Perspective Winter 2010

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PERSPECTIVECOLLEGE OF ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON

PERSPECTIVEGIFT REPORT 2010

For alumni and friends of theUW-Madison College of Eng

THE COLLECTIVEPOWERof GIVINGYou support college excellence


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PERSPECTIVEFEATURES

4 In DepthThe rising tide of science and engineering talent.By Dean Paul Peercy

6 Inventor inspires tomorrows engineersAlum Carl Marschke is a driving force behind collegee orts to interest students in science.By Brian Mattmiller

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SPRING 2010 The magazine for alumni and friends of the UW-Madison College of Engineering

ON THECOVER

Thanks to the generosity of manycorporate partners, UW-Madison willhost the 27 th annual National ScienceOlympiad Tournament, a competition formiddle- and high-school students fromaround the country that emphasizesscience, technology, engineering, andmath excellence. The competition willtake place May 18-21, 2011, and willdraw more than 6,000students, parents,educators and volunteers to campus.

Shown here are highlights from the 2010Wisconsin Science Olympiad at UW-Madison.

The Collective Power of Giving

25 Making the connectionWireless giant Qualcomm sponsorsa new student competition.By Brian Mattmiller

7 Excellence in undergrad educationTutoring and supplementary instruction programs helpengineering students stay on track.By Renee Meiller

8 Bascom Hill Society10 Engineering alumni19 Corporations and foundations

with matching gift programs20 Alumni of other schools and collegesat UW-Madison

21 Friends of the College of Engineering23 Corporations, foundations and trusts

In recognition of 2009 donors to theCollege of Engineering and its progra

Why I give

pages 9-24In their own words, alumniexplain why they supportthe College of Engineering.

28 Study. Serve. Excel.Rockwell Automation support helpsdiverse students focus on their education.

By Andrea Parins

30 Industry partnership fuelsnuclear education

In the 2010-2011 academic year,Exelons gift to UW-Madisonsurpassed the $1 million mark.By Renee Meiller 26 Celebrating 11 years of Camp Badger

The week-long summer sessions openyoung minds to the possibilities of careers in science and engineering.

By Andrea Parins

30 Cooking up acompetitive futureA student hamburgerstand yielded anendowment e ort topreserve the ve collegestudent vehicle teams.By Sandra Knisely


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The rising tide of science and engineeringPERSPECTIVE

On May 18-21, 2011, UW-Madisonwill take center stage in the nationale ort to nurture a new generationof talented scientists and engineers. Morethan 6,000 participants and visitors willdescend on campus for the 27th annualScience Olympiad National Tournament,the largest scholastic science competitionin North America.

Science Olympiad is one of the bestprograms I have encountered for inspiringa lasting interest in science, technology,engineering and math (STEM) elds.Its strength is in its diversity: Middle- andhigh-school teams engage in 23 di erentcompetitions, in topics ranging from humanhealth, chemistry and ecology to cellbiology, geology and engineering. A team

success ultimately depends upon the collective e ort across all of these di erent chThe 2011 event is going to be fun, high-energy, challenging and entertaining. We

program in the works that will showcase UW-Madison as a world-class research unhighlight Wisconsin and the upper Midwest as a hub for innovative companies andAnd as you can see from the impressive list of logos on the next page, we have tremsupport from corporate sponsors to help make this a truly memorable event for par

At the College of Engineering, we are committed to Science Olympiad on a grasas well. Through a program called Young Scientists of America (YSA), groups of eundergraduates have been traveling to middle schools and high schools across the rhelping them set up after-school Science Olympiad teams. In the past decade, we hadd more than two dozen teams to the Wisconsin tournament. You will read more ain our lead feature on alumnus Carl Marschke. His leadership and generosity has mgreat program possible.

The current and predicted shortage of talent in STEM-related professions pose ato American competitiveness. We are committed to help stem the tide and have a nof other programs that connect with young people at key junctures. Those include:

Camp Badger: This series of ve weeklong summer camps targets eighth-grade stuand helps answer the question, What do engineers do? through hands-on exerccompany tours, work in high-tech labs and team-building projects. We serve mor180 students each summer.Read more about Camp Badger on page 26.

Engineering Summer Program: The oldest summer program at UW-Madison at 38 yESP gives 25 students a six-week immersion in the scienti c rigor and hands-onof engineering. This program is especially e ective in getting underrepresented sinvolved in engineering, including students of color, women of all backgrounds ageneration college students.

