Wisconsin Sloan Center for Systemic Change

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.

WiSC2 partners with 11 departments in the College of Letters and Science (L&S) and College of Engineering (CoE), which 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 Oceanic Sciences (L&S)
  • Chemical and Biological Engineering (CoE)
  • Chemistry (L&S)
  • Computer Sciences (L&S)
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering (CoE)
  • Geography (L&S)
  • Geoscience (L&S)
  • Materials Science & Engineering (CoE)
  • Mechanical Engineering (CoE)
  • Physics (L&S)

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

Aireale Rodgers

Position title: Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

Lucas Zoet

Position title: Associate Professor of Geosciences

Beth Meyerand

Position title: Associate Dean, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the Departments of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering

Jasmia Hamilton

Position title: Sloan Center for Systemic Change Asst Director

Parmesh Ramanathan

Position title: Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Abbey Thompson

Position title: Assistant Dean, Access, Engagement and Funding

Donald L. Gillian-Daniel

Position title: Distinguished Director of Professional Development in the College of Engineering

Advisory Committee

  • Dr. Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, Director of Education and Outreach, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (UW-MRSEC)
  • Kate Fanis, Graduate Advisor, College of Engineering
  • Dr. Josh San Miguel, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Dr. Kate Fu, Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
  • Dr. Desiree Bates, Computational Chemistry Leader, Department of Chemistry
  • Dean David Noyce, Executive Associate Dean and Arthur F. Hawnn Professor, College of Engineering