The annual UW–Madison Day at the Capitol highlights the amazing faculty, students, alumni and athletics at UW–Madison. UW–Madison is a national leader in research, which contributes to the state’s priorities including retention, graduation rates, workforce, and economic development. In addition to Wisconsin Alumni Association-hosted activities, several events sponsored by the UW–Madison Office of State Relations are held on this day, including the Graduate Research Showcase and Flash Talks with Faculty. Contact the State Relations staff for more information
Read coverage of the UW Day at the Capitol 2024.
Graduate Research Showcase
Each year, UW–Madison graduate student and postdoctoral researchers share their research with state legislators and legislative staff this spring as part of the annual UW–Madison Day at the Capitol . This is an excellent opportunity for young researchers to present their work to a non-scientific audience and show legislators, staffers, and the public the cutting-edge research occurring on campus and why it is important to Wisconsinites.
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2024 Presenters
Lucille Abrams
Community Pharmacists and Improving Contraception Access
Graduate Student, Health Services Research
Lauri Asbury, Zachary Bauer & Madison Mehlberg
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of a City-Owned Childcare Center in Madison, Wisconsin
Graduate Student, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Reji Babygirija
Restriction of Dietary Protein Slows the Development and Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice
Graduate Student, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Vedant Basu
IceCube: A Window to the Universe
Graduate Student, Physics
Mary Baumgartner & Johanna Schmidt
Driving in Debt Drives Debt: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Eliminating Wisconsin’s Driver’s License Suspension Policy for Failure to Pay Forfeitures
Graduate Students, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Nathan Brittin
Discovering New Antibiotics Using Machine Learning
Graduate Student, Pharmaceutical Sciences
McKenzie Burns
Mitigating Water Quality Impacts of Dairy Manure with Bioelectrochemical Systems for Resource Recovery
Graduate Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Catalysts for Science Policy
Wisconsin Science and Technology Advisors (WiSTA) Program
Graduate students and Postdoctoral Fellows,
Jiang Chen
Remote Monitoring Alfalfa Yield and Quality Traits Using Multisource Optical and SAR Satellite Data
Postdoctoral Fellow, Biological Systems Engineering
Catherine Freed
Circularizing the Global Phosphorus Economy
Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry
Juan Garcia
Welcoming Workspaces in Wausau, WI
Graduate Student, Public Health
Taqdeer Gill
Predictive Models for Vegetable Crops Under Varied N Rates Using Hyperspectral Imagery
Graduate Student, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Natalie M. González Velázquez
Differentiating the Role of 6-Hydroxynorketamine in Ketamine’s Rewarding and Fast-Acting Antidepressant Effects
Graduate Student, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Yuchen Gu
Diagnosing and Treating Skin Cancer at Fingertips Using Electromagnetic Waves and AI
Graduate Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Naman Gupta
Barriers Faced by Survivors of Technology-Facilitated Intimate Partner Violence in Seeking Social Support
Graduate Student, Computer Sciences
Austin Hall
Characterization of Secondary Metabolites Produced by a Community-Regulated Gene Cluster
Graduate Student, Plant Pathology
Carmen Haseltine
Risk Assessment of Voting by Mail: A Case Study of Milwaukee County
Graduate Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering /Industrial and Systems Engineering
Olee Hoi Ying Lam
Imaging Spectroscopy as a Tool for Understanding Early Blight Progression in Potato
Graduate Student, Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Elizabeth Hrycyna
Controlling a Cranberry Pest with Nematodes
Graduate Student, Department of Entomology
Beverly A. Hutcherson
Pcos Research Models Inform Biological Understanding of Developmental Origins Contributing to Maternal Morbidities
Graduate Student/Staff, Endocrinology Reproductive Physiology
Rachel Hutchins
Growing Up Polarized: The Development of Affective Polarization in Children
Graduate Student, Communication Arts
Rodrigo Ibarra
Viruses and Barcodes: How Molecular Tools Shed Light Into Flu’s Evolution
Graduate Student, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Anupreksha Jain
Automating Bumblebee Tracking to Study Sublethal Impacts of Pesticides on Behavior
Graduate Student, Entomology
Sohee Kim
The Prevalence of Long-Term Opioid Treatment among Older Adults with Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
Graduate Student, Health Service Research
Faith Koester
Microbial Communities for Lactic Acid Production from Dairy Industry Coproducts.
Graduate Student, Bacteriology
Lauri Luosta
The Cross-Border Spillover Effects of Recreational Marijuana Dispensaries on Child Protective Services Reporting
Graduate Student, Consumer Behavior and Family Economics
Angela Maloney
Addressing Systemic Barriers for Working-Class Candidates Running for US Federal and Wisconsin Elected Offices
Graduate Student, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Blaise Manga Enuh
Phosphate Accumulating Microbes in Wastewater
Postdoctoral Fellow, Wisconsin Energy Institute
Yizhou Mao
Optimizing Cranberry Micropropagation and Transformation to Analyze Sugar Metabolism Genes and Enhance Nutritional Quality
Graduate Student, Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics
Benazir Meera
Scaling Riding in the MomentTM in Wisconsin: An Adaptive Horseback Riding Program for Adults Living with Dementia and their Families
Postdoctoral Fellow, Kinesiology
Jarret Miles-Kroening
System Evaluation of Film-Based Mulches in an Annual, Organic Day-Neutral Strawberry Production System in the Upper Midwest
Graduate Student, Plant and Agroecosytem Sciences
Sharar Muhtasim
Simple Sensors, Big Impact: Monitoring Nitrate in Soil
Graduate Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Emilie Parkanzky
Impact of Attract-and-Kill Expansion on Popillia Japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Management in Wisconsin Vineyards
Graduate Student, Entomology
Eric Pauley
Adaptive Defenses for Internet Services
Graduate Student, Computer Sciences
Vii Pszczolkowski
From Forage to Fork: Feeding Cows for Better Dairy
Postdoctoral Fellow, US Dairy Forage Research Center
Harrison Rosenberg
Limitations of Face Image Generation
Postdoctoral Fellow, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Katie Ryan
Microbes vs Worms: Searching Nature for New Antiparasitic Compounds
Graduate Student, Cellular and Molecular Pathology (CMP)
Sophie Stephenson
Sharenting on TikTok
Graduate Student, Computer Sciences
Monnette F Summers-Villarreal
Modifying Viruses to Treat Genetic Diseases
Graduate Student, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Kate Thompson
Hyperspectral Bioindicators for Early Detection of Environmental Contamination
Graduate Student, Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Mae Tidd
Evaluating the State of Wisconsin’s HIV Prevention Program, PrEP Navigation
Graduate Student, Health Services Research
Ashleigh Tindle
Leveraging Pet Dogs to Model Non-Occupational Chemical Risk for Human Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Graduate Student, Molecular and Environmental toxicology
Anna Walther
How Early Care and Education (ECE) Spending Impacts Childcare
Graduate Student, Social Work
Amelia Weidemann
Food for Thought: The Open Seat Food Pantry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Graduate Student, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Kasia Wiech
Seeing Immune Cell Metabolism: Autofluorescence Lifetime Imaging and Lupus
Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
Yijia Xu
Unsupervised Domain Adaptation for Crop Mapping in the Absence of Mapping Year Ground-truth
Graduate Student, Biological Systems Engineering
Ibrahim Zuniga-Chaves
Socioeconomic Disparities Shape Gut Microbiome Health and Resilience: Insights from a Temporal Population-Wide Study in Wisconsin, USA.
Graduate Student, Microbiology
2023 Presenters
Barbara Alvarez
Abortion Access for Minors: A Mapping Project
Graduate Student, Information School
Angel Banuelos
How Are Early Blood Vessels in the Eye Stabilized?
Graduate Student, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Genetics
Joshua Brown, Ph.D.
