter G. & Elnora M. Belter Edward P. Cornell John C. & Fanny P. Garver
Marion Belzer Michael L. & Janet E. Corradini Theodore G. & Katherine S. Gekas
•  Offer four newly hired professors additional support for equipment and Stephen M. Bennett James L. & Carolyn Adams Craig Burzoe K. & Nancy L. Ghandhi
Christopher R. Benson Charles Creuziger & Margaret Rogers P. Dan Gilbert
technology to start their labs. Robert L. & Kathy A. Beran M. Jean Cronon Jon C. Gilbertson
James G. Berbee & Karen A. Walsh J.P. Cullen Thomas J. & Martha A. Ginzl
All of these examples represent real and growing development needs for Norman A. & Sharon M. Berg James L. Cummings Karen J. Glanert
James D. & Joann L. Bernd Jeffrey H. & Lea Curler Samuel F. Glazer
the college, and areas where alumni support makes an immediate impact. John E. & Jean Berndt Muriel Curry Richard A. Gonce
It’s proof that participation matters: A modest annual commitment from Monica C. Beyer Richard H. & Peggy A. Daluge Gary J. Gorman
Arun I. Bhatia Thomas P. Damm Dorothy C. Gosting
a broad base of alumni will translate to greater access, opportunity and Thomas R. & Karen L. Binder Thomas E. Dapp Jon C. Graan
value-added experiences for our students. R. Byron Bird Donald V. Davey David W. Grainger
Duane H. & Dorothy Bluemke Roderick K. Davey Wilson Greatbatch
Please consider joining the thousands of alumni who regularly give to Oscar C. & Patricia H. Boldt Kirkland W. & Jennifer M. Davis Robert A. & Rosemary Greenkorn
John W. Bolender Ramona M. Davis Richard A. Greiner
the College of Engineering. Your support is greatly appreciated and is making John G. & Heidelore Bollinger Michael F. & Joyce K. Davy Stuart J. Grendahl
a difference in every corner of the college. Anthony S. Bolmarcich Thomas R. De Buhr Douglas K. Griese
Ronald R. Boltz Richard E. & Jearnice A. De Vor Donald E. & Romona Gritzmacher
Anne W. Bolz Warren R. De Vries James G. Grosklaus
Vice President of Development: Deb Holt Robert B. Bond John D. & Jean M. Debbink George W. & Marsha B. Gullickson
608/263-0779 deb.holt@supportuw.org Roger W. Boom James R. Derusha Charles G. Gunderson
James B. & Rita H. Borden Marjorie N. Dexheimer Thomas F. Gunkel
Marlene H. Borman Andrew S. Diercks Paul E. Haeberli
Directors of Development: John E. Bosio Thomas E. Dillinger John P. & Dorothy E. Hall
John O. Bossart Edward N. Disrud Paul E. & Nancy N. Hansen
• Kelly De Haven, 608/265-9562 • Ann Leahy, 608/265-6114 Walter S. & Lois J. Brager Norman R. Doll Fritz M. F. Hanson
John N. & Claire G. Brann David A. & Barbara B. Dornfeld Lewis P. Hanson
kelly.dehaven@supportuw.org ann.leahy@supportuw.org Brian F. Bremer Robin A. Douthitt Sharon K.L.F. Hantke
Alan & Diann Breunig Josephine E. Draeger Elwin A. Harris
• Gillian Fink, 608/265-9955 • Eric Yin, 608/265-5913 Norma A. Brooks Robert A. & Dorothy B. Drives Richard J. Hartl
gillian.fink@supportuw.org Charles S. Brown Rene M. & Rita A. Dupuis Stanley T. Harvey
eric.yin@supportuw.org Bonnie R. Bruce Maureen S. Durkin Hatheway M. Hasler
Gordon F. & Nadine M. Brunner Stephen W. & Melanie A. Dvorak Rodney H. & Diane A. Hassett

