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College of Engineering news

Brenda Cansino-Loeza
March 17, 2026

To support future space missions, Brenda Cansino-Loeza suggests a heavy dose of freeze-dried bacteria mixed with a lot of patience

When Brenda Cansino-Loeza joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a postdoctoral researcher three years ago, she had plenty of experience working on earth-bound projects; in fact, her research focused on developing tools to make the…

Lukas Desorcy takes a microscope image of a diffusion welded sample
March 16, 2026

The safety breakthrough behind tomorrow’s compact nuclear reactors

Compact heat exchangers could enable advanced nuclear reactors that are smaller, more efficient and more affordable—but a critical step in their adoption is verifying they can withstand the high temperatures and possibly high pressures in…

2025 Wisconsin Impact Nexus award recipients
March 16, 2026

Grants empower bold thinking and transform vision into momentum

Expanding a consortium that strengthens ties between the college and the steel industry. Commercializing chip-cooling tech. Designing an economical nuclear microreactor. Through funding and in-kind support, Wisconsin Impact Nexus grants are igniting a ripple effect,…

Biomedical engineering students Ruffin Bryant and Noah Kalthoff
March 12, 2026

Can AI ease surgeons’ workload? A UW-Madison student startup thinks so

Since they returned to Madison in mid-January for the spring 2026 semester, roommates Ruffin Bryant and Noah Kalthoff have settled into a familiar—if busy—rhythm. Mornings: Class, like most of their fellow biomedical engineering majors at…

Badgers in Themed Entertainment student org members
March 11, 2026

In the loop: New student organization is taking Badgers for a ride

Only the nerdiest among us take our first steps into Disneyland or Universal Studios and exclaim, “What a feat of engineering!” But maybe more of us should. Theme parks (or “themed entertainment,” for those in…

mosquito sucking blood
March 11, 2026

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…

Dave Gustafson
March 9, 2026

Remembering health systems engineering pioneer Dave Gustafson

Dave Gustafson, a pioneer in applying technology to human-centered health systems and a longtime professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died March 3, 2026. He was 85 years old. A…

Professor Laura Albert talks to the class about the case of the Ford Pinto
March 9, 2026

Industrial engineering students explore how to do the right thing when money matters

A video plays on the projector screens of a lecture hall in the Mechanical Engineering Building on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, telling undergraduate students in Industrial and Systems Engineering 313: Engineering Economic Analysis the…

Professor Frank Pfefferkorn
March 3, 2026

New laser-based manufacturing course connects students on campus and in industry

A fourth-year undergraduate student sits in a classroom on the first floor of the Mechanical Engineering building on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, laptop open, chatting with an online master’s degree student and a working…

Governor Tony Evers looks at readings in the control room of the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor
February 25, 2026

Governor gets firsthand look at future of nuclear energy at UW–Madison

Inside the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor Tuesday morning, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers peered over the shoulders of student operator Nick Tierney, a senior majoring in nuclear engineering, to eye the array of instrumentation on…