Student Stories

What’s Next: Philanthropy Transforms Beloved UW–Madison Landmark

The Lakeshore Nature Preserve — a 300-acre area on the south shore of Lake Mendota — is on the brink of some exciting developments.

Veterinary Medicine Celebrates Expansion and Future Innovation

The UW School of Veterinary Medicine is a powerhouse for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Madison community, and the state.

Accessibility, Belonging, and Wellness on Campus

Since fall 2023, UW–Madison has been offering students and community members wellness support like never before.

A New and Improved Babcock Hall

In April 2023, the UW College of Agricultural and Life Sciences celebrated the completion of construction to modernize Babcock Hall — the core of the UW’s dairy-product research and training.

Anonymous Gift Grows More Space for Organic Agriculture

Wisconsin is among the nation’s top producers of organic agriculture. It ranks second in number of organic farms, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

UW–Madison celebrates completion of new and improved Babcock Hall facilities

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmail The time has come to celebrate the completion of a major construction project for UW–Madison’s Babcock Hall, the heart of the university’s dairy product research and training.

Research Fellowship Aims to Diversify the Brewing Industry

“There’s so much more that goes into brewing beer than just the ingredients,” says Tony Bugher, president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

Matt Ruark named first Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Grower BCS Chair

Matt Ruark, professor and extension specialist in the UW–Madison Department of Soil Science, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Grower BCS Chair at the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Kikkoman Marks 50th Anniversary in U.S. with $3 Million Gift to CALS

Fifty years ago, Kikkoman Foods opened its first U.S.-based soy sauce production plant in Walworth, Wisconsin, launching the company’s partnership with the state and its flagship university.

Chris Emfinger Receives 2023-24 Boyer Award

Chris Emfinger, postdoctoral researcher in the Attie Lab, is the recipient of the 2023-24 Boyer Award for Postdoctoral Excellence in Biochemistry.

Inna Popova, UW soil contamination researcher, receives new Leo M. Walsh Faculty Fellow Award

Inna Popova, assistant professor in the UW–Madison Department of Soil Science, has been selected to receive the inaugural Leo M. Walsh Faculty Fellow Award.

Julie Dawson honored for crop breeding work for organic systems

Julie Dawson, an associate professor and extension specialist in the UW–Madison Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, was recently named the Clif Bar and Organic Valley Chair in Plant Breeding for Organic Agriculture.

What’s Next: Wisconsin Athletics Is Building Champions

With the help of generous lead donors like Ted ’69 and Mary ’68 Kellner, Wisconsin athletics recently launched the Building Champions campaign — the largest capital project in UW athletics’ history.

Generous Fund Supports OT Students Pursuing Dual Degrees

Betty Hasselkus ’60, PhD’87 and her husband, Edward ’54, MS’58, PhD’62, both served as professors at UW–Madison, and to this day, they maintain a passion for supporting Badgers while elevating the university.

STAR Scholarship Program Makes the UW More Accessible

The UW College of Engineering is investing in talented Badgers through the Strategic Targeted Achievement Recognition (STAR) Scholarship program.

Dedicated Donors Bolster Doctoral Candidates with Human Ecology Fellowship

Through the advocacy and thoughtful benevolence of Mary Sue ’81 and Mike Shannon ’80, graduate students at the UW School of Human Ecology are receiving vital financial support.

Commemorating 175 Years of UW–Madison

The University of Madison–Wisconsin officially turned 175 on July 26, 2023. The university hosted a variety of events and organized an exciting state tour in celebration.

CALS QuickStart Program Empowers First-Year Badgers

To give first-year Badgers a leg up during this turbulent transition, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) launched the CALS QuickStart program in 2018.

What’s Next: The UW–Madison State Tour Continues

In celebration of the impact that UW–Madison has made over the last 175 years of partnership with communities in Wisconsin, the university has organized an event-filled state tour.

Philanthropy Creates New Master’s Portfolio for Business Students

Thanks to passionate Badger and philanthropist Patrick Thiele ’72, MS’75 the Wisconsin School of Business (WSB) has established new, self-sustaining offerings, including the redesigned professional MBA program as well as a master of science in business analytics (MSBA).

L&S Professorship Preserves Vital Media Archive

An endowed professorship is helping to advance the production of a remarkable media archive, currently comprising than 2.5 million digitized pages of historic film books and magazines.

Generous Endowment Attracts Exceptional Faculty to L&S

Recruiting remarkable faculty has long been a top priority for UW–Madison.

Day of the Badger 2023 results

Thank you, Badger Nation, for showing up big time to this party with a purpose. Day of the Badger was another sweet success thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate and support the UW.

Embracing Future Fusion Technology at the UW

Faculty leaders at the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics have set their sights on the future of clean energy.

Progress for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

More than six million Americans currently have Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s likely that number will double by 2050.

Advancing Pharmaceutical Development at the UW

Applying collaborative expertise from across the UW campus community, the School of Pharmacy has launched a new center — the Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development — to advance innovative drug treatments.

Raimey-Noland Impact: Cultivating Diversity at the School of Music

Badger alumna and philanthropist Kathleen Harker ’66 has always been passionate about the arts, and after attending her first opera at the UW Memorial Union, her love of music presented in an entirely new way.

A Solution for Unpaid Internships

Internships can provide exceptional educational experiences and invaluable career development. Taking what they glean from those opportunities, students can then apply new insights to their major.

DEI Support for the School of Education

Throughout her career, Sheila Ruhland MS’84, PhD’90 has witnessed underrepresented students being unnecessarily labeled and separated. These experiences left her keenly aware of the importance of ensuring that everyone in higher education feels a sense of belonging.

Three Deduction Opportunities to Consider This Tax Season

Before you file your return this year, consider these last-minute adjustments to gain additional tax savings on your 2022 taxes.

A Remarkable Renovation for Camp Randall’s South End Zone

Originally constructed in 1917, Camp Randall is the fifth-oldest college football stadium in the country.

A Life-Changing Gift for Transplant Patients

Originally from Chicago, Pleasant Rowland is an educator, writer, and entrepreneur.

A Monumental Achievement for the Department of Chemistry

A nine-floor, state-of-the-art addition — Chemistry Tower — is the perfect solution for the escalating challenges that the Department of Chemistry was facing.

Raimey-Noland Impact: A Legacy for the Black and Bold Badgers

In the late 1960s, a lack of resource centers and organizations at the UW led a small group of Black students to gather informally at the Rathskeller.

New State Budget Proposal Calls for More UW Support

Governor Tony Evers ’73, MS’76, PhD’86 recently announced his biennial budget proposal, which includes additional funding for the UW System.

Cold Hard Science in the Heart of Cranberry Country

At the Wisconsin Cranberry Research Station, CALS scientists team up with growers to solve some of the toughest problems that arise while cultivating this native fruit crop — including exposure to frigid temperatures.

Kaiping Chen named first Burkhardt Professor

Kaiping Chen, an assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication who specializes in computational communication, has been named the first recipient of the Burkhardt Seed Grant Professorship. This professorship supports and encourages early-stage, high-risk/high-reward research at UW–Madison.

Michael Sussman named first Salm-Bray Distinguished Chair

Michael Sussman, professor of biochemistry, is the first recipient of the Salm-Bray Distinguished Chair at the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. This chair recognizes and rewards a faculty member who demonstrates exceptional cross-disciplinary scholarship and collaboration in the area of human or animal health, and who advances the impact of agriculture through the identification and development of novel bio-functional compounds.

Kent Weigel, Milo Wiltbank named first Judge John J. Crown chairs

Kent Weigel and Milo Wiltbank, both professors in the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, have been named the inaugural recipients of the university’s new Judge John J. Crown chair appointments.

Andrew Stevens receives Atwood Faculty Fellow Award

Andrew Stevens, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, was recently selected to receive the Myron H. and Anna Atwood Faculty Fellow Award. Stevens is an economist with broad research interests in agricultural and food policy.

Adam Kuchnia receives Aberle Faculty Fellow Award

Adam Kuchnia, assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, has been selected to receive an Elton D. and Carrie R. Aberle Faculty Fellow Award. Kuchnia’s research program focuses on nutritional management in clinical populations, with an emphasis on muscle and protein metabolism – with the goal of preserving muscle mass in this group.

Potato Industry Invests in Future Harvests

Back in 2017, Wisconsin’s potato producers made a big commitment to CALS. In January of that year, industry leaders announced their intention to raise $5 million over 10 years to help support the college’s potato program. Since then, they’ve been taking the steps needed to reach their goal.

Alum Helps Sustain ‘Another Level of Molecular Clarity’

Less than a decade ago, UW researchers began to gather and assemble the components of a powerful, advanced imaging technology called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) that would allow them to observe the structures of some of the tiniest building blocks of life. In 2021, they realized their vision as the Department of Biochemistry launched the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center (CEMRC).

Inaugural Jake Leinenkugel Diversity in Brewing Award recipient announced

A sophomore from Waunakee, Wisconsin is the recipient of the first-ever Jake Leinenkugel Diversity in Brewing Award. Babyosimi (Simi) Fadiran, a microbiology major in his second year, is the first student to receive the Jake Leinenkugel Diversity in Brewing Award.

Enterprising Badgers Pledge to Give Back

True entrepreneurs know an opportunity when they see one, and that’s exactly what drove then mechanical engineering student Mike Casper ’04 to take part in the seventh G. Steven Burrill Business Plan Competition.

UW Nelson Institute — Supporting Students for the Good of the Environment

The CESP focuses on Badgers from underrepresented communities, first-generation college students, returning adult students, and veterans.

Badgers Helping Badgers — Supporting Diversity in Agricultural Business Management

After identifying a diversity gap in her academic environment at UW–Madison, first-generation student Abagail Catania ’19 was moved to create a scholarship for her peers to help fill it.

Raimey-Noland Impact: STEM Scholars Program Helps Underrepresented Students Succeed

The new STEM Scholars program within the UW College of Letters & Science is giving students from underrepresented groups a leg up in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Wisconsin School of Business — Ensuring Success for Future Business Professionals

In 2016, the Wisconsin School of Business (WSB) launched the Business Emerging Leaders (BEL) program.

L&S Donors Generously Provide Opportunities for LGBTQ+ Studies

What began as a momentary notion almost 30 years ago has evolved into an innovative scholarship fund for the College of Letters & Science that supports LGBTQ+ studies at UW–Madison.

2023 Women’s Philanthropy Council Annual Giving Project

The advisory council considered 13 proposals submitted in response to our campuswide solicitation of projects. Each of the proposals was evaluated against our three stated criteria: (1) connection to advancing and sustaining women

WPC Annual Giving Project Proposals

We are excited to share the finalists for the 2023 Women’s Philanthropy Council Annual Giving Project. Earlier this summer, we issued a call for proposals and received 13 submissions from across campus.

Wisconsin School of Business Fund

The Wisconsin School of Business Fund provides flexible, unrestricted resources that can be used immediately, giving the School the ability to respond quickly to market changes and emerging opportunities.

Building Space to Grow the UW

A trifecta of major building efforts is on the horizon for UW–Madison.

Chemistry + Family Ties = Enduring UW Support

A loyal Madisonian, Steve Yamamoto ’65 grew up very proud to be a Wisconsinite

A Legacy of Giving Supports Next-Level Drug Research at the UW

When Anna Apinis, her husband, Janis ‘54, and their two small children, John and Rasma, fled Latvia and immigrated to the United States during World War II, she had no choice but to abandon her pharmaceutical career.

A Philanthropic First for Chemical and Biological Engineering

Philanthropy can elevate a university and offer life-changing opportunities for students, faculty, and departments alike.

Raimey-Noland Impact: SoHE Hosts the Inaugural Equity & Justice Network Summer Institute

In June, the UW School of Human Ecology (SoHE) hosted a group of nine students from historically Black college and university partner institutions, offering an introductory immersion experience for graduate-level education called the Equity & Justice Summer Institute.

Making History and a Philanthropic Difference

Soyeon Shim, dean of the School of Human Ecology (SoHE), received one of the highest honors bestowed in academia — an endowed deanship.

Sowing a Better Future for Organic Farmers

The newly established Clif Bar Endowed Chair in Organic Agriculture and Outreach was created for the UW College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

The UW Shelter Medicine Program: Improving the Lives of Shelter Animals and Staff

UW–Madison is leading the charge in the relatively new field of shelter medicine.

Raimey-Noland Impact: A More Inclusive Experience for Future Veterinarians

The UW School of Veterinary Medicine is building a more inclusive environment for its students’ success.

Hope for Kids — Philanthropy Helps Raise the Bar in Pediatric Oncology

Thanks to a transformational gift from the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund, a talented team of UW doctors is working on revolutionary treatments for pediatric cancer.

The Center for Aging Research and Education: Improving How We Age

America needs nurses, and the UW School of Nursing is focused on mitigating that shortage.

The Kohl Initiative — Finding Common Ground

Announced in May 2019, the Kohl Initiative is already impacting the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs by expanding the school’s public outreach mission, advancing the training of future public leaders, and supporting influential research led by faculty and students.

Research and Innovation: America Needs Nurses

By 2030, the American health care system will need a million new nurses, and the UW School of Nursing is working to mitigate that shortage with a supply-meets-demand approach. The school launched an accelerated bachelor of nursing program in 2017 that is now training students to become registered nurses in just 12 months.

Faculty Excellence: An Enduring Tribute

The late Professor James E. Jones Jr. LLB’56 was a visionary and a trailblazer for civil rights, labor law, and UW Law School. He returned to the university in 1969 to become UW Law School’s first African American faculty member. A passionate educator, Jones went on to create a teaching fellowship in 1973 in support of underrepresented faculty pursuing tenure-track positions. UW Law’s William H. Hastie Teaching Fellowship remains the oldest program of its kind — and nationally, it is one of just a handful in existence.

Educational Experience: Empowering Future Generations

At just 25 years old, Kramer Endres ’17 became the youngest donor to pledge an estate gift to the UW. He forged a connection with the UW long before he became a Badger. Growing up on Lake Wisconsin, Endres was diagnosed early in his life with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, undergoing many surgeries at UW Hospital. Despite his physical challenges, Endres was not deterred from his long-term goals.

Student Support: Music + Math = Love

A UW degree can open doors to a dream career, but for some, cost is too big an obstacle, forcing students to compromise or even give up their ambitions. Barbara and Maurice MS’52 Aegerter hope that future generations of Badgers won’t have to sacrifice as they did.

The Hamel Music Center — Sounds of Gratitude

There’s something magical about music — it has the capacity to unite us, creating a space for collective joy and transformational experiences.

Fostering Creative Collaboration at the Wisconsin School of Business

There are a multitude of remarkable things about the Learning Commons in Grainger Hall at the Wisconsin School of Business. One of the most impressive aspects is that this revolutionary endeavor was wholly funded by generous donors of the university.

Serving Wisconsin and Saving Lives: A New Era in Veterinary Medicine

Over the last four decades, the UW School of Veterinary Medicine has trained more than 50 percent of the practicing veterinarians in the state of Wisconsin, and it currently serves more than 29,000 animals each year, from family pets to agricultural herds. That is a significant undertaking in a space designed for only 12,000 animals,... Read more »

UW–Madison’s Makerspace: Accelerating Innovation without Limits

Upon entering the Makerspace, housed in the prestigious UW College of Engineering, you are greeted by a wall of windows and glass doors, offering a clear view inside its many collaborative spaces.

On the Trail of Zika

With its connection to birth defects and seemingly rapid spread, the Zika virus became one of the most terrifying health stories of 2016. Cases appeared across the tropics, and scientists launched into a race to find a vaccine or other means of preventing its devastating effects.

Organically Grown at UW

It's no secret that Wisconsin is a national leader in organic agriculture. The state boasts the second-highest number of organic farms in the U.S. and ranks third in total organic acres. Perhaps less understood is that UW has long been a quiet powerhouse in organic research, extension, and education; and this year, a dedicated group of faculty and staff are doing everything they can to remove "quiet" from that description.

The Hype, the Hope, and the Reality of Hemp

CALS and Extension experts are helping farmers find the best ways to grow and market a trendy crop as the industry makes its shaky but hopeful resurgence in Wisconsin.

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company and UW–Madison Launch Diversity in Brewing Award

The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company announced the launch of the Jake Leinenkugel Diversity in Brewing Award. The award will support students from underrepresented groups pursuing a degree in brewing or fermentation sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The Future Holds No Limits for Meat Science at CALS

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 organization provides financial support to CALS students

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.

A Look Back on a Campaign for the Future

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

WiBee mobile app seeks to assess, bolster Wisconsin’s wild bees

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.

Memorial scholarship honors Dave Wieckert’s skill at taking dairy science education beyond the classroom

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.

Anonymous Gift Strengthens Spooner Station’s Connection to Farmers

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.

Estate Gift Offers Boon to Graduate Students

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.

All Ways Grateful

Hundreds of UW–Madison’s generous supporters joined together on campus and online to celebrate the incredible impact of the campaign since its launch in 2015.

Next Generation Needs Today’s Best Educators

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.

The Show Must Go On

Whoopensocker, a theater arts education residency program that typically works in-person with elementary-age students was able shift to online outreach thanks to the generosity of donor gifts to the School of Education Annual Fund.

Promoting Inclusivity

The Grebner Family OT Fieldwork Scholarship Fund, awarded for the first time during the 2020–21 academic year, offers aspiring occupational therapists the chance to gain real-world experience, serve underrepresented communities, and make a difference.

Giving Everyone a Chance to Thrive

Alexa Posny’s UW degree helps her focus on special education issues.

Maintaining Quality During COVID

When the COVID-19 crisis hit, faculty and staff quickly transitioned our 400 classes to virtual modes of delivery.

Fit Families

Fit Families is a physical activity program that brings together children with disabilities, their parents, college students, and in-service professionals in the fields of adapted physical education, special education, and more.

Off to a ‘QuickStart’

On a typical morning at Doorco Holsteins in Brussels, Wisconsin, Austin Vandertie BSx’22 would be helping his parents milk the 40-cow herd, feed calves, spread manure, or harvest crops on an expanse of land farmed by three generations of his family before him.

UW–Madison receives gift supporting organic agriculture, releases call for proposals

On the heels of the 2018 Harvest of Ideas — a two-day forum designed to explore how the University of Wisconsin–Madison can advance organic agriculture — the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences received a significant gift to support graduate students, outreach and communications in organic agriculture.

High school students experience CALS thanks to generous donation

More than two dozen high school students from Chicago area high schools participated in the 2019 CALS Agricultural Experience, an immersive visit to the college and UW–Madison campus, April 11-13.

RENK AGRIBUSINESS INSTITUTE AWARDS COVID-19 SCHOLARSHIPS

Due to the unforeseen hardships brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Renk Agribusiness Institute awarded 9 scholarships to assist students in the continuation of their studies at UW-Madison this fall.

THE RENK AGRIBUSINESS INSTITUTE AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS TO 24 STUDENTS.

Each year, the Renk Agribusiness Institute awards scholarships to undergraduates majoring in Agricultural Business Management (ABM), Agricultural and Applied Economics (AAE), or pursuing the certificate in Business Management for Agricultural & Life Sciences.

Seven CALS faculty receive college and department professorships

At CALS, we have the good fortune to be able to offer a number of college and departmental professorships and chairships.

Virtual celebration for UW–Madison’s new Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery building now live

The UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) is celebrating completion of the new Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery (MSABD) building today, November 6.

UW–Madison’s Farm and Industry Short Course announces tuition guarantee for students with family income below $60,000

Training future farmers on the latest science-based management and production techniques is at the core of the College of Agricultural and Life Science’s mission.

Creating an Equal Classroom

Jessica Stovall builds from her UW–Madison experience to generate a learning environment in which everyone can be their authentic selves.

Retired alumnus supports UW

Even into retirement, John Rowe has a strong affinity for his alma mater, as he and his wife Jeanne passionately support the future of UW-Madison. Among their many generous constributions, including Rowe Center for Research in Virology at the Morgridge Institute, are three endowed chairs in history - Byzantine, Green and American politics, institutions and political economy - to ensure others can find inspiration from the past.

Legacy gift for L&S and SMPH

When Mary Herman Rubinstein earned her MD from UW-Madison in 1960, she was one of four women in her medical school class. Yet, this was hardly first first nor the last time she would blaze an uncommon course. Recognizing the importance of innovative research, Rubinstein set up a generous bequest to support up to seven endowed professorships within the College of Letters & Science.

Established distinguished chairs in Chemistry, iBio, and Limnology

Wayland Evan Noland, a third-generation Badger who earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry, continues the legacy his elders started through generous support of faculty and students in the College of Letters & Science.

Badgers fight against food insecurity on campus

The amazing generosity of Badgers around the world made a powerful impact for students fighting against food insecurity at UW-Madison.

Impact of Morgridge Match from Chancellor Blank

Chancellor Blank announces the results of the major gift from John and Tashia Morgridge, and the positive impact this investment has already made on campus.

Impact of Morgridge Match on L&S, UW-Madison

The College of Letters & Science is inspired by the incredible outpouring of financial support, which will create over 40 new professorships, chairs, and distinguished chairs, as well as enhance 13 existing funds.

Hamel Music Center

After decades of rehearsing in the basement of the Mosse Humanities Building, UW's musicians will now have a state-of-the-art acoustic environment in which to prepare for performances. Pamela Hamel provided the naming gift for the new center, and the Mead and Witter families from Wisconsin Rapids enabled the project to be fully realized at once.

Jada Kline’s Wisconsin Experience

The Chancellor's Scholarship Program created a family within the larger Badger community for Jada Kline '17. Now a successful alumna, Kline shares a message of determination, honoring the past and embracing the future.

Launch of the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute

Chancellor Blank shares the announcement regarding the creation of the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute and the generous gift from American Family Insurance, providing a strong program launch.

Creation of David R. Anderson Chair to direct the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute (DSI)

As part of its generous $20 million gift to UW-Madison, American Family Insurance has announced the creation of the David R. Anderson chair to direct the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute (DSI).

Five student stories who received Bucky’s Tuition Promise

The cost of higher education is prohibitive for many asipiring students in Wisconsin. For these five students, Bucky's Tuition Promise provided a life-changing opportunity.

Mackenzie Straub benefits from Bucky’s Tuition Promise

Dedicated to making UW-Madison an accessible and affordable option to anyone who is admitted, Chancellor Blank reflects on the impact of Bucky's Tuition Promise in its inaugural year.

Second year of Bucky’s Tuition Promise

The second year of Bucky's Tuition Promise offered free tuition to 848 Wisconsin residents the chance to attend the state's flagstaff university free of charge.

First year of Bucky’s Tuition Promise

For 796 students from 65 Wisconsin counties, Bucky's Tuition Promise delivered full-tuition scholarships in its inaugural year.

Chancellor’s Scholar: Justin Cruz ’96

The long-term impact of the Chancellor's Scholars Program is evident in the life of '96 graduate Justin Cruz, who in a position of authority at American Family Insurance marks one of the most impressive ascents that an executive of color has made in Madison.

Student committed to service

As the daughter of a firefighter and a schoolteacher, this Center for Educational Opportunity scholar sees her choice to become a doctor as furthering her family's tradition of public service.

Pharmacy legacy impacts students and faculty

World War II pushed the Apinis family to leave Europe, but the careers they built in Madison continue to influence student pharmacists and researchers. Through establishing three scholarships and a professorship, this family legacy will change lives for years to come.

Computer Science scholarship for students from rural areas

Following the Wisconsin Idea, Phil and Kit Blake establish a scholarship to benefit Computer Science students from rural areas within the state. Two current scholarship recipients share their dedication to put this idea into action.

The UW’s MIA project identified a UW flyer killed in WWII

The UW's MIA Project collaborates with the Department of Defense to return the remains of a World War II pilot missing for 75 years.

Kemp Station celebrates grand opening of new Connor Forestry Center

The Connor Forestry Center at Kemp Natural Resources Station was made possible through a generous gift from Mary Connor Pierce and her husband Dudley Pierce.The 4,500-square foot building includes a large 80-person classroom and a 35-person classroom.

Farm Tour Enriches FISC Experience

Since 1886, the Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC) has been drawing students to the UW–Madison campus for certificate-level education as they pursue careers in the agricultural industry. Now, thanks to donor support, they can go off campus for an experience as diverse as their career prospects.

Bucky’s Tuition Promise Supported 796 Students in Its First Year

Bucky’s tuition Promise is making UW–Madison affordable for all Wisconsin citizens.

Spotlight on Brad Green ’05

A native of Columbus, Wisconsin, Brad Green ’05 began working for WFAA as a Badger Call student caller, starting in September 2001. Upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in communication arts in 2005, he began to work full time for the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) and is now serving as a senior director of... Read more »

What Does WFAA Look for in a Job Candidate?

What are the top qualities that the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association looks for in a prospective employee? For starters, we’re looking for employees whose values align with ours. According to the Gallup company, which is best known for its public opinion polls, its researchers have found that high-quality candidates want their company to align... Read more »

Spotlight on Kari Stokosa

Kari Stokosa is WFAA’s Managing Director of Research & Prospect Management. A native of Greenfield, Wisconsin, Kari earned her degree in atmospheric and oceanic sciences from UW–Madison in 1999. Although she never intended to be an on-air meteorologist, she says, “I’m very thankful for the wide breadth of skills I obtained in the process of... Read more »

Walking the Walk

Puppies, homemade chili, inspiration, and breaking a record — what’s not to love?

Get the (UW) Scoop

The van, the myth, the legend. This summer, keep an eye out for the UW–Madison crew, and Randall, our rehabbed 1957 International Harvester metro van, who are crisscrossing the state — serving up the cold, hard facts alongside amazing flavors of Babcock ice cream.

Spotlight on Scott McKinney

Scott McKinney joined the UW Foundation in 1998 and is now WFAA’s chief operating officer.

Launching a Leader

When you work for the UW Foundation and Alumni Association, one of the most rewarding aspects is knowing that your efforts support a range of amazing and inspiring students.

Nick Named

The Nicholas family honors Ab Nicholas ’52, MBA’55 with a gift to Recreational Sports.

Veterinary Superheroes

Karen Walsh ’81, MA’89 and Jim Berbee ’85, MS’87, MBA’89 help meet the needs of Wisconsin’s four-legged patients.

Dig This Music

With assistance from the Hamel family and the Mead Witter Foundation, the School of Music’s new performance facility starts to take shape.

Garding Against Cancer

WFAA welcomes basketball coach Greg Gard and his wife, Michelle, and helps them to fight for cancer patients and their loved ones.

Park Placed

Alumni Park opens to rave reviews.

A Leg Up

The Flamingle offers alumni a weekly trip to campus.

Thank You, 72

With gratitude, Project 72 shows Wisconsin what the state and its university have made possible.

Swingtown

Fireworks, a block party, and the Steve Miller Band make Homecoming magical.

On the UW campus, Terry Hynes learned to lead. Now she wants to give leadership opportunities to future badgers.

Over the course of five years of graduate study, Terry Hynes learned a lot at UW–Madison, but three lessons stand out. The faculty, she said, embodied principles that make great leaders: excellence as scholars empathy as teachers compassion as human beings Hynes credits her time at the UW for launching her life in academic leadership... Read more »

New Campus Perk: Alumni Park

Thanks to more than 4,000 donors and friends, the UW–Madison campus now boasts a unique jewel on the lakefront between Memorial Union and the Red Gym. Alumni Park adds to the beauty and magic of the campus for students, alumni, faculty, and visitors alike.

Photos From The UW Now: Coachella Valley

On March 12, 2018, Badgers gathered at the home of Mike ’80 and Mary Sue ’81 Shannon in California’s Coachella Valley. The guests heard three UW professors speak about big ideas that are changing our world.

Urban Foxes and Coyotes Learn to Set Aside Their Differences and Coexist

Red fox and coyote have gone against their wild instincts and learned to coexist in the urban environment of Madison and the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus.

Happy New Year

Wishing you a happy new year! Let’s celebrate the accomplishments of 2017 and toast to an incredible 2018 as we continue to move this university All Ways Forward.

Spotlight on Teri Grein

Teri Grein ’16 is a program coordinator for WFAA’s Alumni Relations and Engagement division. A native of Wisconsin Rapids, she is a first-generation college graduate who worked for WAA as an intern while she was earning her degree in English and Communication Arts.

You Mean I Get Paid to Do This?

How many careers involve guarding a flock of pink plastic flamingoes? It’s part of the job description for WFAA staff who volunteer to help out at the annual Fill the Hill fundraiser.

’69 grads Richard and Jennifer Arndt are establishing scholarships in gratitude for their educations—and their love

They met at a UW fraternity mixer (more on that later), earned three degrees from the university, and are incredibly grateful for the affordable education that launched their careers with no debt, so there was little question whether Richard and Jennifer Arndt (both class of ’69) would make a significant gift to the University of... Read more »

Mirelle Goetz – Featured Undergraduate Scholar

Congrats to CALS undergrad Mirelle Goetz, recipient of the Irving W. Gerhardt Scholarship!

Sarah Cook – Featured Undergraduate Scholar

Congrats to CALS undergrad Sarah Cook, recipient of the William F. Renk Endowment for Undergraduate Excellence Scholarship!

Sarah Turner – Featured Undergraduate Scholar

Congrats to CALS graduate student Sarah Turner, recipient of the Eunice & Howard Ream Memorial Foundation Scholarship!

Micheala Slind – Featured Undergraduate Scholar

Congrats to CALS undergraduate Micheala Slind, recipient of the William & Janice Ward Family Agricultural Enrichment Scholarship!

Monsanto donates Middleton plant research facility to UW-Madison

A $10 million commercial biotech plant laboratory in Middleton, Wisconsin, first opened in 1982 with the help of University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists, will soon become part of UW–Madison following a donation from Monsanto Co.

Gift Establishes Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Vegetable Crops

The Department of Horticulture has received a donation from UW alumni Steve and Christa Slinger to establish an endowed graduate fellowship in vegetable crops in the department.

Potato Industry Commits $5M to Support UW-Madison Potato and Vegetable Research Program

Wisconsin’s potato industry has had a strong, decades-long partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s potato researchers, one that has helped place Wisconsin among the top three potato-producing states in the nation.

$1M Gift Establishes Professorship in Biological Systems Engineering

The biological systems engineering department recently announced the establishment of its first endowed professorship.

AAE Alumnus Establishes $1M Henry C. Taylor Professorship

Agricultural & Applied Economics alum Dr. Robert H. Miller of Alexandria, Virginia (MS ’59, PhD ’67) visited Madison for the inaugural AAE Scholars & Sponsors Lunch to announce his gift of $500,000 to establish the Henry C. Taylor Professorship.

Srinivasan Damodaran Appointed to Owen R. Fennema Professorship in Food Chemistry

Srinivasan Damodaran, professor of food science, has been appointed to the Owen R. Fennema Professorship in Food Chemistry and was honored at a reception on Friday, Oct. 14.

American Family makes 10-year pledge to support UW partnerships

The University of Wisconsin–Madison and American Family Insurance will expand their longtime partnership in support of academic programs, research, athletics and charitable activities, with the insurer pledging $40 million to the UW over the next 10 years.

WFAA’s Mentoring Program

Each new WFAA employee has the opportunity to pair with an experienced staff member who is available to discuss work-related issues.

Estate gift will further fund scholarship established by Sue and Don Whitaker

Sue H. and Donald R. Whitaker both earned their PhD degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and went on to distinguished careers as college professors. In gratitude they established a scholarship in the School of Education that will be further funded with a gift in their estate plan. “Our education at UW-Madison provided us with... Read more »

From Here to Opportunity

The UW helped McKenzie Capouch explore the world and use what she learned to help her home town.

Thirsty Planet

A class at UW–Madison inspired Theoren Loo ’16 to develop a personal mission: to find a solution to the issue of access to clean water.

Shoring up the Foundation of Health Care

Richard Sinaiko ’66 is a strong supporter of the School of Nursing and it all stems from love.

Holding the Fabric of Culture Together

Many of Helen Louise Allen’s students have a picture in their minds of their teacher sitting at a loom, her skilled hands creating — seemingly out of nothing — extraordinary textiles.

