Learn About UW-Richland

College for Kids Instructors

Clif Cavanaugh

Eyes on the Sky

I have taught Physics for 30 years and Astronomy for 15 years at the UW-Richland. I have always enjoyed looking at the night sky and wonder what is going on. I use telescopes and like to teach people how to use their telescope. I like to answer questions that all young people have about sky, space, and the universe. I also like to snorkel and scuba dive in Devil's lake and the much warmer waters of the Caribbean.

Shirley Due

Snack Chef

I've studied food and nutrition for over 30 years. I wrote my first cookbook in 1998 and am currently writing another cookbook to be published in 2009. I love to experiment with different grains, flours, sweeteners and soups. Food is a passion of mine. I live what I talk.

Nick Ehlinger

A week at the Improv

After teaching elementary music in the River Valley School District for seven years, I am now the district's middle school vocal music and drama teacher. Since my early school days when I played the part of Noah in a first-grade production of Noah's Ark, I have been involved in many dramatic productions, both on stage and behind the scenes. My interest in improvisational theater probably stems from that stint as Noah, when after all the animals unexpectedly started walking away from the ark toward their parents in the audience during the performance, I had to pretend that they were all still on stage and deliver my lines anyway!

Amie Fisher

Art in Architecture: Stained Glass

I have been an active working artist in the area for the last 10 years, selling my paintings and prints at a variety of local venues. In 2006, I returned to college at the UW-Richland campus where I furthered my skills with two dimensional media and fell in love with all aspects of art history. I completed my bachelor's degree in art education this spring at UW-Platteville and look forward to the next chapter in my artistic life.

Amy Forehand

The Court Will Come to Order

I graduated from Hamline Law School in 1998. I have been an Assistant District Attorney in Richland County for seven years. I handle all types of cases from speeding tickets to felonies, such as drug dealing and burglary. Before coming to work at the District Attorney's Office I worked for the Public Defender's Office in Stillwater, Minnesota and was in private practice doing criminal and family law. I have a special affinity for the story of Goldilocks - come to my class and see why!

Bob Frank

Blast Off! Beginning Rocketry

I was born in Milwaukee and moved to Richland Center in the mid 70s. I built my first rocket in the early 70s. We never did find it. Richland Center offered me the opportunity of more space and different rocket designs like the rocket car/plane I helped launch; we never found that one either! I have worked for the Richland County Sheriff's Department since 1987. I also teach an electronics/shop class once a week during the school year at Eagle School. I enjoy seeing students work through a problem and get the "I understand" expression on their faces. I hope to see many of those expressions in my CFK class this year.

Friendship Quilters

The Language of Quilting

Friendship Quilters Guild was established July 1, 1987, to share the love of quilts and quilt making with one another and provide information for those who would like to learn more about the art of quilting. We have 40 members and are open to any one that would like to join us, the fourth Monday of the month at Town & Country Church at 7:00 pm. Each year we have a Quilt show in October at the Town & Country Presbyterian Church. The Guild has created quilts for Walk with Grace and Heart Health for Women. We had such a great time last year with our first classes for College for Kids and are looking forward to this year.

John Heasley

Making Martians

I connected with the cosmos when the Cub Scouts took me on a field trip to the Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia when I was in fifth grade. I teach English at Richland Center High School including our planet's only summer school course in Martian Literature. I enjoy stargazing, especially under the dark skies of Southwest Wisconsin. I have attended space education workshops at Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and Johnson Space Center in Texas and enjoy sharing the adventures with my students.

Andrea Hoefferle

What's your Sign?

I was always interested in signing and had the opportunity to be involved with sign language in high school. After graduating, I decided to make my interest a career and attended interpreting school. I have an Associates degree in Educational Sign Language Interpreting from North Central Technical College. I currently live in Baraboo and work in a local school district. I can't wait to share my love of sign with you!!

Gail Hoffman

Roadrunner 911

I'm an Assistant Professor of Physical Education and Athletics at UW-Richland. I have B.P.E from Purdue University and a M.S. in Pedagogy from UW-LaCrosse. I enjoy coaching, officiating, and being outdoors. I especially enjoy helping others live a healthy, productive, and long-lasting life.

Sue Hulsether

Move It, Shake It, Sing It

I lead folk dances for groups of all sorts, sizes, ages, and abilities, specializing in American folk traditions. A musician my whole life and an elementary music teacher for 13 years, I now travel throughout the region leading groups in reels , squares, contras, circle dances, and singing games. I have gathered my repertoire from callers and dances around the country and weave strands of tradition and history into my instruction. Additionally, I love to perform as a clogger in the Appalachian flatfoot tradition, dabble in a variety of folk instruments, and play the spoons with abandon. In the summer, I moonlight as a market gardener with a stand at the Viroqua Farmers' Market.

Hsiao-Chi (Dora) Johnson

Chinese Lunar Calendar - A year in 5 Days

I am a native of the island of Taiwan and only recently moved to Wisconsin. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy at National Cheng-chi University, Taipei, Taiwan and came to the United States to study theater at Northwestern University in Evanston IL. There I received my Master of Arts with a major in Theatre Studies, Concentration on Directing and Creative Drama. I also hold certificate for teaching Chinese as a second language. I look forward to sharing my love of all things Chinese with the College for Kids students this summer. My hope is that they will come away with an appreciation of my homeland and culture.

