An interdisciplinary team’s research may deepen our understanding of how ocean waves wear away massive ice sheets—and how that activity can influence climate around the world.
News
Federal funding cuts threaten future of Wisconsin STEM camp for autistic students
STEM camps run by University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Climatic Research have served autistic middle and high school students across Wisconsin and Illinois since 2022, but organizers say federal funding cuts threaten their future.
Federal funding cut jeopardizes STEM camp for autistic kids at Vilas Zoo
STEM camp for autistic kids, started four years ago by a UW-Madison professor, has been so popular its initial Beloit location spawned programs at Vilas Zoo in Madison and in the Wisconsin Dells. This past …
More heat, more humidity, more rain, more floods, more tornadoes — and more bad air
Meteorologists and climate scientists tracking Wisconsin’s weather point to the trends of hotter nights, higher humidity, extreme rainstorms, more tornadoes and smoky air as standing out over the course of the 2025 summer season.
A 1,000-year flood, historically bad air quality, extreme heat: Summer 2025 is far from normal in Wisconsin
“We haven’t had a lot of days with really nice, enjoyable weather, because either we had to worry about the air quality, or it’s been really, really humid, or it’s been decently hot,” said Amanda …
Wisconsin STEM summer camps for neurodivergent kids may end after federal government cancels funding
The future of a local summer camp designed for neurodivergent kids is now up in the air after the federal government canceled its funding. Michael Notaro is the director of the Center for Climatic Research …
Wisconsin air quality among nation’s worst as Canadian wildfire smoke spreads
Air quality conditions in Wisconsin are on track to be the state’s worst so far in 2025, said State Climatologist Steve Vavrus. He said the state hasn’t seen air this bad since two summers ago, …
Henry Vilas Zoo host STEM camp for neurodivergent kids
CCR-supported Zoo Explorer’s Sensory-Friendly Camp at the Henry Vilas Zoo, in support of neurodiverse youth, received news coverage from three stations: https://www.channel3000.com/news/wisconsin-science-camps-for-kids-with-autism-face-uncertain-future-after-federal-funding-cuts/article_f848be02-9cba-4fb5-a21f-a888fcefcd14.html https://www.wmtv15news.com/2025/07/27/madison-stem-camp-neurodivergent-kids-could-see-final-year-after-funding-loss/ https://www.wkow.com/news/henry-vilas-zoo-host-stem-camp-for-neurodivergent-kids/article_a192af69-c350-4cbe-9baa-297408f3d06b.html
Even with the best tools and knowledge, forecasting can miss key pieces of the puzzle. The research happening in Mayra Oyola-Merced’s lab can help explain why and lead to a future with more accurate forecasting.
If you’ve ever seen Star Wars, they’re like the midi-chlorians of our atmosphere,” says Mayra Oyola-Merced, an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. “They can switch between the dark side and …
Hannah Zanowski’s research on polar oceanography could help answer key questions about different types of oceans that exist on distant planets.
What do Earth’s oceans share with an icy moon orbiting Saturn? For Hannah Zanowski, both might be crucial in addressing a key question: What makes a planet habitable? Zanowski combines her passion for oceanography and …
Analyzing the last 50 years of American air quality, Tracey Holloway sees a success story.
In the 1970s, air quality was suffering due to industrial pollution, but thanks to intentional policymaking and industry investments in cleaner cars and greener electricity sources, Americans have benefited from cleaner air year over year. …
Dutton, He, Zoet Lead Team Awarded Research Forward Funding
In the face of ongoing global warming, coastal communities are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels and coastline retreat—irreversible changes that will persist for generations. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions that bridge the social …
Mayra Oyola-Merced Receives Mentor Award
Each spring the Office of the Provost recognizes outstanding mentors with the Awards for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities. The nominations for this year’s recipients read like a textbook of great mentoring …
Beyond the weather forecast: 5 ways UW satellite technology helps save lives
The University of Wisconsin–Madison may be the birthplace of satellite meteorology, but scientists on campus have never stopped developing new ways for space-based instruments to protect and improve the lives of people back on Earth. …
Clark Zimmerman Receives the Francis P Bretherton Scholarship Award
Clark Zimmerman Receives the Francis P Bretherton Scholarship Award. The purpose of the scholarship is to support a meritorious graduate student pursuing their PhD and conducting research in earth system science and climate change in the …
Till Wagner Receives NSF CAREER Award
Last fall, AOS Assistant Professor Till Wagner was selected as a recipient of a 2024 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for his project, “Constraining Iceberg Size Distributions and their Climate Impacts in Models.” This …
Ankur Desai received the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship
Ankur Desai was one of sixteen professors that were named to Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships, an award recognizing distinguished scholarship as well as standout efforts in teaching and service. The professorship provides five years of …
Weather as a canvas: UW-Madison’s atmospheric science program
University’s legacy of satellite development continues in modern forecasting.
Elizabeth Maroon is turning El Niño forecasts into an auditory experience
High school students from Beloit Memorial High School and the Lincoln Academy visited UW-Madison on April 16, 2025, as hosted by the Center for Climatic Research.
High school students from Beloit Memorial High School and the Lincoln Academy visited UW-Madison on April 16, 2025, as hosted by the Center for Climatic Research. Students presented their GLOBE citizen science research as posters …
Professor Mayra Oyola-Merced, CCR affiliate, was interviewed by Telemundo on science policy regarding the ozone hole.
Professor Mayra Oyola-Merced, CCR Affiliate, received the UW Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities.
Congratulations to Professor Mayra Oyola-Merced on receiving the invitation Award for Mentoring Undergraduates in Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities! Way to go! Thanks for your commitment to undergraduate education.
Wisconsin Rural Partnerships Institute brings international climate science program to hundreds of rural students
Michael Notaro, senior scientist and director at the Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research at UW–Madison, is a Wisconsin GLOBE partner and trainer and is hosting a series of workshops in rural school districts to …
Meet the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award winners
Luke Zoet was one of twelve faculty members who have been chosen to receive this year’s Distinguished Teaching Awards, an honor given out since 1953 to recognize some of the university’s finest educators.
Excellence in outreach recognized with Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Public Science Engagement Award
Plant pathology professor Claudia Solís-Lemus and climate scientist Michael Notaro have received the Bassam Z. Shakhashiri Public Science Engagement Award. The award, in its third year, is named for Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, emeritus professor of …