Sustainability Research and Innovation

UW–Madison is working to solve wicked problems in sustainability by advancing foundational and applied research, making campus a living lab, building innovative partnerships, and leveraging funding resources.

 

How We're Getting There

Nearly half of all academic departments and more than 320 faculty members at UW–Madison participate in sustainability-related research, making major contributions to scholarship in air quality and energy, global health and climate change, and environmental justice and food systems, among other topics. 

To support  innovative, large-scale, cross-cutting sustainability research on campus and beyond, UW–Madison is launching the Sustainability Research Hub in Spring 2024, which will make the university a preeminent destination for environmental sustainability research and education.

For more information, visit https://hub.sustainability.wisc.edu

 

Related News

  • Can energy storage and generation be made more efficient? Mark Anderson hopes to find out

    Dr. Mark Anderson and the thermal hydraulics laboratory leverage heat transfer and fluid dynamics to develop engineering solutions that make energy production systems more efficient. Systems of energy production primarily rely on first generating heat and subsequently harnessing this heat to drive processes that range from powering an electrical grid to driving a car. Heat generation necessarily consumes natural resources so minimizing waste generated during energy production is essential to making energy accessible, affordable, and enduring.

  • Do microorganisms hold the key to environmental sustainability? Erica Majumder Aims to Find Out

    Dr. Erica Majumder broadly classifies her research as “waste management microbiology.” Her group aims to use microorganisms to develop new strategies capable of removing pollutants from the environment and repurposing industrial and agricultural waste. With 292.4 million tons of solid waste being produced each year, in the US alone, finding new ways to upcycling these resources is crucial for environmental sustainability.

  • For Emma Hauser, soil might hold the secret new forest management practices

    Dr. Emma Hauser focuses on how human activity and climate change influence root nutrient cycles and different ways to mitigate adverse effects on the ecosystem. Current research from the Hauser Lab examines how the soil and roots respond to human activities and how they recover when old-growth forest strategies are implemented on secondary forests. Since root depth affects carbon cycling, nutrient storage, and water table patterns within the soil this research can give insight into how forest management practices can be improved to promote long-term sustainability.

  • Forest restoration one soundscape at a time, with Zuzana Burivalova

    Dr. Zuzana Burivalova’s Sound Forest laboratory collects soundscapes, images, and videos from forests across the world to comprehensively identify the animal species that are present over time and location. As forest biodiversity is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and human encroachment, understanding the baseline levels of diversity in each environment is crucial for assessing forest declines over time and the impacts of new conservation efforts. Research in the Sound Forest lab helps scientists, government agencies, and local communities make more informed decisions about the study, protection, and restoration of their local forests.

  • Can health opportunities arise from climate change? Jonathan Patz thinks so

    Jonathan Patz studies the ways that climate change and related policies directly and indirectly affect human health. While his research on climate change initially addressed detrimental impacts on human health, he and his group now focus on the potential near-term health benefits that will arise from climate change mitigation policies. Through his work, he hopes to influence decision-making by highlighting such health opportunities, e.g. improved air quality or enhanced safe alternative transportation, as options for climate action are considered.