UW-River Falls to present “The Drowsy Chaperone” April 9-12
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls Music and Stage and Screen Arts Department will present the Tony Award-winning musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a delightful love letter to the glitzy, goofy musicals of the roaring twenties, April 9-12. Performances will be held in the Blanche Davis Theatre, Kleinpell Fine Arts, 420 E. Cascade Ave., River Falls. A diehard musical theatre fan longing for a bit of escape drops the needle on his favorite record – the cast album of a fictitious 1928 musical. As the
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Dual enrollment programs give high school students a head start on college degrees
Hayden Halstead, a first year University of Wisconsin-River Falls management major from New Richmond, had a great start on a college degree and a career before he even graduated from high school. Halstead already had work experience as a manager at McDonald’s, where he started working at age 14, and he started earning college credit as a junior by taking chemistry classes from UWRF through the Dual Academic Credit Program (DACP). “I have always tried to challenge myself, try new things,” Halstead
Student Voice wins nine awards in statewide collegiate journalism contest
The Student Voice, the student-run newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, received nine awards at the 2025 Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation Collegiate Better Newspaper Contest earlier this month. The contest featured 331 entries from 12 campus newspapers, highlighting excellence in various journalistic categories. The publication secured two first place awards, one for public affairs reporting awarded to Angel Riley, a senior from Brooklyn Center, Minn., for her story “DIB to
River Falls Municipal Utilities Director Kevin Westhuis to speak at UW-River Falls April 8
The University Business Collaboration Center (UBCC) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls will host the third guest speaker in the Innovators Speaker Series Wednesday, April 8. Kevin Westhuis, director of River Falls Municipal Utilities, will speak at 6 p.m. in room 194 of the new Science and Technology Innovation Center (SciTech), 410 S. 3rd St. As the utilities director, Westhuis is responsible for the city’s electricity, water and wastewater. During his presentation, he will discuss the
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Criminology students put research skills to work to fight sexual exploitation
When Ashley Moore, executive director of Citizens Against Sex Trafficking (C.A.S.T.), needed well-researched content for her group’s monthly newsletter, she reached out to University of Wisconsin-River Falls Criminology Professor Desiree Wiesen-Martin. The two worked together to come up with a plan that would not only provide the content Moore needed but woud also give students in Wiesen-Martin's Victimology class some valuable real-world experience. “We work to prevent human trafficking and exploitation
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UW-River Falls to award $2.5 million in scholarships
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls expects to award approximately $2.5 million in scholarships in 2026-2027, helping more than 1,400 undergraduate students pay for college. 65% of undergraduate students at UWRF receive some kind of financial aid. “The UWRF value means we are committed to delivering an exceptional education that remains truly affordable,” said Cindy Holbrook, executive director of enrollment and student success. “We’re proud to support our students with more than 800 merit- and
UWRF students present research at Research in the Rotunda in Madison
Eight undergraduate researchers from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls joined around 125 students from across the Universities of Wisconsin to present their work at the 22nd annual Research in the Rotunda event, held March 11 at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison. Seven current students and one recent graduate represented UWRF at the event, presenting research on projects as diverse as colliding catalysts in chemistry, the biology of cancer, business psychology, Latin American history and
“Birds and the Urban Landscape” will be topic of presentation at UWRF March 21
University of Wisconsin-River Falls Biology and Ornithology Lecturer Sami Nichols will give a presentation titled “Birds and the Urban Landscape” on Saturday, March 21, from 10:30 to noon in the UWRF North Hall Auditorium at 410 S. 3rd St. in River Falls. The presentation is free and open to the public. Nichols, who also teaches at Anoka Ramsey Community College, has studied the ecology of birds in urban landscapes since 2010 in collaboration with citizen-science monitoring projects across the Twin
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UWRF to host SciTech Grand Opening Celebration March 31