The common denominator in all of these programs is private investment. We couldgrateful for the support of our alumni and corporate partners in fueling the pipelineengineersand for all you do to help them succeed once they arrive here as underg

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GIFT REPORT 2010

Volume 37, Issue 3

Editor: Renee Meiller, 608/[email protected]

Writers: Sandra Knisely, Andrea Parins

Design: Phil Biebl

Photography: James Beal, Renee Meiller,David Nevala, Andrea Parins

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERINGwww.engr.wisc.eduPaul S. Peercy, Dean

Steven Cramer, Associate Deanfor Academic A airsBrian Mattmiller, Assistant Dean

for Alumni and Corporate Relations

Contact the college:Brian Mattmiller, 608/[email protected]

Prospective students:Nancy Hansen, 608/[email protected]

Industry, R&D:Lawrence Casper, 608/[email protected]

Professional education:Department of Engineering Professional Development608/262-2061 or 800/[email protected]

Make a gift to the college:Deb Holt, 608/[email protected]

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In Depth

Dean Paul S. Peercy

The magazine for alumni and friends of the UW-Madison College of Engineering

UW-Madison College of Engineering

@UWMadEngr

engineeringuw

badgerengineers.engr.wisc.edu

CONNECT WITH THE COLLEGE


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Thank you to these corporate sponsors

Sponsor list as of Nov. 6, 2010


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For as long as Carl Marschke can remember, hes kept ve trustypens in his shirt pocket, in black, blue, green, red and purple ink.When inspiration strikes for some kind of useful new machine,Marschke uses the color combinations to sketch out the concept inthree dimensions.

Its safe to say those pens have been put to good use. Over thecourse of ve decades of innovation, most notably as founder in 1968of Marquip Corporation, Marschke has accumulated more than 70patents on scores of industrial machines that have kept assembly lineswhirring in the building and paper industries. One of the signaturetechnologies of the Phillips, Wisconsin, companya high-speedsplicer for corrugated paperboardis in operation in more than4,000 installations across the world. Creating new things is whatkeeps me going, says Marschke.

Marschke, who is 69, is still at it today, working out of a sky-blue

manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Phillips. His new company,Corrucomb Inc., is developing products, such as doors and walls, forthe building industry,made from corrugated, resin-reinforced papersourced exclusively from recycled materials. The prototype doorsbeing built in the plant have the samestrength and appearance as conventionaldoors. He envisions being able to produceentire preassembled home foundationswith this green technology.

I have spent my whole life makingproductivity-enhancing technology for otherpeople, says Marschke. I have always been

looking for something that would completethe cycle, where we make the machines andthe nished product. I have nally found that.

Marschke has been on another quest eversince Marquip became a success. Thats a quest to give back. Marschkeis the leading force behind Young Scientists of America (YSA), apartnership with the College of Engineering to inspire more youthfulinterest in science and engineering.

The bachelors (1963) and masters (1964) graduate of theDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering says the programhelps middle- and high-school students form teams and compete inScience Olympiad. That competition exposes students to nearly two

dozen challenges that run the gamut of science, from health andmedicine to hands-on engineering.Marschkes generous support has helped the college hire two

retired Madison science teachers, Van Valaskey and Gary Graper, tolead teams of engineering undergraduates into schools throughoutsouthern Wisconsin. To date, more than 25 area schools haveparticipated in a YSA after-school program. In the past ve yearsalone, engineering students have logged more than 14,000 hoursof volunteer time as science and engineering mentors in the schools.

The groundswell of interest generated by YSA w18-21, 2011, when UW-Madison hosts the NationalWisconsin participants can watch with pride as morvisitors descend on campus for the event, includingmiddle and high-school teams from every state in th

Marschke says he is grati ed to see the surge in iand engineering, a trend that is essential to AmericaThe need for scientists resonates personally for Ma

school student during the Soviet Union launching of in 1957, he remembered the nation responding withBy the time he enrolled in UW-Madison in 1959, e

were much tougher and the engineering curriculumtransformed. What was unusual in 1959 is the colladditional credits of statics, dynamics and strength Marschke. What they were trying to do is produceengineers who would come out with both mechanicsavvy. I was very fortunate to be in the rst class o e

PROFILE:

