Current Issue
July 2019 – Vol. 9, No. 7
Table of Contents
Cover Story / Page 6
Plants need nitrogen in the soil to grow, but chemical fertilizers can only supply so much and they can contaminate the groundwater. But certain legumes actually replenish the soil with nitrogen as they grow. UWM microbiologist Gyaneshwar Prasad is examining their genes to see if the genomes of other staple crops like rice can be manipulated to do the same.
Page 2
The State of Wisconsin spends more on its prison system than it does on its public schools, according to urban studies graduate student Kayla Kuo. Her research focuses on the history of mass incarceration in Wisconsin – and on the impact it has on the state’s residents.
Page 4
We all know you have to crack a textbook to pass your history classes, but what if you could plug in your headphones instead? UWM’s Sound Inquiry group, a collaboration of journalists and historians, examines how historical podcasts can be a brilliant teaching tool. The group started by bringing “Slow Burn” podcast host Leon Neyfakh to campus last fall.
Page 8
Museum exhibits can be wonderful learning tools and beautiful work in and of themselves, but the special programming around them makes the exhibits come to life. As the special programs and events coordinator at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, art history and Jewish studies alum Cassie Sacotte has found a calling that speaks to her love of museum work and both of her fields of study.
Page 10
From police brutality to discrimination to disappearing education funding, the Afro-Brazilian population is facing difficult challenges under the newly-elected right-wing president of Brazil.
African and African Diaspora Studies associate professor Gladys Mitchell-Walthour studies race and politics in Brazil, and she’s working to keep members of the U.S. Congress briefed about the perils Afro-Brazilians face each day.
Page 12
Ever since he was a kid and watched entertainment reporters interviewing celebrities on the red carpet, Rashaud Foster knew he wanted to be a journalist. Now, as a new graduate who majored in journalism, advertising, and media studies, he’s on the right track for his career, thanks to his experience with internships at UWM – and his hobby of creating his own podcast, called “Raw Lingo.
Page 13
English professor Stuart Moulthrop was a pioneer of hypertext literature, a form of writing that allowed readers to choose how the story unfolded based on which hypertext links they clicked. Now, because of shifting technologies, hypertext stories are in danger of being lost. Moulthrop has made it his mission to preserve these early works of computer art.