COVID-19 Research and Impact
From the Nominator
COVID-19 not only shut down UW–Madison's campus, it also cut off many traditional forms of communication with alumni, donors, and stakeholders at a time when many of those individuals were increasingly interested to know how the university was coping with the pandemic, and how it was marshaling researchers and medical professionals to defeat the coronavirus. By the end of March 2020, the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association had launched a weekly email newsletter to inform alumni and donors about UW research, and to deliver stories about the scientists, faculty, students, and alumni who are working to address all aspects of the pandemic: on campus, across Wisconsin, and around the world.
Our CEO, Mike Knetter, is the ""author"" of the newsletter, as he provides a trusted voice to alumni and donors: a longtime member of the campus community who is separate from the UW's faculty and staff but can still give an inside perspective. The newsletter goes to all alumni for whom we have a valid email address, and its content integrates with a story-aggregation website (advanceuw.org/coronavirus). It also promotes a weekly video livestream, on which Knetter hosts conversations with faculty, staff, and alumni to consider some aspect of the pandemic.
From the Judges
This was a fantastic submission. A lot of work, transparency and data were shared with their community in the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. We can only begin to imagine how much your alumni community appreciated all of the information that you were able to share with them at a time of uncertainty. We truly applaud your hard work.