September 23, 2022  |  News & Events, Provost's Updates, Timely Announcements

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

Kudos

Milwaukee has been selected for a $3.2M US Economic Development of Administration grant based on UWM’s Community Design Solutions’ (CDS) 2018 charette for future development in the Menomonee Valley. The grant will assist in the development of a hidden 15-acre riverfront parcel, located partially under the Marquette Interchange. Under the direction of Carolyn Esswein (Architecture, Urban Planning), CDS has facilitated 13 charettes for under-utilized sites in Milwaukee. Well done, Carolyn and CDS students! 

Violinist Bernard Zinck (Music) has been invited by the Milwaukee Ballet to guest solo as the concert master for the November 3-6 performances of Swan Lake. Congratulations, Bernard! 

Melinda Kavanaugh (Social Welfare) was invited to present, “YCare South Africa: Developing Young Career Education and Support Programs in South Africa,” at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) where she is a visiting professor. She developed YCARE, an evidence-based, youth caregiving skills and support protocol for youth in families with neurological disorders. The program provides multidisciplinary support engaging PT, OT, speech, and social work. Well done, Melinda!

Kudos to the UWM Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that is now tied for No. 39 in the nation, out of 681 programs, for the Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program for 2023 by U.S. News & World Report. UWM Nursing saw a substantial increase from last year’s position, No. 76 in the nation, celebrating the highest ranking in the college’s history.

Gregg Jamison (Social Science and Business) received an $8,708 Wisconsin Humanities Grant for, “Exploring Native American Cultures and Lived Experiences in Wisconsin: past, present, and future.” The project includes programs throughout the fall semester at the Waukesha campus. Congratulations, Gregg!

In the News

An article about the City of Milwaukee’s first Home Movie Day, a community event co-organized by Tami Williams (English, Film Studies) was published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Karyn Frick (Psychology) was awarded a $300K grant to discover why women are more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s and safe treatments to prevent the onset of the disease and ease menopause symptoms. The story was featured on TMJ4.

The Week in Retrospect

I hope that all have had a good week as we crossed the equinox into the fall season. On Monday, I met with the Academic Staff Committee (ASC) and had a chance to provide updates on enrollment and answer questions. I also attended a meeting focused on transitioning scholarships affected by the school/college realignment. On Wednesday, I had my monthly meeting with Student Association leadership. They provided valuable updates and highlighted efforts to create greater awareness of the Student Success Center. In addition, we discussed how to create a better understanding of and compliance with accommodations granted by the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC). I also was able to join one of the Enrollment Management/Student Success Kickoff meetings and heard about the positive things happening in those units. On Thursday, I started the morning with a UW System Provost task force discussion on the new program approval process and ways to make it more collaborative and streamlined. I also provided updates at the Academic Planning and Budget Committee (APBC) meeting. Finally, I joined other members of the Chancellor’s cabinet greeting Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit to UWM. She spent part of the afternoon meeting with community partners and visiting a class. It was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the good things happening at UWM. Today, I will be attending and providing opening remarks at the ARC Awards Ceremony.

Announcements

  • UW System Student Success Summit SeriesThe UW System Student Success Summit Series is a virtual summit that will occur in October. The summit focuses on the Complete College America (CCA) Purpose First Initiative, which empowers students with resources to make informed choices of majors, build early academic momentum, and ultimately, to succeed in completing their degrees. Register by September 30.
  • Union Cinema Showing Films in Mitchell HallDue to the Union renovation, the Union Cinema has moved temporarily to the Fine Arts Cinema in Mitchell Hall, room B91 during the Fall semester. Thanks to the generous support of the Department of Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres, the Cinema’s program will run Tuesday through Saturday nights in the Fine Arts Cinema. All films are free for everyone, and concessions are available. Watch our website for all of the great film programs this semester.

Campus Events

  • UWM Artist’s Solo ExhibitionKyoung Ae Cho’s (Art and Design) solo exhibition, “Pause,” opened at the James Watrous Gallery in the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison. The exhibition is free and open to the public until November 6. The reception is today, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Panel Discussion on InternshipsThe Office of Student Experience and Talent is hosting a Panel Discussion on Internships for Students in the Social Sciences and Humanities on Thursday, September 29 from 3-4:30 p.m. in Vogel Hall. Representatives from all sectors (government, corporate, and nonprofit) will share their thoughts on the value of internship experiences and how to secure one. This event is open to all majors, as well as faculty and staff interested in learning more. Please RSVP. Refreshments will be served after the discussion to encourage networking.

Take care,

Scott

Scott GronertInterim Provost