Good morning, colleagues. Here is this week’s update from Academic Affairs.
Chancellor’s Plenary Address
Chancellor Mone will present his annual plenary address to the UWM community on Thursday, August 25 at 2:30 p.m. in the Bader Concert Hall of the Zelazo Center at the Milwaukee Campus. The Chancellor invites all faculty, academic staff, university staff, students, and friends to join him. A live webcast of the plenary will be available to those unable to attend in person. For further information or if you have special needs that require assistance, please contact the Office of the Secretary of the University (414-229-5988).
Kudos
The U.S. Department of Education has renewed the McNair Scholars Program at UWM (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) for another five years. Congratulations to Dr. Patricia Najera and the DEI Team.
Dexuan Xie (Mathematical Sciences) was awarded an NSF research grant entitled, “DMS/NIGMS 1: Collaborative Research: Advanced Ion Channel Modeling and Computational Tools with Application to Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel and Mitochondrial Model Development.” This two-PI project is funded by the Division of Mathematical Sciences for $600K. The other PI is Ranjan Dash at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Well done, Dexuan and Ranjan!
Nadya Fouad (Educational Psychology) was recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) Committee on Women in Psychology as a Distinguished Leader for Women in Psychology for her longstanding and sustained commitment to advancing women’s issues and her professional contributions to the scholarship, mentorship, and empowerment and leadership development of women in psychology. Congratulations, Nadya!
Four UWM engineering students saved a Wisconsin steel company $43,095.43 in a single year, a savings that is expected to be annual. The savings came after Charter Steel altered a step in their steel processing based entirely on the students’ proposal in a capstone class led by Ben Church (Materials Engineering). Well done, engineers!
In the News
Clark Evans (Atmospheric Science) was quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, “Atlantic Hurricane Seasons Are Starting Weeks Earlier, Raising Risks to Coastal Areas,” about the increase in early-forming storms.
Milwaukee Athletics
The Milwaukee Athletic Department announced that it will broadcast 22 home games this fall on ESPN+. The online streaming service will carry six contests for women’s soccer, seven for men’s soccer, and nine for volleyball.
The Milwaukee women’s basketball team has rescheduled its 22nd Annual Golf Classic for Friday, September 23 at Songbird Hills Golf Club in Hartland. The original date was postponed due to rain.
The Week in Retrospect
Most of the week’s focus has been the Board of Regents (BoR) and pre-Board meetings, but there were other important connections early in the week. On Monday, I had a chance to update the Academic Staff Committee on several issues including our enrollment/retention efforts, and sought their feedback on the rollout of the Teaching and Research Professor titles in the Fall. At a cabinet meeting, I had the opportunity to hear presentations about important initiatives from Police Chief David Salazar on modern campus policing approaches and Chief HR Officer Makda Fessahaye on new talent development programs. On Tuesday, Associate Vice Chancellor Phyllis King provided an update on a number of initiatives associated with the M3 collaboration with Milwaukee Public Schools and MATC. On Wednesday morning, I drove to UW Green Bay for the Provost’s retreat focused mainly on processes related to new academic program development. On Thursday, I joined all the Provosts at the Education Committee meeting of the BoR. I am finishing Friday by attending several presentations at the BoR meeting including a panel on advising. I drive back this afternoon and hope all are able to enjoy a lovely late summer weekend.
Announcements
Instructor & Academic Support Staff FAQs – COVID-19 Protocols
Academic Affairs has updated the Instructor & Academic Support Staff FAQs – COVID 19 Protocols document for Fall 2022. For more information regarding the fall semester, please visit the Academic Affairs Covid page and UWM’s FAQ pages. Updates will be posted to those pages through August.
macOS 10 Retires
Apple will retire macOS 10 this fall. Mac users may need a full upgrade of their computer’s operating system.
Guidance Available for Statements on Current Events
In recent years, some departments and campus units have wished to publish statements regarding current issues and events. Written guidance is now available for departments and units considering this action. It is important to note that all academic departments must get approval from their dean and the provost, as has been the practice for the past several years.
Deployment of ChemManager+ to Begin Next Week
ChemManager+ deployment will begin in several departments starting the week of August 22. It is a new system for managing chemicals from purchase to disposal, that supports research, instructional, safety and risk staff in their work, using bar code and scanner technology. ChemManager+ integrates with ShopUW+. Through Fall and beyond, University Safety and Assurances staff will continue to work towards full deployment across campus, in close partnership with department leadership. More information on the project.
Host an Event for Panther Family and Friends Day
September 9 is the deadline to submit an event for Panther Family and Friends Day on Saturday, October 8. See the Event Planning Guide. Email Alyssa Conrardy (ambc@uwm.edu) with questions, concerns, or need for advice.
Campus Events
New Graduate Student Orientation
The UWM Graduate School will host its virtual New Graduate Student Orientation on Thursday, August 25 from 1-4:30 p.m. Orientation is designed to serve as a general overview of topics related to graduate student life at UWM for new graduate students who started this past spring or summer, or who will start this fall. The Graduate School’s orientation is different from any new graduate student orientation that may be offered by the academic programs. Please check with your department for program-specific information. Graduate students should register before noon on Thursday, August 25 to receive a link to the event.
Mexican Fiesta
UWM and the Roberto Hernandez Center will have an informational booth presence at Mexican Fiesta, which runs from August 26-28 at the Summerfest grounds. The UWM community is invited to attend, and volunteers are still needed on Saturday and Sunday to help represent UWM and share information. Signup to volunteer. For more information, please contact the Roberto Hernandez Center (rhc@uwm.edu or 414-229-6156).
Stars ‘n S’mores
Join the UWM Planetarium for our popular outdoor event, Stars ‘n S’mores on Thursday, September 1 at 8 p.m. Enjoy eating delicious s’mores and relax outside while gazing at summer constellations through our telescopes. S’mores kits are free (one per person while supplies last). We will also offer free planetarium shows every 15-20 minutes.
Constellations of the Zodiac: Virgo
On Friday, September 2, delve into the astronomy and mythology behind the zodiac and learn how to find your zodiac constellation in the night sky. In this live, interactive show, we will explore the stories and science of the zodiac constellations with a focus on what makes this month’s constellation, Virgo, unique.
Take care,
Scott
Scott Gronert
Interim Provost
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee