Pusaporn Tabrizi

Tabrizi, the senior adviser for the Multicultural Educational Resource Center came to UW-P in 1997 as an adviser to MERC. Since then she has taken over the advisement of the university’s ASIA and Hmong clubs.

The Woman of the Year is chosen by a sub-committee of the University Women’s Council. Anyone who has contributed significantly to women’s issues can be nominated, but the recipient has to excel at it.

“The committee looks for those who go above and beyond their job by doing something special for women,” said Vickie Dreessens, vice chair of the woman’s council.

“All of the women who receive the award are absolutely amazing,” said Tammy Salmon-Stephens, another member of the council and the director of women in engineering program. “It’s a very difficult process to choose.”

The committee said they chose Tabrizi based on her involvement with the campus community as an adviser and mentor, and particularly because of her work with women in the Asian and Hmong community.

“She really understands students individually. I think that’s really important,” graduate student Eriko Miyata said. “Students trust her and build good relationships with her.”

Tabrizi’s award reception is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8 in the Patricia A. Doyle Women’s Center.

“This award is for every woman in my opinion. It’s not just for me,” Tabrizi said. “I’m not the only one doing this work. There are many others on campus doing the same.”

I know that Division I athletes do have some tough travel, but take into account that, for the high level schools, they fly and often get to a destination the day before. On the other hand Division III athletes will get on a bus for several hours and then be expected to play a game.

I am going to use UW-Platteville as an example. The Pioneers’ shortest bus ride to play a WIAC contest, according to mapquest.com, is a 2 hour, 113.63 mile trip to UW-Whitewater.

The trip to La Crosse is actually shorter in mileage, but due to not being able to travel on four lane highways, takes about 10 minutes longer than the Whitewater trip.

The most extreme trip any Pioneer team will take according to mapquest.com is a 7.5 hour, 415 mile trip to Hancock, MI. Hancock is the home to Finlandia University and the UW-P men’s soccer team makes that trip.

The only trips that Pioneer teams are able to stay in a motel for are Superior and Finlandia. Seven, 5, 4 and 3-hour bus rides are nothing to shake your head at.

Two weeks ago I was able to travel to UW-Stout on the Pioneer men’s basketball team bus for their WIAC tournament opening game. The four-hour ride there was not easy to endure but the four-hour ride home after an 8 p.m. start to the game and a buzzer beater to end the season was brutal.

After being on that trip with the team I have a brand new appreciation for not only what the Pioneer men’s basketball team does, but for everybody that is involved with UW-P athletics and makes these trips.

Hopefully this provided some insight for you on what the Pioneer athletic teams go through as far as travel is concerned. The travel requirements tell me, and should tell everybody, that Division III athletics is where athletes, coaches, officials and fans truly love what they do.

The first candidate, Shuja Shiddiqui, visited UW-Platteville on March 3. Shiddiqui earned his bachelor’s degree in organizational behavioral management and industrial organizational psychology in 1991 from the University of Houston. In 2000 Shiddiqui earned his master’s degree in management information systems with a focus on business re-engineering, business process modeling and systems designs from the College of Santa Fe.

Shiddiqui has been in the food service industry for 25 years, and started his career as a busboy at the University of Houston while working toward his degree. He eventually worked his way up and became the student manager and later the assistant manager of the dining hall.

After earning his degree, Shiddiqui became the assistant food services director at the University of Chicago. After one year there he became the director of dining services, and held that position for three years before becoming the director of dining services at Northwestern University. Shiddiqui stayed at Northwestern for less than a year before moving into the private sector. After making the move, he held four food management positions, and in 2002 became the president of Hai’s Group, Inc., where he monitored multiple restaurants’ earnings and employees.

Shiddiqui said that after eight years off campus, he wanted tobe back on a campus setting. That is why he applied for the job at UW-P.

“As soon as I walked on campus, I felt a warmth, and I knew I wanted to be part of this operation,” Shiddiqui said.

Shiddiqui said he would like to facilitate the university’s increased interest in recycling by implementing greater use of biodegradable materials and reducing packaging sizes.

With budget cuts affecting the entire state, Shiddiqui said it is important to let employees know they are appreciated even though they may be facing a pay-cut.

“People will only give their best if they feel valued and appreciated,” Shiddiqui said, “Value goes beyond money, people need to feel like they are a part of the process. It is important for a director to be selfless and look out for the people you are working with.”

If chosen as dining services director, Shiddiqui said he would implement a wider variety of options for students to eat and would try to bring more vegetarian and healthier meal choices to UW-P.

Mike Ernst
Mike Ernst, the only internal candidate in the process interviewed March 4.

Ernst received his bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from UW-Stout in 1990. After graduating from college, Ernst became the manager of Bennigan’s Restaurants in Naperville, Ill. and opened his own restaurant, Ernie’s Bar and Grill, in Muscoda, at the age of 23. This single restaurant expanded into a three-unit business that he owned for 14 years. While he owned his own business, Ernst was also the manager of Chili’s Bar and Grill in Madison.

Ernst came to UW-P in July of 2005 as a chef and food service manager, and said that he would not be happy anywhere else.

“This is where I want to be. This is what I want to do. This is a great place,” Ernst said.

When asked what he would do to build relationships during this time of budget cuts, Ernst said he would have open conversations with his employees and really take an interest in what each person has to say. Ernst said that problems need to be faced and dealt with when they are discovered, otherwise they cause bigger problems.

“We have great people here,” Ernst said.

Ernst said the best thing about working on a self-contracted campus such as UW-P is that the money stays on the campus.

“Everything we do is for the students, and all the money we make goes to students,” Ernst said.

Ernst said he wants to focus on what students want, and said he wants to bring more vegetarian options and 500-calorie meal options to campus.

If Ernst becomes the director of dining services, he would become the supervisor of people that he currently works with on a daily basis. Ernst does not believe this will be a problem.

“I have talked to my peers, and they are fine with the situation,” Ernst said, “[Leaders of dining services] have issues that they want to push forward, and they believe I am the person who can take them where they want to go.”

Timothy Meyer
Timothy Meyer interviewed March 5.

Meyer received his bachelor’s degree in home economics, and restaurant, hotel and institutional management from Purdue University. Meyer then earned his master’s degree in economics from Pittsburg State University.
From May until September of 1994, Meyer was the director of dining services at the University of Houston. He then became the regional food and beverage director for Coastal Mart Inc., in Houston from 1994 to 1995.

From 1995 until 2001, Meyer worked at different jobs in the food service industry, but made his way back to an academic setting in 2002 when he became the dining court manager at Purdue University. He served here until 2008. While at Purdue, Meyer renovated the food court and instituted six new restaurants.

Meyer left Purdue University and became food service director with Chartwells/The Compass Group from August 2008 until May of 2009. Meyer said he explored an opportunity, learned that the institution was not focused on the students, and then applied for the position at UW-P.

“Ever since I was introduced to dining services at Purdue, my goal and dream has been to be dining services director at an independent, self-operation,” Meyer said. “I enjoy working with students; they bring a vitality and freshness to the operation.”

Meyer said he is impressed by UW-P because the staff and students seem to be dedicated to and engaged in their campus. Meyer said the facilities at UW-P do not look out-dated, and he believes he can help UW-P stay ahead of the curve and current trends.

Contestants consisted of nine UW-P students, four females and five males. Contestants ranged from sorority members, to a brave freshman, and even a duet by two brothers. The performers played a variety of music including; Rihanna, Bob Dylan, Matchbox 20 and even self-written songs.

Along with the performers, comedian Adam Ace humored the crowd between acts while the winners were being selected. He had members of the crowd on stage for “booty-dancing” and even a bit of cross-dressing.

“I was inspired to do this because I enjoy working with the students and seeing how different campuses do things,” Ace said.

After eight acts and nine performers, judges deliberated while Ace entertained the crowd and finally selected the winners. Ben Wians, freshman engineering major won first place, winning a video camera, with a song he wrote himself.

“It feels great,” Wians said after winning and before his crowd-encouraged encore.

Second place went to the Barlow brothers, general engineering major Benjamin and math major Rudy, who played a duet, winning a digital picture frame.

In third place was music education major Emily Hackl, who won a digital media player.

“Putting everything together only took about a week or so,” Hackl said. “I was nervous getting up in front of everybody but it turned out to be a great experience.”

“I was extremely nervous but my friends and family were very supportive and helped me through it,” communications major and contestant Christine Verseman said.

Pioneer Idol is funded by Campus Programming Relations every March.

“There was a lot of variety in the music performed,” said Jessica Weber, English and Spanish education major. “Pioneer Idol was a fun way to spend Saturday night.”

Swaminat Balachandran, chair of the University Commencement Committee, said the major difference will be the amount of guests allowed to attend. Graduating seniors are now only allowed to reserve a maximum of four tickets for their friends and family to attend the ceremony. There previously was no limit.

One reason tickets are being sold is the recent renovations of the bleachers in the Williams Fieldhouse, which Balachandran said reduced the seating capacity in the Fieldhouse by a few hundred seats.

“The number of graduates is increasing each year,” Balachandran said. “There is not enough room in the Fieldhouse for unlimited number of guests.”

Tickets have been used at UW–P before, and are being reinstated in May. According to David Kieckhafer, UW–P’s registrar, this decision was made by the University Commencement Committee membership, which includes Interim Chancellor Carol Sue Butts.

Kieckhafer said there are approximately 762 degree candidates scheduled to graduate in May or August 2010. With students continuing to turn in intent-to-graduate forms each day, the final number is guarantied to be even higher. For example, in February of 2009 there were 685 degree candidates, compared to 837 prior to the ceremony in May.

“Many guests have found that seating has filled when they arrive for the ceremony and they are directed to overflow seating areas,” Kieckhafer said. “Tickets will permit every graduate to have some family members in the audience.”

“I was really surprised when I found out that I was only going to be able to have four of my family members at the ceremony, but I guess it’s fair to allow everyone to have their families present,” Cayla Lillge, graduating senior chemistry and biology major, said. “They’re doing it as fairly as possible, but I’m still disappointed.”

“In recent years, there have been 20, 30 or even 40 guests attending for one student,” Kieckhafer said. “This prevents other families from getting seats.”

Detailed ticket information is available here.