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Audience members holding up glowing red sticks at a nighttime event in Camp Randall Stadium. In the foreground, someone holds the sticks to form a letter W.

Still/Moving

UW–Madison in 2024 through the camera’s lens

New students throw up glowing Ws during Wisconsin Welcome.

Photos by: Bryce Richter, Jeff Miller, Althea Dotzour, Taylor Wolfram, MK Denton, Paige Valley and Xiaomeng Shen

Words by: Preston Schmitt

How do you measure a successful year at the University of Wisconsin–Madison?

In 2024, you could start with the big moments: a 175th anniversary celebration; a record number of freshman applicants and students on campus; the first graduating class of UW–Madison Online; the launch of the Wisconsin RISE Initiative; progress on new buildings for the College of Engineering, the College of Letters & Science and the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences; a milestone in fusion and other fields of research; the “new Ivy” moniker from Forbes magazine; a women’s hockey championship game appearance.

But you can also measure the year at UW–Madison by the accumulation of all the small, quiet, everyday moments that create the vibrant fabric of campus life. They prove — despite blizzardy weather, or passionate disagreements, or the inevitable obstacle in the path of research and learning — that Badgers are still moving forward. One small moment, and still photo, at a time.

Still/Chilling

A year at UW–Madison comes with four picturesque seasons, starting with the bitter cold one. But even freezing temperatures and snow flurries can’t slow the hotbed of activity on this campus. We easily endure the chilliest days of winter, because the promise of spring — and then summer at the Terrace — is never far away.

Person wearing a winter jacket with a fur-lined hood and a scarf covering their mouth, standing outdoors on a snowy day.

The look of determination: January temperatures dipped into the negatives, but Badgers, like law student Valeria Martínez, don’t hibernate.

Two individuals clear snow from a pathway using a snow blower and a shovel on the UW–Madison campus, with snow-covered grounds and buildings visible in the background.

It’s only a winter wonderland if you can make it to class. UW custodians clear snow (almost magically) from 60 miles of sidewalks to make safe passage.

Person walking past a snowman wearing a scarf beside a snowy road with leafless, ice-covered trees in the background.

Frosty the Snowman swaps his hat for horns atop Observatory Hill.

Two people kayaking in a yellow kayak float on Lake Mendota with several boats in the background on a sunny day.

From chilly to chillin’: When winter gives way to the warmer seasons, kayakers return to the serene waters of Lake Mendota.

Still/Discovering

This year, UW–Madison rose to sixth in the nation in research expenditures. (Move over, UCLA!) At a $1.7 billion research enterprise, aha moments abound — not just for scientists in the lab, but also for students in the classroom and young visitors in our museums. We cherish every moment of discovery, big and small.

Person in a lab holding a cicada specimen, with a microscope in the background.
What’s the buzz? A summer of the cicadas means high demand for entomologist PJ Liesch — aka UW’s “bug guy.”
A person in a life jacket and headband is collecting water samples from a lily-covered pond, viewed from a below-water perspective.
Wild rice plants are disappearing from Allequash Lake in northern Wisconsin. To find out why, UW researchers, including student Marin Danz, are working with the Wisconsin DNR and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Three student researchers working in a laboratory, focusing on an experiment using a complex apparatus with various tubes and measuring devices.
You know grad student Daniel Pearce (right) is worthy of his 2024 mentor award when his mentee says this: “He has helped me understand that my growth as a researcher is connected to my growth as a person.”
A dinosaur fossil on display under glass at a museum, with a child observing it intently in the foreground.
Not your average rock, kid: The Vienna Meteorite, unearthed in Wisconsin in 2009 and the largest of its kind discovered in the U.S. since 1981, settles into its new home at UW’s Geology Museum.
Two students and their professor engaged in a collaborative learning session around a desk with various educational tools and paperwork.
In Professor Hannah Blum’s structural engineering class, students conduct physical experiments and use virtual reality to tour buildings. Blum earned a 2024 teaching innovation award.
Researchers work at computer stations in a high-tech lab with large scientific equipment in the background. One individual is standing and raising their hand in celebration.
Sweet success! In July, researchers from UW–Madison and spinoff company Realta Fusion celebrate a nuclear fusion device generating plasma for the first time. The milestone opens the door to making the carbon-free energy source a reality.

