School celebrates first doctoral degree

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1 Also in this issue: n Director s message n School of Education awards n Student receives special education scholarship n Alumnus Mike McRaith looking for answers n Students exposed to diversity on 10-day trip n Sips for scholarships winners n Meet the new faculty n STEM Summer Academy n Notable Notes The School of Education at UW-Stout Fall 2013 School celebrates first doctoral degree UW-Stout and the School of Education are offering the first doctoral degree in the university s history. The Doctor of Education, E.d.D., in career and technical education was approved by the UW System Board of Regents in early February, and final approval was granted by the Higher Learning Commission in early October. The commission, part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, is UW-Stout s accrediting body. A review team visited during the summer and was impressed by its findings. The final report submitted to the Higher Learning Commission by the review team was glowing, said Carol Mooney, program director of the educational specialist degree and new doctoral degree. The consultants noted that the faculty had great confidence and expertise to offer the program. They were impressed with the level of research faculty were engaged in, the credentials of the faculty as well as the excitement and the desire to launch the degree. The degree aligns with current and traditional university goals, the mission of the polytechnic university and fills a need, said Mooney. The degree is career-oriented and designed for working professionals involved in workforce development, which includes career and technical education leaders, teacher-leaders and administrators. With the degree, individuals will be enabled to move into upper administrative roles or The degree aligns with current and traditional university goals, the mission of the polytechnic university and fills a need, said Carol Mooney. assume positions with more responsibilities within technical colleges, Mooney explained. Graduates will be poised to use research in decision-making and as leaders of career and technical education organizations, said New CTE cohort meets for the first time. From left to right, bottom row: Michael Bird, Jeff Sullivan, Carol Mooney and Brian Bartel; back row left to right: Nancy Chapko, Shawn Dudek, Shelly Olson, Matt Simoneau, Kinga Jacobson, Matt Janisin, Laura Reisinger, Jeff Pepper and Brian Klinger Jacalyn Weissenburger, UW-Stout associate chancellor. The program will have an advisory committee composed of faculty and leaders from technical and community colleges in Wisconsin and Minnesota. I am convinced that there will be terrific response from the technical colleges to this new degree, Mooney said. This will be great for us, said Robert Meyer, president of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. This will be a natural step for our staff. I ve got many candidates on my staff who are ready for this next step. Alumnus Brian Albrecht, president of Gateway Technical College in southeastern Wisconsin, also is enthusiastic. When he pursued his doctorate in CTE, he had to drive seven hours one way from Racine to the Twin Cities. Students in the three-year cohort program will take two classes a term one online and one face-to-face complete 60 credits and a dissertation. Students started coursework Oct. 25. School of Education College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Inspiring Innovation Learn more at The School of Education at UW-Stout» Benchmarks 1

2 Director s Message: The School of Education has a lot to celebrate Brian McAlister, School of Education The career and technical education program at UW-Stout has a rich history. In keeping with James Huff Stout s vision of a manual training school for men and women, early on the university offered a bachelor s degree in vocational education. It has since been merged with technical education and in 2002 renamed career and technical education and training. In 1935, the university added a master s degree in vocational education now named career and technical education. In 1968, the university offered its first educational specialist degree, once again in the field of career and technical education. The School of Education Mission: The School of Education faculty and staff will engage in exemplary teaching, research, and service to ensure that graduates of the School become successful professional educators. Vision: The School of Education faculty and staff have the vision of preparing teachers and other professional educators who are reflective practitioners and engage in evidence-based practice. School of Education 267 Heritage Hall University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, Wisconsin Phone: 715/ Online: Brian McAlister With the addition of the doctorate in 2013, the career and technical education program has the distinction of offering four degrees, more than any other program at the university. The approval process for a new doctoral program requires a team effort. But I d like to express a special word of thanks to Carol Mooney for her tireless effort shepherding the new program through an arduous, multistep process. I hope, by reading the pages of this newsletter, you will join me in celebrating the quality of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Our students are earning scholarships; our faculty and staff are honored