Welcome to our September newsletter! Whatever your stance on Pumpkin Spice, we hope you find time to read and enjoy this month’s newsletter, which includes updates and multiple ways of staying connected with the Teaching Academy.
This month: Excitement is building for our largest event of the year, the Teaching Academy’s Fall Retreat—hold your place by registering now! Check out the wide range of professional learning opportunities from our partners in the Discussion Project, the Language Institute, WISCIENCE, Sustainability Symposium, and the Center for Teaching, Learning and Mentoring. Clinical educators: the deadline has been extended for proposals for the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education. Why not take a little time to recognize someone you work with by nominating them for membership in the Teaching Academy? And…the Teaching Academy Newsletter welcomes Cassidy Rempel (Communication Arts) to our editorial team!
Questions or comments about the newsletter?
Contact Dan Pell & Sarah Pultorak, Editors: editor-uwta-newsletter@g-groups.wisc.edu
Updates & Events | What’s happening in the Academy?
Fall Retreat: Using AI Critically and Creatively
- Friday, 9 October, 9 am – 11:30am, DeLuca Forum (Discovery Building) & online
Doors open at 8:30 am for light breakfast and conversation
Zoom opens at 8:45 am
Register - Join us at our Fall Retreat, where we bring instructors, TAs, and those who support instruction to connect and learn together. Invited speakers from across campus will share examples of using AI both creatively and critically, helping students express their ideas, develop problem-solving skills, and hone their critical thinking while centering the human side of AI. Together, we will consider important questions such as: When is AI an enhancement to expression, creativity, and idea generation? How can we build students’ AI literacy and use AI to develop intellectual curiosity and critical inquiry?
- Whether you are new to AI or already experimenting with it in your teaching, this session offers ideas, insights, and real-world examples to inspire meaningful student engagement. Join the conversation and explore how AI can be a powerful partner in teaching and learning.
Questions about the Retreat?
Contact Dan Pell & Kate Rotzenberg retreats-uwta@g-groups.wisc.edu
Leadership Opportunities in the Teaching Academy
The Executive Committee seeks to fill multiple leadership positions:
- up to three Faculty Executive Committee Members
- up to five Future Faculty Partner (Graduate Student) Executive Committee Members
The Executive Committee is composed of elected Fellows and Future Faculty Partners who work actively to better teaching and learning. The Executive Committee elects faculty, academic staff, and future faculty partner co-chairs from its membership. The Executive Committee hopes to elect a future faculty partner co-chair this fall. | Learn more
Questions about membership? Interested in applying?
Contact teachingacademy@wisc.edu
Seeking New Members | Join the Teaching Academy.
Honor a colleague—or nominate yourself! For over 30 years, the Academy’s mission has been to promote, recognize and support excellence in teaching and learning among faculty, academic staff and graduate students across campus and beyond. The Teaching Academy welcomes nominees who teach or support instruction for face-to-face, online, and hybrid classes, clinical practice, field instruction, and more. | Learn how to Become a Member
Questions about membership?
Are you an FFP who has moved on to another position in the University?
Contact teachingacademy@wisc.edu
Member FYI | News, Events, Training, and Learning Opportunities
The Discussion Project | January 2027 Courses Open for Registration
The Discussion Project is a professional learning course to support instructors in designing, implementing, and facilitating high-quality classroom discussion. The course is designed to support instructors teaching classes of up to 40 students although many instructors who teach large classes have taken the course and found it effective for considering how to run interactive lectures and how best to prepare their TAs to run effective discussion sections.
- For Faculty & Academic Staff:
- For Graduate Student Teaching Assistants & Graduate Student Lecturers:
- Jan 13, 14, 15, 830am–430pm in Educational Sciences, Room 259 | Register
Questions about the Discussion Project?
Contact discussion-project@education.wisc.edu
WISCIENCE Teaching Fellows | Call for Applications
Are you a grad student or postdoc in STEM pursuing a career that includes college-level teaching? If so, we have two unique, year-long professional development programs that offer in-depth training and hands-on experience with inclusive, evidence-based teaching.
- Scientific Teaching Fellows
For those in the biosciences (or connected fields). Get in-depth training and hands-on experience instructing an introductory biology course at UW-Madison collaboratively with a cohort of peers. | Learn More - Applications open: Sept 14–Oct 25
- Virtual info sessions:
- Sept 22, 11:30 AM–12:15 PM | Learn More
- Oct. 21, 12:15–1 PM | Learn More
- Madison College Teaching Fellows
For those interested in teaching biology, chemistry, physics, math, or computer science (especially at two-year schools). Get in-depth training and hands-on experience instructing an introductory course at Madison College. | Learn More - Applications open: Sept 14–Oct 25
- Virtual info sessions:
- Sept 24, 2-3 PM | Learn More
- Oct 19, 11-12PM | Learn More
5th Annual Sustainability Symposium | Call for Proposals
Faculty, staff and students are invited to submit proposals to share their sustainability-related work at this year’s Sustainability Symposium.
