Survey: UW Plant Breeding Program is #1

The UW Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics (PBPG) program at CALS is one of the largest and most impactful of its kind in the nation. A survey conducted by the National Association of Plant Breeders, which included 53 U.S. institutions that offer doctoral degrees in plant breeding, identified PBPG as the nation’s top graduate training program in terms of its placement of new Ph.D. grads in public or private employment. Founded in 1968, the program features 28 faculty from eight departments who teach around 45 to 50 graduate students in any given year. PBPG alumni — 380 Ph.D. graduates and 142 with master’s degrees — are found across all facets of the plant breeding world, nationally and internationally.

Dairy Link In China Advances CALS Mission

In a new book entitled Wisconsin in the World (Information Age Publishing, 2023), dozens of authors from UW–Madison highlight the success of the university’s international programs.  Using case studies, the book illustrates how, when aligned with university values, these programs contribute to long-term stability, even in the face of a global pandemic and economic crises. A chapter coauthored by CALS Global Director Jennifer Kushner BS’91 and Brett Schieve, CALS assistant dean for international and experiential learning, showcases this success in the context of the college. Through the example of the Dairy Farming Institute in China, they describe how research, teaching, and outreach and extension generate a dynamic feedback loop that develops new research ideas, generates solutions to local problems, and provides important training opportunities for students.

Read more highlights on the CALS News page.