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls invites the community to tour the new Science and Technology Innovation Center (SciTech) at a Grand Opening Celebration March 31 from 4 to 6 p.m. SciTech is located on the UWRF campus at 262 E. Cascade Ave. SciTech opened to students on Jan. 26 for the first day of spring semester classes. In addition to cutting-edge technology, the new building offers collaborative work and study spaces. Karl Peterson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the student
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to host annual conference at UW-River Falls March 13
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) will host their 2026 annual conference at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Friday, March 13, from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the Riverview Ballroom in the University Center, 501 Wild Rose Ave., River Falls. The conference theme is “Pathways to Inclusion: Unpacking Home and Community-Based Services.” Registration includes lunch and refreshments. Participants can attend in-person or virtually. Register at aaiddwi.com or
St. Croix Valley Business Innovation Center awards $55,000 in micro-grants supported by WEDC
The St. Croix Valley Business Innovation Center (SCVBIC) in River Falls has awarded a second and final round of micro-grants supported by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to help area businesses grow. During this final round, SCVBIC awarded $55,000 to 12 businesses to help with critical growth expenses. The micro-grants are supported by $100,000 from the WEDC, provided to support businesses in St. Croix, Pierce and Polk counties. Awarded along with the grants was a matching
Area high school students compete in Visual Arts Classic at UWRF
Around 60 students from 11 area high schools put their artistic talents to the test at the Visual Arts Classic (VAC) held February 27 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The VAC is a competition for art students in grades 9 through 12 and is presented by the Wisconsin Art Education Association. The competition features several studio categories involving a long-term project and an onsite short-term team project. This was the second year that UWRF hosted a regional competition. “It’s a great
Chancellor John Chenoweth marks one-year anniversary
Reflecting on my first year as interim chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, I would like to express my gratitude for the extraordinary community support that I have witnessed. I have been truly moved by the enthusiastic participation of the people of River Falls and our surrounding communities in campus life. I am struck by how truly special this region is. UWRF is a unique campus, but its strength is drawn directly from the people who show up for us time and again. I have been
Author to discuss disappearing family farms at UW-River Falls March 11
Author Brian Reisinger will discuss his book, “Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family’s Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farmer,” on Wednesday, March 11, at 5 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in the Kinnickinnic River Theater in the University Center, 501 Wild Rose Ave. The event is free and open to the public. Reisinger will discuss the forces driving the decline of family farms and their impact on the nation’s food supply, drawing on four generations of his family’s
Through a cow’s eyes: Humane Handling Institute first in U.S. to use augmented reality goggles for animal handling training
Have you ever wondered what the world looks like through the eyes of a cow? When your job is handling livestock, that information could be useful to know. That is the idea behind the augmented reality goggles being used to train animal handlers at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Humane Handling Institute (HHI), the first organization in North America to put the technology to use. Ashlynn Kirk, program manager of HHI and a UWRF alum, learned about the goggles, called the Animal Eye
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UWRF hosting free Frances Cohler Coffee Concert Series
Feb. 3, 2026 – The University of Wisconsin–River Falls has released the spring 2026 schedule for the free Frances Cohler Coffee Concert Series featuring a wide variety of musical performances by university faculty and special guests. The series includes performances on piano, cello, woodwinds, harpsichord, violin and vocals. Concerts take place at noon on Fridays in Abbott Concert Hall in Kleinpell Fine Arts, 420 E. Cascade Ave., River Falls. Concerts are free and open to the public. Concert series
Tech entrepreneur Jeff Cernohous to speak at UW-River Falls Feb. 18
Jan. 30, 2026 – The University Business Collaboration Center (UBCC) at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls is introducing a new monthly panel, the Innovators Speaker Series. The first guest speaker will be Jeff Cernohous, COO of Interfacial Consultants and chief innovation officer of Nagase, who will speak about his experiences as an innovative business entrepreneur. His talk will be held Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. in the new Science and Technology Innovation Center (SciTech), 410 S. 3rd Street, in
