College of Letters & Science
IN FOCUS
June 2020, Vol. 10, No.6
Life, interrupted A UWM professor explains how COVID-19 has impacted an unexpected group those experiencing infertility. Page 6.
Assistant professor of English Maria Novotny studies the rhetoric of infertility and is the co-director of the group The ART of Infertility. The background image is titled “One Pill, Two Pill, Red Pill, Blue Pill� by Shannon Novotny.
For UWM updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, visit uwm.edu/coronavirus.
UWM psychologists u health visits in a pand
Contents Feature Stories Psych professors urge mental health care Milwaukee’s COVID-19 racial divide Prof explains how COVID affects the infertile Religious Studies conference moves online Psychologist urges leisure to de-stress Physics alum works export control Physics prof wins mentor award
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Federal guidelines overseeing the availability of mental health services online have been loosened to give providers more flexibility to offer counseling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtually all mental health clinics now offer telehealth services through video or over the phone, said W. Hobart W. Hobart Davies Davies, professor and chair of the psychology department at UWM. It’s an important option for those seeking help at a time when most in-person counseling sessions cannot take place due to public health measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. “Services are just as available during this stressful time,” Davies said. A poll by the American Psychiatric Association found that about 36% of Americans say coronavirus is having a serious impact on their mental health, while 59% say the disease is having a serious impact on their day-to-day lives. A nationwide Gallup poll conducted from March 21 to April 5 found that 60% of Americans experienced “significant” stress, up from 46% last year. About 59% of Americans suffered from significant worries, up from 38% in that same span. Pollsters said it was unprecedented increase in the number of anxious Americans, a statistic that generally shows little change over time. Some people are struggling with job loss. Many parents are juggling full-time jobs from home while overseeing their children’s education with schools shifting to online instruction. Social isolation has disrupted normal routines. “Therapy can be helpful across this range of challenges,” said Davies, whose research focuses on child and adolescent psychology. “It can help structure daily routines and negotiate relationship rules, or just provide an outlet from the emotional intensity” of the crisis.
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2 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
Typically, nearly 20% of Americans experience some type of mental illness each year. Of that group, less than half receive mental health care, said Shawn Cahill, an associate professor of psychology.
urge virtual mental demic Depression and anxiety disorders are among the most common forms of mental illness. Recent studies show that the psychotherapy delivered by telehealth methods can be just as effective as in-person therapy sessions, Cahill said. “Not everyone needs to begin mental health counseling to stay mentally healthy,” Shawn Cahill Cahill said. “But stigma associated with mental illness is one of the biggest barriers to people seeking and receiving mental health care when it is warranted. “Don’t be embarrassed to seek help for yourself, and be supportive of others who are contemplating entering counseling,” Cahill added. At UWM, University Counseling Services is offering telehealth counseling to students who already have established relationships with UWM counselors. They can be reached by phone for crisis situations during business hours, while people needing help after hours can reach any of the following local or national hotlines: •
Ascension Columbia-St. Mary’s Emergency Services (24/7) – 414-291-1200
•
Milwaukee County Crisis Line (24/7) – 414-257-7222
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7) – 1-800-273-TALK (8255) • (TTY Accessible – 1-800-799-4TTY) • Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ (24/7) – 866-488-7386
Common symptoms of depression include: •
Intense sadness.
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Loss of interest in most activities.
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Disruptions in appetite (either an increase or decrease) and sleep (insomnia or hypersomnia).
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Excessive feelings of guilt.
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In more severe cases the person may be preoccupied with thoughts of death or even contemplate suicide.
Common symptoms of anxiety include: •
Excessive worry.
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Feeling overly nervous or agitated.
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Avoidance of activities that trigger negative emotions.
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In severe cases, people may experience panic attacks. People who unexpectedly lose a loved one to COVID-19 and health care professionals who witness large numbers of patients die from the disease may develop posttraumatic stress disorder. This is characterized by recurrent and intrusive distressing thought about the traumatic event.
Anxiety and depression often occur together, and people may alternate between periods of periods of each. For most people, the depression and anxiety will be mild to moderate and will be transient, fluctuating throughout the day. Symptoms can be expected to decrease when the most severe social distancing restrictions are loosened. Some things that people can do to minimize the severity, duration and negative impact of depression and anxiety: •
Stay in regular contact with family, friends and loved ones.
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Be physically active.
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Establish and maintain a routine, incorporating activities of daily living (like bathing, wearing clean clothes), productive activities (like work or household chores) and leisure activities. Develop a calendar or other schedule.
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Practice healthy sleep habits.
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Limit excessive exposure to news about the crisis.
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Don’t use drugs or alcohol excessively or rely heavily on consuming large amounts of food to cope with feelings of anxiety or depression.
