Volume 15, Number 9
- Welcome to UWM, Class of 2029!It's the start of another wonderful year at UW-Milwaukee! UWM Chancellor Thomas Gibson welcomed our newest Panthers at Spaights Plaza with words of encouragement, a family selfie and one of the first big traditions of …
- UWM physics major is a budding star with an eye on the night skyThere’s power in every idea. Like a drop hitting the water’s surface, an idea creates ripples of change that can grow into waves of incredible impact. At UW-Milwaukee, those ripples shape research that: Creates healthier …
- Bilingual Global Studies alum shares his love of nature with his job at the Shedd AquariumAs Leonardo da Vinci once said, “La naturaleza es el major maestro” – “Nature is the best teacher.” That may be true, but Eugenio Calderon is no slouch either. Calderon, who graduated from UWM last …
- Meet the newest member of the Letters & Science facultyAs another school year begins at UW-Milwaukee, the College of Letters & Science is excited to formally welcome Xin Yu as a member of the faculty. He has spent the last two years as a …
- What can you do with a major in communication?Every year, graduates from the College of Letters & Science enter the workforce and begin to contribute thousands of dollars to their local, state, and national economies. They bring the skills and knowledge they gained …
- Department update from English: UWM hosts access-oriented MLA conferenceUW-Milwaukee is unique among the universities in Wisconsin: It is a top-tier research university with an access mission – a stated goal of helping all students, especially those from underrepresented minorities, receive a college education. …
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Alumni Accomplishments
Chaya Nayak (‘11, BA Global Studies) has taken a new role at OpenAI to work on the Special Initiatives team – a division that explores experimental and strategic opportunities for AI beyond the company’s core products. Nayak was previously a senior executive at Meta, the company that owns Facebook. Her career move is sending waves through the technology industry as publications speculate about what the shift means for Meta’s AI efforts.
Erich Wolff (‘02, BBA Finance and Economics) was named the Executive Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development at QuidelOrtho Corporation. He is responsible for overseeing the company’s enterprise strategy, business development, government affairs and portfolio management functions. Wolff was previously the Buyouts Lead for MedTech and Life Sciences Tools & Diagnostics at Partners Group, a global private equity firm.
Amanda Heidemann (’20, PhD Political Science) joined the faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis as an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, fresh from her previous position as a senior policy data analyst for the Rochester Police Accountability Board in New York. Her research focuses on the interactions and effects of local government and political institutions on their constituents.
Gayana Wanniarachchi (’17, BS Kinesiology and Women’s & Gender Studies) is the newest podiatrist at OSF Healthcare. She will be serving patients with foot, ankle, and wound concerns in Princeton and Peru, Illinois. She received her medical degree at Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine.
Larry Bierke’s (’02, Master of Public Administration and Urban Planning) was confirmed as the new city manager of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in August. He has extensive experience in municipal government, having served as county administrator for Iowa County, city manager for Platteville, village administrator for Mount Horeb and city administrator for Hillsboro. Bierke begins his new role in September.
Bernard Bull (‘06, MA Liberal Studies) was reappointed for a second five-year term as president of Concordia University, Nebraska. He also gained two additional titles: Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of Academic Ventures. He is the 11th president of the university.
Micah Neidorfler (‘16, BA History) is the winner of this year’s General William E. DePuy Writing Contest, claiming a $1,000 prize. The contest is the U.S. Army’s premier writing competition. Neidorfler was recognized for his essay, “Fighting for the Day After: Preserving Chinese Maritime Infrastructure in a Conventional War.” He is a captain in the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
Laurels & Accolades
Professor Vytaras Brazauskas (Mathematical Sciences) has been named the recipient of the 2025 Society of Actuaries Outstanding Educator Award. This prestigious award recognizes his “exceptional dedication to teaching, mentoring, program-building, and advancing actuarial science through research and innovation.”
Undergraduate student Hidayah Osman (Architecture), who participates in UWM’s Chinese program, represented the U.S. Midwest at the 24th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students, held in China in August. Competing among 155 top contestants from 133 countries and regions, she showcased her Chinese proficiency on an international stage. Her achievement highlights both the strength of UWM’s Chinese language education in the Midwest and UWM’s growing global presence.
Professor Xiaohua Peng and research assistant Taufeeque Ali (both Chemistry & Biochemistry) were one of six teams of researchers awarded more than $250,000 in Catalyst Grants by the UWM Research Foundation. Peng and Ali are developing a targeted cancer therapy that combines a novel prodrug with vitamin C to selectively kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.
