Spring 2008

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Along the South Fork

A new Falcon Foods cheese, Cobblestone Red, made a big splash in the news with articles in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Eau Claire Leader Telegram, River Falls Journal, Corporate Report Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin Business Newswire among others. The brainchild of Falcon Foods manager Ranee May and crafted by her students, the new cheese combines a creamy semisoft cheese with Chateau St. Croix Winery and Vineyard Chateau Rouge wine. The cheese can be ordered through Falcon Foods online.

UWRF and its vital role in the St. Croix Valley economy was among the content highlighted in a special report, “Wisconsin's St. Croix Valley,” in the March 14 edition of the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. Chancellor Don Betz, River Falls Mayor Don Richards, Chamber of Commerce Director Rosanne Bump, and Pierce/St. Croix EDC directors Bill Warner and Bill Rubin were highlighted in a special “Movers & Shakers” article in the supplement, sponsored by the Wisconsin Entrepreneur's Network. UWRF Small Business Development Center Director Steve DeWald, among an estimated 2,000 people who travel from home in the Twin Cities to Wisconsin each day, was a source for an article on reverse commuting.

Art Professor Randy Johnson, who studied under master potter Tatsuzo Shimaoka, spoke about the late master for a feature obituary in the Dec. 23 edition of The New York Times. “We worked seven days a week,” Johnson recalls of his apprenticeship with Shimaoka in 1975. “But he was not dictatorial or oppressive. He always seemed to find time, graciously taking in students, or welcoming visitors to the pottery.”

Rose Rongitsch, a senior majoring in journalism from St. Paul, received third place at the Wisconsin Broadcast Association's Student Awards for Excellence for her TV news story on Al Murray, an IT Services employee and longtime chief engineer for WRFW radio. The two-minute segment highlighted Murray's hard work and dedication to the broadcast journalism program. Rongitsch posted the segment on YouTube.

Retired NASA astronaut and UWRF Distinguished Alumnus Daniel Brandenstein's Nov. 29 op-ed piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel outlined the need for continued investment in the mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “For less than 0.6 cents on every dollar of federal budget, we are investing in future ecological alternatives to traditional energy sources, waste management and foods. We are revitalizing the interest of our children in math and science. We are driving the development of new technologies in medical, telecommunications, aviation and safety/health industries… . The challenges of space exploration drive NASA to solve problems that are directly integral to our quality of life on Earth. Challenges like providing clean air, water and food and protecting astronauts from hazards like exposure to dangerous radiation, the deterioration of bones, muscles and organs, all require solutions that will advance human exploration but also have very practical applications on Earth.”

A photo of UW-River Falls students and a comment from Chancellor Don Betz was included in Jonathan Glater's story, “Colleges Reduce Out-of-State Tuition to Lure Students,” appearing in the National Report section of The New York Times March 8. Other UW officials were quoted in the article as well as higher education administrators from California and South Dakota.

Carrying On in Kabul

Sustainability in the St. Croix Valley

Investing in Facilities