Just a few blocks west of Grainger Hall is the Discovery Building. This gorgeous space was built in 2010 and has been a space for collaboration and forward-thinking. It is home to two research institutes: the Morgridge Institute for Research and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID). The Morgridge Institute for Research is a private, nonprofit organization focused on advancing human health, while the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery is a public, interdisciplinary research institute affiliated with UW-Madison. The current students in our MBA Fellowship in Enterprise Development program were lucky enough to score a behind-the-scenes tour where they got to learn more about the history of this building and the amazing things going on inside.
Our tour guide, Andrew Hanus, kicked off our tour on the first floor where we were surrounded by all sorts of organisms and natural sunlight. The Mesozonic Garden, located on the first floor, features trees and water elements that foster a tranquil, natural atmosphere. The front room has turned into an alternating art gallery, with this month featuring work by Indigenous students in honor of National Native American Heritage Month.
On the upper levels, the Discovery Building showcases four main hubs including the Epigenetics Hub, Data Science Hub, Illuminating Discovery Hub, and Microbiome Hub. These spaces serve as research centers for faculty across campus, reflecting the University’s commitment to fostering creativity and encouraging students to push boundaries. The upper floors are include labs focusing on a plethora of topics. From microbiology, the evolutions and the origins of life, virology, gene editing, and computational biology labs, there are truly no limits when it comes to exploration. The Entrepreneurship Science Lab, under the leadership of Professor Jon Eckhardt, is part of the Illuminating Discovery Hub.
Lastly, we were brought to the coveted basement of the Discovery Building for an insider look. The basement is home to the Morgridge Institute Fab Lab. This space is dedicated to creating prototypes and new research tools. Equipped with a 3D Printer and CAD, this space has played a crucial role in advancing fields like cancer research and the development of medical products. Also in the basement are the WID Virtual Environments which includes the CAVE. This VR system is shaped as a six-sided cube that can bring any environment to life. Anything from crime scenes to mars, the CAVE can truly do it all and is only one of two in the United States.
Our time in the Discovery Building was nothing short of incredible. It was inspiring for our MBA Fellowship students to get a glimpse of a place where innovation is not only encouraged but expected. The research that takes place in this building is helping create a brighter future. This building truly embodies curiosity, collaboration, and the importance of exploration to make a change in the world.
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