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Denice Denton Memorial Fund

Dear Friend of Denice,

Dr. Denice D. Denton was a leader, a scholar, an educator, a mentor, an advocate, and a community builder (see eulogies and remembrances). During her years on the faculty of the ECE Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) from 1987-96, she was a powerful agent of positive change, leaving a legacy on campus that is still strongly evident today. She initiated educational reform and innovative programs to support young people in pursuing careers in engineering and science, as well as those in leadership positions later in their careers. The communities she built during her time in Madison, both within the university and beyond, served not only as a support network for their participants, but also as a network that could be rallied to, in Denice's famous phrase, "Get Things Done." These communities must now carry forward Denice's spirit, rallying together to carry on her legacy.

We have a special opportunity both to celebrate the life and legacy of Denice D. Denton, and to continue her legacy to improve the quality of education and the quality of student and work life at the UW for many, many years to come. Therefore, we are launching a campaign to help carry forward Denice's legacy in:

• Innovation in science and engineering education at all levels;
• Mentoring/career development;
• Diversity in science and engineering; and
• Diversity in academic leadership.

After considering a number of possibilities, we have committed to two initiatives to which the Denice Denton Memorial Fund will be dedicated. The first is the Denice D. Denton Student Award, targeting women and minorities in engineering or science disciplines who have a demonstrated commitment to one or more of the above themes. The second component is the Denice D. Denton Distinguished Lecture Series. Speakers will be selected for their innovative approaches to institutional change in advancing the goals championed by Denice. Speakers will be invited to spend a day on campus to meet with members of the campus community at all levels. The lecture will also serve as a venue at which to publicly honor the student award recipient(s). Each invited speaker will be carefully chosen to inspire the attendees, and each event will also help sustain, revitalize, and expand the network that Denice built when she was here.

Ensuring these two initiatives remain annual events far into the future will require an endowment of $200,000. Please join us in support of the Denice Denton Memorial Fund. We thank those of you who have already contributed. Your gift, regardless of size, plays a critical role in supporting Denice's legacy, and your contribution can be distributed over a number of years. You may make a gift online (please make sure that Denice Denton Memorial Fund (12344610) appears in the detailed instructions box), or if you would like to mail your pledge, please fill out and mail a pledge form . We hope you will join us in honoring Denice D. Denton in a manner in tune with her contributions at UW-Madison.

Sincerely,

Amy Wendt, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Vicki Bier, Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Susan Millar, Senior Scientist, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
Lydia Zepeda, Professor, Consumer Science

P.S. We hope you will be able to join us at the next Denice D. Denton Distinguished Lecture. Please check the Lecture Series' website for details.

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