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A new competition at UW-Madison will
challenge students to discover and
build the next big idea in wireless
technology, a field that continues to transform
the way the world communicates.
The Qualcomm Wireless Innovation Prize,
slated for April 28, 2011, will have student
teams develop and prototype new wireless
hardware and software ideas and combine
them with tangible,
market-ready business
plans. All UW-Madison
Competition invites students to invent
undergraduates and
master’s-level graduate
the future of wireless technology
students are eligible to compete for prizes of
$10,000 (first), $5,000 (second) and $2,500
(third). Student teams can also apply for up to
$1,000 in equipment stipends for prototypes.
“Wireless technology today is the perfect
platform for big thinking, because it has the
potential to drive major progress not only in
personal communication, but in healthcare,
security, manufacturing and other fields,”
says Dean Paul Peercy. “The new Qualcomm
wireless prize will build on the strong
culture of innovation we are encouraging
in UW-Madison students campus-wide.”
Top technology prizes will be awarded the
day of the annual G. Steven Burrill Technology
Business Plan Competition, administered
through the Wisconsin School of Business.
The close association with Burrill will help
wireless teams take their technology idea to
the next level by partnering with business
students and creating a business plan that
could launch a new company.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor and Chair John Booske says the
prize will be run in partnership with faculty
and staff from electrical and computer engi-
neering, computer sciences and business.
“Wireless is part of our everyday lives,
and this competition is for any student who
imagines a creative new way to apply the
technology,” says Booske. “Technical
knowledge is not a barrier to participation.
We strongly encourage the formation of
teams that bring the creative, technology
and business expertise together.”
The contest is based on a Qualcomm
initiative called Venture Fest, which invites
Qualcomm employees to follow a new
wireless idea from proof of concept to a full-
By Brian Mattmiller
fledged business. The College of Engineering
and the School of Business brought Qualcomm’s
creative approach to a university setting.
The competition is made possible by a gift
from Qualcomm Inc. of San Diego, California.
Qualcomm has graduate fellowship programs
with a number of universities, but this is the
one of the few university competitions it has
sponsored around wireless applications.
“We think UW-
Madison is a great
choice for this type of
competition based on the
strength of its electrical
engineering and computer science programs, its
excellent business school, and its commitment to
fostering innovation in the student experience,”
says Qualcomm Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer William Keitel, a 1976
graduate of the Wisconsin School of Business.
“Qualcomm also has a great relationship with
UW-Madison and has hired many talented
Badger alumni over the years.”
Booske says competition ideas can be
wide-ranging, including devices, designs and
processes, and should meet the parameters
of disclosure to the U.S. Patent Office. “We’re
looking for anything unique—the proverbial
‘better mousetrap’ with wireless assist,” he says.
25 25
 By Andrea Parins

O
n a sunny afternoon in July, a group in hard hats and safety
glasses tours the UW-Madison Union South construction
project—not in itself an unusual sight, except that under
those hard hats are middle school students learning not only how to
build a building, but how to build their futures as engineers.
The Union South tour was one of many activities offered to incoming
eighth-graders as part of the 2010 UW-Madison Camp Badger Exploring
Engineering program. For 11 years, the camp has been at the core of
College of Engineering efforts to interest young students in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. From Sunday to
Saturday, campers follow a busy schedule that incorporates more than
25 science projects, high-tech computer labs and field trips to local
companies and engineering facilities.
Amit Nimunkar is a lecturer through the engineering Diversity Affairs
Office and the Department of Engineering Professional Development,
which coordinates Camp Badger. He says that one camp goal is to
expose students to different areas of engineering and the many ways
that they can help fix problems in society. “We also want to show
them the world of

