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Fall 2025 Schedule

Professional portrait of Thomas Tobin

Project Risk Assessment Made Simple: The Pre-Mortem Technique

September 18 | 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Online


Presented by Thomas J. Tobin, senior teaching and learning developer, Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring

(this session has passed)

Content level: intermediate

Not all projects meet their goals—but many failures can be prevented with the right foresight. The pre-mortem technique helps uncover potential threats and risks before a project begins by disrupting groupthink and enabling project leads to prioritize and address problems early.

In this session, participants explored how pre-mortems have strengthened projects at UW–Madison. They saw examples of—and gained hands-on practice with—a four-step, pre-mortem technique that’s easy to apply to projects of any size. Participants left with framing questions, facilitation techniques, and assessment tools to help turn risk-management insights into concrete actions they can use right away.

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Professional portrait of Alex Frank Professional portrait of Liza Waters

Managing Projects Sustainably: Connecting UW–Madison’s Sustainability Goals to Project Management

October 14 | 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Online


Presented by Alex Frank, project portfolio manager, Office of Sustainability, and Liza Waters, project manager, Office of Sustainability

Content level: introductory

Since the launch of the Environmental Sustainability Initiative, UW–Madison has undertaken a wide range of efforts to advance campus sustainability. Achieving these ambitious goals will require action from all corners of the university—and project managers have an important role to play.

In this session, you’ll learn about the Environmental Sustainability Initiative, explore how sustainability principles apply to project management, and discover practical considerations for running more sustainable projects.

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Professional portrait of Amber Gray

How to Use Project Artifacts to Realign and Reinvigorate Your Team

November 19 | 10:00–11:00 a.m.

Online


Presented by Amber Gray, interim project management manager, Division of Information Technology

Content level: introductory

Learn how project artifacts—the documents, tools, and resources used to manage a project—can be used to ground and reenergize your team. In this session, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of what project artifacts are and how to use them more effectively. You’ll learn strategies for co-creating project artifacts within your team, maintaining their relevance through the project lifecycle, and leveraging them to improve communication, alignment, and decision-making.

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Headshot of Margaret Murphy

Visual Storytelling for Project Success: AI-Powered Strategies

December 18 | 10:00–11:00 a.m.

Online


Presented by Margaret Murphy, learning and development manager, Facilities Planning & Management

Content level: introductory

In this session, you’ll explore how generative AI can help you create dashboards, graphics, and data visualizations for small to medium-sized projects—enabling clear, action-oriented communication. Through real-world case studies—including learner-submitted examples—you’ll see how AI tools can be used to clarify project goals, track progress, and support stakeholder engagement. You’ll also practice evaluating project scenarios and applying AI-generated outputs that are purposeful, effective, and ready to use.

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