{"id":31048,"date":"2026-03-03T14:05:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?page_id=31048"},"modified":"2026-03-03T14:05:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:05:54","slug":"in-focus-magazine-february-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-february-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"In Focus Magazine: February, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"lead-in\">Volume 16, Number 2<\/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\/2026-alumni-awards-evening-winners-are-making-an-impact\/\" 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\/02\/Alumni-Awards-banner.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"Image of text reads Awards Evening 2026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Alumni-Awards-banner.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Alumni-Awards-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\/2026-alumni-awards-evening-winners-are-making-an-impact\/\">2026 Alumni Awards Evening winners are making an impact<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-02-03T13:43:55-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">February 3, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">A dozen winners will be honored at 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s 2026 Alumni Awards Evening on Friday, Feb. 20 at the Pfister Hotel. Presented by the 51ÁÔÆæ Alumni Association, these awards recognize remarkable standouts who make new waves &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/research-news\/new-econ-research-shows-performance-pay-keeps-workers\/\" 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\/02\/John-Heywood-cover-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of an older white man\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/John-Heywood-cover-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/John-Heywood-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\/new-econ-research-shows-performance-pay-keeps-workers\/\">New econ research shows performance pay keeps workers<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-02-03T13:43:31-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">February 3, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">New economics research by 51ÁÔÆæ Distinguished Professor John Heywood indicates a way for employers to make sure their employees stick around: Pay them based on their performance. Heywood\u2019s research shows that performance pay is associated &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/no-dirty-money-econ-student-helps-fight-money-laundering-with-baird-internship\/\" 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\/02\/Donovan-Clark-cover-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of a young Black man is overlaid on an image of paper money.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Donovan-Clark-cover-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Donovan-Clark-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\/alumni-student-news\/no-dirty-money-econ-student-helps-fight-money-laundering-with-baird-internship\/\">No dirty money: Econ student helps fight money laundering with Baird internship<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-02-03T13:42:23-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">February 3, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Money laundering is the action of concealing the origin of money obtained through illegal activities like drug trafficking drugs, prostitution, or embezzlement. At Baird Wealth Management, the first line of defense against money laundering is &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/what-can-you-do-with-a-conservation-environmental-science-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\/02\/Ellie-Fix-cover-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A young white woman stands outdoors holding a tank full of praying mantises.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Ellie-Fix-cover-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Ellie-Fix-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\/alumni-student-news\/what-can-you-do-with-a-conservation-environmental-science-major\/\">What can you do with a conservation &amp; environmental science major?<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-02-03T13:41:39-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">February 3, 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-2026\/letters-science-remembers-dean-rodney-swain\/\" 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\/02\/Rodney-Swain-cover-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of an older man in a suit and wearing glasses\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Rodney-Swain-cover-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Rodney-Swain-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-2026\/letters-science-remembers-dean-rodney-swain\/\">Letters &amp; Science remembers Dean Rodney Swain<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-02-03T13:41:06-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">February 3, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Former Dean of the College of Letters &amp; Science Rodney Swain was many things \u2013 a thoughtful leader, diligent researcher, dedicated teacher, devoted husband and father \u2013 but above all, he was kind. \u201cHe cared &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus\/alumni-student-news\/recent-journalism-grad-goes-urban-spelunking-on-uwms-campus\/\" 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\/02\/Cael-Byrne-cover-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A headshot of young white man with a beard is overlaid on am image of Merrill Hall, a red brick building with numerous glass windows.