For Caroline Pruchnicki x’26, switching her major to Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) completely transformed her college experience. Before coming to the School of Human Ecology, Pruchnicki moved through challenging semesters marked by unfulfilling …
Kaitlynn Steinman
How human ecologists are propelling environmental well-being through design
Stephanie Phillips ’12 and her team at the deconstruction and circular economy program for the City of San Antonio have diverted more than 500 tons of reusable construction materials from landfills. An alumna of the …
Helping children cope with stress during medical care: Meet Kaitlyn Brickl ’25
Kaitlyn Brickl ’25 is a child life specialist at Mayo Clinic Children’s in Rochester, Minnesota. In her role, Brickl supports and prepares children for medical situations they find scary or stressful. At its core, the …
An Adidas apparel designer for elite football clubs: Meet Griffin Claes ’19
More than 4,000 miles away from Madison, Wisconsin on Griffin Claes’ desk is a miniature yellow sunburst chair. The full-size versions are iconic furnishings at the UW–Madison Memorial Union Terrace, where students gather to enjoy …
From IT to interior architecture: Mary Alesandrini ’18 redesigned her career
Transform a deserted mall into a patient-centered healthcare clinic. That was the challenge Mary Alesandrini ’18 was tasked with during her internship as an Interior Architecture student. She designed layouts for the clinic’s many settings, …
Textiles & Fashion Design student displays work at top industry conference
Textiles & Fashion Design student Elizabeth Song x’24 traveled to Long Beach, California to display her work at the International Textile & Apparel Association annual conference. Receiving the Human Ecology Career & Leadership Development Scholarship …
An advocate for improving Madison’s housing climate: Meet Emilee Hendricks
Emilee Hendricks remembers the eras of her life by where she was living at the time. A third-story walk up apartment with no air conditioning? That was her first year living with roommates in Madison …
Hiring dedicated human ecologists: Meet Trey Sprinkman
Trey Sprinkman ’96 is a U.S. Army veteran and serial entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the private sector. As the president and co-owner of Sprinkman Real Estate and Sprinkman Design Collective, …
A creative leader focused on people, pets and sustainability: Meet Francesca Mahoney
How does one start to shift the pet industry as a whole into a more sustainable direction? This is the complex challenge Francesca Mahoney ‘04 considers each day. At the start of her career, Mahoney …
A matchmaker of strategic partnerships: Meet Laura Hensen
Laura Hensen at the annual UW E-Business Consortium conference. Photo by Clint Thayer of Focal Flame Photo & Video. Laura Hensen ‘12 is a proud Wisconsin Badger through and through. The Business Administration in Marketing …