Ralph Jaeschke SEG Center opens at UW-Parkside
Ralph Jaeschke SEG Center opens at UW-Parkside
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside recently opened the Ralph Jaeschke Solutions for Economic Growth Center (SEG Center), for business. The end-product of nearly two years of work, School of Business and Technology Dean Marwan Wafa said the SEG Center has several important goals.
"Number one is to provide experiential learning for UW-Parkside students by developing solutions to real business problems or challenges," Dean Wafa stated. "And to contribute to southeastern Wisconsin's economic development by preparing not only the future workforce but also by...instilling entrepreneurship in students."
Wafa also wants the SEG Center to encourage students to cross what he called "disciplinary boundaries" just as they will do when they enter the business world. He also wants it to create an environment for students that is conducive to innovation.
Internships and project-based learning have long been used as educational tools by UW-Parkside. The SEG Center formalizes this learning model and makes it an integral component of a UW-Parkside business education.
The SEG Center is named for Kenosha icon Ralph L. Jaeschke, one of the world's leading authorities on industrial power transmission. During his 41-year career at Dynamatic Corporation, Jaeschke was awarded nearly 200 U.S. and international patents.
His wife, Frances Jaeschke, whose generosity made this new business resource a reality, said she hoped through the SEG Center that her late husband's love of problem solving would rub off on students.
"I'm very hopeful that in naming it [after Mr. Jaeschke] that the students and the people who use this Center become acquainted with Ralph and his point of view," she said.
During the SEG Center opening ceremony, UW-Parkside Chancellor John P. Keating called the new facility "the future of education," saying it gives students something they need--and want.
"The more we have our students involved in real world problems, the more they learn--and the more they like it," Keating said.
Dean Wafa expects students, faculty, area employers, local non-profit organizations, and the communities in southeastern Wisconsin to feel the Ralph Jaeschke Solutions for Economic Growth Center's positive impact.
The SEG Center is directed by UW-Parkside Business faculty member Suresh Chalasani. More information is available by calling (262) 595-2433.
