Still/Moving
UW–Madison’s capsule of 2025 in striking images.
Year’s end has a way of slowing things down. And that’s a good thing: It invites us to rewind, reflect and find meaning in the moments that carried us here.
Because sometimes you need to look back to move forward.
So come along with us as we revisit it all and see what shaped campus in 2025: triumphs in labs and on the field, stepping out on stage and on the ice, explorations that reach from Lake Mendota to the cosmos. Amid a year of shifting ground, our research community — and the university as a whole — kept advancing work that improves lives, showing how focus and resolve endure.
This is our year in pictures, still and moving.
A campus in motion
Speaking of moving … this campus hums with the energy of transition. Everywhere you look, something’s underway: a rush onto the field, a first step into a buzzing arena, runners logging miles in prairie grass, oars slicing the lake, umbrellas weaving through the rain. From ground level to drone-high, we thrive on the energy of becoming.
Roots and reach
There is evidence of growth all around UW. Our roots run deep, from families gathering on the shore to children meeting discoveries with wide-eyed wonder. But a great university also provides reach: equal parts aspiration and exploration from first-year students to alumni half a million deep. Together, they signify the best of this place. A foundation deep enough to hold, and branches wide enough to reach.
At work and at play
Work hard, play hard? We practically invented it. Precision in the lab, strength in the gym, breakthroughs in classrooms, care in every service job. But don’t forget parades of pink birds, bubble-filled ceremonies, snow-fueled showdowns, skates cutting across winter ice. That’s what being a Badger means. Working and playing together. Many ideas, many efforts, one Wisconsin.
At work …
… and at play
The moment before the game-winning penalty shot at the NCAA women’s hockey national championship.
She shoots; she scores! And Badger women’s hockey celebrates.
Family and friends stand and roar as Badger women’s hockey secures its record eighth national championship.
Forward, always
“Forward” is not just the state motto. Consider it an invitation to think about Wisconsin’s character and momentum. How a tassel swings from right to left, carrying years of effort and dreams. How discoveries in our labs push cleaner futures. It holds the energy of possibility, of meeting challenges with a relentless drive for progress. Some call it stubbornness, and that’s fine by us. Because this progress gives us a way to see the horizon just a little sooner than expected.
Where we meet
We don’t always agree. We’re not supposed to. But we keep talking, listening and trying, and most of all, we keep coming together. From a stadium lit by soaring Coldplay orbs to drum majors leading a hometown rhythm, from piñatas breaking open joy to Deliberation Dinners stretching our thinking, this is where we meet. Our differences don’t divide us; they draw us closer.
Badgers all around
Step inside the action and experience a 360-degree view of new students forming the Motion W and watching UW’s drone show light up the sky at Wisconsin Welcome.
The joy of creating
At UW, we make things. Things that dazzle and inspire. Things that keep us alive. Things that make life worth living. Neon bent into glowing arcs, microscopes engineered by students, screen-printed creations. It’s not always easy; sometimes the hills are steep (as anyone who’s traversed Bascom Hill can attest). But every summit gives a clearer horizon.
The wonder of what’s next
At UW–Madison we’re driven by discovery. Whether we write poetry or code, we’re always trying to find what’s next. Here we value wondering — and trying new things, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Water Zumba? Absolutely. Learning to spot zebra mussels under a microscope? That too. What might look like magic from the outside is pure and powerful Badger curiosity amid the wonder of the universe around us.
Moving, still
The year rushes past in a blur. Deadlines. Detours. Triumphs and challenges aplenty. Cheers in packed stands, selfies capturing big firsts, moments of serenity in quiet studios. The campus moves in a constant tide of discovery and life. But shift the angle, tilt the frame, and you’ll see what endures: a campus grounded by its people, alive from every perspective.
A mighty campus made miniature
Travel to new highs above our bustling campus as camera magic makes formidable campus landmarks look like a tiny model world.
And somewhere in between still and moving, this place comes alive. In every frame, something stays, and something shifts. Still. Moving. Always both.
See you in ’26. ■
Further reading
Credits
Words: Angela Barian
Photo: Bryce Richter, Althea Dotzour, Jeff Miller, Xiaomeng Shen, Paige Valley, Taylor Wolfram
Video: Amy Gill, Elise Mahon, Ariadna Marquez, Ma Vue, Jason Weiss
With thanks to our extended team for their contributions behind the scenes.