John and Tashia Morgridge donated $85.2 million toward a renovation of Science Hall, the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced May 21.
Their donation is the lead private contribution in support of the $163.2 million project, which is set to begin Feb. 2027. The Morgridges’ donation covers the difference between the project’s total cost and the $80 million in state-allocated funding from the 2025-27 operating budget.
The planned renovations for Science Hall, described as “critical” by UW-Madison, will include restoring the red-brick exterior, replacing the roof, building an outdoor courtyard and making the building compliant with accessibility standards. The renovation will also restore formerly open, collaborative spaces in the 139-year-old building.
“We hope this investment honors the past while giving the next generation of students and scholars the tools they need to tackle what comes next,” John Morgridge said.
The repurposing of basement space, modernization of inside the hall and the new outdoor courtyard design are intended to renew the space while preserving its historic character.
“Science Hall has stood at the heart of this campus for more than a century,” Tashia Morgridge said in a UW-Madison article. “We want it to stand at the heart of environmental discovery for another century.”
The renovations will also include a new Geographic Information System lab and educational center. The new lab is intended to be a “cutting-edge facility for geospatial sciences, remote sensing and environmental informatics,” the article said.
The Morgridges have previously made several large donations to the university, including $25 million to the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center in April, $140 million toward the construction of Morgridge Hall and matching $100 million in donations for faculty positions.
Students previously expressed mixed feelings on the renovation. Isabella Lutowski, a master’s student in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, told the Daily Cardinal she was unsure how the modern style will look among historic architecture.
Former District 8 Alder and UW-Madison student MGR Govindarajan said more study spaces were “exactly what we needed” but added that he would “appreciate if the building kept to the historical vibe.”
Science Hall’s historic legacy was recognized in 1993 with its addition to the National Register of Historic Places — 106 years after it was rebuilt following an 1884 fire. The building currently houses the Nelson Institute, the Department of Geography and the UW Cartography Lab.
Developer bids for the construction of Science Hall are scheduled for release in September 2026, with project completion expected in February 2029.