• Veterans Crisis Line (24/7) – 1-800-273-TALK • Crisis Text Line – text HELLO to 741-741 or visit: www.crisistextline.org • A new online portal called You@UWM connects students to resources promoting health, wellbeing, academic success and stress reduction • A University Counseling Services tip sheet offers a checklist for recognizing distress and advice to maintain your mental health. By Genaro C. Armas, University Relations
College of Letters & Science • UW–Milwaukee • 3
UWM study finds racial divide in c The spread of confirmed coronavirus cases in Milwaukee is associated closely with race and patterns of segregation in the county, UWM researchers have found. Areas with higher concentrations of African American residents have disproportionately high numbers of reported cases and COVID-19 clusters, according to the study by the UWM Center for Economic Development. Areas with higher concentrations of white residents and higher income levels have fewer reported cases and very small numbers of virus clusters, the study found. The report outlined what researchers called “disturbing patterns” of the early stages of coronavirus spread. The findings mirrored trends from other major metropolitan areas with large black populations, including Detroit, New Orleans and New York. Joel Rast, director of Center for Economic Development, said the UWM report may be one of the first academic studies in the country analyzing racial disparities during the pandemic. Rast and his team analyzed population statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau and data on confirmed cases through April 8 from the Milwaukee County Health Department COVID dashboard. Rast hopes the report provides important information to the public and policymakers addressing the crisis. “When you see people dying in the African American community, when you see how this virus is spreading disproportionately in African American neighborhoods, it’s very difficult to ignore,” said Rast, who is also an associate professor of political science. “You have to ask, ‘Why is this happening?’’ he added. “These are going to be difficult questions that are going to be asked by a lot of people.” Disproportionate effect The study found that while 13% of the county’s population lives in census tracts that are at least 75% African American, those tracts accounted for 26% of confirmed coronavirus cases as of April 8. By comparison, while 31% of the population lives in census tracts that are at least 75% white, those areas accounted for just 23% of confirmed cases in the county. Even greater disparities were found with concentrations of clusters of 10 or more coronavirus cases.
4 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
Joel Rast
“Should this pattern continue, simply living in an area that is mostly African American may significantly increase the risk of contracting the virus in comparison to areas of the county that are mostly white,” the authors wrote in the report. 46 of 67 deaths Of the 67 COVID-related deaths reported by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner between March 19 and April 8, 46 were African American. Among other findings: •
African Americans tend to have higher rates of risk factors for coronavirus complications, such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, which can be attributed in part to inequalities in areas such as access to health care and affordable health insurance.
•
There was a disproportionately low number of confirmed cases in census tracts in which median household income was $25,000 or less. Researchers said that this may be attributable partially to higher rates of unemployment in these areas, which means
coronavirus spread in Milwaukee
Areas of Milwaukee with higher concentrations of African American residents have disproportionately high numbers of reported cases and COVID-19 clusters, according to a study by the UWM Center for Economic Development.
less possible exposure to the virus or a lack of widespread testing that might lead to an undercount of actual cases. •
There was a disproportionately low number of confirmed cases in tracts with median household income of $75,000 or more.
“We do not know whether these patterns will continue,” the report said, “but what we have seen so far raises the prospect of a pronounced racial and ethical crisis.” Among the study’s recommendations: •
Continue to collect comprehensive demographic data on virus cases.
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As testing becomes more widely available, prioritize communities of color.
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Provide access to affordable health care for the uninsured or underinsured.
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Ensure a safe work environment for employees of businesses deemed essential.
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Make sure there is effective outreach to historically disadvantaged communities about steps to slow the spread of the virus.
By Genaro C. Armas, University Relations
College of Letters & Science • UW–Milwaukee • 5
Life, interrupted
Profe infer
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted daily life, but for some, it’s disrupted the process of creating life.
a typical round of IVF costing $12,000 on average and domestic adoptions ranging between $25,000-$40,000.”
“When the Stay at Home order across the U.S. was put into place, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine issued recommendations that reduced fertility patients access to treatments and other routine fertility procedures. They indicated that the risk for exposure to the virus was simply too high for patients and fertility healthcare workers,” Maria Novotny explained. “As such, they put a moratorium on any sort of fertility treatment or services.”
