Capping an intensely competitive process, five proposals from University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty have been selected to form the intellectual heart of the <a href="http://discovery.wisc.edu/discovery">Wisconsin Institute for Discovery</a> (<acronym title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</acronym>). WID is the public half of the <a href="http://discovery.wisc.edu/discovery">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a>, complemented by the private <a href="http://discovery.wisc.edu/morgridge">Morgridge Institute for Research</a>. Both entities will occupy the new interdisciplinary research facility now under construction in the 1300 block of University Avenue. Chosen from a final pool of 12 proposals, the five research themes and their faculty leaders selected for inclusion in the new institute are: <ul> <li>Epigenetics or how genes are activated or inactivated, led by <a href="http://www.bmolchem.wisc.edu/faculty/denu.html">John M. Denu</a>, a professor of biomolecular chemistry in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.</li> <li>Tissue engineering scaffold research, led by <a href="http://www.engr.wisc.edu/me/faculty/turng_lih-sheng.html">Lih-Sheng Turng</a>, UW-Madison professor of mechanical engineering.</li> <li>Health Technology Design in the Living Environments Laboratory aimed at accelerating the development of personal care diagnostic and therapeutic technology, led by <a href="http://www.engr.wisc.edu/ie/faculty/brennan_patricia.html">Patricia Flatley Brennan</a>, professor of industrial and systems engineering and nursing.</li> <li>Optimization in Biology and Medicine, a mathematical approach to minimize or maximize the variables of a given subject, led by <a href="http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ferris/">Michael C. Ferris</a>, professor of computer science.</li> <li>Systems Biology, an integrated, "system level" understanding of living organisms, spearheaded by <a href="http://www.engr.wisc.edu/che/faculty/yin_john.html">John Yin</a>, professor of chemical and biological engineering. </li> </ul> <div id="sideBar"> <h2>Related:</h2> Read more about the five <a href="http://www.news.wisc.edu/16869">Wisconsin Institute for Discovery research themes</a> </div> Interim WID Director John D. Wiley, who led the selection process with the WID Program Committee, says the selection of the five research themes to occupy the new institute is a key step in charting the long-term future of a novel interdisciplinary center. "It was a difficult selection process," Wiley notes. "We had 12 excellent proposals, and narrowing the list to a select few was hard. But we feel we have identified five areas of research that fit neatly into the mission of WID and will mesh with and enhance the goals and activities of the Morgridge Institute for research." The selection of the five WID research themes concludes a process that began nearly three years ago with a call for proposals for the Discovery Seed Grant Initiative, which jump-started WID programming by funding eight projects from a campuswide competition. The full WID research theme competition, according to Wiley, represented a rare chance for faculty to construct novel programs of research. A key goal of the new institute is to intermingle faculty, staff and students from across campus in interdisciplinary research that can be translated beyond academia and help underpin the future economy of the state. The selection process for the WID research themes, beginning with a call that elicited 26 pre-proposals, was intense and rigorous, Wiley explains. The WID Program Committee selected 12 pre-proposals for submission as full proposals. Submitted full proposals were peer-reviewed by internal and external expert reviewers, with each proposal receiving at least one external and two internal reviews. Final selection was then made by the WID Program Committee. "All 26 of the pre-proposals were excellent, so selecting 12 finalists was already a difficult process. Naming only five themes from among the 12 outstanding finalists was even more difficult," says Wiley, noting that the committee was convinced that many of the good ideas and proposed projects from the pre-proposals and final proposals will be engaged with WID and the Morgridge Institute, regardless of location on campus. The WID Program Committee included Chancellor Biddy Martin; Provosts or Interim Provosts Patrick Farrell, Julie Underwood and Paul DeLuca; Graduate School Dean Martin Cadwallader; WID Interim Directors Marsha Mailick Seltzer and Wiley; Morgridge Institute Director Sangtae Kim; College of Engineering Dean Paul Peercy; professor and chair of bacteriology Jo Handelsman; professor and chair of physiology Rick Moss; and professor of computer sciences Miron Livny. The successful faculty proposers will occupy space in the new WID facility, which is being constructed with support from the state of Wisconsin, UW-Madison alumni John and Tashia Morgridge and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Wiley says the selection of the WID research themes caps a process set in motion by the visions of alumni donors John and Tashia Morgridge, Gov. Jim Doyle, the WARF and Morgridge Institute boards of directors, and WARF managing director Carl Gulbrandsen. "I would like to thank all of these people and the organizations that have helped to make this possible," Wiley says. "We are well on our way to establishing exciting new programs of research that will significantly enhance our research portfolio as well as the reputation of our university and state." Capping an intensely competitive process, five proposals from University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty have been selected to form the intellectual heart of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID). Five big ideas to fill out Wisconsin Institute for Discovery portfolio 16868 2009-06-30T09:16:00-05:00

