About

Our Vision

UW-Madison will be a recognized leader, innovator, and contributor in improving the sustainability, resilience, livability, and general wellbeing of communities. Through education, outreach, technical assistance, and research that is grounded in the priorities of local governments, and through bridge-building engagement with policy initiatives, our efforts will have impacts locally and globally to improve the places and lives of people throughout Wisconsin and the world.

Our Network

UniverCity Alliance is a member of the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities Network (EPIC-N), an international network of more than 60 universities and colleges partnering with localities throughout the United States and world. EPIC Network logo small

Advisory Board Chairs

Lori DiPrete Brown

Position title: Director, Global Health and Human Ecology, Civil Society and Community Studies, School of Human Ecology

Email: dipretebrown@wisc.edu

Paul Robbins

Position title: Dean, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies

Email: dean@nelson.wisc.edu

Joel Rogers

Position title: Professor of Law, Political Science, Public Affairs, and Sociology & Director, High Road Strategy Center

Email: jrogers@highroad.wisc.edu

Advisory Board Members

Aydin Bal

Position title: Professor, School of Education

Suman Banerjee

Position title: Professor, Computer Sciences

Barbara Bendlin

Position title: Associate Professor and Director, Neuroscience and Public Policy Program

Kennedy Borman

Position title: Government Relations Associate, Universities of Wisconsin

Ed Boswell

Position title: Teaching Faculty, Department of Planning & Landscape Architecture

Lisa Chambers

Position title: Associate Director, Morgridge Center for Public Service

Mary Beth Collins

Position title: Executive Director, the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, School of Human Ecology

Kyle Cranmer

Position title: Director, American Family Data Science Institute

Marah Curtis

Position title: Professor, School of Social Work

Yongheng Deng

Position title: Professor, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, Wisconsin School of Business

Pam Foster Felt

Position title: Coordinator for Programmatic Partnerships Community Development Institute, Division of Extension

Brenda González

Position title: Director, Community Relations

Andrea Hicks

Position title: Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Benoy Jacob

Position title: Community Development Institute Director, Division of Extension

Karalyn (Kara) Kratowicz

Position title: Performance Excellence Specialist, City of Madison

Sara Lindberg

Position title: Evaluation Research Director, Population Health Institute

Gavin Luter

Position title: Managing Director, UniverCity Alliance

Alfonso Morales

Position title: Professor, Planning & Landscape Architecture

Kris Olds

Position title: Professor, Department of Geography

Jonathan Patz

Position title: Professor & Director, Global Health Institute

Katya Spear

Position title: Managing Director of the Mayors Innovation Project (MIP)

Whitney Sweeney

Position title: Scientist, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research

Christopher Timmins

Position title: Professor, Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, Wisconsin School of Business

Bill Tishler

Position title: Senior Instructional Media Producer

Mindy Walker

Position title: Outreach Coordinator, La Follette School of Public Affairs

Curt Witynski

Position title: Retired Deputy Executive Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities

Staff

Abigail Becker

Position title: Senior Associate for Communications & Outreach, UniverCity Alliance

Gavin Luter

Position title: Managing Director, UniverCity Alliance

Shelly Strom

Position title: Program Manager, UniverCity Year