Provost's Update: Friday, July 25, 2025

Office of the Provost

Friday, July 25, 2025

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

As summer ticks by all too quickly, there are changes here at UWM. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new chancellor, Thomas Gibson, and express my sincere appreciation to former chancellor Mark Mone for his leadership over the past decade. His depth of knowledge and experience has been incredibly valuable to this institution.

I would also like to extend a welcome to two new deans at UWM. Bryan Porter, Graduate School Dean, brings a wealth of experience with graduate programs, research, and graduate administration. Winifried (Elysse) Newman, Dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, who has served in administration in research, arts, and architecture, will continue the outstanding work in CAA.

I would also like to welcome Ali Abedi as the Vice Provost for Research. I appreciate Kris O’Connor’s leadership as interim Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Research, especially his work during the research uncertainties of the spring 2025 semester. Elevating UWM’s profile with our R1 peer institutions is one of the strategic goals I have been focused on, and I look forward to Dr. Abedi’s experience and expertise in this area.

Academic Affairs recently published the first “From the Desk of the Provost,” a research update and impact newsletter. This bimonthly email aims to share the story of the outstanding research happening at UWM with other R1 presidents, provosts, and vice presidents of research and our UW system colleagues throughout the state. This type of message will raise awareness among our peer institutions about the scholarship and service of our exceptional faculty, staff, and students. Read the July edition.

Prof. Dyanna Czeck (Geosciences) has been selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2025-2026 for Australia.

Christine Wolf, assistant director of Global Studies and International Studies, has been selected for the Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators (IEA) Program for 2025-2026. Fulbright IEA Awards are part of the Fulbright Scholar Program. These prestigious fellowships offer higher education administrators unique professional development opportunities to engage with the host country while playing a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy.

Cameron Essex received a Leifur Eiríksson Fellowship to pursue a PhD in Geology at Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland) in Iceland for the 2025-2026 grant cycle. Cameron graduated from UWM with a Master of Science in Geosciences in August 2024. Cameron's Project Title is A Multidisciplinary Investigation of Glacier Retreat and Mantle Flare-Up in Iceland.

Prof. Konstantin Sobolev (Civil & Environmental Engineering) has earned the Arthur R. Anderson Medal from the American Concrete Institute for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge of concrete as a construction material.

Prof. Jason Puskar (English) was recently awarded the 2025 Lewis Mumford Award for Outstanding Scholarship in the History of Technics by the Media Ecology Association for his book, The Switch: An Off and On History of Digital Humans. The Mumford Award recognizes recent scholarship in the history or philosophy of science and technology.

Prof. Tanya Tiffany (Art History) has been awarded a research grant from the Hispanex program, which is sponsored by Spain's Ministerio de Cultura. She will also be a visiting scholar at CY Cergy Paris Université (CY Advanced Studies) in late fall 2025.

UWM has a new landing page for prospective and current students to learn more about our available microcredential programs, which include both credit-bearing and non-credit options. Please see https://uwm.edu/academics/microcredentials/ and share with others in your area who need this information.
The UWM Food Center and Pantry is anticipating higher-than-normal visits for the 2025-2026 academic year. During the spring semester, between 300 and 350 students visited the food pantry each week. Sign-ups are now open for your group, department, or school to host a food drive for fall 2025 semester. If you are interested in individual ways to help, see the update from May.
M-Cubed recently held its annual summit that brought leaders from MATC and MPS to UWM to celebrate the accomplishments of this dynamic partnership and plan for the 2025-2026 academic year. Learn more about the M-Cubed accomplishments in the 2024-2025 academic year.

More than 1,300 alumni work at UWM alongside 3,000 student employees. To celebrate your contributions and Panther pride, the UWM Alumni Association invites you to join them for the 2025 Panthers@Work Week, taking place from August 18 to 22. Attend one event or all, and don’t forget to stop by our table in Spaights Plaza for treats, swag, and ways to stay connected. See a list of all events and register online.
This summer, several UWM faculty and staff attended Faculty College 2025 through UW-System’s OPID (Office of Professional & Instructional Development). One area of focus during this year’s Faculty College was celebrating 25 years of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) work in the UW-System. Participants noted that they left the Faculty College 2025 with a greater appreciation for SoTL research methodologies and projects and were able to engage in contemporary forms of inquiry that can benefit our students, our campus, and UWM’s ability to create/share new knowledge in teaching and learning within our respective fields and disciplines. Participants included Raquel Farmer-Hinton, (School of Education and OPID Advisory Committee), Joan Shapiro Beigh (Lubar College of Business), Beth Silverstein (Philosophy), Sara Luelloff (Kinesiology), Ben Gautsch (CETL), Sarah Riforgiate, (Communication and Co-Director of OPID’s Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars Program), Natasha Jankowski (CETL and OPID Advisory Committee).

UWM's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) hosted a successful teacher institute on campus for K-16 educators July 7-9. Thirty attendees – teachers of all grade levels from Wisconsin and across the U.S. – learned from experts about the experiences of children and youth in Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and other countries. Visit CLACS social media throughout July for photos and more.
Assoc. Prof. Jennifer Gutzman (Biological Sciences) was named one of BizTimes Milwaukee's 2025 Notable Leaders in STEM, highlighting her work as a faculty mentor in the UW-Milwaukee WiscAMP STEM-Inspire Program and in her research lab. Learn more.
Prof. Deyang Qu (Mechanical Engineering) has developed a strategy to recycle expired car and truck batteries into something the U.S. desperately needs – more sustainable and domestically produced fertilizer. Learn more.
The UWM Psychology Clinic is currently accepting new patients and offering affordable, evidence-based psychological care to UWM students, faculty and staff as well as the greater Milwaukee community. We offer both in-person and virtual individual, family and group therapy. Learn more.