College of Letters & Science
It’s not easy to look at a sea spider and see an animal so representative of its kind that it may help scientists sort out the evolution of almost everything with eight legs. But that’s the potential a new study finds in these spindly, strikingly strange bottom-dwellers. Read more here: https://news.wisc.edu/meet-the-weird-sea-spider-thats-mapping-the-evolution-of-eight-legged-creatures/
Biology Department Faculty members Emily Stanley and Monica Turner are both featured in this College of Letters and Science Magazine article for their work with water and fire. Read on to learn more.
Two graduate students just returned from an epic — albeit frigid — ecological study in Antarctica. Here’s what they learned from their time on the ice. Read more: https://lsmagazine.wisc.edu/issues/spring-2025/explorediscover/ice-cold-research/
We are incredibly proud to announce that Botany Professor Anne Pringle has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is being recognized for her distinguished contributions to mycology, especially fungal spore dispersal and the effects of invasive fungi on ecosystems worldwide. Congratulations, Anne! Read more about Anne and …
Professor Kenneth J. Sytsma joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Botany in summer 1985 and has served the department and university tirelessly ever since, including two stints as department chair. As a result, his upcoming retirement at the end of this semester marks a major transition for the department, worthy of many gifts, …
On April 11, 2025, the Honors Program hosted the 2025 Senior Honors Thesis Symposium—a hallmark event recognizing the culmination of years of research by undergraduate Honors scholars at UW–Madison. Held at Union South, the day-long symposium featured student presentations spanning disciplines from astrophysics to art history, spotlighting the intellectual curiosity and dedication that define Honors …
Congrats to Emily Stanley, a faculty member in our department, for being one of this year’s Hilldale Award winners. Read the full article here.
Katie Klier is a Freshwater and Marine Sciences PHD student in the Anantharaman lab. Her research areas are Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, and Ecology. Check out her spotlight post for more information about her research, hobbies, and experiences at UW-Madison. 1. Explain your research so that your grandparent or a 5-year old would understand it? I study …
Timon Keller is a Integrative Biology PHD student in the Turner lab. His research areas are Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Ecology. Check out his spotlight post for more information about his research, hobbies and experiences at UW-Madison. 1. Explain your research so that your grandparent or a 5-year old would understand it? I study fire …
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has announced 20 faculty winners of the Vilas Associates Competition. The competition recognizes “new and ongoing research of the highest quality and significance.” Tenure-track assistant professors and tenured faculty within 20 years of their tenure date are eligible. The award is funded by the William F. Vilas …