FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alicia Schiff, WiSys Executive Assistant
(608) 316-4037
[email protected]

MADISON, Wis. — David J. Ward, CEO of NorthStar Consulting and a former senior vice president with UW System, has been elected chair of WiSys Technology Foundation by the board of trustees.

With a distinguished career spanning multiple campuses in the UW System and a scholarly background in bond analysis and economic impact calculations, Ward brings a deep knowledge of statewide needs to the WiSys board. His academic posts include an early faculty position in business administration at UW Oshkosh and later, service as interim chancellor of UW-Green Bay.

"Over the years, collaboration among the UW System campuses has increased dramatically and the level of scientific investigation being carried out is broader and deeper than ever before," Ward said. "The result is that commercially valuable ideas are being generated in greater numbers and these ideas are coming from a wider range of faculty with strong research backgrounds."

WiSys works with 11 comprehensive UW System four-year universities, 13 freshman-sophomore UW Colleges and the statewide UW-Extension to facilitate technology and science research, protect and generate patentable discoveries and foster the career development and scholarship required in a knowledge-based economy. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation supports its partner WiSys in helping it fulfill its mission.

Ward pointed to information technology, manufacturing and agriculture as examples of important Wisconsin industries in which university technology transfer plays a critical role. WiSys will continue to strengthen partnerships that support the flow of discoveries from campus to the marketplace.

"Universities are developers of talent and that includes encouraging new ideas as well as nurturing faculty, staff and students who can take a broad range of what they've learned, apply it and build a growing business," Ward said. "We need to keep working to build better connections between the talent and ideas coming from our System campuses and the businesses that can bring the benefits of new technology to society."

Born and raised in Green Bay, Ward began his college education at the two-year UW-Green Bay Center campus, as it was then called. He completed his undergraduate degree and Ph.D. at UW–Madison. It was during his tenure as senior vice president with UW System that discussions regarding the need for an organization such as WiSys began under UW System President Katharine Lyall.

Ward joined the WiSys board in 2010 and succeeds Carl Gulbrandsen, WARF managing director, as chair. Gulbrandsen remains on the board.

Other new directors include:

• Dean Van Galen, chancellor of UW-River Falls. A Wisconsin native and 1982 alumnus of UW-Whitewater, Van Galen, like many UW-River Falls students, was a first-generation college student. Van Galen earned a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at Kansas State University and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California at Berkeley. Among his initiatives, Van Galen opened a UW-River Falls learning center in Hudson focused on meeting the undergraduate and graduate educational needs of adults. Since its opening in fall 2010, the UW-River Falls Hudson Center has seen strong enrollment growth, including more than 100 students enrolled in the Adult Degree Completion Program in Business Administration.
• David Brukardt, associate vice president for economic development with UW System. A fourth-generation Wisconsin native, Brukardt earned his undergraduate degree from Marquette University and his MBA from the University of Maryland. Brukardt has more than 20 years of experience with global organizations and entrepreneurial startups. Before joining UW System in 2012, he served as executive vice president of investor and corporate relations for Sterling Financial Corp. in Spokane, Wash.

About WiSys Technology Foundation
WiSys Technology Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) supporting organization of the University of Wisconsin System. WiSys supports 11 four-year universities, 13 freshman-sophomore UW College campuses and statewide UW-Extension to identify innovative technologies and bring them to the marketplace.