Featured Experts

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  Sara Benesh

  Political Science, College of Letters & Sciencesbenesh@uwm.edu

  Benesh can preview potential challenges at the U.S. Supreme Court to the Texas abortion law.

  

  Sara Benesh

  Political Science, College of Letters & Sciencesbenesh@uwm.edu

  The U.S. Supreme Court gavels back into session in October. Sara Benesh can preview the upcoming term, and talk about the court’s leanings and decisions a year after Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the bench following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She can discuss the future of the Roe v. Wade decision, the landmark case that is credited with legalizing abortion across the country, and potential challenges at the high court to the recent Texas abortion law.

  The Supreme Court in the American Legal System
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  Alberto Maldonado

  Director, Roberto Hernandez Centerdonpepe@uwm.edu

  Maldonado can speak about why college graduation rates for Latinos have risen over the last decade.

  

  Alberto Maldonado

  Director, Roberto Hernandez Centerdonpepe@uwm.edu

  College graduation rates for Latinos have risen nationally and locally over the last decade, according to a 2020 study from the nonprofit group Excelencia in Education. However, Latinos still trail whites in educational attainment. Alberto Maldonado can discuss reasons behind these trends and what educational institutions are doing to close the equity gap. National Hispanic Heritage Month also begins in September. Maldonado can talk about a digital archive collection planned at UWM about the legacy of Roberto Hernandez, a prominent education activist in Milwaukee in the 1970s.

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  Abigail Phillips

  Information Studies, School of Information Studiesabileigh@uwm.edu

  Phillips can talk about how libraries adjusted during COVID, and how they can adapt long term in an increasingly digital learning environment.

  

  Abigail Phillips

  Information Studies, School of Information Studiesabileigh@uwm.edu

  Public libraries have played a vital role in communities as centers for learning and outreach, and access points for computers and Internet access. But what does the future hold for libraries in an increasingly digital environment? Abigail Phillips is co-editor of a book that examined ways that libraries can incorporate technological developments and thrive as educational resources in the digital age. Phillips also can talk about the impact that COVID had on libraries as public gathering spaces, and the challenges faced by librarians in providing services during the pandemic.

  Reconceptualizing Libraries: Perspectives from the Information and Learning Sciences
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  Chris Yogerst

  Communication, College of General Studiescyogerst@uwm.edu

  Yogerst can explain the role that the movies, comedy acts and other forms of entertainment have played in engaging on social and political issues.

  

  Chris Yogerst

  Communication, College of General Studiescyogerst@uwm.edu

  Chris Yogerst is an expert on film and media history who can speak about how pop culture engages in controversial topics. His latest book, Hollywood Hates Hitler!, details the anti-Semitism in the 1941 Senate Investigation into anti-Nazi filmmaking prior to World War II. Yogerst can explain how contemporary modes of popular culture, such as stand-up comedy and superhero movie franchises, have continued to embrace social and cultural engagement in the era of #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and social media-driven cancel culture.

  Hollywood Hates Hitler! Jew-Baiting, Anti-Nazism, and the Senate Investigation into Warmongering in Motion Pictures
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  Mo Zell

  Senior Associate Dean, School of Architecture and Urban Planningzell@uwm.edu

  The Milwaukee Art Museum’s Quadracci Pavilion opened 20 years ago in October. Zell can discuss the iconic structure’s influence on the city skyline.

  

  Mo Zell

  Senior Associate Dean, School of Architecture and Urban Planningzell@uwm.edu

  The Milwaukee Art Museum’s Quadracci Pavilion opened 20 years ago in October. Today, the iconic structure is one of the most photographed attractions in southeastern Wisconsin. Mo Zell can discuss the impact that the pavilion and its futuristic design has had on the Milwaukee’s skyline and architecture. The pavilion’s signature characteristic is the Burke Brise Soleil, a moveable, wing-like sunscreen that rests on top of a glass-enclosed hall. She can talk about the influence of Spanish architect and artist Santiago Calatrava, who designed the pavilion. It was his first building in the United States.