Volume 16, Number 2
- 2026 Alumni Awards Evening winners are making an impactA dozen winners will be honored at UWM’s 2026 Alumni Awards Evening on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Pfister Hotel. Presented by the UWM Alumni Association, these awards recognize remarkable standouts who make new waves …
- New econ research shows performance pay keeps workersNew economics research by UWM Distinguished Professor John Heywood indicates a way for employers to make sure their employees stick around: Pay them based on their performance. Heywood’s research shows that performance pay is associated …
- No dirty money: Econ student helps fight money laundering with Baird internshipMoney laundering is the action of concealing the origin of money obtained through illegal activities like drug trafficking drugs, prostitution, or embezzlement. At Baird Wealth Management, the first line of defense against money laundering is …
- What can you do with a conservation & environmental science major?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 …
- Letters & Science remembers Dean Rodney SwainFormer Dean of the College of Letters & Science Rodney Swain was many things – a thoughtful leader, diligent researcher, dedicated teacher, devoted husband and father – but above all, he was kind. “He cared …
- Recent journalism grad goes urban spelunking on UWM’s campusDid you know that there is a boarded-up observatory hidden on the top floor of Merrill Hall? Or that the façade of Johnston Hall is decorated with carvings of dragons, mermaids, and the faces of …
- Department UpdatesGeosciences Updates Come join UWM Geosciences for exploration and excitement at this year's Darwin Day! When: Feb. 14 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Lapham Hall Darwin Day is a public outreach event celebrating the life …
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Alumni Accomplishments
Jan Wilberg (‘77, MS Urban Affairs; ‘86, PhD Urban Studies) was appointed to a two-year term on the Executive Council of AARP Wisconsin by AARP Wisconsin State Director Raj Shukla. Wilberg is a natural fit for the position; she is a member and past chair of the Milwaukee County Commission on Aging. On the council, she will assist in advocacy efforts to address issues facing seniors, such as strengthening health care and lowering prescription drug costs.
Andrew Narrai (‘90, BA Communication) was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Alverno College in January. Narrai, the chief marketing officer at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., has 30 years of experience in brand development and marketing and has held several leadership roles in the Milwaukee community, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Atiera Coleman (‘12, MA Sociology; ‘16, PhD Sociology) was the keynote speaker at Beloit College’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation in January. Coleman is the Chief Equity Officer for the State of Illinois and previously served as the Equity Manager for Rock County, Wisconsin, and as Associate Dean of Student Success, Equity, and Community at Beloit College.
Gale Klappa (‘72, BA Mass Communication) announced that he will be stepping down as the chair of WEC Energy in May after 22 years at the helm. WEC Energy is now the Midwest’s largest utility, and Klappa is the longest-serving CEO in the company’s history.
Makayla Cooper (‘23, BA Conservation & Environmental Science) has been named the recipient of the 2025 Veolia Environmental Hero Award as part of the TMJ4 News Positively Milwaukee Awards. She was recognized for her community leadership in organizing neighborhood clean-up events, supporting healthy food options for local businesses, and removing invasive species from area nature centers.
Laurels & Accolades
Distinguished Professor Mark Schwartz (Geography) received Distinguished Scholarship Honors from the American Association of Geographers as part of the organization’s 2026 Awards Recognition. These annual awards acknowledge outstanding achievements by association members in scholarship, teaching, education, public service, and more.
Distinguished Professor Ching-Hong Yang (Biological Sciences) has been elected as a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society (APS), one of the highest honors in the field of plant pathology. This prestigious recognition is awarded to APS members who have made distinguished and sustained contributions to research, education, extension, and professional service. Election to APS Fellow is highly selective, with no more than 0.5% of the Society’s membership elected each year. Candidates are nominated and evaluated by their peers, with selection based on long-term impact and leadership in the field.
Associate Professor Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies) debuted her first novel, a work of horror titled Poltergeist, in January. Szczepaniak-Gillece has written several non-fiction works, but this foray into fiction was inspired by horror films and explores themes of identity and connection. She spoke about her new work on Wisconsin Public Radio and WTMJ Radio.