Celebrating
opportunity available
at UW-Madison by
hosting the activities
on campus and at
local companies,”
ign,
rn des says Nimunkar, who joined the camp in 2010 as a facilitator.
u d e n ts lea
es, st kills. The campers visit local companies such as the Dane County
m p a ctiviti -solving s
gh ca oblem Landfill, Design Concepts, John Deere, Orbitec, Boulders Climbing
Throu ork and pr Gym, Placon, Raven Software, Trek Bicycle, and Village Lanes
w
team Bowling. While on campus, students see the Geology Museum,
Polymer Engineering Center, Phil Meyers Automotive Center,
and Space Science and Engineering Center. The activities
and experiments, which incorporate a wide variety of
engineering disciplines, range from extracting DNA in
a UW BioTrek activity and designing wind turbines
to testing nuclear radiation detectors and using
computers to design bridges.
Nimunkar facilitates an engineering design
activity in which teams of students build
newspaper skyscrapers—without speaking.
The goal of the activity is to teach students
how to identify problems and solutions,
and how to interact as a team. “In this
activity, we teach them that when
designing a product, engineers do it
multiple times and we emphasize how
science and math is the basis for everything
engineers do,” says Nimunkar, who sees students “graduate” from
camp with a greater appreciation for studying these subjects in school.
However, campers not only arrive ready to get their hands dirty in
exciting science projects. They also come to get a glimpse of college

2626

11 years of Camp Badger
life. Nimunkar says for most students, this is the first time they
experience an extended stay away from their families. “This is an
opportunity for them to be on campus and meet other students,” he
says. “The camp makes them more responsible for themselves, and
you can see an increase in their level of maturity after the program.”
Camp Badger first began in summer 1998 as a two-year pilot
program to introduce underrepresented groups to engineering. Led
by Engineering Professional Development Faculty Associates Steven
Zwickel and Paul Ross, Professor Philip O'Leary, and Mechanical
Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering Senior Lecturer
Jay Samuel, in collaboration with School of Education faculty member
Roger Maclean, the camp held two sessions for 13- to 15-year-olds
the first summer and three the following year. After a hiatus in 2000,
the camp earned several major corporate grants and began again in
2001 under the College of Engineering. Camp Badger has continued
every year since, hosting five sessions each summer and six in 2010.
In addition to UW-Madison staff, area teachers serve as camp leaders,
while UW-Madison students are camp counselors.
External funding continues to play a key role in Camp Badger’s
success. Placon, founded by UW-Madison mechanical engineering
alum Tom Mohs (BS ’62), not only supports the camp with monetary
gifts, but company engineers also volunteer time to teach campers the
design, tool-making and production processes of plastic thermoforms.
Placon Community Relations Manager Barb Waters says that with
school program budgets shrinking, businesses have a responsibility to
help prepare the future workforce. “We know the importance of finding
.
nstruction tour
Union South co
Andrea Parins
opportunities for students to interact with
real-world careers, especially engineering,
outside of the school year,” says Waters.
“Camp Badger continues to be on the top
of our corporate giving list because we
want to be interactively involved in promoting careers in engineering.”
Other camp sponsors include the College of Engineering, Department
of Engineering Professional Development, and Diversity Affairs Office;
the Michael Krupinski Memorial Foundation; the American Association
of University Women; Cargill; and Kraft.
After more than a decade of successful sessions, Camp Badger has
earned a high reputation in middle schools across the state. “I am
happy to say that since we started Camp Badger, it has become an
institution,” says Zwickel. “Science and math teachers and middle
school counselors from all over Wisconsin refer their students to
us and camp attendees are undoubtedly the cream of the crop.”
Andrea Parins
An exercise in teamwork: building newspaper skyscrapers, without talking.
27 27
 By Andrea Parins

