Recent UWRF alumni enjoying post-graduate success

Despite a challenging economy, recent graduates from UW-River Falls are securing employment and graduate school placements at a high rate.

Earlier this year, 2011-12 UWRF graduates were asked about their employment and educational status through a survey conducted by the UWRF Survey Research Center. Among those responding, 81 percent reported they were employed while an additional 15 percent indicated they were continuing their education.

“UW-River Falls works closely with industry and businesses to ensure that students are professionally prepared to compete in the job search process and receive job and internship offers with competitive companies,” stated Melissa Wilson, director of Career Services at UWRF.

“We recruit and hire the best in class people for our organization,” stated Jennifer Geiger, manager of Human Resources at Interfacial Solutions. “Working with the UW-River Falls provides us with an extremely talented and dependable base of students that are eager and ready to continue their learning and begin their career as being a best in class employee for us.”

Alumni of three undergraduate programs; agricultural engineering technology, land use planning, and computer science & information systems, reported 100 percent employment and average annual salaries of more than $40,000.

The percentage of graduates continuing their education, particularly in the sciences, is not surprising. Compared with 261 other public comprehensive institutions nationally from 1976 to 2006, UWRF ranks fifth in sending students on to receive a Ph.D. in agricultural sciences, ninth in physics, and twelfth in chemistry.

“UW-River Falls’ focus on undergraduate research and scholarly activity has provided an increase in students visiting career services for assistance when applying to graduate and professional schools,” said Wilson.

For more information, contact Blake Fry, UWRF special assistant to the chancellor, at 425-3711 or email blake.fry@uwrf.edu.