If there’s two things that Andrea “Andi” Bill likes, it’s problem solving and applying it to the human experience. It’s part of what led her to a career in Civil Engineering, but those same skills have also been invaluable in her second career as a trainer and owner of Sugar Creek Stables in Brooklyn, Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin reflected on her accomplishments leading the state’s flagship campus Monday while acknowledging what she calls a period of “significant challenge” during her four-year tenure.
Mnookin’s last day on campus is Friday.
The term “moonshot” most often reminds people of the Apollo space program that first landed astronauts on the moon in 1969 or April’s Artemis II mission, which was the first crewed flight beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972.
Devesh Ranjan, the new dean of UW-Madison’s College of Engineering, is hoping people will also associate “moonshots” with lofty research goals in the coming decade.
After four years leading UW-Madison, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s exit this week is like a graduation of sorts.
“Like many of our seniors, I feel like I am graduating after four years, and so I, too, know the enormous life-changing impact that a place like this can have,” Mnookin said during an interview Monday in Bascom Hall.
Thousands of graduates filled Camp Randall Stadium Saturday as the University of Wisconsin–Madison celebrated its Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies.
The university says nearly 10,000 students are expected to earn degrees this spring, including bachelor’s, master’s and law graduates honored during Saturday’s ceremony.
Madison non-profit hospice group Agrace will break ground on its dementia village in two weeks, the first of its kind in the country.
The village is modeled after The Hogeweyk Village in the Netherlands.
Right now in the United States — caring for those with cognitive decline means prioritizing safety.
UW Madison hosted its first commencement ceremony of the year for doctoral, MFA and medical students on May 8.
Honorary degree recipient and UW graduate Speaker Tia Nelson spoke about her work in conservation and environmental protection. “The most complex problems we face will take more than persistence. They will take people with the courage to try something new,” Nelson said.
A major cyberattack knocked out Canvas, an online platform used by about 9,000 schools across the country, including universities in Wisconsin, Thursday afternoon.
Saturday marked a huge milestone for the graduating class of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Just under 9,000 Badgers earned their bachelor’s, law, and master’s degrees at Camp Randall, starting a new chapter in their professional lives.
For the first time in 40 years, UW-Madison is launching a new college.
The university has named Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau as the founding dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, set to officially open on July 1.
As artificial intelligence continues to grow, so do its criticisms.
UW-Madison’s class of 2026 was left with a resounding message at its commencement ceremony at Camp Randall on Saturday: Find your purpose through times of uncertainty.
“Purpose is not a perfect plan, it’s a compass,” UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said to a sea of black graduation caps and gowns in the stadium. “It helps you decide what deserves your time, what deserves your courage, and what you may need to walk away from.”
Being a student at any age is a challenge, but returning to college as an adult with a job, caretaking roles and other responsibilities requires a special kind of balancing act.
Leslie Wright knows this all too well. After an attempt at college in the 1990s, she left and later earned her associate degree. Wright entered the workforce but stepped away to raise children. Through volunteer work and as a school board member in Oregon, she saw a need for mental health support in schools. She overcame obstacles to go back to school, and she’ll finish her bachelor’s in psychology this summer.
The Office of the Independent Monitor, the agency responsible for independent oversight of the Madison Police Department, released a 31-page public memorandum lambasting the City attorney and Common Council members for obstructing the OIM’s independence April 21.
Some streets around Camp Randall will closed on Saturday due to the UW-Madison commencement ceremony.
Residents are asked to plan for extra time when traveling.
Starting at 6 a.m. the following streets will close to traffic and will reopen at 4 p.m. after commencement has finished:
North Breese Terrace, between Regent Street and University Avenue
Monroe Street, between Regent Street and North Randall Ave.
University of Wisconsin-Madison and the rest of the UW campuses are part of a nationwide outage of Canvas – an online platform used for assignments, grading and more – that is causing disruptions to final exams.
Run Madtown’s Charity Chaser Runner beneficiary will be the Badger Challenge during a 5K race this month.
The Badger Challenge is a fundraising initiative supporting cancer research at UW-Madison.