Andrea Kaiser

Southwest Art

I have always enjoyed making things from materials I find in the natural world. When our family lived in New Mexico, I collected examples of many traditional arts and crafts from the Southwest, most of which are made from native materials. It is a pleasure to share these art forms during College for Kids. We connect the materials to the arts and learn how they were used by other people. Then everyone adds their imagination to make something unique. During the school year, I teach art at Reedsburg Area High School. In the summer, I like to garden, visit friends, and take photos.

Michelle Keller

Find your way with Orienteering

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse with an Exercise and Sport Science and Health Education degree. I have been teaching in the Richland Center School District for 9 years as an elementary, middle school, and adapted physical educator. I have also coached girls' basketball, volleyball, and softball. My passion is keeping kids active and bringing new and exciting activities into the classroom. I enjoy being outdoors and exploring. Orienteering is a great activity that can help anyone do these two things.

Jim Korb

Wet In the Wild

I am a graduate of UW-LaCrosse and I have been teaching at the elementary level for 30 years. I am currently at Jefferson Elementary. I love working with kids. I have extended my reach by being part of the instructional staff at UW Richland's College for Kids, Middle School U and PreCollege Programs. My passion is sharing my love of the outdoors - especially monitoring the streams and the microscopic life in them.

Wayne Morgenthaler

Off the Hook

I taught high school for 37 years as a business education instructor and the past two years at UW-Richland and UW-Platteville. However, my true passion is fishing. I am an avid fisherman who wants to pass the sport on to the younger generation. I have been a certified DNR fishing instructor for the past 5 years and have run fishing camps through the local recreational department for last 6 years. I also write fishing and hunting articles for mwnews.net. I hope to see you at the local fishing pond!

Dan Nedrelo

Snakes and Lizards and Frogs - Oh My!

I have been a herpetologist since 3rd grade. By the time I was in 9th grade I was doing local programs on reptiles and amphibians and using live specimens in 4-H and Boy Scouts projects. After attending the UW-Stevens Point I worked with the National Wildlife Federation and ever since I've maintained a lecture program in addition to working with the WI-DNR, Bureau of Endangered Resources, The Nature Conservancy and Dept. of the Army (Fort McCoy) doing wildlife work primarily with reptiles and amphibians. Additionally, my work as a wildlife photographer has taken me to most of the states in the USA along with Australia, Hispaniola, and most recently Costa Rica.

Darby Oldenburg

Investigating the Brain

My PhD is in microbiology from UW-Madison. I worked for a year in New Zealand doing research on a soil bacterium and it was there that I fell in love with teaching. I am a recipient of a Howard Hughes certificate in instructional design from UW-Madison, and I have helped develop a genetics curriculum at Madison West High School. I also have worked with a Waldorf-based summer camp where I spent quality time with 5th graders. I was a "Saturday science" mentor for Madison-area 4th graders, and we explored terraqua columns and butterfly rearing. I currently teach anatomy and physiology, general biology and microbiology at UW-R.

Dave Petrowitz

Football Mania

I have taught for 27 years in three different public school districts. During this time I have coached a number of sports from the 5th grade level to the varsity level, including football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, baseball, and track. I have also taught a class that utilizes Power Point at the College level. I love teaching "Football Mania" because it uses both the sport and the computer tools to develop the whole student in mind and body. When I am not teaching, my current hobby is in the martial art of Tae Kwon Do.

Cheryl Ross

Kids and Computers = Creativity

My first full-time job as a Business Educator was in Belmont, WI, and I have taught for 10 years at River Valley Middle School, 13 years total. I enjoy working with students and implementing new technologies into my curriculum. One of my favorite concepts to teach is the design elements in desktop publishing. I am the yearbook advisor for the middle school publication, The Fledgling. In my spare time I enjoy digital photography and scrapbooking.

Jeffrey Rusk

Club Kayak

I love the outdoors and especially the part of Wisconsin I am fortunate to live in. One benefit of living in this part of the state are the waterways I like to explore by canoe and kayak. I wanted to share my love of paddle sports so I became a Certified Instructor for the American Canoe Association. When I'm not pursuing other outdoor interests I am helping horses as a farrier, trimming and balancing horses' hooves and fitting shoes to their feet.

Jena Sherry

The Chemistry Lab

I received my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Math as well as my Master's of Education, Professional Development (MEPD) degree from UW-LaCrosse. I have taught for fourteen years, the most recent at Kickapoo Area Schools in science and social studies. Chemistry was my favorite class high school and I love Life, Earth, and Space Science too. I'm a member of the Kickapoo-Griffin Land Stewardship Team and help manage the 300+ acres of wetlands, prairie, and school forest at Kickapoo. I enjoy traveling with my family and especially enjoy traveling to places where I can gather knowledge to share with my students.

Michael Wunnicke

Hola, Hablas Español?

¡Saludos! Greetings. My name is Michael Wunnicke and I am teaching Spanish at College for Kids. !Vamos a aprender español! Let's learn some Spanish. I am a high school Spanish teacher and have enjoyed teaching Spanish at College for Kids for many years. I originally started while on summer break from my teaching job in New Mexico. I love speaking and teaching Spanish and traveling in the Spanish speaking world, sometimes with some of my students. In my free time I like to swim and ride horses and of course - hablar español!

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