{"id":30937,"date":"2026-02-03T14:11:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?page_id=30937"},"modified":"2026-02-03T14:12:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T20:12:47","slug":"in-focus-magazine-january-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2026\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"In Focus Magazine: January, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead-in\">Volume 16, Number 1<\/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-an-urban-studies-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\/2026\/01\/Jordan-Villegas-Banner.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of a Hispanic man with short dark hair wearing a teal t-shirt with an Acts Housing logo.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Jordan-Villegas-Banner.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Jordan-Villegas-Banner-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-an-urban-studies-major\/\">What can you do with an urban studies major?<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-01-06T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 6, 2026<\/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\/a-family-philosophy-at-uwm\/\" 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\/2026\/01\/Spencer-and-De-Malignon.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"An older woman with a red sweater, glasses, and gray hair smiles next to a younger man with glasses and a black and pink patterned shirt. They stand in front of a bookcase full of books.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Spencer-and-De-Malignon.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Spencer-and-De-Malignon-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\/a-family-philosophy-at-uwm\/\">A family philosophy at 51ÁÔÆæ<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-01-06T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 6, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Professor Joshua Spencer had an unusual student in his \u201cPhilosophy 358: Action, Will, and Freedom\u201d class this semester: His mother. Spencer has frequently welcomed senior auditors in his classes over his years at 51ÁÔÆæ. Wisconsin &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-spotlight\/serving-with-spanish-new-service-learning-course-connects-students-to-milwaukee-community\/\" 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\/2026\/01\/51ÁÔÆæ-Spanish-class.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A group of four students stands in front of bookshelves next to their instructor.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/51ÁÔÆæ-Spanish-class.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/51ÁÔÆæ-Spanish-class-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-spotlight\/serving-with-spanish-new-service-learning-course-connects-students-to-milwaukee-community\/\">Serving with Spanish: New service-learning course connects students to Milwaukee community<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-01-06T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 6, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">\u00bfC\u00f3mo puedo ayudar? How can I help? Allison Libbey\u2019s Spanish students asked that question a lot this semester. Libbey, a senior teaching faculty member in 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Spanish Programt, is the creator of the special topics &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/congratulations-graduates\/\" 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\/2026\/01\/Keizan-Sato-graduation.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"Two young men in black graduation robes with white stoles and gold cords pose and smile together in a crowded auditorium.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Keizan-Sato-graduation.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Keizan-Sato-graduation-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\/congratulations-graduates\/\">Congratulations, graduates!<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-01-06T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 6, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">It\u2019s the most wonderful time of year at a university: Graduation! 51ÁÔÆæ doled out more than 1,500 degrees at fall graduation on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, collected by happy graduates under the proud watch of &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/natural-sciences\/uwm-planetarium-has-60-reasons-to-celebrate\/\" 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\/2026\/01\/Planetarium-outside-2025.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"The exterior of the 51ÁÔÆæ Planetarium\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Planetarium-outside-2025.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Planetarium-outside-2025-300x200.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\/natural-sciences\/uwm-planetarium-has-60-reasons-to-celebrate\/\">51ÁÔÆæ Planetarium has 60 reasons to celebrate<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-01-06T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 6, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">51ÁÔÆæ has something to celebrate in 2026: The 51ÁÔÆæ Planetarium turns 60! Often recognized as a hidden gem on campus, the 51ÁÔÆæ Planetarium has been projecting the stars and planets onto its 30-foot dome since &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/new-math-research-opportunity-trains-mentors-and-mentees-alike\/\" 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\/2026\/01\/Math-REU-at-conference.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"Four students take a selfie in front a research poster\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Math-REU-at-conference.