Celebrating Generations of Global Impact
Friday, September 25 | 1:30–4:30p.m. (doors open at 1 p.m.)
Old Madison Room, Memorial Union
800 Langdon Street, Madison
For five decades, the Nelson Institute’s environment and resources (E&R) program has led environmental solutions by following the lead of its students. Though its name has changed, its mission has been steadfast: to empower the next generation of environmental leaders through flexible, individualized study.
ER@50 is your chance to reconnect with the program and fellow alumni, share your stories, and build the future of this one-of-a-kind program. Whether you’re one of the first graduates or a current student, we invite you to be part of the celebration.
Agenda
1 p.m.
Doors open
1:30 p.m.
Welcome
Chris Kucharik, Chair of Environment and Resources Program; Professor of Agronomy and Environmental Studies
1:35–2:30 p.m.
Luminary Lecture
From Data to Impact: Transforming Land Systems Through Science, Supply Chains & Governance — A Journey from Nelson Graduate Student to Professor
Holly Gibbs, Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Chair in Integrated Environmental Studies; Professor, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Department of Geography
2:45 p.m.
Break and cupcakes
3–3:45 p.m.
2026 E&R alumni award recipients panel
Ken Conca, Vaish Tripuraneni, Steve Lawry, and Nora Alvarez Berrios
3:45–4:30 p.m.
Networking
4:30 p.m.
Program ends; transition to Rendezvous on the Terrace
More ER@50 Events
Weston Roundtable Lecture
Thursday, September 24 | 4:15–5:15 p.m.
1163 Mechanical Engineering
1513 University Avenue, Madison
Kick off the ER@50 celebration with a special Weston Roundtable Lecture, cohosted by the Nelson Institute’s environmental professional program and the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. Hear from Mallika Nocco MS’12, PhD’17, an E&R graduate and expert in agrohydrology.
This event is free and open to the public; no registration is required.
Rendezvous on the Terrace
Friday, September 25 | 5–7:30 p.m.
Tripp Commons, Memorial Union
800 Langdon Street, Madison
Join Nelson Institute alumni and friends for a reception at Memorial Union. You’ll also have the chance to meet our 2026 alumni award recipients, who will be honored at the event.
This event is free and open to all Nelson Institute alumni and friends, as well as our graduating seniors. View more details
Meet our Students and Alumni
From campus classrooms to global communities, E&R students and alumni have made their mark on the world and each other.
Nora Álvarez-Berríos MS’01
Nora Álvarez-Berríos grew up surrounded by nature in the Puerto Rican mountain town of Aibonito.
Vaishnavi Tripuraneni PhD’22
Vaishnavi Tripuraneni has a habit of asking a simple question: What do students need to succeed?
Yun Hang MS’16, PhD’20
You could say that the University of Wisconsin–Madison was influential in Yun Hang’s life.
Lighting the Path Forward
Dorothy Lsoto never imagined she would be earning her doctorate in environment and resources at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
Healthy World, Healthy Womb
Would you choose to have kids if you knew they would be born into an environment riddled with toxic pollution, subjecting them to poor health throughout their lives?
- Read all stories
Registration