A designated runner representing the Badger Challenge will start the Run Madtown Twilight 5K on May 23. Once the final participant crosses the start line, they will try to pass as many athletes as possible before reaching the finish line. For every 5K athlete passed, Run Madtown will donate $1 to the Badger Challenge.
More than half of college students use artificial intelligence daily or weekly for schoolwork, according to new data from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation.
The Class of 2026 is the first to have had AI chatbots available throughout their four years of college.
Madison will be buzzing this weekend with family members and supporters of UW-Madison students in town for their graduation ceremonies.
UW-Madison has commencement ceremonies on Friday at the Kohl Center and Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
The first dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s new College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence says the institution will be a vital non-industry leader shaping the future of AI.
Leaders in science, business, and government gathered in Madison on Tuesday to discuss the future of fusion energy.
The Fusion Summit at the Discovery Center brought together researchers, lawmakers, and more than one hundred companies exploring how Wisconsin could become a national hub for this emerging technology.
The Madison school district unveiled its proposal for a new cell phone policy at a School Board meeting Monday, recommending an all-day ban for students in grades K-8 while allowing more leniency for high school students to use their phones during passing time and lunch periods.
At the meeting, some School Board members expressed trepidations about a full-day ban for K-8 students, while others questioned different aspects of the proposed policy.
In its 100 years, Breese Stevens Field, the city-owned field smack in the middle of Madison’s isthmus, has lived a hundred different lives.
“Every time somebody tries to tell Breese what it’s going to do, it doesn’t,” said Tristan Straub, Breese’s general manager.
Officials at the public flagship said in a recent court filing that the university may have to lay off up to 160 employees if it doesn’t get clarity on federal funding in the near future, The Cap Times reported.
At issue is an effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to impose conditions on financial disbursements. USDA has asked states to agree to conditions to continue receiving funding, including ensuring federal money won’t be used to “promote gender ideology” or diversity, equity and inclusion practices. In March, 21 states sued the USDA over the preconditions; though UW Madison is not a plaintiff, the state of Wisconsin is.
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On June 1, Maria Woldt will become the third director of the Dairy Innovation Hub, a state-funded initiative that brings together scientists, farmers, businesses, and educators to explore new ideas to ensure Wisconsin’s $52.8 billion dairy sector remains globally competitive while advancing economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
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Nearly 550 faculty members at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are set to receive pay raises this month as part of efforts to attract and retain faculty in high-demand fields of study.
State lawmakers provided $27 million annually and created an annual appropriation to the UW system in the current state budget for the compensation. Over 2,300 faculty members across the state’s 13 public universities are receiving raises through the funding, said Mark Pitsch, a UW system spokesperson.
The chancellor is leaving.
The president got fired.
The athletic director jumped before he could be pushed.
That’s a lot of turnover at the top for UW-Madison and the 13-campus Universities of Wisconsin. It’s also an opportunity to reset priorities for higher education in Madison and across the state. The Regents and others who will help fill these jobs need to get this right.
The University of Wisconsin has released a five-year strategic framework, “Forward, Together,” aimed at guiding the University’s priorities in student experience, research, public engagement and campus operations, according to a UW news release.
he MadHatters, an a cappella group at UW-Madison, will be performing their final show of the spring semester on Friday, May 1.
The group consists of 14 performers, using just their voices to sing and dance for performances.
“We really try and bring the energy so the crowd can feed off of that, and it can be this really fun night,” Kevin McNeil said. “Everybody just has fun, even apart from all the music, we’ve got some video skits with a little bit of dancing in there. We make our fair share of jokes, and we just really try to make sure everyone has a good time.”
The University of Wisconsin-Madison says it contributed billions in statewide economic impact last fiscal year.
That’s according to a new analysis that was released by the university and completed by the consulting firm Tripp Umbach.
The Universities of Wisconsin has launched a national search to identify UW-Madison’s next chancellor.
Acting UW system head Chris Patton and UW Board of Regents President Amy Bogost appointed a group of 23 faculty, staff, students and people from the Madison area to identify UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s successor.
UX Club at UW-Madison is hosting its final showcase for a redesign project in partnership with the Madison Public Market on Thursday.