with service and teaching awards; and our alumni are performing so well that they are recognized with prestigious national awards. The School of Education has a lot to be proud of, and I am grateful to be part of such a quality organization. Please remember to let me know if you have anything that I can help you celebrate. The School of Education at UW-Stout is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), 2010 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036; phone (202) This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs. NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel. Published biannually by UW-Stout s School of Education Brian McAlister, Editor Hannah Flom, Writer 715/ benchmarks@uwstout.edu Find this publication and additional information about the scholarly activities, publications and presentations of School of Education faculty and staff online at We welcome your inquiries and comments. UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS Art Education Career, Technical Education and Training Early Childhood Education Family and Consumer Sciences Education Marketing and Business Education Science Education * Special Education Technology Education Technology and Science Education GRADUATE PROGRAMS M.S. Career and Technical Education M.S. Education M.S. School Counseling M.S./Ed.S. School Psychology Ed.S. Career and Technical Education Ed.D. Career and Technical Education TEACHING MINORS Biology Chemistry Economics Health and Fitness History Mathematics Physics SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS Career and Technical Education Coordinator Early Childhood through Middle Childhood, PK-6 Early Childhood Special Education Reading Specialist Reading Teacher Technology Coordinator Traffic Safety ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS M.S. Education Graduate Certicate in E-Learning and Online Teaching * The B.S. in Science Education offers major certifications in biology, broadfield science, chemistry and physics; and minor certifications in biology, broadfield science, chemistry, earth and space, environmental science and physics. 2 Benchmarks» The School of Education at UW-Stout

3 School of Education awards With privilege comes responsibility; Dang Yang winner of Robert S. Sedlak Spirit of Community Award Dang Yang, multicultural recruitment and retention coordinator, received a unanimous vote by faculty and staff. Yang, who lives in Eau Claire, is an involved member of his community. By volunteering for the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, he provides leadership, mentoring and Dang Yang college preparatory skills to middle and high school students. Yang s involvement with youth his passion stems from feelings of responsibility. With the understanding that I m in a position of privilege plus luck and a lot of hard work it is my responsibility to reach out, he said. Yang is co-founder and co-chair of the Hmong Professionals of the Chippewa Valley, which focuses on providing self-empowerment opportunities to the Hmong community. He also presents on Hmong culture to the Eau Claire school district and UW-Stout. Yang, from Wausau, has a bachelor s degree from UW-Eau Claire and has just finished coursework for a master s degree from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He will be the first of his family to get a master s. He and his two older sisters were first-generation college students. The award, with a monetary gift of $300, was established in It recognizes a faculty or staff member within the School of Education or a related unit in the university who demonstrates the same commitment and leadership that Robert Sedlak exhibited in his career. The award is funded by friends and university colleagues of Sedlak who died in November of Student receives special education scholarship Robert Bobby Nyland, a hardworking, footballplaying senior majoring in special education, received the Hulda Mae Fiske Scholarship. The scholarship is presented annually by the Council Robert Nyland for Exceptional Children to an individual working in the field of special education or enrolled in a special education program at the university level. Fiske, an alumna of UW-Platteville, was an educator who left an endowment to fund scholarships in the field of special education. Nyland received $250. Nyland, from Eau Claire, recruited to play football for UW-Stout, hadn t decided on a major when he enrolled. Encouraged by his mother, Ruth Nyland, who teaches in the special education department, he started taking special education classes, and the more he learned the more he was convinced special education was the major for him. I decided to stick with it, he said. Nyland will start student teaching next spring, but through his classes he has had the opportunity to work with students with special needs. At Putnam Heights Elementary in Eau Claire, he worked with children who have mild disabilities. It was fun and rewarding to see the progress the kids made, he said. Jax Teaching Excellence Award Kimberly Martinez Kimberly Martinez is this year s recipient of the Jax Teaching Excellence Award. Martinez teaches reading strategy courses in the early childhood education and special education programs as well as content literacy instruction for the secondary education programs. In her application, Martinez noted a key to effective teaching: Care and support. Kimberly Martinez Early in her teaching career, she asked students to