Still/Creating

Music. Art. Community. There’s a reason this place is home to the both the first university dance program and the first studio glass program in the country. Badgers are never still — and never content — which means that we’re always creating.

An individual plays a large carillon, consisting of numerous bronze bells, inside a bell tower.
These bells toll for Badgers: Atop Carillon Tower, Lyle Anderson plays a ringing rendition of “On, Wisconsin!”
Person in a red jacket and pink cap holding up a handful of feathery milkweed seeds, with three others in the background in a field, under a cloudy sky.
The cycle of life: Student Allison Hung spreads native seeds to help restore the Biocore Prairie near Picnic Point.
A person proudly displaying a handcrafted ceramic bowl in an art studio.
Make room, MoMA: Student artist Victoria Zaraza shows off the glaze on her ceramic piece during Open Studio Day at the Art Lofts.
Students practicing hairstyling techniques on a mannequin head during a class session.
Black history, Black hair: Students (from left to right) Bryah Lewis, Blessing Maduka and Promise Maduka practice making twists during a Black History Month event celebrating iconic hairstyles and self-care.

Still/Embracing

To embrace each other is practically part of the UW–Madison curriculum. When new students arrive on campus and attend convocation, they wrap their arms around their peers’ shoulders to sing “Varsity!” And then, as you can see, they never really let go.

Group of students laughing and enjoying a playful moment outdoors, with one person standing face-to-face with another, seemingly about to engage in a fun activity. They are in a grassy area with buildings in the background.
Think you’re just here to register for classes? Wrong! At student orientation, Badgers get to know their new peers through small-group activities.
Fans wearing red Wisconsin team apparel enjoy a performance by the Wisconsin marching band at a sporting event.
How could you not share a hug when you’re listening to the UW Marching Band before the Homecoming football game?
Two individuals hugging happily in front of a display case filled with various artifacts at a museum.
“We’re getting married!” UW student Han Raschka (right) embraces Isabelle Miller after an artful proposal at the Chazen Museum.
Former UW–Madison basketball players greet Howard Moore, who is seated in a wheelchair on center court at the Kohl Center. A 'DO MOORE' banner displayed in the background.
Howard Moore, the former UW men’s basketball coach who experienced a tragic family car accident in 2019, receives a hero’s welcome home in his return to the Kohl Center in March.
Three individuals enjoying a lively moment, sitting in folding chairs outside a business on State Street. All are wearing casual attire, with one wearing a "Wisconsin" sports jacket.
Friends (and Badgers) for life: UW alumni, sporting red and white, share a laugh during the Homecoming Parade.
Two people walking closely together on a sidewalk covered with autumn leaves, near a low wall, with buildings in the background.
Campus’s fall colors make romantics of us all.

Still/Celebrating

In 2024, we put a bow on UW’s 175th anniversary extravaganza — just as you could finally finish saying, “Demisemiseptcentennial.” But don’t worry: On this campus, reasons to celebrate Badger achievement never cease. Cheer on, Wisconsin!

Two joyful runners embracing at the finish line under a banner that reads "FINISH" with a running clock showing the time 01:19.
“We did it!” UW students Tela Gehrke and Brooke Hrdlicka hug it out after crossing the finish line of the 42nd Annual Crazylegs Classic race.
University of Wisconsin women's ice hockey team come together on the ice in celebration with enthusiastic fans cheering in the background.
As a wise Wisconsin coach once said: It's a great day for hockey! The UW women’s hockey team celebrates a big win with the crowd.
Nighttime parade at State Street with crowds in red clothing, Bucky Badger mascot, and the Wisconsin State Capitol in the background.
By the light of the moon (and the capitol), Bucky Badger and the Spirit Squad take over State Street during the Homecoming Parade.
A smiling young child wearing a paper Bucky Badger hat interacts with grandparents at a dining table.
Generations of Badgers celebrate UW and local connections at the Fox Valley stop of the 175th anniversary statewide tour.

