Richard Sinaiko ’66 calls UW–Madison the love of his life, ranking the university behind only his family. And he has shown that love the way many alumni do — donating time, influence, and resources to his alma mater.
Somewhat surprisingly, the generous School of Nursing donor is not a nurse. That was his mother. And she was not a UW grad. But the loyal son and fervent UW–Madison alumnus who made a career in health care administration bridged his two loves with one gift: a professorship in the UW–Madison School of Nursing.
“Obviously the match was really important. It allowed me to do something today rather than wait until it was a part of my estate.”
Richard Sinaiko
Sinaiko had initially committed to the professorship for five years. He increased his pledge during the Morgridge Match campaign — a campuswide fundraising effort launched by an unprecedented $100 million gift from John and Tashia Morgridge, which doubled his gift.
"Obviously the match was really important. It allowed me to do something today rather than wait until it was a part of my estate," he says.
But there was more to it than timing. Sinaiko, a staunch advocate of the public university, says institutions such as the UW–Madison School of Nursing form the foundation of our entire health care system. The quality of that system then hinges on the quality of people doing the work, teaching the students, and driving the discoveries that make life better for all of us. "This is really important on all kinds of levels," he says. "I'm really gratified to be able to do this."