D
uring a typical day, sophomore chemical and biological
engineering student Benedetta Cannestra attends class, leads
hands-on engineering activities with elementary students,
participates in a few outreach committee meetings, and, if she has a
spare hour, plays an intramural soccer game. Her active involvement
in campus organizations would not be possible if she had to make
time to work—which, she says, would be necessary to attend
UW-Madison if it weren’t for her Rockwell Automation scholarship.
“Instead of working at a part-time job to pay for tuition, I can put
that time into more organizations and try new things in order to
discover what I like and what I want to do,” says Cannestra. “There are
so many opportunities at UW-Madison and the scholarship gives me
the time to pursue them.”
The Rockwell Automation scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship
awarded to a student who is a gender or ethnic minority and a
Wisconsin resident admitted to the College of Engineering. The
candidates are selected from five partner Milwaukee public schools:
Bradley Tech, South Division, Washington, Riverside, or Rufus King.
Ideal candidates have a strong academic background with an interest
in engineering and an active presence in their community.
This partnership began in 2006 in an effort to increase diversity
in the global workplace as part of Rockwell Automation’s corporate
scholars diversity program. Through this initiative, Rockwell Automation
strives to provide a high-quality engineering education, remove
Study. Serve. Excel.
financial barriers to college for talented and qualified students, and to
sustain those students through graduation. Since the program began,
Rockwell Automation support
11 students have received scholarships.
Libby Lee, assistant director of undergraduate and retention helps diverse students focus
programs in the college Diversity Affairs Office and academic advisor
for the scholarship recipients, says increasing diversity in the college on their education.
is very important. “These students are diverse, determined and bring
a unique story that they carry with them in their studies and to the
other people they meet,” she says.
Cannestra, a Rufus King High School alumna, serves as
vice regional student representative for the Society of Hispanic encourage students to get involved and inform them of opportunities
Professional Engineers (SHPE), as well as an outreach committee just like the ones I had.”
member for both the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Among the opportunities Cannestra receives as a scholarship
the Wisconsin Union Directorate Alternative Breaks. recipient is membership in the UW-Madison Leaders in Engineering
Her passion for outreach stems from her experience as a Excellence and Diversity scholars program, which offers academic,
UW-Madison Engineering Summer Program participant before personal and professional support networks. Through this program,
her senior year in high school. The six-week program introduced she has access to tutors by request, peer mentoring, study groups
her to engineering opportunities such as the Rockwell Auto- and advising. “I feel a lot of support in my studies and these resources
mation scholarship, and the on-campus location facilitated really allow me focus on my coursework,” says Cannestra. “I’m very
personal relationships with professors and students, making grateful to have the support because I know that not every student has
her transition to UW-Madison seamless. resources like the tutor-by-request program.”
“I have connections with people and organizations on Cally Edgren, Rockwell Automation product environmental
campus that usually take years to find and establish,” compliance program manager and UW-Madison campus program
she says. “I’m big into outreach because I want to manager, says “engineering our future” is no longer just a slogan at
Rockwell Automation. Rather, it is a basic component of helping the
company and its customers remain competitive.
Jim Beal

2828

“Never before has the need for engineers been as much a demand
and we recognize that to increase the number of engineers in the
workforce, we need to provide opportunities for talented students to
pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education
and careers,” says Edgren, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in industrial and systems engineering at UW-Madison.
One of the ways Rockwell Automation is committed to increasing
the pipeline of students pursuing STEM careers is through hands-on
summer internships. In 2010, Cannestra was a Rockwell Automation
intern and worked in the chemistry and materials engineering
department at the global headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
where she tested polymers and materials for design.
“I had the chance to work with instruments that many students
haven’t used or even seen before,” she says. “It made a big difference
in my ability to grasp ideas better in class now because of that
hands-on experience.”
About Face Media
As a Rockwell Automation intern, Cannestra was enrolled in a
developmental series to build leadership skills, which included mock
interviews, a mentorship program, and a public speaking class.
“I love and trust the culture at Rockwell,” she says. “Everyone was
very engaging and interested in the ideas that I had and really helped
me grow professionally through constructive criticism, public speaking
skills and networking.”
The network at Rockwell Automation allowed Cannestra to meet
many people passing through the headquarters, including UW-Madison
deans, researchers, and even the SHPE national president.
“This scholarship allows me to build close relationships with
professionals that will help me with references, recommendations,
future scholarships, and jobs that I wouldn’t have had so early on in
my undergraduate career,” she says.
Watch Summer in the lab at Rockwell at youtube.com/engineeringuw.
29 29
 Industry partnership fuel
for nuclear education
By Renee Meiller F ew university vehicle teams can
attribute their success to hamburgers—
lots and lots of hamburgers. Yet that’s exactly
Back in 1980, the UW-Madison Department of
Nuclear Engineering was among 65 U.S. university what future members of the University of
departments that offered nuclear engineering Wisconsin-Madison vehicle teams will be
able to do.
iller

