College of Engineering - University of Wisconsin-Madison

CBE Seminar Series: Sijin Li
2026-04-21 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | WI
Sijin LiCornell UniversityIthaca, New York

Interactomics-driven discovery and characterization of plant natural product biosynthetic pathways in yeast

Plants are a rich source of small-molecule drugs and drug leads. Traditional methods for sourcing valuable plant natural products (PNPs) from their native producers are often limited by cost and inefficiency. Leveraging recent advances in synthetic biology and plant multi-omics analysis, our work has demonstrated that yeast is a viable platform for elucidating and reconstructing complex PNP biosynthetic pathways. We have developed an interactomics-driven strategy to capture post-translational protein-protein interactions between plant enzymes to elucidate pathways. Combined with prevalent genomics and transcriptomics analyses, this integrated approach led to the discovery and characterization of multiple PNP pathways from non-model plants, highlighting the potential of synthetic biology to revolutionize PNP-based drug discovery and development

ISyE - Welcome Back, Badger!
2026-04-22 09:55 - 10:45 | 1800 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Join the Dept. of ISyE for another exciting guest in our alumni speaker series. Liz Ugarph, Director of Industrial Engineering at Boeing, will be on campus to share her career journey with students. This event is free and open to the public.

ECE Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series: Professor Shanhui Fan
2026-04-22 15:00 - 16:00 | 2535 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Opportunities in nanophotonics

2535 Engineering Hall

Abstract:Nanophotonic structures, in which the feature sizes are comparable or even smaller than wavelength of light, enables numerous new opportunities for the control of the properties of light. In this talk, Fan will discuss some of their recent works in utilizing nanophotonic structures for creating novel states of light, and for potential applications in computing and energy technology.

Shanhui Fan

Bio:Shanhui Fan is the Joseph and Hon Mai Goodman Professor of the School of Engineering at Stanford University. He did his undergraduate study in physics at the University of Science and Technology of China, and received his Ph. D in 1997 in theoretical condensed matter physics from MIT. His research interests are in nanophotonics. He has published over 750 refereed journal articles, given over 400 plenary/keynote/invited talks, and holds over 80 US patents. His recent awards include the R. W. Wood Prize from Optica, a Simons Investigator in Physics, and a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship. He is a member of both the U. S. National Academy of Engineering and the U. S. National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of APS, Optica, SPIE, and IEEE.

ECE Graduate Research Symposium
2026-04-23 11:30 - 13:00 | Engineering Hall Lobby, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering invites you to join us for the inaugural ECE Graduate Research Symposium. The symposium will be an exciting showcase of graduate student research from a variety of research areas. Selected students and teams will present their innovative work during a poster session where all are encouraged to talk with our ECE graduate student researchers about their discoveries.

This event is open to the public—come support our students and explore their fascinating research!

Event schedule:11:30 – 1:00 Poster session – First floor lobby, Engineering HallAwards to follow – Cheney Room, 1413 Engineering Hall

ME 903 Graduate Seminar: Professor Wei Chen
2026-04-23 16:00 - 17:00 | 3M Auditorium, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53711
The ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture Series features campus and visiting speakers who present on a variety of research topics in the field of mechanical engineering. Professor Wei Chen is a professor at Northwestern University.

Title: Integrating Physical Intelligence with Artificial Intelligence: Autonomous Design and Manufacturing of Emerging Material Systemsids

Abstract: Achieving superior performance in future material systems hinges on optimizing the heterogeneity of materials and structures. However, the design and fabrication of such advanced systems present significant challenges, requiring the integration of knowledge across multiple domains—including materials science, manufacturing, structural mechanics, and design optimization. This talk introduces a paradigm shift toward unifying “physical intelligence” with artificial intelligence (AI) to realize “embodied intelligence” in material systems. By combining data-driven generative design with physics-based modeling and simulation, we enable seamless integration of predictive materials modeling, advanced manufacturing, and design optimization—accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation materials. We will present state-of-the-art design methodologies that leverage statistical inference and AI techniques for the design of nano- and microstructured materials and programmable metamaterials responsive to external stimuli, covering methods such as machine learning, mixed-variable Latent Variable Gaussian Process (LVGP) modeling, Bayesian optimization, differentiable simulation, topology optimization, and generative design. The talk will also highlight recent advances in digital twins for autonomous co-design and manufacturing, using additive manufacturing as an example to showcase how these tools are transforming the landscape of intelligent material systems.