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Cael-Byrne-cover-photo.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Cael-Byrne-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\/alumni-student-news\/recent-journalism-grad-goes-urban-spelunking-on-uwms-campus\/\">Recent journalism grad goes urban spelunking on 51ÁÔÆæ&#8217;s campus<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-02-03T13:39:53-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">February 3, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Did you know that there is a boarded-up observatory hidden on the top floor of Merrill Hall? Or that the fa\u00e7ade of Johnston Hall is decorated with carvings of dragons, mermaids, and the faces of &hellip; <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n<li><figure class=\"post-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2026\/department-updates-2\/\" 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\/02\/Darwin-Day-2.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-post-image\" alt=\"A young woman stands behind a table covered in fossils and displays about the Silurian Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Darwin-Day-2.webp 720w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2026\/02\/Darwin-Day-2-300x200.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-2026\/department-updates-2\/\">Department Updates<\/a><time datetime=\"2026-02-03T13:39:25-06:00\" class=\"post-date\">February 3, 2026<\/time><div class=\"post-excerpt\">Geosciences Updates Come join 51ÁÔÆæ Geosciences for exploration and excitement at this year&#039;s Darwin Day! When: Feb. 14 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Lapham Hall Darwin Day is a public outreach event celebrating the life &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>Jan Wilberg (\u201877, MS Urban Affairs; \u201886, PhD Urban Studies)&nbsp;<\/strong>was appointed to a two-year term on the Executive Council of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/communityjournal.net\/former-chair-of-milwaukee-county-commission-on-aging-appointed-to-aarp-wis-executive-committee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AARP Wisconsin<\/a>&nbsp;by AARP Wisconsin State Director Raj Shukla.&nbsp;Wilberg is a natural fit for the position;&nbsp;she is a member and past chair of the Milwaukee County Commission on Aging.&nbsp;On the council, she will&nbsp;assist&nbsp;in advocacy efforts to address issues facing seniors, such as strengthening health&nbsp;care and lowering prescription drug costs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Andrew&nbsp;Narrai&nbsp;(\u201890, BA Communication)&nbsp;<\/strong>was appointed to the Board of Trustees of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/wisconsin\/greenfield\/alverno-college-announces-two-new-members-board-trustees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alverno College<\/a>&nbsp;in January.&nbsp;Narrai,&nbsp;the chief marketing officer at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren&nbsp;s.c., has&nbsp;30 years of experience in brand development and marketing and has held several leadership roles in the Milwaukee community, including at the&nbsp;<em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Atiera&nbsp;Coleman (\u201812, MA Sociology; \u201816, PhD Sociology)&nbsp;<\/strong>was&nbsp;the keynote speaker at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.beloitdailynews.com\/news\/local-news\/beloit-college-to-host-mlk-convocation\/article_ae86300f-c334-407a-bcca-7ee16d004a17.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Beloit College\u2019s<\/a>&nbsp;annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation in January. Coleman is the Chief Equity Officer for the State of Illinois and previously served as the&nbsp;Equity Manager for Rock County, Wisconsin, and as Associate Dean of Student Success, Equity, and Community at Beloit College.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gale Klappa (\u201872, BA Mass Communication)&nbsp;<\/strong>announced that he will be stepping down as the chair of WEC Energy in May after 22 years at the helm.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/milwaukee\/news\/2026\/01\/22\/gale-klappa-stepping-down-as-wec-energy-chairman.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WEC Energy<\/a>&nbsp;is now the Midwest\u2019s largest utility, and Klappa is the longest-serving CEO in the company\u2019s history.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Makayla Cooper (\u201823, BA Conservation &amp; Environmental Science)<\/strong>&nbsp;has been named the recipient of the 2025 Veolia Environmental Hero Award as part of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-Ur6TYUfUbg?si=k324T0_Cji83O3Y9&amp;t=2194\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TMJ4 News Positively Milwaukee Awards<\/a>. She was recognized for her community leadership in organizing neighborhood clean-up events, supporting healthy food options for local businesses, and removing invasive species from area nature centers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-laurels-amp-accolades\">Laurels &amp; Accolades\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Distinguished Professor&nbsp;<strong>Mark Schwartz (Geography)&nbsp;<\/strong>received&nbsp;Distinguished Scholarship Honors from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aag.org\/2026-aag-awards-recognition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Association of Geographers<\/a>&nbsp;as part of the organization\u2019s 2026 Awards Recognition.&nbsp;These annual awards acknowledge outstanding achievements by association members in scholarship, teaching, education, public service, and more.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Distinguished Professor&nbsp;<strong>Ching-Hong Yang (Biological Sciences)<\/strong>&nbsp;has been&nbsp;elected&nbsp;as a Fellow of the American&nbsp;Phytopathological&nbsp;Society (APS), one of the highest honors in the field of plant pathology. This prestigious recognition is awarded to APS members who have made distinguished and sustained contributions to research, education, extension, and professional service. Election to APS Fellow is highly selective, with no more than 0.5% of the Society\u2019s membership elected each year. Candidates are nominated and evaluated by their peers, with&nbsp;selection&nbsp;based on long-term impact and leadership in the field.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece (Film Studies)&nbsp;<\/strong>debuted her first novel, a work of horror titled&nbsp;<em>Poltergeist<\/em>, in January. Szczepaniak-Gillece has written several&nbsp;non-fiction&nbsp;works, but this foray into fiction&nbsp;was inspired by horror films and explores themes of identity and connection. She spoke about her new work on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/news\/milwaukee-authors-debut-novel-inspired-by-horror-films-wisconsin-winters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Public Radio<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wtmj.com\/shows\/whats-on-tap\/2026\/01\/28\/homegrown-tv-and-film-projects-a-local-horror-novelists-takes-on-scary-movies-getting-award-nominations-and-a-musical-movie-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WTMJ Radio<\/a>.&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>Distinguished Professor&nbsp;<strong>Ching-Hong Yang (Biological Sciences)<\/strong>&nbsp;presented an invited seminar at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.e2ma.net\/click\/fb11pk\/7cdipci\/vfvg2z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)<\/a>&nbsp;on Dec. 30,&nbsp;2025&nbsp;titled, \u201cTransforming Crop Protection with Natural Metabolites: A New Era of Sustainable Disease Control.\u201d He highlighted&nbsp;RejuAgro&nbsp;A (RAA), a novel natural antimicrobial with a new mode of action and strong field efficacy. During the visit, Yang also met with Director General Dr. Dennis Wang to discuss opportunities for future collaboration and the translation of scientific discoveries into practical crop protection solutions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pay attention! Clinical Professor&nbsp;<strong>Stacey Nye (Psychological &amp; Brain Science)&nbsp;<\/strong>has&nbsp;advice on how to increase your attention span:&nbsp;Take \u201cactive breaks\u201d from stimuli like screens and work, she advised in&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/entry\/brain-breaks-attention-span_uk_695b8c6ae4b0c1bd90c452bb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Huffpost UK<\/a>&nbsp;article.&nbsp;Nye also spoke with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbs58.com\/news\/local-professors-analyze-and-react-to-ices-deadly-shooting-of-a-woman-in-minneapolis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CBS 58 News<\/a>&nbsp;about the public\u2019s reactions, including trauma, to the video&nbsp;showing the killing of Minnesota woman Renee Good by an ICE agent in January.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Rachel Buff (History)&nbsp;<\/strong>discussed the psychological impact of ICE\u2019s push to deport undocumented immigrants in an article&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcreport.org\/2026\/01\/07\/ice-raids-drive-cancellation-of-hispanic-events-as-deportation-terror-spreads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DC Report<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking as a Venezuelan living in Milwaukee, Assistant Professor&nbsp;<strong>Gabriella Nagy (Psychological &amp; Brain Sciences)<\/strong>&nbsp;spoke on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/show\/lake-effect\/2026-01-08\/thursday-1-8-26-milwaukee-and-venezuela-ai-data-centers-and-the-environment-literacy-and-teaching\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio\u2019s Lake Effect show<\/a>&nbsp;about her reaction to the United&nbsp;State\u2019s&nbsp;military operation in Venezuela.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbs58.com\/news\/26-milwaukee-area-museums-offering-discounts-during-museum-days-campaign\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CBS 58 News<\/a>&nbsp;reported&nbsp;that 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>Emile H. Mathis Art Gallery&nbsp;<\/strong>participated&nbsp;in Milwaukee County\u2019s Museum Days.