Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Amazing Race Milwaukee!!!

October 2
No Strings Attached !
No Strings Attached was an  event that Residents from the  LLC decided their Community needed.
Sarvpal and Matt believed it was important to get the other people in our Community talking to each other.
When the day came for this awesome program, great conversations  and an intense of Jenga took place.
We can't forget the all the great food that was eaten:)

October 20th
Amazing Race Milwaukee!!!
The Community Leadership and Beyond Borders LLCs teamed up to make Team Cambridge. We faced off against  West Tower, which consisted of the Honors House and Wisconsin Convanent  LLCs. We raced around downtown Milwaukee taking goofy pictures at the landmarks.
All thumbs up with the Bronze Fonz

At the Pfister with Pounce. Can You find Pounce?

Showing the beauty of UWM.

Telephone booth take over

"The Calling"

Art Museum

The Riverwalk Way

Doing the Salsa at Cubanitas

US Bank 

We finished the day at Pizza Shuttle, way to live :)!!!!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A Person You Should Know: Leah Schreiber-Johnson (part 2)

         This month we get to showcase people who are important to the Art & Design LLC class. One person who has been influential is Leah Schreiber-Johnson, an Associate Lecturer in the UWM Peck School of the Arts. Leah teaches 2D and 3D concepts for both the Art & Design LLC class as well as for the Art & Design Department on campus.
          Leah received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Illinois State University and her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin in Drawing and Painting. She recently began working with the Art & Design LLC when she was asked to start a chapter at Cambridge Commons so students in another residence hall had the equal opportunity to engage in art-related activities while advancing their education and living experience. She utilizes a variety of media in her work including performance and installation pieces to explore the relationship between scientific fact and the experience of the body. Receiving many honors and awards, Leah is someone who has excelled in her field and has a wealth of knowledge to share with the UWM community.
          One of Leah's greatest wishes for students to learn from her is that of "educational independence or self-responsibility" which she described as "a great, big part of learning." She mentioned that assignments can be broken down into smaller parts by her, or any other teacher for that matter,  but she wants students to remember that "they can enhance their own learning by pushing themselves to a new level and taking responsibility for the education they are receiving." Her hope is that students in the LLC class, "can learn to see how they can use their art to gain a closer relationship with their community."
            On speaking of her activities with the Art & Design LLC, Leah said, "Leading the LLC courses is a special experience because we work closely with the students to create meaningful learning experiences. Through community collaborations, public art development, and exciting group exhibition events, students engage in art making to a level that is unmatched by the traditional classroom experience." Leah is a great person to get to know and someone the Art & Design LLC is very fortunate to have the opportunity to engage with on a continuous basis. If you are interested in checking out more of her artwork visit her website at: http://www.leahschreiber.com/

MKE Unplugged

Our most recent Music LLC event was the MKE Unplugged concert in Zelazo. MKE Unplugged is a new program that features guest artists and UWM students and alumni. On October 11th, one of UWM's very own jazz guitar students performed for us and showed how students can use their talents in a variety of different musical genres. Midwestern Charm was the featured guest of the night, and the indie group had great music and stage presence.

As music students, we need to attend many concerts to get our degrees and this concert goes to show that there is more to music than just orchestras, operas, and symphonies (although they are very important). There is a very wide variety of music out there and supporting the arts is important in our community.

These concerts are not just for music students, all students are welcome to attend. As you can see, there are indie rock concerts, jazz concerts, wind ensembles, orchestras, and so many recitals put on by your peers. If you ever considered going to one of these concerts, this is the year to do it. It is the Year of the Arts and there are more events than ever. So look out for the Peck School of the Arts posters and come see what the music department has been up to!




Monday, October 29, 2012

Seeing Is More than Just Looking


Hey ya'll, It's me again!

I've been thinking for a while if I have one individual on my floor that has gone "above and beyond", exhibited "great leadership skills", etc, etc that people are usually nominated for as a resident or person of the month.