CARL MARSCHKE

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A prolifcnorthwoodsinventorlooks to insp

tomorrows enginee


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The combination proved to be perfect for Marschke. Virtually allf his major inventions relied on that electromechanical expertise.I wouldnt have been able to do all the things I did downstream if Iadnt had that education, he says.Marschke sees YSA and Science Olympiad lling another important

oid. Many students today do not have the same opportunities he dido tinker, to x things, to assemble and disassemble, and to visualizeow things work. Growing up in the central Wisconsin communityf Rib Lake, Marschke spent a lot of time in a family friends machinehop, working with lathes, welders, drill presses, and other tools thatecame second nature to him.Science Olympiad embraces those hands-on challenges. The

ompetition also can build con dence to do something greater thanhey ever thought they could. Marschkes rst test of con dence cames a UW-Madison masters student, where at programs end he neededo pass the ercely di cult PhD qualifying exam. He responded byeaming up with close friend and future Marquip business colleague

Richard Thomas to make sure they were ready.We took an evening a week, typically Saturday, and went back

hrough all of the coursework and books from freshman year forward,Marschke recalls. We would then develop a one-page outline thataptured the core principles of an entire book.The end result? Marschke and Thomas earned the two highest

rades on the exam. Thats when I realized that if I put my mind to it,could compete anywhere, says Marschke.

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Excellencein undergrad education

In the past, surviving gate-keeper engineering undergraduate coursesuch as statics, dynamics and general physics was somewhat of a riteStudents who got the material generally continued their engineeringHowever, some students who struggled in these courses simply dropp

engineeringa trend College of Engineering Dean Paul Peercy calls unWe needed a program that could help students succeed in engineering,Launched a decade ago, that program evolved into what today is know

Undergraduate Learning Center. The program is made possible through grant from The Grainger Foundation. The ULC/tutoring program was cimprove the quality of learning in engineering, and to promote student-clearning, says Jia-Ling Lin, director of engineering supplemental instruct

At the initiatives core are thousands of year-round (including summer) and peer-to-peer tutoring sessions that studentssay have enhanced their experience as engineeringundergraduates. These programs provided another wayfor me to gain a good understanding of the materials

taught in class. Since the tutor is also a peer, it provided acomfortable learning environment, says Mai Lee Chang,who earned a certi cate in international engineeringand her bachelors degree in engineering mechanics andastronautics in 2010 and now is a rst-year PhD studentin industrial and systems engineering.

Created speci cally to reduce academic barriers forunderrepresented groups in engineering, tutoring by request enables womstudents and rst-year transfer students to schedule an individual tutoringstudents can receive help in more than 20 introductory and intermediate-

Each week, undergraduate engineering students lead about 80 hours win tutoring sessions for more than 40 engineering courses. Held four evethis peer-to-peer tutoring in math, chemistry, physics, statistics or enginstudents enrolled in the associated courses complete homework and stud

Supplementary instruction sessions also occur weekly. These more foopportunities, which meet two hours per week, support students enrolledynamics, calculus-based mechanics, and calculus-based electricity and

The Undergraduate Learning Center initiative has helped to stem the acourse-induced exodus from engineering, says college Associate Dean fA airs Steven Cramer. This program has been attributed to signi cant undergraduate student retention, particularly in the rst two years of theeducation and especially for students who originate from disadvantagedhe says.

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By Brian Mattmiller

By Renee Meiller

A gift from alumnus Wade Fetzer and his wife Bev transformed foEngineering Hall into a vibrant space in which students study, learn

