From the Nominator

For the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison's 175th anniversary, “The Future Issue” of On Wisconsin magazine shows the institution addressing the challenges of a rapidly changing world. The issue provides a forward-looking vision on a sweeping array of subjects, including technology, sports, urban affairs, medicine, law, politics, space exploration, genetics, climate change, food policy, business, health care, personal well-being, and higher education. The thread that connects these articles is hope for the future, based on UW innovations. The issue’s design reflects the futuristic theme, with a modern illustration style that ties together the cover and several articles. Along with educating readers about leading-edge research, the issue has fun with playfully futuristic photography and a humorous centerfold illustration envisioning the university on its 350th anniversary in 2198. “The Future Issue” was the talk of the UW community in 2023, generating many letters and online comments, as well as extraordinary traffic for individual articles on the magazine’s website. As alumnus Greg Barnes wrote, “Your ‘Future Issue’ was meaty and impressive. I liked the looks into the future and the idea that the UW’s impressive faculty is helping to create it.”

From the Judges

This piece is engaging and focuses on emerging trends in higher education. The execution on a common topic is impressive. The storytelling shows good range and includes excellent use of expert viewpoints and opinions. The design is fun and cohesive, with very strong illustrations. The overall attitude is great, and it somehow feels "on brand" for Wisconsin.