Bio: Dr. Wei Chen is the Wilson-Cook Professor in Engineering Design and Chair of Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University. Directing the Integrated DEsign Automation Laboratory (IDEAL- http://ideal.mech.northwestern.edu/), her current research involves the use of statistical inference, AI, and uncertainty quantification techniques for design of emerging materials systems including microstructural materials, metamaterials and programmable materials. She serves as the Design Thrust lead for the newly funded NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) on Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing, Moving from Evolution to Revolution (HAMMER), where she works on digital twin systems for concurrent materials and manufacturing process design. Dr. Chen is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S). She served as the Editor-in-chief of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, the Chair of the ASME Design Engineering Division (DED), and the President of the International Society of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO). She currently serves as the chair of the ASME Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Executive Committee (MEDHEC). Dr. Chen is the recipient of the 2025 ASME Barnett-Uzgiris Product Safety Design Award, 2022 Engineering Science Medal from the Society of Engineering Science (SES), ASME Pi Tau Sigma Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award (2021), ASME Design Automation Award (2015), Intelligent Optimal Design Prize (2005), ASME Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal achievement award (1998), and the NSF Faculty Career Award (1996). She received her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995.

ISyE - Welcome Back, Badger
2026-04-24 09:55 - 10:45 | 1800 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
1800 Engineering Hall

Shannan Vlieger, BSIE ’03

Join the Dept. of ISyE for our final alumni speaker of the semester. Shannan Vlieger, Senior VP of People & Culture at Douglas Dynamics, Inc., will be on campus to share her career journey with students. This event is free and open to the public.

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Jennifer Mitchel
2026-04-24 12:00 - 13:00 | 1227 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). Professor Jennifer Mitchel is a professor at Wesleyan University.

Title: Moving in a crowd: Decoding solid-fluid phase transitions of cellular collectives

Abstract: The organizational unit of life is the single cell, and yet the functional unit of multicellular organisms is the tissue, which is inherently collective. This leads to a fundamental question: how do cells self-organize into coherent, coordinated collectives? Importantly, in in vitro systems where external organizing mechanisms (e.g. tissue-level morphogen gradients) are absent, individual cells spontaneously self-organize into multicellular functional units. Towards developing an understanding of cellular self-organization into coherent collectives, we focus on the dynamics and structure of the human airway epithelium. Under homeostatic conditions, human airway epithelium is differentiated, stable, and able to withstand insults including pollution, allergens, and pathogens. This epithelial collective is typically stationary but exhibits collective migration in a range of circumstances, including during differentiation, in response to a variety of pathological stimuli, and under disease states such as asthma and COPD. As airway basal cells differentiate and form a stable tissue, they transition from a collectively migratory, fluidized state to a stationary, solid-like state. The fluidized state is characterized by cell elongation and alignment into cooperative migratory flocks, but as the collective solidifies, cells adopt more regular, isotropic, and homogenous shapes, and motion slows. This stationary, differentiated cellular collective can in turn be triggered to undergo a seemingly reverse process, in which the collective fluidizes, and large-scale, coordinated motion emerges. We find that well-described biological mechanisms can only partially account for the collective dynamics in this system, and begin to develop biophysical frameworks of cellular solidification and fluidization, towards understanding emergent multicellular coordination.

Bio: Dr. Mitchel received an undergrad degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in bioengineering from MIT, followed by graduate training in biomedical engineering with a focus on nerve tissue regeneration at Brown University. She went on to study mechanobiology and epithelial biology at the Harvard School of Public Health, and now runs a research group and teaches at Wesleyan University. Prof. Mitchel’s scientific work integrates techniques from cell and tissue engineering, mechanobiology, and cell biology, to explore how biological information at the single-cell level combines with local physical forces to drive collective cellular migration in development, regeneration, and disease. Prof. Mitchel teaches courses on cell biology, bioengineering, and cell migration. Her work has been supported by the Parker B. Francis Foundation and by the NSF.

BME Design Poster Session and Awards
2026-04-24 12:00 - 14:00 | Engineering Centers Building Atrium, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
The biomedical engineering department invites the public to a poster session presented by biomedical engineering undergraduates. Over 40 teams will be showcasing their solutions for design projects from clients in the medical school, life sciences, engineering, and the community. For a full list of the projects and presentation times, visit the UW BME Design page.

