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 Department of State Relations are held on this day, including the Graduate Research Showcase and Flash Talks with Faculty.
This year’s UW–Madison Day at the Capitol will be held on April 26, 2023. This event will be in-person.
Contact the State Relations staff for more information
Graduate Research Showcase
First Floor Rotunda
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
The UW–Madison graduate student and postdoctoral researchers will share their research with state legislators and legislative staff this spring as part of the annual UW–Madison Day at the Capitol on April 26, 2023. This event will be fully in-person, consisting of poster presentations, the opportunity to meet with legislators, and a luncheon. 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.
If you have questions about the event, please email Chris Dade, CaSP co-President (cdade@wisc.edu) or Crystal Potts, Director of State Relations at UW–Madison (crystal.potts@wisc.edu).
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2023 Showcase 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
411 South, Wisconsin State Capitol
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
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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2023 Flash Talk Schedule
2:00
- Tonya Roberts, PhD, RN – Associate Professor and Karen Frick Pridham Professor in Family-Centered Care
Improving Nursing Home Quality: Optimizing Person-Centered Care
2:10
- Cody J. Wenthur, PharmD, PhD – Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice & Translational Research, School of Pharmacy
Development of Antibodies Against Synthetic Psychoactive Drugs
2:20
- 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?
2:30
- Whitney Loo, PhD – Assistant Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering, College of Engineering
Polymers for a Sustainable Future
2:40
- Diana Hammer – Community Resource Development Educator, Division of Extension & Johnnie Phiffer – Founder, I Am Balanced Wellness
Entrepreneur in Training Partnership
2:50
- Andy Garbacz, PhD – Associate Professor of School Psychology, School of Education
Promoting Youth Mental Health through Integrated Family-School-Community Partnerships
3:00
- 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
BREAK
3:20
- Kassem Fawaz, PhD – Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Privacy in Today’s Online World: Is It Possible?
3:30
- Katie Eklund, PhD – Associate Professor of School Psychology, School of Education
Addressing Children’s Mental Health Needs in Wisconsin Schools
3:40
- Charles Konsitzke – Team Lead, UW MIA Recovery and Identification Project
UW MIA Recovery and Identification Project
3:50
- 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