News / en Students, staff turn community into a canvas during Murals in Menomonie /about-us/news-center/students-staff-turn-community-canvas-during-murals-menomonie Students, staff turn community into a canvas during Murals in Menomonie<span><span>giffeyt</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-06-30T11:30:00-05:00" title="Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - 11:30">June 30, 2026</time> </span> <div> Muralists from around the U.S. and world join university artists and volunteers for public art event</div> <section class="hero--image hero--has-breadcrumbs", style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2026-06/Volunteers%20paint%20Ͽ%20Polytechnic%20mural.jpg?itok=WkoCheaf);"> <div class="container hero__wrap" > <div class="hero__content" > <h1 class="hero__title"> </h1> </div> </div> </section> <div> <a href="/directory/giffeyt" hreflang="en">Tom Giffey</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235879> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>From an artistic portrayal of the journey of Hmong refugees from Laos to Menomonie to an eye-catching image that captures the past, present and future of Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, students and staff members from Ͽ Polytechnic had key roles in a just-completed effort to create 15 pieces of public art in and around Menomonie.</span></p><p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Murals-in-Menomonie-61557073062465/" target="_blank"><span>Murals in Menomonie</span></a><span>&nbsp;drew hundreds of artists from across the United States and beyond for a five-day mural-making festival. Since 1993, members of&nbsp;</span><a href="https://thewalldogs.org/" target="_blank"><span>The Walldogs</span></a><span>&nbsp;– an international collective of muralists, artists and designers – have gathered annually in a new city to demonstrate their talents. From June 24-28, Walldogs from 30 states and four countries worked alongside local artists to create enduring images honoring the history and culture of the community as curious bystanders watched the process.</span></p><p><span>Among the murals was a vibrant image created in Wilson Park and designed by two Ͽ Polytechnic students, </span><a href="/programs/bfa-graphic-design-interactive-media" target="_blank"><span>graphic design and interactive media</span></a><span> major <strong>Angelina Yang</strong> of Plover and </span><a href="/programs/bfa-interior-design" target="_blank"><span>interior design</span></a><span> major <strong>Gao (Pretti) Zhong Thao</strong> of St. Paul.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-06/Murals%20in%20Menomonie%20history%20mural_0.jpg?itok=5tajM6q7" alt="Painters work on mural" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Fifteen murals were painted during Murals in Menomonie, including this one devoted to the city&#039;s history. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235880> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The 8-foot-by-12-foot mural takes the form of a Hmong story cloth – a traditional style of embroidery that tells a story through images of everyday life, historic events and the natural world. Against a vivid blue background bordered by a triangular motif, the artwork details the journey of Hmong refugees from war-torn Laos across the Mekong River and ultimately to western Wisconsin, represented by a red barn, rolling fields, a farmers’ market and the familiar Bowman Hall Clock Tower.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Yang and Thao learned about Murals in Menomonie from&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/luminary-alumni-award-wade-lambrigtsen-00" target="_blank"><span><strong>Wade Lambrigtsen</strong>, a Ͽ Polytechnic alumnus</span></a><span> and lecturer who also owns&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.vintagesignshop.com/" target="_blank"><span>Vintage Sign Shop</span></a><span> in Menomonie. Lambrigtsen, who served as mural coordinator for Murals in Menomonie, reached out to the Hmong Stout Student Association last spring to see if any members were interested in submitting a design for the project. A mural honoring Hmong heritage had been one of the most popular options voted on by members of the public during the planning stages of Murals in Menomonie.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-06/Hmong%20story%20cloth%20mural%20underway%20in%20Wilson%20Park.jpg?itok=yHMF9GxJ" alt="Volunteers paint mural" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Volunteers paint a mural resembling a traditional Hmong story cloth. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235881> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <h3><span>Student gains experience in art, life</span></h3><p><span>Though neither had experience making murals, Thao said she and Yang were eager to take part in the project. “This opportunity doesn’t come very often,” Thao said while taking a break from painting alongside a half dozen volunteers. “It was very exciting, and we wanted to do something to represent the community.”</span></p><p><span>Thao and Yang brainstormed the elements of the mural – which range from the mountains of Laos to the bandshell in Wilson Park – and then Yang created a digital image using Adobe Illustrator. Next, working with Lambrigtsen in his shop, they made a full-sized printout of the design, whose contours were then carefully transferred to a sheet metal surface with an electric pen.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>For three days, muralists worked diligently to bring the artwork to life. While traditional story clothes are meticulous works of embroidery, this one was created with painstaking dabs of paint to create tiny figures and scenes.</span></p><p><span>Yang and Thao were joined by more than 20 volunteers in downtown Menomonie’s Wilson Park, where the mural took shape. The completed mural is expected to find a home – at least temporarily – at the Dunn County Historical Society’s Rassbach Museum.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-06/Student%20Pretti%20Thao%20and%20Chancellor%20Katherine%20Frank%20in%20front%20of%20Hmong%20story%20cloth%20mural.jpg?itok=hey1XKHz" alt="Women pose in front of mural" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Ͽ Polytechnic Student Pretti Thao, left, co-designer of the Hmong story cloth mural, poses with Chancellor Katherine Frank. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235882> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“I feel ecstatic. I feel great having the whole community here,” Thao said. “I hope this inspires other people to take part in learning our history.”</span></p><p><span>In addition to the artistic skills she’s developed, the project required Thao to communicate a great deal with other artists, something she expects will help her in professional life as an interior designer.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“I feel like it’s more than an experience on my resume,” she concluded. “It’s a life lesson.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Camilla Estes, a veteran Walldog who operates a mural business in Paducah, Kentucky, said she was privileged to help the Ͽ Polytechnic students with their mural.</span></p><p><span>“The best thing about Walldogs is that so many strangers can come together and create so much love and beauty,” Estes said.</span></p><p><span>Among the Ͽ Polytechnic students and staff members who helped with the story cloth mural were <strong>Evangeline Thao</strong>, a graphic design and interactive media major from Hudson; <strong>Maiyer Xiong</strong>, a graphic communication major from Eau Claire; <strong>Ghiatight Xiong</strong>, an information and communication technology major from Eau Claire; <strong>Addison Vang</strong>, an applied math and computer science major from Rosemount, Minnesota; and university employees <strong>Michael Moua</strong>, TRIO Student Support Services, and <strong>Heidi Smith</strong>, Office of Research &amp; Sponsored Programs. <strong>Chancellor Katherine Frank</strong> even grabbed a paintbrush to help while visiting the mural sites spread throughout downtown Menomonie.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-06/Chancellor%20Katherine%20Frank%20joins%20painting%20of%20campus%20mural.jpg?itok=E4fNTaSe" alt="Group of people paint mural" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Chancellor Katherine Frank joins other volunteers to paint a mural portraying Ͽ Polytechnic&#039;s past, present and future. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235883> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <h3><span>Campus mural embodies polytechnic tenets</span></h3><p><span>Murals in Menomonie involved the creation of 15 murals, 13 in Menomonie and one each for the nearby communities of Boyceville and Ridgeland. Many immortalized historic individuals, events or institutions, including Swiss Miss hot cocoa (invented by Charles Sanna of Menomonie), the Menomonie Blue Caps Base Ball Club, and the Knapp, Stout &amp; Co. lumber business, co-owned by the father of university founder <strong>James Huff Stout</strong>.</span></p><p><span>Stout’s most enduring legacy – the educational institution he founded – is now depicted in a mural on the east side of the Administration Building, facing Clock Tower Plaza. Painted just weeks after the word&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/university-wisconsin-stout-polytechnic-amends-name-reflect-longstanding-applied-career-focus" target="_blank"><span>“Polytechnic” was officially added to the university’s name</span></a><span>, the mural encompasses elements from the institution’s 135-year history: bold block letters reading “STOUT,” the logos of both the Stout Institute (1908-55) and Stout State University (1955-64), the contemporary triple-banded “S” logo and the official designation as “Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University,” and pillars bearing the institution’s enduring values – Honor, Industry, Learning and Skill. Painted archways bearing the phrases “Forward from our founding” and “Forever to our future” frame a panoramic depiction of campus landmarks.</span></p><p><span>The artwork was designed by muralist Tom Seibert of California, who has taken part in about a dozen Walldogs events over the years. Seibert’s business,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.muralsforschools.com/" target="_blank"><span>Murals for Schools</span></a><span>, specializes in institutional murals like this one. Seibert said the mural was created in trompe l’oeil style (French for “deceive the eye”) and will likely become a popular selfie spot.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-06/Billie%20Walleen%20adds%20handprint%20to%20Bolo%20Inn%20mural.jpg?itok=wyN40cY-" alt="Woman with paint on hand" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Ͽ Polytechnic alum Billie Walleen prepares to add her handprint to a mural dedicated to her family&#039;s longtime Menomonie business, Bolo Country Inn. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235884> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Frank lent a hand to the campus mural as well, praising Seibert’s design. “When we saw Tom’s expertise at creating pride through his murals, we knew we didn’t have to speak to a single point in Ͽ Polytechnic’s 135-year history,” Frank said. “Tom has given us a mural that celebrates the legacy of our graduates and employees in a campus location that deeply resonates with our alumni and many others, while also inspiring future innovation in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and beyond through Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.”&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></p><p>Lambrigtsen said three years of planning went into bringing the Walldogs to Menomonie. Numerous community sponsors, including Ͽ Polytechnic, supported the Murals in Menomonie effort, as did hundreds of volunteers. Among them were at least 10 former Ͽ Polytechnic students and dozens of others connected to the university.&nbsp;</p><p>“I think the best part was seeing the community come together, seeing how people stepped up to help,” said Lambrigtsen, who added that the newly created artwork will attract admirers for years to come.</p><p>An art auction held June 27 at the Memorial Student Center to celebrate the conclusion of Murals in Menomonie raised nearly $34,000, one of the highest fundraising figures in Walldogs history. The funds will be held in an endowment to support mural upkeep.</p><p>The new mural on Clock Tower Plaza joins several others painted by students on campus in recent years. Students in the Graffiti and Street Art summer class have designed and created four large-scale murals on the east side of the Applied Arts Building, including one painted in early June under the leadership of<strong>&nbsp;Assistant Professor Mary Climes</strong>.</p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-4379733e9a05d6704a90f24b9016680b75af91a7033a05ee88e4a48750dd8112"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Community</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/community">All Community News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/students-staff-turn-community-canvas-during-murals-menomonie"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/Hmong%20story%20cloth%20mural%20underway%20in%20Wilson%20Park.jpg?itok=zybtIB2i" width="1178" height="884" alt="Students, staff turn community into a canvas during Murals in Menomonie Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/students-staff-turn-community-canvas-during-murals-menomonie"> Students, staff turn community into a canvas during Murals in Menomonie </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Muralists from around the U.S. and world join university artists and volunteers for public art event </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/high-school-students-complete-university-level-project-create-spaces-inspire"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/SZA%2C%20Good%20Days%20room%20design.jpg?itok=yHgNDwIe" width="1178" height="884" alt="High school students complete university-level project to create spaces that inspire Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/high-school-students-complete-university-level-project-create-spaces-inspire"> High school students complete university-level project to create spaces that inspire </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Interior design camp, industry-standard software introduces campers to career paths in residential, commercial design </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/construction-camp-introduces-young-students-careers-degree-paths"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/STEAM%20Construction%20Camp%2C%20group%20photo%20with%20final%20projects.jpg?itok=lE5OwFBs" width="1178" height="884" alt="Construction camp introduces young students to careers, degree paths Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/construction-camp-introduces-young-students-careers-degree-paths"> Construction camp introduces young students to careers, degree paths </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Tour led by Boldt Company in Chippewa Falls gives campers a behind-the-scenes look at construction site </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Muralists from around the U.S. and world join university artists and volunteers for public art event</span> <a href="/media/61331" hreflang="en">Hmong story cloth mural part of Murals in Menomonie</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/stoutproud-wade-lambrigtsen-00-lin-boland-25-megan-mcdowell-25-and-lily-27-1" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-07/IMG_5586.jpeg?h=dd97b455&amp;itok=N7K76dur)"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">#StoutProud: Wade Lambrigtsen (&#039;00), Lin Boland (&#039;25), Megan McDowell (&#039;25) and Lily (&#039;27)</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Ͽ Polytechnic alumni and students are using public art to celebrate local stories, strengthen community connections and inspire future generations. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/about-us/news-center/stoutproud-wade-lambrigtsen-00-lin-boland-25-megan-mcdowell-25-and-lily-27-1" aria-label="Continue reading about #StoutProud: Wade Lambrigtsen (&#039;00), Lin Boland (&#039;25), Megan McDowell (&#039;25) and Lily (&#039;27)">Continue Reading</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/first-student-designed-mural-part-legacy-history-art-university" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-06/final_touches_at_the_mural_unveiling.jpg?itok=XwYhu4dK)"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">First student-designed mural is ‘part of the legacy, history of art at the university’</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Project unveiled June 2 praised by chancellor, mayor and appreciated by painters in new Graffiti and Street Art course </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/about-us/news-center/first-student-designed-mural-part-legacy-history-art-university" aria-label="Continue reading about First student-designed mural is ‘part of the legacy, history of art at the university’">Continue Reading</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Search Keywords: murals</div> <div> Hero Caption: Volunteers paint a mural on the exterior of the Administration Building on the Ͽ Polytechnic Campus during the Murals in Menomonie event.</div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:30:00 +0000 giffeyt 3180636 at From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow up /about-us/news-center/norway-wisconsin-children-want-be-social-media-influencers-when-they-grow From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow up<span><span>hugginsm</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-06-22T15:36:24-05:00" title="Monday, June 22, 2026 - 15:36">June 22, 2026</time> </span> <div> Professor Matt Simoneau investigates kids&#039; global fascination with careers in social media </div> <section class="hero--image hero--has-breadcrumbs", style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2026-06/social-media-kids.jpg?h=1625e072&amp;itok=WDqox28B);"> <div class="container hero__wrap" > <div class="hero__content" > <h1 class="hero__title"> </h1> </div> </div> </section> <div> <a href="/directory/simoneaum" hreflang="en">Matthew Simoneau</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235866> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><em>This article appeared in Fortune, NewsBreak, and others, and originated from </em><a class="ext" href="https://theconversation.com/from-norway-to-wisconsin-children-want-to-be-social-media-influencers-when-they-grow-up-284251" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span>The Conversation</span></em></a><em><span>, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts</span>.</em></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 235872> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p>A second grader in Norway drew a YouTube logo when my colleagues and I asked what they wanted to be when they grow up. When we asked why, the child explained that YouTubers are famous and make lots of money.</p><p>When we asked second graders in Wisconsin this same question, we were surprised to often receive similar answers: Kids there also wanted to be YouTube influencers when they grow up.</p><p>I <a href="/directory/simoneaum">am a scholar of career and technical education</a>. Since 2021, colleagues and I have spoken with a range of elementary, middle and high school students as young as 7 years old in the U.S. and Norway in 2024 to understand how children imagine their careers.</p><p>Our forthcoming research shows that social media has emerged as one of the biggest influences for young people’s career choice, second only to family, friends or teachers.</p><p>Over 60% of middle and high school students we surveyed from 2021-2024 said they wanted to be social media influencers or picked their future careers based on what they saw online. Other popular choices were professional soccer player, musician and actor.</p><figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;rect=0%2C472%2C6720%2C3780&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;rect=0%2C472%2C6720%2C3780&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A young girl is seen with her arms up in a pink bedroom. She looks at a smartphone mounted on a table that is filming her." srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742173/original/file-20260616-57-4dvkpv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" width="754" height="424"></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Most young people will not go on to become successful social media influencers.