Associate Dean of the College of Letters and Science and History Professor Franca Barricelli is leaving the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in August.

Barricelli will start a new position as the Dean of the Arts and Sciences at Fitchburg State University on Sept. 1.

Medieval History Professor Kimberly Rivers said Barricelli started teaching in the history department at UWO in 1994, and that she is a fixture at UWO.

Rivers said Barricelli has been a long-time friend and is not happy to see her go, but is more than glad she is going to have a great new position at Fitchburg State.

“She has been here since I have been here, so it will be strange for me to be here and not have her in the department and the dean’s office,” Rivers said.

Modern European History Professor Michelle Mouton said Barricelli was the head of the search committee when they hired her.

“She is an amazing person who has grace, class and is kind, [and] hard working,” Mouton said. “She has high standards and is a wonderful colleague.”

Mouton said students in Barricelli’s classes enjoyed her as a professor.

“She is a very effective professor and, in the classroom, her students like her a lot,” Mouton said. “She has taken lots of groups to Europe, to Italy. They speak very highly of her.”

UWO student Andrew Grunert said she was a wonderful professor and that she was well organized and passionate about the material.

“She pushed us to look past the surface and dig deep into why things were important,” Grunert said.

Grunert said he believes Barricelli will do a good job at Fitchburg State University.

“She made herself available to student needs and was more than willing to stay after class to answer any questions students had,” Grunert said. “She drives her students to achieve and succeed, while still understanding the incredibly busy lives and schedules that the modern student has to maintain.”

Rivers said Barricelli’s long-term interest was to improve the study abroad program.

“She gained a lot of experience in the dean’s office here at UWO, so it seems like the new position will be a great fit for her,” Rivers said.

Rivers said Barricelli has always been someone she admired and always put a huge amount of effort into her classes.

Mouton said Barricelli has a lot of experience and served as a chair of the history department for a number of years.

“During the committee meetings she always presents good ideas, and throughout the years we went through a lot of searches, and Barricelli was always hard working on those committees,” Mouton said.

Rivers said Barricelli has the experience from UWO to transition smoothly to her new job.

“I think she will be able to step right into the job and do a good job right from the beginning,” Rivers said. “I think she will do great when she gets there.”
Mouton said it is going to be a challenge to find someone to fill her position but gives Barricelli her best regards.

“She has worked really hard, learned all the ropes and I am sure she will take all of her experience and apply it and make a wonderful contribution at Fitchburg University,” Mouton said.