Category: Goals Pages

UW-Madison Merits Silver Rating in First Sustainability Assessment

In a ceremony on October 7, 2019, Chancellor Blank announced that the University of Wisconsin–Madison had been awarded a STARS silver rating for its sustainability performance. Read the full story here.

Join the Office of Sustainability As We Follow the STARS 

The Office of Sustainability has completed a major data gathering initiative and is currently soliciting input from the campus community to inform an exciting new effort.   UW–Madison submitted its first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report this summer, the results of which will be announced in October. With leadership and support from the …

UW-Madison and the Office of Sustainability Reach for the STARS

Since early 2019, the Office of Sustainability (OS) has worked to identify, compile, and review data for UW–Madison’s first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report. STARS, which is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), is a transparent, self-reporting framework for measuring sustainability performance. From counting livestock …

Director of Sustainability Education and Research Receives Prestigious Chemical Education Award

Professor Cathy Middlecamp, who serves as Director of Sustainability Education and Research for the Office of Sustainability, accepted the George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education from the American Chemical Society (ACS) at its national meeting in Orlando, March 30 – April 4, 2019. The ACS is the world’s largest scientific society, with over 150,000 …

Chancellor Blank Announces Sustainability Working Group

In February 2019, Chancellor Rebecca Blank released a statement announcing the creation of a working group that will assist with data gathering efforts as UW–Madison prepares to submit its first STARS report. You can read the Chancellor’s statement below. Sustainability is woven into the fabric of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Our commitment to conservation and …

A Lake Runs Through It: How the Charter Street Heating & Cooling Plant Helps UW-Madison Stay Comfortable Year-Round

At UW–Madison, heating and cooling is all about water. Libraries, offices, dorms, dining halls, hospitals, and other campus locations must be kept warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Meanwhile, sensitive spaces like operating rooms and research labs require precise, steady temperatures. None of this would be possible without a constant flow of …

Intern Column: Tips for a Sustainable Winter Break

Many students—and some faculty and staff—leave campus during winter break, so our interns have come up with a list of ideas for how to prepare yourself for a sustainable and meaningful time away. Below, Maddie Clarke and Hannah Kasun offer a range of tips covering cooking, energy savings, travel, and more. Gifting Reuse gift wrap, …

Wisconsin Science Festival Addresses Our Biggest Challenges and Mysteries

The Wisconsin Science Festival, which runs from October 11-14, is a “four-day statewide celebration with events for all ages.” You can read about four in-depth discussions coming to Madison here.

Teaching Fellow Teachers About UW’s “Living Model for Sustainability”

“The University of Wisconsin–Madison will be a living model for sustainability, exemplifying values and actions that demonstrate our commitment to stewardship of resources, respect for place and the health and well-being of the broader community, now and for the future.” UW–Madison Sustainability Initiative Task Force Final Report (2010) Of the guiding lights for sustainability at …

Blazes of light reveal how plants signal danger long distances

UW Madison’s Simon Gilroy has discovered that plant cells send out rather beautiful chemical signals when wounded. Read the full article here.