Good morning, colleagues. Here is this week’s update from Academic Affairs.
College of Health Sciences Dean Announcement
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Timothy K. Behrens has accepted the position of Dean of the College of Health Sciences, effective as of May 1, 2019. Currently, Dr. Behrens is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Northern Arizona University. In his previous roles he increased extramural proposal submissions, developed new revenue sources for graduate student education with community partners, expanded mentoring opportunities, and created programs with unique service-learning components.
Dr. Behrens completed his doctoral degree in Health Promotion, with Biostatistics as a secondary focus, at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. After completing his doctoral degree, he served as a postdoctoral Fellow in Physical Activity and Public Health Research Directions and Strategies, sponsored by the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He earned his master’s in Health Promotion at the University of Houston and his bachelors in Community Health at Sam Houston State University. He subsequently served on the faculty at the University of Utah, Kansas State University, and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and he is a Research Fellow of SHAPE America. His research interests include physical activity measurement, community wellness, K-12 physical activity, and the development of research teams to address systemic problems.
Please join me in welcoming Tim to UWM. I am looking forward to working with him as the incoming Dean of CHS.
I would like to extend a word of thanks to the search and screen committee – in particular, Dr. Paul Auer and Dr. Janis Eells (respectively, the chair and vice-chair) – for their dedication and hard work that resulted in the hiring of Dr. Behrens.
Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute Co-Director Finalist on Campus this Week
Alok Chaturvedi visits campus today and the open forum will take place at 2 p.m. in Zelazo 250. Candidate and visit information is posted online on the finalists page. To submit feedback for the candidate finalists, please use the online feedback forms linked on the finalists page. There is a separate feedback form for each candidate. The deadline to submit comments is Monday, May 6 at 5 p.m.
WUWM General Manager Feedback
The deadline to submit comments about the WUWM General Manager finalist candidates is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18. Please use the online feedback form. Your input will remain anonymous and will only be reviewed by L&S Dean Scott Gronert.
Assessment News
Academic Affairs is pleased to announce the creation of a new assessment website for UWM faculty and staff. The new site contains useful content designed to assist faculty and programs with understanding and doing assessment work to improve student learning. The new site can be found at http://www.uwm.edu/assessment.
Kudos
Ramona Washington (Center for International Education) was selected for a 2019-20 Fulbright U.S. International Education Administrator’s Seminar in Japan! The Fulbright program aims to increase mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and people in other countries. Since its inception in 1946, more than 380,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in this prestigious program. Well done, Ramona!
Liam Callanan (English) won the Council of Wisconsin Writers’ 2018 Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award for his novel, Paris by the Book. The award “is given to the best fiction book published by a Wisconsin-based author in the contest year.” Congratulations, Liam!
Bonnie Klein-Tasman (Psychology) has been selected as a Fellow of the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA Division 53). Fellow status requires evidence of “unusual and outstanding contributions and performance” and “impact of work at the national level.” Excellent news, Bonnie!
A collection of the poems of John Koethe (Philosophy, Emeritus) was favorably reviewed in this Sunday’s New York Times Book Review. A well-deserved recognition!
Proposals from 15 UWM faculty were selected for funding through the Research Growth Initiative®, an internal seed-funding competition aimed at enhancing the university’s research and scholarly work supporting the state’s economic development through innovation. Well done, scientists!
Georg Essl (Mathematical Sciences) has been awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in Computer Science for 2019. This is indeed a huge honor Georg and congratulations!
Milwaukee Athletics
The Milwaukee Athletics Department has announced that renewals for season-ticket memberships will be available starting the week of April 22. Be among the first to lock in your spot for the 2019-20 season, as the first 25 accounts to renew their season membership will receive an authentic, game-issued Panthers jersey!
The Week
Monday
I start the day with my weekly meeting with Robin Van Harpen, followed by a meeting on our Freshwater Initiative, a meeting with the Academic Staff Council, the Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet meeting, a June BOR Planning meeting, standing meetings with Stephen Schmid and Kristin Roosevelt, my weekly staff meeting, a meeting with Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute Co-Director Finalist Candidate Alok Chaturvedi, and a meeting with the Library Director Search and Screen Committee Chair Amanda Seligman.
Tuesday
In the morning, I have standing meetings with Tom Luljak, Brett Peters, and Val Klump and Tim Grundl. The Chancellor and I will have an M3 Update meeting, and I have a teleconference with Alexa Silverman from EAB. In the afternoon, I’ll attend the University Committee meeting.
Wednesday
I have a meeting with Phyllis King and Kelly Haag, followed by a meeting with Liam Callanan regarding the College of General Studies Dean Search (Liam chairs the Search Committee), and a meeting of the Online Student Mental Health Working Group. Later, I have my monthly meeting with Trudy Turner, and my weekly meeting with the Chancellor.
Thursday
I start the day at the APBC meeting, followed by standing meetings with Marija Gajdarziska-Josifovska and Margaret Noodin. Later, I have a Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute Core Team meeting, a UW Extended Campus meeting, and Faculty Senate.
Friday
In the morning, I have a number of meetings with my direct reports and standing meetings with Alan Shoho and Scott Emmons. In the afternoon, I have a Connected Systems Institute Test Bed meeting with Rockwell Automation.
Announcements
Bike to Campus Day- April 24
Next Wednesday we have our yearly bike to campus day. I hope you can make it. Register for which location you’d like to meet up at and your name will be entered into a raffle drawing. Must be present to win. Drawing for the raffle prize will take place in Spaights Plaza when all riders are into campus, between 8-8:30 a.m.
Wisconsin Women in Higher Education Leadership
WWHEL presents, “Embodying UWM’s Guiding Values as Women Leaders,” on Wednesday, April 17 at 12 p.m. in the Library 4th Floor Conference Center. Dr. Joan Prince will facilitate a discussion with a panel of women from UWM’s Executive Cabinet. Register online.
Women’s Listening Sessions and Male Allies Training
UWM is again partnering with a team from North Dakota State University to continue taking steps toward a gender equitable climate at UWM. Listening sessions will be held on April 25 and 26 for women to talk about the climate in their departments or units. All information will be kept confidential and will also be attended by members of the UWM Women’s Advisory Board. Space is still available on Thursday and Friday morning. Please RSVP. A Male Allies training session is scheduled for April 25 from 9-11 a.m. in the Library 4th Floor Conference Center. This will be identical to the session held last fall, for those who were not able to attend. Space is still available. Please RSVP.
Innovation Scholarship: Call for Nominations
The UWM Office for Development and Alumni Relations is seeking nominations for The Patricia H. Weisberg Innovation Scholarship which provides scholarships to UWM undergraduate students who have innovative and/or creative abilities as demonstrated through on- or off-campus activities. The deadline for nominations is Monday, April 29, 2019. Please share this opportunity with faculty who are involved with students in innovative and/or creative pursuits. Please forward completed letters of recommendation to eph@uwm.edu or by mail to:
Erin Harrass
UWM Alumni Association
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Thank you very much for your participation in this process. I encourage
you to direct questions to eph@uwm.edu or 414.229-4290
Sustainable Development Conference
The UWM College of Nursing is hosting an interdisciplinary conference focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 9/27/19. Local and global projects related to any of the SDG’s are welcome, and students are encouraged to participate. Abstracts are due by April 30.
From C21
Donna Haraway and Anna Tsing (UC – Santa Cruz) explore the arts of living on a damaged planet in a conversation about living and dying in the plantationocene on Wednesday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m. in Curtin 175. A light reception will follow the event.
Art Show Opening
Land•scape: Redefining Landscapes from the UWM Art Collection is a graduate-student curated show that explores the subjectivity of landscapes in art through four lenses. The show opens on Thursday, April 18 at 5 p.m. in the Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery, Mitchell 170. Curator talk begins at 5:30 p.m.
30th Annual Marden Lecture
Dr. James A. Yorke (University of Maryland) will present, “The Many Facets of Chaos,” on Tuesday, April 16 at 3:30 p.m. in Lubar N140.
2019 Jere D. McGaffey Lecture
Dr. Elizabeth Thompson (American University) presents, “Europe’s Destruction of Arab Democracy in 1920: A Century of Consequences,” on Tuesday, April 23 at 3 p.m. in the Union Alumni Fireside Lounge. A reception will follow the talk. The public is welcome.
Sprucing up for Spring
In honor of Earth Day, the Westlawn Community Gardens Clean-up will take place on April 27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Join fellow alumni, students, and staff, along with their families, and get ready for spring planting with Westlawn community members, followed by a lunch for all volunteers. All ages are welcome.
UWinteriM 2020 Study Abroad
The Center for International Education is now accepting proposal for the 2020 UWinteriM term. Leading a program is a wonderful opportunity to connect an international destination with an area of academic interest and share it with students. A new online form makes it easy to complete the proposal process and, as always, the CIE Study Abroad staff will help with all aspects of every study abroad program. Please contact Study Abroad Director Mark Eckman (eckmanm@uwm.edu) with any questions.
Seeking UNITE Bag Give-A-Way Items
As you wrap up your 2018-19 year and any ordering, please place UNITE on your calendars (Thursday, August 22) and consider contributing to the bags! Please reply to Alyssa at ambc@uwm.edu with your contribution plan by June 1 to ensure they aren’t doubling up on similar items. If you are unsure about your item, just ask! Alyssa is happy to give feedback and answer any questions.
Other
Don’t forget to file your taxes and Tiger Woods did it again!
Take care,
Johannes
Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs