The Wisconsin Sloan Center for Systemic Change, or WiSC2, will be a hub for innovating and leading transformative work for excellence in graduate education at UW. Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the aim of Systemic Change Centers is to remove entrenched barriers to student success, improve student outcomes, and create educational environments that are more equitable and effective for all.
Research at UW–Madison and elsewhere has shown that student success is influenced by students’ academic preparation and self-efficacy and their sense of community and their feelings of belonging. This is especially true for students underrepresented in higher education. The new center aims to strengthen the environment for graduate students at UW–Madison, including Black, Indigenous, and Latinx students, students from rural areas, and students who are the first in their families to attend graduate school, and support a diverse student body.
The center will lean heavily on the success of existing programs and expertise at UW–Madison, including nationally-recognized leadership in mentorship, bias reduction, and equitable and inclusive practices. Programs such as the Graduate Research Scholars communities and professional development training coordinated by the Graduate School will also provide frameworks for the center’s success.
WiSC2 partners with 11 departments to increase their capacity and readiness for systemic change and integration of equity-minded principles. The following departments in the College of Letters and Science (L&S) and College of Engineering (CoE) will engage in a range of tiered training, collaboration on policies related to advancing to PhD candidacy, and mentoring expectations.
- Astronomy (L&S)
- Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences (L&S)
- Chemical and Biological Engineering (CoE)
- Chemistry (L&S)
- Computer Sciences (L&S)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (CoE)
- Geography (L&S)
- Geosciences (L&S)
- Materials Science & Engineering (CoE)
- Mechanical Engineering (CoE)
- Physics (L&S)
In the news:
- Announcing new Wisconsin Sloan Center for Systemic Change staff
- Ten U.S. universities selected to advance systemic change in doctoral STEM Education
- UW–Madison to transform STEM graduate education with Wisconsin Sloan Center for Systemic Change
- Two School of Education faculty to help direct new Wisconsin Sloan Center for Systemic Change
In September and October 2024, UW Madison attended the Equity in Graduate Education Consortium (EGE) series alongside our paired-peer institution Virginia Tech. A total of 233 UW-Madison faculty, staff, and administrators attended the three-part, virtual offering. Workshop 1 was open to all and the remaining workshops prioritized participation from partner departments. Learn more about each workshop below.
In addition to the EGE series, partnering departments were encouraged to attend the Graduate School’s September workshop on implementing Holistic Admissions for Graduate Programs and best practices associated with reviews that include both qualitative and quantitative examination of prospective graduate students.
Introduction To Equity-minded Mentoring
EGE’s first workshop focused on adopting equity-minded mentoring practices that facilitates graduate students’ academic, social, and professional success. This session strengthened participants’ ability to foster and sustain strong mentoring relationships with critical focus on social identity and belonging.
Fostering Wellbeing in Racialized Mentoring Environments
The second session gifted participating faculty and staff the opportunity to reflect on how racism impacts well-being and suggested ways to promote and recognize the signs of well-being. Participants learned to counteract the stigmatization associated with mental health dialogue and the antecedents required to build a culture of wellness.
Creating Cultures of Mentoring & Wellbeing
The final installment of the series expanded the discussion of well-being and mentoring to organizational culture and policies. Participants engaged in interactive discussions including a mentoring case study and practiced completing a driver diagram to prototype solutions involved with organizational culture transformation.
Steering Committee
William J. Karpus
Credentials: Principal Investigator
Position title: Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Eric Wilcots
Credentials: Co-Principal Investigator
Position title: Dean of the College of Letters & Science
Ian Robertson
Credentials: Co-Principal Investigator
Position title: Dean of the College of Engineering
Erika Marín-Spiotta
Credentials: Co-Director
Position title: Professor of Geography; Faculty Director, Community of Graduate Research Scholars
Victor M. Zavala
Credentials: Co-Director
Position title: Baldovin-DaPra Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Faculty Director, Graduate Engineering Research Scholars
Brian A. Burt
Position title: Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis; Director, Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory
Mel Freitag
Position title: Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training and Innovation, College of Letters and Science
Beth Meyerand
Position title: Associate Dean, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the Departments of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering
Donald L. Gillian-Daniel
Position title: Distinguished Director of Professional Development in the College of Engineering
Steering Committee Highlights
- Lucas Zoet, Dean L. Morgridge Associate Professor of Geoscience, appeared on the May 2024 episode of L&S Elevate (a podcast hosted by the Office of Inclusive Excellence in the College of Letters and Science). Dr. Zoet discusses his research and experience implementing community partnerships. Listen in to hear more about his approach for developing respectful and mutually enriching relationships with the Menominee Nation. We are excited for Dr. Zoet’s leadership on the steering committee and the novel perspective he offers professionally and as an alum of Penn State’s Sloan fellowship. Read more >>
- Aireale J. Rodgers, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, launched two research projects in 2024 to expand scholarship on equity-minded learning and change in higher education. The first funded by the National Science Foundation and in collaboration with WiSC2 Co-Director Erika Marin-Spiotta builds on the recently completed Mellon-funded Humanities Education for Anti-Racism Literacy in the Sciences and Medicine award to advance critical curricular innovations in the geosciences by contending with the racialized context of the field. The second will generate further insights into the processes, outcomes, and unintended consequences associated with faculty cluster hires and is supported by the Sloan Foundation. Dr. Rodgers’ emerging research will without a doubt enhance the work of WiSC2. Read more >>
- Brian Burt, Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and Director of the Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory, launches Black Males in Engineering (BME). BME is an interactive resource hub designed to support the expansion of STEM pathways for aspiring Black boys and men. BME declares that STEM futures are available for Black male students and presents interactive resources to increase the knowledge of K12, higher education, family and community stakeholders who are tasked with ensuring STEM dreams materialize. Leveraging more than a decade of research, Dr. Burt and team curated videos, handouts, and activities designed to inspire interest, persistence, and lifelong success of Black boys and men in STEM. Read more >>