MADISON, Wis.—University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross and Regent Cris Peterson joined UW-River Falls Chancellor Dean Van Galen for a series of events at UW-River Falls today in the second stop of UW System’s All In Wisconsin tour, aimed at demonstrating the value the UW System brings to Wisconsin.
“As a public university, it is not just good will that drives our efforts to serve the state, it is our responsibility,” President Cross said. “In fact, the state has forged our purpose in law – to ‘improve the human condition.’ To do this, we need to understand the challenges and problems facing Wisconsin’s communities, businesses, and people. Our All In Wisconsin tour aims to help us do just that.”
The first of the day’s events included a conversation with business and community leaders from the region about ways the UW System can help their organizations.
“The need for collaboration between education and business has never been greater. Right now, everyone is seeking talent and the UW System is a powerful magnet for attracting and developing that talent right here in Wisconsin,” President Cross said.
“The farmers, business owners, manufacturers, educators, and leaders in our region look to the University of Wisconsin System for the bold ideas that will carry us on through the 21st century,” Regent Peterson said. “And UW-River Falls must continue to play a key role in building the business partnerships, entrepreneurial ideas, and internship opportunities that make the magic happen.”
Chancellor Van Galen led a tour of UW-River Falls, including the future site of the Science and Technology Innovation Center (SciTech), the Agricultural Engineering Annex, and the Dairy Pilot Plant currently being renovated.
“With the second largest Dairy Science program in the country and our participation in the state-funded Dairy Innovation Hub initiative, UW-River Falls will be enabled to provide both a high-quality education to our students and ensure that our students and faculty are supporting dairy industry needs now and in the future,” Chancellor Van Galen said. “Programs like this, along with our intentional involvement of business and industry partners in the planning for SciTech, demonstrate that UW-River Falls is committed to maximizing our contributions to our community and state.”
The day’s events wrapped up with a lunch for high school students and teachers participating in UW-River Falls’ Dual Credit program.
The All In Wisconsin tour is intended to demonstrate how the UW System meets the needs of Wisconsin and to generate additional ideas about how the System can continue to do so.
The next stop on the All In Wisconsin tour is UW-La Crosse on October 2.
The University of Wisconsin System serves more than 170,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. More than 80 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System institutions also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.