Timely information to help build community within SMPH:
Resources for everyone
- Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer candidate visits: candidate Andrew Thompson (A.T.) Miller, PhD virtually visited the School of Medicine and Public Health this week. View a recording of Miller’s town hall here. On December 2-3, candidate Mel Freitag, PhD will virtually visit the school. All SMPH faculty, staff, students, and community partners are welcome and encouraged to attend Freitag’s town hall on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 3:30-4:30 p.m., via Webex.
- Stronger, Together: The Partners in Giving campaign continues through this Friday, November 27. This workplace charitable giving effort involves state, UW, and UW Health employees coming together to support over 500 nonprofits. You choose which nonprofit your gift will support, how much to give (any amount is appreciated), and whether to give each pay period or as a one-time contribution. Learn more and make a gift today
- The Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) is seeking artwork to illustrate a special issue on the impact of race and racism on the health of people in Wisconsin. Works in the following media are invited: photography, digital design, or well-rendered photographs of painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, or textile/fiber art. The deadline is December 31. WMJ is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal owned jointly by SMPH and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Learn more
- Be aware of guidance for students about preparing for Thanksgiving recess and winter break and support learners in their efforts to abide by the guidelines and requirements regarding travel limitations and engaging in COVID-19 testing. Read more
- Badger Market in Health Sciences Learning Center will remain open on weekdays through December 10 with modified hours. Read more
- A team led by Jonathan Temte, MD, PhD, Associate Dean for Public Health and Community Engagement, is recruiting volunteer cohorts of employees and graduate students to provide regular samples for COVID-19 testing. Volunteers from SMPH are needed. More information on this volunteer surveillance testing can be found on this flyer and this website.
- The latest edition of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Presenter’s Guidehas been released on the Building Community homepage. The guide, which provides suggestions and examples of how to talk about underrepresented identities in medicine and public health, was initially written by five medical students in 2019. Read more
- Two chair searches are within the open consideration date for applications: the search for the Chair of the Department of Medical Physics, and the search for the Chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. Please encourage interested candidates to apply. See the Leadership Search Candidate Visit page for information about leadership searches that have progressed to the interview stage.
Resources for researchers
- Supply chain updates for researchers: In addition to shortages of PPE and testing swabs, media, and kits, the following items will be in short supply and/or have longer lead times for all researchers over the coming months. Please plan ahead as much as possible and check on backorders to prevent disruption to research. The items include: consumables – tips (manual/robotic), centrifuge tubes, microcentrifuge tubes, cryovials, and reservoirs; cold storage – ULT freezers, standard freezers, and refrigerators; and dry ice.
- A blog post by Steven A. Ackerman, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, addresses continuity planning for the research community during the upcoming academic break and answers questions about the Jan.-June 2021 furlough. Read more
- MATRIX is accepting applications — with a deadline of December 1 — from SMPH faculty who have never been Principal Investigators in a R01-type grant or equivalent. Mentoring to Achieve Research Independence (MATRIX 2021) is a program to help increase the success rate of SMPH faculty who are ready to apply for their first NIH R01 or equivalent grant.
- UW-Madison’s Data Science Research Bazaar is a practical, hands-on, informal conference for all members of the campus community, from expert data science methodologists to novice learners who are interested in data science. The second annual Research Bazaar with the theme “Data Science for the Social Good” is happening virtually throughout February 2021. Individuals from all disciplines are encouraged to submit a presentation proposal (Deadline: November 25). Learn more
- Varsity Venture Studio has launched. This new software entrepreneurialism initiative on campus is open to everyone in the UW-Madison ecosystem to turn ideas into funded software businesses. Submissions are evaluated as they are received (Final: Nov. 25 deadline). Learn more
Resources for medical educators and clinicians
- George Fall, MD, a physician in Ashland, WI, received the 2020 Max Fox preceptor award on November 18 from the school’s Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association. The award celebrates the important role preceptors play in medical education at the School of Medicine and Public Health. This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for all that our preceptors do to help us advance the health of Wisconsin and beyond. Read more
- UW Health and UnityPoint Health–Meriter have received a limited supply (116 doses) of bamlanivimab, an investigational therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adult and pediatric patients. The medication was recently granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Read more
- Every person in UW Health facilities (all spaces, including non-clinical areas) is now required to wear a minimum of a barrier mask protection. Read more on U-Connect (access using VPN) and see a clarification issued last week from SMPH about barrier mask use in WIMR
- Planning out CME activities through the end of 2020? View synchronous and asynchronous options available through the Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership. Learn more
- The HIV and SARS-CoV-2 Webinar Series relates the history of HIV prevention, treatment and care to rapidly emerging evidence that supports clinicians and other health care professionals in their decisions about treatment and management of patients with SARS-CoV-2. Learn more
Upcoming Events: Anti-Racism and/or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- The Building Community/Ebling Library Book & Film Club will be offering two discussion sessions (December 8 at 4 p.m. and January 13 at noon) on the best-selling book How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. An e-book version of the title is available via NetID through Ebling Library. Discussions will be led by Elizabeth Petty, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Vera Tsenkova, PhD, Director of Health Professions Student Research. Learn more and register
- November is Native American Heritage Month, which celebrates the rich and diverse culture, history, and contributions of Native people. Student organization Wunk Sheek and campus partners are hosting a series of events across the university to celebrate the rich history, culture, and heritage of Native people at UW–Madison. See all of the events here.
- A series of workshops offered by Academics for Black Survival and Wellness and Kindred Medicine is designed to facilitate healing for Black folks in academia. Upcoming sessions will occur on December 1 and December 9, both from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Read more
- The next Health Equity & Diversity Lunch & Learn Series session will occur on December 4 at noon-1:00 p.m. on the topic, “Decolonizing Mental Health Care.” Learn more and register
- WISELI virtual workshops on Breaking the Bias Habit in November are available for faculty and staff.
- The Center for Community Engagement and Health Partnerships led by Gina Green Harris offered a series on Addressing Systemic Racism. Topics include Addressing Systemic Racism: From Its Origins to Its Impact throughout Life; Reforming our Health and Health Care Systems; and How the Media Impact the Narrative of Black Americans. Recordings are available here.