Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics is helping high school students build and drive their own robots while teaching them skills and knowledge they can use in a future career.

According to the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics website, its mission is to inspire youth to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills that inspire innovation and foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication and leadership.

F.I.R.S.T. is made up of college and high school students with support from parents and industry. College students mentor the high school students in the building of robots. Industry professionals support the team financially and parents are involved in a variety of other ways.

"The big successful teams always have a lot of parents in the crowd. Parents can help by getting their kids involved, giving ideas and technical advice, and many other things like publicity, providing food and helping set up," said Justin Cooper, president of UWP F.I.R.S.T. Robotics.

Each year, UWP F.I.R.S.T. Robotics competes in the F.I.R.S.T. competition. Last year, the UWP team won the regional and advanced to the national competition. Teams, which are made up of college and high school students, have six weeks to build a robot from a standard kit of parts to do a specific task while following specified rules. The high school students then drive the robot at the competition. Teams score points by completing the task the fastest or most efficiently, but are also rewarded for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and maturity and the ability to overcome obstacles. The kickoff for this year's competition is Jan. 3, 2009. The team will travel to Waukesha Community Technical College to get the rules, their kit of parts and see the course. They will send their completed robot to the regional competition site by Feb. 17, 2009.

When they're not preparing for competition, UWP F.I.R.S.T. Robotics focuses its time building other robots, doing demonstrations and holding workshops. The group's most recent project was a robotic fire truck modified from a Fisher-Price ride-on fire truck. The fire truck can accompany two toddlers, squirts water, moves up and down vertically, has LED lights and sirens and is controlled by a wireless remote. The truck was driven and displayed at Dairy Days and at the Dairy Days parade both in Platteville.

"Little kids absolutely love the fire truck. It sticks out in the minds of the community," said Matt Winkler, public relations coordinator for UWP F.I.R.S.T. Robotics.

To introduce high school students to F.I.R.S.T. Robotics, the group also held workshops at the local high schools. Students built small-scale robots as an after school activity. Approximately 15 students attended.

Being a part of F.I.R.S.T. Robotics benefits high school students more than expanding their science and technology skills and knowledge. A survey of F.I.R.S.T. Robotics competition participants and non-participants done by Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. revealed the impact F.I.R.S.T. Robotics has on high school students. The results showed that students in F.I.R.S.T. are more than three times likely to major in engineering, more likely to achieve a post-graduate degree, more than twice as likely to pursue a career in science and technology and more than twice as likely to volunteer in their communities.

High school students also benefit from the approximately $8 million in college scholarships awarded through F.I.R.S.T. Robotics for universities across the nation. UWP F.I.R.S.T. Robotics is working on getting a F.I.R.S.T. scholarship at UW-Platteville.

College students and high school students reap the benefit of career applicable experience, skills and knowledge. For example, the controls that will be used in this year's F.I.R.S.T. Robotics competition use Wi-Fi technology and are the same controls that the robotics industry is using.

While F.I.R.S.T. Robotics focuses on science and technology, students with interests in other areas are invited to participate. In addition to building robots, F.I.R.S.T. needs people to take pictures of events, design posters logos, and newsletters and manage finances.

UWP F.I.R.S.T. Robotics meets every Thursday evening on the UWP campus. Anyone wanting more information about the group or to join may contact Cooper at FIRSTTeam171@gmail.com or visit www.uwplatt.edu/org/first171/.

Contact: Justin Cooper, president, UWP F.I.R.S.T. Robotics, cooperju@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu

Labels: F.I.R.S.T. Robotics

PLATTEVILLE- Retail e-commerce is rapidly growing, with a 22 percent increase in retail e-commerce since 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In response to this growth, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Department of Business and Accounting is offering a new course, E-commerce and E-marketing in Today's World.

The course will cover how businesses can market and sell their products and services on the Internet. In addition, students will learn web design, how to optimize search engines, use e-mail marketing, draw people to their website and sell on the Internet using sites like E-bay, Amazon and Priceline. The course will be taught by a new faculty member who specializes in e-commerce and marketing. The department of business and accounting is currently in the process of hiring the new faculty member.

Michelle Rahm, a UWP alumna and owner of jewerlyimpressions.com, had significant influence in starting the class. After her business success, she thought that UWP students should know how to tap into the e-market.

