Tami Rae Weiss, PHD

A.I.M. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOr
assistant professor, Art Education
UW-Stout

Tami Rae Weiss is the Principal Investigator of the grant that made A.I.M. possible.  Dr. Weiss earned her PhD from the University of Minnesota in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Art Education.  She currently serves as Executive Director for Arts Integration Menomonie, based out of the Art Education program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Dr. Weiss has presented at various state and national conferences around topics of arts integration, teacher education, Holocaust education and the arts, and aesthetic literacy.  She is an illustrator, designer, and muralist. Prior to her work at UW-Stout, Dr. Weiss was a High School Art Teacher in La Crescent, MN and Elk Mound, WI.  

Kris Winter, M.S.

a.i.m. teaching artist coordinator, sdma
Owner/Artistic Director of "Paper Cow TheatEr”

Kris Winter is the Coordinator for AIM's teaching artist programs in the Menomonie school district. Ms. Winter has been a teacher, writer, and professional storyteller for more than twenty years.  As a teaching artist, she takes her storytelling into schools and universities, featuring original characters that include Madame Lanita and Sophie Obermueler to bring stories to life.  Ms. Winter taught high school social studies and directed many theatrical productions.  She also taught the "College For Kids" program at UW-Stout.  Ms. Winter's “Earth Day” plays were a tradition at Oaklawn Elementary School. Ms. Winter teaches drama camps to children in her unique 1916 barn – the PAPER COW THEATER.

Ann Brand, PHD

MINDFULNESS COORDINATOR, sdma & uw-stout
Associate Lecturer, UW-STout

Ann Brand serves as A.I.M.'s Mindfulness consultant, working with the pre-service teachers at UW-Stout and the teachers of the Menomonie School District.  Dr. Brand holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, with an emphasis on child development and families. She teaches classes on the psychology of learning, life-span development, and mindfulness. She is a certified mindfulness teacher through The Mindfulness Institute.  Dr. Brand presents about mindfulness all across the state, including keynote presentations.

BRIAN G. SEGUIN, m.s.

principal investigatoR, SDMA a.i.m. project, director of Instruction, sdma

Brian Seguin is the Director of Instruction, Assessemnt & 4K Programs for the School District of Menomonie Area, and he is the administrative lead for the SDMA A.I.M project.  He has a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI; and he is certified as a PK-12 director of instruction and PK-12 principal.  Mr. Seguin also has an Master's Degree in Marketing and Business Education from UW-Stout. Prior to his work within the School District of the Menomonie Area, Mr. Seguin served as a high school administrator in Portage, WI.  He also taught Marketing and Business Education and coached and advised students in Waunakee and Ashland, WI.

ANN OBERDING, M.S.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR, ART EDUCATION, UW-STOUT

Ann Oberding is the program director and adjunct professor for the Art Education program at UW-Stout.  Ms. Oberding has over twenty years experience teaching visual arts education in rural Wisconsin, working for the Durand and Eau Claire School Districts. She currently teaches at UW-Stout, instructing the teacher education courses for the Art Education program, including the freshman-level Introduction to Art Education course (ARTED 108), Art Education Theory and Practice (ARTED 208), and Art Education Curriculum, Methods, and Assessment (ARTED 308). Ms. Oberding also advises nearly 100 students in the Art Education major, and she serves as the supervisor for Student Teaching. Ms. Oberding is a visual artist, as well, particularly as a painter and muralist.

Jill Klefstad, edd

Professor, early childhood education, uw-Stout
strategic planning event coordinator, p.a.r.q., uw-stout

Jill Klefstad is a professor of Early Childhood Education in the School of Education of UW-Stout.  Dr. Klefstad began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher and transitioned to UW-Stout in 1993.  The Early Childhood Education program currently has over 250 students.  Dr. Klefstad teaches courses, supervises student teachers, and advises students in the Early Childhood Education Program.  She believes that Arts Integration Menomonie (AIM)  empowers students to develop an appreciation of the arts and integrate it into their own teaching of young children.

Lori Smith, M.S.

Oaklawn Elementary School Principal
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE MENOMONIE AREA

Born in Menomonie, Ms. Smith grew up in Mondovi, WI, and then moved away in her young adulthood to Las Vegas and Jamaica. After eight years as a school psychologist for the SDMA and Ellsworth school districts and five years as the assistant principal at Menomonie Middle School, Ms. Smith eventually ended up at Oaklawn Elementary where she currently serves as the principal. Ms. Smith has a BA Psychology and Biology, an MS in School Psychology, and she earned her Educational Administration Licensure from Saint Mary's University. A highlight of Ms. Smith's career has been teaching resilience and health realization to school staff and community members.  She enjoys reading science fiction and is appreciating the time she spends in the home she and her husband built in the Dunnville area. 

BRENDA KRUEGER, M.S.

project manager
UW-STOUT APPLIED RESEARCH CENTER

Brenda Krueger is an ARC Project Manager and has a Master’s degree in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Evaluation Research and Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Brenda has served as a project manager at UW-Stout for several evaluation projects, including the INTERFACE Round 3 TAACCCT grant, the Arts Integration Menomonie project, the Title III Strengthening Engagement and Completion initiative at Utah Valley University, as well as internal assessment projects. Brenda has also been a member of the UW-Stout Baldrige Team since 2012. Prior to her work at the university, she spent 10 years working in grant-funded K-12 education programs.

*Denotes members of the
A.I.M. Executive Board
Tami Rae Weiss* (2014-2017)
Kris Winter* (2014-2017)
Jeanne Styczisnki* (2014-2017)
Tim Lutz* (2014-2017)
Brian Seguin (2014-2017)
Tracy DeRusha (2014-2017)

Peggy Larson (2014-2017)
Melody Brennan (2014-2017)
Samantha Plasch (2015-2017)
Amy Fichter (2016-2017)
Jill Klefstad (2015-2017)
Allison Feller (2015-2017)
Tamara Brantmeier (2014-2015)
Jason Nicholas (2014-2015)

Ann Brand (2016-2017)
Megan Steinkraus (2016-2017)
Lucy Weidner (2015-2016)
Pat Avery (2016-2017)
Peg Kolden (2016-2017)
Lori Smith (2016-2017)
Elizabeth Gilbert (2014-15)