The Long Leash of the Law

Some of the most important members of Wisconsin’s police departments walk on four legs. Canine — or “K9” — cops perform crowd control, sniff out drugs and bombs, track suspects and missing persons, and help with community outreach.

Bringing Precision Medicine to Wisconsin Cancer Patients

Cancers are typically classified based on their tissue of origin, and that determines treatment plans. Although that practice is unlikely to end anytime soon, tumor classifications based on genetics are gaining traction and could lead to more effective, personalized treatments for patients.

Access to justice in family court

Tonya Brito wants to know: how much do lawyers matter? With help from the Sheldon B. Lubar Distinguished Research Chair in Law, Brito will be able to explore this issue.

Making the Dream of Law School a Reality

Sophie Crispin could have gone to any of a number of law schools. The Ohio native looked at several in the Big Ten, but the UW offered her a scholarship. That clinched the deal.

Help a Student; Change the World

Truman Scholar Elizabeth Doyle studies how people relate to their natural, social, and constructed environments.

Serving Others, Saving Lives

Law school confirmed Cory Brewer’s desire to serve others. It may also have saved her life.

Alumni Perspectives: Legacy

“That gift is going to become something special.”

Alumni Perspectives: Generosity

“I just want other people to have that opportunity.”

Alumni Perspectives: Pride

“I just love telling people that I went to school here.”

Alumni Perspectives: Next Generation

“We want to continue that legacy.”

Motivation

“If you’ve been thankful… giving becomes a natural.”

Beginnings

“Right off the bat, I wanted to get involved.”

UW receives UN chair

UW–Madison helps to advance women in a broad array of fields through its involvement with UNESCO.

Reconnecting Milwaukee Youth with the Earth

UW–Madison students Katie Piel and Natalie Hogan both find a way to bring the Wisconsin Idea to life and move the UW forward.

Alumni Perspectives: Giving Back

“All of those small contributions really add up.”

Alumni Perspectives: Giving

“Giving is as easy as making a choice.”

How to Do Good Better

Badgers are known for their desire to do good: they join the Peace Corps in record numbers, they sign up for Teach For America, and they spend their academic breaks doing service projects.

Student, Volunteer, Badger

Alan Paberzs ’04, MPA’05 has built a careers inspired by the Wisconsin Idea and guided by his time spent with the Morgridge Center for Public Service.

A Bridge to the Working World

Badger Bridge links students and alumni with mentors to help facilitate career advancement.

Solid State

Through Project 72, WFAA shares some of the myriad ways in which UW–Madison and Wisconsin continue to shape each other.

Red (Shirt) Talks

Designer Virgil Abloh speaks at a Homecoming event.

Hawks Soars

In one of 2015’s most celebrated discoveries, anthropologists found the remains of a new hominid species in a cave in South Africa, and UW–Madison had a role in that find.

Prof Positive

From the Vilas Trust to the Morgridge Match, philanthropic gifts expand faculty opportunities. The last year and a half won’t erase the name Vilas from campus, but it might challenge the primary place that it holds.

Open Doors, Diverse Campus

In early 2016, a couple that wishes to remain anonymous made a $10 million pledge to match gifts that support the Chancellor’s Scholarship Program (CSP).

State of the Art

The Chazen Museum of Art is home to more than 20,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photos, decorative objects, and more. But the works it holds are far more than beautiful — they’re also a learning resource. In 2015, those collections grew larger and more important thanks to a new donation from the museum’s namesakes, Jerome and Simona Chazen.

Open Minds

On its own, a rock is just a rock. But when children have the right training, UW researchers in the Center for Healthy Minds (CHM) find, they can turn those rocks into “belly buddies” to learn mindfulness techniques, which may hold the key to improving their mental and emotional health.

Spotlight on Rachel Lionberg

Rachel Lionberg is the UW Foundation’s Associate Vice President and Managing Director for the Wisconsin School of Business.

Rocking the Rankings

Madison, Wisconsin, consistently shows up on rankings of the best places to live.

Dr. Julie Underwood, former dean of School of Education, makes estate gift

Education Professor Dr. Julie K. Underwood, who for a decade served as dean of the nation’s top public university School of Education, is making an estate gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison through the UW Foundation. Dr. Underwood, who stepped down as dean last year but still teaches Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis and Educational... Read more »

Spotlight on Betsy Burns

Betsy Burns is WFAA's senior director of development for the UW–Madison School of Education. A graduate of UW–Milwaukee and the College of St. Scholastica, she and her husband and three-year-old daughter live in Madison. We asked her to reflect on her five years with the organization.

Gift Establishes Endowed Graduate Fellowships in Food Safety and Probiotics

The Food Research Institute has received a generous donation to establish two endowed graduate fellowships.

Fun Spin on a Donor Event

In September, WFAA celebrated the generosity of alumni John and Tashia Morgridge with a pop-up wine-cellar celebration in the Wisconsin Union’s new underground loading dock, a special turntable that will allow delivery trucks to supply the Union with food, beverages, and other items.

Jim Berbee & Karen Walsh

James Berbee ’85 and Karen Walsh ’81 support many different things, but nearest and dearest to their hearts is the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They’re giving back in a big way through a matching gift to the School of Veterinary Medicine, where they see exciting intersections between human and animal health.

Why I Give: Linda Procci

World War II veteran Arthur Kautza ’49 attended UW Madison and for the rest of his life exemplified the Wisconsin Idea through his work and service to the community. Now, through her gift to the Meat Sciences Building, Arthur’s daughter Linda Procci ’72 is following her father’s example of giving back.

Brain Building

John and Inara Apinis honor the family’s founders with a UW professorship.

Students find passion in labs as Undergraduate Summer Research Scholars

The Biochemistry Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarships help undergraduates gain focused, full-time research experience early in their academic careers. The funding is made available to students from generous donations made to the Department of Biochemistry.

Robert G. F. and Hazel T. Spitze Land Grant Faculty Award for Excellence

Mark Cook, University of Wisconsin - Madison Animal Sciences - Robert G. F. and Hazel T. Spitze Land Grant Faculty Award for Excellence

Thea Whitman appointed to O.N. Allen Professorship in Soil Microbiology

Thea Whitman, assistant professor of soil science, has been appointed to the O.N. Allen Professorship in Soil Microbiology.

Mehdi Kabbage receives Aberle Faculty Fellow Award

Mehdi Kabbage, assistant professor of plant pathology, has been selected to receive an Elton D. and Carrie R. Aberle Faculty Fellow Award.

The Futures Market—and Students’ Futures

Using real-world commodity-trading software and armed with simulated trading experience in agricultural markets, a number of CALS students are finding paths to jobs after graduation.

Maurer Extra Mile Award

Meet Tom Crenshaw, winner of the Arthur J. Maurer Extra Mile Award, professor in the University of Wisconsin - Madison Animal Sciences department and advisor for Alpha Gamma Rho - Iota.

Xuehua Zhong and Erin Silva receive Alfred Toepfer Faculty Fellow Awards

Genetics assistant professor Xuehua Zhong and plant pathology assistant professor Erin Silva have been selected to receive Alfred Toepfer Faculty Fellow Awards.

Spitzer Excellence in Teaching Award

Samuel Butcher won the 2016 Spitzer Excellence in Teaching Award and professor in the University Of Wisconsin-Madison Department Of Biochemistry.

Collaborations expected after microbiome symposium

Exploring Microbiome Opportunities in Life Sciences in Agriculture was funding from private gifts and brought experts from NSF, DOE, NIH, the University of Aberdeen and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, as well as speakers from here on campus, to discuss opportunities in microbiome research.

Why We Give: Mike and Mary Sue Shannon

Mike and Mary Sue Shannon talk about the nationwide reputation of UW graduates as hardworking and reliable, and they explain why they’ve selected the university as their primary place to give.

Why I Give: Fran Taylor

The reach of the University of Wisconsin–Madison stretches far beyond the bounds of campus. Fran Taylor ’68 explains how the university’s ideas, enthusiasm, and funding affect communities and businesses in every corner of Wisconsin.

Badgers Turn the Twin Cities Red

UW alumni celebrate the university’s global impact.

Personal Finance “Learning Lab” Drives Real ROI for Students & Peer Educators

Word of SoHE's Financial Life Skills (FLS) program has spread across campus, pushing enrollment from 100 students in its first year to 400 students, plus a wait list for year three. What's driving the surge?

Once Homeless and Hungry, Grad Forges Forward for Change

UW–Madison students do great things, even when the cards are stack against them. Pablo Montes, a first-generation, working-class student, was dependent on aid when he transferred to UW–Madison. Once here, he was blindsided by the university’s steeper cost of living.

Joan DeBruin ’70 funds scholarships with a trio of gifts

When her husband, Jared, passed away in 2011 after nearly 42 years of marriage, Joan Dickinson DeBruin ’70 honored him by designating the balance of their IRAs at her passing to fund University of Wisconsin-Madison scholarships in both of their names. In 2012 she established a charitable gift annuity and immediately started donating back a... Read more »

Badger Pride Blew Strongly in the Windy City

On April 14, we welcomed Chicago-area Badgers to a new era for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Tracking Sustainable Behaviors

Nancy Wong, professor of consumer science in the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology, designed an energy-tracking app to make reducing day-to-day energy usage more accessible.

Bridging the Divide Between Science and Application

Charles Raison is one of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s best and brightest. Officially, he holds the position of Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children & Families. In practice, he is a master of connecting ideas, research, and practice, leading the way in novel treatments for treating mental conditions.

A Powerhouse Professor

The UW-Madison School of Pharmacy is home to a number of outstanding professors, and one of them is Glen Kwon.

Transportation, WEMPEC and driving safety

The College of Engineering drives improvements in many areas of transportation, including safety, automobile performance, and environmental impact, among many others. Here are a few recent developments.

Why I Give: George Hamel

George Hamel explains why UW-Madison stands out above all other American universities. He also asks alumni to consider what they can do to keep this institution great.

Why I Give: Nancy Ballsrud

Nancy Ballsrud explains what makes students fall in love with UW-Madison. She also talks about the ways that the educational excellence of the UW has had a worldwide ripple effect.

Why I Give: John Oros

John Oros explains how his giving has allowed him to maintain important relationships with donors he considers to be his role models. He explains why this makes him feel more like a recipient than a donor.

Kicking off ‘Career Kickstart’

Graduation is years away for many students, but it’s never too early to think about what comes next.

Honoring the War Dead, Bringing History to Life

In the fall of 2013, Mary Louise Roberts, Lucy Aubrac Professor of History, received an email from a man in France requesting information about Robert Kellett, an American G.I. buried in Épinal military cemetery.

Math Dreams

When assistant math professor Melanie Matchett Wood was in seventh grade, she was surprised to win a citywide math competition in her native Indianapolis. Then she won a state competition, and in eighth grade placed tenth in the country.

Producing Tomorrow’s Producers

Twenty-six years — and plenty of TV series, movies, and scripts — later, Joey Soloway ’87 still remembers the profound influence of her semester in the capstone production course, Comm Arts 659.

Inspiring Young Writers

When English major Laura Schmitt was a freshman, she got involved with Illumination, an undergraduate literary journal run through the Wisconsin Union Directorate Publications Committee. It was there that she saw how powerful it could be for a young author to be published.

Bioproducts that Pay

Researchers at UW-Madison are changing the way we look at bioproducts.

Advanced methods for developing advanced materials

Today's smartphones and tablets provide consumers unparalleled mobile computing capability. Yet, these and many other technologies are critically dependent on sophisticated new materials that can solve challenges in areas ranging from clean energy and national security to human health and well-being. And currently, a new material's journey from discovery to commercial product typically takes as long as two decades.

Personalized Cancer Care

In a highly successful, first-of-its-kind endeavor, a multidisciplinary team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have created a "tumor in a dish" that can accurately anticipate a multiple myeloma patient’s response to a drug. The advance could mean a giant step forward in efforts to tailor medical treatment plans to individual patients.

Introducing Manufacturing for Design

In the field of manufacturing, very often the brains behind creative new concepts find themselves at odds with the operators of the machines that must produce the finished object.

Healing All Worlds

What’s good medicine for animals often turns out to be good for humans as well. This is something that the UW School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) has been demonstrating for a long time.

Outwitting the Blood-Brain Barrier

With support from the New Frontier Science (NFS) group of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., UW-Madison engineers are conducting innovative research that could open new avenues for treating such diseases as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and others.

From Bascom to the Bay

UW alumni celebrate the university’s global impact.

A Commitment to Wisconsin

The UW School of Veterinary Medicine ranks among the top in the nation.

Engineering a Healthy Approach

A team of UW-Madison engineers is creating new, more robust decision-support software that could help prevent a frequent, potentially fatal blood-clotting condition in hospitalized patients.

See-Through Sensors Open New Window Into the Brain

Developing invisible implantable medical sensor arrays, a team of UW-Madison engineers has overcome a major technological hurdle in researchers’ efforts to understand the brain.

Why We Give: Tom and Karen Falk

The Falks discuss the role the University of Wisconsin played in their own lives and explain why making a little more noise about the great things happening at the UW is the right thing to do.

Why I Give: Ricky Sandler

Ricky Sandler talks about the tremendous enthusiasm that UW alumni have for their alma mater. He also shares the things that inspire him to give back to the university.

Why I Give: Melinda Mount

Melinda Mount talks about the ways that the university fosters a transformation in students, especially students from small towns. She also shares her views on the culture of the UW.

Remarkable Students, Outstanding Opportunities

Noe Vital, Jr. BBA’15 took full advantage of what the Wisconsin School of Business has to offer and found outstanding opportunities.

Bill Tracy Named Nation’s First Endowed Chair for Organic Plant Breeding

Bill Tracy, agronomy professor and sweet-corn breeder, was named the recipient of the nation’s first endowed chair focused on plant breeding for organic crops. The $2 million endowment is supported by Organic Valley and Clif Bar & Company, with the help of a matching gift from UW alumni John and Tashia Morgridge.

Department of Economics

Your gifts, big and small, support current undergraduate and graduate students, recognize top-notch faculty, and advance cutting edge economics research — all of which keeps us consistently ranked among the best economics departments in the country.

Growing the future.

Growing the future. That’s what the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) does. But to continue that mission, it will take the help and support of alumni and friends.

Emily Held – Featured Undergraduate Scholar

Congrats to CALS undergrad Emily Held, recipient of the Karen Spector Memorial Scholarship! Emily fell in love with University of Wisconsin-Madison while touring campus and is now a senior majoring in dietetics with a certificate in global health.

Morgridge Match Spurs Rapid Growth

The alumni who attended Wisconsin Ideas events in Naples and Milwaukee know that a Bill Cronon talk is a real treat. Cronon wowed the crowds when he spoke about the history of UW-Madison.

Scholarship Gifts Open Doors

When Albert “Ab” Nicholas played guard for the Badger men’s basketball team, an out-of-state student with a minimum-wage job could earn a semester’s tuition at the University of Wisconsin with 280 hours of work. Today it would take nearly a full year, working full time.

Gifts from Alumni Have the Union Reaching New Heights

Accomplished with the assistance of private giving and student fees, the Memorial Union Reinvestment is giving a facelift to the building that has been the campus’s living room for nearly nine decades — the first major renovation in its history.

Seeds for the Future

Throughout 2014, the UW Foundation placed its focus not on the present, but on creating fertile ground for the university’s growth into the future. Increasingly, our eyes have turned toward the coming comprehensive campaign, an effort to help the UW make a major leap forward.

Grainger Gift Engineers a Brighter Future for Engineers

Dan Thoma is looking to redefine the technological age in which we live. “The ages of human development are based on the materials peoples of the day used: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age,” he told the UW College of Engineering. “Technology is the driver. Materials are the enabler, so that discovery point is really what impacts society.”

Tom and Karen Falk Give $10 Million for Scholarships, Faculty Support

Tom Falk caddied his way into higher education. Karen Falk worked behind the counter of a Rennebohm Drug Store to help her pursue her degree. In the 1970s, when they attended UW-Madison, that was enough.

Morgridge Match Gala

Relive an evening of celebration and honor for those who contributed to the Morgridge Match, and to the faculty who are helping UW-Madison remain world class. Photos from the Event

UW Kicks Off Comprehensive Campaign

With the pomp of a chancellor’s address and the enthusiasm of a Homecoming crowd, the campaign for the University of Wisconsin-Madison kicked off at the Kohl Center last night. Titled “All Ways Forward,” the campaign is an effort to increase private support for the university.

Annalise Panthofer – Featured Undergraduate Scholar

Congrats to CALS undergrad Annalise Panthofer, recipient of the Anna L. Rowe Scholarhip! A sophomore majoring in biology and Spanish, she chose UW-Madison for its pre-med option and research opportunities.

A Kingly Gift

With a $10 million gift to the Center for Healthy Minds, Bob and Dottie King promote the study of children’s emotional health. Mental illness is one of the most common afflictions affecting young Americans, with about one-fifth of adolescents suffering from a diagnosable psychological disorder. And yet as many as seven out of every ten... Read more »

Marisa Klister – Featured Undergraduate Scholar

Congrats to CALS undergrad Marisa Klister, recipient of the Edna F. and Walter E. Schmidt Merit Scholarship! Marisa has always wanted to be a Badger and is now a freshman in UW-Madison Dairy Science.

A Higher Return on Investment

The knowledge, experience, and network the Wisconsin School of Business can offer is invaluable. Your gift will help us maintain our tradition of assisting students who show financial need and academic merit.

A Recipe for Success

One day Richard King, a shareholder and director at Capital Brewery, asked Thomas O’Guinn, professor of marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin School of Business, if his MBA students would be interested in a project on beer.

Wisconsin Ideas: New York City

Nearly 400 University of Wisconsin – Madison alumni gathered at Wall Street’s Cipriani for the third installment of Wisconsin Ideas: Let The World Know.

The NEST Helps Technology Ideas Take Wing

Launching the next successful startup takes more than a good idea and the skills to design a well-built app. That’s why Professor Jignesh Patel of the Department of Computer Sciences organizes the NEST for Emerging Software Technologies competition. NEST is no ordinary contest: Professor Patel mentors competitors throughout the process. Participating students have their work... Read more »

Dangerous Currents

Spending time on the Great Lakes is a primary form of recreation for many people every year. However, all too often the weather patterns of the lakes can rear their ugly heads, causing damage and tragedy. Massive wave systems and rip currents can claim the lives of swimmers, and have been labeled “sneaky waves” because the currents catch people off guard. They have been attributed to 85 deaths and 256 rescues between 2002 and 2013, but the idea of “sneaky waves” didn’t sit well with College of Engineering professor Chin Wu.

Planting the Seeds for a Brighter Tomorrow

We’re all familiar with the produce section of the grocery store. As soon as we walk in, we are met with stacks of fresh fruits and vegetables—often regardless of growing season. While the journey from seed to plate may be unfamiliar to us, that doesn’t mean that it happens by acc

Shaping a Brighter Future

The future will be challenging for the human race. How we deal with the problems we have helped to create will be the ultimate test of our survival. But with Dr. Patz diligently asking and answering the important questions, we have a much better chance at a brighter tomorrow.

Succeeding On and Off the Field

Support to Wisconsin Athletics allows for the university to provide scholarships to recruit the nation's best student-athletes.

Hardware Security Made Easy

Support from donors to the College of Engineering made it possible for Edward Tashjian to work with hardware security.

Chancellor’s Annual Fund

High priority. Actually, the Chancellor’s Annual Fund is one of the highest fundraising priorities for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But keeping this fund viable and impactful will take the help and support of alumni and friends.

Law School Annual Fund

A transformative life experience – that is what students attending UW Law School can expect. By investing in UW Law, you have the opportunity to improve the quality of the school and the value of a UW Law degree.

College of Engineering Annual Fund

Bold moves. That’s what the College of Engineering is known for making when it comes to the future of research and education. And our faculty, staff, and students are making extraordinary strides to ensure that the college remains a key driver of economic and social progress.

School of Pharmacy Annual Fund

Enhance the quality of life. That’s what drives the School of Pharmacy. And it’s why the school is considered a world-class leader in pharmacy education, research, and service in the pharmaceutical, social, and clinical sciences.

School of Nursing Annual Fund

To prepare leaders who improve human health. That’s the mission of the School of Nursing. And it will continue to be the mission as the school strives to meet the health needs of Wisconsin and beyond.

School of Medicine and Public Health Annual Fund

Transformative. That’s what the School of Medicine and Public Health has been, and will continue to be as it strives to meet the health needs of Wisconsin and beyond. But keeping the school strong will take the help and support of alumni and friends.

School of Human Ecology Annual Fund

Find a better way. That’s what students and faculty from the School of Human Ecology (SoHE) do. They’re design thinkers who embrace problems from every angle, and use both creativity and intellect to generate the most effective solutions.

Bringing the Wisconsin Idea to Africa

On her study abroad in Kenya, Kayla Sippl fought disease with soap.

The Best and the Brightest Badgers

Support for scholarships at the Wisconsin School of Business helps to attract the best students, and empowers them to follow their passions.

School of Veterinary Medicine Fund

Advancing animal and human health with science and compassion. That’s what drives the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Great People Scholarship

The Great People Scholarship makes a difference for promising students.

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Fund

Growing the future. That’s what the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) does. But to continue that mission, it will take the help and support of alumni and friends.

School of Education Annual Fund

At the head of the class: where else would you expect to find the School of Education? Consistently ranked one of the top schools of education in the United States, the school is home to 10 departments and a variety of highly regarded programs across the arts, health, and education.

Morgridge match exceeds goal: $250 million raised for faculty positions

John and Tashia Morgridge issued a challenge last November to fellow University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni – they would match up to $100 million in donations to fund new and enhanced endowments for named professorships, chairs and distinguished chairs at the university. University leaders thought it would take two to three years to fulfill the match.... Read more »

The Pediatric Cancer Dream Team

Due to their innovative approach to targeting cancer cells without harming healthy tissue, Dr. Sondel and his team have been asked to join the pediatric oncology “Dream Team” by Stand Up to Cancer, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. Representing unique collaborations across multiple disciplines, this alliance of 7 research groups is the only pediatric cancer Dream Team in North America.

To Fix A Heart Defect, Think Like An Engineer

Children born with single ventricle heart defects—a condition in which the heart only has one functioning pumping chamber—often need to undergo a series of surgeries in the first years of life. Using a selective laser sintering (SLS) machine the size of a compact car, the team creates intricate, highly detailed models that accurately duplicate patients’ distinct heart defects.

Happier Cows, Healthier People

Farmers in every nation are already struggling to solve problems of animal health and welfare, drought, high temperatures, and many more issues that put our nation and the world at risk for food scarcity. The Dairyland Initiative and other agricultural practices that have their roots in Wisconsin will play a vital role in how we continue to feed people at home and across the globe.

The Buck Stops Here

Most economists don’t debate the purpose of money. But Ray B. Zemon Chair in Liquid Assets Professor Randall Wright of the Wisconsin School of Business isn’t like most economists.

Predicting—And Preventing—The Next Pandemic

Infectious diseases are as unpredictable as they are terrifying. And in an increasingly interconnected world, the potential for a global outbreak is immense. Researchers at UW-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine are seeking innovative ways to stay a step ahead of the next pandemic.

CALS undergrads embrace summer internship experiences

Undergraduate students in the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) participate in all kinds of “beyond the classroom” experiences during their time in college. In fact, it’s a hallmark of a CALS education. According to a recent National Survey of Student Engagement, 79 percent of CALS students complete an internship or field experience and 64 percent complete a mentored research project.

Investing in Outstanding Students: The Nicholas Match

In June 2015, Ab ’52, MBA’55 and Nancy Johnson ’55 Nicholas announced a transformational, $50 million gift to create a one-to-one match to inspire other donors to fund undergraduate and athletic scholarships and graduate fellowships for UW-Madison students.

For the Public Good: A Call to Serve

The Law School’s Innocence Project relies on students like Curtis Hinca.

Amaya Atucha named Gottschalk Chair for Cranberry Research

Assistant professor of horticulture Amaya Atucha has been named the Gottschalk Chair for Cranberry Research. The chair award, established by the Gottschalk family, supports cranberry research in the Department of Horticulture.

Wisconsin Ideas: Milwaukee

600 Badgers gathered in Milwaukee to celebrate the innovations, enthusiasms, and generosity of some exceptional Badgers.

Tim Van Deelen appointed Beers-Bascom Professor in Conservation

Tim Van Deelen, a professor in the forest and wildlife ecology department, was recently appointed the Beers-Bascom Professor in Conservation. The professorship was established by Mr. William Beers, former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kraft, Inc.

Wisconsin Ideas: Naples

Groundbreaking advances in Alzheimer’s research. The promise of more healthful living through virtual reality. The secrets and science of prize-winning Wisconsin cheese. And why Wisconsin’s legacy always makes UW-Madison feel like home. More than 300 alumni, donors, fans and friends in Naples were inspired by these insights and innovations — just a few of the world-class Wisconsin Ideas moving forward at today’s University of Wisconsin.

Inspirational Gift Invests in UW Faculty

Philanthropists John ’55 and Tashia ’55 Morgridge have just announced a landmark gift of $100 million, continuing their long history of investing in the future of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Chancellor Blank’s Priorities for UW-Madison

Last month, during Homecoming Week, UW-Madison brought together the boards of visitors for nearly all of UW-Madison's schools, colleges, and departments. Chancellor Rebecca Blank delivered an address to the group.

Grateful Engineer Gives Back in Two Ways

It’s a good life John Bolender has lived since Boeing recruited him right off the UW campus, and that’s why he has established three charitable gift annuities with the University of Wisconsin Foundation and recently made a significant gift from the combined IRA belonging to him and his late wife, JoAnn, also a UW graduate with a degree in home economics education.

Lubar Gift Innovates to Diversify Law School Research

A $3 million gift will allow the University of Wisconsin Law School to support top legal scholars in a new and creative way, Dean Margaret Raymond announced today.

Lorna Wendt Gift will Launch Women’s Campus Initiative

A 1965 graduate of the UW-Madison College of Letters & Science, Lorna Wendt is a proponent of fairness and equality in marriage and divorce. This has led to a gift she has made that will launch the MORE (Money + Relationships + Equality) program, one of the core principles of the campus-wide 4W Initiative (For Women, For Well-being, For Wisconsin and the World).

Give Happy

According to happiness guru Gretchen Rubin, philanthropic behavior can be the key to increasing one’s own positive feelings.

Women’s Philanthropy Council marks 25th Anniversary at UW-Madison

Wisconsin women have been leading the way in the women’s philanthropy movement for a quarter century.

New Ruth Davis Design Gallery Sets a Powerful Example

The legacy of a professor who pioneered sustainable design, the new Ruth Davis Design Gallery at the School of Human Ecology inspires all who enter.

PwC Invests in the Future of Accounting

It all adds up for the Wisconsin School of Business when PwC matches partner and staff contributions for a $1.1 million gift toward the future of accounting education.

A Gift from the Heart Preserves Danish Studies

As if saving lives wasn’t enough, these UW physicians saved Danish studies at the College of Letters & Science with a gift from the heart.

State-of-the-Art Nursing Building Exemplifies the Power of Many

Connecting nursing students to state-of-the art facilities just got a lot easier at the new School of Nursing.

Pattersons Strengthen Commitment to School of Education

James and Susan Patterson strengthen their commitment to literacy and teaching at the School of Education for maximum impact.

Colorado Rockies Honor MLB’s Selig with $100,000 Scholarship Gift to UW-Madison

A $100,000 gift from the Colorado Rockies’ baseball organization in honor of Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig will support student scholarships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Legacy of Dr. and Mrs. Hugh A. Kennedy Lives on at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Hugh and Margaret Kennedy were Wisconsin natives who moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, in the 1940s. They never had children of their own, yet they inspired their families and, now, new generations of physicians, to reach for lives of meaning. The Kennedy Scholars in the School of Medicine and Public Health are a diverse and impressive group.

Doctor Revises Estate Plan for UW ‘Payback’

Some donors contribute to the University of Wisconsin-Madison with cash, some use appreciated securities, some use real estate. It’s rather unusual to do all three. But Dr. Joe Mnuk has an unusual story—how he wound up at the UW-Madison in the first place and how he and his wife, Julie, decided to revise their estate plans and give back.

Sarah Lowery- Achieve my Dream

I am so grateful to be a recipient of the Gladys Emerson Cook Scholarship, Barbara M. Hanson Brown Community Service Award, and Merit-Based Study Abroad Scholarship. It has also allowed me the financial freedom to achieve my dream of studying abroad for a semester in Rome, Italy, and soon to achieve my dream of obtaining a degree in Community & Nonprofit Leadership.

Chemistry Instrument Center Gives Students State-of-the-Art Access, Training, and Research Support

A gift from former UW-Madison chemistry professor Paul Bender and his wife, along with Bender's expertise and hard work, helped build the Chemistry Instrument Center into a premiere facility. Today, students conducting research enjoy open access to the center's facilities and the staff's expertise.

PEOPLE Program Honored with Regents’ Diversity Award

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) program is the recipient of the sixth annual Regents' Diversity Award for team excellence, presented by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.

AT&T Announces $35,000 Donation to Support UW-Madison’s PEOPLE Program

During a visit with UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank today, AT&T Wisconsin State President Scott T. VanderSanden announced a $35,000 AT&T donation to support UW-Madison’s PEOPLE program and help underserved students prepare for and successfully complete higher education.

Martha Taylor Named 2013 Outstanding Fundraising Professional

An outstanding fundraiser is exceptional in all areas of the profession: development, ethical commitment, leadership, education, research, publication and innovation. And for 38 years, Martha Taylor has not only embodied all of these aspects of the profession, but has also been a pioneer in the fields of women’s fundraising and philanthropy.

Family’s Legacy Professorship Strengthens Danish Studies

Dr. Paul Madsen, professor emeritus in urology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and his wife, Dr. Renate Madsen, recently honored their family’s Danish and German heritage by establishing the Paul and Renate Madsen Professorship in Danish in the College of Letters & Science. This Professorship will encourage scholarship and research to preserve the university’s historic strengths in Danish studies.

Ben Davis- Invaluable to my Growth

The scholarships I have received from the School of Music and the Raymond F. Dvorak Scholarship have been very important for my family. The financial assistance provided through these scholarships really have been of much use in reducing the net cost of my schooling and that has allowed me to be able to continue experiencing all of these great things that I have been able to do up here at UW, so I am extremely thankful!

Jeff Snyder- Start Myself on this Trajectory

Without the Hilldale Undergraduate Research Grant at UW-Madison, I would not have had the freedom and resources to start myself on this trajectory when I did, and I may not have found my way to the creative and exciting field I work in today.

Jacob Wolbert- Connect with People

Thanks to these scholarships, I have been able to further my love of Brazilian music, develop a better understanding of the Portuguese language, and connect with people across the university and country that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to connect with.

Davis Gift to Human Ecology to Benefit Design Students

During her 30 years as a professor in the School of Human Ecology, Ruth Danielson Davis showcased student work in the rooms, hallways, and cabinets of the Human Ecology Building. Now, a $4.6 million gift from her estate to the School of Human Ecology will play a major role in getting student work even more exposure in the future.

Courtney Holdt- Help Students Just Like I Was Helped

The scholarships I have received from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences have truly been amazing. It is awesome to know that there are people out there who want to give back to our school, it shows just how amazing CALS and the University of Wisconsin are.

Taylor Holterman- A Love for Learning

Coming to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and specifically the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has opened my eyes to the opportunities that this motivation can take me to, as well as surrounding me with a supportive community of peers, advisors, professors and industry contacts.

“My income is going up every year because I’m giving money away.”

“The university is benefiting, and I’m tremendously benefiting,” Becker said. “My income is going up every year because I’m giving money away. I can’t think of a better way to say thank you to the university.”

Meet Jenny Laaser (’13)

Jenny Laaser ventured out of the lab and into the newsroom in a quest to bridge the gap between the public and researchers who often use scientific jargon.

Meet Milton Repollet-Pedrosa (’13)

During his time at UW-Madison, Milton Repollet-Pedrosa has made a point to contribute to the chemistry graduate program by helping to forge a new path of study in materials chemistry.

