News & Events

The Cultural Arts Center is proud to present a Latino Heritage Pop-Up, a three day celebration honoring the artistic contributions and cultural richness of Latino art and culture in Wisconsin. Sponsored by McCullough LTC Pharmacy, this event brings together a diverse group of artists and performers whose work reflects the vibrancy, resilience, and depth of Latino heritage.

Among the featured artists is Edith V. Wence, a young,contemporary artist from Whitewater whose work explores themes of identity and transformation through expressive visual language. Her work invites viewers to reflect on the beauty found in everyday materials and the stories they carry.

Thom Romero, an interdisciplinary artist from Milwaukee, brings a meditative and layered approach to his work. With degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Romero bridges drawing, painting, printmaking, and large-scale fiber installations. His work documents memory and shared histories, using color and line to unlock narratives embedded in the surface of his materials.

Emmanuel Guerra, a mixed media artist with an MFA from UW–Milwaukee and a BFA from Ball State, creates evocative assemblages, drawings, and paintings that explore intergenerational memory and personal identity. Guerra’s art is rooted in the intersection of their Midwest upbringing and Mexican heritage, offering intimate reflections on grief, resilience, and cultural continuity.

Marco Wence, a Latino musician from Whitewater, is known for his expressive vocal performances and contributions to the local music scene. His solo rendition of “Who Am I?” from Les Misérables earned him an Exemplary Performance Award at the WSMA State Solo/Ensemble Festival. Wence’s music blends theatrical storytelling with Latinx heritage, creating a powerful and heartfelt experience for audiences.

The celebration culminates in a special event titled Hispanic Roots, held on Sunday, September 28 from 2pm-4pm. This gathering will feature live music, artist talks, and community engagement, offering a space for reflection, connection, and celebration of Latino culture.

The Latino Heritage Pop-Up runs from September 25 through 28 at the Cultural Arts Center in Whitewater. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Cultural Arts Center directly.

The special event Hispanic Roots on Sunday, September 28 from 2–4 PM is completely free. It’s a perfect opportunity to connect, reflect, and celebrate Latino heritage together.

For more information, Contact: Kim Adams, Gallery Director, Whitewater Arts Alliance
Phone: 608-201-2151
Email: wwartsalliance@gmail.com
Website: whitewaterarts.org

Gallery Hours: Thursdays-Sundays, 12pm-4pm

Please Note: The gallery is closed outside of Gallery Exhibit Hours except for special events and is also closed when no show is currently running.

Hungry for a great pork loin sandwich? Come visit the FFA Alumni before the Homecoming game on Friday evening between 5:00 and 7:00 in the back of the high school!

John Schneider of Schneider Brothers Plastering and Stucco, repaired water damage to the substrate of the “Prairie Tillers” mural at the intersection of Center and Whitewater Streets. 

This repair is in preparation for the mural’s second coat of MSA Varnish which is scheduled for the week of Monday, September 22nd. The damaged area will be re-painted and the varnish will protect the colors from sun damage.

Information and Photo Submitted by Caryl Yakso

Sheriff Travis Maze reports that on September 17, 2025, at 2:22 p.m. Deputies responded to a 911 call advising of a two-vehicle fatal traffic crash involving an SUV and a Semi Tractor Trailer on CTH N just south of Carnes Rd., in the Town of Cold Spring.

Preliminary investigation at the scene shows that the Semi Tractor Trailer was traveling northbound on CTH N when it began to enter the eastside gravel shoulder of the roadway. The driver of the Semi Tractor Trailer then overcorrected back onto the roadway and crossed the center line into the southbound lane. The second vehicle that was involved was traveling southbound on CTH N and attempted to make an evasive maneuver onto the west shoulder when it was struck by the Semi Tractor Trailer.

When Deputies arrived both the driver and the front passenger of the vehicle that was struck were trapped in the vehicle. Life saving measures were attempted, however both the driver and the passenger were pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Semi Tractor Trailer was uninjured.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Whitewater Fire Department and EMS, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner, as well as staff from Jefferson County Emergency Communications.

The incident is still being investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Major Accident Investigation Team.

