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 Faculty Flash Talks. Read about Day at the Capitol 2025 on the UW–Madison news site.
The next UW–Madison Day at the Capitol will be held on April 29, 2026 at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Find out more about the day’s events and register to attend on the Wisconsin Alumni Association website.
Graduate Research Showcase
Each year, the UW-Madison Office of State Relations proudly partners with CaSP to present the Graduate Research Showcase as part of the annual UW-Madison Day at the Capitol. Typically more than 50 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers share their research with the day’s participants in the Capitol rotunda. The Showcase features a wide variety of UW–Madison researchers and their innovative work. This is an excellent opportunity for researchers to present their work to a non-scientific audience and show legislators, staffers, civil servants and the public the cutting edge research occurring on campus and why it is important to Wisconsinites.
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2026 Presenters
Jacklyn Alsbro & Sara Ostad Rahimi
Exploring Mental Models of Public Participation in Fusion Energy: Results from Interviews across Policy, Business and Scientist Stakeholders
Master’s student, La Follette School of Public Affairs; PhD student, Life Sciences Communication
Hannah Ashe
White-Tailed Deer Response to Invasive Shrub Removal Depends on Human Development
PhD student, Integrative Biology
Marian Azeem-Angel
Extreme Summertime Rainfall, Social Vulnerability, and Community Perceptions: A Multi-Method Assessment of Flood Risk
Post-Master’s, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Katie Barnes
How Parasites Hijack Our Cells & How We Fight Back
Graduate student, Microbiology (MDTP) & Medical Microbiology & Immunology (MMI)
Ashley Berghoff
“Positive, Safe, Hopeful:” Leveraging Interdisciplinary Expertise to Improve Patient and Caregiver Preparedness for Stem Cell Transplant Through a Family-Centered Orientation Program
Doctoral student, Human Development and Family Studies, School of Human Ecology
Yohan Beugin
Web Tracking: Advances and Open Problems for Researchers and Policymakers
Graduate student, Computer Sciences
Mandar Ravindra Bhutkar
Determining the Structure of a Virus That Causes Childhood Asthma to Support Antibody and Vaccine Development
Post-doc, Biochemistry
Dr. Paul Buchmann
Unraveling How Land Use Changes and More Extreme Precipitation Affect Flooding on Wisconsin’s Rock River
Post-doc, Wisconsin State Climatology Office
Braden Buck
A Light in the Darkness: What’s Behind Black Hole Flares?
Graduate student, Physics
Samuel Chagas
Engineering Maize for a Healthier Climate and More Sustainable Livestock Production
Postdoctoral researcher, Wisconsin Energy Institute
Marco Cordero
Listening to the Immune Conversation in Pregnancy
Graduate student, Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology; Ob/Gyn
Ika Dai, Charlie Keith
Who Performs Better? Exploring the Role of Generative AI in Creativity and Brainstorming
Graduate student, Communication Arts
Vickie Eiden
Way More Than Cows, Corn and Ribbons: Modern 4-H Program Offerings Provide a Framework to Encourage Youth from All Backgrounds and Interests in Making, Experimentation and Leadership Development
Graduate student & teaching assistant, Curriculum & Instruction
Cynthia Feng
Decoding the Flu: What Makes Some Flu Strains Worse Than Others?
