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Editor’s note: The following announcement was received from the UW System on January 19.

MADISON, Wis.—Dr. Corey A. King, Vice Chancellor for Inclusivity and Student Affairs at UW-Green Bay, has been named the 18^th Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, which has campus locations in Whitewater and Rock County.

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents today unanimously approved King’s appointment, following a recommendation made by a selection committee. King will assume the leadership post on March 1.

King served as Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Financial Services at Bethune-Cookman University prior to his role at UW-Green Bay. He was Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at Florida Atlantic University and led the Council for Student Affairs of the State University System of Florida. King also held leadership positions at East Carolina University, Wheeling Jesuit University, and the University of Florida.

“Corey King’s vision for UW-Whitewater and commitment to student success is extraordinary,” said Jay Rothman, UW System President. “He’ll put student learning at the center of his work at UW-Whitewater, and we are looking forward to where his talents can take the university.”

“I am excited to join the faculty, staff, students, and broader community as we continue to advance UW-Whitewater’s mission of being a ‘preeminent academic institution driven by the pursuit of knowledge, powered by a spirit of innovation, and focused on transforming lives,’” King said. “The university’s demonstrated commitment to student success and excellent educational experiences at both the Whitewater and Rock County campuses will continue to be our driving force.”

“Corey’s background in guiding student success, commitment to student learning and the student experience, and enthusiasm for everything public higher education can bring to the community and the state offer a bright future for UW-Whitewater,” said Regent Vice President Amy Bogost, Chair of the Search and Screen Committee. “I am especially thankful for the search committee’s tireless work and the leadership of Vice Chair Lynn Gilbertson.”

King earned a bachelor’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a master’s degree in higher education administration/student affairs from Florida State University. He earned a doctorate in educational administration and leadership from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

President Rothman and the Special Regent Committee for the UW-Whitewater Chancellor Search recommended King to the full Board of Regents. The Committee includes Regents Bogost, Ashok Rai, Jill Underly, and Kyle Weatherly.

The Search and Screen Committee includes members of the Special Regent Committee; Gilbertson, Associate Professor and Department Chair in the College of Education and Professional Studies; Tanja Anderson, Campus Administrative Specialist, Rock County campus; Ciera Edwards, Associate Director, University Bookstore; Lynn Gardinier, Community/Alumni Representative; Kimberly Nath, Associate Professor, College of Letters and Sciences; Praveen Parboteeah, Professor, College of Business and Economics; Davin Stavroplos, Student; and David Wachanga, Professor, College of Arts and Communication.

King will earn $265,000 as chancellor.

Founded in 1868 as a normal school for training teachers, UW-Whitewater offers more than 48 undergraduate majors, 22 master’s degree programs, one doctoral degree, and one education specialist degree. It has an enrollment of more than 11,000 students and employs about 1,230 faculty and staff. It has campuses in Whitewater and Rock County.

Rothman also thanked Interim Chancellor John Chenoweth.

“I want to think John Chenoweth for stepping into the interim role of chancellor and building a foundation for future success,” Rothman said. “His dedication, with over two decades of service to UW-Whitewater, is exemplary. We owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Update 1/19 @ 6 p.m. – Editor’s note: The following message was posted in the UW-W announcements on January 19.

Message from Interim Chancellor Chenoweth

Dear university community,

This afternoon the University of Wisconsin System announced that Dr. Corey King will be our next chancellor for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.                                       

I can tell you Corey is an exceptional person and a highly-respected leader. I am excited to work with him and eager to welcome him as our new chancellor. I recognize that any change in leadership can evoke a range of emotions, and I can say with no pause, that my emotion right now is complete confidence. I have infinite belief in the new chancellor. His values, accomplishments, and reputation are all highly admirable. With complete certainty and conviction, I have full faith in our future.

I am thankful for everyone who supported me during my time as the interim chancellor. Until the new chancellor arrives on campus, myself and Robin Fox will continue to serve as the interim chancellor and provost, respectively. We remain fully focused on the university’s top priorities and preparing for a smooth transition.

