Mary Jae Kleckner

Mary Jae Kleckner serves as Associate Professor in the School of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point since 2014, teaching business communication courses including BUS 201 (Writing and Presenting for Business) and BUS 301 (Building Relationships for Business). Previously, she held instructional roles at Mid-State Technical College (2004-2014), University of Wisconsin Teaching Academy (2001-2004), and UW-Madison (1998-2000), specializing in organizational and interpersonal skill development for diverse learners.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from UW-Madison (2004)
• MBA from UW Consortium (2020)
• M.S. in Life Science Communication from UW-Madison (2000)
• B.A. in Journalism and English from Western Illinois University

Kleckner's research centers on bridging academic training with workplace communication demands, with key interests in employee recruitment/retention, workforce development, organizational culture, and faculty development. Her work emphasizes practical skill translation through collaborative models involving students, employees, and community stakeholders.

Publication trends reveal consistent focus on communication competency gaps between education and business sectors, particularly examining self-efficacy, engagement metrics, and curriculum alignment through mixed-methods regional workforce studies.

Her professional recognition includes:

• Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (School of Business and Economics, 2018)

She actively contributes to institutional development through Campus Common Council Assessment Subcommittee, UW System High-Impact Practices Initiative, and Critical Thinking Pilot Project leadership. Her non-academic professional development workshops extend her expertise to public and private sector organizations, while committee work on Senior Week Events and Art & Design investor panels demonstrates cross-disciplinary engagement.