Graduate student, Medical Microbiology & Immunology (MMI)
Catherine Getty
Direct Ammonia Fuel Cells: A Safe, Carbon Neutral Fuel for Wisconsin
Graduate student, Chemistry
Doran Goldman
Promise and Challenges of Bacteriophages as Novel Therapeutics for the Antibiotic Resistance Crisis
graduate student, Microbiology Doctoral Training Program (MDTP)
Katerina Gratsea
Achieving Utility-Scale Applications on Quantum Computers
Post-doc research associate, Physics
Srishti Gupta
Supporting Maternal Health in Wisconsin: Perspectives and Experiences of Rural General Surgeons Performing Cesarean Deliveries
Medical student, School of Medicine and Public Health
Emeline Hanna
Going with the Flow: Improvement of Arterial Imaging Techniques
Graduate student, Medical Physics / Radiology
Regan Harmon
Bringing Down Cancer’s Force Field: Improving Immunotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer
Graduate student, Cellular and Molecular Pathology / Department of Human Oncology
Avery Imes
Expanding Marine Model Systems for Functional Microbiome Studies
Graduate student, Genetics / Medical Microbiology and Immunology (MMI)
Yadwinder Kaur
Untangling DNA: Using Fruit Flies to Decode Protein Networks Driving Childhood Brain Cancer
Graduate student, Genetics
Jaewon Kim
Thermal Performance of a District-Scale Geothermal Energy in Verona, Wisconsin
Graduate student, Geological Engineering
Virginia Lamas Meza
Pyrolyzed Coffee Grounds for the Remediation of Pesticides From Soil-Water Systems: Nitrogen-Doped Biochar for the Targeted Removal of Neonicotinoid Contaminants
Graduate student, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Suhjung Janet Lee
Opioid Vaccines for Opioid Use Disorder as a “Wicked Problem”
Graduate student, Neuroscience & Public Policy / School of Pharmacy
Emily Mather
Characterizing Surface-Atmosphere Exchange in Solar Arrays to Better Understand the Local Environmental Impacts of Changing Midwest Landscapes
Graduate student, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Ally McCullen
Modeling HIV Reservoirs
Graduate student, Cellular and Molecular Pathology
Nikunj Mehta
The Conductor of the Synaptic Symphony: How Brain Cells Communicate and What Goes Awry in Neurological Diseases
Post-doc, Neuroscience
Carly Oddleifson
From Screening to Support: How School Teams Use Student Mental Health Data
Graduate student, Educational Psychology
Nilvio A. Punguil Bravo
Comics as Research: Using Visual Storytelling to Share Community Experiences Across Wisconsin
Graduate student, Human Ecology
Eshan Raul
The First “Steam Planet” Ever Found
Graduate student, Astronomy
Melissa Reusche
Caves, Climate, and Connection in Wisconsin
Graduate student, Geoscience
Luca Riitano
Astronomy with the Next Generation of Gamma-Ray Telescopes
Graduate student, Physics
Puranjoy Sar
Unseen Allies: Beneficial Soil Microbes Promote Cranberry Health and Productivity
Post-doc, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Marina Slawinski
Developing Agent-Based Models of Structure-Function Relationships in Immune Response to Mycobacteria
Graduate student, Biomedical Engineering PhD
Connor Smith
Regulating Gene Drives in the United States
Graduate student, La Follette School
Elijah Smith
Degradation of Environmental Prions by Soil-Dwelling Detritivores
Graduate student, Comparative Biomedical Science (CBMS)
Isaiah Stevens
STEM for All: Removing Barriers Through Measurement
Graduate student (PhD), Educational Psychology: Human Development Area
Zoe Walts
Improving Supportive Service Delivery in Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Cancer Center
Graduate student, Epidemiology PhD / Department of Population Health Sciences
Xin Xie
The Validity and Utility of Established and Emerging Measures of Teaching Quality: A Review
Graduate student, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Arifa Khatee Zathul
IceCube: A Window Into the Universe
Graduate student (PhD), Physics
2025 Presenters
Sam Beffa, Ethan Burton
Design and Testing of Forced-Hot Air Furnaces to Thermally Inactivate the HPAI Virus in Packaged and Unpacked Shell Eggs at Large-Scale Poultry Facilities
Graduate Students, Mechanical Engineering
Monica Bertrand
Protecting Your Instrument: Essential Vocal Care for Music Educators
Graduate Student, DMA in Choral Conducting
Ania Bialic
Engineering a Better Future: Using a 3D Tissue Model to Unravel the Mysteries of Neglected Tropical Disease
Graduate Student, Medical Microbiology & Immunology
Emily Blick
The Neuroinflammatory Response Following Cellular Traumatic Brain Injury
Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
Robin Chisholm
The Complicated Beauty of Galaxies—How They Grow and Evolve
Graduate Student, Physics / Astronomy
