September 25, 2025

Life's Work

Building on the Legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright

As a child, Dan Erdman (’80, Exec MBA’99) attended regular Saturday night soirees at Taliesin, the fabled Spring Green home of legendary Wisconsin architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Now, more than half a century later, he is honoring the legacy of his family’s connection to Wright by endowing the first-ever Frank Lloyd Wright Professorship in the UW–Madison Department of Art History. Read More

Research Spotlight

UW–Madison Crest banner blowing in the wind.

Answering the Tough AI Questions

What are the ethics of artificial intelligence? How will historians look back at the development phase of this new technology? What will the long-term impact be on our society as governments embrace these tools? These are the types of questions that will be investigated by the College of Letters & Science’s new Center for Humanistic Inquiry into AI and Uncertainty. Read More

The Wisconsin Experience

Finding Familia in Fuego

When L&S students Gissel and Yazmin aren’t in class, you can find them on the dance floor with their familia in the Fuego Dance Crew. As UW–Madison’s first Multicultural Latine Dance Crew, Fuego brings the rhythms of reggaeton, salsa, bachata and more. The group’s aim is to celebrate culture, showcase talent and build community across campus. Watch Now

Asked & Answered

What’s the Future of Cybersecurity?

Cryptography is a key tool to keep data secure. It secures information by using codes and mathematical algorithms to transform data into an unreadable format, ensuring that it’s difficult to steal and decipher. And that’s exactly what Ethan Cecchetti, an assistant professor of computer sciences, researches.

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Wisconsin Idea

After the Flood

After Coon Valley in western Wisconsin was hit by a devastating 100-year flood in 2018, UW students pitched in to try to mitigate future flooding as well as to help community members reckon with the emotional damage. English professor Caroline Gottschalk and her students helped document the experiences in a digital story map called Stories from the Flood and other collaborations. Read More

Pay It Forward

Get Ready to Fill the Hill!

Here in the College of Letters & Science, we’re excited to celebrate another year of Fill the Hill on Oct. 9-10! Wondering what the event is all about? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about this campus fall FUN-raiser. Read More

From the Magazine

Illustration of blue sky with fluffy clouds.

What’s the Forecast?

Even with the best tools and knowledge, forecasting can miss key pieces of the puzzle. The research happening in Mayra Oyola-Merced’s lab can help explain why and lead to a future with more accurate forecasting. She’s an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences with a special interest in aerosols, the tiny particles that are suspended in the atmosphere.

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Fueling Discovery

Department of Physics and Realta Fusion when they achieved first plasma at the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory.

The Wisconsin Idea in Action

No matter where you live in Wisconsin or what you do, chances are the research carried out in the College of Letters & Science impacts you. That’s the Wisconsin Idea at work — the notion that what happens in the University should benefit the whole state. As the associate dean for research, Gloria Marí-Beffa sees the enormous impact of this work carried out in the community daily. Read More

Madison Moment

The College of Letters & Science hosted its annual L&S Welcome Event the morning of UW–Madison’s Convocation on Sept. 2. But the celebration didn't start there – the week prior new L&S students could pick up their free t-shirt to wear. Enjoy this photo series chronicling the start of the first semester for the Class of ’29. More Photos

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