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/education\/2026\/01\/14\/milwaukee-public-schools-remain-among-most-segregated-in-nation-50-years-after-court-order\/87671972007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>article examining segregation in Milwaukee\u2019s public schools cited research by Professor&nbsp;Emertius&nbsp;<strong>Marc Levine (History)<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/announcement\/public-radio-stations-in-wisconsin-partner-to-create-the-wisconsin-news-collaborative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>W51ÁÔÆæ Radio<\/strong><\/a>, which is run under the umbrella of 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s College of Letters &amp; Science, announced that it would join a partnership with Wisconsin Public Radio and WXPR to share news content across the three stations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romania\u2019s&nbsp;&#8220;tiger&#8221;&nbsp;economy looks as if it might be slowing,&nbsp;<strong>Professor Jeffrey Sommers (African &amp; African Diaspora Studies and Global Studies program)<\/strong>&nbsp;wrote in a piece published by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialeurope.eu\/romanias-tiger-economy-is-running-out-of-fuel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Social Europe,<\/a>&nbsp;Europe\u2019s&nbsp;top social democratic public policy outlet. The article was reprinted on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcontributors.ro%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Csvickery%40uwm.edu%7Ce4f735d5a7434ea0691008de633655e1%7C0bca7ac3fcb64efd89eb6de97603cf21%7C0%7C0%7C639057282187660129%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=0CkGXvh6CoHZd0KnELJ5rDfHNHHuhTWseUXzlcpDYzY%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Contributors.ro<\/em><\/a><em>,&nbsp;<\/em>Romania\u2019s top digital site for public policy.&nbsp;Sommers was also mentioned in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2026\/01\/09\/roaming-charges-125\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>CounterPunch\u2019s<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>weekly \u201cRoaming Charges\u201d on Jan. 9 for his comment on past U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An op-ed questioning the practice of binge-watching ran in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dailyillini.com\/opinions-stories\/columns-opinions\/culture\/2026\/01\/15\/binge-watching-kills-ability-wait\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Daily Illini<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<\/em>cited research by&nbsp;Professor&nbsp;<strong>Mark Newman (English)<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alonzo Robinson, Jr. was Wisconsin\u2019s first Black architect.&nbsp;51ÁÔÆæ architectural historian&nbsp;<strong>Justin Miller (Cultural Resource Management)&nbsp;<\/strong>will present a talk about Robinson\u2019s life and contributions for&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/communityjournal.net\/docomomo-wisconsin-and-milwaukee-public-library-present-from-the-archives-lecture-wisconsins-first-black-architect-alonzo-robinson-jr-celebrating-black-history-month-with-an-award-winning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>From the Archives&nbsp;<\/em>lecture<\/a>&nbsp;celebrating Black History Month in February. The talk is presented by&nbsp;Docomom&nbsp;Wiconsin&nbsp;in partnership with the&nbsp;Milwaukee&nbsp;Public Library and UW-Milwaukee Cultural Resource Management.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Birthrates in Milwaukee have declined sharply in recent years. Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Noelle Chesley (Sociology)&nbsp;<\/strong>cited the cost of childcare and health care and other demographic shifts as driving factors in&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsonline.com\/story\/news\/local\/2026\/01\/26\/why-is-the-number-of-births-declining-in-milwaukee-and-wisconsin\/88281611007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>article on the topic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senior researcher Lisa Heuler Williams (Center for&nbsp;Econcomic&nbsp;Development)&nbsp;speculated&nbsp;on&nbsp;how Milwaukee\u2019s Martin Drive neighborhood\u2019s racial diversity could serve as a model for&nbsp;increasing integration in the highly segregated city. She was quoted in&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/2026\/01\/25\/through-events-and-casual-conversations-martin-drive-neighbors-foster-connection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>article.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wi-broadcasters.org\/new-education-debt-relief-grant-added-to-wba-foundation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisconsin Broadcaster\u2019s Association<\/a>&nbsp;announced that the organization is adding the Eric Miller&nbsp;PantherVision&nbsp;Debt Relief Grant as a resource for Wisconsin broadcasters struggling with post-secondary education debt. The grant is named for 51ÁÔÆæ&nbsp;alumnus&nbsp;<strong>Eric Miller (\u201806, BA Mass Communication)<\/strong>,&nbsp;who passed away in 2016 at age 32, but not before&nbsp;establishing&nbsp;an accomplished career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Director&nbsp;<strong>Jean Creighton (Planetarium)&nbsp;<\/strong>spoke about the origins&nbsp;on&nbsp;the universe on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wuwm.com\/uwm-planetarium-birth-of-the-universe-big-bang\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">W51ÁÔÆæ Radio<\/a>, previewing one of the Planetarium\u2019s upcoming shows.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There could be a&nbsp;dark matter&nbsp;cloud lurking in our cosmic neighborhood. Professor&nbsp;<strong>Philip Chang (Physics &amp; Astrophysics)<\/strong>&nbsp;explained in&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2513924-a-huge-cloud-of-dark-matter-may-be-lurking-near-our-solar-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New Scientist<\/a>&nbsp;article that data obtained by studying pulsars&nbsp;indicates&nbsp;that there could be a dark matter&nbsp;halo that is several hundred light years in size in our corner of the galaxy (which is still 3,000 lightyears away from our solar system).