Overview
The Community Empowerment and Justice Symposium is an annual day-long event that explores challenges and opportunities related to empowerment and justice, with particular attention to how these issues intersect with broader systems of power. Originally established by the UWM Honors College as a showcase for undergraduate research, the symposium has evolved into a campus-wide forum for dialogue, learning, and engagement. It is currently sponsored by the Honors College and Community Empowerment and Institutional Inclusivity in collaboration with Student Involvement and the Office of Undergraduate Research. The symposium invites students, staff, and faculty to present research and creative work that advances understanding and contributes to a more just and equitable society. Past keynote speakers include Derek Mosely, Adam Carr, Reggie Jackson, and Lea Denny.
2027 Symposium — Call for Proposals
All UWM faculty, staff, undergraduates, and graduate students are invited to submit proposals for the 2027 Community Empowerment and Justice Symposium to be held on Friday, March 5, 2027.
This event will highlight explorations and experiences of challenges and opportunities, how these intersect with other asymmetries of power, and how we can work to foster greater justice. Below are some ways in which you can think about the theme. Participants are encouraged to think beyond these prompts and engage with the symposium theme as creatively as they wish.
- How do barriers influence access to our social institutions (such as education, governance, policing, the workforce, etc.)?
- What role do power imbalances play in our cultural practices (such as social media, consumerism, business practices, wealth distribution, etc.)?
- How do different identities intersect?
- How are our personal histories entangled with the political? What stories should we listen to more closely to enact change?
- How do we practice inclusivity in small and large ways?
- What actions have we taken as a community to increase a sense of belonging and authentic engagement?
We invite proposals for presentations by individuals or groups of undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines and departments across the UWM campus, as well as UWM faculty and staff.
The deadline for submissions is November 13, 2026, at 11:59pm (Central Time).
Proposal Specifics
Submissions can range from the academic to the creative, including but not limited to discipline-specific perspectives, personal narratives, performance pieces, short academic papers, poster presentations, poems, mixed media pieces, storytelling, short films, research-driven analyses, and more.
Oral presentations and performances should be 10–20 minutes. Poster presenters should be in attendance during the poster session to engage with audience members. No matter your topic or genre, please include in your submission:
- your name and role at UWM
- presentation title and genre
- a summary (300 words or less) of what you plan to present and how it connects to the conference theme
Prizes from $150 to $300 will be awarded for outstanding undergraduate and graduate student presentations in multiple categories, including academic and creative.
Please email Jill Budny (budny@uwm.edu) and Sarah MacDonald (macdonal@uwm.edu) with any questions.
2027 Keynote Speaker
Darryl D. Morin
CEO of Advanced Wireless, National President of Forward Latino, community activist and philanthropist
Speaker Bio
Darryl D. Morin is the President and CEO of Advanced Wireless, Inc. (AWI), providing technologies that enable the Internet of Things (IoT). AWI serves hundreds of customers in 50 states and 17 countries. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Mr. Morin is committed to serving others. Through Advanced Wireless, Inc., he created AWI’s “Wireless School Initiative,” which has already provided over $2,500,000 worth of WLAN equipment and technical services to schools and non-profits in underserved communities.
Mr. Morin is the National President of Forward Latino with members and affiliates across 29 states and has visited with numerous presidents, foreign heads of state, legislative leaders and cabinet secretaries to discuss and advise on such issues as education, economic mobility, health equity, immigration, and more. In addition, Mr. Morin serves on the Board of Directors for the Hmong American Peace Academy and serves on the Advisory and Foundation Boards of La Casa de Esperanza in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He is a Co-Founder of the Justice for Immigrants Committee of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the Latino-Jewish Alliance, and the 80% Coalition Against Gun Violence. He is also a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Southeast Wisconsin, the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, and more.
For his civic and philanthropic efforts, Mr. Morin has received numerous local, state, and national awards. He has been named the HPGM Community Service Leader of the Year, UMOS Hispanic Man of the Year, and a member of the Philanthropic Five by the United Way of Greater Milwaukee. He has also been awarded the Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award from the JCRC of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and is one of the few people to be named by the State of Wisconsin as a “Friend of Education.”
Event Sponsors
The Community Empowerment & Justice Symposium is co-sponsored by the following UWM units:
- Community Empowerment and Institutional Inclusivity
- Honors College
- Student Involvement
- Connection and Achievement Collective
- Undergraduate Research