May 11, 2023
You Made It!
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Dear Students and Colleagues:
You made it! The close of the academic year is rapidly approaching with all the hard work, triumphs and challenges that formed your experiences. Throughout the ups and downs, one thing remains certain – each of you has made a positive impact. There are countless examples of your kindness, problem-solving, research, and care. I am delighted to spotlight a sampling of your triumphs here.
Our Students Congratulations to the class of 2023! More than 3,400 students are eligible to graduate this semester. And for most, much of your time to earn a degree was during a global pandemic. Your grit and resilience are remarkable, and I salute you.
The number of students and community members struggling with food insecurity is on the rise and many of you have responded with generous donations to the UWM Food Pantry. To date, nearly $220,000 has been raised to support those in need. And one student, Gianni Vaccaro, started a nonprofit with a mission to tackle Milwaukee’s food scarcity issue. She is a senior in the College of Health Sciences and has been delivering meals via her bicycle year-round to families in need. Bravo!
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UWM is well-known as a generator of workforce talent in the state, and the State recently invested in helping us to expand student internship opportunities in high-demand fields through the Wisconsin Fast Forward program. The $590,000 in funding will help connect UWM students with work experience in two areas – green energy, and the social sciences and humanities.
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Earlier this year we announced the three winning projects of a new partnership with Johnson Controls and Marquette University. Several UWM faculty members and students are part of the “President’s and Chancellor’s Challenge: A Crosstown Collaboration to Address Poverty.” Project team winners include several UWM faculty members and students who are improving the lives of others.
You may know that UWM is home to the only American Sign Language/English Interpreting degree program in the state. As part of a partnership with Ascension Health, UWM ASL students were part of a simulation to interpret for deaf patients who can often find themselves without assistance at the doctor’s office or other medical settings.
This past year, UWM received a “best of the best” ranking for its LGBTQ+ friendly campus community and resources. Campus Pride, a resource LGBTQ+ inclusivity, leadership, and advocacy, rated UWM five out of five stars UWM was one of just 40 universities in the country, and one of only three in Wisconsin, to receive this ranking.
These are remarkable triumphs and indicative of the caring impact that our Panther family has in our communities, state and beyond. I encourage you to carry kindness with you, always. Warmest wishes to you for a restful and meaningful summer.
Best regards,
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Mark A. Mone, PhD
Chancellor
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