Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

When I was a kid it seemed like it took forever for the school year to end. Now, each year flies by with so much activity that it makes your head spin to think about it!

All your achievements, discoveries, surprises, challenges and triumphs contribute to a campus on the move. We have so many points of pride that illustrate why UWM matters that it is impossible to fit them into one end-of-year message. I’m delighted to have this problem and to highlight just a few examples here.

Our Students

The ingenuity and caring nature of our students generated a food pantry on campus to address food insecurity. Kudos to our College of Nursing students who are helping elementary school students get to school safely by taking the ‘walking school bus’. And, bravo to all students and others who put on a very special and successful musical, “9 to 5” in the re-opened UWM Mainstage Theater – one year after a devastating fire in the Peck School of the Arts (PSOA).

One of the most rewarding highlights of the year is commencement. More than 3,400 graduating students are eligible to walk across the stage on May 20th at the UWM Panther Arena for our spring Commencement ceremonies, which can be viewed via livestream. Congratulations, 2018 graduates!

Research and Innovation as a UWM Guiding Value

The top-tier research and innovation on this campus transcend discovery, improving people’s lives and solving problems. Innovation, leadership and collaboration are so important that they are among our guiding values. We see this every day, like students in our App Brewery who worked with a neuropsychologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin to develop an app used in conscious brain surgery. Medical College doctors have used NeuroMapper in dozens of surgeries already and major hospitals across the country are testing it. Take a look at this video that exemplifies our guiding value of innovation.

Engagement

UWM’s people are engaged in so many efforts that positively impact thousands of lives. The UWM chapter of Guitars for Vets was in the news earlier this month for its work to help military veterans combat post-traumatic stress disorder.

Our collective reach extends even further when we look at the intersection of engagement and innovation. One example is our new Connected Systems Institute that is advancing rapidly thanks to our collaboration with Rockwell Automation, Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, ANSYS, Johnson Controls, Eaton and other firms and universities.

Panther Pride

Your hard work continues to be recognized locally, regionally and nationally. This couldn’t be more evident than in the amazing success of our Made in Milwaukee. Shaping the World. campaign for UWM. To date, we have raised nearly $194M of our $200M goal. Donors give to organizations that have impact and get results. You have truly made a difference. Thank you. We can all look forward to celebrating the campaign’s success this fall.

Meanwhile, I hope you will show your Panther Pride this summer by wearing UWM gear at Summerfest on June 29 for Show Your College Pride Day. If you arrive between noon and 3 p.m. wearing a UWM hat or t-shirt you will receive one free ticket for admission that day.

You and UWM have experienced amazing things this past year – and we continue to gain strength and momentum together. Every day, your contributions improve the world – and all are worthy of additional investment. You have my thanks and warmest wishes as you head into the summer and all the adventures it brings. Because before you know it, another momentous school year will begin with UW-Waukesha and UW-Washington County students, faculty and staff joining the Panther family.