The UW-Milwaukee Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is delighted to host the 2026 University of Wisconsin System Chemistry Faculties Meeting. Please plan to join us in Milwaukee on October 16th and 17th for opportunities to engage and learn. All events will take place in our new Chemistry building, highlighted with a tour on Friday night.
Schedule
All events take place in the Chemistry Building. The building is located at 2000 E. Kenwood Boulevard, see map below.
Friday, October 16th
4 – 6 p.m. Check in (Chemistry 1st floor lobby)
4:30 – 6 p.m. Posters and vendors (Chemistry 1st and 2nd floor)
5 – 6 p.m. Tours of the new Chemistry building
6 – 7 p.m. Dinner (Chemistry 1st floor lobby)
7 – 7:15 p.m. Welcome remarks by Kristen Murphy, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UW-Milwaukee
7:15 – 8 p.m. Plenary address, Donald Wink, Professor of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago The UIC STEM Initiative CoLab Program: Institutionalization and Impact of a Workshop-based Undergraduate Research Experience (Chemistry 110 Lecture Hall)
Saturday, October 17th
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Department Chairs breakfast (Chemistry 205)
8 – 8:30 a.m. Morning coffee (Chemistry 1st floor lobby)
8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Introduction to sessions (Chemistry 1st floor lobby)
9 – 9:45 a.m. SESSION 1 (Breakouts A, B, and C)
- Breakout A – Placement and Diagnostic Exams (Chemistry 205)
- With increased concerned about success and retention, there is greater pressure to ensure that students are correctly placed into our introductory level courses. Further, as students progress, providing some initial diagnostic assessment with detailed feedback on core or foundational topics could be helpful to students for preparation and instructors for appropriately leveled instruction. This session is going to be an open discussion of what people are currently doing with placement and diagnostic testing as well as what people might like to do. Conversation can expand to the exploration of the possibility of collaborating across our system to develop (a) system-wide placement or diagnostic test(s).
- Breakout B – Current Practices and Updates Regarding Labs (Chemistry 287)
- Because of the increasing scrutiny of chemical lab safety standards, many reliable experiments of the past may need some adjustments for compliance. Through a collaboration with UW System Chemistry Department, a collection and experiments and procedure has been curated. This is broadly available for all undergraduate instructional labs (with much effort in general and organic chemistry). The current work is focused on the general-organic-biochemistry and chemistry for non-science majors. This session will be jointly led by UW System Risk Manager, Lindsey Dahlberg and UW-Milwaukee Lab Manager, Quint Owen. The discussions will include exploring the currently online resources as well as conversations around what would also be helpful for future projects.
- Breakout C – Enhancing Chemistry with ALEKS: Tools for Student Success (Chemistry 237)
- Learn how ALEKS empowers students to excel in General & Organic Chemistry through personalized learning tools and strategies – including virtual labs.
10 – 10:45 a.m. SESSION 2 (Breakouts D, E, and F)
- Breakout D – Undergraduate Research Experiences – Current Practices (Chemistry 205)
- Undergraduate engagement in research is an important part of a high-quality education within a chemistry program. Many faculty value undergraduate research experiences, and in some cases, undergraduate engagement in research serves as the primary mechanism for faculty to sustain a research program. In this session, discussions will emphasize what faculty are currently doing to support students with research and how faculty have adapted to meet the needs of the students while working within the constraints of resources available to departments. As part of this, we will discuss alternative approaches such as structured courses (i.e., CUREs) that allow for scaling authentic engagement in research to accommodate a larger number of students.
- Breakout E – Classroom Data Informed Decision Making, (Chemistry 235)
- We collect classroom data constantly, from varying levels of assessments to informal feedback from students. How are we using this data and how can this help inform our teaching and assist our students? This session will be open with possible directions of conversation including: (A) using test results to determine the quality of the test (and if items should be excluded from the score) and how this can inform classrooms practices or (B) what types of informal information can I collect from my students in the classroom and how can I use this.
- Breakout F – ALEKS as a Bridge and Leveling-up Tool (Chemistry 237)
- Explore ALEKS various implementation types to ensure students have the prerequisite knowledge necessary for select classes and how ALEKS can help students to “level-up” in preparation for these courses.
11 – 11:45 a.m. SESSION 3 – Subdiscipline Conversations (Breakouts G, H, and I)
As students move through the chemistry curriculum, they are presented with knowledge, skills, and models that increase in complexity and sophistication. There are unique challenges for instruction at all levels of instruction. In these breakouts, we intend to provide the space to facilitate audience-driven discussions that center new approaches for addressing modern challenges. Suggested topics include incorporation of and response to generative AI, concerns regarding movement toward improving accessibility, changing prerequisite structures, and course-specific challenges and solutions.
- Breakout – G Introductory and General Chemistry (Chemistry 205)
- Breakout – H Organic Chemistry (Chemistry 235)
- Breakout – I Advanced Chemistry (Chemistry 230)
12 – 1 p.m. Lunch (Chemistry 1st floor lobby)
12:15 – 1 p.m. Plenary address, Michaela Patterson, Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin WiSER: A statewide community-of-practice for STEM education and professional development (Chemistry 110 Lecture Hall)
Poster Session
The poster session is scheduled for Friday, October 16th from 4:30 to 6:00pm. Poster session participants include those listed below. To participate, please submit your information here:
Registration
Registration is $100.00 per person. Please register by October 9th so we can plan accordingly. Registration is a two-step process;
1) Internal Service Delivery (preferred method of payment) / Credit card payment option is chosen below after which you will be redirected to the
2) Registration form.
Parking
Paid parking is available at various locations on campus for visitors. Please see the UWM Transportation website for current information about rates and available lots. The closest garages to our building are EMS underground, the Union, and the Lubar College of Business. Short-term free and metered parking may also be available on local streets.
In addition to the street map shown, the linked address below will open a map indicating nearby parking and accessibility entrances for each building.
UWM Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Chemistry Building, Room 240
2000 E. Kenwood Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI 53211
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Visiting Milwaukee
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Vendors on Site
- Cengage Learning
- Fisher Scientific
- McGraw Hill Education
- Vernier Science Education