In doing so I thought about an event we had on my floor earlier this month. I had one of those "aha!" moments and I planned an elaborate event that would talk about identity and diversity and individualism and rumors and gossiping and ah it was going to be amazing. As usual, though, things in my life never go as planned and I didn't have as many people show up as I wanted to....

Right as I was going to cancel the event, Samantha (Sam), one of my residents, asked me what the envelopes were for. I explained to her that I had planned on doing a "cultural envelopes" event where we would 1. decorate the outside with images that show how we think people see us and then 2. decorate the inside with words that express things most people don't usually see. She asked me why we weren't doing it and I said "Well no one showed up so I didn't think anyone wanted to do it..." She responded, "Can I have one and a magazine? I'll do one once I finish my homework."

We spent the next hour working on our envelopes and slowly others began to join...

Sam working on the inside of her envelope
By the end we had 13 people get up in front of the group and share their envelopes.
Suzi sharing her envelope to the group
As the hour came to an end, those involved were silent and engaged in what their fellow residents had to say about their identities.

I learned more about my residents and floor-mates that day than I had in the weeks proceeding.

Nick working on the outside of his envelope
So, instead of highlighting one individual who "exceeded expectation" blah blah blah, I wanted to recognize all those on my floor who took time out of their busy schedules to be open-minded and learn about the individuals around them. 

Often times we look at each other and spend time having fun but don't really see the people around us.

Thank you Sam for encouraging me to not give up and a big thank you to my residents who participated in the activity and saw their fellow floor-mates that day.

til next time,

RA-nnah

Gallery Night Review

Gallery Night was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who showed up and participated. There was plenty of art to look at and although the night started off a little bit rainy we were still able to have a good time. We got to enjoy some great art, listen to a talented group of student performers and meet some interacting with some cool people. The idea of creating an application for Gallery Night sparked interest with artists and the public. Some people event had suggestions as to what the app should look like and what is important for the public to know. Many of them either artists or art enthusiasts wanted the app to be visually engaging and easy to use.  Here is a sample of some of the music, art and food that we got to partake in at the Marshall Building in the 3rd Ward. 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Spiderweb of Healthcare!

On October 9, the Helping Hands in Healthcare LLC staff proudly held an event entitled the "Spiderweb of Healthcare." The event began with some tasty snacks for all of those who attended. We were lucky enough to have Joel and Kate, College of Health Sciences Academic Advisors, make a special appearance and present to our audience. Additionally, we also invited two graduate students to stop by the event who chatted with us about their experiences as CHS students.

After everyone gathered in and snacked for a little while, Joel began with a presentation in which he incorporated all of the majors and career pathways the College of Health Sciences has to offer. Having a firm understanding of the large plethora of career pathways within the healthcare field can allow for selecting a major that new students, many of whom are indecisive about their majors, can feel comfortable and passionate about pursuing. Following Joel's wonderful presentation of different majors and careers, he dove into a segment in which case studies were presented to the students. These case studies would present some type of medical scenario in which professionals from different sectors in the healthcare field would need to provide some type of care. This was a cool way to test everyone's understanding of what each profession does specifically. For example: If someone in the scenario had suffered a stroke, it was our duty to determine what types of medical professionals would likely deal with the rehab process. In this case, occupational/physical therapists, speech pathologists, and nurses would all be involved in the immediate care and rehab process.

After the presentation, a graduate student from UWM's Occupational Therapy program talked with the audience about her experience as an undergraduate student. She discussed how she decided to pursue a career in occupational therapy as well as what is required in an individual to be proficient and effective as an occupational therapist in the professional world. Following her informative presentation, another UWM graduate student within the Communication Sciences and Disorders program chatted about her experiences, struggles, and successes as an undergraduate student as well as a graduate student. This proved to be a highly effective presentation for all of us, as it's always intriguing and more relatable to hear about experiences from other students just like ourselves. Both graduate students provided tremendous insight to us as all and we were all greatly appreciative of them speaking to us in such an open and honest manner!

All in all, everyone truly seemed to enjoy the event (not just because of the free food). November LLC event planning is already well underway. Stay tuned in to your RAs and Mentors as we'll keep you informed as to when the next event will be and what it all entails! Over and out.

- Patrick Frigge, Mentor


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Lakeside Treasure: Milwaukee’s North Point Lighthouse



For this month’s blog I want to highlight a unique part of Milwaukee history: North Point Lighthouse. Why is this important for architecture students? It happens to be one of the oldest buildings remaining in Milwaukee and holds historical importance as well as just being an interesting place near campus to check out; bring your sketchbook for a challenge!
Located in Lake Park, the original North Point Lighthouse stood 107 feet above the water of Lake Michigan, making it the highest lighthouse on the lake. This spot holds not only historical significance for Milwaukee, but also offers one of the best views of the lake and the city around. The original North Point Lighthouse was built in 1855 out of signature cream city brick; it was later rebuilt 100 feet inland due to soil erosion of the bluff it was situated on.  The unique octagon shape of the 74 foot tower is an interesting piece of Milwaukee architecture. The lighthouse was closed for a few years in the early 1900’s because of a lack of government funding but reopened shortly after. North Point Lighthouse and its Keeper’s Quarters were placed on the National Register of Historic Lighthouses in 1980 and went through a restoration in 2007.

Tours and information about the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters are provided throughout the week by a solid volunteer base dedicated to the preservation of one of Milwaukee’s historical treasures. North Point Lighthouse is located at 2650 N. Wahl Avenue off of Lake Drive. 

Apples to Apples....Advising?

You probably didn't think that learning about advising could be fun and competitive now did you...

Here are some pictures from our "Meet the Faculty" event with Honors Adviser Shannon entitled "Apples to Apples Advising" (Check out Mentor Molly's blog for more info on this event!)

Shout out to out to our winning team!




More pictures to come when we make Disney door decorations and decorate for Halloween!!

<3 RA-nnah
Honors LLC

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Sprechers Tour

Hi Business Panthers,

Michael Ameel here! Fortunately for you and me, my good friend Alec who is an RA, set up a Sprechers Tour for the Business Panther Learning Living Community! Business Panthers learned about taking the Milwaukee Country Bus Transit System. Once there Business Panthers got to tour the companies headquarters and sample free soda!


I believe that tours like this are a essential key to success for our Business Panthers! Getting out of UWM's Campus and exploring companies within the economical hub of Wisconsin is fantastic! Many of the students were very excited because they were able to learn about the business side of Sprechers and how they stay afloat and of course the free soda sampling.

With this ongoing commitment that your Business Panther RA's and LLC Mentors have to enhance your life here at UWM makes us proud to learn with you. We care about your input so comment below if you have any requests of companies you'd like to tour and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible!

Sincerely,

Michael Ameel (RA)
                                                                               

Oh the Places the WI Cov will go....

Here and there
You'll find them everywhere

From the library accross the street
To the cafe where most of them eat

Most come out to the common area to socialize
And over to Klotche to exercise 

No matter where the Wisconsin Covenant Scholars will roam,
They will always find UW-Milwaukee their home. 



  

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Forgotten Icon

If you ask anyone what defines the Milwaukee skyline, the answer will most likely highlight buildings such as the Calatrava addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum and the US Bank Tower.  50 years ago, however, the answer would have been completely different. Since seeing it's completion in 2001, Milwaukee has accepted Calatrava's addition as a city icon and a testament to the city's growth and success, replacing what was once it's premier lakefront destination: the Milwaukee War Memorial Center.

http://media.jsonline.com/images/28007169_saarinencrowd.jpg

Designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1957, the Milwaukee War Memorial Center was the monument of monuments in Milwaukee as it sought out "To Honor the Dead by Serving the Living."  Honoring those who had lost their lives in World War II and the Korean War, Milwaukee's take on a memorial stood not only as a tribute to fallen soldiers, but also as a catalyst to the city's cultural revival. As the massive concrete wings of the building draw attention to the site from afar, they create an equally impressive experience as the pedestrian traffic withdrawing from the street passes freely beneath the mass of the structure, taking in views of Lake Michigan.  In addressing the goal "To Honor the Dead by Serving the Living," the War Memorial Center was design to serve multiple purposes as it not only housed the memorial, but also the newly formed Milwaukee Art Center. As the Art Center continued to grow, it drew further awareness to the city's cultural presence, ultimately leading to the prominence it possesses today.

