Blank’s Slate

One of the frequent topics that comes up during my visits with alumni, media and business leaders around the state is the time it takes to receive a degree at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. When… Read More

With all of the efforts to cut the federal budget, research dollars to universities might seem a very low priority. They shouldn’t. Basic research – that is, research that is designed to advance basic scientific… Read More

UW–Madison’s impact on Wisconsin and the world comes in so many forms. Two of the most visible are the scientific contributions of our faculty and academic staff, and the remarkable employment opportunities available to graduates… Read More

Over the course of the past three months, I have met with a number of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, business leaders, political leaders, media outlets and more. Those discussions have helped me learn more… Read More

I’m continuing my trips around the state to cities with other four-year UW campuses. In my trip this week, I visited Eau Claire and La Crosse, met with editorial boards of the daily newspapers in… Read More

The U.S. News & World Report annual college rankings were recently released. Published annually since 1985, these are primarily designed to rank universities based on the undergraduate experience. These rankings are widely reported in the… Read More

In this space, I’ve spent much time talking about the positive things happening around our campus and city. I want to spend a few minutes on a problem that we’re working to solve: Crime in… Read More

One of the true pleasures of this job has been connecting with students and alumni.  It’s wonderful to hear the passion that past students have for UW–Madison. This week I had the honor of attending… Read More

I had the pleasure of visiting the Fox River Valley for two days last week, meeting people in Appleton, Green Bay and Oshkosh. For those of you who read my earlier blog about my visit… Read More

My daughter is entering her senior year of high school and like many parents of a soon-to-be-college-age teenager, I spent a chunk of this summer going on college campus tours. As the incoming chancellor at… Read More