As work steadily continues on the physical foundations of the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a $25 million gift from two of the university’s most devoted supporters, alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, has pushed the fund-raising effort for the building closer to its initial goal.
Construction of the 395,000-square-foot building, which will anchor the UW-Madison engineering campus, was approved in 2024. The state of Wisconsin and UW-Madison are providing support, while the College of Engineering is raising $150 million in philanthropy from alumni and friends.
With their gift, the Morgridges will name a research laboratory on the building’s third floor; their intent also is to name one of the building’s floors in honor of College of Engineering Dean Emeritus Ian Robertson, who led efforts to secure approval for the facility before stepping down in June 2025.
From left: UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, Tashia and John Morgridge, and Professor Ian Robertson.
The Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center’s construction comes at a pivotal time. It enables the college to meet growing demand for future-ready engineers by providing space for additional students. The new building also is designed for discovery: It will house flexible, state-of-the-art lab space that allows the college’s expanding number of faculty, researchers, graduate students and undergraduate researchers to learn from and collaborate with each other; its seventh floor will be devoted to industry partner space designed to spark innovation and strengthen connections.
“I am profoundly grateful to John and Tashia Morgridge for their investment in our college,” says Devesh Ranjan, Grainger Dean of the College of Engineering. “The Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center will be a catalyst for ideas capable of reshaping society. It brings our people and industry partners together in an environment built for ambitious thinking and accelerating discoveries, while opening doors for more exceptional students who will drive Wisconsin’s future.”
The Morgridges are 1955 UW-Madison graduates with experience in business and education. John is the former president, CEO and chairman of the board of Cisco Systems Inc., while Tashia has long been an advocate for special education and literacy intervention.
Construction is underway for the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center.
“From business to education, we’ve seen how collaboration sparks progress,” say the Morgridges. “We were inspired by the vision for a place where people and ideas intersect — where students, faculty and industry partners learn from one another and turn shared discovery into real impact.”
The couple’s contribution toward the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center is their latest gift to their alma mater. Their generosity has impacted nearly every area of UW-Madison, most recently with the opening of Morgridge Hall.
Their support of engineering building follows a $75 million lead gift from brothers and UW-Madison alumni Marvin and Jeffrey Levy and a $25 million gift from engineering alumnus Bjorn Borgen (BSME ’62).
Opportunities to support the project remain. Contact Rob Herrick, director of development at the Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association, to join the effort.