It’s move-in week here on campus (one of my favorite weeks of the year) with all the laughter and tears and nervous energy that you might remember well, whether you graduated one year ago or 60 years ago.
I still remember my first day at college — the hush after my parents departed, getting to know my roommates, and that doubt that could sometimes creep in: Do I really belong here?
I’m riding around this week in one of those boxy white trucks we affectionately call “toaster cars,” popping into different residence halls to meet parents and families, helping haul an impressive amount of stuff upstairs (with great assistance from our upperclassmen), and assuring the new students who have come to UW–Madison from around the state, the nation, and the world that they absolutely do belong here.
I’m talking with new students from places near (all over Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois) and not-so-near (California and New York) and quite far (one of our freshmen from Dubai was seeing our state for the very first time; we talked about how to survive and thrive through a long Wisconsin winter).
I see proud parents and families (some already in “Wisconsin Dad” and “Wisconsin Mom” T-shirts) smoothing fresh sheets onto beds, assembling furniture, and rushing out on last-minute errands that take on special meaning as they delay that inevitable (and oh-so-hard!) last good-bye.
I vividly remember the day I moved my daughter into her freshman dorm. We’d forgotten a few things, so I ran over to CVS to pick them up for her. It was a simple errand, mundane, but also freighted, as I marked the moment because who knew when I might have another chance to do this for her?
To get to watch our students learn about each other and our traditions and this beautiful campus, and to see them grow into thoughtful and accomplished leaders and scholars, is truly one of the great privileges of being chancellor.
Game Changer
As we gear up for fall, college athletics is facing a seismic shift that could transform scholarships, team structures, and department and university strategy.
We remain committed to supporting all 23 Badger sport programs. That means making some thoughtful changes — like expanding sponsorships (look for the Culver’s logo on center court at the Kohl Center) and bringing concerts back to Camp Randall Stadium — to help meet the financial realities ahead and ensure our Badger athletes continue to thrive, whether in competition or the classroom.
On, Wisconsin!
Jennifer L. Mnookin
Chancellor
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Chancellor’s Choice
Feeling nostalgic after reading about move-in? You’re in luck! The UW Archives has digitized every issue of the Badger yearbook back to 1884. It’s a rich, quirky chronicle of campus life through 2014 — the year publication of Badger yearbooks ceased. (Why? Read more here).
If you’re a foodie like me, you might enjoy Lab Culture Recipes — an online cookbook cocreated by UW genetics professor Ahna Skop PhD’00 pairing scientists’ favorite recipes with personal stories. It’s a delicious way to explore the diverse backgrounds that fuel scientific discovery.
And if you’re in search of a great fall read, pick up James by Percival Everett — a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It’s this year’s Go Big Read book, and I’m so excited that we’ll welcome the author to campus this fall.