Families and finances on hold
Novotny is an assistant professor in UWM’s English department. Her research centers around the rhetoric of infertility: How do people experiencing infertility use language to address their struggles? How do they tell people around them about their difficulties in starting a family? How does language shape cultural assumptions about infertility and recurrent reproductive loss? In addition, Novotny is the co-founder and co-director of The ART of Infertility, a non-profit organization that helps patients with infertility address their struggles through art and storytelling. It’s not the traditional wheelhouse of an English professor, but Novotny says that creating imagery or sculpture is simply another form of multimodal storytelling, just like writing. “I run workshops inviting people to create pieces that express their experiences with infertility, both to help them heal, grieve, and cope with that, but also as a way to educate those who may never go through infertility and allow them to emotionally connect with that experience,” she said. “That leads to larger conversations about how to have a family, and the finances around it – many times, there’s not insurance coverage for (treatments). The outof-pocket costs to form a family can be quite high with
6 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
Infertility is recognized by the World Health Organization as a disease of the reproductive system causing an inability to naturally become pregnant. While an intimate and personal topic not often discussed in mainstream media, the disease impacts 1 in 8 couples. Additionally, access to affordable infertility care impact same-sex couples, trans individuals, and single-parents by choice. People experiencing infertility can build their family in a number of ways, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy, or adoption, but those processes can be emotionally, financially, and physically draining. And an infertility diagnosis by itself can be devastating, Novotny noted. Many of the patients she talks to report feeling disoriented, angry, or out of control. Unfortunately, she added, the COVID-19 pandemic has only added to those feelings for people trying to build their families. “Let’s say you’re in the midst of pumping your body full of hormones so you can have an egg retrieval for IVF. Essentially, (Stay at Home orders) said you couldn’t have your egg retrieval at that moment,” Novotny said. “You had just put in, especially if you didn’t have that insurance coverage, possibly up to $5,000 that was just – poof! Gone away. “Similarly, with adoptions, challenges emerged with navigating home studies, which is a critical component in the adoption process. International adoptions also got challenging because you couldn’t necessarily travel or come back to the country with your child. This left some
essor explains how COVID-19 impacts rtile people, gives them voice through art families in legal limbo,” she added.
Seattle,” Novotny said.
Circumstances are changing as more communities, cities, and states begin to re-open, but questions, especially regarding their finances, remain for many infertile patients. Most patients hope they can be reimbursed for the money that they spent pursuing treatments that were ultimately put on hold, but that will likely come down to the policies of individual fertility clinics.
The ART of Infertility especially advocates for legislation that would require insurance companies to cover fertility treatments. While 17 states in the U.S. currently have a mandate, Wisconsin does not.
For others, the pandemic cost them more than money; it cost them their chance at a family. Some people may have lost their fertility window altogether, or some people who were candidates for adoption were unable to adopt a child. “It can be difficult to communicate that to friends and family members who have never gone through infertility and don’t understand the emotional loss,” Novotny said. Addressing anguish through art That’s where the art comes in. The ART of Infertility allows patients to illustrate their struggles – from photographing literal bins of needles to show the treatments they’ve undergone to drawing brains, tornadoes, flowers, and whatever else they feel represents their journey. Some patients have begun to create art related to their struggles through the COVID-19 pandemic. Novotny often takes that artwork and has showcased the pieces online and in public exhibitions in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle. The art and exhibitions have also turned into a form of advocacy. “Ultimately, it led to larger awareness efforts to where now Washington Senator Patty Murray co-sponsors many proinfertility family-building bills in (Washington,) D.C. A lot of it is because of advocacy that grew from a public exhibit in
But at its root, the ART of Infertility is a way for infertile people to begin a conversation about a deeply personal challenge with their family and friends. Art can be a gentle way to begin a difficult conversation, Novotny said, especially for people who don’t know how to talk with their friends about infertility. “The ultimate goal of my work is to use art and storytelling to translate those intimate experiences into educational moments that dismantle false narratives about fertility,” said Novotny. “Infertility is a difficult disease for patients to navigate because we don’t talk about it.” Those conversations have become especially important now, she added. “With COVID-19, there’s a lot of difficulty in figuring out how to reach out (to friends experiencing infertility) and to know what to say,” Novotny said. “There’s a lot of (fear) around people who aren’t going through infertility who are afraid of talking with their friends because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. “For those who want to figure out what to say, do your research. Read about infertility and read about how that can affect someone’s identity – with their gender, how they feel about their relationship, and how it may change the relationship they have with their own families or friends, especially those who can easily get pregnant.” By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science
From left to right: “Baby on the Brain” by Jill Levario. View narrative notes at https://bit.ly/3dnUvpx. “Isolation Island” by Christine McDonough. View narrative notes at https://bit.ly/2XnnJ2f. “Empty” by M’Recia Seegmiller. View narrative notes at https://bit. ly/2XlnrZB. “Son-flower” by Shaelene Clark. View narrative notes at https://bit.ly/3eBP4n1. All graphics used with permission from The ART of Infertility. College of Letters & Science • UW–Milwaukee • 7
Students lead the charge to salvage religious conference When one door closes, somewhere a Zoom window opens. In March, university administrators cancelled the remainder of UWM’s spring events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With just two weeks to go before their April 4 undergraduate research conference, members of UWM’s Religious Studies program were left with a difficult choice.
leaders and faculty/staff partners willing to jump with both feet into the unknown to accomplish an ever changing problem set brought on by an international pandemic.”