2010 Science Olympiad participants gettheir soda-bottle rocket ready to launch.


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Richard D. AaronsonJohn E. AhernDaniel M. & Eleanor AlbertS. Craighead & Betty AlexanderFranz R. & Karen J. AltpeterFernando L. & Carla J.B. AlvaradoMarc A. AndersonRichard C. AndersonRonald G. & Patricia J. AndersonTheodore & Graciela AnsusinhaRichard L. Antoine & Dorothy OBrienGary Antoniewicz & Martha TaylorMichael D. ArnesonDean J. ArnoldWilliam R. ArpeEileen H. ArvoldThomas H. AschenbrennerAtul M. & Mohana A. AthalyeHilton Augustine Jr. & Glenda HenningJohn M. AusmanOwen & Janice M. AyresRichard A. Bachhuber Jr.Glenn W. & Cornelia T. BaileyMary BakerJames J. BakkeDonald E. BaldovinThomas C. & Betty L. BallAlice J. BarnesPaul W. BarrowsRichard L. BarrowsMerton R. BarryRobert M. & Barbara M. BartholomewCarol A. BartzDavid S. BaumNed W. BechtholdEarl J. BeckEdwin L. BehrensRobert G. BellWalter G. & Elnora M. BelterMarion BelzerStephen M. BennettChristopher R. BensonRobert L. & Kathy A. BeranJames G. Berbee & Karen A. WalshNorman A. & Sharon M. BergJames D. & Joann L. BerndJohn E. & Jean BerndtMonica C. BeyerArun I. BhatiaThomas R. & Karen L. BinderR. Byron BirdDuane H. & Dorothy BluemkeOscar C. & Patricia H. BoldtJohn W. BolenderJohn G. & Heidelore BollingerAnthony S. BolmarcichRonald R. BoltzAnne W. BolzRobert B. BondRoger W. BoomJames B. & Rita H. BordenMarlene H. BormanJohn E. BosioJohn O. BossartWalter S. & Lois J. BragerJohn N. & Claire G. BrannBrian F. BremerAlan & Diann BreunigNorma A. BrooksCharles S. BrownBonnie R. BruceGordon F. & Nadine M. Brunner

Lee S. BublitzGeorge BunnKenneth J. BuresAnn B. BurgessJames E. & Catherine E. BurgessJames G. BurkeMartin E. BurkhardtRobert H. BurrisBruce F. BuskeRobert J. & Donna M. ByrneMax W. & Phyllis C. CarbonMartha L. CaseyRobert L. CattoiDavid A. CechRobert F. & Debra CervenkaY. Austin & P. Jean ChangMarilou W. ChapmanThomas Chapman & Donna BreslinSimon K. & Rosemary H. ChenPatricia A. CheneyEdward T. & Shu-Ching L. ChengHyung T. & Gertrude D. C. ChoeJames O. ChristensonRussell J. ChristesenRobert L. ChristiansonDavid & Kim ChristopherKwen-Hwa F. ChuKenneth R. & Yvonne M. CisewskiClarence S. & Jane ClayJohn R. ClementsBernard C. CohenMichael J. CohenChristopher A. ColemanDavid Y. & Annabelle CollinsDuane E. & Barbara J. CollinsKenneth W. CongerDouglas E. ConnellGordon P. ConnorEdward P. CornellMichael L. & Janet E. CorradiniJames L. & Carolyn Adams CraigCharles Creuziger & Margaret RogersM. Jean CrononJ.P. CullenJames L. CummingsJe rey H. & Lea CurlerMuriel CurryRichard H. & Peggy A. DalugeThomas P. DammThomas E. DappDonald V. DaveyRoderick K. DaveyKirkland W. & Jennifer M. DavisRamona M. DavisMichael F. & Joyce K. Davy

Thomas R. De BuhrRichard E. & Jearnice A. De VorWarren R. De VriesJohn D. & Jean M. DebbinkJames R. DerushaMarjorie N. DexheimerAndrew S. DiercksThomas E. DillingerEdward N. DisrudNorman R. DollDavid A. & Barbara B. DornfeldRobin A. DouthittJosephine E. DraegerRobert A. & Dorothy B. DrivesRene M. & Rita A. DupuisMaureen S. DurkinStephen W. & Melanie A. Dvorak

David M. EhlersKornel F. & Svetlana EhGary G. & June R. EhnThomas W. & Patricia DHarry C. Jr. & Susan J. David I. & Sarah B. EpsJames J. ErdmanM. Rustin ErdmanPhyllis D. ErmerRichard A. ErneyBetty L. EschenbauchVirginia A. EsserGerald & Thelma EstrinJere C. FabickCarlyle W. FayRichard S. & Harriet K.Owen R. & Elizabeth FeR.I. Fenton-MayRick J. FerraroWade Fetzer IIIRonald R. & Joanne M.Jaime M. FinkJerome A. FinkPatrick M. FinleyMarshall F. FinnerEugene J. & Judith A. FJohn M. & Jeanne C. FlRockne G. & Jo A.R. FWesley K. & Ankie C. FKarl E. ForsgrenAndrew A. FrankScott B. & Sharon L. FrMary W. FrankeKenneth L. Frazier & FWilliam R. FrazierDavid N. & Karlynn A.Bruce O. FruddenKeith J. & Christine M. John C. & Fanny P. GarvTheodore G. & KatherinBurzoe K. & Nancy L. P. Dan GilbertJon C. GilbertsonThomas J. & Martha A.Karen J. GlanertSamuel F. GlazerRichard A. GonceGary J. GormanDorothy C. GostingJon C. GraanDavid W. GraingerWilson GreatbatchRobert A. & Rosemary Richard A. GreinerStuart J. GrendahlDouglas K. GrieseDonald E. & Romona GJames G. GrosklausGeorge W. & Marsha BCharles G. GundersonThomas F. GunkelPaul E. HaeberliJohn P. & Dorothy E. HaPaul E. & Nancy N. HaFritz M. F. HansonLewis P. HansonSharon K.L.F. HantkeElwin A. HarrisRichard J. HartlStanley T. HarveyHatheway M. HaslerRodney H. & Diane A.

