UPDATED Saturday, January 31, 2009 --- 5:30 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin is making a determined effort to improve the school's relationship with state lawmakers.

Martin has invited all 132 lawmakers and guests to her official residence for an informal reception on Monday, the first such meeting of its kind in years.

Martin also sent lawmakers notes of congratulation after they won election last year and even had her lobbyist deliver Christmas cards to their Capitol offices.

Rep. Mark Pocan of Madison says he's already had more sit-down time with Martin than any previous chancellor. He says Martin will have an impact by personally reaching out to lawmakers to lobby about issues.

Martin's style is a major contrast to that of her predecessor John Wiley, who denounced lawmakers as petty and overly partisan as he left office last year.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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Thursday, June 5, 2008 --- 1:55 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The regents confirmed Cornell Provost Biddy Martin as the next University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor with a salary of $437,000.

That's about $110,000 more than current Chancellor John Wiley earns.

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008 --- 4:20 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The top pick to be the next leader of UW-Madison says she hopes to start working in August before students arrive on campus.

Cornell University Provost Carolyn "Biddy" Martin says she's eager to get to work to -- quote -- "enhance the standing of an already great university."

She says one of her top priorities will be lobbying for higher salaries for faculty and staff. She says the competition for top scholars is fierce and will only get more intense in future years.

Martin might take a pay cut if she is confirmed for the job by the Board of Regents next week.

She earns about $500,000 per year at Cornell. At UW-Madison, she is expected to earn $370,000 to $452,000. Her exact salary won't be made public until next week.

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008 --- 1:40 p.m.

Governor Doyle has issued a statement regarding the recommendation of Biddy Martin to the UW-Madison chancellor position:
“Through wise and dedicated leadership, the University of Wisconsin has grown to become our country’s largest public research institution, and I welcome Dr. Martin to a role that is so vital to our state. I am confident that she will use her expertise to carry UW-Madison, her alma mater, forward.”

According to a news release from University Communications:

A number of individuals who played a close role in the selection of the new University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor offered their insights on recommended candidate Biddy (Carolyn A.) Martin, currently the provost at Cornell University, located in Ithaca, N.Y. Here are some of those perspectives:

- PAULA BONNER, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Alumni Association, and member of the UW-Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee

"The selection of Biddy Martin to serve as the next UW-Madison chancellor is the right choice for our university's future.

"The campus community and all those involved with this important search were rightly impressed with Dr. Martin's enthusiasm for UW and the ideas she brings to strengthen and accelerate this great, public, land-grant University of Wisconsin into the 21st century.

"She brings a breadth and depth of leadership experience from Cornell University and a deep appreciation for her alma mater. Under her leadership, this campus will thrive as the go-to place for solutions and opportunities in education, research and outreach in fulfillment of the Wisconsin Idea.

"As an alumna herself, Dr. Martin understands the special affinity for this university that comes with being a Badger. I know that as the next chancellor of our alma mater, she will inspire great pride in the community of 375,000 UW-Madison alumni around the globe."

- MARK BUGHER, director, University Research Park

"We look forward to working with her. She has a very strong background both academically and from the perspective of university leadership.

"She understands the nuance and delicate balance you have to walk as both an academic person and a plain old administrator to get the job done from day to day. ... She's done something clearly right in that job and has led (Cornell), which has a great reputation. Obviously, she's battle-tested and ready."

- WILLIAM CRONON, Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, Geography and Environmental Studies, and member of the UW-Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee

"All the evidence from Cornell University indicates that Dr. Martin has been a very wise and visionary leader of that institution. She brings a breadth of understanding that ranges from the natural sciences to the arts and humanities, and is someone I hope will lead this institution into the next decade and what we need to accomplish in the 21st century."

"One of the great challenges of an institution that is as large and complicated as UW-Madison is helping everybody associated with the institution - faculty, staff, students, alumni and all stakeholders - all feeling like they are part of a common project. We want everyone to know what's special about UW-Madison, what its unique contributions can be and why we should all be excited to be associated with it."

"I would love, five years from now, for people to feel excited and optimistic about the future of UW-Madison, and I believe Biddy Martin is someone who can help accomplish that goal."

- JOHN MORGRIDGE, chairman emeritus of Cisco Systems Inc.; Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Board of Trustees; member of UW-Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee

"Tashia and I are very excited about it. Dr. Martin comes with a wealth of experience as provost at Cornell. ... She has enthusiasm, energy. She's a very personable kind of person. We have some good friends, one of which was a trustee at Cornell, and they spoke most highly of her. She has a good sense of humor, which is always helpful, particularly in the job she's taking on."

