UW-Milwaukee School of Education EdLine 2020

EdLine SPRING 2020

Grow Your Own encourages high school students to explore teaching

Teachers now focus on the benefits of knowing another language

A family honors a much-loved mother with an education scholarship

Page 2

Page 4

Page 31

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 1

CREDITS Mark Mone, Chancellor Johannes Britz, Provost Alan Shoho, Dean Hope Longwell-Grice, associate dean of academic affairs Jeremy Page, assistant dean of student services Jessica Russell, assistant dean Kathy Quirk, editor, writer Nicole Schanen, marketing communications account executive

8

CONTRIBUTORS

Genaro Armas Christina McCaffrey PHOTOGRAPHERS

Pete Amland Troye Fox Elora Hennessey GRAPHIC DESIGN

Kendell Hafner

ON THE COVER

14

Teacher and UWM alumna Danielle Robinson works with students at Brown Street Academy studying mathematicians and scientists of color.

20

23 1 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 LETTER FROM THE DEAN 2 GROW YOUR OWN 4 ENCOURAGING BILITERACY 10 NEW FACES 12 PROMOTIONS AND TRANSITIONS 13 FACULTY RESEARCH 18 SCHOLARSHIPS 20 ALUMNI 26 NEWS BRIEFS 28 IN MEMORIAM 30 PI LAMBDA THETA 31 DONORS

Letter from the Dean As I write this, much of the world seems to have pushed the “pause” button because of the coronavirus. I am hoping that by the time this issue is posted, we will have begun to resume some of our normal activities.

The pandemic has impacted education and the School of Education in many ways, and we’ve had to innovate, adapt and sometimes postpone our work.

But, as usual, educators are working hard to help the students and adults we work with keep their brains active.

In the media here, I’ve read stories about a Milwaukee Public Schools teacher who organized an effort to make sure students were cared for and fed. Teachers wrote personal notes to their students, and others called to offer emotional support. I heard of one teacher who called up one of her fourth-grade students to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. I’m sure she’s not the only one.

At the same time, most teachers and administrators are adjusting to the new reality – moving classes and content online for students in ways that keep them engaged with learning. Our own faculty at the School of Education are adapting courses so our future teachers, administrators and community leaders can continue educating students. A special shoutout to Kristin Gaura, our educational technology consultant, and the university’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL),which is supporting faculty and teaching staff in making this happen in just a few short weeks. Simone Conceição, professor of administrative leadership and expert in online learning, is sharing information and working with media in answering questions about making online learning successful.

Meanwhile, we are working with others at UWM and the state’s Department of Public Instruction to figure out how to carry on with field experiences and assessments of teacher candidates.

Many health care workers, first responders and previously unsung heroes like grocery store clerks are doing incredible work and risking their own health to get us through these troubled times, but teachers are getting their share of praise. Parents and families struggling to “home-school” their children during extended quarantines are gaining a new respect for teachers. Television producer and writer Shonda Rhimes summed it up humorously when she tweeted: “Been homeschooling a 6-year old and 8-year old for one hour and 11 minutes. Teachers deserve to make a billion dollars a year. Or a week.”

This issue spotlights many stories of the day-to-day heroic work educators like alumni Amy Zientek, Jeff Stempniewski, Tina Jones and Schuyler Ramsey are doing in schools and the community. We also salute the many donors who support our students in their education, often in honor of loved ones. The Marguerite Pavlic-Gostomski Scholarship, for example, is made possible by the combined contributions of five siblings who set it up to honor their amazing mother.

One section of this issue, which we shared in the university’s annual research magazine, looks at the work many of our faculty members like Tatiana Joseph, Leanne Evans and Lynn Sedivy are doing with English language learners, helping them adapt to a new language while valuing and supporting their own culture. With the support of the Women’s Giving Circle, alumna Danielle Robinson worked with Professor DeAnn Huinker to bring a new view of scientists and mathematicians of color to her urban classroom. We also share the long-time work of faculty members like Marty Sapp, who researches the value of hypnosis and how it intersects with mindfulness.

Our faculty researchers like Donna Pasternak, Sara Jozwik and Candance Doerr-Stevens are looking at the effectiveness of new techniques and better ways to collaborate with educators. As a school of education, we are also encouraging more young people to think about becoming teachers through the Educators Rising/Grow Your Own program. Several of the high school students who have completed this program are now in their first year at UWM. I hope that you enjoy this issue, either in hard copy or online, and that the world has pushed the “forward” button by the time it reaches you.

Alan Shoho Dean, School of Education SPRING 2020 EDLINE 1

FEATURE Students from Sheboygan South High School visited UWM to learn more about the Grow Your Own program.

Grow Your Own SAMANTHA SWENSKI WAS THINKING ABOUT her future career

even while she was in high school.

“I have wanted to become a teacher for many years, although I did explore other careers before deciding during sophomore year that teaching was right for me.”

Nancy Cee Her enjoyed tutoring her classmates who were struggling in mathematics. “I liked doing that. It was a good experience when they’d come back with a good score on their test, and I felt like I was part of that.”

That was why they both joined Greendale High School’s Educators Rising club. Both are now first-year students at UWM, taking general courses with the goal of moving into the School of Education.

The Educators Rising program, adapted at UWM as Grow Your Own, is providing high school students insights into careers in education.

The goal is to get more students interested in teaching at a younger age and increase the number of future teachers in the pipeline.

“GYO is an exciting effort which began with colleagues 2 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

at MATC and MPS. Our goal is to build and support interest in the teaching profession starting with high school students,” says Hope Longwell-Grice, associate dean of the School of Education. “Working with MPS teachers and staff is very important to create a tradition of teaching among all students, and especially among students of color in the district,” she adds.

“The whole community will benefit if the teaching pool reflects the diversity of students in our schools.”

In 2020, the School of Education was working with Grow Your Own clubs at several Milwaukee Public Schools. Grow Your Own is a collaborative effort, under the M-cubed umbrella, involving MPS high schools, Milwaukee Area Technical College and UWM’s School of Education. It has been supported by a grant from Bader Philanthropies. A number of suburban school districts like Greendale have started or expressed interest in similar partnership programs with the SOE. “I think it offers a lot of opportunities for students who are clearly interested in or even who are peripherally interested to engage what it means to be an educator,” said Amy Zientek, an award-winning science teacher at Greendale who started the

Educators Rising club at that school.

The program allows high school students to earn college credits by taking dual enrollment courses through their schools. For example, Angel Hessel, distinguished lecturer, has worked with high school teachers to launch the School of Education’s Introduction to Teaching course through some of the high school clubs. Plans are for MATC to offer general education courses in the fall of 2020.

The program also gives students the opportunity to visit UWM and learn more about the teaching profession and how to prepare for it. “At our school visit events we are able to show off our teacher candidates and faculty. We’ve planned a full day of activities in which high school students talk with some of our students, faculty and staff, tour the building, visit a class, and tour the campus,” said Rob Longwell-Grice, senior advisor in the Office of Student Services. “All of that and still the students are often most impressed by our Union and the lunch options that we provide them access to,” he said with a laugh.

“Our goal is to build and support interest in the teaching profession starting with high school students.”

For example, approximately 40 MPS students visited UWM Oct. 30, led by Mary Henry, the coordinator of the MPS program. They had a chance to meet with Dean Alan Shoho, Assistant Dean Jeremy Page and Rob Longwell-Grice. They also chatted with a panel of advisors and current students and toured the campus. In February another group came from Sheboygan to learn more about teaching and tour the campus. A virtual visit was held in April with a group of high school students from New Berlin. Jessica Santiago, the New Berlin coordinator, is a graduate of UWM’s School of Education.

“I’m always impressed to see the accomplishments of our alums,” said Dean Shoho. “Having Jessica bring new students into our programs is a pattern we hope to repeat often.”

Swenski’s career goal is to teach kindergarten or first grade.

The program has helped her take key first steps toward that career, she said. “The Educators Rising program provided me with new tools and information that helped me decide what age group I want to teach, how to create a lesson plan, and I gained experience in classrooms, learning behavioral management, and so on.”

Her, who plans to minor in mathematics, enjoyed learning about lesson planning and understanding how education works through the club. She also heard about paperwork and meetings that are a routine part of school from a visiting administrator.

Teaching three lessons during her final semester in the program was challenging, she said. Her students were sixth graders, and she preferred third graders, but she learned from the experience.

“I was really worried they’d be like how I remembered sixth graders being –‘I don’t care. I don’t want to listen to you,’ but my idea was wrong. They were very open and welcoming and warm.

I had some special education students in the class, and that was a good experience for me. It was good to see education was the right career path for me.”

Top: Dean Alan Shoho (center), Senior Advisor Rob LongwellGrice (left) and Assistant Dean Jeremy Page answer questions from MPS students.

2nd: Emilee Schultz, then an advisor in SOE, explains to MPS students the requirements for becoming a certified teacher.

3rd: Students from Sheboygan South listen to a presentation.

Bottom: Rob Longwel-Grice talks with students from Sheboygan South about UWM's program.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 3

FEATURE

Tatiana Joseph works with aspiring teachers so they can better serve second language learners.

The language of learning TATIANA JOSEPH VIVIDLY REMEMBERS HER first day of school

in the United States at age 10. She and her family had moved from Costa Rica to Milwaukee, and she was suddenly plunged into a new school system where everything was in a different language. She knew only three words in English, emergency ones that her father had taught her: lost, help and bathroom.

“Every time I walk into a classroom now where there are English language learners, I remember that first day and thinking, ‘What am I going to do? How am I going to survive this?’” says Joseph, now an assistant professor of teaching and learning in the School of Education. She knows she was fortunate to have a bilingual fifth-grade teacher who made her feel welcome and helped with academics, because her education was conducted mostly in English.

All of this played a role in Joseph’s career – she’s now chair of UWM’s second language education program – as well as her research interests. “I think it’s those life experiences,” she says, “that have really helped me adopt a different lens on what I want to do in teacher education, and how I want to rethink the way we work with English language learners.”

Some school systems have a student population in which more 4 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

than 20 percent of the children speak a home language other than English. Teachers may find themselves working with children who speak Spanish at home, or perhaps Rohingya, Swahili, Arabic, Laotian or any number of other languages. These are the reasons that Joseph, a former teacher and member of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, believes that teachers must be properly prepared to work in linguistically diverse classrooms.

Research that Joseph and others have done shows that teachers can build on their students’ first language to help improve their overall educational progress. That includes building proficiency in the English language. “In order for children to learn English,” Joseph says, “they have to have a strong foundation in their primary language.”

Backed by that research, educators are shifting their focus from treating a student’s non-English home language as a deficit and instead appreciating it as an asset. The change in approach is reflected in new terminology like “biliteracy” and “dual-language learners.” It’s also prompted some innovative programs that have shown positive educational results, such as sending young children home with books printed in their home language to be read with their parents.

To be clear, educators agree that children need to learn English. “There is no thought that we should neglect that,” Joseph says, “but the argument is that we teach it from an approach where we are respectful of who the student is and what they bring to the table.”

With that in mind, Joseph and School of Education colleague Leanne Evans authored a 2018 article in the Bilingual Research Journal that addressed preparing teachers to do more than teach language skills. In it, they highlighted the need to prepare teachers to uphold children’s cultures and languages as cornerstones of building anti-racist and anti-biased classrooms and communities.

Joseph notes how English as a second language education was once seen as an entirely separate endeavor within schools. Now, the trend has moved away from sending children to separate classrooms and toward helping classroom teachers work with all children, while also supporting students with extra help when needed.

That doesn’t mean teachers need to be fluent in another language to work with English language learners. The key, Joseph says, is offering these students a welcoming environment, and showing respect for the home language and culture. “You can bring books, you can bring experts, you can bring in families,” Joseph says.

Evans, an associate professor of teaching and learning who focuses on early childhood education, explains how children can build literacy across languages, even at a very young age.

Just learning how books in print work, for example, builds a foundation.

“If children know how to track words left to right in Spanish, when it comes time to read an English book, they already have that knowledge. They don’t need to relearn that,” Evans says. “What they need is just to have that vocabulary in a second language. It’s called language transfer.”

Evans points to some promising research that resulted from her work with children in Head Start centers that serve a primarily Latinx population.

The Leyendo Juntos project – Spanish for “Reading Together” – involved schools

providing books in Spanish or Spanish/ English that children would take home and read with their parents.

Families would get a note with suggestions on ways the books could be used and how to talk about the books together. Children might, for example, draw their favorite part of the book, sometimes with parents transcribing what the child said.

“We teach children to think and talk about their languages,” Evans says, “and make it OK to wonder about how it’s done in one language versus how it’s done in another language.”

“In order for children to learn English, they have to have a strong foundation in their primary language.”

Evans began the project by working with 4-year-olds in both center-based and home-based programs that served more than 400 families. Later, she and undergraduate student Alexandra Campos expanded it to include about 60 children up to age 3 in similar programs.

