Colleagues,

I am very pleased to announce the establishment of two new schools at UWM: the School of Freshwater Sciences and the School of Public Health. This is an exciting accomplishment for UWM.

School of Freshwater Sciences
The School of Freshwater Sciences is the only school in the nation dedicated solely to the study of freshwater, and only the third worldwide. The School will be led by Acting Dean Mark Harris and an augmented Executive Committee to be drawn from faculty members across the University who have been involved in planning for the School. Mark has been involved in the School planning process since its inception, and has interacted with the WATER Institute extensively through past roles as Associate Dean for Research in the Graduate School and Associate Dean for Natural Sciences in the College of Letters and Science.

Among the priority action items for the new School will be facilitating the conversion of research scientists to faculty positions (as initiated by individual research scientists at the WATER Institute). These faculty, plus colleagues with joint appointments in other schools and colleges, will be the foundation of the Ph.D. and master’s in Freshwater Sciences programs scheduled to launch in fall of 2010. Another program, the Professional Sciences Master, will focus on applied science and is in the planning stage. The School builds upon the 40 years of internationally recognized freshwater research conducted by the Great Lakes WATER Institute, adding to this base a set of innovative academic programs to support future research and effective management of freshwater systems. There is much excitement and support for the new School in the Milwaukee community and growing funded research opportunities from federal and private sources, including a supplemental appropriation for a
clean water industries initiative.

School of Public Health
UWM’s new School of Public Health will be led by Acting Dean Stephen Percy and a similarly constituted augmented Executive Committee. Steve has served as Chair of the School of Public Health Planning Council and is also the Director of the Center for Urban Initiatives and Research.

The School is launching its first PhD program (Environmental and Occupational Health) this fall, and has already exceeded enrollment goals for this program. The Graduate Certificate in Public Health (offered jointly by the Colleges of Health Science and Nursing and the School) continues to enjoy strong enrollment. A master’s in Public Health (MPH) and three other PhDs (Community Behavioral Health Promotion, Epidemiology, and Public Health Administration and Policy) are in the planning stages. While the state budget situation will extend the time horizon, the School’s long-range goal is to become Wisconsin’s first accredited School of Public Health. The School is the recipient of a founding gift of $10 million by Milwaukee philanthropist Joseph J. Zilber. Further evidence of support for the School comes in a recently received supplemental appropriation—sponsored by Senator Herb Kohl and Congresswomen Gwen Moore—from the Centers for Disease Control to support developm
ent of the School and to research teen pregnancy prevention in Milwaukee. The School of Public Health also enjoys strong community support, notably from the City of Milwaukee Health Department and numerous community organizations.

As UWM launches its first new schools in recent decades, I look forward to working collaboratively with both Acting Deans and faculty colleagues in advancing school development. Both schools will be well served by Acting Deans Steve Percy and Mark Harris, who are well known and respected faculty in the UWM community. Both have long careers of research and teaching and have served ably in various administrative roles on campus.

And as we make the transition to fully authorized schools, please join me in congratulating the members of the planning councils (led by Steve Percy for Public Health and Jack Johnson and Val Klump for Freshwater Sciences). More than 100 UWM faculty and staff, along with external partners, put thousands of hours into the planning of these two schools. Their energy and commitment have resulted in two new groundbreaking schools at UWM that will make significant contributions to research and practice in public health and freshwater sciences.

Sincerely,
Rita

Rita Hartung Cheng
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee