In Focus Magazine: January, 2024

Volume 14, Number 1

Featured Stories

In the Media and Around the Community

  • Rachel Baum (Jewish Studies) penned an article for the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle exploring the nature of grief and pain across cultures.
  • There are some obstacles to finding charging stations for electric vehicles in Wisconsin. Itziar Lazkano (Economics) explained the legislative fight in Madison over charging stations on a segment for Fox 6 News.
  • “Silent films were never silent,” Tami Williams (Film Studies) said on WUWM Radio in a piece highlighting a collaboration between filmmakers and musicians to create soundtracks for silent films at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
  • Jean Creighton (Planetarium) spoke on HITC.com of the changes Earth can expect to see in 50 billion years as the moon slowly moves away from the Earth. She discussed December’s Geminid meteor showers on CBS 58 News and spoke about nebulas on WUWM Radio.
  • Did you know Wisconsin used to be the home of mammoths and giant jellyfish? Victoria McCoy (Geosciences) spoke with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the fascinating animals that lived in prehistoric Wisconsin.
  • Increasing childcare costs are one reason that more fathers are becoming stay-at-home-parents, Noelle Chesley (Sociology) explained in a Yahoo! News article.
  • As cannabis use becomes legal in more places, Krista Lisdahl (Psychology) worries about its impact on teenage brains. She voiced her concerns in an article published by Nature.
  • Caregiver showers, in the same vein as baby or wedding showers, aren’t a thing, but Anne Basting (English) thinks they should be. An article in the Star Tribune detailed a performance piece by Basting imagining if becoming a caregiver were celebrated like other important life milestones.
  • A columnist consulted Michael Mirer (Communication) about the ethics of sports journalism and sports betting and used his advice in a piece published by Nieman Lab.
  • Though voters remain disapproving of President Biden’s economic record, Rebecca Neumann (Economics) told CBS 58 News that by the numbers the economy is doing quite well. CBS 58 spoke with Neumann again following President Biden’s visit to Milwaukee in December, asking her about the impact of inflation on Wisconsinites.
  • Fewer women choose work in the field of physics than they do in biology. Attributing the disparity to the women’s personal choice ignores how those choices are shaped by gender processes, according to a new study co-authored by Esther Chan (Sociology). Rice University reported on the work.
  • What is the micronation of Talossa? Undergraduate student Benjamin Herrenbruck (Conservation & Environmental Science) explained the concept of the fictious state, based in Milwaukee, to CBS 58 News. Cary Costello (Sociology) will serve as a panelist for the discussion on “Gender Identity and Expression through Clothing” following the play Little Women at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater in January.
  • The Wisconsin Muslim Journal highlighted UWM’s Arabic program in an article that featured undergraduate students Ayah Naji (Psychology) and David VandeWettering (Religious Studies). The article also explores the personal and professional lives of Arabic program co-coordinators, Khuloud Labanieh and Fahed Masalkhi, who are also husband and wife.
  • In a roundup of their favorite stories from 2023, one Wisconsin Public Radio journalist highlighted an interview with Rafael Rodríguez (Biological Sciences) about his research into spider behavior.

Upcoming Events

  • Recurring January events
    • Art Works: Recent Donations to the UWM Art Collection. Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery. Art Works places the spotlight on curation and research practices at the UWM Art Collection and Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery. Exhibits run Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. through Feb. 8, 2024.
  • Jan. 13
    • UWM Planetarium Open House. 1:00-3:00 p.m. Manfred Olson Planetarium. Celebrate the Planetarium’s 58th anniversary with free cake plus a live, indoor presentation and stargazing show. Shows run every half hour. No registration required. Free and open to the public.
  • Jan 20, 27
    • Planetarium Show – Solar System Expedition. 2:00-3:00 p.m. Manfred Olson Planetarium. A special matinee program takes audiences on an interactive tour of our cosmic neighborhood, the solar system. Not intended for children under 4. Tickets are $6. Show runs Saturdays from Jan. 20-Feb. 17.

Alumni Accomplishments

  • Anthony Brown (‘08, BA Political Science; ‘11, Master of Public Administration) took over as the city administrator of Waukesha, Wisconsin, in November, where he is working to form relationships with the city’s officials and stakeholders. He is also in charge of leading the city’s strategic plan. Brown was previously the village administrator of Port Washington, Wisconsin. He was recently profiled in the Waukesha Freeman.
  • Jonathan Adashek (’96, BA Political Science) was named the inaugural winner of the 2023 David Finn Award. Sponsored by Ruder Finn and PRWeek, the award honors an individual applying forward-thinking leadership and mentorship and who uses communications to make a positive change in the world. Adashek is the Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications and Chief Communications Officer for IBM.

Video Stories

  • What is your favorite holiday movie?
  • Pounce probably has it covered.
  • UWM’s holiday video, featuring Pounce in a series of homages to classic holiday films, received a nod from the Inside Higher Ed’s round up of college and university holiday videos!

Passings

  • John Hagedorn, an activist, educator, and UWM alumnus, passed away Oct. 31 at the age of 76. He is remembered as a champion for civil and human rights and racial justice.
  • Hagedorn was a three-time graduate of UWM. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in education in 1985; his Master’s in sociology in 1987; and his PhD in Urban Studies in 1993. He was once the main researcher at UWM’s Urban Research Center.
  • Hagedorn spent his career as a professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago in the Department of Criminology, Law & Justice department. He wrote several books on gang culture, and ran Milwaukee’s first gang diversion program starting in 1980. He was also a crusader for civil and human rights and participated in many protests for justice.
  • A celebration of Hagedorn’s life will be held on Jan. 6. For more information please view Hagedorn’s remembrance in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.