When in-person classes resumed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison following the COVID-19 pandemic, Liv Romanov found herself on academic probation during her sophomore year.
She knew she needed to make a change and started meeting with an adviser at the McBurney Disability Resource Center, which students at Wisconsin’s flagship campus have increasingly sought out for help in recent years. For Romanov, the center made all of the difference.
University of Wisconsin’s Women in Entrepreneurship hosted TikTok creator Bria Lemirande Thursday to discuss her journey as a content creator and entrepreneur. The event emphasized the importance of connections through an online platform.
To Madison-based writer Alison C. Rollins, poetry is interactive. Her second book, “Black Bell,” includes instructions for reading poems, where the reader is invited to cut them up and rearrange them.
“Some pages are perforated so they can be torn out,” Rollins said. “There are visuals and diagrams. I wanted to expand what people expect from a traditional poetry book.”
This week, Rollins, a University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor in the English department, was awarded a $50,000 prize for her work. The Whiting Awards were established in 1985 and have been awarded to notable figures such as Ocean Vuong and Colson Whitehead.
Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people of 2026 includes three people with strong Wisconsin connections: Olympic hockey champion and U.S. team captain Hilary Knight, a former University of Wisconsin-Madison star; actor Kate Hudson, who portrayed local singer Claire Sardina in the recent film “Song Sung Blue”; and photojournalist Lynsey Addario, a UW alum renowned for documenting the lives of women and children in conflict zones.
In a seismic shakeup at the top of the Wisconsin athletics department, athletic director Chris McIntosh recently announced his departure from the role to join the Big Ten conference in an administrative capacity.
Wisconsin legend Barry Alvarez was just as surprised as anybody.
Longtime UW-Madison Law School professor Marc Galanter, an influential legal scholar and mentor to many, died Tuesday. He was 95.
Galanter was born on Feb. 18, 1931, in Philadelphia to his two parents, Jacob and Mary.
He met his wife, Eve Galanter, at the University of Chicago in 1966 after she reached out asking to attend a class he was teaching, but she couldn’t make it to his talk. He offered to put together a reading list for her.
Three University of Wisconsin–Madison juniors have received 2026 Goldwater Scholarships, the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, engineering and the natural sciences in the United States.
The students are juniors Aletta Bergman, Krithi Gopinath and Eva Stafne.
Last fall, Tahereh Rahimi traveled back to Iran to study local journalism for her dissertation. These days, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D. candidate finds herself sheltering with her parents, fearing for their lives.
Rahimi returned to her home country in September to conduct field work at a local news organization that has since stopped publishing because of the war. She was excited to be home after years away and looked forward to continuing her doctorate work.
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s University Health Services is hosting a free art and history gallery this April highlighting campus sexual assault activism over the past 50 years, featuring student-made artwork for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday on the first floor of 333 East Campus Mall as part of a Connect and Reflect series to raise awareness about sexual violence.
University Wisconsin-Madison College Democrats and Republicans debated campus free speech, foreign policy and political polarization at Union South Monday in an event focused on fostering productive conversations between those with differing opinions.
The Wisconsin Union Directorate Society and Politics Committee moderated the conversation.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison American Indian and Indigenous Studies program will host its spring Elder-in-Residence, Leon Valliere, on campus this week as part of an initiative aimed at strengthening connections between students and Indigenous communities, according to the UW Events Calendar.
A local diving club is set to close its doors this summer. On June 11, Wisconsin Dive Club officials announced they will no longer be able to use UW-Madison Rec Well’s Soderholm Family Aquatic Center.
The dive club stated it does not know the reasoning behind the decision; however, the director of UW-Madison’s Rec Well explained that due to high demand, they could not accommodate the club’s preferred times.
A Dane County court commissioner set a $5,000 bond Tuesday for a UW-Madison lab employee accused of trying to poison his coworker.
Makoto Kuroda made his initial appearance in Dane County Court, where Court Commissioner Brian Asmus set a $5,000 bond for him.
Day of the Badger, the University of Wisconsin’s annual giving celebration, took over campus Wednesday.
Alumni, students and friends were asked to pay it forward by donating to a UW program or department of their choice. Donors can choose from more than 150 areas across the university.
UW says the total has topped $2 million, with the money going to programs that support students.
UW Health has become the Official Health Care Partner of the Green Bay Packers through a new multi-year agreement.
The partnership, announced at a Thursday press conference, includes joint community initiatives, fan-focused events throughout the year and a visible presence at Lambeau Field. UW Health will have permanent signage at the north entry gate of Lambeau Field and logo patches on Packers practice jerseys.