write about an effective and memorable teacher from their past. The answers she got were basic and uncomplicated. The most consistent and important characteristic emphasized was simply the capacity the teachers had to care about their students, she said. Martinez takes this lesson to heart and strives to create a caring and supportive environment in her classrooms. First and foremost is my desire to treat students as important and integral members of my classroom so that they feel that their knowledge, thoughts and theories are valuable to our learning community, she said. She also provides explicit instruction and lots of time for students to practice what they learn. Students, in support of her award, give proof to her nurturing and respectful philosophy. Dr. Martinez makes the extra effort to get to know her students, and if I have questions I feel comfortable asking her for help, one student said. The Jax Teaching Excellence Award was established in 2004 by Judy and Joe Jax. The award recognizes career achievements in teaching for SOE faculty or staff. At Eau Claire Memorial High School, he has worked in the severe disabilities classes. Once again, he found the work fun and rewarding. The students would ask the teacher when I d be coming, he said. They were enthusiastic and always excited to see me, he said. Through his prestudent teaching experiences, his choice for a major has been confirmed. Being a college student also seems to fit this 6-foot-1-inch, 210 pound Blue Devils fullback well. He has received the Chancellor s Award for the last three semesters and has a 3.75 GPA. Nyland s future goals include working with students with emotional and behavioral disorders and being a personal trainer on the side. The School of Education at UW-Stout» Benchmarks 3

4 Alumnus Mike McRaith looking for answers How do schools encourage students to stay committed, to persevere? What makes one student give up while another refuses to? According to Mike McRaith, as well as other educators and Mike McRaith educational psychologists, it may boil down to one simple four-letter word: Grit. McRaith, from Rice Lake, has been a guidance counselor at Enosburg Falls High School in Vermont since 2009 and recently accepted the position of principal at Enosburg Falls Middle School. He graduated from UW-Stout with a master s degree in school counseling in McRaith was named a Rowland Fellow this summer and took a fall sabbatical to visit and observe schools with perseverance programs. His mission is to promote a school culture of perseverance, resiliency and, you guessed it, grit, at Enosburg Falls Middle School. He hopes to inculcate these characteristics to improve student learning and close the achievement gap. The Rowland Foundation provides Vermont secondary school educators with a unique professional development and leadership opportunity and the resources to positively affect student achievement, the culture and climate of their schools. McRaith s district was awarded $100,000 to develop a transformational project. With insights gained from observing other schools, his project is to transform the culture of his school. In support of this endeavor, he will join a monthly discussion board on Angela Duckworth's research for the next eight months at the University of Pennsylvania. Duckworth, an associate professor in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, has conducted research indicating that two traits predict success in life: grit and self-control. Prior to his job in Enosburg Falls, McRaith taught at an elementary school in Japan for two years; he also worked as a manager in a start-up manufacturing company in Chippewa Falls. McRaith decided to pursue a master s degree, and since working with kids was a natural fit, he chose UW-Stout. I had heard that Stout had a well-respected school counseling program, so I applied and was excited to be accepted, he said. McRaith s time at UW-Stout was fruitful. He found support and encouragement. I felt like Jackie Weissenburger really saw my full potential and pushed me to realize it, he said. He also has never forgotten the words of Hector Cruz and has a list of Cruz s sayings posted on his wall, including his favorite: "Kids spell love: T.I.M.E." Some of my most frequently used insights I share with students are directly from Hector Cruz, McRaith said. McRaith s approach to working with young people is relatively simple. Create a trusting relationship built upon mutual respect. Be available to them and avoid judgment. While on the road, McRaith gleaned valuable tidbits. From Birchwood Blue Hills Charter School in Birchwood, his takeaway was: Vested interest equals engagement, engagement equals motivation; from Polaris Academy in Chicago: Your school culture is largely determined by what you celebrate ; and from Badger Rock Middle School in Madison: The impoverished have no choice but to persevere. McRaith s time as a guidance counselor has been rewarding. One highlight was being chosen by the students to be their keynote speaker for the 2013 graduation, he said. I have loved getting to know the students. It s wonderful to see them go through struggles and then turn things around, he said. To follow McRaith refer to his website, Almena Elementary School visit Alumna Carisa Schlosser brings her third-grade students from the small northern Wisconsin town of Almena for a visit to campus. Melody Brennan, left, and Schlosser discuss teaching strategies. In the foreground are Brennan s students in early childhood education. In the background are Schlosser s students. 4 Benchmarks» The School of Education at UW-Stout

