Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters: A Century of Celebrating Wisconsin’s Intellectual Heritage

Founded in 1870, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (WASAL) is the oldest statewide learned society in the United States. WASAL is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing knowledge and promoting the understanding of the human experience through research, scholarship, and public engagement.

Celebrating Wisconsin’s Intellectual Heritage

WASAL’s mission is to celebrate Wisconsin’s intellectual heritage and to promote the understanding of the human experience through research, scholarship, and public engagement. The Academy achieves this mission through a variety of programs and activities, including:

• Research grants and fellowships: WASAL provides grants and fellowships to support research in the sciences, arts, and letters.
• Conferences and workshops: WASAL hosts conferences and workshops that bring together scholars from around the world to share their research and ideas.
• Public lectures and events: WASAL offers public lectures and events that are open to the public and feature leading scholars and artists.
• Publications: WASAL publishes a variety of journals and books that showcase the work of its members.

The Importance of WASAL

WASAL plays an important role in Wisconsin’s intellectual landscape. The Academy provides a forum for scholars and artists to share their work and ideas, and it helps to promote the understanding of the human experience. WASAL also helps to connect Wisconsin with the larger world of scholarship and culture.

The Academy’s work is especially important in today’s world, when there is a growing need for evidence-based decision-making and for a deeper understanding of the human experience. WASAL’s research, scholarship, and public engagement programs help to meet this need and to make Wisconsin a more informed and engaged community.

Key Accomplishments

Over the past century, WASAL has made significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge and the understanding of the human experience. Some of the Academy’s key accomplishments include:

• The establishment of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey: WASAL played a leading role in the establishment of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, which is one of the oldest and most respected geological surveys in the United States.
• The founding of the University of Wisconsin-Madison: WASAL was instrumental in the founding of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is now one of the leading research universities in the world.
• The publication of the Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters: WASAL has published the Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters since 1872. The Transactions is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research in the sciences, arts, and letters.
• The creation of the Wisconsin Science Festival: WASAL created the Wisconsin Science Festival in 2008. The Science Festival is a free, public event that celebrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The Future of WASAL

WASAL is well-positioned to continue to play a leading role in Wisconsin’s intellectual landscape in the years to come. The Academy has a strong foundation of support from its members, donors, and partners. WASAL also has a talented staff and a dedicated board of directors.

The Academy’s future plans include:

• Expanding research grants and fellowships: WASAL plans to expand its research grants and fellowships program to support more scholars and artists.
• Developing new conferences and workshops: WASAL plans to develop new conferences and workshops that will bring together scholars and artists from around the world.
• Increasing public engagement: WASAL plans to increase its public engagement activities to reach a wider audience.
• Building a new headquarters: WASAL plans to build a new headquarters that will provide more space for its programs and activities.

WASAL is confident that it can continue to make a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and the understanding of the human experience in the years to come.

How to Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved with WASAL. You can become a member, volunteer your time, or donate to the Academy. You can also attend WASAL’s conferences and workshops, or read the Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

For more information about WASAL, please visit the Academy’s website at www.wisconsinacademy.org.

Additional Resources

• Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
• Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
• Wisconsin Science Festival

Tables

Table 1: WASAL’s Research Grants and Fellowships

Table 2: WASAL’s Conferences and Workshops

Table 3: WASAL’s Public Lectures and Events

Table 4: WASAL’s Publications