On March 11, 2026, the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol was transformed into a hub celebrating student research.
Surrounded by the grandeur of the building’s marble columns and soaring dome, undergraduates from all 13 Universities of Wisconsin presented their research to a bustling crowd of legislators, university employees and alumni, and members of the public.
This was Research in the Rotunda—an annual event that not only showcases the work of UW undergraduates, but also highlights the vital connection between research and public higher education. Since the event began in 2004, more than 1,500 undergraduate projects have been featured.
This year, around 125 students—including 6 from UW–Madison—presented 87 projects on topics ranging from linguistic patterns in Supreme Court dissents to cancer treatment, adaptive music education, and semiconductor manufacturing. With students from every corner of the state presenting a breadth of topics, this event was a testament to the universities’ powerful engines of research—and the robust contributions made by undergraduate researchers.
“Undergraduate research accelerates learning in powerful ways, and it’s happening at UW universities across Wisconsin,” noted Jay Rothman, Universities of Wisconsin President. In fact, promoting undergraduate research is an important part of the Universities of Wisconsin 2023–2028 Strategic Plan. At UW–Madison alone, 36% of seniors have reported working with faculty on a research project—and they have a variety of opportunities to share their work, including the upcoming Undergraduate Symposium on April 17, which will feature projects by nearly 950 UW–Madison undergraduates.
Events like Research in the Rotunda illustrate the significance of this kind of student involvement. This event embodies the Wisconsin Idea—the guiding principle that university scholarship should reach beyond the classroom and have a real impact on people’s lives. Here, student researchers have an opportunity to speak directly with legislators, discussing the significance of their research with people who help to inform state funding decisions.
Two UW–Madison students shared about their experience presenting their research and talking to policymakers.
Leo Liu is a senior and a McNair Scholar studying material science and engineering with certificates in chemistry, international engineering, East Asian studies, and Chinese professional communication. He presented a poster, “Covalent Adaptable Networks: Building the Next Generation of Recyclable Plastics,” co-written with Maryam Al Jawad, Ri Chen, Daniyar Syrlybayev, Ramathasan Thevamaran, and Sheng Wang.
“My research focuses on polymers and plastics, with an emphasis on sustainability,” Liu explains. “As plastic use continues to grow, developing more sustainable materials and processes is increasingly important.”
For Liu, participating in Research in the Rotunda “broadened my perspective significantly. It reminded me that research doesn’t exist in a vacuum—there are many stakeholders who influence how science develops and is applied.” The opportunity to speak to policymakers was a unique experience for him. “I really valued the exchange of perspectives—being able to explain my work in a broader context while also hearing their thoughts on its real-world applications.”
Adina Kurzban, a senior majoring in economics and philosophy, presented a poster, “Good Morals, Bad Outcomes? What Is Behind Rural Communities’ High Rates of Deaths of Despair.” As she explains, this research is important because, “by having a better understanding of the moral values of rural Americans, we can create policy and programs that are tailored to their wants and needs.”
During the event, Kurzban had the opportunity to speak to State Senator Kelda Roys and State Representative Renuka Mayadev, both of whom represent the district where UW–Madison is located.
“It was awesome to get to meet the people who represent me and my peers in person,” she says, “It was really cool to see lawmakers taking an active interest in my work as a student and to get to share my research with people who may have the power to incorporate my findings into real change.”
Catherine Chan, the Assistant Vice Provost for High Impact Practices in the Division for Teaching and Learning, uses her experience with Research in the Rotunda to help support students’ participation at the event. “I am always impressed by the passion of the student presenters and the quality and innovativeness of their research. They exemplify how engaged learning and undergraduate research can bring about multiple levels of benefit—to the individual learner, the institution, the State, and the society at large.”
The other UW–Madison students who participated were Joe Binzley (“Investigating the Drivers of Latewood Formation in the Great Lakes Region”), Danika Wanish (“Paired Model Comparison and Sensitivity Analyses: i-Tree Canopy Stormwater Calculator and WinSLAMM for Predicting Annual Urban Stormwater Runoff Phosphorus Loads”), Nolan Hegge (“The Ecosystem Services Tool: Cultivating Sustainable Food Systems for a Thriving Planet”), and Mallory Herzog (“Understanding Stakeholder Decision-Making Perspectives on the Adoption and Sustainability of Digital Health Tools for Alcohol Use Disorder.”).
Learn more about Research in the Rotunda. To learn about and engage with more undergraduate research at UW–Madison, consider attending the Undergraduate Symposium on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Story and photos by Brigitte Boucher.
Created in collaboration with Catherine Chan, Janet Branchaw, and Kelly Copolo from the Division for Teaching and Learning.