Category Society & Culture
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.
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.
Urban planning students develop green recommendations for UW–Madison fleet
Students estimated the fleet’s baseline greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions using the Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) Tool, created by the Argonne National Laboratory.
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.
Studying Child Tax Credit expansion, labor force reductions among new Social Security Administration-funded projects
The U.S. Social Security Administration has funded 13 major research projects at the Center for Financial Security that focus on the financial well-being of economically vulnerable people.
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.
Go Big Read seeking book suggestions for 2022-23
Once again, the theme for Go Big Read is “contemporary issues” — topics such as technology, climate change, health care, or any other issue that’s spurring conversation.
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–Madison rises in rankings for study abroad, international students
The report lists UW–Madison as No. 4 among all U.S. universities for study abroad participation and No. 19 for number of international students.
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.
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.
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge honors UW–Madison for student voting success
UW was recognized for having the highest student voter registration and voter turnout among four-year colleges in Wisconsin as well as the most improved voter turnout.
In historic first, flag of Ho-Chunk Nation raised atop Bascom Hall
“Seeing this flag raising gave me a sense of pride in my nationality,” said Silas Cleveland, a UW–Madison student and Ho-Chunk Nation member. “I really hope this is the start of new beginnings and that it brings with it a stronger relationship with the Ho-Chunk Nation.”
Author of ‘Go Big Read’ selection visits campus
Yaa Gyasi, author of the 2021-22 "Go Big Read" novel “Transcendent Kingdom,” spoke to faculty and students from the African Studies Program at Mark H. Ingraham Hall on Thursday, and met with First-Year Interest Group and Honors Program students at the Pyle Center.