 
The famed Babcock
Dairy Store, one of the most popular spots on campus, reopens after undergoing
a major renovation — from flooring to bright lighting to shiny new countertops.
A donation from alumnus John Hansen, the founder of Kwik Trip, Inc., and his spouse,
Donna, makes the upgrade possible.
A new Web portal, My UW–Madison,
garners an award honoring the most innovative, effective and accessible Web-based
solutions for streamlining the business of government. The portal helps students,
faculty, and staff access course materials and class schedules, read and send electronic
mail, check financial aid, and schedule meetings and events.
During a conference in Amsterdam, UW environmental scientist Navin
Ramankutty and others describe how during the past 300 years, in an ever-accelerating
process, humans have reshaped Earth's surface — with an impact that promises
to be at least as severe as global climate change. A global
trend toward urbanization will "become one of the biggest consumers of land,"
predicts Ramankutty. "Historically, we lost forest to cropland. Now we are losing
cropland to urban areas."
Kathleen Poi, interim executive director of University
Health Services, is appointed to the position permanently. Poi, a clinical
professor in the School of Nursing, will have as one of her top priorities a proposed
UHS facility.
A first group of high school students complete the Information
Technology Academy, a pre-college technology access and training program
for talented students of color and economically challenged students. In
one of only five IT outreach programs in Wisconsin, students receive four
years of training for careers in information technology and intensive
academic support in the hope of qualifying for admission to UW–Madison.
Chancellor John Wiley thanks state legislative leaders for their support
in considering the 2001-03
biennial budget, which proposes funding for the BioStar building projects
and the Madison Initiative public-private funding partnership. The budget bill also
includes rejection of a ban on stem cell research, which, Wiley says, would have ended
one of the most promising avenues for cures of many diseases and discouraged the biotechnology
industry from doing business in Wisconsin.
The university, already at the forefront of efforts
to reduce high-risk drinking, announces plans to expand late-night alternatives
to the bar scene and address issues of binge drinking, and associated high-risk behavior.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation files a lawsuit in federal
court to ensure broad research access to the five stem
cell lines developed by researcher James Thomson. The lawsuit against Geron
Corporation of Menlo Park, Calif., seeks to have the court declare that Geron has
no right to add additional cell types to its license agreement with WARF. "It is important
that WARF continue to license additional stem cell types to a wide variety of researchers,"
says Carl Gulbrandsen, WARF's managing director.
UW scientists demonstrate that undifferentiated human embryonic stem
cells can be coaxed to become primitive
types of blood cells that later develop into more mature types of blood cells
that, one day, may be used for transfusion or transplant technologies. The new research
holds promise for illuminating the process of human development in which generic embryonic
cells begin development to become any of the human body's 220 types of cells and tissue.
Continuing a tradition started in the 1980s, Wisconsin
Welcome offers new and returning students a variety of activities to get the
new academic year under way. Activities range from a convocation with neurological
pioneer author Oliver Sacks to bike checkups to health information.
The UW Law School sponsors its now-annual community
service day with about 250 students collecting food for local food pantries
and helping various community service organizations with improvement projects.
Eighteen new communications
kiosks — in locations ranging from Memorial Union to the School of Music
to Bascom Hall — provide convenient access to the Internet or Web-based e-mail
for the campus community and visitors.
A one-year trial of free
rides on campus buses begins, in keeping with other efforts to reduce motor
vehicle traffic to, from, and on the campus. The routes are designed for the campus
community, as well as visitors.
In the wake of the Sept.
11 terrorist attacks, the campus sponsors a program on Library Mall that attracts
20,000 people. A public teach-in conducted Sept. 19 by the Madison Muslim community
and UW faculty focuses on what constitutes Islam's fundamental beliefs, how Islam
is practiced, and how it affects social structures and political policy throughout
the world.
Mark Guthier, assistant director for program services for the Indiana
Memorial Union at Indiana University, is selected as director of the Wisconsin
Union effective in November, succeeding Theodore (Ted) Crabb, who retires
the following January after 33 years as director.
The incoming
freshman class is the largest and most academically talented in the university's
153-year history. Chosen from 20,330 applications — an increase of 55 percent
since 1991 — the class is expected to have an average high school GPA of 3.6
(out of 4.0). About half of new freshmen graduated in the top 10 percent of their
high school classes.