College Students’ Social Identification: Issues and Suggestions from New Findings
Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Human Ecology
Tracy Campbell
Accounting for Nitrate in Irrigation Water Can Reduce Fertilizer Application Rate Substantially in the Wisconsin Central Sands
Graduate Student, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Agronomy
Ambar Carvallo
Tomato vs Septoria: Evaluation of Novel Genetic Markers for Disease Resistance
Graduate Student, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Plant Breeding and Genetics
Ashley Cate
The Status of Digital Divides in Wisconsin: An Analysis of What Is Being Done to Bridge the Divides and How Effective Those Efforts Are
Graduate Student, Program of Mass Communications
Joe Catudal
Toward Internet Photonic Sensing
Graduate Student, School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences, Computer Sciences
Nick Ceccio
The Spy Devices and Device Detectors used in Intimate Partner Violence
Graduate Student, School of Computer, Data, & Information Sciences, Computer Security
Kuan-Yu Chen
Precision Farming: Printed Nitrate Sensing System for Nitrate Leaching Quantification
Graduate Student, College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Evelyn Coker
Investing in Black Girls: The Key to Reducing System Involvement and Promoting Positive Outcomes
Graduate Student, Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, Social Welfare
Ray Czerwinski
Fluorescence Microscopy to Study Single Molecules
Graduate Student, College of Letters & Science, Chemistry
Tia Dorshorst, Stuart Berry, Michael Elbing
Rio EMS Department Recruitment and Retention
Graduate Student, School of Medicine and Pubic Health, Public Health
Benjamin Douglas
Bipartisan Approaches to Discussing Climate Policy
Graduate Student, College of Letters & Science, Psychology
Jacob Fiedler
Improved Dimension Bounds on Planar Distance Sets
Graduate Student, College of Letters & Science, Mathematics
Taqdeer Gill
Eye in the Sky: Predicting Crop Nutrient Status and Crop Yield
Graduate Student, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, Horticulture
Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe
“Saraguro Runakunaka Wiñaypak Runakunami Kashunchik (We Will Always Be Saraguro)”: Reclaiming the Kichwa Language and Saraguro Identity in the Diaspora
Graduate Student, College of Letters & Science, Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies M.A. Program
Olivia Harwood
Toward a Functional Cure for HIV
Graduate Student, School of Medicine and Public Health, Cellular and Molecular Pathology Program
Austin Hall, Emma Eisenbraun, Natalia Rosario Meléndez, Madeleine Roberts, Chris Dade
Wisconsin’s Culture: Exploring the Historical and Economic Significance of Lactococcus lactis in the State
Graduate Students, Catalysts for Science Policy
Scott Hershberger
Growing Wisconsin’s Maple Syrup Industry by Understanding Hobbyist and Commercial Producers’ Outreach Needs
Graduate Student, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Life Sciences Communication M.S.
Rodrigo Ibarra
Barcoding Viruses to Study their Evolution: Quantifying Influenza Infection Dynamics
Graduate Student, School of Medicine and Public Health, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program
Bryce Johnson
Developing new Medicines and Breaking Down Plastics with Artificial Intelligence
Graduate Student, School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences and Morgridge Institute for Research, Computer Science
DaWon Kim
Nanotechnology to Improve the Efficacy of Peptide-based Nanoparticles for Cancer Immunotherapy
Graduate Student, School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Ph.D. Program
Jake Kruse
Spatial Interactions as the Basis of Communities of Interest in Redistricting
Graduate Student, College of Letters & Science, Geography
Paul Kuehnert
The Role of Microbes in GI Health
Graduate Student, School of Medicine and Public Health, Cellular and Molecular Pathology Program
Nicole Lane Starr, Ph.D.
Skin Microbes and Eczema
Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Medicine & Public Health, Pediatrics and Medical Microbiology & Immunology
Keke Long
Public Attitudes from Riders, Drivers, and Pedestrians Toward Autonomous Shuttles
Graduate Student, College of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ke Ma
Automated Vehicle Standard Evaluation System
Graduate Student, College of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Maitreyee Marathe
Electric Little Free Library
Graduate Student, College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jarret Miles-Kroening
Transitioning to Organic Day-neutral Strawberry Production in the Upper Midwest
Graduate Student, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Horticulture
Jordan Murray
Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms: A Public Health Issue in Wisconsin’s Waters
Post Masters Fellow, UW Aquatic Sciences Center
Amy Neusaenger
Amorphous Drug-Polymer Salts: Maximizing Proton Transfer to Enhance Stability and Release of Global Health Medicines
Graduate Student, School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Ph.D. Program
Connor Protter
Nanomaterials for Agriculture and Plant Health
Graduate Student, College of Letters & Science, Chemistry
Jonathan Rebelsky
Searching for the Origins of Life in the Coldest Regions of Space
Graduate Student College of Letters & Science, Chemistry
Pedro Rojas-Barros
A Current Cranberry Industry Challenge: What Makes a Cranberry Fruit Good for Sweetened and Dried Cranberry (SDC) Production?