Membership in The Bascom Hill Society, the universitys premier donor program, is presented to alumni and friends who have made cumulative gthe years totaling $25,000 or more, and/or a deferred gift commitment ofor more. The engineering donors are listed here.

Dear alumni and friends,

When it comes to supporting the UW-Madison College of Engineering,a little simple math demonstrates the power of participation.

Currently, about 7 percent of College of Engineering alumni donate

annually to the Deans Fund for Excellence. Lets say in 2011, an additional5 percent of youor about 2,000 peopledecide to give $100 per year tothe Fund for Excellence. That commitment would provide another $200,000to support important college priorities for our students and faculty.

What kind of impact could $200,000 per year make? It could, for example:

Fund a full year of tuition for 23 engineering undergraduates withdemonstrated nancial need,

Cover the annual budget of the UW hybrid vehicle teams, which includemore than 120 student members,

Help send 20 students to a study-abroad experience in Hangzhou, China;

Buenos Aires, Argentina; or London, England, Provide vital research stipends for 10 engineering graduate students,

O er four newly hired professors additional support for equipment andtechnology to start their labs.

All of these examples represent real and growing development needs forthe college, and areas where alumni support makes an immediate impact.Its proof that participation matters: A modest annual commitment froma broad base of alumni will translate to greater access, opportunity andvalue-added experiences for our students.

Please consider joining the thousands of alumni who regularly give tothe College of Engineering. Your support is greatly appreciated and is making

a di erence in every corner of the college.

Vice President of Development:Deb Holt608/[email protected]

Directors of Development:

Kelly De Haven, 608/[email protected]

Gillian Fink, 608/265-9955gillian. [email protected]

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THE BASCOM HILL SOCIETY

Ann Leahy, 608/[email protected]

Eric Yin, 608/[email protected]

The Collective Power of Giving

The UW Foundation engineering development team (from left):Kelly De Haven, Ann Leahy, Eric Yin, Deb Holt and Gillian Fink.


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By Brian Mattmiller

Business Plan Competition, administeredthrough the Wisconsin School of Business.The close association with Burrill will helpwireless teams take their technology idea tothe next level by partnering with businessstudents and creating a business plan thatcould launch a new company.

Electrical and Computer EngineeringProfessor and Chair John Booske says the

prize will be run in partnership with facultyand sta from electrical and computer engi-neering, computer sciences and business.

Wireless is part of our everyday lives,and this competition is for any student who

imagines a creative new way to apply thetechnology, says Booske. Technicalknowledge is not a barrier to participation.We strongly encourage the formation of teams that bring the creative, technologyand business expertise together.

The contest is based on a Qualcomminitiative called Venture Fest, which invitesQualcomm employees to follow a newwireless idea from proof of concept to a full-

edged business. The College of Engineeringand the School of Business brought Qualcommscreative approach to a university setting.

The competition is made possible by a giftfrom Qualcomm Inc. of San Diego, California.Qualcomm has graduate fellowship programswith a number of universities, but this is theone of the few university competitions it hassponsored around wireless applications.

We think UW-Madison is a greatchoice for this type of competition based on thestrength of its electrical

engineering and computer science programs,itsexcellent business school, and its commitmenttofostering innovation in the student experience,says Qualcomm Executive Vice President andChief Financial O cer William Keitel, a 1976

graduate of the Wisconsin School of Business.Qualcomm also has a great relationship withUW-Madison and has hired many talentedBadger alumni over the years.

Booske says competition ideas can bewide-ranging, including devices, designs andprocesses, and should meet the parametersof disclosure to the U.S. Patent O ce. Werelooking for anything uniquethe proverbialbetter mousetrap with wireless assist, he says.