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/Math-REU-at-conference-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\/new-math-research-opportunity-trains-mentors-and-mentees-alike\/\">New math research opportunity trains mentors and mentees alike<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-01-06T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 6, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">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 &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/department-update\/\" 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\/2026\/01\/GIS-Day-registration.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"Two people stand behind a table that bears a sign reading GIS Day registration.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/GIS-Day-registration.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/01\/GIS-Day-registration-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\/department-update\/\">Department Update<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-01-06T00:01:00-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">January 6, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">51ÁÔÆæ hosts GIS Day The GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Council hosted GIS&nbsp;Day @51ÁÔÆæ at the&nbsp;American Geographical Society&nbsp;Library&nbsp;(AGSL)&nbsp;on Nov. 21. One hundred people attended the keynote event, a panel on \u2018Careers in GIS\u2019 featuring four 51ÁÔÆæ &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>Joe Lamers (<\/strong>&#8216;<strong>24,\u00a0Masters of Public Administration)\u00a0<\/strong>was appointed the new director of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/spectrumnews1.com\/wi\/milwaukee\/news\/2025\/12\/04\/milwaukee-county--joe-lamers--mcdot-director--transportation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Milwaukee County\u2019s Department of Transportation<\/a>. He takes over at a challenging time when the department has a projected $10.9 million budget deficit. Lamers will face that challenge with eight years of\u00a0previous\u00a0experience as the director of the Milwaukee County Office of Strategy,\u00a0Budget\u00a0and Performance.\u00a0Lamers was appointed by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lisa&nbsp;Mydy&nbsp;(\u201810, BS Biochemistry;&nbsp;\u201816, PhD Biochemistry)&nbsp;<\/strong>joined the faculty of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.asbmb.org\/asbmb-today\/people\/122225\/mydy-named-purdue-assistant-professor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Purdue University<\/a>&nbsp;as an assistant professor of biochemistry.&nbsp;Her research focuses on exploring&nbsp;plant peptide&nbsp;cyclases&nbsp;for antimicrobials and other disease therapies.&nbsp;Mydy&nbsp;previously worked as a&nbsp;senior scientist for Abbott.&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>Academic Staff&nbsp;<strong>Robert \u201cBiko\u201d Baker (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies)&nbsp;<\/strong>has been tapped to manage operations&nbsp;of the progressive talk radio network WNOV 860 AM\/106.5 FM and the Milwaukee Courier newspaper after both outlets were&nbsp;acquired&nbsp;by Civic Media in December.&nbsp;Baker, in addition to teaching, is a noted writer and journalist.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/2025\/12\/17\/civic-media-to-buy-black-owned-wisconsin-radio-station-and-newspaper\/87818628007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>reported the story.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Ivan Ascher (Political Science)<\/strong>&nbsp;and Assistant Professor&nbsp;<strong>Srishti Meera Sardana (Psychological &amp; Brain Sciences)<\/strong>&nbsp;were nominated for the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program, and&nbsp;Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Derek G. Handley (English)<\/strong>&nbsp;was nominated for the Mellon Foundation\u2019s New Directions Fellowship. These nominations for prestigious national fellowships recognize each scholar\u2019s remarkable contributions to 51ÁÔÆæ and their disciplines, and their potential to shape broader conversations in the academy and beyond.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-in-the-media-and-around-the-community-nbsp\">In the Media and around the Community&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It was cold, but the&nbsp;<strong>51ÁÔÆæ Planetarium&nbsp;<\/strong>was&nbsp;practically tropical&nbsp;as it hosted a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/family-friendly-events-latin-america-uwm-planetarium-childrens-books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Storytime in the Caribbean<\/a>\u201d show in conjunction with 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>Center for Latin American &amp; Caribbean Studies&nbsp;<\/strong>in December.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the VHS, there was Sony\u2019s Betamax.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smithsonian-institution\/this-revolutionary-but-largely-forgotten-video-recorder-debuted-50-years-ago-devoted-fans-say-the-machine-had-the-best-quality-of-its-time-180987794\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Smithsonian Magazine<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>consulted Professor&nbsp;<strong>Michael Newman&nbsp;(English)&nbsp;<\/strong>to learn about shifting mediums in the home entertainment industry and the impact of the Betamax.