Provost's Update: Friday, November 15, 2024

Office of the Provost

Friday, November 15, 2024

Good afternoon, colleagues. Here is the update from Academic Affairs.

I am pleased to announce the launch of the Healthy People and Populations Cluster Hiring Initiative. This initiative will strengthen UWM’s ability to address complex health and wellbeing challenges locally and globally, enhancing our research capacity and extending our community reach. The program provides up to $200,000 per faculty hire, including $50,000 annually for three years to supplement salaries, along with $50,000 in start-up funding. Through this initiative, we seek to recruit tenured faculty with a strong record of securing external funding in urban health research, dedicated to fostering inclusive, collaborative environments. Proposals should include cross-college partnerships, as well as collaboration with community organizations. Colleges interested in participating should submit proposals to the Office of the Provost at provost-office@uwm.edu by November 22, 2024. This program was finalized with input from the deans, who were informed of the call in early November to allow time for proposal development. For additional information, please see this announcement and consult with your dean. Questions about this program can be directed to Vice Provost Bilen-Green (bilengre@uwm.edu).

I appreciate Itziar Lazkano (Economics), who was invited to serve as a panelist for the Basque public broadcast network, EITB, following the recent U.S election. In two live post-election analyses from Washington, Dr. Lazkano contributed insights and expert commentary to audiences in both Basque and Spanish. The hour-long Basque panel can be viewed here, and the two-hour Spanish panel here. Both were part of EITB’s special coverage dedicated to the U.S. elections. These broadcasts underscore Dr. Lazkano’s expertise in economics, as well as her commitment to providing global audiences with an informed analysis of significant political events.

I share my appreciation for Rebecca Headley Konkel (Criminal Justice and Criminology), who is featured in the second episode of the Center for Student Experience and Talent (SET) podcast entitled, “What Are You Doing? Community Engagement and Experiential Learning at UWM.” Dr. Konkel discusses her long-term success with integrating project-based service learning in her Spatial Data Analysis and Crime Mapping course. Listen to the podcast.

Last week’s Graduate School Open House was a huge success with 517 prospective students in attendance who had the chance to meet with representatives from more than 150 master’s, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs. The application fee is being waived for students who start their application between August 15, 2024, and March 31, 2025. Assistant Dean Erin Flynn thanked program and resource representatives for their all-important participation and praised her “amazing Grad Ed team that worked so hard to pull it all together!” Erin shared these great photos from the event.

The university community has been invited to participate in a series of listening sessions as part of the search for the next chancellor. These sessions will provide us with the opportunity to share input on the qualities, skills, and vision we would like to see in our next leader. The feedback gathered during these sessions will play a key role in guiding the search committee as it identifies candidates who embody our values and will support our unique mission for research and access. Each listening session will focus on specific stakeholder groups, but anyone may attend any of the sessions. There will also be a virtual option for those unable to attend in person. More information. Listening session details:

Monday, November 18 – Students
3-4 p.m. Student Union Ballroom
Virtual option via Zoom
Tuesday, November 19 – Faculty and Instructional Staff
9-10 a.m. Bader Concert Hall in the Helene Zelazo Center
Virtual option via Zoom
Wednesday, November 20 – Non-Instructional Academic Staff and University Staff
2:30-3:30 p.m. Student Union Ballroom
Virtual option via Zoom

I’d like to bring your attention to the extraordinary work going on at the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute and the incredible opportunities available to instructors and researchers. Learn more.

All UWM employees who have not yet taken the 2024 UW-Milwaukee Transportation Survey are invited to do so before it closes on Friday, November 15. The 10-minute survey collects information on the commuting practices of the entire UWM community. The information is used to conduct UWM’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory and to inform the campus’ transportation and planning initiatives.

Step into the world of the monstrous at the sixth annual Monster Conference on Friday, December 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. Light refreshments will be served from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Hosted by HARPY (Honors Association for Research and Publication) and sponsored by the UWM Honors College, this exciting event invites you to explore chilling and fascinating topics, from ancient myths to modern monsters. Discover the creative and academic work of Honors students as they bring monstrous ideas to life through diverse perspectives.

TechTraining is offering the course, “Collaborating with Teams,” on Wednesday, November 20 at 10 a.m. Register for the Teams live event. View the full TechTraining online course schedule. Contact uwm-techtraining@uwm.edu with questions.
The deadline to register for the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course has been extended to November 30. WFR is a definitive course in medical training for outdoor enthusiasts, educators, medical professionals, guides, and others who work or play in remote areas. The curriculum covers all of the skills required to assess and manage medical problems and accidents in remote, outdoor environments. The WFR course will be held on campus in the Klotsche Center from December 27-31. Information and registration.
Every two years, the UWM Libraries honor recent UWM authors at a special event. The next UWM Authors Recognition Ceremony will be held in March 2025. UWM employees who have written, edited, translated, or illustrated a book; composed music for a published score or recording; or had a primary role in creating a commercially distributed film or video since the last event in 2023 should fill out the UWM Authors submission form to be included in the event.
The Center for Student Experience and Talent is celebrating International Student Week by offering professional development events for supervisors of international student workers. Daily workshops, panels, and conversations will be held during the week of November 19-22 in Vogel Hall 170.
- Tuesday, November 19 at 2 p.m.
  Helping International Student Workers Launch Their Career
  Registration
- Wednesday, November 20 at 1 p.m.
  Supporting your International Student Worker 101
  Registration
- Thursday, November 21 at 1 p.m.
  Understanding South Asian Student Workers
  Registration
- Friday, November 22 at 1:30 p.m.
  Intercultural Communication in the Workplace
  Registration

Join the Chancellor for the next Chancellor Chat on Tuesday, November 19 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Zilber College of Public Health when Chancellor Mone will sit down with Dean Monica Wendell to discuss her research as well as the research coming out of the Zilber College of Public Health and her vision for the college as the newly appointed dean. Information and registration.
If you missed Melanie Ariens’s (UWM alum) art exhibit, “Working for the Water, Working for Each Other,” at the UWM Union Art Gallery earlier this fall, you can still experience it through a new short film from the Center for Water Policy. Watch the short film and find more information.