The Latest

  • A smiling young woman making a W sign in front of Roman ruins.

Sustainability Study in Italy Makes Impact on Rising Senior

Even a short trip can make a big impact. UW–Madison senior Morgan Ramsey, a communications intern at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, spent two weeks studying abroad in Italy and calls it one of her most immersive experiences. The jam-packed program, UW Sustainable Food Systems in Italy and the World, is a 2-credit field experience through CALS and IAP. Open to all students who complete a 1-credit prep course, it draws majors from global health to psychology.

  • Image of a stylized guitar with many scientific and Wisconsin features embedded.

Wisconsin Science Festival Rolls Out 2025 Feature: “Rock and Roll”

The 15th annual Wisconsin Science Festival, set to take place October 16–26, 2025, has announced its theme: Rock and Roll. “It’s a play on words—not just about sound and music, but also the geology that shapes Wisconsin, the physics of motion, and the creative energy that drives discovery,” says Sam Mulrooney, Director of the Wisconsin Science Festival. Host registration is now open for those interested in submitting an event for this year’s festival.

  • PhD student Lee holds up a device with the ARHART app to measure living spaces.

App under development at UW could make it easier, more affordable to ‘age in place’

Researchers are using augmented reality to help make homes safer for older adults through a tool called ARHAT—the Augmented Reality Home Assessment Tool. ARHAT guides users through a process to measure key features of a living space and suggests accessibility improvements. By streamlining what can be a clunky and expensive process, the tool supports a more affordable, community-based approach to home safety. The project is led by Jung-hye Shin and Kevin Ponto from the Department of Design Studies and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, alongside occupational therapist and kinesiology professor Beth Fields.

The Future Is Multidisciplinary: Inside the UW Tech Exploration Lab

The new UW Tech Exploration Lab is a partnership between the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the Wisconsin School of Business, and provides a unique space for students to gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, and Internet of Things (IoT).