Next time you pay a visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum, I encourage you to walk over and explore the War Memorial Center.  Now sitting on top of the larger Kahler addition to the museum's galleries, the War Memorial Center has become a dying icon as incoming generations lose sight of who it honored in the first place.  With a lakefront presence highlighted by the Calatrava addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum,  Discovery World, and the Betty Brinn Children's Museum, it is easy to see the role the War Memorial Center played in introducing a cultural hub to Milwaukee.

Hours of Operation:
8:30 AM-8 PM Every Day

750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Monday, October 22, 2012

Thanks Professional Staff!


As the Helping Hands in Healthcare LLC we are very lucky to have some great professional staff members to help make the LLC possible and successful. Here is a little overview of people that are important to that Helping Hands in Healthcare LLC:

Kate Brondino is an advisor in the College of Health Sciences for students studying Communication Science and Disorders and Occupational Studies. Joel Spiess is an academic for the College of Health Sciences for students studying Athletic Training, Kinesiology, and Undecided Health Science majors. Robin Jens is the Director of Student Affairs for the College of Nursing. Lana Chenoweth is the Residence Life Professional Staff member for Sandburg North and is the UH staff that helps with the Helping Hands LLC. Without the staff members listed above, we would not be an LLC and would not have the great programs put on by the LLC.



Chancellor Michael R. Lovell is important to the LLC because he is important to everything that happens here at UW-M. We are so lucky to have a chancellor that is so involves and invested in our school. I am a transfer student and the only time I saw the chancellor of my previous school was for formal events such as the freshman welcome presentation and sometimes at basketball games. Since I have been at UW-M, I feel like I see Chancellor Lovell everywhere. He was on a tug-a-war team and rode the pedal carts at Fall Welcome, he came to our Golden Ticket event dinner in Sandburg, and ran in the Panther Prowl 5K. He even ran the hill near Bradford Beach with the basketball team. He always seems very approachable and I feel that students can really tell that he loves UW-Milwaukee.


Tie Dye Madness


One event I would like to highlight was the Tie Dying even we did at the beginning of the month. This event was planned because outside of the time spent in class, whether it be the Beyond Borders LLC class or others, the time the LLC members spend together was predominantly academic. I wanted them to get comfortable with being with each other in a social setting so that eventually they will hang out with each other without my intervention. I also wanted to breakdown the roommate groups so that they branch out and spend time with others. The event was in the kitchen on the second floor of Cambridge where the residents lived. This event was able to enhance the experience in the residence halls because it established a support system. The member know they have each other Natalie and I to assist them in any way we can. It also provided the group with a sense of unison since we now have home-made matching shirts!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership (CVSL)


Hey!

The CVSL is a great place to get involved, give back to the community, and meet new friends on campus. Their office is located on the ground floor of the Union in WG28 and they have many different opportunities available.

Food Pantry – Every Tuesday and Thursday the CVSL staffs the Hope House Food Pantry from 12:00pm-2:45pm. Transportation is provided and you can sign up to go for one day or the whole semester.

Hunger Task Force Stockbox Build – Help feed seniors by building boxes of healthy food to deliver to low-income seniors for free. This event takes place on November 8 from 8:30am-12:30pm and transportation is provided.

RAKathon – This is a campus-wide volunteer event that takes place on November 3rd and involves helping older adults winterize their homes and cleaning up the neighborhood. Taylor and I will be putting together a team to volunteer, so let us know if you want on it!



There are many other events listed on the CVSL website with information on how to sign up! Volunteering is a great way to build character and it looks great on a resume. If you have any free time, I definitely recommend checking out the Center for Volunteerism and Student Leadership and giving something back to the community!

