From ‘bench to bedside,’ PROBLEMalumni are not SOLVERSonly applying new cures, they’re finding them AnnualNOVEMBER Report 2006 Issue Notes from 2420 Nicolet Growth Agenda promises healthy future for NortheastGreetings! Wisconsin With its cover-story focus on alumni achieving big things in the medical field, this issue of Inside UW-Green Bay is all about “health.” The health theme — and the theme of “achieving big things” — also extends to our donor honor roll, beginning on page 13. UW-Green Bay’s prognosis in this regard, I am proud to announce, is excellent. Gains in friend- and fund-raising have been robust. Gifts to our academic capital campaign are on the rise. In annual giving, we have posted double-digit increases. Our signature back-to-school event, the Scholarship Dinner (that’s me, above, with co-host Cyndie), was once again exceptionally well-received. Healthy, too, is community support for Northeastern Wisconsin’s Growth Agenda. th Regular readers will recall the case made here that if this region were a state, our percentage of college graduates —18.8 percent —would place us 49 out of 50. And while Green Bay is the third largest metropolitan area in Wisconsin, its university is the third smallest in the UW System, even in the face of escalating demand from a region in economic and demographic transition. That’s why we are pursuing public funding to increase our enrollment by 2,000 stu- dents. That’s why we urge our friends who are Wisconsin residents to keep discussion of the Growth Agenda front and center as the Nov. 7 elections approach. Ours is a non-partisan initiative that attracts bi-partisan support, and its success is vital to our shared future. You will find more on my Web page at http://www.uwgb.edu/chancellor/. UW-Green Bay is blessed with terrific students, nationally regarded faculty and dedi- cated staff. This Annual Report celebrates those individuals — the community leaders, alumni, employees and nearly 2,500 contributing partners, all told — who come together because they believe so passionately in what we can achieve. Thank you, all, for helping your University “connect learning to life.” Bruce Shepard Chancellor 2 Inside UW-Green Bay November 2006 FEATURESAHigh-profile medical doctors school Volume 33, No. 1 have UW-Green Bay roots Editor Chris Sampson RaisingKress Center theprogress roof Editorial Staff 12 Chris Sampson 2 Sue Bodilly Annual• Donor honor Report rolls Scott Hildebrand • Record success • Capital campaign Designer 12 Yvonne Splan Photographers Birds,They wrote birds, the book birds 13 on 237 species Eric Miller 33 Tammy Resulta Sue Bodilly Angela Duffy Alumni• The anti-O’Reilly authors • 33 • Breastless but still breathing Inside UW-Green Bay is published by the Office of University Advancement and its Marketing and Communica- 36 tion unit. We welcome your 10 Campus news comments. Address them to: DEPARTMENTS Inside UW-Green Bay Editor, Cofrin Library Suite 815, or 33 Alumni notes fax (920) 465-2340. Mail change of address notification to Inside UW-Green Bay, Cofrin Library Suite 820, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001. 39 Cover: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay graduates have made, and are making, a difference as teachers, researchers and medical practitioners. Clockwise, from center, are Drs. Mokenge Malafa, Jerry Blackwell, Joseph Carroll and Betty (McNulty) Amuzu. UW-Green Bay a medical school? Not Morequite than 1,000— Wisconsinalumni work in healthcare. has MCATbut pass two rates —and yet admissions to top grad schools are impressive. In select fields such as dieteticsGreen and Bay online makesnursing, UW-Green a healthy Bay is fast impact.achieving “name” status, regionally and nationally. Historically strong offerings in the sciences, proximity to regional health centers, and a longstanding focus on problem-solving, interdisciplinary education (think Human Biology) are positives. Graduates are making a difference as medical researchers, teachers, providers and leaders. It’s our top story, Inside UW-Green Bay. DR.Research ZAKI Associate A. SHERIF Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Cellular Biology Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Education: B.S., UW-Green Bay, ’81, Human Biology M.S., UW-Green Bay, ’84, Environmental Microbiology and Cell Biology emphasis Ph.D., Howard University – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Pre-doctoral: John Hopkins and Howard universities – Molecular Biology Post-doctoral: Stanford and Georgetown universities – Molecular Medicine EXPERTISE, CURRENT RESEARCH: Gene discovery, scientists before me, who enabled everything we do biochemistry, molecular biology and cellular biology, now including all our advanced technology. It’s a relief “This must be my molecular medicine. that all that work didn’t go to waste.” reason for existence. BREAKTHROUGH: He is recognized in his field for MEMORIES: “When I dream, I sometimes dream about Not to be famous, characterizing a novel gene now named ZS (named Green Bay. I identified with Green Bay as a second but to make a lasting for Sherif by his colleagues) that he isolated from a home. Maybe it was the landscape, maybe because difference.” family predisposed to developing breast cancer and people were more accepting and curious. I haven’t other primary cancers at an early age. He also recently felt very much that way since. I made many good and identified a specific chromosomal rearrangement that lasting relationships there. I remember being inter- is characteristic of breast cancer development in this viewed by the Green Bay Press-Gazette about Ethiopia, family (the paper was published in July 2006). His work and I said, ‘I am not an expert.’ They said an expert is will help identify predisposition to certain individuals anyone serving as a representative from their home and groups of cancer. The discovery may someday country. People like Chancellor Weidner — he was lead to drug therapy, correction of the mutation or like a grandfather figure to me. The professors were altering of the genetic sequence… although much of wonderful and they were the ones that gave me out- the techniques of gene therapy are still controversial. standing recommendations and got me into different places.” HIS REACTION: “It took six months just to get per- mission from all 18 family members, almost all of whom PRESTIGIOUS APPOINTMENTS: A United Nations came down with cancer. Then you work day and night, Fellow, he assisted efforts to curtail the spread of and you feel like it is the only thing in your life. When tropical diseases and the spread of HIV in Southeast I first identified the gene, I had to be very cautious, Asia and Africa. In 2004, he was inducted into a because the field is so competitive and others have a science and technology hall of fame (from among 59 tendency to make it their own. So I tested my theory scientists nominated) in the Washington, D.C., area. three or four times, and then shared the work with He was also named Outstanding Alumnus, Howard trusted colleagues. Finally, after all that toil and all University School of Medicine. that effort, you think it might have been worth it. This FAMILY: must be my reason for existence. Not to be famous, Single SECOND HOBBY but to make a lasting difference. I’m thankful for all the : Inspiring youth NATIVE COUNTRY: Ethiopia 2 November 2006 Photo courtesy of Medical College of Wisconsin Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Assistant Professor of Biophysics DR. JOSEPH CARROLL Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Education: B.S., UW-Green Bay, ’97, Human Biology Ph.D., Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, ’02 Postdoctoral training: Visual Neuroscience, Medical College of Wisconsin Physiological Optics, University of Rochester RESEARCH INTERESTS: In vivo retinal imaging tech- place to collaborate with other research departments “The biggest and niques, human color vision and organization of the human in areas of biology, biophysics and biomedical engi- most pleasant sur- cone photoreceptor mosaic. Dr. Carroll uses cutting neering. Never before was this technology used to edge technology — an adaptive optics ophthalmoscope study clinical disorders. For the first time, we can see prise has been the — to study the retina of the eye in much closer detail how a genetic defect leads directly to a problem in travel — Russia, than previously possible. His recent discovery of a new the retina. Now our goal is to ask explicit questions, Argentina, Austra- form of color blindness will lead to a better understand- and build up a database that will show which defec- ing of, and set the stage for, earlier detection of other tive genes lead to which disorder.” lia, Greece — to retinal disorders. collaborate with GIVING BACK: “I think about my RCMS days on a EARLY INSPIRATION: He was prodded by high school daily basis and speak to RCMS students and others scientists in other teacher Gary Kuchenbecker ’70 to enroll in a Regional often. I tell them that it’s one of those things that countries.” Center for Math and Science (RCMS) camp at UW-Green you are either driven to do, or not, the problem is in Bay. It was his first introduction to campus, and later he recognizing that you are, and then recognizing that graduated in human biology. you can have a career in it. Coming from a small town (Tigerton), I didn’t realize that tinkering and investi- HIS GOAL: “I am currently building my own research lab gating was actually learning how to be a scientist.” and an adaptive optics device that would be comparable to maybe only 10 in the world. We’re beginning to see BIGGEST PERK/SURPRISE: “It’s the biggest and a growing field — the merging of optics and biology most pleasant surprise to travel around the world — but it is very expensive technology.