The Impact of Gifts - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

With a new state-of-the-art facility, the Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery program looks to fulfill its untapped potential and more.

Demeter is a service organization established in 1917 and named for the Greek goddess Demeter – the goddess of agriculture and the harvest. It serves the University of Wisconsin-Madison, primarily the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), and the Madison area community.

All Ways Forward set and exceeded lofty fundraising goals, bringing vital new resources to people, buildings, and programs throughout CALS.

On a warm summer day in Wisconsin, bees across the state are hard at work collecting pollen and nectar for their livelihoods. Hopping from flower to flower in crop fields, prairie parcels and woodlands, some of these beneficial insects are under surprisingly close scrutiny. Around the state, growers, gardeners, researchers and others—with cell phones in hand—are using a mobile app to track the bees they observe and their flower visitations.

UW–Madison Professor of Dairy Science Dave Wieckert had great classroom teaching skills, but a lot of his former students remember him best for how he was able to take dairy science education beyond the classroom.

In the far northwestern corner of Wisconsin, you’ll find UW’s Spooner Agricultural Research Station (ARS). Specializing in agronomy and horticulture, the Spooner ARS staff serve local farmers, growers, and gardeners through education and outreach. And they’ve been doing this for a long time. Established in 1909, Spooner is the university’s first agricultural research station. Now, thanks to a $750,000 anonymous donation, their long-standing efforts will be getting a big boost.

A former Food Research Institute (FRI) scientist and his family have bestowed CALS with a gift that will offer long-lasting support for graduate students as they work toward new discoveries.

As part of Impact 2030 the School is committed to recruiting top academics like Chris Walker, professor in the Dance Department, to continue a tradition of excellence in education, research, and service.