Brian

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

October Events- Music

Hello everyone!

We've had two fantastic Music LLC events this semester already! The first was the Cream City Sound Check concert in Turner Hall featuring bands with UWM music graduates in them and the second was MKE unplugged. Both concerts were part of the Peck School of the Arts Year of the Arts celebration and both concerts were a fun way for current UWM students to get out around Milwaukee as well as experience different kinds of music!



An event which is in the early creation stage is a South Tower TALENT SHOW! This event will give the LLC students a great performance opportunity as well as give them a chance to show the other LLC students what they've got! 

I am super excited to get this talent show up and going because many students have shown interest in the event. I know it will be a great time with lots of friendly faces and fantastic talent!

-Kelly Behling

Highlight: Nigel Rothfels


Hello everyone!

For this blog I’m going to highlight a significant person that I believe the Lab Rats-Undergraduate Research LLC would benefit a lot from. Without any doubt, Nigel Rothfels, the Director of the Office Of Undergraduate Research is the person to go to when it comes to research. Most of us know Nigel as an outgoing and very positive individual with a great laugh that is impossible to not join in the fun.  But there is more to him than just a smile and since I could not have said it better than his small biography in the Office Of Undergraduate Research website, I took the liberty to post it in here for you guys…

Nigel attended college at the University of Utah, received his Ph.D. in History from Harvard University, and has held post-doctoral research fellowships from Princeton University, the Australian National University, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is the author of Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo (2002) and the editor of a cross-disciplinary collection of essays, Representing Animals (2002). He has been at UWM since 1994, serving as Assistant Director of the Center for Twentieth (now 21st) Century Studies, and then as Director of the Edison Initiative in the College of Letters and Science, before becoming the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research in 2007.

Nigel RothfelsNow, I know that we are all very impressed buy such career but never be afraid to get know him better since his youthful personality will make you feel right at home. To contact Nigel and get connected with the Office Of Undergraduate Research go to https://www4.uwm.edu/our/staff.cfm or email him directly at rothfels@uwm.edu

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Sprecher Brewery Tour Event

For the month of October, the Business Panthers LLC is doing a tour of Sprecher Brewery.

I was personally interested in this event as Sprecher Brewery is a Milwaukee landmark and provides this city with economic growth and local interest.

I feel that it is important to get off campus for LLC events. This is especially true for the Business Panthers LLC. We are in the economic hub of Wisconsin and have the resources to really give students an experience that they would not be able to get outside of the Business LLC.

As Resident Assistants it is our job to facilitate this campus to our residents but as LLC Resident Assistants I feel that we also need to facilitate opportunities in the city of Milwaukee to our residents as well. One of the large draws of this campus is its location is in such a city and we need to take advantage of this.








This was the reasoning behind the Sprecher tour. It gives the residents a chance to get off campus and see where their business degrees could lead them.

Due to scheduling conflicts, the tour is taking place on October 19th. We have had 55 residents sign up for it.

Hopefully it will turn out well! I'll report back with the results!

Alec Just

Hightlight: Amazing Alexandra Torinus


-Meet Alexandra Torinus-

Have you ever felt intimidated or unsure when asking for help with an instructor? This is definitely not the the case with Alexandra Torinus, the instructor of the LLC Film, Video, Animation and New Genre. Alexandra graduated from The University of Wheaton-Massachusetts in the early 90's with a degree in Writing and Literature and then attended UWM for Graduate School, specializing Film and has been here since. Alex has now worked for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the film department and is well-respected by colleagues and students as a teacher, artist and friend. 

Alexandra is kind and understanding with her students. Plain and simple, she wants her students to get the most out of their time in class and encourages them to ask questions. She makes time during class and outside of class to assist her students with developing and creating the best projects for class.  I am very fortunate to be able to work with such a wonderful and inspiring teacher like Alexandra who truly cares about her students. 
 