5 Students exposed to diversity on 10-day trip Hegemony, colonialism, racism and multiculturalism were topics four UW- Stout students studied this summer in England and France. The four accompanied School of Education instructor Virginia Lea on a 10-day study abroad trip in June. The students completed course work and earned credit in Lea s Multiculturalism and Cross Cultural Field Experience course. Virginia Lea Lea s goal was for students to be exposed to greater diversity than they typically experience back home. Before the trip, Lea required them to read A Respectable Trade, by Philippa Gregory. The reading provided them understanding and insight as they walked through Bristol, once a slave port, she said. They also visited Stonehenge and castles built on the spoils of war, oppression and colonialism, Lea said. She exposed them to examples of religious diversity with a visit to the largest mosque in Britain. Students broke bread with Muslims and Quakers and learned about their traditions and beliefs, she said. We also went to see the show, Les Misérables, which spoke to the French revolution, hegemony and the power of elites to suppress resistance, Lea said. Lea, from Britain, used to teach at Crawley, a school with a diverse enrollment. She introduced the foursome to students at the school. They were able to form relationships with local, immigrant and migrant students from British ex- and current colonies, Lea said. I ve not only learned so much about other people and their cultures, religion and beliefs but I have also learned a lot about Sips for scholarships winners The School of Education held its annual Sips for Scholarship award reception in October. Scholarships were awarded to one undergraduate and one graduate student pursuing education degrees. Jody Shong, of Strum, received the undergraduate award. She is a senior majoring in early childhood education and a firstgeneration college student. Shong, passionate about working with young children, has more than 20 years of experience in the field as a preschool teacher and administrator. After completing her degree, she hopes to teach in the primary grades and impact students to learn in a new and creative way. Cynthia Bourget received the graduate award. An Elk Mound resident, she is the first in her family to pursue higher education. She has a bachelor s degree in English from UW-River Falls and is a first-year graduate student in school counseling at UW-Stout. Bourget has been employed for two years as a 4-H program assistant for the Dunn County UW-Extension office. I work with the 4-H youth of Dunn County, teaching life From left to right Shoua Her, Traci Castillion, Virginia Lea, Karlie Jensen and Tessondra Krueger at Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn. myself as well, said Shoua Her, from Madison, majoring in business administration. She was surprised at how much she had in common with many of the students and the importance of finding common ground, she said. Karlie Jensen, from Menomonie, majoring in early childhood education, said she couldn t put a price tag on the experience. She underwent culture shock in France when she was expected to speak in a foreign language. I was truly an American, she said when she experienced the frustration of being in a non-english environment. I expected they would just know English too, she said. Tessa Krueger, from Waseca, Minn., majoring in early childhood education, said the trip really stretched her thinking. It almost made my brain hurt at certain points because there was so much information for me to be first taking in, then understanding and then analyzing in a way that was more multicultural, she said. Traci Castellion from Appleton, majoring in family and consumer sciences education, was the fourth student. Lea plans on taking another group in skills, leadership and citizenship, she said. After she completes her degree, she wouldn t mind staying with UW-Extension or moving on to another position. We will see where life takes me! I Jody Shong Cynthia Bourget would love to stay working with rural communities, she said. Bourget chose the program at UW-Stout after hearing only good things from two co-workers who are alumni. I am extremely happy with my decision, she said. Scholarship winners are chosen based on academic performance, professional activities, extracurricular activities, community involvement and other factors. The School of Education at UW-Stout» Benchmarks 5

6 Meet the new faculty Emily Hines has been hired as an assistant professor in the reading specialist certification program. Hines has a B.A. in elementary education from University of Iowa and a Master of Science in reading pedagogy from UW-Eau Claire. She is pursuing an Ed.D. in educational leadership, critical pedagogy, from the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis. Hines dissertation research focuses on Emily Hines student motivation in reading intervention. Prior to coming to UW-Stout, she taught PK through 12th grade for 13 years in Eau Claire. She is active in local, state and international reading associations and served from as president and vice president of the Eau Claire Area Reading Council. When she isn t reading or teaching reading, she spends time traveling and hanging out with her husband, Barry, and son, Huck. Daniel Krenzer, a new hire in school psychology, lived in nine other states before moving to Wisconsin. Born in Colorado, he spent most of his life in North Carolina. Krenzer has a B.S. in psychology and sociology from Western Carolina University, an M.S. in educational psychology and a Ph.D. in school psychology from Mississippi State University. Prior to coming to UW-Stout, he worked as a school psychologist at an alternative secondary school in Grand Dan Krenzer Junction, Colo., for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Krenzer s research interests lie in concussion and brain injuries, assessment of cognitive abilities and behavior interventions in schools. His hobbies include the martial art Brazilian jiu-jitsu; home brewing; CrossFit exercising; gardening and learning to be a pilot. When asked the best thing about teaching, he said: Facilitating excitement of students about the profession they have chosen; helping them learn that research can be done by almost anyone. Mike Mensink, educational psychology, grew up on a hog farm in southeast Minnesota. He has a B.S. in psychology from St. Olaf College, an M.A. and Ph.D. in educational psychology from University of Minnesota and has taught at UW-Stout in the psychology department since He also taught at Walden University in Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota and Macalester College. His professional interests include Michael Mensink general cognitive mechanisms involved in understanding informational and narrative text, the influences of attention and interest on learning from texts, scientific text comprehension and the social and cognitive factors involved in creating effective learning technologies. Prior to joining academia, Mensink s jobs included managing a college animal facility, selling computers at Best Buy, searching bags as a TSA agent at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, acting as town blacksmith for a historic re-enactment and surveying gypsy moths for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Mensink is a craft beer aficionado and an avid home brewer. STEM SUMMER ACADEMY UW-Stout faculty from College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and the School of Education participated in an Advanced Science Learning Summer Academy held in July in Turtle Lake. The academy drew 60 teachers from northwestern Wisconsin. 6 Benchmarks» The School of Education at UW-Stout

7 He also enjoys playing softball, video games, building custom PCs and reading science fiction and fantasy novels. World travel also is important. I m always on the lookout for new cultural experiences in far-flung lands, he said. And the best thing about teaching? For me, the best thing about teaching is being able to build and sustain mentoring relationships with students. Seeing students grow and become successful is why I went into teaching. Matthew Simoneau will teach in the undergraduate career and technical education program and serve as program director. Simoneau, from Fridley, Minn., is a UW-Stout alumnus, with a B.S. and M.S. in career, technical education and training. He is completing his Ed.S., also in CTET. Simoneau was associate dean of academic affairs at Inver Hills Community College, construction programs coordinator at North Hennepin Community College and adjunct faculty in the building inspections technology program at North Hennepin Community College and Inver Hills. Simoneau s research interests are Matthew Simoneau student perceptions of career and technical education; programs of study; the effective use of Carl Perkins funds; evaluation of community and technical college instructors; and program evaluation. His hobbies include reading, travel and golf. His favorite thing about teaching is helping students achieve their educational and professional goals. Sapna Thapa, from Darjeeling, India, will teach early childhood education. She has an Ed.D. and M.A. in early childhood education from University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, and has worked for more than 25 years in early childhood education, care and development in South Asia. In 1990 Thapa started her career in education and has taught in Darjeeling where the tea comes from, Sapna Thapa she said Denmark, Nepal and most recently at MotherCare International Preschool and John Dewey High School both in Kathmandu. Her research interests are in policy studies. I am very interested to understand and explore perceptions of equity, diversity and quality in different socio-cultural constructs and the implications and impacts these perceptions have on policy formation, she said. Her hobbies include reading anything from trashy fiction to hardcore classics listening to music Bollywood is on her hotlist dancing and traveling. Also, I adore dogs and children, she said. The best thing about teaching is learning along with the students, Thapa said. Whenever I prepare a syllabus or course I end up reading so many new things and learning. Her philosophy is encapsulated in the words of Phil Collins, In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn. GRADUATION UW-Stout Master of Science in education online students meet in front of the Memorial Student Center prior to the Graduate School commencement ceremony in May. From left are Melissa Magnuson-Cannady, Lisa Klein, Angela Wilson, program director Renee Chandler, Linda Young, Stacy Harvey, Mara Werner and Fiorella Velarde. STEVE MEYER HONORED Steve Meyer Alumnus Steve Meyer, technology education, was one of three teachers honored in June in Washington, D.C., with the DiscoverE Educator Award from the National Engineers Week Foundation. The School of Education at UW-Stout» Benchmarks 7

