May 23, 2024

Building Update

The Future Hub for the Humanities

Irving & Dorothy Levy Hall is one step closer to fruition after a groundbreaking ceremony this month. The new state-of-the-art building will open doors for better classroom experiences and interdepartmental research collaboration, while also sending a profound message about the incredible value of the humanities. Eight departments will call this new space home. Read More and Watch Video

Ask a Prof

Illustration of the challenges of mental illness.

What’s the Mental Toll?

While it’s often easy to see the emotional cost of mental illness, the economic cost is more difficult to chart. Assistant Professor of Economics Job Boerma is part of a team of researchers that put a price tag on the cost of mental illness to the U.S. economy. Spoiler alert: It's a lot higher than you think.

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Asked & Answered

Digital render of a padlock protecting data.

A New Privacy Threat

In a world now dominated by easy access to generative artificial intelligence technology, data is king. But some College of Letters & Science professors are increasingly concerned about the risks of unauthorized data collection and use. These researchers are questioning how people can protect their personal data.

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Check This Out

A Life Changing Workshop

The Mead Witter School of Music Changemaker Series is a celebration of people who have helped society challenge and expand the boundaries of music — and that’s exactly what Angela Brown does. She’s an internationally renowned opera singer and accomplished soprano who recently led an inspiring performance class on campus. Watch Now

Life’s Work

Insignificant Significance

Art History alumnus Matt Rarey has uncovered important historical truths by looking at common objects that were previously labeled as “insignificant.” He won a prestigious book prize for his writing on amulets and what they tell us about the art of survival in the early Black Atlantic. Read More

From the Magazine

Spring 2024 Letters & Science magazine cover

Spring Issue Out Now!

The Spring 2024 issue of Letters & Science magazine is here! Read about five L&S entrepreneurial success stories, how the Department of Botany manages a living collection that includes thousands of plants, the ways researchers in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture are supporting the designs of just cities, and much more.

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Madison Moment

Nearly 8,600 students turned their tassels at ceremonies held at the Kohl Center and Camp Randall Stadium on May 10 and 11. Letters & Science’s own Gracie Nelson represented her fellow graduates as the student speaker, plus L&S alum Reverend Dr. Alexander Gee Jr. was awarded an honorary doctorate degree. Prior to the big event on May 11, the College hosted nearly 3,000 soon-to-be graduates and their loved ones for a pre-Commencement celebration featuring Bucky, the UW Marching Band, inspiring words and lots of smiles.

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