Monday, October 15, 2012

Important Person: Dr. John Berges

Dr. Berges received his Ph.D in Biological Oceanography at the University of British Columbia and his  Master's, in Aquatic Ecology, and Bachelor's in Marine Biology from the University of Guelph. He has  received multiple awards, has made numerous publications and has served

Dr. Berges current research interests are creating and looking at  indicators of biological rates and processes in aquatic ecosystems as well as  to characterize responses to stress and environmental change of a wide range of organisms including phytoplankton, zooplankton, corals and fishes.

Dr. Berges is a great guy and is always tries his best to help his students succeed and he is willing to put in the effort to do so, as long as you are trying to. He is more that willing to spend extra time with student to answer questions they have and to assist them.
 

Check out Dr. Berges' website : https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/berges/www/

Friday, October 12, 2012

Ever wondered how you can combine WWII, Disney World, and Sigmund Freud?

Hi All!

So...to answer my title question: You can combine World War II, Disney World, and Sigmund Freud by having a conversation with Lydia Equitz! Maybe you really won't be mixing the three together, but Lydia teaches courses in all three of these fields (among others). RA Hannah and I have been putting together a "Meet the Honors Faculty" Event Series for the Honors House LLC. Each month, we bring in a different faculty (professor, instructor, or advisor) to talk about what exactly they do within the Honors College. For our first event we had Lydia Equitz (above with students in the Honors House LLC) come over to Sandburg and chat with LLC residents. She talked about her educational background (she's studied at Wellesley College, Harvard, and UWM. She currently serves as a senior lecturer and as the Honors College Writing Specialist. Because she works with Honors College students, the LLC residents were excited to meet her and find out how they can get help on different parts of the writing process. It was also really fun listening to Lydia discuss her different areas of interest and her course offerings. In the past she has offered classes entitled "Is God Dead?", "Freudian Slips", among others focusing on modern art and thought, historical perspectives, and post-Enlightenment. It was a great night in the Honors LLC. A big thanks goes out to Lydia for taking time out of her busy schedule to come over and visit with us. More information on Lydia and her Writing Specialist-amazingness can be found on the Honors College website here: http://www4.uwm.edu/honors/people/equitz.cfm

For the month of October we asked Honors Advisor, Shannon Bryne Irwin, to visit the Honors LLC to help prepare students for the upcoming spring registration. RA Hannah took a bunch of pictures that you should check out on her blog page! Shannon didn't just want to come over and chat with students, she went above and beyond by creating "Honors Advising Apples to Apples". LLC students made two teams and competed in an intense game all about important registration and advising facts. The students learned a lot and got to have fun getting to know Shannon on a more personal level. Afterwards, Shannon stuck around and answered questions. As with Lydia, we all had a blast getting to know our Honors Faculty better. Shannon's information and bio are on the Honors College website here: http://www4.uwm.edu/honors/people/irwin.cfm

I can't thank RA Hannah, Shannon, and Lydia for all of their hard work and dedication to the Honors House LLC. And! I can't forget about the amazing Honors House students who have been awesome about coming out to events and really making the best of their LLC experience. Being the mentor for the Honors House LLC gets better everyday!

That's all for now. Happy Fall everyone! :)

--Mentor Molly

Beyond Tie Dye

BEYOND TIE DYE 

Beyond Boarders LLC had a some fun making tie dye shirts for our Living Learning Community! We were all hyped on sugar from the variety of candy and soda to keep the "party" going in the awesome Cambridge Resident Hall lounge! 


 It was great seeing everyone work together as some have never tie dyed shirts before. Even though we made a big mess and possibly may have stained tables, it was definitely worth it to see how some of the shirts turned out. Which were AWESOME!! Take a look see:



 Taylor -- >



<-- Haruka


 The event went above and beyond our expectations and I can't wait for more events with the Beyond Boarders LLC for some more fun and laughter.

Important Person: Evelyn Eng




Evelyn Eng is who i would like to highlight in this post. She has been absolutely fantastic to work with this year. She is the professor for the communication and conflict LLC. She has been one of the main reasons i have looked into a future of communications as a profession. She made the class i took with her so much fun, it was by far my favorite class to this day that i have taken here at UWM. 

Anyone can learn from Evelyn, however i believe residents can especially. She has so much to offer through the communication seminar that what you learn in the class becomes second nature. i often see things everyday, as well as the things i do and think back to the class and apply it. The class that she teaches isn't just class but an actual life lesson. The class in simply put terms has changed me as a person. Without Evelyn and the information, i would believe that i would have lacked a sense of the college experience. Their is so much to learn from Evelyn, due to her being such a great teacher all you have to do is listen and think. 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

UWM's Finest Lab Rats!

Nigel Rothfels
 
We all know him and love him, especially his lovely talks about animal mating videos, but how well do we really know Nigel Rothfels?

Outside of our Lab Rats class, Nigel Rothfels is the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research here at UWM. Like he told us before during our LLC luncheon at Panther Welcome Day, he did his undergrad at the University of Utah and he received his Ph.D. in History from Harvard University. He also had his post-doctoral research fellowship from the Princeton University, the Australian National University, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He started at UWM in 1994 as the Assistant Director of the Center for Twentieth (now Twenty-first) Centry Studies and the Director of Edison Initiative in the College of Letters and Science. In 2007, he became UWM's Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, and of course our awesome Lab Rats LLC instructor.

Some of Nigel's most popular work includes his book, Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo (2002), which has a great review in the New York Times! He is also the editor of a cross-disciplinary collection of essays called Representing Animals (2002). In his more current research, he focused on elephants since the eighteenth century and how our ideas about elephants have changed over the last centuries. He also has worked on the history of butterfly collection in German, New Guinea at the end of the nineteenth century.

Fun facts about Nigel: he has a website (Nigel's Website link), he owns a kayak, and he went to Germany.



Kyla Esguerra


Kyla Esguerra is another lovely lady that Lab Rats should know. She's usually the instructor for the LLC class, but she recently had a beautiful baby boy named Elliot William.
A little about Kyla is that she finished her undergrad from Hope College in Holland, MI with English and Psychology degrees and completed her English Master's at University of Notre Dame. Before she came the Associate Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at UWM, she was she is a Lecturer in the English department, an Instructional Specialist with the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), and the UROP coordinator. She has been named a UWM Center Scholar by the Center for Instructional and Professional Development twice! She is currently researching student learning within a paired-course learning community environment and effective use of sample papers in the classroom.

Fun facts about Kyla: She loves cooking, spending time with her family, she has two cats (Furious and Alastair), and her husband is in a band I'm Not A Pilot.

Communication and Conflict Outstanding Residents


     We have many great students in our LLC that contribute to our community. They have really gotten to know each other over the past couple of weeks and have actually confessed that they are excited for class and to be able to tell their stories during our biweekly “check-ins.” These check-ins are a way for the mentor, instructor, and students to get to know each other better through telling stories of the past week. Outside of these check-ins, they frequently get together to work on homework for our course and always come back with interesting stories of what has been happening on their floor. While I could not just select one student to cover for this blog, I can tell you about some of our great characters.

     Nate is always questioning the status quo as well as the meaning of many things in our course. When setting our course expectations, he pushed the group to define the idea of respect so that we could honor each person’s own definition of the word. Residents can learn from Nate not to just accept things for how they are, but always push for improvements and clarification.


     Charlie is a light-hearted participant in class. He is always there to make fellow students laugh and look at the bright side of the situation. Always noticeable by hair and skateboard, Charlie puts a smile on my face every day in class. He always reminds me not to take life so seriously and look for the humor in life’s small moments.

     All and all, our LLC would be nothing without our great students and their personality and our students can say that the best. Nolan said this of the Communication and Conflict LLC; “The setup of the classroom was the first thing that caught my eye.  With one glance, everything I thought I knew about a college classroom setting was shattered.  I am excited that the class is unconventional and that there are strong personalities (in the group).” Couldn't have said it better myself.