Leyendo Juntos proved helpful to the

children and their families. Researchers learned that discussions between parent and child, as well as teacher and child, were critical. The project also allowed teachers and parents to partner toward a better understanding of the nuances of bilingualism and biliteracy.

“We wanted to create school-to-home and home-to-school partnerships around the children’s literacy in both languages,” Evans says. “We wanted the parents to know when you work with the children in the language they first learned to speak, those skills will transfer over.”

Their research continues to examine how early childhood teachers are designing and implementing home literacy programs, as well as what support they need and the challenges they face. It is one of many important building blocks that help construct a child’s educational foundation. But the value of encouraging bilingual or multilingual classrooms goes beyond learning languages.

“By teaching or learning another language and culture, and all the components that come with that, we are teaching empathy,” Joseph says.

“As language teachers, we have that power to re-create and re-establish what mainstream society could look like.”

Leanne Evans researched the value of parents and young children sharing Spanish language and bilingual books at school and at home. Undergraduate researcher Alexandra Campos (right) helped with the project.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 5

FEATURE Lynn Sedivy with some of the multiple children’s books she’s found in different languages.

Reaching out to children in their own language LYNN SEDIVY IS WORKING HARD to get

books into the hands of refugee children and their parents – no matter what language they speak.

With the help of funding from the School of Education, she’s finding books written in Burmese, Swahili, Malay, Somali, Arabic, Karen, Rohingya (which is only just developing a written language) and multiple other languages used by immigrant children.

The books are just one part of Sedivy’s efforts to help these children and their families make the transition to America, while helping them retain their own language and culture.

Sedivy, a senior lecturer in ESL (English as a Second Language) and early childhood education, teaches aspiring teachers to work with children who speak a variety of non-English languages. The goal is to help teachers of kindergarten through third grade classes develop tools and strategies to work with children who come into their classrooms. A recent report estimated there are 20,000 children in Milwaukee Public Schools who don’t speak English as their first language; of these approximately 9,600 have arrived in the last five years.

While many future teachers know some Spanish, most would be lost in trying to communicate in Swahili or Rohingya, one of several languages spoken in Burma. Milwaukee has seen an influx of refugees from that country, also known as Myanmar.

“I’ve placed my field students in classrooms in MPS that have refugee children in them. I’m trying to provide them with these experiences because it is more challenging to teach English when you can’t necessarily use their first language.”

The challenges are often more difficult 6 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

for children who’ve spent time in refugee camps before coming to America. “They may originally be from Burma and spoke Rohingya and maybe some Burmese,” says Sedivy. “Then they fled to Malaysia and they grew up speaking Malay. It can be pretty complex.”

Providing books in English and their native language through the student teachers is one way to help the children make the transition to a new country.

For the past several years, Sedivy has also been helping refugee children make their own books about their new home and school. At first, the books were made with photos cut out and pasted in with brief captions written below them. Now, with the help of UWM Printing Services, the children’s books are printed so the children can take a more professional-

looking book home to show to their families.

Through all the work, the goal is to teach aspiring teachers how to support and encourage the children’s home language while helping them make the transition to American skills, says Sedivy.

(See story on biliteracy on page 4).

“It’s important that the children can continue to interact in English, but also be able to keep their social connections going and keep that part of their identity.”

Research has also shown that, in general, bilingual individuals are better problem solvers, and exhibit more flexible thinking skills and creativity as well, says Sedivy. “It just creates more pathways in your brain that connect more sections of your brain. For brain development, it is good.”

Conference looks at literacy through different lenses LITERACY IS ABOUT MORE THAN READING AND WRITING and letter recognition.

That was a key message of a two-day June conference on literacy that the School of Education organized in June 2019. The 38th annual Literacy Symposium, which is hosted by a different UW System school each year, focused on the complexity of literacy.

Leanne Evans, associate professor of early childhood education, and Johanna Groene, a doctoral student, helped organize the gathering of teachers and researchers.

A number of faculty and staff members worked more than a year on the project also. The committee included Evans and Groene as well as Candance Doerr-Stevens, assistant professor; Sara Jozwik, assistant professor; Tania Habek, associate professor; Nick Husbye, associate professor; Krissy Lize, director of the Education Resource Center; and Kathy Champeau of the Wisconsin State Reading Association.

Barbara Comber, a research professor in the School of Education at the University of South Australia, talked about the importance of engaging children in issues like climate change, refugees, the wealth gap and intergenerational poverty.

She discussed her team’s pilot projects involving children in a literacy of place and power – researching and writing about changes such as urban renewal rather than focusing on “connect the dots,” copying worksheets and other drills.

Another conference speaker, Eurydice Bouchereau Bauer, spoke about the importance and value of encouraging biliteracy in children. She is the John E. Swearingen Chair of Education and the director of Bilingualism Matters at the University of South Carolina. Bauer, who grew up in Haiti, remembers when she first moved to the U.S., her teachers viewed speaking a language other than

English as a deficit rather than an asset.

She highlighted writers who grew up bilingual like Sandra Cisneros and Edwidge Danticat. “Their ability to use both their languages is why they are the success they are.”

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas grew up as a huge fan of fantasy literature. When she began reading the Harry Potter books, she immediately identified with Hermione, Harry’s friend, who was described as having bushy brown hair and brown eyes.

As an African American girl, she loved having a strong, smart character she could identify with, said Thomas, who is an associate professor in the Literacy, Culture, and International Educational Division at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.

While Hermione’s race was never specified, Thomas was disappointed when white actor Emma Watson was chosen to play the role in the movies. However, she was heartened when a black actor years later played the role in a London Harry Potter production.

Thomas’ research focuses on youth literature, media and culture, particularly how African American characters are portrayed. She’s written fantasy fiction and blogs herself, and has just published

a book about the role of race in media and popular culture — “The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games.”

On the final day of the conference, a panel of local educators shared some of the literacy projects they’ve been involved in.

Ann Marie Nelson, a first-grade MPS teacher, and Doerr-Stevens presented the program Classroom in Residency: Bringing Lab Learning to the Teachers, highlighting project-based learning at an MPS dual language school, Escuela Fratney.

La Tasha Fields, a teacher equity support coach at MPS, presented a project called, We’ve Got This: Making Literacy Accessible for Black Boys.

Other presenters included: Timothy San Pedro, assistant professor of multicultural and equity studies in education at Ohio State University, who talked about how American Indians were marginalized; and Karen Wohlwend, an associate professor of literacy, culture, and language education at Indiana University, who discussed how play-based literacy can help young students.

For more about the conference, go to uwm.edu/edline-literacy.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 7

FEATURE

Adding to a positive math identity WHAT DOES A MATHEMATICIAN look like?

An older white man with a beard.

That’s how students at Brown Street Academy drew pictures of mathematicians and scientists at the beginning of the last school year.

“When we Google mathematicians, the images are primarily older or nolonger-with-us white men,” said Danielle Robinson, the school’s mathematics intervention specialist. “We wanted to change that narrative for our kids.”

8 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Most of the students at the school are African American, so Robinson, a UWM alumna, and her colleagues wondered if reading stories about mathematicians and scientists of color might change their perceptions. They teamed up with DeAnn Huinker, professor of mathematics education at UWM and one of Robinson’s teachers to do some research.

“We wanted to focus on literature that highlights mathematicians and scientists who look like our students so that they can begin to realize that there are people in the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that look like them,” Robinson said.

The Women’s Giving Circle, a team of education alumni who support education research, provided funding.

With the funds, Robinson and teachers were able to buy books about mathematicians and scientists of color like Katherine Johnson, of “Hidden Figures,” whose work helped propel America to the moon; Benjamin Banneker, an early astronomer/ mathematician; and Mae Jemison, an engineer, physician and astronaut.

Younger children read “Scientist, Scientist, What Do You See?,” which follows the format of popular children’s book, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?,” and features a diverse group of scientists and mathematicians.

Robinson and Huinker worked with

six teachers and 139 students at Brown Street Academy throughout the 20182019 school year. Teachers built lesson plans around the books and also made them available during free reading time.

The results: By the end of the school year, the children were drawing pictures of mathematicians and scientists who looked like them. That was one of the goals, according to the researchers.

DeAnn Huinker

“We really wanted to help them see themselves as being capable of doing math and being able to possibly change the world someday.”

“We really wanted to help them see themselves as being capable of doing math and being able to possibly change the world someday,” said Robinson.

Another result of reading about mathematicians and scientists was

that students began to understand better how these professionals work.

When the students were first asked about what it took to be good at mathematics, they answered that mathematicians “never made mistakes,” or “the answer just pops into their head,” said Robinson.

When they finished reading about real mathematicians, the students’ responses were different.

“What they said they learned about mathematicians was that they make mistakes, they fix them and learn from them,” said Robinson. One student wrote: “They never give up. They solve problems.” Another student wrote: “If someone’s good at math…even when they get a problem wrong, they work hard, and they help other people and ask questions.”

Now, said Robinson, when students struggle with math homework, they’re thinking: “I can do hard things; that’s part of being a mathematician. I make mistakes.”

The researchers are applying for additional funding, but the project is continuing this year with more students and teachers becoming involved. Students are taking the lessons they’ve learned home. One fifth grader’s grandmother told Robinson at a school conference: “You’re the one who keeps telling my kid he’s a mathematician. He comes home and talks about it.”

The Women's Giving Circle helped provide a selection of books for the class featuring scientists and mathematicians of color.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 9

FACULTY/STAFF

New Faces Welcome to the new staff and faculty members who have joined us since last spring’s EdLine. You can read more about each of them on the New Faces 2019-2020 feature at uwm.edu/edline-newfaces.

ROBBIE BRUMMEL provides support for

the deans, chairs and academic affairs staff. Before she joined the School of Education, she was an office associate in Vogel Hall. She has been at UWM for seven years.

MATT BUCHER, who earned his bachelor’s

degree at UW-La Crosse, is on duty at the front desk of the Office of Student Services as a university services associate.

It’s a position that requires a great deal of interaction with students, potential students and visitors, so it’s good that he enjoys being in the people business. “Any opportunity I can get to work with others to help work towards and achieve their goals is one I look forward to. Coming from a family of teachers, I have a sincere appreciation for the role they play in our society.

KRISTIN GAURA serves as an instructional technology expert,

providing much-needed expertise and support as instructors needed to move courses online in response to the coronavirus.

She started her tech career as an intern at the UWM Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and became a full-time employee there last year.

At CETL, she handled technological and instructional frontline support in the "Commons" while conducting intensive one-on-one support and D2L-to-Canvas migration sessions with faculty from all over the university.

KARLA GIESE joined the faculty of the

School of Education in the fall of 2019 as a visiting assistant professor and program coordinator for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing area.

A native of Minnesota, she earned her BA in elementary education/DHH and special education from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She earned her MA in early childhood special education from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and is currently in the dissertation phase of her EdD program through Illinois State University in Normal. She spent 22 years in the classroom and in program supervision in settings from self-contained to residential schools.

10 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

LISA LITZSEY is the program manager

for the UW System Institute for Urban Education, which is housed at UWM. (See page 11 for more about the institute) She grew up in Waukesha, and earned both her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, with a minor in natural science, and her master’s degree in school and community counseling from UWM. DENISE ROSS joined us as the director

of the Institute of Urban Education.

The institute (see story on page 11) is a UW System initiative to encourage potential teachers from campuses outside of Milwaukee to prepare to teach in urban schools.

Ross earned her doctorate and master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University with a major in special education and a specialization in applied behavior analysis. She earned her BA from Spelman College, majoring in English with a minor in secondary education.

Before joining the IUE, she was an associate professor of psychology at Western Michigan University. She has also served on the faculty at DePaul University, the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and Teachers College. Prior to her university career, she had extensive experience working with children and youth in urban classrooms and preparing teachers to work with diverse populations.

TARA SEREBIN is director of the

Elementary Education Program. She also teaches the classroom management course and an introduction to teaching course that focuses on the issues that surround educators in urban schools.

She also enjoys serving as a supervisor for students in their final semester of student teaching. Serebin received her BS from UW-Madison and her MS in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

REBECCA WEBER joined the School of

Education this fall as a university services associate, providing faculty support in the Office of Student Services. She was attracted to the position as an alumna of UWM, she says. An anthropology major, she adds: “I loved my time here as a student, and working in higher ed is my passion.”

FACULTY AWARDS Congratulations to faculty members on a number of significant accomplishments.

DONNA PASTERNAK, professor of

teaching and learning, published a new book, "Integrating Technology in English Language Arts Teacher Education." The book draws on data from a nationwide study of English teacher education. The book focuses on English teacher educators’ experiences integrating technology into their English language arts methods courses and how technology is changing our understanding of English as a discipline.

KAREN STOIBER, professor of educational

psychology and the Mary and Ted Kellner Endowed professor in early childhood education, received a $40,000 18-month grant award for a project titled “Data integration to examine school readiness indicators as predictors of student academic and resiliency outcomes.”

The grant is funded through the Research in Early Child Development by Improving Resiliency and Equity (REDIRECT) program.