Still/Engaging

On the first day of classes, Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin wrote: “Success requires all of us to bring both curiosity and compassion to our conversations with one another, and to respect diversity of thought both when we agree and — most especially — when we do not.” And all around us, we saw this principle in action.

Two individuals are casting their votes at polling booths marked with American flags.
UW students take civic engagement seriously, as evidenced by the highest overall turnout in the 2022 Big Ten Voting Challenge, whose results were announced earlier this year. Students took to the polls in big numbers again this November.
An individual speaking into a microphone at a panel discussion in an auditorium, with two other participants listening attentively.
After a campus film screening of “Stranger at the Gate,” U.S. Marine veteran Richard McKinney (right) and Afghan refugee Bibi Bahrami share their powerful story of transforming hate into compassion.
People in professional attire gather around a panel displaying an individual's research findings in the marbled rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol.
During the annual Research in the Rotunda event at the capitol, UW students share their latest findings with leaders from the university and state government.
Group of people dressed as Disney princesses at a themed event in a hospital, interacting with a young patient and posing for a photo.
Medically vulnerable children can meet their superheroes, including Disney princesses, thanks to UW students who dress up and volunteer for A Moment of Magic.
Two individuals wearing University of Wisconsin-Madison jackets are seated outside on a low wall in front of a glass-walled building, engaged in a conversation with a laptop open between them and backpacks beside them.
Enjoying a sunny day, Professor Christina Kendziorski and doctoral student Lingxin Cheng discuss their research within the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics.

Still/Welcoming

You belong here. That’s always our message to new students at UW–Madison, starting during those whirlwind few hours of move-in day. Every year, we love to capture the experience as they meet their new roommates, bid farewell to their families and begin their Wisconsin Experience.

A parent assembles a piece of furniture in a hallway outside two dorm rooms where more people help incoming students set up their new rooms.
Good work, Dad: Peter Oldenburg assembles a futon for his daughter, Elizabeth, in Ogg Residence Hall.
Four people standing in line for the elevator in a bright, modern corredor, with signs indicating the location as a bathroom and elevators. The people are holding laundry bins, plastic shelves and other dorm room supplies.
Your first test: patience! Students and family members wait for the elevators in Witte Residence Hall on move-in day.
Graduation ceremony at Kohl Center with Jennifer Mnookin on stage in regalia. Mnookin poses to take a selfie with the large crowd of graduates and attendees behind her.
The ultimate selfie: Chancellor Mnookin poses with the new class of students during convocation at the Kohl Center.
A person walking briskly past a 'WELCOME' sign at the entrance of a residence hall on a sunny day, with motion blur emphasizing the speed.
Chadbourne Residence Hall spells out a welcoming message for new students.

Still/Badgering

The capitalization is key here. Because badgering, the lowercase verb, may be bad (don’t badger your professors!). But Badgering means embracing our school spirit. And we do plenty of it.

A large inflatable Bucky Badger mascot in a red and white outfit positioned in a grassy area. On the lawn, a human-sized Bucky Badger sits back and admires this grander version of himself.
Seeing double: Bucky Badger stares curiously at a giant inflatable version of himself.
Three children playing joyfully inside a bright red bouncy castle featuring the Bucky Badger logo of the Wisconsin Badgers.
Jump around! Young visitors enjoy an inflatable bounce house during the UW 175th Anniversary Community Open House.
Close-up of a musician wearing the cap of the UW–Madison Marching Band and playing a trumpet at a Wisconsin Badgers event, with a face painted with the team's Bucky Badger logo and red and white sequins.
Bedazzled with a temporary Bucky tattoo, a trumpet player in the UW Marching Band hits all the right notes.
A person in a Wisconsin Badgers souvenir jersey waves to a crowd from the back of a convertible during the Homecoming Parade on State Street.
Mini-marshal (and future Badger?) Adalyn Howe waves to the crowd during the Homecoming Parade.
University of Wisconsin volleyball player Carter Booth, wearing jersey number 52, interacts with fans court side as the school mascot looks on in the background. Booth runs down the line of fans giving everyone high fives
Volleyball player Carter Booth inspires the next generation of Badger stars.
A vibrant nighttime celebration featuring Bucky Badger being hoisted in the air by fans, with cheerleaders and a marching band performing under red lights.
Add crowd surfing to Bucky Badger’s long list of skills, as seen at the Homecoming Block Party.

