{"id":29034,"date":"2025-02-04T12:08:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T18:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?page_id=29034"},"modified":"2025-02-04T12:08:33","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T18:08:33","slug":"in-focus-magazine-january-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-january-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"In Focus Magazine: January 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead-in\">Volume 15, Number 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-featured-stories\">Featured Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"uwm-p-posts uwm-c-list--cleanlist uwm-l-grid uwm-l-grid--3 has-dates\"><li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/ls-students-help-staff-member-in-need\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Kari-Pink-with-students.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A group of people stand in a wood-paneled office. From left is an older man in a suit, three young women in casual clothes, a woman with her arm in a cast, and a man in business casual wear.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Kari-Pink-with-students.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Kari-Pink-with-students-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/ls-students-help-staff-member-in-need\/\">L&amp;S students help staff member in need<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-01-07T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 7, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">It\u2019s not every day that students stop and help a complete stranger on 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s campus. But that\u2019s what happened Oct. 1 when Kari Pink, 51ÁÔÆæ executive communications officer, fell on &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/happy-uwm-graduation\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/51ÁÔÆæ-graduation-Mone-and-Crowley.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"An older white man and a younger Black man, both in graduation regalia, smile at each other as they stand in front of the 51ÁÔÆæ seal.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/51ÁÔÆæ-graduation-Mone-and-Crowley.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/51ÁÔÆæ-graduation-Mone-and-Crowley-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/happy-uwm-graduation\/\">Happy 51ÁÔÆæ graduation!<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-01-07T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 7, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">It\u2019s the most wonderful time of the year \u2013 graduation! More than 1,700 students graduated from 51ÁÔÆæ this fall, many walking across the stage at the 51ÁÔÆæ Panther Arena on &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/meet-the-newest-faculty-member-in-letters-science\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Lia-Medeiros-headshot.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A young woman with long, curly, brown hair stands in a gallery with bronze busts in the background. She looks at the camera with a serious face.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Lia-Medeiros-headshot.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Lia-Medeiros-headshot-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/meet-the-newest-faculty-member-in-letters-science\/\">Meet the newest faculty member in Letters &amp; Science<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-01-07T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 7, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">As 51ÁÔÆæ prepares for the spring semester to begin, L&amp;S is preparing to welcome a new faculty member to the ranks. We&#039;re excited to introduce Lia Medeiros, who joined the &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/uwm-biology-graduate-works-with-noaa-to-restore-salmon-habitats\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/salmon-swimming.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"Fish throw up arcs of water as they cut through a wide river.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/salmon-swimming.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/salmon-swimming-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/uwm-biology-graduate-works-with-noaa-to-restore-salmon-habitats\/\">51ÁÔÆæ biology graduate works with NOAA to restore salmon habitats<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-01-07T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 7, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">In the Pacific northwest, salmon is king. The animals are a staple of Washington State\u2019s economy, and they\u2019re culturally and economically important to the state\u2019s tribes as well. That\u2019s not &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/how-entertaining-jams-student-interns-with-milwaukee-bucks-marcus-center\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Harkness-headshot.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of a young blond white woman wearing a yellow stole over a black robe.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Harkness-headshot.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/Harkness-headshot-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/how-entertaining-jams-student-interns-with-milwaukee-bucks-marcus-center\/\">How entertaining: JAMS student interns with Milwaukee Bucks, Marcus Center<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-01-07T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 7, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">The Milwaukee Bucks had a slow start to the season, but the team came roaring back to clinch the NBA Cup in December. But great playing is only part of &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/wuwm-radio-broadcasts-will-be-preserved-in-library-of-congress-archive\/\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/W51ÁÔÆæ-volunteers-big-room.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A group of people sit at tables scattered around a large office space. A stack of cardboard boxes lies in the center of the room.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/W51ÁÔÆæ-volunteers-big-room.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/01\/W51ÁÔÆæ-volunteers-big-room-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"post-content\"><a class=\"post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/wuwm-radio-broadcasts-will-be-preserved-in-library-of-congress-archive\/\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio broadcasts will be preserved in Library of Congress archive<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-01-07T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 7, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio got quite a present for its 60th birthday. The station was recently accepted into the American Archive for Public Broadcasting in collaboration with GBH Boston and the Library &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<hr class=\"has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"size-p-md\"><strong>Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-alumni-accomplishments-nbsp\"><strong>Alumni Accomplishments<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Robert Freckmann (\u201862, BS Biology) <\/strong>was named a 2025 Inductee to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/sports\/outdoors\/2024\/12\/03\/wisconsin-conservation-hall-of-fame-has-selected-its-2025-inductees\/76627425007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame<\/a>. He will be honored in a virtual ceremony in April. Freckmann taught botany and museum courses at UW-Stevens Point for 32 years and is credited with growing the university\u2019s herbarium to over 230,000 specimens. The facility is now named after him. Previously, he worked at the Milwaukee Public Museum and has served on the boards of several conservation organizations.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>David Herro (\u201885, MA Economics) <\/strong>was featured on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gurufocus.com\/news\/2616524\/david-herros-strategic-moves-lloyds-banking-group-plc-sees-significant-reduction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Guru Focus<\/a> to highlight his third quarter investment strategies. Herro is the chief investment officer for International Equities at Harris Associates and has been a manager of the Oakmark International Fund since 1992, the Oakmark International Small Cap Fund since 1995, the Oakmark Global Select Fund since 2006 and the Oakmark Global Fund since 2016.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Joel Geier (\u201819, MS Nonprofit Management) <\/strong>launched his new book, <em>Flights Across America: A Brewery Lover\u2019s Journey, <\/em>in December at Lakefront Brewery. The book includes information and details Geier\u2019s visits to more than 1,300 breweries across all 50 states. <a href=\"https:\/\/onmilwaukee.com\/articles\/flights-across-america-beer-book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>OnMilwaukee<\/em><\/a> featured Geier in an article previewing the book.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Kevin Cullen (\u201808, MS Anthropology) <\/strong>was appointed the executive director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.htrnews.com\/story\/news\/local\/2024\/12\/16\/wisconsin-maritime-museum-director-kevin-cullen-on-cobia-drydocking-garden-project-and-more\/76946635007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Maritime Museum<\/a> in Manitowoc in July. Cullen was previously the museum\u2019s chief curator and deputy director and worked at Green Bay\u2019s Neville Museum before that. Cullen is also an underwater archaeologist and was part of the team that discovered the remains of the sunken schooner <a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/anthropology\/alum-kevin-cullen-director-of-the-wisconsin-maritime-museum-discovers-130-ft-schooner-on-bottom-of-lake-michigan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Margaret A. Muir<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Paul J. Hoffman (\u201885, BA Mass Communications) <\/strong>has written his third book, <a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1955088764&amp;data=05%7C02%7Clet-sci%40uwm.edu%7C29f148509c3a43e713c608dd146e8558%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638689187369452663%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=C%2BgO5lIjg1b1BonlDyn48zWkchkFjnLBfpAjc6MziRw%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>200 Years of First Presbyterian Church Columbus, Indiana<\/em><\/a> (PathBinder Publishing LLC, 2024). A resident of Columbus, Indiana, he also wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1609496736&amp;data=05%7C02%7Clet-sci%40uwm.edu%7C29f148509c3a43e713c608dd146e8558%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638689187369482638%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=4LJ7o8mtbvVJ%2FO8ILsGCW2DzBaStGW61Pd7s77pNRZ8%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Murder in Wauwatosa: The Mysterious Death of Buddy Schumacher<\/em> <\/a>(The History Press, 2012) and <a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F162585871X&amp;data=05%7C02%7Clet-sci%40uwm.edu%7C29f148509c3a43e713c608dd146e8558%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C638689187369497401%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=AdCsT%2FmPsg9DggXQQhK2ztv3dIQpJFcUcZIxQs5QPYU%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Wicked Columbus, Indiana<\/em> <\/a>(The History Press, 2017). Hoffman was a career journalist at various publications in the Midwest, including the old <em>Milwaukee Sentinel<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>John Diedrich (\u201892, BA Journalism, Advertising, &amp; Media Studies) <\/strong>penned the investigative reporting that led to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/2024\/12\/19\/milwaukee-reporter-john-diedrich-wins-wounded-warrior-project-award\/77094823007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel\u2019s<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>inaugural Wounded Warrior Project Award for excellence in coverage of veterans. The award, founded in conjunction with the National Press Association, seeks to elevate the discourse around veterans&#8217; affairs in the media. Diedrich\u2019s winning journalism was a series titled, \u201cBehind the Gun\u201d that examined gun deaths in the state, including firearm suicide by veterans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Isaiah Ness (\u201822, BA Economics) <\/strong>was named one of Wisconsin\u2019s 40 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2024 by <a href=\"https:\/\/madison365.com\/wisconsins-40-most-influential-black-leaders-for-2024-part-3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Madison365<\/a>. Ness is the founder of Sun Bear Industries, a consulting firm specializing in connecting Wisconsin\u2019s Indigenous nations with renewable energy. He discussed his business further in another <a href=\"https:\/\/madison365.com\/our-own-renewable-energy-empire-wisconsins-tribal-nations-work-toward-energy-sovereignty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Madison365 article<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Janine Kwapis (\u201810, MS; \u201813, PhD Neuroscience) <\/strong>was awarded the 2024 McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Award in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss by the American Federation for Aging Research and the McKnight Brain Research Foundation. This three-year, $750,000 grant will support Kwapis\u2019s research project, \u201cImproving cognitive flexibility in old age by fixing the transcriptome within memory cells.\u201d Kwapis is the Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences and assistant professor of biology at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psu.edu\/news\/eberly-college-science\/story\/biology-professor-receives-mcknight-brain-research-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Penn State<\/a>. Her research seeks to better understand the mechanisms behind the memory updating process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-laurels-amp-accolades-nbsp\">Laurels &amp; Accolades&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Brenda C<\/strong><strong>\u00e1<\/strong><strong>rdenas (emerita English) <\/strong>was named the new <a href=\"https:\/\/madison365.com\/wisconsin-poet-laureate-commission-selects-brenda-cardenas-as-wisconsin-poet-laureate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Poet Laureate<\/a> in December by the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission. Her three-year term as laureate will begin on Jan. 15, 2025. In her new position, C\u00e1rdenas is charged with promoting poetry, creativity, and artistic expression across the state by publishing, education, social media, and other avenues. C\u00e1rdenas is also a former poet laureate of the city of Milwaukee and is a published author.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Arijit Sen (History)<\/strong> was presented with the National Federation of State Humanities Councils\u2019 2024 Schwartz Prize for outstanding work in the public humanities for his program \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/t.e2ma.net\/click\/bwiitj\/7cdipci\/vjmohy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Community Powered<\/a>,\u201d&nbsp; a community resilience initiative that helps \u201ccommunities recognize, communicate, and act upon their strengths, their challenges, and their histories to envision a vibrant future.\u201d Sen created the program based on his years of community-building work with his <a href=\"https:\/\/t.e2ma.net\/click\/bwiitj\/7cdipci\/bcnohy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buildings-Landscapes-Cultures Field School<\/a> at 51ÁÔÆæ.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-in-the-media-and-around-the-community\">In the Media and Around the Community\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor<strong> Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies) <\/strong>spoke with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/shows\/wisconsin-today-2\/reverberations-of-school-shootings-italian-cooking-in-wisconsin-willem-dafoe-on-nosferatu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Public Radio<\/a> on the release of the movie \u201cNosferatu.\u201d She shared her expertise on the history of vampires in movies. She also was featured on radio <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wortfm.org\/on-air-schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WORT Eighty Nine Nine<\/a> for their show recapping 2024 at the movies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director of the <strong>Digital Arts &amp; Culture program, Marc Tasman,<\/strong> spoke to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox6now.com\/news\/united-healthcare-ceo-killed-luigi-mangione-online-solidarity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fox 6 News<\/a> on how he incorporated the social media reaction to the killing of United Healthcare\u2019s CEO into his class discussions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/opinion\/columnists\/james-causey\/2024\/11\/18\/maccanon-brown-sanctuary-53206-gwen-moore\/76211731007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>drew on research by Professor Emeritus<strong> Marc Levine (History)<\/strong> about the depressed economic conditions of Milwaukee\u2019s predominately Black 53206 zip code.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/environment\/2024-11-19\/manfred-olson-planetarium-director-shares-a-night-in-greece-as-a-tribute-to-hometown-of-athens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio\u2019s Lake Effect<\/a> invited director <strong>Jean Creighton (Manfred Olson Planetarium) <\/strong>on the air to talk about the Planetarium\u2019s show \u201cA Night in Greece,\u201d which held special meaning for Creighton.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/2024\/11\/19\/lindsay-heights-residents-advocate-for-neighborhood-through-photo-research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>reported on the efforts of doctoral student <strong>Dulmini Jayawardana <\/strong>to showcase the environmental stewardship of residents of Milwaukee\u2019s Lindsay Heights neighborhood through a photovoice research project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor<strong> Jennifer Johung&nbsp; (Art History) <\/strong>penned her thoughts on the nature of animation, performance, agency, and intelligence in a piece published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.e-flux.com\/architecture\/material-acts\/621462\/animating-material-agency-performance-and-intelligence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">e-flux.com<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why did a significant number of Black men vote for President Donald Trump in November? Assistant Visiting Professor <strong>Robert \u201cBiko\u201d Baker (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies) <\/strong>spoke to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/politics\/elections\/2024\/12\/02\/why-did-some-milwaukee-black-male-voters-move-to-trump-in-election\/76603959007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>about the shift. He also spoke to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/opinion\/columnists\/james-causey\/2024\/12\/02\/uw-milwaukee-county-executive-david-crowley-graduate\/76412977007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a> about the benefits of having Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as a student in his classes; Crowley returned to 51ÁÔÆæ to finish a degree after dropping out decades ago and graduated in December.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After California introduced a new Southeast Asian Studies model curriculum, Professor <strong>Chia Youyee Vang (History) <\/strong>remarked in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optimistdaily.com\/2024\/12\/california-introduces-groundbreaking-southeast-asian-curriculum-in-schools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Optimist Daily<\/a> that the lessons highlight the vitality of southeast Asian communities. She spoke on the same subject to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2024-12-07\/california-to-roll-out-the-nations-first-southeast-asian-school-curriculum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Los Angeles Times<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Thomas A. Greene Geological Museum was recently designated as a Geological Heritage Geo-Collection. Museum director <strong>Rob Graziano (Geosciences) <\/strong>explained the significance of the collection to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/shows\/wisconsin-today-2\/joint-finance-budget-priorities-wisconsin-fossils-stand-up-comedy-in-the-badger-state\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Public Radio<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor <strong>Paul Brodwin (Anthropology) <\/strong>commented on medical ethics and the responsibilities of physicians in an article published by <a href=\"https:\/\/scotscoop.com\/debating-medical-ethics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Scot Scoop<\/em><\/a>, Carlmont High School\u2019s student news website.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor<strong> Jeffrey Sommers (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies)<\/strong> wrote an opinion piece published in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/opinion\/2024\/12\/31\/jimmy-carter-death-economy-reagan\/77326044007\/?tbref=hp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a> following the death of President Jimmy Carter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After <strong>Denis Kitchen (\u201868, BA Mass Communication) <\/strong>was presented an honorary degree at 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s fall Commencement ceremony, he sat down to talk about the state of freedom for comic books on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/2024-12-19\/uwm-grad-and-honoree-denis-kitchen-assesses-the-state-of-freedom-for-comic-books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/icv2.com\/articles\/news\/view\/58539\/denis-kitchen-awarded-honorary-doctorate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ICv2<\/a> also covered Kitchen\u2019s honorary degree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From where does the Cream City get its nickname? The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/local\/milwaukee\/2024\/12\/23\/why-is-milwaukee-called-cream-city\/76770919007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>relied on information from the <strong>51ÁÔÆæ History Department\u2019s <\/strong>\u201cEncyclopedia Milwaukee\u201d to find the answer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Archaeologists use lots of tools in their work, including AI \u2013 and it may be particularly useful for underwater archaeology, as associate professor <strong>Ashley Lemke (Anthropology) <\/strong>explained on the <a href=\"https:\/\/beltmag.com\/can-a-i-caribou-lead-us-to-our-prehistoric-past\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Points North Podcast<\/a>. She also spoke about her underwater excavations on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/michigan-environment-watch\/great-lakes-pompeii-lake-hurons-depths-hold-secrets-human-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bridge Michigan<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senior teaching faculty <strong>Fahed Masalkhi (Arabic) <\/strong>was an invited speaker at the <a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinmuslimjournal.org\/islamic-society-of-milwaukee-forums-are-back-with-a-new-twist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Islamic Society of Milwaukee\u2019s<\/a> December panel <em>ISM Forum: A Conversation with Muslim Professors.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-people-in-print-nbsp\">People in Print&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>PhD student <strong>Kristine Koyama (English)<\/strong>. 2025. Decolonized Bodies of Land and Children: Sarah Winnemucca\u2019s Landback Project in <em>Life Among the Piutes<\/em>. In <em>Decolonizing Bodies: Stories of Embodied Resistance, Healing, and Liberation<\/em> (eds. Carolyn Ure\u00f1a and Saiba Varma). New York: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/us\/decolonizing-bodies-9781350374904\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bloomsbury<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Xin Yu (History)<\/strong>. 2025. Copying Is Editing: Handwritten Copies of Printed Genealogies in Late Imperial China, 1450\u20131900. In <em>Genealogical Manuscripts in Cross-Cultural Perspective<\/em> (eds. Markus Friedrich and J\u00f6rg B. Quenzer): 195-218. Berlin, Boston: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1515\/9783111382876-007\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">De Gruyter<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Xin Yu (History)<\/strong>. 2024. Printing Technology in Rural Society: Rethinking the Rise of Print Culture Through Chinese Genealogies, 1450\u20131644. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1547402X.2024.2422300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Chinese Historical Review<\/em><\/a>, November: 1\u201320.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume 15, Number 1 Featured Stories Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Robert Freckmann (\u201862, BS Biology) was named a 2025 Inductee to &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38860,"featured_media":0,"parent":29035,"menu_order":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-29034","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Letters &amp; Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/in-focus-magazine-january-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Focus Magazine: January 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Volume 15, Number 1 Featured Stories Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. 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