As we
settle into a new academic year, I’ve been thinking about what makes the College of Letters & Science such a remarkable place to learn and discover. It is, at its heart, a community of people who are curious about the world and using what they learn at UW–Madison to make that world better. From the biological, natural and mathematical sciences to the social sciences and the arts and humanities, our faculty, staff and students are asking challenging questions and discovering new ways of understanding the world and
our place in it.
In September, we had the privilege of celebrating the opening of Irving & Dorothy Levy Hall, the first new academic facility for Letters & Science in 50 years. Students have already begun to make Levy Hall their home, and I’ve spoken with countless students and colleagues who have shared their delight in having a warm, welcoming environment in which to explore their passions alongside others who are equally committed to the fearless pursuit of knowledge that we call sifting and winnowing.
While Levy Hall serves as a home to eight L&S departments, its impact reaches far wider than the College. Nearly every student on this campus will benefit from the teaching and learning environments we’ve built in Levy Hall. But more importantly, they will benefit from the insights into the human story that takes place within those classrooms, led by instructors dedicated to preparing the next generation of Badgers for a world in need of their leadership.
That dedication to service is what makes L&S the heart of this great University. The skills we emphasize — critical thinking, communicating across differences and building solutions for the greater good — are precisely the skills our students will need to navigate a changing
world and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Whether they are studying the stars, examining the forces that shape our society or asking difficult questions about what it means to be human, our students are learning to engage more thoughtfully with the world around them. And they are doing so because of the extraordinary faculty and staff who encourage and challenge them every day, and because of the support they receive from the entire L&S community.
I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the work of our incredible faculty, staff and students and the many ways they are helping to shape the future of our University, our state and our world.
On, Wisconsin!
Kristin R. Eschenfelder
Interim Dean, College of Letters & Science
Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Information Science
University of Wisconsin–Madison