Andrew Karnopp
“We had to make the decision whether or not to cancel our whole thing altogether,” said Andrew Karnopp. “We had just sent out the (acceptance) email to all of our presenters. We didn’t want to see all of our hard work go to waste, so we made the decision as a group to move online.” The Religious Studies’ Undergraduate Research Conference is a student-led, student-focused forum where undergraduate researchers around the country are invited to present their work at UWM. This year, the Religious Studies program asked participants to send in their research related to the “Intersectionality of Religion and Contemporary Global Issues.” It was also among the first events at UWM to switch to an entirely virtual format in the wake of pandemic-related cancellations. Karnopp, a philosophy major with minors in religious studies and political science, was one of the Religious Studies program’s student interns responsible for coordinating the annual event. He and his fellow interns, Kristen Leer and Stephen Drena, led the charge to transition the conference online. “I don’t have any formal training in any computer area, but we’re all millennials. We know how to do this,” Karnopp joked.
The actual tecnological platform was less important than the flexibility and leadership of all involved, Sunwall added, but he noted that the group used Blackboard Collaborate Stephen Drena Ultra in Google Chrome so that they could use the share Chrome Tab Audio feature. The group shared a participant link with attendees so that anyone with the link could join without a login. Most speakers spoke aided by MS Powerpoint slides, and official conference slides were created with Google Slides. The conference was divided into three themed panels. Three students presented their work in each session with 15 minutes left for questions. The day concluded with a keynote speaker from UW-Madison. The students prepared for every detail they could think of. Karnopp wrote a “online conference etiquette” guide for family members who dropped in to view their students’ presentations. The conference was run live, though the organizers asked students to pre-record their presentations as a back-up measure. “Honestly, I feel that due to everyone working together so well, our conference was better and more smoothly run than ever before,” added Meghan Murphy-Lee, the director of UWM’s religious studies program. “I could not be prouder of the result.” Holding the conference virtually had unexpected benefits.
The students worked closely with Lane Sunwall, a technology consultant in UWM’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
“There’s discussion now that if we want to continue involving people from out-of-state – we had a presenter from George Washington University, for example – we’ve talked about the benefits to holding the conference annually in a virtual format, or a mix of in-person and virtual,” Drena, a history and religious studies major, explained.
To successfully transfer a conference online in just two weeks, said Sunwall, you need “A group of student
This year’s conference could provide a template for events to come – pandemic or not.
8 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science
You have the power - to de-stress yourself
Throughout his career as an experimental psychologist, Marcellus Merritt has observed the positive effects of rehearsed relaxation – such as music therapy and scheduled meditation – on chronic stress. But as a human being, he also knows firsthand how much of his own anxiety is relieved by a simple round of golf. “We know that standardized biofeedback, like transcendental meditation, is effective, but it doesn’t really help you in the moment. Plus, how many people intrinsically enjoy six months of meditation training?” says Merritt, an associate professor of psychology in the College of Letters & Science. “Think about the thing that you enjoy the most to get you away from your troubles. Why not figure out a way to make that the intervention?” Merritt calls these “self-selected leisure activities.” They can be anything from a walk to a recited mantra to a bubble bath. And he believes that if we can train ourselves to do that activity prior to or directly after a stressful experience, it will greatly improve cardiovascular recovery to stress, and thereby reduce risk for everything from heart disease to diabetes. To test his hypothesis, Merritt set up a study wherein students were outfitted with 24-hour blood pressure monitors and asked to keep detailed diaries. There were two daylong sessions: one in which the students would do their self-selected leisure activity, and another in which they abstained. The results showed that simply performing these self-selected activities was linked with an overall dip in blood pressure from that day to later that night, when the body needs to relax and recharge from a hectic day. He is diving into the diary data to learn why performing these activities helps facilitate the blood pressure dip. “We as human beings are balls of energy that never stop bouncing,” Merritt says. “Even when you’re sleeping, you’re still bouncing around. You have to appreciate the effect stressful circumstances Marcellus Merritt can have on the body.” The next stage of Merritt’s research will delve into more assessments tailored to a person’s preferences. Eventually, he hopes to help people create their own customized stress interventions that can provide a lifetime of relief. “It’s not a standard model,” he says. “It’s your thing. And it’s something you’ll be able to do forever.” By Tony Rehagen, University Relations
College of Letters & Science • UW–Milwaukee • 9
Physics alum navigates export contro To bring something in or out of the country means navigating a minefield of bureaucratic rules and regulations to comply with the policies of the U.S. government. Bethany Nelson is something of a minesweeper. Nelson is a UWM alumna who majored in physics. After graduating in 2007, she attended law school at UWMadison, earning her JD in 2010. Now she works in UW-Madison’s Export Control Office, helping faculty and researchers import and export the controlled materials they need to conduct their work. She sat down with Letters & Science to talk about her work. What, exactly, is an export control coordinator? The government has a list of items that they consider ‘controlled’ for national security purposes. This is anything from lasers, guns, and tanks, to stuff like Ebola, brucella, and some nasty biologicals, all the way down to certain cameras, certain night vision equipment, and certain centrifuges. Even laptops and phones have a very low level of control. The United States also has the ‘Deemed Exports’ rule. It states that if a foreign person has access to controlled technology in the United States, it is ‘deemed’ to have been exported to that person’s country’s citizenship. As you can imagine, most universities have a high population of foreign persons on campus. My job is to make sure that we are compliant with the large variety of rules and regulations across multiple different agencies.