After the new chancellor arrives, I look forward to returning to the role of provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs, as well as serving the chancellor and serving on the chancellor’s cabinet. I am eager to continue working on our challenges and building off our strengths. And above all, I appreciate the opportunity to continue working with you, a team unlike any other. My greatest professional accomplishment has, and will continue to be, being a Warhawk.

Thank you,

John Chenoweth
Interim Chancellor

Update 1/19 @ 7:45 p.m. Editor’s note: Corey King’s curriculum vitae may be viewed here.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

A previous article in the Banner indicated that TDS Telecom (TDS), which is headquartered in Madison, had announced at the September 6 meeting of the Whitewater Common Council that the company has plans to bury a 56 mile digital fiber network that would allow it to serve 98% of the city with internet, television, and phone service. The company stated that symmetrical internet speeds for their residential service start at 300 MB x 300 MB and are offered up to 2Gig. Up to 10Gig is dedicated to business customers. Spectrum is currently the only residential high speed broadband and cable TV provider in the city. It does not have a fiber network here. According to Spectrum’s website, its current maximum internet speed is 1Gig.

No timeline for construction and introduction of service was provided by TDS in the September meeting. Connections to service would be offered on an area by area basis as the installation proceeds. TDS recently built out a fiber network in Sun Prairie, with population over 35,000, in 16 months. Installation of fiber networks is currently underway in Janesville and Fort Atkinson.

The initial commencement of the TDS network installation in Whitewater is evidenced by signs such as the one above that have recently been placed in the area of Blooming Field Drive, Foxglove Lane, and Walton Drive. The Banner is not aware that TDS has made any announcement regarding the timeline for completion of their network and availability of services. However, when an address in the area of the initial construction is entered on their website, a prospective customer is told that “Services are estimated to launch in your neighborhood in Summer 2023.”

TDS encourages individuals who know that they will be interested in their service(s) to register on this website. A $25 deposit is required, which will ultimately be applied to a customer’s first billing, or be refunded if service is never made available. According to TDS, the number of registrations in a given area may influence the timing of the installation. When registering, a potential customer is also given the opportunity to select the services that they would like to purchase. Costs are shown, and in some cases there are offers for discounts and/or fixed pricing for certain terms.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

At the Common Council meeting on January 17, a number of fire department personnel were present as City Manager John Weidl read a proclamation honoring Michael “Mike” Higgins upon his retirement from the Whitewater Fire Department effective December 31 after more than 41 years of service. Weidl noted that Mike had served faithfully and conscientiously, making many contributions to the department. He held many ranks, including firefighter, emergency medical technician, motor pump operator, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief and chief. Further, he served on many vehicle committees, the Walworth County radio committee, the Walworth County Chiefs Association, a four year tenure as president of the Walworth County Firefighters Association, and received a number of department and area awards.

In recognition of his service, Kelly Freeman, who followed Higgins as chief, thanked him for his service and presented him with a plaque. Higgins expressed appreciation for the recognition, mentioned the many city staff, council members, and department personnel he had worked with over the years, and said, “I don’t know where the 40 years have gone!” He would enjoy his retirement, Mike remarked.

In the “Helpful Links” section of the Banner, there is a Job Announcement link where government related agencies’ open positions are listed. Currently the following employers are listed: City of Whitewater, Jefferson County, UW-Whitewater, and the Whitewater Unified School District. Since the postings are linked to those organizations, the current positions for which applications are being accepted will be shown as long as the employer is keeping their information current.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

Dr. Richard Haven, who served as a professor of communication at UW-Whitewater from 1972-2011, was one of 137 leading scholars of American public address who in 1999 were asked to recommend 20th century speeches on the basis of social and political impact, and rhetorical artistry. In a brief interview this week with WMTV, Haven shared some of his thoughts on two famous speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Those speeches included the well remembered phrases, “I have a dream” and “I’ve been to the mountaintop.” The former speech was ranked #1 on the “Top 100 Speeches” list that was compiled from the scholars’ recommendations.

The interview may be viewed here. By the way, in the interview Professor Emeritus Haven suggests that everyone should read King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written in 1963 in response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South. The letter is reproduced here.

