All News
Full-Day 4K Students in Madison Public Schools See Better Learning Outcomes Than Peers in Half-Day 4K Program
November 21, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
For the first time since full-day, four-year-old kindergarten (4K) began in the Madison Metropolitan School District, a new evaluation by researchers from UW–Madison and the district shows “strong evidence” suggesting students in the full-day 4K program learn more over the school year than their peers attending half-day 4K.
Cookies with Courtney: Gratitude, Change and New Opportunities
November 11, 2025 | By Office of Research & Scholarship Communications
WCER Director Courtney Bell recently met with staff from WCER and the School of Education to reflect on key issues facing WCER, acknowledging challenges faced and looking ahead with clarity and optimism.
Field Day Blends Art and Science for Video Games That Teach, Engage
November 11, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
At a recent event, Field Day announced the concept for the coming game, to be made with a $250,000 grant, and launched its latest finished game — an astrophysics primer known as Project Hercules. Both games are products of the Wisconsin GameWorks Incubator, a new game-creation initiative that partners with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. This work prioritizes UW–Madison research around an annual theme and gives Wisconsin K–12 educators a central role in developing ideas for new games.
Benbow Receives NSF Grant to Study College Success for Rural STEM Students
November 10, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
The study will be longitudinal, following rural students over time who attend college across Universities of Wisconsin campuses, where rural university access has been a high-profile issue. Benbow’s work will specifically focus on students pursuing degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, in keeping with NSF’s core interest in developing a skilled STEM workforce.
UW–Madison Leaders in Research Education Call for Stronger Mentor-Student Relationships to Boost Undergraduate Research, Student Outcomes
November 6, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research and Scholarship
In a new commentary published in the Council on Undergraduate Research’s journal Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research, UW–Madison Interim Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor of Kinesiology Janet Branchaw and Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) Deputy Director Christine Pfund make an evidence-based case for
In a new commentary published in the Council on Undergraduate Research’s journal Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research, UW–Madison Interim Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor of Kinesiology Janet Branchaw and Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) Deputy Director Christine Pfund make an evidence-based case for strengthening mentorship ecosystems to improve undergraduate research experiences and student outcomes.
Their commentary offers a roadmap for institutions to elevate undergraduate research through intentional mentoring practices. The central message of their research is clear: mentor–student relationships are not a side note in effective research—they’re the backbone of it, for good or bad.
“Mentors can play a vital role in shaping student outcomes,” said Pfund, a nationally recognized career expert in mentoring who directs the WCER-based Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). “Mentors can teach technical skills, offer career advice, and provide emotional support. But effective mentorship takes training.”
Branchaw, a nationally recognized expert in mentee training, member of the Council of Undergraduate Research, and former director of the Wisconsin Institute for Science Education and Community Engagement (WISCIENCE), notes, “Students’ perceptions of mentor effectiveness impact their perception of their own abilities and performance in research. Mentors and mentees may not innately understand how to navigate mentor–student relationships effectively, but these skills can be learned.”
Both Sides Benefit from Stronger Mentor–Student Partnerships
A trove of free, research-based resources developed by CIMER and WISCIENCE stands ready to address that need. CIMER serves as a national dissemination and training hub in research mentor and mentee education. Investigators at WISCIENCE and CIMER conduct research to develop and nationally test tools and trainings that support undergraduate research learning experiences.
“Undergraduate research experiences can be transformative,” the researchers’ commentary noted. “There is mounting evidence that students benefit in many ways, including increased graduation rates and retention, increased sense of belonging, greater self-efficacy and the development of higher-order learning.”
But these gains are largely dependent on the quality of mentorship that students receive, especially for mentees from underrepresented backgrounds. Research has shown that mentor-led undergraduate research experiences don’t serve as a springboard for student success unless mentors have certain core competencies.
“Mentorship takes skill, time, effort, resources, and dedicated individuals who should be adequately trained, recognized, and valued,” the authors wrote, as part of the commentary’s call for cultural change in how institutions approach educating undergraduate researchers.
Research shows that mentors trained in eight key competencies–including aligning expectations, fostering independence, and promoting cultural awareness–are more effective in helping student mentees thrive. Importantly, studies show that the training of mentors increases the likelihood that they’ll use mentorship agreements, experience personal fulfillment, and gain fresh perspectives on their research.
Research also shows that mentor–mentee relationships are complex and unique, shaped by personalities, backgrounds and shared goals. Although no two partnerships are identical, Branchaw and Pfund have learned over 20 years of collaborating on research that all mentors and students can learn how to build trust, communicate effectively, and support each other’s growth.
Training is Key for Mentors and Mentees
To guide student learning, Branchaw and her colleagues—Amanda Butz, WISCIENCE evaluation and research director, and Joseph Ayoob, associate professor in the department of computational and systems biology at the University of Pittsburgh—developed the Comprehensive Researcher Development Framework, which outlines 79 core outcomes across eight areas, from subject knowledge and research management skills to research communication and career readiness. These outcomes are framed to guide students and mentors in co-shaping meaningful research experiences.
“The mentor–student relationship plays an important role in supporting students to achieve core learning outcomes,” Branchaw said. “When the expected outcomes are transparent and students feel supported and understood, they’re more likely to persist in research and believe in their abilities.”
Supporting these efforts are WISCIENCE’s foundational Entering Research curriculum for mentees and companion Entering Research Learning Assessment tool, and CIMER’s Entering Mentoring curriculum and companion Mentoring Competency Assessment tool. Together, these curricula and assessment tools help mentors and mentees successfully navigate their partnerships.
The tools are freely available for use by undergraduate research offices, training program directors, and academic departments that aspire to build strong mentorship ecosystems, supporting their efforts to:
- Incorporate evidence-based curricula into training programs.
- Use validated assessment tools to track student and mentor development.
- Host workshops and institutes to train mentors and mentees and support program design.
- Offer structured programs like course-based undergraduate research experiences to expand access to research and help students build confidence.
- Foster inclusive environments that recognize and reward mentorship, encouraging an academic culture that values it as a scholarly practice.
“By investing in these components, institutions can create academic ecosystems in which undergraduate research thrives,” said Pfund.
Learn more about WISCIENCE and CIMER resources and training programs at cimerproject.org.
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About the Researchers
Janet Branchaw, interim Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, is an associate professor of kinesiology and the former faculty director of WISCIENCE. Her research and programming focus on the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative approaches to science education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with special emphasis on research training and mentoring, assessment of student learning, and broadening participation in science. She is lead author of the Entering Research curriculum and teaches courses in physiology and college science teaching methods.
Christine Pfund, a Distinguished Senior Scientist, serves as WCER deputy director and directs CIMER and the mentoring initiatives team at the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. Her work has focused on developing and studying interventions to optimize research mentoring relationships across disciplines. She is lead author of the Entering Mentoring curriculum and her teams have trained more than 2,500 facilitators nationwide to implement mentee and mentor training.
About the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research
Created in 2015, CIMER is a trusted leader in mentor–mentee relationships, higher education and workforce development. Its researchers and practitioners are recognized experts in mentor–mentee relationships, organizational change and talent development who have served as advisors to federal agencies, research organizations and policy groups. For more, visit cimerproject.org.
About the Wisconsin Center for Education Research
Based within UW–Madison’s #1 ranked public School of Education, WCER is one of the first and most productive education research centers in the world. For over 60 years, it has supported scholars and practitioners in developing, conducting and sharing research, evaluation and development work in the education field. Its mission is to improve educational outcomes for diverse student populations, positively impact education practice and foster collaborations among academic disciplines and practitioners. Learn more at wcer.wisc.edu
to improve undergraduate research experiences and student outcomes.
Their commentary offers a roadmap for institutions to elevate undergraduate research through intentional mentoring practices. The central message of their research is clear: mentor–student relationships are not a side note in effective research—they’re the backbone of it, for good or bad.
Building Equity-Focused School Leadership: Wisconsin’s Role in a National Partnership
October 16, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
How can universities and school districts work together to prepare school leaders who champion equity in education?
A recent study published in the Journal of Professional Capital and Community explores this question through the lens of the Equity-Centered Pipeline Initiative—a six-year, $102 million nationwide effort funded by The Wallace Foundation.
WCER’s Field Day Collaborates with Wisconsin Sea Grant to Develop Shipwrecks Game
October 16, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
To kick off creative thinking for the game, Field Day sponsored a brainstorming event at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc that brought together Field Day game designers with maritime archeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Sea Grant staff, and Wisconsin teachers who would eventually use the game in their classrooms.
2025 MSAN Student Conference Offers Equitable Paths to ‘American Dream’
October 15, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
The conference, offered every fall for high school students by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research’s Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN), seeks to develop student leaders dedicated to developing solutions that eliminate racial disparities in schools and that cultivate belonging, increase achievement, and expand opportunities for all students—starting with the students’ own schools. Each conference features an action-planning day, when students meet in district teams to identify a challenge and develop ideas and solutions to implement in their schools upon their return.
WCER Team Creates National Platform for More and Better Jobs for People with Disabilities
October 14, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
On the project website, created to funnel targeted training and practical tools at no cost to state vocational rehabilitation agencies trying to better serve people with disabilities, server logs show:
- Website visits totaling 1.1 million.
- 15,081 total active website members.
- Visitors from all U.S. states and territories.
UW–Madison Team Honored for Course in Multi-Institution Project Advancing Inclusive Teaching for Nation’s STEM Faculty
September 16, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
Benefiting an estimated one million undergraduates, including many from marginalized backgrounds, annually since 2021 through improved teaching practices, the free class consists of six linked modules targeting mainly early-career STEM instructors.
New UW–Madison Report Finds Wisconsin School Districts Rejecting Teacher Performance Pay
September 4, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, WCER Communications
The report found that in practice, using teacher performance as a major pay factor fell out of favor for four main reasons cited by the districts:
- staff discontent,
- principals’ inability or unwillingness to make performance distinctions,
- the effort and complexity of the required administrative process, and
- perceptions that flexibility led to inequities.
New Research Examines How Hands-on Arts Training Improves Teaching
September 3, 2025 | By Karen Rivedal, WCER Communications
This study advances a growing body of literature on the intersection of arts education and social-emotional learning by offering a replicable model for integrating arts-based methods into teachers’ professional learning. It also shows how such experiences can shift educators’ perceptions of their role and relationships with students.
New UW–Madison Study Reveals Keys to Graduate Student Wellness, Belonging, Persistence
August 25, 2025 | By WCER Communications
A new study from the University of Wisconsin–Madison sheds light on the unique challenges Black men face when adjusting to graduate engineering programs—and offers actionable insights for improving program persistence and support for underrepresented students.
Published in the journal Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, the research highlights the importance of sociocultural adjustment in achieving success in graduate school, even more so than academic preparation. The study also draws lessons from Black men’s experiences and offers recommendations on how these lessons can be applied to a broader audience of graduate students.
Improving College Access: UW–Madison’s Odle Helps Launch One of the Largest Education Research Studies of the Century
July 31, 2025
In a groundbreaking project that could reshape the national college admissions landscape, the state of Tennessee launched TN Direct Admissions last week, a pilot program offering automatic college admission and personalized financial aid estimates to approximately 41,000 high school seniors. At the heart of this ambitious effort is Taylor Odle, an assistant professor of educational policy studies and principal investigator at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as well as a faculty affiliate of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER).
Rob Hubal Announced As Inaugural SimLab Director
July 28, 2025 | By WCER Communications
The Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Hubal as the new director of the SimLab, effective July 28, 2025.
