Lakeland University Blog - Lakeland University

Lakeland’s Madison Center recently threw an informal celebration party for its 2016 graduates at the Ale Asylum brewery. Judging from the turnout of about 50 students and several staff members and the fun everyone had, the inaugural event was a huge success.

“One of the things that this social time really reinforced for me is how much our students and faculty really do love Lakeland,” said Jon Kuecken, director of Lakeland’s Madison Center.

“Just about every graduating student was talking about the new career or promotion they earned because of the degree they are earning from Lakeland. Something I heard frequently throughout the evening was, ‘I wouldn’t be where I am without Lakeland.’”

The graduating Lakeland students received Lakeland-themed keepsakes and a large group photo was taken.

Student D’Angelo Capriglione, a student in Lakeland’s Evening, Weekend and Online program, wrote an email to Kuecken about the celebration.

“The graduation party was such a wonderful experience,” Capriglione wrote. “I hope you continue to do it every year. We all had a blast, students and instructors alike.”

On Thursday morning, Michael Esiobu will board a United Airlines Flight with non-stop service to Newark, N.J.

The next day, 11 miles down the road in East Rutherford, the Lakeland College graduate will don New York Giants blue, white and red practice gear and set out to prove that yes, a wide receiver from a school of fewer than 800 on-campus students can catch footballs in the NFL.

“It’s kind of hard to put everything into perspective right now,” said Esiobu, a 6-2, 223-pounder who will participate in the invitation-only, two-day undrafted free agent mini-camp on Friday and Saturday.

“Playing in the NFL is something you dream about, but for it to actually be happening, to actually have a shot, it’s surreal.”

What a weekend it was for Esiobu, who received a call from his agent confirming the Giants’ invitation on Saturday evening, then graduated on Sunday afternoon. The attention has been overwhelming. He gained more than 200 Twitter followers, his YouTube highlight video went from 600 views to more than 1,500 and his Facebook page and phone have blown up.

“Giants fans are tweeting me, wishing me good luck and telling me to go out and become the next Victor Cruz (the Giants receiver who was also undrafted),” Esiobu said. “My phone has been non-stop. Sheboygan is such a small community, but it seems like everyone wants me to do well. The support has just been unreal.”

Esiobu said he allowed himself to soak up the attention over the weekend, but on Monday, he was working out, because “that’s my job right now.”

Last season, the Muskies’ second-leading receiver snared 56 catches for 792 yards and seven TDs.

“I’m going into this with the mindset that yes, the other players will be bigger and faster than what I’m used to facing in our conference, but I know myself, too” he said.

“I match up physically. Now I’m working hard on the technical stuff. Everyone there will be good. They will all be NFL-caliber players. But if you can play football, you can play football, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from. I’m going to go out there and have fun. I know I’m aggressive attacking the ball, and when the ball is in the air, I think I can win any situation.”

Esiobu said he plans to prove to the Giants coaches how much he wants to be there, from excelling at every drill to jumping in whenever a coach needs a player on special teams.

No matter what happens on Friday and Saturday, Esiobu plans to give it all he has – and not just for himself.

“I just want to thank everyone at Lakeland, from the students to the faculty and really, the entire Sheboygan community.”

Supply chain management and human resources management are important areas for employers in the modern business world.

Starting this fall, Lakeland University’s Master of Business Administration program will offer concentrations in both.

Those are just two of the significant additions to Lakeland’s academic programming, additions that include new marketing emphases and a degree that combines business administration and computer science skills.

Scott Niederjohn, Lakeland’s professor of business administration and director of the MBA program, said the supply chain management concentration will enhance the MBA degree, especially for employees who work in the manufacturing and industrial sectors.

The curriculum for Lakeland’s human resources concentration was developed in conjunction with, and endorsed by, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – the world’s largest HR membership organization.

Meanwhile, Lakeland’s marketing program is changing to meet job market demand. In this digital age, marketing has evolved and grown beyond simply promoting a business or advertising a product or service.

Lakeland University has restructured the program and will offer four new emphases: sales management, digital marketing, retail management and graphic arts.

Niederjohn said these emphases have been added after extensive consultation with Lakeland’s corporate partners. Niederjohn said students will learn all of the traditional marketing skills needed to enter the industry, while at the same time being able to specialize.

Another important new academic initiative is the university’s management information systems (MIS) degree, which, pending Higher Learning Commission approval, will combine expertise in business administration and computer science.

Graduates with an MIS degree will be extremely marketable, because they will be well-versed in project management, digital data analysis and website development, among many other modern business world skills.

“Jobs requiring an MIS degree are frequently ranked at the top of job outlook surveys,” Niederjohn said.

IM4.

Technically, the acronym stands for Illinois (where two of the young men were born), Michigan (where the other two were born) and four (because, well, there are four).

But there’s a deeper meaning to IM4, a meaning that strengthens with time.

“There are four of us, but in reality, we’re one person,” says Joshua Guy.

Sunday afternoon, Guy, Romain Johnson II, Vincent Stepney-Willis and Marvin Warfield graduated from Lakeland College, completing a journey that started in the summer of 2012 and ended with degrees and full-time careers.

“It’s been a long road, but I couldn’t ask for a better experience and better friends to share it with,” says Stepney-Willis.

Adds Warfield: “These guys have been such a huge support system for me. I’ve leaned on them so much.”

Johnson and Guy are from Pontiac, Mich. Warfield is from North Chicago and Stepney-Willis grew up in Madison after an early childhood in Illinois. They were drawn to Lakeland by college football, and while they helped the Muskies win back-to-back conference titles, they achieved more off the field.

Guy, who majored in communication, has been hired as a manager trainee by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Johnson, who majored in communication, has been hired as a recruiter for Tech Systems in Madison. He will place information technology professionals with companies. Stepney-Willis, who majored in nonprofit business management, is the new teen director at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan. And Warfield, who majored in graphic design, will work in marketing, retail and design for Good Karma, a company that specializes in sports and event marketing.

All four graduates took part in Lakeland’s Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation Career Ready Internship Grant, which allowed them to showcase their talent for local companies at a rate of $12 an hour.

All four are also fiercely loyal members of Beta Sigma Omega fraternity, an organization they say forged their bond and fueled their motivation.

“When we pledged, our mindset was to graduate,” Stepney-Willis says. “We bought into what the Betas were selling us, which was unity.”

Adds Johnson: “We knew we had to come here and take care of business. Football is not forever.”

Now that they’ve graduated, they will go in different directions. But ask them if they will be friends for life, and they might laugh at you for posing such a ridiculous question.

There were many ups and downs during their journey. There were financial hardships. Warfield, for example, almost had to go home his freshman year until his sister acquired a loan that allowed him to continue. When they went home during summers, they knew their support system would be waiting for them when they returned to Lakeland.

“I always knew we would see each other through, to the end,” says Stepney-Willis.

“We kept each other level-minded, helped each other grow into men,” says Guy. “We acknowledged our weaknesses, and pointed out each other’s weaknesses. Our goal was always to be real with each other.”

They pushed each other. They supported each other. They leaned on each other. And in the end, they succeeded. Together.

“Our outcome was expected, honestly,” says Johnson. “We put in the work, and we constantly talked to each other and helped each other. It was always, ‘You’ve got this!’”

Yes, they do.

So, IM4 has left Lakeland – for now. But the group remains intact. It always will.

More than 40 Sheboygan Falls High School students recently spent half-a-day at Lakeland College, working with top Lakeland students and learning how to cut, splice and manipulate DNA.

The high school students, enrolled in Lakeland’s Concurrent Academic Progress Program (CAPP) life sciences class, conducted agarose gel electrophoresis.

Learning from and working with standout Lakeland students Addison Mertler, C.J. Mueller, Emily Thomas and Brooke Wilder-Corrigan, the Falls students isolated DNA from bacterial cells, cut that DNA using enzymes, and visualized the resulting DNA fragments on a gel.

“The feedback I’ve received from my students is that they had an incredible, invaluable experience at Lakeland College,” said Pamela Salm, who teaches the Falls CAPP class. “They had a wonderful time using equipment in a college laboratory setting with college professors and college students helping them. They were very excited about the experience.”

After lunch, before viewing the gels, the Falls students chose two of four 15-minute informational sessions – computer science and robotics, mammalian cell culture, exercise science research or ecology research in Wisconsin and Belize.

“This group was very hard-working, engaged and fun to work with,” said Greg Smith, Lakeland professor of biology, of the high school visitors. “Their love and enthusiasm for science was outstanding, and it was exciting and fun to be able to share our equipment and knowledge with them.”

Smith said when the high school students viewed their brightly orange-lit DNA gel samples, they were excited.

“Teachers live for that moment,” Smith said. “You hear them talking about how cool it is, and it’s really satisfying to hear them discuss amongst themselves what they’ve just accomplished as they’re walking away.”

Smith was proud of Mertler, Mueller, Thomas and Wilder-Corrigan, who took the lead in teaching the high school students how to conduct the complex experimentation and use Lakeland’s sophisticated scientific equipment.

“I think high school students can see themselves in our students, who are only a few years older than they are,” Smith said. “The high school students really seem to relate to our outstanding students, and maybe they even think, ‘I want to be like that.’”

Lakeland faculty share expertise with senior citizens

Three members of Lakeland’s faculty shared their expertise with more than two dozen Neenah-area senior citizens earlier this week at the college’s Fox Cities Center.

The free, two-hour event, titled “School for Seniors,” was a collaborative initiative between Lakeland and Neenah’s Committee on Aging.

Following introductory remarks by organizer Joshua Kutney, Lakeland’s assistant professor of composition, Neenah Mayor Dean Kaufert welcomed the audience. After that, Lakeland’s three faculty members offered the following hour-long presentations and discussion sessions:

* “Respect our Elders? The Psychology of Elderspeak,” by Anthony Liguori, associate professor of psychology

* Safety and Privacy in the Computer Age,” by Cynthia Lindstrom, associate professor of computer science

* “Is it Bullying? A guide for Grandparents,” by Karin Miofsky, assistant professor of criminal justice.

Each presentation was repeated, so the visitors could select two of the three sessions.

Liguori’s talk centered on the way Americans unwittingly – but usually without malice – “talk down” to senior citizens, almost infantilizing them.

Lindstrom discussed the dangers of cyber fraud and how passwords and other safeguards can help prevent it. She legally hacked onto web cam feeds from a citizen in France and a flower shop in Israel to show her audience how easy it is to do.

And Miofsky discussed the pratfalls of pre-teen and teenage sexting, social media abuse and online bullying. She provided warning signs for grandparents so they can tell when their grandchildren are having issues.

Nine Lakeland College students are in the midst of a nearly two-week adventure in England, where they will study Great Britain’s sports history and culture up close.

The students – Afton Barrows, Sarah Dahm, Crystal Dickman, Gage Hackl, Nathan Miller, Eric Nygaard, Tyler Schaut, Amber Sitte and Brooke Wilder-Corrigan – are enrolled in “The Class History of British Sports May 2016,” a May Term class being taught by Rick Dodgson, associate professor of history and native of Great Britain.

Prior to flying to England last week, the students learned about sports like cricket, and even practiced the game on the Old Main lawn.

Though the subject matter of this class is sports-heavy, students are also taking a “Beatles Tour,” enjoying a circus and visiting the Lancaster Castle and Museum and the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

The sports-related facets of the trip are exciting and diverse. The Lakeland group will attend a rugby match between the Wigan and Hull, tour the world-famous Lytham St. Annes golf course and watch green bowling, cricket and horse racing.

But perhaps the highlight of the trip was the Premier League soccer match between Everton FC and Norwich City on Sunday. The Lakeland contingent met Everton keeper Tim Howard, the acclaimed former United States national team star.

Camille Solberg is pumped up about serving as president of the Lakeland College Council of Ambassadors.

“It’s very exciting for me, and I feel honored to have been elected by my peers,” says Solberg, who earned a master’s degree in K-12 guidance counseling from Lakeland in 2007.

“What I will bring to the equation is a strong desire to expand our population and motivate our alumni. I think we need to engage them and present to them leadership roles. If you feel you have an important responsibility, you will make time for it. We will sell opportunities to enhance the lives of others.”

