University of Wisconsin–Madison
If you’ve been in Union South or Memorial Union lately, chances are you’ve met Oscar. Oscar Sort is UW–Madison’s new AI waste and recycling assistant, introduced by the Office of Sustainability’s Zero Waste Team to improve recycling accuracy on campus. If you hold up a waste item to Oscar Sort’s cameras, it’ll identify it and …
The latest episode of The SustainUW Podcast’s new miniseries, Sustainability Conversations across the Big Ten, looks at how student leadership shapes campus sustainability work at UW–Madison and Rutgers Univesity.
This fall, UW–Madison earned its first STARS Gold rating in a broad sustainability assessment. This milestone marks progress toward Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s five environmental sustainability goals announced in February 2024. STARS reporting is a point-based system used by colleges and universities to measure campus sustainability efforts and compare them with those of peer institutions. As the …
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.
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.
Looking for a way to incorporate sustainability into your academic journey at UW–Madison? Look no further. No matter your major or department, there are countless ways to connect your studies to sustainability, whether you want to gaze dreamily at lakes all day or learn about the ancient Greeks. Sustainability is embedded in coursework and research …
If you were to bike by the Arboretum Visitor Center on Friday, October 3rd, you might have caught UW–Madison students and staff laughing together and ringing their bike bells in celebration as they rode BCycles around the small circle. It was a beautifully sunny fall day for the event, and attendees certainly took advantage. Until …
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.
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.
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.