A Wisconsin business owner’s hefty donation to University of Wisconsin will not only benefit breast cancer research, but help retain UW’s world-renowned faculty.
Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply donated $1.75 million to UW, which will go toward breast cancer and reconstructive surgery research, according to a statement from UW School of Medicine and Public Health. But after John and Tashia Morgridge’s match donation, UW will be gifted with almost $250 million in endowment funds as well.
$250 million donation to UW will go to research, faculty support
Lee Gravatt Wilke, a professor of surgery and UW Health Breast Center director, is Hendricks’ chair in Breast Cancer Research. She has developed devices to better visualize breast tumors and researches treatments for the environment around a cancer, as well as the cancer itself. She is also involved locally and nationally in breast cancer screening and research, according to the statement.
John Siebert, professor of plastic surgery and an internationally recognized expert, is Hendricks’ chair in Reconstructive Surgery Research and brings worldwide victims of hemifacial atrophy and Romberg’s disease to get treatment in Madison. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of soft tissue repair and how they play into what causes facial deformities. He also is an expert in reducing scar tissue during wound healing, the statement said.
The Morgridges’ matching donation is an added bonus to Hendricks’ gift. In 2014, the two said they would match up to $100 million — the largest individual donation in UW history — to endow new professorships, chairs and distinguished chairs in order to recruit and retain a world-class faculty at UW. With the Morgridges’ match, UW will receive up to $250 million in endowment dollars.
Hendricks is the owner and chairperson of ABC Supply, a wholesale distributor of exterior building products with its headquarters in Beloit. She is also a leader in industrial and commercial real estate industries and is chairman of Hendricks Holding Co., which has worldwide ties.
Her gift is timely, being recognized during a month dedicated to raising awareness for hundreds of thousands of women who suffer from breast cancer every year.
