MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on Friday re-elected Regent Karen Walsh to a one-year term as president. Walsh, a graduate of UW-Madison, has served as Regent President since June 2022. Regents also re-elected Regent Amy Blumenfeld Bogost as vice president; she has also served in that position for the past year.
Walsh
Each June the Board elects a President and Vice President. Walsh has served on the Board since May 2019; Bogost joined the Board in May 2020.
“It’s a huge honor to lead the governing board of such an important asset to the State of Wisconsin,” Walsh said. “We have a talented and passionate group of Regents serving in these roles. We remain deeply committed to doing what’s right for Wisconsin—and that’s the finest education, research and public service to benefit the entire state.”
Among other duties, the Board President designates Board committee membership, signs all diplomas and contracts issued by the Board, and speaks on behalf of the Board with the Governor and legislative groups.
Regent Walsh is director of the BerbeeWalsh Foundation, a family foundation dedicated to human and animal health and welfare. Since 2006, the foundation has awarded more than $14 million in grants in the State of Wisconsin, including gifts to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics to create the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine, the new UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine to name its emergency department, and the Madison Cat Project to acquire and remodel a new shelter facility. She was a newscaster and reporter for news outlets including Wisconsin Public Radio prior to serving for 23 years in a variety of public information and communications positions at UW-Madison. She retired in 2005 as the Assistant Dean for External Relations in the College of Engineering, directing alumni and donor communications, news media relations, and industry communications.
A native of Columbus, Wisconsin, Walsh holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from UW-Madison. She serves on a number of nonprofit boards, including the Board of Visitors at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, the Madison Cat Project, and the Access Community Health Centers Community Partners Board. She is also a past president of the Madison Opera Board of Trustees. She and her husband, Dr. James Berbee, live in Madison.
Blumenfeld Bogost
Regent Bogost is a lawyer focused on representation of victims of sensitive crimes and federal Title IX. She has provided training on implementation of Title IX at Tribal colleges and has helped organize and teach at the National Trial Tribal College, co-sponsored and located at the UW-Madison Law School. She is an advocate for students with learning differences and has provided pro bono representation for families facing these challenges. She is currently on the board of the Milwaukee-based HIR Wellness Center, a nonprofit providing mental health and wellness care. She is a UW-Madison graduate who earned a law degree from the Chicago Kent College of Law. She and her husband live in Madison and have three adult children.
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The University of Wisconsin System serves approximately 161,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree – with a median salary of more than $66,000. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System universities also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.