UW-Madison’s efforts under President Jennifer Mnookin were on display during a board meeting at Union South.
Each February, the University of Wisconsin-Madison “hosts” the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, a two-day period in which university leaders update the Board on progress, pride, and key initiatives through a series of panels, presentations, and tours.
Below are highlights from the February 5th and 6th meetings.
Prime Minister Mnookin’s speech
In her final address to the Board of Trustees, President Jennifer L. Mnookin reflected on the meaningful ways in which the University of Wisconsin-Madison has maintained forward momentum despite the challenges facing higher education and outlined next steps that will enable the university to continue to thrive.
“The University of Wisconsin-Madison is the center of gravity for the entire University of Wisconsin System and, in fact, the entire state,” she said. “I think the strength of one increases or decreases depending on the strength of the other.”
Mr. Mnookin expressed his gratitude to UW-Madison faculty, staff, and students. A fellow president at the University of Wisconsin. Board of Directors; System Leadership. and President Jay Rothman.
AI panel
A panel of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison led an afternoon presentation at the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents meeting about how the University of Wisconsin school is working on cutting-edge artificial intelligence innovations.
Kyle Cranmer, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Institute for Data Science, provided an overview of the Wisconsin Research, Innovation, and Academic Excellence (RISE)-AI initiative launched by Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin in early 2024.
The “north star” guiding this effort is to serve as a trusted partner for Wisconsin and the nation in solving the opportunities and complex problems posed by AI. Through this initiative, more than 50 new faculty members were hired and integrated with existing faculty who represent the breadth of the university and advance research in AI.
Cranmer said researchers are approaching AI from three complementary perspectives: what is the underlying technology, what opportunities does it present, and what is the actual impact of the technology.
As an example, he cited ambient AI. This refers to an AI scribe that listens and summarizes conversations between patients and healthcare professionals, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on their patients. In a randomized clinical trial, researchers in Wisconsin investigated the impact of technology on health care providers.
“What they found was actually somewhat surprising,” Cranmer said. “Doctors have found that their time[with patients]is more thoughtful and this technology actually reduces burnout.”
RISE-AI’s activities are organized around three main pillars: research, education, and engagement.
Focusing on the pillars of research, Hannah Wayment Steele, professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, spoke about the use of AI to study the dynamic behavior of proteins, which can have implications for things like drug discovery.
Jeremy Morris, a professor of media and cultural studies in the Department of Communication Arts whose research focuses on the social and cultural impact of AI, spoke about the pillars of education. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has received a $720,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to establish the Humanities Research Center on AI and Uncertainty. The center serves as a hub for collaboration across multiple schools and colleges.
Courtney Bell, professor of educational psychology in the School of Education, explained how she is leveraging AI in education, workforce development, and research as a pillar of engagement. Her research focuses on how to balance the capabilities of AI with its limitations to power innovative and breakthrough teaching and learning, with an emphasis on ensuring students receive a quality education.
Wisconsin Exchange aims to foster dialogue across differences
A committee of faculty and students told trustees about a new initiative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on creating an environment where people with different perspectives on campus engage with each other constructively and respectfully.
The Wisconsin Exchange is rooted in the idea that pluralism, intellectual rigor and the exchange of ideas have been core values of the university for generations, Professor Mnookin said.
She said the exchange is a way to create thoughtfully designed opportunities to interact and engage with diverse perspectives in a variety of ways, which is essential to preparing students for citizenship in a democracy.
Professor Mnookin said the initiative was “the result of a collective effort that reflects the wisdom of our students, faculty and staff.”
The panel, led by interim provost and chief academic officer John Zumbrunnen, included:
• Alison Prasch, Professor of Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture, Member of the Wisconsin Exchange Governing Board
• Alex Turk, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center for Public Leadership, Member of the Wisconsin Exchange Governing Board
• Miranda Garcia-Dove, student majoring in information science and political science and earning a certificate in public policy.
• Shane Fanmaker, student majoring in social work with certificates in public policy, political economy, philosophy, and politics.
• Jackson Daniel, computer science student with math qualifications.
Daniel was part of the first group to participate in Deliberative Dinner, a program that provides undergraduate students at UW-Madison the opportunity to participate in an environment where they are exposed to multiple perspectives and competing ideas. He said the key is to bring students together to discuss difficult topics, “not to get consensus, but to understand each other better.”
Embracing diverse perspectives is essential to the university’s mission, Turk said.
“The fundamental mission of a university is the search for truth, and we cannot do that without being open to all opinions,” he said. “This goes to the heart of the Wisconsin vision. We can’t act effectively without input from across the state.”
Prasch said he develops courses that intentionally incorporate multiple perspectives for students.
“I have students who want to know how to sift and sort, and I want to do it with them,” she said.
The University launched a grant program within the Wisconsin Exchange to help turn great engagement ideas into action. This week, the initiative’s first grant program awarded 10 projects with transformative potential.
GE Healthcare Business Partnership Award
GE Healthcare Business Partnership Award
On Thursday, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and GE Healthcare were honored with a Regents Business Partnership Award in recognition of their long-term research collaboration.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison and GE Healthcare have jointly completed more than 130 research projects, resulting in numerous scientific and technological advances. This partnership has resulted in nearly 100 patents to date.
