Category: Goals Pages

Interactive Story Map Showcases Food Scraps Collection and Composting at UW–Madison

Are you curious about food waste and composting on campus? Maybe you’ve noticed compost collection bins are in some locations around UW, but not everywhere. The University of Wisconsin–Madison has been working on securing sustainable solutions to campus food scraps and food waste since 2009. From an initial pilot project to exploring anaerobic digestion and …

Sustainability Research Hub One Year Later: Expanding Cross-Campus Collaboration 

In February 2024, UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin announced an ambitious set of environmental goals for campus. While several of these efforts focused on facilities and infrastructure, they also prioritized the teaching and research mission of the university. From there, the Sustainability Research Hub was born. A little over a year later, the team is …

A Forkful of Sustainability

Imagine a meal from your favorite restaurant. Now imagine one-third of it sitting in a truck, heading to a waste facility. This is the reality for most eating establishments. A large quantity of a restaurant’s most ordered food is prepared at the beginning of the day, and the portions that are not sold are wasted. …

Six environmental reads to bring into spring

With spring right around the corner, the Office of Sustainability Education & Outreach Team has compiled a list of environmental books to welcome a new season filled with growth, warmth, and cultivation. Literature plays a vital role in building community, engaging diverse perspectives, and inspiring action to build a more sustainable world. Here is a …

UW–Madison deploys AI recycling assistants to support waste reduction goals 

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has deployed four state-of-the-art AI recycling assistants called “Oscar Sort” (“Oscars”) across campus, marking an exciting step in the university’s commitment to sustainable operations, education, and research.   The Oscars, which use technology developed by the company Intuitive AI, combine waste bins with interactive, digital displays that are designed to make waste …

Ten Great Sustainability Courses to Take at UW–Madison

The sustainability certificate at UW–Madison empowers undergraduate students to address sustainability challenges by integrating knowledge across diverse fields, from business and engineering to public policy and social sciences. This interdisciplinary approach helps students develop a broad skill set to create positive impacts in academic, professional, and community settings. Whether you’re pursuing the sustainability certificate or …

Public trust in scientists is falling fast, so Nan Li looks to art and emotion

This article, by Tayt Armitage, is part of a series highlighting members of the Office of Sustainability’s Experts Database. In a collaboration with instructor Hannah Monroe’s course, LSC 561: Writing Science for the Public, students interviewed campus sustainability experts and produced short feature stories. Public trust in scientists is falling fast. A study by the …

For Luca Mastropasqua, fuel cells combine basic science and practical applications

This article, by Caiti Lahue, is part of a series highlighting members of the Office of Sustainability’s Experts Database. In a collaboration with instructor Hannah Monroe’s course, LSC 561: Writing Science for the Public, students interviewed campus sustainability experts and produced short feature stories. Despite the worldwide pursuit of green energy alternatives and low- to …

Qunying Huang uses AI and machine learning to make predictions — and save lives

This article, by Rodrigo Cuellar, is part of a series highlighting members of the Office of Sustainability’s Experts Database. In a collaboration with instructor Hannah Monroe’s course, LSC 561: Writing Science for the Public, students interviewed campus sustainability experts and produced short feature stories. AI, or artificial intelligence, is an increasingly common subject, but many …

Systems modeling, electrification, and equitable energy access: A look into Morgan Edwards’s Climate Action Lab

This article, by Joie Ling, is part of a series highlighting members of the Office of Sustainability’s Experts Database. In a collaboration with instructor Hannah Monroe’s course, LSC 561: Writing Science for the Public, students interviewed campus sustainability experts and produced short feature stories. Walking around during graduate school at MIT, Morgan Edwards, who is …