DEANN HUINKER received a one-year

$100,000 planning grant from the Department of Public Instruction and the Kellogg Foundation to support her project titled “Educator Preparation Program Initiative: Curriculum Literacy in Mathematics and English Language Arts for Prospective Teachers of Grades K-8.”

AARON SCHUTZ, professor of educational

policy and community studies, published a new book, “Empowerment” in June 2019. The book provides an interdisciplinary examination of the multiple meanings of "empowerment."

The book maps out a range of ways that people can be empowered along different continuums of power, moving from more familiar forms of teaching and counseling to less common and more radical strategies for fostering solidarity and civil resistance.

IUE returns to UWM THE INSTITUTE FOR URBAN EDUCATION (IUE) is up and running again

after a break of several years.

The institute, which is part of the UW System but housed at UWM’s School of Education, focuses on preparing teachers for urban schools.

The IUE’s goal is to recruit and support teachers from UW System campuses who can serve the needs of culturally diverse youth in urban schools.

“We are focusing on three areas – clinical placements, professional development and research,” says Denise Ross, the director of the Institute.

The IUE will be working with preservice and in-service teachers in nine urban school districts identified in the state Department of Education’s State Equity Plan.

“What they found was that the nine districts had critical teacher shortages, particularly in special education and for students of color or from economically disadvantaged families,” said Lisa Litzsey, IUE program manager.

Many UWM education students already work with diverse students in their placements. The IUE gives students from other UW System education programs the opportunity to work with urban school districts in the state.

The first group of 12 students is being recruited to begin working with the Racine Unified School District in the fall of 2020. The program will then be offered to other urban districts in the state identified in the DPI report, according to Ross. In addition to Racine-Kenosha, these districts include Janesville, Beloit, Madison, West Allis-West Milwaukee, Green Bay, Waukesha and Milwaukee Public Schools.

In Wisconsin, the majority of students in urban areas come from varied ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, according to Ross.

That’s why one key goal of the IUE is to recruit more teachers of diverse backgrounds. But the focus of the IUE is also on helping all teachers and potential teachers working in urban schools develop culturally relevant teaching methods and strategies, she says.

In addition to doing a semester-long internship in Racine, students will also attend a five-day professional development academy and seminars and work with mentors throughout the program. “We hope the district will give them the option to teach within the district,” Litzsey adds, “with an extended paid internship or a teaching position.”

One important aspect of the IUE program is to encourage potential teachers to become involved with the communities they’re working in through service work, says Litzsey. The initial plan was to bring the students in for service learning and a community experience later in the summer of 2020. However, like many other school-related activities, the plan may change if school districts are still adapting to changes related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Research has shown that effective teachers are critical to student success, and the IUE plans to continue to research what that looks like in terms of culturally responsive practices. “One of our goals is to create a collaborative, systemwide interdisciplinary team that can help teachers with the issues they face in schools when they work with diverse groups of students,” says Ross. “Developing and implementing culturally responsive practices is a real focus for us.”

To learn more about the IUE and get updates on activities, go to the website at uwm.edu/iue.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 11

FACULTY/STAFF

Promotions Congratulations to the School of Education faculty and teaching academic staff members who have been promoted over the past year.

At the June 2019 Board of Regents meeting, MAGGIE BARTLETT (1) and LEANNE EVANS (2) of the Department of Teaching and Learning were promoted from assistant to associate professor with tenure. RAJI SWAMINATHAN (3) of the Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies was promoted to full professor.

In addition to these faculty promotions, ERIN WIGGINS (4), clinical associate professor in the American Sign Language program, was approved for indefinite status by the UWM Academic Staff Committee and the chancellor.

ANGEL HESSEL (5) was promoted from senior lecturer to distinguished lecturer in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

1

2

3

4

5

Transitions NANCY FILE, professor in the Department of Teaching and

ELISE FRATTURA, professor of administrative leadership, is

Learning, is retiring this year after 17 years of service to the School of Education. Her research and teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level have focused on early childhood education. Among her many published works was the 2019 “Handbook of Early Care and Education,” which she co-edited.

She was an advocate of the importance of having well-prepared educators working with children in their formative early years.

“Young children tend to be devalued in terms that if you care for them, you don’t need a great deal of skill, she said in an interview. “It’s important not to treat those first four years as caretaker years, just making sure their diapers are changed.”

File served five years as the Mary and Ted Kellner Endowed Professor in Early Childhood Education, and was part of a national research project that looked at the impact of early childhood education on children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The study concluded high-quality early childhood education can have a positive impact for infants and toddlers from lowincome backgrounds, minimizing some of the disparities that exist between children from low-income backgrounds and those from more affluent backgrounds.

“We hope the findings from our research will provide new evidence to convince policymakers to increase investments in high-quality early learning for infants and toddlers,” said File.

retiring at the end of the summer. She has been with the School of Education since 2001. Before coming to UWM, she was a K-12 district office administrator for 13 years. In addition to her research and teaching, she was co-founder of Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity and co-director of the National Leadership for Social Justice Institute and Academy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From 2005-2013, Frattura served as an Associate Dean and Department Chairperson in the School of Education.

She researched and published extensively in the area of Integrated Comprehensive Systems™, nondiscrimination law for all learners, and the theoretical underpinnings of educational segregation. She has worked extensively with urban, rural and suburban school districts across the country as well as internationally to assist in the movement from reactionary systems of segregation to proactive systems of support through presentations, evaluations and consultation.

12 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

CAROL WACKER, director of development for the School of

Education for the past six years, left the School of Education in February to take a position as director of major gifts at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Her work here gave her a new appreciation for those involved in the field of education, she says.

Dean Alan Shoho praised Wacker’s work for the School of Education: “Carol has done an exemplary job of facilitating our development and external relations efforts over the past six years. Due to her hard work, the School of Education raised over $8 million during the campaign, ‘Made in Milwaukee, Shaping the World.’”

IN THE NEWS School of Education faculty and staff have made a number of appearances in the media during recent months.

See uwm.edu/edline-news.

Exploring similarities between hypnosis and mindfulness

KALYANI RAI, professor in the

Department of Educational Policy and Community Studies, and Lynn Sedivy, senior lecturer in the Department of Teaching and Learning, talked about their work in educating immigrant children in a March Journal Sentinel article.

DEANN HUINKER, professor of

mathematics education, talked to USA Today in February about why the U.S. is lagging behind other countries in mathematics education.

In September, Assistant Dean JEREMY PAGE was interviewed on Spectrum News and Fox 6 News about supporting incoming freshmen and what they can do to acclimate to college life.

PAM CONINE, clinical associate

professor in UWM’s American Sign Language Interpreter Training Program, and alumna Maria Rivera were featured in a front page Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story on the challenges of interpreting the fast-moving, complex lyrics in the musical “Hamilton.”

And WUWM featured a story about how ASL students are learning to interpret live theatre.

In December, The New York Times highlighted the work of the sign language interpreter for the Milwaukee Bucks. BRICE CHRISTENSON is an alum of the School of Education’s ASL program.

MARTY SAPP’S INTEREST IN HYPNOSIS

as a psychological tool dates back to his days as an undergraduate student.

He read a book about its use in counseling, and around the same time, took part in some research about using hypnosis to improve study skills.

Those experiences led him to additional graduate coursework on the topic. Now, he’s a professor of educational psychology in the School of Education. Sapp specializes in the psychological and counseling applications of mind-enhancing tools such as hypnosis, mindfulness and guided imagery.

“There are a lot of things that we can do that we don’t know that we can actually do,” Sapp says. “That’s where hypnosis is very, very useful.”

Hypnosis is a trancelike state that resembles sleep and readies its subjects to act on suggestions from the person who induced it. But Sapp emphasizes that you can’t hypnotize someone against their will, nor can you make them do something they wouldn’t normally do.

One of Sapp’s research projects showed hypnosis helped women lose weight when used in combination with diet, exercise and education.

Most recently, Sapp has led a team studying connections between hypnosis and the increasingly popular practice of mindfulness meditation, which involves a heightened awareness of one’s thoughts and experiences moment to moment. In recent years, mindfulness has become more widely used in education, athletics, music and other areas to help with focus and performance.

“There have been several articles talking about the two concepts being the same, but there hasn’t been any empirical data showing they are the same, psychologically speaking,” Sapp says. “If we can show the two are similar enough, we can make a case for putting mindfulness under the hypnosis umbrella in psychological classification.”

Sapp’s team randomly assigned college participants to either a prerecorded 15-minute mindful meditation transcript and or a 15-minute hypnosis transcript. After each group listened to its respective transcripts, their participants' susceptibility to hypnosis was measured using a questionnaire called the Waterloo-Stanford Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility.

Both groups showed similar levels in terms of their ability to be hypnotized. Researchers are beginning work on a second phase, which will look at whether hypnosis enhances mindfulness.

Sapp thinks both mindfulness meditation and hypnosis can be useful tools in counseling.

“We don’t encourage anyone to do hypnosis for entertainment purposes,” Sapp says. “There are a lot of quacks and it gets a bad rap, but it can be a useful tool for a licensed counselor, a nurse or a psychologist or psychiatrist.”

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 13

FACULTY/STAFF

Doctoral students Glenna Gransee and Zach Bella work on reading with Zaiden Shumpert, a student at Next Door.

Building on evidence to help children learn KAREN STOIBER HAS WORKED WITH CHILDREN in Head Start

programs and their teachers to help them build the critical foundation for literacy. That work has expanded into research on helping preschoolers not only learn letters and sounds, but figure out how to handle emotions – or what is often called socio-emotional learning. Most recently, she has started working with Children’s Wisconsin to help improve teaching and learning for children with cardiac issues.

“The umbrella for all this work is evidence-based practice,” says Stoiber, professor of educational psychology. “We’re really trying to find what works and what’s actually improving children’s outcomes, especially for children with various unique needs, characteristics that might place them at greater need for personalized interventions.”

Last summer Stoiber was named the Mary and Ted Kellner Professor in Early Childhood Education. Mary and Ted Kellner established the professorship in 2007 to support efforts to improve education for the youngest learners. “I’ve seen how important it is for children to get a good start, especially when 14 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

they don’t come from privileged backgrounds,” Mary Kellner said at the time. “So many children get to school and they start behind and never catch up.” Mary McLean, now retired, and Nancy File, professor of early childhood education, previously held the professorship.

Stoiber’s own interest in and passion for early childhood education, especially for children who faced challenges, started when she was working for the Penfield Children’s Center and Easter Seals 30 years ago in programs that served children with special needs.

As she got into the work, she realized she needed to learn more, especially about doing early childhood diagnostic and prevention work. She started at UWM in the school psychology program, then moved to UW-Madison for her doctorate in educational psychology.

Her advisor, Maribeth Gettinger, encouraged her to build on her interest in the area of early childhood – which not too many educational and school psychologists were doing. The two became co-principal investigators on a number of projects over the years, working primarily with Head Start and early childhood public school programs. Through Project EMERGE (Exemplary Model of Early Reading Growth and Excellence), for example, they worked with more than 2,000 children and 100 teachers.

This work focused on providing professional development and

supporting teachers' efforts to help get their children ready to read and keep them excited about reading.

As Stoiber worked on early literacy in preschool classrooms, she realized teachers and students could benefit from help with more than just word and letter sounds. A collaboration with the Next Door Head Start program grew out of that interest. Starting in 2017, Stoiber and her graduate students began working with the children on both literacy and socioemotional skills.

Reading a book called “Llama and the Bully Goat,” for example, children are asked to think deeper about what it means to be a bully and a friend or how friends are not the same as bullies. The main idea is to give these young children “explicit opportunities” to explore what it feels and looks like to be a friend versus a bully.

Also, in recent years Stoiber has been working collaboratively with Dr. Cheryl Bosig of the Medical College of Wisconsin on a project to help improve the education of children with cardiac issues.

That research, which started three years ago with an NIHfunded pilot study with elementary students, has now been expanded to preschool children. The goal of the work is to improve understanding among medical professionals, families and teachers. These children often suffer from fatigue, anxiety and stress that can impact their learning, Stoiber explains.

The results so far show that the perspectives of teachers, parents and doctors on these children’s needs may vary greatly.

“We’re really trying to find what works and what’s actually improving children’s outcomes, especially for children with various unique needs, characteristics that might place them at greater need for personalized interventions.”

“Most typically, the teachers and school nurses aren’t aware of the ongoing needs of a child with cardiac issues,” she says.

“They may have looked at the doctor’s notes, but they aren’t clear on how this translates into educational practices…what interventions might be needed to really help optimize a child’s performance in school.”

One aspect of the work, she adds, will be building a database so the researchers can follow the children as they progress through school.

The Kellner professorship provides support for a graduate assistant to help her in all of this work. That not only helps her get more done, says Stoiber, it also provides valuable experience for the graduate student.

She is grateful to the Kellners for the opportunity, Stoiber says, and hopes her research will promote the goals they had in setting it up.

“The professorship is extremely welcome. I could not be more delighted to have support in these projects. It really facilitates getting important work done well.”

GETTING MORE EMPATHY FROM CHILDREN’S STORYTIME The books are straight off the shelves of any library’s or bookstore’s preschool section – “Little Lion Shares,” “Calm Down Time” and “Kindness Rules!” – but UWM researchers are reading them to children with more than storytelling in mind. They’re evaluating whether preschool children can simultaneously improve their reading readiness and their social emotional learning in areas such as friendship and empathy.

The work is being conducted by School of Education graduate students and Karen Stoiber, who is the Mary and Ted Kellner endowed professor in early childhood education. (See story on page 14) The research is part of Project BRIGHT (Book Reading to Improve Growth and High Quality Teaching), which Stoiber started at the Next Door’s Head Start Center in 2017. Books used for the project included social emotional learning content, such as friendship making. In addition to reading to preschoolers in small groups, doctoral students also assessed the young readers and collected data on the project’s results. Preschoolers were divided into three groups. In one group, the graduate students simply read books to the children. In the second, grad students read the books and pointed out letters, letter sounds, rhyming and vocabulary words. In the third group, the social emotional learning group, graduate students took things a step further. They not only read the book, but also talked with the children about feelings, including ways to be a good friend and strategies for calming down when they were angry.

They also explored other facets related to the project. “One question from a research perspective,” says project member and school psychology doctoral student Glenna Gransee, “is that if you’re spending time doing this additional social emotional component, are you taking away from the time allotted to literacy and to what extent is that impacting it?” Gransee is one of five doctoral students on the project, as is Zach Bella, who transferred to UWM specifically because of his interest in Stoiber’s work.

Preliminary results have shown the children gaining in literacy skills and, in the social emotional learning group, in recognition of feelings and self-management skills. “We’re trying to find out what works and what’s actually really improving children’s outcomes,” Stoiber says, “especially for children with various unique needs and characteristics that might place them at greater need for personalized interventions.”

FACULTY/STAFF

Using academics to inform policy JACKIE NGUYEN WAS KICKING A SOCCER BALL AROUND with a little girl inside

a nonprofit organization in Tijuana, Mexico, last fall. The child’s mother was there seeking services for her asylum application, and the little girl was chatting with Nguyen about how much she missed playing outdoors. “Then she paused in the middle of kicking the ball to run and get her cell phone and, nonchalantly, show me graphic photos of a deceased (murdered) family member. Then she returned the phone to her mom and played again.”

For Nguyen, associate professor of educational psychology, the moment showed both the resilience of children and the ongoing trauma they and their families face.

Nguyen spent part of her fall semester 2019 sabbatical as one member of a group of academic and legal experts focusing on the impact of immigration policies and detention on children and their families.

Nguyen is a developmental psychologist rather than an applied psychologist by training. However, when the opportunity came up to work on the Research-toPolicy collaboration, she decided to take her work in another direction. The collaboration is supported by the Center for Healthy Children at Penn State University and other organizations.

One initial result of the research effort was a one-sheet summary – “TraumaInformed Responses to Immigration Policies and Practices” – distributed to legislators and policymakers Jan. 27 by the Society for Community Research and Action, a division of the American Psychological Association. Nguyen is one of the lead authors.

Nguyen’s interest grew out of her previous research in the developmental experiences of individuals from 16 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

immigrant, refugee and ethnic minorities.

Her research has focused on ethnic and cultural identity and parent-child relationships, especially in adolescence and early adulthood.

The goal of the Research Policy Collaborative is to help policymakers by providing information to them in a nonpartisan, manageable form that can help them make evidence-based decisions and policies on immigration and migrants, says Nguyen.

"Family separations lead to adverse outcomes.

The evidence is pretty clear on that."

“There’s this huge gap between our world of academia and science and the world of policy,” says Nguyen. “We kind of take our time and ask questions and explore, and the publication cycle may take a year and a half, whereas policy is minute-to-minute. What’s happening today? What are the issues?”

Meeting with families and social workers and lawyers and those doing work on the ground every day put a face on the abstract concepts about migrant families and children’s trauma, says Nguyen.

“Family separations lead to adverse outcomes. The evidence is pretty clear on that.”

The Jan. 27 paper presented to policymakers stressed a number of recommendations on how to ease the trauma of children and families, recognizing they have already experienced trauma that drove them to leave their home countries, and that has been made worse by separations and long waits in detention camps.

The recommendations stress that service systems involving immigrant families should take trauma and culture into consideration. The collaborative is also suggesting a national toolkit for communities receiving migrant families that support effective responses to trauma.

More than 700 copies of the paper went to congressional representatives and their staffers, and Nguyen has been heartened by the response. A few members of Congress have already incorporated some of the ideas from the collaboration into bills.

“The idea of this came out of questions being asked by members of Congress themselves or their offices. To hear a policymaker say, ‘okay, I want to put forth a bill that funds something that can directly support families, what do I need to know?’ That’s a direct call that, at least in my work, I haven’t been able to respond to before. So I think we will make a difference that way.”

“I really believe the science we do matters, and we should be able to close the gap between science and policy.”

Teaming up to help students with special needs STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS OFTEN RELY on a

group of experts to help them succeed in school.

Now a School of Education faculty member is part of a project team that is integrating the preparation of teachers, occupational therapists, communication scientists and kinesiologists to better serve these students.

Sara Jozwik, an assistant professor in SOE’s Department of Teaching and Learning, is part of the interdisciplinary project team. The Interdisciplinary Technology Instruction Program for Individualized Technology Implementation Planning (ITIP2) received a five-year $1.228 million grant from the Office of Special Education Programs last year.

Roger Smith, professor in the College of Health Sciences and director of the Rehabilitation Research Design & Disability Center, is the principal investigator for the project.

The goal of the project is to help students from education and health sciences work together and better understand each other’s role in helping students with special needs, says Jozwik. Aspiring teachers, for example, will learn more about how adaptive technology can be used in the classroom, she adds.

“Classroom interventions can range from high tech to low tech,” says Jozwik. This could encompass everything from an iPad to specially designed pencil grips to help students communicate. Jozwik’s research and teaching focus on special education and bilingual learning.

Students from the different disciplines can take online classes together, then move on to doing clinical experiences and internships together. One cohort started online classes this spring, and plans are to begin planning for some joint projects in schools in southeastern Wisconsin during fall semester 2020. (Like many other field experiences and projects, the coronavirus pandemic is impacting planning.)

In addition to Jozwik and Smith, other faculty members of the ITIP2 team are: Michelle Silverman and Denis Tomashek from Occupational Sciences and Technology; Shelley Lund from Communication Sciences and Disorders; and Victoria Moerchen from Kinesiology-Integrated Health Care and Performance.

Writing well THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINMILWAUKEE WRITING PROJECT

is part of a five-year Department of Education grant to help improve the writing skills of students who are English language learners.

Donna Pasternak, professor of teaching and learning, will direct the UWM part of the project, which will involve six middle and high schools in the Milwaukee Public Schools system. UWM’s subaward as part of the $14.7 million project is $600,000.

“The idea is to support teachers to work with English language learners, particularly on the subject of writing, using a cognitive strategies approach,” says Pasternak.

That approach helps students make the connections between reading and writing, and provides those strategies to classroom teachers to help their second language learners become more successful.

The grant grew out of the research of Carol Booth Olson of the University of California, who is principal investigator on the project. Her work is summarized in her book, “Helping English Learners to Write – Meeting Common Core Standards, Grades 6-12.”

Teachers will receive a stipend for their work on the project, for substitutes while they are out of the classroom and for books, technology and other curricula needed.

The project will involve professional development and summer institutes for teachers, and other supports to help students improve their writing in both English and other subjects and overcome education disparities, according to Pasternak.

The UWM Writing Project has recruited schools. A key priority was that schools had to have a large population of second language learners, says Pasternak. Three teacher consultants --Jennifer Hussa, co-director of the UWM Writing Project, Kelly Saunders and Natalie Cook – will be working with the public schools.

Pilot projects began in January 2020 with the intent to start working with schools in the summer and fall of 2020, but that timing may be interrupted by school closings due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The hope, though, is that the work will carry on when schools return to their normal schedules, and can support teachers aid English language learners with those vital writing skills that can help them better prepare for the challenges of high school and beyond.

“The original research has shown that this approach really works,” says Pasternak. “We are excited about our future implementation and results.”

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 17

SCHOLARSHIPS

2019-20 Scholarship winners This year 250 students received scholarships totaling $350,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year. The average award was $1,400.

This was the highest number of applicants the School of Education has ever had, according to Rob Longwell-Grice, senior academic advisor.

This year’s scholarship committee for the School of Education included: Longwell-Grice (chair), Marty Sapp, Emilee Schultz, Candance Doerr-Stevens and Liliana Mina.

This was the first year that the School of Education (and UWM) used the automated UWM Portal for the process, Longwell-Grice said. With the portal students no longer have to submit multiple applications for scholarships.

Here is the complete list of 2019-2020 scholarship awards: Frank Adams Memorial Scholarship D Mary Louise Williams (deceased) R Nina Linneman* Dr. Roberta T. Anderson ’55 Scholarship D Dr. Roberta T. Anderson R Carley Rias Antrop-Colon Family Scholarship D Rene Antrop-Gonzalez and Wanda Colon R Alexandra Campos Wilma H. Berg Scholarship D Wilma H. Berg (deceased) R Brandon Landowski*, Alyssa Molinski Amy Tessmer Boening Scholarship D Estate of Amy Tessmer Boening R Kelly Allen*, Kari Garon*, Johanna Gorene*, Rachel Haos*, Angela Kowalski*, Erin Ohalloran*, Rebecca Reece*, Leah Rineck*, Adriana Rodriquez*, Xiaorong Wang*, Molly Wolk*, Xinzhi Wu*

Rolland Callaway Memorial Scholarship D Joan Callaway (deceased) and the Callaway Family in Memory of Rolland and Joan Callaway R Dianna Herron*, Hunter Resler* City Year Scholarship D Multiple Individual Donors R Uniqua Adams*, Ebenezer Keane Rudolph Day-Finch Memorial Fund D Linda Finch R Kirsten Kjar* Deaf/Hard-ofHearing Education Conference Scholarship D Multiple Individual Donors R Antonette Mathis Lowhorn Chris and Sven Dikander Memorial Scholarship D Ellen Swan Dixon & Estate of Hilma Christine Dikander R Emily Burns, Macey Davis Cooper, Janicki Vukashin Latinovich, Amy MacKenzie, Kathy McGraw, Emmaline Mueller, Eric Neuman, Ruth Niles, Gregory Sukowaty, Samantha Zander

Education Scholarship for First-Year Graduate Students D UWM Funded R Kimberly Franzen-Hoff*, Rebekah Freda*, Marie Fredrickson*, Michele Gloede*, Kathleen Monahan*, Frances Reiter*, Lydia Sesing* Education Scholarship for First-Year Students D UWM Funded R Kailey Alsbury, Renee Anderson, Haiden Carr, Allyson Carter, Rachel Caulfield, Caden Delabarre, Annika Einertson, Carley Garofalo, Kristen Green, Maura Horgan, Sierra Kanvik, Kaylie Kraus, Angela Rattin, Madison Rieger, Megan Riley, Gentry Spore, Samantha Swenski, Toni Lynn Verhagen, Alexis Walker, Morgan Weathers, Erika Wendt Elsie Egan Scholarship D Elsie Egan R Allison Hochmuth Joseph and Loretta Eiserlo/ Robert Kuehneisen Teachers for a New Era Scholarship D Estate of Robert Kuehneisen R Camron Blau, Katie Bogie, Hannah Borgra, Carly Burris, Samantha Cira Brenna Eckhardt, Karaline Fusco*,

Kristen Green, Emily Haas, Sierra Kanvik, Michael Kozlowski*, Grace Kusch, Calvin Lewis*, Nina Linneman*, Alyssa Mantekas*, Mercy Ndon*, Ryan Rudat, Samantha Schams*, Kaytlin Sweda, Kalia Vang*, Morgan Weathers, Darius Wright* Extra Help Fund D Nancy Lindenberg R Anonymous Margaret Ferris Scholarship D Margaret Ferris R Antonette Mathis Lowhorn James C. Fisher Adult Education Scholarship D James C. Fisher R Allison Hochmuth* Salomón H. Flores Memorial Scholarship D Maria Flores in the Name of the Family of Salomón H. Flores R Samantha Garcia Marroquin, Maria Ortiz Robert E. Gallegos Fund D Maria L. Gallegos R Natalya Cerda, Leticia Cortes, Cynthia Eason

D

18 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

DONOR(S)

