Dear UW–Madison Alumni and Friends,
When I last wrote to all of you, I shared some of the challenges the university is facing, and I want to thank so many of you who have asked how you can help. Those challenges are still alive and very much with us, but on this warm spring day, with our beautiful campus gardens in full bloom, I want to share just a few of the wonderful things that are happening here.
Some of you were with us in Madison just weeks ago for a truly magical commencement weekend (the largest commencement in our history, with more than 10,000 graduates taking part). We had picture-perfect weather, and tens of thousands of joyful family and friends gathered to watch us confer UW–Madison degrees in ceremonies at the Kohl Center and Camp Randall Stadium.
On commencement eve, I put together my own list of a dozen of the great many wonderful things about this past year. I thought I’d share them with you here, in no particular order:
- Taking a selfie with around 7,000 new students at convocation in September.
- Going (back) to LA for the Badgers’ first-ever Big Ten football game against USC — the loss was disappointing, but the pregame tailgate (1,000 strong) was pretty awesome.
- Touring a nearly complete Morgridge Hall, our fantastic new home for the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences, set to open for the fall semester.
- Seeing the aurora borealis for the first time, with my husband, in the backyard of Olin House.
- Celebrating 100 years of the University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation — mazel tov to Greg and Andrea Steinberger for their 25 years of leadership. (I think this makes them the longest-serving couple in Hillel history anywhere!)
- Attending winter commencement, where keynote speaker and Top Chef finalist Dan Jacobs shared advice and spatchcocked a chicken on stage.
- Visiting a great many counties across the state and learning what a hodag is in Rhinelander, wading into cranberry bogs, touching the ice-cold water of Lake Superior, and sampling cheese. (So. Much. Cheese.) Not to mention meeting with outstanding industry and agricultural partners along the way.
- Witnessing our amazing programs to promote civil discourse and discussion across difference, like our Deliberation Dinners, The Discussion Project, BridgeMadison, the Main Street Project, and Bridging the Divide.
- Seeing the building blocks for the next generation of IceCube — the first neutrino detector of its kind — led by UW–Madison scientists, set to be installed at the South Pole, and a potential key to understanding the creation of our universe. (Really!)
- Breaking ground on the new Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center for our top-ranked College of Engineering.
- Seeing so many tremendous UW–Madison faculty recognized for their excellence, including four new members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Cheering for Badger women’s hockey and getting to join this amazing team on the ice after they won their eighth — yes, eighth — national title. They are officially the winningest women’s hockey team in NCAA Division I history!
What a privilege it is to lead this incredible university. Until next time, I hope this season brings you all of the hope and joy that the blossoms of late spring can inspire.
On, Wisconsin!
Jennifer L. Mnookin
Chancellor
* * * *
Chancellor’s Choice
- Check out our new 360-degree virtual campus tour. See old familiar spots and places that are new (or just new to you) and give the prospective future Badgers in your life a look at the campus that could someday be their alma mater, too.
- Now that it’s spring, I’m excited to hit the trails at my favorite hiking spots. Did you know that more than 255 species of birds have been spotted in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve over the past 25 years? If you’re in Madison or nearby, learn about the preserve’s birds, animals, insects, and human history on a field trip, or take part in Bioblitz.
- Finally, a special note of gratitude to the record 400 alumni and current students who came out in person to advocate for research funding and financial aid (among other things) at UW–Madison Day at the Capitol and UW–Madison Day in DC. Telling your stories about the university’s impact can make a real difference. Thank you! Visit our new research impact website to learn more about how UW–Madison’s federally funded research changes the world.