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

As was previously announced, twelve candidates filed to run for one of the three open seats on the school board for the Whitewater Unified School District. On January 16 Nathan Vander Pas notified the Banner that, “After careful consideration, I have decided I will be withdrawing my candidacy for the School Board. I look forward to supporting the remaining candidates through this and after the primary.”

Having been certified by the school district as a candidate, however, Nathan Vander Pas will still appear on the primary ballot on February 21. The six candidates with the highest votes will progress to the general election on April 4. What would happen if Vander Pas is one of those six candidates? Riley Willman, elections specialist with the Wisconsin Elections Commission, told the Banner that his name would still appear on the general election ballot, and if Nathan is then one of the three candidates with the highest votes, he would have the choice of being seated or resigning. Should he resign, it would be up to the school board to decide whether to hold a special election or to appoint someone to the vacant seat for an interim term.

As was previously announced on the Banner, the League of Women Voters – Whitewater Area is hosting a school board candidate forum on January 28. In addition, the Banner has given the candidates the opportunity to answer several questions. The responses will be published within the next week.

According to an announcement from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater:

Paul Ambrose has been named the dean of the College of Business and Economics. Since 2005, Ambrose has been part of the UW-Whitewater community, serving in multiple roles, from faculty member to department chair to associate dean, and most recently as interim dean.

“Dr. Ambrose brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the position with ideas about how to meet the needs of a broader group of students,” said Robin Fox, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “He has already begun work on multiple articulation agreements with the technical colleges and has been a leader in discussions about retaining students from underrepresented groups. Under his leadership, I believe the college — Wisconsin’s largest accredited school of business — will not only continue its high-quality programs, but there will be an expansion in the students served in our region and online.”

Ambrose officially begins as dean on Jan. 20

Connie Putland has been named chief human resource officer in the Department of Human Resources and Diversity. Putland has been serving in the interim role since July 2022, and was previously deputy chief human resource officer. She has more than 20 years of HR experience in the UW System, including more than 10 years of service at UW-Whitewater.

“Connie’s in-depth knowledge of UW System and regulatory policies, and her demonstrated ability to manage the difficult challenges that the HR department faces on a daily basis will prove to be an invaluable asset to the Whitewater and Rock County campuses,” said Brenda Jones, vice chancellor for administrative affairs. “Connie stepped into the role of interim chief HR officer at a time of significant departmental transition. Since then, she has begun rebuilding partnerships and collaborative efforts within and between departments. I know that with her leadership and support, the HR department will continue to build upon those efforts, bringing back a customer service focus to our employees.”

Putland officially began as chief human resource officer on Jan. 1.

Editor’s note: The following press release was received from the office of Bryan Steil, who represents the Walworth County portion of the city of Whitewater.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced he will be holding five listening sessions in Wisconsin on Friday, January 20, 2023.

The listening sessions are free and open to the people of Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. Residents are encouraged to attend to discuss issues pending in Congress or to request assistance dealing with federal agencies. Individuals needing additional assistance or special accommodations should contact the Office of Congressman Steil at 608-752-4050 in advance.

“My top priority is to be available and accessible to Wisconsin families. I’m looking forward to hearing directly from you about the issues facing our community, our state, and our country,” said Steil.

9:00 a.m. Rock County Listening Session:
               Beloit City Hall, 100 State Street, Beloit, WI 53511      

                *The meeting will be held in the Forum, the common council chambers on the 1^st floor

10:45 a.m. Walworth County Listening Session

                Delavan Municipal Building, 123 S. 2nd Street, Delavan, WI 53115               

                *The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers

“An experience I’ll remember the rest of my life!” That was a comment heard from several Lincoln Elementary 5th Grade Choir students who were chosen to perform in the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association All-State Children’s Choir. Eight Lincoln students performed in Appleton, WI at Lawrence University on Saturday, Jan. 15, as part of a select 50 voice choir of 5^th and 6^th grade singers from across the state. The students rehearsed their challenging music for six weeks prior to the concert, then joined with the other WI students for an all-day rehearsal prior to their concert with nationally renowned guest conductor, Diane Skrobis. The participating students were Nels Brown, Paige Callahan, Espen Heim, Amelia Lafaive, Karlee Luna, Saul Mendoza, Nixon Posada and Karis Schemenauer. Lincoln music teacher, Christine Hayes, was thrilled with the musicianship of the choir’s performance and the diligent work of each Lincoln participant. “They have grown tremendously in their musical skills and knowledge, and will bring it back to their choirmates in the Lincoln Choir. We are indebted to the Whitewater Music Parents for their generous scholarships towards each student’s registration fees.”

