Top news:
- Last week’s Smart Restart campus web forum for deans, directors, and chairs is available for viewing. The meeting included remarks from Chancellor Rebecca Blank and other campus leaders about academics/instruction, COVID-19 testing, health and safety protocols, student expectations, employee topics, and Research Reboot.
- The Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) is seeking papers for a special issue examining the impact of race and racism on the health of people in Wisconsin. Consideration will be given to original research, review articles, case reports and brief reports, as well as commentaries and narratives. Submission deadline: November 1 for publication in January 2020.
- In case you missed it: Dean Robert Golden and UW Health CEO Dr. Alan Kaplan discussed the future of health care in a webinar for The UW Now. The duo also announced the upcoming Wisconsin Medicine livestream series, which kicks off on August 18.
- Reminder: A Smart Restart Town Hall for UW–Madison employees will be held at noon-1:00 p.m. on August 13.
- Virtual counseling sessions are available in August and September for the UW Tax-Sheltered Annuity 403(b) Program, which is the supplemental retirement savings plan for UW–Madison employees.
- Reminder: Call for nominations — 2020 University of Wisconsin-Madison Outstanding Women of Color Awards. A total of 1-2 nominations will be submitted by the Dean’s Office. To submit a name, please fill out this form by August 31.
- Reminder: The SMPH Office of Continuing and Professional Development is hosting two sessions for faculty and staff interested in planning virtual accredited continuing education. Dates: August 20 from 12:30-3:00 p.m. and August 28 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Shout-outs:
- Please send kudos about your colleagues. Honor someone at go.wisc.edu/shoutout and we’ll share the stories. Visit this page to see a collection of shout-outs to date. Submit your thoughts and we’ll share them in a future issue.
“Congratulations to Krista Zimonick for organizing a successful MED*STAR program for incoming Medical Students. Krista was able to turn the 3-day in-person event into a wonderful virtual event. This year the MED*STAR program allowed 64 new medical students the opportunity to make connections to classmates, talk with current students, experience course material, learn about microaggressions, as well as understand the many resources available to SMPH students. Many thanks to all the individuals who were able to assist with virtual sessions to make this year’s programming a success.” — Sharon Marks, Learning Specialist, Academic Affairs
Telecommuting tip:
- Brainstorming in the age of remote work: Although a good creative session in a conference room is not possible, there are still ways to effectively come up with new ideas and get feedback while remote. See these tips from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Staying strong & supporting one another:
- Five-minutes of practice — embracing change: The Center for Healthy Minds offers a guided audio exercise that aids mindfulness, helping to enable resilience in the face of life transitions during the pandemic.