8 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION 267 Heritage Hall University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 3 MENOMONIE, WI Benchmarks» The School of Education at UW-Stout Faculty and staff: Mary Alice Anderson published the Discovering Local History Resources in Your Own Back Yard chapter in Interacting with History by American Library Association, Fall 2013, Kathy Lehman, editor. Anderson presented The Power of Primary Sources at TIES Technology Training Center, St. Paul, in June. Khalsa, Datta Kaur and S. Humphrey, Online Professional Development, published Bridging Techniques and Technology in TESOL Teacher Training, TESOL Connections: 2013 Convention Special Edition, August. Khalsa presented Bridging Technique and Technology in TESOL Teacher Training at Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages International Conference, Dallas, in March. Khalsa presented Case Studies: Simple and powerful creative tools for online learning at Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference, New Orleans, in March. Khalsa presented The Role of Social Media in the Classroom at Hawaii International Conference on Social Sciences, Waikiki Beach, in May. Khalsa, and Lehmann, K. presented Social Media s Role in Your Online Classroom, at Conference on Distance Learning and Teaching, Madison, in August. Jill Klefstad and Kim Martinez, published Using Multicultural Children s Literature to Promote Cultural Awareness and Appreciation in Young Children, November. Klefstad and Hoel, A. published Inquiry and Reflection Engages Student Voice, International Journal of Business and Management Invention, August. Susan Manning presented A Primer on Digital Badges, at the conference on Distance Learning and Teaching, Madison, in August. Kevin Mason published Teacher Involvement in Pre-service Teacher Education in Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice. Mason published Land, Sea, and Sky: Mapmaking as Reflection in Pre-service Teacher Education in Reflective Practice: International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Mason presented The Pedagogical Practices of the Next Generation Science Standards, at the No Teacher Left Inside Conference, Poynette, in August. Mason also taught at two summer academies funded by a Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant. Sharron McElmeel, David V. Loertscher and Betty Wrenn-Estes, published Young Adult Literature and Multimedia: A Quick Guide 8th ed. Salt Lake City: Learning Commons Press/Hi Willow Research and Publishing. McElmeel published The Best Teen Reads 8th ed. Salt Lake City: Learning Commons Press. McElmeel co-presented Authors Speak: Common Core Standards and an Author s Role, at the Illinois Reading Association in Springfield, Ill in March. Carol Mooney appointed to a faculty position with the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Center s National Training Institute for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The institute is held in August at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dennis O Connor and C. Heine published Teaching Information Fluency: How to Teach Students to Be Efficient, Ethical, and Critical Information Consumers Scarecrow Press. David Stricker and Carol Mooney were invited curriculum workshop facilitators for the ISD#11 Anoka Ramsey fall faculty inservice. They presented Technology Education 5 Year Vision Seminar to technology education faculty in August. Deanna Schultz published College and Career Ready? Perceptions of High School Students Related to WorkKeys Assessments with Sam Stern, Oregon State University, in the November edition of Career and Technical Education Research. Students and alumni Rebecca Bushman, marketing and business education, received a $400 scholarship from the Wisconsin Business Education Association in October. She also was elected association secretary for the next two years. Nate Daniels, marketing and business education, received the Samuel E. Wood Medallion. Kayla Oliver, marketing and business education, received the Samuel E. Wood Medallion. Aaron Pokrzywa, 05 technology education, won the Golden Apple award in April. Pokrzywa teaches technology, engineering at DePere High School. Catherine Runice Pulkinen, 94 vocational rehabilitation/special education, has been chosen for the Fulbright Specialist Roster. She will be on the roster for five years, and institutions worldwide may enlist her in projects related to special education, multicultural education or other relevant areas. Tiffani Calmes Roltgen 03 was named executive director of the Wisconsin Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and also was awarded the state-level WAFCS 2012 New Achiever Award, which recognizes emerging professionals who have shown potential for making significant contributions in the field of family and consumer sciences. The Scholastic Book Fair received the award: Organization Events of the Year. Beverly (Peterson) Spinti 54 was honored for her 50 years in Girl Scouts at a celebration held in April in Menomonie. Richard Tepler 75 released his new book of poetry Walk with Me, Sawyer Bear with Dorrance Publishing. Tepler taught kindergarten at Ladysmith Elementary School before retirement.