Donations in the amount of $150 million will fund a brand-new UW-Madison science research facility, Chancellor John Wiley announced Monday.
The new Morgridge Institute for Research, named after UW alums and frequent donors John and Tashia Morgridge, will house scientific labs and classrooms.
The Morgridges gave the largest private donation in the history of UW-Madison for the new facility—$50 million. They also recently gave $31 million for renovation and completion of the Education Building.
Wiley drew applause from the crowd when he added that the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation decided to match the Morgridges' donation. The State Building Commission, at the urging of Gov. Jim Doyle, capped off the funds for the research center with $50 million.
Today's gift will help build a world-class facility to answer questions in biology, nanotechnology, information technology, material science and other realms of scientific inquiry in the realms of these fields,\ Wiley said.
The Morgridge Institute for Research will be located on the 1200 and 1300 block of campus. Various sciences buildings will surround it, including the Engineering, Medical Sciences and Chemistry buildings.
All of the speakers discussed the institute's duality, with emphasis on both privately- and publicly-funded research.
Wiley said the structure will ensure UW-Madison remains in the competition for research grants while attracting and retaining faculty.
The focus on the private research sector of the facility means that access to new discoveries will not be slowed down when it is time to release them into the research market, according to Wiley.
John Morgridge, chair of the board of Cisco Systems, mentioned the lack of a private research facility in the center of the country.
""Great science is occurring in the Midwest, and it is time people noticed,"" Morgridge said.
Doyle attended the press conference as well and emphasized the importance of this new facility in the state economy and its role in future discoveries to help cure diseases like juvenile diabetes.
The center is ""a major step forward as Wisconsin builds on a long and deep tradition of research,"" Doyle said.
He also stressed this was a unique partnership uncommon to other large public universities.
Doyle will ask the State Building Commission to approve the proposed $150 million package April 19 so the project can go forward.
The construction is expected to start in 2007 and Phase One of the center will be completed by 2009.
\