"I think that fresh eyes from the outside in an institution are periodically of real value."

"Tashia and I will be most supportive of her and her efforts, because I think we've got a great university and I think she's the kind of person that can keep it great."

- KEVIN REILLY, president of the University of Wisconsin System

"In her years at Cornell, Dr. Martin has established a reputation for strong, effective and strategic leadership. As the provost of New York's land-grant research university, she has wide-ranging experience with all of the roles UW-Madison must play in the life of this state, the nation and the world. She is someone who appreciates fully the importance of education to the future of American society, and conveys that message to others with a high degree of passion and credibility."

- MARSHA MAILICK SELTZER, Vaughan Bascom Professor of Social Work and Pediatrics, and chair of the UW-Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee

"I am delighted that Biddy Martin has been selected as our new chancellor. Biddy has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with UW-Madison since her graduate school days here, and she brings outstanding leadership experience from her years as provost at Cornell. I'm speaking for our entire search and screen committee when I welcome Biddy to the university."

- SUCHITA SHAH, UW-Madison student and member of the UW-Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee

"(Biddy Martin) was definitely energetic and passionate about the job, about students and about the university experience. Her level of intellect and her ability to analyze and understand all aspects of the university was amazing. Even if we didn't necessarily agree with her, she could convince us of the importance of her view to the future of the university in the long term.

"She emphasized that retaining professors and improving campus climate as a whole would be important not just to professors and staff, but it trickles down to the students as well. It makes our experience here better."

"(Students) want someone who can energize us and who is transparent in their leadership style, and (Martin) definitely has both those qualities. She appears to be very inclusive in her decision-making. I think she can really connect to every facet of the university community, especially students."

- JAY SMITH, member of the UW-Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee and past president of the UW System Board of Regents

"Dr. Martin is a veteran administrator who brings extraordinary experience to the chancellor's position. I believe she will exercise great respect for our legacies, while pushing hard for continuous improvement. She will energize our constituents as well as the university community."

- DAVID WALSH, chair of the UW System Board of Regents Special Committee for the UW-Madison chancellor's search

"Now, more than ever, Wisconsin people need their public university to be an economic engine. UW-Madison has been that engine, and I'm convinced that it will continue to fuel the state's economic growth under Dr. Martin's leadership. It's gratifying to welcome back a UW alumna and give her the opportunity to apply her considerable expertise to our great university."

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008 --- 1:05 p.m.

According to a press release from the UW System News Web site:

MADISON, Wis. – Dr. Biddy (Carolyn A.) Martin, provost of Cornell University, has been recommended as the next chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

UW System President Kevin P. Reilly and the Board of Regents’ Special Committee for the UW-Madison Chancellor Search announced the recommendation today. The full board is expected to act on this appointment in June.

“In her years at Cornell, Dr. Martin has established a reputation for strong, effective and strategic leadership,” said Reilly. “As the provost of New York’s land-grant research university, she has wide-ranging experience with all of the roles UW-Madison must play in the life of this state, the nation and the world. She is someone who appreciates fully the importance of education to the future of American society, and conveys that message to others with a high degree of passion and credibility.”

A member of the Cornell faculty since 1985, Martin became that university’s provost in July 2000. She previously served as senior associate dean in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences for four years. A professor of German studies and women’s studies, she was chair of the Department of German Studies from 1994 to 1997.

“I am thrilled to be recommended as the next chancellor of UW-Madison, one of the world's truly great public universities and my graduate alma mater,” said Martin. “I am grateful to the Regents, President Reilly and the search committee for this opportunity, and humbled that they would entrust me with this tremendous responsibility. It is a real honor to be selected from such a strong pool of candidates, and a privilege to join Wisconsin’s corps of respected campus chancellors.”

“I look forward to working with the faculty, staff and students at UW-Madison to uphold the traditions and values of this great university,” said Martin. “Together with my graduate education at the UW, my 24 years at Cornell have prepared me well for this new path, and I am deeply grateful to all my Cornell colleagues who have supported me along the way.”

Martin received her Ph.D. in German literature at UW-Madison in 1985, working as a lecturer at the campus for three years. She earned her master’s degree at Middlebury College and her undergraduate degree at the College of William and Mary.

“Now, more than ever, Wisconsin people need their public university to be an economic engine. UW-Madison has been that engine, and I’m convinced that it will continue to fuel the state’s economic growth under Dr. Martin’s leadership,” said Regent David G. Walsh, chair of the regents’ special committee and a UW-Madison alumnus. “It’s gratifying to welcome back a UW alumna, and give her the opportunity to apply her considerable expertise to our great university.”

