Support UW–Madison in the 2025-2027 State Budget
Every two years, leaders at UW–Madison look to the state for an investment that will help the university remain successful and serve the people of Wisconsin.
An Aquatic Center Fit for Olympians
Over the last few years, the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center has offered outstanding opportunities for UW–Madison student-athletes, coaches, family members, and fans.
Badger Alumni + Campus Support = Remarkable Biochemistry Advancements
Biochemistry alumnus Daniel Klessig ’71 grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm. There, 18-hour workdays prepared him for the effort it would take to excel in school despite his dyslexia. Those arduous years also played a part in his desire to leave the farm and follow in his brother’s footsteps as a biochemistry-focused Badger.
An Enduring Passion for Politics
Visionary Badger Jeff Lyons ’78 has been fascinated by politics since canvassing at the age of 12 for his alderman father.
Advancing Health Care for Wisconsinites
Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin revealed in 1999 that it was converting from a nonprofit corporation to a for-profit corporation.
Burkhardt Fund Supports Hands-On Experiences for Students
Make “cool stuff.” That’s what Micah Robinson BS’23, MSx’25 wanted to do in the Biological Systems Engineering Shop. Thanks to the Martin and Kathleen Burkhardt Fund, that’s exactly what he did for two years as an undergraduate employee.
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.
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 »
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 »
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 »
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.
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.
Once-In-a-Lifetime Fellowship for L&S Seniors
In 2022, alumnus Paul Wolff ’63 and his wife, Rhea Schwartz, generously created an exciting fellowship — the first of its kind at UW–Madison — for the College of Letters & Science (L&S). The Wolff Fellowship grants $45,000 each year to a graduating senior from L&S.
When the Recipient Becomes the Donor
Raymond C. Lauver — modestly raised in rural Pennsylvania in the 1930s — attended a one-room schoolhouse in a county without any public libraries. Had it not been for the generous support of scholarships, his dream of earning a degree at Susquehanna University would not have been possible.