A new competition at UW-Madison willchallenge students to discover andbuild the next big idea in wirelesstechnology, a eld that continues to transformthe way the world communicates.

The Qualcomm Wireless Innovation Prize,slated for April 28, 2011, will have studentteams develop and prototype new wirelesshardware and software ideas and combinethem with tangible,market-ready businessplans. All UW-Madisonundergraduates andmasters-level graduatestudents are eligible to compete for prizes of $10,000 ( rst), $5,000 (second) and $2,500(third). Student teams can also apply for up to$1,000 in equipment stipends for prototypes.

Wireless technology today is the perfect

platform for big thinking, because it has thepotential to drive major progress not only inpersonal communication, but in healthcare,security, manufacturing and other elds,says Dean Paul Peercy. The new Qualcommwireless prize will build on the strongculture of innovation we are encouragingin UW-Madison students campus-wide.

Top technology prizes will be awarded theday of the annual G. Steven Burrill Technology

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On a sunny afternoon in July, a group in hard haglasses tours the UW-Madison Union South cprojectnot in itself an unusual sight, exceptthose hard hats are middle school students learning nbuild a building, but how to build their futures as eng

The Union South tour was one of many activities oeighth-graders as part of the 2010 UW-Madison CampEngineering program. For 11 years, the camp has beeCollege of Engineering e orts to interest young studetechnology, engineering and mathematics disciplinesSaturday, campers follow a busy schedule that incorp25 science projects, high-tech computer labs and eldcompanies and engineering facilities.

Amit Nimunkar is a lecturer through the engineeringO ce and the Department of Engineering Professionawhich coordinates Camp Badger. He says that one caexpose students to di erent areas of engineering and that they can help x problems in society. We also wthem the world of opportunity availableat UW-Madison byhosting the activitieson campus and atlocal companies,says Nimunkar, who joined the camp in 2010 as a fac

The campers visit local companies such as the DLand ll, Design Concepts, John Deere, Orbitec, B

Gym, Placon, Raven Software, Trek Bicycle, and

Bowling. While on campus, students see theGeology MPolymerEngineering Center, Phil Meyers AutomCe

and Space Science and Engineering Centerand experiments, which incorporate a wid

engineering disciplines, range from extraa UW BioTrek activity and designing w

to testing nuclear radiation detectors acomputers to design bridges.

Nimunkar facilitates an engineeractivity in which teams of students

newspaper skyscraperswithouThe goal of the activity is to tea

how to identify problems and and how to interact as a teamactivity, we teach them that designing a product, engine

multiple times and we emphascience and math is the basis for eve

engineers do, says Nimunkar, who sees students camp with a greater appreciation for studying these su

However, campers not only arrive ready to get theirexciting science projects. They also come to get a glim

Celebrat

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By Andrea Parins

T h r o u g h c a m p

a c t i v i t i e s , s t u d

e n t s l e a r n d e s i

g n ,

t e a m w o r

k a n d p r o b l e m

- s o l v i n g s k i l l s

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life. Nimunkar says for most students, this is the rst time theyexperience an extended stay away from their families. This is anopportunity for them to be on campus and meet other students, hesays. The camp makes them more responsible for themselves, and

you can see an increase in their level of maturity after the program.Camp Badger rst began in summer 1998 as a two-year pilot

program to introduce underrepresented groups to engineering. Ledby Engineering Professional Development Faculty Associates StevenZwickel and Paul Ross, Professor Philip O'Leary, and MechanicalEngineering and Materials Science & Engineering Senior LecturerJay Samuel, in collaboration with School of Education faculty memberRoger Maclean, the camp held two sessions for 13- to 15-year-oldsthe rst summer and three the following year. After a hiatus in 2000,the camp earned several major corporate grants and began again in2001 under the College of Engineering. Camp Badger has continuedevery year since, hosting ve sessions each summer and six in 2010.

In addition to UW-Madison sta , area teachers serve as camp leaders,while UW-Madison students are camp counselors.External funding continues to play a key role in Camp Badgers

success. Placon, founded by UW-Madison mechanical engineeringalum Tom Mohs (BS 62), not only supports the camp with monetarygifts, but company engineers also volunteer time to teach campers the design, tool-making and production processes of plastic thermoforms.

