Learning about the state we serve
In this edition of Why Wisconsin?, a series produced by the Division of the Arts, Edward Klorman, a professor of music theory and alum of the 2026 Wisconsin Idea Seminar, discusses how teaching a seminar on music by women composers inspired broader rethinking of the music theory curriculum. Klorman is also finding opportunities to reach …
Erika Meitner, professor of English and an alum of the 2026 Wisconsin Idea Seminar, is a recipient of the Kellett Mid-Career Award in 2026. The award, named for the late William R. Kellett, a former president of the WARF board of trustees and president of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, celebrates faculty promoted to tenured positions seven to …
Beth Fields, an associate professor of occupational therapy in the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and an alum of the 2023 Wisconsin Idea Seminar, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award. The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange initiative, supports scholars and professionals in advancing knowledge, addressing global challenges, and fostering mutual …
Whether he is introducing students to the history of hip hop, collaborating across disciplines, or expanding access to the arts, Omari Carter, an assistant professor in UW–Madison’s Department of Dance and alum of the 2025 Wisconsin Idea Seminar, sees dance as a way to bring people together. As UW–Madison’s dance program continues to grow, he …
In May, the 2026 Wisconsin Idea Seminar set off on a journey to follow a 900-mile circular path around Wisconsin focusing on the state’s great waterways. Three dozen University of Wisconsin—Madison faculty and staff, many of them new to campus, were on a mission: to meet fellow Wisconsinites in communities along the route and hear …
The SoulFolk Collective is a multidisciplinary research lab led by Jessica Stovall, an assistant professor in the Department of African American Studies, that engages in scholarly inquiry to amplify the voices, stories, and lived realities of Black communities in Wisconsin. The SoulFolk’s current work includes the Black Madison Archive project, an interactive map and oral …
Morgan Jerald, assistant professor of psychology, discusses cultivating curiosity and the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in this L&S faculty interview. Dr. Jerald’s research, rooted in Black feminist scholarship, examines the influence of the media and other sociocultural factors on Black women’s gender beliefs, health, and sexual well-being.
On the last day of the 2025 Wisconsin Idea Seminar, Angela Johnson, teaching faculty in the Art Department, mentioned her upcoming trip to Nepal to Jay Stokes, King-Morgridge Scholars Program manager in the International Division. Johnson would be leading two bookmaking workshops in Kathmandu with Edgewood College’s Artistic Heritage in Nepal Program. It just so …
Forty years ago, in 1985, the Wisconsin Idea Seminar emerged out of the commitment to introduce new faculty and staff to the people and places of Wisconsin. Since then, more than 1,300 University of Wisconsin–Madison employees have made the five-day journey through the state.
EPIC-N recognized Andrea Hicks with the 2025 Faculty of the Year award! Since 2017, Andrea has collaborated with seven Wisconsin communities through UniverCity Alliance. Andrea Hicks participated in the 2017 Wisconsin Idea Seminar.