Marcus Sedberry’s grown used to being pulled in many directions.
He enjoys that each day of his career as a University of Wisconsin administrator throws new challenges his way. The biggest curveball of his tenure in Madison came over the past week when Sedberry learned his job was about to change entirely.
It was Marcus Sedberry’s first public meeting as interim athletic director of the University of Wisconsin.
But Wednesday’s Athletic Board meeting was a farewell, too: UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin delivered her final address to the group that’s tasked with oversight of the athletic department.
The severe weather in Madison this week couldn’t stop the reemergence of the colorful sunburst chairs at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union Terrace.
Crews unpacked the orange, yellow and green sunburst chairs and tables on Wednesday in preparation for a celebration at 3 p.m. Friday for the official opening of the terrace at the Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
The University of Wisconsin athletic department is budgeting for around $2 million less in football ticket revenue for the 2026 season than it earned in 2025.
That was one of the takeaways from a department budget request, approved Wednesday by the Athletic Board, that exceeded $200 million for the first time.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is warning about a new invasive plant, the fig buttercup, spreading across the Upper Midwest.
The fig buttercup emerges in early spring for a short period, according to university officials.
The plant has heart-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers. Officials said it is important to look for it now because there is only a brief window when it can be identified.
Chris McIntosh said he had “very mixed emotions” in resigning from the University of Wisconsin athletic director position.
McIntosh emailed UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and her chief of staff and senior adviser Jennifer Noyes a four-paragraph resignation message Sunday night.
Mick Byrne had a lot to live up to when he arrived at the University of Wisconsin in 2008.
Byrne took over a Badgers men’s cross country program that had won nine straight Big Ten championships and had each of its previous three coaches bring home an NCAA championship.
Wisconsin has long influenced national policies, ranging from its status as the first state to ratify the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote to the advent of the school choice program.
A postdoctoral researcher at UW-Madison tried to poison a colleague who the researcher thought had disrespected him and wasn’t following lab rules, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Dane County.
Makoto Kuroda, 41, of Madison, was charged with felony second-degree endangering safety and tampering with household products for putting lab chemicals into the colleague’s water bottle and shoes, the complaint says.
Spirited school pride, interactive games and opportunities to double donations are all part of this year’s Day of the Badger, a two-day fundraising effort supporting the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Sponsored by the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, the annual event brings together alumni, students and supporters through both virtual and in-person activities aimed at raising critical funds for campus programs and initiatives.
Organizers say more than 150 areas across campus are participating this year, including schools, colleges, departments and other causes. Donors can choose where to direct their contributions through the event’s website.
Spring cleaning can feel good, but have you thought about applying that same effort to other parts of your life?
UW Health distinguished psychologist Dr. Shilagh Mirgain provides a four-step checklist to help you lighten the load and make room for the things that bring joy and overall well-being.
Higher gas prices have some drivers looking at electric vehicles, with searches for the cars rising.
Schoepp Motors says they’ve filled about 25% of their lot with EVs and hybrids in anticipation that gas prices stay high and interest in more sustainable vehicles rises.
There’s no definitive timeline yet on the search for a new University of Wisconsin athletic director.
Chris McIntosh’s departure to become deputy commissioner for strategy at the Big Ten Conference was kept quiet until Sunday. The conference and Wisconsin confirmed it with a Monday morning announcement.
Americans hold varying opinions about the war in the Middle East, from support for ending 47 years of nettlesome threats by Iran’s theocracy to opposing U.S. intervention for reasons that include unclear mission goals.
Either way, it’s important to know much national defense research has little to do with building better missiles or bombs. It’s often about prevention, detection, reaction and recovery in times of emergency at home. That affects civilians as well as military personnel.
Wisconsin hockey is leaving Las Vegas without the national championship trophy after falling to Denver 2-1 in the title game on April 11.
The Badgers dominated the shots on goal but after a first-period goal they couldn’t find the back of the net again, while Denver’s two third-period goals lifted the Pioneers to their 11th national championship and third in the last five years.
UW-Madison political professor Howard Schweber joins For the Record to analyze voting patterns in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
The University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center welcomed the public this weekend for its annual open house, giving visitors a closer look at cancer research and prevention efforts.
The event featured lab tours, interactive exhibits and family-friendly activities, including appearances by Bucky Badger.
Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh is slated to resign from his position immediately and join the Big Ten as its newly created deputy commissioner for strategy, SBJ has learned. McIntosh will report directly to Commissioner Tony Petitti, while his role will focus on shaping the broad strategy of the league. Wisconsin Deputy AD/COO Marcus Sedberry is likely to be named interim AD, sources told SBJ, though immediate succession plans are fluid. McIntosh was in Las Vegas over the weekend for UW men’s hockey’s Frozen Four appearance and flew back to Madison on Sunday. The Badgers lost 2-1 to Denver in the national title game on Saturday night.
This spring, Kennedy Elementary School music teacher Christian Bonner became one of six educators in the state to win a $1,000 grant to study original art by Wisconsin artists.
Bonner is also a clarinet player pursuing his second master’s degree from UW-Madison to get his principal’s license. He said exploring unique music relevant to his young students is key to getting them excited about it.
Wisconsin has added a definition of antisemitism to state law, joining dozens of other states but drawing sharp criticism from opponents who say it will police free speech rights, specifically on college campuses.
Gov. Tony Evers on March 27 signed Assembly Bill 446, now 2025 Act 143, codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition and examples for antisemitism to help determine discriminatory intent.
41-year-old Madison man was arrested Friday after law enforcement officials found an unnamed chemical in a campus research lab.
Officers from the UW-Madison Police Department, along with investigators from the Madison Fire Department’s Hazardous Incident Team, responded to the lab for a report of an unknown odor coming from items in an office.
Evidence was collected and later tested positive for the presence of a chemical, UW-Madison Police spokesperson Marc Lovicott said without naming the chemical.
Purdue and the University of Wisconsin-Madison each plan to add 50 new faculty positions in AI before 2030.
Ukrainian surgeons are in Madison this week, training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to learn specialized techniques they can take back home to treat patients injured in the war.
Six surgeons are taking part in a two-week intensive training at UW’s Microsurgery Regenerative Medicine Lab, working under microscopes to practice reconnecting tiny blood vessels and nerves.
UW Board of Regents leaders on Thursday defended their decision to oust the Universities of Wisconsin president, describing a man who had successes, but who also had a top-down management style and clashed with the Regents on several occasions.
The Regents on Tuesday night unanimously voted to fire Jay Rothman, without any public discussion, drawing criticism from legislative Republicans that the board wasn’t being transparent.
This season has provided moments where the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team showed it could be a Frozen Four team and others where it appeared the Badgers could miss the NCAA Tournament altogether.
The detailed, energetic Badgers team that took the ice Thursday carried it into the national championship game.
Civil rights activist Ruby Bridges spoke with University of Wisconsin’s assistant professor Aireale Rodgers at the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s final event of the Distinguished Lecture Series April 8, discussing equality, education and community.
The event, held in Shannon Hall, sold out, and the room was packed with students, faculty and community members.
Former Lt. Gov. and 2026 gubernatorial candidate Mandela Barnes joined approximately 40 students at a University of Wisconsin College Democrats meeting Wednesday to discuss his affordability-centered campaign.
Barnes will face eight other candidates in the Democratic primary for governor Aug. 11, according to Ballotopedia.
Clean Lakes Alliance hosted an event today to explain seasonal changes happening to Madison’s lakes.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher is encouraging people to visit local lakes in May to witness an annual phenomenon that makes the water crystal clear.
Hillary Dugan, an associate professor at the Center for Limnology at UW-Madison, explained the science behind the seasonal clarity. In spring, a large bloom of diatoms, a species of phytoplankton, provides food for zooplankton, tiny organisms that then boom in population.
One of the best-selling authors in the world will be giving the keynote commencement speech at UW-Madison this spring.
James Patterson was announced as the spring speaker by UW-Madison in a press release on Wednesday.
“James Patterson has shown what it means to make the most of your education — and what it means to give back. We are thrilled to welcome him as this year’s commencement speaker,” UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said. “His successes as a writer are unparalleled, and so is the generosity of his time, talent and resources, which have made lasting impacts on higher education and the lives of countless students.”
Susan Zahner, who has served in the role of interim dean of the School of Nursing since the beginning of December, will continue in her role for the foreseeable future.
Zahner, former associate dean for faculty affairs and Vilas Distinguished Achievement professor, has served in the role since Nov. 30, 2025, upon the passing of Dean Emerit Linda Scott. Zahner brings 24 years of faculty and leadership experience to the role.
Republican lawmakers are threatening to remove members of the UW Board of Regents after the Board asserted its own authority to fire the Universities of Wisconsin president.