Informal poster viewing: 11 am – 12 pmFormal poster session: 12 – 2:15 pmAwards ceremony: 3 – 4 pm

ISyE - Shark Tank, ISyE Edition
2026-04-24 13:00 - 16:00 | 3126 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
3126 Mechanical Engineering

Prove to a panel of seasoned professionals that your solution is ready for the real world.

The Department of ISyE is pleased to present this special opportunity, tailored specifically for the students of ISE 450. A team of seasoned professionals will be on hand to hear you sell your real-world solution to them – in 3-5 minutes. So take that 30-minute deck, streamline it for key decision-makers, and position yourself for success! Extra credit will be given to all participants, and the winning team will receive a surprise bag of goodies.

Sign up now!

Optimize Your Pitch – Registration

ISyE - ALPs High Rope Challenge Course
2026-04-25 11:00 - 15:00 | 3725 Schneider Road, Madison
The students of HFES and INFORMS are co-hosting a high ropes course workshop through Adventure Learning Programs (ALPs). Tackle a zipline, climbing wall, giant swing, and more at the challenge course. No experience needed; all equipment and safety gear provided.

RSVP now!

BME Seminar Series: Paul Ellison, PhD
2026-04-27 12:00 - 13:00 | 1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
Preclinical nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging for theranostic radiopharmaceutical development

Paul Ellison, PhDAssistant Professor, Medical PhysicsSchool of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract:The development of radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of disease is a highly interdisciplinary field that integrates elements of engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry, and biology. It requires the use of a wide variety of specialty equipment, like particle accelerators, automated radiochemical synthesizers, and imaging systems, such as positron emission tomography (SPECT) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) that provide biochemical information-rich spatial images, which are often paired with a second modality, such as x-ray computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide accurate anatomical references. In this presentation, Dr. Ellison will discuss recent efforts to develop novel theranostic small molecule radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging and radiopharmaceutical therapy of glioblastoma through targeting system xC–, a cell surface antiporter that exchanges cystine and glutamate as a key part of the cellular antioxidant defense system. Using modern chemically versatile halodeborylation chemistries, Dr. Ellison’s laboratory has prepared homologously matched radiopharmaceuticals that emit a variety of medically useful radiations, including positrons (18F, 77Br) and photons (131I) for imaging and Auger electrons (77Br) and beta particles (131I) for therapy. Comparative biology studies of this family of compounds utilize the gamut of preclinical imaging technologies, including PET, SPECT, CT, and MRI.

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MS&E Ice Cream Social
2026-04-27 12:30 - 14:00 | WI
Students, staff and faculty in the Materials Science and Engineering department are invited to grab a scoop (or two, or three…) of ice cream near room 265. Between graduation, the end of the semester, and Crazylegs awards, there is a lot to celebrate!

No RSVP is required.

ME 150th Celebration: Distinguished Alumni, Fred Kiekhaefer
2026-04-30 16:15 - 17:00 | 3M Auditorium, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53711
To celebrate 150 years of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the Department of Mechanical Engineering will feature distinguished alumni in mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics who have made a lasting impact on the field. Fred Kiekhaefer, who received his master’s (’72) in mechanical engineering, is the former President of Mercury Racing. To learn more about Fred Kiekhaefer’s experience, please join us for this installment of our ME 903: Graduate Student Lecture series.

Title: Every Career is a Journey

Abstract: A brief recap of my career journey will illustrate that success may not be what you think it is. Only about 4% of the world’s people are lucky enough to be in America. Possibilities abound here. Engineering education is a great first step. But you’re not done. You’ve only earned the right to keep learning. When you’re a student for life, success can occur when your preparation meets with opportunity. Difficulty and setbacks will occur; but redirect, persevere and always seek opportunity. Take reasonable risk. Still, there’s always a risk of failure. Focus on the positives; learn from the negatives. Self-doubt is common, but you can drive through it; personal integrity is non-negotiable. Develop networks! Mentors! Surround yourself with people smarter than you.

Most importantly, know that wealth isn’t money: it’s health, relationships, integrity & serving a purpose greater than yourself. Find your passion. Enjoy the ride. Have fun!

Bio: Fred Kiekhaefer is an engineer, entrepreneur, and former senior executive with a career spanning advanced engineering, manufacturing, and marine business leadership. Kiekhaefer is known for his innovative work as the president of Mercury Racing for more than 2 decades. With Kiekhaefer at the helm, Mercury Racing became the high-performance marine engine leader.

Kiekhaefer holds a BA in Physics from Ripon College, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UW–Madison, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Fred has led organizations ranging from startups to major divisions at leading companies. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to innovation, continuous learning, and leadership guided by purpose and integrity.

ISyE - Alumni Chat
2026-04-30 17:00 - 18:00 | WI
The UW-Madison student chapter of INFORMS is excited to host a virtual alumni chat with former students who are now pursuing a range of career paths.

Guests will talk about their experiences after graduation, what their day-to-day work looks like now, and what they’ve learned along the way. It’s a great chance to hear about different career paths, ask questions, and get advice from these early career professionals who were recently students themselves.

Alumni guests include:

Veronica White, Assistant Professor, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

Adam Schmidt, Operations Research Analyst, The John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Akash Deep, Assistant Professor, Oklahoma State University

Akhilesh Soni, Senior Applied Scientist, Amazon

Zoom link

Mechanics Seminar: Professor Bala Balachandar
2026-05-01 02:00 - 15:00 | 3M Auditorium, rm 1106 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave, Madison, 53711
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). Professor Bala Balachandar is a professor at University of Florida.

ECE Capstone Design Open House
2026-05-01 12:00 - 13:30 | Engineering Hall Lobby, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
All are welcome to come view demonstrations of projects created by student teams in ECE capstone design courses! ECE alumni and course instructors will serve as judges as teams compete for Best Project awards. Past winning projects have included a self-balancing alarm clock robot that makes waking up an active task, an AI-based voice journaling app to help with mental health, and a safe use free vending machine for a local transitional housing facility.

Courses participating in the ECE Capstone Design Open House:ECE 453 – Embedded Microprocessor System Design taught by Teaching Faculty Joe KracheyECE 455 – Capstone Design in Electrical and Computer Engineering taught by Assistant Teaching Professor Nathan StrachenECE 554 – Digital Engineering Laboratory taught by Assistant Professor George Tzimpragos

Thank you to our ECE alumni judges:

Bill Barbiaux – GE Healthcare, Principal Engineer – Retired

Bill Berg – Dairyland Power Cooperative, Chief Executive Officer – Retired

Cole Burek – Extreme Engineering Solutions, Embedded Hardware Engineer

Feida Chen – ABB E-mobility, Lead Power Electronics Engineer

Olivia D’Souza – University of Wisconsin–Madison, ECE PhD student

Alex Grotelueschen – Milwaukee Tool, Electrical Engineer

John Hester – Techtricity Corporation, President – Retired

Robert Lux – Capital Projects, Management

Cory Mueller – ATC, Consultant Control Engineer

Justin Reed – C-Motive Technologies, Head of Advanced Technology

Tony Samimi – Dairyland Electrical Industries, Engineering Manager

Terry Sartori – GE Healthcare, Accuray – Engineering Project Manager, Retired

Alex Sharp – Extreme Engineering Solutions, Hardware Debug Engineer

Khailanii Slaton – University of Wisconsin–Madison, ECE PhD student

Bob Wolf – IBM, SAP HANA on Power Sales Exec covering North America – Retired

Forrest Woolworth – PerBlue / Playback Rewards, COO

John Ziehr – Rockwell Automation, VP Operations – Retired

ISyE Research Symposium
2026-05-01 12:00 - 16:30 | Mechanical Engineering Building – Atrium, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
The ISYE department is hosting its first ISYE Student Research Symposium on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 12-4:30pm.

The symposium is for undergraduate and graduate students. It will feature a keynote lunch talk by. Prof. Raed Al Kontar (University of Michigan), a UW-ISyE alum, followed by two panels featuring student panelists and a student poster session. We encourage all ISYE students to attend, particularly those doing research and those interested in doing research in the future.

Those interested in attending should RSVP no later than Friday, April 24:

https://forms.gle/viEtZx4oiSSqzXFm8

Submit your poster to Jane Feller at jfeller3@wisc.edu

Agenda:

12:00–1:00 Symposium kickoff

WelcomeKeynote (+ Q&A)Lunch

1:00–2:00 Poster Session

2:00–4:30 Professional Development Panels

Panel 1 – How do you make the most out of your undergraduate research

Panel 2 – Things I wish I knew

Closing remarks

ISyE - Poster Session
2026-05-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706-1539, United States
ME Building – Atrium

The undergraduate and graduate students of ISyE invite you to our spring poster session. This event is free and open to the public.

