What does a weather and climate expert read for fun? Professor Ankur Desai shares his recommendations.
The Commons
Great Lakes Coastal Communities and Ecology at Risk from Warming Climate
Climate change is stressing all ecosystems. Protecting coastal habitats and habitat restorations can build climate resiliency into our ecosystems.
EC Student Aspires to a Role in Conservation Planning Despite Facing Adversity
Nelson Institute environmental conservation (EC) master’s student Carrie Lovelace has persevered through some of life’s toughest challenges while completing her degree.
The “Jalisconsin Idea”
In June, UW alumnus and visiting Nelson Institute professor Eduardo Santana Castellón was presented with the Environmental Merit Award from the Jalisco (Mexico) State Congress.
Nuclear Fallout: From the Sky to the Sea
Blocked out sunlight, crop failure, and … sinking oceans? Elizabeth Maroon, faculty member in the Nelson Institute’s Center for Climatic Research, discusses the threat that nuclear war poses to the planet’s oceans.
Flooding and Bluff Erosion from Extreme Storms are Impacting Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Coastlines
Coastal communities and businesses will need to adapt to more volatile lake level fluctuations, with frequent fluctuations between extreme high and low lake levels, as the climate continues to warm.
Nelson Institute Key Player in College of the Menominee Nation Student Transfer Partnership
Students of the College of Menominee Nation have a direct transfer path the UW–Madison, thanks in part to the Nelson Institute.
NSF Grant Supports Internships at the Welty Environment Center
Through the efforts of Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research Interim Director Michael Notaro and Wisconsin Educational Leadership for Community Outreach and Mentoring for the Environment (WELCOME), with funding provided by a National Science Foundation (NSF) GEOPAths grant, three Beloit Memorial High School students participated in a one-of-a-kind internship program at the Welty Environment Center (WEC).
From California to Wisconsin to Costa Rica, Environmental Studies Certificate Student Pushes the Boundaries of Her Comfort Zone
For undergraduate student Claire Naughton, getting outside of her comfort zone is an experience she strives for. Originally from San Francisco, Calif., Naughton chose to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an environmental science major with certificates in environmental studies, energy, and global health.
EOI Student Works to Preserve Wildlife at Home in Kenya
Graduate student Grace Cheptoo moved across the world to begin the Environmental Observation Informatics program at the Nelson Institute in May of 2021.
Warming temperatures, changing precipitation patterns affecting Wisconsin’s water resources
The WICCI Water Resources Working Group suggests solutions to prepare for and minimize climate impacts to water resources, like increasing water storage across the landscape, installing green infrastructure, protecting wetlands, building outside of flood zones, and installing flood warning systems.
Warmer winters and extreme rain are stressing Wisconsin’s forest resources
Wisconsin forests cover nearly half of Wisconsin and provide a unique opportunity to address climate change by reducing concentrations of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing essential social, environmental, and economic benefits.
CHE Place-Based Workshop Covers the History and Culture of Nearby Land
Faculty and graduate students with the Nelson Institute’s Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE) participated in the annual Place-Based Workshop (PBW) where they spent two days immersing themselves in the history and culture of the region north and west of Madison.
Nelson Institute Affiliate is Blue Planet Prize Recipient
Stephen Carpenter, a Nelson Institute affiliate, and a professor emeritus of integrative biology at the Center for Limnology, has been awarded the 2022 Blue Planet Prize by the Asahi Glass Foundation.
Patz and Vavrus Contribute Expertise in WPR Interview on Record-Setting Heat
Even prior to the official start of summer on June 21, Wisconsin has experienced several heat advisory days.
Environmental Conservation MS Student Hopes to Create Change Through a Career in Policy
Starting her career by writing about environmental issues, Mary Kate McCoy found herself wanting to do more to support conservation efforts.
Andrea Hicks named 2022-23 Fulbright Scholar
Andrea Hicks, who serves as a Nelson Institute affiliate, director of Sustainability Education and Research, Hanson Family Fellow in Sustainability, and associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named a 2022-23 Fulbright Scholar.
Nelson Graduate cohort report addresses flood resiliency in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region
A cohort of graduate students within the Nelson Institute’s Water Resources Management (WRM) program recently published a report that took an interdisciplinary approach to researching flood resilience in the Coon Creek watershed, an over 90,000-acre area in the unglaciated Driftless Area that crosses three Wisconsin counties and is considered the birthplace of modern soil conversation.
Sustainability projects showcase students’ creativity in Geography 309: People, Land and Food
A documentary of the F. H. King Students for Sustainable Agriculture. Paintings that address food waste and incorporate paint made from food scraps.
CCR graduate student awarded NCAR Fellowship
Rudradutt Thaker, research assistant with Nelson Institute’s Center for Climatic Research (CCR) and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, has been awarded a fellowship through the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s (NCAR) Graduate Visitor Program.
From the peach state to the badger state, EOI student works to monitor and preserve wetlands
Environmental Observation and Informatics (EOI) graduate student Kevin Ronczkowski has always been a badger fan.
UW-Madison professor appointed to Not Invisible Act Commission to address violent crime against Indigenous Americans
Grace Bulltail, a professor in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, is among those appointed to serve on a commission focusing on addressing violent crime within Indian lands and against American Indians and Alaska Natives.
WRM alumnus Jackson Parr is working to improve flood resilience planning in Wisconsin
As a journalist in Northeastern Wisconsin, Nelson Institute alumnus Jackson Parr often found himself writing about flooding and water quality issues.
Cutting air pollution emissions would save 50,000 U.S. lives, $600 billion each year
The study reports the health benefits of removing dangerous fine particulates released into the air by electricity generation, transportation, industrial activities and building functions like heating and cooking.
Robbins accepts reappointment
Toward the end of their five-year contract period, all UW–Madison deans undergo a comprehensive review to assess their academic and administrative leadership and performance.