Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin hosted a reception at the Chazen Museum of Art recently for the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents that celebrated the history of glass on campus as a fusion of art, science, creativity, and innovation. The regents were on campus for Feb. 8–9 meetings.

“The Chazen is really a tremendous crossroads for education, for research, for community outreach, and a place that invites us to learn about incredible UW–Madison innovations that aren’t always as well known,” Mnookin said to the gathered regents, campus and system leaders, faculty, and students. “So it’s really a perfect place for us to celebrate historic achievements, like our world-class UW Glass Lab.”

Mnookin recognized students enrolled in the glass program and said they underscore a point of pride at UW–Madison. “They’re pairing their study of glass with majors as wide ranging as computer science, Asian languages, conservation, biology, and psychology,” she said, noting that not all schools emphasize a diverse program of study. “We encourage it, because we know the process of making connections enriches how students learn and prepares them for great futures and great careers.”

The Glass Lab and academic studio glass program were founded in 1962 by Harvey Littleton, whose technical innovations and influence launched dozens of studio glass programs across the nation in the 1960s and 1970s. Faculty member Helen Lee, head of the UW–Madison Glass Lab, encouraged guests to visit the Chazen’s Look What Harvey Did exhibition to get a full picture of his influence. But Lee said the history of glass at UW–Madison extends far beyond Littleton. “UW–Madison has a 134-year-old history of collecting the finest made glass internationally, and today that same glass educates not only zoology students, but art, art history, and chemistry students alike,” Lee said.