ECE Research Seminar Series: Dr. Arindam Sanyal, Arizona State University
2026-05-07 15:15 - 16:15 | 4610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Machine Learning for In-Sensor Artificial Intelligence and High-performance Circuit Design

Abstract: This talk focuses on application of machine-learning (ML) for imparting intelligence to sensing devices as well as lead to high-performance circuit design. As wireless sensors are more widely adopted, the volume of data produced by these devices are expected to reach thousands of petabytes/month. Transmitting this large volume of data over the cloud for processing will potentially emerge as a communication bottleneck and increase latency of decisions. Transmitting naively all data generated by a wearable medical device is also costly in terms of power/energy- transmitter is usually the highest consumer of energy in a sensor (at least 10~20x more energy than sensing). Key to addressing this data deluge is to increase capabilities sensing devices to process information locally and have on-device inference capabilities, such as through embedding AI capabilities into the wearable device that will allow extraction of key information from the sensor data. There needs to be balance between what can be processed locally on-device with low power/energy and how to optimally decide the volume of data communication from the device (to cloud as an example). The barriers to this approach lie in the computational complexity of AI algorithms that makes it challenging to fit AI models on wearables with limited resources. Some of the answers might lie in going back to early days of signal processing in silicon – developing analog circuit techniques for AI development which will require collaborative innovations in both AI model development and analog circuit design techniques. In this talk, I will present our research on developing analog AI circuits and their demonstrations with use cases from health monitoring to IoT.

The second part of this talk will present ML approaches for enhancing performance of data converters. ML has the potential to emerge as an alternative to current signal processing based complex calibration algorithms for enhancing data converter performance in advanced processes. By learning an efficient representation of the input and data converter behavior, a simple neural network can correct data converter errors arising from multiple sources of non-idealities with similar accuracy as complex calibration algorithms but with a much lower hardware cost.

Arindam Sanyal

Bio: Arindam Sanyal is currently an assistant professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University. Prior to this, he was an analog design engineer with Silicon Laboratories and assistant professor in State University of New York. He received his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015, his M.Tech from The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 2009 and B.E from Jadavpur University, India in 2007. Dr. Sanyal’s research expertise includes analog/mixed signal design, bio-medical sensor design, hardware security and neuromorphic computing. He serves in technical program committees for Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC), Design Automation Conference (DAC), International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (ICCAD), VLSI Test Symposium (VTS), Analog Signal Processing Technical Committee (ASP-TC), and VLSI Systems and Applications Technical Committee (VSA-TC) within IEEE Circuits and Systems society, and VLSI-D.

ECE 2026 Graduation Brunch
2026-05-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Engineering Hall Lobby, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is excited to celebrate our graduates by hosting a brunch for graduates, family, and friends prior to the commencement ceremony at Camp Randall Stadium. Graduating students, please check your email in April for information about how to RSVP for this fantastic event. We welcome all of the celebrants to enjoy a full brunch buffet, photo booth, and hearty congratulations from ECE faculty and staff.

Summer and December 2025 graduates, we would love the opportunity to celebrate with you as well. Please email office@ece.wisc.edu to let us know you will be joining us!

ISyE/ME Spring Commencement Brunch
2026-05-09 09:00 - 11:00 | Mechanical Engineering Building – Atrium, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
(Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison)

Attention all graduates! The joint Graduation Celebration with Industrial & Systems Engineering and Mechanical Engineering will begin at 9:00am on Saturday May 9th, with remarks and student recognition from the ISyE and ME Chairs at 10:00am. Join us for brunch and show your family and friends where you have been for these last few years!

Department of Mechanical Engineering students RSVP here!

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering students RSVP here!

CEE Graduation Celebration
2026-05-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Engineering Hall Lobby, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53704, United States
Graduating students from the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department and their guests are invited to a graduation reception in the lobby of Engineering Hall following the Camp Randall ceremony on Saturday, May 9.

Appetizers and refreshments will be served from 1:30 – 3:30 pm. This event is hosted by the CEE Department and is open graduating students and their guests at no cost.

To assist with planning, students are asked to RSVP with their guest count by Wednesday, April 29. Students will receive an email with details on how to register in early April.

Doors for the College of Engineering (CoE) ceremony at the Kohl Center open at 4 pm, allowing ample travel time for students and their guests who are attending all events (the Camp Randall ceremony, this reception, and the CoE ceremony).

Please contact Amanda Thuss with questions.

