As you sit down — hopefully somewhere warm and comfy — with this winter edition of Learning Connections, I hope you get the same sense of possibility I felt when revisiting the rich history and reading about new directions we’re taking across the School of Education.
Embarking on our School’s 93rd year, I’ve been reflecting on our historical foundations but also what needs to change in the future. We see this at play across the arts, health, and education with new innovative research, scholarship, and artistic production. And unsurprisingly, as we grow our excellence we’re needing new physical spaces to support our faculty, staff, and students in the coming years.
In this issue, you’ll read about our outstanding faculty, including Associate Professor Helen Lee, who leads our Art Department’s renowned Glass Lab. Lee’s work, along with that of students and alumni, is pushing the boundaries of the glass field while also bringing a critical and productive lens toward inclusion. You’ll also learn about what people like you are making possible across the School of Education through our ambitious Impact 2030 campaign. This initiative, supported by generous donors, is allowing our School to expand access to our programs to students of all walks of life and backgrounds. We’re providing new scholarships and immersive educational experiences like study abroad opportunities tied to one’s major. In addition, these gifts are supporting our one-of-a-kind UW–Madison School of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge.
And beyond the pages of this magazine, there’s more to learn and explore about where we’ve been and where we can go through UW–Madison’s “Sifting and Reckoning” exhibit. This look at the university’s history of exclusion and resistance was on display this fall through Dec. 23, 2022. Thankfully, the materials and exhibit are digitally archived at reckoning.wisc.edu if you’re interested. I highly recommend checking it out!
We’re grateful for another year with you and this wonderful School of Education community.
— Diana Hess