University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: School News

SERP student-led paper wins Best Student Paper Award at AERA

A paper led by a Summer Education Research Program (SERP) student and co-authored by a UW–Madison faculty member and three graduate students has received a Best Student Paper Award from the Learning Sciences Special Interest Group (SIG) at the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) 2026 Annual Conference.  The paper’s lead author is Reina Yorba-Rico, a …

Parents’ excessive internet use may be lnked to depression in their teenagers

By Victoria Vlisides, Center for Healthy Minds A 2022 New York Times Opinion piece asks, “Should More Teenagers Ditch Their Smartphones?” Smartphones are where we spend most of our time on the internet and plenty of studies have shown negative effects of screen time on kids. But what about how a teen’s well-being is affected by …

UW–Madison’s Unal recieves Early Childhood Champion Award

Cigdem Unal received the Early Childhood Champion Award from the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Centers (N4C) at the 2026 national conference. Unal is the director of the Office of Child Care and Family Resources (OCCFR) housed in UW–Madison’s School of Education, and a dedicated advocate for children, families, and educators. For more than two decades she …

UW–Madison’s Li named Wisconsin Academy Fellow

UW–Madison’s Li Chiao-Ping has been named a 2026 Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. Li is the Sally Banes Professor of Dance and a Vilas Research Professor in the School of Education’s Dance Department. She also directs the Dance Department’s new MFA program and is the artistic director of Li Chiao-Ping Dance. …

Researchers at UW–Madison receive major grant to study the link between mental health and the microbiome

By Laura Red Eagle, Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Long before science caught up, Vincent Van Gogh sensed a connection between melancholy and microbes. In a letter dated April 30, 1889, he described his mysterious bouts of anxiety and exhaustion: “At times I have fits of anxiety without cause, or a feeling of emptiness and fatigue …

Karumbaiah brings research on AI in education to New York

School of Education faculty member Shamya Karumbaiah will share her research on artificial intelligence in education at the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s UW Now event in New York City on Tuesday, April 28. Karumbaiah, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, will join several UW–Madison speakers to highlight how the university is addressing some of today’s …

School of Education’s Michael Apple named to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

By Laurel White  A professor emeritus in the School of Education was elected this week to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, a national honorary society and research center. Michael W. Apple, the John Bascom Professor Emeritus of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies, was one of five UW–Madison faculty members elected to the prestigious institution …

UW–Madison entomology research to anchor new learning game

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship UW–Madison entomology professor Claudio Gratton had wanted to make an educational video game about insects for years. He believed a game would be an incredible way to engage young learners with the important research he does on insect diversity, but he needed a like-minded partner with the …

Article from UW–Madison’s Turner offers new framework for justice-oriented public education in a multiracial democracy

By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship A new article by Erica O. Turner, associate professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at UW–Madison, offers a timely rethinking of what educational justice for all should look like in today’s multiracial democracy. Co-authored with Alexandra Freidus of the University of Connecticut, the essay, published online …

School of Education graduate students recognized with 2025–26 Teaching Assistant Awards

Thirty-two graduate students across the UW–Madison campus have been selected as recipients of the 2025–26 Campus-Wide Teaching Assistant Awards, recognizing their excellence in teaching. Among this year’s honorees are four graduate students from the School of Education. Advanced Achievement in Teaching Award The Advanced Achievement in Teaching Award recognizes teaching assistants with significant instructional experience who …