MENOMONIE — As a recipient of three national grants from the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation, UW-Stout’s graphic communications anticipates lab upgrades and professional opportunities for the 2025-26 school year.
The grants totaling $13,000 will help graphic communications students and students in related majors pursuing the graphic media and print management minor in three areas:
* Color Management Lab Equipment, including new tools to be added to the color and quality course and help proctor Munsell 100 Hue Tests to understand color perception and measurement in a professional environment.
* TAGA Student Chapter funding, to help students attend Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA) technical conferences and competitions while collaborating in a cross-disciplinary team against other universities.
* Support for PRINTING United Expo travel, as five students will be given partial scholarships to attend the largest printing industry event in North America to network with professionals in the field.
Graphics Communication Program Director Bethany Wheeler said these grants are set up to support high school students as well as those pursuing both associate degrees at technical schools and bachelor’s programs in graphic communications and other related fields.
Bringing in the color management lab equipment, Wheeler said, “It will benefit mostly our higher level courses, like [graphic communications] 340, which is the color and quality course, and courses like Practicum, which is a capstone experience that our students get to participate in, as well as lower level courses like 251. We’ll be able to go in and use that equipment.
“With the equipment, it’s definitely helping us to reach into new areas and add complementary curricula that complements what we’re already doing, but takes it just a step further. Instead of just simulating that type of test on a computer monitor, they’re able to take the industry standard testing in the correct lighting condition and environment. So they’re getting actual kind of proctored results that would be similar to what you would receive if you were taking this test, because color evaluation was going to be critical in your role.”
Additionally, with the support for networking opportunities, Wheeler said those areas will be some of the most impactful for students. She recalled her own experience being a part of a TAGA student chapter and learning skills applicable in the professional world.
For the expo adding onto their graphic communication program, Wheeler said, “You really do get out what you put in, but students who go and are actually engaging in the press floor tours and talking with sales and the technicians that are on the floor at PRINTING United — they can learn so much just based on the fact that it’s all right there available to you.”
With the awarding of the grants, Wheeler said she is grateful to be able to bring these opportunities to students.
“I think that’s so important for a student to be able to access those types of technologies and those resources before graduation,” she said. “So, I think as much hands-on experience as we can give the students is beneficial to them.”
