Partnership Thrives at UW-Madison
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of Posse’s largest partnerships, welcoming 40 new Scholars from Chicago, D.C., New York and Los Angeles onto campus each year.
The partnership began in 2002 with UW-Madison signing on to recruit cohorts from Chicago. The public land grant institution expanded the partnership over the next eight years, recruiting inaugural cohorts from Los Angeles in 2003, D.C. in 2008 and New York City in 2010. In all, the University has welcomed more than 750 Scholars to its sprawling campus to date and is preparing to select four new cohorts this fall.
“UW-Madison’s investment in hundreds of Posse Scholars over the years highlights their commitment to the cultivation of a truly diverse group of leaders,” says Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial. “With 160 Posse Scholars currently on campus, Chancellor Mnookin and the wonderful UW administration and faculty are modeling what true collaboration looks like, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with them.”
As the program has expanded, UW-Madison has increased supports for the Posse community, allocating resources to ensure the program’s success. Most notably, the program at UW features a dedicated Posse office and staff members tasked with serving all 40 Posse Scholars on campus. The director of the program, Dr. Marla Delgado-Guerrero, had previously mentored a Chicago cohort before taking on the role in 2022.
“I appreciate the strong foundation that we have established with the Posse Foundation beginning with Posse Chicago in 2002. I see the Scholars as true leaders on our campus and in industry, elevating their communities across the country,” says Dr. Marla Delgado-Guerrero. “UW-Madison is honored to be a quad-city partner and gather a vibrant community who make Madison home each year.”
U.W. Madison was the first major public research institution to sign on. Since then, over 500 Posse Scholars have graduated from the top-ranked university. UW-Madison Posse alumni have gone on to become teachers, engineers, start-up founders, public servants and more.
