Provost's Update: Friday, November 21, 2025

Office of the Provost

Friday, November 21, 2025

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

I appreciate the many efforts underway to improve our student experience and to implement student-centered policies. This semester alone, we have made strides in office-hour policies. We are standardizing learning system management to establish clarity and equitable access for students. Last week, we launched a pilot program that allows for a no-credit option for new freshmen. Any students who were new freshmen this fall and received Fs in their courses will have the option to change the grading basis of those courses to credit/no-credit. This pilot is based on similar efforts at other institutions, and we will closely monitor this population to ensure it has the desired impact.

This fall, we have renewed efforts to ensure textbook information is available to students at the time of registration; textbooks are a key priority for our Student Association. We are also taking initial steps towards our longer-term goal of multi-year, student-friendly course scheduling, and we’re already seeing small wins for students across the board with more consistent use of designated time and day slots. We will use what we learn to build additional improvements for spring 2027.

Each of these small steps is aimed at improving our students' experiences on campus, eliminating obstacles, to ideally improve retention and graduation rates. I appreciate every one of you who is adapting to these changes to serve our students better.

Vice Chancellor for Research Ali Abedi was elected President of the IEEE Council on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). This is a global presidency overseeing journals and conferences worldwide and serving on the board of directors. With more than 500,000 members, IEEE is the largest technical professional society in the world.

Distinguished Prof. Patrick Brady, Physics, has received the American Physical Society’s 2026 Richard A. Isaacson Award in Gravitational-Wave Science. This award was given for Brady’s trailblazing work in gravitational wave data analysis techniques, computing, and cyberinfrastructure, and for leadership in gravitational wave science that enables multi-messenger astronomy with gravitational wave observations.

The American Geographical Society Library was recently featured on TMJ4, with a look at its collection and history. Watch the two-minute video.

Emeritus Distinguished Prof. Anastasios A. Tsonis, Mathematical Sciences, has been selected to receive the Lewis Fry Richardson Medal from the European Geosciences Union (EGU). This award recognizes individuals who have made important contributions to the Earth, planetary, and space sciences.

Prof. Brooke Slavens, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, has received a new grant from the National Institutes of Health to examine how the mechanics and strength of the arms affect the median nerve, which controls movement and feeling in parts of the hand and fingers, in adults who use manual wheelchairs. The $3.25 million, five-year award is co-led with a collaborator at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. See more.

Elisabeth Koerner will serve as the interim institutional research director for the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research (OAIR) beginning on Monday, December 1. See the full announcement.
Dr. Kathleen Boyle has joined UWM as the Director of University Centers. In this role, Dr. Boyle will lead the development and implementation of our UWM University Centers strategic plan, strengthening partnerships with regional technical colleges and expanding access to bachelor’s degree completion pathways for students across southeastern Wisconsin. Learn more about Dr. Boyle and the University Centers.

Professor Emeritus Gerald (Gerry) Bergtrom, Biological Sciences, died November 7. Professor Bergtrom was at UWM for more than 35 years, retiring in 2011. After retirement, he continued to work with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. In retirement, he also authored a popular OER textbook in cell and molecular biology. Full obituary.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science has launched a new student-facing webpage that examines the various ways AI is being used in engineering and computer science. The page brings together news stories, student and faculty testimonials, and highlights of our AI-focused degree programs—all in one place. New stories will be added regularly. See the new page.

UWM IT is preparing for the launch of a new version of the PantherList email system in 2026. In preparation for that change, any PantherList mailing lists that have not been utilized in the last two calendar years will be disabled on December 2, 2025. This change applies to any PantherList that has not had a post in over 2 years (Sept 2023-Nov 2025). The lists will be disabled on December 2 of this year, then permanently removed from the system on December 1, 2026. See more information.

The UWM Police Department will be collecting non-perishable food and personal care items to benefit the UWM Food Center and Pantry from Dec. 1 through Dec. 19. UWM faculty, staff, students, and community members are invited to Cram the Cruiser on Dec. 10. As part of the food drive, collection bins will be placed in the Student Health and Wellness Center, Student Union, Golda Meir Library, and the UWM Children’s Learning Center until Dec. 19. See full event details.
Over the past five years, 414 for UWM Giving Days has grown into a resounding statement of support for our students, community, and university. On April 13 and 14, 2026, UWM alumni, employees, parents, students, and friends will come together again to raise critical funds for UWM scholarships and programs. It’s never too early to get involved. You can suggest specific 414 matches or challenges for UWM Giving Days through the UA Campus Partners Teams Channel using the Support Request Form. Follow the link, join the Teams channel, then click the tab atop the channel to access the form. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31. Please contact advance@uwm.edu with any questions.
Each year, the Center for 21st Century Studies (C21) offers fellowships to UWM faculty and academic staff that provide the time, space, and collegial support to generate new knowledge and ideas. C21 is currently accepting applications from researchers whose work aligns with the 2026-27 theme, Slow Action. See the full details, deadline, and how to apply.
Assoc. Prof. Cary Gabriel Costello, Sociology, has been selected to receive the 2025 Elena Dominguez Award from the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center in recognition of his contributions to education and community service. Dr. Costello has served UWM as Director of LGBTQ+ Studies. Ze will be honored at the Community Center’s “Big Night Out” award ceremony and fundraiser on November 22.
Dollar, Trade, and Commodities, a webinar hosted by the Investment Management Certificate program, will be held on Thursday, Dec. 4. The dollar fell in 2025, commodity prices are tied to the dollar, and trade policies are often on the front page of the news. Attend the webinar to learn about what drives the trade deficit, the dollar, and commodities, and how the latter two impact inflation. See full information and register online.
Please join the Records Officer and Digital Archivist for a virtual training opportunity to learn about staff records retention requirements and processes on Tuesday, December 9, at 2 p.m. In this virtual presentation, Derek Webb (UWM Records Officer) and Shiraz Bhathena (Digital Archivist) will walk campus employees through some fundamentals of records management. This webinar is open to all UWM faculty and staff who are responsible for university records. There will be time at the end of the presentation for Q&A, and the session will be recorded for those who want to view it afterwards. See more and register.

Join UWM’s 2025 United Way Campaign! The 2025 United Way Partners in Giving Campaign is underway. The State of Wisconsin, Universities of Wisconsin, and UW Health Employees Combined Campaign (SECC) raises money for organizations across the state. With 11 umbrella organizations and almost 500 individual charities, it’s easy to find and choose the causes you care about most. The once-a-year, volunteer-driven campaign runs through December. Donations can be made online via payroll deduction or credit card. The university’s partnership with the United Way reinforces its commitment to community impact. Learn more and give online.