{"id":30034,"date":"2025-07-01T12:51:50","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T17:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?page_id=30034"},"modified":"2025-10-07T11:52:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T16:52:29","slug":"in-focus-magazine-september-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"In Focus Magazine: September 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead-in\">Volume 15, Number 9<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"uwm-p-posts uwm-c-list--cleanlist uwm-l-grid uwm-l-grid--3 has-dates\"><li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/welcome-to-uwm-class-of-2029\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Welcome-video-screenshot.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A big crowd of UWM students in yellow t-shirts holds their hands in the air. Pounce the Panther mascot stands in front of them.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Welcome-video-screenshot.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Welcome-video-screenshot-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/welcome-to-uwm-class-of-2029\/\">Welcome to UWM, Class of 2029!<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-09-02T11:41:55-05:00\" class=\"post-date\">September 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">It&#039;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 &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/uwm-physics-major-is-a-budding-star-with-an-eye-on-the-night-sky\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Ben-Lorenz.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A young man looks up as he stands in front of a planetarium dome showing the Milky Way Galaxy.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Ben-Lorenz.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Ben-Lorenz-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/uwm-physics-major-is-a-budding-star-with-an-eye-on-the-night-sky\/\">UWM physics major is a budding star with an eye on the night sky<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-09-02T02:42:49-05:00\" class=\"post-date\">September 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">There\u2019s power in every idea. Like a drop hitting the water\u2019s 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 &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/bilingual-global-studies-alum-shares-his-love-of-nature-with-his-job-at-the-shedd-aquarium\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"721\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Shedd-Aquarium.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"An aerial shot of the Shedd Aquarium with Lake Michigan in the background.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Shedd-Aquarium.webp 721w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/09\/Shedd-Aquarium-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 721px) 100vw, 721px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/bilingual-global-studies-alum-shares-his-love-of-nature-with-his-job-at-the-shedd-aquarium\/\">Bilingual Global Studies alum shares his love of nature with his job at the Shedd Aquarium<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-09-02T02:32:36-05:00\" class=\"post-date\">September 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">As Leonardo da Vinci once said, \u201cLa naturaleza es el major maestro\u201d \u2013 \u201cNature is the best teacher.\u201d That may be true, but Eugenio Calderon is no slouch either. Calderon, who graduated from UWM last &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2025\/meet-the-newest-member-of-the-letters-science-faculty\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/Xin-Yu-cover-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of young Asian man with short black hair and a white collared shirt\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/Xin-Yu-cover-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/Xin-Yu-cover-photo-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2025\/meet-the-newest-member-of-the-letters-science-faculty\/\">Meet the newest member of the Letters &amp; Science faculty<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-09-02T00:01:00-05:00\" class=\"post-date\">September 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">As another school year begins at UW-Milwaukee, the College of Letters &amp; Science is excited to formally welcome Xin Yu as a member of the faculty. He has spent the last two years as a &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/what-can-you-do-with-a-major-in-communication\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/Ysel-Nicholson-Cover.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of a young Black woman with curly hair piled on top of her head. She smiles at the viewer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/Ysel-Nicholson-Cover.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/Ysel-Nicholson-Cover-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/what-can-you-do-with-a-major-in-communication\/\">What can you do with a major in communication?<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-09-02T00:01:00-05:00\" class=\"post-date\">September 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Every year, graduates from the College of Letters &amp; 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 &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2025\/department-update-english\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/MLA-Institute-group-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A large group of young to middle-aged people smile at the camera in front of a sign that reads UWM Welcome.