</span> <a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/happy-young-youtuber-girl-recording-video-blog-at-royalty-free-image/1173542133?phrase=social%20media%20%20influencer%20kid&amp;searchscope=image,film&amp;adppopup=true"><span class="attribution">Artur Debat/iStock Photos</span></a></figcaption></figure><h2>Our process</h2><p>In a separate <a href="https://www.educationandemployers.org/drawing-the-future-report-published/">January 2018 international study</a> by the organization Education and Employers, 20,000 children, ages 7 to 11, were asked about their possible future careers and then explained how they learned about that job.</p><p>We decided to use a similar approach to understand children’s career dreams and influences.</p><p>In Wisconsin, we surveyed more than 80 different children, ages 7 to 11. We also conducted focus groups with more than 140 middle and high school students about their academic and career plans and what influenced their ideas.</p><p>We then conducted interviews in Norway with over 60 children in the same age range.</p><p>In both places, we gave kids simple prompts that included “When I grow up I would like to be … .” We also asked them, “How do you know about this job?”</p><p>We found that there is a disconnect between how schools are helping kids think about their possible future careers and what factors are actually influencing young people as they imagine their futures.</p><h2>Influencer dreams</h2><p>In some instances, students as young as 7 in Wisconsin and Norway simply drew the YouTube or TikTok logo, or wrote that they aspired to be an “influencer” without any idea of who or what they would influence.</p><p>They shared that YouTubers and influencers “gets lots of money” and that “they want to be famous.”</p><p>Students also drew pictures of footballers, musicians, actors and princesses. Some students shared career goals like becoming a wildlife biologist, pilot, engineer or filmmaker.</p><p>Older students were more likely to mention careers like nurse, electrician, engineer, teacher, welder, police officer and small-business owner – although becoming an influencer and content creator remained a common aspiration for teenagers and children.</p><p>We found that social media also had a positive influence on some students.</p><p>One student in a rural town said that online posts and videos encouraged them to want to become a marine biologist, even though the closest ocean is over 1,300 miles – or 2.09 million meters – away.</p><h2>The limited role of schools</h2><p>It’s common for middle and high school students to take online career interest surveys to help understand which jobs could be a good fit. Many schools also offer career fairs and job shadowing opportunities.</p><p>Most students, though, receive very limited individualized guidance on career paths from <a href="https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/School-Counselor-Roles-Ratios">a school counselor</a>.</p><p>But they generally do receive some kind of prompts to help them think about what sort of career they want.</p><p>Within roughly the past decade, <a href="https://www.britebound.org/insights/unpacking-states-efforts-to-prioritize-and-facilitate-middle-school-career-exploration?utm_source=chatgpt.com">27 states</a> began requiring personalized, multiyear educational plans that helps students as young as 11 years old develop their own education and career goals.</p><p>In 2015, for example, <a href="https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/pi/26">Wisconsin passed a new law</a> that required school districts to provide academic and career planning services to students in grades 6 through 12. Students take an online career survey each year.</p><p>The students answer questions about their interests, and the online program then names a recommended career. The list typically includes traditional jobs like electrician or accountant, rather than something more modern, like content creator.</p><p>One potential reason is that many of the online career-planning programs schools use were created before social media became a central part of young people’s daily lives.</p><p>Some schools also have classes where high school students learn about different educational pathways and jobs. Yet these classes often meet only periodically, while high school students typically use <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594759/">social media every day</a>. As a result, formal career education increasingly competes with a constant stream of online messages about work, success and the future.</p><p>Our focus groups with middle and high school students in Wisconsin revealed that few students find these online career planning programs at school helpful.</p><p>Students said they found career planning activities “redundant” and described them as “the same thing we did in middle school.”</p><p>One 17-year-old student in Wisconsin said the career survey was a “waste of time. The test told me I should be a truck driver.” This student took the survey when she had already been accepted into nursing school.</p><p>Students consistently said they learned more from conversations with teachers, counselors, family members and professionals than from online questionnaires.</p><figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A young person is seen in the shadows looking at a smartphone that has a TikTok image on it." srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/742177/original/file-20260616-57-whom4g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" width="754" height="503"></a><figcaption><span class="caption">While students are heavily influenced by social media, school career assessments typically don’t reflect this tendency.</span> <a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/in-this-photo-illustration-a-teenager-uses-her-mobile-phone-news-photo/1977640182?adppopup=true"><span class="attribution">Spencer Platt/Getty Images</span></a></figcaption></figure><h2>When dreams don’t match reality</h2><p>Many young people now learn about careers through TikTok videos, YouTube channels, social media personalities and online communities. These influences can play a larger role in shaping career aspirations than formal school career-planning activities.</p><p>While many people aspire to make money online as influencers or content creators, nearly half of all online content creators earn <a href="https://medium.com/the-side-hustle-club/why-less-than-1-of-youtubers-make-money-4dbb24db9edd">less than US$15,000 a year</a>.</p><p>I think that educators and families should recognize that young people are thinking about their possible careers – they are just more likely to rely on social media, rather than online surveys at school, to imagine their futures.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. 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Career &amp; Technical Education Leadership Online"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">Ed.D. Career &amp; Technical Education Leadership Online</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Do you want to provide vision, direction, and leadership in high schools, technical colleges, or universities? Our highest awarded degree is for you. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/edd-career-technical-education-leadership-online" aria-label="Learn more about Ed.D. Career &amp; Technical Education Leadership Online">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/ms-career-technical-education" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2017-11/20170407_edd_cte_52.jpg?h=5e89a0a9&amp;itok=D-4hVEk0)" aria-label="M.S. Career &amp; Technical Education"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">M.S. Career &amp; Technical Education</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Our online M.S. Career &amp; Technical Education offers the leadership skills to advance in career, technical, and workforce education. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/ms-career-technical-education" aria-label="Learn more about M.S. Career &amp; Technical Education">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bs-career-technical-education-training-online" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2020-05/hrtm_online_hero.jpg?h=bbde0173&amp;itok=QyjqmM14)" aria-label="B.S. Career, Technical Education &amp; Training Online"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Career, Technical Education &amp; Training Online</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Earn your WTCS teaching certification to teach relevant and interesting job skills to adults in our online program. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-career-technical-education-training-online" aria-label="Learn more about B.S. Career, Technical Education &amp; Training Online">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Search Keywords: Social media researchsocial media influence researchsocial media careers</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/simoneaum" rel="bookmark">Matthew Simoneau</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p>Matthew Simoneau is the program director for B.S. Career, Technical Education and Training.</p> <p><strong>Teaching Interests:</strong>&nbsp;Principles of Career and Technical Education Instructional Evaluation Performance Analysis Coordination and Supervision of CTE Course Construction Methods of Teaching Postsecondary CTE Curriculum</p> <p><strong>Research Interests:</strong>&nbsp;Effective use of Carl Perkins funds Perceptions of Career and Technical Education Program viability and evaluation Faculty evaluation systems Programs of Study</p></div> <div> Full Name: Matthew Simoneau</div> <div> Job Title: Professor</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences" hreflang="en">College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-education" hreflang="en">School of Education</a><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-education/teaching-learning-leadership-department" hreflang="en">Teaching, Learning &amp; Leadership Department</a></div> <section class="section cta-list--block" style="padding-top:30px;"> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Program</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/programs">All Degree Programs</a> </header> <ul class="cta-list--block__list"> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bs-career-technical-education-training-online" hreflang="en">B.S. Career, Technical Education &amp; Training Online</a></li> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/ms-career-technical-education" hreflang="en">M.S. Career &amp; Technical Education</a></li> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/edd-career-technical-education-leadership-online" hreflang="en">Ed.D. Career &amp; Technical Education Leadership Online</a></li> </ul> </div> </section> <div> Curriculum Vitae: <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf"><a href="/sites/default/files/cv/2017-09/Matthew%20Simoneau.pdf" type="application/pdf" title="Matthew Simoneau.pdf">Mr. Matthew Simoneau CV</a></span> <span>(326.89 KB)</span> </div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: Ed.D. Career &amp; Technical Education</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Stout</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.S. Career &amp; Technical Education</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Stout</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: B.S. Career, Technical Education &amp; Training</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Stout</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: A.S. Building Inspection Technology</div> <div> University: Inver Hills Community College </div> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2017-12/20160513_matt_simoneau.jpg" width="842" height="1200" alt="Thumbnail" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/331" hreflang="en">CEHHHS</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/776" hreflang="en">SOE</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Matthew Simoneau</strong> <div> Office: 009 Administration Building</div> <div> Phone: <a href="tel:715-232-1600">715-232-1600</a></div> <div> Email: simoneaum@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:36:24 +0000 hugginsm 3180564 at Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process /about-us/news-center/engineering-seniors-design-portable-toy-tractor-manufacturing-machine-engage-kids-making-process Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process<span><span>goersab</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-05-05T08:45:00-05:00" title="Tuesday, May 5, 2026 - 08:45">May 5, 2026</time> </span> <div> Capstone concludes three-year professorship, collaboration with Urban Forestry Board</div> <section class="hero--image hero--has-breadcrumbs", style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20assembled%20manufacturing%20cell.JPG?h=50670648&amp;itok=0kHI-cnl);"> <div class="container hero__wrap" > <div class="hero__content" > <h1 class="hero__title"> </h1> </div> </div> </section> <div> <a href="/directory/goersab" hreflang="en">Abbey Goers</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234724> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>While Wisconsin farmers are out in their tractors preparing their fields, engineering students at Ͽ have designed a portable manufacturing cell – a semi-automated assembly machine – to produce wooden toy tractors for area children.</span></p><p><span>The cross-disciplinary Taft Wooden Toy Assembly System group is made of five&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-mechanical-engineering" target="_blank"><span>mechanical engineering</span></a><span> and&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-manufacturing-engineering" target="_blank"><span>manufacturing engineering</span></a><span> seniors: <strong>Owen Coon</strong>, of Appleton; <strong>Ben Gurka</strong>, of Beloit; <strong>Kierce Hemauer</strong>, of Menomonie; <strong>Ryan Kahl</strong>, of Menomonie; <strong>Aili Klein</strong>, of Lakeville, Minnesota; and <strong>Dominick Widi</strong>, of Stillwater, Minnesota.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group.JPG?itok=-FjuhMGw" alt="Manufacturing and mechanical engineering capstone students" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Owen Coon, Kierce Hemauer, Ben Gurka, Aili Klein, Ryan Kahl and Dominick Widi <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234726> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The two-semester-long project concluded their Engineering Technology Capstone 2 course, under the guidance of <strong>Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche</strong>. The manufacturing cell is 40 inches wide, 38 inches long and 36 inches tall. Its height makes it accessible to elementary children, as Dietsche plans to transport the machine to area schools to demonstrate the toy manufacturing process. He can also show the cell on campus tours and at industry conferences. The machine is fully enclosed with safety features, allowing Dietsche to pause assembly and talk about the process.</span></p><p><span>Constructed to be able to fit in the back of Dietsche’s minivan, the two-part portable cell can be easily assembled and disassembled by one person, and its lightweight aluminum extrusion and plexiglass frame meets OSHA’s standards for a two-person lift. It can produce 20 tractors in an hour, including the main body, front and back wheels, and two dowel axles.</span></p><p><span>On May 1, the group showcased their system to engineering and technology faculty, as well as retired faculty members <strong>John Schultz</strong> and <strong>Professor Emeritus Jerome Johnson</strong> and City of Menomonie representative <strong>Megan Hines</strong>, environmental program coordinator with the Urban Forestry Board.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group%20presenting.JPG?itok=9elbIS9h" alt="Manufacturing and mechanical engineering students give their capstone presentation" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234730> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>They presented again on May 4 to faculty, peers, industry partners, family and community members as part of the Senior Design Experience, which blends the university’s polytechnic tenets of applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences.</span></p><p><span>The wooden toys, ducks and tractors are constructed from ash tree lumber provided by the City of Menomonie’s Urban Forestry Board.</span></p><h3><span>An interactive toy manufacturing experience for kids</span></h3><p><span>Challenges for the Taft Wooden Toy Assembly System group began on day one, as they essentially needed to redesign the previous group’s manufacturing cell from scratch. The previous design had broken and was not usable for testing.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group%2C%201.jpg?itok=XxBV_S78" alt="Manufacturing and mechanical engineering students work on their capstone project" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234732> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>However, this also gave them the opportunity to revamp the design in their own way. Their concept ideas in CAD included updating the sheet metal frame to a stronger aluminum extrusion and plexiglass frame. This was also a durability and safety consideration. The original sheet metal frame had sharp corners and was not as solid – features the group deemed unsafe, since the machine is meant to be accessible to children.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>With Dietsche as their project sponsor, the group’s lead capstone instructors were&nbsp;<strong>Assistant Professor Nathan Spike</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Senior Lecturer Glenn Bushendorf</strong>, to whom they presented their initial research and design concept for critique. The group was aided by<strong>&nbsp;Instrumentation Coordinator-Instructor Paul Craig</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Lecturer Brandon Dick</strong>&nbsp;for coding and controls and&nbsp;<strong>Lecturer Mike Miller</strong>&nbsp;with sensors.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group%2C%202.jpg?itok=G9zPJ2Ur" alt="Manufacturing and mechanical engineering students work on their capstone project" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234734> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“The build phase brings a spark to see the fully functional machine. Our overall design has changed a lot. It’s two inches bigger and wider than our initial concept. The cell originally had seven doors, but after talking with Paul, we changed it to have one plated door on top. This cut down on the number of safety latches that we needed,” Hemauer said. “The machine also has an emergency stop button, and if the door is opened during production, the machine will stop.”</span></p><p><span>The wooden tractor components are fed by Dietsche through the top door into 3D-printed gravity-fed chutes. Then, like a mini-Henry Ford assembly line, five actuators – one for the body and one for each wheel – feed the components through the machine.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group%2C%203.%20Photo%20from%20Aili%20Klein.jpeg?itok=HZsH8Ssp" alt="Manufacturing and mechanical engineering students work on their capstone project" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234736> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>At first, the group designed the machine to be automated. “But we switched to have the dowels be manually inserted through the wheels, so kids can engage in the making process,” Klein said. “We also included a human-machine interface (HMI) touch screen for kids to give them an industrial feel. The screen shows images to guide kids through the steps of making the tractor.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>It was Hemauer’s idea of a Pez dispenser that evolved into the bolt-action idea of the manual insertion of the dowels, similar to how a ball is launched in a pinball machine. The insertion of the dowels is a press-fit operation, with no glue involved.