Engineering the future

Engineering is about shaping what’s ahead, and this framework reflects how we will do that together. It defines a clear direction for where the College of Engineering will lead—along with the flexiblity to evolve as new ideas, technologies and partnerships emerge. It’s how we turn our strengths into momentum—for our students, our partners and the many communities we serve.

“At a time when people are questioning the value of higher education, we have an opportunity to think boldly, to aim higher—and to ensure that the engineers we educate, the discoveries we pursue and the partnerships we build are equal to this moment.

Our strategic framework is grounded in a simple idea: Engineering is the glue that brings people and ideas together for the greatest good.”

Devesh Ranjan
Grainger Dean of the College of Engineering

Ranjan's reflections

Transform Badger engineering education

Advance a future-ready engineering education grounded in strong fundamentals, hands-on experience, AI fluency and ethical professional judgment so every Badger engineer is prepared to lead, adapt and make impact throughout their careers.

Make experiential learning a defining feature of a Badger engineering degree.
Build on the College of Engineering’s strong foundation in experiential learning by expanding opportunities for every engineering student to engage in multiple high-impact, real-world experiences such as internships and co-ops, study abroad, hands-on labs, design, service learning, research and student teams. Integrate these experiences throughout the curriculum and co-create new opportunities with industry, alumni and community partners.

Reimagine curricula and pedagogy for the AI era.
Embed AI fluency and domain-specific AI applications across all academic programs while strengthening distinctly human capabilities AI cannot replace, such as judgment, ethics, critical thinking, teamwork, communication and leadership, ensuring foundational knowledge along the way. Leverage AI strategically to enhance learning. Collaborate across departments and across the university to implement the best approaches.

Strengthen and elevate a culture that rewards instructional, advising and mentoring excellence.
Continue investing in staff and faculty development so engineering education evolves as fast as engineering itself. Cultivate excellence in student advising and mentoring by staff and faculty by aligning the incentive structure in the college and departments to ensure that teaching, advising and mentoring excellence and innovation are recognized and rewarded.

Expand the reach and impact of lifelong engineering education.
Scale an industry-aligned, end-to-end learning ecosystem that includes professional development, alternative credentials and graduate education, with clear pathways and flexible delivery models. Establish the college as the go-to destination for engineering professional development.

Advance Badger engineering research to improve lives

Organize our research strengths into bold, multidisciplinary thrusts that translate discovery into real-world impact through partnership, entrepreneurship and the Wisconsin Idea while sustaining strength in discipline-specific research areas and curiosity-driven research, providing the foundation for the next generation of innovators and technologies.

Identify signature research directions and moonshots where UW-Madison will lead the world.
Invest in a focused set of cross-cutting research challenges that address key societal problems, where multidisciplinary collaboration and existing strengths converge to drive global leadership, breakthrough discoveries and societal impact.

Enable research teams to compete and succeed at the highest levels.
Position our faculty, research staff and students and postdocs for success in the most competitive national and international arenas by making targeted high-impact investments in talent, infrastructure and staff support. Reduce barriers and build robust, appropriately staffed, end-to-end support systems that empower faculty and research staff to lead large-scale, multi-institutional initiatives, secure major awards and pursue bold, high-risk, high-reward research that defines future fields and improves lives.

Sustain and elevate curiosity-driven research focused on innovation and societal impact.
Advance excellence across core engineering disciplines and investigator-driven research, recognizing these efforts as the intellectual engine that underpins transformative, multidisciplinary breakthroughs. Ensure that students, research staff and faculty have the support and flexibility to pursue fundamental questions, emerging ideas and field-defining scholarship. Strengthen the connections between foundational research and larger collaborative initiatives, enabling discovery at all scales to inform, inspire and sustain future moonshots, industry partnerships and societal impact.

Invest in research infrastructure.
Develop and maintain a sustainable facilities plan to support, expand and reimagine research infrastructure that positions the College of Engineering to lead in research innovation and compete successfully for major federal and industry awards. Implement an advancement strategy that supports targeted investment campaigns for high-impact infrastructure initiatives. Collaborate with schools and colleges across campus on shared research spaces and shared facilities.

Invest in our people

Develop and support staff and faculty to ensure that the college is at the forefront of engineering education, discovery and societal impact. Foster a culture and environment that promote the well-being of people—our most important resource—so that all students, staff and faculty can thrive.

Strengthen the talent pipeline and support professional growth.
Attract, develop and advance exceptional students, staff and faculty by aligning recruiting, competitive hiring and compensation with clear career pathways, professional development and leadership opportunities across all career stages. Foster an inclusive community grounded in shared purpose through mentorship, recognition, transparent shared governance and intentional practices that strengthen belonging and collaboration. Ensure recognition of the excellence of students, staff and faculty by supporting their nominations for local and national awards.