Since 2011, Solberg has worked as regional director and state minority outreach coordinator for United States Senator Ron Johnson. Helping minorities understand that college is a viable option is one of Camille’s great passions. “I have made it my purpose in life,” she says.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Literature from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., Solberg, living in New London, Wis., chose to continue her education at Lakeland. She attended the Fox Cities Center in Neenah and relished the experience.

“I really wanted a program that was flexible, and Lakeland certainly met that requirement,” she says. “I was able to do online work or attend in the classroom, whichever I preferred. That flexibility allowed me to raise my children while earning the master’s degree I was looking for.”

A native of Puerto Rico (Camille moved to the U.S. mainland when she was 14), she has always felt a strong calling to advocate for minority rights and be a voice at every table for “those who can’t speak for themselves.”

When she considers Lakeland College and its proximity to Sheboygan, Camille sees great potential.

“I think the location of Lakeland is ideal, considering the growth Sheboygan is experiencing in terms of Hmong and Hispanic populations,” she says.

Camille is always eager to talk about Lakeland, and how it can help students of all kinds reach their dreams.

“Being involved as an alumna is the cherry on top for me,” she says. “I’ve come full circle.”

Ten Lakeland College students recently returned from Belize, Central America, where they traveled for the bi-annual BIO 400 Tropical Biology course.

“When you encounter such rich biodiversity in person, you really can’t describe how incredible it is,” said Paul Pickhardt, Lakeland associate professor of biology.

The students who took on the 15-day excursion were: Brook Bignell, Nicole Cox, Jamie Gundlach, Brandy Hahn, Madison Hull, Chad Larson, Abbie Mason, Natasha Robinson, Emily Thomas and Andrew Wagner.

For more on this incredible trip, check out the feature article recently published in the Sheboygan Press.

This was the fifth time since 2008 Pickhardt has led a May term trip to Belize. Greg Smith, professor of biology, co-led the group, which spent about 10 days in a lowland tropical rainforest and three days on a barrier island. In the rainforest and throughout the course, the students saw howler monkeys, kinkajous, coatimundis, dozens of species of bird (including toucans), a tapir, a crocodile and many snakes and lizards.

Snorkeling and boating off the island, the Lakeland group spotted loggerhead turtles, dolphins, eagle rays, barracudas, squid, jelly fish, giant rock lobsters and more.

The students spent two days in a Mayan village, where they stayed with host families, and enjoyed the crystal clear, spring-fed Golden Stream.

“When you’re standing in water that’s over your head, you can look down and see your toenails,” Pickhardt said.

As thrilling as those and other discoveries were, the trip was, at times, grueling. Pickhardt said it only rained once while they stayed in the rainforest, and temperatures were stifling – in the mid-90s with high humidity. The group walked 10-15 miles some days.

Upon their return to Wisconsin, the students presented on their hours of extensive research.

Robinson, Thomas and Wagner researched the effect that Neem plant extract has on animals eating native limes, local bananas and tropical apples.

Hahn and Larson studied the decomposition rates of cohune palm nut clusters that fall to the ground, comparing and contrasting the decomposition rate near the river, near a swamp and in the forest’s interior.

Bignell, Gundlach and Mason studied sapling cohune palm leaves, and whether the amount of sunlight they receive affects the size of the leaves.

And Cox and Hull studied insect and animal consumption of cacao (the tree that produces chocolate) leaves in an under-canopy cacao farm in the rainforest.

“When you see it, taste it, smell it, walk through the amazing amount of life forms these tropics offer, it’s all so in your face, there’s so much that’s new and different,” Pickhardt said.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the students experience that. It’s life changing for them.”

Lakeland's cell tissue lab being put to good use this summer

Imagine taking an adult cell, wiping its coded memory clean, then re-programming it to become any kind of cell needed to benefit humanity.

That’s an oversimplified way to describe the exciting work Lakeland College students Jamie Gundlach and Suzette Rosas are doing this summer under the tutelage of Jered McGivern, Lakeland’s assistant professor of biochemistry.

The trio’s cutting-edge experimentation is taking place in Lakeland’s brand new Feldmann Lab, which opened in spring thanks to an $840,000 gift from 1969 graduate Clifford Feldmann.

McGivern, Gundlach and Rosas are working with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), taken from the donated skin tissue of an adult female.