BME 2026 Spring Graduation Lunch
2026-05-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Engineering Centers Building Atrium, 1550 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
The Department of Biomedical Engineering invites our new graduates and their guests to a celebratory lunch following the commencement ceremony at Camp Randall on May 9 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Graduating students will receive an email with information about RSVPing and picking up their graduation gifts. If you have questions, please contact Vishmaa Ramsaroop-Briggs.

Visit these sites for more information on:College of Engineering Graduate Recognition EventUW Spring Commencement

NEEP Graduation Celebration
2026-05-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Gordon Dining Hall & Event Center, 770 W Dayton Street, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
The Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics is excited to celebrate our graduates! Bring your friends and family, and join us for a buffet lunch as we recognize your hard work and achievements. This event will take place after the Camp Randall Commencement Ceremony and before the College of Engineering Graduation Recognition at the Kohl Center. Graduating students will receive a request for RSVP closer to the date.

Saturday, May 9, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00pmSonata RoomGordon Dining Hall & Event Center770 W Dayton Street

Please direct any questions to Lili Sarajian at lsarajian@wisc.edu.

Chemical Engineering 2026 Spring Banquet
2026-05-09 14:00 - 16:30 | Union South, Varsity I and II, 1308 West Dayton Street, Madison, Wisconsin, 53715, United States
Congratulations to our graduating class of 2026. After years of hard work, the students and faculty are putting on the 2026 Spring Banquet for Chemical Engineering.

The banquet is in Varsity Hall at Union South on the second floor. The banquet is directly after the graduation ceremony at Camp Randall. It involves lunch, faculty speaker, and a gift for students. Graduates, please check your email for information about RSVP and guests.

College of Engineering Graduate Recognition Event
2026-05-09 17:00 - 19:30 | Kohl Center, 601 W. Dayton Street, Madison, WI, 53703, United States
The College of Engineering Graduate Recognition Event is a formal event where graduating engineers at all levels will march across the stage in the company of their peers, have their name read, shake hands with college and department or program leaders, receive their diploma cover, and have a graduation photo taken. Doors open at 4:00pm, the event begins at 5:00pm.

Graduates from December 2025, May 2026, August 2026, and December 2026 are welcome to participate in this recognition event.

Graduates: register here
Graduates: you must register by April 10 if want your name to appear in the printed program. Registrations after that date may not appear in the program. If you have difficulty registering, please make sure you are logged into your UW Google account. You may also contact us.

ECE Research Seminar Series: Dr. Junyi Zhao
2026-05-14 12:00 - 13:00 | 4610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Soft Electronics & Systems for Sensing, Perception, and Feedback

Abstract: Wearable technologies can support health span only when they are comfortable, motion-robust, and able to convert raw signals into actionable, intuitive information. My research focuses on materials-device-system co-design of soft electronic systems that integrate three core functions, sensing, perception, and feedback, across healthcare and embodied interaction applications.

In this talk, I will first introduce wearable systems for women’s health, including maternal monitoring of cardiac and uterine contraction biopotentials in clinical settings for early risk detection of preterm birth. This platform leverages soft polymeric electrodes and textile-integrated interfaces designed for stable and wireless electrophysiological recording. Second, I will present garment-integrated electrophysiology platforms for ambulatory biopotential monitoring in daily life, including electrocardiography (ECG) and skeletal muscle electromyography (EMG) during strenuous activities such as exercise and water sports, with an emphasis on maintaining signal fidelity under body motion. Third, I will describe embodied tactile interfaces that enable robust touch and gesture recognition under deformation, combining pressure mapping with personalized recognition for intelligent human-computer interaction. Fourth, I will discuss semiconductor material processing and advanced manufacturing approaches for intrinsically soft optoelectronic devices, including stretchable light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that provide low-burden, glanceable visual feedback on wearables and everyday objects. Finally, I will discuss future advances in intelligent wearables for personalized women’shealthcare and safe human-robot interaction.

Junyi Zhao

Bio: Dr. Junyi Zhao is a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University, where he works with Professor Zhenan Bao to develop intelligent wearable electronics and medical robotics. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, where he specialized in wearable biomedical electronics for women’s health, as well as soft optoelectronic devices for light emission and photodetection. Previously, he was a Research Scientist Intern at Meta Reality Labs (formerly Facebook), where he developed wearable tactile perception interfaces for immersive AR/VR and embodied human–computer interaction.

