[media-credit name=”Joey Reuteman” align=”alignleft” width=”540″][/media-credit]University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank reflected on her first days on the job at a luncheon at the Rotary Club Wednesday, as she reiterated her goals of expanding outreach, ensuring a strong financial base for the university and emphasizing the important economic role of research institutions.
Since stepping into the position in July, Blank said she has made relationship-building on campus a high priority, adding she plans to increase UW’s revenue to include multiple funding streams, leveraging state dollars and adding funding from private sources to achieve her objectives of maintaining excellence and ensuring staff have competitive salaries.
Blank said she was enthusiastic UW has been able to maintain a reputation as a research institution and the interdisciplinary work of the faculty. She said the legacy of the collaborative research at UW is a great strength and is attractive to top scholars.
Blank said she was proud of UW’s commitment to outreach and how well the Wisconsin Idea has incorporated the university into the Madison community, the state and projects around the globe.
She highlighted outreach projects such as the Odyssey Project, the Lafollette School of Public Affairs, University Research Park and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation as examples.
Blank said during her time at the U.S. Department of Commerce she thought about what is needed today to assure American companies will lead the global economy.
“We are in many ways the ideas factory for American inventiveness,” Blank said, adding the nation needs top ranked universities like UW in order “to stay at that front edge of competitiveness.”
By continuing to maintain a community of excellence and innovation, the university will help the economy grow, Blank said.
For such a strong university, Blank said a strong financial base is essential. Although Blank said she does not expect a big turnaround from the state, she said she would continue to argue for UW’s financial needs.
Establishing relationships within the Legislature and the university is vital to allow for good communication of the needs of the university, Blank said. Gaining control of the financial situation will increase attractiveness of the school, as well as its reputation as a whole, she said.
Blank said she loves the breadth and scope of UW, as well as the energy the students have provided her thus far. She said she plans to tackle the challenges ahead, most importantly doing what it takes to recruit top students, connect with esteemed alumni, improve partnerships in the private sector and help the legislature and governor collaborate with the university.
Blank said she hopes to “find many ways to work together and to help this community continue to grow and thrive.”