The University of Wisconsin’s Morgridge Center for Public Service, the campus’ landmark for civic discourse and community work, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a series of special events and discussions.

The Morgridge Center will host a gala at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Sept. 22 to commemorate the anniversary, according to a UW statement.

The gala will consist of speakers including Interim Chancellor David Ward and Morgridge Center founders John and Tashia Morgridge, followed by a series of presentations from UW students, the statement said.

According to Morgridge Center Director Nancy Matthews, the Morgridge Center was founded with a 1996 grant from the Morgridges to promote the understanding and appreciation of the roles individuals play in building strong democratic societies.

The center continues to receive grants from the family, Matthews said, which allows the center to have a strong presence on campus.

“[John and Tashia Morgridge] endowed the Center to be the go-to [place] on campus for students to get connected with the community and engage in community activities,” Mathews said.

The Morgridge Center’s 15th anniversary also coincides with the introduction of the ‘Wisconsin Without Borders’ showcase, according to the statement.

A partnership between the Morgridge Center and the newly formed global health initiative supports international service learning and allows university faculty and students to extend their work beyond just academics and location, Matthews said.

Proud of the relationships the center has cultivated with more than 120 organizations in the Dane County Area, Matthews said she sees the Morgridge Center as covering an increasingly broad range of student-centered volunteer and community activities in the future.

“The vision I see for the Center is … a growing focus on ensuring … our ties to the community are strengthened and really assuring students [continue to work] with the faculty in community-based research,” Matthews said.

To meet this goal, the center has recently started the volunteer transportation program, which arranges free cab rides for student volunteers. Students are eligible for the service if they commit to volunteering at least eight times during the semester and the destination is further than a half mile from the university.

The program marks a milestone for the Morgridge Center, according to Matthews.

“We are very, very proud of establishing our volunteer transportation program,” she said.

However, the project has run into some unexpected monetary problems the Morgridge Center must address this semester.

“Last year, the program cost us about $120,000 to run and maintain,” Mathews said. “We are asking ASM to consider supporting the program so we can expand cabs to all students.”

In 2011, the Morgridge Center will connect more than 1,200 UW students with dozens of local community partners. With the improved cab program, Mathews hopes they can reach many more.

“We’re very excited about it,” she said.

The gala is slated to begin at 1:15 p.m. with opening remarks in the forum at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, according to the statement. Ward and the Morgridges will speak at 3 p.m.