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/91483774\/these-historic-computing-labs-teach-kids-what-technology-was-like-before-phones-social-media-and-the-cloud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fast Company<\/a>&nbsp;profiled 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s&nbsp;Retrocomputing&nbsp;Lab and spoke with&nbsp;Professor&nbsp;<strong>Thomas Haig (History)&nbsp;<\/strong>about students\u2019 experiences with \u201cvintage\u201d computing technology.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-people-in-print\">People in Print\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Miren Boehm (Philosophy)<\/strong>&nbsp;and Geoffrey Gorham. 2026. Buffier on Time, Duration, and Existence. In&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/global.oup.com\/academic\/product\/claude-buffier-9780197751367?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Claude Buffier: Common Sense, Metaphysics, and Sociability<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;<\/em>(eds. Anik Waldow, Dario&nbsp;Perinetti, and&nbsp;Sandrine Roux). Oxford: Oxford University Press.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor&nbsp;<strong>Jennifer N.&nbsp;Johung&nbsp;(Art History)<\/strong>. 2026. Cellular Performance and the Plastic Agency of Cerebral Organoids. In&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mess-books.com\/publications\/revivification\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Revivification<\/em><\/a><em>.&nbsp;<\/em>Perth:&nbsp;Mess Books.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor&nbsp;<strong>Gordon Gauchat (Sociology)<\/strong>. 2026.&nbsp;Partisan Polarization and Public Trust in Vaccine Science: Mapping Cultural Authority.&nbsp;<em>Journal of Health and Social Behavior.&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/00221465251396037\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online first<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Volume 16, Number 2 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Jan Wilberg (\u201877, MS Urban Affairs; \u201886, PhD Urban Studies)&nbsp;was appointed to a &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19040,"featured_media":0,"parent":30801,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-31048","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-february-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: February, 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Volume 16, Number 2 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Jan Wilberg (\u201877, MS Urban Affairs; \u201886, PhD Urban Studies)&nbsp;was appointed to a &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-february-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Letters &amp; Science\" \/>\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-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-february-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-february-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"In Focus Magazine: February, 2026 - Letters &amp; Science\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-03T20:05:54+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-february-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-february-2026\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/letters-science\\\/news-events\\\/in-focus-magazine\\\/infocus-archive\\\/in-focus-archive-2026\\\/in-focus-magazine-february-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: February, 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-february-2026\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In Focus Magazine: February, 2026","og_description":"Volume 16, Number 2 Please be aware that some publications require a subscription in order to view articles and most links below leave this site. Alumni Accomplishments&nbsp; Jan Wilberg (\u201877, MS Urban Affairs; \u201886, PhD Urban Studies)&nbsp;was appointed to a &hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2026\/in-focus-magazine-february-2026\/","og_site_name":"Letters &amp; Science","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@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-february-2026\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2026\/in-focus-magazine-february-2026\/","name":"In Focus Magazine: February, 2026 - Letters &amp; Science","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-03-03T20:05:54+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2026\/in-focus-magazine-february-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-february-2026\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/news-events\/in-focus-magazine\/infocus-archive\/in-focus-archive-2026\/in-focus-magazine-february-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: February, 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"}]}},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-23 08:07:09","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19040"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31048"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31049,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31048\/revisions\/31049"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}