Wisconsin ‘Weather Guy’ and longtime prof to lead UW-Madison research enterprise

Wisconsin ‘Weather Guy’ and longtime prof to lead UW-Madison research enterprise

Steve Ackerman, photo credit UW-Madison

Steve Ackerman, photo credit UW-Madison

A longtime university professor will oversee UW-Madison’s research enterprise and graduate education, the university announced Monday.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank named Steve Ackerman the next vice chancellor for research and graduate education, one of a handful of high-profile positions that report directly to Blank. The job entails overseeing $1.2 billion in annual research spending and thousands of graduate students.

Ackerman emerged as the top choice in a search that began in 2018 but was put on hold last spring. He faces the challenge of reversing a recent slide in the university’s national research ranking and increasing research conducted in collaboration with businesses, an area in which UW-Madison significantly lags behind peer institutions.

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