Category State & Global
Two UW–Madison teams chosen 2021 WARF Innovation Award winners
Researchers who created a device for detecting explosives and a cross-disciplinary group working at the frontiers of medicine and nanotechnology have taken top honors from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
In a busy and productive 2021 for UW–Madison research, these stories stood out
University Communications covered a range of insightful, fun and important research developments. The writers who brought you those stories chose these as particularly memorable.
Meet some of the exceptional graduates of winter 2021
This year’s winter graduates are an accomplished bunch — they’ve created new student organizations, toured the world on music stages, undertaken important research, and won major awards
UWPD launches data dashboard, emphasis on racial equity
After more than a year of community meetings, listening to concerns and collecting feedback, the UW–Madison Police Department is embarking on a one-of-a-kind approach to sharing key data with a focus on racial equity.
South Madison Partnership connects UW with neighborhood
Two miles down Park Street from the UW–Madison campus are the facilities of the UW South Madison Partnership — an effort to overcome that geographic distance to draw the university and the neighborhood closer through respectful, equal collaboration.
Search underway for new agricultural and life sciences dean
Kate VandenBosch has served as dean since 2012 and will be stepping down at the end of this academic year. Troy Runge, a professor and department chair in Biological Systems Engineering, is chairing the search committee.
Students lead way in sustainability effort
These UW–Madison students pair environmental studies majors with everything from law to fashion to finance as they learn how to apply environmental solutions to their chosen fields.
Two UW researchers named National Academy of Inventors fellows
The NAI program recognized Thomas R. “Rock” Mackie and Bulent Sarlioglu for "creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.”
An Indigenous story map experience about water
A new website created by a Wisconsin Sea Grant intern in partnership with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission details what Indigenous communities in the Upper Midwest are doing to conserve and protect water.
Virgil Abloh: A visionary designer and artist
Abloh, a UW–Madison graduate in civil engineering who became the artistic director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, died of cancer Sunday at age 41.
UW teams up with NFL on research designed to reduce head injuries in athletes
Researchers will collect data from high-tech mouthguard sensors that measure impact speed, direction, force, location and severity of head impacts.
Student’s innovative climate research could change building design
“By the end of the 21st century, building cooling in Madison will be very similar to Montgomery, Alabama,” says Nelson Institute graduate student Gesangyangji. That startling realization motivated her to research how projected climate data can inform building energy design.
Donohue to lead Wisconsin Energy Institute
Tim Donohue, a professor of bacteriology, has led the institute as interim director since 2017. WEI provides leadership in energy and clean technology research, scholarship, education and outreach.
Magellanic Stream arcing over Milky Way may be five times closer than previously thought
The stars in the Magellanic Stream have eluded researchers for decades. But a new study suggests that they may have simply been looking in the wrong place.
Two UW–Madison seniors were finalists this year for the Rhodes Scholarship
Qianyun (Lexi) Luo and Hawra Aljawad reached the final stage of competition for one of the most prestigious and selective undergraduate academic honors in the world.
UW System honors Charek Briggs for LGBTQ+ advocacy
The assistant director of UW–Madison’s Gender and Sexuality Campus Center has received the 2021 Dr. P.B. Poorman Award, which goes to LGBTQ+ people or their allies who have helped to create a safer and more inclusive climate.
UW’s Kathy Cramer co-chairs prestigious academy commission on reimagining economy
The committee will assess the impact of the last half-century of economic policymaking, meet with Americans from all over the country, and generate recommendations meant to create an economy that best serves the needs of the American people.
Chemists discover new way to harness energy from ammonia
"To be able to complete the ammonia-to-nitrogen reaction under ambient conditions — and get energy — is a pretty big deal,” says chemistry Professor John Berry.
Blank’s Slate: Veterans enrich our learning community
As more veterans come to our campus, they bring a unique mix of leadership and experience to the classroom. Their perspectives enrich our learning community in many ways.
UW team among winners of Musk Foundation’s XPRIZE for Carbon Removal Student Competition
The contest is kickstarting projects that could mitigate the impacts of climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, ground and oceans.