The Wisconsin Idea. It’s the time-tested notion that the boundaries of the University stretch beyond campus and directly impact the lives of others. But what does it look like in practice? For the College of Letters & Science, it means that research and outreach from faculty, students, alumni and staff make a real difference to the citizens of Wisconsin and beyond. Those impacts can be environmental, economic and cultural, forming important connections between our own academic community and members of countless communities across the state.
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Dane County
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Eau Claire County
Like a lot of waterways in Wisconsin, the Eau Claire River was clogged with sediment, impacting water quality, recreational opportunities and aquatic habitats in Lake Altoona and Lake Eau Claire. Last year, Elisabeth Bykowski (’20, MS’23), a Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture alumna, undertook an independent study that used scientific data, historical records and citizen interviews to examine the financial and environmental costs and benefits of addressing the issue. Bykowski’s study found that the most cost-effective method for dealing with excess sediment was to manage it further upstream while continuing the current levels of annual dredging. Her findings also raised the possibility of removing one or both of the main dams on the Eau Claire River, an option that carries higher short-term costs but significant long-term benefits.
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Marathon County
UW–Madison’s UniverCity Alliance has helped transform Wausau, Marathon County’s largest city, in multiple ways. The group connects UW–Madison with local government units across the state on research and education projects — many of which involve L&S students and departments. Between 2020 and 2023, 152 students contributed to 35 different projects in the county, including conducting a study on road salt use, de-icing techniques and helping Wausau plan an environmentally sound reconstruction of one of its busiest intersections.
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Milwaukee County
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Oneida County
Ankur Desai, professor and chair for the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, uses Wisconsin’s northwoods as a research hub for his Ecometeorology Lab. The lab investigates the relationship between Earth and its atmosphere, exploring the impact of different types of land cover on carbon cycling. In several northern Wisconsin counties (including Oneida) the Chequamegon Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (ChEAS) is using flux towers to chart emissions and sequestration of carbon and water in forested and wetland ecosystems. Being able to quantify emissions and carbon-water relationships — and their reaction to the impacts of climate change — gives state land managers a clear guide on how to adapt the level of forests and wetlands to best manage carbon emissions.
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Polk County
Polk County is a largely agricultural area of the state experiencing increased suburbanization and the economic and demographic challenges that often accompany it. The county received a boost from students in a journalism class on creative campaign messages, taught by Douglas McLeod, the Evjue Centennial Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication. As part of a three-year collaboration with UniverCity Alliance, the students immersed themselves in the county’s culture, collecting information to develop campaigns that might help attract young workers and their families to growing cities like Amery, Wisconsin. The students’ work expanded on projects and tools developed in two other L&S classes, including another journalism class and a course in planning and landscape architecture.
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Sheboygan County
As executive director for the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), economics alumnus Brian Doudna (’90) has helped to make a sizable impression on the county’s biggest city. He’s been at the helm for four years, working with generational Wisconsin businesses like Kohler, Sargento and Johnsonville. Like a lot of communities, Sheboygan has been struggling with a housing crisis. Working in partnership with local businesses, EDC’s nonprofit is building subdivisions of entry-level homes with the goal of completing and selling four homes per month. So far, 21 homes have been sold, including 16 to first-time homeowners. These starter homes are affordable and enticing to potential employees of local businesses, making it easier for them to relocate and work in the Sheboygan area.
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