Investing in Student Success

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Mary Poppe Chrisman - Building Dedication

Cedar Grove native Mary Poppe came to Wisconsin State College-Whitewater to study mathematics. She married fellow student Byron Chrisman on the day she received her bachelor of science. The couple moved to Colorado, where she earned her master of science at the University of Colorado under a National Science Foundation Scholarship. Her professional life included teaching, computer programming and accounting. Her personal life included three sons, her husband’s business endeavors, an active outdoor life and her church.

Byron has said that Mary loved teaching and would have liked working as a student tutor when she was on campus. The Mary Poppe Chrisman Success Center, through Byron's gift, is a legacy in support of the mission and goals of student success at UW-Whitewater.

Evelyn-Hillier Kreisman '38 Conference Room - a gift from Barbara Kreisman '72 and Carolyn Kreisman-Mielcarek '71

Evelyn, one of three sisters who graduated from UW-Whitewater, attended school during the Great Depression. Due to the extreme challenges of the period she had to withdraw but returned to complete her degree shortly before World War II.

She became a teacher of Business Education in Menomonie WI, along with her husband, Irvin Kreisman, who was the school's English and Journalism teacher. Their daughters, Carolyn and Barbara are also graduates of UW-W.

Dr. Elmer G. Redford '59 Lab

The Dr. Elmer G. Redford ’59 Lab has been established in the Mary Poppe Chrisman Success Center on the campus of UW−Whitewater. “Thanks to a generous contribution from a UW−Whitewater alumnus, we are pleased to name this lab in honor of noted alumnus, instructor and staff member, Dr. Elmer Redford,” noted Greg Rutzen, President, UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. and Vice Chancellor for University Advancement. 

The room will recognize the foundational work of Dr. Elmer Redford, UW-Whitewater Emeritus Physics Faculty Member and Developmental Studies and Learning Skills Center Director. Dr. Redford faithfully served for twenty-seven years as a member of the Department of Physics and is highly regarded for mentoring numerous students. He was instrumental in leading the development and growth of the Tutorial Services precursor, then known as the Developmental Studies / Learning Skills Center. His vision laid the foundation for a tutoring program focused on student needs and leveraging the talents of peer mentors, faculty and counselors. Dr. Redford also was a long-term stakeholder and supporter of the R. W. Prucha Scholarship Fund. Additionally, he participated in the shared governance of the University as a member of the faculty senate.

SPACE

Fred M. & Barbara J. Arndt Writing Center - Established by Fred '70 and Barbara in 2020

Frederick Arndt has held executive and leadership positions in human resources in Fortune 50 corporations as well as startup and early stage ventures for more than 45 years, including McKesson Corporation, SegaSoft, Capitol Records, Apple Computer, Searle Pharmaceuticals, Frito-Lay, and Baxter International.

Arndt admits that when he was a senior in high school,  it wasn’t clear he would make it to UW-Whitewater — or any college campus.  “My high school counselor said that, given my test scores, I wasn’t really college material,” he said.  His brother had gone to UW-Madison, but he felt that campus was too big for him. He knew about UW-Whitewater because an uncle had graduated from Whitewater State Teachers College in the 1930s, and while Arndt was in high school his grandmother was a house mother in one of the fraternity houses, so he’d go to Whitewater to pick her up and bring her home for the holidays.

Once he arrived on campus as a freshman, he knew he’d found his fit.  He started out as a business major, but a first-semester accounting class made him consider political science instead.  He took a Shakespeare course and was fascinated. He took every English class he could, so that by the time he was a junior he was 3-4 credits away from a second major in English, so he added it. One of the classes was creative writing.

“I knew writing would be helpful. The professor was a wild-haired guy with horn-rimmed glasses. I wrote an essay, he read it, and then he said, ‘I looked at this, and you only wrote a page and a half. I read it again and it dawned on me, you wrote what needed to be written — it was an economy of writing.’ But the grade was a C+. I asked the professor why I didn’t get an A, and he answered, ‘Your grammar.’ Although I ended up with a D in the class, it was the best class I took. Throughout my career, people have complimented me on the way in which I write.”

After graduating, Arndt spent three years serving in the Army during the Vietnam War. When he returned, he began working in human resources, eventually holding executive and leadership positions with Fortune 50 corporations as well as startup and early stage ventures until he retired from corporate leadership roles and established a consulting practice dedicated to leadership and human resource practices.  He attributes much of his success, both professional and personal, to his experiences at UW-Whitewater. He especially credits his professors in liberal arts studies — in particular writing and literature.

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Allen Einerson Memorial Director's Office - Gift from Christine and Jean Einerson

Dr. Allen Einerson was the Director of Campus Tutorial Services and a Senior Developmental Skills Specialist in Academic Support Services at UW-Whitewater from August 1985 until May 2009.  In 1998 Dr. Einerson received the Excellence Award for Academic Staff.