Dr. Zhao has authored over 20 publications, including first-authored papers in Nature Photonics and Advanced Materials, as well as papers in top-tier human–computer interaction venues such as ACM UIST. He has received multiple awards and recognitions, including WiscProf: Future Faculty in Engineering, CAS Future Leaders, the MRS Graduate Student Gold Award, PMSE Future Faculty, the ACS Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research Award, and the Nano Research Energy Young Star Researcher Gold Award.

Green Bay Alumni Reception
2026-06-02 17:30 - 19:30 | Titletown, 1025 Lombardi Ave., Green Bay, Wisconsin, 54304, United States
Join fellow Badger engineers for an evening of connection, inspiration, and UW–Madison pride

The College of Engineering invites you to a special alumni gathering in Green Bay on Tuesday, June 2, at Titletown – Rockwood Terrace, from 5:30–7:30 p.m.

This event takes place immediately following the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit, held June 1–2 at Lambeau Field. If you or your company would like to participate in the summit, you’ll find more information below.

Enjoy an evening with local alumni, expand your professional network, and hear from Dean Devesh Ranjan (MS ’05, PhD ’07) as he shares updates on the college’s bold engineering moonshots and the exciting future ahead. Connect over refreshments and take in rooftop views of Lambeau Field as we celebrate the impact of Badger engineers across Wisconsin.

Parking is complimentary.

Register Today!

Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit

Dates: June 1–2, 2026Location: Lambeau FieldLearn more or register: https://widrivesmanufacturing.com/

The above reception takes place at nearby Titletown, right outside Lambeau Field.

MS&E Special Seminar: Dr. Angela R. Hight Walker
2026-06-09 14:30 - 15:30 | WI
UW-Madison Department of Materials Science and Engineering welcomes Dr. Angela R. Hight Walker. Her seminar, “Novel Instrumentation for 2D Material Characterization: Combined Helicity-Resolved Magneto-Optical with Magneto-Transport”, will take place on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in MSE 265.

Bio

Dr. Angela R. Hight Walker is a senior scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), recognized for her leadership in pioneering optical spectroscopies to characterize quantum materials. A current focus area is using optical signatures to study magnetic order. Over three decades, she has led a dynamic research team unraveling the complexities of low-dimensional materials, contributing nearly 200 multidisciplinary publications at the inface of physics, chemistry, and materials science. She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and OPTICA. Dr. Hight Walker is also a leading figure in nanotechnology standardization efforts, contributing to ISO Technical Committee 229 Nanotechnologies and VAMAS TWA 41 and 42 committees. Beyond her scientific achievements, Dr. Hight Walker is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and diversity in science. She just finished the Chair-line for the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP), one of APS’s oldest committees. She boldly advocates for science accessibility, engaging young and under-resourced individuals through demonstrations and lectures, while mentoring over 50 students and postdoctoral researchers, many from underrepresented groups.

Abstract

Raman spectroscopy, imaging, and mapping are powerful non-contact, non-destructive optical probes of quasiparticles and fundamental physics in graphene and other related two-dimensional (2D) materials, including layered, quantum materials. An amazing amount of information can be quantified from the Raman spectra, including layer thickness, disorder, edge and grain boundaries, doping, strain, thermal conductivity, magnetic ordering, and unique excitations such as magnons and charge density waves. Most interestingly for quantum materials is that Raman efficiently probes the evolution of the electronic structure and the electron-phonon, spin-phonon, and magnon-phonon interactions as a function of laser energy and polarization, temperature, and applied magnetic field. Our unique magneto-Raman spectroscopic capabilities will be detailed, enabling polarization- and spatially-resolved optical measurements while simultaneously measuring electrical transport in a back-gated graphene Hall bar device.Raman and electrical data from an hBN-graphene-hBN device operating in the quantum Hall regime will demonstrate our novel capabilities. Also, results from a series of 2D magnetic material systems showing multi-quasiparticle interactions observable with our unique measurement system will be highlighted. Lastly, the importance of detailed alignment, calibration and reference materials will be demonstrated quantifying the ability to differentiate chiral phonons as a function of temperature and laser wavelength.

ISyE- Virtual Town Hall
2026-06-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Via Zoom – Registration required, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, 53711
Join us for our annual town hall meeting! Hosted by Department Chair Shiyu Zhou, guests will hear the latest updates from campus, the college, and our department. There will also be time for Q&A.

This event is open to all, but registration is requested. After you have registered, you will receive an email with log-in information.

Hope to see you on the 11th!

Town Hall Registration