“While our bodies develop in the womb, our cells learn what they will become – heart cells, brain cells, liver cells, skin cells, etc.,” McGivern explained.

“Scientists have discovered how to erase adult cells’ memories and create ‘naive’ cells, or embryonic-like cells. Once these adult cells have been re-programmed, they act very much like embryonic stem cells. We can then take those cells and develop them into any kind of cell we want.”

McGivern said Gundlach, who’s from Ripon, and Rosas, who’s from Sheboygan, are interested in eventually re-programming the donated skin cells into astrocytes – specialized cells that support neurons in the brain.

“This work will help us understand the human brain, and could have implications down the road in terms of understanding diseases and finding cures,” said McGivern, a Wausau native.

“But first, we must develop a reliable and reproducible system.”

On a recent Friday afternoon, McGivern assisted Gundlach and Rosas as they “chopped” iPSCs into smaller pieces, so they would continue to grow and replicate. The cells are kept in liquid that mimics human blood, and are stored in incubators set at the temperature of the human body with regulated concentrations of oxygen.

“This process will give us an almost unlimited supply of tissue for our ongoing experiments,” McGivern said.

“We are extremely excited to launch this research and proud to be processing the first cell line in this lab space. We are obviously grateful for Dr. Feldmann and his generous donation, which makes this important work possible.”

McGivern said the kind of work Gundlach and Rosas are doing is fairly commonplace at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Medical College of Wisconsin, but not at the nation’s smaller, liberal arts institutions.

“This lab here at Lakeland provides a tremendous opportunity for our undergraduates to delve into this fascinating field,” he said. “At the bigger universities, they primarily serve their graduate students.

“Wisconsin has a strong tradition in biotechnology, and this cell lab will give our students the opportunity to explore this rapidly developing technology right here at Lakeland.”

Richard Lemke, left, and Karin Miofsky are committed to keeping Lakeland's criminal justice program fresh and current.

Lakeland University’s Criminal Justice program, dedicated to keeping its curriculum fresh and current, is adding seven courses beginning this fall.

The following new classes will help keep the program among Wisconsin’s most progressive and relevant when it comes to meeting the needs of an ever-evolving industry:

* Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology

* Victimology

* Violence and Violent Crime

* Media, Crime and Violence

* Drugs, Crime and Society

* Data Analysis in Criminal Justice

* Criminal Justice Administration

The additions are the result of extensive research and outreach by assistant professors of criminal justice Richard Lemke and Karin Miofsky.

“We added courses that highlight what is relevant in today’s society,” said Miofsky. “Over the past few years, Dr. Lemke has put an enormous amount of work into identifying what our students should learn prior to leaving Lakeland in order to succeed in the criminal justice field.”

Psychology Lab students showcase their work

Five Lakeland University Psychology Laboratory students presented extensive research at the recent Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) conference in Chicago.

Megan Gomez was the first author on a research poster, which detailed the group’s laboratory work on mental illness and the stigma surrounding it. The other authors are Lakeland Assistant Professor of Psychology Jessica Kalmar and students Julie Bender, Sarah Willihnganz, Grace Vos, Kimberly Daane, Holly Chambers and Amber Smith.

The initial research was conducted during a Mental Health Awareness Week initiative that Smith organized on Lakeland’s campus for her Honors project during spring of 2015.

The Lakeland project examined the impact of a public awareness campaign. Smith organized five consecutive nights of presentations, including one by her, one by a panel of Lakeland students, a visit by Tara Meissner (the author of “Stress Fracture: A Memoir of Psychosis”), a talk by local representatives for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and a presentation from a rep of Jak’s Place – a Sturgeon Bay resource center for people affected by mental illness.

Before each presentation, members of the audience were asked to fill out surveys about mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it. After each presentation, the audience members – comprised of Lakeland students and staff and members of the Sheboygan community – were asked to fill out the same survey again. Kalmar said the psychology students had more than 50 before-and-after data sets to analyze in the lab.

The conclusion Lakeland’s students reached was that after listening to testimonials about mental illness, people are likely to have more faith in treatment than they did before. However, the perceived lack of sympathy toward those who struggle with mental illness is unchanged.

