March 28, 2018  |  News & Events, Provost's Updates

Good morning, colleagues. I have been away for a few days and here is this ‘half’ week’s update from Academic Affairs.

Reminder: College of Health Sciences Dean Candidates on campus beginning next week

The three College of Health Sciences dean candidate finalists will begin their on-campus visits next week. The first candidate, Ron Cisler, will have on campus interviews April 2-3.  Candidate CVs and complete campus visit dates & schedules are online.

Kudos

Christopher Cantwell (History) was awarded a mini-grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council for his research on “Gathering Places: Religion and Community in Milwaukee.” The project has graduate students in the Department of History’s Public History Program work with places of worship throughout the Milwaukee area to write their history. This year, students are partnering with the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jerushun, the Chinese Christian Church of Milwaukee, St. Casmir’s Parish, and Epikos Church in order to digitize portions of their records and record oral histories. The Wisconsin Humanities Council’s funds will support the development of a website that will display these materials and the student’s work. Congratulations, Christopher!

Gladys Mitchell-Walthour (Africology) received the Rodney Higgins Best Faculty Paper Award at the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, March 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Her paper used an intersectional approach to examine Bolsa Familia beneficiaries’ political opinions in Brazil. Well done, Gladys!

Adam Greenberg (Psychology), Christine Larson (Psychology), and Edgar DeYoe (Medical College of Wisconsin) have received a 2018 CTSI-AHW REP Pilot Award, which includes funding of $50,000 over the next 12 months, for their project “Neuropsychological & Neurobiological Markers of Attentional Control Fluctuations Associated with Anxiety”. Congratulations, Adam, Christine and Edgar!

Neil Dogra and Danavi Wollin, high school students from the University School of Milwaukee, who spent the summer of 2017 as research interns in the UWM Foundry, and Composites Center, both won first prizes at the Badger Science Fair on March 21, for their posters based on their research at UWM.  Neil Dogra won the first prize from the Engineering Division and Danavi Wollin won the first prize from American Society for Quality and US Air Force Specialty Divisions. Great job, Neil and Danavi!

Nursing graduate Denise Herriges has advanced her career through UWM’s Flex Option BSN. Kudos to the College of Nursing faculty and staff who deliver this innovative program

In the News

UWM Distinguished Professor Emeritus Leonard Parker reminisces on his friendship with Stephen Hawking.

UWM’s School of Information Studies is launching a tech lab to support research and innovation in blockchain, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things devices, among other digital technologies.

Panther News

For the third consecutive year, the Milwaukee women’s basketball team earned the right to play in a postseason tournament. The Panthers won 20 games for just the fourth time in program history – and the first time ever in back-to-back seasons – and accepted an at-large bid to the WNIT. Check out the scores and recaps on the schedule page!

The Week

Wednesday

The Chancellor & I meet with Water Council President & CEO Dean Amhaus, followed by a meeting with Mark Harris.  I’ll attend the annual Alumni Employee Awards and Appreciation Lunch. I also have my monthly meetings with Alan Shoho, ASC Chair Sue Cashin, Kim Litwack and Trudy Turner, and my weekly meeting with the Chancellor.

Thursday

I’m attending the Academic Planning and Budget Committee (APBC) meeting, and following that, Phyllis King & I will meet with Alverno College Vice President for Academic Affairs Scott Zeman to discuss our areas of collaboration. I have my regular meetings with Michael Doylen, Pat Borger, Gesele Durham and Katie Miota. I end my day downtown, at the School of Continuing Education, where I will give opening remarks at the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association (ATISA) Conference.

Friday

In the morning, I have my  System-Provost “zoom” meeting, where we will continue our discussion on the restructuring of the 2-year colleges, and then my one-on-one with Dev Venugopalan. In the afternoon, I will be attending to administrative tasks.

Announcements

Literature and Cultural Theory Lecture and Brown Bag Discussion

The English Department’s seventh Annual Literature and Cultural Theory Lecture will be held on Thursday, March 29, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in Curtin 368. This year’s speaker is Valerie Traub, Frederick G.L. Huetwell Professor of English and Women’s Studies, University of Michigan, and her lecture is titled “Normality: A Prehistory”.  Professor Traub’s work is located at the intersection of gender and sexuality studies and early modern literature and culture.

There will also be a brown bag discussion of one of her essays on Friday, March 30, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in Curtin 939. Please email Sukanya Banerjee for copies of the essay. The essay is titled “Sexuality” and is forthcoming in a collection of essays, A Cultural History of Western Empires, Vol. 3.

Experiential Learning

Does your department engage in various forms of experiential learning such as internships, practicums, co-ops, service-learning, or others? Join us for our second campus-wide gathering to discuss how we can make UWM a destination campus for experiential learning, and improve our existing practices. The event is in Union 240 on Wednesday, April 4th from 2 – 3 p.m. For more information, contact Paul Roebber or visit https://uwm.edu/community/event/experiential-learning-gathering-2/.

Upcoming UWS Restructure Forum for Students

The UW System Restructure Student Forum is scheduled Thursday, April 5th, from Noon – 2 p.m. in Union 280. Students are invited to join the UW Restructure Team Leads at UWM for an update and the opportunity to ask questions

Last chance! 2018 Panther Prowl $25 Registration Offer
Now through March 31st, register for the 2018 Panther Prowl on Saturday, October 13 for only $25! You’ll get the race socks AND tech t-shirt – a savings of up to 50%! All proceeds benefit UWM student scholarships.

CLACS Research Grants/Awards/Scholarships

The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies has extended the deadline for the Tinker Field Research Grant and the Ruggiero-Handelman Field Research Award to March 30, 2018. Current UWM Masters and pre-dissertator Doctoral students in any field who plan to conduct research in Latin America or the Caribbean are encouraged to apply!

The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies is offering a limited number of $500 awards for the Donald R. Shea Study Abroad Scholarship. This scholarship may be used for UWM sponsored semester-long or short-term study abroad in the Latin American/Caribbean region, and for other academic opportunities in the region that can be accepted for UWM credit.

Digital Humanities Lab Teaching Fellow

The UWM Libraries Digital Humanities (DH) Lab announced a call for applications for a new award intended to encourage faculty and instructors to share their DH-inflected assignments via workshops and documentation.

From the Office of Undergraduate Research

The deadline for proposals for summer support through the SURF (Support for Undergraduate Research Fellows) program is April 1. Through this program, UWM faculty and research staff can provide financial support to undergraduates to work as research assistants. For more information, including a link to application materials, please visit the OUR website.

From the Registrar’s Office

Instructors now have the ability to elect a preferred name that will appear to students in key locations in PAWS and other campus systems. See the Instructor Preferred Name website for additional information, including a link to the online request form.

From University IT Services

New technology project on campus. There will be a campus-wide implementation of Skype for Business beginning in 2018.

Other

In their 164th boat race, Cambridge won both the men’s and women’s races over Oxford (the women claimed their first back-to-back victory since 1999).

Take care,

Johannes

Johannes Britz

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs