The Hoofers sailboats are back on the lake. The sunburst chairs have returned, splashing the Terrace with John Deere green, Allis-Chalmers orange, and sunshine yellow. (Did you already know that the colors are an intentional salute to Wisconsin’s agricultural roots, as well as our ever-changing seasons? I only recently learned this!) And we’ve welcomed a record-setting 20,000 students to summer term who are keeping the campus buzzing.
Our remarkable new alumni have stepped off campus and into the world, carrying the Wisconsin Idea with them — from Wisconsin towns like Berlin, Florence, and Stockholm, to their namesakes abroad and everywhere in between.
They’re leaving with an abundance of memories and experiences, with new knowledge gained and lasting friendships formed. But like Badgers before them, as they go, they leave things behind, too: ideas … projects … traditions. A campus shaped in so many ways by their time here.
Most who have spent a summer in Madison probably remember “Hippie Christmas,” that stretch of late summer when leases turn over and treasure hunters scour curbs for secondhand finds. (It even made the New York Times this month!) Our Sustainable Move-Out program builds on that same spirit with a little more structure and purpose. Last year, we kept 80 tons of usable items out of the landfill when students left the dorms.
It’s just one small piece of a larger effort to tackle challenges like sustainability across campus.
Good Chemistry
Here’s one more piece: biochemist Brian Fox and his team have engineered poplar trees that produce a high-demand chemical — used in everything from preservatives to sports performance materials to the production of pharmaceuticals — right inside the tree. Seriously: these trees have been engineered to produce a nearly pure version of a much-needed chemical. No fossil fuels. No harm to the tree. Just a breakthrough made possible by years of foundational research and sustained public investment.
This project is just one of many amazing examples of the far-reaching impact of innovation and discovery taking place at UW–Madison.
A Closing Note
Given the substantial proposed changes in federal funding and resulting risk and uncertainty, we are taking necessary steps to help protect our long-term financial viability. We will be implementing budget reductions of 5 to 7 percent in certain core funding areas for fiscal year 2026, as well as additional steps in central administration to improve efficiency and redirect savings toward mission-centric activities. Like our peers, we are not insulated from the impacts brought on by the upheaval in higher education. But even in these complex and uncertain times, the UW–Madison community comes together to pursue the extraordinary and advance the Wisconsin Idea.
To our alumni, thank you for what you have left behind — the research you contributed to, the traditions you started, the fresh ideas that moved us in a new direction. The journeys you began here and the ties to campus you’ve maintained are such an important part of what makes UW–Madison the world-class university it is today.
Wishing you all a summer full of connection, reflection, and Terrace-yellow sunshine.
On, Wisconsin!
Jennifer L. Mnookin
Chancellor
* * * *
Chancellor’s Choice
Perhaps inspired by an incredible NFL Draft performance, prospective UW Marching Band members are on campus this summer, hoping to master the iconic “stop at the top” step and prepare for those legendary auditions (fond memories, band alumni?) in order to join the ranks of one of the best college marching bands in the country.
At the same time, in a workshop tucked away in the Humanities Building, one expert technician and two student helpers are bringing 270 hardworking band instruments back to life — a summertime tradition to make sure we’re ready for Fifth Quarters come fall.
And speaking of bands, we’re bringing concerts back to Camp Randall this summer! It’s been nearly 30 years since U2 and the Rolling Stones were here, and this summer we’re welcoming Morgan Wallen in June and Coldplay in July!