Few Badgers have deeper or more enduring roots at UW–Madison than retired pediatrician E. Richard Stiehm ’54, MD’57. Raised near Camp Randall and the child of two alumni-turned-medical professionals, Stiehm has long been connected to the university and to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
Stiehm and his wife, Judith Hicks Stiehm ’57, who met at the UW, have strengthened those ties through years of generous philanthropy. In summer 2024, they established the E. Richard Stiehm Endowed Chair in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology.
“Growing up on Van Hise Avenue, the UW gave me my playground, my medical education, and my first faculty position,” says Stiehm. “Judith and I are pleased to support the mission of the UW medical school and its Department of Pediatrics.”
Christine Seroogy ’85, a physician-scientist renowned for her work in early-life immune development, is the inaugural holder of the chair. She explores how environmental exposures shape the developing immune system and influence the risk of allergic inflammation.
“My research program is designed to characterize early-life immune development using unique birth cohorts and cutting-edge technologies,” Seroogy says.
The Stiehms view endowed gifts as a commitment to strengthening the university’s ability to train promising students and drive medical discovery. Their support ensures that groundbreaking work like Seroogy’s continues to benefit children and families in Wisconsin and beyond.
“The Stiehm family has my continued gratitude for their generous gift to the university, and our division,” Seroogy adds, “Their support greatly enriches the immunology clinical and research mission.”