Placon Community Relations Manager Barb Waters says that withschool program budgets shrinking, businesses have a responsibility tohelp prepare the future workforce. We know the importance of nding

opportunities for students to interact withreal-world careers, especially engineering,outside of the school year, says Waters.Camp Badger continues to be on the topof our corporate giving list because we

want to be interactively involved in promoting careers in engineering.Other camp sponsors include the College of Engineering, Department

of Engineering Professional Development, and Diversity A airs O ce;the Michael Krupinski Memorial Foundation; the American Association

of University Women; Cargill; and Kraft.After more than a decade of successful sessions, Camp Badger has

earned a high reputation in middle schools across the state. I amhappy to say that since we started Camp Badger, it has become aninstitution, says Zwickel. Science and math teachers and middleschool counselors from all over Wisconsin refer their students tous andcamp attendees are undoubtedly the cream of the crop.

1 years of Camp Badger

An exercise in teamwork: building newspaper skyscrapers, without talking.

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Union Sou th con s truc tion to

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Never before has the need for engineers been as much a demandand we recognize that to increase the number of engineers in theworkforce, we need to provide opportunities for talented students topursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educationand careers, says Edgren, who earned her bachelors and mastersdegrees in industrial and systems engineering at UW-Madison.

One of the ways Rockwell Automation is committed to increasingthe pipeline of students pursuing STEM careers is through hands-onsummer internships. In 2010, Cannestra was a Rockwell Automationintern and worked in the chemistry and materials engineeringdepartment at the global headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,where she tested polymers and materials for design.

I had the chance to work with instruments that many studentshavent used or even seen before, she says. It made a big di erencein my ability to grasp ideas better in class now because of thathands-on experience.

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As a Rockwell Automation intern, Cannestra was enrolled in adevelopmental series to build leadership skills, which included mockinterviews, a mentorship program, and a public speaking class.

I love and trust the culture at Rockwell, she says. Everyone wasvery engaging and interested in the ideas that I had and really helpedme grow professionally through constructive criticism, public speaking

skills and networking.The network at Rockwell Automation allowed Cannestra to meetmany people passing through the headquarters, including UW-Madisondeans, researchers, and even the SHPE national president.

This scholarship allows me to build close relationships withprofessionals that will help me with references, recommendations,future scholarships, and jobs that I wouldnt have had so early on inmy undergraduate career, she says.

Watch Summer in the lab at Rockwellat youtube.com/engineeringuw.


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Back in 1980, the UW-Madison Department of

Nuclear Engineering was among 65 U.S. universitydepartments that o ered nuclear engineeringeducational programs. Todaydespite a world-

wide resurgence of interest in nuclear energyless than halfthose educational programs still exist.That shift began in the late 1970s, when the cost

to build nuclear plants soared and energy companies scrapped plans to build them. Sensinga limited job market, fewer students pursued nuclear engineering education.

This decline became a national issueparticularly for an industry bursting with existingnuclear power plants. Educating nuclear engineers was expensive because of the nature of the research and need for facilities, says Bill Naughton, manager of research and developmentat Exelon Nuclear. The fundamental issue was whether the supply of nuclear engineeringgraduates would be adequate for the future.

Prompted by national nuclear and energy organizations, the National Academy of Sciencesand National Research Council undertook a study of the trends in nuclear engineering education.The resulting report, U.S. Nuclear Engineering Education: Status and Prospects 1990-2010,indicated a bleak outlook.

At UW-Madison, Professor Max Carbon, founding chair of nuclear engineeringnow partof the Department of Engineering Physicspresented that report, along with a plea forfunding to Tom OConnor, then-CEO of Commonwealth Edison (now Exelon). I also proposedit in terms of not justUW-Madison, but proposed that they give grants to ve major universitiesproducing graduatesfrom whom they hired, says Carbon.

OConnor liked the idea, contacted the U.S. Department of Energy, and with equalcontributions from Commonwealth Edison and the DOE totaling $500,000, a unique fundingprogram was born. Now entering its 20th year, it started as a ve-year pilot program in 1991for the ComEd Five: Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan and MIT.

Engineering Physics Professor and Chair Mike Corradini says the department has used thefunding to award more than 200 scholarships, upgrade equipment and infrastructure in thenuclear engineering instrumentation and reactor lab, and develop web-based course modulesthat bene t students at UW-Madison and partners at such institutions as South Carolina StateUniversity, a Historically Black College and University institution.It has been an important contributor of exible funds that help provide us with the marginof excellence in our undergraduate and masters programs in nuclear engineering, saysCorradini about the funding program.