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vodou is a&nbsp;rich religious tradition in Haiti, but its history is steeped in mystery and controversy. Professor emeritus&nbsp;<strong>Patrick Bellegarde-Smith (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies)<\/strong>, himself a vodou priest,&nbsp;spoke about&nbsp;vodou\u2019s cultural impact&nbsp;on the podcast&nbsp;\u201cThe Vodou Project,\u201d as reported by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/haitiantimes.com\/2025\/12\/09\/haitian-podcaster-discovers-vodou\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Haitian Times<\/em><\/a>. The&nbsp;<em>Times&nbsp;<\/em>also spoke to Bellegarde-Smith about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/haitiantimes.com\/2025\/12\/11\/vodou-basics-ten-things\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10 things you should know about vodou<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PBS Wisconsin interviewed both&nbsp;Professor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pbswisconsin.org\/news-item\/anne-bonds-on-covenants-and-milwaukees-racial-segregation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Anne Bonds<\/strong><\/a><strong>&nbsp;(Geography)&nbsp;<\/strong>and Associate Professor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pbswisconsin.org\/news-item\/derek-handley-on-racial-covenants-harming-black-milwaukeeans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Derek Handley<\/strong><\/a><strong>&nbsp;(English)&nbsp;<\/strong>about&nbsp;their \u201cMapping Racism and Resistance in Milwaukee County Project\u201d documenting the widespread use of racial covenants in Milwaukee\u2019s past real estate market.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have watched some of your favorite holiday movies over the past month.&nbsp;Professor&nbsp;<strong>Elana Levine (English)&nbsp;<\/strong>was a guest on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/show\/lake-effect\/2025-12-15\/monday-12-15-25-judge-hannah-dugan-trial-holiday-movies-keeping-pets-safe-in-winter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio\u2019s Lake Effect show<\/a>&nbsp;to talk about why we keep returning to our feel-good films.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miragenews.com\/ancient-case-of-microbial-death-1589497\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MirageNews.com<\/a>&nbsp;reported&nbsp;on&nbsp;an article co-authored by Assistant Professor&nbsp;<strong>Victoria McCoy (Geosciences)&nbsp;<\/strong>that detailed fossilized evidence of animal disease in a prehistoric horseshoe crab.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>David DiValerio (History)&nbsp;<\/strong>was a guest on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdomexperience.org\/wisdom-podcast\/david-divalerio-wp221\/?utm_campaign=Podcast&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_term=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Wisdom Podcast<\/a>\u201d to discuss his new book,&nbsp;<em>Mountain Dharma: Meditative Retreat and the Tibetan Ascetic Self.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you meet someone under the mistletoe&nbsp;this season?&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/12\/17\/nx-s1-5641015\/mistletoe-dung-manure-etymology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NPR<\/a>&nbsp;consulted&nbsp;Professor&nbsp;<strong>Bettina Arnold (Anthropology)&nbsp;<\/strong>about the origins of the traditions surrounding this holiday plant. (They date back to the Roman Empire!)&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/thousands-of-couples-gather-under-the-mistletoe-in-dc-to-kiss-their-way-into-a-new-world-record-180987897\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Smithsonian Magazine<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>referenced Arnold\u2019s NPR interview in an article about an attempt to break the world record for the number of couples kissing under the mistletoe.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/12\/26\/nx-s1-5648335\/cannabis-use-among-teens-tied-to-poor-school-performance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NPR<\/a>&nbsp;reported on a new study showing that teens who use cannabis do less well in school than teens who do not. Professor&nbsp;<strong>Krista&nbsp;Lisdahl&nbsp;(Psychological &amp; Brain Sciences)&nbsp;<\/strong>commented on the study\u2019s findings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Caroline Seymour-Jorn (World Languages and Cultures)<\/strong>&nbsp;gave an invited lecture, \u201cMagical Realism in Jordan and Egypt: Interrogating Indigeneity, Colonialism and Futurity in the fiction of Samiha&nbsp;Khrais&nbsp;and Hani Abdel Mourid,\u201d at Columbia University in April 2025 and presented a paper, \u201cCancer as Dispossession, Cancer as Alienation: Diagnosis and Treatment in the Novels of Laila al-Atrash and Nemat&nbsp;el-Behairy,\u201d at the Middle East Studies Association in Washington, D.C. in November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Jeffrey Sommers (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies program)&nbsp;<\/strong>reacted to news of U.S. actions in Venezuela at the beginning of January in an article published by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2026\/01\/03\/monroe-doctrine-the-bad-neighbor-returns-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CounterPunch<\/a>.&nbsp;&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>Shiri Noy and Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Timothy L. O&#8217;Brien (Sociology)<\/strong>. 2026.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2352250X25001939?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Cultural Authority of Science and Religion<\/a>.&nbsp;<em>Current Opinion in Psychology,&nbsp;<\/em>67: 102180.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Timothy L. O&#8217;Brien&nbsp;(Sociology)<\/strong>&nbsp;and D.R. Johnson. 2025.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clinicalkey.com\/#!\/content\/playContent\/1-s2.0-S0264410X25012277?returnurl=https:%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0264410X25012277%3Fshowall%3Dtrue&amp;referrer=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. State Lawmaker Support for COVID-19 Vaccine Policies During the Pandemic.<\/a>&nbsp;<em>Vaccines,<\/em>&nbsp;68: 127930&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor<strong>&nbsp;Miren Boehm (Philosophy)<\/strong>. 2025. The Inconceivability of Newtonian Space and Time. In&nbsp;<em>Contemporary Perspectives and Historical Dimensions: A Festschrift in Honor of Jani Hakkarainen&nbsp;<\/em>(J. Forsman and M. Slavov,&nbsp;eds.).