Carolyn “Biddy” Martin isn’t unfamiliar with the numerous challenges she’ll face when she becomes the next chancellor at UW-Madison.
In fact, the current provost of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., is keenly aware that some at UW-Madison are concerned about a range of issues that potentially threaten the university’s ranking as one of the premier public institutions of higher education in America.
But instead of focusing her energy on the many concerns — such as relatively low faculty pay, the sometimes contentious relationship between the university and state Legislature, and the uphill battle to create a more diverse campus — Martin seems determined to focus on the positives.