The biological systems engineering department recently announced the establishment of its first endowed professorship. Emeritus professor and former BSE Department Chair Patrick Walsh and his wife, Noreen Warren, have committed a gift of $500,000 to establish a named professorship in the department.

The gift will receive a “Morgridge Match,” which doubles its value to $1,000,000. In fall 2014, John and Tashia Morgridge promised $100 million to match new gifts toward professorships at UW-Madison. Their donation is the largest-ever gift by a single donor to the university. Walsh and Warren’s gift qualified for this matching fund opportunity.

The professorship is to be used at the discretion of the department to support critical faculty contributions to the department’s teaching and research missions.