Category Society & Culture
All the world’s a stage — including Allen Centennial Garden
Shakespeare and modern jazz have bloomed in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Allen Centennial Gardens this summer along with the lilies, asters and hydrangea.
UW–Madison medical training program improves health care for rural communities
UW–Madison and its partners are tackling the pressing problem of rural health care access by bringing medical students out of the city and into rural hospitals and clinics around the state.
UW named a ‘Best Value College’
Princeton Review gave UW–Madison a “Return on Investment” rating of 91/99, based on alumni surveys covering starting and mid-career salaries and career social impact, as well as academic rating, financial aid rating and college costs.
Camp Randall’s unforgettable concerts
This summer, Camp Randall Stadium is opening its gates to concertgoers for the first time since 1997, when the Rolling Stones capped a decade-long run of world-famous rock bands making tour stops at the historic home of Badger football.
Extracting beauty from flowers, by finesse or by force
One workshop taught how to arrange flowers into bouquets, and another taught how to pound them into fabrics to create colorful designs.
UW ranks 30th worldwide in CWUR list
CWUR assesses the quality of education, employability, quality of faculty, and research without relying on surveys and university data submissions. Equal emphasis is put on student-related and faculty-related indicators.
UW Tech Exploration Lab student projects highlight innovation, emerging technologies
Bold ideas, creative problem solving and community impact were at the heart of 24 student projects launched this past semester at the Tech Exploration Lab.
Learning by experience: Students embrace opportunities to practice their profession and jumpstart their careers
The School of Human Ecology aims to ensure every alum is confident in their post-graduation plans. This means providing ample experiences to explore career paths and step into roles similar to those that SOHE students will apply for.
Mentor award winners guide, inspire undergraduates
The nominations for this year’s recipients read like a textbook of great mentoring practices — meeting students where they’re at, getting to know them as scholars and individuals, and guiding their learning with just the right mix of challenge and support.
Didier Contis named UW–Madison chief information officer
Contis brings more than 26 years of experience in higher education IT leadership, most recently as executive director of academic technology, innovation and research computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Graduates embody excellence and goodness at commencement
Celebratory cheers, proudly smiling faces and a sea of silly looking hats filled the Kohl Center on Friday evening as hundreds of University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate and professional degree recipients celebrated the culmination of years of work.
Meet some of the notable UW–Madison graduates of spring 2025
So many mortarboards, so many impressive students. This weekend, thousands of UW–Madison graduates will become the newest members of the worldwide Badger alumni network. Many have already left a lasting impact — on campus and far beyond. Here are just a few. Consider them a small subset of the excellence of the UW–Madison Class of 2025.
Raines Lucas, Jenna Seidl named winners of 2025 Herfurth-Kubly Awards
The awards, among the oldest and most prestigious on campus, are given annually to two seniors who have made the most effective use of their time at UW–Madison.
44 faculty honored with Vilas professorships and awards
Extraordinary members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty and staff have been honored during the last year with awards supported by the estate of professor, U.S. Senator and UW Regent William F. Vilas (1840-1908).
Exploring the great outdoors with Hoofers
From sailing to hiking to skiing, UW–Madison students explore new passions and find community in outdoor activities.
Percival Everett’s ‘James’ chosen as 2025-26 Go Big Read book
The book reimagines Mark Twain’s 1884 classic, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” from the perspective of Huck’s companion, Jim, as the pair share adventure on the Mississippi River, not long after Jim has escaped slavery.
Four UW–Madison professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The UW–Madison inductees are political philosopher Harry Brighouse, social psychologist Patricia Devine, political scientist Lisa Martin and cognitive neuroscientist Mark Seidenberg.
Bridging the Divide
A new campus dialogue series invites UW students with different ideologies to discuss challenging topics and understand each other’s points of view.
Meet the 2025 Academic Staff Excellence Award winners
“As the largest employee group on campus, our academic staff members are critical to all that we do,” says Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “They are gifted teachers, world-class researchers, impactful mentors, and innovative administrators. We rely on them to bring the Wisconsin Idea to life — in the classroom and throughout the state and the world.”
Alumna Felicity Klingele awarded top scholarship for graduate study at Oxford
Klingele is the first Badger to win the Barry Scholarship, which provides full funding for a minimum of two years of graduate study at the University of Oxford.