Volume 15, Number 6
- 51 Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition showcases student voices and storiesChinese calligraphy is an artistic expression of the Chinese writing system, and students from across the university were able to showcase their expertise at 51’s first-ever Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition last month. The exhibition, held from …
- Raise a glass: Sociology alum brings sustainability to the vineyardYour wine might be full-bodied or have an excellent bouquet, but is it sustainable? Meghan Murphy hopes that wine enthusiasts will start to ask themselves that question before selecting their bottle. Murphy, who graduated from …
- Economics research students study AI outsourcing and what it means for human jobsIn the 1960s and ‘70s, the U.S. manufacturing sector began hemorrhaging jobs as companies outsourced production to places like India and China, where wages were lower and labor was less expensive. Today, American companies are …
- A cosmic mystery: Astronomers find object flashing in both radio waves and X-raysAstronomers from teams around the world – including 51 scientists – have made a startling discovery about a new type of cosmic phenomenon. The mystery object emits pulses of radio waves and X-rays. It’s the …
- Letters & Science congratulates the Class of 2025!The UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena was filled with joy, applause, and camera flashes as more than 3,300 students were honored during 51’s 132nd commencement on Sunday, May 18. Some graduates are the first in their families …
- Department UpdatesUrban Studies Students' hard work and dedication to their research paid off as the Urban Studies program showcased their work at the 27th Annual Student Research Forum. Urban studies majors in the 600 Capstone Seminar …
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Alumni Accomplishments
Nyesha Stone (‘18, BA Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies) is the founder of Carvd N Stone, a news organization that shares positive news in the Milwaukee area. Now, Carvd N Stone has inked a deal with Amazon to “share the human side of the people behind Amazon.” Stone explained her business and its new partnership on .
Kumara Jayasuriya (‘93, PhD Mathematical Sciences) announced his retirement from his role as the president of in April, a position he has served in since 2019. This caps a career spent in various academic roles across the country. During his tenure at SMSU, Jayasuriya oversaw increases in enrollment and helped shepherd the opening of new academic programs.
Chad Ruppel (‘00, BA Political Science) was appointed the new housing director for the Community Development Authority in May. He was previously the Director of the Program Support Division in the Office of Housing Voucher Programs in the US. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ruppel holds two master’s degrees and begins his new job in June.
Patrick Baird (‘13, BA Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies) published his eighth novel, Van Hoke’s Caper, a Prohibition-era crime novel. He launched the book at a signing event in in May.
Michael Garvey (‘13, PhD Chemistry & Biochemistry) was awarded the James Underkofler Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, presented by the Alliant Energy Foundation in partnership with the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU). Garvey is a professor of physics at Marian University. The award recognizes educators who support and inspire students beyond the classroom.
Ashley Smart (‘17, BA Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies) and Hunter Turpin (‘23, BA Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies and Urban Studies) were winners at the 2024 Milwaukee Press Club Awards. Both are reporters at BizTimes Milwaukee. Smart won a gold (first place) award in the online Best Multi-Story Coverage of a Single Feature Topic or Event category for her coverage of the dispute between Johnson Controls and its salespeople over changes to their incentive plans. Turpin won a bronze (third place) award in the Best Business or Consumer Story or Series category for his report about the potential impact of the Baird Center expansion. BizTimes reporter Sonia Spitz (‘24, BA Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies) won a silver award (second place) in the Audio Best News Story Single or Ongoing category for her work at UW-Milwaukee’s Media Milwaukee publication.
