Learn About UW-Marinette
MEET OUR INTRUCTORS
Johanna Axelrod is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. She has continued her art education over the years through art classes and workshops. From fibers to watercolor she has worked as a freelance artist for the past 30 years, exhibiting and selling her work, as well as teaching.
Mike Baciak taught general math and calculus courses at Marinette High School for 35 years, and has taught math on an adhoc basis at UW-Marinette. He holds a BA from Northern Michigan University and an MA from Ohio State University.
Sarah Bird is a graduate of UW-Marinette and former program assistant for Continuing Education and International Student Programs. She taught preschool at the Village Cooperative Preschool in Menominee for 3 years and still loves to play with kids!
Brenda Blystone is a graduate of UW-Eau Claire and has taught Spanish at Marinette High School for the past 12 years. Brenda has also served as a co-advisor of the Marinette High School Student Senate for 10 years and as a counselor and facilitator at several Wisconsin Association of Student Council events including levels IV and V leadership camps. Additionally, Brenda has received the Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers "Distinguished Foreign Language Techer Award" in 2003 and most recently was voted our local Walmart's "Teacher of the Year" for 2005.
Romy Blystone owns and operates www.FRIENDLY-Web-Design.com and has been serving the online community since 1997. FRIENDLY Web Design offers website design, hosting and promotion as well as serch engine placement, ecommerce/merchant tools and services, forums, etc. Romy also runs other successful websites including www.MyFRIENDsite.com which is a free community-building website service.
Sandy Corwin teaches at Marinette High School.
Birgitta Dannberg is a native of Sweden who has been a part of our community for 20 years. During those 20 years, she has worked hard to spread and introduce the Swedish culture in schools and nursing homes. She has taught the Swedish language at the University for several seasons.
Jackie Dupler graduated with a B.A. from Indiana University. Jackie has taught and translated Spanish at many different levels. She currently teaches Spanish for Business at NWTC in Marinette.
Scott Haulotte, Technical Services/Continuous Improvement Manger for Karl Schmidt Unisia, Inc. teaches courses on various Lean Manufacturing topics. He is certified in Lean Manufacturing through the Milwaukee School of Engineering and has 26 years experience as a Tier I Automotive Supplier, 10 years in Production Management and 5 years in Continuous Improvement. He is also a Six Sigma Greenbelt.
Pat Johnson is retired from teaching art in the Menominee Public Schools. She also has several sculptures in Menominee including the "Spirit of the Menominee" in front of Menominee City Hall. She is a member of the Board of Review, National Art Journal 2003-2006 and earned a BA degree in art from Western Michigan University in 1964 and a Masters Degree from Northern Michigan University in 1992. She was a consultant for the Getty Curriculum Development institute from 1988-1991; Menominee High School Art Teacher, 2000-2005; and Menominee Elementary Art Teacher, 1986-2000.
Dr. Wendel Johnson has taught courses in the biological sciences at UW-Marinette since 1969. His doctoral thesis on the mammals of Isle Royale was the beginning of many years of research in that area. A long-time member of the Chappee Rapids Audubon Society, Dr. Johnson’s interests include population biology, conservation and environmental studies.
Shirley A. Kaufman was born and raised on a farm in Loomis, Wisconsin. A graduate of Marinette High School, later attended the University of Wisconsin-Marinette and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College taking several courses. Kaufman has spent her life living and working in Marinette County. She is currently employed by the University of Wisconsin Extension as an Educator for the Family Nutrition Program where she enjoys working and helping others. Kaufman is a County Board Supervisor for District 25 in Marinette and also an Alderperson on the Marinette City Council representing Ward 4. She is a member of the Marinette County Republican Party and Vice-President of the Kewaunee Lakeshore Women's Republican Federation. A member of the Zion Lutheran Church, Marinette, she is a member of the Church Council, Church Finance Committee, and Ruth Circle. She enjoys spending free time with her daughter and son-in-law who live in Appleton as well as her brothers, Leo and Tom Kaufman of Loomis. She also enjoys traveling, sports, music, and getting together with friends.
Doris LaCourt has a B.S. degree in education with a French Major and English minor; Masters degree in Reading with further graduate credits in French; over 30 years experience as a teacher and 20 years experience leading student groups to France.
Larry LaMalfa is a 1986 graduate from UW-Madison with a Communication Arts degree/ specialization in Television and Film. He has worked at the Neville Public Museum of Brown County as their Audio/Visual Technician and Photographer since 1997. He supports the screening of International Films as a board member of the Green Bay Film Society and is a contributing member of DePere’s Independent Filmmakers' Guild, an organization that supports the creation of not-for-profit short video projects by a mix of professional and amateur videographers with an interest in Independent Media production.
Dr. Doug Larche joined the faculty at UW-Marinette in the fall, 2001, becoming Thetre on the Bay's Artistic Director and Playwright-in-Residence bringing strong credentials in both speech and theatre to the UW-Marinette campus.
Susan Larche has taught English as a Second Language classes at UW-Marinette since she retired from the Iowa Public School system where she taught English. She earned her BA from Simpson College in Iowa.
Cheryl Maxwell is a realtor with Place Perfect Realty. Previously she was a Prevention Specialist for Marinette County Health and Human Services and a home economist with Marinette County Extension. Maxwell has had a life-long commitment to the betterment of the community.
Patrick Mines has a BS in English and a MA in mass communications, but he’s always had a love for Theatre. He was most recently seen as Earl in last years “A Christmas Gift” and heard as the “Masque of the Red Death” narrator in BRTC’s “Spine Tingling Tales”. He has directed “Done to Death” for the Railhouse Dinner Theatre and “The Railhouse Comedy Train”, the longest running train themed improve comedy show in northeast Wisconsin. “The Hobbit” marks Patrick’s directorial debut at TOB.
Ernest Pleger is a retired attorney and watercolor artist extraordinaire. He has taught continuing education workshops since 1999.
John Robertson is an experienced pianist and piano teacher who also runs his own piano tuning business.
Olga Orlovska-Soaltys is from Lviv, Ukraine. She is a graduate of The National Lviv Academy of Art. In addition to teaching art to primary school children, she also exhibited and sold her artwork in her personal studio. She has experience in oil painting using both canvas and glass as a medium.
Shirley Pisani is a resident of Porterfield and has been designing jewelry for 15 years.
Dawn Spangenberg is an interior designer with more than 20 years experience. Since 1996 she’s been a feng shui practitioner incorporating its principles in her residential and commercial design work. Dawn lives in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she teaches feng shui design at Fox Valley Technical College. She conducts numerous workshops in northeast Wisconsin as well as nationally. She’s also a teacher in the Course in Light and a Reiki practitioner.
Newton Yost holds a B.S. degree in Environmental Science and an MBA in finance. He owns his own greeting card business ad is also a photographer.