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On May 26, the <a href="http://wids.live.acumium.com/home/discovery/facility/construction-process/construction-team/">construction team</a> of the new <a href="http://discovery.wisc.edu">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a> held a “topping out” ceremony, traditional in the building industry for recognizing the construction milestone of placing and welding the last beam at the top of a building. This event marks the completion of the external framework for the innovative facility, to be completed in December 2010. <div id="story_image_1403" class="inline-content photo right" style="width: 300px;"> <img src="http://www.news.wisc.edu/story_images/0000/1403/WIDs.jpg" alt=" " /> WARF Trustees John Morgridge, Joan Spero and Kathy Smith sign a beam before it is placed atop the new Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery at a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony held in May 2009. The facility, made possible by gifts from John and Tashia Morgridge, and WARF, will be completed in December 2010. <a href="http://wids.live.acumium.com/link.acux/fe8765c0-9cde-44c5-8b32-98cea5ab32fb/home/discovery/facility/construction-process/Topping%20Out%20Ceremony.cmsx">View and download more high-resolution photos</a> </div> The practice of “topping out” a new building has been traced to the ancient Scandinavian religious practice of placing a tree on the top of a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits of displaced ancestors. Members of the Findoff Mortenson construction crew signed the beam, painted white and adorned with a living tree, during a celebratory luncheon and then watched as the beam and tree were hoisted and welded into place atop the four-storey structure. Members of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) Board of Trustees participated in a similar ceremony (<a href="http://wids.live.acumium.com/link.acux/fe8765c0-9cde-44c5-8b32-98cea5ab32fb/home/discovery/facility/construction-process/Topping%20Out%20Ceremony.cmsx">see photos</a>) earlier in the month. Speakers shared some impressive facts about the facility with the approximate 200 workers who took part in the ceremony: • 98% of the materials removed during deconstruction of the prior buildings on the site has been recycled or reused • 564 miles of rebar have been used in construction of the facility • Each of the four floors (one below ground and three above) contains 2,200 yards of concrete and weighs 9 million pounds -- totaling nearly 9,000 yards and 36 million pounds of concrete • 2,200 pieces of structural steel and 210,000 man-hours have been used to build the facility • Worker safety is a top priority on the site with no current lost time due to injury • Construction of the project is on time and under budget On May 26, the construction team of the new Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery held a “topping out” ceremony, traditional in the building industry for recognizing the construction milestone of placing and welding the last beam at the top of a building. Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery celebrate ‘topping out’ 16776 2009-05-28T14:34:00-05:00

2009-05-29T12:16:48-05:00

<div id="story_image_1233" class="inline-content photo span" style="width: 550px;"> <img src="http://www.news.wisc.edu/story_images/0000/1233/WID_webcam09_6101.jpg" alt=" " /> Two remote-controlled webcams, maintained by the Division of Information Technology and mounted on the roof of the Computer Sciences and Statistics building, document progress of different construction sites on campus. The top webcam records <a href="http://widmir-se.datn.wisc.edu/">Phase I construction of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a>, a location pictured at the bottom of photograph. The bottom webcam view documents the soon to start <a href="http://unionsouth1.doit.wisc.edu/">demolition and rebuilding of Union South</a>. Photo: <a href="mailto:photos@news.wisc.edu">Jeff Miller</a> </div> Photo: Two remote-controlled webcams, maintained by the Division of Information Technology and mounted on the roof of the Computer Sciences and Statistics building, document progress of different construction sites on campus. Recent sightings: Eyes on UW 16484 2009-03-30T13:25:00-05:00

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The research direction of the rising Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID) is coming into sharper focus as UW-Madison this week (Feb. 20) announced the list of successful pre-proposals for the public half of the new public-private institute. http://discovery.wisc.edu/home/wisconsin/research/list%20of%20themes%20narrowed.cmsx UW-Madison narrows field of potential WID research themes 16313 2009-02-23T09:21:00-06:00

2009-05-13T09:28:26-05:00

The <a href="http://www.wid.wisc.edu/">Wisconsin Institute for Discovery</a> (<abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery"><abbr><abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr></abbr></abbr>) is sponsoring two additional open or town-hall meetings for interested faculty. The first is at 3 p.m. on Monday, <abbr title="February">Feb.</abbr> 9. The topic of that meeting will be “Education and Outreach in <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr>.” The second meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, <abbr title="February">Feb.</abbr> 19, on the involvement of the social sciences, arts and humanities in <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> programs. Both meetings will be held in the Virginia Harrison Parlor on the first floor of <a href="http://www.map.wisc.edu/?initObj=0032" title="View this building on the campus map">Lathrop Hall</a>. All interested faculty are invited. The Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID) is sponsoring two additional open or town-hall meetings for interested faculty. The first is at 3 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9. The topic of that meeting will be “Education and Outreach in WID.” <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> plans town-hall meetings 16189 2009-02-20T00:00:00-06:00 2009-02-02T11:14:00-06:00

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To chart the direction of the <a href="http://www.wid.wisc.edu">Wisconsin Institute for Discovery</a> (<abbr>WID</abbr>), the committee and campus leaders charged with formulating the vision for the new interdisciplinary institute have issued a <a href="http://www.wid.wisc.edu/research/themes-competition.html">call for research theme proposals</a> from <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison faculty. The call for proposals was distributed to all faculty today (<abbr title="August">Aug.</abbr> 27) by e-mail. “The research themes competition will generate new ideas that bring together biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology in ways that will have important implications for human health and welfare,” explains <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> Interim Director Marsha Mailick Seltzer. “<abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> can provide the context and resources to support these new ideas and the discoveries they will generate.” <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> is the public half of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, which will also include the private <a href="http://www.morgridgeinstitute.org/">Morgridge Institute for Research</a> (<abbr>MIR</abbr>). Both institutes will occupy the $150 million building now under construction in the 1300 block of University Avenue. The competition, says Seltzer, will culminate in the selection of five research themes, each of which embodies research that will bring together at least two of <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr>’s three “thrust” areas: nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology. Each theme will ultimately involve a group of four faculty, one a currently tenured <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison faculty member who is the successful author of a theme proposal, and three who will be newly recruited to the <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison campus. “Of course, we are hoping for an enthusiastic response and, based on the response to our previous programs, we are optimistic,” says Seltzer who, with the help of a broad-based program committee composed of <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison faculty and staff, has been shaping the mission and scientific scope of the institute first proposed by Wisconsin <abbr title="Governor">Gov.</abbr> Jim Doyle in 2004. “<abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> will offer new opportunities and resources for intellectual and scientific growth for the <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison,” says Seltzer, who also directs the Waisman Center. Chancellor John <abbr>D.</abbr> Wiley, who will assume the <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> interim director’s role <abbr title="November">Nov.</abbr> 1, says the theme competition gives faculty a rare opportunity to build an integrated, interdisciplinary research program from the ground up: “We’re not just putting up a building. This competition represents a chance to help set the intellectual tone for the university for decades to come. We think this will be a model program and we’re very excited by what might emerge through the creative powers of our faculty.” Like many other <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison interdisciplinary centers and institutes, <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> will exist under the auspices of the <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison Graduate School and will have programs that engage faculty, staff and students from across campus. “Our goal is for <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> to exceed the walls of the building by engaging students and faculty from throughout the campus. Other research centers and institutes on the <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison campus have members and affiliates who are located in diverse departments and centers. There is every reason for <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> to cast a broad net. This is in the tradition of interdisciplinary programs of the <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison,” says Seltzer. Seltzer’s comments were echoed by Graduate School Dean Martin Cadwallader: “Just as existing centers and institutes reach beyond their individual programs, <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr>’s influence is going to be felt in nearly every corner of the campus. We’re excited because the programs developed by our faculty are going to be influential beyond the scope of the <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> building itself.” The <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> theme competition, according to Seltzer, begins with a call for pre-proposals, due Monday, <abbr title="November">Nov.</abbr> 3, and will culminate with the selection of the five successful full theme proposals by September 2009. Full proposals, due Wednesday, April 1, will be reviewed by a faculty committee and as many as 10 proposals will be recommended to the <abbr class="initialism" title="University of Wisconsin">UW</abbr>–Madison chancellor, provost, Graduate School dean and <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> director, who will collectively select the final five <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> themes. The five faculty members who are successful in their theme <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> proposals will be expected to move to the new <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> facility when it is completed in 2010. Each will be asked to chair a search committee for the three new faculty members who will comprise their respective research themes. Faculty interested in proposing for the <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> theme competition are encouraged to attend one of three informational sessions where questions can be answered and more details provided. The sessions are scheduled for Monday, <abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 8, from 1–2 p.m. at the Memorial Union (check TITU); Wednesday, <abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 10, from 1–2 p.m. in 1610 Engineering Hall; and Friday, <abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 12, from noon–1 p.m. in the John <abbr>D.</abbr> Wiley Conference Center (Room T216) at the Waisman Center. <h2><abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> theme competition timeline</h2> <ul> <li><abbr title="August">Aug.</abbr> 27: Announcement of <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> theme competition</li> <li><abbr title="November">Nov.</abbr> 3: Pre-proposals due</li> <li><abbr title="February">Feb.</abbr> 2: Themes selected for full proposals announced</li> <li>April 1: <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> theme full proposals due</li> <li>April 15–June 1: Faculty committee review of full proposals</li> <li>September 2009: Five <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> themes selected</li> <li>October 2009: Five faculty search committees appointed</li> <li>End of 2010: Faculty move into the <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> building</li> </ul> <h2>Information sessions</h2> <ul> <li> <abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 8, 1–2 p.m., Memorial Union (check Today in the Union)</li> <li><abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 10, 1–2 p.m., 1610 Engineering Hall</li> <li><abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 12, noon–1 p.m. John <abbr>D.</abbr> Wiley Conference Center (T216), Waisman Center</li> </ul> To chart the direction of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (<abbr>WID</abbr>), the committee and campus leaders charged with formulating the vision for the new interdisciplinary institute have issued a call for research theme proposals from <abbr title="University of Wisconsin" class="initialism">UW</abbr>–Madison faculty. Great ideas sought for <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> competition 15521 2008-09-11T00:00:00-05:00

<div id="whatsnew"> <h2>WID research competition details </h2> Visit the <a href="http://www.wid.wisc.edu/research/themes-competition.html">Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Web site</a> for details about the competition. </div>