Bethany Nelson BA, Physics - UW-Milwaukee (2007) JD, University of Madison Law School (2010)
Additionally, there are ‘restricted party lists’ that the U.S. government keeps which are essentially just lists of persons, governments, companies, or universities that we’re either not supposed to do business with, or can have only limited interaction with. Another aspect of my job is to make sure that we don’t violate anything on the lists.
cattle in Morocco than to keep them here, but trying to get the vaccines out was a really complicated process.
What kind of materials do you work with at UWMadison that need to go through export control? We have a lot of stuff like lasers and centrifuges. We have select agents like Ebola and H1N1 that come across our desk – well, not literally come across our desk. We’ve had night vision goggles, cameras, chemicals you name it. The controls lists contain thousands of items, many of them used in research so we’re across the board. One of the more unique ones was a place in Scandinavia that wanted to send some reindeer meat to campus to get some analysis done. There are sometimes bugs. We had to figure out how to get some vaccines to some cattle in Morocco because in theory it was cheaper to keep the 10 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
Above: Bethany Nelson smiles with UW-Madison mascot Bucky at a Regulatory Fair in October 2019, an industry event hosted by UW-Madison.
Do you have a stand-out request you’ve been asked to handle? One of my favorites was when the Cartography Department wanted to purchase some maps for a book, and the maps were only available from the State Archive (of the Russian Federation) in Moscow. The State Archive asked for payment in the amount of $2,000 or so, but they would only accept payment through a particular bank that the Treasury Department says that U.S. citizens and companies may not use. So, there was a question of how to get the money there. I remember in a meeting saying, “Look, hand me a suitcase filled with the cash, and I’ll take it to the State Archives in Moscow and get the maps,” à la James Bond. That was roundly shot down as an option. We managed to get an exception from the Treasury Department, but that was a long, on-going thing, all for some maps.
ol for UW-Madison How did you come to your current position? I worked for American Girl, the doll company, in their legal department for a while. I worked for the state of Wisconsin in unemployment insurance. I had a bunch of odd jobs before then, too. Then this particular position came up on a university job board, and my boyfriend said, you should apply for this. I looked at the qualifications and said, “I have never heard of this thing called export control; they’d never hire me.” In retrospect, my boss said that I have a configuration of skills that work well in this job, which is the combination of a science background with the law degree. You’ll find a fair amount of people in this field with a law degree, but not too many that also have a science background. It’s kind of a weird combination, but it works well for what I do. What are the best parts of the job? And the most challenging? I think the best part is definitely the variety – there isn’t a typical day. It’s nice to have a large set of things that come up. I think another great thing is how much you can learn. A large part of that hinges on my boss, who is superencouraging, wants me to get more experience, and is comfortable handing things off to me, which I appreciate. One of the more challenging things is that there’s a perception among some in the industry export control community that universities don’t know what we’re doing in compliance areas or that we’re somehow lagging, (but) universities are different than industry. It doesn’t mean we can’t be compliant; it just means we’re going to approach things in a different way. I think the other challenging thing – and this aspect has gotten better – is making sure that people on campus know that we are not there to slow down their research or be an undue burden; we are there to help them. When I first started, I was sometimes met with skepticism from certain places on campus: “Why do I have to fill this form out?” But now that the researchers have begun to see export control more and more in their contracts and research, the vast majority welcome our input and will actively reach out with questions and concerns.
Planetarium Show Twinkle, twinkle, little star, is a lullaby known by many, yet how much do you really know about the stars above? Astronomer Dr. Jean Creighton, director of UWM’s Manfred Olson Planetarium, will explore these glittering bursts of light we see each night in each 10 minute episode of her Stars Have Stories series, perfect for children of all ages! Following each presentation from her home office, Dr. Creighton will answer questions from viewers. Sign up at alumni.uwm.edu/ futurepantheracademy. Not able to join us live? All episodes will be available for on-demand viewing following each live event.
What: Live Planetarium Show
Do you have any advice for graduates on the hunt for their next job?
Date: June 5, 12, and 26
Don’t stress yourself out over not having all the answers. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work hard or that you shouldn’t strive to reach your goals or do your best, but if something comes up in your path, do not beat yourself up over it. You’ll find opportunities in the most unlikely places, so open yourself up to areas outside of what you thought you were “supposed” to pursue.
Time: 10-10:30 a.m.
By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science
How: Visit alumni.uwm.edu/ futurepantheracademy College of Letters & Science • UW–Milwaukee • 11
Erb named research mentor of the year Dawn Erb, associate professor of Physics, has been named the 2020 Research Mentor of the Year by the Office of Undergraduate Research. Nominated by senior physics major Nik Prusinski, Erb’s research interests include galaxy formation and evolution. “Through our work measuring star formation, I now have experience in how research in astronomy operates on a daily basis,” said Prusinski. “Dawn is one of my most significant role models. She has provided countless opportunities towards my future growth.” The Office of Undergraduate Research would like to congratulate Erb and all of the Research Mentor of the Year nominees: Clark Evans (Atmospheric Science), Deborah Hannula (Psychology), Mahsa Dabagh (Biomedical Engineering), Han Joo Lee (Psychology), Marcia Silva (Global Water Center), Rafael Rodriguez (Biological Sciences), Sonia Bardy (Biological Sciences), Alice Lecus (Global Water Center), and Ryan Shorey (Psychology).
Dawn Erb (left) and her student, Nik Prusinski, adjust a telescope on UWM’s campus. Prusinski nominated Erb for the 2020 Research Mentor of the Year Award, and the Office of Undergraduate Research chose her to receive the honor.
People in Print John S. Heywood (Economics) and Nikolaos Theodoropoulos. 2020. The declining influence of workplace differences on the gender wage gap. Economics Bulletin, 40(2): 1194-2000. https://bit.ly/2Mj57tW
Craig R. Guilbault (Mathematical Sciences), Ross Geoghegan, and Michael Mihalik. 2020. Topological properties of spaces admitting a coaxial homeomorphism. Algebraic & Geometric Topology, 20(2): 601-642. https://bit.ly/2XGQzt2
Kenan R. Ferguson (Political Science). 2020. Cookbook Politics. University of Pennsylvania Press. https://bit.ly/2zEJQYY
Bailu Zhao, Alison C. Donnelly, and Mark D. Schwartz (all Geography). 2020. Evaluating autumn phenology derived from field observations, satellite data, and carbon flux measurements in a northern mixed forest, USA. International Journal of Biometeorology, 64(5): 713-727. https://bit.ly/3dlyoQz
Kathy A. Dolan (Political Science) and Michael Hansen. 2020. The Variable Nature of the Gender Gap in Political Knowledge. Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy. Online. https://bit.ly/3cjafc0 Luai R. Khoury, Marina Slawinski, Daniel R. Collison, and Ionel Popa (all Physics). 2020. Cation-induced shape programming and morphing in protein-based hydrogels. Science Advances, 6(18). Online. https://bit.ly/2WbYn6D
12 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
Laurels and Accolades Celeste Campos-Castillo (Sociology) and Linnea Laestadius (Zilber School of Public Health) received a 12-month grant in the amount of $79,747 from the Technology and Adolescent Mental Wellness program. They will conduct a nationally representative survey experiment to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced adolescents’ willingness to alert parents/ guardians about a friend who posted on social media that they’re struggling with mental health. Parent coach Tia Fagan will partner with them to disseminate findings to parents in the Milwaukee community. Kimberly Blaeser (English and American Indian Studies) was one of 19 nationally recognized women poets to have work commissioned by the Academy of American Poets for the New York Philharmonic “Project 19.” Her poem, “A Quest for Universal Suffrage,” appears in a folio of work that celebrates and questions what it means to be an Kimberly Blaeser American woman writing today with the century-old legacy of the suffrage movement behind them. Blaeser also received two first place awards in the Council for Wisconsin Writers’ annual competition. She was awarded the Edna Meudt Poetry Book Award for her 2019 poetry collection, “Copper Yearning” and the Zona Gale Short Fiction Award for her story, “Vision Confidence Score.” The short story previously received an honorable mention from the “Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts” in the Rick Demarinis Short Story Contest. Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies (JAMS) students won three national Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Mark of Excellence Awards, more than any university in the upper Midwest. The contest is among the most competitive in the country. UWM joined winners from Northwestern, Harvard, Yale, University of Missouri, and Arizona State University. The student journalists also garnered 12 awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. https://bit.ly/3cmeovI Rachel Bloom-Pojar (English) was selected as a Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society Fellow for her work with the promotores de salud and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. The fellowship supports a residency at the organization and public humanities programming for the following year.
Konstantin Sobolev, Nikolai Kouklin, Michael Nosonovsky (Engineering), and David Frick (Chemistry and Biochemistry) received a $198,326 National Science Foundation COVID-19 RAPID grant to design and test coatings that could be applied to surfaces to both repel and deactivate virus-laden droplets. https://bit.ly/3dBKdBV
Several students from the College of Letters & Science were named Outstanding Presentation Award winners at the 2020 UWM Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium:
David Frick
–Noah Graff, “Generative Adversarial Networks: Ultrasound Image Translation,” mentor: Istvan Lauko and Adam Honts, Mathematical Sciences –Gabriel Heller de Messer and Chantel Jenrette, “Kelp Gametophyte Culturing and Genetic Analysis Techniques for Conservation and Breeding,” mentors: Filipe Alberto, Gabriel Montecinos, and Rachael Wade, Biological Sciences –Nathan Kohls, “Deep Learning Applications in Wastewater Treatment,” mentor: Rudi Strickler, Biological Sciences –Aleia Olson, “Sex Differences in Immediate Early
Genes in Retrosplenial Cortex Following Context Fear Learning,” mentor: James Moyer, Hanna Yousuf, and
Chad Smies, Psychology –Claire Piehowski, “Differences in Approaches to
Feeding Children as a Function of Parent Marital Status,” mentor: Hobart Davies and Paulina Lim,
Psychology –Madeline Rech, “Nail Biting and Nail Picking: A Comparison of Related Behaviors,” mentors: Han Joo Lee and Abel S. Mathew, Psychology –Emily Ruder and Jacob Rankin, “Small-Scale Sustainable Charcoal Production in Kenya,” mentor: Mai Phillips, Conservation and Environmental Science –Giorgio Sarro, “An Investigation of Post-Transition
Extremes for Extratropically Transitioning Tropical Cyclones,” mentor: Clark Evans, Atmospheric Sciences
College of Letters & Science • UW–Milwaukee • 13
In the Media and Around the Community Kristen Murphy (Chemistry and Biochemistry) explained how the American Chemical Society’s chemistry exams would be administered in light of the coronavirus pandemic in Chemical and Engineering News. https://bit.ly/2YJWoIj Water-stressed vines make the best grapes for wine. Barry Cameron (Geosciences) explained more of the science of soil as a factor in winemaking for The Somm Journal. https://bit.ly/2Wwod4i Student Jana Plotkin (Biological Sciences) shared the struggles of being both immunocompromised and laid off during the coronavirus pandemic in a Wisconsin Public Radio story. https://bit.ly/2LeCrBr Wisconsin Public Radio wants people to tend to their creative side during lockdown and so interviewed Kimberly Blaeser (English) about writing poetry. https://bit.ly/2YM5uo3
To have a better relationship together during lockdown, spend some time apart, Erin Sahlstein-Parcell (Communication) recommend in an MSN.com article. https://bit.ly/2Wzurk3
Yes, the Tully monster, a creature that swam in the waters of Illinois some 300 million years ago, had a backbone. That’s according to a new study from Victoria McCoy (Geosciences), whose findings were reported in Livescience.com (https://bit.ly/35HhSHe) and received a mention in the journal Nature (https://go.nature.com/3fwznP5).
It was hard on graduate student John Harry (History) when the bars closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he did the next best thing: He made a bar in his living room, complete with a beer list and dartboard, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. https://bit.ly/3cGxLkh
Anishinaabemowin is a language facing serious challenges, since few, if any, children are growing up with the traditional Ojibwe language as their first language, Margaret Noodin (English) said on WPRX. https://bit.ly/3dcWNr9
From “Days of Our Lives” to “All My Children,” Elana Levine’s (English) new book takes on the history of soap operas. Her work was profiled in Urban Milwaukee. (https://bit.ly/35WQwNv) She was also interviewed on CBS 58 about her book – a welcome publication since most daytime television production has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. https://bit.ly/3ev3bu2
On WUWM, Thomas Holbrook (Political Science) outlined the consequences for the city, the party, and the election if the Democratic National Convention cannot proceed in person in Milwaukee later this year as planned. https://bit.ly/2B2msoj
Chia Youyee Vang (History) was a panel member at the Major League Baseball’s Asian business resource group virtual panel discussing raising the visibility of Asian players in professional sports in May. https://atmlb.com/3gqj0Ep
The federal government should be assisting local and state governments in their pandemic response, Jeffrey Sommers (Global Studies and African and African Diaspora Studies) argued with his co-author Michael Rosen in The Cap Times. https://bit.ly/3dpgeg7
Nick Fleischer (Linguistics) aired his concerns with UW System president Ray Cross’ plan to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the UW System in Wisconsin Examiner. https://bit.ly/2TOOBFZ
Science Magazine reported on Valerica Raicu’s (Physics) new method to match drugs to protein receptors on cells, thereby speeding drug development.
Airlines must realize that passengers are increasingly concerned about their safety as the industry begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Avik Chakrabarti (Economics) said on CBS 58 News.
https://bit.ly/2LarqBe 14 • IN FOCUS • June, 2020
https://bit.ly/3gpetls
Alumni Accomplishments This isn’t the first time the movie theater industry has weathered health scares. Jocelyn SzczepaniakGillece (Film Studies) outlined how theaters historically responded to health concerns in an article for New York Magazine. https://bit.ly/36BTdV8 Many nonprofits in Wisconsin have had to curtail services or lay off staff due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bryce Lord (Nonprofit Management) explained on Wisconsin Public Radio. https://bit.ly/3gwJ7cH Forbes Magazine quoted research by Clark Evans (Atmospheric Science) outlining why the hurricane season in the U.S. is considered to begin June 1. https://bit.ly/3gz62UC
“Jurassic Park” got it wrong – archaeological evidence shows raptors likely hunted solo rather than in packs, according to new research from Joseph Frederickson (’11, BA Geosciences) that was featured on CNN. https://cnn.it/2X8aVN0
David Michael Williams (’01, BA English) just released his seventh novel, Magic’s Daughter. The book expands on the fantasy realm he built in his previous works. Williams discussed his new book in a Q&A published in the Fond du Lac reporter. https://bit. ly/2Wf0FSK
Audrey Posten (’13, BA Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies) just became the editor of the newly-combined North Iowa Times-Clayton County Register in Elkader, Iowa. Posten was previously the editor of the North Iowa Times in McGregor, Iowa. https://bit.ly/2SK9Ubj
An ancient child’s shoe in an old mine sheds light on the practice of child labor in prehistoric European mining. Discover Magazine examined the history drawing on research from Nikita Sessler Werner (’19, MA Anthropology). https://bit.ly/36EuMqj Hobart Davies and Stacy Nye (both Psychology) appeared on CBS 58 News to discuss the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as May, which is Mental Health Awareness month, drew to a close. https://bit.ly/3gw6a7x
Amanda Seligman (History) discussed the challenges of working from home and being a parent at the same time in a blog post published on Nursing Clio. https://bit.ly/2Z71bDQ
With many students facing extra challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic, UWM chief sustainability officer Kate Nelson (‘07, BA Conservation and Environmental Science) and her team are utilizing UWM gardens to grow food for the UWM food pantry, according to CBS 58. https://bit.ly/2XLQLHH
With some help from Paul Roebber (Atmospheric Sciences), Mark Schwartz (Geography) is studying how climate change has impacted the onset of spring across the country. WUWM reported on his research. https://bit.ly/2AnXNKO
Darrell Newton
Darrell Newton (’76, BA Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies; ’81, MA English) was named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Winona State University in Minnesota. His term begins in July. He was previously the vice chancellor of academic affairs and dean of graduate studies at UW-Eau Claire. https://bit.ly/2XzvMrs
Brice Smith (’10, PhD History) has been boosting the morale of the city’s essential workers by creating “MKEssential” t-shirts to recognize the labor they perform to keep our society running. Smith’s work was highlighted on WUWM. https://bit.ly/2Wo8g17 Greg Flisram (’87, BA Economics) became the executive director of Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority and the city’s chief development officer. He served in similar roles in Kansas City and in Green Bay. https://bit.ly/3buIkFF
Claire Woodall-Vogg (’08, BA History) was appointed by Mayor Tom Barrett as the city of Milwaukee’s executive director of the Election Commission. She currently serves as the commission’s business systems administrator.
College of Letters & Science • UW–Milwaukee • 15
Congratulations, graduates! We are disappointed that we were not able to celebrate UWM’s 2020 graduating class in person at Commencement, but from afar, we send our best wishes to our new alumni as they venture out into the world. We are so proud of each and every one of you and we know that you will shape the future for a brighter tomorrow! Eighty members of the UW-Milwaukee Class of 2020 share their favorite memories, standout moments, reflections on graduating during a worldwide pandemic and advice for future Panthers (including several students from the College of Letters & Science!). Congratulations, UWM Class of 2020! We can’t wait to watch you walk across the stage at our rescheduled commencement ceremony on Oct. 10 at the UWM Panther Arena. We’re extremely Panther proud of you! Click the box above to watch the video. Click the video above to hear a farewell message from UWM Chancellor Mark Mone.