The National Institutes of Health and the WiCell Research Institute,
Inc., a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, sign a Memorandum
of Understanding for research use of WiCell's existing five human embryonic stem
cell lines. NIH scientists will be able to access these cell lines to explore
new avenues of research in this emerging field of technology. WiCell will retain commercial
rights to its materials.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation files an amended complaint
in federal court to ensure broad access to the pharmaceutical, medical, scientific,
research, and development communities of the stem
cell research products to which Geron Corporation of Menlo Park, Calif., asserted
it has exclusive rights. The amended lawsuit seeks to have the court declare that
Geron has no exclusive rights to research products except cases in which Geron added
any proprietary, patented technology owned by Geron.
The new School
of Pharmacy building, Rennebohm Hall, opens with new instructional laboratories,
lecture space, and classrooms with modern technologies for undergraduate programs.
The new location allows joint training with medicine, nursing, and veterinary medicine,
preparing pharmacy graduates for the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of health-care
delivery.
In the same month that it opens an expanded visitor center, the UW–Madison
Arboretum receives part of a $12 million grant to 29 facilities around the
country to strengthen science literacy and enhance science education. The grant will
fund continuation of the Earth Partnership for Schools program, which offers teacher
training in habitat restoration for kindergarten through grade 12.
The Waisman
Center marks the completion of a construction and remodeling project, making
room for state-of-the art research laboratories and programs for children with developmental
disabilities. Research programs housed in the expanded facilities include a laboratory
to study brain imaging and behavior, a gene therapy program, and a program that will
conduct basic biological research on stem cells. The project was funded by private
donations and the Graduate School.
A new five-year, $11.5 million consortium based at the Wisconsin Center
for Education Research begins work on rebuilding the nation's mathematics
education infrastructure, including preparing a new cohort of leaders to address
America's student diversity. The project is funded through the National Science Foundation.
A pilot program to meet the demand for an undergraduate degree from
UW–Madison is expanded to all 13 UW Colleges. When unveiled the previous spring,
the UW–Madison Connections
Program offered a select group of applicants from six Wisconsin counties "dual
admission" to UW–Madison and one of four UW Colleges. Connections students attend
classes at a UW Colleges campus the first two years and, if in good academic standing,
then make the transition to UW–Madison to complete their degrees.
A $21.7 million gift from the estate of Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin
creates the Wisconsin Idea Endowment
to help fund new service-learning programs for students, research projects focusing
on critical issues in society, and alumni sabbaticals for community service. Ira Baldwin
was former dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences; his spouse, Ineva,
was former assistant dean of women for the College of Letters and Science.
The Office of Student Financial Services notes that average
student loan debt was $15,140 in 2000-01, down $810 from the previous year,
and that graduating students with debt decreased from around 46 percent to 43.2 percent.
Loan default rates of 3.4 percent remain well below the national average of 5.6 percent.
Researchers at UW Medical School's McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research
find the receptor that anthrax
toxin binds to in order to enter cells. The discovery represents a major advance
in understanding exactly how anthrax kills host cells, leading quickly to death. The
scientists have also produced a form of the receptor that can block the toxin from
entering cells, a feat that may have crucial implications for approaches aimed at
treating anthrax infection.
Final fall
enrollment numbers reveal the largest student population since 1992: 41,511
students, including 28,831 undergraduates and 6,099 new students, the largest group
of new undergraduates in school history. Minority enrollment was 3,770, up 1.6 percent
from last year's total.
Peter Spear begins his position as UW–Madison's
provost, the university's chief operating officer and deputy to the chancellor
in overall academic and administrative management. Spear had served as dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences and professor of psychology at the University of Colorado-Boulder
since 1996. He also held various leadership positions during his 20 years as a professor
of psychology at UW–Madison.
The university and Dane County launch a student-generated campaign
to help prevent sexual assault
that carries the theme "I have the courage, we have the power to stop sexual assault."
The campaign, developed by students in a class on public relations, features ads posted
inside buses and around campus and encourages campus men to become involved in prevention
efforts.
For the first time, service-learning
classes — in which community service and community-based research are
integrated into academic course work — are specially noted in the university
Timetable.
UW scientists demonstrate the ability of human embryonic stem cells
to develop into nascent
brain cells and, when seeded into the intact brains of baby mice, further
develop into healthy, functioning neural cells. The work represents a critical step
toward an inexhaustible supply of transplantable neural cells and tissue to repair
everything from spinal cord injuries to the ravages of Parkinson's disease.
Michael Knetter is named dean of the School
of Business. A Wisconsin native who completed undergraduate studies in economics
and mathematics at UW-Eau Claire, he had been an international economics professor
and associate dean of the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
The university is slated to receive $15 million in federal funding
for the first phase of a groundbreaking, Antarctica-based
neutrino telescope, IceCube. The next-generation subatomic particle telescope
will measure and chart the path of neutrinos, the smallest particles of matter, as
they pass from space through the earth. Buried below the ice, the telescope would
convert a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice into the world's largest scientific instrument.
Wisconsin companies born of UW–Madison research, DNASTAR of
Madison and Gala Design of Sauk City, receive awards from the U.S. Small Business
Administration recognizing them as "models of excellence" and leaders
in technology applications with important social impact. DNASTAR's software
is used by scientists worldwide to help make sense of genetic information that powers
much of modern biology. Gala Design focuses on production of proteins coded by the
human genome and those used as pharmaceuticals.
Gilles Bousquet is named International
Studies dean. Bousquet, a professor of French, has served as chair of the
Department of French and Italian, and director of the Capstone Professional French
Master's Program, and as founding director of the Center for Interdisciplinary French
Studies.
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, confirms
that the university's intercollegiate athletics program has achieved Title
IX compliance by demonstrating that students of both genders are provided
nondiscriminatory participation in intercollegiate athletics. Officials have been
working to comply with the Title IX requirement since a 1989 complaint was filed against
the university.
The UW System Board of Regents grants authority to begin construction
on several campus projects, including the first phase of the BioStar
Initiative, a plan for maintaining UW–Madison's status as a world leader
in biotechnology research. Other projects include Microbial Sciences and Interdisciplinary
Sciences buildings, an addition and renovation to the Biochemistry building, and renovation
of Chamberlin Hall.
The common antibiotic minocycline, long used to treat infections in
humans, may have potential as a treatment
for multiple sclerosis, a devastating disease of the central nervous system,
university researchers find. Study results suggest that minocycline could significantly
decrease the severity of disease attacks or even block the onset of relapses.
Scientists from UW–Madison's Howard Hughes Medical Institute
report they have identified what may represent a common
ancestor of all animals on Earth, a microscopic organism with key genetic
traits that previously had been found only in true animals. Known as choanoflagellates,
the organisms have a lineage that dates to more than 600 million years ago.
The university unveils a new institutional
identity program that includes a new logo for use on institutional publications,
Web sites, letterhead, and other items. Developed by University Communications, the
new identity pairs a familiar architectural detail — a crest emblazoned with
a "W"— with the university's name.
Charlie Trotter, master chef, restaurateur, and author who received
a bachelor's degree in political science from UW–Madison in 1982, addresses
mid-year graduates at
commencement.
The university shifts to an Internet-based system for the distribution
of student grade reports.
Beginning with final grades for fall 2001, students can view and print official copies
of their grades through a secure site, improving access and convenience.
 
Academic advisers from the Cross-College
Advising Service branch out into Sellery Hall and the Bradley Learning Community,
serving all Lakeshore residence halls. Previously, advisers maintained one advising
office in the Chadbourne Residential College.
The university opens a Community
Partnerships Office for outreach programs in Madison's South Park Street neighborhood.
A partnership of the Morgridge Center for Public Service, the Chancellor's Office,
and the School of Human Ecology, the office provides a resource center and meeting
space, and serves as a point of contact for information about the university.
The State Building Commission approves the Biotechnology
Center addition, the first in the four-building, 10-year BioStar construction
program at an estimated cost of $27 million, with $9 million paid through gifts and
grants.
Chancellor John Wiley says at least half of the Madison Initiative,
a public-private funding partnership, could be put on hold if state
budget cuts proposed by Governor Scott McCallum are approved. McCallum proposes
eliminating about $50.5 million from the UW System budget over two years, with as
much as $20 million from the Madison campus.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Geron Corporation announce
an agreement for the commercialization of human embryonic stem
cell technology, resolving a federal lawsuit filed by WARF against Geron in
August. The agreement allows WiCell Research Institute, Inc. to distribute existing
cell lines to academic and governmental researchers without royalties or fees. WARF
and Geron agree to grant research rights to existing patents and patent filings to
academic and governmental researchers without royalties or fees.
Newly released figures show the university ranks second among all
U.S. universities in total research volume, surpassing the University of Michigan
to rank first among public universities. During the 1999-2000 school year, UW–Madison
spent $554 million on research
and development, compared to Michigan's $552 million. UW–Madison continues
to attract research money, including $360 million from the federal government in 2000-01,
an 18 percent increase over the previous year.
WSUM-FM 91.7
begins broadcasting, marking the first time a licensed UW–Madison station has
transmitted over the FM band, and completing a journey to overcome financial, organizational,
and legal challenges. A noncommercial station, WSUM had been "netcasting" via the
Internet since 1997.
The university announces a two-year program, which offers a master's
degree in biotechnology, to prepare professionals for this growing field.
