Brief Biographies
John Mather was hired by the Department of Horticulture in 1977 when he was a graduate student earning his M.S. in horticulture. He managed the D.C. Smith Greenhouse from its conception until he retired in 2007. As manager he provided plants for many undergraduate classes in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; worked with faculty, staff, TAs and undergraduates; and provided support of the floriculture program in horticulture. Throughout his campus career he participated in all levels of academic staff governance. He served as an elected representative in the Academic Staff Assembly for a number of terms. He was a member of the Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee of the Assembly for more than a decade serving also as its co-chair. This committee authors and edits the Academic Staff Policies and Procedures which details the rules for academic staff appointments. He also served on the Academic Staff Appeals Committee for several terms. John was a trained volunteer for the Employee Assistance Program. He was also active in college and department level governance. In summer John gardens extensively and cycles many miles in Iowa county. Since retirement he has been improving his photography skills and traveling when he can.
Richard Ralston, former Associate Vice Chancellor in the Provost's office and Professor Emeritus in the College of Letters and Science, joined the faculty in 1975. Active in a variety of personnel administration, shared governance posts and committee assignments, he served three years in central campus administration dealing with faculty and staff issues, and numerous years as department chair and joint faculty on campus area studies programs, and played leadership roles, for example, in PROFS, a Black Faculty and Staff Issues Caucus, and the Committee on Women in the University. As a scholar, his teaching and research focused on intellectual history and working peoples history within the African Diaspora. These focuses led to the exploration of several pathways involving social capital formation among such disempowered populations as domestic workers, prisoners, mineworkers, folk healers, and immigrant populations in Africa, the Caribbean and North America. His meditative pursuits have included long distance road racing (retired), architectural photography, collecting pipes, postal history artifacts and self-help manuals, and (covertly) playing folk guitar. Since retiring in 2004, he was elected to the board of directors of the UW Retirement Association, an association of retired and retiring faculty, academic staff and classified employees.
Kay Simmons, an Assistant Dean Emeritus, began her professional career at UW in 1970 as a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Communicative Disorders. For 16 years, she provided clinical instruction in the area of speech and language pathology for undergraduate and graduate students. In 1989, she moved to the Student Academic Affairs, in the College of Letters and Science as an Assistant Dean for the campus-wide Academic Advancement Program; in 1993, she was appointed Director of the program. Kay received invaluable experience in this position as she interacted with staff from all the schools and colleges and with the resource offices. In July, 1999, the L & S Student Academic Affairs Office was re-structured and Kay was appointed Coordinator for the Advising unit. As the manager of the Advising Unit, she worked closely with the directors of five different units administered through L & S, [ the Academic Advancement Program (AAP), Freshmen Interest Groups (FIGS), Letters and Science Advising Center (LSAC), L & S/Human Ecology Career Services, and the Cross College Advising Service (CCAS)]. During her tenure, she sought to improve academic advising through coordination of staff and resources and more effective communication of services to students and staff. Some examples of this kind of coordination were the improvements noted in freshmen orientation programs for the college at the beginning of fall and spring semesters, clearer communication to students and staff about advising services available in preparation for registration and broader based campus career programs. Kay also served as the chair of the campus-wide Council on Academic Advising. Since retiring from the UW in the summer of 2002, Kay has spent her time quilting, reading and volunteering.
Jane Voichick, Emeritus Professor of Nutritional Sciences came to Madison in 1964 and started as a doctoral student in Nutritional Sciences in 1966 when her three children were 2, 3, and 4. She was hired by the Department of Nutritional Sciences in 1971 with a joint appointment in UW-Madison and UW-Extension. She went through the ranks to Professor, and remained until her retirement in 1996. Her research, teaching and outreach work centered on community nutrition, nutrition education methodology and, most recently, food security. At UW, she participated in faculty governance as a member of the UW-Madison Athletic Board and as UW-Madison faculty representative to the Big Ten Athletic Conference. She also served as a member on the University Committee and the Biological Sciences Divisional Committee and chaired the Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities. Jane currently serves on the Dane County Food Council and on the Roundy’s Foundation Board of Directors and volunteers as a teacher assistant at Midvale School and cashier at Habitat for Humanity ReStore.