Where an Idea Can Change the World
UW–Madison has been blazing trails for 175 years — and we’ve only just begun! Join us in Silicon Valley to connect with Chancellor Mnookin and other UW leaders as they share new ideas and breakthroughs that are shaping our future. Enjoy lightning talks from renowned faculty and discover how the transformational work happening on campus right now is impacting your life and community — and what will come next.
Don’t miss this chance to gather with local Badgers for delicious hors d’oeuvres and exciting conversations about the groundbreaking developments coming out of our university!
Register by May 14.
Speakers
Jennifer L. Mnookin, JD, PhD, is the 30th leader of the University of Wisconsin–Madison in its 175-year history. Under her leadership, the university has been designated as a national center for innovation and economic prosperity and recognized as one of the top institutions in the country for opening doors to opportunity. In 2024, she announced the multifaceted Wisconsin Research, Innovation, and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) Initiative, designed to strategically position UW–Madison to address some of the world’s grand challenges over the next several years. Mnookin has spent her academic career at top public research universities, including the University of California–Los Angeles and the University of Virginia. She has also been a visiting professor of law at Harvard Law School and holds degrees from Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is one of the nation’s leading legal scholars and an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dominique Brossard, PhD, is a professor and chair of the Department of Life Sciences Communication at UW–Madison. She is an affiliate of the UW–Madison Robert & Jean Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, the UW–Madison Energy Institute, the UW–Madison Global Health Institute, and the UW–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. She is also a principal investigator at the Morgridge Institute for Research. Brossard’s research agenda focuses on the intersection between science, media, and policy. As a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the International Communication Association as well as the chair of the Advisory Committee for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences at the National Science Foundation, Brossard is an internationally known expert in public opinion dynamics related to controversial scientific issues. She is particularly interested in understanding the role of values in shaping public attitudes and using cross-cultural analysis to understand these processes.
Bilge Mutlu, PhD, is the Sheldon B. and Marianne S. Lubar Professor of Computer Science, Psychology, and Industrial Engineering at UW–Madison. He is also the director of the People and Robots Laboratory. His work focuses on building human-centered principles and methods to enable effective and intuitive interactions between people and robotic technologies, facilitating the successful integration of these technologies into human environments. Mutlu is also the director of the National Science Foundation’s INTEGRATE (Integrating Robots into the Future of Work) research traineeship program at the UW, which is a new interdisciplinary program designed to enrich the training of graduate students in STEM fields on the technical and societal facets of introducing robots into work environments.
Schedule of Events
| 6 p.m. | Check-in |
| 6:45 p.m. | Program with Chancellor Mnookin, followed by a Q & A and a light reception |
| 9 p.m. | Event ends |
Additional Information
When you register, please inform us of any dietary needs, accommodations (such as captions or interpreting services), or other needs.
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association will hold this event in accordance with all local public health guidance. Mask usage is welcome but not required. Participants who are sick are asked to stay home to help keep our Badger community safe and healthy. If conditions require a change to this event, you will be notified via email or phone call.