educational programs. Today—despite a world-

Renee Me

wide resurgence of interest in nuclear energy—less than half At the 2009 Society of
those educational programs still exist. That shift began in the late 1970s, when the cost Automotive Engineers (SAE)
to build nuclear plants soared and energy companies scrapped plans to build them. Sensing Baja Wisconsin competition,
a limited job market, fewer students pursued nuclear engineering education. in Burlington, Wisconsin,
This decline became a national issue—particularly for an industry bursting with existing team members raised
nuclear power plants. “Educating nuclear engineers was expensive because of the nature of $10,000 by running a food
the research and need for facilities,” says Bill Naughton, manager of research and development stand and serving more than
at Exelon Nuclear. “The fundamental issue was whether the supply of nuclear engineering 1,200 attendees. The money has
graduates would be adequate for the future.” launched an endowment that, with
Prompted by national nuclear and energy organizations, the National Academy of Sciences additional alumni support, will preserve
and National Research Council undertook a study of the trends in nuclear engineering education. the five teams for future generations
The resulting report, “U.S. Nuclear Engineering Education: Status and Prospects 1990-2010,” of students.
indicated a bleak outlook.
At UW-Madison, Professor Max Carbon, founding chair of nuclear engineering—now part
of the Department of Engineering Physics—presented that report, along with a plea for
funding to Tom O’Connor, then-CEO of Commonwealth Edison (now Exelon). “I also proposed Alumni and
it in terms of not just UW-Madison, but proposed that they give grants to five major universities
producing graduates from whom they hired,” says Carbon. “We’d been working on the endowment
O’Connor liked the idea, contacted the U.S. Department of Energy, and with equal for a year at that point,” says Mechanical
contributions from Commonwealth Edison and the DOE totaling $500,000, a unique funding Engineering Faculty Associate Glenn Bower,
program was born. Now entering its 20th year, it started as a five-year pilot program in 1991 who advises the vehicle teams. “Alumni got
for the “ComEd Five”: Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan and MIT. together at the SAE World Congress and
Engineering Physics Professor and Chair Mike Corradini says the department has used the
came up with the idea the previous April,
funding to award more than 200 scholarships, upgrade equipment and infrastructure in the
and we’d been having phone conferences
nuclear engineering instrumentation and reactor lab, and develop web-based course modules
since then.”
that benefit students at UW-Madison and partners at such institutions as South Carolina State
When Bower realized he needed $10,000
University, a Historically Black College and University institution.
in startup funds to launch the endowment,
“It has been an important contributor of flexible funds that help provide us with the margin
of excellence in our undergraduate and master’s programs in nuclear engineering,” says
team members rallied to help at the food
Corradini about the funding program. stand, and since then, students and alumni
In the 2010-2011 academic year, Exelon’s gifts have worked together to keep the early
to UW-Madison surpassed the $1 million mark. momentum going. So far, alumni and
“It’s been a wonderful program for us,” says corporate partners have raised approximately
Carbon. “It’s provided urgently needed money. $100,000 for the endowment, which has a
We’re typically ranked somewhere in the top target goal of $10 million.
two or three nuclear engineering programs in Around 300 students are involved in the
the country and we certainly would not have vehicle teams each year, and of those, 100
been there without money like that.” students are very dedicated participants, says
Naughton says the matching-gift program Bower. This robust alumni base has already
has been touted as the savior for university begun aiding the endowment effort in
nuclear engineering departments. “It’s our unique ways: Under the direction of veteran
Photos: T
livelihood here,” he says. “It is essential for he E team member and Ford engineer Mark
funds to u xelon gifts have p
us to have people educated in the field.” pdate nu ro Polster (BSME ’00), the Detroit chapter of the
clear eng vided student sup
ineering fa p
cilities an ort and
d labs.
3030