Communicate clearly to strengthen our Badger community.
Communicate clearly, consistently and transparently both internally and externally to build trust and alignment. Develop a shared sense of mission and direction for the College of Engineering to amplify our impact and communicate our story to the world.

Foster a culture of belonging, respect and open engagement
Build on the college’s strong community by promoting respectful dialogue, constructive engagement across diverse perspectives and a shared sense of purpose and belonging. Support faculty, staff and students through practices and leadership approaches that reinforce trust, collaboration, accountability and mutual respect.

Design internal infrastructure that promotes a sense of community and fosters well-being.
Create shared spaces that maximize interactions between students, faculty, staff, industry and the surrounding community. Expand infrastructure that catalyzes collaboration, encourages work-life balance and promotes the well-being of students, staff and faculty. Incorporate these ideas and concepts into a forward-looking facilities plan and advancement strategy.

Partner for impactful collaboration

Build high-trust, enduring collaborations with UW-Madison schools and colleges, communities, government, national laboratories and industry. Through these partnerships, accelerate the translation of engineering innovation and discovery to amplify societal impact, improve lives and strengthen Wisconsin’s economy.

Grow a culture that rewards partnerships across the college and university.
Incentivize collaboration within the College of Engineering and between schools and colleges across UW-Madison to achieve administrative, educational and research excellence. Promote and reward successful collaborative efforts that build the culture of partnering to benefit UW-Madison.

Partner to impact economic development, community prosperity and all people’s well-being.
Develop a coordinated approach to engagement aligned with Wisconsin’s economic priorities and emerging national research opportunities. Build relationships with state government, regional stakeholders and communities to establish the College of Engineering as a trusted contributor to workforce advancement, regional innovation and economic development, and thriving communities, embodying the Wisconsin Idea.

Build high-impact partnerships with federal agencies and national laboratories.
Elevate the college’s role as a leading collaborator in national initiatives by organizing faculty and research teams to address national priorities. Increase involvement in leadership of research consortia, co-developed partnerships, large-scale initiatives, and advisory committees and boards. Build long-term relationships with leaders, program managers, scientists and engineers at agencies and national laboratories based on trust and mutually beneficial objectives and outcomes.

Advance industry partnerships that accelerate innovation and workforce development.
Create streamlined pathways for industry collaboration, connecting faculty expertise with real-world challenges and connecting industry with the faculty expertise needed to solve those challenges. Develop efficient administrative processes to make collaboration with the college predictable and partner-focused. Build lasting relationships through sustained engagement over the long term to build trust and deepen connections.

Accelerate Badger engineering innovation and entrepreneurship

Make innovation and entrepreneurship core dimensions of engineering education, research and practice. Foster a culture that encourages creativity, bold thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and translational impact. Equip students, staff and faculty with the skills and support to translate discovery into technologies, ventures and solutions that drive economic growth and societal benefit.

Embed innovation and entrepreneurship as core Badger engineering education outcomes.
Expand opportunities for students to learn and practice innovation through design, prototyping, experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaborations and entrepreneurial experiences. Integrate entrepreneurial thinking into curricula through problem identification, customer discovery, value proposition design, ethical conduct and pathways to translation and commercialization. Develop the skills, creativity and mindsets needed to transform technical knowledge into impactful solutions for societal and market needs.

Contribute to a coordinated, cross-campus entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Strengthen partnerships across UW-Madison to create seamless end-to-end pathways moving ideas from technical discovery to market-ready solutions. Enable integrated support for business case development, prototyping, clinical translation and commercialization.

Activate high-impact external networks to scale ventures.
Engage alumni entrepreneurs, investors, corporate partners and incubators to accelerate venture formation, funding and growth. Position alumni as active co-creators to serve as mentors, advisors and repeat founders within the ecosystem.

Strengthen college ecosystems to advance innovation and translational impact

Align policies, incentives, infrastructure and partnerships to support innovation, industry engagement, translational research and venture creation. Foster an environment that encourages experimentation, cross-disciplinary collaboration and the movement of ideas from discovery to implementation. Leverage existing strengths to create a coordinated innovation framework that guides strategic investment, tracks progress and informs decision-making.

A shared compass for the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s future

The College of Engineering strategic priorities align with the UW–Madison’s campus-wide strategic framework. Grounded in the Wisconsin Idea and the Badger Way, our priorities ensure that our engineering education, research and innovation help drive the university’s collective future.

UW–Madison's strategic framework

Engineering Moonshots

Representing our most ambitious research frontiers, our moonshots chart where we will lead the discoveries and technologies that shape the decades ahead.

Moonshots