&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/philpapers.org\/rec\/SLACPA-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tempere University<\/a>:&nbsp;Finland.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Miren Boehm (Philosophy)<\/strong>. 2025. Experimental Philosophy, Blind Submission, and Hume\u2019s Other \u201cSceptical&nbsp;Principles.\u201d In&nbsp;<em>Hume\u2019s<\/em>&nbsp;A Treatise of Human Nature: A Critical Guide&nbsp;(E. Radcliffe, ed.).&nbsp;Cambridge Critical Guides. Cambridge University&nbsp;Press.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/9781009218047.008\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online first<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Distinguished Professor&nbsp;<strong>John S. Heywood (Economics)<\/strong>&nbsp;and Benjamin Artz. 2025.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fabs%2Fpii%2FS0167268125004111&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctotty%40uwm.edu%7C52bdf431f24f4e73422c08de3f138259%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C639017550357415263%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C80000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=wanVPPbwwcXRT8HzbKLv02PsE51F9aQeODUCxm1boiE%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;Performance Pay and Job Quits,&#8221;&nbsp;<em>Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization<\/em><\/a>&nbsp; 239. 107294: 1-15.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-passings-nbsp\">Passings&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Rodney Swain (Psychological &amp; Brain Sciences)<\/strong>, the former dean of the College of Letters &amp; Science, passed away on Christmas&nbsp;day, 2025.&nbsp;He joined the 51ÁÔÆæ faculty in 1997, serving diligently as a teacher and mentor to students as he explored the effects of exercise on various parts of the brain and what&nbsp;impact&nbsp;those effects have on learning and cognition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Swain&nbsp;took on a monumental task in 2011 and stepped up to serve as the dean of the College of Letters &amp; Science, a post that he held for six years while helping&nbsp;the&nbsp;college&nbsp;to&nbsp;weather&nbsp;several&nbsp;challenges&nbsp;and&nbsp;celebrate its&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;triumphs. In 2017, he returned to the faculty where he continued to teach and craft valuable&nbsp;research experiences for graduate and undergraduate students.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A full article about Professor Swain\u2019s impact on the College will follow&nbsp;in February\u2019s edition of the In Focus newsletter. Presently, his obituary is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pkfuneralhomes.com\/obituaries\/dr-rodney-swain?ttm_pid=210552085&amp;ttm_affiliate=legacypro&amp;ttm_affiliatetype=standard&amp;ttm_campaign=legacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">available for viewing<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor<strong>&nbsp;Steven Redd (Political Science)<\/strong>&nbsp;passed away on Dec. 17, 2025, following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Since joining 51ÁÔÆæ in August 2001, Professor Redd was a dedicated scholar and teacher who gave so much to the field of political science and to his students. His teaching and research centered on two core areas within international relations: foreign policy decision-making\u2014especially through the application of&nbsp;poliheuristic&nbsp;theory of decision making\u2014and experimental&nbsp;methodology. His most recent research focused on substantive and methodological issues related to leadership preferences and artificial intelligence.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>View Professor Redd\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berndt-ledesmafuneralhome.com\/obituary\/Steven-Redd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">full obituary<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume 16, Number 1 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Joe Lamers (&#8216;24,\u00a0Masters of Public Administration)\u00a0was appointed the new director of\u00a0Milwaukee County\u2019s Department &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19040,"featured_media":0,"parent":30801,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-30937","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-2026\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\/\" \/>\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, 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Volume 16, Number 1 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Joe Lamers (&#8216;24,\u00a0Masters of Public Administration)\u00a0was appointed the new director of\u00a0Milwaukee County\u2019s Department &hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2026\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Letters &amp; Science\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-03T20:12:47+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=\"5 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-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine: January, 2026 - Letters &amp; Science\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-03T20:12:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-03T20:12:47+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\\\/#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: 2026\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":6,\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine: January, 2026\"}]},{\"@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-2026\/in-focus-magazine-january-2026\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In Focus Magazine: January, 2026","og_description":"Volume 16, Number 1 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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