Soyeon Choi
Balancing Connection and Caution: How Infectious Diseases Shape Our Social Lives
Postdoctoral Researcher, Psychology
AP Clay, Isabel Cannell
Strategies for Targeting Bacterial Pathogenicity
Postdoctoral Researcher, Graduate Student, chemistry
Julia Colwell
Using Rhesus Macaque Stem Cell-Derived Neurons to Study Frontotemporal Dementia
Graduate Research Assistant, Cellular & Molecular Pathology
Tarah Connolly
Wisconsin Children’s Museum Klatch: Connecting a Uniquely Wisconsin Asset
PhD Student, Curriculum & Instruction
Caroline Corona, David Heinritz, Luis Navarette, Ayah Kenj Halabi, Anthony Carreno
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Lowering the Elevated Blood Lead Level Threshold for Public Health Intervention in Wisconsin
Graduate Students, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Hande Burcu Deniz
How Do Physical Qualities of Activity-Based Workplaces Impact Stress Levels of Employees?
Graduate Student, Design Studies/School of Human Ecology
Nina Denne
Your Immune Cells Get Tired, Too! Reducing T Cell Exhaustion to Improve Immunotherapy for Solid Tumors
Graduate Student, Program: Cell & Molecular Biology, Department: Biomedical Engineering
Kayla Dillon, Te-Lien Ku
Advancing Access to Health Services Through the Dementia Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool for Care Partners of Hospitalized Individuals Living With Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Graduate Students, Kinesiology
Maximino D. Emerson
Leveraging the Photosynthetic Light Reactions for Engineering Photocatalysis
Graduate Student, Biochemistry
Lea Gardiner
Community-Based Dementia Crisis Mobile Response Teams: A Feasibility Study
Graduate Student, School of Nursing – Psychiatric Mental Health cohort
Srihari Gopalan
Novel Instrument for a Safer Surgical Approach
Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering (Accelerated M.S. Program)
Edith-Marie Green
Predictors of and Changes in Advance Care Planning During Societal Shifts: A Study of the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW)’s Community Impact Survey
Graduate Student, Population Health Sciences
Yangchen He
2D Materials for Future Electronics: Towards Energy-Efficient Technology and Quantum Computation
Research Assistant, Materials Science & Engineering
Alissa Hofmann
Exposure to “Forever Chemicals” During Pregnancy May Trigger Diabetes—but Hope Exists
Graduate Student, Endocrinology Reproductive Physiology
Jennifer Jones
Empowering Tribal Energy Initiatives: Assessing Engagement and Impact of Tribal Energy Advisory Councils in State Regulatory Processes
Graduate Student, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Natalie Jones-Kerwin
Voting Behavior and Access Among Native Americans in Century General Elections
Graduate Student, Political Science
Sohee Kim
Trends and Predictions of Fall and Injury Incidents in Wisconsin’s Assisted Living Communities
Graduate Student, Health Service Research in Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy
Jennifer Koehler, Olivia Hoffman
Teaching Old Drugs New Tricks: A New Treatment for People With Epilepsy
Graduate Student, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology; Postdoctoral Researcher, Neuroscience
Alivia Lindorfer
Driving Change: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Expanding Mobile Dentistry in Wisconsin
Graduate Student, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Lauren Lucas
Bile Acids: Microbial Metabolites That Shape Your Body’s Function
Postdoctoral Researcher, Bacteriology
Alicia Mand
Neutrino Astronomy With IceCube and Its Upgrades
Graduate Student, Physics
Marilyn McCluskey
Improving Confidence on Identification of Human Trafficking in the Healthcare Setting
Graduate Student, Doctorate of Nursing
Justice Merrifield
Advancing Cancer Therapeutics by Stimulating the Immune System
Graduate Student, DVM/PhD program
Corinne Moss
Combining Daily Health Tracking and Urine Sampling to Advance Precision Medicine
Graduate Student, Integrated Program in Biochemistry (Biomolecular Chemistry dept)
Jordan Nickell
Natural Disasters on Election Day: Preserving the Right to Vote in Cases of Emergency
Graduate Student, Law School
Kelly O’Connor, BSN, RN, CPN
Early Childhood Health Consultation: Expert Advice, Confident Caregivers, Healthy Children
Post-degree Researcher, School of Human Ecology
Abby Youran Qin
Why Local News Matters for Elections in Wisconsin
Graduate Student, School of Journalism & Mass Communication
Unmesh Raskar
From Barn to Data: High-Tech Solutions for Wisconsin’s Dairy Farms
Graduate Student, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Monica Ridlon
It’s Regulated. Why Care About Polychlorinated Biphenyl Pollution?