Over the course of six workshops, students conducted UX research, developed personas, built wireframes, and produced a fully interactive prototype for what will become Madison Public Market’s primary launch website.
President Donald Trump’s dismissal on Friday of the independent board that advises the National Science Foundation included UW-Madison’s top research leader.
Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota Grejner-Brzezińska was one of the 22 current members on the board that advises Congress and the president on the National Science Foundation’s operations. President Joe Biden appointed her in 2023 when she was working at Ohio State University.
The UW-Madison Odyssey Project works to break the cycle of generational poverty through access to education.
The project has impacted two students who are about to graduate with goals of attending college.
For Lilibeth Sobrevilla, the mother of three emphasized the support she received from the project to help her educational goals.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has named Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau founding dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence as the university prepares to launch the new college July 1.
UW-Madison named Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau as founding dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence as the school prepares to launch the new college on July 1.
Approved in December by the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, the college is the first academic division created at UW-Madison in more than 40 years.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has received $100 million in private gift commitments for its new College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, which is set to launch on July 1, 2026.
The donations come from what’s referred to as the Catalyst Collective — a group of alumni, business leaders and corporate partners who have pledged major investments in the college. The alumni donors include Andy Konwinski, cofounder of Laude, Databricks and Perplexity AI; John Morgridge, former chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, and Tashia Morgridge, a retired special education teacher; Signe Ostby, a former marketing executive; and Jeff Tangney, cofounder and CEO of Doximity. The contributors also include Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit; and Epic, a software company based in Verona, Wisconsin.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has named the first dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence.
Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau was appointed into the new role, the university announced on Monday.
His appointment will begin on July 1.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has received $100 million in private gift commitments for its new College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, which is set to launch on July 1, 2026.
The donations come from what’s referred to as the Catalyst Collective — a group of alumni, business leaders and corporate partners who have pledged major investments in the college. The alumni donors include Andy Konwinski, cofounder of Laude, Databricks and Perplexity AI; John Morgridge, former chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, and Tashia Morgridge, a retired special education teacher; Signe Ostby, a former marketing executive; and Jeff Tangney, cofounder and CEO of Doximity. The contributors also include Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit; and Epic, a software company based in Verona, Wisconsin.
UW-Madison on Monday announced a $100 million donation and dean for the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence that will hold its first classes next fall.
The investment comes from a group of alumni and industry leaders and is intended to help swiftly recruit and hire 50 new faculty, expand research and build programs for the college, which opens July 1.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s core mission has long held that the work of the university should benefit the entire state. A newly released study now quantifies that commitment, estimating that the university, its affiliated organizations and the startup companies it generates contribute $38.9 billion annually to Wisconsin’s economy.
The Mifflin Street Block Party is back in Madison this Saturday, and students showed up in numbers.
To celebrate the week before finals, Badgers at UW-Madison brought their party outdoors, spawning a sea of red across Mifflin Street.
Police at the event said this year’s record turnout is thanks to clear skies and sunshine.
According to Ethan Hafenbredl, it’s giving students the community boost they need to finish out their school year.
Kimaya Soin was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 4, but it took some pushing from her mother.
“My doctors actually weren’t really going to check me for it, so it wasn’t on their radars,” Soin said. “My mom had to research my symptoms. She looked them up, and based on the symptoms I had, it was either likely celiac disease or leukemia, and she had never heard of celiac disease, like most people haven’t.”
One Madison police officer was hurt and another was taken to the hospital after trying to break up a fight on State Street following a busy weekend of events.
The Mifflin Street Block Party brought thousands together Saturday, with crowds later migrating to State Street. Students said State Street had more people than usual, with lines around buildings and the roadway filled with people dressed in Badger gear.
Around framed photos of his dogs and Badger merchandise, a paper name plate on John Zumbrunnen’s desk in Bascom Hall at UW-Madison has the word “interim” crossed out with a pen.
After nine months as interim provost, Zumbrunnen secured his role as the university’s chief academic officer and second-ranking official after a national search this winter. As provost, he oversees academic programs and budget planning.
Carlos Bello sent out 60 to 70 job applications early this spring. But with less than two months left before he graduates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he still hadn’t landed a job.
