With a student to faculty ratio of 22 to 1, an average class size of 28 and the highest percentage of undergraduate courses taught by full-time faculty in the entire UW System, students at UWSP have the daily opportunity to interact with our world-class faculty. Our students are taught and mentored by dedicated professors whose first priority is teaching, but whose accomplishments in the field continue to mold them into the educators that they are today.
Below you’ll find just a few examples of the extraordinary ways in which our faculty are distinguishing themselves at the local, national and international levels, all of which adds up to the exceptional educational experience that awaits you here at UW-Stevens Point.
Robert Rosenfield, Professor of Biology and an internationally renowned researcher, specializes in the field of avian ecology. The Discovery Channel and Animal Planet have aired several shows highlighting his research with birds of prey. Dr. Rosenfield has served on numerous high-profile, international committees, including those working with endangered species. He has also been asked to provide expert counsel on the removal of listed fauna. Most recently, Dr. Rosenfield has been named to the 2006 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, a national honor roll for teachers who have been recognized and nominated by their students as being an outstanding educator.
Jianwei Wang, Professor of Political Science and past recipient of a prestigious MacArthur Foundation Grant, is an expert on U.S./China relations. Dr. Wang has made frequent trips between the United States and China to do research and to promote mutual understandings between the two countries. He has appeared nationally as an expert on China on media outlets such as PBS News Hour, FOX, National Public Radio and Nightline. Wang is associated with the Atlantic Council, a prestigious foreign affairs think tank and the Voice of America regularly flies Wang to Washington to participate in roundtable discussions that are broadcast to the Far East. This year he gave a paper at a conference celebrating 30 years of U.S.-Chinese relations and met with President Bush. Dr. Wang regularly takes students to the annual National Model United Nations (UN) conference in New York City.
Elia Armacanqui-Tipacti, Professor of Foreign Languages, recently received the Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award, which recognizes women in Wisconsin for their contributions to the advancement of women on their campuses and in their communities. Dr. Armacanqui-Tipacti was a keynote speaker at the 2005 Wisconsin Women Care Conference, and in March 2005, organized a collaborative Poetry and Art exhibition titled "Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women." An accomplished scholar, she serves as an editor and contributor to the Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature, and is currently transcribing and translating the journals of two 17th and 18th century Peruvian nuns for publication. A native of Peru, Dr. Armacanqui-Tipacti is fluent in the Incan language, Quechua, as well as Spanish and Portuguese.
Tom Brown, Professor of Interior Architecture, has received several national and local awards for his work and is responsible for a number of publications. He has also been a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences and is the founding member of several Building Associations. Perhaps one of his most notable accomplishments took place in Mozambique, Africa. While there, Tom managed a country-wide school construction project, funded by the World Bank and African Development Bank, under the United Nations Development Program.
Michael J. Hansen, Professor of Fisheries Biology, was appointed to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission by President George W. Bush. In addition to this important task, Dr. Hansen is involved with numerous other projects. He currently serves as Coeditor for the North American Journal of Fisheries Management. Some of the cutting edge research conducted by Dr. Hansen and his students include working with Walleye, Lake Trout, and other fish communities in and around the Midwest. Dr. Hansen teaches numerous fisheries-related courses in the College of Natural Resources and serves as the faculty advisor for several student organizations.
Diane Canfield Bywaters, Professor of Art, is an artist and educator, specializing in landscape painting. She has painted extensively throughout the United States, France, Costa Rica, England, and Italy. Professor Bywaters has the distinction of being selected to more current national park artist-in-residency programs than any other artist; National Parks include Glacier, Isle Royale, Rocky Mountain, Acadia, Hawaii Volcanoes, Apostle Islands, Indiana Dune, Voyagers, Buffalo River, and Alaska's Denali. Her work has been collected by numerous corporations including Pepsi Corporation, 3-M, United Airlines, and General Motors.
Leslie Wilson, Professor of Education, has developed programs for gifted, highly able, and creative learners across the United States. Dr. Wilson was recognized with the Teaching Scholar Award and the University Excellence in Teaching Award. As a very successful book, manuscript, and grant writer, Dr. Wilson recently received the $500,000 Congressional Award to fund the FACETS Project –a multi-year development project which focuses on realigning university teaching to the needs of students and introduces faculty to newer methods of teaching.