UW–Madison’s Day at the Capitol Showcases Impact from Soil to Sky
The University of Wisconsin–Madison touches many aspects of life in Wisconsin and beyond, from nurturing sustainable agriculture to advancing cancer research to unlocking the secrets of the cosmos. On Wednesday, April 17, the breadth and depth of the university’s impact took center stage at the Wisconsin State Capitol during UW–Madison Day.
The annual event sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association brought alumni, students, and faculty together to converse with members of the public, as well as lawmakers and their staff. The day included meetings with state legislators, graduate student research project presentations, flash talks by UW–Madison faculty experts, a panel discussion focused on the growth of data science and the future of artificial intelligence, and lunchtime remarks from Vice Chancellor for University Relations Charles Hoslet, who highlighted the university’s positive statewide impact and economic effect.
“For every dollar the state invests in our university, we generate $26.73 for the state,” noted Hoslet. “The bottom line is this: UW–Madison is committed to Wisconsin, and this partnership is mutually beneficial.”
The day highlighted UW–Madison’s ongoing pursuit of innovation for the public good, driven by the Wisconsin Idea.
Graduate student Nathan Brittin talks about his research “Discovering New Antibiotics Using Machine Learning” during the Graduate Research Showcase held in the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda. Brittin’s research seeks to leverage machine learning and advanced chemistry techniques to discover new drugs to fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria, a growing public health concern. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Outstanding graduate and postdoctorate researchers from UW–Madison talk to alumni, lawmakers, and community members during the Graduate Research Showcase. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
On the left, Vedant Basu, a graduate research assistant focusing on particle astrophysics in the Department of Physics (left person in middle group) talks about his research “IceCube: A Window to the Universe” with Jeffrey Whitman (right person in middle group). “I would describe the impact of our work as opening a brand-new window—a new way to explore the farthest reaches of the universe, which regular telescopes cannot see,” described Basu. On the right, Beverly A. Hutcherson (left person in right group) talks about her research “PCOS Research Models Inform Biological Understanding of Developmental Origins Contributing to Maternal Morbidities” with a community member. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Ibrahim Zuniga-Chaves, a PhD candidate in the Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, presented the results of a collaboration with SHOW, a state population health survey, to explore how the composition of the community of microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract (or microbiome) is shaped by socioeconomic status. “The study helps elucidate the interplay of social and economic factors in shaping the microbiome,” explained Zuniga-Chaves. “Through this work, we aim to improve our understanding of microbiome health and provide a framework for developing future interventions to mitigate the SES health gap specifically tailored to the population of the state of Wisconsin.” PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Graduate student Sophie Stephenson (middle) talks about her research “Sharenting on TikTok” during the Graduate Research Showcase. The research looked at the evolution of norms on the social media platform TikTok for parents sharing information about their children. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Chad McGehee, Director of Meditation Training for the Meditation Training Department at Wisconsin Athletics, talks about how he helps student athletes using meditation techniques during Faculty Flash Talks by leading UW–Madison faculty researchers held in the Capitol’s North Hearing Room during the annual UW–Madison Day at the Capitol. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Graduate student Amelia Weidemann (left) talks about her research “Food for Thought: The Open Seat Food Pantry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison” with graduate alum and legislative aide Kevin Vesperman, right. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Graduate student Mae Todd (right) talks to community members about her research “Evaluating the State of Wisconsin’s HIV Prevention Program” during the Graduate Research Showcase. In the study, Todd partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to evaluate their key HIV prevention program, PrEP Navigation. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Graduate student Carmen Haseltine talks about her research “Risk Assessment of Voting by Mail: A Case Study of Milwaukee County” during the Graduate Research Showcase. Haseltine’s research seeks to provide an analytical, data-driven tool that will help policymakers discern which strategies enhance the resilience of the voting by mail process. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
From left to right, alum Kristi Williams, professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health Earlise Ward, and graduate school alum Jeanne Nye hold up a W during the Graduate Research Showcase held in the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda. Nearly 80 alumni from across the state joined the annual event at the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda, meeting with legislators and their staff to thank them for their support of UW–Madison, share about their experiences at UW–Madison and discuss university priorities, including how the university can help meet Wisconsin’s workforce needs, improve the health of its residents, and remain the key driver of economic opportunity and innovation. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Graduate student Yijia Xu talks about her research “Unsupervised Domain Adaptation for Crop Mapping in the Absence of Mapping Year Ground-truth” during the Graduate Research Showcase. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Benazir Meera, a postdoctoral research associate at the Geriatric Health Services Research Lab within the Department of Kinesiology (middle), talks to state Rep. Robert Wittke (left) about her research “Scaling ‘Riding in the Moment’ in Wisconsin: An Adaptive Horseback Riding Program for Adults Living with Dementia and their Families.” “By increasing recognition of this innovative community-based program, we hope that more policymakers consider building a bipartisan coalition to advance and implement policies that can support the expansion of [the program],” explained Meera. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
Lyric Bartholomay, professor in the Department of Pathological Sciences, discusses the work and impact of the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease during Faculty Flash Talks by leading UW–Madison faculty researchers held in the Capitol’s North Hearing Room. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM
The featured Faculty Flash Talks were coordinated through Badger Talks, a statewide outreach program that connects UW–Madison faculty and staff from hundreds of different disciplines with communities throughout the state to spark conversations on important topics, engage residents on critical issues, and share the latest UW research. PHOTO BY: TAYLOR WOLFRAM