Contact: Lila Waldman
(262) 472-5475
waldmanl@uww.edu
WHITEWATER For the fourth consecutive year, an individual from the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is the recipient of Wisconsin¹s top
business education award. For her involvement in numerous areas of business
education, Bonnie J. Smith, a 1975 graduate of UW-Whitewater, is the 2009
recipient of the Russell J. Hosler Award.
The Hosler Award was established to stimulate, encourage and reward
outstanding contributions to the advancement of business education.
Smith started her career teaching beginning typewriting, shorthand and
accounting at the high school level. From there, she expanded her knowledge
to the latest technologies including podcasts, web casts and web
conferences.
³I¹ve had the fortune to work with innovative people who are truly
interested in life-long learning,² said Smith, in giving credit for her
award to her coworkers.
Smith currently teaches at Lakeshore Technical College, continuing to
integrate the latest technologies in her teaching techniques.
³My latest toy is a pen that video-records what you write and what you say,²
Smith said. ³A student can then download the video and watch you write out,
for example, a math problem while you explain what you¹re doing.²
Smith is as much involved in her business education profession outside of
the classroom. She served as secretary of the Wisconsin Business Education
Association from 1989-1993 and twice filled the role of president.
Three students from UW-Whitewater also received academic scholarships from
the Wisconsin Business Education Association. The WBEA scholarships are
awarded to students in the business education program.
David Rippl, Jeremy Joecks and Jessica Brown have all shown a high level of
student and professional organization involvement while displaying the hard
word ethic that the scholarship committee takes into consideration.
³The scholarship has helped pay for books, for one thing,² said Brown.
³Being a member of the WBEA has helped me meet new teachers as well as
provided really good networking opportunities.²
Joecks also saw joining the organization as a great opportunity to build his
resume.
³It helps to learn about a specific topic from a credible expert,² said
Joecks, referring to the WBEA conventions he has attended.
Students looking to join the WBEA should contact Professor Lila Waldmann at
waldmanl@uww.edu or by phone at 262-472-5475.