Randy Goree Fund D Family and Friends of Randy Goree R Stephen Drena, Leah Osiecki, Angela Rattin Greater Milwaukee Foundation Cecile M. Foley Scholarship D Greater Milwaukee Foundation Cecile M. Foley Fund R Kayleigh Norgord* Greater Milwaukee Foundation Donald P. Timm Fund Scholarship D Greater Milwaukee Foundation Donald P. Timm Fund R Tiffany Chen*, Lauren Mascari*, Madeline Rice, Mikaely Schmitz*, Theresa Schumaker*, Michael Servais*, Jeffrey Stempniewski*, Janae Teer*, Pa Xiong* Sydney G. Hambling ’37 Scholarship D Marguerite D. Hambling (deceased) R Samantha Everhart*, Rebecca Morrical*, Agnieszka Mosio*, Rea Solomon*, Kali Steilen* Richard and Dawn Haney Scholarship in Science Education D Dr. Richard E. (deceased) and Mrs. Dawn A. Haney R Kasheah Jennings

R

Reuben K. Harpole, Jr. Education Scholarship D Mildred and Reuben K. Harpole, Jr., Alpha Phi Alpha Foundation Helen Bader Foundation, Marshall & Ilsley Corporation, Wisconsin Energy Foundation and Multiple Individual, Foundation and Corporate Donors R Armonte Hegwood, Christian Hilmes, Ebenezer Keane Rudolph William B. Harvey Scholarship D William B. Harvey R Sahar Steiner John and Louise Hatton Scholarship D Mr. John (Deceased) and Mrs. Louise Hatton (deceased) R Alexandra Campos, Nicole Cox, Clarissa Elmore, Alexandra Mathusek, Alyssa Molinski, Jacquelynn Parmley Earl and Kathryn Henry Scholarship D Patricia Finlayson, Jill Finlayson, Earl Henry and Susan Yates R Carissa Schneider Herd-Barber Innovation Award D Jacqueline D. Herd Barber and Michael J. Barber R Matisen Ardis

RECIPIENT(S) * GRADUATE STUDENT

Jean E. Hoffmann Scholarship D Jean E. Hoffmann R Rebecca Pritzlaff Lorena Jacobson Math Education Scholarship Fund D Lorena Jacobson R Dominic Freres, Elenora Michels Frank Robert C. Jasna Scholarship D Robert Jasna R Meredith Head Kellner Scholarship D Mary and Ted Kellner R Willy Diaz Tapia*, Alannia Mosley* Kellner Early Childhood Education Scholarship D Mary and Ted Kellner R Clarissa Elmore, Ashley Xiong* Henry Kepner Mathematics Education Scholarship D Henry Kepner R Dominic Freres, Allison Landwehr, Olivia Peterson Alyce M. Kraemer Scholarship D The Family of Alyce M. Kraemer R Samantha Lewis, Rachel Wehse, Zoe Zeman

Cozette (Krueger) Scholarship D Estate of Evelyn A. Krueger ’42 R Samantha Bartelt*, Karen Hoff, Nicole Pomasl Robert and Hope Longwell-Grice Scholarship D Robert and Hope Longwell-Grice R Mallory Cramer* Love Kindness Award D Mike Robertson R Jeffrey Stempniewski Dorothy B. Maksimowicz Scholarship D Henry A. and Dorothy B. Maskimowicz Trust R Tensie Jackson, Molly Janssen, Jessica Krause Michelle A. Miller Memorial Scholarship D Edward and Faye Miller R Siobhan Gavagan*, Jennifer Vice-Reshel* Milwaukee State Teachers College Scholarship D Paul Melrood on Behalf of the Milwaukee State Teachers College Class of 1941 and Multiple Individual, Foundation and Corporate Donors R Katie Bogie, Madison Custer, Sarah Elliott, Marie Enderle, Rose Irwin, Kasheah Jennings, Seth Kochheiser, Derek LeClair, Jenny Spicola, Raquel Sylvester, Maverick Thill, Noah Wolfe

Casper and Mary Ondrejka Scholarship D Linda Paul R Madeline Mollwitz Marguerite Pavlic-Gostomski Scholarship D Family and Friends of Marguerite Pavlic-Gostomski R Cheryl Bledsoe, Paige DeJohnett Pi Lambda Theta Lura Carrithers Scholarship D Beta Epsilon Chapter of Pi Lambda Theta R Molly Janssen Chester A. and Mildred Raasch ’45 Scholarship D Estate of Chester A. and Mildred Raasch ’45 Bess Aronoff*, Natalya R Cerda, Siobhan Gavagan*, Dianna Herron*, Travis Love*, Anthony Lueck, Alexandra Mathusek, David Toms, Noah Wolfe Ann Rae Raskin Scholarship D Ann Rae Raskin R Jennika Wirsching Emily Kachel Robertson ’80 Scholarship D Emily Robertson R Reagan Crist, Justice Johnson, Nicole Pomasl, Gabrielle Strasser, Savannah Wallace, Noah Wolfe

Russell D. Robinson Adult Education Scholarship D Helen Robinson R Mallory Cramer*, Allison Hochmuth*, Lauren Thompson* Judith ’57 and Gerald B. Salinsky Scholarship Fund D Judith and Gerald Salinsky R Justin Decker, Yamaria Zapata-Castellano School of Education General Scholarship D Multiple Individual Donors R Sean Barry, Peyton Bendis, Cheryl Bledsoe, Thomas Boffeli*, Madeline Bohn, Samantha Bouk, Kou Chang, Michael Clark*, Elizabeth Colden, Nicole Cox, Emily Duelge, Austin Guarniere, Mark Hamilton, Braden Hamilton, Hanan Kaloti, Shelia Klib*, Brandon Lindemann, Krysta Moore, Soonhwa Paek*, Jacquelynn Parmley, Stephanie Paszkiewicz, Jill Ritzman*, Kristina Schell*, Amanda Seiberlich*, Jessia Skaggs, Sydney Tidler*, Sophia Ward, Kristin Weber*, Anna Wieker, Jennika Wirsching, Pa Xiong*, Samantha Zander

School of Education Scholarship Endowment Fund D Walter and Ruth Mundschau R Jason Anderson*, Jennifer Brown*, Yi-Ting Chen*, Bethany Migdal* Ura M. and John G. Silveus Scholarship D Estate of Marian Silveus R Meredith Head*, Kathy McGraw Clara Hertel Slaymaker Scholarship D Dale Ihlenfeldt (deceased) & Elinor Slaymaker Ihlenfeldt R Kyah Probst Stella Johnson Staunt Scholarship D Norma Jean Larson R Carley Garofalo Jennie D. Steinberg Scholarship D Jennie D. Steinberg ’42 (deceased) R Sienna Kallner, Tomera Sheets* Sullivan Scholarship D Leon Sullivan R Bess Aronoff Leah D. Temkin ’69 Scholarship in Adult Education D Leah D. Temkin ’61, ’69 and Family R Olivia Cross*, Ashley Hickey*, Kelsi Meyer*, Molly Rabe*, Pahoua Yang*

Dean Alfonzo Thurman & U.S. Bank Education Scholarship D Dr. & Mrs. Alfonzo Thurman, U.S. Bank Corporation and Multiple Individual Donors R Kayla Davis, Derek Rinehart, Milo Sieger, Shannon Williams Harvey A. Uber Scholarship D Edith “Edie” M. Anderson R Katherine Bilibki, Sydney Freiss, Morgan Garlock, Hannah Ludwig, Madison Tolman Louise S. Ulm Scholarship D Jack F. (Deceased) and Corrine V. Reichert R Madeline Bohn, Melissa Heritsch, Rose Irwin, Hanan Kaloti, Carissa Schneider, Raquel Sylvester, Sophia Ward, Ashley Xiong* Cora and Lucy Waechter Scholarship D Lorna Waechter (deceased) R Joanna Banasiak, Elizabeth Colden, Tensie Jackson, Ellen Raster, Laura Sherbeck, Rachel Wehse

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 19

ALUMNI

Girls on the Run: Alumna at helm of growing nonprofit IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT SOMEONE looks at a job description and

decides it’s a perfect fit.

But that’s what happened to Tina Jones, who earned her MS from the School of Education’s Administrative Leadership program, when a friend of a friend told her about a staff position at an organization called Girls on the Run. “When I read through what the program was, it was kind of like my ‘aha’ moment, finally feeling this is what I want to do with my life,” says Jones.

Jones has been with Girls on the Run since 2012, helping the organization expand from 200 girls to more than 2,000 in southeastern Wisconsin. She is now executive director.

At the time she heard about the position, she was the mother of three, an active volunteer in her children’s schools and a dedicated runner herself. A former All-American gymnast and triathlete, she’d taken up running to continue her athletic involvement.

Jones had worked with her school’s PTO to create the Cupcake Run, a 5K event, as a way to bring the community together to promote health and wellness. “I had planned runs, but I had 20 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

never been truly in the nonprofit world and I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so there was really a big learning curve,” she says.

The mission of Girls on the Run is empowering young girls from third through eighth grades through life lessons to become “joyful, healthy and confident.”

The girls take part in 20 sessions. “What I love about this organization is that we are there to build strong girls and look at the whole girl,” Jones says. “It’s not just the physical component of things, it’s the emotional component and the social component.”

The first lessons focus on helping the girls see themselves as special and unique, and helping them understand peer pressure and bullying and how to talk about and deal with those issues.

“Once the girls have talked about themselves and why they’re special, then the talk moves into why you need to be kind and appreciate the uniqueness of others,” says Jones.

And yes, she adds, there is running, but the organization – despite the name – is more about the journey and working hard toward an end goal.

Although the sessions end with a joyful 5K run to celebrate

Tina Jones, (third from left top row), with one of her Girls on the Run teams.

their accomplishments, “they don’t have to be star runners to be in the program.

The run at the end teaches the girls about setting goals and having to put in hard work to reach their goals, but we want them to understand that physical activity should be part of their everyday life.

It’s about the whole picture, health and wellness.”

Her 2005 master’s degree in administrative leadership has provided a foundation for what she is doing now, says Jones. Her day-to-day work involves managing a growing organization, working with companies, foundations and other nonprofits to help build awareness of issues in the youth development arena, and working on ways to collaborate and connect in the community, engage volunteers and raise funds to help build strong girls.

“What I love about this organization is that we are there to build strong girls and look at the whole girl.”

“I really had a great experience at UWM. It was one of those things that I didn’t know exactly at the time what all I was going to do with it, but to have those building blocks and the support from the professors was great. It was a great learning environment, and the leadership skills I learned as well as the understanding about how to create a strong and positive environment in the workplace has helped me grow Girls on the Run of Southeastern Wisconsin into the growing nonprofit it is today."

Once a high school dropout, grad inspires MPS students to achieve JAMES SOKOLOWSKI WORKS HARD TO get more students to go to college.

It’s a role he embraces more than two decades after he dropped out of high school at age 16.

Sokolowski manages the M3 Early College program, which allows Milwaukee Public Schools high school students to earn college credit at UWM and Milwaukee Area Technical College. M3 (pronounced M-cubed) is a multifaceted collaboration of those three organizations, and among its many goals are boosting student achievement and closing the equity gap in educational attainment.

Sokolowski’s story has the power to motivate students. He returned to school to get a GED diploma and eventually graduated magna cum laude from UWM in 2007 with bachelor’s degrees in Africology as well as educational policy and community studies. He earned a master’s degree in sociology from UWM two years later.

Along the way, he fought to overcome financial hardship and wrestled with personal issues. He’s open about such struggles with his students because so many of them are experiencing similar things.

“If I wouldn’t have gone the path that I went,” he says, “I couldn’t connect to students in the way that I do.”

Sokolowski benefited from UWM’s McNair Program, which is designed to increase the number of students from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds in graduate studies.

“That program really changed my life,” Sokolowski says. “I was a good student, but that program really put me on a trajectory to be a scholar.”

He’s worked at MPS since 2012, with a particular focus on promoting college awareness and readiness, making him a natural fit for the M3 Early College program. And sometimes, students get a glimpse of the former hip-hop musician’s other talents.

At a May 2019 celebration for the program’s inaugural 32 graduates— attended by UWM Chancellor Mark Mone, MPS Superintendent Keith Posley and MATC President Vicki Martin—Sokolowski closed the ceremony by performing a spoken-word piece titled “GED to Graduate Degrees.”

Both he and his students earned rousing ovations.

Sokolowski shared his story to motivate students he works with.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 21

ALUMNI

Called to be a teacher: From corporate world to classroom WHEN HE WAS EARNING HIS

undergraduate degree in business and working in the corporate world, Jeff Stempniewski sometimes thought about finding work that was more meaningful to him.

The chance to find a new career came disguised as bad news—he lost his job.

His wife went back to work full time while he became the stay-at-home parent for six and a half years, raising their three children, now 13, 11 and 10.

With the encouragement of their church the Stempniewskis had been fostering children, and had adopted their two younger children from the Milwaukee County foster care system.

As he stayed home with the children, “I realized what I wanted to do with my life,” says Stempniewski. “As I was making a difference parenting my own children, I wanted to make a difference in other children’s lives.”

In working with his own children and

22 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

volunteering as a camp counselor for foster children, he began to recognize the special needs of children who are misunderstood and having a hard time in school, and determined to do more to help those who were struggling.

In 2014, he became a substitute teacher and paraprofessional in MPS, working in special education. At the same time, he was coaching his own children’s and other teams, and he found himself talking to many students about concerns beyond sports.