Laurels & Accolades
Many students from 51’s Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies program were recognized for their outstanding efforts at the . The annual Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism contest is presented by The Milwaukee Press Club and the MPC Endowment, Ltd. Awards are presented at the Gridiron and Awards Dinner. Winners include:
Alex Stahl, Bronze, Best Collegiate Online News Story
Joshuas Skarda, Bronze, Best Short Hard Feature Story AND Silver, Best Feature Story AND Bronze, Best Long Soft Feature Story (Online)
Dominic Rodriguez and Sonia Spitz, Silver, Best News Story Single or Ongoing
Samantha Calderon, Colton Pemble, and Liliana Fannin, Gold, Best Photo Essay or Series
Samantha Calderon and Colton Pemble, Gold, Best Single News Story or Ongoing (Video)
Colton Pemble, Bronze, Best Short Soft Feature Story (Online)
David Go and Ava Carmody, Silver, Best Single News Story or Ongoing (Video)
Joseph Tweet, Bronze, Best Single News Story or Ongoing (Video)
Jesselen Yang, Gold, Best Feature Story (Video)
David Go, Silver, Best Feature Story (Video) AND Silver, Best Sports Story (Video)
Peyton Radloff, Bronze, Best Feature Story (Video)
Graham Thomas, Bronze, Best Feature Story (Video) AND Silver, Best Short Soft Feature Story (Online)
Stephen Wielebski, Gold, Best Program, Documentary or Special (Video)
Anna Oleniczak and Caleb Rose, Gold, Best Original Podcast
Caleb Rose, Silver, Best Original Podcast AND Gold, Best Long Hard Feature Story (Online)
Casmir Byrne, Bronze, Best Short Hard Feature Story (Online)
Media Milwaukee Staff, Gold, Best Local News or Feature Website
JAMS 500 Class, Silver, Best Investigative Reporting
In the Media and around the Community
The abandoned boat Deep Thought that lay abandoned on Milwaukee’s lakefront for most of the spring was finally removed in May. Assistant Professor Michael Mirer (Communication) reflected on how the wreck gave the city a sense of community on .
Professor Jeffrey Sommers (African & African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies) delivered an invited lecture for the department of Politics and International Relations at Pecs University, Hungary, entitled “,” on May 6. He also gave the keynote lecture on May 13 for the international conference, “Dynamics of Change, Trends, and Perspectives in Global and European Politics,” hosted by Alexandru Ioan Cuza University’s Department of Political Sciences, International Relations and European Studies, in Iași, Romania. In addition, he coauthored “Romania’s Crisis of Political Legitimacy,” which ran as the lead article in on May 15 and was lead author for a May 19 article published in titled “Romania’s Presidential Elections: ‘Under Pressure, Pushing Down on me, Pressing Down on you.” Finally, Sommers was the featured guest for the “Geologica Világpolitikai” at Pecs University on May 16. The Episode was titled “US foreign policy and the global arena.”
aired a story about the history of soap operas and their impact on television. The station consulted Professor Elana Levine (English) for her expertise on the soap opera genre. She was also referenced in an article in the titled “The great soap opera inheritance,” and commented on Black women as a broadcast programming audience in an article by the , reprinted in several outlets.
Alumnus Nate Gilliam (‘15, BA Geography) was a guest on the podcast . Gilliam is the co-founder and director of the Milwaukee Freedom Fund.
Jordyn Noennig (‘17, BA Political Science and Journalism, Advertising, & Media Studies) was profiled on for her work as a lifestyle and culture reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Pay attention! The average person’s attention span has shrunk dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical Professor Stacey Nye (Psychology) listed some reasons why in an article.
Professor David Kaplan (Physics) explained the capabilities of a proposed telescope project, called the Next Generation Very Large Array, that would help scientists explore the mysteries of space with more accuracy and detail. He was quoted in the .
Graduate student Dulmini Jayawardana (Geography) coordinated a PhotoVoices project featuring the stories and images of residents of Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood. The work was showcased during Lindsay Heights’ Legacy Days event in June, reported .
If you need a quiet place to take a break and just focus on writing, check out alumnus Ron Tanner’s (‘89, PhD English) writer’s retreat, “Good Contrivance Farm,” featured in .
African American young people around Milwaukee are striving to make positive changes in their community through the African American Roundtable, including undergraduate Thomas L. Leonard, Sr. (Political Science), reported.
explored the career of alumnus Denis Kitchen (‘68, BA Journalism), who is a celebrated cartoonist and activist.
Ahead of Anodyne Coffee Company’s vote on unionization, spoke with Distinguished Professor John Heywood (Economics) about the process of forming a union and the role of private equity in business.
What science fiction films are truly standouts? Director Jean Creighton (Planetarium) shared her opinions on .
Professor Rachel Buff (History) explained Wisconsin’s history of immigration on show and also spoke about its impact specifically on .
People in Print
Professor Lisa Silverman (Jewish Studies and History). 2025. Review of Frances Tanzer, . Journal of Modern Jewish Studies 24(2).
Associate Professor Miren Boehm (Philosophy). (2025). A “Magical Power in the Soul”: Assessing Hume’s Appeal to the Imagination. Analysis Reviews. .