Largely inspired by her love of stories, Stacy Keppler Calabrese has had a successful career in Hollywood since graduating from the Communication Arts department in 2003. With credits across various successful films such as Drive, …
Alumni News
The Best Music of 2024
It’s been another vibrant year of new music! We checked in with students, faculty members and a record-spinning alumnus to make sure we didn’t miss the best releases of this year.
Remembering Professor Emeritus David Bordwell
The Communication Arts community has lost one of its truly stellar figures. David Bordwell, the Jacques Ledoux Professor Emeritus of Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died on February 29, 2024 at the age …
Digitizing “The Love Tapes:” Preserving Marginalized Voices and Memories
Decades before the rise of YouTube, Zoom, and Instagram, video artist Wendy Clarke created groundbreaking media projects that empowered everyday people to share their stories and connect. In her long-running “Love Tapes” project, a diverse …
Celebrating the Life of Media and Cultural Studies Alum Dr. Christopher H. Smith
The Department of Communication Arts is saddened to hear of the passing of esteemed University of Wisconsin – Madison alum Christopher Holmes Smith. Dr. Smith earned his PhD in Media and Cultural Studies from the …
$6.5M to Graduate Student Support: The Marilynn R. Baxter Trust Gift “Transformational” to the Department of Communication Arts’ Graduate Program
The Graduate Program in the Department of Communication Arts received a remarkable, transformative gift from the Marilynn R. Baxter Trust. Dr. Marilynn R. Baxter (MA ’64, PhD ’73) designated three areas on campus in her …
An Interview with Comm Arts Alumna & Oscar Nominated Documentary Director Debra McClutchy
Communication Arts alums are known for making big strides in the world of media and film – and Debra McClutchy is no exception. In fact, the documentary that she co-directed was recently nominated for an Academy …
The Department of Communication Arts honors the legacy of legendary Hollywood producer and UW-Madison alum Walter Mirisch
The Department of Communication Arts is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Walter Mirisch, legendary Hollywood producer and UW-Madison alum, at the age of 101. His impact and influence will continue to resonate …
Communication Arts Alumna Dr. Maegan Parker Brooks’ Research Leads to Best TV Documentary Award from the International Documentary Association
This past fall, the International Documentary Association awarded the documentary Fannie Lou Hamer’s America, which debuted on PBS and the WORLD in February 2022, with the Best TV Documentary Award. The documentary tells the story …