Red and white graphical illustration featuring the University of Wisconsin-Madison crest with 'WISCONSIN IDEAS' text, depicting various academic and local symbols like a building, trees, a sailboat, and scientific elements.

Meet the peer advisers guiding the way from small town Wisconsin to our Big Ten campus

Three individuals standing in a barn doorway with a bright sunlit farm scene in the background.

Photo by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison

UW–Madison's inaugural rural peer advisers are current students with small town roots who fan out to rural schools and communities in Wisconsin to answer questions, provide information, and share first-person insights with students, parents and high school counselors.

From the article: “We get a lot of questions about finances — How can I make college affordable? Also, they want to know if college is really worth it. I think it is really impactful for them to get to sit down with someone face to face who is already in college and talk about that."

One Wisconsin. On Wisconsin.

Every day, UW–Madison is working together with the people of Wisconsin to improve life for all. Our new TV spot, "Band Together", highlights our public university’s deep-rooted, far-reaching impact on the state.

A collage of various individuals playing different instruments, along with a central figure conducting outdoors in front of Lake Mendota. Notable entities include people in diverse settings such as a forest, a farmer's field, a classroom, a small shop and a factory symbolizing a range of Wisconsin settings. A red YouTube play button overlays the scene.

Related: Lake Mills City Band director featured in national UW commercial

UW for You

Paving the way to new cancer cures
By narrowly locating and targeting harmful tumors with radioactive substances, researchers hope to reduce collateral damage to other parts of the body during cancer treatments — and UW–Madison is helping Wisconsin lead the way on this new approach to cancer treatment known as theranostics.

Clean energy for rural Wisconsin communities
UW–Madison College of Engineering is a partner in a major new project led by Dairyland Power Cooperative that will create well-paying jobs, significantly reduce emissions and lower energy costs for rural Wisconsin communities.

Unearthing the secrets of cold weather soil
A UW–Madison-led team is working to reveal how widely fluctuating winter conditions impact soil and water quality in agricultural areas — information that could improve environmental protection while ensuring food security.

Bonus: Students are increasingly enrolling in certificate programs at UW–Madison that can give their future careers a boost. Find out the 5 hottest certificate programs.

The Cheat Sheet

Fish, health and 'forever chemicals'. ● Bat die-off linked to increased insecticide use and rise in infant mortality. ● The hardy potatoes of tomorrow. ● Researchers help produce BPA alternative. ● Not shopping is the latest trend. ● The 'sweet spot' for renewable energy production. ● Listening for trouble: how sounds reveal agricultural pests. ● Why are U.S. agricultural emissions dropping? ● Twenty years of advancing health in Wisconsin.

Were U Wondering?

Should your cat sleep in bed with you?

Two cats, one tabby and one orange, curled up together sleeping on a floral blanket by a window.

Photo courtesy of Jason Gohlke

In a recent interview with Inverse, veterinarian and clinical instructor at the UW–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine Calico Schmidt discusses some of the risks, rewards and precautions you should consider before cuddling up with your feline friends.

Can't Stop a Badger

The Wisconsin Center for Origins Research searches for answer to the biggest cosmic questions — are we alone in the Universe?

Researchers in UW–Madison's integrative biology department are uncovering how space and time increase the hot — and cold — spots for tick-borne disease.

Boosted by strong scores in metrics measuring public service and an improved score in social mobility, the UW–Madison is ranked first among national public universities and 12th overall in Washington Monthly’s 2024 College Guide and Rankings.

Related: UW–Madison ranked 39th in nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Coming Up

Main Street Agenda
La Follette School of Public Affairs is partnering with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to host events fostering civic dialogue and share insights on how Wisconsin residents feel about important policy topics. Upcoming community conversations include:

Milwaukee town hall on inflation – October 15

Apple Crunch
Statewide | October 10 | 12 noon
The 11th annual Great Apple Crunch is an opportunity to engage with partners and communities, celebrate Farm to School Month and support local Wisconsin farmers. Learn more and register.

Lake Superior Collaborative Symposium
Ashland, WI | October 29-30 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
The Lake Superior Collaborative Symposium 2024 is a two-day event for professionals to share, discuss and collaborate on conservation, restoration and climate-adaptive projects in the Lake Superior Basin of Wisconsin.

More events from UW–Madison

Picture This

Image split in two scenes: on the left, a vibrant, colorful meadow with various flowers in bloom; on the right, a firefighter oversees a grass fire, with flame, smoke and charred earth visible.

Prior to urban and agricultural development, fires started by natural events like lightning strikes could burn through prairies and dispose of dead plants from the prior season, stimulating growth for new, more productive plants. Now prescribed burns increasingly perform that task, and UW–Madison staff, students, volunteers and farmers are helping to spread the word — and the fire — both on campus and off.

The split image above shows the effort and results of this work. Photos by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison.

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