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The <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a> is launching a new and powerful online resource for finding researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The <a href="http://discoveryportal.org">Wisconsin Discovery Portal</a> is a Web-based search tool and directory offering professional profiles of 2,600 UW-Madison researchers. "As construction progresses toward the physical opening of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery in 2010, we are committed to assisting researchers now in finding collaborators across scientific disciplines," says Carl Gulbrandsen, chair of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Building Committee and <a href="http://www.morgridgeinstitute.org/">Morgridge Institute for Research</a> Board of Trustees. "Offering this new tool is one way we can encourage more collaborations to happen even before we open the doors to the institutes." The new public database uses an easy keyword search, similar to search engines such as Google. Anyone can use the tool to search for UW-Madison researchers by name, research interests, patent numbers or names, industry and company affiliates as well as numerous other keywords. The profiles are monitored and updated regularly to ensure information is kept current. UW-Madison researchers can request updates or changes to their current profile information, or request a profile be developed if they are not yet included in the portal. "The Wisconsin Discovery Portal can help researchers find collaborators here on campus, as well as assist faculty and staff from other universities, and representatives from industry, find researchers with specific expertise and interests," Gulbrandsen says. "The portal's profiles list contact information for each researcher, as well as details about his or her work and background, including publications, research tools, facilities, funding and affiliations." Gulbrandsen, also managing director of the <a>Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation </a>(WARF), the private, non-profit patenting, licensing and supporting organization for UW-Madison, notes that WARF funded the development of the portal and has made the staffing commitment to ensure it is updated and maintained in a timely manner. He explains that the portal itself was the result of collaboration between WARF employees and UW-Madison <a href="http://www.doit.wisc.edu/">Division of Information Technology</a> (DoIT) staff contracted to work on the project. Former UW-Madison Chancellor <a href="http://www.news.wisc.edu/wiley/">John D. Wiley</a>, who becomes interim director of the public Wisconsin Institute of Discovery in November, also sees great value in the new resource. "The Wisconsin Discovery Portal is a tangible, fast-acting key to opening the wealth of talent at UW-Madison," he states. "Major scientific advances today increasingly are made only by researchers who seek out the skills and expertise of colleagues in other disciplines. The portal can help us connect the talents of our own faculty and staff, as well as offer a convenient way for researchers around the world to find collaborators at UW-Madison." The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is a unique public-private initiative made up of twin biomedical research institutes located under one roof, the private Morgridge Institute for Research and the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. The mission of the institutes is to facilitate interdisciplinary research and breakthrough discoveries to improve human health. The institutes will open in 2010 in a new facility located on the 1300 block of University Avenue on the UW-Madison campus. The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is made possible by a $50 million gift from donors and UW-Madison alums <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/about/donors.php">John and Tashia Morgridge</a>, matched by WARF as well as the State of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is launching a new and powerful online resource for finding researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Wisconsin Discovery Portal, located at http://discoveryportal.org, is a Web-based search tool and directory offering professional profiles of 2,600 UW-Madison researchers. Online 'Discovery Portal' meant to foster greater research collaboration 15567 2008-09-09T00:00:00-05:00

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Outgoing <a href="http://www.chancellor.wisc.edu/">Chancellor John D. Wiley</a> has been named the new interim director of the <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/about/proposal-accepted.php">Wisconsin Institute for Discovery</a> (<abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr>), the public half of the new research center that promises to be a model of interdisciplinary science and public-private collaboration. <div id="story_image_653" class="inline-content photo right" style="width: 100px"> <img src="http://www.news.wisc.edu/story_images/0000/0653/Wiley_John_hs04_5403.jpg" alt="Photo of Wiley" /> Wiley </div> Wiley's appointment, effective Nov. 1, 2008, was announced by UW-Madison Graduate School Dean Martin Cadwallader. Wiley will take over for <a href="http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/faculty/mseltzer.html">Marsha Mailick Seltzer</a>, who has guided development of WID for nearly two years, in addition to her duties as director UW-Madison's <a href="http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/">Waisman Center</a>. In addition to the 25 percent appointment as interim WID director, Wiley will apply his considerable knowledge and experience in higher education as a professor in the <a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/elpa/">Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis</a> (<abbr title="Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis">ELPA</abbr>) and at the <a href="http://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/">Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs</a>. In addition, he will have a zero-dollar appointment as senior scholar at The <a href="http://www.wiscape.wisc.edu/">Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Post-secondary Education</a> (<acronym title="Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Post-secondary Education">WISCAPE</acronym>). Wiley intends to continue a number of lines of research on policy-related matters, including the finance and economics of higher education, and the accreditation of programs and institutions of higher education. He will also continue to advance initiatives for the <a href="http://www.wun.ac.uk/">Worldwide Universities Network</a> (<abbr title="Worldwide Universities Network">WUN</abbr>), of which UW-Madison is a member, and will continue to serve as chair of the executive committee of the <a href="http://www.chea.org/">Council for Higher Education Accreditation</a>. "We're very pleased that John Wiley has agreed to continue to serve the university by accepting this critical position," says Cadwallader. "He, of course, brings a wealth of experience and the kinds of connections that will help us develop the institute to its fullest potential and position it well for the future." Cadwallader praised Seltzer's leadership, noting that she has established a firm footing for an institute that is unique to the Madison campus. Seltzer was instrumental in forging the academic planning for WID and developing a plan for how the new institute will be seeded with faculty from disciplines ranging from nanotechnology to biology and computational sciences. "I am delighted that WID will be led by John Wiley. He is a perfect fit for the mission and science of the new institute," says Seltzer. "It has been an extraordinary experience for me to have served as interim director for the past two years and I have learned a great deal in the process. There is no one better able than John Wiley to build on the foundation we have established and to take WID into the future." WID is the public component of the <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a>. The private part, funded by $50 million donations from <a href="http://www.warf.org/">Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation</a> (<acronym title="Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation">WARF</acronym>) and John and Tashia Morgridge, is known as the <a href="http://www.morgridgeinstitute.org/">Morgridge Institute for Research</a> or <acronym title="Morgridge Institute for Research">MIR</acronym>. The twin institutes are scheduled to open in 2010. <a href="http://www.warf.org/contact/staff.jsp?staff_id=52">Carl Gulbrandsen</a>, managing director of WARF, says Wiley will add an important new dimension to efforts to jump-start what will be a critical new center of interdisciplinary research for the Madison campus. "All of us at WARF are excited and very pleased that John Wiley is willing to do this," notes Gulbrandsen. "There is really no one better qualified than he to take the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery to its next level in development. As chancellor and a WARF trustee, he has been involved since day one in its creation." Outgoing University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor John D. Wiley has been named the new interim director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID), the public half of the new research center that promises to be a model of interdisciplinary science and public-private collaboration. Wiley to tackle interim role leading new institute 15339 2008-06-22T00:00:00-05:00

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As construction of the <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/15174">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery gets under way</a> gets under way, many are wondering exactly what will happen inside the <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/facility/">new research facility</a> on University Avenue when it opens in 2010. The answer? It’s up to the imagination of <abbr title="University of Wisconsin" class="initialism">UW</abbr>–Madison faculty. The research programs, or “themes,” for the public, university half of the building — known as the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (<abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr>) — will be decided through a campuswide competition to be announced on <abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 1, with pre-proposals due on <abbr title="November">Nov.</abbr> 1. “Not only will this be a fabulous building,” says Marsha Mailick Seltzer, director of the Waisman Center and WID’s interim director, “but the research themes housed within WID will reflect the best ideas from campus for new areas of interdisciplinary, collaborative investigation relevant to the mission of the institute.” Since September 2006, the WID program committee chaired by Seltzer has met at least once a month to discuss all aspects of the institute, including governance, structure, research and outreach programs. Most of all, the committee has deliberated over WID’s mission, which is “to enhance human health and welfare by facilitating interdisciplinary research spanning biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technologies,” says Seltzer. Conversations about WID have also taken place in dozens of meetings with committees and individuals across campus, as the WID program committee has continually sought the reactions of faculty, staff and administrators to its plans. “At every turn, Marsha has worked tremendously hard to make this an open and consultative process,” says Martin Cadwallader, dean of the Graduate School. “I applaud her efforts and I think they’ve resulted in a bold new model for facilitating interdisciplinary research and a great opportunity for the campus.” <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/about/proposal-accepted.php">With WID now officially approved as a center</a> within the Graduate School, the next step is to select five research themes that will exemplify its mission. In the competition launching this September, faculty members will be invited to submit proposals for the themes, each of which is meant to be an “umbrella area” with an overarching vision and goals, says Seltzer. In other words, each theme will focus on a broad set of research directions relevant to the mission of WID, under which faculty will pursue individual projects. Keeping with the overall spirit of the Institutes for Discovery — which also include the private, nonprofit <a href="http://morgridgeinstitute.org/">Morgridge Institute for Research</a> — the five themes, once selected, will each be carried out by an interdisciplinary group of faculty members. Four faculty from each theme will have space in the WID building, but they will also have strong ties to faculty elsewhere at <abbr title="University of Wisconsin" class="initialism">UW</abbr>–Madison. “Each theme will include faculty members with deep commitments to discovery and who collaborate with each other,” Seltzer says. Of the four faculty members within each theme, three will be new to <abbr title="University of Wisconsin" class="initialism">UW</abbr>–Madison, who the current faculty will help to recruit. Themes are being organized in this way to create an opportunity for campus growth and to widen the possibilities for innovation. “We all know faculty members who have ideas about developing exciting research areas by bringing in new colleagues, new approaches and new ways of thinking about problems,” says Seltzer. “That’s what WID is offering us, in five areas all at once.” As faculty members begin pondering possible themes, Seltzer has offered some criteria to keep in mind (a full set will be released on <abbr title="September">Sept.</abbr> 1). Successful proposals will explain why WID is the best fit for the theme; describe how each faculty position will contribute to the theme’s focus, and how the faculty members will collaborate; demonstrate the theme’s interdisciplinary nature and its unifying concept; explain how the theme is innovative; and describe how it will integrate at least two of WID’s three thrust areas (biotechnology, nanotechnology and infotechnology) to advance human health and welfare. Outcomes for human health and welfare should be more than a “theoretical possibility,” adds Seltzer; rather, the potential benefits should be tangible and clear. In addition, successful proposals will outline a set of outreach and educational objectives for communicating the theme’s science to K-12 students and the public. Proposals should also suggest plans for engaging the arts, humanities and/or social sciences. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu">http://www.discovery.wisc.edu</a>, or contact Seltzer at 263-5940, <a href="mailto:mseltzer@waisman.wisc.edu">mseltzer@waisman.wisc.edu</a>. As construction of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery gets under way, many are wondering exactly what will happen inside the new research facility on University Avenue when it opens in 2010. Competition sets focus for <abbr title="Wisconsin Institute for Discovery">WID</abbr> 15202 2008-05-07T00:00:00-05:00

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Gov. Jim Doyle and University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni John and Tashia Morgridge will join the UW-Madison community at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 2, to celebrate the start of construction of the <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a>. Hosted by the <a href="http://www.warf.org/">Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation</a> (WARF), manager of the building project, the groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the construction site on the 1300 block of University Avenue. Attendees should enter the site on University Avenue across from university parking Lot 20. The event will feature several speakers, including UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley, Doyle and the Morgridges. Following the speakers, a "Breakthrough to the Future" activity, photo opportunity and light refreshments will follow. The ceremony is expected to last about 45 minutes. The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is being made possible by a $50 million gift from the Morgridges, matched by $50 million from WARF and $50 million from the state. The state-of-the-art research facility — composed of the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID) and the private, nonprofit Morgridge Institute for Research — is expected to open in 2010. Ceremony speakers and agenda: <ul> <li>Chancellor John Wiley;</li> <li>Jan Ver Hagen, president, WARF board of trustees;</li> <li>Marsha Mailick Seltzer, interim director, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery; director, UW-Madison Waisman Center;</li> <li>Carl Gulbrandsen, chair, Morgridge Institute board of trustees and Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Building Committee; managing director, WARF;</li> <li>Gov. Jim Doyle;</li> <li>John Morgridge, trustee, WARF and Morgridge Institute; chairman emeritus, Cisco Systems Inc.;</li> <li>Tashia Morgridge, trustee, Morgridge Institute; board of visitors, UW-Madison School of Education;</li> <li>All speakers, "Breakthrough to the Future Activity" and photo opportunity that will reveal a look at the site in 2010.</li> </ul> Gov. Jim Doyle and University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni John and Tashia Morgridge will join the UW-Madison community at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 2, to celebrate the start of construction of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Groundbreaking ceremony for Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery planned 15155 2008-05-03T00:00:00-05:00 2008-04-30T00:00:00-05:00

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Throughout the month of October, the UW–Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation hosted a series of town hall meetings on campus to inform the university community about the latest building plans for the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/facility/design.php Campus learns about building plans at town hall meetings 14645 2008-01-23T00:00:00-06:00

As a first-generation college student at a small liberal arts school on the East Coast, Gwen Drury was struck by how physical space influenced the way people interact. “It seemed easier to make friends in some places than in others,” she says. That observation led to a lifelong fascination with the ways people connect, how those connections are influenced by space and, ultimately, how these interactions influence outcomes. <div id="story_image_371" class="inline-content photo right" style="width: 200px"> <img src="http://www.news.wisc.edu/story_images/0000/0371/Drury_gwen_portrait07_9294.jpg" alt="Gwen Drury" /> Gwen Drury poses in the common area of the Microbial Sciences Building. Drury’s <abbr title="Doctor of Philosophy" class="initialism">Ph.D.</abbr> thesis focuses on identifying critical architectural and interior design elements that make spaces conducive to interaction. She is working on creating a metric for what she calls “Socially Ergonomic Environmental Design,” a tool that can be used to create spaces that “naturally support people in building community.” As planning coordinator for social interaction space development at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, Drury is working to develop a sense of community in the public spaces at the facility. Photo: <a href="mailto:photos@news.wisc.edu">Bryce Richter</a> </div> Now a <abbr title="Doctor of Philosophy" class="initialism">Ph.D.</abbr> student in the School of Education, Drury is identifying the elements of architecture and interior design that make places conducive to interaction. Part of her thesis is creating a metric for what she calls “socially ergonomic environmental Design,” a tool that can be used to create spaces that “naturally support people in building community.” Optimizing design decisions for university campuses and the communities they seek to nurture is at the heart of her research. As planning coordinator for social interaction space development at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, she is working with the architectural team to ensure the public spaces in the facility will nurture a sense of community within and ensure ties with the outside community, as well. She’s bringing the same expertise to the Wisconsin Union, where she is working on facilities improvement planning for both student unions. With a master’s degree in student affairs administration, Drury has come to believe that personal connections have a real impact on outcomes. She points to residential learning communities as evidence of that. “The students in those communities have higher grade point averages and better retention rates than those who aren’t,” Drury says. “A meaningful community makes a big difference.” As a student affairs coordinator in University Housing from 1991–97, Drury helped create the first residential learning communities. She says at the time it seemed an uncertain endeavor. Would students opt into such a thing? “The concept has turned out to be such a success, it’s hard for us to imagine that it once felt risky. Schools around the country and even private residence halls in Madison are now adopting this strategy,” Drury says. “It’s all about creating the right social and physical contexts for interaction.” Drury has become a supporter of the Wisconsin Idea since coming to the state in 1989, and she sees her vocation as integral to ensuring the “knowledge of the university extends to the boundaries of the state.” She believes the better we can connect with each other on campus, the better we can reach out to serve the public good. Although the Institutes for Discovery are not the first interdisciplinary research program on the Madison campus, the facility is the first to be designed and built around that concept. That raises a lot of questions: What makes a successful interdisciplinary facility? Why are some campus buildings and spaces more dynamic than others? How do buildings and spaces influence interaction? A key part of the new institutes is a “town center” on the ground floor that welcomes the campus and the public. The architecture team, led by Ballinger Associates of Philadelphia, has worked to achieve the donors’ vision of a sun-filled atrium, complete with food, coffee shop and winter garden — a place where people will want to come and perhaps even linger on a cold or rainy day. Picture the Library Mall if it were inside. Drury says the facility is meant to be more than a research building; it’s being designed to be a “relationship incubator,” a place where relationships are nurtured on various levels and scales. The research floors will be connected by “communicating stairs” where impromptu conversations can take place and will feature large and small conference rooms, scattered tables and chairs and coffee-break areas for informal interactions. “We’re trying to create a space where research groups can build strong ties internally and build bridges to the community,” Drury explains. “Many important scientific breakthroughs were the result of innovators ‘bridging distant worlds’ and seeing new opportunities as a result. We want to make it as convenient as possible for researchers to build relationships with people they might not otherwise get to know.” Drury sees the new building and some others on campus as pivotal to the Wisconsin Idea. “The concept began with Bascom’s idea that there was a moral obligation for the university to serve the state,” she says. Charles Van Hise expanded Bascom’s mandate, not only by establishing outreach programs like <abbr title="University of Wisconsin" class="initialism">UW</abbr>–Extension, but also by advocating for social centers to be created, according to Drury. “Though we tend today to focus on sharing expertise, another part of the Wisconsin Idea has always been about bringing people together to look at the world from the widest possible perspective, and building connections between those people,” Drury says. “There was a sense that making campus more social would make ideas flow, and increase productivity.” As a first-generation college student at a small liberal arts school on the East Coast, Gwen Drury was struck by how physical space influenced the way people interact. Planning for interaction at Institutes for Discovery 14615 2008-01-16T00:00:00-06:00

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A major change will begin to take shape on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus this month as construction begins at the future site of the <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a>. When completed in 2010, the institutes — composed of the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the private Morgridge Institute for Research — will serve as a campus hub for interdisciplinary scientific collaboration. <div id="story_image_367" class="inline-content photo right" style="width: 367px"> <img src="http://www.news.wisc.edu/story_images/0000/0367/WID_construction_postcard-DTC.gif" alt="Map showing location of construction site" /> </div> The future site of the institutes is the 1300 block of University Avenue, an area bordered by University Avenue and Campus Drive to the north and south, and Orchard Street and Randall Avenue to the east and west. In preparation for demolition of the existing buildings, which will begin in late February or early March, all occupants of the block have been relocated and nearly all UW-Madison materials have been removed. Site fencing is currently being installed by Findorff-Mortenson, the construction manager for the project. Beginning on Jan. 17, all three traffic lanes on University Avenue will be shifted but will remain open for the duration of construction. Also along University Avenue, the project will create a slightly relocated bike lane that will be separate from a pedestrian walkway. Construction will not change city bus operations or schedules. The east sidewalk on Randall Avenue and the north sidewalk on Campus Drive/Johnson Street will be closed; however, crosswalks will be maintained at the corners. The project limits will extend across Orchard Street, which will also be closed. The next activities will be a salvage operation by the Madison Environmental Group and Habitat ReStore. The project's goal is to recycle 80 percent of the materials from the existing buildings. New construction work will start in spring 2008, with completion of the building scheduled for the end of 2010.   A major change will begin to take shape on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus this month as construction begins at the future site of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Work begins on future site of Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery 14611 2008-01-15T00:00:00-06:00

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On October 1, 8, 10 and 25 the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) are hosting a series of town hall meetings to inform the UW-Madison community about the latest building plans for the <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu%20">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a>. <div id="story_image_187" class="inline-content photo right" style="width: 200px"> <h2>Video</h2> <a href="http://mediasite.cae.wisc.edu/Mediasite/Viewer/Viewers/Viewer240TL3Banner.aspx?mode=Default&peid=6d36471d-7921-483f-8f7b-ff9905c1c1c0&pid=c79b6505-3f24-4524-8e1d-617e943c2d28&playerType=WM64Lite" target="new"><img src="http://www.news.wisc.edu/story_images/0000/0187/wid-thm-sm.jpg" alt="Screen capture of town hall meeting video" /></a> Watch a <a href="http://mediasite.cae.wisc.edu/Mediasite/Viewer/Viewers/Viewer240TL3Banner.aspx?mode=Default&peid=6d36471d-7921-483f-8f7b-ff9905c1c1c0&pid=c79b6505-3f24-4524-8e1d-617e943c2d28&playerType=WM64Lite" target="new">video stream of the Oct. 8 town hall meeting</a>. </div> Composed of the private Morgridge Institute for Research and the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, the twin institutes are to be constructed in the heart of campus as a hub for interdisciplinary research. The institutes' design and structure are intended to foster collaboration across the sciences that will result in breakthrough discoveries that benefit the world. They are the result of the vision and funding provided by UW-Madison alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, the state of Wisconsin, and WARF, UW-Madison's patenting and licensing organization. The building's architects are Ballinger of Philadelphia, and Uihlein Wilson Architects of Milwaukee. Construction will begin in spring 2008 on the 1300 block of University Avenue, with a planned 2010 completion date. At the town hall meetings, attendees will: <ul> <li>Learn about the innovative building plans that include public and retail venues; wet, dry and damp labs; educational outreach space; and social areas to encourage collaboration;</li> <li>See models and artists' renderings of the plans designed to encourage a collaborative and interdisciplinary research culture on campus and engage the public in the sciences and arts in new and unexpected ways;</li> <li>And hear about the campus connection and contribution to the institutes, and participate in a question and answer session. </li> </ul> The meetings are being held on the UW-Madison campus from 4-5 p.m., with a reception to follow on each date: Oct. 1 at Ebling Symposium Center, Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Drive; Oct. 8 at 1610 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive; and Oct. 10 and 25 at Main auditorium, 1st floor, Fluno Center, 601 University Avenue.  On October 1, 8 and 10, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) are hosting a series of town hall meetings to inform the UW-Madison community about the latest building plans for the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Town hall meetings to introduce building plans for Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery 14199 2007-09-26T00:00:00-05:00

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Faculty, staff and graduate students are invited to give input on the design of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery during upcoming town hall meetings, planned for <abbr title="October">Oct.</abbr> 1, 8 and 10. The <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/">Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery</a> are twin institutes, one public and one private, that will be constructed in the heart of campus as a hub for interdisciplinary research. They include the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (<abbr>WID</abbr>) and the private Morgridge Institute for Research (<abbr>MIR</abbr>). Construction is expected to begin in 2008 and be completed in 2010, encompassing the entire 1300 block of University Avenue. Carl Gulbrandsen, managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (<acronym title="Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation">WARF</acronym>), says the institutes are integral to <acronym title="Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation">WARF</acronym>’s mission to support research at <abbr title="University of Wisconsin" class="initialism">UW</abbr>–Madison. “The institutes are a true public-private partnership between the state, John and Tashia Morgridge, <acronym title="Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation">WARF</acronym> and the university,” he says. “For the trustees of <acronym title="Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation">WARF</acronym> and for the Morgridges, the Wisconsin institutes will be a legacy designed to make a great university even greater.” The vision is for a secure, multidisciplinary research facility, combined with an open, inviting public space. According to the architects and others involved, it’s a challenge to combine a public and a private research institute under one roof. Added to that is creating a space that will really be used by the community: a bustling “town center,” which will contain light, plants, art installations, and performance and retail space. The goal is to create a space where people will want to gather, regardless of whether or not they work in the building. “Many buildings have an internal atrium,” says Craig Spangler, principal at the Ballinger architectural firm and design lead on the project. “In this case, we’ve put the atrium on both sides. We want the building to be approachable from any side and very open, so the public can see what’s going on inside. The idea of having an externalized commons is one of the things that makes this building unique.” Alan Fish, who leads facilities planning and management at <abbr title="University of Wisconsin" class="initialism">UW</abbr>–Madison, says connecting the collegiate campus on the north side of University Avenue, with the more urban campus on the south, is an important goal. “When the university jumped the street, we put the nail in the coffin of commercial vitality in this area, really deadening the commercial space,” says Fish, noting that 30 years ago, University Avenue and Johnson Street were the commercial center of this side of town. “What we’re trying to do is re-commercialize and reactivate this area.” Fish notes that a new Union South, proposed for the same footprint as the current building and directly across from the new Wisconsin institutes, is also critical to their success. “These are the first two buildings that will have outward-facing, public spaces, with commercial, public space on the ground floor,” says Fish, noting plans for food services, coffee shops and even dry cleaning and convenience stores. “This will recapture and redefine the commercial vitality in this area.” The university has invested more than $200 million in science, technology and student life buildings within five blocks of the new facilities according to Fish, creating a “vibrant hub for science.” The institutes and the proposed Union South will “fill in the center.” Another challenge of the project is the lack of pre-determined occupants to guide the design. Because the institutes will not serve as a home to any specific department or school, the team had to use a different approach. “We created a surrogate group of researchers to help us define the building and how we’ll use it,” Fish says. This group of scientists included more than 100 faculty members from across campus who took part in eight focus groups and multiple workshops over the spring and summer. They provided critical input on issues such as core scientific services, activating the public spaces, and providing space for outreach and education. The town hall meetings will take place between 4 and 5 p.m. at the following locations: <ul> <li>Monday, <abbr title="October">Oct.</abbr> 1: Ebling Symposium Center, Microbial Sciences Building </li> <li>Monday, <abbr title="October">Oct.</abbr> 8: 1610 Engineering Hall </li> <li>Wednesday, <abbr title="October">Oct.</abbr> 10: main auditorium, first floor, Fluno Center </li> </ul> Anyone interested in attending should register online at <a href="http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/14092">http://www.discovery.wisc.edu/14092</a>. Faculty, staff and graduate students are invited to give input on the design of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery during upcoming town hall meetings, planned for <abbr title="October">Oct.</abbr> 1, 8 and 10. Institutes will provide space for science, arts, community 14138 2007-09-24T00:00:00-05:00

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