“I think completing this important research, then presenting it at such a prestigious international conference, was a fantastic, enriching experience for our students,” said Kalmar. “It was also a fairly unique opportunity for students from a small, liberal arts college.”

Lakeland Psychology Lab students are expected to work in the laboratory, which is in the Chase building, for at least four hours a week. They crunch numbers, discuss assigned scientific articles in the field of psychology, come up with research topics and draw conclusions from their work.

Kalmar said Lakeland’s Psychology Lab is comprised at all times of five top psychology students. When students graduate, others are chosen on merit to fill the vacancies. Kalmar said students can apply for a position in the lab, or be invited by Lakeland’s psychology faculty.

“When there’s an opening, I reach out to (Professor of Psychology) Elizabeth Stroot and (Associate Professor of Psychology) Anthony Liguori, and we discuss which of our students are excelling. We then recruit them,” Kalmar said. “Lately, more and more students are approaching us with interest after hearing about the great things we’re doing in the lab.”

Three Lakeland College Spanish program students are in the midst of a two-month study abroad experience in Costa Rica, where they are taking classes at the University of San Jose in San Pedro.

Making this cultural and educational immersion even more rewarding is the financial assistance these students earned – from two organizations, a Lakeland graduate and the company she works for.

Lakeland Spanish majors Emily Lensmire, Chloe Reed and Janel Weir are living with a host family while taking classes that will transfer seamlessly when they return to Lakeland. The trio was recently awarded diplomas for graduating from a 90-hour course titled Advanced Spanish Grammar.

"Costa Rica is amazing, and I am so blessed to be able to use my Spanish skills in another country, while also making friends and memories,” said Lensmire.

Added Weir: “Studying abroad is an amazing experience. We have been able to practice the language we have been studying for years. Not only are we earning credits, but we making friends and memories, and truly living and seeing the beautiful culture Costa Rica has to offer.”

Reed and Weir each earned $2,500 scholarships from the Spanish National Honor Society, in addition to $500 each from Modern Language Studies Abroad, a third-party company that has planned and carried out study abroad programs for Lakeland for 14 years. Contributing additional funding for the three students to split was Lakeland graduate Pratikshya Bhandari ’11, whose employer, Northwestern Mutual, then matched her donation.

“I strongly encourage all of my students to study abroad,” said Katie Fronczak, Lakeland Spanish instructor. “It really makes their resumes stand out, because it shows they’re flexible enough to go overseas to learn about another culture, while also honing their Spanish-speaking and writing skills.”

When the first game began, Lakeland University basketball player Kyle Domark was sitting on the bench, cheering on his American teammates as they battled a team from Vienna, Austria.

Suddenly, Domark got the call. He shed his Team USA warmup, entered the fray and promptly drained five 3-pointers to close out the first half.

Following that explosive shooting display, Domark, a sophomore-to-be, started the ensuing five games of his team’s USA Athletes International (USAAI) early summer European basketball tour.

“Being able to shoot well over there was awesome,” said Domark, who estimates he drained between 18 and 20 3-pointers on the trip. “I’m glad I didn’t really have an off day. It was also fun trying new things, coming off screens differently than I’m used to and using new moves.”

Domark, a 6-3, 180-pound shooting guard from Yorkville, Ill., was initially invited to join a USAAI team bound for Italy. Due to some roster shuffling, he ended up on a team that played six games in eight days in Austria, Slovenia and Italy. He was the youngest player and the only Division III player on a roster that included NCAA Division II and NAIA basketball players.

Domark enjoyed the cultural blend on his team. Players from New York City meshed beautifully with players from Illinois and “farm boys from Missouri,” he said.

“They were all really cool guys,” he said. “Being on the same team as the D2 and NAIA guys was good for me, because I saw how smart they play. They do a lot of little things that are so important, like moving without the ball.”

The trip to Europe was one Domark will not soon forget, and not just because of the actual basketball competition.

“Some of the people thought we were celebrities,” he said. “When we’d walk into restaurants, people would freak out. We were taking pictures with people in the streets, just because we were from the U.S. We were hyped up way more than we should have been.”

On the court, the U.S. team went a respectable 4-2, but Domark’s most searing memory is of a 30-point beat-down at the hands of a Slovenian elite junior team in Ljubljana. Four former or current NBA players hail from Ljubljana, including current Miami Heat player Goran Dragic.

Anyone who has played with or against Domark knows he can shoot a basketball. When he gets hot, his range and accuracy can be ridiculous. Domark certainly showcased that ability during his trip to Europe, but he came back more determined than ever to improve his overall game.

“I’ve been working hard on ball handling, and lateral quickness on defense, which is my biggest weakness,” he said. “Also, paying attention to the entire court. As a player, you’ve got to be able to do more than just shoot.”

Domark is excited about his next three years as a Muskie. After missing the first half of last season due to an injury, he worked his way into the rotation the last month of his freshman season and hit eight 3’s in eight games.

“I’m grateful that the coaches gave me the opportunity to show that I can hang at this level,” he said. “But after this offseason, and after playing with and against guys a lot better than me and holding my own, I have gained a lot of confidence. I have learned a lot of things I am excited to bring to our team.”

Lakeland University and the renowned Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland continue to strengthen an exciting partnership, one that will soon feature student exchange opportunities in Europe for Lakeland hospitality management majors.

Recently, a group of nine Lakeland students and two faculty members visited the 20,000-plus student school during a week-long study abroad class titled “Irish Business, Culture and Hospitality.”

That excursion to the Dublin Institute of Technology was just one of many that students Corey Allen, Jacob Dueppen, Breanne Frank, Ben Gerhard, Mikayla Hilton, Bob Pfister, Katrien Rogers, Heather Ross and Brook Winkelman took. The group was led by Scott Niederjohn, Lakeland professor of business administration, and Britanni Meinnert, instructor of hospitality management.

Seven of the students are hospitality management majors, while the other two major in business administration. Meinnert said the week was beneficial to all who went.

“I think it was a really high-value experience,” she said. “For our students to see the impact the hospitality industry can have on a small country’s economy is really interesting. Our students got a first-hand look at another country’s culture, its politics, its economy and its education system.”

The Dublin Institute of Technology welcomed the Lakeland group with two lectures by guest experts. One spoke about the state of the Irish economy, while the other addressed the significance of tourism in the country.

Also on the Lakeland itinerary were:

* A morning at the European headquarters of Kellogg’s, in Dublin. Kellogg’s reps shared the company’s strategic plan, and how it is incorporating its breakfast brands into European culture.

* A tour of the famous beer brewer, Guinness.

* A literary pub crawl, during which the Lakeland group heard historical anecdotes about how famous writers like Oscar Wilde and James Joyce did some of their best work at local pubs.

* A visit to Dromoland Castle, which was built in the 1400s and was recently converted into a five-star resort.

* A visit to the Blarney Castle, where the students took turns kissing the famous Blarney Stone.

* A traditional Irish dinner, with authentic Irish music and dancers and traditional Irish food.

Members of Lakeland’s Japan campus in Tokyo celebrated last week’s transition from college to university at spirited events for faculty and students.

A ceremony for more than 100 students featured a short address by Alan Brender, Lakeland University Japan associate dean. Soft drinks and cake with blue and gold frosting were served, and games were played for prizes.

In another ceremony, more than 30 LUJ professors and staff participated in a meeting that featured the theme, “Who we are and what we do.”

LU Milwaukee Center helps battle community illiteracy

Lakeland University’s Milwaukee Center is committed to helping combat illiteracy in Milwaukee.

The LU Milwaukee Center recently donated 250 out-of-commission textbooks to Literary Services of Wisconsin. The estimated value of the donated books exceeds $2,000.

Literary Services of Wisconsin was thankful for the donation of seven boxes full of books, John Knapp, LU Milwaukee Center director, said.

“Thousands of adults have learned to read because of the support of volunteers, donors and friends like you,” Literary Services of Wisconsin wrote. “Our core programs reach nearly 600 students per year …”

Knapp said donating the books to Literary Services of Wisconsin felt rewarding, and the collaboration between the two organizations is a natural one.

“Both of our organizations serve an important purpose in helping educate non-traditional students here in Milwaukee,” Knapp said. “Whether it’s giving people in our community the tools to read or providing them with an environment where they can earn a degree, both organizations aim to improve people’s quality of life.”

Paul Pickhardt worked with some of the nation's top ornithologists to track the endangered Kirtland's Warbler in Michigan.

Paul Pickhardt, Lakeland University’s associate professor of biology, recently traveled to Michigan, where he helped a trio of accomplished research scientists track and observe the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler.

Pickhardt joined Pete Marra, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and fellow Smithsonian scientists Scott Sillett and Nathan Cooper. The four checked warblers’ nests in study plots that had been monitored by Cooper and a summer research crew.

The diminutive Kirtland’s Warbler is a rare but recovering species that breeds in a few known pockets of Jack Pine forests in lower Michigan and Wisconsin and a small area in Canada, then winters in the Bahamas and possibly other Caribbean locales.

In the 1970s, fewer than 200 Kirtland's Warblers remained in the world. Through extensive habitat management and control of the Brown-headed Cowbird – a destructive nest parasite – the Kirtland Warbler population now includes at least 2,000 singing males.

“The Kirtland’s Warbler is a true conservation success story,” said Pickhardt. “But the population has not fully recovered, and threats still exist.”

Utilizing a mist net and the digital playback of a Kirtland’s Warbler song, Cooper and Marra quickly attracted and caught an aggressive male – which, like many of the birds, had been fitted with a small geo-locator.

“It was amazing for me to see and hear so many Kirtland’s Warblers in one small area,” said Pickhardt, whose research expertise focuses on aquatic ecotoxicology.

“I have known about these threatened birds for decades, but this was the first time I’ve ever observed them in the wild. These Smithsonian scientists are ornithological wizards. It was a treat for me to observe them at work in the field.”

The Kirtland’s Warbler study and work by this Smithsonian crew will be featured in an upcoming story in Cornell University’s “Living Bird Magazine.” Marra’s upcoming book, “Cat Wars,” discusses the devastating consequences of free-ranging cats on bird and human health.

Deborah Bilzing, director of Lakeland University’s counseling program, has been named president of the Wisconsin Counseling Association.

Bilzing previously served on the executive board for the WCA, which represents professional counselors, counselor educators and counseling graduation students throughout Wisconsin.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to represent Lakeland University in my new role,” Bilzing said. “My goal in this leadership position is to continue promoting the WCA as a professional association that meets the needs of professional counselors, counselor educators and graduate counselors in training.

“I hope to engage members in conversation about why we do what we do, both as individuals and as institutions, and how we contribute to the respect for human dignity and diversity as an association dedicated to promoting the work of professional counselors.”

When Northview Elementary students return to their Howards Grove school this fall, a large, colorful, state-of-the-art playground will be waiting for them to enjoy and explore.

On a sweltering Monday afternoon, several local volunteers, including three Lakeland University football players, worked together to construct the playground from the ground up. According to former Northview Principal Teresa Keehn, the volunteer effort saved thousands of dollars in labor costs.

“It was an amazing experience,” said Lakeland standout defensive back Donte Rowell. “We were extremely grateful for the opportunity to help build something in our community that local children will safely enjoy for years to come.”

As soon as Rowell learned about this volunteer opportunity on Monday morning, he promptly recruited teammates Jerry Ojeda and Washington Vivanco. The three Muskies drove to the school at about noon and dug holes, planted tall, heavy support poles, poured concrete and performed numerous other tasks to help the cause. They worked for about three hours.

The old wooden playground, which had been in place for decades, was recently torn down.

“Those three young men who joined us today are awesome, and we are so appreciative that they were willing to help us,” said Keehn. “What a great example of community service!”

Madison Center celebration

One Giant opportunity

MBA degree offers new concentrations

Friends forever

Lakeland students become teachers

Lakeland faculty share expertise with senior citizens

Enjoying England

'I've come full circle'

Lakeland students explore Belize

Lakeland's cell tissue lab being put to good use this summer

Criminal justice program expands

Psychology Lab students showcase their work

Learning in Costa Rica

Kyle's European hoops adventure

Studying in Ireland

Lakeland's Japan campus celebrates

LU Milwaukee Center helps battle community illiteracy

Pickhardt helps track rare bird

Bilzing named WCA president

Building something special