Graduate Student, Molecular & Environmental Toxicology
Tayana Roark
Producing Protein Films With Biobased Plasticizers as a Sustainable Plastic Packaging Alternative
Graduate Student, Food Science
Fletcher A. E. Robbins
Developing Updatable Pest Forecasts for Wisconsin Soybean Farms
Graduate Student, Entomology and Agronomy
Sammy Rothman
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Private Well Water Treatment in Wisconsin
Graduate Student, La Follette School of Public Affairs
Jack Shireman
Impact of Pregnancy on the Treatment and Outcomes of Glioma – a Cohort Study
Graduate Student, Neuroscience Training Program/Neurosurgery
Anshit Singh
Altered Coordination of Cellular Metabolism: Caloric Restriction and Aging
Graduate Student, Nutrition and Metabolism Graduate Program
Ann Shun Swanson
Receipt and Timeliness of Mental Health Assessment, Treatment, and Acute Services Following Foster Care Entry
Graduate Student, PhD in Social Welfare / School of Social Work
Zaim Ugljic
What Is the Potential Herbicide Savings With Targeted Application Technologies?
Graduate Student, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Madrigal von Muchow
Developing a Screening Tool to Identify Birth Trauma in Prenatal Care
Graduate Student, Master of Public Health
Jack Williams
Developing Methods to Identify Changes in Liver Function in Early Liver Disease
Graduate Student, Biochemistry
Katie Wilson
Wildfire Aerosol Concentrations and Their Impact on Severe Weather in North America
Graduate Student, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Kyle Wolf
Medical Countermeasures for Hematopoietic Acute Radiation Syndrome
Postdoctoral Researcher, Forward Bio Institute
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.