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/MLA-Institute-group-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/08\/MLA-Institute-group-photo-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2025\/department-update-english\/\">Department update from English: UWM hosts access-oriented MLA conference<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-09-02T00:01:00-05:00\" class=\"post-date\">September 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">UW-Milwaukee is unique among the universities in Wisconsin: It is a top-tier research university with an access mission \u2013 a stated goal of helping all students, especially those from underrepresented minorities, receive a college education. &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-p-md\"><strong>Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-alumni-accomplishments-nbsp\"><strong>Alumni Accomplishments<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chaya Nayak (\u201811, BA Global Studies) <\/strong>has taken a new role at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brief.news\/ai\/2025\/08\/28\/chaya-nayak-joins-openai?categories=Science&amp;categories=World&amp;categories=US&amp;categories=AI&amp;categories=Gaming&amp;categories=Tech&amp;categories=Financial+Markets&amp;categories=Space&amp;source=%2F&amp;utm_source=brief-home&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OpenAI<\/a> to work on the Special Initiatives team \u2013&nbsp;a division that explores experimental and strategic opportunities for AI beyond the company\u2019s 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\u2019s AI efforts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Erich Wolff (\u201802, BBA <\/strong>Finance and <strong>Economics)<\/strong> was named the Executive Vice President, Strategy &amp; Corporate Development at <a href=\"https:\/\/supportforstepdads.com\/pr-newswire\/?rkey=20250819LA54607&amp;filter=28289\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">QuidelOrtho Corporation<\/a>. He is responsible for overseeing the company\u2019s enterprise strategy, business development, government affairs and portfolio management functions. Wolff was previously the Buyouts Lead for MedTech and Life Sciences Tools &amp; Diagnostics at Partners Group, a global private equity firm.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Amanda Heidemann (&#8217;20, PhD Political Science)<\/strong> joined the faculty at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogs.umsl.edu%2Fnews%2F2025%2F08%2F25%2Fnew-faculty-2025%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csvickery%40uwm.edu%7C4d9f258ae1a54c95924408dde9d0a005%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638923804423663827%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=QOE0i1AQGePsP6KU18ZgKujGF6hSaCdpMgUfpPu7tqw%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Missouri-St. Louis<\/a>&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gayana Wanniarachchi (&#8217;17<\/strong>, BS Kinesiology and <strong>Women&#8217;s &amp; Gender Studies<\/strong>) is the newest podiatrist at OSF Healthcare. She will be serving patients with foot, ankle, and wound concerns in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shawlocal.com%2Fillinois-valley%2F2025%2F08%2F23%2Fosf-healthcare-adds-podiatrist-in-princeton-peru%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csvickery%40uwm.edu%7C4d9f258ae1a54c95924408dde9d0a005%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638923804423684450%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=JKl5ApMETr8YQgQJN%2FPFBKdsEtvOZfwWbfUs9yWTrEU%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Princeton and Peru, Illinois<\/a>. She received her medical degree at Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Larry Bierke&#8217;s (&#8217;02, Master of Public Administration<\/strong>&nbsp;and Urban Planning) was confirmed as the new city manager of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwiscnews.com%2Fnews%2Fcommunity%2Fbdc%2Farticle_7456b4ff-2468-447f-b49d-87d3a7e6a9e1.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csvickery%40uwm.edu%7C4d9f258ae1a54c95924408dde9d0a005%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638923804423698021%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Cp32CgZGasN%2Fjv8JLmkfx5PG6anuXysmlietoKM7F40%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Beaver Dam, Wisconsin<\/a>, 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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bernard Bull (\u201806, MA Liberal Studies) <\/strong>was reappointed for a second five-year term as president of <a href=\"https:\/\/nebraska.tv\/news\/local\/concordia-ne-reappoints-dr-bernard-bull-as-president-for-second-term\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Concordia University, Nebraska<\/a>. He also gained two additional titles: Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of Academic Ventures. He is the 11<sup>th<\/sup> president of the university.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Micah Neidorfler (\u201816, BA History)<\/strong> is the winner of this year\u2019s General William E. DePuy Writing Contest, claiming a $1,000 prize. The contest is the U.S. Army\u2019s premier writing competition. Neidorfler was recognized for his essay, \u201cFighting for the Day After: Preserving Chinese Maritime Infrastructure in a Conventional War.\u201d He is a captain in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ausa.org\/news\/national-guard-captain-wins-armys-premier-writing-contest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Army National Guard<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-laurels-amp-accolades-nbsp\"><strong>Laurels &amp; Accolades<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor <strong>Vytaras Brazauskas (Mathematical Sciences)<\/strong> has been named the recipient of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soa.org\/resources\/announcements\/press-releases\/2025\/2025-outstanding-educator-award-recipient\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2025 Society of Actuaries Outstanding Educator Award<\/a>. This prestigious award recognizes his &#8220;exceptional dedication to teaching, mentoring, program-building, and advancing actuarial science through research and innovation.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Undergraduate student <strong>Hidayah Osman<\/strong> (Architecture), who participates in UWM\u2019s <strong>Chinese program<\/strong>, represented the U.S. Midwest at the 24th \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www-en.hnu.edu.cn\/info\/1091\/2065.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chinese Bridge<\/a>\u201d 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\u2019s Chinese language education in the Midwest and UWM\u2019s growing global presence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor <strong>Xiaohua Peng<\/strong> and research assistant <strong>Taufeeque Ali (both Chemistry &amp; Biochemistry)<\/strong> were one of six teams of researchers awarded more than $250,000 in Catalyst Grants by the <a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/six-research-teams-awarded-catalyst-grants-from-the-uwm-research-foundation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UWM Research Foundation<\/a>. 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. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-in-the-media-and-around-the-community-nbsp\"><strong>In the Media and around the Community<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor emerita<strong> Brenda C\u00e1rdenas (emerita English)<\/strong> will present a talk and read from her work during at an event at <a href=\"https:\/\/happeningnext.com\/event\/poets-andamp-art-with-brenda-c%C3%A1rdenas-eid3a0csko42d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Notre Dame<\/a> in late September.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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<strong> Karyn Frick (Psychology) <\/strong>explained to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/news\/wisconsin-research-scotus-science-medical-research-dei-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Public Radio<\/a> how the ruling&nbsp;affects her NIH grant that had supported students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in research into aging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Architectural Historian<strong> Justin Miller (Anthropology) <\/strong>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/docomomo-us.org\/news\/henry-slaby-regional-catholic-modernist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Docomomo US<\/a>, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to modern design.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor <strong>Jeffrey Sommers (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies), <\/strong>on Fulbright in Romania, made a public policy intervention on Central &amp; Eastern European (CEE) housing in the European Union&#8217;s top social democratic publishing outlet, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.e2ma.net\/click\/v74aek\/7cdipci\/zm75cz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Social Europe<\/a>.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Shevaun Watson (English)&nbsp;<\/strong>spoke about UWM&#8217;s innovative AI literacy curriculum in English 101 on WTMJ Wisconsin&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fplayer.amperwavepodcasting.com%2F%3F%26feed-link%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Frss.amperwave.net%252Fv2%252Ffeed%252Fgood-karma%252Fwtmj-wisconsins_midday_news%26spotify-enabled%3Dtrue%26spotify-link%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fopen.spotify.com%252Fshow%252F391RK6TiaT0VvuguFsuBZv%253Fsi%253D816977f680ad4ffe%26applePodcasts-enabled%3Dtrue%26applePodcasts-link%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fpodcasts.apple.com%252Fus%252Fpodcast%252Fwisconsins-midday-news%252Fid1731487208&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csvickery%40uwm.edu%7C4d9f258ae1a54c95924408dde9d0a005%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638923804423711295%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=IgZxib6iM31RLvQWK7rebhGosAnjKHZ9ciUH6f66vXQ%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Midday News.<\/a>&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As President Trump met with leaders of Ukraine and Russia in August, Professor <strong>Ora John Reuter (Political Science) <\/strong>discussed the negotiating position of Vladimir Putin in an article for the <a href=\"https:\/\/evrimagaci.org\/tpg\/trump-pursues-russia-ukraine-peace-amid-high-stakes-talks-492731\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Pinnacle Gazette<\/em><\/a>. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adjunct Distinguished Professor <strong>David Petering (Chemistry &amp; Biochemistry) <\/strong>penned an op-ed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/opinion\/2025\/08\/03\/we-energies-microsoft-meta-data-centers-ai-climate-wi\/85307013007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>urging lawmakers and the public to scrutinize the impacts and costs of building AI data centers in the state.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor<strong> Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies) <\/strong>spoke about the role of the drive-in movie theater in American culture on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/news\/door-county-drive-in-theater-75-years-films\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Public Radio<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do spiders have dreams? Professor <strong>Rafael Rodr\u00edguez (Biological Sciences)<\/strong> commented on new research that explores how spiders sleep on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archynewsy.com\/spiders-sleep-dream-new-research-reveals-surprising-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ArchyNewsy.com<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senior teaching faculty <strong>Jessica McBride (Journalism, Advertising, &amp; Media Studies) <\/strong>was an invited panelist at the <a href=\"https:\/\/urbanmilwaukee.com\/2025\/08\/13\/milwaukee-police-chief-faces-tough-questions-during-luncheon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Milwaukee Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon<\/a> where she questioned Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman about the workings of the Milwaukee Police Department. McBride is a contributor to <em>Wisconsin Right Now.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Perseid meteor shower reached its peak in August. Director <strong>Jean Creighton (Planetarium) <\/strong>gave tips to view the \u201cshooting stars\u201d on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/health-science\/2025-08-11\/perseid-meteor-shower-peak-tips-milwaukee-wisconsin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WUWM Radio\u2019s Lake Effect program<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-people-in-print-nbsp\"><strong>People in Print<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Wojciech Kudyba.&nbsp;<em>Finally the World<\/em>. Translated and edited by Professor emeritus&nbsp;<strong>Michael J. Mikos (Ancient and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures)<\/strong>. 2025. Bloomington, IN: Slavica Publishers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research associate&nbsp;<strong>Lauren A. Cirino<\/strong>, undergraduate&nbsp;<strong>Kirsten J. Lindemamm<\/strong>, Travis J. Hagey, and Professor&nbsp;<strong>Rafael L. Rodr<\/strong><strong>\u00ed<\/strong><strong>guez (all Biological Sciences)<\/strong>. 2025. Functional Allometry of Sexually Selected Traits in&nbsp;<em>Tetraopes tetrophthalmus<\/em>&nbsp;Red Milkweed Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).