University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: School News

Three from School of Education honored with 2026 awards for mentoring undergraduates

Three members of the UW–Madison School of Education community have received 2026 Awards for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities. The honorees include Brendan Eagan, scientist in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research; Valerie Hammer, graduate student in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction; and Shamya Karumbaiah, assistant professor in the Department of …

School of Education artists earn top honors in 2026 Arts Business Competition

Two School of Education artists were recognized in the 2026 Arts Business Competition at UW–Madison: MFA candidate Fatemeh Fani received the first place award, and Maja Hastings, a 2025 Art Department alumna, finished second place. The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arts Business Competition invites current students from across campus to submit proposals for an arts event, …

Three School of Education students recognized as spring 2026 ‘notable grads’

Three School of Education students — Anna Bitonti, Molly Gerrish, and Heaven Williams — were recently recognized as spring 2026 “notable grads” by UW–Madison’s Office of Strategic Communication. Following are their profiles, written by Gayle Worland: An animated film on top of two majors “My time at UW–Madison was defined by expanding my relationship to …

UW–Madison study shows how school districts and universities ‘connected the dots’ to build equity-focused school leadership across 21 states

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship A new study from UW–Madison education researchers Aziz Awaludin and Richard Halverson offers a detailed, data‑driven look at how school districts and universities worked together to design principal preparation programs with equity at the center. Published in the Journal of Educational Administration, the study, titled “Connecting the Dots: A …

UW–Madison faculty member appointed to Michigan Black Student Project task force

UW–Madison’s Naomi Mae W., an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, has been appointed to a statewide task force for the Michigan Black Student Project. The Michigan Black Student Project is a state-funded initiative developed through advocacy by community organizers, leaders, and activists. The task force is convened by …

Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative invites researchers across UW–Madison to use its expertise

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship The Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative (WEC) is building deeper connections with campus partners by providing evaluation expertise in support of research and program improvement. At the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER), WEC partners with school districts, universities, state agencies, and community organizations to plan, implement, and support evaluation-related program …

How We Play: New Book From UW–Madison’s McDonald Reveals Roots of Modern Play

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship A new book by Peter McDonald, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction at UW–Madison, details how notions of play were transformed in the second half of the 20th century, dubbed the “era of designed play.” The book, “The Impossible Reversal: A …

UW–Madison’s Kaplan receives Humboldt Foundation award

UW–Madison’s David Kaplan, Hilldale Professor and Richard L. Venezky WARF Professor of Educational Psychology, has received a Renewed Research Stay Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award recognizes Kaplan’s research contributions and collaborations with German colleagues since he first received a Humboldt Research Award in 2015. Kaplan will spend two months at the …

School of Education faculty and staff participate in UW–Madison program on AI in higher education

By Laurel White Several faculty and staff from the School of Education are part of a new campus program dedicated to exploring how to engage with and respond to the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education.  Mark Dziedzic (Greater Madison Writing Project), Chris Kirchgasler (Department of Curriculum and Instruction), David Williamson Shaffer (Department of Educational Psychology), Peter van Kan (Department …