- Wed, Oct 28, 1–530 pm, Discovery Building | Learn more & register
- Proposals Due: Oct 11 | Learn more & submit
This year’s theme is Sustainability and Entrepreneurship. There will be flash talks, poster presentations, and a keynote address by Dr. Erica Plambeck ’94 of the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Questions about the Sustainability Symposium?
Contact Will Erikson: werikson@wisc.edu
The Language Institute | Invited lecture series on identity and language learning
- An Introduction to ChitterChatter: AI Speaking Practice for UW-Madison Language Instructors
Demonstration and info session by Jadon Geathers, Cornell University
Thu, Sept 24, 4pm, online on Zoom | Register - Language and Place: Communities and Corpora
Invited Lecture by Minnie Quartey, Georgetown University
Fri, Oct 2, 330–5pm, online on Zoom | Register - When Difficulty Motivates (and When It Doesn’t): What Identity-Based Motivation Theory Can Offer to Second Language Acquisition
Invited Lecture by Sophia Strietholt, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Thu, Oct 8, 3-4pm, 1418 Van Hise Hall | RSVP
Questions about the Language Institute?
Contact Jana Martin: jcmartin4@wisc.edu
Have something to share? Academy members work in diverse roles and learning environments across our university. If you have news, events, training, or opportunities you would like to share with the Teaching Academy, please contact the editors (below). Messages received by the second Monday of the month may be included in that month’s newsletter.
Contact Dan Pell & Sarah Pultorak, teachingacademy@wisc.edu
CTLM Updates | Engage with the Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring
NEW! Being a TA in the U.S. Classroom
These workshops aim to help you succeed as a TA by providing practical strategies for cross-cultural teaching and communication. Upcoming topic: Practicing Effective Communication (Oct. 15). | Learn more & register
Teaching resources | EXPANDED! Teaching Assistant Guide
Whether you’re a new or returning TA, you’ll find helpful strategies and resources to support your success. New sections share how to establish and maintain a good working relationship with your leader instructor and topics of interest to international TAs. | Read the Guide
Join the Reflection Space | Enhance your teaching through reflective practice
The Reflection Space is a unique writing community which encourages you to think deeply about your teaching and your students’ learning. The Reflection Space is open to instructors teaching in any discipline or modality—at all career stages—and is ongoing throughout the fall & spring semesters. | Join
If you’re looking for a different kind of engagement or instructional support, please contact CTLM with your request – we look forward to working with you! To learn more about these programs or to register, visit the CTLM’s Professional Development Opportunities.
Learning Community Update | Clinical Teachers’ Corner
Participate: SACME Annual Meeting (Abstract submission deadline extended to October 5, 2026). The Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) 2027 Annual Meeting will take place in Montréal from May 2-5, 2027. The meeting offers opportunities to share scholarly work, learn about emerging practices and innovations in continuing professional development, and connect with colleagues from across the field. Consider contributing your work! | Learn more
Save the Date: Healthcare Continuing Ed Professionals Day Conference
UW-Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (UW-Madison ICEP) offers a special program to celebrate the professionals who ensure that healthcare providers stay informed and capable of delivering the best possible care to their patients.
- Fri, Jan 22, Health Sciences Learning Center
Articles For Discussion. Participate in the discussion of articles featured in the Clinical Teacher Learning Community. Topics include integration of theory in continuing education, adaptive expertise, exceptional teaching, active learning strategies, learner assessment, precision education, serious games, and artificial intelligence. This online community also offers connections, news, and resources for clinical teachers.
Courses | Education Essentials. Education Essentials is a collection of 8 modules aimed at developing key skills for all interprofessional health science teachers, in various teaching settings. Registration is free and these courses can be completed at your own pace. | Learn more & register
Resources. UW-Madison Libraries offer a compilation of resources on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Academic Health Sciences. This includes definitions of important concepts for understanding the AI landscape, and use of AI in teaching and learning.
Explore:
- Clinical Teacher Learning Community
- SMPH Faculty Central
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (UW CIPE)
Questions? Topics you would like to see? Announcements for the next issue?
Contact Marianna Shershneva: marianna.shershneva@wisc.edu
Ways to contribute to the Academy’s ongoing activities
Fall & Winter Retreats. Join the Retreat Planning Committee to organize & facilitate campus-wide teaching development events.
Contact Dan Pell: dan.pell@wisc.edu
Members+ Events. The Members+ Committee seeks Fellows who are interested in organizing one-per-semester roundtable discussions among members and guests on issues surrounding teaching & learning.
Contact Claire Barrett: claire.barrett@wisc.edu
Membership Committee. The Membership Committee seeks Fellows (Faculty & Academic Staff) and FFPs to help review nominations. Honor great campus educators & promote excellence by helping to review nominations.
Contact: uwta-membership@g-groups.wisc.edu
New Member Induction Ceremony. Want to help plan an event honoring our newest members?
Contact Kate Rotzenberg: katherine.rotzenberg@wisc.edu
U-CLaSS. Take part in U-CLaSS sessions to explore teaching and learning from the student perspective.
Contact jamie.henke@wisc.edu
Newsletter. Have ideas or events to contribute? Want to add someone to the mailing list?
Contact Sarah Pultorak & Dan Pell: teachingacademy@wisc.edu