The School of Human Ecology had a year full of activity as an unstoppable force for human well-being and thriving. Throughout 2025, faculty, staff and students advanced the school’s mission through transformative research and exceptional …
Maddie Kranz
Bridging UW–Madison’s campus to career: Meet Carol Vander Sluis ’88
Investment advisor Carol Vander Sluis ’88 built her professional career by mastering the combination of left-brain logic and right-brain empathy. These are qualities a human ecologist like Carol uses to expertly guide clients in managing …
Turning a connection into a career: Meet Michelle Shaji ’25
Some say that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know — but what if it’s actually both? That’s how Personal Finance alum Michelle Shaji ’25 was able to launch her career with a …
Day of the Badger a success!
Day of the Badger may be over, but we’re still celebrating! Nearly 150 alumni and friends joined together, raising almost $37,000 to support high-quality learning experiences. Students can partake in case study competitions, industry and …
Shouldering a burden together: Meet Anvay Das
Anvay Das x’26 knows the environments people live, work and play in can make them happy. As an Interior Architecture student, he wants to create spaces that support health, learning and comfort. In the following …
A year in pictures: Human Ecology in 2024
In 2024, the School of Human Ecology welcomed over 1,000 new students, taught 335 courses, and gave students the tools to make an impact in the world. Our experts published more than 100 scholarly articles …
Elizabeth Smith to join the Child Development Lab as director
Elizabeth (Liz) Smith has been named the next director of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Child Development Lab. Her first day is December 16, 2024. Smith brings more than 17 years of experience in early childhood …
Human Ecology students ask: What can we learn from toys?
Human ecologists look at things from multiple perspectives. Sixty students practiced this approach by examining…toys! They visited the Child Development Lab and noticed what they could learn about toddlers’ developmental milestones and needs by observing …
Improving early childhood classrooms fuels PhD student Rudy Dieudonne
Story by Maddie Kranz x’24, a UW–Madison student studying Community & Nonprofit Leadership (now named Community & Organizational Development) and Art History Working across disciplines in the School of Human Ecology, Rudy Dieudonne, a doctoral …
Fueling stomachs, students and communities with Madison schools
Story by Maddie Kranz x’24, a UW–Madison student studying Community & Nonprofit Leadership and Art History. Jennifer Gaddis, associate professor of Civil Society & Community Studies and Jane Rafferty Thiele Faculty Fellow of Graduate Teaching, …