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2026 Faculty Flash Talks
2:00 p.m.: Cognitive Development and Digital Media Use in Infancy and Early Childhood
Heather Kirkorian – Laura M. Secord Chair in Early Childhood Development, Department Chair and Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, and Faculty Director of the Child Development Lab in the School of Human Ecology
2:10 p.m.: Advances in Nuclear Engineering
Paul Wilson – Grainger Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics
2:20 p.m.: AI in Design and Marketing
Daniel van der Weide – Grainger Institute for Engineering Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
2:30 p.m.: New Avenues for Manufacturers: The WI Drives Manufacturing Summit
Oliver Schmitz – Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics
2:40 p.m.: Fusion Energy at UW–Madison
Stephanie Diem – Assistant Professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics
2:50 p.m.: Better Places Together: How UniverCity Alliance Connects Wisconsin Local Governments With University Resources
Megan McBride – Managing Director, UniverCity Alliance
3:00 p.m.: Assessing the Credit Consequences of Justice Involvement
J. Michael Collins – Fetzer Family Chair in Consumer & Personal Finance, School of Human Ecology; Family Economics Specialist, Division of Extension; Associate Director for Training and Research, Institute for Research on Poverty; Professor, La Follette School of Public Affairs
3:10 p.m.: Transformative Partnership to Move Rural Health Care Forward
Amy Kind – Associate Dean for Social Health Sciences and Program, UW School of Medicine and Public Health (UW SMPH); Chief Executive Officer, Orion Initiative; Professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine
3:20 p.m.: Quantum Technologies for Wisconsin
Mark Eriksson – John Bardeen Professor of Physics and Director of the Wisconsin Quantum Institute
Jennifer Choy – Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Kyle Joseph – Associate Director of Business Engagement, Collective for Research Impact and Social Partnerships (CRISP), College of Letters and Science
3:30 p.m.: Improving Lives of Those With Alzheimer’s
Cynthia Carlsson – Louis A. Holland, Sr., Professor in Alzheimer’s Disease and Director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, UW SMPH
3:40 p.m.: Teacher Pledge: A Research-Based Approach to Address Wisconsin’s Teacher Shortage
Thomas Owenby – Associate Dean for Teacher Education, Mary T. Kellner Teacher Education Center, School of Education
3:50 p.m.: Moo-ving Youth and the Dairy Industry Forward Through Outreach Programming
Megan R. Lauber – Ph.D. Candidate and Project Assistant for Dairy Youth Programming, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
2025 Faculty Flash Talks
2:00 p.m.: What UW–Madison Does to Protect Wisconsin Agriculture from Avian Flu (H5N1)
Keith Poulsen, DVM, PhD – Director, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine
2:10 p.m.: Wisconsin’s Ag Stations: Being the Wisconsin Idea
Mike Peters – Director, Agricultural Research Stations, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)
2:20 p.m.: UW MIA Project
Chuck Konsitzke – UW Biotechnology Center Associate Director; Team Lead for the UW Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project
2:30 p.m.: Teacher Pledge: A big idea to address Wisconsin’s teacher shortage
Marcelle Haddix, PhD – Dean, School of Education & Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education, School of Education
2:40 p.m.: Structured Materials — From Traumatic Brain Injury Prevention To Enabling Space Exploration
Ramathasan Thevamaran, PhD – Bernard A. and
Frances M. Weideman Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
2:50 p.m.: Expanding Financial Well-being in Wisconsin
J. Michael Collins, PhD – Fetzer Family Chair in Consumer & Personal Finance, School of Human Ecology; Family Economics Specialist, Division of Extension; Associate Director for Training and Research, Institute for Research on Poverty
3:00 p.m.: Rethinking Political Divides: Innovations in Public Engagement and Problem-Solving
Amber Wichowsky, PhD – Associate Professor of Public Affairs, La Follette School of Public Affairs and Leadership Wisconsin Chair, Division of Extension
3:10 p.m.: Obesity and Breast Cancer: Fuel for the Fire
Lisa M. Arendt, DVM, PhD – Associate Professor of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine
3:20 p.m.: Rural Livability in Wisconsin
Tessa Conroy, PhD – Associate Professor, Dept of Agricultural and Applied Economics, CALS; Community Economic Development Specialist, Division of Extension
3:30 p.m.: Leveraging Community Pharmacies to Combat Opioid Overdose in Wisconsin
Jay Ford, PhD, FACHE, LFHIMSS and Cody Wenthur, PharmD/PhD – Co-Directors, Wisconsin Opioid Overdose Response Center, School of Pharmacy
3:40 p.m.: AI-enabled cancer care: Ushering in a new era of precision medicine
Pallavi Tiwari, PhD – Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, Department of Radiology, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health
3:50 p.m.: K-12 Visual Arts Education: A Foundation for Creativity, Connection and Careers
Mary Hoefferle, PhD – Art Education Teaching Faculty, Art Department, School of Education & Division of the Arts
2024 Faculty 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
2023 Faculty Flash Talks
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
