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Business mogul donates millions

A prominent retired Wisconsin businessman donated $2 million toward a new research facility, the University of Wisconsin announced Wednesday.

The new HealthEmotions Research Institute building will be named after the donor of sizable contribution, Don Hedberg.

Currently, research conducted through the HealthEmotions Research Institute is dispersed around the UW campus. However, it will now come together under one roof with Hedberg's large donation.

Hedberg previously co-owned Lab Safety Supply Co. before he retired.

In a statement released by the university, Hedberg said he is confident in the institute's director, Ned Kalin, UW professor of psychiatry and psychology and chair of the department of psychiatry.

"I fully support Dr. Kalin and his team," Hedberg said in the statement. "Their work has the capability of changing the world."

The institute — which has already helped millions in its 11th year — is dedicated to research surrounding the impact of emotions on mental and physical health, Kalin said.

"We use state-of-the-art scientific methods to investigate how the brain works and how the brain responds to stress, and why that's important," Kalin said. "We believe some people are much better at dealing with negative events than others."

According to the release, Hedberg has seen the benefit of the research done by the HealthEmotions Research Institute firsthand during a close relative's struggle with illness years ago.

Kalin said this experience might have contributed to Hedberg making the $2 million donation for the new building.

Kalin said the donation was "significant" and would promote the recruitment of new scientists to UW, as well as bring existing researchers together for collaboration in a shared physical space.

He added the new home for the institute will open new opportunities for research and collaboration on many levels at UW.

"The building will be the home of the research institute and will house the scientists," Kalin said. "We are excited about recruiting more faculty and we are excited about getting students involved with the research, both undergraduate and graduate."