It’s nearly 170 million years old. It’s more than 2.5 times the size of Earth. And it’s the first exoplanet discovered and catalogued by researchers with the Wisconsin Center for Origins Research (WiCOR).

Max Kroft, a graduate student in the lab of Assistant Professor of Astronomy Thomas Beatty, is the lead author on a paper that characterizes GJ 523b, a dense exoplanet that’s classified as a “Mega-Earth” due to its massive size. The paper is currently under review and will be available through the open-access archive arXiv.

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A new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers shows solid-state batteries can offer real safety advantages over lithium-ion batteries but can still catch fire and burn in a worst-case accident scenario.

“Our research shows that the scientific community shouldn’t take for granted that safety isn’t an issue for solid-state batteries,” says Eric Kazyak, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UW-Madison who led the study. “As these next-generation batteries start making their way into commercial products, real thought needs to be given to making them as safe as possible.”

There’s significant commercial interest in solid-state batteries because their high energy density could enable electric vehicles with much longer driving ranges.

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New UW–Madison Study Finds College Affordability Policies Can Have Unintended Consequences

By Katie Grant, Office of Research & Scholarship Communications

As concerns about rising college costs continue to drive higher education policy discussions, a new study by University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education researcher Taylor Odle suggests that policies designed to limit tuition increases may not always achieve their intended results.

In a newly published article in The Review of Higher Education, Odle and co-author Salome Otero examine how public colleges and universities responded to Tennessee’s tuition regulation policy, which established binding ranges that limited how much institutions could increase tuition and fees each year.

Using causal research methods, the article “Institutional Responses to Tuition Controls: Evidence from Tennessee’s Tuition Ranges” explores how institutions adapted to the policy and finds that responses varied across sectors.

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UW–Madison’s Francesca López, the Jim and Georgia Thompson Distinguished Professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Analysis, has been selected to serve on the William T. Grant Scholars Selection Committee.

Launched in 1982, the William T. Grant Scholars Program supports the professional development of promising early-career researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. The Selection Committee, composed of accomplished senior scientists in their respective fields, is responsible for evaluating applicants and selecting new committee members.

By WCER Communications

A newly published study by UW–Madison School of Education researchers based at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) finds that community college students’ experiences with mental health challenges can shape not only the obstacles they face but also their sense of purpose, empathy, and career direction.

The mixed-methods study, published in The Journal of Higher Education and led by Xueli Wang and a team of collaborators, examines how mental health intersects with career development among community college students. Drawing on interviews, focus groups and survey data, the study explores how students navigate academic and career aspirations while managing stress, burnout and unmet support needs.