Exterior of Nancy Nicholas Hall in the evening, with lamps and windows glowing.
News & Events

Leading from the Center(s)

The SoHE Centers of Excellence play a unique role in our work. As hubs for scholarship, education, and  outreach, they build bridges across departments, campus, and communities. They empower our faculty and students to think broadly, act strategically, and create meaningful change in the world.


Center for Child and Family Well-Being

Working with researchers, policymakers, foundations, and nonprofits to promote healthier, happier families.
RECENT WORK: Launching the Prenatal-to-Five initiative to advance human, social, and economic well-being by improving the health of moms and kids.

Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies

Building capacity and knowledge in the nonprofit community through applied research, education, outreach, and engagement.
RECENT WORK: Supporting Tribal Youth Media workshops aimed at fostering digital storytelling in the next generation of Native Americans.

Center for Design and Material Culture

Promoting learning, scholarship, and community engagement around design and material culture while stewarding important cultural assets within the School of Human Ecology.
RECENT WORK: Advancing the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection as one of 75 U.S. museums chosen for the AIC Collections Assessment for Preservation program.

Center for Financial Security

Examining how specific programs, policies, and products can help people navigate the increasingly complex worlds of personal and household finance.
RECENT WORK: Supporting the “Small Savings Build Big Dreams” campaign led by UW Extension to help families understand and begin saving for college education.

Kohl’s Center for Retailing

Nurturing relationship between the retail industry, its partners, and the people of UW-Madison to benefit consumers and retailers alike.
RECENT WORK: Coaching and mentoring students toward earning YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund awards and hosting the second-annual SoHE Women in Leadership event.


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Supporting Research & Innovation

Annual gifts provide immediately available discretionary funds that the Dean uses for facilitating faculty research and innovation at SoHE. Individual support makes a significant impact in keeping UW-Madison ranked as one of the nation’s leading research universities and to move the world forward.

Click “All Ways Forward” to start making a difference.