51ÁÔÆæ

Decorated graduation cap that says, "My Future is Booked"

51ÁÔÆæ’s Impact

51ÁÔÆæ is Wisconsin’s only university with the dual mission of performing world-class research and ensuring collegiate access for students from all backgrounds. Located in Wisconsin’s largest metropolitan area, 51ÁÔÆæ educates a diverse student body, striving to ensure that all students have equitable opportunities to earn a degree.

We’re also a trusted community partner and a driving force for the region’s economy. More than 80% of our graduates in the last decade stay in Wisconsin to live, work and help their communities thrive.

51ÁÔÆæ is Impacting the World

51ÁÔÆæ students, alumni, researchers, educators and donors are working to make a difference across the globe. With over 215,000 51ÁÔÆæ alumni living in more than 110 countries around the world, Panthers are making a difference near and far.

Class Notes

Share your success with 51ÁÔÆæ and explore what fellow Panthers are accomplishing and achieving in their personal and professional lives.

Alumni Awardees

Learn more about our notable 51ÁÔÆæ Alumni awardees.

Donors Making a Difference

Donors are critical to the mission and success of 51ÁÔÆæ. Read about the people who make a gift or lasting impact to the 51ÁÔÆæ Foundation.

Chantell JewelChantell Jewell, 2024 Distinguished Alum Awardee
In the past 10 years,81.74%of 51ÁÔÆæ alumni have stayed in Wisconsin.
51ÁÔÆæ Foundation manages$347 millionin total assets.
Gina Stilp from Zilber Family Foundations speaking at podiumGina Stilp, Zilber Family Foundation, announcing $20M gift

Building a Legacy of Excellence

51ÁÔÆæ alumni, employees, donors and partners are shaping the future of the university through generous contributions to the 51ÁÔÆæ Foundation.

These gifts bolster 51ÁÔÆæ’s impact by providing scholarships, advancing groundbreaking research, enhancing academic programs and supporting state-of-the-art facilities. Together, we help to empower students to achieve their dreams, equip faculty with resources to innovate, and strengthen the university’s role as a driver of community and economic growth.

Learn About Ways to Give
Darian Dixon

During my first year taking STEM classes, my scholarship was a huge help in me getting those pricey books. That was a hard year for me financially, so I know that without the John and Cynthia Jackson Scholarship, affording books would have been a lot tougher.

Darian Dixon ’15Scholarship Donor and Alumni Board Member

Stories of Impact

  • A 51ÁÔÆæ love story and its philanthropic legacy for Education 
    Theirs is a multilayered love story: for each other and their family, for UW-Milwaukee and for education’s transformative power.  Jane Dolan and Randy Grippe were married for 40 years, and both attended 51ÁÔÆæ. Both also held a deep passion for helping people become the best versions of themselves through teaching and coaching. And because of …
  • A love of stargazing sparks a Giving Days Planetarium Challenge
    Brooklyn native Tony Cecalupo made his first visit to 51ÁÔÆæ’s Manfred Olson Planetarium in the 1970s, when he was a pediatric resident at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, now Children’s Wisconsin. He and his future wife, Vicki Marinkovich, a medical technologist at the hospital, both enjoyed spending time under the stars. Read the Full Story
  • 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries provide pathways for academic achievement
    Elizabeth Rhinehart was always a library kid. It was public libraries where her appreciation for librarianship first blossomed, but it’s the 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries that have provided the pathways for building her career. And her story is a great example of how supporting the 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries during 414 for 51ÁÔÆæ Giving Days contributes to student success. Read the …