Ten years ago in 2015, dozens of campus stakeholders attended the Livable Cities Symposium, gathering to share research on building livable cities and connect university work to community needs.
Paul Robbins, dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, recalled the packed room as an “embodied, visceral experience.”
The symposium created momentum and, ultimately, led to the creation of UniverCity Alliance and its advisory board, which is co-chaired by Lori DiPrete Brown of the School of Human Ecology’s Department of Civil Society and Community Studies; Joel Rogers, director of the High Road Strategy Center and professor of law, public affairs, and sociology; and Robbins.
“UW–Madison is poised to be a leader in generating research and partnerships that deliver health, economic opportunity, and a rich quality of life to communities across Wisconsin,” Rogers said.
UniverCity Alliance is a network of interdisciplinary leaders across UW–Madison who are inspired to improve local governments and foster innovation in communities of all sizes. Through its partnership program, Wisconsin local governments are connected to university resources and receive tangible deliverables created by students gaining high-impact learning experiences.
DiPrete Brown said UniverCity offers “a unique trifecta of real world projects, engagement with local governments, and a focus on the triple bottom line of sustainability, equity, and economic prosperity for Wisconsin.”
As UniverCity celebrates 10 years of creating better places together across Wisconsin, UniverCity Alliance Managing Director Gavin Luter reflected on the program’s reach across the state.
“For the last 10 years, UniverCity Alliance has been delivering impacts across the state that help our communities move forward on their priorities,” said Gavin Luter, who was managing director of UniverCity Alliance from 2018 to 2025. “We’ve shown what’s possible when UW shows up, listens to communities, and delivers them actionable solutions to help them achieve their goals. Here’s to another decade of impacts!”
Megan McBride, who is the current managing director, has direct experience working for for local governments. She sees UnvierCity Alliance as an important program for empowering communities.
“The Wisconsin Idea means leveraging UW–Madison capacity, resources, and legacy to benefit communities around the state,” McBride said. “The work of UniverCity Alliance really exemplifies the Wisconsin Idea by directly connecting communities with UW students and classes through mutually beneficial projects.”
The following list highlights notable moments in UniverCity’s history.
1 – Now in its 10th year, UniverCity has partnered with 43 community partners (2016-25). These have included 18 cities, towns, and villages, 22 counties, a collaborative that includes a local business, nonprofit, and local government partners; one nonprofit, and one school district.
A new group of community partners announced in 2025 marked two firsts for UniverCity: Racine County is the first returning UniverCity partner, and WI Land+Water is the first nonprofit to collaborate with UniverCity on its own.
2 – Because of where UW–Madison is located, UniverCity aims to be the primary entrypoint to the university when the City of Madison or Dane County has a research question to be answered. UniverCity has maintained an ongoing relationship with Madison and Dane County. UniverCity and Madison collaborate on several projects each year, and since 2022, a couple students have completed policy analysis projects for Dane County each semester.
3 – UniverCity adjusted its model to accept community partners on a rolling basis. This change allows UniverCity to work with community partners on specific, time-sensitive, and discrete projects. For example, UniverCity partnered with the Unified Whitewater School District to assess the long-term viability of building a childcare center based at the school district catering to low-income families.
4 – UniverCity partnerships have yielded over 400 student-created projects (2016-24). These
implementable deliverables go directly to local government partners across Wisconsin and impact communities. The projects have led to results including a new homestead credit in Adams County, economic development opportunities in the City of Portage, a strengthened relationship between the Ho-Chunk Nation and Village of Waunakee, an interactive reporting tool for Koshkonong Creek Watershed stakeholders, and more.
5 – Throughout the past 10 years, UniverCity has engaged 128 UW–Madison faculty and instructors who represent 15 schools and colleges (2016-25). Several instructors continually partner with UniverCity, demonstrating a commitment to providing high-impact learning experiences for students and living out the Wisconsin Idea.
6 – UniverCity Alliance is guided by an advisory board of 27 people representing a variety of units on campus, including the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, High Road Strategy Center, School of Human Ecology, Data Science Institute, UW Extension La Follette School of Public Affairs, Morgridge Center for Public Service, Law School, Wisconsin School of Business, and more. The board also includes a representative from the City of Madison and the retired deputy director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. This unique group brings together interests from across campus to support Wisconsin communities through UniverCity.
7 – UniverCity has worked with 2,795 students (2016-24) in courses, independent studies and internships.
8 – In the Fall 2023 semester, UniverCity Alliance launched its Scholars Program to support Wisconsin communities in getting started on projects that require research, concept formation, data analysis, and other specialized skills. These UW–Madison graduate and undergraduate students gain real-world experiences and apply classroom learning to community-identified projects. So far, 18 students have completed projects across two different cohorts and have each received a $1,500 scholarship that was generously provided by the Division of Continuing Studies and UW alumni.
9 – UniverCity created a digital badge that provides knowledge about Wisconsin local governments, a framework on how to actualize sustainable development used by countries around the world, and sustainable development strategies for the municipal scale. This non-credit, professional development opportunity will fill a gap in students’ understanding of local government and provide resources on sustainable development for those working in local government. Launching soon!
10 – Over the last decade, UniverCity Alliance and its partners have been recognized with several awards including UW–Madison’s Community University Partnership Award, Wisconsin Policy Forum’s Salute to Local Government Award, and EPIC-N’s Partnership of the Year Award. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities highlighted UniverCity as a finalist for the 2022 C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award. Additionally, the Universities of Wisconsin’s Board of Regents recognized UniverCity as a finalist for the 2023 Academic Staff Excellence Awards.
–Abigail Becker