Good morning, colleagues. Here is this week’s update from Academic Affairs.
Town Hall Reminder
Just another reminder that there will be a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, September 28 from 1-2 p.m. Chancellor Mone and several UWM leaders will discuss health and safety, student centricity, and 2030 updates. Join the meeting here.
Kudos
Viktorija Bilic’s (Translation & Interpreting Studies) book, co-edited with Alison Clark Efford, “Radical Relationships: The Civil War–Era Correspondence of Mathilde Franziska Anneke,” was recently published by the University of Georgia Press. Congratulations, Viktorija!
Lingqian (Ivy) Hu (Urban Planning), Robert Schneider (Urban Planning), Yaidi Cancel Martinez (Center for Economic Development), and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission received a $1 Million National Science Foundation Civic Innovation Challenge award. Their project is titled, “User-Centered Mobility Solutions (UCMS): A New Vision to Connect Jobs and the Labor Force.” It will test a pilot of on-demand microtransit service that aims to connect workers living in segregated, majority-Black neighborhoods in Milwaukee with jobs in suburban employment centers. Well done, Ivy, Robert, and Yaidi!
Thomas Haigh (History) has a book out from MIT Press: “A New History of Modern Computing.” Co-written with the Smithsonian’s Paul Ceruzzi, it has been acclaimed as an “instant classic” by reviewers. Excellent news, Thomas!
Linnea Laestadius (Public Health) was awarded a $244K Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to evaluate the impact of resolutions declaring racism a public health crisis. Kudos, Linnea!
The UWM College of Nursing BSN program has been ranked in the top 11% (#76 out of 694) in the nation by US News & World Report! Congratulations to the College’s faculty and staff!
Rachel Ida Buff (History) has completed her term as Faculty Editor of the annual editions of the AAUP’s Journal of Academic Freedom for which I’ve also served as Faculty Editor. This year, she worked as co-editor with S. Ani Mukherji, formerly of UWM’s Honors College. Well done, Rachel!
Celeste Campos-Castillo (Sociology) and Linnea Laestadius (Public Health) are receiving funding from the UW-Madison Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT). Together with a team of UWM students, they will start a youth advisory board to 1) gather their input on developing research projects studying the impact of artificial intelligence (e.g., chat bots, machine learning on social media data) on adolescent mental wellbeing; and 2) provide them with professional development opportunities to pique their interest in the sciences. They will recruit youth advisors (13 to 17 years old) from Milwaukee’s communities of color. Kudos, Celeste and Linnea!
The National Communication Association has awarded UWM graduate Comfort Tosin Adebayo (PhD, Communication, 2020) the Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award for her study, “Maternal Healthcare Experiences of African American Women in Milwaukee: A Relational Dialectics Perspective,” advised by Erin Sahlstein Parcell (with committee members Sarah Riforgiate, Sang-Yeon Kim, and Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu). The NCA Miller Award is presented to the most outstanding dissertations completed in the field. Up to three awards may be given in any year. Dr. Adebayo will receive her award during NCA’s 107th Annual Convention in Seattle this November. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Towson University in Maryland. Congratulations, Comfort!
Sarah Schaefer (Art History) has published a book, “Gustave Doré and the Modern Biblical Imagination,” with Oxford University Press. Well done, Sarah!
Milwaukee Athletics
Four former Milwaukee student-athletes and a prominent head coach will be inducted into the Bud K. Haidet Milwaukee Athletics Hall of Fame, presented by Holiday Inn Milwaukee Riverfront on Saturday, November 13. The members of the Class of 2021 include Cheryl Berkley (volleyball), William Krueger (track & field/cross country), Emily McClellan (swimming), and Marc Mitchell (basketball), as well as Jerry Augustine, head coach of the Panthers for 12 seasons on the baseball diamond. Interested parties can now make plans to join the festivities and register.
The Week
Monday
I begin the week with my standing meeting with Robin Van Harpen, followed by a meeting with Chancellor Mone, a meeting regarding 2023-25 Capital Project Priorities, my weekly staff meeting, and a meeting on enrollment management.
Tuesday
In the morning, I have a Coronavirus Management Team (CMT) Leadership meeting, one-on-ones with Dave Clark and Brian Thompson, and a meeting of CEMAT leadership. In the afternoon, we have the Town Hall, my weekly meeting with the Chancellor, my monthly meeting with Mark Harris and Rebecca Klaper, and I end the day with a retirement reception for emeritus Dean Kanti Prasad.
Wednesday
I have my standing meeting with the Chancellor, Sue Weslow, and Jennifer Abele, I will meet with UWM American Association of University Professors (AAUP) leadership, followed by my regular meeting with Mark Harris. I also meet with the Director of Scholarships finalist Charisse Sekyi, followed by my monthly meeting with Amy Harley and Kim Litwack, my weekly check-in with Dave Clark and Kay Eilers, and the Chancellor and I meet with UWM Chief of Police finalist candidate Matt Kiederlen.
