Lia Haile ’26 honored for work in community service

Lia Haile ’26 of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has been inducted into the Carson Scholars Alumni Hall of Fame. The Carson Scholars Fund awards scholarships based on students’ high levels of academic excellence and community service. Haile is a three-time Carson Scholar. Haile was cited for her dedication to serving the most vulnerable populations in her community. […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Social Responsibility, Student.


Museum studies interns visit EAA Aviation Museum to gain real-world insights

Three Ripon College museum studies students who are interning at the Ripon Historical Society during the fall semester received real-life insights with a private visit to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Nov. 14. The students are Amanda Von Ruden ’25 of Dousman, Wisconsin, who is majoring in history with a minor in museum […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Internships, Student.


Book by William J. Woolley receives national recognition

Creating the Modern Army: Citizen Soldiers and the American Way of War, 1919-1939, a book by Professor Emeritus of History William J. Woolley, has been selected by The Army Historical Foundation as the winner of the 2022 Army Foundation Distinguished Writing Award for Institutional/Functional History. The book was published in 2022 by the University Press […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Faculty, Research.


Visiting scholar will speak on humanities, environmental studies Sept. 29 at Ripon College

“The Environmental Humanities, the Sciences, and Environmental Justice: Reflections from the Crossroads,” a presentation by Rob Nixon, guest author and professor in the humanities and the environment, will be held Friday Sept. 29, at Ripon College. The talk will be free and open to the public. It will begin at 4:15 p.m. in Kresge Little […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Social Responsibility, Special Event.


Jacqueline Hanson ’23 wins one of 50 Order of Omega national scholarships

One of only 50 Order of Omega national scholarships was won by Jacqueline Hanson ’23 of DeForest, Wisconsin. Hanson says receiving the award was a shock. “I remember looking at the email and thinking, ‘Are you serious?’ and then forwarding it to my parents to tell them the good news — my dad called me […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Student.


Rebecca Matzke presents on panel at British studies conference, gives public talk in Oshkosh

Professor of History Rebecca Matzke was commentator on the panel “The Social World of Jack Tars: The Royal Navy and British Maritime Culture 1815-1940” at the North American Conference on British Studies annual meeting, The meeting was held in Chicago Nov. 11-13. On Wednesday, Dec. 7, she presented the talk “More than Rosie the Riveter: […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Faculty, Research.


For Amy Fels ’17, love of archiving grew in Ripon, thrives in Oshkosh

Some students come to Ripon College uncertain which career they should enter after their four years at the school. Not Amy Fels ’17. “I came to Ripon wanting to study history and build a career in archives, but having the opportunity to work in the college archives confirmed my intuition that this career path was […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Sarah Frohardt-Lane activities support environmental studies

A podcost that came out Oct. 20 on slate.com includes Sarah Frohardt-Lane. In “One Year: 1942,” she talks about rubber rationing during World War II, based on her research on this topic. Her portion starts about the 25:00 minute mark. A written transcript also is available. In addition, in August Frohardt-Lane co-led a workshop that […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Faculty, Research.


Kay Luling Senglaub ’16 coming back strongly in national Irish dance competitions

After strong finishes in 2021 Irish dance competitions, Kay Luling Senglaub ’16 of Waukesha, Wisconsin, is looking forward to competing in the Mid-America Oireachtas in Indianapolis, Indiana, in November. Last year, she finished 11th overall in the United States National Irish Dance Championships in Phoenix, Arizona. Each of the roughly 80 adult contestants performed a […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Vince Padilla ’95 and Amy Padilla ’95 take their lives on the road

After becoming bored with their daily routines, listening to podcasts about RV living and contemplating the decision for a few years, Vince Padilla ’95 and Amy Padilla ’95 decided to sell their house in exchange for a life of full-time travel in their RV. They took the leap in late 2019 and have been on […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Brian Bockelman awarded residential fellowship at Harvard-owned research center

Brian Bockelman, professor of history and interim director of strategic initiatives, has been awarded a residential fellowship at Dumbarton Oaks, a Harvard-owned estate, museum and humanities research center in Washington, D.C., for the spring 2023 semester. The competitive national fellowship, which provides both a stipend and housing near the estate in Georgetown, will support his […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Faculty, Research.


William J. Woolley publishes book about how modern U.S. Army was created

Creating the Modern Army: Citizen Soldiers and the American Way of War, 1919-1939, a new book by Professor Emeritus of History William J. Woolley, will be published in March by the University Press of Kansas. Woolley taught at Ripon from 1969 to 2001, and the book was inspired by the course American Military Institutions that […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Faculty.


Brian Bockelman contributes chapter to new book about mapping nature

A book with a chapter by Professor of History Brian Bockelman made “The Shortlist” of readings recommended by The New York Times on Dec. 3, 2021. Bockelman’s contribution to Mapping Nature Across the Americas (Chicago, 2021) is “Palms and Other Trees on Maps: Exoticism, Error, and Environment, from Old World to New.” Research for the […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Faculty, Research.


1941 attack on Pearl Harbor: Howard Dayle Balliett ’39, Marilynn Bruns Balliett ’41 were there

Dec. 7, 1941, was declared “a date which will live in infamy” by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt after the Empire of Japan’s attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii. American ships and aircraft were destroyed and more than 2,400 civilians and military personnel were killed. Howard Dayle […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Brad Alberts ’92 featured in article detailing his management of the Dallas Stars

“How Brad Alberts is Making Dallas a Hockey Town” is published in the August 2021 issue of D Magazine of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Alberts ’92 rose from an entry-level job selling tickets for the Dallas Stars hockey team to president and CEO. The article details how Alberts helped rebuild the teams’ core business after a […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


As a principal, Eric Wightman ’96 creates a caring culture for his school

Saturday, May 1, is School Principals Day, and we recognize Eric Wightman ’96. He is in his eighth year as principal of E. W. Luther Elementary School in the School District of South Milwaukee and his 16th year in the district. His school was among a select number of schools around the country to be […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Adam Sonntag ’08 returns to Ripon as new city administrator

Today, March 15, Adam Sonntag ’08 begins his new position as city administrator for the City of Ripon. The editorial “Welcome (back) to Ripon, Adam Sonntag!” was published March 10, 2021, in the Ripon Commonwealth Press. It welcomes Sonntag with an ode to the charms of small-town Ripon life. Sonntag was city administrator for the […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Ellen Sorensen ’00 president of local League of Women Voters

International Women’s Day is being celebrated today, March 8, with a theme of “Choose to Challenge.” The organization aims to celebrate the achievements of women and says, “A challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change. So let’s all choose to challenge.” One recent achievement among Ripon College’s female alumnae is Ellen […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Ripon education paves way for career in museum work for Amy Fels ’17

Undergraduate studies at Ripon College and a student internship at an area museum helped prepare Amy Fels ’17 for her current position. Fels now is the archivist at the Oshkosh Public Museum. “My work as an archivist entails many things, and no day is exactly alike,” Fels says. Her job includes cataloging archival materials, handling […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Alumni.


Role-playing games bring history to life for both teacher, students

While on sabbatical during the fall of 2019, Professor of History Diane Mockridge explored the use of immersive role-playing games to support engaged learning in her courses. She attended a workshop at Barnard College on this pedagogy, “Reacting to the Past,” and was motivated to introduce “reacting games” into her teaching at Ripon. “Over the […]

Posted by Dale Devries in Academics, Faculty.