students ‘cook up’ future of vehicle teams
UW-Madison Alumni Association hosted an
event in October 2009 to raise awareness
of the teams and the endowment. Bower
and a handful of students transported
several of the vehicle projects to Michigan,
where alumni and automotive industry
representatives met the team members and
test-drove the vehicles. “I cannot imagine
a better experience a student could have to
prepare him or her for a successful career,”
Polster says. “I give back to UW-Madison
for many reasons, but mainly, to preserve
the quality of students participating in
vehicle programs on campus.”
Bower hears this type of sentiment from
team alumni frequently. “Alumni realize
what a great thing it was to participate on
the teams and how much better off they
were from the experience,” says Bower.
“They look back and appreciate it and want
to make sure these teams are available to
students in the future.”
In addition to keeping each team a
strong contender in national and inter-
national competitions, the endowment will
allow the program to continue its tradition
of producing top-quality engineers with
hands-on skills and experiences. Vehicle
team alumni go on to work in the auto
industry and other industries ranging from
paper mills to energy companies.
Thanks to the vehicle teams, many of
these students are able to make significant
contributions on the job immediately after
graduation, as opposed to needing months
of training once hired. Students also
recognize the value of the vehicle teams
before graduation. Mechanical engineering
student Gianluca Mantovano has been part
of the Formula Hybrid Team throughout his
undergraduate years. He says the skills he
has learned with the teams have directly
transferred to his ability to succeed in
internship and co-op positions.
“We’re like plug-and-play engineers,”
he says. “The skills and experiences from
the vehicle teams make the transition from
college to the workplace very smooth.”
Currently, competition fees, project
supplies and travel expenses add up to
By Sandra Knisely
Jim Beal
almost $8,000 for each of the five teams
every year. The endowment, formally
named the Undergraduate Student
Automotive Excellence Fund, will allow
the vehicle program to permanently
fund an advisor, program assistant and
machinist, as well as cover competition
and project costs. Glenn Bower
The support will reduce the need for
students like Mantovano to dedicate time
and energy to finding funds themselves.
“Each team is like its own business,” he says.
“Fund raising eats up a lot of time because
it’s a slow process to ask for funds and for
corporations to approve those funds.”
The endowment will provide a more
streamlined approach for supporting the
teams and take the pressure off of students
to ask for money when interacting with
corporate partners. Instead, students can
focus on the vehicle projects and building
engineering skills and professional networks.
To learn more about the vehicle teams
and get involved with the endowment,
visit www.vehicles.wisc.edu.
31 31
 College of Engineering
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – MADISON

1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI 53706

It may not be Badger

Agnisit eum fac-
erumque velis volupta
vernatus quam, volest
et quia ium quodignis
voles entiur aut veriore
hendit faccaecusda
dentibus.Lescienest
volest, quid uta que sequi
none sequi conse labores
ut vendebis sus, incto cum
apernam incimilla sitatust,
exereprat mi, tet ad ex ererat
qui cusandiam iliquae esti as
autatem quiandi cuptiat faccum
red, but mechanical
engineering alum Mark
Polster’s Michigan license plate
sure sports his Badger pride!
SHARE THE LOVE: E-mail a photo
to perspective@engr.wisc.edu of your own
UW-themed plate or other creative ways you tell
the world you’re a fan of UW engineering! We’ll post
the best photos on our Badger Engineers blog,
badgerengineers.engr.wisc.edu.

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