Even if students do not plan on starting their own online business, Bernie Harris, associate professor of business and accounting, said the course will still be beneficial. "Even if you don't have a website, no matter where you're working, you'll be working with the Internet. The more familiar and experienced you are, the more you can broaden your customer base," Harris said. "With the Internet, you're not restricted to local trading areas. You can advance retail markets and business-to-business contact. There's so much online."

Anyone wanting more information about the UWP e-commerce course may contact Harris at (608) 342-1701 or harrisb@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Bernie Harris, associate professor, business and accounting, (608) 342-1701, harrisb@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu

Labels: e-commerce, Rahm

PLATTEVILLE - With the increased public interest in DNA evidence, a forum featuring two faculty members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville was held to address both the effects on society that defendants cleared by DNA testing can have and society's effects on the recent importance placed on DNA testing.

Joseph LeFevre, a lecturer in UWP's criminal justice department, began the discussion by saying, "I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but DNA isn't releasing that many offenders." According to LeFevre, more people have been released due to erroneous eye-witness testimonies, police errors, false confessions and judicial mistakes. Of the dozen-plus defendants released in Wisconsin, only five were due to DNA evidence.

Due to the human element of mistake, the history of law enforcement features many wrongful convictions based on circumstantial evidence, prosecutorial misconduct and an inadequate defense attorney. At the Dec. 3 faculty forum, LeFevre described a few of these cases that were overturned, focusing on non-DNA related clearings and speaking about the change in public view of these cases due to the "CSI Effect."

The "CSI Effect" is the term used to describe the amount of press that DNA testing has received due to television crime dramas such as "Bones," "Cold Case" and the many incarnations of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." The effect has led to many jurors not convicting criminals due to a lack of DNA evidence, despite overwhelming evidence of guilt. However, LeFevre stated that the effect hasn't had just negative results, as many younger crime scene investigators who were raised on these crime dramas are collecting more evidence from a crime scene, resulting in an increase of positive results. Programs such as the Wisconsin Innocence Project-law students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who work on questionable cases-also have led to more exonerations.

"DNA is a rallying point. It's something people can understand," said LeFevre when speaking on the hope and effect that DNA has on society. Upon further inquiry, LeFevre also noted that "because of TV, people understand the underlying workings of DNA, yet, it is hard for someone who is not part of the justice system to understand the police process and the court system."

Responding to LeFevre's presentation was UWP associate professor of psychology, Theron Parsons.

"People believe, right or wrong, justice exists in this country," he said.

In countering LeFevre, Parsons spoke of a dependency on DNA evidence in an era where the results of justice are becoming more and more necessary. Before a question and answer session, Parsons closed with a statement that speaks to the hope of, if not reliability on, DNA testing for the future, saying, "We need to believe in the veracity of DNA evidence, because if there is no evidence, there is no justice. If there is no justice, there is no peace."

For more information on DNA testing and its social and psychological effects, contact Joseph LeFevre at (608) 342-1676 or lefevrej@uwplatt.edu or Theron Parsons at (608) 342-1760 or parsonst@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Joseph LeFevre, criminal justice lecturer, (608) 342-1676, lefevrej@uwplatt.edu Written by: Ryan Werner, UWP Public Relations, wernerr@uwplatt.edu

Labels: dna, LeFevre

PLATTEVILLE- University of Wisconsin-Platteville students gained farm experience by showing Pioneer Farm's beef cattle at the World Beef Expo and Badger Kickoff Classic. Cattle placed in the top six in both shows, which were held during the fall semester at State Fair Park in West Allis.

During these shows, judges look for factors such as soundness of the animal, straight muscular legs and a full deep body. They look for a clean feminine face and lean brisket in heifers. Students began preparing the animals so that these qualities stand out, months before the show. Cattle are switched from pasture to heavy grain feeding so they gain weight. They are also trained in halter breaking to get them used to walking around in different environments. Closer to the show, students carefully groom and clip the cattle.

"Alicia has been really supportive in letting me try new things with the beef herd at the farm and it has been really great. Hopefully, we will have more and more success as we continue to show," said Renee Sternhagen, a student employee at Pioneer Farm. She had no previous experience showing animals before the 2008 World Beef Expo and Badger Kickoff Classic, but now plans to pursue showing as part of her career.

"My future plans are to start up a herd of my own and get some really great genetics going, hopefully making a name for myself as a respected breeder that would be sought out to buy show cattle from," said Sternhagen.

At World Beef Expo two of UWP's heifers won reserve champion heifer calf and reserve champion junior heifer calf. Other cattle placed first in the get-of-sire (three animals of either or both genders) and best of five head (five head of either or both genders) classes. In the best of three head, heifer calved Jan. 1 through Feb. 29, 2008, and best pair of bulls classes, UWP placed second. UWP received a second and third-place award in the best pair of heifers, Red Angus heifer calved after March 1, 2008, and bull calved after Jan. 1, 2008 classes. UWP also received a fifth place award for Red Angus heifer calved after March 1, 2008 class.

"Our animals are a representation of what the breed is. Looking toward the future, I can see some great genetics coming from artificial insemination breeding and that could take us even further in terms of show quality animals. As of right now, taking our animals to shows in Wisconsin can only open up more doors for UWP's recognition of the beef cattle industry," Sternhagen said.

At the Badger Kickoff Classic, one of Pioneer Farm's heifers won her class of which she was the only animal. The other heifers placed fifth and sixth.

"This show has become extremely competitive. There are cattle from all over the country there," said Alicia Prill-Adams, assistant director of Pioneer Farm.

Anyone wanting more information about Pioneer Farm's beef herd may contact Prill-Adams at (608) 342-1119 or prillada@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Alicia Prill-Adams, assistant director, UWP Pioneer Farm, (608) 342-1119, prillada@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu

Labels: world beef expo

PLATTEVILLE- Area producers have the opportunity to acquire quality genetics for their beef herds at the Wisconsin Beef Improvement Association's 52nd annual Performance Selected Bull Sale. It will be held April 4, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Pioneer Farm.

The sale benefits both Pioneer Farm and producers. Producers get the opportunity to improve their herds with different genetics or get income from selling bulls. Pioneer Farm gets additional income from genetic testing and is able to offer student learning experiences. Students in the Animal Science Management class taught by Alicia Prill-Adams, assistant director of Pioneer Farm, gain beef management experience by performing ultrasounds and fertility tests. Student workers also handle the bulls the day of the sale.

Buyers are assured they are getting superior genetics because each bull is tested for genetic merit by an expected progeny difference test. These tests are done in a non-biased environment at Pioneer Farm. Only bulls that have a 95 percent index after testing make the sale. EPDs reveal traits such as weight per day of age, average daily gain, carcass quality and breeding soundness. Ultrasounds are done to determine rib eye quality and amount of back fat. A DNA test is also available to consigners, which determines rib eye quality, percentage of intramuscular fat, tenderness and behavior.

"Pioneer Farm provides a neutral environment where management is removed as a factor and the bull's genetic potential for gain is truly expressed. The bulls are all handled the same in an unbiased manner. Therefore, we can see the potential of what the offspring from these bulls are going to gain when in a feedlot situation," said Prill-Adams.

Pioneer Farm is contracted by the Wisconsin Beef Improvement Association to provide testing and care for the bulls. Consigners bring their bulls to the farm in the fall to be tested and only pay a yardage fee and feed and veterinary costs. Once the bull is sold, the consigner receives the profit from the sale. Josh Kamps, WBIA board member and UWP alumnus and his wife, Gretchen, camp coordinator for the UWP School of Agriculture, own an Angus seed stock business and are consigners.

"This is our fifth year participating in the sale. It's a good way to get non-biased testing information so we can compare what we're doing with what others are doing with their animals. The staff is excellent. They walk the pens every day and treat any sick animals. They always call you right away if something is wrong, even if it's a weekend. It's worked out well. We've sold bulls so others can get new genetics on their farm and bought bulls to get new genetics on our farm," said Gretchen.

More information about the WBIA Performance Selected Bull Sale or test station visit www.wisconsinbeef.com or contact Prill-Adams at (608) 342-1119 or prillada@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Alicia Prill-Adams, assistant director, UWP Pioneer Farm, (608) 342-1119, prillada@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu

Labels: bull sale