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article Fall 2020

Engineers Without Borders: The Wisconsin Idea in Action

For over a century, the Wisconsin Idea has been the guiding philosophy of faculty, students, and alumni of UW-Madison. One of the earliest university presidents once said, “I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the university reaches every family in the state.” Today, that sentiment still holds true, reaching communities worldwide through […]

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article Fall 2020

Science Beyond the Lab

In the fast paced, ever changing world of science, effective communication could not be more important. Bridging the gap between the research in the lab and the diverse audience of the general public has its challenges, as has been highlighted in the past year with the Covid-19 pandemic. As we move forward, more work is […]

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article Fall 2020

Assessing & Ensuring Construction Readiness

The construction industry is a competitive field with constant pressure to complete projects on schedule and within budget. Due to this, projects are often launched without adequate assessment of the readiness of the project. This leads to low productivity, delays, and even projects coming to a halt while decisions and changes are made. UW Madison’s […]

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article Fall 2020

Researchers Go “Nuclear” for Safety

When the word “nuclear” comes into the conversation, bad connotations are immediately attached to the word. For Kaya Mondry, however, nuclear power is the gateway for many promising research opportunities. Her research group is fighting this stigma by improving how nuclear plants operate. Research Intern Mondry, whose advisors are Michael Corradini and Hwasung Yeom in […]

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article Fall 2020

Introducing the Emerging Leaders in Engineering Program

Our experiences outside the classroom can be just as vital as the professors’ lectures inside. A number of cardinal life lessons and soft skills cannot be easily “taught” but are instead instilled through experiences. Participating in the Emerging Leaders in Engineering (ELE) program is one way for students at UW-Madison to develop these leadership skills […]

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article Fall 2020

CLEAN: Student Org Spotlight

If you saw signs on Bascom Hill on December 6th last semester, you saw the work of a newly formed student organization, CLEAN. CLEAN used to be a coalition of many different groups from around campus, such as the Sierra Club and 350 Madison, with the common goal of renewable energy. Recently, however, they have […]

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article Fall 2020

Why the Engineer Fountain ACTUALLY Doesn’t Work

Faulty jets? Leaky pipes? Not enough water in Madison? Find out the real reason why the Descendant’s fountain doesn’t work. Why, on a campus full of engineers, is there a fountain that does not spray water? I sat down (virtually) with Dean Ian Robertson to find out. The Descendant’s Fountain, or Máquina (Spanish for machine) […]

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article Fall 2020

Chemistry in its Element Podcast — Curious Tales of Chemical Compounds: A Review

“Quarantine is a great time to learn about something new, or start listening to a podcast! The “Chemistry in its Element” podcast explores science around us, through several lenses, including art, history, anthropology, and epidemiology.” We are surrounded by chemical molecules and compounds — it is in our food, our bodies, as well as the plastics and […]

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article Fall 2020

QSI Lab — Improving Patient Care at UW Health

The Quality Safety and Improvement (QSI) lab is a student-driven research group that partners with UW-Health on projects that improve patient care. Jack Grahek started off his undergraduate career studying Biomedical Engineering (BME), when he realized that he was interested more in the process of healthcare than the actual practice. As a result, he switched […]

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article Fall 2020

Sustainability, STARS, and “Saving the World”

The recently established office of sustainability takes a system approach to studying sustainability in a holistic and transdisciplinary way. When students return to campus each year, their main priorities often include attending sporting events, catching up with friends, and preparing for another semester of classes. Meanwhile, the Office of Sustainability is working behind the scenes […]