Graduate Student, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Horticulture
Aindrila Saha
Replicating Daylight Vision on a Dish
Graduate Student, School of Medicine and Public Health, Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program
Sam Schneider, Adam Riley, Stephanie Mertens, Ian O’Connor-Giles, Tyler Williams
Child Savings Accounts in Wisconsin: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Graduate Students, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Sophie Stephenson
The Madison Tech Clinic: Combating Technology-Enabled Abuse in Our Community
Graduate Student, School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences, Computer Sciences
Dharani Suresh Babu
Empowering Cranberry Growers: With Remote Sensing-Enabled Agricultural Intelligence
Graduate Student, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Horticulture
Junyi Tan
Harnessing Genomic Resources to Accelerate Cucumber Disease Resistance Breeding
Postdoctoral Fellow, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Horticulture
Mallory VanMeeter
Building the Village: Patterns of Informal Shared Housing Among Youth Facing Homelessness and the Factors that Contribute to Stability
Graduate Student, School of Human Ecology, Civil Society and Community Research Program
Aishwarya Veerabahu
The Midas Mushroom: the Invasion of Golden Oyster Mushrooms in the Midwest
Graduate Student, College of Letters & Science, Botany (Fungal Ecology focus)
Teja Venkatesa Perumal
Powering the Future: Carbon Conversion Technologies
Graduate Student, College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Jocelyn Woods
Tail Docking: Considering the Long and Short of It for Sheep Welfare
Graduate Student, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Animal and Dairy Sciences
Ziyan Wu
Reliable Detection and Characterization of Small Microplastics in Lake Water Using Raman Spectroscopy Coupled with Fractionated Membrane Filtration
Graduate Student, College of Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty Flash Talks
Faculty Flash Talks are brief (10 min) showcases of the leading research by faculty from across the UW–Madison campus. Topics range from current events to major challenges directly impacting industries across Wisconsin, the U.S., and the world. Faculty Flash Talks are presented in partnership with UW Connects Badger Talks.
2024 Flash Talks
Police in Schools: What Does the Research Say?
Ben Fisher, MA, PhD – Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies, School of Human Ecology
The Area Deprivation Index: Advancing Health Equity through Health Policy
Ann M. Sheehy, MD, MS – Professor of Medicine & Deputy Director of Health Policy Research, Center for Health Disparities Research, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Using Brain Imaging and Movement to Better Understand Autism
Brittany Travers, PhD – Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, Department of Kinesiology, School of Education
The Wisconsin Rural Livability Project
Steven Deller, MS, PhD – Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, Agricultural and Applied Economics, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences & Community Development Extension Specialist, Division of Extension
AI Safety in Human Sensitive Contexts in the Age of Generative AI
Yonatan Mintz, PhD – Assistant Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering
Mental Flex: Meditation Training for Performance and Well-Being
Chad McGehee, MA, MEd – Director of Meditation Training, UW Athletics
Sustainability – Wisconsin’s Leadership and Legacy
Missy Nergard, PhD – Chief Sustainability Officer, UW–Madison Office of Sustainability
Centering Excellence in Mosquito and Tick Expertise at UW-Madison
Lyric Bartholomay, PhD – Professor, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine
Preliminary Findings from Wisconsin’s Domestic Violence Housing First Pilot Program
Mariel Barnes, MA, PhD – Assistant Professor of Public Affairs, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Cover Crops & Manure: Partners in Conservation
Matt Ruark, MS, PhD – Associate Professor of Soil Science, Department of Soil Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences & Extension Soil Scientists, Division of Extension
Responding to Needs of Local Governments: UniverCity Alliance & the Wisconsin Idea
Gavin Luter, PhD – Managing Director, UniverCity Alliance
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Flash Talks from 2023
- Tonya Roberts, PhD, RN – Associate Professor and Karen Frick Pridham Professor in Family-Centered Care
Improving Nursing Home Quality: Optimizing Person-Centered Care - Cody J. Wenthur, PharmD, PhD – Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice & Translational Research, School of Pharmacy
Development of Antibodies Against Synthetic Psychoactive Drugs - Yiwei Zhang, PhD – Assistant Professor of Consumer Science, School of Human Ecology
Payday Lenders as Utility Payment Centers: Can Paying Down Bills Lead to Debt?
- Whitney Loo, PhD – Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering, College of Engineering
Polymers for a Sustainable Future - Diana Hammer – Community Resource Development Educator, Division of Extension & Johnnie Phiffer – Founder, I Am Balanced Wellness
Entrepreneur in Training Partnership
- Andy Garbacz, PhD – Associate Professor of School Psychology, School of Education
Promoting Youth Mental Health through Integrated Family-School-Community Partnerships
- Wisconsin Brass Quintet – Tom Curry; Mark Hetzler; Daniel Grabois; Jean Laurenz; & Oliver C. Smith
Suite from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (arr. by Jack Gale); Tonight – Maria – Americ - Kassem Fawaz, PhD – Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Privacy in Today’s Online World: Is It Possible? - Katie Eklund, PhD – Associate Professor of School Psychology, School of Education
Addressing Children’s Mental Health Needs in Wisconsin Schools
- Charles Konsitzke – Team Lead, UW MIA Recovery and Identification Project
UW MIA Recovery and Identification Project - Chuck Nicholson, PhD – Associate Professor of Agriculture & Applied Economics, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Assessing and Addressing Barriers to Dairy Product Exports by Small- and Medium-Sized Wisconsin Manufacturers
