April 9, 2018  |  News & Events, Provost's Updates

Good morning colleagues. Here is this week’s update from Academic Affairs.

Reminder: College of Health Sciences Dean Candidate on campus this week:

  • Jesús Garcia-Martinez visits campus Monday-Tuesday (April 9-10)
    Open Forum: Monday, April 9, 11 a.m.-Noon, Union Fireside Lounge

Candidate CVs and campus interview schedules are online. Feedback forms, to submit feedback to the me, are also posted on the finalists’ page.

Kudos

Woonsup Choi (Geography) has been elected Regional Councilor for the West Lakes Division of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). In this role, he will liaise with the Division and the National Council of the AAG, representing the Division to the National Council and vice versa. He will also coordinate the business of the Division with the Division officers. Congratulations, Woonsup!

The Japanese Program shared with me that two of its students won awards at a speech contest hosted by the Japanese Consulate in Chicago! Lauren Singer was awarded the grand prize, and Stephen Cannell won the Chicago Shimpo Award. This annual competition is held by the Japanese Consulate in Chicago and features contestants from universities all over the Midwest. Well done, Lauren and Stephen!

And from the Music Department, graduate students Evan Taucher and Samuel Hines just won First and Second Prize at the prestigious Appalachian Guitar Festival and Competition. A great accomplishment for UWM and our Music Department. Congratulations, Evan and Samuel!

A standing-room-only crowd of friends, parents, siblings, instructors, and other well-wishers congratulated the winners of the 24th annual Women’s and Gender Studies awards contests on March 15 at the Hefter Conference Center. Congratulations to all!

The winners in UWM’s inaugural FOCUSS competition have been announced. First place went to HBSSW sophomore Jared Smith who won $1,000 and will compete in the FOCUSS national competition in Madison at the end of April. Other winners include Justin Finner (L&S), Amber Joshway (L&S), Rebecca Essling (L&S), and Maombi Novati (HBSSW). Well done!

Gladys Mitchell-Walthour (Africology) will discuss her book, “The Politics of Blackness: Racial Identity and Political Behavior in Contemporary Brazil,” at Georgetown University in Washington, DC today. Congratulations, Gladys!

John Berges and Erica Young (Biological Sciences), in collaboration with Hunter Carrick (Central Michigan University), have been awarded $214,422 in NOAA-Sea Grant funding to study silica cycling in Lake Michigan. This research will address critical gaps in our understanding of the role of silica in changing lake dynamics. Well done, John and Erica!

In the News

The Washington Post is currently running a high-profile story about Margo Anderson’s work on the Census Bureau’s abuse of power to facilitate the WWII Japanese-American internment.

Successful Wisconsin Science Olympiad

Thanks again in particular to Anja Blecking (Faculty member in Chemistry) and her team for successfully organizing this event.

Milwaukee Athletics News
Save the date and join in on the festivities as the Milwaukee Athletic Department hosts the first “Milwaukee Athletics Tailgate” at Miller Park on Saturday, May 12 from 3-5 p.m. The Milwaukee baseball team will be playing in its annual contest at Miller Park, hosting Wright State on the field, while student-athlete success will be celebrated off of it, with festivities surrounding the inaugural “Black & Gold Scholarship Fundraiser.”

The Week

Monday

Today begins with a breakfast meeting with CHS dean candidate Jesús Garcia-Martinez, followed by my weekly meeting with Robin Van Harpen and my monthly meeting with UC Chair Kristian O’Conner. Later, I’ll attend the Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet meeting and the Clinical & Translational Science Institute (CSTI) Board meeting at the Medical College of Wisconsin. CEMAT also meets. Agenda items include enrollment and SEM updates, an update on Dash grants, and a presentation on Early College Credit.

Tuesday

I have a Campus Budget Planning meeting, standing meetings with Peter Sands and Alberto Maldonado, my monthly meetings with Ron Perez and Bob Greenstreet, the Academic Staff Senate meeting, and my wrap-up meeting with CHS dean candidate Jesús Garcia-Martinez. I also plan to visit the Waukesha campus with Kris O’Conner and Ron Perez during the day.

Wednesday

I have my weekly meeting with Gesele Durham and I’ll attend the Chapman Society luncheon. I have a monthly meeting with Kanti Prasad, my weekly meeting with the Chancellor, and the monthly UW Colleges Restructuring meeting.

Thursday

I start the day with the APBC meeting, followed by my monthly meetings with Brett Peters and Ron Cisler. In the afternoon, I have a Change Management meeting, my weekly staff meeting, a one-on-one meeting with Mark Harris, a meeting with Patricia Hoben and Alberto Maldonado, and a meeting with ASC Chair Sue Cashin.

Friday

Today is mainly filled with administration and one on one meetings with the direct reports. I have a Budget Model meeting, the Provost’s meeting on UW Colleges Restructuring, and I also plan to travel today to the Washington county campus.

Announcements

C21 Hosts Panel Discussion on Academic Freedom

This week, we continue our series on Academic Freedom. George Ciccariello-Maher (NYU) and Steve Salaita (writer) will discuss, “Social Media and Academic Freedom,” on Friday, April 13 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in Curtin 175.

LACUSL Speaker Series

Sarah Piña (UW-Parkside) presents, “The Atlantis Effect: Queer Aquatic Invocations and the (Re)Claiming of Women’s Space through the Works and Archives of Lydia Cabrera, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Tatiana de la Tierra,” on Wednesday, April 11 at 3:25 p.m. in the American Geographic Society Library.

Stahl Center Presents Singer Anthony Russell in “Colors of Jewishness” Series April 11-13

  • On Wednesday, April 11, come to Anodyne Coffee (224 Bruce St.) at 7 p.m. to hear classically-trained singer Anthony Russell in collaboration with klezmer trio Veretski Pass. “Convergence” joins 100 years of Yiddish folk music and African-American spirituals, joining elements from classical, jazz, blues, and gospel music.
  • On April 12, Anthony Russell will perform works of Yiddish singer Sidor Belarsky at Ovation Jewish Home (1414 N Prospect Ave.) at 7 p.m.
  • On April 13, Anthony Russell will present an a cappella musical conversation between classic Jewish texts and Yiddish song at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun (2020 W. Brown Deer Rd.) at 6 p.m.

All events are free and open to the public. Cosponsored by the Department of Africology, the Cultures & Communities Program, and the LGBTQ+ Resource Center.

Go Red for Women

UWM WWHEL will sponsor a “Go Red for Women” event on Thursday, April 12 from 12-1 p.m. in the Golda Meir Library 4th Floor Conference Center. Dr. Nicole Lohr, Section Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Hospital, will present a talk entitled, “Myths of Women’s Heart Disease.”

Undergraduate Research Symposium Call for Judges

If you are an Academic Staff Member, Graduate Student, or Faculty Member, the Office of Undergraduate Research would be very grateful if you would serve as a judge at the 10th Annual UWM Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 27. If you have done this before, you know it is a wonderful way to connect to the work our undergraduates are doing. If you haven’t, trust us, you will like this!

Other

The IPL started this week in India and my money is on the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Take care,

Johannes

Johannes Britz

Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs