The Nelson Institute encourages broad, interdisciplinary collaboration across the UW-Madison campus. This creates a synergy that benefits the individual participants and strengthens the ties between their colleges, schools, and departments.
The institute is a freestanding campuswide unit led by a dean who is appointed by the chancellor of the university and reports to the provost.
The institute administers three graduate degree programs, two graduate certificate programs, two professional graduate programs, an undergraduate major and two undergraduate certificate programs. All are interdisciplinary. Each has its own elected faculty chair and committee. An instructional committee chaired by the dean oversees these academic programs as a whole, while the institute’s associate dean manages their day-to-day operations.
The institute also is home to four interdisciplinary research centers. Each is administered by a director who is elected in accordance with the bylaws of the center and serves subject to approval by the dean.
The governance committee includes the Nelson Institute dean, faculty, undergraduate program chair, graduate program chairs, certificate program chairs, research center directors, research and teaching professors, and any other faculty or academic staff member approved by the executive committee.
The executive committee comprises the Nelson Institute dean and faculty, undergraduate program chair, graduate program chairs, and research center directors who are tenured.
These and a variety of other committees of faculty and staff members and students deal with matters ranging from curriculum review to long-range planning.
An appointed Board of Visitors advises and assists the director in the areas of program direction and fundraising. The board comprises representatives of government, business, the nonprofit sector, and academia with a strong interest in the Nelson Institute’s mission.
More information is available in the Nelson Institute policies and procedures (pdf).
Committees
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Academic Planning Council
Paul Robbins (ex-officio), chair
Michael Bell, social sciences
Anna Gade, arts and humanities
Andrea Hicks, physical sciences
Sarli Mercado, dean’s Appointee
Mutlu Ozdogan, physical sciences
Chelsea Rademacher, academic staff
Sean Schoville, biological sciences
Adrian Treves, biological sciences
Culture, History, and Environment Certificate Program Committee
William Brockliss, chair
Justin Hougham
Reba Luiken
Noreen McAuliffe
Sarli Mercado
Sissel Schroeder
Steph Tai (ex-officio)
Energy Analysis and Policy Certificate Program Committee
Tracey Holloway, chair
Morgan Edwards
Andrea Hicks
Sarah Johnston
Bernard Lesieutre
Benjamin Lindley
Gregory Nemet
Jonathan Patz
Brad Pierce
Line Roald
Scott Williams
Paul Wilson
Steph Tai (ex-officio)
Environment and Resources Program Committee
Sara Hotchkiss, chair
Robert Beattie
Elizabeth Hennessy
Marty Kanarek
Christopher Kucharik
Mutlu Ozdogan
Cooper Rosin
Paul Zedler
Steph Tai (ex-officio)
Environmental Professional Programs Committee
Timothy Van Deelen, chair
Robert Beattie
Zuzana Burivalova
Mutlu Ozdogan
Cooper Rosin
Annemarie Schneider
Alberto Vargas
Steph Tai (ex-officio)
Executive Committee
Will Brockliss
Anna Gade
Holly Gibbs
Asligül Göçmen
Elizabeth Hennessy
Andrea Hicks
Tracey Holloway
Leah Horowitz
Sara Hotchkiss
Marty Kanarek
Christopher Kucharik
Rebecca Larson
Mutlu Ozdogan
Jonathan Patz
Tim Portlock
Paul Robbins
Annemarie Schneider
Steph Tai
Anita Thompson (fall)
Ken Genskow (spring)
Adrian Treves
Tim Van Deelen
Monica White
Paul Zedler
Ben Zuckerberg
Governance Committee
Paul Robbins, chair
Carol Barford
Robert Beattie
Michael Bell
Will Brockliss
Grace Bulltail
Zuzana Buřivalová
Joshua Calhoun
Jessica Conaway
Anna Gade
Holly Gibbs
Asligül Göçmen
Feng He
Elizabeth Hennessy
Andrea Hicks
Tracey Holloway
Leah Horowitz
Sara Hotchkiss
Justin Hougham
Nathan Jandl
Marty Kanarek
Meghan Kautzer
Christopher Kucharik
Tyler Lark
Rebecca Larson
Sarli Mercado
Michael Notaro
Mutlu Ozdogan
Jonathan Patz
Tim Portlock
Emily Reynolds
Cooper Rosin
Rebecca Ryan
Annemarie Schneider
Nathan Schulfer
Diane Stojanovich
Steph Tai
Anita Thompson (fall)
Ken Genskow (spring)
Adrian Treves
Tim Van Deelen
Monica White
Catherine Woodward
Paul Zedler
Ben Zuckerberg
Instructional Committee
Steph Tai, co-chair
Paul Robbins, co-chair
Anna Gade
Ken Genskow
Sara Hotchkiss
Jim Miller
Becky Ryan
Nathan Schulfer
Kim Wahl
Undergraduate Committee
Anna Gade, chair
Nick Balster
Rob Beattie
Marty Kanarek
Rebecca Larson
Becky Ryan
Annemarie Schneider
Adrian Treves
Kim Wahl
Water Resources Management Program Committee
Kenneth Genskow, chair
Francisco Arriaga
Paul Block
Michael Cardiff
Matthew Ginder-Vogel
Steven Loheide
Anita Thompson
Daniel Wright
Steph Tai (ex-officio)
Welcoming and Inclusive Nelson Committee
Tim Portlock (faculty), co-chair
Kate Wodyn (ex-officio, university staff), co-chair
Robert Beattie (academic staff)
Kevin Berger (academic staff)
Samantha Ceisel (undergrad student)
Asligül Göçmen (faculty)
Liz Hennessy (faculty)
Meghan Kautzer (academic staff)
Christopher Kilgour (academic staff)
Emily Reynolds (academic staff)
Steph Tai (associate dean)