Alumni advocates are invited to the 2026 Fall Policy Forum on November 14 in Madison for an in-depth look at key UW–Madison issues and their connections to federal and state policy.
This year’s forum will explore UW–Madison’s role in rural health care and the future of humanities education.
UW–Madison’s impact on rural health
The rural health care panel will feature Amy Kind ’96, MD’01, PhD’11, associate dean for social health sciences and programs and executive director of the Wisconsin Partnership Program; Rudy Johnson, director of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene; and John Eich ’89, director of the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.
UW–Madison’s Wisconsin Partnership Program addresses critical health challenges by investing in workforce development, community partnerships, and innovative care. Initiatives such as the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine expand the pipeline of physicians serving rural and underserved communities.
The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health supports rural hospitals, providers, and community health initiatives, and the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene provides public health services, workforce support, disease surveillance, and partnerships that strengthen rural communities.
The forum will explore why these programs and offices are key resources in the state of Wisconsin.
The importance and future of humanities education
Provost John Zumbrunnen; Marcelle Haddix, dean of the School of Education; and Grant Nelsestuen, associate dean for the Division of Arts and Humanities in the College of Letters & Science and professor of classics, will discuss the role of humanities education on campus.
The campus humanities landscape is changing with the opening of Irving & Dorothy Levy Hall, a new hub for humanities. The UW Board of Regents recently approved a 2027–29 state budget request for funding to demolish the George L. Mosse Humanities Building, which would further reshape humanities education at UW–Madison.
But humanities education extends beyond the campus buildings they are taught in. Initiatives such as the Center for the Humanities and the Constellations program connect classroom learning with public life, contemporary challenges, and community engagement. They show how the humanities support careers across STEM, health care, business, and public service while advancing the Wisconsin Idea.
Campus leaders will dive into these impacts and help advocates understand why these are fundamental to learning at UW–Madison.
The Fall Forum is free and open to all alumni advocates. More information and registration is available on the event page.