Still/Sweating

Badgers are active creatures. Whether it’s our varsity teams, sport clubs or open recreation activities, there’s always some action to catch on campus.

Players from opposing teams engaged in a women's rugby match on a grassy field. One team wears red and white uniforms, and the other team wears black. The red-clad Wisconsin player in the center is running with the ball, attempting to evade a tackle.
Not even four Gophers can bring down Badger women’s rugby player Phoebe Paster.
Person rock climbing indoors, reaching out while grasping holds on a climbing wall, focused expression visible.
Student Nate Unger conquers the rock-climbing wall in the Bakke Recreation & Wellbeing Center.
Action during a 2024 NCAA Women's Frozen Four ice hockey game with players from team 'UW' in red and opponents in black, on the ice amidst play.
The UW women’s hockey team competes against Ohio State at the Frozen Four, coming oh-so-close to a title repeat in 2024.

Still/Wondering

College is for the curious, and at UW–Madison, we’re always eager to learn more about the world around us. This year, Mother Nature provided some striking lessons on our small place in a wonderful universe.

Statue of Bucky Badger wearing a red and white sweater with a University of Wisconsin logo, set against a starry night sky with northern lights.

“Well Red” Bucky looks even more enlightened with a graduation cap and a backdrop of the Northern Lights in May.

Night view of the iconic Carillon Tower at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, illuminated against a starry sky with vibrant purple hues of the aurora borealis.

The Northern Lights return to illuminate the Carillon Tower in October.

Person smiling and using eclipse glasses to look up to the sky in a sunny park setting.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a ... total solar eclipse! Student Vibha Srinivasan smiles as she stares at the rare phenomenon from Bascom Hill in April.

A group of people gathered at night under a bright moon, silhouetted against a starry sky and leafless trees.

What better place to see a full moon than at Picnic Point? The Full Moon Hike, hosted by Outdoor UW, invites participants on a memorable, moonlit stroll.

Still/Congratulating

Thousands of UW students finished their degrees in 2024, celebrating the occasion in grand ceremonies at Camp Randall Stadium and the Kohl Center. No pressure, but we can’t wait to see how they live out the Wisconsin Idea — and change the world.

Graduation ceremony at Camp Randall Stadium with a large crowd of graduates in caps and gowns seated, facing a stage with speakers and American flags.
Chancellor Mnookin tells the spring graduates: “The questions that challenge what we are certain we already know to be true are often the ones that drive extraordinary innovation.”
Graduate in red regalia smiling as they accept a bouquet of pink roses from a young child at a University of Wisconsin graduation ceremony.
Proud daughter Nyla hands PhD graduate Nicole Soulier a bouquet of flowers during the Friday spring ceremony at the Kohl Center.
Graduate in cap and gown excitedly celebrating amid other graduates at a University of Wisconsin-Madison commencement ceremony.
Graduate Grace Bounds shows us what pure joy looks like during the Saturday spring ceremony at Camp Randall.
Graduates in caps and gowns at UW's commencement ceremony, some caps decorated with personal messages, in a stadium setting under a clear sky.
“Thank you, Mom and Dad.” UW graduates use their mortarboards as a canvas for creative and heartfelt messages.
A row of UW–Madison graduates in caps and gowns smile and are surprised by a burst of red and white streamers above them, with the Kohl Center audience and Jumbotron in the background.
Under a burst of streamers, delighted graduates celebrate their capstone achievement at winter commencement.

Still/Exploring

At UW–Madison, learning often takes us outside the classroom. Whether we’re looking up to the sky or digging down in the earth, we know that the next frontier of knowledge awaits.