The Regents unanimously voted without discussion Tuesday to fire President Jay Rothman, who has led the about 165,000-student and 13-university system since 2022.
Governor Tony Evers signed a bill Wednesday that gave the University of Wisconsin athletic department financial cushion in the form of tax dollars to service debt, and codified the university’s rules surrounding name, image, and likeness payments to athletes into law.
Kristin Eschenfelder, a professor and associate dean, will serve as the interim dean of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s largest academic unit, the College of Letters & Science.
The appointment is effective on May 17, concurrent with the beginning of Dean Eric M. Wilcots’s term as interim chancellor.
Eschenfelder, who has been on campus since she joined the Information School faculty in 2000, has served as the L&S academic associate dean and associate director for the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences since it launched in 2019.
Fired Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman told The Associated Press on Wednesday in his first interview since the ouster that he was “blindsided” by the move but has no hard feelings and is unlikely to sue.
Rothman was fired on Tuesday night in a unanimous vote by the board of regents following a roughly 30-minute closed-door discussion. Regents have not given a reason for firing Rothman, who was in the job for just under four years.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is inviting the community to explore science up close this weekend during its annual UW Science Expeditions.
The free, campus-wide open house runs Friday through Sunday, April 10–12, across UW–Madison. Organizers say the event is designed to connect the public with scientists, students and research spaces through hands-on experiences.
UW Science Expeditions features dozens of venues and activities spanning disciplines from astronomy to zoology. Visitors can take part in interactive exploration stations, attend live science shows and tour labs, museums and greenhouses across campus.
Throughout the weekend, participants can visit locations such as Washburn Observatory, campus greenhouses, and research centers, while meeting scientists and learning about ongoing work at the university.
“Researchers worked with the audiology lab on the UW Madison campus to help extend that squeak so that people all over the nation can enjoy them, which helps maintain that economic viability of Wisconsin dairy,” Hagenow said.
It began with a fall. Then another, and another.
LuAnn Guffey had watched over the years as her brother suffered with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that gradually disrupts a person’s basic muscle functions. When she began losing strength in her own legs, falling without tripping, suddenly losing the ability to stand, she feared she was following the family footsteps.
The board of Wisconsin’s public university system voted on Tuesday to fire President Jay O. Rothman, who angered Democrats and faculty members for bargaining with the Republican-led State Legislature and recently defied regents pressing for his resignation.
The decision was unanimous, with 17 members of the board — which is controlled by appointees of Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat — voting to remove Mr. Rothman. One member was not present for the vote.
UW Health said Wednesday it has acquired University Podiatry Associates of Madison.
The podiatry clinic, which opened in 1981, is located in a roughly 7,600-square-foot facility at 450 S. Yellowstone Dr. on the West Side.
The practice provides podiatry care for a wide range of conditions, including diabetic foot ulcers, arthritis, bunions, hammertoes and other deformities or injuries.
On the Near West Side, newcomer Ellen Zhang cruised to victory in District 8, defeating fellow UW-Madison student Bobby Gronert 1,677 votes to 401. Zhang had been endorsed by Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and outgoing council member MGR Govindarajan.
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents scheduled a Tuesday vote to consider firing the system’s president, who refused their offer to quietly resign because he said no reason had been given for the surprise ouster.
Jay Rothman said in two letters sent to regents that he would not resign from leading the 165,000-student system without an explanation of what he had done wrong.
A new five-year strategic framework for UW–Madison helps identify and advance clear shared priorities and define the university’s mission for the years ahead.
The following message was sent by Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin, Provost John Zumbrunnen and Interim Chancellor-designate Eric M. Wilcots to all students and employees on April 7, 2026.
University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate programs are once again highly ranked among the nation’s best in the 2026 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.”
Highlights include high marks in several specific rankings — with nearly 20 ranking in their respective top 10 lists — shining a light on the breadth and depth of the university’s overall graduate offerings.
The UW Board of Regents appears poised to fire the Universities of Wisconsin president, after a dayslong standoff between the top leader and the board.
The Regents will convene virtually at 5 p.m. Tuesday, enter a closed session to discuss President Jay Rothman’s termination, and then may reconvene in public session, according to the meeting notice published Monday afternoon.
As Wisconsin farmers prepare for the 2026 growing season, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension is launching another year of Badger Crop Connect webinars, a twice-monthly series providing timely, data-driven insights for the state’s corn, soybean, small grain, and forage farmers and industries.
