Reigniting the Spark: Reimagining Passion and Possibility in Student Affairs
Friday, April 10, 2026 from 9:00am to 4:30pm at UW-Milwaukee
PDI Registration
Open until March 31 at 11:30pm
- Tickets include breakfast and lunch at the PDI.
- Travel and housing are not included.
- Individuals can also opt in for a Free Brewers game at 6:40pm that night (while supplies last).
Ticket Prices:
- Graduate students $80
- Emeritus $80
- Early Bird Rate for Professional Staff (until 3/13 at 11:30pm) $110
- Regular Rate for Professional Staff $130
Location
UW Milwaukee Student Union
2200 East Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee WI 53212
Parking Information
- There is underground parking at the UWM Student Union, 2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI
- Going west on Kenwood (from Downer towards Maryland), you will turn right into the ramp just before the Student Union building
- If you are going east on Kenwood, you need to go past the entrance, U-turn at Stowell Ave, then turn right into the ramp
- If the Student Union ramp fills up, park in Lot 9, Zelazo Surface Lot at 3057 N Stowell Ave
- Take a ticket and bring it with you. You will pay as you leave the building
- You will enter the union from the parking ramp at the Basement level
- Take the elevator to the 2nd floor and turn left for the Wisconsin Room
Hotel Information
Program Proposal
Program proposals are closed at this time. Please consider submitting a proposal in the future!
Conference Schedule
Coming soon!
Keynote Speaker
Bryan Lewis, Ph. D.
I currently serve as the Coordinator of Allied Health Partnerships, Director of Pre-Health programs and Center for Health Sciences; Director of the Masters in Healthcare Administration program and a faculty member in the Health, Kinesiology and Sport Management department at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. I have served in these positions at the University for the past 25 years and before that worked as a professor and advisor in the Biology Department at Clarke College in Dubuque, IA where I taught classes such as Neuroscience and Physiology to both undergraduate and professional Physical Therapy students. During my 25+?year career in higher education, I have been a passionate advocate for student success and have helped many hundreds of students matriculate into professional health programs and graduate schools.
I have been heavily involved in program and academic development at our University having been the lead on the creation of the Center for Health Sciences, majors in Applied Health Sciences, Health Information Management and Technology, concentrations and certificates in Public Health, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Radiologic Sciences and Senior Living and Services Leadership as well as a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration and a Masters Program in Physician Assistant Studies that will begin in 2027.
As a professor/scientist, my areas of research include physiology, neuroscience, pathology, membrane physiology, and biophysics and have taught Freshman Seminar, Introduction to Applied Health Sciences, Bioscience, Neurological Disorders, Physiology, Physiological Psychology, Neuroscience, Health and Sport Leadership in Times of Crisis, Senior Seminar, and have served as the faculty supervisor for hundreds of student health Internships.
As a Faculty advisor, my area of interest is helping students in any way I can of think to be strong, confident developing professionals who foster a true belief in their own abilities, find lifelong careers they are passionate about, and ultimately are happy, well-adjusted adults who feel they are living the lives and careers they can be proud of.
Accessibility and Accommodations
We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations for this event. Please contact Kayla Ross at kayla.ross@uwrf.edu to make a reasonable accommodation request.
Past WCPA Professional Development Institutes
2025 PDI: Re-Envisioning Higher Education: Navigating Times of Change and Transition
2024 PDI: Intergenerational Excellence: Strategies for Bridging Gaps in Higher Education
2023 PDI: Disability on Campus: Advocating for Accessibility
2022 PDI: Keeping this in Mind, Supporting Mental Health on Our Campuses
2020 PDI: Free Speech, Protest, and Bias; Response on our College Campuses
2019 PDI: Higher Education in Transition
2018 PDI: #MeToo on Campus
2017 PDI: Supporting Undocumented Students
2016 PDI: Serving Indigenous Students
2014 PDI: Assessment in Student Affairs
2013 PDI: Students In Transition: From Entry to Academic Success
2012 PDI: Creating a culture of Civility & Responsibility
2011 PDI: From At-Risk to At-Promise in the Blink of an Educator’s Eye
2010 PDI: Student Learning: Building Student Affairs Capacity for Academic Collaboration
2009 PDI: Working with Millennial Students, Professional Staff and Their Parents
2008 PDI: Alcohol and Today’s College Student
2007 PDI: The Ins and Outs of Online Communities and Technology: Best Practices and Strategies to Effectively Work With Our Students
2005 PDI: Mental Health & Today’s College Student
2004 PDI: The College Male Today: Challenges and Opportunities in Engaging Men on Campus