In the Media and around the Community
Distinguished Professor Ching-Hong Yang (Biological Sciences) presented an invited seminar at the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) on Dec. 30, 2025 titled, “Transforming Crop Protection with Natural Metabolites: A New Era of Sustainable Disease Control.” He highlighted RejuAgro A (RAA), a novel natural antimicrobial with a new mode of action and strong field efficacy. During the visit, Yang also met with Director General Dr. Dennis Wang to discuss opportunities for future collaboration and the translation of scientific discoveries into practical crop protection solutions.
Pay attention! Clinical Professor Stacey Nye (Psychological & Brain Science) has advice on how to increase your attention span: Take “active breaks” from stimuli like screens and work, she advised in a Huffpost UK article. Nye also spoke with CBS 58 News about the public’s reactions, including trauma, to the video showing the killing of Minnesota woman Renee Good by an ICE agent in January.
Professor Rachel Buff (History) discussed the psychological impact of ICE’s push to deport undocumented immigrants in an article by DC Report.
Speaking as a Venezuelan living in Milwaukee, Assistant Professor Gabriella Nagy (Psychological & Brain Sciences) spoke on WUWM Radio’s Lake Effect show about her reaction to the United State’s military operation in Venezuela.
CBS 58 News reported that UWM’s Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery participated in Milwaukee County’s Museum Days.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article examining segregation in Milwaukee’s public schools cited research by Professor Emertius Marc Levine (History).
WUWM Radio, which is run under the umbrella of UWM’s College of Letters & Science, announced that it would join a partnership with Wisconsin Public Radio and WXPR to share news content across the three stations.
Romania’s “tiger” economy looks as if it might be slowing, Professor Jeffrey Sommers (African & African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies program) wrote in a piece published by Social Europe, Europe’s top social democratic public policy outlet. The article was reprinted on Contributors.ro, Romania’s top digital site for public policy. Sommers was also mentioned in CounterPunch’s weekly “Roaming Charges” on Jan. 9 for his comment on past U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul.
An op-ed questioning the practice of binge-watching ran in the Daily Illini and cited research by Professor Mark Newman (English).
Alonzo Robinson, Jr. was Wisconsin’s first Black architect. UWM architectural historian Justin Miller (Cultural Resource Management) will present a talk about Robinson’s life and contributions for a From the Archives lecture celebrating Black History Month in February. The talk is presented by Docomom Wiconsin in partnership with the Milwaukee Public Library and UW-Milwaukee Cultural Resource Management.
Birthrates in Milwaukee have declined sharply in recent years. Associate Professor Noelle Chesley (Sociology) cited the cost of childcare and health care and other demographic shifts as driving factors in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on the topic.
Senior researcher Lisa Heuler Williams (Center for Econcomic Development) speculated on how Milwaukee’s Martin Drive neighborhood’s racial diversity could serve as a model for increasing integration in the highly segregated city. She was quoted in a Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service article.
The Wisconsin Broadcaster’s Association announced that the organization is adding the Eric Miller PantherVision Debt Relief Grant as a resource for Wisconsin broadcasters struggling with post-secondary education debt. The grant is named for UWM alumnus Eric Miller (‘06, BA Mass Communication), who passed away in 2016 at age 32, but not before establishing an accomplished career.
Director Jean Creighton (Planetarium) spoke about the origins on the universe on WUWM Radio, previewing one of the Planetarium’s upcoming shows.
There could be a dark matter cloud lurking in our cosmic neighborhood. Professor Philip Chang (Physics & Astrophysics) explained in a New Scientist article that data obtained by studying pulsars indicates that there could be a dark matter halo that is several hundred light years in size in our corner of the galaxy (which is still 3,000 lightyears away from our solar system).
Fast Company profiled UWM’s Retrocomputing Lab and spoke with Professor Thomas Haig (History) about students’ experiences with “vintage” computing technology.
People in Print
Professor Miren Boehm (Philosophy) and Geoffrey Gorham. 2026. Buffier on Time, Duration, and Existence. In Claude Buffier: Common Sense, Metaphysics, and Sociability (eds. Anik Waldow, Dario Perinetti, and Sandrine Roux). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Professor Jennifer N. Johung (Art History). 2026. Cellular Performance and the Plastic Agency of Cerebral Organoids. In Revivification. Perth: Mess Books.
Associate Professor Gordon Gauchat (Sociology). 2026. Partisan Polarization and Public Trust in Vaccine Science: Mapping Cultural Authority. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Online first.