Interior of an observatory with people gathered around a large telescope under a retractable dome roof at night.
Stargazers gather at the Washburn Observatory telescope for a singular view of the sky in spring.
Students in firefighting gear conducting a controlled burn in a grassy field on a sunny day.
Burning and learning: Students take part in a prescribed prairie burn in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve as part of UW–Madison’s efforts to restore native landscapes.
A beekeeper showing two individuals a honeycomb frame from a beehive, using a smoker to calm the bees, outdoors in a natural setting.
Members of the UW student organization Bees Please visit a beekeeper in Middleton, carrying out their mission to promote the importance of these essential pollinators.
Person examining fossils under bright lamps in a workshop setting, surrounded by scientific equipment and illustrations.
David Lovelace, one of the rock-star scientists at the UW Geology Museum, carefully removes sediment from a fossil specimen.

Still/Laughing

Badgers work hard — and play hard. On a campus where (plastic) pink flamingos routinely flock to Bascom Hill, it should be no surprise that we like a good laugh.

Two people smiling and dancing in a vibrant indoor environment with games in the background.
Participants break into an impromptu dance during A Night at The Bazaar event, kicking off Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month in March.
A person laughs joyfully while shaking hands with Bucky Badger. They are at an outdoor event on a summer day with people and greenery in the background.
Blush! Molly Moen, a staff member in the Department of Psychology, meets her hero during a UW employee appreciation social on Bascom Hill.
Two participants dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles running in a race, with spectators cheering along the sidelines.
Slow and steady wins the Crazylegs Classic race for these Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Jennifer Mnookin and Joshua Foa Dienstag enjoying a slide ride at an amusement park, both smiling joyously.
Chancellor Mnookin and her husband, political science professor Joshua Foa Dienstag, brave the giant slide at the Wisconsin State Fair during an outreach visit.
Close-up view of a pink plastic flamingo lawn ornament in focus, with more flamingos and autumn leaves in the background on Bascom Hill.
Once a prank, now a staple: Flamingos return to Bascom Hill (and stare into your soul) for the annual Fill the Hill fundraiser in fall.
A person with her face covered in whipped cream from a well-placed pie wearing a plastic poncho and a joyful expression, holding up a peace sign with one hand under a sunny daylight.
Student (and good sport) Adrianna Modelska takes a pie to the face — to raise funds for the UW chapter of the American Meteorological Society.
Two individuals performing on stage with the word "(HUMILIATION)" displayed on the screen behind them, while an audience watches. The two performers wear goggles and pretend to swim while a third person stands to the side by a podium with a laptop and a microphone.
Comedians Jacob Kaplan (left) and Marcus Lustig (center) dance the Macarena during a campus show at the Pyle Center. “Kings of Camp” recounts their attempt to relive their youth by doing a stand-up tour at Jewish summer camps.
Audience members sitting on risers, smiling and laughing at a live event.
Audience members laugh out loud during Jana Schmieding’s visit to the Memorial Union. The Lakota comedian and writer was the keynote guest for Native November on campus.
An adult and a baby reading a colorful book together on the floor, surrounded by vibrant fabrics.
Graduate student Dorothy Lsoto and 11-month-old Avia Colleen Kiraibo read a book together during the Children’s African Story Hour in Ingraham Hall as part of the UW 175th Anniversary Community Open House.

Still/Moving

As we bid farewell to 2024, we look forward to another momentous year at UW–Madison. What discoveries, celebrations and laughs will 2025 bring? We’re not sure. But we do know one thing: Badgers will still be moving forward. And we’re going to cherish — and capture — every moment.

Bucky Badger celebrating with students surrounded by red balloons at an outdoor event.
Bucky Badger finds a willing dance partner in Teri Grein, a staff member in the Wisconsin School of Business, during the employee appreciation social.
A joyful moment as individuals dance on stage in front of the UW Marching Band. The crowd, clad in red and white, watches enthusiastically.
UW Marching Band director Corey Pompey (left on stage) and drum major Caleb Monge (right) dance the polka with adoring fans before a football game.
Image showing a lively party atmosphere with people dancing and socializing under red lighting.

The UW Class of 2024 missed out on high school prom because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their response? Throw a perfect senior prom in college.

A person marching and playing a large bass drum with the University of Wisconsin logo on it during a nighttime parade.

And the beat goes on ... to 2025.