A faculty member, an alum and a student from UW-Stout’s marketing and business education program recently received awards and scholarships for excellence in their field.
The Wisconsin Educators of Business and Information Technology and the Wisconsin Marketing Education Association annual convention, held Oct. 19-21 in Pewaukee, brings MBE and information technology educators together from across Wisconsin.
UW-Stout-affiliated attendees receiving awards were:
- Professor Urs Haltinner, program director of Ed.D. in career and technical education leadership: WMEA Dr. Carol Mooney Award
- Kathleen Thorn, Colfax High School marketing and business teacher: WEBIT Lorraine Missling Early Career Educator Award. Thorn is a 2016 business administration and 2019 marketing and business education alum
- Ashley Otten, MBE student: WMEA Emerging Marketing Educator Award.
For Haltinner, who has taught at UW-Stout for 23 years, the award was an unexpected honor. He graduated from the MBE program in 1990 after enrolling as a nontraditional student with an associate degree in marketing. He realized “I needed a bachelor’s degree, thinking I was simply going to earn an advanced marketing degree. Unbeknownst, it launched into teaching.
“It is an honor to be recognized for my devotion to marketing and business education, a career that invited me into both WMEA and WEBIT professional associations, in essence, a professional learning community of dedicated teachers,” Haltinner added.
“A community of curious humans that embrace teaching, leading and learning as transactional, colleagues that support one another; recognizing that we are both teachers and learners, mentors and mentees.”
Thorn was also recently honored by the Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. She received the Early Educator Award last summer.
“It means a lot to be recognized as an outstanding early educator by fellow Wisconsin business educators,” Thorn said. “It makes me motivated to keep putting in good work, and I was really excited to have my family there to watch me accept this award.”
MBE Program Director Debbie Stanislawski and Haltinner led a breakout session titled Insight and Feedback on the Culture Surrounding Academic and Career Planning. The conversation focused on academic and career planning within schools’ curriculum, teaching, student learning, career guidance and collaboration across academic and career programs.
An emerging leader in marketing education
Five marketing and business education students also attended the three-day conference: Jevon Anderson, a third-year student from Menomonie; Joanna Lee, a senior from Turtle Lake; Zach Malovrhm, a third-year student from Wausau; Otten, a third-year student from Madison; and Faith Wren, a second-year student from Chippewa Falls.
Otten is grateful to receive the WMEA Emerging Marketing Educator award. She was also awarded a $300 WEBIT Student Scholarship.
Otten will student-teach in the spring of 2024, in the Madison area, and graduate that May.
“I was very excited to have the opportunity to receive a scholarship from some of the best teachers and people in marketing and business education,” Otten said.
“I feel so welcomed by all the people who attend these conferences and are willing to help me be successful as a future teacher,” she added.
“I look forward to the rest of my schooling at UW-Stout and continuing to further my knowledge. I know that the same people that I received these awards from will be there with me to help me achieve my finish in the MBE program at UW-Stout.”
Stanislawski believes that Otten has demonstrated a commitment to preparing for her career as a marketing teacher, including developing her leadership skills by serving as the social media director for the MBEA student organization and serving as the chair of judge’s recruitment for a regional DECA competition held annually at UW-Stout.
“Within academic and university life, Ashley is very committed to demonstrating cultural responsiveness,” Stanislawski added. “She plans to move beyond inclusive practices by developing curriculum utilizing the Anti Bias Anti Racist Framework to create ‘just and equitable’ lessons as part of her UW-Stout Honors Project. She is no doubt working to establish herself as an emerging leader in marketing education.”
Stanislawski is proud to have students, alumni and faculty be recognized for their potential and achievements within the marketing and business teaching profession.
“UW-Stout is committed to preparing teachers who are prepared to make a difference in the lives of students, and these awards support that commitment and the high caliber of students the marketing and business education program supports on their journey to teaching,” she said.
UW-Stout’s School of Education, housed in Heritage Hall, offers seven undergraduate teaching degrees and five postgraduate teaching degrees, as well as eight education certificates and certifications. SOE offers an on-campus and online/hybrid MBE degree.
A major renovation of the hall received priority approval on Aug. 19 at the UW System Board of Regents meeting. The project is ranked No. 1 in the Chippewa Valley and third for UW System academic buildings.
The state job outlook for graduates from most of the programs based in the building is expected to grow between 6% and 15% by 2025. The improved capacity provided by the Heritage Hall renovations will help provide qualified Wisconsin workers to address workforce needs.