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin has awarded funding to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to provide resources for the recruitment of students grades 6 through college-age and to offer water-related experiential learning opportunities and cross-campus collaborative courses as crucial parts of the pipeline for water-related jobs here in Wisconsin. 

The overall project, in collaboration with UW-Milwaukee and UW-La Crosse, is part of a larger collaborative effort geared toward student success and workforce development in water-related research and industry. 

Elisabeth Harrahy, professor of biology at UW-Whitewater, is collaborating on “Programmatic Funding Building Capacity for Water Careers, Education, and Freshwater Policy Connections.” UW-Whitewater was awarded $11,431 in funding and will be one of three UW campuses that will implement intensive hands-on courses that were developed specifically for the Freshwater Collaborative.  

Harrahy worked with UW-La Crosse colleague Tisha King-Heiden and UW-Milwaukee colleague Michael Carvan of UW-Milwaukee to develop the collaborative field course “Water Pollution Field and Lab Methods,” which will be offered in summer of 2027 as part of this grant. Students will gain experience in field sampling, water quality and chemical analyses and toxicity testing, and they will spend time on a research boat.

“Each of the 13 Universities of Wisconsin offers expertise in some area of water, whether it be the Great Lakes, large rivers, water pollution, water policy, or water business. Collaborative courses allow students on one campus to take advantage of expertise on other campuses and to broaden their perspective and training,” says Harrahy. “Solutions to today’s biggest water challenges — such as agricultural water management and water pollution — will require such collaboration and interdisciplinary training.”   

Biology is a top-10 major at UW-Whitewater, where students can specialize in marine and freshwater ecology as well as ecology, evolution, and behavior, cell/physiology or pre-biomedical professions. Students who study in marine biology and freshwater ecology often seek careers in conservation, public policy, research, education and other related fields. Over the next decade, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment opportunities will grow by 7% for environmental scientists and specialists, 7% for biological technicians, and 4% for zoologists and wildlife biologists.

A portion of the current grant will be used to provide activities for middle and high school students that are designed to raise the awareness of water-related issues and opportunities. In June 2022, Harrahy co-led with Jessica Orlofske (UW-Parkside) “Freshwater Camp: A Summer Field Experience for High School Juniors,” a water-focused high school camp in Southeastern Wisconsin that highlighted important freshwater habitats in the region, built confidence and skills with hands-on field and laboratory activities, and introduced potential freshwater career opportunities to students who spent three days at UW-Whitewater and three days at UW-Parkside, staying in the residence halls at night. 

The funding for the project is part of a statewide initiative, backed by the Wisconsin State Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers, to tackle Wisconsin’s grand water challenges and support curriculum development, undergraduate research opportunities, career development, and field training experiences for students interested in studying water-related fields at the 13 Universities of Wisconsin.

The 19 new projects involve faculty, staff and students from all 13 Universities of Wisconsin as well as dozens of partners from industry, government, local communities, tribal nations, nonprofits and K-12 education. They will increase research and training opportunities for high school, undergraduate and graduate students and will address Wisconsin’s biggest water challenges, including PFAS and phosphorus pollution.

“The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin shows the power of our universities when we come together to address Wisconsin’s needs,” said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. “By expanding water-related degree programs and providing students with professional training opportunities, our universities are preparing future leaders while also strengthening Wisconsin’s economy, protecting our natural resources, and serving communities and industries throughout our state.”

Grant descriptions for the latest funded projects are available at the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin.

For more information regarding the UW-Whitewater projects, contact Elisabeth Harrahy, professor of biology, at harrahye@uww.edu or 262-472-1086.

Three students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will compete among some of the nation’s premiere schools this September in the finals of Texas A&M University’s “Building a Better Future Through Business and AI” National Undergraduate Pitch Competition.

Chad Tjugum, an entrepreneurship major from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, founded Recrura, a startup driven by artificial intelligence that matches employers with candidates that fit the qualifications of open jobs. The platform tackles inefficiencies in the job search process using agentic AI, in which AI agents take autonomous action to achieve pre-defined goals as established by humans.

Bella Biever, who graduated with a B.S. in communication in May, oversees the startup’s marketing and analytics. Sadiq Wanyaka, a computer science major from Madison, Wisconsin, is a programmer for the company. UW-Madison student John Mertz is also a programmer for the team.

