Wisconsin Alumni

This year, UW–Madison Housing hired more than 200 house fellows, which is about 200 more than there were in 1925. That’s because the house fellow program didn’t exist yet. It officially began in 1926, and this year marks the program’s 100th anniversary.

Athletic trainer Carlos Bustamante ’14 makes a mean ice bag, and he’s passionate about providing top-notch healthcare. Bustamante is a senior athletic trainer for the Washington Wizards, Washington, DC’s professional basketball team. He joined the Wizards organization almost a decade ago, and after working in a variety of roles, including as head trainer for the affiliate, NBA G League team Capital City Go-Go, he became an assistant trainer for main club in 2020. “It’s been a ride,” he says.

Kaitlynne Roling ’20 stumbled into Ultimate Frisbee. It wasn’t her first choice of sport. “When I came to the UW, I wanted to try out for club soccer,” she says. “But I didn’t make the team. I went to the rugby tryouts, as well, because I wanted to keep playing a sport. Finally, I went to the Ultimate Frisbee tryouts, and they took me. It was all very happenstance.” Happenstance has turned into a career.

When most people think of esports, they picture highly skilled gamers wearing headsets, eyes on screens, competing in organized video game tournaments. Collegiate esports has become a growing part of campus recreation, with dozens of student teams, intense training sessions, and competition schedules that look a lot like traditional athletics. But for Liam Granlund ’22, esports is about much more than winning, and that perspective shapes his work at UW–Madison.

Four rare, signed and editioned screen prints created by visionary designer, artist, cultural innovator and UW-Madison alumnus Virgil Abloh as part of a Wisconsin Alumni Association collaboration will be available on offer in Sotheby’s Contemporary Discoveries auction, open for bidding July 7-14.

In Cambridge, Wisconsin, the fruits of the earth are forged in fire. The town is home to a vibrant community of potters and ceramicists who have been drawn to the area since 1975, when Jim Rowe founded his eponymous studio, Rowe Pottery. For more than 50 years, Rowe pieces have been featured in homes around the country, their sturdy build and simple style withstanding the tests of both trend and time. Rowe pottery is built to last, but the business almost didn’t.

When this photo was taken around 1890, the clock’s mechanism used a 1,000-pound weight that fell to the ground every eight days. It’s hard to believe now, with smartphones in our pockets and smartwatches on our wrists, that UW students once relied on the Music Hall clock tower at the foot of Bascom Hill to make it to class on time.

“A man, a plan, a canal: Panama” — so wrote Leigh Mercer in 1948, imagining an election slogan for Theodore Roosevelt that was so well engineered it could be read both backward and forward. But though Roosevelt visited the UW, he went to school at some small liberal arts college back east, so we can’t claim him.

For 25 years, Grandparents University (GPU) has brought generations together to celebrate what it means to be Badger. The program offers children ages seven to 14 and their grandparents an opportunity to live like students in the university dorms and explore new ideas and activities in the major of their choice. GPU is a chance to make memories and engage in fun learning experiences at UW–Madison, and there are so many exciting additions to enjoy every year.

Do you remember Coffee and Truffles, a retired flavor of Babcock ice cream? Watch us attempt to re-create this caffeinated classic — and let us know if it looks good enough to eat! Ingredients 1 cup whole milk ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon instant espresso Pinch of salt 2 cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 8–12 chocolate truffles*, chopped Directions In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugars, espresso powder, and salt.