Meet Josh Shutter (’14)

From an internship at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab to research in a UW-Madison astrochemistry research group, Josh Shutter's undergraduate research experiences are opening doors to a meaningful future in science.

Gift Provides Unprecedented, Discretionary Support to Pharmacy School

Marla Ahlgrimm saw a need in women’s health and successfully filled it. She has become an inspiration and a role model to entrepreneurs everywhere.

First, fishing. Then, volleyball. Serious fun at Trout Lake Station

Each summer, undergraduates from UW-Madison travel to the Trout Lake Research Station in Boulder Junction, Wis., for a one-of-a-kind hands-on research experience in the northwoods. Support for these unique student employees and their graduate student mentors is supported by the Juday and Lane families as well as grants from the National Science Foundation.

Telling the Story of the World

UW-Madison classics professor William Aylward will lead a team of archaeologists and other scientists to the city of Troy, armed with new scientific tools for the study of ancient biological and cultural environments.

100 Women Wall Recognizes Women’s Contributions

Nancy Nicholas Hall construction and restoration is complete, making a welcoming home for students, faculty and alumni of the School of Human Ecology.

Innovative Research for treating PTSD

Combat veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, are finding relief from non-traditional treatments being studied by scientists at UW-Madison’s Waisman Center.

Wisconsin School of Business: Redefining Education

The Wisconsin School of Business Innovation Fund is providing the funding needed for the School to explore new approaches to teaching as part of the campus effort to focus on educational innovation.

Morgridge Professorships Spark Innovation

Gratitude for their own success and a desire to make life better for others has led John and Tashia Morgridge to pay it forward, most recently with two endowed professorships.

Red Shirts for Best and Brightest

For many promising students, a UW-Madison education would be out of reach if not for the financial aid provided by generous donors.

La Bahn Arena is State-of-the-Art Facility

Lead donors Charles “Chuck” LaBahn and his wife, Mary Ann, played a key role in the construction of a new hockey and swimming training and competition facility.

Seeding our Future

What does innovation mean for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences? Creative plant breeding efforts to feed the demand for organic food. The fruits of Tessa Peters’ labor taste sweet.

Revitalizing the Wisconsin Experience

Innovation doesn’t happen overnight, but the best ideas endure. The long-awaited Lakeshore Gateway corridor nears completion. A vibrant cultural hub. With Babcock Hall ice cream.

Growing Energy the Holistic Way

At the Wisconsin Energy Institute, innovation means sustainable clean energy that increases efficiency, diversifies the energy sector and supports the ecosysytem.

Adding New Dimensions to an Old Curriculum

Donors make innovation happen in Mechanical Engineering. A $1.5 million gift helps better prepare students for a dynamic industry.

Collaboration Encourages Student Excellence

How does the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education support an innovative program? By assessing the success of hard-working high school students with college ambitions.

Nursing Solutions Make Every Day Better

What does innovation mean at the School of Nursing? Online resources at school nurses’ fingertips with potentially life-saving benefits.

Riding High: Course Makes Biking Accessible to Children with Disabilities

This summer's Biking for Everyone course is a unique eight-week class that's designed to help kids with disabilities learn how to ride. The program is run through the department's adaptive physical fitness program, and is made possible by support from Pacific Cycle, which is headquartered in Madison and sells more bicycles than any other company in North America.

We Hope They Find Out What Causes It

After surviving Stage 3C ovarian cancer, Alvina Runde and her husband, Pat, give what they can to promote cancer research.,

Meet Tong Wang (’15)

Tong Wang, a campus tour guide, encourages prospective students to get involved in research at UW-Madison. As a chemistry major, his research experience has allowed him to learn how to ask questions and investigate like a scientist.

Meet Alison Wendlandt (’15)

Graduate students don’t rub shoulders with Nobel Laureates every day. But chemistry graduate student Alison Wendlandt did at the 2013 Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting. The experience confirmed for her the importance of fundamental science research.

Yak Ranch Benefits University

When Dr. Tom Koehler was tired of pumping iron at a gym, he established a yak ranch for outdoor exercise. When his life circumstances changed, he made a gift of the ranch to the UW-Madison.

Potato Industry Helps Create New Professorship to Lead UW’s Potato Breeding Program

Jeff Endelman was hired through a partnership between the university and the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association. Taking advantage of a new option to fund UW professorships, the WPVGA agreed to provide $370,000 over the course of five years to support Endelman’s position and research.

Lana Yang- My Dream College

None of the experiences made from wandering on State Street to hiking up Bascom Hill are possible without the generosity of so many people. I am glad to call the University of Wisconsin my home.

Sarah Ruplinger- I am so Grateful

The Lucile Schreiber and Wendel A. Witkay Scholarship of $1,000 is greatly appreciated because it decreases my need for student loans. It has been an honor and a blessing to receive this scholarship award. This scholarship is helping to make my dream come true!

A $5 Million Gift for the Ages

A funny thing happened to Mary and Carl Gulbrandsen on their way to the Dane County airport last fall. The passengers whom they were transporting to fly back to their California home suddenly gave the Gulbrandsens an assignment: If it were up to them, where would they create two new faculty chairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison?

Chemists Find New Compounds to Curb Staph Infection

Chemists find new compounds to curb staph infection. The new research was conducted with support from the Office of Naval Research, the Burroughs Welcome Fund and the Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Longtime Fundraiser Departing UW Foundation

Mark Lefebvre, senior vice president for principal gifts at the UW Foundation, has been a champion of UW people, programs and projects for almost 30 years. He’ll depart the foundation this month. “It was here I found great animating ideas,” Lefebvre said of UW-Madison. “It was here that I found the best expression of the Wisconsin Idea.”

Seeds of Greatness

Coming from a family of limited financial means, Ashya Kaderabek-Vela feels fortunate to attend UW–Madison. Her path through the UW has been greatly eased by a grant from the Great People Scholarship fund, which offers need-based grants to fill gaps between various other sources of financial aid.

CSD Professor, Students Again Make Difference in Guatemala

For the second straight year, clinical associate professor Michelle Quinn and a group of graduate students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders assisted in literacy efforts in Guatemala over winter break.

Share the Wonderful Exceeds Goal, Shows Power of Many

“The University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the scholarships I received to attend, changed my life in more ways than one. Contributing to the annual campaign is the least I can do,” says John, who is a student services coordinator on campus.

Internship Program does Students Justice

Allison Gilmore is pursuing a certificate in Criminal Justice and, as such, needed to complete a summer internship. She found one in the Juvenile Court Intake Department of Children’s Court Services in her native Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The experience proved transformative.

Physical Abilities No Match for UW-Madison Researcher’s Dreams

UW-Madison engineering researcher and PhD candidate Craig Schuff was paralyzed from the neck down in a 2011 accident in Lake Monona. That hasn’t stopped him from conducting high level research. He is working on a machine called an inertial electrostatic confinement device, which uses fusion to generate neutrons. Those neutrons are then used to scan packages and detect clandestine materials such as smuggled explosives and nuclear materials.

Center for Healthy Minds Receives Grant from Mental Insight Foundation

Through the grant, CHM will actively pursue “Evaluating Integrative Treatments for Veterans with PTSD Using State-of-the-Art Brain Imaging.”

Epitome4Iyanna tweet on PEOPLE Program

To @UWPEOPLEscholar...you all are the one of the main reasons I chose @UWMadison over Yale. #ThanksUW

Board All Aces When it Comes to Giving

When it comes to annual giving, the School of Education’s Board of Visitors (BOV) earns a perfect score. One hundred percent of the 17 members committed to make gifts to the School’s annual fund – a unique feat

Extending Wisconsin’s Raspberry Season

Annual fund gifts help UW-Madison professors and students help Wisconsin’s fruit growers.

Tax Program Helps Working Poor

Thanks to a free tax preparation program, families across the country claim deserved deductions and receive student aid.

Dream it, Design it, Build it

A $1.5 million alum gift helps the Department of Mechanical Engineering better prepare students for a dynamic industry.

Love of Big Ideas Led Inventor to Wisconsin Project

Fourteen years ago, Grainger Professor of Nuclear Engineering Gerald Kulcinski sat down for lunch with a fellow member of the National Academy of Engineering, Wilson Greatbatch. That chance meeting led to a decade-long collaboration between Greatbatch and the UW-Madison fusion engineering team.

Personal Experiences Inspire Alzheimer’s Research

Alzheimer’s research at the UW-Madison is advancing on many fronts. Passion and concern can be seen in the number of individual and foundation donors backing Alzheimer’s research efforts..

An Upbeat Investment in Young Musicians

Pianist-composer Johannes Wallmann, formerly director of jazz studies at California State University, East Bay, was hired from a field of more than 140 applicants and started this fall as the John and Carolyn Peterson Professor of Jazz.

Ann Coplan- Inspired to Teach

Ann Coplan’s grandparents inspire her. “All four of them have shaped my life in various ways, and I would not be the person I am today without them,” she wrote. Coplan, who received the George Koeppel and Frances Z. Combee scholarships, follows two of her grandparents into teaching.

A Gift that Goes all the Way to Troy

Gifts to the College of Letters & Science allowed Professor William Aylward to involve students in his archaeological expedition of Troy.

UW Student Awarded One of Nation’s First Organic Plant Breeding Fellowships

The story of how Tessa Peters ended up snagging one of the nation's first graduate fellowships in organic plant breeding begins in an unlikely place: the middle of the ocean. After earning a bachelor's degree in physics, she set out as a geophysicist, mapping the ocean floor aboard a large ship. During her time off, she traveled widely and stumbled upon her new career path.

Acknowledging a Mentor’s Guidance

After seeing their son excel with help of a faculty mentor, Stew and Deb Stender made a gift that will help students at the Wisconsin School of Business.

Katrina Van Dyke- Discovering Her True Calling

Academics and a family tradition of attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison drew Katrina Van Dyke to the state’s flagship university. And she arrived with a plan. Finish a genetics major in four years and continue in the graduate program in genetics counseling.

Experiencing the World

Rachel Glab was in Montserrat on bird business-specifically, researching how to protect the Montserrat oriole, a species facing various threats. International travel would have been beyond her means without funding from the CALS Study Abroad Scholarship Fund.

Robert Wiedenhoeft- A Badger for Life

Attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison was Robert Wiedenhoeft’s first choice since he watched Ron Dayne break the NCAA rushing record at Camp Randall Stadium.Wiedenhoeft, from Franklin, Wisconsin, also knew choosing the UW-Madison was the best way for me to hold onto his Wisconsin roots and be well prepared to become a teacher.

Alexandra Branscombe Receives Two Prestigious Scholarships

Alexandra Branscombe, a fifth-year senior in LSC, has received the J.W. Watt Agricultural Journalism Memorial Scholarship and the Douglas D. Sorenson Scholarship.

Melanie Zaferos- Pursuing a Dream to Teach

Melanie Zaferos from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, follows her mother, father and sister to the UW-Madison. She’s pursuing her lifelong dream to become an elementary school teacher and hopes to one day also teach abroad. The Ab and Nancy Nichols Great People Scholarship and Alta T. & Daniel B. Straley Scholarship allow her to continue her higher education.

Kayla Steinhorst- Living Up to Her Potential

Kayla Steinhorst from Baraboo, Wisconsin, believes the UW-Madison will allow her to reach her educational potential, and she wrote that she also appreciates Madison’s unique and exciting atmosphere. The Gwen P. Shapiro Rural Nursing Scholarship isn’t just a monetary award for Steinhorst; it’s a recognition of her hard work and her parents’ commitment to help her as much as they can, despite tough economic times.

Hyunah Cho- New Country, New Challenges

The Oscar Rennebohm Teaching Award gives graduate assistant Hyunah Cho confidence to teach American students, even though he’s from South Korea. The teaching assistant award also encourages her to stay in academia to perform research and teach students. “I truly appreciate your generosity and hope sometime in my life, I can help students as now you help us,” Cho wrote.

Ellen Conroy- Reaching for Excellence

Inspired by her mother, Ellen Conroy, who plans to become a pediatrician, doesn’t believe in stopping at “good enough.” The Wren Torgerson Scholarship allows her to worry less about how she pays for tuition, books and housing as she pursues her dream and may also allow her to volunteer abroad.

Appreciating the Connections

The financial aid Lenore Maruyama received at the UW-Madison is one reason she has made student support a priority in her giving.

Why I Give: Robert Mathieu

Robert Mathieu, an astronomy professor currently on sabbatical, was on the Faculty Senate’s University Committee in 2008 when he and Chair Ann Hoyt led the Faculty-Staff Great People Scholarship Campaign.He talked about the reasons behind the Great People effort and why it matters to students, faculty, staff and the campus as a whole.

Why I Give: Ann Hoyt

Ann Hoyt is a professor of consumer science in the School of Human Ecology. In 2008, as chair of the Faculty Senate’s University Committee, she and Robert Mathieu headed up the Faculty-Staff Great People Scholarship Campaign. She talks about that experience and the emotional rewards of supporting UW-Madison students.

Meet Alexandra Branscombe

Meet Alexandra Branscombe, a CALS Life Sciences Communication student who is excited and grateful to be the recipient of the J.W. Watt Agricultural Journalism Memorial Scholarship and Douglas D. Sorenson Scholarship.

Encouraging Family Physicians

The Korbitz Endowed Scholarship has rewarded 23 medical students who’ve made a commitment to family medicine.

Carbohydrates Influence Stem Cells, Tuberculosis

By manipulating specific carbohydrates, Professor Laura Kiessling has discovered a better way to grow stem cells and new approaches for treating diseases such as tuberculosis, which affects a third of the world’s population.

Ensuring a Future

Few of us can resist a golden retriever. Big, lovable, friendly. After living with five goldens, John and Linda Nelson designated a planned gift for cancer research in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Changing Lives One Treatment, One Student at a Time

After earning his master’s and doctoral degrees from the UW-Madison, retired biochemist James Chieh-Hsia Mao, who fled Chinese Communism, wants to help students and better the world.

Attracting the World’s Best Minds

What’s a department chair to do, when he’s given six new faculty lines but needs start-up packages to go with them. Donors step in.

Targeting a Strategic Approach

Dr. Douglas McNeel and his team at the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR) have been targeting ways the body might fight off prostate tumors.

Magnetic Field Study

Gifts to the L&S Annual Fund support ground-breaking research about how magnetic fields are generated. The Madison Plasma Dynamo Experiment is the first facility in the world to study the origin of the magnetic fields of planets, stars and galaxies. The origin of magnetic fields in universe is unknown, despite efforts by many scientists. The donations allowed for the creation of a new laboratory hosting an innovative sphere that is the focal point of the experiment.

Fund the Future

Gifts to the L&S Annual fund benefit the L&S Freshman Scholar Award allow the College to provide assistance to 25 outstanding first-year students.

Collaborating on a Masterpiece

The Chazen Museum is a cornerstone of the visionary East Campus Gateway, which, when completed, will provide a swath of carefully planned development from Regent Street to Lake Mendota.

Moving the Student Giving Spirit

By several measures, students giving to support UW–Madison and their awareness of its importance leaped forward in 2011.

Helping One Aids Many

Abby Bernhagen, recipient of a Great People Scholarship, tested wastewater from the Salvadoran community of Nejapa as a member of the student organization Engineers Without Borders–El Salvador.

GE Healthcare to Provide Anticipated $32.9 Million for New Imaging Research Facility

Imagine a place where doctors can tell patients in advance if cancer treatment will work for them, without going through an entire course of chemotherapy. The UW School of Medicine and Public Health, GE Healthcare and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation today announced new agreements focused on bringing that vision to life.

Farmers Have Reaped the Benefit of His Work

Glenn Coates and his wife, Dolores, live in Racine and have made gifts to establish the Jake Beuscher/Coates Family Scholarship in the Law School.

Emily Nelson- Greatest Gift of All

I love attending my classes, strolling around the city, and enjoying the atmosphere. It is the opportunity that a scholarship can give a young student that is the greatest gift of all.

Million-dollar Keck Foundation Grant Funds UW-Madison Genome Research

An interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has received a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to fund research into creating synthetic genome "foundries."

Donald Radcliffe- Scholarships Lead to Growth, Service

A big reason I am able to pursue these incredible experiences is that I have had financial assistance in the form of scholarships.

