College Directory

Ruthann Benson
Interim Dean
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-8113
benson.ruth@uwlax.edu

Interim Dean Benson has worked in UW-L Administration for nine years as Associate Dean/Director of the School of Arts and Communication.  At the college level, she has worked with financial management, personnel planning and hiring, public relations, enrollment management, strategic planning, event planning, fundraising, physical facilities planning and arts management and advocacy.  She chairs the UW-L Select Committee on Internationalization and administers the London Study Program. 

Dr. Benson is tenured in the Department of Theatre Arts, where she served for three years as Director of Theatre and over a 13-year period taught courses in acting, directing, playwriting, theatre management, contemporary theatre, theater appreciation and dramatic literature & theatre arts (Honors Program).  Her directing credits at UW-L include Comedy of Errors, The Elephant Man, Glass Menagerie, Voice of the Prairie, Pippin, 1940’s Radio Hour and Little Women.  She has taught in the UW-L Scotland Summer Program, the UW-L Ireland Summer Program and has accompanied the UW-L Orchestra, Concert Choir and Jazz Ensemble on performance tours to Europe to coordinate university relations with exchange universities and sister cities.  Dr. Benson holds a Ph.D. in Fine Arts/Theatre from Texas Tech University, a M.F.A. in Arts Management from University of Iowa and a B.S. in English and a B.A. in Speech/Theatre (with teacher certification) from Iowa State University.

Charles Martin-Stanley
Associate Dean
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-8134
martin-s.char@uwlax.edu

As Associate Dean, Charles provides leadership in the areas of diversity, assessment and enrollment management.  He is the contact person in the Dean’s Office for the Social Science departments and programs, which include Political Science/Public Administration, Psychology, Sociology/Archaeology, Ethnic & Racial Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.  Charles works closely with Search & Screen Committees and monitors hiring within the College.  He is also the coordinator of the New Faculty Mentoring Program. Charles is a tenured member of the Psychology Department and continues to teach a course on personality theories. He is an active participant in the Teaching for Diversity Faculty Seminar.

Margaret Finders
Director of the School of Education / Associate Dean
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-8134
finders.marg@uwlax.edu

As the Director of The School of Education, Margaret is responsible for the overall integrity of Teacher Education Programs and leads programmatic initiatives to strengthen the Teacher Education Programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. As a researcher and teacher educator, her career goals include a focus on equity in education and on social, political and cultural dimensions of schooling. Her published works include the following:

Finders, M. & Hynds, S. (2007). Language arts and literacy in the middle grades: Planning, teaching and assessing for achievement. Columbus, OH: Merrill, Prentice Hall.Cheville, J and Finders. M. (2007) Defining Adolescent and Adult Writing Development: A Contest of Empirical and Federal Will.  In C. Bazerman, C. (Ed.) Handbook of Research on Writing: History, Society, School, Individual, Text. Mahwah, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Finders, M. & Hynds, S. (2003). Literacy lessons: Teaching and learning with middle school students. Columbus, OH: Merrill, Prentice Hall.

Finders, M. (1997). Just girls: Hidden literacies and life in junior high. New York: Teachers College Press.

Billy Clow
Associate Dean
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-6636
clow.will@uwlax.edu

Billy currently serves as Interim Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Studies and Director of the School of Arts & Communication.  Billy began his career at UW-L in 1996 on a one-year academic staff appointment.  He spent the last eight years as chair of the Department of Theatre Arts as well as Scenic and Lighting Designer. During this time Theatre Arts greatly expanded as a department and has cemented a reputation for passion and professionalism in the region.  Billy has served the university in many areas serving as a faculty senator, on the Joint Planning & Budget committee, Strategic Planning and numerous campus-wide search and screen committees including the most recent Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor searches. He received his MFA in Scenic Design from Illinois State University and his BA in Theatre From the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Billy continues to design professionally and is a founding member of the Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre.  Billy is a full professor in the department of Theatre Arts.

Nancy Arens
Administrative Specialist/Budget Officer
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-6635
arens.nanc@uwlax.edu

Nancy is responsible for CLS financial management, including travel and other grants, the computer replacement program, personnel management, including IAS appointments, and CLS data collection and analysis.  A graduate of WTC, Viterbo University and UW-L, Nancy has over 25 years of business experience and has lived and worked in Asia and Europe.  She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya in 2004-2005.

R. Searcy
Quality Assurance Coordinator
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-5405
clswebmaster@uwlax.edu

Roshan serves as both an assessment resource for the School of Education and as the webmaster for the College of Liberal Studies. Dedicated to quality improvement, her goal is to provide technical and qualitative assistance to departments and programs in the School of Education and to assist a wide variety of stakeholders in the College of Liberal Studies in web site creation, development and marketing. Roshan provides software training on various web development platforms and is always available to answer questions or lend a helping hand.

Chris Bakkum
Assistant to the Dean
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-8113
bakkum.chri@uwlax.edu

Dr. Bukkum is currently serving as Interim Director of Enrollment Management at UW-L.

Dr. Chris Bakkum is the Assistant to the Dean in the College of Liberal Studies. Dr. Bakkum holds full graduate faculty status, teaches in the SAA graduate program, supervises thesis work of graduate students and advises graduate students in the program. In addition, Dr. Bakkum is responsible for oversight of the 5 graduate programs in CLS (School Psychology, Master of Education-Professional Development, Reading, Special Education and Student Affairs Administration). Other responsibilities in the College include serving as a consultant to the Graduate Council, the Graduate and Undergraduate Curriculum Committees and the CLS Academic Programs Committee. In addition, Dr. Bakkum is responsible for developing special programs in the College. Dr. Bakkum holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her spare time, she enjoys riding and showing horses.

Carol Beard
Dean Assistant
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-8113
beard.caro@uwlax.edu

Carol is the administrative support for Dean Ruthann Benson in the College of Liberal Studies.  Her office duties are often varied, including budget, travel, coordinating conferences and other needs created by the deans.  She thrives interaction with students and faculty.  She believes the College of Liberal Studies is a great place to be and work!

Carol is not a native born "northwoods" person, after relocating from Georgia to Wisconsin after a career in the U.S. Army.  She enjoys the "4" seasons, especially when she "fires-up" the snow blower. As an old Army saying goes, "I am happy to be here, proud to serve."

Joey La Sarge
Dean Assistant
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
235 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-8134
lasarge.joan@uwlax.edu

Joey is the administrative support for the Director of the School of Education, Dr. Margaret Finders and Associate Deans Dr. Charles Martin-Stanley and Dr. Chris Bakkum in the College of Liberal Studies.  Her office duties are often varied, including budget, travel, meeting scheduling and other needs as initiated by the deans.   She is also the Morris Hall building manager, which includes room and equipment scheduling for meetings or special functions for faculty and staff and the reporting of any general maintenance needs for Morris Hall.  Working in the College of Liberal Studies has been a rewarding experience for her.   

In her spare time, Joey is an avid gardener (flower and vegetable) during the summer months, and in the spring works in her sister’s greenhouse on days off and weekends.  During the winter months she enjoys creating stain glass designs and crocheting. 

Sandy Keller
Academic Services Coordinator
School of Arts & Communication & School of Education ~ College of Liberal Studies
275 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-8123
keller.sand@uwlax.edu

 

Tim Walls
Academic Services Coordinator
School of Arts & Communication & School of Education ~ College of Liberal Studies
260 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-6634
walls.timo@uwlax.edu

If you are looking for help with general education, course requirements, transfer information or admission requirements to certain programs, Tim can be of assistance. He works with students in the Art, Communication Studies, Economics, English, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Psychology, Theatre and first-year pre-education (early adolescence-adolescence and early childhood-adolescence) programs. Tim is a double alum from UW-La Crosse with a B.S. in Mass Communications, and a M.S.E. in College Student Personnel.  He currently lives in West Salem with his wife. Both of his children are out of the house and married.

Troy Richter
Academic Services Coordinator
School of Arts & Communication & School of Education ~ College of Liberal Studies
273 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-5454 (Reception)
(608) 785-8446 (Direct)
richter.troy@uwlax.edu

Troy works with students, faculty and staff to explain academic policies and procedures.  He works with the Pre-Education Advising Program and provides advising assistance to students.  He is also a liaison with the History, Political Science/Public Administration and Sociology/Archeology departments.  Troy verifies degree completion of students in these departments.  He attended UW-L as an undergraduate student and has worked in several areas on campus including Residence Life, Student Activities and Centers and Upward Bound.

Laurel Devitt
University Services Associate 2
Academic Services ~ College of Liberal Studies
260 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-5454
devitt.laur@uwlax.edu

Laurel is the support person to the Assistant to the Dean/Certification Officer, the Academic Service Coordinators and the DES Admissions Committee.

Laurel is originally from Madison, WI.  At UW-Madison she earned a B.A. in English. In her spare time she writes poetry and short stories and enjoys various crafting and landscaping/gardening projects.

Emily Salava
Graduate Assistant
Dean's Office ~ College of Liberal Studies
270 Thomas Morris Hall
(608) 785-5454 (Reception)
(608) 785-8652 (Direct)
salava.emil@students.uwlax.edu

Emily graduated from UW-L in 2005 with a BA in Spanish and a minor in International Studies.  She worked for the University Honors Program for two years and is currently enrolled in the College Student Development and Administration master’s degree program.