LaKisha Barrett for McGraw-Hill’s
Former UWM Biosciences Graduate Student now a Shining Star at McGraw-Hill; see LaKisha Barrett’s smiling face on the poster of McGraw-Hill’s latest product for helping students learn.
Rachel Kuehn is working full time as a research technologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin in a research lab under Dr. Himburg. She states, “We study head and neck cancer, along with normal tissue radiation injury. I’m looking at applying to either MD/PhD dual degree programs along with PhD programs this upcoming application cycle to continue my career in science.”
Double Feature: Justin & Bretta Speck – Partners in Science and in Life
Justin & Bretta Speck when they were students at UWM.
Justin and Bretta’s story is one of partnership, perseverance, and purpose – both in life and in science. The two met as undergraduates on the track team at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and began a journey that has taken them around the world and back to Wisconsin, where they now are both professors at Concordia University Wisconsin.
After several years living and teaching in South Korea, Bretta and Justin moved back to Wisconsin so Justin could do a Ph.D. in Microbiology at UWM (2009–2015) under Dr. Gyaneshwar Prasad, studying the role of sulfur metabolism in plant-microbe interactions. Drawn by UWM’s strong microbiology program, proximity to family, and family-friendly benefits, the couple settled in Milwaukee, just in time to welcome their first child. Justin credits his time at UWM, especially the teaching experiences, for preparing him to become an Associate Professor of Microbiology at Concordia. Justin enjoys bridging the divide between religion and science, and collaborating with colleagues across disciplines, including his wife!
When Justin completed his degree, it was Bretta’s turn. She joined Dr. Rafa Rodriguez’s lab to pursue her Ph.D. in Behavioral Ecology (2015–2022), focusing on mate choice in Enchenopa treehoppers. Now an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Co-Director of Concordia’s Center for Environmental Stewardship, Bretta thrives in a setting that lets her teach ecology on a campus surrounded by prairies, wetlands, and Lake Michigan’s bluffs.
Both Bretta and Justin recall their years in the Biological Sciences Department with warmth – Justin fondly remembers grad student bowling nights, symposia, and time spent with his labmates, while Bretta treasures fieldwork at the UWM Field Station, Friday gatherings at the Gasthaus, and celebrating milestones with her academic family.
Through graduate school, raising three children, and building their careers side by side, Justin and Bretta’s journey reflect the best of UWM’s spirit – curiosity, community, and commitment.