MATC Matters

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Commencement is a time for students, their families and the campus community to celebrate and reflect upon their accomplishments at Madison Area Technical College. On Saturday, May 16, more than 2,100 students graduated from our college! If you were unable to attend the ceremony you can watch it–in its entirety–on our website. Many thanks to faculty and staff for their contribution to a memorable ceremony:  Keith Cornille, Mary Robbins, Doug Kirchberg, Jackie Dahlke, Lori Erickson, Susan Valtierria, Renee Alfano, Sue Carter, Sandy Hall, Laurie Beardsley, Anna Marie Hofmann, Corey Helser, Ellen Hustad, Mary Merkes, John Pigeon, Richard Seibt, Tera Michelle Reed, Susan Dalton, Hiep Tran, Quang Duong, Chris Worthington, Tara Monthie, and Steve Hrobsky. Special thanks also to marshals Jim Moore, Lynn Goetsch, Rocio Martinez, Greg Weier, Juanita Comeau, Diane Walleser, and the readers of names David Woolpert and Anna Purnell.

Dining for a Difference
Here’s your chance to help MATC’s Smart Future Campaign and enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by Bravo TV’s Top Chef winner—Stephanie Izard! The Madison Club Foundation is presenting Dining for a Difference at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 14. All proceeds will benefit our Smart Future Campaign! Seating is limited—so please reserve your seat soon by calling The Madison Club at (608) 255-4861. 

Men’s Baseball Team
The MATC baseball team had a fantastic year. They fell just short of advancing to the NJCAA Division II College World Series and finished the season with a 37-12 record. Congratulations to coach Mike Davenport and his assistants, as well as Steve Hauser, Kris Mills, Jason Verhelst, and Gary “Big Dog��? Breneman. In case you missed it, the Wisconsin State Journal recently did a nice feature story on coach Davenport—who has a congenital heart condition.

MATC Marvels
When I talk to students and hear about their favorite teachers, I also ask them to tell me about anyone at MATC who has especially helped them or been kind to them. Here are the names mentioned to me most recently:
Kathryn Grovergrys, Spanish
Mark Lausch, health and safety dean
Jessica Mahne, interior design
Tammy Bartholomew, administrative specialist

More MATC Marvels
The Financials upgrade was flawless thanks to the core team of Jim Patton, Mitch Millan, Sue Kronberger, and Jayme Kerr. We appreciate all of you!

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs has reaccredited our surgical technician program. Thanks to Carolyn Steinhorst, Mary Evans, and their office personnel Jennifer Meek, Sue Helminski, Tammy Bartholomew, Madeleine Rossing and Kay Wagner. Also, thanks to Antonio Re and Jody Thrush for their assistance.

The American Veterinary Medical Association has granted continued full accreditation to our Vet Tech program. Kudos to the faculty and staff that made this possible, especially program director Jane Clark. Other faculty that played significant roles include Clarissa “CC” Sheldon, Bob Taylor, Andrea Foley, Kay Bradley and Jim Topel. Staff members Laurie Angell, Melissa Hayden, and Teri Raffel I am told were also a big help.

Matt Guenette was selected for writer-in-residency by Portal Wisconsin, a nonprofit website created by the partners of the Cultural Coalition of Wisconsin to support the state’s culture, arts, humanities and history.

Thanks to Deryl Davis Fulmer, Geoff Bradshaw, Stephanie Cowen, and facilities and catering staff, for contributing to the Community Colleges for International Development, Inc. Project Coordinator Workshop’s success.

John Johnson, culinary arts, has been selected to receive the 2008-09 UW-Stout School of Education Career and Technical Education Training Exemplary Service Award.

A recent student note to the library staff read: “You guys are awesome! Always happy to help me when I ask dumb questions. Thank you for making my schooling a breeze. Hope everyone has a great summer.”  Just a note, the Truax library staff served more than a half-million students and staff the past academic year and the use of the DTEC and regionals libraries grew as well.

Thanks go to our MATC Libraries for sponsoring and hosting the Wisconsin Libraries Association Annual Support Staff Conference and also partnering with students in collecting more than 100 non-perishable items during our Food for Fines program. 

Jackye Thomas, who served on the Governor’s Campus Safety Task Force, tells us the task force report was presented a 2008 Notable Documents Award. 

Highlights of my past two weeks:
• visited with the Lake Mills School District Board along with MATC District Board trustee Joel Winn to talk about enhancing our services and partnerships with the district (this is one of a series of board-to-board outreach visits we are making to every one of our 40 school districts);
• attended a meeting with Department of Administration Secretary Michael Morgan;
• learned about Quintessence Biosciences from Ralph Kauten (Chairman and CEO) and Laura Strong (President and COO) at TEMPO;
• along with District Board Chair Janice Bultema, instructors Robert Corbett, Devin Rains and Rebecca Parish and 8 MATC students, attended the special preview events at the Guggenheim Museum highlighting our architecture technician students’ display celebrating the opening of the exhibition, “Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward;��?
• met with the Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association’s executive director;
• welcomed the Madison Metropolitan Chapter of The Links, Inc. and their distinguished students and parents, at their annual scholarship recognition event;
• cheered the MATC men’s baseball team at the NJCAA Division II North Plains District tournament game;
• networked with community leaders at Pleasant Rowland and Jerry’s Frautschi’s foundation open house;
• greeted new employees at their orientation: Ann Goth, student support facilitator, Antoinette Hayes, clerical assistance, Giorgianne Maziarka, disability resources liaison-east region, Jamesetta Fousek, learning programs advisor, and Gilbert Villalpando, youth educational program planner;
• greeted golfers at the annual Redsten Golf Outing;
• participated in the United Way Board meeting;
• attended the Wisconsin Technical College System state board meeting;
• dropped in at the Fund for Women Donor Appreciation event;
• attended the Rotary of Madison meeting;
• met with the MATC district board trustees; and
• served as a celebrity cashier at the World’s Largest Brat Festival!

In closing, here is a quote from an ole’ English author, shared with me by Joe Lynde, DTEC testing coordinator:

“Brilliant does all that it can. Genius does what it must.��?
 
Bettsey