New Faculty Spotlight: Anna Haensch Studies AI and Technology’s Role in Public Life

Anna Haensch joined UW–Madison in 2025 as a new faculty member with joint appointments in the Digital Scholarship Hub at Memorial Library, and the Data Science Institute. Her role supports the university’s growing investment in interdisciplinary, data‑driven research and its expanding focus on artificial intelligence through initiatives such as RISE‑AI. With a background that bridges mathematics, data science, and public policy, she brings a distinct perspective to campus efforts aimed at understanding how emerging technologies shape communities and public life.

What is your hometown? Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Vermont. It’s a lot like Wisconsin – lots of snow, cheese, and beer – but with mountains. 

What is your educational/professional background?
In 2013, I got my PhD in Mathematics, from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. That same year, I worked on the science desk at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., as an AAAS-AMS Mass Media Fellow. 

Since then, my path has taken me from the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, in Bonn, Germany, to Duquesne University in Pennsylvania (where I earned tenure in 2020), and then to Tufts University, in Massachusetts. At Tufts, I split my time between the Tufts Institute for AI, the Department of Mathematics, and the Fletcher School of Global Affairs. Most recently, I spent the 2024–2025 academic year in D.C. as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow for AI, working in Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office. 

What is your field of research, and how did you get into it?
My areas of expertise are data science, system dynamics, statistical and machine learning, and AI. My research examines how technology and society interact with each other, and how we can shape and optimize systems that benefit society; with the goal of eventually translating these insights into public policy.

I always saw mathematics and data science as a powerful tool for understanding the world and engaging in civic life, but it took me awhile to figure out how to make that connection concrete in my research. My time in D.C. – both at NPR and in the U.S. Senate – really helped me realize how wide the gap can be between technical work and the policy decisions that actually impact people’s lives. I have made a point to seek out collaborations that directly cross that divide.

What are the main goals of your current research?
One main goal of my research is to understand how communities can benefit from new technologies like AI. In Wisconsin, that includes ongoing conversations about data centers and what they might mean for communities. At the same time, the university is increasing its capacity around AI through the RISE-AI initiative and other partnerships. People feel excitement and anxiety around these topics, and it’s helpful to view this as a coupled socio-technical system.

There’s the technology itself, software like LLMs and hardware like GPUs, and then the supporting systems that make it all work, such as the power and cooling infrastructure behind data centers. These technologies exist in connection with the societies that are experiencing them and the goal of my work is to make that connection explicit.

What attracted you to UW–Madison?
The opportunity to build the Digital Scholarship Hub (DSH) with our Dean, Erla Heynes, and DSH Director, Matt Hannah, was incredibly exciting. Spending time in Memorial Library and frequently engaging with faculty in the Humanities has been a totally new way for me to exist in academia. Our goal of solving problems through data-intensive exploration, computational methods, public engagement, and humanistic inquiry is right up my alley.

It’s also fantastic to be on such a big campus full of talented people. Any topic I can think of, there’s someone on campus with that expertise. Having a home in the Data Science Institute also gives me a unique vantage point to connect across campus because it’s so naturally interdisciplinary. 

What’s your favorite place on campus?
The Union Terrace. It’s incredibly special, and I’ve never seen anything like it on a college campus – or anywhere, really! 

What’s the most important lesson you wish to convey to students?
When you look back on your career in twenty years, the path that got you there will likely be anything but linear. My own journey has been shaped by chance encounters, following my curiosity, and occasionally taking risks. It’s a great feeling to look back and think, “I can’t believe I got here that way.” So don’t worry too much about mapping out a straight path to your destination.

I wrote an essay about this for the American Mathematical Monthly, which also explains how I ended up in my field.

Do you feel your work relates to the Wisconsin Idea? If so, how?
My work is really tied into public policy and societal impact. The Wisconsin Idea says that our work should extend beyond campus to benefit the people of the state, and that’s what I hope to do. Through my research I hope to help people and municipalities develop policies around AI and technology that provide genuine benefit to communities.

Do you have hobbies or interests outside of your work?
I like to draw and paint and since I moved to Madison I’ve been taking classes at the Atwood Atelier on the East side.