MADISON, Wis. — A former University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor died of cancer on Feb. 17, the UW System said on Saturday.
Rebecca Blank was 67 years old. She served as UW-Madison’s chancellor for nine years and focused on improving education outcomes and the student experience.
Her tenure as chancellor lasted from 2013 to 2022. After leaving in 2022, she became the president of Northwestern University.
Before she left, Blank shared how found she was of UW-Madison.
“No other job in the world would let me lead an institution with its own marching band, sailing club, mascot and ice cream flavors,” she wrote, noting her love of Bucky Badger. “In no other job do you get to address 50,000 people in Camp Randall [Stadium] on graduation day when they are all in a happy mood and can’t wait to hear what you have to say.”
In partnership with the spring class of 2014, Blank brought commencement back to Camp Randall.
Blank created new programs at the university, including Bucky’s Tuition Promise, which created paths to UW-Madison for students coming from lower-income families.
She also led the All Ways Forward campaign, which created over 5,000 scholarships and raised funds for 327 new faculty funds.
“Becky was a transformational leader for UW–Madison, serving during challenging times,” says Provost Karl Scholz, who came to know Blank decades ago as a fellow economist, then worked closely with her while he served as dean of the College of Letters & Science, before becoming provost in 2019. “Early in her tenure, she helped navigate difficult budget cuts; late in her tenure, the COVID pandemic. She was wise and decisive.”
UW-Madison also noted Blank led the school through “multiple efforts to improve administrative efficiency,” and advocated “for increased state support.”
Under Blank’s leadership, UW-Madison’s undergraduate enrollment increased. The university also worked toward increasing diversity and reducing the average time it took students to reach graduation.
Blank also oversaw the development of the School of Computer, Data and Information Science at UW-Madison.
“Our community has lost a brilliant leader who cared deeply about making this great public research university stronger, more accessible, better connected to the community and the state, and better positioned to make a difference in the world,” said Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, who struck up a friendship with Blank in 2022 during her own transition into the chancellor role. “Becky inspired faculty, staff and administrators with an approach to problem-solving that combined vision, creativity and pragmatism.”
UW-Madison said a memorial service and campus remembrance are in the works. More information is available, here.
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