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group%2C%205.jpg?itok=WWVTpqjD" alt="Toy wooden tractor components are lined up with actuators on an assembly line " /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234738> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>In their research, the group found that the pull force of a 6- to 10-year-old child is 22 pounds. They made the pull factor of the wheels 60 pounds for added safety and durability, knowing children would try to remove the wheels. They also imagined children would attempt to sit on and ride the tractor, although it is only 6 inches long and 3 inches high. With extra-strong dowels, made of oak, and chamfered wheels for structural integrity, the tractor can support up to 200 pounds.</span></p><p><span>A controls box mounted on the front of the machine houses the circuit board. They also added a plaque commemorating the professorship project, as well as ash wood brackets to cover the metal brackets on the exterior casing, giving the machine a warmer appearance.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group%2C%204.%20Photo%20from%20Aili%20Klein.jpeg?itok=8fLLU-z-" alt="Manufacturing and mechanical engineering students work on their capstone project" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234740> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The group enjoyed the cross-disciplinary project and understands the importance of the experience as they prepare to graduate and enter the workforce. “Working across majors helps you see other people’s point of view and their strengths,” Gurka said. “We’re building communication skills and the confidence to ask each other questions. It’s being able to admit when you don’t know something and being able to fall back on each other for knowledge.”</span></p><h3><span>A collaboration connecting people to people</span></h3><p><span>The project concludes Dietsche’s three-year&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/professorships" target="_blank"><span>G.A. Taft Manufacturing Engineering Endowed Professorship</span></a><span>, in which various groups of students&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-students-team-local-children-design-toys-give-city-ash-trees-new-life" target="_blank"><span>designed toys with first-graders</span></a><span>,&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/design-industry-students-create-kindergartners-ideal-toys-through-ai-rapid-prototyping" target="_blank"><span>created AI rapid prototypes of toys with kindergartners</span></a><span> and built a&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/automated-solutions-engineering-teams-present-capstone-prototypes-industry-sponsors" target="_blank"><span>two-wheel toy assembly system&nbsp;to produce a wooden duck</span></a><span>, including its body, wings, wheels and dowel axle.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/Professor%20Emeritus%20Jerome%20Johnson.JPG?h=13f22018&amp;itok=1mr8sl9z" alt="Professor Emeritus Jerome Johnson speaks during a capstone presentation" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Professor Emeritus Jerome Johnson gives a brief history of the collaboration during the capstone presentation. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234742> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The collaboration between the engineering and technology department and the city’s Urban Forestry Board began nearly a decade ago with the support of a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant. As the city’s ash trees were dying and trees were being cut down, the grant funded the cutting, acquiring, milling, and kiln-drying of the ash wood. The repurposed wood was then used in student projects, creating benches for the City of Menomonie parks.</span></p><p><span>The projects were fostered under the guidance of Johnson and <strong>Nancy Schofield</strong>, a former Ͽ professor and member of the Urban Forestry Board, who has since passed.</span></p><p><span>“Students wanted to see something that they built be used out in the city. Students became leaders and produced projects I never imagined possible,” said Johnson, who was honored as&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/professor-receive-award-citys-urban-forestry-board" target="_blank"><span>Citizen of the Year</span></a><span> by the Menomonie Urban Forestry Board in 2021.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/Professor%20Kevin%20Dietsche%20and%20Megan%20Hines.JPG?h=0f488a53&amp;itok=-Rm--RCY" alt="Professor Kevin Dietsche presents Megan Hines with two wooden toy samples" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Professor Kevin Dietsche presents Environmental Program Coordinator Megan Hines with a toy wooden tractor and duck. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234744> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Students produced more than 20 city benches from the repurposed ash wood between 2018 and 2021, when Johnson retired and Dietsche stepped in to take his place. “This project has impacted how I teach. It follows a high-impact practices model (HIPS), which reinforces the importance of partnerships and hands-on activities, creating a whole team of student leaders,” Dietsche said.</span></p><p><span>“This project is something special. We’re able to take something dead and dying and give back to the city, with an end goal of showing kids the engineering process – from mechanical and technical to packaging. The real key is connecting people to people,” he added.</span></p><p><span>Dietsche plans to continue similar projects with the addition of artificial intelligence and circular design practices in the research and development, as well as construction and repair processes.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group%20with%20faculty%2C%20guests.JPG?itok=DD9qXRMI" alt="Students, faculty and guests gather around a portable toy assembly machine" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234746> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Graduates from Ͽ’s mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs reported 99.5% employment rate within six months of graduation and an average starting salary of more than $70,000, according to the latest university&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/career-services/career-outcomes" target="_blank"><span>First Destination Report</span></a><span>.</span></p><p><span>Ͽ’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-and-management/robert-f-cervenka-school-engineering" target="_blank"><span>Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering</span></a><span>&nbsp;is home to five ABET-accredited programs that also include computer and electrical engineering, engineering technology and plastics engineering, as well as a sixth bachelor’s program in packaging. A master’s in manufacturing engineering is available&nbsp;on campus&nbsp;or&nbsp;online.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-6b19dd0e00e83f5d9ba11f903a4ddae11d532a9d45327387b2d875da96961689"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">School of Engineering</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/school-engineering">All School of Engineering News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-polytechnic-students-support-sierra-spaces-lunar-testing-system"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/Sierra%20Space%20equipment%20check.jpg?itok=7uEWQZ63" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-polytechnic-students-support-sierra-spaces-lunar-testing-system"> Ͽ Polytechnic students support Sierra Space’s lunar testing system </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Alum works with engineering students to improve lunar dust testing, bolstering NASA’s return to the moon </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/ashley-cadrex-apogee-among-companies-benefiting-engineering-students-prototypes"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/Cadrex%20capstone%20demonstration.jpg?itok=yYvh3_cR" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ashley, Cadrex, Apogee among companies benefiting from engineering students’ prototypes Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/ashley-cadrex-apogee-among-companies-benefiting-engineering-students-prototypes"> Ashley, Cadrex, Apogee among companies benefiting from engineering students’ prototypes </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Capstone projects demonstrate mechanical, manufacturing know-how, leadership skills </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/inspiring-graduate-thomas-shamla-bs-mechanical-engineering"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/Thomas%20Shamla%20commencement%20with%20chancellor.jpg?h=51d45516&amp;itok=RGIVB11o" width="1178" height="884" alt="Inspiring Graduate: Thomas Shamla, B.S. Mechanical Engineering Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/inspiring-graduate-thomas-shamla-bs-mechanical-engineering"> Inspiring Graduate: Thomas Shamla, B.S. Mechanical Engineering </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Hired before graduation at Absolut Manufacturing </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Capstone concludes three-year professorship, collaboration with Urban Forestry Board</span> <a href="/media/60991" hreflang="en">ETECH capstone, toy tractor manufacturing cell</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bs-manufacturing-engineering" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/20170922_Impacts_of_Engineering_02.JPG?h=2c6f6732&amp;itok=XYRvsU7w)" aria-label="B.S. Manufacturing Engineering"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Manufacturing Engineering</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Our B.S. Manufacturing Engineering program trains you in engineering design, robotics, artificial intelligence, automation systems, and industrial management. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-manufacturing-engineering" aria-label="Learn more about B.S. Manufacturing Engineering">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bs-mechanical-engineering" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2019-05/200900357-min.jpg?h=34f44cef&amp;itok=KxCOpLE7)" aria-label="B.S. Mechanical Engineering"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Mechanical Engineering</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Our B.S. Mechanical Engineering program covers mechanics, kinematics, thermal/fluid sciences, materials sciences, and more. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-mechanical-engineering" aria-label="Learn more about B.S. Mechanical Engineering">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Search Keywords: Mechanical engineering degreeManufacturing engineering degree</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/dietschek" rel="bookmark">Kevin Dietsche</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p><strong>Teaching Interests:</strong>&nbsp;Joining, Foundry, Fluid Power, Mechatronics</p></div> <div> Full Name: Kevin Dietsche</div> <div> Job Title: Assistant Professor</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management" hreflang="en">College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics &amp; Management</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/robert-f-cervenka-school-engineering/engineering-technology-department" hreflang="en">Engineering &amp; Technology Department</a></div> <div> Curriculum Vitae: <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf"><a href="/sites/default/files/cv/2019-06/Dietsche%2C%20Kevin.pdf" type="application/pdf" title="Dietsche, Kevin.pdf">Kevin Dietsche CV</a></span> <span>(230.15 KB)</span> </div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2021-09/20210823_kevindietsch_2417_directory.jpg" width="370" height="390" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/761" hreflang="en">CSTEMM</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Kevin Dietsche</strong> <div> Office: 155A Jarvis Hall Technology Wing</div> <div> Phone: <a href="tel:715-232-1457">715-232-1457</a></div> <div> Email: dietschek@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Tue, 05 May 2026 13:45:00 +0000 goersab 3179212 at Professors reimagine philosophy, psychology classrooms to amplify intentional student engagement /about-us/news-center/professors-reimagine-philosophy-psychology-classrooms-amplify-intentional-student-engagement Professors reimagine philosophy, psychology classrooms to amplify intentional student engagement<span><span>goersab</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-20T09:00:00-05:00" title="Monday, April 20, 2026 - 09:00">April 20, 2026</time> </span> <div> Bozzo, Zhao named Universities of Wisconsin Teaching Fellows &amp; Scholars</div> <div> <a href="/directory/goersab" hreflang="en">Abbey Goers</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234344> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Two Ͽ professors will have a unique opportunity this year to collaborate with other exceptional Universities of Wisconsin educators, representing various disciplines of study.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Selected as Universities of Wisconsin 2026-27&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.wisconsin.edu/news/archive/universities-of-wisconsin-2026-2027-wisconsin-teaching-fellows-scholars-announced/" target="_blank"><span>Wisconsin Teaching Fellows &amp; Scholars</span></a><span>, <strong>Alexander Bozzo</strong>,&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/our-leadership/provosts-office/uw-stout-centers/center-applied-ethics" target="_blank"><span>Center for Applied Ethics</span></a><span> director and assistant professor of philosophy; and <strong>Yuxuan Zhao</strong>, assistant professor of psychology, are among 23 faculty and instructors from 12 Universities of Wisconsin, nominated by provosts for their excellence in teaching and learning.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Xan%20Bozzo%20and%20Yuxuan%20Zhao.jpg?itok=6uyOsoa1" alt="UW Teaching Fellows Xan Bozzo and Yuxuan Zhao" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> UW Teaching Fellows Assistant Professor of philosophy Alexander Bozzo and Assistant Professor of psychology Yuxuan Zhao. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234346> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>During the fellowship, Bozzo plans to reimagine the philosophy classroom experience, drawing structure from a community forum he organizes. Zhao will create opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning within the psychology field, while encouraging critical reflection. Fellows and scholars each receive a $4,000 stipend from their university.</span></p><p><span>“Ongoing professional development is critical to our commitment as polytechnic educators. Each year, I am inspired by the student-focused projects put forward by Ͽ faculty, and remain grateful for the Wisconsin Teaching Fellows &amp; Scholars program,” said <strong>Provost Glendalí Rodríguez</strong>.</span></p><p><span>In addition to discussing effective evidence-based teaching and learning approaches, UW Teaching Fellows will be guided through systematic research focused on improving student learning through a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning project. The yearlong program begins in May and will culminate with a research presentation in spring 2027.</span></p><h3><span>Transforming the formal model of a philosophy classroom</span></h3><p><span>Bozzo has seen the university classroom change quickly and dramatically with a new generation of students and the emergence of new transformative technologies. As a UW Teaching Fellow, he’s looking forward to collaborating with other professors and experts on the scholarship of teaching and learning to further evolve his pedagogical practices.</span></p><p><span>“My ultimate teaching goals are to have students intentionally and rigorously engage with the material, to find it interesting and relevant to their lives, to clearly and critically communicate their ideas to others, and to come away with a richer understanding and excitement about it,” he said. “The formula for accomplishing these ends is changing, and I plan to use this opportunity to rethink and restructure my courses and methods.”</span></p><p><span>For instance, on top of class discussion, Bozzo would like to find additional ways to make students’ expression of their views, and the critical assessment of them, front-and-center, rather than the mere regurgitation of terminology and information. Bozzo plans to base this model on a program he organizes as the director of the Center for Applied Ethics – The Philosophers’ Café.</span></p><p><span>“In class, I would like to place greater emphasis on the conversation and the exchange of ideas. To this end, my project is to see how I can transform the formal model of the classroom to be more akin to The Philosophers’ Café. Students are interested in the ideas covered in class, and I want to teach to that interest and maximize engagement,” Bozzo said.</span></p><p><span>The Philosophers’ Café is a public forum series, where community members engage in open, friendly and respectful dialogue in an informal setting. Meetings are led by faculty, with topics ranging from traditional philosophical problems to pressing contemporary ethical issues.</span></p><h3><span>Intentionally incorporating student feedback in the psychology classroom</span></h3><p><span>As a new member of the Ͽ community, Zhao has been deeply impressed by the creativity and energy that shapes teaching here. “Many of our undergraduate students engage in hands-on learning experiences that are often part of graduate-level study. In my teaching, I aim to build on this strength by advancing psychology education in ways that prepare students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts,” they said.</span></p><p><span>Zhao strives to create opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning, while encouraging critical reflection on how these concepts operate within diverse social, cultural and political environments. As a UW Teaching Fellow, they hope to further develop inclusive and responsive teaching practices by actively listening to students’ experiences of belonging and representation in classrooms and lab settings.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“Understanding the influence of sociocultural context is essential when applying social science beyond the classroom, and as teachers, we do not always have full insight into the realities of our students,” Zhao said. “Through this opportunity, I plan to advance my approach of hands-on teaching by integrating student&nbsp;feedback&nbsp;more intentionally and continuing to learn alongside my students about their realities.”</span></p><p><span>They hope to foster a learning environment that is both experiential and reflective, preparing students to think critically and apply psychology in ways that are socially and culturally informed.</span></p><p><span>Wisconsin Teaching Fellows &amp; Scholars is offered by the Universities of Wisconsin’s Office of Professional and Instructional Development, which supports the 13 UW Centers for Teaching and Learning in fostering a culture of teaching and learning excellence in Wisconsin.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-891545f712a78eb64fd7ac5422182246d585c06678907269c079b61f7a56b141"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Faculty Highlights</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/faculty-highlights">All Faculty Highlights News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/students-staff-turn-community-canvas-during-murals-menomonie"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/Hmong%20story%20cloth%20mural%20underway%20in%20Wilson%20Park.jpg?itok=zybtIB2i" width="1178" height="884" alt="Students, staff turn community into a canvas during Murals in Menomonie Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/students-staff-turn-community-canvas-during-murals-menomonie"> Students, staff turn community into a canvas during Murals in Menomonie </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Muralists from around the U.S. and world join university artists and volunteers for public art event </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/norway-wisconsin-children-want-be-social-media-influencers-when-they-grow"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/social-media-kids.jpg?itok=djU3he3p" width="1178" height="884" alt="From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow up Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/norway-wisconsin-children-want-be-social-media-influencers-when-they-grow"> From Norway to Wisconsin, children want to be social media influencers when they grow up </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Professor Matt Simoneau investigates kids&#039; global fascination with careers in social media </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/engineering-seniors-design-portable-toy-tractor-manufacturing-machine-engage-kids-making-process"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group.JPG?h=553845e5&amp;itok=wu-RoQl_" width="1178" height="884" alt="Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/engineering-seniors-design-portable-toy-tractor-manufacturing-machine-engage-kids-making-process"> Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Capstone concludes three-year professorship, collaboration with Urban Forestry Board </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Bozzo, Zhao named Universities of Wisconsin Teaching Fellows &amp; Scholars</span> <a href="/media/60878" hreflang="en">UW Teaching Fellows Xan Bozzo and Yuxuan Zhao</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-02/food_science_lab_xinyue_wu.jpg?h=7aa0193f&amp;itok=pLfF1Ydu)" aria-label="College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Innovative, high-quality instruction that empowers students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences" aria-label="Continue reading about College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences">Continue Reading</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Search Keywords: Universities of Wisconsin Teaching Fellows &amp; Scholars</div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 goersab 3178773 at Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama /about-us/news-center/music-honor-master-ukulele-kits-engineering-students-are-homage-alum-kuboyama Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama<span><span>goersab</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-13T10:34:32-05:00" title="Monday, April 13, 2026 - 10:34">April 13, 2026</time> </span> <div> Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions</div> <section class="hero--image hero--has-breadcrumbs", style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2026-04/Ukelele%20Building%2C%20Wood%20Lab%2C%20hero%20image_1.JPG?itok=m0S06b-G);"> <div class="container hero__wrap" > <div class="hero__content" > <h1 class="hero__title"> </h1> </div> </div> </section> <div> <a href="/directory/goersab" hreflang="en">Abbey Goers</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234147> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>A small black case rests atop a filing cabinet in <strong>Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche</strong>’s office. He opens the case and begins strumming a ukulele. The soft music fills the office. Dietsche, an engineering technology instructor at Ͽ, built the ukulele 15 years ago under the guidance of Kazukiyo “Jiggs” Kuboyama, a master in his craft who was&nbsp;honored by the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii.</span></p><p><span>In homage to Kuboyama, Dietsche tasked his own students to develop a process to build ukuleles in his New Product Development course this semester. “For me to do this is in honor of his tradition,” Dietsche said of Kuboyama, who was a 1957 Ͽ industrial arts alum. He taught technology education in Oahu and passed away in 2019.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Ukulele%20group%202%2C%202_0.JPG?itok=q9bFPqkU" alt="Professor Kevin Dietsche and Braden Kapitz watch as the CNC machine removes wood to shape a main ukulele jig." /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Professor Kevin Dietsche and Braden Kapitz watch as the CNC machine removes wood to shape a main ukulele jig. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234151> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The project grew to also include developing toolless bed connections, with one group expanding their design to work across different furniture types – a solution allowing for flexibility of use.</span></p><p><span>The&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-engineering-technology" target="_blank"><span>engineering technology</span></a><span> and&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-mechanical-engineering" target="_blank"><span>mechanical engineering</span></a><span> students worked in cross-disciplinary groups to research market trends and materials and to ideate preliminary designs before they were joined by engineers and designers from&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.ashleyfurniture.com/" target="_blank"><span>Ashley Furniture Industries</span></a><span>, including&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-industrial-product-design" target="_blank"><span>industrial and product design</span></a><span> alums&nbsp;<strong>Caleb Toft&nbsp;</strong>and <strong>Anna Lindner</strong>, as well as <strong>Emeritus Professor Jerome Johnson</strong>, who viewed the groups’ design presentations and provided insight based on their industry experience.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The groups then began their build process of the ukuleles and toolless connections in the&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/labs-classrooms/jarvis-hall-technology-wing" target="_blank"><span>Jarvis Hall Technology Wing</span></a><span>&nbsp;Woods Lab.</span></p><p><span>“These projects are about teaching the students problem solving through the design process. The most difficult part is getting your first draft right. Once you’ve troubleshooted everything, you can build hundreds of models using your programming,” Dietsche said.</span></p><h3><span>Creating ukulele building kits for beginners</span></h3><p><span>The ukulele groups are meeting the challenge of making instrument-building kits more accessible to beginners. Two groups – <strong>Andrea Smith</strong>, of East Troy, and <strong>Brook Derks</strong>, of River Falls; and <strong>Konnor Kraft</strong>, of Plymouth, Minnesota, <strong>Alex Ogno</strong>, of DeForest, and <strong>Braden Kapitz</strong>, of Athens – researched ukulele construction methods, dimensions, and kerfing techniques, and how wood type and body shape affects sound quality and buildability.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Ukulele%20group%202%2C%201_0.jpg?itok=m5g76Z_C" alt="Konnor Kraft shows a cardboard prototype and the CNCed jig for a ukulele" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Konnor Kraft shows a cardboard prototype and a CNCed jig for a ukulele. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234153> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“Traditional instrument construction requires a high level of craftsmanship, which can be difficult for those with limited woodworking experience. Our goal is to simplify the process so anyone can successfully build a ukulele using guided methods and fixtures,” Smith said.</span></p><p><span>The groups designed main jig blocks in SolidWorks to match the size and shape of a ukulele and then, using AI contour construction, they removed the inner material on a CNC machine to make the manufacturing process more consistent and repeatable.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Ukulele%20group%201%2C%201.JPG?itok=fOpp5i7D" alt="Andrea Smith and Brook Derks discuss their ukulele design." /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Andrea Smith and Brook Derks discuss their ukulele design. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234155> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“We then steamed .08-inch-thick strips of ash wood for 45 minutes to make it malleable and clamped it to the inside of the main jig block for 48 hours to create the exterior curve of the instrument,” Kraft said. “The quality of the wood can affect how it curves, as well as how long it is steamed. We found that 45 minutes in the steamer was optimal for malleability, and that knots will affect the wood’s strength. It will weaken and split at the knot when curved.”</span></p><p><span>The groups also made kerfing supports (flexible, notched wooden strips glued to the inside of the ukulele body to strengthen the structure). “The top of our ukulele will be made of spruce for sound quality and the neck will be made of cherry wood for its vibrant color,” Kraft said.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Ukulele%20group%202%2C%203_0.jpg?itok=Q1lKZfXu" alt="Konnor Kraft cuts pieces for a ukulele neck on a bandsaw, assisted by TA Annika Schleuter" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Konnor Kraft cuts pieces for a ukulele neck on a bandsaw, assisted by TA Annika Schlueter. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234157> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Smith and Derks expect bending the wood sides and achieving consistent kerf cuts to be challenging, since both directly affect the shape and structural integrity of the ukulele. “Designing jigs that ensure accurate alignment and repeatability has also required careful planning. We’re looking forward to testing to see how well our designs perform and what adjustments may be needed,” Smith said.</span></p><p><span>She’s enjoyed researching everything that goes into making a ukulele and understanding how each component affects the final instrument. “It’s been especially rewarding to take that knowledge and apply my design skills to create something that actually works. Seeing the transition from research to a functional build has been the most satisfying part of the process,” Smith said.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Ukulele%20group%201%2C%202_0.jpg?itok=xJweZdf6" alt="Andrea Smith and Brook Derks ready their ukulele jig for the CNC machine." /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Andrea Smith and Brook Derks ready their ukulele jig block for the CNC machine. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234159> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <h3><span>Simple, functional, attractive and mass-manufacturable designs</span></h3><p><span>One of the toolless connections groups – <strong>Alex Dill</strong>, of Hartland, <strong>Aden Story</strong>, of Holcombe, and <strong>Bethany Winge</strong>, of Cottage Grove – first worked to identify ways that toolless assembly works in conjunction with a flatpack bed frame (a bed designed to be deconstructed into individual components). They then compared their drafted ideas to existing market solutions.</span></p><p><span>“We found that a flatpack frequently involves various methods that have self-aligning or self-maintaining joinery. From there, we began to brainstorm connection methods that involved self-contained components, or single-step customer assembly and disassembly items,” Dill said.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Toolless%20connections%20group%2C%202_0.jpg?itok=iuuC65k2" alt="TA Annika Scheuter and Bethany Winge construct a frame for an epoxy mold pour." /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> TA Annika Schlueter and Bethany Winge construct a frame for an epoxy mold pour. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234161> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>From Toft and Johnson’s critiques, the group thought the most interesting was to remember how material affects customer perception and quality of an item. “For example, a nicely finished piece of stainless steel has a much more premium feel than injection molded plastic,” Dill said.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Dietsche required the toolless connection groups to produce their designs with three different manufacturing methods and materials. Dill, Story, and Winge’s thumbscrew and locking head device is intended to work across different furniture types.</span></p><p><span>Their methods and materials include: 1.) a 3D-printed component, designed in SolidWorks and printed by Story on his home 3D printer; 2.) a poured epoxy component, produced using a two-part casting rubber mix; and 3.) a metal component, based on availability and machinability, such as stainless steel and aluminum, and cut out by Dill on the CNC machine in the Machine and Subtractive Processing Lab in Fryklund Hall.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Toolless%20connections%20group%2C%203.JPG?itok=n7SCAgzh" alt="TA Annika Schleuter and Bethany Winge mix the two-part casting rubber for an epoxy mold pour." /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> TA Annika Schlueter and Bethany Winge mix the two-part casting rubber for an epoxy mold pour. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234163> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“The epoxy pour makes everything more repeatable in the manufacturing process. And our 3D-printed component is very well designed and thought out. But I think the metal component would sell the best in the real world,” Winge said.</span></p><p><span>The challenging part is almost always coming up with a design, as it needs to be simple, functional, attractive, and most importantly, mass manufacturable, Dill said. “Professor Dietsche facilitates a phenomenal environment to learn about CNC programming and other shop processes. Being able to go out in the lab and make things while learning how on the fly has proven very fun and interesting.</span></p><p><span>“More people should take technical manufacturing classes, as they build an appreciation for how the world around us is made,” he added.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-04/Toolless%20connections%20group%2C%201_0.jpg?itok=0viqvN1S" alt="Aden Story hold 3D-printed thumbscrews for toolless furniture assembly." /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Aden Story holds a 3D-printed thumbscrew for toolless furniture assembly. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 234165> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Ͽ’s engineering and technology department offers six undergraduate degrees, including&nbsp;computer and electrical engineering,&nbsp;manufacturing engineering,&nbsp;mechanical engineering,&nbsp;plastics engineering,&nbsp;engineering technology&nbsp;and&nbsp;packaging, as well as four minors and a&nbsp;master’s in manufacturing engineering.</span></p><p><span>Technology education is offered through the&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-and-human-sciences/school-education" target="_blank"><span>School of Education</span></a><span>, which is home to nine undergraduate degrees, five graduate degrees, certificates, certifications and online professional development courses.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-f518ed528fe155b809f86c1657093a3021af6e2d50d796389b4a2dbb47cc5993"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Engineering Technology</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/engineering-technology">All Engineering Technology News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/engineering-seniors-design-portable-toy-tractor-manufacturing-machine-engage-kids-making-process"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/ET%20Capstone%20group.JPG?h=553845e5&amp;itok=wu-RoQl_" width="1178" height="884" alt="Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/engineering-seniors-design-portable-toy-tractor-manufacturing-machine-engage-kids-making-process"> Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Capstone concludes three-year professorship, collaboration with Urban Forestry Board </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/music-honor-master-ukulele-kits-engineering-students-are-homage-alum-kuboyama"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-04/Ukelele%20Building%2C%20Wood%20Lab%2C%20hero%20image_1.JPG?itok=iODy9JPa" width="1178" height="884" alt="Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/music-honor-master-ukulele-kits-engineering-students-are-homage-alum-kuboyama"> Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/ashley-sponsors-toolless-bed-connections-engineering-project"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2025-05/Ͽ%20engineering%20students%20outside%20of%20Ashley%27s%20Automation%20and%20Robotics%20Lab.JPG?itok=iZMyQtsX" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering project Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/ashley-sponsors-toolless-bed-connections-engineering-project"> Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering project </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Product Development students build prototypes, propose solutions for global company </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions</span> <a href="/media/60837" hreflang="en">Ukulele and toolless connections projects, Woods Lab</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bs-engineering-technology" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/20170922_Mechanics_of_Materials_07.JPG?h=ab062e65&amp;itok=rVLGgA6z)" aria-label="B.S. Engineering Technology"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Engineering Technology</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Our B.S. Engineering Technology degree offers the technical, problem-solving, and leadership skills to succeed in a wide range of engineering disciplines. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-engineering-technology" aria-label="Learn more about B.S. Engineering Technology">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bs-mechanical-engineering" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2019-05/200900357-min.jpg?h=34f44cef&amp;itok=KxCOpLE7)" aria-label="B.S. Mechanical Engineering"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Mechanical Engineering</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Our B.S. Mechanical Engineering program covers mechanics, kinematics, thermal/fluid sciences, materials sciences, and more. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-mechanical-engineering" aria-label="Learn more about B.S. Mechanical Engineering">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Search Keywords: engineering technology degreeukulele building kitJiggs Kuboyama</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/dietschek" rel="bookmark">Kevin Dietsche</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p><strong>Teaching Interests:</strong>&nbsp;Joining, Foundry, Fluid Power, Mechatronics</p></div> <div> Full Name: Kevin Dietsche</div> <div> Job Title: Assistant Professor</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management" hreflang="en">College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics &amp; Management</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/robert-f-cervenka-school-engineering/engineering-technology-department" hreflang="en">Engineering &amp; Technology Department</a></div> <div> Curriculum Vitae: <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf"><a href="/sites/default/files/cv/2019-06/Dietsche%2C%20Kevin.pdf" type="application/pdf" title="Dietsche, Kevin.pdf">Kevin Dietsche CV</a></span> <span>(230.15 KB)</span> </div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2021-09/20210823_kevindietsch_2417_directory.jpg" width="370" height="390" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/761" hreflang="en">CSTEMM</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Kevin Dietsche</strong> <div> Office: 155A Jarvis Hall Technology Wing</div> <div> Phone: <a href="tel:715-232-1457">715-232-1457</a></div> <div> Email: dietschek@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:34:32 +0000 goersab 3178664 at Board game renaissance: Ͽ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business /about-us/news-center/board-game-renaissance-uw-stout-professor-puts-pieces-place-successful-game-design-business Board game renaissance: Ͽ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business<span><span>giffeyt</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-16T13:00:00-06:00" title="Monday, February 16, 2026 - 13:00">February 16, 2026</time> </span> <div> Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty</div> <section class="hero--image hero--has-breadcrumbs", style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2026-02/Dave%20Beck%20with%20Luthier%20in%20Furlong%20Gallery.jpg?h=f692311e&amp;itok=52p8T9qf);"> <div class="container hero__wrap" > <div class="hero__content" > <h1 class="hero__title"> </h1> </div> </div> </section> <div> <a href="/directory/giffeyt" hreflang="en">Tom Giffey</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232880> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The gift of a board game, a visit to a historic distillery and a sleepless night during a sabbatical in Scotland combined to inspire Ͽ <strong>Professor Dave Beck</strong> to create a successful game design business.</span></p><p><span>These experiences also transformed Beck’s approach to teaching students in&nbsp;</span><a href="/design-future-gaming" target="_blank"><span>Ͽ’s game design and development</span></a><span> programs. Whether they come from the artistic or computer science sides of game design, students make their way to Beck’s Introduction to Game Design course, where he stresses the fundamentals. And good design, he emphasizes, doesn’t have to start on a computer.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“It’s really the concept of the design and creating a system and a series of problems and challenges for a player to overcome,” Beck said. “That can happen on paper, or it can happen in pixels.”</span></p><p><span>The first assignment happens on paper, a common first step for budding game designers, as Beck’s students use cards, dice and other components to fashion paper prototypes.&nbsp;</span><a href="https://paversongames.com/" target="_blank"><span>Paverson Games</span></a><span>, Beck’s acclaimed indie game design business, also started in analog fashion.&nbsp;</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-02/Luthier%20displayed%20in%20Furlong%20Gallery.jpg?itok=IEwchvCd" alt="Board game components" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Luthier, like other Paverson Games titles, features rich detail and exquisitely designed pieces. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section content-text"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure--v-right"> <div> <img class="image-style-uws-medium-vertical-480-640-" src="/sites/default/files/styles/uws_medium_vertical_480_640_/public/2018-03/davebeck_2016_a.jpg?itok=is-Lio7i" alt="Dave Beck" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Professor Dave Beck <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> <div> <p><span>Back in 2014, Beck — who has academic expertise in 3D modeling, virtual reality, animation, level design and game engines — was given a board game by his wife, Ͽ <strong>Senior Lecturer Emily Beck</strong>, as a gift. Initially skeptical, he was quickly enchanted by Dominion, a medieval-themed deck-building game, which was very different from the frustrating, luck-based board games he remembered from childhood. Soon, he said, “I fell deep into a rabbit hole” and acquired a basement full of similar board games.</span></p><p><span>Beck isn’t alone in having his imagination captured by the hobby: Tabletop gaming has undergone a renaissance over the past decade or so,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tabletop-games-market-focused-insights-135300652.html" target="_blank"><span>expanding into a $27 billion industry worldwide</span></a><span> with projected annual growth of more than 10%. The trend has been driven by the increased availability of well-designed, attractive games like those produced by Paverson Games.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Yet for Beck, board games remained a pastime rather than a vocation for several years until he found himself on sabbatical in Scotland with his wife, who was teaching there for a semester. Amid working on his own 3D augmented reality project, Beck found time to play board games and tour some of Scotland’s legendary distilleries.</span></p><p><span>It was shortly after one such tour that Beck spent a sleepless night pondering a potential game. “Probably around midnight, this idea, truly a lightbulb moment, popped in my head about how I could represent the distilling process through a game mechanic, which is basically shuffling and removing cards to represent cutting out the heads and the tails,” he said. (In this context, “heads” and “tails” are byproducts from the beginning and end of the distillation process.)</span></p><p><span>The next morning found Beck scribbling notes and fashioning pieces of paper — much like his Introduction to Game Design students do. “The second I came up with this idea, I was cutting things out,” he recalled. “It was just like this energy inside me and this kind of joy — I don’t know how to better describe it — that I hadn’t felt in years.”</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-02/Faculty%20play%20testing%20Distilled%20in%202019.jpg?itok=Tg9TEPx2" alt="People playing a board game" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> Ͽ professors, left to right, Seth Berrier (computer science), Sarah Wood (psychology) and Andrew Williams (design) play test an early version of Professor Dave Beck’s game D <span class="content-image__credit"><span style="color: #bcc8d0;">/ </span>Submitted photo</span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232882> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>After more designing and play testing, Beck returned to Wisconsin with the basis of&nbsp;</span><a href="https://paversongames.com/products/distilled-board-game-1" target="_blank"><span>Distilled</span></a><span>, which is marketed as a “spirited strategy game” in which players compete to become master distillers by creating whiskey, gin, rum and other spirits. He launched a Kickstarter in 2021, which raised its original goal of $18,000 in just 23 minutes. Ultimately, more than 8,000 backers pledged nearly $550,000 toward the project.</span></p><p><span>To make the game a reality, Beck leaned on the talents of some of his Ͽ colleagues. <strong>Professor Erik Evensen</strong>, program director for the&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-illustration" target="_blank"><span>B.F.A. illustration</span></a><span> program, created the artwork and served as graphic designer for the project. <strong>Professor Seth Berrier</strong>, program director in&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-computer-science/game-design-development-concentration" target="_blank"><span>B.S. computer science (game design and development concentration)</span></a><span>, helped create an online version of Distilled, which allowed users to play test the game and give feedback. Meanwhile, <strong>Associate Professor Cody Reimer</strong>, program director for </span><a href="/programs/bs-game-media-studies" target="_blank"><span>B.S. game and media studies</span></a><span>, used his technical writing skills to edit the rulebook and game text.</span></p><p><span>More than four years after the original Kickstarter launched, Distilled has sold more than 50,000 copies across 10 different languages. (A cocktail-themed expansion launched last fall raised an additional $631,000 on Kickstarter.) And Beck’s business has gained attention beyond board-gaming circles, including being named&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-strategy-board-games/" target="_blank"><span>one of the best strategy board games of the year by The New York Times</span></a><span> and landing Beck a profile on a recent episode of the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://wisconsinlife.org/story/wisconsin-life-superior-city-football-club/" target="_blank"><span>PBS Wisconsin series “Wisconsin Life.”</span></a></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section content-video"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div class="fluid-width-video-wrapper" style="padding-top: 56.25%;"> <iframe title="&quot;Wisconsin Life&quot; segment about Paverson Games" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpu7XUXI2Tw?autoplay=0&amp;amp;loop=0&amp;amp;background=0&amp;amp;version=3&amp;amp;start=0&amp;amp;rel=0&amp;amp;showinfo=0&amp;amp;controls=0&amp;amp;autohide=1?" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </div> <figcaption class="content-video__caption"> &quot;Wisconsin Life&quot; segment about Paverson Games <span class="content-video__credit"><span style="color: #bcc8d0;">/ </span>PBS Wisconsin</span> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232884> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Just like his board game collection, Beck’s board game output didn’t stop at one. He co-designed a second game,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://paversongames.com/products/luthier-board-game" target="_blank"><span>Luthier</span></a><span>, in which players take the roles of 18th-century instrument makers during the height of the classical music era. This meticulously detailed game hit the market in 2025 after another successful Kickstarter, which raised $790,000. Two more Paverson Games titles by different designers are now in the pipeline:&nbsp;</span><a href="https://paversongames.com/blogs/news/announcing-class-of-89-the-yearbook-board-game" target="_blank"><span>Class of ’89</span></a><span>, which focuses on creating a high school yearbook (with artwork by Evensen), and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://paversongames.com/blogs/news/here-grows-ringyo" target="_blank"><span>Ringyō</span></a><span>, a forestry game set in feudal Japan (designed by former Ͽ <strong>Lecturer Charlie McCarron</strong>).&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Ͽ game design students have also played a role in the business as paid interns. Most recently, <strong>Amanda Gagnon</strong>, a junior from Racine, interned for Paverson Games over the winter break. The internship reinforced skills Gagnon learned in her coursework, from updating and formatting files to assembling physical prototypes. The experience, she said, gave her a solid foundation in working on both digital and tabletop games.</span></p><p><span>“I think a lot of people that first begin to pursue a game design degree — myself included — start out really excited to create the art, the code or the narrative,” Gagnon said. “However, when you’re introduced to tabletop design, it really makes you focus on the mechanic design and player experience instead. Learning more about tabletop design and working with a tabletop company emphasized to me the importance of play testing and making sure players enjoy your game, which can sometimes get missed in digital game design.”</span></p><p><span>All of the Paverson Games titles rely on strong themes that attract players and keep them fascinated, not frustrated. “I believe very strongly in theme-driven design,” Beck said. “It’s something that not only helps people learn the game a little easier, because they can understand the real-world connection, but also it oftentimes will have more of a lasting impression that will allow you to really dive deeper into the art of that game as well to create that world for the player.”</span></p><p><span>Such focus has made Beck a success in both the classroom and the world of board gaming. “It’s crazy to think how one sleepless night can literally change your life,” he said.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-02/Paverson%20Games%20convention%20booth.jpg?itok=ovP015UM" alt="Crowd in convention hall" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> The Paverson Games booth at the Essen Spiel, the world’s largest board game fair, in Essen, Germany, last fall. <span class="content-image__credit"><span style="color: #bcc8d0;">/ </span>Submitted photo</span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-13938892eba1a835ca479f0d1f31e586730647676ebbbe4a83926d6ff6809721"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Game Design &amp; Development</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/game-design-development">All Game Design &amp; Development News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/game-design-programs-named-among-best-midwest-nation-new-animation-career-review-rankings"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/Two%20players%20at%20Ͽ%20SGX%20spring%202026.jpg?itok=ioAM6bTt" width="1178" height="884" alt="Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in new Animation Career Review rankings Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/game-design-programs-named-among-best-midwest-nation-new-animation-career-review-rankings"> Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in new Animation Career Review rankings </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/board-game-renaissance-uw-stout-professor-puts-pieces-place-successful-game-design-business"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/Dave%20Beck%20with%20Luthier%20in%20Furlong%20Gallery.jpg?itok=s8CNarG1" width="1178" height="884" alt="Board game renaissance: Ͽ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/board-game-renaissance-uw-stout-professor-puts-pieces-place-successful-game-design-business"> Board game renaissance: Ͽ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-students-submarine-survival-game-surfaces-victory-mdev-midwests-biggest-game-industry-event"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2025-12/DreadNot%20Award%20MDEV%202025.jpg?itok=Cu0Oqu77" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, the Midwest’s biggest game industry event Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-students-submarine-survival-game-surfaces-victory-mdev-midwests-biggest-game-industry-event"> Ͽ students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, the Midwest’s biggest game industry event </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights Ͽ’s globally ranked program </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty</span> <a href="/media/60517" hreflang="en">Dave Beck with Luthier game in Furlong Gallery</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bfa-game-design-development-art" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2018-05/20161209_stout_game_expo_16.jpg?h=4dd5f14a&amp;itok=_MUXp2KH)" aria-label="B.F.A. Game Design &amp; Development - Art"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.F.A. Game Design &amp; Development - Art</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Our collaborative program will teach you to develop 2D and 3D videogame and tabletop game assets using industry-standard software and hardware. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bfa-game-design-development-art" aria-label="Learn more about B.F.A. Game Design &amp; Development - Art">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Computer Science (Game Design &amp; Development Concentration)</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Do you love video games? </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-computer-science/game-design-development-concentration" aria-label="Continue reading about B.S. Computer Science (Game Design &amp; Development Concentration)">Continue Reading</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Search Keywords: game design</div> <div> Hero Caption: Professor Dave Beck poses with Luthier, a board game he co-designed, which is on display at Ͽ&#039;s Furlong Gallery as part of the School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibit.</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/beckdav" rel="bookmark">Dave Beck</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p><span>Dave Beck is a practicing game designer and owner of the board game company, </span><a href="https://www.paversongames.com"><span>Paverson Games</span></a><span>. He is the designer of the award-winning board game Distilled: The Spirited Strategy Game and co-designer of Luthier: The Art of the Instrument.</span></p><p><span>Beck has also designed video games, such as Tombeaux, released on Steam in 2018. This interactive experience investigates the convergence between cultures and the environment across a few hundred years of midwestern American history.</span></p><p><span>Beck is the recipient of the 2010 International Science &amp; Engineering Visualization Challenge Award, given by the National Science Foundation, and his artwork has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Sculpture Magazine, National Geographic, the journal Science, and the book GameScenes: Art in the Age of Videogames.</span></p></div> <div> Full Name: Dave Beck</div> <div> Job Title: Professor</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> Area of Expertise: <a href="/taxonomy/term/6614" hreflang="en">Game Design</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/5296" hreflang="en">Video Game Design &amp; Development</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6823" hreflang="en">Board Game Design</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6824" hreflang="en">Independent Business Owner</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6825" hreflang="en">Board Game Publishing</a></div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences" hreflang="en">College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design" hreflang="en">School of Art &amp; Design</a><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design/design-department" hreflang="en">Design Department</a></div> <section class="section cta-list--block" style="padding-top:30px;"> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Program</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/programs">All Degree Programs</a> </header> <ul class="cta-list--block__list"> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bfa-game-design-development-art" hreflang="en">B.F.A. Game Design &amp; Development - Art</a></li> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/mfa-design" hreflang="en">M.F.A. Design</a></li> </ul> </div> </section> <div> Curriculum Vitae: <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf"><a href="/sites/default/files/cv/2017-07/David%20Beck.pdf" type="application/pdf" title="David Beck.pdf">David Beck CV</a></span> <span>(417.55 KB)</span> </div> <div> Website: <a href="http://www.davebeck.org/">Personal Website</a><a href="https://www.paversongames.com">Paverson Games</a></div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.F.A. Sculpture &amp; Extended Media</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Madison</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.A. Studio Art</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Madison</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: B.A. Studio Arts &amp; Ancient Studies</div> <div> University: St. Olaf College</div> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2018-03/davebeck_2016_a.jpg" width="960" height="1317" alt="Dave Beck" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/766" hreflang="en">CACHSS</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/771" hreflang="en">SOAD</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Dave Beck</strong> <div> Office: 186 Micheels Hall</div> <div> Email: beckdav@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:00:00 +0000 giffeyt 3177065 at AI reshaping industry: New Ͽ course sets AI-use as baseline competency in filmmaking /about-us/news-center/ai-reshaping-industry-new-uw-stout-course-sets-ai-use-baseline-competency-filmmaking AI reshaping industry: New Ͽ course sets AI-use as baseline competency in filmmaking<span><span>goersab</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-14T08:50:00-06:00" title="Wednesday, January 14, 2026 - 08:50">January 14, 2026</time> </span> <div> Wheeler’s ‘Relic’ offers students glimpse into possibilities as they create original films</div> <div> <a href="/directory/goersab" hreflang="en">Abbey Goers</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232188> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>This summer at Ͽ, students in a new&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/vanguard-artificial-intelligence-filmmaking-course-emerges-uw-stout" target="_blank"><span>AI Assisted Film and Video Production course</span></a><span> will use AI tools from pre-production concepts to completion, generating scripts, storyboards, shot lists, visual effects, video, music, voice-overs and sound effects to produce a short film.</span></p><p><span>With the course, Ͽ&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-video-production" target="_blank"><span>video production</span></a><span> faculty are establishing AI use in filmmaking as a baseline competency.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“The core philosophy of the course is that AI tools are utilized to handle the technical ‘grunt work,’” <strong>Assistant Professor Jonny Wheeler</strong> said. “By offloading labor-intensive tasks, we are opening the potential for a high level of creativity, allowing students to focus entirely on their narrative vision without being limited by traditional budget or production constraints.”</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Jonny%20Wheeler%2C%20Cheetah%2C%20a%20frame%20used%20as%20an%20example%20in%20the%20summer%20class.jpg?itok=i76VvGoq" alt="Close-up of a chimpanzee gazing upwards" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232190> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>With creative freedom over their storylines, students will develop a complete concept package for an original film. The specific deliverables will include a&nbsp;creative pitch document, a sizzle reel and a short video teaser.</span></p><p><span>The course will incorporate AI-generated images and short films as examples, including “Relic” by Wheeler. “Relic” is loosely based on the Old English epic poem “Beowulf,” but which takes place on a post-human Earth with an intelligent ape as the hero.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Jonny%20Wheeler%2C%20City%20Wide%2C%20a%20frame%20used%20as%20an%20example%20in%20the%20summer%20class.jpg?itok=hmBvdlGX" alt="A futuristic city taken over by jungle" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232192> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The film is set in the overgrown, futuristic ruins of a once-great city. The lone warrior navigates this concrete wasteland to hunt down a powerful, ancient weapon to end a reign of terror. His journey leads him into the heart of a monster’s lair, where he must use this artifact to vanquish the creature or face extinction.</span></p><p><span>Wheeler was inspired by&nbsp;“Beowulf”&nbsp;and the famous quote by science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”&nbsp;</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Jonny%20Wheeler%2C%20Grendal%2C%20a%20frame%20used%20as%20an%20example%20in%20the%20summer%20class.jpg?itok=5LIq3QgW" alt="A monster with antlers and firey breath stalks through a cave" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232194> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“I wanted to take the ‘magic’ of the Beowulf tale and give it a technological origin – reimagining the mythical swords and monsters as remnants of a high-tech past,” Wheeler said. “Using AI allowed me to cast an ape as the lead and create a massive, ruined world – elements that would have been impossible for me to film live with a&nbsp;meager&nbsp;budget.”</span></p><p><span>The course, possibly a first-of-its-kind in the Universities of Wisconsin, was developed by professors <strong>Keif Oss</strong>, <strong>Co O’Neill&nbsp;</strong>and Wheeler.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Ͽ’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design" target="_blank"><span>School of Art &amp; Design</span></a><span>&nbsp;is one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. It offers bachelor’s degrees in&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-animation-digital-media" target="_blank"><span>animation and digital media</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-game-design-and-development" target="_blank"><span>game design and development-art</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-graphic-design-and-interactive-media" target="_blank"><span>graphic design and interactive media</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-illustration" target="_blank"><span>illustration</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-industrial-and-product-design" target="_blank"><span>industrial and product design</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-interior-design" target="_blank"><span>interior design</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-studio-art" target="_blank"><span>studio art</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-arts-administration-and-entrepreneurship" target="_blank"><span>arts administration and entrepreneurship</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-fashion-design-development" target="_blank"><span>fashion design and development</span></a><span>; and&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-video-production" target="_blank"><span>video production</span></a><span>, and an&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/mfa-design" target="_blank"><span>M.F.A. in&nbsp;design</span></a><span>. Ͽ also has a new program in&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-game-media-studies"><span>game and media studies</span></a><span>.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-b5d582ac62be65c17b029c4d4ac53f57e33211c009b390aa55d6903474dd635f"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Artificial Intelligence</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/artificial-intelligence">All Artificial Intelligence News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-gets-19-million-federal-grant-manage-statewide-manufacturing-program"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/MOC%20representative%20on%20factory%20visit.jpg?itok=B5YRe3Zc" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ gets $19 million federal grant to manage statewide manufacturing program Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-gets-19-million-federal-grant-manage-statewide-manufacturing-program"> Ͽ gets $19 million federal grant to manage statewide manufacturing program </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> MOC gets federal designation as Wisconsin’s statewide leader in supporting small and medium-sized manufacturers </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-ai-experts-give-aarp-readers-tips-navigating-chatbot-powered-world"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/chatbot%20illustration%20pexels.jpg?itok=SvwavnQM" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ AI experts give AARP readers tips on navigating a chatbot-powered world Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-ai-experts-give-aarp-readers-tips-navigating-chatbot-powered-world"> Ͽ AI experts give AARP readers tips on navigating a chatbot-powered world </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Ͽ AI technologist, STEMM professor recommend thinking critically, protecting personal data </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/wisconsin-manufacturing-leaders-unite-accelerate-ai-adoption-across-state"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/MOC%20and%20CAM-AI%20logos.jpg?itok=cVJg2ihc" width="1178" height="884" alt="Wisconsin manufacturing leaders unite to accelerate AI adoption across the state Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/wisconsin-manufacturing-leaders-unite-accelerate-ai-adoption-across-state"> Wisconsin manufacturing leaders unite to accelerate AI adoption across the state </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> MKE Tech Hub, WMEP and Ͽ form strategic partnership to support mid-market manufacturers </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Wheeler’s ‘Relic’ offers students glimpse into possibilities as they create original films</span> <a href="/media/60267" hreflang="en">Jonny Wheeler AI image, Cheetah, a frame used as an example in the summer class</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bs-video-production" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2018-10/2013_00814.jpg?h=4dd5f14a&amp;itok=EUFfyBel)" aria-label="B.S. Video Production"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Video Production</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> You can have the advanced technical knowledge and skills to create and edit your video and media products. Our team environment will teach you how. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-video-production" aria-label="Learn more about B.S. Video Production">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Is content a Story?: Yes</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/wheelerjo" rel="bookmark">Jonathan Paul Wheeler</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p><span>Jonny has a diverse and extensive background in stop-motion animation, photography, video production, graphic design, sculpture, and art/design education. Over the years, he has honed his skills across multiple disciplines, blending traditional techniques with contemporary technologies to create visually compelling and thought-provoking works. His work in sculpture, in particular, has given him a unique perspective on the intersection of physical and digital media, enabling him to explore how tactile, three-dimensional forms can enhance narrative storytelling in film and animation.</span></p><p><span>Jonny's formal education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, where he developed his foundational skills in the arts. He later earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Education, equipping him with the tools to teach and inspire others in the creative fields. His academic journey culminated in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he further refined his expertise in design and creative processes.</span></p><p><span>In addition to his academic achievements, Jonny has dedicated much of his career to education, designing and hosting cinema workshops for secondary students, where he nurtures the next generation of filmmakers by guiding them through the creative and technical processes of filmmaking. He has also taught summer video production camps on campus, helping young students explore video production techniques and the power of storytelling through film. His ability to make complex concepts accessible and engaging has earned him praise from both students and peers. He has also contributed to the Visioneers Design Challenge at the Peck School of the Arts, where he mentors students to develop innovative design solutions, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and problem-solving.</span></p><p><span>Jonny’s educational journey also includes a transformative study abroad trip to Iceland, where he taught photography. Immersed in the unique landscapes of Iceland, he shared his expertise with students while also drawing inspiration from the country’s dramatic natural beauty. This experience deepened his understanding of visual storytelling and enriched his approach to teaching and creating art.</span></p><p><span>Currently, Jonny’s research is focused on the development of narrative cinema, with an emphasis on virtual production—a rapidly growing field that integrates real-time digital environments with live-action performance. He is particularly interested in how new technologies, including AI, can enhance storytelling, automate certain aspects of production, and open up new creative possibilities for filmmakers and animators alike. His work explores the intersection of human creativity and technological innovation, with a keen eye on the future of the film industry.</span></p><p><span>In addition to his research, Jonny is actively involved in the development of the Unspooled Film and Animation Festival. This festival aims to bring together emerging and established filmmakers, animators, and creators who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling through both traditional and digital media. By embracing AI-driven creativity, innovative techniques, and cutting-edge production methods, the Unspooled Film and Animation Festival celebrates the evolving landscape of film, animation, and sculpture while fostering a space for collaboration and experimentation in the arts. Through this festival, Jonny hopes to inspire a new generation of creators to explore the limitless potential of storytelling in the digital age, encouraging the integration of multiple artistic forms, including sculpture, into cinematic experiences.</span></p></div> <div> Full Name: Jonathan Paul Wheeler</div> <div> Job Title: Assistant Professor</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> Area of Expertise: <a href="/taxonomy/term/6201" hreflang="en">Photography</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6206" hreflang="en">Video Production</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6737" hreflang="en">Digital Cinema</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6738" hreflang="en">Fine Arts</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6739" hreflang="en">Curriculum Design </a></div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences" hreflang="en">College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design" hreflang="en">School of Art &amp; Design</a><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design/design-department" hreflang="en">Design Department</a></div> <section class="section cta-list--block" style="padding-top:30px;"> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Program</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/programs">All Degree Programs</a> </header> <ul class="cta-list--block__list"> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bs-video-production" hreflang="en">B.S. Video Production</a></li> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/mfa-design" hreflang="en">M.F.A. Design</a></li> </ul> </div> </section> <div> Website: <a href="https://jonathanpaulwheeler.com/">Jonathan Paul Wheeler</a></div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.F.A. Design</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Stout</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: B.F.A.</div> <div> University: Milwaukee Institute of Art &amp; Design</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: B.S. Art Education</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Stout</div> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2021-08/jonny_wheeler.png" width="1200" height="903" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/751" hreflang="en">Web Production</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Jonathan Paul Wheeler</strong> <div> Office: 152 Communication Technologies</div> <div> Phone: <a href="tel:715-232-5619">715-232-5619</a></div> <div> Email: wheelerjo@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:50:00 +0000 goersab 3176265 at AI reshaping industry: Ͽ professor develops unique approach to chatbot use in pharmacology, human biology /about-us/news-center/ai-reshaping-industry-uw-stout-professor-develops-unique-approach-chatbot-use-pharmacology-human AI reshaping industry: Ͽ professor develops unique approach to chatbot use in pharmacology, human biology<span><span>goersab</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-14T08:45:00-06:00" title="Wednesday, January 14, 2026 - 08:45">January 14, 2026</time> </span> <div> Grant develops student-driven projects; finds high accuracy in AI-dispensed information</div> <div> <a href="/directory/goersab" hreflang="en">Abbey Goers</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232183> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span><strong>Professor Jennifer Grant</strong>, with Ͽ’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/biology-department" target="_blank"><span>biology department</span></a><span>,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>has been curious about how well everyday chatbots dispense health information, including pharmacology advice and influences on human health.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“You sometimes hear that these tools can give distorted or misleading answers, and that’s what first caught my attention,” she said.</span></p><p><span>To quell her curiosity, Grant began several lines of AI research and developed projects for her introductory pharmacology and 100-level human biology students. For the results of the first study, Grant published a peer-reviewed manuscript, with reviews that noted that she is developing a unique angle on chatbot use in health care.</span></p><p><span>“Looking ahead, I plan to develop curricula that teach both students and, eventually, patients how to critically evaluate the quality of chatbot responses. Those skills will be of paramount importance in a world overflowing with digital advice,” Grant said.</span></p><h3><span>When everyday chatbots dispense advice</span></h3></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section content-text"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure--v-largeright"> <div> <img class="image-style-uws-medium-vertical-480-640-" src="/sites/default/files/styles/uws_medium_vertical_480_640_/public/2026-01/Jennifer%2C%20image.%20ChatGPT%20vs%20Copilot%20plot%20graph.jpg?itok=8F434cQW" alt="A plot graph showing ChatGPT and Copilot&#039;s accuracy in dispensing health care information" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> A plot graph comparing ChatGPT and Copilot <span class="content-image__credit"><span style="color: #bcc8d0;">/ </span>Jennifer Grant</span> </figure> <div> <p><span>Grant asked her pharmacology students to put three chatbots to the test: ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini. Their task was simple: ask the chatbots about the safety profiles of specific medications and look for errors. They looked at correctness and rated how thorough and helpful the generated answers were.</span></p><p><span>“To my surprise, and theirs, students found that the chatbot responses were highly accurate,” she said. “And yes, the chatbots differed. Each had their own style, and students preferred when chatbots organized information in a helpful way.”</span></p><p><span>Grant recently published an article on her findings in the open-access journal&nbsp;</span><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-025-00527-y" target="_blank"><span>Discover Artificial Intelligence</span></a><span>, titled “Undergraduates perceive differences in helpfulness and thoroughness of responses of ChatGPT 3.0, Gemini 1.5, and Copilot responses about drug interactions.”&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“I published this research because this is truly a new academic frontier. This work is also very timely, because we believe that many people already consult everyday chatbots for medical advice,” she said.</span></p><h3><span>Access to better information on human health</span></h3><p><span>The pharmacology project experience led Grant to wonder how this approach could help students in her human biology class. Because the goals in that course are different, Grant redesigned the activity.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Instead of focusing on medications, students used Copilot and ChatGPT to explore how molecules influence human health. Every other week, students asked the chatbots a question tied to the organ system the class was studying. Early results showed that the chatbots provided accurate information, and Grant is excited to work up the rest of the data.</span></p><p><span>“Chatbots are everywhere now, which means learners and patients have more information at their fingertips than ever before. My hope is that this work will help people get better information, not just more of it,” she said.</span></p><p><span>A third line of Grant’s research addresses biochemistry, using AI software to look at how proteins fold. These student projects are in mid-stage, with outcomes expected by June.</span></p><p><span>“I am very excited about these projects and will start looking for high-power collaborators with bespoke AI chatbots this spring,” she said.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-c07ea9311aa05f541c56b18996bf69c2d3d37bfaec46c2a878f3d04f71a748aa"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Artificial Intelligence</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/artificial-intelligence">All Artificial Intelligence News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-gets-19-million-federal-grant-manage-statewide-manufacturing-program"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/MOC%20representative%20on%20factory%20visit.jpg?itok=B5YRe3Zc" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ gets $19 million federal grant to manage statewide manufacturing program Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-gets-19-million-federal-grant-manage-statewide-manufacturing-program"> Ͽ gets $19 million federal grant to manage statewide manufacturing program </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> MOC gets federal designation as Wisconsin’s statewide leader in supporting small and medium-sized manufacturers </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-ai-experts-give-aarp-readers-tips-navigating-chatbot-powered-world"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/chatbot%20illustration%20pexels.jpg?itok=SvwavnQM" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ AI experts give AARP readers tips on navigating a chatbot-powered world Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-ai-experts-give-aarp-readers-tips-navigating-chatbot-powered-world"> Ͽ AI experts give AARP readers tips on navigating a chatbot-powered world </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Ͽ AI technologist, STEMM professor recommend thinking critically, protecting personal data </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/wisconsin-manufacturing-leaders-unite-accelerate-ai-adoption-across-state"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/MOC%20and%20CAM-AI%20logos.jpg?itok=cVJg2ihc" width="1178" height="884" alt="Wisconsin manufacturing leaders unite to accelerate AI adoption across the state Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/wisconsin-manufacturing-leaders-unite-accelerate-ai-adoption-across-state"> Wisconsin manufacturing leaders unite to accelerate AI adoption across the state </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> MKE Tech Hub, WMEP and Ͽ form strategic partnership to support mid-market manufacturers </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Grant develops student-driven projects; finds high accuracy in AI-dispensed information</span> <a href="/media/60317" hreflang="en">Jennifer Grant research, ChatGPT vs Copilot plot graph</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/biology-department" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2017-10/20171012_molecular_cell_biology_12.jpg?itok=XpVSwTvx)" aria-label="Biology Department"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">Biology Department</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Biology helps us understand ourselves, other species, and our place in the earth&#039;s ecology, and what life is and how it functions. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/biology-department" aria-label="Continue reading about Biology Department">Continue Reading</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232181> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Ͽ’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/biology-department"><span>biology department&nbsp;</span></a><span>offers undergraduate degrees in&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-applied-biochemistry-and-molecular-biology"><span>biochemistry and molecular biology</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-applied-science"><span>applied science</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-biology"><span>biology</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-environmental-science"><span>environmental science</span></a><span>; as well as an online&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/psm-conservation-biology"><span>professional science master's in conservation biology</span></a><span>. Ͽ also offers degrees in </span><a href="/programs/bs-chemistry"><span>chemistry</span></a><span> and&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-physics"><span>physics</span></a><span>.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <div> Is content a Story?: Yes</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/grantje" rel="bookmark">Jennifer Grant</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p><strong>Teaching Interests:</strong>&nbsp;Proteomics (Bio425); Biochemistry (Chem311); General Chemistry (Chem135); Human Biology Lecture &amp; Laboratory (Bio132); Biochemistry Lecture &amp; Laboratory (Chem311); Introduction to Biotechnology (Bio210, Online); Advanced Biotechnology (Bio470); Introductory Biology (Bio101); General Chemistry (Chem 135); Biology of Aging (Bio125)</p><p><strong>Research Interests:</strong>&nbsp;The impact of proteins in disease and the creation of functional foods using biochemistry.</p><p><strong>Professional Interests:</strong>&nbsp;Mass spectrometry, protein chemistry, protein separations.</p></div> <div> Full Name: Jennifer E. Grant, Ph.D.</div> <div> Job Title: Professor</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> Area of Expertise: <a href="/taxonomy/term/6774" hreflang="en">Mass Spectrometry</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6775" hreflang="en">Protein Chemistry</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6776" hreflang="en">Protein Separations</a></div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management" hreflang="en">College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics &amp; Management</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-management/biology-department" hreflang="en">Biology Department</a></div> <section class="section cta-list--block" style="padding-top:30px;"> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Program</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/programs">All Degree Programs</a> </header> <ul class="cta-list--block__list"> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bs-applied-science" hreflang="en">B.S. Applied Science</a></li> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bs-biochemistry-molecular-biology" hreflang="en">B.S. Biochemistry &amp; Molecular Biology</a></li> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bs-biology" hreflang="en">B.S. Biology</a></li> </ul> </div> </section> <div> Website: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jengrantphd/">LinkedIn Profile</a></div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: Ph.D. Molecular &amp; Cellular Pharmacology</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin Medical School</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.S. Biochemistry</div> <div> University: Case Western Reserve University Medical School</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: B.A. Biochemistry</div> <div> University: Oberlin College</div> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2025-03/jennifer-grant.jpg" width="1500" height="2100" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/761" hreflang="en">CSTEMM</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Jennifer Grant</strong> <div> Office: 234F Jarvis Hall-Science Wing</div> <div> Phone: <a href="tel:715-232-5025">715-232-5025 </a></div> <div> Email: grantje@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:45:00 +0000 goersab 3176264 at AI reshaping industry: Ͽ professor examines impact on manufacturing, supply chains, health care, more /about-us/news-center/ai-reshaping-industry-uw-stout-professor-examines-impact-manufacturing-supply-chains-health-care AI reshaping industry: Ͽ professor examines impact on manufacturing, supply chains, health care, more<span><span>goersab</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-14T08:40:00-06:00" title="Wednesday, January 14, 2026 - 08:40">January 14, 2026</time> </span> <div> Karaman Kabadurmus develops new economics course on AI in the Modern Economy</div> <div> <a href="/directory/goersab" hreflang="en">Abbey Goers</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232174> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span><strong>Assistant Professor Fatma Karaman Kabadurmus</strong>, with Ͽ’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/social-science-department" target="_blank"><span>social science department</span></a><span>,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>researched how digital technologies and emerging tools, often described as “AI-enabled” or part of Industry 4.0, are reshaping how firms innovate, manage supply chains and compete in today’s economy. A central focus of this work is how digitalization helped firms respond to the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.</span></p><p><span>Through her research, Karaman Kabadurmus recently co-authored two book chapters&nbsp;in “</span><a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-90210-9" target="_blank"><span>The Palgrave Handbook of Supply Chain and Disruptive Technologies</span></a><span>.” The chapters were “The Impact of Digitalization on Firm-Level Innovation Performance During the Pandemic” and “Revolutionizing Last-Mile Delivery: Discovering Disruptive Technologies and Innovative Solutions.”</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-01/Fatma%2C%20image.%20Role%20of%20AI%20and%20predictive%20analytics%20in%20health%20care.%20Graphic%20by%20GetOnData.jpg?itok=gl2Ooz10" alt="A graphic showing six circles the represent the roles of AI and predictive analytics in health care" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> The role of AI and predictive analytics in health care <span class="content-image__credit"><span style="color: #bcc8d0;">/ </span>GetOnData</span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232177> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Her chapters examine how supply chain digitalization influenced firms’ innovation performance during the pandemic. “The findings highlight that digital transformation helps firms adapt to shocks in logistics, inventory management, labor availability and rapidly changing demand,” she said.</span></p><p><span>Her research on last-mile delivery and Industry 4.0 critically reviewed emerging technologies, such as AI/ML (machine learning) applications, big data analytics, blockchain, IoT, digital twins, and autonomous systems, and evaluated their implications for efficiency, innovation, and implementation barriers in supply chain operations.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-01/Fatma%2C%20image.%20Smart%20factory%20ecosystem%20diagram.%20Graphic%20by%20LightGuide%2C%20Inc.jpg?itok=NcCIzhSD" alt="A diagram of eleven images representing smart factory ecosystems" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> A smart factory ecosystem diagram <span class="content-image__credit"><span style="color: #bcc8d0;">/ </span>LightGuide, Inc.</span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232179> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“This work builds on my broader research agenda in the economics of innovation. Rather than focusing on the technical design of technologies, my research asks economic and social science questions: When do firms adopt new technologies? What barriers do they face? And how do market conditions, competition and institutions shape innovation outcomes?” Karaman Kabadurmus said.</span></p><h3><span>Impact on students and career readiness</span></h3><p><span>Karaman Kabadurmus’ research has a direct impact on her teaching and students’ learning, particularly through a new course she developed, which launches this spring semester: Innovation and Artificial Intelligence in the Modern Economy.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“Employers want AI literacy,” Karaman Kabadurmus said. “As part of the&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/undergraduate-majors-minors/stout-core-classes" target="_blank"><span>Stout Core</span></a><span> foundational education classes, I designed this course for students from all majors. They will learn to understand AI through an applied economic and social science lens.”</span></p><p><span>The course is an introduction to how digital and AI-enabled technologies shape innovation across sectors, such as health care, manufacturing, supply chains and more. Students examine real-world case studies, such as Amazon, Tesla and Google; observe changes in labor markets and firm strategy; &nbsp;explore ethical and regulatory dimensions; and study public policy debates that affect everyday economic decisions.</span></p><p><span>Stout Core’s areas of expertise offer students opportunities to grow their global perspective, communication and critical thinking skills, ethical reasoning, and more,&nbsp;so they graduate&nbsp;</span><a href="/about-us/news-center/hands-all-and-everything-we-do" target="_blank"><span>ready to do more</span></a><span>&nbsp;on day one.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-0406b25f63ed12b7a0bb1d53703ef3f85d8886568915301d2e46d256ffe8705c"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Artificial Intelligence</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/artificial-intelligence">All Artificial Intelligence News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-gets-19-million-federal-grant-manage-statewide-manufacturing-program"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/MOC%20representative%20on%20factory%20visit.jpg?itok=B5YRe3Zc" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ gets $19 million federal grant to manage statewide manufacturing program Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-gets-19-million-federal-grant-manage-statewide-manufacturing-program"> Ͽ gets $19 million federal grant to manage statewide manufacturing program </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> MOC gets federal designation as Wisconsin’s statewide leader in supporting small and medium-sized manufacturers </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-ai-experts-give-aarp-readers-tips-navigating-chatbot-powered-world"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/chatbot%20illustration%20pexels.jpg?itok=SvwavnQM" width="1178" height="884" alt="Ͽ AI experts give AARP readers tips on navigating a chatbot-powered world Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/uw-stout-ai-experts-give-aarp-readers-tips-navigating-chatbot-powered-world"> Ͽ AI experts give AARP readers tips on navigating a chatbot-powered world </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Ͽ AI technologist, STEMM professor recommend thinking critically, protecting personal data </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/wisconsin-manufacturing-leaders-unite-accelerate-ai-adoption-across-state"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-02/MOC%20and%20CAM-AI%20logos.jpg?itok=cVJg2ihc" width="1178" height="884" alt="Wisconsin manufacturing leaders unite to accelerate AI adoption across the state Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/wisconsin-manufacturing-leaders-unite-accelerate-ai-adoption-across-state"> Wisconsin manufacturing leaders unite to accelerate AI adoption across the state </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> MKE Tech Hub, WMEP and Ͽ form strategic partnership to support mid-market manufacturers </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> Karaman Kabadurmus develops new economics course on AI in the Modern Economy</span> <a href="/media/60315" hreflang="en">Fatma Karaman Kabadurmus research, role of AI and predictive analytics in health care. Graphic by GetOnData</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/social-science-department" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2017-12/20161026_american_government_class_05.jpg?h=5e89a0a9&amp;itok=MVL7-1zG)" aria-label="Social Science Department"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">Social Science Department</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> The Social Science Department provides courses in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, sociology and global languages. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/social-science-department" aria-label="Continue reading about Social Science Department">Continue Reading</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Is content a Story?: Yes</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/karamanf" rel="bookmark">Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p><span>Dr. Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus is an Assistant Professor of Economics in the Social Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She was also an Artificial Intelligence Fellow for the 2024–2025 academic year. At Ͽ, she teaches economics while developing courses and applied learning experiences that connect economics, innovation, and artificial intelligence.</span><br><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br><span>Before joining Ͽ, Dr. Karaman Kabadurmus taught in the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University from 2022 to 2023. Earlier, she served on the faculty in the Department of Economics at Yasar University from 2013 to 2021 and was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Kalamazoo College after completing her Ph.D. in Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.</span><br><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br><span>Her research focuses on the economics of innovation, industrial organization, health economics, and international trade. Her work examines how firms, institutions, and policy environments shape innovation, technology adoption, and economic outcomes. She is especially interested in applied, interdisciplinary research that links economic analysis to real-world challenges in industry, workforce development, and emerging technologies.</span></p></div> <div> Full Name: Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus</div> <div> Job Title: Assistant Professor</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> Area of Expertise: <a href="/taxonomy/term/6704" hreflang="en">Economics of Innovation</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6685" hreflang="en">Health Economics</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6798" hreflang="en">Industrial Organization</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6799" hreflang="en">International Trade</a></div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences" hreflang="en">College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/social-science-department" hreflang="en">Social Science Department</a></div> <section class="section cta-list--block" style="padding-top:30px;"> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Program</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/programs">All Degree Programs</a> </header> <ul class="cta-list--block__list"> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bs-applied-social-science" hreflang="en">B.S. Applied Social Science</a></li> </ul> </div> </section> <div> Curriculum Vitae: <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf"><a href="/sites/default/files/cv/2026-03/FatmaNKabadurmus_CV_0.pdf" type="application/pdf" title="FatmaNKabadurmus_CV_0.pdf">Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus CV</a></span> <span>(194.44 KB)</span> </div> <div> Website: <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0wA4tWcAAAAJ&amp;hl=en&amp;oi=ao">Google Scholar</a></div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: Ph.D. Economics</div> <div> University: Southern Illinois University-Carbondale</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.S. Economics</div> <div> University: Istanbul Technical University</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: B.A. Business Administration</div> <div> University: Istanbul University</div> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-10/fatma_img.jpg" width="200" height="200" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/766" hreflang="en">CACHSS</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Fatma Nur Karaman Kabadurmus</strong> <div> Office: 445B Harvey Hall</div> <div> Phone: <a href="tel:715-232-1505">715-232-1505</a></div> <div> Email: karamanf@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:40:00 +0000 goersab 3176263 at On the vanguard: An artificial intelligence filmmaking course emerges at Ͽ /about-us/news-center/vanguard-artificial-intelligence-filmmaking-course-emerges-uw-stout On the vanguard: An artificial intelligence filmmaking course emerges at Ͽ<span><span>goersab</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-01-12T08:00:00-06:00" title="Monday, January 12, 2026 - 08:00">January 12, 2026</time> </span> <div> AI-Assisted Film and Video Production class to open summer 2026</div> <section class="hero--image hero--has-breadcrumbs", style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/hero/public/2025-12/Co%20O%27Neill%2C%20a%20red%20spherical%20drone.jpg?itok=Pl6q4PCp);"> <div class="container hero__wrap" > <div class="hero__content" > <h1 class="hero__title"> </h1> </div> </div> </section> <div> <a href="/directory/goersab" hreflang="en">Abbey Goers</a></div> <div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232013> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>A new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assisted Film and Video Production course will launch at Ͽ in summer 2026. The course, possibly a first-of-its-kind in the Universities of Wisconsin, was developed by a&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-video-production" target="_blank"><span>video production</span></a><span> faculty trio – <strong>Keif Oss, Jonny Wheeler&nbsp;</strong>and<strong> Co O’Neill</strong>. Students in the course will produce a short narrative film, using AI tools from pre-production concepts to completion.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“It is certainly on the vanguard. We are moving beyond ‘allowing’ the use of AI in filmmaking to establish it as a baseline competency. Students will use AI tools to generate scripts, storyboards, shot lists, visual effects, video, music, voice-overs and sound effects,” said Wheeler, who will teach the course.