Associated Students of Madison members proposed an amendment to University of Wisconsin’s election day policy to the Faculty Senate for consideration that would extend excused absences for student election officials to include early voting periods, according to ASM vote coordinator Alisha Latham.
Saturday is setting up to be one of the most crowded days of the year in downtown Madison, and several streets will be closed because of different events.
The annual Mifflin Street Block Party will take over the area just outside the UW-Madison campus. The event is unpermitted, but Madison police will close some streets to keep things safe.
Anjon Audhya, PhD, will become the inaugural vice dean for research for the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health effective April 19. The role serves as the chief research officer for the school, charged with articulating the goals and vision of the school’s research enterprise to major stakeholder groups and planning for the long-term success and global impact of research activities.
A philanthropic couple just got a top honor at UW-Madison: their own Babcock Dairy ice cream flavor.
Babcock Dairy on Thursday announced a new, limited-edition flavor in honor of James Patterson, best-selling author and this spring’s commencement speaker, and his wife, Badger alum and longtime donor Sue Patterson.
Ellie Huber sat down with staff writer Henry Matson to discuss longtime UW-Madison faculty member Kristin Eschenfelder’s appointment as L&S dean amid broader leadership changes. In other campus news, student Democrats and Republicans debate foreign policy, free speech and political polarization, and Memorial Union’s sunburst chairs are back on the terrace.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison ranked first on the Peace Corps’ 2026 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list, according to an April 7 Peace Corps press release.
The university also ranked first in 2025 and sustained its second place ranking for all-time volunteer-producing institution
College freshman Nandini Aluri spent a month “all day and all night” painting dozens of designs — a digital camera, the University of Wisconsin-Madison crest, an intricate design in the style of henna — on a matching set of brown corduroy pants and jacket.
She designed this wearable suit for “Becoming,” a fashion show hosted by The Vault. The Vault is a student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that focuses on fashion, from design to marketing to business operations.
Several Downtown and UW-Madison campus-area streets will be closed for a time on Saturday to make way for the annual UW Athletics fundraiser known as the Crazylegs Classic.
More than 9,000 people are expected to participate in the event’s 8K wheelchair race, 8K run or 2-mile walk, with the wheelchair race starting at 9:50 a.m., the run at 10 a.m. and the walk at 10:20 a.m.
During his four years at UW-Madison, student Harshet Anand repeated the “painful” and competitive search for housing in Madison with his roommates.
“We’d bounce between Zillow, Apartments.com, Facebook groups, texts from anyone that was older than us,” said Anand, a computer and data science major who graduated in spring 2025. “We’d spend hours and hours comparing listings, waiting days for property managers to respond to emails, scheduling tours around sometimes midterms.”
The police are assigned and the balconies inspected. All that’s left — as much as city leaders might wish otherwise — is for the drinking to begin.
With the Mifflin Street Block Party scheduled for Saturday, Madison officials on Wednesday laid out a series of warnings and plans pertaining to the annual and unsanctioned bacchanalia that traditionally occurs near the end of the UW-Madison spring semester.
UW-Madison is gearing up to bid farewell to its chancellor, Jennifer Mnookin, who is leaving next month to take the helm at Columbia University.
The university is hosting a send-off for Mnookin on May 14 at the Memorial Union Terrace from 2 to 4 p.m. for the campus community, UW-Madison announced Wednesday.
Author Sarah Thankam Mathews spoke about her relationship with writing and her experience immigrating to the U.S. last Thursday as part of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month keynote speech.
Mathews is a University of Wisconsin-Madison alum who published her debut novel, “All This Could Be Different,” in 2022. The book follows a young woman in Milwaukee in 2008 as she navigates relationships and employment during the Great Recession.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has chosen journalist Eliot Stein’s “Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive” as the Go Big Read book for the 2026-2027 school year, according to UW News.
The Wisconsin Hoofers are getting a new expansion, as the University of Wisconsin plans a $2.7 million renovation to the club’s lake lab, according to Isthmus. The renovation to the lake lab, which is located off the Memorial Union shoreline, would include additional storage for the Hoofers’ sailing facility, an expanded rooftop, and a ramp compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, according to Isthmus.