“All of these students are intelligent, capable people — the kind you want to represent the university,” said Bill Dougan, professor of management and co-director of UW-Whitewater’s Launch Pad, a startup business accelerator that provided mentoring and support to Tjugum.

Recrura, which also launched an AI voice interview practice tool for students over the summer, advanced from a field of 24 teams that gave a virtual pitch to a panel of AI and business experts in July. The team will present its startup plans in person on September 19-20 in College Station, Texas, for cash prizes awarded to the top three placers and the opportunity to be paired with an entrepreneur mentor from Texas A&M for one year.

Other finalists include student teams from the University of Houston, George Washington University, Southern Methodist University, the University of Maryland, the University of Texas, and Texas A&M.

Initially, students from 37 universities across the nation submitted 103 proposals for the competition. Proposals were evaluated on their potential for innovation, market potential, feasibility, and impact, according to the university’s Mays Business School.

The road to Texas

Recrura entered the competition after being invited to e-Fest, a prestigious national pitch competition for undergraduate students run by a foundation at St. Thomas University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Out of 220 teams who entered, Recrura earned a spot in the top 25 and a small cash prize.

As they compete around the nation for startup funding, the team is working with universities to build professional talent pools they can eventually sell to businesses.

“They’ve put this startup together in the kind of rapid fashion that is often described in the press,” Dougan said. “The team members have been working very hard on the business, and they have achieved some pretty notable success in a short period of time.”

Biever also participated in the Innovation Challenge, a sub-competition at the e-Fest event, and won a cash prize as a member of the winning team in that contest. The contest challenged students to create plans and a presentation for a brand-new business and present the plan to judges within a five-hour window.

An accomplished graduate

A Stewartville, Minnesota, native, Biever was initially attracted to UW-Whitewater’s location between Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago.

“I loved how updated everything was,” she said. “As soon as I stepped onto campus, it felt like a place I was going to grow. The more I learned about UW-Whitewater, the more I liked it.”

Biever was highly decorated as an executive board member of UW-Whitewater’s DECA team during her tenure on campus. She was hired before graduation and continues to work as a wedding planner with Graceful Events in Lake Geneva.

A seasoned startup veteran

Tjugum’s path to Whitewater included a gap year after graduating from Sun Prairie East High School. His journey at UW-Whitewater includes work on a rare coin wholesale company that’s earned Launch Pad assistance and received several awards as part of the DECA team.

Tjugum cited the College of Business and Economics as a key factor in joining the Warhawk family.

“I had a couple of friends who went there, and I visited them and saw the campus,” he said. “I enjoyed the process, the programs, and the professors during my time on campus.”

Tjugum continues to work in consultation with others, including gener8tor, one of the most successful business accelerators in the nation that has provided funding for more than 1,600 startups.

“Startups rely on outside team members and resources as much as inside team members and resources because of the uncertainty and the significant amounts of change, revision, and exploration required to make them successful,” Dougan said. “The resulting need for creativity, effort, insight, and improvisation prompt the folks who fund startups to bet on a team as much as they bet on an idea.”

A transfer success story

Wanyaka is also a Launch Pad scholar and is a member of UW-Whitewater’s national championship-winning Enactus team that will represent the United States later this month — one week after the Recrura team trip to Texas A&M — at the Enactus World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.

Wanyaka stepped onto campus in 2023 after transferring from another institution, citing affordability and community as the top draws to UW-Whitewater. He quickly discovered the resources — including the talented people — available on campus.

“The things I wanted out of UW-Whitewater came true,” he said. “I had a great love for programming, so I couldn’t grow into entrepreneurship smoothly. I needed support for that transition, and that’s when I joined clubs like Enactus and worked with people like Chad.”

Faculty support along the way

Each member of the dynamic Warhawk trio has benefitted from their experiences at UW-Whitewater as they continue to pitch Recrura around the nation.

Dougan and Frank Lanko, business career services manager at UW-Whitewater, are advising the group. Wanyaka lauded the support of Dougan, Lanko, and David Gee, a co-director of Launch Pad, through the process of building the business.

“They have been with us through the competitions and helping us practice our presentation styles,” Wanyaka said. “They’ve been there from the beginning.”