</span></p><p><span>The course will also include films and shorts as examples, including AI-generated images and shots used in a short by Wheeler that is loosely based on the Old English epic poem “Beowulf,” but which takes place on a post-human Earth with an ape as the hero.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Jonny%20Wheeler%2C%20Cheetah%2C%20a%20frame%20used%20as%20an%20example%20in%20the%20summer%20class.jpg?itok=i76VvGoq" alt="Close-up of a chimpanzee gazing upwards" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> An AI-generated still frame of a chimpanzee, from Jonny Wheeler&#039;s short film based on &#039;Beowulf.&#039; <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232017> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>The idea for the course germinated in spring 2025, when Oss applied for professional development funding to attend the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas, specifically to study emerging uses of AI in video production, filmmaking and entertainment.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“At that time, most industry applications centered on productivity rather than replacing human image creation, though AI-generated imagery was clearly already a part of many preproduction and visualization pipelines,” Oss said.</span></p><p><span>While there, Oss connected with Curious Refuge, a leading AI production training company, and FBRC.ai (Fabric), which consults on AI workflows for feature films and other high production value projects.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Jonny%20Wheeler%2C%20City%20Wide%2C%20a%20frame%20used%20as%20an%20example%20in%20the%20summer%20class.jpg?itok=hmBvdlGX" alt="A futuristic city taken over by jungle" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> An AI-generated still frame of a futuristic city taken over by the jungle, from Jonny Wheeler&#039;s short film based on &#039;Beowulf.&#039; <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232019> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Following NAB, Oss, Wheeler and O’Neill leveraged their combined experiences to apply for a Chancellor’s Professional Development Fund grant supporting teaching excellence. With additional departmental support, they secured resources to purchase training with Curious Refuge and complete specialized online courses in AI filmmaking.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“We intentionally divided focus areas: Jonny concentrated on AI-driven narrative filmmaking, virtual production and speculative fiction; Co on advanced narrative workflows; and me on documentary production using AI-assisted methods,” Oss said. “This distributed learning diversely informed the development of our new course. <strong>Micheal Heagle</strong>, animation, had also been studying this extensively and provided valuable contributions to the course’s design.”</span></p><h3><span>Which tools do they use? Although new AI tools pop up daily, they recommend:</span></h3><p><span>Artist.io&nbsp;for voice over, ElevenLabs for sound effects, Gemini for scripts, Kling and Midjourney for images, Sora to generate videos from images, Suno for music and VEO (Flow) for video.</span></p><p><span>However, everything is changing so fast, O’Neill said. “The best tool for something today might be a different tool next week, and new platforms – or new names for old platforms – are popping up monthly. Nano Banana, for example, is Google’s image generator under a new name that they announced in November,” he said.</span></p><p><span>O’Neill, who used to work in visual effects, noted that many students are already using AI to brainstorm script ideas and camera shots, to experiment with visual effects, to generate mood boards or to adapt hand-drawn storyboards into pitch-ready deck elements.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Co%20O%27Neill%2C%20a%20man%20repairs%20a%20machine.jpg?itok=QOAkm-3T" alt="An AI image of a man repairing a machine" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> An AI-generated image of a man repairing a machine, created by Co O&#039;Neill. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232021> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>“AI’s potential in making amazing-looking visual effects without the time, expense and danger of a full production is undeniable. The speed at which a creator can iterate! AI is an amazing pre-production tool because you can try out thousands upon thousands of shots and shot combinations before getting the whole crew together,” said O’Neill, a fan of the democratization of the filmmaking process.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>“I feel that AI tools are equivalent to inexpensive, high-quality cameras, editing software, lighting and other equipment. Any tool that helps someone visualize a story is a good thing,” he said.</span></p><p><span>With a focus on narrative cinema, Wheeler also sees generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as most useful in the pre-production and ideation phases. “It is an incredible tool for ‘world-building,’ helping us visualize the iconography for a new landscape before we ever pick up a camera. It allows us to iterate rapidly on set designs, color palettes and lighting schemes,” he said.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Co%20O%27Neill%2C%20a%20weathered%20neighborhood.jpg?itok=D3rmm7I0" alt="A weathered 1970s neighborhood." /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> An AI-generated image of a weathered 1970s neighborhood, created by Co O&#039;Neill. <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232023> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>Oss’s interests lie in how AI can accelerate informed decision-making and strengthen the overall filmmaking workflow. In his documentary courses, students use Elicit and Perplexity as elevated forms of research support. Elicit helps to cross-reference peer-reviewed journals and legitimate studies, while Perplexity enables them to investigate topics, identify resources and locate subject-matter experts. ChatGPT can help them confidently draft emails and clarify their goals when contacting potential interview subjects or organizations.</span></p><p><span>“I frame AI as a starting point, not a replacement for authentic communication, but for students who are apprehensive or inexperienced, it lowers the barrier to initiating human contact. In this way, AI becomes a scaffold that supports and strengthens their communication skills,” Oss said.</span></p><h3><span>A means to enhance, not replace human creativity</span></h3><p><span>While the video production faculty sees AI as a means to enhance the traditional creative pipeline, it cannot replace it, as all forms of AI filmmaking need human input. O’Neill and Wheeler do not recommend using AI to replace the human element of performance. “Gen AI should augment the diegesis, not entirely replace the elements that give a story its soul,” Wheeler said.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <figure class="content-image__figure"> <div> <img class="image-style-large" src="/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2025-12/Jonny%20Wheeler%2C%20Grendal%2C%20a%20frame%20used%20as%20an%20example%20in%20the%20summer%20class.jpg?itok=5LIq3QgW" alt="A monster with antlers and firey breath stalks through a cave" /> </div> <figcaption class="content-image__caption"> An AI-generated still frame of the monster Grendal, from Jonny Wheeler&#039;s short film based on &#039;Beowulf.&#039; <span class="content-image__credit"></span> </figure> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom content-text" 232025> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main"> <div> <p><span>O’Neill added, “Acting will never be good with AI because so much of performance is nuanced. AI could help with replacing wardrobe, de-aging or stuff like that. But there will never be enough data centers in the world that can replicate the delicate pauses and intonation of a performance like George Clooney in ‘Michael Clayton’ or Zoe Saldaña in ‘Star Trek.’”</span></p><p><span>Oss also noted that “AI isn’t always necessarily faster. It doesn't immediately get anything right. Almost every artifact you generate takes a further human curation and expansion,” he said, adding, “If your approach is to feed a prompt, copy it, then paste that as your work, 1) It’s not your work, and 2) It’s probably not good work. It only gets you to a point where you can leap from the idea lead and take the next steps.”</span></p><p><span>As Ͽ continues to strengthen its&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/academic-services/learning-information-technology/artificial-intelligence-uw-stout" target="_blank"><span>360-degree approach to artificial intelligence</span></a><span>,&nbsp;embedding skills across all programs, faculty experts across degree fields build on their growing knowledge with research spanning GenAI, machine learning, AI deep research methods and more.</span></p><p><span>The university’s AI Fellows and AI Innovation Committee, led by faculty and staff, ensures AI is embedded into learning, operations and innovation, while directing AI integration, governance, ethics and literacy.&nbsp;The interdisciplinary AI Fellows are supported by 2023-25 Workforce Development funding.</span></p><p><span>Ͽ’s&nbsp;</span><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design" target="_blank"><span>School of Art &amp; Design</span></a><span>&nbsp;is one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. It offers bachelor’s degrees in&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-animation-digital-media" target="_blank"><span>animation and digital media</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-game-design-and-development" target="_blank"><span>game design and development-art</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-graphic-design-and-interactive-media" target="_blank"><span>graphic design and interactive media</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-illustration" target="_blank"><span>illustration</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-industrial-and-product-design" target="_blank"><span>industrial and product design</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-interior-design" target="_blank"><span>interior design</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bfa-studio-art" target="_blank"><span>studio art</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-arts-administration-and-entrepreneurship" target="_blank"><span>arts administration and entrepreneurship</span></a><span>;&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-fashion-design-development" target="_blank"><span>fashion design and development</span></a><span>; and&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-video-production" target="_blank"><span>video production</span></a><span>, and an&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/mfa-design" target="_blank"><span>M.F.A. in&nbsp;design</span></a><span>. Ͽ also has a new program in&nbsp;</span><a href="/programs/bs-game-media-studies"><span>game and media studies</span></a><span>.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-term-based-news view-id-term_based_news view-display-id-block_5 js-view-dom-id-35f193158dcef2235d6e61cd9d90b20dec22456f18af27a4d4e50e4ee009ec59"> <section class="section cta-image--block section-pad"> <div class="hr--top"><hr></div> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Video Production</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/about-us/news-center/video-production">All Video Production News</a> </header> <div class="l-3up--1 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/video-production-program-work-highlights-viability-wisconsin-film-hub"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/Nathan%20Deming%20%28center%20left%29%20directing%20Colleen%20Madden%20%28center%20right%29%20in%20a%20scene%20from%20Winter%20Hymns.%20Photo%20by%20Nathan%20Ouellette..jpg?h=d7185bf4&amp;itok=cCWOXUXJ" width="1178" height="884" alt="Video production program work highlights viability of Wisconsin as film hub Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/video-production-program-work-highlights-viability-wisconsin-film-hub"> Video production program work highlights viability of Wisconsin as film hub </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Students, alums assist in Deming’s unique medical drama ‘Winter Hymns,’ filmed in Menomonie </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--2 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/creating-music-video-underground-japanese-rapper-culmination-degree-experience-uw-stout-graduate"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/Maya%20Anderson%20with%20Mezz%20and%20OnJuicy%20horiz.jpg?itok=M8Ov6qa9" width="1178" height="884" alt="Creating music video for underground Japanese rapper is culmination of degree experience for Ͽ graduate Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/creating-music-video-underground-japanese-rapper-culmination-degree-experience-uw-stout-graduate"> Creating music video for underground Japanese rapper is culmination of degree experience for Ͽ graduate </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Language barrier, jet lag can’t undermine video production student’s creative ambition </div> </div> <div class="l-3up--3 cta-image__item article-list"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/about-us/news-center/inspiring-graduate-ryan-rumary-bs-video-production"> <img class="article-list__image image-style-medium" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-05/Ryan%20Rumary%2C%201.JPG?h=3764ec32&amp;itok=iSrSGhZr" width="1178" height="884" alt="Inspiring Graduate: Ryan Rumary, B.S. Video Production Featured Image" loading="lazy" /> </a> <h3 class="article-list__title"> <a href="/about-us/news-center/inspiring-graduate-ryan-rumary-bs-video-production"> Inspiring Graduate: Ryan Rumary, B.S. Video Production </a> </h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Hired before graduation as video content media manager for Pest Badger </div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> <span> AI-Assisted Film and Video Production class to open summer 2026</span> <a href="/media/60265" hreflang="en">Co O&#039;Neill AI image, a red spherical drone</a><div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/316" hreflang="en">University Marketing</a></div> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/programs/bs-video-production" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2018-10/2013_00814.jpg?h=4dd5f14a&amp;itok=EUFfyBel)" aria-label="B.S. Video Production"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">B.S. Video Production</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> You can have the advanced technical knowledge and skills to create and edit your video and media products. Our team environment will teach you how. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/programs/bs-video-production" aria-label="Learn more about B.S. Video Production">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </section> <section class="section section-pad--bottom cta-image--inline cta-image--has-image"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--main cta-image__item section--shade"> <a class="cta-image__image-link" href="/academics/academic-services/learning-information-technology/artificial-intelligence-uw-stout-polytechnic" style="background-image: url(/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2024-10/prompt_engineering_training.jpg?itok=C42PJWTZ)" aria-label="Artificial Intelligence at Ͽ Polytechnic"></a> <h3 class="cta-image__title">Artificial Intelligence at Ͽ Polytechnic</h3> <div class="cta-image__teaser"> Explore how Ͽ is leading AI innovation with hands-on research, industry partnerships, and real-world solutions. </div> <a class="cta-image__link link--simple" href="/academics/academic-services/learning-information-technology/artificial-intelligence-uw-stout-polytechnic" aria-label="Continue reading about Artificial Intelligence at Ͽ Polytechnic">Continue Reading</a> </div> </div> </section> <div> Hero Caption: An AI-generated still frame of a red spherical drone on a prairie, created by Co O&#039;Neill.</div> <div> <article class="content"> <h2> <a href="/directory/ossk" rel="bookmark">Keif Oss</a> </h2> <div> <div> <p><span>Keif has an M.S. in Career and Technical Education and an MFA in Digital Filmmaking. He is an Assistant Professor of video production and serving as Program Director for the B.S. Video Production degree. Keif teaches a variety of courses in video production and photography with both narrative and commercial aspects.</span></p><p><span>Keif has worked on a range of professional and commercial video projects as a senior video producer and owner/independent contractor of A Creative Advocate, LLC. His work includes television/web advertising, documentary, motion graphics and a variety of marketing-oriented materials. Keif’s expertise and creative contributions include work for 100+ clients including Mayo Clinic, Seventh Generation, State Farm Insurance, Royal Credit Union and others.</span></p><p><span>Keif has also worked on short and feature film projects in various capacities including writing, producing, directing, camera operation and post-production/VFX.</span></p></div> <div> Full Name: Keif T. Oss</div> <div> Job Title: Assistant Professor / Program Director</div> <div> Include in Directory: Yes</div> <div> Area of Expertise: <a href="/taxonomy/term/6206" hreflang="en">Video Production</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6842" hreflang="en">Cinema Production</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6201" hreflang="en">Photography</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/871" hreflang="en">Graphic Communications</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/6843" hreflang="en">Cross-Media Graphics Technologies</a></div> <div> College: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences" hreflang="en">College of Arts &amp; Human Sciences</a></div> <div> Department: <a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design" hreflang="en">School of Art &amp; Design</a><a href="/academics/colleges-schools/college-arts-human-sciences/school-art-design/design-department" hreflang="en">Design Department</a></div> <section class="section cta-list--block" style="padding-top:30px;"> <div class="container"> <header class="section__heading"> <h2 class="section__heading__title">Program</h2> <span class="link-breaker"></span> <a class="link" href="/programs">All Degree Programs</a> </header> <ul class="cta-list--block__list"> <li class="l-3up"><a href="/programs/bs-video-production" hreflang="en">B.S. Video Production</a></li> </ul> </div> </section> <div> Curriculum Vitae: <span class="file file--mime-application-pdf file--application-pdf"><a href="/sites/default/files/cv/2017-08/Keif%20T%20Oss.pdf" type="application/pdf" title="Keif T Oss.pdf">Keif T. Oss CV</a></span> <span>(408.56 KB)</span> </div> <div> Education: <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.F.A. Digital Filmmaking</div> <div> University: Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Filmmaking</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: M.S. Career &amp; Technical Education</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Stout</div> </div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--education paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div> Degree: B.S. Graphic Communications Management</div> <div> University: University of Wisconsin-Stout</div> </div> </div> <div> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-08/oss_keif_2021.jpg" width="1500" height="2100" /> </div> <div> <a href="/taxonomy/term/761" hreflang="en">CSTEMM</a><a href="/taxonomy/term/771" hreflang="en">SOAD</a></div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> </div> </article> <aside class="section--aside"> <div class="container"> <div class="l-content--aside"> <section class="aside-block content-text--aside "> <div class="content-text__wrap"> <h3 class="content-text__title aside-block__heading">Contact Information</h3> <div class="content-text__item"> <strong>Keif Oss</strong> <div> Office: 150 Communication Technologies Building</div> <div> Phone: <a href="tel:715-232-1202">715-232-1202</a></div> <div> Email: ossk@uwstout.edu</div> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> </aside> </div> <div> Include in Directory: Off</div> <div> Exclude from Internal Site Search: No</div> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000 goersab 3175886 at