Lawmakers looking to close a gaping hole in the state budget shouldn’t look to the University of Wisconsin’s growth agenda. UW-Milwaukee could be hit particularly hard.
UWM won a $9.6 million boost in the previous state budget, and the school plans to build a new engineering campus and research park. UWM is in negotiations with Milwaukee County to purchase 83 acres at the County Grounds in Wauwatosa and has begun interviewing faculty. Chancellor Carlos Santiago, who has made boosting the research profile of UWM Job 1 since he was hired four years ago, has persuaded philanthropist Michael Cudahy to donate the money to buy the county land.