Photo gallery Moments in Time 2016: Photographers’ Choice
A pictorial look back at 2016 reveals that these 366 days at UW–Madison were filled with inspiring moments, both ordinary and extraordinary.
Some of the simplest scenes — on the lake, in the classroom, up Bascom Hill — provided some of the most striking images of campus. Serious moments that stirred our consciences reflected the power of ideas to move society forward. Joyful times with friends sustained us through the challenges of college life. These photographs, selected by University Communications photographers Jeff Miller and Bryce Richter, are a collection of their favorite Moments in Time for the year. Peek through their lenses, look, and linger.
Text by Bill Graf/University Communications
Badger sighting: A tightly bundled student makes a quintessentially Wisconsin fashion statement walking along Linden Drive on a chilly January day. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Out of the elements yet into the elements, Michelle Locke (left) and Bailey Spiegelberg conduct an experiment with a molecular model in a Chemistry Building lab. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Swam dunk: Two mallards take advantage of open water to feed in partially frozen Lake Mendota near the Memorial Union Terrace during an unseasonably mild winter day. Photo by: Jeff Miller
By February, the ice was solid enough for UW-Madison to host the Ojibwa Winter Games, including this friendly "snow snake" competition. Photo by: Bryce Richter
One brave, determined soul trudges across Bascom Hill near Science Hall during a March blizzard with white-out conditions. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Chalk talk: The guiding hand of Assistant Professor Daniel Erman, one of twelve 2016 Distinguished Teaching Award recipients, leads his students through a lesson in abstract algebra in Van Vleck Hall. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Tony-winning actress and UW-Madison lecturer Karen Olivo (currently appearing in the Chicago production of "Hamilton") puts theatre and drama students through their paces. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Positive painting: Students put brush to canvas in the Body Positivity and Black Sexuality Paint Night workshop at Wheelhouse Studios in the Memorial Union. Photo by: Bryce Richter
More than 50 people aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement voice their concerns about racial inequity on UW campuses at a Board of Regents meeting in Union South. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Fired up: The chemistry department's master glassblower, Tracy Drier, employs a blowtorch to create a highly specialized lab instrument. Drier was one of nine 2016 Academic Staff Excellence Award recipients. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Fire is also Austin Pethan's tool of choice during a prescribed burn to manage vegetation in the UW-Madison Arboretum's Juniper Knoll. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Laverne Cox, an actress who advocates moving beyond traditional gender expectations, attends a Wisconsin Union Directorate reception after speaking to a capacity crowd in Shannon Hall. Photo by: Jeff Miller
A model in student-designed clothing walks the runway during "Threads: IMPACT," hosted by the School of Human Ecology's Textiles and Fashion Design Program. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Holding court: Greg Gard and his wife, Michelle, make their entrance at a Kohl Center news conference announcing his selection as men's basketball coach. Photo by: Jeff Miller
As Gard began his new journey, some 5,600 graduates end theirs at spring commencement in Camp Randall Stadium amid a late-spring mix of sleet and cold. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Also marking a transition was the UW Police Department, with Interim Chief Brian Bridges saluting retiring Chief Susan Riseling in honor of her 25 years of service. Photo by: Jeff Miller
And departing Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Darrell Bazzell was applauded as he prepared to leave one of the university's key leadership positions. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Lake Mendota reflects a brilliant blue sky as visitors to the Memorial Union relax on a warm May day and anticipate the idyllic summer months soon to come. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Spring is in the air at an international community event the university cosponsored in South Madison, with members of DanzTrad performing a traditional Mexican folklore dance. Photo by: Jeff Miller
The way it is: A student leader draws on his campus experiences to put entering undergrads at ease during Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) at Union South. Photo by: Jeff Miller
The way it was: Anthropogy students used methods dating to ancient times to fire pottery in an outdoor kiln they built near the Eagle Heights Community Gardens. Photo by: Bryce Richter
The quest to understand ancient peoples also played out at a summer archaeological dig at Aztalan State Park, where student Kenneth Xavier sifts the soil for artifacts. Photo by: Jeff Miller
The ground wasn't the only fertile spot for scientific inquiry. So was the water. Alexandra Linz and Carolyn Voter collect data and samples from Lake Mendota near campus. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Populations of brown trout, pictured, have increased in recent years in Wisconsin. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Diseases that afflict people were also on our research radar. Scientists studied this mosquito under a microscope for clues to what can be done about the Zika virus. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Balancing act: More ambitious are these members of a standup paddleboard yoga class, which proceeded despite an approaching storm over Lake Mendota near the Terrace. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Elsewhere on the lake, paddleboarders, docked boats and a windsurfer don't distract these students in College Library. Serious studying happens even during Summer Term. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Patience rewarded: The Terrace reopened after a period of construction, with a new performance stage for entertainment like this dusk movie showing of "Animal House." Photo by: Jeff Miller
As summer break neared its end, a swimming pier off the Terrace reflects lighting from a musical performance on the same stage. Photo by: Jeff Miller
With the start of fall term upon them, students arrive at a festively lit Union South for food, music and activities during Wisconsin Welcome Week. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Another welcome event was the Graduate School Degree Dash, with a 5.7 mile Doctoral Derby and 1.75 mile Master's Mile representing the average time to finish each degree. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Don't blow it: Bradley Bartlett gets a chance to impress UW Marching Band Director Michael Leckrone during his audition for a spot in the 300-member unit. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Dabbing undergraduates show a bemused Bucky Badger how it's done while posing for a photographer at the Wisconsin Union Sunburst Festival at Union South. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Lend me a hand: Participants in a workshop by interdisciplinary artist in residence Meeta Mastani use henna dye to express themselves in intricate temporary tattoos. Photo by: Bryce Richter
The messages are more literal as students, including Lydia Berggruen, display meaningful phrases written on their bodies for the Dear World portrait campaign. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Booster seat: A young football fan perches on a Badger backer's shoulders as the crowd disperses from an ESPN College GameDay broadcast on Bascom Hill. Photo by: Bryce Richter
An "All Ways Forward" banner, emblematic of the UW-Madison capital fundraising campaign, adorns iconic Bascom Hall at its most photogenic. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Agricultural Hall, home of what a stone carver long ago dubbed the COLLEGE OF AGRICVLTVRE, glistens on a svnny avtvmn day. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Sunlit soccer players, enjoying a perfect day for outdoor exertion, cast long shadows during a late-October intramural match outside Dejope Residence Hall. Photo by: Bryce Richter
As a bruising election campaign nears its end, students take advantage of early voting at the Student Activities Center on East Campus Mall. Photo by: Bryce Richter
International students hone their English language skills in the new Active Learning Lab at Helen C. White Hall. Photo by: Bryce Richter
Plastic flamingos, first installed on Bascom Hill in a 1970s student prank, return in October to the astonishment of a young visitor during the "Fill the Hill" fundraising event. Photo by: Jeff Miller
November's "supermoon" rises behind the rooftop of the Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences Building, with meteorological instruments trained on the night sky. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Commemorative banners hint at big things to come for the Badger volleyball team during its second-round NCAA tournament victory over Washington State Dec. 2. The team made it to the Elite Eight, drawing record crowds. Photo by: Jeff Miller
Union reunion: Students are greeted by expansive study spaces as the first floor of the Memorial Union reopens in December after extensive renovations. Photo by: Bryce Richter
A message in the snow greets early risers along the Picnic Point shoreline on a December morning. Photo by: Jeff Miller