Dear Colleagues,

I share with you sad news from the Department of Political Science in the College of Letters and Science. Professor Emeritus Brett Hawkins passed away in early March. Dr. Hawkins joined the UWM faculty as an Associate Professor in 1970, already a respected and well-published specialist in state and local government. He was promoted to full Professor in 1971 and served UWM for nearly 30 years, retiring in 1999.

Brett played a key role in the development of the Master’s in Public Administration program, and also served as Department Chair; he was very proud of the Department and its members’ achievements. Professor Emeritus Don Pienkos recalled, “Brett was a serious scholar, a teacher with high expectations of his students, and an engaging colleague. His office door was always open for a friendly chat with colleagues and students.”

Brett was born in Buffalo, NY on September 15, 1937. He earned his BA, with high honors, from the University of Rochester in 1959. He attended Vanderbilt University on a National Defense Act Fellowship, where he received his MA in 1962 and PhD in 1964. Prior to joining UWM, Brett was an Assistant Professor in Political Science at Washington and Lee University, and an Associate Professor at the University of Georgia, Athens.

Brett was listed in Marquis Who’s Who as a noteworthy political science professor for more than 25 years. Throughout the course of his career, he contributed articles to a wide variety of journals and authored numerous industry-related works. In recognition of his commitment to educational excellence, Brett was also listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the Midwest, and Who’s Who in the World.

We share our condolences with Brett’s family and the many others whose lives he touched.

Take care,

Johannes

Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs