{"id":30800,"date":"2026-01-06T12:09:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T18:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?page_id=30800"},"modified":"2026-01-06T12:09:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T18:09:46","slug":"in-focus-magazine-december-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-december-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"In Focus Magazine: December, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead-in\">Volume 15, Number 12<\/p>\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\/alumni-student-news\/what-can-you-do-with-a-mathematical-sciences-major\/\" 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\/11\/Carmen-Henry-Walton.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of a young black woman with long hair, wearing red-framed glasses and a coral blazer.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Carmen-Henry-Walton.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Carmen-Henry-Walton-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\/what-can-you-do-with-a-mathematical-sciences-major\/\">What can you do with a mathematical sciences major?<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-12-02T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">December 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Every year, graduates from the College of Letters &amp; Science enter the workforce and begin to contribute thousands of dollars to their local, state, and national economies. They bring the skills and knowledge they gained &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/neuroscience-major-helps-students-explore-the-workings-of-the-brain\/\" 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\/11\/Karyn-Frick-with-brain.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A white woman with brown hair and glasses holds a colorful model brain.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Karyn-Frick-with-brain.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Karyn-Frick-with-brain-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\/neuroscience-major-helps-students-explore-the-workings-of-the-brain\/\">Neuroscience major helps students explore the workings of the brain<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-12-02T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">December 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">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 \u2013 and that number &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/research-news\/we-need-some-context-uwm-linguists-research-reveals-cognitive-patterns-in-language\/\" 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\/11\/Glenn-Starr-cover-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"Side by side image of a colorful journal cover and a headshot of a middle-aged white man with glasses.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Glenn-Starr-cover-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Glenn-Starr-cover-photo-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\/research-news\/we-need-some-context-uwm-linguists-research-reveals-cognitive-patterns-in-language\/\">We need \u201csome\u201d context: 51ÁÔÆæ linguist\u2019s research reveals cognitive patterns in language<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-12-02T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">December 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Do you agree with this phrase? \u201cSome elephants have trunks.\u201d If you\u2019re a pragmatic thinker, you might disagree. It\u2019s not just some elephants that have trunks; all elephants have trunks. If you\u2019re a logical thinker, &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/uwm-researcher-reconstructs-ancient-landscapes-from-the-midwest-to-mars\/\" 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\/11\/Libby-Ives.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A woman crouches down in front of a red rock cliff face to examine the layers of rock.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Libby-Ives.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/11\/Libby-Ives-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-researcher-reconstructs-ancient-landscapes-from-the-midwest-to-mars\/\">51ÁÔÆæ researcher reconstructs ancient landscapes from the Midwest to Mars<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-12-02T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">December 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">You might think Antarctica is the most remote place someone\u2019s career might take them. 51ÁÔÆæ alum Libby Ives traversed Antarctica\u2019s ice landscapes to study glacial sediments laid down more than 300 million years ago, but &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/japanese-student-broadens-her-horizons-at-the-world-expo-in-osaka-japan\/\" 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\/12\/Sweeney-American-pavilion-last-day.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A large group sits between two walls showing blue LED screens that read Thank You Osaka from the American Pavilion in English and Japanese.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/12\/Sweeney-American-pavilion-last-day.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/12\/Sweeney-American-pavilion-last-day-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\/japanese-student-broadens-her-horizons-at-the-world-expo-in-osaka-japan\/\">Japanese student broadens her horizons at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan<\/a><time datetime=\"2025-12-02T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">December 2, 2025<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">51ÁÔÆæ 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? \u201cThat\u2019s what I wondered &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>Kitty Morse (\u201870, MA&nbsp;French&nbsp;and Spanish)<\/strong>&nbsp;helped to open the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronadonewsca.com\/news\/coronado_island_news\/cha-opens-new-exhibit-with-a-special-lecture-by-award-winning-author-kitty-morse\/article_f60dc042-4ff9-4751-8192-c58887945e23.