Lending a Hand to Low-Income Workers

Wisconsin Business Development has funded initiatives in the Center on Business and Poverty to help low-income employees.

Channeling Campus Resources to Sustain Tomorrow’s Health

Ensuring world health today and tomorrow will require resources from across campus, says Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute.

Why I Give: Russell Has Witnessed What Giving Makes Possible

Jeff Russell has seen what philanthropy can do on campus, and that’s a big reason he and his wife, Vicki, support the UW-Madison.

With Help from Milwaukee Company, Two Engineers Graduate with a Head Start

Two University if Wisconsin-Madison engineering graduates had a head start on promising careers even as they crossed the stage in the May 2012 commencement ceremony. Now they will join the ranks of engineers at Rockwell Automation.

Fueling Dreams: Chad Navis Studies, Encourages Entrepreneurship

Chad Navis, assistant professor of management and human resources, uses his research into entrepreneurship to inform his classes, encouraging students to start successful businesses.

Mellon Foundation Backs a New Paradigm for Area Studies

The Mellon Foundation gift will provide “bridge funding” over several years to allow the university to prepare for the future.

Summer Snapshots: Badgers Go Digging

Most of the students in the College of Letters & Science may be away, but that doesn’t mean the action has stopped on campus. Our faculty and staff are still living out the Wisconsin Idea, both in Madison and all over the world.

Looking Out for Small Towns

K. Gus Vlahadamis has established the Vlahadamis Law Firm Scholarship in the University of Wisconsin Law School, and once it is endowed, he would like it to support Wisconsin students outside of Dane and Milwaukee counties interested in practicing in rural Wisconsin.

Couple Share Eclectic Collection, Asian-inspired Garden During High Tea

During the High Tea, an annual event that spotlights homes and collections of people who have supported the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, Linda Brazill and Mark Golbach shared their motivations in building their collection and constructing the garden.

Hailey Akers- A New Perspective

After completing my first year at UW-Madison I have taken a new perspective on the value of education. Education not only is obtained through the classroom, but it also obtained through experience.

Amanda Detry- A Sense of Place

Financial support from scholarships enables students like Amanda to explore the many opportunities the UW has to offer.

Fresh Air Led to a New Life

After growing up in the heat of Mississippi and Louisiana, Dorothy Pearson felt the cool breeze off Lake Michigan in June and sensed it was the wind of change.

Evan Mast- Positive Influence

Many students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison take time to make a difference in the community. Evan witnessed the impact that his fellow students were making and was inspired to do the same.

Missy Setz- Engineering an Improved Quality of Life

Missy is a devoted and enthusiastic Badger who found her passion in Geological Engineering and Environmental Studies. A program called Engineers Without Borders provided her with the opportunity to take her enthusiasm to El Salvador where she helped improve the quality of life in a rural community.

Why I Give: A Lifetime of Great Experiences Inspires Philanthropy

Karen Pridham and her husband, Walt, give jointly to various initiatives on campus, including the School of Nursing, the Great People Scholarship, the Wisconsin Union and more. She shared some of their motivations for their gifts.

Happy Blues: Arrival of Limited-edition Chair Kicks Off Union Campaign

Joy Amundson (’76 BA L&S), who serves on the Wisconsin Union’s Campaign Cabinet, jumped at the opportunity to own a piece of Badger history: a limited-edition Mendota Blue chair.

Varsity Band Concert Thrills, with Support from Baird

The UW Varsity Band Concert played to exuberant Kohl Center crowds in April.

Erin Mellenthin – Altering My Perspective

With graduation looming, every day that passes heightens my anticipation. Though I freely admit the lure of the stage and graduation ceremony, are not what I am most anticipating. Instead I cannot wait to go out, and practice what I have learned in my time at UW-Madison.

School of Nursing celebrates ground breaking

A dream two decades in the making moved a step closer to reality on Saturday, April 21, when the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing broke ground on its new building. The Wisconsin State Journal’s Deborah Ziff covered the event and the journey to get there.

Jennifer Sanchez- Desire to Help Others

Originally from Brooklyn, NY and most recently from Wellington, FL I moved to Wisconsin to pursue a doctoral degree in Rehabilitation Psychology. Being a single mother of 2 children, my decision affected more than just my life. My children could not be more supportive.

Alliant Energy Foundation Backs Campus Initiatives

The life-improving Odyssey Project, the University of Wisconsin Center for Nonprofits and the Wisconsin Union Theater are the beneficiaries of grants from the Alliant Energy Foundation to support programs at the UW-Madison.

Pay It Forward

Jennifer Holle brought work ethic from the farm to CALS, where she’s majoring in dairy science. Besides hard work, another key to Holle’s success has been crucial financial assistance. Holle is a two-time recipient of a Wisconsin Rural Youth Scholarship, a program that CALS set up in 2009 specifically for young people like her.

Double Win: Back the Badgers, Support Student Interns at Spring Football Game

Proceeds from the April 28 Wisconsin Football Spring Game will support a new program in the School of Human Ecology’s Center for Nonprofits that will match prospective interns with nonprofits and help the students get paid for their work.

Stem Cells Benefit Heart Research

By translating discoveries into practical applications, the School of Medicine and Public Health battles cardiovascular disease.

Will Provision Works Best

Even though he graduated from Northwestern University, Robert P. “Bob” Gleason has always held the University of Wisconsin-Madison, particularly its athletic teams, close to his heart.

Student Research to Help Wisconsin Farmers

Caitlin Henning and Anders Gurda, who both secured Annual Fund-supported graduate assistantships, are exploring how to create regional markets and control Canada thistle in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Agroecology Master’s Program.

Memorial Fund Established in Honor of Anthony Shadid

After the tragic death of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and UW-Madison alumnus Anthony Shadid while on assignment in Syria, friends and alumni have started a memorial fund in his honor.

Art Workshops Deepen Connections between High School Teachers, UW Artists

Workshops supported by art graduate Helen Burish have strengthened the connection between area high school teachers and artists in the Department of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Gifts Improve Discourse on Rwanda, Judicial Decisions, Union Politics

Gifts help the Department of Political Science recruit and retain top faculty, who examine world issues.

UW-Madison Launches Surgery Research Program for Teens

Students in the surgery program will be selected from those enrolled in UW-Madison’s Precollege Enrichment Opportunity for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) program.

Bascom Hill Society Members to Gather in March

Invitations to great events such as Wisconsin Weekend Away are just one of the benefits of membership in the Bascom Hill Society.

Selig Lecturer: Baseball Helped Japanese Connect with America

In “One Base at a Time,” the Selig Distinguished Lecture in Sport and Society, Professor Samuel O. Regalado illuminated how baseball helped shape Japanese American identity and build social and global bridges.

Nursing Looks to the Future

Thanks to named professorships, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing is recruiting new faculty to bolster clinical teaching, encourage cooperation among health-care providers and delve deeper into how nurses can best serve families and children.

Spreading the Word: The UW Student Foundation

The UW Student Foundation is focused on raising awareness of how much private support means to the University. “What we want to do is educate students about the alumni and friends of the University and what they are doing to help campus and students,” founder Seamus Fitzgerald said.

Storied Career Inspires Generous Gift

Professor Harold Scheub, who has taught on campus for more than 40 years, has established a Great People Scholarship. “My whole life is students,” he said. “I love walking into that classroom.”

Gifts in Memory of “Dr. Dave” Impact Students

Whether judging cattle or investing in students, David Dickson had an uncanny ability to seize the positive and sum it up succinctly. Gifts made since his death will continue to provide for what Dickson valued most—University students.

Lessons in Leadership

Willis Jones was a legendary Wisconsin high school coach. He knew how to motivate young people and inspire them to be champions and leaders. His daughter, Dottie King, and her husband, Bob, endowed the Willis L. Jones Student Leadership Center in Memorial Union so UW-Madison students would have an opportunity to learn their own lessons in leadership.

Teamwork Boosts La Bahn Arena Effort

Many University of Wisconsin-Madison hockey alumni joined with other major donors to assure that future players will have the best opportunity to add to a remarkable story.

Arena’s Benefits Spurred La Bahns’ Support

A new facility for hockey and swimming captured the interest of Charles and Mary Ann La Bahn.

Celebrities Give HEADRUSH a Boost

What do Scarlett Johansson, Gerard Butler, Justin Timberlake and Eva Longoria all have in common? Along with other celebrities, they each recently posed for “The Beauty Book for Brain Cancer,” a new book to benefit "HEADRUSH," a brain cancer research fund at the UW Carbone Cancer Center.

3M Foundation Continues Support for Research Experiences

The contribution will allow six students who have an interest in or strong potential for pursuing graduate degrees to participate in a nine-week-long summer research experience.

Turning a red fire engine ‘green’

The Bucky Wagon is back and looking better than ever, thanks to many donors who supported a two-year makeover.

‘Great people’ in the College of Engineering

The UW-Madison Great People Scholarship Campaign and funding through the College of Engineering Dean’s Fund for Excellence help keep the university accessible to students who have the intellectual ability, curiosity and tenacity to achieve their educational goals.

Stamps Foundation Gives UW-Madison Stamp of Approval

The Stamps Scholar Program at the UW-Madison started this year in the School of Music. The UW Foundation is working with the Stamps Foundation to expand the Stamps Scholars program to other areas of campus.

A Place at the Table for Campus ‘Family Members’

With more than 40 years invested on campus, Chris and Marge Kleinhenz have deepened their relationship with their University family through their giving.

Target Hits the Mark with Grants to Campus

Target Corporation has a long history of generously supporting the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For nearly a decade, Target has enhanced and enabled student participation in numerous community service and educational events. Most recently, UW-Madison received nine Target campus grants totaling more than $40,000.

Engineering Students Prepare to “Connect for Life”

Now students and recent graduates have twice the incentive to make a gift to the College of Engineering. The college’s Industrial Advisory Board will double match these gifts as part of the Connect for Life introduction. The goal of Connect for Life is to start students on a path of lifelong involvement with the college and the University.

Blanchards Preserve Trail

With gifts and labor, the Blanchard Family improves the trails at the UW-Madison Arboretum.

Bascom Hill Society Members Learn About Restoration Plans for the Memorial Union

The November Showcase Luncheon featured Director of the Wisconsin Union Mark Guthier highlighting plans to improve Memorial Union and surrounding lakeshore.

Tenured Women Mentor New Women Faculty

Tenured women faculty help new women navigate the ins and outs of University life.

Alumni Share Medical School Memories with the First UW Medical School Great People Scholars

UW Medical School alumni met and mingled with Phil Miles and Heather Nennig, first year medical students and the school’s first Great People Scholars at a reception hosted by Dr. Dennis Maki and his wife, Gail. The November 10, 2011 event raised awareness and support for the Great People Scholarship Campaign.

Campus and Community Celebrate Chazen Museum of Art Addition

For an entire weekend, October 20 to 23, the campus community, city of Madison neighbors and dignitaries, and guests from around the country gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Chazen Museum.

Honored Economist Builds on Wisconsin Roots

Noted economist Stephen Roach, who has supported career development in the Department of Economics, was honored as one of the recipients of the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Sheila Keaton- I get what students are going through

I was living and working off campus my sophomore year. I was paying for school on my own, and I had an intense and draining job. It was rough. Things turned around for me when I came back to campus as a House Fellow.

Changing the World One Cause at a Time

Members of the Women’s Philanthropy Council gathered November 2 for “Gender, Generations and Giving,” the Biennial Forum that is the group’s signature event.

Celebrating Family Scholarships in Athletics, Education and Nursing

What happens when families establish scholarships? Wonderful things! Check out lunch with the Patterson Solie family and the first recipients of their scholarships.

Campus Readies for Selig’s Arrival

Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig, a 1956 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will return to campus to write his memoirs after he retires in 2012. Selig, a history major, has endowed a professorship on the history of sports, and scholarships have been created in his honor. In this Wisconsin State Journal story, George Hesselberg reports on preparations for Selig’s arrival.

Great People Scholarship Helps Students Reach Dreams

Rick Issod died during his sophomore year of college and was never able to achieve his dreams. But his parents are helping other UW-Madison students reach their goals through the Richard Scott Issod Great People Scholarship

A Very Dairy Future

“I hope to pursue a career as a dairy geneticist or research the human genome,” says Bethany Dado, 17, of Amery, who plans to double major in dairy science and genetics. And at the Wisconsin Junior State Fair in August, the high school senior won a statewide award to help her achieve those goals.

Have a Seat

A gift from Gary C. Wendt means additional sections of popular courses in the Wisconsin School of Business for non-business majors.

At Home in Madison

As related in this Wisconsin State Journal story, the Pro Arte Quartet was stranded in Madison when the Nazis invaded the musicians’ Belgian homeland in 1940. Then-University President Clarence Dykstra offered the Quartet refuge and extended an invitation for the group to serve as ensemble-in-residence at the UW-Madison, the United States’ first university resident string quartet. The Pro Arte Quartet will perform as part of the Bascom Hill Society Showcase Series luncheon on Tuesday, December 6, at Union South.

We did it! Bucky Challenge earns nearly $20,000 for scholarships

UW–Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Association have a message for the campus community of social media users: You have accomplished something historic. During the challenge period, students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends helped UW–Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Association make close to 20,000 new social media connections.

Patients, Families Join Wedding Party

Dr. Taryn Bragg celebrated her wedding with her patients at the American Family Children’s Hospital and designated gifts to benefit the institution.

Middleton Society Celebrates

Dr. Robert N. Golden, dean of the School of Medicine and Public Health, lauded the caliber of this year’s incoming class during the annual Middleton Society Celebration September 16 at Monona Terrace.

Partners Say Cheese

The Center for Dairy Research is at the heart of Wisconsin’s artisan cheese industry. Now, the cheese makers say thanks by supporting a campaign to renovate center facilities.

Astronaut and College of Engineering Alumnus Brewster Shaw Lands on Campus for Talk and Scholarship Presentation

Brewster Shaw, astronaut on three Space Shuttle missions, returned to the College of Engineering campus on September 14 to speak and to present an Astronaut Scholarship Foundation scholarship to College of Engineering student, Anthony Sprangers, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering.

Band Donors Enjoy their Five Minutes of Fame

More than 350 Wisconsin Marching Band supporters took the field with their students this Saturday, September 10, during half-time in the Wisconsin vs. Oregon State game. There's more to cheer about than just great Badger football.

Oregon State Visitors Get Badger Welcome

UW Foundation’s Corporate and Foundation Relations Department presented an overview of corporate relations on the UW-Madison campus and Madison community to visiting Oregon State University (OSU) personnel.

Foundation’s Gift Supports University Opera

The John and Carolyn Peterson Charitable Foundation has made a contribution of $15,000 to support a teaching assistant position for one year within the University Opera.

Watchdogs on Beat Thanks to Internship

For the last three years, UW-Madison interns have worked with the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thanks to support from Sharon Stark.

Drugs Under the Microscope

Pharmacy research targets Central Nervous System Disorders at the source, in the brain. Assistant Professor Robert Thorne studies how to deliver medication across the blood-brain barrier.

Unitrusts Benefit Donor, University

With the proceeds from selling two condominiums in Vail, Colorado, Ed Drager created charitable remainder unitrusts through the UW Foundation. The unitrusts help his current financial situation and eventually will benefit UW-Madison.

Badgers Have the Right Game Plan When It Comes to Need-based Financial Aid

Badger sports produce more than excitement. Licensing fees and Big Ten Network shared revenue enabled the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department (UWAD) to contribute more than $2.7 million to support need-based financial aid. That’s championship performance.

PEOPLE Students, Supporters Celebrate Success

The July 29 PEOPLE Recognition Banquet celebrated 138 high school seniors arriving on the threshold of college and 87 UW-Madison freshmen who have gone through the pre-college portion of the PEOPLE Program.

Do You Shower Before or After Work?

Do people who come home grimy from manual labor jobs work harder than people who shower first and then go to work? Wisconsinites share their views with Associate Professor of Political Science Katherine Cramer Walsh.

Dictionary Benefits from Foundation Support

A $10,000 gift was received recently from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation of New York on behalf of the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE). Begun in 1965, the Dictionary collects and makes accessible in print all the words and expressions that American speakers of the English language use in their sections of the country but which are not used everywhere.

