UW-Stout, UWEC Faculty Recognized for LGBTQ+ Advocacy

The UW System gave the 2019 Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People to UW-Stout Professor Markie L.C. Twist and UW-Eau Claire's Dr. Silviana Amethyst. Twist teaches in UW-Stout’s human development and family studies department and is the head of the sex therapy certificate for the graduate program. Twist has been active in the area of sexual and gender diversity, speaking at many national and international campuses, publishing several journal articles and editorials, organizing Sex Speak Sessions on campus, and coordinating the Trans and Nonbianary Student Panel. Twist teaches courses on sexual and gender diversity and hopes to continue to promote equity and inclusivity in the future. Amethyst is an assistant professor of mathematics at UWEC. Amethyst is an out trans woman and models being a queer professional in the sciences. Amethyst wants to make a difference at UWEC and is active on campus outside of her teaching role. She is currently involved as a Queer and Trans Action Committee member, she participates in several clubs such as the Women and Gender Minorities in STEM Club, she is a mentor for the Q'nnect program, and she was interviewed in the campus-made film titled "Queering Campus."

---

Rodriguez, Moody Honored for Promoting Diversity

The Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award was given to Glendali Rodriguez, Interim Provost at UW-Stout, and Dr. Heather Ann Moody, assistant professor of American Indian Studies at UWEC. This award is given to people in the UW System who have worked to improve diversity, equity, and inclusivity for women and people of color. Whether working as interim provost, department chair, or professor at UW-Stout, Rodriguez has given great efforts to model inclusivity with faculty and students. Moody, along with teaching, advises the Inter-Tribal Student Council and helps create intercultural immersion experiences for students such as trips to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and to the Lake Superior Watershed. In everything she does, she wants to promote awareness to campus and the community.

---

UW-Eau Claire Honors Offer Spanish Immersion Class

UWEC’s Community-Based Spanish honors course provides students the opportunity to connect with native Spanish speakers within the community. Students have volunteered at the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, interacting with Spanish-speaking patients and helping with child care. Others have helped schools in the area translate documents into Spanish or meet people after Spanish-language Mass in a local church. In addition to volunteering, the class takes a trip to tour Wisconsin dairy farms that employ migrant workers from Mexico so they can converse with them in Spanish. Not only do these experiences help students develop conversational Spanish skills, this also helps open their eyes to different Spanish-speaking cultures and it helps them put a face to immigration in the United States. Learning a language is about building community and making connections cross-culturally, and that is what this class strives to achieve.

---

Wisconsin Public Health Says Racism Is Health Crisis

Dr. Pam Guthman, previous public health nurse and currently a clinical assistant professor of nursing at UW-Eau Claire, has helped spark a statewide effort that ended with the Wisconsin Public Health Association declaring that racism is a public health crisis. The electronic declaration was signed by nearly 40 Wisconsin organizations, including cities, insurance companies, health care organizations, school districts, and nonprofits. These organizations are acknowledging the issue and pledging to take steps against it.