Good afternoon, colleagues. Here is this week’s update from Academic Affairs.
L&S Acting Dean
I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Nigel Rothfels as the Acting Dean of L&S. Nigel brings a wealth of experience and has had leadership roles within L&S and at the university level, including his role as Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research for the last 14 years and chairing the University Committee and History Department. Nigel will be starting his role as Acting Dean on June 13. Please join me in welcoming Nigel into his new role in L&S.
Kudos
Kimberly Blaeser (English; American Indian Studies) was featured in the National Endowment for the Arts publication, “American Artscape Magazine,” about her founding of In-Na-Po (Indigenous Nations Poets). She discussed the organization’s mission, the significance of Indigenous poetry, and In-Na-Po’s inaugural retreat at the Library of Congress in April. Congratulations, Kim!
Min Guy Kim’s (Physics) new publication, “Real-space observation of fluctuating antiferromagnetic domains,” appears in Science Advances. Well done, Min!
The UW System Board of Regents honored UWM’s Robin Jens (Nursing; Public Health) with a 2022 Academic Staff Excellence Award at its June 9-10 meeting in Milwaukee. The 2022 recipients include two individuals and one program. These awards recognize exceptional service to the university and are the UW System’s highest recognition bestowed on members of its academic staff. Congratulations, Robin!
Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 UWM Teaching Fellow Awards conferred by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and the Graduate School. We had an incredible field of talented candidates – each one a dedicated instructor who made a meaningful contribution to student success during this difficult year. The winners of this year’s fellowships are:
- Ruth Olayemi Adeniyi – French, Italian, and Comparative Literature
- Emily Dorshorst – Sociology
- Gabrielle Grimes – Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Catherine Kristy Lisle – Art and Design
- Jeffrey Peterson – Kinesiology
- Mark Schauf – Mathematical Sciences
Milwaukee Athletics
Jose Winston has been named an assistant coach for the Milwaukee men’s basketball team. Winston most recently made his mark in the local high school coaching scene, but also played a role in Panther basketball of the past. Fans will remember Winston, who played for Milwaukee his final year in college and was part of the 2002-2003 team that helped the school claim its first NCAA Tournament berth.
LEARFIELD announced that Panther Sports Properties, the multi-media rights holder for Milwaukee Panther Athletics, has been named a Tier 6 Property of the Year for its efforts this past school year in corporate sponsorships and partnerships.
The Week in Retrospect
Over the summer, we will be experimenting a bit with the format and production of the Provost’s Weekly Update. The most obvious shift is publishing it on Friday. This will allow me to provide an update focused more on what occurred during the week rather than what is planned, and also allows for an advanced announcement of events scheduled for the following week. We will also be creating separate announcement and event sections. Throughout the summer, Updates will be published roughly every two weeks, with the next one expected on June 24. I appreciate your patience with the evolving process as we experiment with new formats. As we move to the new publication calendar, please submit all items, including kudos, by the Friday of the preceding week via our online form at: https://uwm.edu/academicaffairs/engage/submit-provost-update-item/. Submissions for the June 24 Update are due by June 17.
The big focus of this week has been the Board of Regents annual meeting at UWM, which included a half-day meeting of System Provosts on Wednesday in advance of the BOR meeting on Thursday and Friday. The Chancellor’s host-campus presentation was yesterday during the All Regents session. On Tuesday, I welcomed 98 exceptional new Honors College students and their parents to UWM. Other new student orientations continued through the week. Additionally, my week also included final meetings in L&S to transition leadership to Nigel Rothfels and I began my new slate of meetings with the Provost and Chancellor office teams.
Announcements
Sad News
Professor Emeritus Leonard Levine, of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, passed away on May 25. Len served UWM for nearly 35 years before retiring in 2000. He helped develop the undergraduate Computer Science program and was an admired teacher. He also directed the University’s Computer Center and oversaw the development of early computing resources for the entire campus. See message. Read the CEAS memoriam.
From UITS
- Session length refers to the amount of time you are successfully logged in and authenticated in an application. On June 14, an update will be made to all session length durations.
- This summer, an upgrade will be made to the fiber optic campus infrastructure. This initiative is part of a state project and is the largest infrastructure change that UWM has made in nearly a decade.
Moon Shot for Equity Progress and Impact
Impressive gains to closing equity gaps and advancing student success were realized in Year 1 of the Moon Shot for Equity. This is largely due to the deep engagement and dedication of many stakeholders on campus. Learn more and view the leadership update.
2023 Alumni Awards
Do you know an exceptional UWM alum? Nominate them to be honored at the 2023 Alumni Awards Evening on Friday, February 24, 2023, at the Pfister Hotel! Additional information. Nominations are due by July 31.
Call for Volunteers
Fall Welcome and University Housing Move-In are UWM’s two largest campus-wide programs, and believe it or not, they’re just around the corner! The success of these programs relies heavily on hundreds of staff member, faculty, and student volunteers. We need your help! There are more than 500 shifts available, and each offers a unique opportunity to engage with and support students. It is crucial that we “roll out the gold carpet” for our students and make them feel welcome on campus. We thank you in advance for your time and support.
Campus Events
FREE Career Collective Virtual Conference
The Career Planning Center has secured a campus-wide registration for the Career Leadership Collective Annual Virtual Conference on Friday, June 17. Attendance is free for all UWM staff, faculty, and students. Register in advance and select “previously paid” at the bottom of the page. Use this password (2022CONF732QH17) to enter the sessions access page during the conference.
Constellations of the Zodiac: Cancer
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, Cancer, unique. Join us at the UWM Planetarium on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m.
Take care,
Scott
Scott Gronert
Interim Provost
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee