Dear Colleagues,
I am sending sad news of the passing of two members of our UWM community. The messages below were shared with me by colleagues in the College of Letters and Science, and in University Relations and Communications.
Irvin Mitchell
It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Irvin (Irv) Mitchell who served as a Senior Academic Advisor in the College of Letters and Science from 1982-2013, passed away on October 23, 2020.
He mentored countless students who needed that extra push, smile, urging to persevere; their success was his first priority. The majority of those students graduated from UWM due to his positive impact on them. To this day, Irv still heard from many of those students.
Irv fell in love with golf after playing in the UWM Faculty/Staff Golf League for many years. Golf became his therapy while battling cancer. He was active in Academic Staff Governance in a variety of roles. Irv was a phenomenal speaker and in demand for many campus events. He spoke at new faculty/staff orientations on the topic of “The UWM Student,” which he took on with his usual panache and humor. His sessions always had high ratings from attendees. He later channeled that energy into becoming a Reverend.
Irv will be missed by his friends, colleagues, students, and co-workers in Student Academic Services. Please see Rev. Mitchell’s obituary.
Nancy Warner
Nancy Warner, an emeritus academic staff member who had worked in UWM News and Publications, passed away on November 7, 2020.
Warner grew up in Wausau and, like her journalist father, had a love of the English language.
After finishing her bachelor’s degree at UW-Madison, Warner started her career as a reporter for the Milwaukee Sentinel before accepting an editing position in UWM’s News and Publications department. During her 30 years at the university, Warner was the eagle eye that policed the grammar, sentence structure and spelling of nearly all the printed materials distributed by UWM. She knew Associated Press style in her sleep.
During most of her years at UWM, school and college brochures, catalogs, viewbooks and alumni publications were all produced on paper, so her work put her in contact with a large cross-section of people on campus. Warner also managed the writers, editors and student interns in the department when the associate vice chancellor position was unoccupied, and she was quite active in academic staff governance.
Outside of work, she played a competitive golf and tennis game. She brought that same edge to her profession, but she paired it with a kind demeanor. She was known for her thoughtful handling of problems, signature polo shirts with a popped collar and a Christmas shortbread that colleagues all lived for.
Warner was granted emeritus status in 2006, the same year she retired. For additional information, please see her obituary online.
Take care,
Johannes
Johannes Britz
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs