By Xai Xiong l October 7, 2026

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is proud to announce Amy Liang as its 2026 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellow.

The Newman Civic Fellowship is a year-long program that recognizes and supports student public problem solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Newman Civic Fellows are nominated by university presidents or chancellors for their public leadership and commitment to create positive change in their community.

A fourth-year student double majoring in political science and neurobiology with a certificate in health policy, Liang is committed to advancing health equity through community-centered and systems-level approaches.

“Growing up taking ESL classes helped shape how I think about access, communication and community. Those experiences made me more aware of how something as simple as language can affect people’s ability to navigate everyday systems,” Liang wrote in her personal statement.” In college, I wanted to stay connected to that perspective, which led me to the Literacy Network. I started as an intern and later became a lead intern, working with adult learners on building English skills and confidence.”

Extrapolating from her own experiences and seeing first-hand how individual challenges are often tied to larger structural barriers in education and access, Liang is thinking beyond direct service and combining individual-level support with efforts to improve the systems.

In addition to her community-engaged work with the Literacy Network, Liang is also involved with American Community Medical Services, a low-cost clinic serving immigrant communities. She also conducts research in the Ausderau Lab focused on disparities in health and access.

In her personal statement on being nominated for the fellowship, Liang adds that she is interested in developing collaborative approaches that are practical, community-informed and focused on creating more equitable access in areas like health and education.

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