Thursday
In the morning, I have a UWM Foundation Board of Directors meeting, the CMT Leadership meeting, the Academic Planning and Budget Committee (APBC) meeting, one-on-ones with John Reisel, Nigel Rothfels, and Simon Bronner, and my monthly meeting with Keri Duce and Michelle Johnson. I also meet with the Director of Scholarships finalist Colin Daly and I end the day with a public listening session for the UW System President search.
Friday
Today, I will attend another public listening session for the UW System President search, I have my monthly meeting with Tina Freiburger, I meet with Director of Scholarships finalist Joel Spiess, and will also attend to administrative matters and will meet with the Health units to further the realignment discussion.
Saturday
This afternoon, I’ll attend the Korea Weekend Celebration (see below).
Announcements
Classroom Safety Training
Instructor-focused classroom and campus safety training is once again underway with six sessions offered this semester. Training will take place in person and in a virtual setting via Microsoft Teams. View dates/times and register for training. Contact Aundria Johnson (414-229-4627, aundria@uwm.edu) for questions regarding the sign-up procedure. For questions regarding the content of the training, contact Officer Craig Rafferty (414-229-4627, rafferty@uwm.edu).
Latinx Heritage Month
Latinx Heritage Month is being celebrated from September 15 through October 15 on the UWM campus. There are several events featuring Latinx diverse culture, art, history, and music. We encourage everyone to join this great celebration. See all the events that are taking place the entire month, and for more information contact the Roberto Hernandez Center (rhc@uwm.edu).
Panthers Vote
Are you registered to vote? Join UWM in Spaights Plaza for National Voter Registration Day on September 28. UWM will be hosting in-person tabling in Spaights Plaza from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Rain location in the Student Union.) UWM will also be hosting events online. Visit uwm.edu/vote for more information.
Korea Weekend Celebration
The Korean American Faculty & Staff Association at UWM and Korean American Association of Milwaukee host the 2021 Korea Weekend (한국의 날) Celebration. With the generous support from Korean Consulate General in Chicago, this year’s celebration will be a two-day event, on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2. See events and details here.
Salsa Dancing Under the Stars
Enjoy free salsa lessons, storytelling, and stargazing shows at the UWM Planetarium event Salsa Dancing Under the Stars on Friday, October 1 from 6 – 8 p.m.
80’s-Inspired Panther Prowl 5K Run/Walk
UWM’s largest on-campus event returns with an 80’s theme for the Def Panther Prowl-Steria – 2021 Panther Prowl 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, October 9 at 10 a.m. Get your Aqua Net and acid wash jeans ready and join us! All proceeds benefit UWM student scholarships. Register or donate at alumni.uwm.edu/pantherprowl.
Using Data Wisely to Help Communities of Color: What You Need to Know
This one-hour virtual program will take place on Friday, October 15 at 12 p.m. The program encourages students at UWM and members of the greater Milwaukee community to learn about data equity and how, as future scientists and professionals, we can collect, analyze, and use data wisely and ethically to help communities of color to thrive and grow. This program is sponsored by the WiscAMP STEM-Inspire Program and the UWM Mathematical Sciences Department. Registration.
Harvesting Community
The Affinity Groups Multicultural Coalition at UWM invites faculty and staff to its Harvesting Community Event on Friday, October 22 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at the Lubar Welcome Center.
Teaching and Learning Symposium
Submit a proposal and register for the 7th Annual Teaching and Learning Symposium, which will be held virtually on January 13, 2022.
WWHEL Scholarship
UWM’s Wisconsin Women in Higher Education Leadership (WWHEL) is pleased to announce a scholarship funded by the UWM Academic Staff Group Professional Development Award that will support six Academic Staff attendees to attend the Women Leaders Conference, hosted by the UWM School of Continuing Education on March 4, 2022. Submit an application no later than November 19. We will notify awardees mid-December. For additional information, please contact Kathy Litzau (kclitzau@uwm.edu).
University Relations Student Email
Here is this week’s edition of the University Relations email sent to students.
New Student Programs
New Student Programs is hiring Orientation Leaders for the Summer of 2022! Help us build a pool of great candidates by sharing the application with students you interact with in class or your unit. Even better: Please use this short form to nominate students directly if you feel they’d be a good leader! Reach out to orientation@uwm.edu with questions!
2021-22 Global Fellows Cohort
Global Studies is pleased to announce the 2021-2022 Global Fellows cohort, Portia Cobb, Jennifer Kibicho, Ermitte St. Jacques, David Pate, and Gladys Mitchell-Walthour, who are developing an innovative team-taught course called Global Studies 391, an internationally-focused comparative course on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement in the United States and abroad. This round of GS Fellows and the course is supported by a grant from US Department of State IDEAS (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad from US Students) grant, in the amount of $35,000. This project is a collaboration between the Study Abroad team, Center for International Education, Yomarie Castello, Sharon Gosz, and Ramona Washington, and Caroline Seymour-Jorn and Christine Wolf of Global Studies, along with the faculty members from five different departments. Global Studies 391 will be taught in Spring 2022 and will culminate in an optional related Study Abroad course taught in Summer 2022.
Other
Meet the oldest pot plant in the world . . .
Take care,
Johannes
Johannes Britz