WIRC Showcase Global Resources at the WCSS 2026

The Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies (WCSS) recently held its annual conference at the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club, bringing together K-12 educators from across the Midwest for two days of professional development. The conference serves as the leading forum for Wisconsin social studies teachers to access professional development, offering everything from keynote speakers and …

UW Vet Med researcher targets ticks to curb disease spread

Each year, an estimated 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease — a bacterial infection that can cause rash, fever, extreme tiredness, and joint stiffness, among other symptoms. Karen Fuenzalida, a veterinarian and PhD student in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, is among the scientists at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), College …

A World Apart

Separated by 8,000 miles, an ocean, and vastly different languages and health systems, Madison, Wisconsin, and Phitsanulok, Thailand, have one thing in common: pharmacist Sirada Jones (PharmD ’00, MS ’02).

LACIS Lunchtime Lecture: Living With Vampire Bats

During a recent lunchtime lecture hosted by the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program (LACIS), Elsa Cardenas Canales shared her journey from the caves of Mexico to the laboratories of UW–Madison. She is currently pioneering a new way to manage rabies by combining laboratory and field research to vaccinate the bats themselves. While there are …

Rooted in Care, Driven by Purpose

When Pauline Chan (BS ’74) first walked into the compounding lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy, she was more focused on meeting her instructors’ expectations by crafting “pharmaceutically elegant” ointments and rose-scented soaps than reshaping hospital pharmacy and psychiatric care. But over the next five decades, that’s exactly what she did.

Edward Portillo is Appointed to Global GOLD Assembly on COPD Care

Twelve years ago, a two-minute conversation during his training forever changed the life and career path of Edward Portillo (PharmD ’14), associate professor and associate dean for advancement for the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy.

A suitcase full of basketballs and a bigger research question

When Estevan Molina arrived at the airport, he carried a suitcase filled entirely with basketballs. About 40 of them — all different sizes, all donated by UW–Madison’s Athletic Department, and all deflated — were squeezed into a checked bag. The plan was clear: deliver them to youth programs and basketball academies across Senegal. But the basketballs weren’t …

With a forecast for the world’s most prevalent mosquito-borne disease, countries can better prepare and preserve human health

Year-round warmth and wet climates make Colombia and Puerto Rico natural dengue hotspots. A mosquito-borne viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms—high fever, severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, and rash—dengue is prevalent year-round in both countries, with seasonal peaks typically occurring between May and November.

How to study abroad … at the Olympics

UW–Madison students learning in Italy this semester lived out their dreams at the Winter Games.

A Guide to IRIS Virtual Resources for K-14 Educators

As part of its commitment to the Wisconsin Idea, the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) at UW–Madison provides K–14 educators and librarians with comprehensive virtual resources designed to bring global expertise into the classroom. The guide below outlines the digital tools offered through IRIS area studies centers to assist teachers in enriching their …