Guatemala Experience Changes Career Path

Abby Kalscheur may never forget following the spry Guatemalan farmer up the side of a volcano to his milpa, a small subsistence farm. Twenty students and three faculty members struggled to keep up with the father of 10, during an international learning trip.

Boeing Support Boosts Students, National Science Olympiad

For the past 25 years, corporate philanthropy from The Boeing Company has benefitted UW-Madison. This generous history continued in 2011, with a grant for $5,000 for undergraduate Boeing Scholarships in the College of Engineering and $5,000 to support the National Science Olympiad hosted by the University in 2011.

Nuclear Engineering in the Field

Bascom Hill Society members and guests were keenly interested in Professor of Engineering Michael L. Corradini‘s presentation on nuclear engineering and the reactor disaster in Japan.

Yiddish Culture at the Fore with KlezKamp, Greenfield Institute

The University of Wisconsin-Madison campus became a nexus of Yiddish music and culture from July 10-14 thanks to the inaugural Madison Summer KlezKamp and the 12th annual Greenfield Summer Institute.

Human Ecology Building Named for Nancy Nicholas

The renovated School of Human Ecology building will be named for Nancy Johnson Nicholas, a 1955 graduate of the school and the major donor along with husband Albert "Ab" Nicholas for the new facility. Nancy Nicholas Hall, opening in 2012, will be the first facility on campus to be named for a female donor.

Tandem Press Wine Auction Attracts Enthusiastic Bidders

A summery June evening, the opportunity to support printmaking and the thrill of taking home a vintage wine attracted 175 people to the annual Tandem Press wine auction.

Legacy of Professor Joseph Dillinger Endures

When Theodore "Ted" Cohen published his first novel, "Full Circle," he mailed it to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Physics with a check and a note, reading, "In partial repayment of a debt long overdue."

High Tea a Success

Nearly 50 guests were refreshed by iced tea at this year’s High Tea benefit for the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection.

Assume Complexity in Social Work

Ed Irwin’s working to help other consumers (of mental health services) and students who will be social workers.

Gift Annuities a Sound Vehicle for this Engineer

G.R. "Duke" Williams is a hands-on kind of guy, but he finds that it makes sense for the University of Wisconsin Foundation to handle an increasing percentage of his portfolio through gift annuities.

WAA Introduces Ice Cream, Street Signs to Mark 150th

Alumni and friends helped the Wisconsin Alumni Association celebrate with a 150th birthday party on Alumni Pier. WAA introduced Mad Grad Medley ice cream and unveiled new street signs that will be installed across campus.

Students Soak in KlezKamp Experience Thanks to Donors

UW-Madison students were able to experience KlezKamp, a celebration of Yiddish culture, thanks to the William & Marjorie Coleman Fund for Undergraduate Learning Enhancement. The Madison Summer KlezKamp will be held July 10-14.

Pharmacy Scholarship Opens Doors to Opportunity

Pharmacy gives April Jue the opportunity to blend her interest in seeing results for patients with her love of science. Thanks to the Pharmacy Alumni Association (PAA) and several hundred alumni and friends, Jue has another opportunity: She can seriously consider studying in Ecuador this summer.

Visitors get Sneak Peek at Chazen Museum Expansion

Led by museum director Russell Panczenko, visitors donned hard hats and sensible shoes for a tour of the Chazen Museum of Art expansion. Completion is slated for late summer with grand opening celebrations in October.

Land-grant Tradition Lives on in Faculty Award

The land-grant university system, which allows ordinary people to follow their dreams, is vital to democracy, says Robert Spitze, a product of four land-grant institutions including the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With the Robert G. F. and Hazel T. Spitze Land Grant Faculty Award for Excellence in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, he hopes to ensure the land-grant tradition will not be forgotten.

North and Friends raise more than $900,000 for UWCCC

More than $900,000 was raised in the third annual Andy North & Friends Golf Classic events at Trappers Turn Golf Club and Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

WAA-France Backs Scholar’s Study of Subversive Songs

University of Wisconsin-Madison PhD candidate and first-ever Ouisconsin Scholar Kelly Jakes has focused her research on how and why members of the Resistance used well-known tunes to subvert and battle their occupiers.

Great People Scholarships Give Great Students a Boost

UW Credit Union Great People Scholarships helped three seniors earn their bachelor’s degrees this spring.

Mini Med School Shows Research in Action

The mini med school lecture series at the UW-Madison invites audience members to become med students to learn the latest information about heart disease and, June 20, breast cancer.

Whom Would You Honor?

The School of Education has created a program that makes it easy for you to recognize teachers and academic mentors. The Honor Your Teacher Campaign offers the opportunity to make a gift in honor of the educator who has made a profound impact on your life.

Award will Help Children with Brain Injuries

Dr. Joshua Medow is finding a way to help children and adults who rely on shunts to drain excess fluid from their brains. A three-year, $300,000 award from The Hartwell Foundation is moving the work forward.

Scientist Turned Wordsmith Impacts Students

Theodore “Ted” Cohen has authored five novels that share his life experiences—facts wrapped in fiction—that many Badgers will recognize.

Cellular and Molecular Biology Celebrates 50 years of Graduate Education

Students, alumni and faculty celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary Friday, May 27, with a day of presentations and time to reconnect. With the celebration, CMB also will announce a new fund created to support a lecture series that brings successful alumni back to campus each semester.

Football a Winner for Nursing

The new School of Nursing building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was the biggest winner after the Badgers’ Spring Football game. Not only did 10,000 fans generate $50,000 in ticket revenues for the capital campaign, an unnamed donor, inspired by the game, gave $1 million to move the campaign forward to build a new home for the School.

Morgridges Matching Graduates’ Gifts

John and Tashia Morgridge have pledged to match each gift made by a member of the graduating UW-Madison senior class through the end of 2011.

Breaking Ground Thanks to Gifts

Sharon Cole, a captain on the first Badger women’s hockey national champions in 2006, is one of the donors making the LaBahn Arena possible at UW-Madison. The Wisconsin State Journal shared her story in its May 12 edition.

PEOPLE Prep to be emulated in New Cardinal Stritch Effort

The University of Wisconsin-Madison PEOPLE program will partner with Cardinal Stritch University to develop the first ever program replicating PEOPLE at a non-UW institution.

Teen Fights Alzheimer’s with Bingo, Softball

While she cannot restore her grandmother’s memories, Ali Brems, a Kenosha, Wisconsin, 18-year-old, wants to help ensure other granddaughters won’t face the same loss. Inspired by an intensive high school course on Alzheimer’s disease, she hosted a Bingo fundraiser for Alzheimer’s disease research as her senior project.

Encouraging Collaboration for Better Health

Evidence increasingly shows that nurses, physicians and pharmacists will need to collaborate more and communicate more closely to deliver affordable, top-quality health care. With an eye to encouraging a new, cooperative health-care model, Richard Sinaiko and his wife, Patricia, have established a new professorship in the School of Nursing.

Roses, Rhythm and Reminiscing Highlight the Annual Spring Band Concert

The April 14-16, 2011 spring Varsity Band concert celebrated the 125th birthday of the Wisconsin Marching Band and a return to the roses. Former “Tonight Show” drummer Ed Shaughnessy joined Professor Mike Leckrone, Varsity Band members and featured guest performers in a program that ranged from ragtime to rock, Motown to Broadway, Sousa to Sinatra, The Four Tops to the Fifth Quarter.

Braveheart Gifts Arrive with Stories

As animal lovers around the world have opened their hearts to help Braveheart, the dog that was rescued from a Kentucky dumpster, compassion and good wishes have washed through the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

Engineering Expo ’11 Mystifies and Motivates

Future engineers and scientists visited the College of Engineering to discover all the things engineers do. They performed experiments, controlled flashing lights, watched an earthquake swallow a building, built self-sufficient cells and learned that science is pretty interesting.

Coach’s Helping Hand Leads to Gift through Will

A favor that a coach did for young Richard Sierzant (’67 BS EDU) is being repaid through an athletic scholarship endowed through the alumnus’ will.

Wisconsin Weekend Away Earns a Solid ‘A’

California’s Rancho Bernardo Inn welcomed UW-Madison alumni and friends for the 2011 Wisconsin Weekend Away. The class of 81 participants called lecturers “extraordinary” and “enlightening.”

McBurney Disability Resource Center Celebrates Grand Opening

The campus center for students with disabilities welcomed guests for tours of its new state-of-the-art home in the heart of campus at 702 W. Johnson Street. Visitors, University of Wisconsin-Madison administrators, McBurney Center staff and students gathered to dedicate the facility, which includes unique design features and innovative programs that showcase the University’s leadership in serving this student population.

Four Professors Honored with Hilldale Award

Claudia Card, Bruce Klein, Max Lagally and Marsha Mailick Seltzer have been honored with 2011 Hilldale Awards, the top honor for faculty members at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Scholarships Draw Top Talent to School of Music

"Donors make it possible for UW-Madison to get all the great talent that we have," senior Daniel Kim said. "Without them, this institution doesn’t happen, at least not the way it does today."

Details Set Union South Apart

By now, you have probably heard about Union South’s eight bowling alleys, the climbing wall, the new movie theater and the Sett, a three-story club and recreation complex named after a badger’s den. The details, however, are what make the new $94.8 million gathering spot a worthy partner for the historic Memorial Union.

Djerassi Play puts Relationships under the Microscope

Department of Theatre & Drama graduate students performed a staged reading of "Foreplay" before an engaged and entertained audience in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Town Center that included the play’s author, world-renowned scientist and fiction writer Carl Djerassi (’45 PhD L&S). Djerassi’s three-day visit to campus was an ILLUMINATE: UW-Madison Year of the Arts event.

R.W. Baird & Company Brings Featured Artist to Band Concert

R.W. Baird & Company will sponsor legendary drummer Ed Shaugnessy as guest artist at this year's UW Varsity Band Spring Concert. This will be the third year that Baird has supported the featured artist at the concerts. Previous artists have included world-class steelpan drum player Liam Teague and trumpet virtuoso Mark Pender.

Steven Sapkin, M.D.– Learning Life and Living

I enrolled at UW-Madison as a pre-med student in the fall of 1960, having received a full-tuition scholarship provided by the University. Good fortune smiled down on me when Dr. Irving Shain was assigned as my student advisor.

Debunking Myths about Native Americans’ Role in World War II

The Native Americans who fought in World War II were far different from the image of the “noble savage” common in Europe and even among many Americans. Professor John Hall debunked some of the myths surrounding the Indian as warrior and introduced the audience to a true American and true Indian hero at a recent Bascom Hill Society luncheon.

Lecture Links Crocheting, Geometry, Coral Reefs

The Hyperbolic Crocheted Reef Project, made of crocheted contributions from hundreds of craftswomen (and a few men) around the world, will be introduced to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Thursday, March 31. Project co-founder Margaret Wertheim, co-founder of the Institute for Figuring, presents the Ruth Ketterer Harris Lecture at 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Proud Parents Lead Effort to Support Campus Libraries

Steve and Nancy Batterman of DePere have sent three children to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and they are glad the experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. Now, they are stepping forward to lead the UW Foundation’s 2011 Parents Enrichment Fund.

UW Mini Med School – 2011

Learn what you can do – and what the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health is discovering – to ensure better health for everybody by attending this series of Mini Med School events.

Michael M. T. Henderson- Most Enjoyable Years

Three of the most enjoyable years of my life were 1969-72, when I was housed on the 11th floor of Van Hise. I had no idea that school could be so much fun.

Nursing School in State Budget

The State Building Commission Wednesday, March 16, approved plans to construct a new $52.2 million building for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing. The project, the top campus building priority, was added to the governor’s proposed capital budget for 2011-2013.

First Wave Performers Electrify Broadway Stage

Four standout student performers from the groundbreaking First Wave Spoken Word and Urban Arts Learning Community at the University of Wisconsin-Madison took hip hop to court on Thursday, February 24, at the New Amsterdam Theatre on New York’s Broadway.

Science on a Shoestring

A modest amount of money, pooled from several sources, had a group of educators and scientists seeing stars so they could inspire young people to do the same.

Great People Scholarships will be Big Part of University’s Financial Equation

Great People Scholarships are the private component that will ensure a UW-Madison education is accessible to students from all financial situations.

Nursing Building Unveiled

School of Nursing faculty and staff had their first look February 25 at schematic designs for the School’s new building, which features a two-story atrium, 300-seat auditorium; wired, interactive classrooms, and simulation labs.

John Chaston- Learning In and Out of the Lab

It was a fantastic opportunity for me to become familiar with the work that these people are doing and to meet some of them. Again, the travel award was my sole supporter for all three meetings, and I am very grateful for the generosity of the donors who provided this learning experience for me.

Spring Game Supports Nursing

Buy a football ticket. Support nursing. That’s the winning strategy for the Badger football team’s spring game. The $5 ticket price for the April 23 game at Camp Randall Stadium will benefit the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing’s new learning center.

Bascom Hill Society Hears From Faculty Expert on U.S. Civil Rights

One of the most valued benefits for Bascom Hill Society members is the opportunity to hear outstanding faculty presentations at our BHS events, and Tuesday’s Luncheon was no exception.

The cultural story: “Clothing and Culture in South Asia”

For the first time in recent memory, pieces from the famed Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection are featured in an exhibition outside the state of Wisconsin. A special exhibit and gallery talk will be held Friday, March 4, 2011, at the Koehnline Museum of Art at the Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois.

US Bank Backs Great People Scholarship

Before the men’s basketball team played Purdue on snowy February 1, Scott Lockard, Madison Market President for U.S. Bank, presented a check to Chancellor Martin for touchdowns scored at Camp Randall Stadium during the 2010 Badger football season.

Repeat Winner in College of Engineering Innovation Days Competition

Arterial disease treatment system earns mechanical engineering senior $10,000 Innovation Days top prize. Alumni make more than $28,000 in prizes available for concept, prototype and presentation.

Teacher Made Final Gifts from the Heart

UW-Madison alumna Martha Pavcek taught grade school in the Milwaukee area. She made one gift of $50 to her alma mater while she was alive. After her death in 2009, Pavcek’s estate made a gift of more than $2.7 million to be divided evenly between support for stem cell research and veterinary medical students.

48 hours in Florida, 3 Faculty Showcases

The UW Foundation engages alumni and friends of the UW-Madison by bringing Bascom Hill Society Faculty Showcase events to cities around the nation.

Dana Vielmetti- Focused on Learning

My greatest learning experience was definitely studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I cannot begin to describe the experience in words, but I grew socially, culturally and academically every single day.

Gifts Bring TomoTherapy to Pets

Thanks to private support, the first veterinary application of TomoTherapy is available in the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine’s new Radiation Therapy Clinic. Dogs and cats are benefitting from the treatment that allows veterinarians to pinpoint a tumor before radiation therapy begins.

Signe Cooper Celebrates 90th Birthday

Friends, colleagues, alumni and Dean Kathryn May joined Signe Skott Cooper for her 90th birthday celebration January 28 at the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing. Cooper, a national nursing Living Legend, earned her degree and later taught in the UW-Madison School of Nursing.

Wisconsin Weekend Away

New UW Foundation President and CEO Mike Knetter to join participants at Wisconsin Weekend Away near San Diego, California, March 25-27. Register by February 14.

First Selig Distinguished Lecture in Sport and Society Draws Capacity Crowd

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig joined a standing-room-only audience for the first Selig Distinguished Lecture in Sport and History. Selig endowed a chair in the history department for the study of professional sport in its larger national and social contexts.

Lecture Fills House at New York Public Library

Professor Charles L. Cohen, director of the Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, lectured on "Jews and Muslims in Christian America" at the Mid-Manhattan Branch of New York Public Library before a standing-room crowd on January 20.

Nursing Meets Basketball

Student-athlete Alyssa Karel is making her mark on the basketball court and in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing, and the Wisconsin State Journal shared her story in its January 19 edition.

UW Marching Band: Pasadena

Missing the Fifth Quarter excitement from this year's big Badger football season? Couldn't make the trip to Pasadena to see the home team in the Rose Bowl? Well now you can look back and see the band perform during the New Year’s Eve parade in Los Angeles.

Luau Funds Researcher

After three years of winter luaus, Lily’s Fund can support a new researcher in epilepsy. This year’s January 15 fundraiser netted $64,000 to bring epilepsy into the spotlight.

Workshop Helps Campus Partners Connect with Donors

Maj Fischer knew that encouraging philanthropy and building relationships with givers are important concepts. She discovered more of the “hows” and “whys” at a University of Wisconsin Foundation stewardship workshop on January 5.

A Tower Worthy of the Field

The UW Marching Band now has a director’s tower worthy of its new practice field. Funded by a small group of band donors and friends, the new structure and its Band Bucky "medallions" stand proudly over the field, completing the facility.

Philanthropy Key to Institutes of Discovery

John and Tashia Morgridge were honored for their gift at the grand opening of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

Change Your Mind

Aaron Heller, the first recipient of the James L. Davis Memorial Graduate Support Fund, studies the neurobiology of depression to develop new therapies. Regina Lapate, the second recipient, explores how emotional awareness might help overcome negative experiences.

Education is a Family Value

Daphne Newman Stassin has felt at home on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since she was a child. Now through her planned gifts, Stassin’s generosity will cover her beloved campus and impact future teachers, farmers and diplomats.

Beyond Bugs

With the Lillian and Alex Feir Graduate Student Fellowship Fund, Dorothy Feir is making it possible for University of Wisconsin-Madison entomology graduate students to help discover new ways to protect crops and people from insect problems.

Retail: More than Meets the Eye

Kohl’s Department Stores made a major gift that named the Kohl’s Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology.

Recruiting the Best

The Department of Economics in the College of Letters & Science is seizing the opportunity to bolster its already impressive national position by combining vigorous support from donors with Chancellor Biddy Martin’s Madison Initiative for Undergraduates.

Conger Sisters’ Gift to School of Nursing

The Conger sisters lived in the Nurses Dormitory, where they built enduring connections to their profession and fellow nurses. In honor of this special place, Katinka and Sarah have made gifts to the new Nursing Sciences Center.

Monsanto Fellows Work to Improve Crops

PhD students, pursuing their degrees in plant and animal breeding, are discovering new ways to feed a hungry world and produce sustainable energy. Monsanto, a leader in seed production, established a $1 million fund to encourage new professionals in plant breeding.

‘Cooking up’ a competitive future

At the 2009 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Wisconsin competition, in Burlington, Wisconsin, university vehicle team members raised $10,000 by running a food stand and serving more than 1,200 attendees. The money has launched an endowment that, with additional alumni support, will preserve the five teams for future generations of students.

Bishop Family Supports Rural Medicine

Erin Kimball (’03 BS ALS, ‘07 MD) grew up in City Point, a township of 250 in central Wisconsin where her family has lived for four generations. As a fourth year medical student in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, she chose a longitudinal rural track and spent five months at the Krohn Clinic in Black River Falls, population 3,800.

3M Will Help Bring National Science Olympiad to Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will host the next National Science Olympiad on May 18-21, 2011, when an estimated 7,000-plus middle school and high school students, parents, educators and volunteers arrive on campus. A $25,000 sponsorship grant from the 3M Foundation will help meet the costs of the 2011 Olympiad.

Alexandra Miller- Connecting the Dots

Like many first year students, my journey was full of uncertainties and even discomfort as I navigated the large UW campus and all of its offerings. Taking leadership roles within student groups and finding the close-knit geography department helped me create my own "space" within the large UW community.

School of Education Rededicated in Style

The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education celebrated the grand reopening of its revamped Education Building on Bascom Hill with events tied to American Education Week.

Student Actors Engage Society

Professor Norma Saldivar was the featured speaker at the recent Bascom Hill Society showcase luncheon and provided a wonderful glimpse into the Year of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Healing the Brain Through the Tongue

Scientist Kurt Kaczmarek talked about the "Amazing Plastic Brain" to a group gathered for the Lubar Lecture at the Milwaukee Art Museum on Wednesday, November 10.

Perlman Gifts Span Campus

How much difference can one woman make? Katherine "Kato" Perlman, PhD, a distinguished service emerita, senior scientist, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is touching lives on and off campus with her gifts.

Caught Doing Something Wonderful

Charles "Chuck" and Martha Casey take a creative approach to chemistry, academic planning and philanthropy. The Caseys have established several awards and recently made a bequest to ensure continued funding of their projects for at least 20 years.

Baseball Commissioner Selig Endows History Chair at UW-Madison

Allan H. "Bud" Selig often talks about how he views the decisions he makes as the commissioner of Major League Baseball in the light of history. Now he has made a gift to endow the Allan H. Selig Chair in History at the University.

Owners, Aarons Fund Scholarships in Seligs’ Honor

Three Major League Baseball owners and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron’s foundation have created scholarships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in honor of Commissioner and alumnus Allan H. “Bud” Selig and his wife, Suzanne.

J.P. Cullen & Sons, Inc.: Constructing a Legacy on Campus

From those early years working on Bascom Hall in the 20th century through the opening of a remodeled and expanded School of Education building and breaking ground on a new School of Human Ecology building in fall 2010, J.P. Cullen & Sons, Inc. has consistently come through for the University.

New President Looks Ahead

When he became president of the University of Wisconsin Foundation on October 16, Michael Knetter was doing what has become natural – pursuing an opportunity he saw as important.

Lessons in Leadership: Learn, Understand, Value

As a professor and chair of the Department of Comparative Biosciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, Gordon Mitchell sees the benefits of animal research firsthand- including benefits that save human lives.

David J. Mladenoff- Past Support Bears Fruit

The Beers-Bascom Professorship has allowed me to do many things that have expanded where and with whom I can work, making new links with top scientists in the field in Italy. The fund has also allowed me to be a more effective mentor to my graduate students, providing key support to add to their research, their visibility in the field and success in a competitive job market.

CALS Donors, Students Celebrate Scholarships

This year, donors' gifts to the University of Wisconsin helped the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences award more than $1 million in support to about 800 undergraduate, graduate and short-course students. On November 6, about 130 scholarship recipients and donors gathered to share their stories.

MillerCoors Makes Gift of Fermenters

Something is brewing in the Microbial Sciences Building on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. On Friday, November 5, MillerCoors representatives participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for three fermenters installed in the Kikkoman Fermentation Laboratory on the building’s second floor.

Honors Program Marks 50th Anniversary

The Honors Program in the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Letters & Science is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and is welcoming back to campus some of the people who petitioned to make the program possible.

Saman Dancers Perform at the 2010 Bascom Hill Society Fall Event

Keeping with the global theme of the Bascom Hill Society’s 2010 Fall Event, Saman Dancers from University of Wisconsin-Madison perform a beautiful dance routine.

Accepting the Bascom Hill Society Scholarship

Lauren "Nikki" Schmidt, the 2010 recipient of the Bascom Hill Society Scholarship accepts her award at the Society’s 2010 Fall Event.

A Dream Takes Shape

A dream inspired by the Dalai Lama and nurtured by philanthropist Ulco Visser found its home Monday night when Professor Richard Davidson invited guests into the Center for Healthy Minds in the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

It Starts With You

Research at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health gave Doug Bartow’s physicians the tools they needed to diagnose a potentially life-threatening, genetic heart condition.

Wilcox Accompanies Chancellor to China

Sandy Wilcox, president emeritus of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, is part of a faculty and staff delegation joining UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin on a visit to Greater China, with stops in Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei.

Mayrent Institute for Yiddish Culture Will Have Trove of Recordings

At the center of the new Mayrent Institute for Yiddish Culture will be an astounding collection of 78-rpm discs of historic recordings. The institute will spotlight Sherry Mayrent's entire collection of more than 6,000 78-rpm discs, which she is donating to the University's Mills Music Library.

Broadway Welcomes Wisconsin Union and Great People

When the curtain rose on a preview performance of “Lombardi” at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre on Friday, October 15, the audience included more than sixty University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni and friends who had just enjoyed personal insight into Vince Lombardi, the man and “Lombardi,” the play.

Gift Makes Chazen Museum of Art a Major Study Center

A prominent New York City attorney and his wife have bequeathed a major private collection of 20th century sculpture to the Chazen Museum of Art. The collection from the estate of the late Terese and Alvin S. Lane includes work from artists such as Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Noguchi, David Smith and Christo.

Mike Knetter Takes the Helm

It's official. Mike Knetter has become the third president of the University of Wisconsin Foundation. He follows in the footsteps of Robert Rennebohm ('48 CALS) and Andrew A. "Sandy" Wilcox.

Shalala Visit Supports Nursing Campaign

[Updated] Nurses need more training and more independence, according to Donna Shalala, former chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Shalala is the keynote speaker at today’s School of Nursing’s 11th annual Littlefield Leadership Lecture in the Wisconsin Union Theater.

Henry Luce Foundation Continues Support for Computer Sciences

The University of Wisconsin Foundation recently received the third of five installments of $120,000 each from the Henry Luce Foundation to continue its support for the Clare Boothe Luce Professorship in Computer Sciences at UW-Madison. The goal of the Clare Boothe Luce Program is “to encourage women to enter, study, graduate and teach” in disciplines in which they have been historically underrepresented and to increase the number of women in those fields.

International Learning Community at UW-Madison

Thousands of UW-Madison students study abroad. But hundreds more immerse themselves in global cultures right on campus through the International Learning Community (ILC). In Adams Hall, residents concentrate on languages as diverse as Arabic, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish while they learn to "Live Locally, Think Globally."

Perspectives- Nancy Francisco-Welke

As a development director for the School of Medicine and Public Health, Nancy Francisco-Welke helped raise funds to build the American Family Children’s Hospital. She talks about how the state-of-the-art facility has made the scary experience of going to the hospital a little more comfortable for young patients and their families and how in her job, the people make the difference.

Miriam Kopelow- A Journey to Campus

I hope to make a difference. I hope to host a classroom where kids feel empowered and excited. I have yet to figure out where, but it will be somewhere full of energy and laughter.

Catherine Kuzmicki- An Incredible View

I am inspired by my peers. Everyone at Madison is extremely goal-oriented. It's hard not to motivate yourself when you see everyone else around you doing it.

Douglas Wubben- Changing Paths

I am inspired by all of the nurses I have met through classes and clinical experiences because they embody what I hope to become: a knowledgeable, capable, steady, caring advocate that helps people in need through the medical system in a healing way.

Michael Poeschel- A Great Pursuit

I am just a small town kid who is taking advantage of my opportunity at UW-Madison. I am living life to the fullest and pursuing a nursing career with great enthusiasm.

Perspectives- Jennifer McFarland

Jennifer McFarland, senior development director, visits the Art Lofts, where students and faculty members create with energy and passion. In a visit to Dale Chihuly’s Mendota Wall, she talks about how students, faculty and alumni create and give back. Connecting UW-Madison’s friends and alumni with they love and support on campus is an art in itself.

Perspectives- David Golden

Investment Analyst David Golden earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the UW-Madison, he met his wife at the University, and his family enjoys much of what campus has to offer. He talks about how the endowment funds that the Foundation manages benefit the University in the long term.

Perspectives- Meng Xie

Meng Xie came to the UW-Madison campus from China as a graduate student with “nothing but a dream.” The application developer talks about how ballroom dancing connected her with the campus community and how her work on applications at the UW Foundation helps others give back.

Campus Welcomes Chinese Champions

Eleven Chinese champion student-athletes, including four Olympic medalists, are spending six months living and studying at the UW-Madsion as part of a groundbreaking partnership with Beijing University of Sport, the foremost sports, physical education and exercise science institution in China.

An Inspiring Life

Chueh Ying Shih made a perilous journey to freedom and eventually earned a PhD. She valued higher education as the key to a better life, and she encouraged her children to earn their own professional degrees.

Possible Alzheimer’s Predictor Found

Two new studies involving a newly identified gene show that Alzheimer’s disease could be diagnosed as much as 20 years before symptoms develop.

Letters & Science Honors: 50 Years of Raising the Bar

The Honors Program in the College of Letters & Science was created in April 1960 and it was launched in the fall semester of 1960. Fifty years later, the program is thriving, and its students are leaders on campus and in the community.

Letters & Science Honors: The Power of Giving

Private support has meant so much to the Honors Program and its students over the years. The L&S Honor program wouldn’t be what it is, and the students would not have as rich an experience, without that philanthropy.

Letters & Science Honors: Increased Opportunities

The Letters & Science Honors Program has many tales of high student achievement. Daniel Lecoanet could be its poster child.

“Health by Motorbike” Africa-Bound

Araceli Alonso, Gender and Women’s Studies lecturer and faculty associate, College of Letters & Science, is spending the summer traveling around rural Kenya as part of her “Health by Motorbike” initiative.

Regents Approve Tuition Increase

The 18-member University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved a 5.5 percent tuition increase for the 13 four-year universities in the University of Wisconsin System and a tuition freeze for the two-year colleges.

SMPH in “Social Mission” Top 20

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) placed in the top 20 medical schools for fulfilling its social mission.

The Growing Influence of Women’s Philanthropy

Sally Hands' significant estate gift to the English Department demonstrates the growing influence of women’s philanthropy.

A Family on Ice

Mark Burish (’78 JD LAW) remembers the day his wife, Helen (’79 BS EDU, ’95 MA EDU), called him to say that a neighbor had encouraged her to take their two young children down to the rink and try skating for the first time. They would wear helmets and push chairs around the ice. The... Read more »

Congratulations Class of 2010

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Class of 2010 celebrated commencement in five Kohl Center ceremonies May 14, 15 and 16. Speakers this year included U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Youth Speaks founder James Kass.

Chancellor Optimistic After China Trip

Chancellor Biddy Martin and a UW-Madison delegation returned from a 13-day trip to China. The delegation met with Chinese education officials and alumni and visited numerous universities.

Wilcox Wins CASE Award

Andrew A. “Sandy” Wilcox, president of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, is one of two widely respected professionals who have made valuable contributions to the educational foundation field who are this year's recipients of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Commonfund Institutionally Related Foundation awards.

Cancer Center Researchers Honored

Two researchers at the UW Carbone Cancer Center were named 2010 Young Investigators by the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Joshua Lang and Justine Bruce were awarded three-year grants to continue their research projects on prostate cancer treatments.

Caseys Share with Colleagues, Students and Community

They might be retired officially, but Martha and Charles “Chuck” Casey haven’t stopped working on behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Artist Brings His Work Home

As a student, Robert Burkert (’52 BS, ’55 MA EDU) embraced the Wisconsin experience. Today, the UW-Madison is the beneficiary of this renowned artist’s talent and generosity.

Money, Behavior and Safety

The Center for Financial Security at University of Wisconsin-Madison is focused on understanding when people need specific consumer information and what makes them most likely to act upon it.

Great Partnerships

When Rick Bachhuber, Jr. learned of the Great People Scholarship Campaign effort in 2008, he established the Richard Allan Bachhuber Great People Scholarship to honor his late father and provide need-based financial aid for qualified students.

Change Your Mind. Change the World.

At the Center for Healthy Minds at UW-Madison's Waisman Center, neuroscience pioneer Richard Davidson and his colleagues believe healthy qualities can help children and adults learn to be happier.

Healing the Brain Through the Tongue

First, there was the voice, a full, rich bass, the kind of voice that makes audiences swoon within a few measures and can fill a 3,000-seat theater with no microphone. Robert Goulet grew famous with that kind of voice, but Goulet never lost his magnificent sound. Broadway singer Ron Husmann – his star traveling with... Read more »

From the Baltics to Bascom- a Journey, a Dream, a Legacy

In 1967, the children of Max Shapiro as well as other family members recognized his pursuit of knowledge by endowing the Shapiro Memorial Scholarship in the Law School to help law students with financial need.

James Patterson’s Badger Spirit Inspires Nursing Gift

Pattersons make a deep commitment to the University of Wisconsin-Madison with gifts to establish scholarships in Education, Nursing and Athletics.

The Power of an Endowment

“Doc Sobey,” as Dr. Sobey Okuyama was called, never married and had no children but he thought about future generations and wanted his money to go where it would do the most good. His wishes have been fulfilled, perhaps beyond his imagination.

A Beneficiary from the Heart

A second-generation Badger, Peter Hartman ’70 has developed strong ties to the state of Wisconsin and UW–Madison throughout his life.