After his wife, Joyce Mueller, lost her battle with cancer at the age of 56, Jim Valaskey, director of facilities management at UW-Platteville, decided to establish the Joyce Mueller Memorial Scholarship to honor her memory.

“She was a very loving, caring and intelligent person,” Valaskey said. “She was very dedicated to educating the youth. She loved teaching and sharing her wealth of information, both in educating her subordinates at work and in the university classroom.”

The scholarship will be awarded to a student pursuing a career in the medical field. Students studying a career in premedical, nursing, dentistry, medical technology or nanotechnology applicable are eligible to apply for this scholarship. The scholarship is intended for students from the tri-state area. To be considered for the scholarship, an applicant must demonstrate financial need, be in good academic standing and be from the tri-state area.

Denee Hirsch, director of development and major gifts for the UW-P Foundation said that the scholarship will not be available until the spring of 2010. The applications can be found online through the financial aid Web site.

Mueller went to Cuba City High School and graduated from UW-P with a bachelor’s degree in medical technology. Mueller went on to receive a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Dubuque. After school, Mueller went to work as an administrative supervisor at Mercy Medical Center United Clinical Laboratories in Dubuque.

“I wanted to honor Joyce and help a local, tri-county student,” Valaskey said. “I wanted to give them the opportunity to study in the medical field. I know it would be Joyce’s goal too. Joyce was a true supporter of education.”