On this week’s episode of the NEW Manufacturing Insights podcast, Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance Executive Director Ann Franz and Stoke RGA Owner/CEO Jen Fietz, filling in for regular co-host Kate Bruns of Insight on Manufacturing, visit with Dr. Michael Alexander, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, which is the new home of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance as it celebrates 20 years in 2026.
Alexander, a former orchestra conductor who pivoted to educational administration and began his role leading UWGB in May 2020, talks with Franz and Fietz about his five-plus years leading the institution, the challenges and revelations of COVID, how higher education is evolving, UWGB’s exceptional enrollment growth in the face of demographic challenges, and why UWGB is a good fit to the new host institution of NEWMA.
“Everything we do at UW-Green Bay we try to do through the lens of what makes Northeast Wisconsin stronger, so when we think about what NEWMA does and what we’re trying to build at UW-Green Bay, it’s always in terms of how do we make sure we’re a value to our community, and how can we make sure we are aligning the things we’re doing with what the community needs to be stronger and stronger,” Alexander says.
Alexander has put UWGB on the map for thinking and behaving outside the higher ed box. And that’s absolutely by necessity, Alexander shares on this week’s podcast: While everyone’s stereotype of a college experience is “attending for four years and living in a dorm,” only about 20-30% of today’s students actually do that.
“It’s funny how sometimes perception of data can skew us,” he says. “At UWGB we think of everyone as a student. From a kid … through retirement, how can we be of value to everyone in our region?”
Enjoy this week’s full episode on Spreaker or anywhere you get audio podcasts — including Apple, Google, Spotify and other platforms. NEW Manufacturing Insights is produced by Woodward Community Media in Appleton.
NEW Manufacturing Insights is sponsored all year long by Stoke RGA. New episodes are released on Thursdays.
