1. UW-River Falls students learn teamwork, research skills to make older combines more efficient and profitable for small farms

    Photo of students Rames Frisch, in tractor, Alex Pierson and Kyle Leis conducting research to determine how to improve a 1960s combine’s performance.

    University of Wisconsin-River Falls agricultural engineering and agricultural engineering technology students are researching ways to make older combines more efficient and improve profitability for smaller farmers. The research is part of a $150,000 United States Department of Agriculture grant led by Sierra Howry, associate professor of agricultural economics, and Matt Digman, former assistant professor of agricultural engineering. Using a […]

  2. New ‘grow your own’ UW-Platteville program hopes to address shortage of STEM teachers

    Photo of math assignment

    The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is helping to address the critical shortage of qualified math and science teachers in Southwest Wisconsin by partnering with local school districts and STEM teachers to implement a “grow your own” program. The program was created by Dr. Tim Deis, professor of mathematics at UW-Platteville, and Dr. Jodean Grunow, senior lecturer […]

  3. Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin awards $3.42 million in funding to train next generation of water scientists

    Photo of students at UW-La Crosse

    Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin Tackles Grand Water Challenges and Provides Support for New Courses, Research Opportunities and Hands-On Experiences for UW Students  MILWAUKEE, Wis.—The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin will provide $3.42 million in funding to UW institutions to enhance their water-related academic programs. The funding is part of a statewide initiative, backed by the Wisconsin State Legislature […]

  4. Exploring Egypt: UWL professor, alums creating 3D database of ancient statues

    Photo of UWL Professor Dave Anderson and alums Nicolette Pegarsch (upper right) and Shannon Casey, who spent January 2022 scanning statues of the goddess Sekhmet at the Mut Temple in Luxor, Egypt. Pegarsch and Casey described it as the trip of a lifetime.

    Imagine walking around an ancient Egyptian temple or holding a 4,000-year-old artifact in the palm of your hand. UWL’s David Anderson is bringing people as close to that experience as possible through photogrammetry — the science of using photographs to produce 3D immersive models. Anderson and two of his former students spent January 2022 working on […]

  5. ​UW-Stevens Point researching hemp farming for economic, environmental benefits

    Photo of UW-Stevens Point students Sydney Polich, Meghan Schimka, and Mike Ayensu-Mensah conducting research on hemp plants to learn more about how soil pollutants affect plant growth.

    One hundred years ago, Wisconsin was second in the nation for growing hemp. Grown mostly for its fiber and cannabidiol (CBD) oil, hemp is used to make rope, fabrics, plastics, medicines, health products and construction materials. While growing hemp was banned in 1970 under the federal Controlled Substances Act, it has restarted in recent years […]

  6. Best in the nation: UW-Whitewater student org that focuses on mental health wins Chapter of the Year

    Photo of message on heart: "Don't be too hard on yourself"

    When Kelsey Pacetti discusses the importance of mental health — and fighting stigma around a topic that can be uncomfortable to talk about openly — she’s speaking from personal experience. “When I started college in Michigan, I was really a hopeless type of person, someone who struggled with suicidal ideation and almost lost my life,” […]

  7. Student researches virtual, augmented reality in construction, helps implement in curricula

    Photo of University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Allison Stencil

    University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior Allison Stencil’s research project has her viewing construction sites through a new lens. The construction management and construction safety management double major is researching the use of both virtual reality and augmented reality software to determine how it improves pre-planning on construction sites. As part of her project, Stencil will train […]

  8. Obesity documentary wins top Wisconsin broadcast award

    Brooke Shepherd, a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, has earned a top award from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) for her reporting on obesity in western Wisconsin. Shepherd won first place in the news series and documentary category in the annual WBA Student Awards for Excellence. Her reporting during the summer of […]

  9. A science trailblazer retires: Stem cell researcher James Thomson’s legacy changed the future of biology

    Photo of James Thomson, who says the unique landscape at UW–Madison helped stem cell science thrive in ways that aren’t possible at most universities. DAVID NEVALA FOR THE MORGRIDGE INSTITUTE

    The developing human body will eventually grow from a tiny two-celled zygote to a massively complex system comprising more than 37 trillion cells. If a single cell represented one second in time, all of our cells combined would span 1.8 million years. James Thomson helped the scientific world turn its attention to the shape-shifting stem […]

  10. Blugold ‘shoots for the stars’ as his journey takes him from homeless to medical school

    Photo of Dr. Kurt Wiegel (left) and Broc Kelley, who have worked together on synthetic organic chemistry research for more than a year. Kelley has earned a full scholarship to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. (Photo by Shane Opatz)

    Dr. Kurt Wiegel has been teaching chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for more than 20 years, so it takes a lot for a student to surprise him. Still, when senior Broc Kelley texted saying that he’d received a full scholarship to attend the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Wiegel […]