Submitted by Christine Hayes
Lincoln K-5 Music Teacher

UW-Whitewater’s Office of Continuing Education and Fairhaven Senior Services announce “New Voices, Fresh Perspectives” as the theme for their spring lecture series. Since 1983, UW-Whitewater faculty and staff and community and business leaders have offered free presentations on topics ranging from art and literature to history and politics.  

Over the past few years, new experts have joined the faculty and staff at UW-Whitewater, in all of its colleges and departments. Historians, sociologists, writers, and more, UW-Whitewater is comprised of dedicated educators who are as eager to share their research interests to the community as they are to teaching our next generation of teachers, accountants, entrepreneurs, coaches and citizens. Join us this spring to hear from some of the new voices at the University and share with them what they have to look forward to as new members of the greater Whitewater community.

The titles and presenters of the lectures for the spring series are:

January 23
Too Much of a Good Thing is Wonderful: Liberace’s Wisconsin Roots and Flamboyant Visibility from Milwaukee to Las Vegas
Presented by Anna Hajdik, Lecturer, Languages and Literatures

January 30
Feminism, Race, and White Privilege
Presented by Olivia McLaughlin, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology

February 6
Exploring Special Education and Adult Outcomes of Students with Disabilities through an Intersectional Lens
Presented by Courtney Wilt, Assistant Professor, Special Education

February 13
Bilingual Education and School Privatization in Milwaukee
Presented by Andrew Hurie, Assistant Professor, Curriculum & Instruction

February 20
Trophies of War: Ottoman Tents Won in the Siege of Vienna in 1683
Presented by Ashley Dimmig, Director, Crossman Gallery

February 27
Talking to Doctors: Health Communication Tips to Improve Your Healthcare Experience
Presented by Jonathan Dellinger, Assistant Professor, Communication

March 6
The Challenge of Ethical Technical Communication: Revisiting the Organizational and Communication Failures of the Challenger Explosion
Presented by Jessica Lauer, Assistant Professor, Languages & Literatures

March 13
History Underwater: An Introduction to Maritime Archaeology
Presented by Michelle Damian, Assistant Professor, History

March 20
Disability Representation in Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Presented by Lauren Zepp, Assistant Professor, Special Education

Lectures in the Spring Fairhaven Lecture Series, “New Voices, Fresh Perspectives” are free and open to the public. They are held on Mondays at 3:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall at Fairhaven Senior Services, 435 West Starin Road, Whitewater. Some lectures may be live-streamed via Facebook at www.facebook.com/UWWFairhavenLecture/  and all will be recorded and posted to our website and YouTube channel. Videos of lectures from this and previous series can be accessed for free any time after they are posted.

Please visit www.uww.edu/ce/fairhaven and www.facebook.com/UWWFairhavenLecture/ for videos, descriptions of each lecture, and updates on the status of each lecture.  Contact Kari Borne at bornek@uww.edu or 262-472-1003 for further information or to request accommodations.   

About UW-Whitewater

At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater we inspire, engage and transform lives. Our higher education mission began more than 150 years ago — and we now serve more than 11,000 students at our Whitewater and Rock County campuses, 90% of whom stay in the region after earning their degree.  Offering more than 170 undergraduate and graduate majors and minors as well as an education specialist and a doctoral degree. The Warhawk family — led by caring faculty and staff — is devoted to student success within a broad range of academic programs. One of only four Public Colleges of Distinction in the state, the university boasts small class sizes (20:1 ratio), is ranked one of the top 10 public colleges by the U.S. New & World Report, and is the top-ranked college in the state for serving students with disabilities.