&nbsp;<em>Journal of Morphology,&nbsp;<\/em>286(8).&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2F10.1002%2Fjmor.70075&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csvickery%40uwm.edu%7C4d9f258ae1a54c95924408dde9d0a005%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638923804423724869%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=zA5EVJUCJaJ2%2BGTGqBuBEwWVxg%2FBW50SH0PIxyKAVuk%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online first<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joaquim Radua, Hannah S. Savage, Enric Vilajosana &#8230; Professor&nbsp;<strong>Christine L. Larson (Psychology),&nbsp;<\/strong>et al. 2025. Neural correlates of human fear conditioning and sources of variability in 2199 individuals.&nbsp;<em>Nature Communications,&nbsp;<\/em>16.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41467-025-63078-x&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csvickery%40uwm.edu%7C4d9f258ae1a54c95924408dde9d0a005%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638923804423737932%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Vd9fLsAW7%2B0UOH0bpStHGfLfmW0P6Q6ftV9lV3Da%2BWk%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online first<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Graduate student <strong>Ben Lazar (English)<\/strong>. 2025. Cinephilia and Primitive Agonies.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ojs.library.ubc.ca\/index.php\/cinephile\/issue\/view\/183218\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Cinephile: The University of British Columbia\u2019s Film Journal<\/em><\/a>, 19(1).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor <strong>Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies)<\/strong>. 2025. Spectatorship\u2019s Intoxicating Field. <a href=\"https:\/\/ojs.library.ubc.ca\/index.php\/cinephile\/issue\/view\/183218\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Cinephile: The University of British Columbia\u2019s Film Journal<\/em><\/a>, 19(1).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-passings-nbsp\"><strong>Passings<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Distinguished Professor emeritus<strong> Reginald Horsman (History) <\/strong>passed away peacefully on Aug. 20, 2025, at the age of 93.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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&#8217;s existence, with the explicit intention of building UWM&#8217;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 <em>Race and Manifest Destiny<\/em>. Horsman&#8217;s research into the history of race in the United States continued to be relevant into the 21st century.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A full obituary can be viewed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/obituaries\/pwix1261522\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor emeritus <strong>David Mulroy (Classics)<\/strong>, 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&nbsp;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 \u201cThe War Against Grammar,\u201d in which he made a powerful case for the value of a traditional education in grammar.&nbsp;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.&nbsp; A full obituary can be viewed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/obituaries\/pwix1256121\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume 15, Number 9 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Chaya Nayak (\u201811, BA Global Studies) has taken a new role at OpenAI &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38860,"featured_media":0,"parent":29035,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-30034","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Letters &amp; Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Focus Magazine: September 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Volume 15, Number 9 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Chaya Nayak (\u201811, BA Global Studies) has taken a new role at OpenAI &hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Letters &amp; Science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-07T16:52:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\\\/\",\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine: September 2025 - Letters &amp; Science\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-01T17:51:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-07T16:52:29+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News &amp; Events\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"In Focus Archive\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"In Focus Archive: 2025\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine: September 2025\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/\",\"name\":\"Letters &amp; Science\",\"description\":\"College of\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Letters &amp; Science","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In Focus Magazine: September 2025","og_description":"Volume 15, Number 9 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Chaya Nayak (\u201811, BA Global Studies) has taken a new role at OpenAI &hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/","og_site_name":"Letters &amp; Science","article_modified_time":"2025-10-07T16:52:29+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/","name":"In Focus Magazine: September 2025 - Letters &amp; Science","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-07-01T17:51:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-07T16:52:29+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-september-2025\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News &amp; Events","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"In Focus Magazine","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"In Focus Archive","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"In Focus Archive: 2025","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":6,"name":"In Focus Magazine: September 2025"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/","name":"Letters &amp; Science","description":"College of","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-20 05:54:04","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38860"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30034"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30291,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30034\/revisions\/30291"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}