https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/Campus ConnectionPosts tagged with 'Brad Quarberg':2023-10-12T11:03:56.26Zhttps://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/campus-storyteller-writes-final-chapter/Campus storyteller writes final chapter2023-10-12T11:03:56.26Z2023-07-03T07:06:00ZKyle Farrishttps://uwlax.edu/profile/kfarris/kfarris@uwlax.edu
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<h2 class="head">Campus storyteller writes final chapter</h2>
<h3 class="subhead">Brad Quarberg to retire after 38 years with UWL</h3>
<p class="sr-only">Brad Quarberg, '85, director of News & Marketing at UWL, is retiring after 38 years with the university. “I’ve had the opportunity to know so many great colleagues and alumni who have gone on to do amazing things,” he says. “To hear their stories and write about them — and maybe inspire people who read it — is something I’m going to miss.”</p>
<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7:06 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Monday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>3</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="none">For nearly four decades, <a data-mce-href="/profile/bquarberg/" href="/profile/bquarberg/">Brad Quarberg</a> has told the story of UW-La Crosse.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Starting with an entry-level position in 1985 and culminating with his current role as director of News &amp; Marketing, Quarberg has penned countless campus news stories, capturing the spirit of the people, places and moments that have come to define UWL. As the university’s legislative liaison, he has also carried those messages to local and state politicians, advocating on behalf of the university.</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Now, after 38 years — 42 if you count his time as a student here — Quarberg is retiring effective July 5.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">His modest sensibilities would object to the headline, “Storytelling stalwart completes remarkable career.” But that is exactly what he is, and exactly what he has done.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“I never planned on staying as long as I did,” says Quarberg, ’85 (mass communications and political science). “The job market was slow the year I got out of college. I thought I’d be here for a bit, and then I’d go someplace and do news for a radio station. To be honest, when I got here, I didn’t even know this arm of the university existed.”</span></p><h3><strong><span data-contrast="none">Storytelling through the years</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></h3><p><span data-contrast="none">It was a different world when Quarberg started with UWL <a data-mce-href="/ucomm/our-people/" href="/ucomm/our-people/">University Marketing &amp; Communications</a>, then called Information Services &amp; Publications.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">The internet was an abstract concept rather than an accepted component of everyday life.</span></p><div class="list-item-1 ">
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<figcaption>Quarberg in his old office in Graff Main Hall in the early 1990s.</figcaption>
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<p><span data-contrast="none">News releases were delivered by mail.</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Phrases like “social media” and “livestream” were still 20 years from entering the public lexicon.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“A lot has changed, whether people realize it or not, in how people receive their news,” Quarberg explains. “Back then, feeding news releases to the La Crosse Tribune and local TV and radio stations was how we got our message out. We still do that, but now we have our website and four or five social platforms where we can share news. It’s made some things easier, and it’s made some things more challenging.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Whether the medium was fax machine or Facebook, Quarberg did what he has always done best: tell stories:&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li><span data-contrast="none"><a href="/globalassets/offices-services/foundation/alumni/news/light-reads/paying-tuition-in-1989.pdf" data-mce-href="/globalassets/offices-services/foundation/alumni/news/light-reads/paying-tuition-in-1989.pdf">An exploration of how college students make ends meet</a>&nbsp;through scholarships and part-time work (spring 1989).&nbsp;</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></li><li><span data-contrast="none"><a href="/globalassets/offices-services/foundation/alumni/news/light-reads/uwl-100-years.pdf" data-mce-href="/globalassets/offices-services/foundation/alumni/news/light-reads/uwl-100-years.pdf">A reflection on the university’s first 100 years</a>&nbsp;— complete with a timeline and a list of 100 things to love about the La Crosse Experience (summer 2009).</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></li><li><span data-contrast="none"><a href="/news/posts/it-all-starts-here/?r=199d56dd-d14d-4277-ad72-6dced27cde2a" data-mce-href="/news/posts/it-all-starts-here/?r=199d56dd-d14d-4277-ad72-6dced27cde2a">A check-in with UWL science alumni doing extraordinary work</a>, illustrating the importance of continued investment in research and science education (winter 2023).</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p><span data-contrast="none">Quarberg has written all that and much more, producing dozens of issues of campus and alumni news publications. These stories not only promoted UWL to a wider audience — they served as a sort of glue for those hoping to stay connected to the university, instilling a heightened sense of school pride among alumni, friends and community members.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“We play an important role in carrying the message of the Wisconsin Idea to all corners of the state,” Quarberg notes, referring to the principle that education should influence people’s lives beyond the walls of a classroom.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“I’ve had the opportunity to know so many great colleagues and alumni who have gone on to do amazing things,” he adds. “To hear their stories and write about them — and maybe inspire people who read it — is something I’m going to miss.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><h3><strong>Boosting colleagues, building community</strong></h3><p>Quarberg has also played a pivotal role in shaping the stories of those around him.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><span data-contrast="auto">“I know Brad truly cares about the people he works with — their lives, their families and how they can grow in their professions,” says&nbsp;<a href="/profile/klang/" class="profile-tip-trigger" data-mce-href="/profile/klang/">Kjerstin Lang</a>, content marketing specialist. “I’ve had so many opportunities open because Brad made me aware of them.”</span></p>
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<figcaption>Quarberg serving as Maple Leaf Parade marshal during Oktoberfest in 2016.</figcaption>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">Mike Lieurance, '02,&nbsp; former university photographer, adds: “A greater leader not only shows the way but also walks the way. From his community engagement to his commitment to UWL, Brad lives that quote every day. It’s one of the reasons I enjoyed working with him. He valued everyone and made people better. I will be forever grateful for the time working with him.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Quarberg’s desire to help others can be seen through his involvement on campus and in the community — work that has little or nothing to do with his job description.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">He has served on several campus committees, including two terms on the Academic Staff Council, highlighted by two years as council president. He was integral to the creation of the Academic Staff Excellence Award — recognizing outstanding Academic Staff and raising awareness of their work — and went on to receive the award in 2001. (The UW System Board of Regents would later create a similar award.)</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Quarberg is in his third term on the Board of Education for the School District of La Crosse, where he served as treasurer and currently serves as vice president.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">He is a longtime member of the La Crosse Valley View Rotary Club and received the group’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">And he is a preeminent historian on La Crosse’s largest community festival, Oktoberfest, having served as chief editor of a book about the celebration, “The Fest of Times.” He was president of the festival in 2001 and marshal of the Maple Leaf Parade in 2016.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none"><a href="/profile/jmorgan3/" class="profile-tip-trigger" data-mce-href="/profile/jmorgan3/">Janie Morgan</a>, executive director of strategic engagement, says she admires Quarberg for several reasons — not the least of which is his dedication to the community.</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“I have had the pleasure of working with Brad for the past 25-plus years,” says Morgan, '85 &amp; '86. “He has taught me a lot about the written word (the famous red pen), how to navigate the UW System, how to participate in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (our professional organization), and how to be of service to the community. He is not only a great colleague but a wonderful friend.”&nbsp;</span></p>
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<figcaption>Through philanthropy, Quarberg and his wife, Gail, will continue to make a difference on campus and in the community.</figcaption>
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<p><span data-contrast="none">Even in retirement, Quarberg will continue to change lives through philanthropy.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Quarberg and his wife, Gail, established an endowment to fund band and choral initiatives at Logan High School, using the pay he receives for serving on the school board.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">More recently, the couple established the Brad and Gail Quarberg Scholarship Fund at UWL. Each year, the fund awards a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior from Mondovi High School, Quarberg’s alma mater. It will be fully endowed through a future estate gift.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">Quarberg hopes students transitioning from Mondovi to UWL will feel the same sense of belonging he felt as an incoming student all those years ago. For someone who made UWL his home, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate legacy.</span><span data-ccp-props="{">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none">“We came down in December of 1980, and I remember my Vanguard and everyone being so friendly and personable,” Quarberg says. “You can tell when someone is faking it, and it never felt fake here. It stuck with me. After that visit, I decided I didn’t want to be any place else.”</span></p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/3g2a1448-copy-1-min.jpg/Medium" alt="Brad Quarberg, '85, director of News & Marketing at UWL, is retiring after 38 years with the university. “I’ve had the opportunity to know so many great colleagues and alumni who have gone on to do amazing things,” he says. “To hear their stories and write about them — and maybe inspire people who read it — is something I’m going to miss.”" />