“As I was making a difference parenting my own children, I wanted to make a difference in other children’s lives.”

“I really thought I was called to do this,” he says of his decision to come to UWM to earn his master’s degree in special

education, focusing on students in the middle childhood/early adolescence age group.

“It’s really all about training our kids to be successful,” he says. Many of the students he’s worked with over the years at both the foster camp and in classrooms really need someone to mentor them and encourage them. At the Royal Family Kids camp where he volunteers, for example, he feels he and the other counselors and leaders are really making a difference in children’s lives. “It’s amazing to see what a positive impact we can make in a child’s life for only one week.”

The decision to complete the degree was a challenging one financially for the family, especially after his wife left her teaching job. Since his work helping run the camp is volunteer, he couldn’t count on income from a summer job.

Then in 2018, Stempniewski received the second Love Kindness award. That, along with other scholarships, helped him complete his degree and continue his commitment to helping others.

“Sometimes students need help in envisioning a future that really focuses on their fullest potential.”

Mike Robertson, an ordained minister, founded the Love Kindness award in 2017 as a way of honoring and supporting students who were making a difference in the community.

The name Love Kindness comes from a passage in the Bible’s Book of Micah, which advises that what the Lord requires of people is to “do justice, love kindness and walk humbly.”

After graduating and receiving his master’s degree in December 2019, Stempniewski became a middle school special education teacher at St. Augustine Preparatory Academy on Milwaukee’s south side and continues his focus on helping struggling students succeed.

“I feel I’m called to be a teacher, and I’m here because of Mike Robertson and other donors like him.”

Zientek's students studied zebra fish embryos in one of their class projects.

Award winning teacher has a passion for science AMY ZIENTEK, A UWM ALUM who teaches

science at Greendale High School, was honored with the 2019 Celebrate Teachers and Teaching Award in October 2019. This year’s award focused on “Fostering 21st Century Learning.”

Teachers were judged on their ability to be forward thinking, embrace change and facilitate innovative learning that integrates the use of technology.

This is the seventh year for the awards, which are sponsored by the Education Deans of Greater Milwaukee (EDGM).

Zientek earned her bachelor’s degree from UWM in biology and chemistry in 2003; her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction in 2007; and her doctorate in curriculum and instruction in 2014.

“Amy has developed into a world-class teacher as she has a never-ending thirst for exploring better ways to teach,” said Craig Berg, professor of science teacher education. He has known Zientek since she first enrolled in the UWM MACSTEP science education program.

“She has a zest to engage in continued growth by locating and enrolling in many professional development projects, then incorporating innovative teaching strategies in her classroom,” he added.

“She is a teacher, scholar and intrepid

explorer in the field of education – a top one-percenter in my mind, a quiet humble force who is so deserving of this recognition.”

Zientek has developed ongoing partnerships with local colleges and universities, including UWM, to bring new experiences and scientists into her classrooms. Among them is the WInSTEP program and a for-credit teacher education class.

“The WInSTEP program has just been phenomenal in helping the students get real-life experience,” she said. “We’ve had some really great outreach. I have worked with some really great teams both at the university and high school level.”

WInSTEP (Wisconsin InquiryBased Scientist-Teacher Education Partnership) creates partnerships among researchers, teachers, schools, museums, science centers and others. The focus is getting more students involved in doing classroom research with an environmental health focus. This year, for example, Zientek’s AP bio classes have joined up with UWM and Concordia University Wisconsin to study zebrafish embryos, looking at the impact of drugs on the developing embryos.

She has also teamed up with UWM’s School of Education to help students interested in teaching earn college credit.

Similar programs are available for core

content area, she said. “Why couldn’t students earn credit for a career path if they’re passionate about it?”

Working with Berg, she designed a course that helped students who wanted to be teachers earn credit. Last year, 10 students took part and two are now in UWM’s School of Education. “He was instrumental in forming a partnership that allowed students at Greendale to participate in a virtual classroom experience.”

Zientek is a believer in lifelong learning.

Although she’s busy with three daughters of her own, she tries to take advantage of professional development opportunities offered through local universities.

“What I took away from them — outside of content knowledge to share with my students — was kids really have to be doing things. You can’t talk to them; you have to let them experience.

Like with the WInSTEP program, let them actually see what happens to these embryos and draw their own conclusions.” With her aspiring teachers, she makes sure they get a chance to design lesson plans and go into classrooms and teach. “I can talk about environmental health awareness and talk about what it’s like to be a teacher, but until you’re in it, you really don’t appreciate the passion that can grow from it.”

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 23

ALUMNI Schuyler Ramsey at a playground in the center of the neighborhood.

Student working to make a difference in his neighborhood SCHUYLER RAMSEY, WHO EARNED HIS bachelor’s degree in

community engagement and education from UWM, is taking what he learned in the classroom back to his neighborhood.

For the second straight year, Ramsey, 28, who started on a master’s degree in community education this fall, organized a neighborhood cleanup and block party in September in the area around Benjamin Franklin School on West Nash Street on Milwaukee’s north side. He’s planning to do it again this coming fall.

“My goal is to bring what I learn back to my community,” said Ramsey, who works part time in UWM’s TRIO & Pre-College programs office as an administrative program assistant. Through that office, he’s been able to go to a number of conferences, including a 2018 national service learning conference.

In 2018, when he was first inspired to do a neighborhood project, he asked people in the area what issues they would like to see addressed. In the 53206 ZIP code, there were many, including reckless driving, drugs and poverty.

Ramsey decided to start with something focused and doable.

“I had a few issues to choose from, but I kind of wanted to start small, and that’s where the community cleanup idea came from.”

Drawing on what he’d learned in his UWM community education classes about organizing, he went door to door around West Capitol Drive, North 27th Street and West Keefe Avenue 24 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

telling people about the project and inviting them to join in.

The 2018 “Sweep the Streets” community cleanup and block party attracted several hundred mostly local residents, who worked with volunteers from MPS and others to fill a dumpster full of trash.

In 2019, with backing from BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing for Change), the event expanded and continued, with a theme of mental health.

“I named it a cleanup and block party,” said Ramsey. “However, I definitely want to educate the community. I kind of like catching them by surprise with all the educational stuff.”

Before he came to UWM, Ramsey’s original career goal was to become a firefighter. He earned his associate degree from MATC in firefighting, but when he finished, the fire department wasn’t hiring.

April Holland, executive director of the TRIO & Pre-College programs where Ramsey has worked for five years in the Future Success program, describes him as a “phenomenal asset” to the program.

“Schuyler inspires each of us daily through his words of encouragement and positive attitude. He displays a strong belief that education is important, an education is priceless, and demonstrates daily for our students that no matter what the obstacles we encounter each day, an education is your

key to living a successful life.”

Agnes Williams, a senior lecturer in Educational Policy and Community Studies, was Ramsey’s advisor during some of his undergraduate years and stays in touch with him.

“For the past five years, Schuyler Ramsey has shared not only his passion of becoming a community change agent, but also his actual community engagement activities (rehabbing urban houses, church involvements) to improve the living conditions of urban residents,” she said. “Schuyler believes that community organizing allows residents to reclaim their living spaces and produce positive change.”

Ramsey knows the value of education. He chose the date for the 2019 event because it is his own little brother’s birthday.

Stephan, who died two years ago, was the one who encouraged Ramsey to continue his education.

Another inspiration, he said, was Jacarrie Carr, a student in community education who founded Jacarrie’s Kicks for Kids while still an undergraduate.

Ramsey grew up in the neighborhood and still lives there.

While the media focuses on poverty and crime, he sees hope.

“Growing up in 53206 psyched me in a way because you see the good and the bad. I definitely know what’s going on….it doesn’t shock me. It makes me more eager to help make improvements. A lot of people want to move away, but I love it here. My goal is one little thing at a time.”

Ramsey has just started a tutoring and mentoring business, is thinking about organizing a forensics club, and eventually plans to go into politics. He’s encouraging the young people he knows to get involved and vote.

“I’m young and I’m still learning, but I know I can make a change.”

Reconnecting with UWM ANDY MEYER FOUND OUT THAT a little flexibility

can go a long way in building a career.

He came to UWM to study German, and ended up with a degree in secondary education, focusing on English as a second language (ESL).

“I had four years of high school German and decided I wanted to do some German courses at UWM,” says Meyer. He had some great professors in the German Department but had always been interested in education, he adds. “I’ve had a fascination with English grammar, and then I ran into people who were here for ESL. I took a look at the program and decided this is what I should be doing.”

Meyer, who has returned to Milwaukee after a long career in Maryland as a community college administrator, now serves on the School of Education’s Board of Visitors. But UWM laid the foundation for his future, he says. UWM’s flexibility came into play when Meyer decided he wanted to do his ESL student teaching in Germany. “UWM at the time didn’t have the mechanism in place to do the placement in Germany.” The late Don Newman, then department chair, told him: “You know, Andy, you’re asking for something that doesn’t exist.”

“To me, it really didn’t make sense to deny someone the opportunity to do student teaching abroad,” recalls Meyer. With the help of the associate dean of education, the chance to study abroad was worked out.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from UWM and was certified as an ESL teacher (Wisconsin was one of the first states to offer this certification). He moved to Baltimore to teach in an English as a Second Language program. About that time, the University of Maryland, College Park began offering a master’s program in ESL, and Meyer decided to take advantage of it. Faculty there were impressed with the background he already had from UWM, he recalls.

“They told me, ‘basically you’ve already had many of the courses we offer at the undergraduate level.’”

At the community college he enjoyed teaching ESL classes with adult students from all over the world, and later supervising the teachers and coordinating programs as an administrator. He also wrote extensively about community colleges and workforce development.

Meyer eventually earned another master’s degree and a doctorate in adult education from Teachers College at Columbia University. He spent much of his career as a senior administrator at Anne Arundel Community College in Annapolis.

From 2012 to 2014, he served on the implementation team of the American Association of Community Colleges’ 21st Century Initiatives. From 2012 to 2019, he served as vice president of workforce development at the League for Innovation in the Community College based in Phoenix.

In March 2020, he received the ETS O’Banion Prize at the League for Innovation in the Community College’s Innovations conference.

Although he is still connected to Anne Arundel as vice president for learning emeritus, he semi-retired and returned to his hometown a few years ago.

“I’m a native and I have seven brothers and a sister here, and I was the only one not living here for all those years.”

He enjoys spending time with his nieces and nephews, and does some consulting and volunteer work. Those interests led him full circle back to UWM to join the School of Education’s Board of Visitors.

“It’s been so wonderful to reconnect with the UWM; I feel like I’m giving back.”

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 25

NEWS BRIEFS

BASKETBALL FUN

Students from Milwaukee Charter School of Excellence joined alumni, faculty and staff at the game.

More than 100 School of Education alumni, faculty, friends and family members turned out for an annual celebration at the Jan. 31 UWM men’s basketball game. Guests visited with old and new friends, and enjoyed a selection of food and drink in the special gathering area under the basket before the game. Students from the Milwaukee Excellence Charter School joined the fun, and Chancellor Mark Mone and other members of the UWM leadership team stopped by. While the UWM team lost to Wright State in a nailbiter, everyone had a good time.

CARETAKER APP The School of Education’s Department of Administrative Leadership, the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Children’s Wisconsin and a pair of Brazilian computer experts are teaming up to make life easier for parents caring for children with complex medical needs.

The team is taking 12 printed modules created several years ago and adapting a few of them into an app called CareTaker.

The goal is to make the information quickly and readily available, says Simone Conceição, chair of the Department of Administrative Leadership, who is working on the project.

The app provides simple, straightforward educational materials for parents and other caregivers to learn skills to manage the child’s needs within a complex health care system. The original materials were designed as part of the Bridge to Independence project for nurses and case managers to share with families.

“Basically, we’re taking the Bridge to Independence curriculum and adapting it into the app,” says Conceição. The Brazilian visiting scholars from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, who have been working on the project for five months at UWM, are Dauster Souza Pereira and Paulo Rocha.

Pereira and Rocha are working on their PhDs in educational technology and computer science. This project is part of Pereira’s dissertation. Also, Rafaela Jardim has been working on the app development with the team from back at the university in Brazil.

The mobile CareTaker app allows users to learn skills, organize and share health information, make checklists for dealing with emergencies, keep track of daily routine treatments, manage appointments and communicate with providers, says Sarah Johaningsmeir, research coordinator from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

“We’ve been expecting people to carry around all this information when almost everybody has a mobile phone in 26 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Visiting scholars Dauster Souza Pereira and Paulo Rocha worked with Simone Conceição (2nd from right) of SOE and Sarah Johaningsmeir, (left) research coordinator at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

their pocket,” she added. The app designers are incorporating animation, PDF forms and other features to make CareTaker more interactive and user friendly. Families can learn about care management, make notes for themselves, keep track of emergency medical contacts and share information in a variety of formats such as email or exportable PDF forms, making it easier to share key information with a babysitter, for example.

The designers are finalizing details on the app and have begun prototype testing in the U.S. and Brazil.

Their eventual goal is to make it available in three languages – English, Spanish and Portuguese, according to Conceição.

Part of the content was created with support from a grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL Despite a stormy, rainy, morning UWM athletes turned out in force to welcome students back to Hartford University School on Tuesday, Sept. 3, with high fives and cheers. Pounce, Chancellor Mark Mone, Provost Johannes Britz and School of Education Dean Alan Shoho were also on hand to join Hartford Principal Shannon Kilsdonk and staff in making sure the school year got off to a rousing start at the school, which is located in the midst of the UWM campus.

This is the fourth year for the welcome-back-to-school event, which included the men’s and women’s soccer teams. It’s something the athletes always enjoy, said men’s soccer coach Kris Kelderman. The men’s team, which had just returned at 2:30 a.m. from a game in Iowa, was full of energy at the 7:15 a.m. welcome.

UWM CHARTER SCHOOLS OFFICE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY The Office of Charter Schools in UWM's School of Education celebrated its 20th anniversary during October. An Oct. 17 dinner and program on the “Power of Connection” at the Italian Community Center marked the anniversary.

UWM’s office oversees 15 charter schools, public schools that operate differently than traditional public schools and are exempt from some mandates affecting the other schools.

Legislators made the decision in 1998 that UWM would become a charter authorizer, and the university’s office opened in 1999. Milwaukee Public Schools and the City of Milwaukee are also authorized to charter schools.

UWM’s office is responsible for granting charters to organizations, groups or individuals who demonstrate the capacity to operate high quality schools. The office also sets up clear expectations for performance, gathers data to make sure expectations are met, evaluates school progress, and then renews or does not renew charters based on school performance.

Paul Haubrich and Robert Kattman, the first two directors of the Office of Charter Schools, who laid the foundation for work that continues today, were recognized at the event.

Special guests included Johannes Britz, UWM provost; Keith Posley, superintendent, Milwaukee Public Schools; Nikiya Dodd, Milwaukee alderwoman, District 5; Latoya Holiday, special assistant to the state superintendent of schools; Kevin Ingram, chair, Milwaukee Charter School Review Committee; and Alan Shoho, dean of the School of Education.

Guests had an opportunity to learn about the new Power of Connection professional development series for charter school leaders, teachers and governing boards.

(Left to right) Adrienne Woods, Paul Haubrich and Robert Kattman.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 27

IN MEMORIAM

In Memoriam Mrs. Marlene Atkielski, MS, 1965

Mrs. Lois R. Krause, BS, 1954

Mr. Ned M. Azaria, MS, 1975

Mrs. Kay D. Littlefield, BS, 1959

Mrs. Claire A. Banaszak, BS, 1951

Ms. Wendy J. Lucas, BA, 1980 / SOE, BS, 1981

Mr. Jimmy Christopher Banks, BS, 1995

Mr. Michael H. Milbrath, BS, 1972

Dr. Samuel Barosko, BS, 1952

Ms. Ann M. Misun, BS, 1950

Mr. DeLorman H. Bartel, BS, 1954

Mr. John M. Pawasarat, MS, 1976

Mr. Reginald D. Bidwell, MS, 1964

Mr. Donald P. Pierce, MS, 1968

Mr. Ralph H. Bielenberg, BA, 1958

Ms. Susan J. Pietrek, MS, 1978

Mrs. Susan M. Caucutt, BS, 1958

Ms. Cynthia Plennes, BS, 1989

Mr. Charles E. Clark, MS, 1959

Ms. Shirley R. Pritzlaff, BS, 1946

Mrs. Barbara J. Craycraft, BS, 1954

Mrs. Christine E. Radliff, BS, 1972

Mrs. Mary Lynn Crisco, MS, 1975 / SOE, BS, 1976

Ms. Anola E. Radtke, BS, 1944

Mr. David Paul Danner, MS, 1991

Mrs. Ann Rae Raskin, BS, 1947

Mrs. Mary H. Dohmen, BS, 1940

Ms. Carol J. Reiners, MS, 1976

Mrs. Beth C. Felix, MS, 1977

Mrs. Lorraine S. Salamun, BS, 1941

Mrs. Mary A. Fletcher, BS, 1964

Ms. Dora A. Sargent, BA, 1974

Mr. Gordon E. Fuchs, BS, 1958 / SOE, MS, 1961

Mr. Otto H. Schultz, BS, 1940

Mr. George J. Ginther, MA, 1966

Mr. Kurt D. Spangler, LS, BA, 1976 / SOE, MS, 1978

Mr. John H. Givens III, BS, 1974

Mr. Gerald F. Stern, BS, 1952 / MS, 1966

Ms. Phyllis F. Goodman, MS, 1966

Dr. William H. Streich, BS, 1953 / MS, 1960

Mr. John F. Harder, MS, 1968

Mr. Robert S. Tenley, BS, 1975

Mrs. Louise H. Hatton, BS, 1944

Ms. Carol A. Traband, BS, 1958

Mr. Gordon L. Heier, MS, 1964

Mrs. Elaine J. Wanta, BS, 1960

Mrs. Joanne J. Hellwig, BS, 1965

Mr. Richard G. Williams, MS, 1968

Mr. Frederick L. Hemke, BS, 1961

Mr. Robert H. Williams, BS, 1963 / SOE, MS, 1968

Mrs. Janet H. Howell, BS, 1953

Mr. Ronald L. Wilson, MS, 1968

Mrs. Frances E. Jefferson, MS, 1976

Mrs. Priscilla S. Winter, BS, 1947

Ms. Jacquie M. Kennedy, BA, 1972

Ms. Michelle A. Zinda, HBSSW, BS, 1987 / HBSSW, MSW, 1990 / SOE, MS, 2003

Ms. Ruth A. Keppel-Aleks, BS, 1974 / SOE, MS, 1979 / SOE, Mrs. Kathleen A. Kis, BS, 1972 28 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Mr. Robert M. Zwicky, CHS, BS, 1976 / SOE, MS, 1981

JOHN PAWASARAT, a School of Education alumnus and former director of UWM’s Employment

and Training Institute, passed away on Jan. 2, 2020.

Pawasarat, an alumnus whose death was noted in The New York Times, was nationally known for his work in using data to improve lives.

Pawasarat began his career at UWM in 1979, and served as a senior scientist and the director of the UWM Employment and Training Institute for almost three decades before retiring from UWM in 2017.

As director of the UWM Employment and Training Institute, Pawasarat developed cutting-edge research on mass incarceration, driver’s license barriers to employment, changing labor market needs of area employers, race discrimination in local hiring and promotions, and evaluations of state workfare and learnfare policies. His research was cited in a Supreme Court case.

His family requested memorials go to the Wisconsin Community Services (wiscs.org/support/ donate) to help support its Center for Driver's License Recovery & Employability.

MILDRED HARPOLE, longtime education and community activist, died Oct. 24.

Harpole and her husband, Reuben Harpole Jr., a UWM alumnus who is also an educator and civic leader, served as mentors to numerous young people in the African American community, and helped found more than 25 community centers and programs that promote education as the ultimate equalizer among young people.

“Mildred Harpole was a beacon of hope and champion for those who were less fortunate,” said School of Education Dean Alan Shoho. “She always thought of others first. Her loss is Milwaukee’s loss. My hope is the ensuing generations will learn from her example and carry on her work to improve life circumstances in Milwaukee.”

SUSAN PETERSON, a former advisor in the School of Education, passed away on March 17, 2020.

She began her career at UW-Milwaukee as a university staff member, and most recently, she was an advisor in the School of Education for 15 years. She retired from UWM in 2006.

Peterson was described by her SOE colleagues as truly a student person, very caring and very knowledgeable on the many certification programs the School offered. Because of her many years at UWM and SOE, she brought a wealth of knowledge on policies and procedures that benefited students as well as faculty and staff. She was dedicated and committed to the School of Education and to its students, giving them the best advice possible so they could graduate in a timely fashion.

Felipe Rodriguez, retired advisor, recalls spending time talking to her about family and her preferred vacation spot in Door County. “Every summer my wife and I travel to Door County, and I think of Susan and thank her for opening that door for me. She was truly a professional whom I had the pleasure of working with, but also a compassionate and caring person who loved working with individuals.”

RICHARD DANIEL WESTERN died in August at age 79. He taught for 26 years in the School of

Education. He was remembered as a lifelong scholar, teacher, writer and editor. He was a caring mentor, a gentle man with a quick wit. He taught graduate and undergraduate courses on curriculum development and the teaching of English and served as an advisor for master’s and doctoral candidates. He continued to teach at UWM and Concordia after retirement until 2007.

After moving to Lake Ellwood near Florence, Wisconsin, with his wife, Linda, he continued his studies and editing.

He loved the outdoors and served as a camper and counselor at Camp Widjiwgan near Ely, Minnesota, an interest shared with his children and grandchildren.

The School of Education awarded a posthumous doctorate to LILLIE PEARL ADAMS, who passed away six years ago just before defending her dissertation. Larry Martin, her advisor and retired professor of administrative leadership, worked with Barbara Daley, retired dean of the School of Education, the Graduate School and Dr. Adams' dissertation committee to help organize the award.

Two of Adams’ sisters participated in the award ceremony.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 29

PI LAMBDA THETA

Pi Lambda Theta Congratulations to the new inductees into Pi Lambda Theta honored at an Oct. 14 event at St. John’s on the Lake. This was the 56th annual induction ceremony for the UWM School of Education honorary society. Molly Jansen received the Pi Lamda Theta scholarship.

Inductees were: JASON ANDERSON, MS in education,

SETH KOCHHEISER, ambassador for

MIKAELY SCHMITZ, PhD in educational

clinical mental health counseling

events, SOE student senator for ST; BS in education, teacher certification in broad field social studies

psychology, learning and development

JENNIFER BROWN, MS in education,

clinical mental health counseling

JENA SCHNEIDER, BS in education,

KRISTEN MCCRORY, MS in education,

teacher certification in elementary education

community engagement and education

adult, continuing and higher education administration

LYDIA SESING, MS in education,

MEGAN CIECHANOWSKI, MS in education,

JOHANNA GROENE, PhD in urban

educational administration and supervision

adult, continuing and higher education administration

education, curriculum and instruction

BRITTANY BROWNING, BS in education,

CHINEVA SMITH, MS in education, KAYLA LYNN NOWAK-GEYER, BS in

MICHAEL CLARK, PhD counseling

education, early childhood education

adult, continuing and higher education administration

JACQUELINE PARMLEY, BS in education,

MAVERICK THILL, BS in education, teacher

teacher certification in elementary education

certification in broad field social studies

psychology NATHANIEL DEANS JR., honorary

inductee, School of Education alum with teaching certification in English education

P. VICKY XIONG, MS in education, MEGAN PERRI, BS in education, teacher

ANTONIA DREW VANN, MS in education,

certification in elementary education

adult, continuing and higher education administration

JOHN RAVEN, Post-baccalaureate teacher

AMBAR KARIME VAZQUEZ ROSAS, MS in

certification, teacher certification in elementary education

education, curriculum and instruction

cultural foundations of education CYNTHIA EASON, MS in education,

adult, continuing and higher education administration

CARLY WECKWORTH, MS in education, DANIELLE MARIE ROGERS, MS in

NOOR KHEIREH, MS in education,

educational administration and supervision 30 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

education, school psychology

adult, continuing and higher education administration

DONORS

Siblings honor mother with a gift for education AS MARGUERITE GOSTOMSKI RAISED HER

five kids, she also took on the role of mentor, parent and educator to hundreds of students at Bradley Tech High School in Milwaukee. As a teacher’s aide, Marguerite demonstrated her passion for helping kids and changing lives.

In a nutshell, it was who she was.

The memories her children have of her will last a lifetime, much like the impactful work she did in her community.

Marguerite was an instrumental figure and role model when it came to working with and for children in Milwaukee.

The breadth of her impact was significant, from her work as a Boy Scout and Girl Scout leader and avid Girl Scout cookie mom, to advocate of the Milwaukee County Parks System, turning the playground in their neighborhood into an ice skating rink in the winter. Her selfless work and commitment to her children and others throughout the community was ever present.

These incredible values of hard work, kindness and commitment were instilled into her children, Greg Pavlic, Tom Pavlic, Kathy Nelson, Chris Ameringer and Denise Gloede.

As children, she brought them out into the community, giving them an appreciation of what it had to offer.

Whether it be trips to the library and the nearby Book Mobile, or the Milwaukee County Zoo (on the free days!) to see the animals, she made sure her children had opportunities to learn about the world around them. Every day was considered a lesson by this magnificent mom and teacher, and she believed there was no better way to teach than to allow her children to see and

Kathy Nelson and Tom Pavlic with a photo of their mother, Marguerite, who inspired the scholarship.

enjoy what the city had to offer.

Marguerite was an endless advocate for her children, pushing them to find their passion and reach their highest potential. She encouraged higher education and hard work. The result: two insurance professionals, an information systems expert and two registered nurses. All five children have held leadership positions in their various industries, following their mother’s example to serve and support others.

When she passed away in 2005, her children chose to honor their mother’s lifelong love of helping people with a scholarship, They established the Marguerite Pavlic-Gostomski Scholarship because of the family’s experience with UW-Milwaukee. Three of Marguerite’s children are alums: Greg, BBA '81; Tom, MIS '83; and Kathy, BSN '87, Marguerite’s commitment to learning, and the connection to the city of Milwaukee, hosting the scholarship at UW-Milwaukee was a perfect fit. To her children, the scholarship would allow her practice of giving and helping others to carry on indefinitely and also serve as a means to keep her beautiful spirit and memory alive.

Marguerite’s children are actively involved in the scholarship award process. From reviewing applications to attending events, this family is all in.

As both Nelson and Tom Pavlic described, “Some of these kids had a lot less than we had. I always had a roof over my head. Many students today don’t have these supports. The fact is that they are working this hard to better themselves and making a difference for their kids and their kids’ kids.” In some cases, their participation has forged bonds with some of the scholarship recipients resulting in lifelong friendships. Said Nelson: “Seeing these students succeed as a result of this scholarship is something my mom would have been very proud of. She always told us to never stop growing, never stop giving, and never stop learning. Through this scholarship we’ve accomplished all of those things and more.”

To date, the Marguerite PavlicGostomski fund has awarded $20,000 in scholarships and positively impacted the lives of 25 students. The SOE anticipates two more scholarships will be given out for the 2020-2021 academic year. There is no doubt that Marguerite’s generous legacy continues.

SPRING 2020 EDLINE 31

DONORS

Thank you to our donors Thank you to the many donors whose support allows for continued research, improved teaching and learning, and the preparation of the very best future teachers. We welcome gifts of any size, but space allows us only to list donations of $100 or more for the most recent fiscal year — July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. Pledges are included in the year they are made. Donors who have given $1,000 or more throughout the university are marked with an asterisk as members of the Chancellor's Society. $10,000+ Ms. Patricia E. Burns* Greater Milwaukee Foundation* Karleen Haberichter* Ms. Jean Ellen Hoffmann* Ms. Lorena W. Jacobson* Meemic Foundation * Ms. Barbara Jean Michaels* Mrs. Judith S. Salinsky and Dr. Gerald B. Salinsky* Mr. and Ms. Phillip Shankwitz* Mr. Jack D. Simpson* Wells Fargo Bank, NA* $1,000+ Mrs. Barbara L. Conroy* Maria D. Cruz* Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Fabos* Dr. Nancy File and Mrs. James A. Beer* Ms. Maria E. Flores* Ms. Maria L. Gallegos* Mr. and Mrs. Allen B. Greeler* Mrs. Gloria F. and Mr. Jacob I. Golding* Mrs. Louise H. Hatton*+ Mrs. Elinor S. Ihlenfeldt* Ms. Julia A. Ihlenfeldt* Mrs. and Mrs. Robert C. Jasna* Ms. Karen Ann Johnson* Jewish Community Foundation of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation* Ms. Emily Kachel Robertson '80* Mr. Edward D. Kopelke* Mrs. Lois P. Kalmbach* Drs. Robert and Hope Longwell-Grice* Dr. Laura Lee L. Luebke* Mrs. Barbara J. McMath and Mr. Robert Ferriday III* Mr. and Ms. Kenneth F. Neusen, PhD* Ms. Ivy E. Nevala* Northwestern Mutual Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. O'Toole* Puelicher Foundation, Inc.* Mrs. Jean E. Reif* Mr. Mike Robertson * Jeannette Seloover Johnson '62 and R. Douglas Johnson* Ms. Lindsay B. Slaggie* Slaggie Family Foundation* Ms. Judith A. Steinke* Mr. Gerald F. Stern* Mr. Royal Taxman*

Mrs. and Mr. Leslie Temkin* T. Rowe Price Program for Charitable Giving Diane L. Thieme '73* Mrs. Anne Blomme Walker and Dr. Bruce E. Walker* Mr. and Mrs. Bruce B. Weber* Ms. Jill D. Wiedmann* UW Credit Union* $500 - $999 Dr. Christine Anderson Mr. and Mrs. James R. Belland Ms. Arleen K. Bolton and Mr. Andrew Finlayson Ms. Cathy L. Callaway Dr. Susan J. Callaway ExxonMobil Foundation Dr. and Mrs. James C. Fisher Mrs. Caroline L. Forster* Mr. and Mrs. Patrick V. Kessenich* Mr. and Mrs. Edward Miller Dr. Joan M. Prince Ms. Rose E. Spang Dr. Terrie Temkin Mr. and Mrs. Don Vaughan Ms. Mary D. Weinlein Mr. and Ms. John A. Wozniak* Ms. Jane H. Yarbrough $250-$499 Ms. Beverly A. Archibald Ms. Terry A. Astuto Mrs. Susan E. Bremer Mrs. Julia S. Dane Ms. Susan M. Denes Mr. John Harrits Ms. Annalee L. Kinney Dr. William Kritek and Ms. Shelley Geiselman Mrs. Ann M. Miletti Dr. Russell R. Prust Mrs. Lynne M. Ptacek Professional Interpreting Enterprise Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Rasmussen Ms. Carol J. Reiners Mr. Charles F. Schultz Dr. Lois J. Seefeldt Dean Alan R. Shoho Sorenson Communications, LLC* Ms. Vira J. Stoner Dr. Kristopher J. Thomas Versatile Interpreting Services LLC

32 UWM SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald T. Vigue Mrs. Carol L. Wacker Ms. Mary M. Walker Ms. Cathy Wegner Dr. John A. Zahorik $100-$249 Mrs. Susan A. Adams Ms. Carol A. Pettey Baermoth Mrs. Nadine E. Barthuli Ms. Gisella K. Benning Mrs. Ann Wilcox Bleuer Veronica M. Boinski Ms. Brittany A. Bong Dr. and Mrs. William K. Boylan Mrs. Kathleen L. Boyle Dr. and Mrs. Christopher L. Brace Sandra Brehl '71, '75 Mrs. Marie A. Brem Dr. Richard E. Brigham Mrs. Jeni Carey Mr. and Mrs. Ross M. Cecil Dr. Patricia M. Chan Mrs. Marlene H. Cory Mrs. Linda L. Czernicki Mrs. Suzayne W. Davis Dr. Vivien M DeBack Mr. Larry W. Debbert Mrs. Susan J. DeFrancesco Ms. Ann S. Demorest Dr. Gregory F. DeNardo Ms. Marlo M. Dentice Mrs. Mary J. Domer* Mr. Richard H. Ehlert Ms. Barbara L. Elwood-Goetsch Mrs. Helen M. Evans Ms. Laura K. Fitzsimmons Mrs. Carolyn L. Flaherty Ms. Mary Ellen Flanagan Dr. Jan L.H. Frank Mr. Gary T. Fritz Ms. Patricia H. Gahl Ms. Rachel Gray-Gallant and Dr. Marshall L. Gallant, Sr. Mrs. Marjorie G. Ganzel Mr. John H. Givens III Mrs. Rae B. Glassman Mrs. Margaret R. Glancy Mrs. Mary Ann Goetzman Mr. Randy M. Grippe Ms. Ute I. Guenther Mr. Paul A. Gunderson Mr. George A. Hanneman Dr. Teretha F. Harper Ms. Catherine C. Hayne

Ms. Beth Heffernan Mrs. Julie S. Hedgecock Jacobson Mrs. Phillip M. Henrickson Dr. Dolores E. Hentschel Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Herbst* Mrs. Luaine A. Herzog Ms. Beverly A. Hess Ms. Ruth M. Holst Mr. Raymond D. Horvath Myron G. Howard Ms. Christine L. Jameson Mr. James A. Janicki Ms. Janet M. Jenness Ms. Susan W. Karpel Mrs. Rona A. Kasdorf Ms. Kathleen J. Koch Ms. Kathleen S. Knutsen Mrs. Christine M. Kronschnabel Mrs. Elizabeth A. Kruck Ms. Ann M. Krueger Mr. Thomas J. Kubiak, Sr. Mrs. Joan M. Kutter Mrs. Bonnie L. Larson Mr. Chad M. Lehman Mr. Samuel A. Lipton Dr. Patricia A. Luebke and Mr. Kenneth E. Robinson Dr. Patricia L. Kappel Mr. and Mrs. John H. Klarich Ms. Christine L. Kosma Ms. Sandra R. Kuehn Mrs. Janice M. Liebenstein Mrs. Bonnie L. Larson Dr. George P. Longo Mrs. Barbara K. Lukaszewski Ms. Betty J. Maris Mr. James A. Mather Mr. Richard J. March Mrs. Janice M. Massie Ms. Joan M. McCarthy Ms. Stacy E. McCoy Mr. Michael R. McElwee Ms. Joyce M. Mielke Ms. Anna M. Miller Mr. Robert A. Miller Mrs. Delia M. Molden Dr. Donald G. Moe Chancellor Mark A. Mone and Dr. Sara J. Swanson* Mr. Sherman Moore, Jr. Dr. Thomas J. Moran Mr. Robert D. Moser Dr. Frederick H. Muscavitch Mr. John D. Nolan Ms. Mary A. Oelke

Mrs. Mary Lynn Oliver Mrs. Mary A. Ortmayer and Mr. Harry Knipp Mr. Curtiss S. Peck Ms. Barbara N. Pittman Dr. Linda M. Post* Ms. Heather E. Price Mrs. Helen A. Proffit Mr. and Mrs. John M. Prokop Mrs. Janice M. Reed Ms. Kathleen A. Rogers Mr. Ronald L. Rogers Mr. David J. Ross Mrs. Lorraine M. Roth Mrs. Nancy J. Ryan Mr. and Mrs. Torry J. Rufer Mr. Terry L. Schubert Ms. Sandra E. Schumaker Kotten Mrs. Kimberly J. Segrin Ms. Hortense Shaw Mr. and Ms. Steven C. Shinn Ms. Joan E. Simuncak Ms. Shelby M. Sinclair Mrs. Bernadette E. Sinclair Mr. and Ms. Gordon K. Skare Mr. Bradley S. Smith Mr. James P. Sorensen Mr. and Mrs. James R. Stark, Jr. Mrs. Kathleen E. Stevlingson Ms. Susan R. Strecker Mr. Richard P. Stuhlmacher SWITS Dr. Leah D. Temkin+ Ms. Diane E. McNally Tews Mr. David Tomczyk Ms. Audrey Cousart Trapp Dr. Donald T. Tuler Mrs. Karen A. Vande Sande Ms. Judith H. Uelmen Ms. Astor M. Vatland Ms. Lori Wagnitz Mr. James I. Walczak Miss Deborah A. Weber Mr. Howard E. Wilsmann Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Winkler Mr. and Ms. Daniel A. Winter WI Association of the Deaf, Inc Ms. Corliss D. Wood Mrs. Deanna Thranow Zibung Ms. Marcia G. Zientek Ms. Marybeth R. Zuhlke Dr. Dennis C. Zuelke * Chancellor's Society + Deceased

A huge success – thanks to you!

Thank-you can often seem like it is just not enough, and that is certainly true in this case. In September of 2019, the Made in Milwaukee, Shaping the World: A Campaign for UWM concluded. Over seven years, our donors contributed more than $251 million.

Thanks to all 21,236 donors, we surpassed our campus goal of $200 million. More than 10,000 of those donors made their first gift during the campaign. Over the course of the campaign thanks to these funds, we created 304 new scholarships to support students across campus. For the long term, the UWM Foundation received gifts to the endowment making its current value over $125 million.

Here in the School of Education we also exceeded our campaign goal. Thanks to you and your generous contributions, we raised $8.2 million, exceeding our fundraising goal of $8 million, from more than 1,900 donors, 1,447 of whom are SOE alumni. Over 80% of our donors during the campaign were alumni like you! Again, thank-you is just not enough!

Over $5 million of that total is directed toward student success by supporting scholarships and programs that enhance the academic experience for our students. Our students and our school will be benefiting from this enormous generosity for years to come.

So many of the success stories from the funds raised during the campaign are highlighted throughout this edition of EdLine, and many more success stories have not even happened yet as funds continue to be disbursed and allocated.

Campaigns such as these are only successful when the community comes together, and that is exactly what happened here.

From alumni to individuals in the community, corporations, foundations and more, everyone can share in this success. We thank you for your dedication to our school and to our university. We are better for it and we hope you will continue to support our students, faculty, staff, research and community engagement programs. Our good work in SOE continues.

Christina McCaffrey Director of Major and Planned Giving

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID

MILWAUKEE, WI PERMIT NO. 864

P.O. Box 413 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413

Follow Us!

/UWMSOE

Social icon

Circle Only use blue and/or white.

For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

/UWMSchoolofEd

UWM.EDU/EDUCATION If you would prefer to receive School of Education communications electronically, please send your email address to edline@uwm.edu