In Focus Spotlight – Letters & Science

51�� biologist dives beneath Antarctica sea ice to study the impact of climate change

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:01:00 +0000

Antarctica is a barren, lonely place. Ice and snow stretch for miles, and the only sound is the howling of the wind. “But when you go underwater, there’s this whole array of diversity and color and life,” said Lauran Liggan, …

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51�� students show off their discoveries at Research in the Rotunda

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:01:00 +0000

Each year, student researchers from across the Universities of Wisconsin gather in the Capitol to present their work at Research in the Rotunda. The event is a chance for students to speak with legislators, state government officials, and UW alumni …

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Psychology prof’s mental health lab has a global humanitarian health mission

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:40:58 +0000

The word seva comes from a South Asian dialect and means “selfless service.” It’s the perfect name for Srishti Meera Sardana’s lab, because that’s exactly what she and her students try to provide for others in need. Sardana is an …

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51�� astronomer discovers probable dark matter sub-halo in the Milky Way

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:24:36 +0000

New research by Philip Chang suggests that there is a dark matter sub-halo lurking in our cosmic neighborhood. Chang, a professor in 51��’s Department of Physics & Astrophysics, is the co-author of a recent paper titled, “Constraints on a dark …

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No dirty money: Econ student helps fight money laundering with Baird internship

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:42:23 +0000

Money laundering is the action of concealing the origin of money obtained through illegal activities like drug trafficking drugs, prostitution, or embezzlement. At Baird Wealth Management, the first line of defense against money laundering is often dedicated interns like 51�� …

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Recent journalism grad goes urban spelunking on 51��’s campus

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:39:53 +0000

Did you know that there is a boarded-up observatory hidden on the top floor of Merrill Hall? Or that the façade of Johnston Hall is decorated with carvings of dragons, mermaids, and the faces of former deans of Downer College? …

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New math research opportunity trains mentors and mentees alike

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 06:01:00 +0000

UW-Milwaukee has a phenomenal undergraduate research program where students can learn from faculty and graduate student mentors. But how does a graduate student learn how to be a mentor? A new program in the Mathematical Sciences Department aims to educate …

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Serving with Spanish: New service-learning course connects students to Milwaukee community

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 06:01:00 +0000

¿Cómo puedo ayudar? How can I help? Allison Libbey’s Spanish students asked that question a lot this semester. Libbey, a senior teaching faculty member in 51��’s Spanish Programt, is the creator of the special topics course “Spanish 391: Using Spanish …

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Neuroscience major helps students explore the workings of the brain

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:01:00 +0000

Four years ago, UW-Milwaukee debuted its neuroscience major. The first year, two students enrolled in the program. By the second year, there were 75 neuroscience majors. Now, there are over 150 – and that number is only growing. “There’s a …

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Japanese student broadens her horizons at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:01:00 +0000

51�� student Gabrielle Sweeney had an unusual summer job: She was a youth ambassador at the American Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. What, exactly, is a World Expo? “That’s what I wondered at the beginning!” Sweeney laughed. …

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51�� Physics welcomes a black hole expert, and a new name to reflect new discoveries

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:01:00 +0000

This is not your same old Physics Department. Beginning this fall, UW-Milwaukee’s newly renamed Physics & Astronomy Department is enjoying a novel title that reflects the strengths of its fields of study. While our faculty and students continue to carry …

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This anthropology alum’s work is (literally) child’s play

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:01:00 +0000

All work and no play? No thank you, says Cassie Coffey. For her, work is play. Coffey is the Director of Playful Experiences at DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville, Illinois. She oversees a team of over 50 employees whose primary …

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Data science major flexes analysis muscles with AI internship at Northwestern Mutual

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:01:00 +0000

Have you ever typed a question into ChatGPT and had it return an answer that was almost, but just not quite, right? Khatera Nazari knows that frustration well. Northwestern Mutual Insurance Company has an internal AI system that, just like …

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History professor’s new book explores “how to” manuals for meditative retreats

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:01:00 +0000

You’re familiar with the image of a wise old man meditating on a mountaintop as a weary traveler climbs the treacherous path to ask this sage for his knowledge. But how did that wise man get up the mountain? How …

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51�� physics major is a budding star with an eye on the night sky

Sarah Vickery — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:42:49 +0000

There’s power in every idea. Like a drop hitting the water’s surface, an idea creates ripples of change that can grow into waves of incredible impact. At UW-Milwaukee, those ripples shape research that: The work done by our faculty, students, …

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