March 21, 2024

Ask a Prof

The March Madness Betting Boom

This year, the NCAA tournaments will be bigger — and madder — than ever before. Assistant Professor of Communication Arts Jason Kido Lopez is researching the rapid growth of betting around these marquee events, including the sudden expansion of gambling interest for the women’s tournament. Read More

Check It Out

Remote in front of TV streaming selections

7 Shows to Watch Right Now

Rather than spending hours endlessly scrolling through algorithmically generated menus, why not get straight to the good stuff? We polled some faculty members in the College of Letters & Science about what’s enthralled them recently and asked them to offer some insights and critiques. With a little luck, their suggestions will streamline your streaming paralysis.

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Spring Commencement

Meet the 2024 Keynote Speaker

Three-time Olympic gold medalist and former Badger hockey star Meghan Duggan (’11) — who’s also an L&S alumna! — will be the keynote speaker for spring commencement. “Meghan is a born leader whose strength of character, remarkable achievements, and Badger spirit make her a terrific choice to give the charge to the Class of 2024,” says Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. Read More

Campus History

Jon Huntsman’s 2014 spring commencement address

The Speech That Launched Your Life

Over the years, graduates have heard from celebrities, public servants, athletes and renowned alumni. Here’s your chance to relive some of the most memorable commencement speeches in UW history — this time, no cap and gown required. Read More

From the Magazine

Learning From Presidential Rhetoric

In Allison Prasch’s rhetoric courses, she plays a recording of former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside radio chat from February 1942 — the one he delivered two months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Learning from these moments is central to teaching and research for Prasch, who studies and parses the words and rhetoric of U.S. presidents. Read More

This story appeared in Letters & Science magazine.

Listen to This

L&SElevate featuring Christy Clark-Pujara

The Wisconsin Idea & Black History

In this episode of “L&S Elevate,” Christy Clark-Pujara, professor and chair for the Department of African American Studies, explores how the Wisconsin Idea relates to Black history and culture by sharing how the African American community has shaped Wisconsin’s past, present and future. Listen Now

From the Field

New Family Tree for a Flower

Thomas Givnish and his team of researchers discovered a new family tree for Calochortus, a type of flowering plant in the lily family. Their findings outline how the flower migrated across North America going back millions of years. Read More

In Memoriam

Remembering David Bordwell

The communication arts community has lost one of its truly stellar figures. David Bordwell, the Jacques Ledoux Professor Emeritus of Film Studies, was a prolific researcher, dedicated teacher and passionate cinephile. He guided countless colleagues, students and film lovers to heightened awareness of the medium’s artistic possibilities. Read More

Madison Moment

Photo by: Marlita Bevenue / College of Letters & Science

Join L&S on April 16-17 for the party to pay it forward — our fifth annual Day of the Badger! Here at the College of Letters & Science we are excited to spend 1,848 minutes celebrating the accomplishments of our incredible community and raising critical funds to ensure that the next generation of Badger alumni have the L&S experience they deserve. Read More

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