In the 2010-2011 academic year, Exelons giftsto UW-Madison surpassed the $1 million mark.Its been a wonderful program for us, saysCarbon. Its provided urgently needed money.Were typically ranked somewhere in the toptwo or three nuclear engineering programs inthe country and we certainly would not havebeen there without money like that.

Naughton says the matching-gift programhas been touted as the savior for universitynuclear engineering departments. Its ourlivelihood here, he says. It is essential forus to have people educated in the eld.

Industry partnership fuelfor nuclear education

P h o t o s : T h e E x e l o n g i f t s h a v e p r o v i d e d s t u d e n t s u p p o r t a n d

f u n d s t o u p d a t e n u c l e a r e n g i n e e r i n g f a c i l i t i e s a n d l a b s .

By Renee Meiller F ew university vehicle teamattribute their success to halots and lots of hamburgers. Yewhat future members of the UnWisconsin-Madison vehicle teable to do.

At the 2009 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)Baja Wisconsin competition,in Burlington, Wisconsin,team members raised$10,000 by running a foodstand and serving more than1,200 attendees. The money halaunched an endowment that, w

additional alumni support, wilthe ve teams for future generof students.

Wed been working on the for a year at that point, says MEngineering Faculty Associatewho advises the vehicle teams

together at the SAE World Concame up with the idea the prevand wed been having phone csince then.

When Bower realized he neein startup funds to launch the eteam members rallied to help astand, and since then, studentshave worked together to keep tmomentum going. So far, alumcorporate partners have raised $100,000 for the endowment, wtarget goal of $10 million.

Around 300 students are invvehicle teams each year, and ostudents are very dedicated parBower. This robust alumni basbegun aiding the endowment eunique ways: Under the directiteam member and Ford enginePolster (BSME 00), the Detro

Alumni and

R e neeM

e

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allow the program to continue its traditionof producing top-quality engineers withhands-on skills and experiences. Vehicleteam alumni go on to work in the auto

industry and other industries ranging frompaper mills to energy companies.

Thanks to the vehicle teams, many of these students are able to make signi cantcontributions on the job immediately aftergraduation, as opposed to needing monthsof training once hired. Students alsorecognize the value of the vehicle teamsbefore graduation. Mechanical engineeringstudent Gianluca Mantovano has been partof the Formula Hybrid Team throughout hisundergraduate years. He says the skills hehas learned with the teams have directlytransferred to his ability to succeed ininternship and co-op positions.

Were like plug-and-play engineers,he says. The skills and experiences fromthe vehicle teams make the transition fromcollege to the workplace very smooth.

Currently, competition fees, projectsupplies and travel expenses add up to

UW-Madison Alumni Association hosted anevent in October 2009 to raise awarenessof the teams and the endowment. Bowerand a handful of students transported

several of the vehicle projects to Michigan,where alumni and automotive industryrepresentatives met the team members andtest-drove the vehicles. I cannot imaginea better experience a student could have toprepare him or her for a successful career,Polster says. I give back to UW-Madisonfor many reasons, but mainly, topreservethe quality of students participatinginvehicle programs on campus.

Bower hears this type of sentiment fromteam alumni frequently. Alumni realizewhat a great thing it was to participate onthe teams and how much better o theywere from the experience, says Bower.They look back and appreciate it and wantto make sure these teams are available tostudents in the future.

In addition to keeping each team astrong contender in national and inter-national competitions, the endowment will

Glenn Bower

almost $8,000 for each of the ve teamsevery year. The endowment, formallynamed the Undergraduate StudentAutomotive Excellence Fund, will allow

the vehicle program to permanentlyfund an advisor, program assistant andmachinist, as well as cover competitionand project costs.

The support will reduce the need forstudents like Mantovano to dedicate timeand energy to nding funds themselves.Each team is like its own business, he says.Fund raising eats up a lot of time becauseits a slow process to ask for funds and forcorporations to approve those funds.

The endowment will provide a morestreamlined approach for supporting theteams and take the pressure o of studentsto ask for money when interacting withcorporate partners. Instead, students canfocus on the vehicle projects and buildingengineering skills and professional networks.

To learn more about the vehicle teamsand get involved with the endowment,visit www.vehicles.wisc.edu.

By Sandra Knisely

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tudents cook up future of vehicle teams


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Perspective Winter 2010

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