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

Kudos

Konstantin Sobolev and Jian Zhao (Civil and Environmental Engineering), in collaboration with the University of Texas at Arlington and a consortium of European universities, received a $1.5M NSF grant for a project that aims to mitigate concrete’s role in global warming. Congratulations, Constantin and Jian!

Tatiana Joseph and co-PIs Maggie Bartlett, Leanne Evans, and Sara Jozwik (Teaching and Learning) were awarded a five-year, $2.87M grant from the Department of Education for their project, “Preparing Inclusive Early Childhood Educators (PIECE).” The project, beginning this year, will deliver a rigorous program that consists of coursework, clinical experiences, multi-tiered mentorship, and practice-based professional development to equip pre-service and in-service inclusive early childhood educators with knowledge and skills for providing high-quality instruction to improve outcomes for English Learners (ELs). Well done, Tatiana, Maggie, Leanne, and Sara!

Xiao Qin (Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation) accepted an invitation to join a Wisconsin Department of Transportation advisory committee charged with helping Wisconsin plan for vehicles of the future. Congratulations, Xiao!

J. Dietenberger (Information Studies) and Adam Wickersham (Business) led the very successful “Panther Python Bootcamp” on September 17. The dojo style training was a voluntary, 8-hour training in introductory Python Programming concepts. The bootcamp drew 78 participants from undergraduates to doctoral students across multiple majors and disciplines. Well done, J. and Adam!

In the News

The Week in Retrospect

This week included the Board of Regents meeting in Eau Claire. On Tuesday, the launching of the latest UWM history book, “Telling Our Stories,” was a big success, with strong attendance from UWM, former faculty and staff, and community partners. It was a great celebration of how diversity is at the core of the UWM mission and has played such a pivotal role in its growth and success. Congratulations to the authors and co-editors Chia Vang and David Pate! On Wednesday, I drove to Eau Claire for a pre-meeting focused on the System process for approving new academic programs and how to make it more efficient and collaborative. On Thursday, System President Rothman gave an overview of the first 100 days of his administration and presented a draft of the system strategic plan. Today, I will be driving back after the Board of Regents final session.

Announcements

• Flu Shots for Faculty and Staff
  Free, on-site Flu shots will be available to employees and their spouses, who are enrolled in a State of Wisconsin Group Health Insurance plan, in the Union Ballroom November 1-3. Register today; spots fill up fast! Information and registration.

• Open Enrollment 2023
  The annual benefits enrollment period, which started on Monday and runs through October 21, is the yearly opportunity for eligible employees to enroll in or make changes to most benefit plans for the upcoming calendar year. More information.

• Wellness Inventory
  The Campus Cares team, a cross-campus collaboration, is collecting data on efforts that support student, faculty, and staff wellness. If you engage in wellness-related practices, programs, research, or curriculum, please complete this brief, five-minute survey by October 14. The data collected will be used to bring the campus community together and amplify existing practices and programs. Your input is instrumental in finding out who is engaging in this work!

• Panthers Vote
  
  • Panthers Vote is organizing a classroom presentation initiative focused on voter registration. The 5-10-minute presentation will walk students through the registration process. If you are interested in a student presenting in your classroom, please fill out the form on the UWM voting website. Contact Panthers Vote Coordinator Alannah Ray (er-grad@uwm.edu) with questions. Do you know a student who would be a great presenter? 

• • Panthers Vote is recruiting students to give presentations on registering to vote. Attend a brief training session, present to at least one classroom, and complete a short follow-up report. Panthers Vote is providing the 5-10-minute presentation and assigning students based on availability. After completing all three steps, students will receive a $50 Visa gift card. Interested?Fill out this form. Contact Alanna Ray (er-grad@uwm.edu) with questions.

• Sad News
  Bruce Precourt, a former senior lecturer in the Classics Program in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, passed away on August 17. Bruce graduated from UWM in 1988 with a BA in Classics and received his MA in Classical Languages and Literatures from the University of Chicago in 1990. He taught Greek and Roman mythology, as well as Egyptian civilization courses. Due to his expertise in Egyptian visual and material culture, he also taught Egyptian archaeology and art in the Department of Art History. Our condolences to Bruce’s family and all those whose lives he touched. For additional information, please see Bruce’s obituary.

Campus Events

• Freshwater Colloquium
  School of Freshwater Sciences Senior Scientists Russell Cuhel and Carmen Aguilar and thesis master’s student Ryan Roekle will present, “Recirculating Aquaculture Biofilters, Lake and Harbor Dreding, and Noxious-Harmful Algal Blooms: What do they have in common?” on Monday, October 3 at 4:30 p.m. in the School of Freshwater Sciences/Great Lakes Research Facility.

• Ezé Wendtoin
  The German Program is happy to announce that musician, activist, and German Studies scholar Ezé Wendtoin is visiting UWM. Please join us for an interactive concert on Monday, October 3 at 5 p.m. in room 250 of the Zelazo Center, and a meet and greet on Tuesday, October 4 at 5:30 p.m. in Curtin Hall 187. More details.

• Campus Connect Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Training
  Help to strengthen our network of UWM faculty, staff, and students prepared to reach out to students in crisis! Join one of the Fall 2022 Campus Connect Gatekeeper Training sessions being offered throughout the month of October. Booster sessions are also available for those who have already completed the initial training. Registration and more information.

• Diverse Ideas
  The Lubar Entrepreneurship Center (LEC) is excited to partner with the Roberto Hernández Center to bring UW System Regent Héctor Colón to the first Diverse Ideas of the Fall Semester, where he will discuss his recently released book, “From Boxing Ring to Boardroom: Five Virtues for Life and Leadership,” on October 4 at 12 p.m. in the LEC Atrium.

• DEI Book Club
  It’s not too late to drop into any of the upcoming series of book club discussions this fall on, “Whistling Vivaldi: How stereotypes affect us and what we can do,” by Claude M. Steele. The second meeting will be on Wednesday, October 5 (meetings are alternate Wednesdays at 9 a.m.) Teams links and more information.

• C21 Conversation
  Meet the staff and gain an overview of the major sources of funding awarded by the Center for 21^st Century Studies (C21): fellowships, collaborative projects, and working groups on Wednesday, October 5 from 12-1:30 p.m. in Curtain 939. Virtual attendance is available via Zoom registration. More information.

• Panther Prowl
  There’s still time to join the Panther Prowl! The annual 5K run/walk will take place on Saturday, October 8. The race begins at 10 a.m., followed by a post-race party with snacks, beverages, and activities. Information and registration.

• Somos Tech Summit
  Somos Tech is a night to gather students across Wisconsin for a one-of-a-kind networking experience and celebration of Latinos in tech. Invite your friends to join us on Wednesday, October 12, in the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center and UWM Welcome Center starting at 4 p.m. It’s free! Please register.

• Winona LaDuke
  The Helen Bader School of Social Work and the Electa Quinney Institute are thrilled to welcome Winona LaDuke to campus on Thursday, October 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the Helen Bader Concert Hall in the Zelazo Center. She will speak on, “Indigenous Strategies for Environmental Justice: Working Together for a Sustainable Future.” More information.

Scott