Human Ecology Commencement: May 2023 Recap

Graduate with blonde hair wears a graduation cap that is decorated in stickers that spell out "Human Ecology"

The 2022-2023 academic year has officially come to a close, and everyone at the School of Human Ecology has so much to celebrate and reflect on. May 2023 was brimming with milestones and accomplishments that faculty, staff and newly-minted alumni alike will remember for many years to come.

Five Human Ecology students named Class of 2023 “Notable Grads”

Two graduates at the commencement ceremony in graduation caps and gowns, make the letter "W" with their thumbs and pointer fingers. — Akshay Kalra (left) and Samantha Angelina (right), Community & Nonprofit Leadership ’23 were recognized at the UW–Madison commencement ceremony on May 13, 2023. *Photo by Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison*

Five of our Human Ecology students were recognized across UW–Madison as campus “Notable Grads” for the Class of 2023. These graduating students—spanning Community & Nonprofit Leadership (CNPL), Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies, and Personal Finance—are already changing the world. Chancellor Mnookin gave Samantha Angelina and Akshay Kalra, CNPL ’23 a special shoutout at the UW–Madison commencement ceremony at Camp Randall. They appeared on the jumbotron while the chancellor told the more than 40,000 attendees in the stands about their work to decrease food insecurity through the River Food Pantry.

18 Human Ecology graduate students received PhD and master’s degrees

Faculty member places blue sash on PhD graduate during commencement ceremony — Madeline Reed Jones, Consumer Behavior & Family Economics ’23 (front) receives PhD hood from faculty advisor J. Michael Collins on May 12, 2023. *Photo by Alicia Shoberg*

Human Ecology graduate students celebrated their many years of hard work to earn their PhD in Civil Society & Community Research, Consumer Behavior & Family Economics (CBFE), Human Development & Family Studies, MFA in Design Studies, MS in Human Ecology, and Capstone Certificate in Community & Nonprofit Leadership. With their new degrees, graduates will be working at the School of Human Ecology Child Development Lab, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and for CBFE PhD grad Trisha Chanda, the Institute for Research on Poverty.

540+ undergraduate students joined Human Ecology’s largest graduating class to date

Undergraduate student and dean in graduation attire pose with Bucky Badger in front of a red backdrop. — Jacob Hauenstein Personal Finance ’23 (left) and Dean Soyeon Shim (right) pose with Bucky at the Human Ecology Undergrad Open House celebration on May 13, 2023. *Photo by Alicia Shoberg*

Class of 2023 is a Human Ecology first! With 544 total undergraduate students earning their diplomas, they become the largest Human Ecology graduating class to date. Our grads are now off to continue being changemakers in various industries and roles at Target Corporate, Macy’s, Madison Metropolitan School District, Epic Systems, American Family Insurance and much more!

Congratulations to the Human Ecology Class of 2023! On, Wisconsin!