Provost's Update: Friday, March 21, 2025

Office of the Provost

Friday, March 21, 2025

Good afternoon, colleagues. Here is this week’s update from Academic Affairs.

As you may have heard during the Town Hall meeting on March 4, the team in Academic Affairs is working on launching a bimonthly electronic newsletter to highlight our research and community impact here at UWM. This newsletter will go to presidents/chancellors, provosts, and vice presidents/chancellors for research along with Universities of Wisconsin system (UWs) leadership, UWs chancellors, provosts, and regents.

This broad communication of the outstanding research being done at UWM and our impact will be beneficial to other Carnegie R1 universities, UWs leadership and institutions to understand our value in this space. It will also be beneficial for U.S. News & World Report peer evaluations that are done by presidents/chancellors and provosts. This type of e-newsletter serves to share knowledge, showcase faculty expertise, highlight student experiences, and enhance our reputation. We will also soon return to an annual research report to share with our peers and partners.

This effort will be spearheaded by Val Harlynn, the communications manager for the Office of the Provost. If you would like to contribute content or share news or stories about research, please reach out to us. We look forward to showcasing the remarkable research that defines UWM as a leader in innovation, collaboration, and discovery.

Distinguished Professor of Art History Derek B. Counts was awarded a research fellowship from Harvard University’s Loeb Classical Library Foundation for his current research project: “‘The Whole of Athienou was Here’: Oral Histories of Undocumented Digging in Inter- and Postwar Cyprus.” The fellowship will allow Counts and his colleagues to undertake the first exploration of undocumented digging (aka “archaeological looting”) in Athienou (Cyprus.)

The UWM Student Success Center’s Supplemental Instruction (SI) program has been granted full accreditation from The International Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. UWM is now one of 71 institutions nationwide with SI accreditation and the only school in the Universities of Wisconsin to have an internationally accredited SI program. A special acknowledgement to the SI coordinators, Nick Moroder and Anthony Marinetti, the SI faculty who welcome SSC SI leaders into their classrooms, and the talented student SI leaders.

UWM’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Institute for World Affairs, and other campus partners organized a visit by bestselling author Reyna Grande to several audiences including MPS 8th graders at Wedgewood Park International School, UWM creative writing students, and a public UWM lecture. Read about the February visit

The Universities of Wisconsin system is partnering with The Discussion Project at UW-Madison to facilitate an intensive 3-day course for Universities of Wisconsin faculty and instructors. This professional development opportunity is focused on enhancing our students’ experiences by fostering excellence in teaching, learning, and civic engagement. If you are interested in attending this three-day course on Wednesday, June 25, through Friday, June 27 in Madison, please contact the Center for Excellent in Teaching and Learning (CETL)
The UWM Student Association is seeking passionate student leaders for six appointed executive positions for the Fall 2025: Secretary, Treasurer, Diversity and Inclusion Director, Campus and Community Engagement Director, and Student Organization Appropriations Director. These part-time, paid, leadership roles offer students the chance to develop skills in governance, communication, teamwork, and advocacy while making a meaningful impact on campus. Applications will be posted on Handshake and available starting March 24, 2025. For more information, please contact SAPS Assistant Director Ben Minogue or SA President Jeremi Lukos.
“Demoted” is an exhibition featuring UWM undergraduate Art History students from the Fall 2024 colloquium taught by Associate Professor Richard Leson. The paintings in this exhibit raise questions about authenticity, value, and the ethical implications of traditional art-historical work. “Demoted” can be seen in the Mathis Art Gallery, first floor Mitchell Hall. The exhibition runs until May 1, 2025. More information
Encourage students to attend “Students Building Savings” with the UW Credit Union and the Future Alumni Network to discuss how to build strong financial habits. The event will be held Thursday, April 3 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at the UWM Student Union, Room 119. All who register ahead of time are eligible to receive a free lunch upon attendance. Register by March 31. Registration
The UWM Libraries and the Graduate School invite you to join them in celebrating the grand opening of the new Graduate Student Commons, located on the second floor, east wing of the Golda Meir Library, on Monday, April 7 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. More information

Nominations are being accepted for the 2024-2025 University Staff Excellence Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to UWM on the part of University Staff. These awards seek to highlight individuals whose contributions to UWM have gone above and beyond the call of duty. All nominations must be submitted by March 28 for consideration. Nomination form
The School of Continuing Education is offering a free email inbox management webinar. Your inbox was never meant to be a to-do list, yet somehow it dictates the daily priorities of many professionals. “The Intentional Inbox: Mastering Email, Time and Focus in the Workplace” will help you take control of your inbox, to held on Thursday, April 17 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Registration
The Academic Staff Orientation Committee will be holding an orientation for academic staff on Thursday, April 17 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. via Teams. New academic staff are especially encouraged to attend and current academic staff are welcome. Meeting link

You are invited to the NMDSI Research Mixer hosted by Northwestern Mutual, UWM, and Marquette University on Tuesday, March 25, at Marquette University, in O’Brien Hall, Room 150A. The event will specifically focus on research funding and will have dedicated time to discuss the multiple funding opportunities available and emerging. Register now.
Applications for the summer Support for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program are due April 1. SURF is designed to foster faculty-student research collaborations, allowing students to engage in progressively more sophisticated work central to an overall project led by a research mentor. Awards are likely to be approximately $2,500 for student hourly support of research collaborations. Learn more
The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute is hosting its annual AI symposium, “Navigating AI: Transforming Industries and Careers,” on April 15. This hybrid event will explore AI’s ever evolving impact on job automation in various industries – including education, health care, finance, insurance, real estate, and more. More information and registration
Former Wisconsin Congressman and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has recently returned from Luxembourg, where he served as U.S. Ambassador. He will join Institute of World Affairs Director Doug Savage to discuss the state of U.S.-European relations, and what’s at stake on both sides of the Atlantic on Thursday, April 17, 6:00-7:30p.m. in the UWM Student Union Fireside Lounge.