Putting Knowledge to Work Across WI: UniverCity Alliance

To support Monroe County in complying with best practices of completing an outside evaluation at a minimum of every five years, two groups of psychology students taught by Patti Coffey assessed the county’s drug court program across priority areas outlined in the All Rise Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards. This involved observing court and a graduation, interviewing staff and participants, and evaluating the program. Ultimately, the students created a report that incorporated qualitative interviews, quantitative data, and a review of program documents that will help Monroe County share progress with elected officials, apply for grants, and determine potential changes to make to the drug court program.

Patti Coffey is a UW–Madison Psychology Department Teaching Professor. She has extensive experience working with justice-impacted people in the community and institutions as a Forensic Psychologist. She regularly teaches a community-based learning class “Issues in Prisoner Reentry” and had an inspiring and rewarding experience working with Monroe County evaluating their drug treatment court in collaboration with the UniverCity Alliance Partnership Program.

This Quick Pick will highlight how the Sustainability Graduate Capstone course, taught by Sustainability Teaching Faculty Kim Wahl, incorporates community-based projects through UniverCity Alliance. Kim will share her approach to community-engaged sustainability planning, using the UniverCity Alliance projects with the City of Waupaca and Vernon County as examples and how community and campus partners benefit from this model.

Dr. Kim Wahl is a Sustainability Teaching Faculty member for the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Office of Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She teaches classes focused on sustainability and systems thinking. Her research is transdisciplinary and builds upon a transformative sustainability framework.

A decade in the making, the Village of DeForest has been developing a plan to construct a mountain bike trail. Residents opposed an initial site in 2016 due to the potential environmental impact of a new mountain biking trail on nearby wildlife. Now, DeForest has a new site in mind, and with the support of graduate conservation planning students at UW–Madison, village staff are balancing ecological integrity and recreational value while they plan for a new mountain bike park.

Judd Blau is the Director of Public Services / Deputy Administrator for the Village of DeForest. He started in the Role in January of 2021. Prior to that he was Village President while working in the private sector. He is a father of three great kids. In his spare time he enjoys being outdoors and playing live music in a country band.

Cooper Rosin is a member of the Teaching Faculty at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison. He teaches courses for undergraduate and graduate students in conservation science, restoration, and ecology. Most of his teaching and research focuses on training the next generation of conservation leaders, from local to global scales. He is a Madison native, and enjoys exploring Wisconsin’s many great natural areas with his family.

Greg Hall is the Deputy Director of Public Services for the Village of DeForest. He started with the Village of DeForest in October of 2004. He is also a Division Chief at the DeForest Windsor Fire & EMS Department since 2003. In his spare time he enjoys spending time in the woods, water and time with his wife.

Rocky Knoll Health Care Center began its century of caring for Sheboygan County residents in 1926 when it opened as a facility to care for people diagnosed with tuberculosis. Today, Rocky Knoll is licensed to serve up to 149 residents, providing short-term rehabilitation and long-term care care. In a unique model, Rocky Knoll also offers on-site child care and fosters intergenerational connections between the residents and the facility’s youngest visitors. The facility was also home to the family of Gov. Evers, whose father was the medical director of Rocky Knoll until he retired in 1982.

Tony Evers is the 46th governor of Wisconsin, first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. A lifelong educator with more than 50 years of experience, he previously served as Wisconsin’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Born in Plymouth, he holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and continues to focus on education, economic support, and infrastructure as governor.

Kayla Clinton joined the Rocky Knoll team in September of 2017. Kayla graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a Bachelors of Science with a double major in Public Administration and Political Science. She has been a licensed nursing home administrator since 2013. Prior to joining Rocky Knoll, Kayla has led nonprofit and for-profit nursing homes in Sheboygan, Glendale, and Madison. Kayla is grateful to be part of the Rocky Knoll team and has a great passion for health care and helping others.

Abigail Becker joined the UniverCity Alliance in 2021 as a communications and outreach associate because she believes local governments are the building blocks of communities. Becker developed an interest in supporting local governments after reporting on the city of Madison and Dane County for the Cap Times for over five years. She has been recognized for her reporting on local government with two consecutive first place awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Prior to working for the Cap Times, she held internships at the Wisconsin State Journal and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Becker moved to the city to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she gained a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Keith Abler is the chair of the Sheboygan County Board of Supervisors and a local musician who plays in several bands, including one with his son. He occasionally plays for residents of Rocky Knoll Health Care Center.