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<span class="title">Campus storyteller writes final chapter</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7:06 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Monday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>July</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>3</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2023</span></span>
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Brad Quarberg to retire after 38 years with UWL
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/how-did-we-get-this-german-tradition/How did we get this German tradition?2022-10-04T08:51:54.623Z2022-09-28T12:44:00ZKjerstin Langhttps://uwlax.edu/profile/klang/klang@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">12:44 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Sept.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>28</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></p>
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<figcaption>Oktoberfest Royalty joins the campus community for the Child Center Parade during Oktoberfest week in 2019.</figcaption>
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<h3>UWL’s Brad Quarberg shares the history of the annual Oktoberfest in La Crosse </h3>
<p>The <a data-mce-href="https://www.oktoberfestusa.com/" href="https://www.oktoberfestusa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">61st annual Oktoberfest celebration</a> in La Crosse runs Sept. 29 - Oct. 1.&nbsp;</p><p>It all started with four buddies playing golf back in 1961. The four business-minded friends were brainstorming ways to promote the La Crosse area to the greater Midwest and beyond.</p><p>They decided on an Oktoberfest festival and traveled around the county exploring other fests to help make theirs the best — or as they say in German — <em>das beste</em>. They took the idea of having royalty, the Festmaster and Mrs. La Crosse Oktoberfest, as well as a medallion hunt from the popular St. Paul Winter Carnival. &nbsp;</p><p>Fast forward more than 60 years and La Crosse is home to the <a data-mce-href="https://www.oktoberfestusa.com/" href="https://www.oktoberfestusa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longest running Oktoberfest in the Midwest</a>. Hear more about La Crosse Oktoberfest history, including when Quarberg was president of the Oktoberfest board in 2001, right after 9/11, during this <a data-mce-href="/modules/app/blogadmin/edit/uwlax.edu/go/oktoberfest-history" href="/modules/app/blogadmin/edit/uwlax.edu/go/oktoberfest-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WIZM Talk News interview</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Quarberg was also<a data-mce-href="https://wisconsin-uwlax.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma998514713402125&amp;context=L&amp;vid=01UWI_LC:LAX&amp;lang=en&amp;search_scope=DN_and_CI&amp;adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&amp;tab=default_tab&amp;query=any,contains,The%20Fest%20of%20Times:%20an%20Ein%20Prosit%20to%20the%2050th%20Anniversary%20of%20Oktoberfest%20U.S.a.,%20La%20Crosse,%20Wisconsin&amp;offset=0" href="https://wisconsin-uwlax.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma998514713402125&amp;context=L&amp;vid=01UWI_LC:LAX&amp;lang=en&amp;search_scope=DN_and_CI&amp;adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&amp;tab=default_tab&amp;query=any,contains,The%20Fest%20of%20Times:%20an%20Ein%20Prosit%20to%20the%2050th%20Anniversary%20of%20Oktoberfest%20U.S.a.,%20La%20Crosse,%20Wisconsin&amp;offset=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary"> chief editor of “The Fest of Times,</a>” a book covering Oktoberfest history. The four original Oktoberfest inventors were Don Rice, president of the Northside Exchange State Bank; Ray Ping, CEO of Erickson Bakeries and developer of the Hillview Par 3; Roy Kumm, CEO of G. Heileman Brewing Co.; and John Coleman, founder of Technical Training in La Crosse.</p><h4>Campus events during Oktoberfest</h4><p><a href="/student-life/student-resources/related-resources/safe-fun-oktoberfest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="/student-life/student-resources/related-resources/safe-fun-oktoberfest/">Many alcohol-free events are planned on campus during Oktoberfest.</a> Watch a sports game, do crafts or catch a movie. And don't miss out on the annual RECtoberfest from 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 at the Recreational Eagle Center.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><ul class="loaded-event"><li>26903</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2019-uwl-child-care-center-oktoberfest-parade-0044.jpg/Medium" alt="Oktoberfest Royalty joins the campus community for the Child Center Parade during Oktoberfest week in 2019." />
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<span class="title">How did we get this German tradition?</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">12:44 p.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Sept.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>28</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></span>
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UWL’s Brad Quarberg shares the history of the annual Oktoberfest in La Crosse 
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</span>https://www.uwlax.edu/news/posts/inspired-to-give/Inspired to give2022-03-29T13:58:01.52Z2022-01-26T07:02:00ZNhouchee Yanghttps://uwlax.edu/profile/nyang2/nyang2@uwlax.edu
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<p class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7:02 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Jan.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>26</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></p>
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<figcaption>UWL alums Brad and Gail Quarberg have established a scholarship fund for Mondovi High School seniors who plan to attend UWL. “I look forward to meeting some of the students who get the money, finding out what they want to do, and teaching them a lesson about the importance of giving back,” Brad says.</figcaption>
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<h3>With scholarship, Quarbergs hope to support, inspire future students</h3>
<p>After his first semester at UW-La Crosse, Brad Quarberg cashed in a scholarship from an anonymous donor received upon graduating from high school.</p><p>“I was a kid from rural Wisconsin, a first-generation college student, and didn’t really know what was going on,” says <a data-mce-href="/profile/bquarberg/" href="/profile/bquarberg/" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Quarberg, ’85, now the director of news and marketing at UWL</a>. “The scholarship was $100 or $200 — I can’t remember. But it was reassuring to know that someone trusted and believed in me as a student, and they were willing to give that money to help a student’s dreams come true.”</p><p>Now, Quarberg and his wife, Gail, ’89, are paying it forward, supporting future UWL students in the pursuit of their dreams.</p><p>The newly established Brad and Gail Quarberg Scholarship Fund will provide a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior from Mondovi High School (Quarberg’s alma mater) each year. Special consideration will be given to students with a financial need.</p><p>The first scholarship through the UWL Foundation will be awarded in 2022. A future estate gift will fully endow the fund, ensuring scholarships for future generations.</p><p>Quarberg, who grew up on a farm in rural Modena and graduated from Mondovi High School in 1981, says he had the idea of creating a scholarship several years ago. When he returned to be inducted into the school’s alumni hall of fame in 2019, he decided to put his plan into motion.</p><p>“Mondovi is a community that, over the years, has always supported education,” says Quarberg, who also serves on the La Crosse public school board. “They’ve built onto the school, upgraded things and have always been a good community with a good education. That means a lot to me, and it’s something I want to support.”</p><p>Quarberg hopes Mondovi High School students will see UWL as a top choice when considering which college to attend.</p><p>Coming from a small town, Quarberg says UWL felt like home — not too big and not too small. He also enjoyed the rigorous academics, the variety of student activities and the opportunity to play in the marching band — a passion he had developed in high school.</p><p>“Band is an important part of extracurriculars, rather than just sitting in a classroom,” Quarberg notes. “It makes you a more well-rounded person, it introduces you to friends, and it gives you something in common with people who love music or love performing.”</p><p>Quarberg has even supported band and choir programs in the School District of La Crosse, using his school board stipend to establish an endowment through the La Crosse Public Education Foundation supporting each.</p><p>He’s excited to extend his philanthropy to Mondovi, and to see the lives that will be helped by this gift.</p><p>“I look forward to meeting some of the students who get the money, finding out what they want to do, and teaching them a lesson about the importance of giving back,” he says. “If I can inspire them to give back when they’re older and a little more established, then it will be well worth it.”</p><p><strong>How to apply</strong></p><p>To apply, students must complete a <a href="https://uwlax.academicworks.com/" data-mce-href="https://uwlax.academicworks.com/">general scholarship form</a>. They will be auto-matched to the Brad and Gail Scholarship if they are eligible.</p><p>Mondovi High school seniors planning to attend UWL should contact the school's guidance counseling office with any questions.</p><p>The deadline to apply is Feb. 1 annually.</p>
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<img loading="lazy" src="/contentassets/d2492d337f8a4841b98d59100cb0f8ab/2022-uwl-brad-and-gail-quarberg-mondovi-scholarship-0028.jpg/Medium" alt="UWL alums Brad and Gail Quarberg have established a scholarship fund for Mondovi High School seniors who plan to attend UWL. “I look forward to meeting some of the students who get the money, finding out what they want to do, and teaching them a lesson about the importance of giving back,” Brad says." />
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<span class="title">Inspired to give</span>
<span class="date"><span class="label">Posted </span><span data-part="time">7:02 a.m.</span><span data-part="weekday"><span> </span>Wednesday</span><span data-part="month"><span>, </span>Jan.</span><span data-part="day"><span> </span>26</span><span data-part="year"><span>, </span>2022</span></span>
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With scholarship, Quarbergs hope to support, inspire future students
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