In the Media and around the Community
Professor emerita Brenda Cárdenas (emerita English) will present a talk and read from her work during at an event at Notre Dame in late September.
A recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upheld cuts in federal funding for programs supporting research into gender, sexuality and diversity. Distinguished Professor Karyn Frick (Psychology) explained to Wisconsin Public Radio how the ruling affects her NIH grant that had supported students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in research into aging.
Architectural Historian Justin Miller (Anthropology) published a photo essay examining the life and work of Milwaukee architect Henry Slaby, a midcentury modern designer who specialized in Roman Catholic religious projects. The online essay was published as part of a series on modern religious architecture by Docomomo US, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to modern design.
Professor Jeffrey Sommers (African & African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies), on Fulbright in Romania, made a public policy intervention on Central & Eastern European (CEE) housing in the European Union’s top social democratic publishing outlet, “Social Europe.”
Professor Shevaun Watson (English) spoke about UWM’s innovative AI literacy curriculum in English 101 on WTMJ Wisconsin’s Midday News.
As President Trump met with leaders of Ukraine and Russia in August, Professor Ora John Reuter (Political Science) discussed the negotiating position of Vladimir Putin in an article for the Pinnacle Gazette.
Adjunct Distinguished Professor David Petering (Chemistry & Biochemistry) penned an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel urging lawmakers and the public to scrutinize the impacts and costs of building AI data centers in the state.
Associate Professor Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies) spoke about the role of the drive-in movie theater in American culture on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Do spiders have dreams? Professor Rafael Rodríguez (Biological Sciences) commented on new research that explores how spiders sleep on ArchyNewsy.com.
Senior teaching faculty Jessica McBride (Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies) was an invited panelist at the Milwaukee Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon where she questioned Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman about the workings of the Milwaukee Police Department. McBride is a contributor to Wisconsin Right Now.
The Perseid meteor shower reached its peak in August. Director Jean Creighton (Planetarium) gave tips to view the “shooting stars” on WUWM Radio’s Lake Effect program.
People in Print
Wojciech Kudyba. Finally the World. Translated and edited by Professor emeritus Michael J. Mikos (Ancient and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures). 2025. Bloomington, IN: Slavica Publishers.
Research associate Lauren A. Cirino, undergraduate Kirsten J. Lindemamm, Travis J. Hagey, and Professor Rafael L. Rodríguez (all Biological Sciences). 2025. Functional Allometry of Sexually Selected Traits in Tetraopes tetrophthalmus Red Milkweed Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Journal of Morphology, 286(8). Online first.
Joaquim Radua, Hannah S. Savage, Enric Vilajosana … Professor Christine L. Larson (Psychology), et al. 2025. Neural correlates of human fear conditioning and sources of variability in 2199 individuals. Nature Communications, 16. Online first.
Graduate student Ben Lazar (English). 2025. Cinephilia and Primitive Agonies. Cinephile: The University of British Columbia’s Film Journal, 19(1).
Associate Professor Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies). 2025. Spectatorship’s Intoxicating Field. Cinephile: The University of British Columbia’s Film Journal, 19(1).
Passings
Distinguished Professor emeritus Reginald Horsman (History) passed away peacefully on Aug. 20, 2025, at the age of 93.
Horsman was a native of England, but joined the UWM faculty in 1958. He was perhaps one of the most prominent of the young scholars hired into the UWM History Department early in UWM’s existence, with the explicit intention of building UWM’s reputation for significant research. He earned the rank of Distinguished Professor in 1973 and was recognized for his scholarship and teaching with several awards during his tenure. He authored countless articles and 13 books, the most influential of which is the work Race and Manifest Destiny. Horsman’s research into the history of race in the United States continued to be relevant into the 21st century.
A full obituary can be viewed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Professor emeritus David Mulroy (Classics), passed away on April 1 at the age of 81. Mulroy began teaching in the Classics Department at UWM in 1973 and served at the university for 40 years. He shared his love of literature and learning by conducting monthly public round table discussions on the Great Books. He was also a celebrated author, publishing numerous translations of Greek and Roman works, as well as “The War Against Grammar,” in which he made a powerful case for the value of a traditional education in grammar. A memorial service will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, August 22, in the UWM Golda Meir Library Conference Center. A full obituary can be viewed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.