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Coronado Historical Association\u2019s<\/a>&nbsp;new \u201cRemembering D-Day: From the Front Lines to Coronado\u2019s Backyard\u201d exhibit&nbsp;in November by presenting a lecture focused on her acclaimed book,&nbsp;<em>Bitter Sweet: A Wartime Journal and heirloom Recipes from Occupied France<\/em>. The book examines the toll of civilians on the homefront in Nazi-occupied France. The book was inspired by the discovery of Morse\u2019s great-grandfather&#8217;s wartime journal and two notebooks of old family recipes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marie Kohler (\u201879, MA English)&nbsp;<\/strong>presented a talk on her plays \u201cBoswell\u201d and \u201cMidnight and Moll Flanders\u201d (both published in 2024 by Dramatic Publishing) at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.broadwayworld.com\/milwaukee\/article\/AN-EVENING-WITH-MARIE-KOHLER-is-Coming-to-Next-Act-Theatre-20251105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Next Act Theatre<\/a>&nbsp;in November.&nbsp;Audiences also heard a reading from Next Act Theatre\u2019s Wisconsin-Premiere production of \u201cBoswell.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-laurels-amp-accolades-nbsp\"><strong>Laurels &amp; Accolades<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>PhD student&nbsp;<strong>Nancy Carman (Geosciences)&nbsp;<\/strong>was&nbsp;featured on&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/spacegrant.carthage.edu\/live\/blogs\/170-wsgc-student-spotlight-nancy-carman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium\u2019s website<\/a>&nbsp;in November for her achievements, including being awarded the WSGC Dr. Laurel Salton Clark Graduate and Professional Fellowship. Her research focuses&nbsp;on the preservation of potential biosignatures in hydrothermal systems. She has previously served as a Science Team Collaborator on NASA\u2019s Perseverance&nbsp;rover&nbsp;ant&nbsp;the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Patrick Brady (Physics)<\/strong>&nbsp;earned the 2026 Richard A. Isaacson Award in Gravitational-Wave Science from the American Physical Society. Brady\u2019s groundbreaking work in gravitational-wave data analysis and his leadership in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration have advanced humanity&#8217;s understanding of the universe, from black hole collisions to confirming Einstein\u2019s theories.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Cary Costello (Sociology)<\/strong>&nbsp;was selected to receive the 2025 Elena Dominguez Award from the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center in recognition of his contributions to education and community service. Costello has served 51ÁÔÆæ as Director of LGBTQ+ Studies for 14 years and has been an active public educator. He has also served as an expert on intersex issues with the NIH and on transgender education with the American Sociological&nbsp;Association, and&nbsp;has served with many local LGBTQ+ education and advocacy groups. Costello&nbsp;was&nbsp;honored at the Community Center\u2019s \u201cBig Night Out\u201d award ceremony and fundraiser on Nov.&nbsp;22.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Distinguished Professor emeritus&nbsp;<strong>Anastasios A. Tsonis (Mathematical Sciences)<\/strong>\u202fhas been selected to receive the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/t.e2ma.net\/click\/vbsrlk\/7cdipci\/r0kbuz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lewis Fry Richardson Medal\u202ffrom the\u202fEuropean Geosciences Union (EGU).<\/a>&nbsp;This award recognizes individuals who&nbsp;have made important contributions to the&nbsp;Earth, planetary, and space sciences.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-in-the-media-and-around-the-community-nbsp\"><strong>In the Media and around the Community<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A 51ÁÔÆæ education equips graduates with a plethora of job skills. Just ask&nbsp;<strong>Alexis Pegram-Piper (\u201816, PhD English)&nbsp;<\/strong>who was hailed as an \u201cundercover jack of all trades\u201d by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lakelandmirror.com\/top-stories\/2025\/lakeland-universitys-undercover-jack-of-all-trades-dr-alexis-piper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Mirror<\/em><\/a>, Lakeland university\u2019s&nbsp;student-run&nbsp;news site.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director&nbsp;<strong>Jean Creighton (Planetarium)&nbsp;<\/strong>gave a preview of the Planetarium\u2019s \u201cSpirits Dancing\u201d show on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/uwm-planetarium-indigenous-astronomy-photography-stars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio\u2019s Lake Effect show<\/a>&nbsp;in November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In November,&nbsp;Professor emerita&nbsp;<strong>Brenda C\u00e1rdenas (English)&nbsp;<\/strong>read from her work as part of a&nbsp;Milwaukee&nbsp;benefit to support recovery efforts in Jamaica following&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/milwaukeerecord.com\/arts\/milwaukee-poets-will-come-together-to-raise-funds-for-jamaica-in-wake-of-hurricane-melissa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hurricane Melissa<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s&nbsp;Retrolab, a collection of historical computing technologies, was featured on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmj4.com\/news\/milwaukee-tonight\/students-explore-vintage-computers-in-uw-milwaukees-specialized-retrolab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TMJ4 News<\/a>. Professor&nbsp;<strong>Thomas Haigh (History)&nbsp;<\/strong>explained the value of the repository in helping students understand the evolution of computing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Graduate student&nbsp;<strong>Ryan Krakowiak (Geosciences)&nbsp;<\/strong>was pictured alongside an article titled, \u201cReviving a watershed mission\u201d published by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ozaukeepress.com\/content\/reviving-watershed-mission\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Ozaukee Press<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poetry can open paths to self-expression and memory for people living with dementia.&nbsp;That\u2019s&nbsp;why&nbsp;<strong>Antonio Paniagua Guzman\u2019s&nbsp;(\u201822, PhD Sociology)&nbsp;<\/strong>idea to launch sessions to create poetry with Ojibwe tribal elders and their families has seen such success,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/11\/07\/health\/indigenous-poetry-dementia-wellness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CNN reported<\/a>. Paniagua Guzman is a senior research associate with the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>51ÁÔÆæ employee&nbsp;<strong>Roy Badger (\u201898, BA Sociology)&nbsp;<\/strong>spoke&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbs58.com\/news\/supreme-court-upholds-same-sex-marriage-ruling-by-denying-appeal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CBS 58 News<\/a>&nbsp;about his surprise when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a&nbsp;petition&nbsp;that sought to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, a landmark case in 2015 that secured the right for marriage for gay and lesbian&nbsp;couples in the United States.&nbsp;Badger and his husband, Garth&nbsp;Wangemann, met at UW-Milwaukee and were married for 10 years before Garth\u2019s death in January.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Anne Bonds (Geography)&nbsp;<\/strong>and Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Derek Handley (English)&nbsp;<\/strong>presented the findings from their \u201cMapping Racism and Resistance in Milwaukee County Project\u201d at the Milwaukee Central Library\u2019s Centennial Hall in November. The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/picture-gallery\/news\/local\/2025\/11\/08\/uwm-professors-present-findings-from-mapping-racism-and-resistance-project\/87172400007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>published images from&nbsp;their event.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinexaminer.com\/2025\/11\/06\/uw-project-maps-milwaukees-history-of-racist-housing-covenants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Wisconsin Examiner<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>published an in-depth preview of their research before the event, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/racially-restrictive-covenants-map-uwm-housing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio<\/a>&nbsp;invited both professors on the Lake Effect Show to explain their research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jeffrey Sommers (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies Program)&nbsp;<\/strong>was&nbsp;co-organizer (along with Institute of World Affairs Director Doug Savage) and speaker (along with retired U.S. diplomat John&nbsp;Katzka) for the 2025 Institute of World Affairs George Kennan Lecture held at Saint John\u2019s on the Lake on Oct.&nbsp;8.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kennan event was entitled, &#8220;The Re-Configuring Global (Dis)Order.&nbsp;Sommers also delivered&nbsp;two&nbsp;invited lectures on Sept. 9&nbsp;including&nbsp;\u201cThe United States and Changing World Order\u201d&nbsp;at the&nbsp;Whitefish Bay Jewish Community Center&nbsp;and&nbsp;&#8220;Tripwires: Geography and Destiny in the Baltic States\u201d to a group of former U.S.&nbsp;diplomats and&nbsp;general public&nbsp;in Cedarburg,&nbsp;Wisconsin on&nbsp;Nov.&nbsp;6.&nbsp;He co-authored&nbsp;a piece&nbsp;with Cosmin Marian&nbsp;titled,&nbsp;\u201cEmpire Strikes Back!\u201d Oligarchs and Values Fatigue in Latvia\u2019s Rejection of the Istanbul Convention,\u201d&nbsp;that was published in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2025\/11\/17\/empire-strikes-back-oligarchs-and-values-fatigue-in-latvias-rejection-of-the-istanbul-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>CounterPunch<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>on&nbsp;Nov.&nbsp;17, and co-authored \u201cDonald Trump: Reconfiguring Global Order\u201d alongside&nbsp;Zolt\u00e1n V\u00f6r\u00f6s and Istv\u00e1n&nbsp;Tarr\u00f3sy, which saw publication on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.e-ir.info\/2025\/11\/16\/donald-trump-reconfiguring-global-order\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>E-International Relations<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;Nov. 16.&nbsp;Finally, he&nbsp;advocated for&nbsp;raising the minimum wage in an opinion piece for the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/opinion\/2025\/11\/26\/minimum-wage-wisconsin-us-economy-affordability\/87448368007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Ashley Lemke (Anthropology)&nbsp;<\/strong>taught a community audience about ancient life in the Great Lakes at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mkelifestyle.com\/outandabout\/season-for-sharing\/article_7a5a9202-39f4-49e2-b638-3d8c191109bc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Milwaukee Public Museum<\/a>&nbsp;in November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Animal trader Carl Hagenbeck\u2019s idea to display zoo animals in their natural landscapes, rather than concrete and metal cages, laid the basis for the layouts of modern zoos,&nbsp;Professor emeritus<strong>&nbsp;Nigel&nbsp;Rothfels&nbsp;(History)&nbsp;<\/strong>wrote in an article published by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.historytoday.com\/archive\/history-matters\/carl-hagenbecks-eight-thousand-tortoises\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">History Today<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hngnews.com\/leader_independent\/news\/local\/frost-woods-becomes-monona-s-first-state-historic-district\/article_36f4ac46-1617-4e53-9705-815c2fa96254.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Leader Independent<\/em><\/a>,&nbsp;Architectural historian<strong>&nbsp;Justin Miller (Cultural Resource Management)&nbsp;<\/strong>commented on the city of Monona, Wisconsin,&nbsp;designating&nbsp;Frost Woods as a \u201chistoric district\u201d on the State Register of Historic Places. The move&nbsp;protects some effigy mounds in the area.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&nbsp;spent&nbsp;Thanksgiving with friends,&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;not alone. Director&nbsp;<strong>Marc Tasman (Digital Arts &amp; Culture)&nbsp;<\/strong>spoke about \u201cFriendsgiving\u201d on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/radiomilwaukee.org\/podcast\/uniquely-milwaukee\/2025-11-27\/friendsgiving-meaning-history-holiday-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Radio Milwaukee<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies)&nbsp;<\/strong>spoke about the headwinds facing small-town movie&nbsp;theaters on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/news\/park-theatre-park-falls-close-streaming-covid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Public Radio<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-people-in-print-nbsp\"><strong>People in Print<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Nataliya Palatnik (Philosophy)<\/strong>.&nbsp;2025.&nbsp;Review of Karl&nbsp;Ameriks,&nbsp;<em>Kantian&nbsp;Dignity&nbsp;and Its Difficulties<\/em>&nbsp;(Oxford University Press).&nbsp;<em>Kantian Review.&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/kantian-review\/article\/karl-ameriks-kantian-dignity-and-its-difficulties-oxford-oxford-university-press-2024-pp-xiv-240-isbn-9780198917625-hbk-7000\/4BE3FF98607CDA31CBE00F2728760015\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online first<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-passings-nbsp\"><strong>Passings<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Gerald K.&nbsp;Bergtrom<\/strong>&nbsp;(emeritus Biological Sciences) passed away on Nov. 7 at the age of 80.&nbsp;He joined the UW-Milwaukee faculty in 1978&nbsp;and served for 33 years, retiring in 2011. Even then, he continued to teach and work&nbsp;in&nbsp;51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Center for Excellence in Teaching &amp; Learning for another four years to help his colleagues design courses to foster student engagement and interactive learning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was an accomplished researcher with&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;publications, including a free, interactive Cell &amp; Molecular Biology textbook that was downloaded tens of thousands of times around the world,&nbsp;helping&nbsp;to provide accessible education to all.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond his research and teaching,&nbsp;Bergtrom&nbsp;was a warm and congenial person who supported and mentored his colleagues as they grew in their careers&nbsp;\u2013 in one case,&nbsp;calling Congressional representatives&nbsp;relentlessly&nbsp;to&nbsp;make sure that&nbsp;one colleague\u2019s visa&nbsp;was approved&nbsp;to allow her to remain in the United States and continue her career at UW-Milwaukee.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He \u201cwas not only a distinguished scholar but also a generous colleague whose support left a lasting impact on me and my academic journey,\u201d remembered Professor Ching-Hong Yang.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume 15, Number 12 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Kitty Morse (\u201870, MA&nbsp;French&nbsp;and Spanish)&nbsp;helped to open the&nbsp;Coronado Historical Association\u2019s&nbsp;new \u201cRemembering D-Day: From &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19040,"featured_media":0,"parent":29035,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-30800","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\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-december-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: December, 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Volume 15, Number 12 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Kitty Morse (\u201870, MA&nbsp;French&nbsp;and Spanish)&nbsp;helped to open the&nbsp;Coronado Historical Association\u2019s&nbsp;new \u201cRemembering D-Day: From &hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-december-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Letters &amp; Science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T18:09:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-december-2025\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-december-2025\\\/\",\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine: December, 2025 - Letters &amp; Science\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-06T18:09:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-06T18:09:46+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-december-2025\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-december-2025\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/in-focus-magazine-december-2025\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News &amp; Events\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"In Focus Archive\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"In Focus Archive: 2025\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2025\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine: December, 2025\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/\",\"name\":\"Letters &amp; Science\",\"description\":\"College of\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Letters &amp; Science","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2025\/in-focus-magazine-december-2025\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In Focus Magazine: December, 2025","og_description":"Volume 15, Number 12 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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