Drama playwriting faculty member Michael Weller received the 2009 Carl Djerassi Distinguished Fellowship in Playwriting at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The fellowship was established by scientist and author Carl Djerassi to encourage playwrights whose work is not only performed, but also has intrinsic literary value. To realize Dr. Djerassi's vision, UW Madison’s Creative Writing Program and Department of Theatre and Drama have joined forces to invite playwrights to work and teach in a community where plays are read and discussed as works on the page as well as works on the stage. Weller will be a playwright in residence at UW Madison during the spring semester and will receive a $45,000 stipend.

During the residency, Weller will teach seminar courses in playwriting, as well as have the opportunity to write and develop his own work as a member of the writing and theater communities provided by the institute, the Creative Writing Program, and the Department of Theatre and Drama at UW Madison.