Beginning in fall 2002, the program will expose students to a breadth of topics that
cover the science, business, and legal issues of the field.
A new study shows Wisconsin's per
capita personal income grew by 54.5 percent during the 1990s, exceeding the
nation's growth rate of 50.4 percent. The growth rate of total personal income in
Wisconsin during the 1990s was higher than that of all other states in the Great Lakes
region. The state's farmers, however, suffered a net loss of $273 million in 2000
alone.
The university delays renovation of Camp
Randall Stadium, a $99.7 million project that was to be funded primarily by
athletic department revenues and private donations. The athletic department cites
a substantial increase in security costs for athletic events following the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks and cuts in state funding.
UW System Board of Regents suspends undergraduate
admissions at all 26 campuses, pending additional information on proposed
budget cuts. In addition, UW System President Katharine Lyall directs campus administrators
to fill only those positions deemed essential to meeting primary missions; at UW–Madison,
they are defined as positions that directly affect instruction and essential student
services.
Chancellor John Wiley outlines for state lawmakers the likely consequences
of the proposed budget adjustment
bill as approved by the State Assembly — a budget reduction of about
$40.5 million.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation signs licensing agreements
allowing ES Cell International, with offices in Singapore and Melbourne, Australia,
and the University of California-San Francisco to distribute human embryonic stem
cells worldwide for use in research. More than 100 academic researchers and numerous
companies have approached WARF about licensing
stem cell technology during the past two years.
The
Daily Cardinal, UW–Madison's oldest independent student newspaper and
the sixth oldest student daily in the country, celebrates its 110th anniversary. Founded
in 1892 by student William Wesley Young, the newspaper predates the university's School
of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Some of the more than 3,000 UW–Madison undergraduate students
who participate in research and service-learning projects showcase their work at the
annual Undergraduate Research
Symposium. Showing that undergraduates engage in meaningful research and other
scholarly projects, the symposium highlights projects from across all academic disciplines.
In response to a U.S. State Department travel warning to Americans
in Israel, UW–Madison suspends its Jerusalem study-abroad
program and arranges for four students who were enrolled at the Rothberg International
School of the Hebrew University to return to the United States. However, UW–Madison
student participation rates in study-abroad opportunities continue to grow in the
wake of Sept. 11.
During a first-ever World
Languages Day, the university introduces more than 600 high school students
from across Wisconsin to the more than 60 languages and cultures taught at the Madison
campus. Representing 20 schools from Stevens Point to Kettle Moraine, the students
learn more about ethnic groups that helped shape Wisconsin and continue to influence
it.
Some associate degree holders from the College
of the Menominee Nation will be able to transfer to bachelor's degree programs
at UW–Madison under a new pilot program agreement that applies to graduates
of CMN's Sustainable Development Program. The program provides the skills and knowledge
necessary to succeed in the fields of conservation, alternative energy, environmental
science, and resource management.
The Wisconsin
Union announces it will expand operating hours at Memorial Union and Union
South in the fall to provide additional programming and late-night activities as an
alternative to house parties, and an all-ages venue on campus where students can meet.
The second annual Plan
2008 Campus Forum focuses on the university's response to a UW System initiative
to increase faculty, staff, and student diversity on all UW campuses. The forum includes
a resource fair of UW–Madison programs and initiatives that represent best practices
for achieving the plan's goals.
During spring
commencement, UW–Madison confers honorary degrees to Lewis Barness,
an expert in metabolic diseases affecting children; Ruth Gruber, who helped to rescue
Jews from Hitler's Germany; John Harbison, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer; Norman
J. Latker, who helped create legislation allowing public universities to transfer
technologies to the private sector; and David S. Ruder, a former chair of the federal
Securities and Exchange Commission.
A UW team of biologists
and computer scientists received nearly $5 million to train students to handle
the increasingly complex problems that researchers in biology and medicine will face
— from DNA sequences of genomes to the three-dimensional structures of proteins
to a map of human brain activity.
The School
of Business recruits a third class of established women business owners to
participate in a program that creates volunteer advisory panels to help woman entrepreneurs
who are working to improve in their businesses.
UW–Madison students participate in a new student exchange
program with the Universidade
Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil.
The UW System Board of Regents Executive Committee authorizes UW–Madison
to finalize negotiations for a natural-gas-fired
co-generation plant on campus. The plant, to be constructed by Madison Gas
and Electric with help from Alliant Energy on land that MG&E will lease from the university,
would be one of the cleanest and most efficient power plants in the state. It would
help the university work toward meeting long-term energy needs.
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