The Impact of Gifts

Kauffman Fund Aims to Beef Up the Meat Science Learning Experience

First unveiled in fall 2020, the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) building is a state-of-the-art facility for research, teaching, and outreach. It contains a USDA-inspected plant for meat production, an animal biologics preparation room, a high-security biosafety lab, and a retail store called Bucky’s Varsity Meats. (See The Future Holds No Limits for Meat Science at CALS, Grow, spring 2021.) The building is also home to the MSABD program in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, which offers exceptional training opportunities for students, staff, and industry professionals.

An Assist for Rural Wisconsin Students

Undergraduate Brooke Stibbe and alum Tom Schmidknecht BS’71 came to CALS with similar backgrounds. Both grew up in small rural Wisconsin towns, so both encountered a wave of culture shock when they arrived at UW.

Raimey-Noland

The Raimey-Noland Campaign

The Raimey-Noland Campaign, named for the UW’s first known female and male Black graduates, Mabel Watson Raimey 1918 and Wiliam Smith Noland 1875, inspired a new era of philanthropic giving to honor the past. 

Blake and Karen Suhre

Engineering State of Mind

Blake Suhre MS’92 — passionate engineering alumnus and lifelong car enthusiast — made his way to UW–Madison through a serendipitous string of events. Raised in Edwardsville, Illinois, Blake earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the General Motors Institute (now, Kettering University). Like many college students, he thought he knew where his career path… Read more »

The Renk Agribusiness Institute with scholarship recipients.

A CALS Gift That Keeps On Giving  

The Renk Agribusiness Institute — housed in the UW College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) — was established in 1996 through a generously endowed gift from the Walter 1924 and Martha ’30 Renk and Richard ’62, MBA’64 and Sharon Renk families of the Renk Seed Company in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. For nearly 30 years, the… Read more »

Students walking on campus

Donors Make UW–Madison a Reality for More Students 

The University of Wisconsin–Madison continues to be a leading choice for local, out-of-state, and international students alike. In September, the university welcomed nearly 9,900 new freshmen and transfer students, more than 1,200 of whom are attending the UW with scholarships and grants provided through UW–Madison. This fortunate cohort is receiving monetary support from impactful initiatives… Read more »

3D render of the new engineering building

Building a Bright Future for Engineering 

A transformational lead gift from Marv ’68, JD’71 and Jeff ’72 Levy — the largest single contribution in college history — will benefit future generations of Badgers while honoring the memory of their brother, Phil ’64, who passed away in 2021.

Students in the School of Pharmacy

UW Program Opens Doors for Future Pharmacists 

In 2023, the UW School of Pharmacy introduced a new program — the PharmD Early Assurance program — to expand access to pharmacy school and train more future pharmacists to help meet Wisconsin’s health care needs. The program offers conditional admission to high school seniors who want to become pharmacists and have been accepted to a four-year Universities of Wisconsin university.