Serving with Walsh on the regents’ special committee were Regent President Mark J. Bradley of Wausau, Regent Vice President Chuck Pruitt of Milwaukee, Regent Tom Loftus of Sun Prairie, and Regent Colleene P. Thomas, a UW-Madison student.

As Cornell’s provost, Martin has served as chief academic officer and chief operating officer, providing leadership for deans of the 14 colleges and schools, as well as a number of centers and faculty advisory councils. She has played a central role in the institution’s academic programs, executive budgets, capital budgets and operating plans.

“There are many important challenges ahead, but Wisconsin is recognized as a state that values education, discovery and innovation,” said Martin. “Working with Governor Doyle, legislators, other state leaders and the people of Wisconsin, I am confident that we can strengthen the state’s economic foundation and create a brighter future for all state residents.”

If confirmed by the Board of Regents, Martin would become UW-Madison’s 28th leader, succeeding Chancellor John D. Wiley, who plans to step down in September after seven years leading the campus. When the Regents take up Martin’s appointment in June, they will also consider appointments of new chancellors for UW-Parkside and UW-Whitewater, as well as appointments of interim chancellors for UW-Green Bay and UW-River Falls.

A 23-member search and screen committee, chaired by UW-Madison Professor Marsha Mailick Seltzer, conducted the national search and recommended Martin as one of four finalists to Reilly and the regents. All finalists participated in a series of meetings and receptions on the campus from May 12 through May 15, interacting with faculty, academic staff, classified staff, students and community members.

"I am delighted that Biddy Martin has been selected as our new Chancellor,” said Mailick Seltzer. “Biddy has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with UW-Madison since her graduate school days here, and she brings outstanding leadership experience from her years as provost at Cornell. I'm speaking for our entire search and screen committee when I welcome Biddy to the university.”

Other finalists included Dr. Rebecca M. Blank
from the University of Michigan, Dr. R. Timothy Mulcahy from the University of Minnesota and Dr. Gary D. Sandefur from UW-Madison.

UW-Madison is the oldest and largest campus in the UW System, ranking second in the nation in annual research expenditures. With a total enrollment of 40,466 students, UW-Madison employs 16,225 people, including 2,053 faculty members. Its annual operating budget is approximately $2.2 billion.

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008 --- 11:45 a.m.

The Capital Times reports that Carolyn Martin has been named the UW-Madison chancellor, pending Board of Regents approval.

Martin, the provost at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., is expected to be officially approved at the next Board of Regents meeting June 5-6 at UW-Milwaukee. A Board of Regents search committee and UW System President Kevin Reilly decided Tuesday to offer the job to Martin.

According to the Cornell University Web site:

Provost Carolyn “Biddy” Martin is the President's first deputy officer and reports to the President as the chief educational officer and chief operating officer of the university. She is responsible for overseeing all academic programs, with the exception of those programs reporting to the provost for medical affairs in New York City.

Martin received her Ph.D. in German Literature in 1985 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has been on the faculty at Cornell since 1984. In 1991, she was promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of German Studies with a joint appointment in the Women's Studies Program. She served as Chair of the Department of German Studies from 1994-97, and in 1997 was promoted to full Professor in the department. In 1996, she was appointed Sr. Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. Martin was appointed Cornell University's Provost effective July 1, 2000.

Martin is a distinguished scholar of German Studies and author of numerous articles and two books—one on a literary and cultural figure in the Freud circle, Lou Andreas-Salome, and the other on gender theory.

UW-Madison received 55 applications for the chancellor opening. All four candidates interviewed May 14 with Reilly and a Board of Regents search committee, led by chair David Walsh.

According to the Capital Times:

The other chancellor finalists were:

** Gary Sandefur, UW-Madison's dean of the College of Letters and Sciences since 2004. He has spent the past 24 years on the UW campus and currently oversees 39 departments in the arts and humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. More than half of UW-Madison's students are enrolled in Sandefur's college, which employs about 3,000 people.

** Tim Mulcahy, who spent 20 years at UW-Madison before leaving to become vice president for research at the University of Minnesota in February of 2005. Prior to leaving for Minnesota, Mulcahy held a range of jobs at UW-Madison, including as associate vice chancellor for research policy from 2002-05. Mulcahy took his name out of the running late last week.

** Rebecca Blank, dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan from 1999 to 2007. Blank, who is currently on leave from Michigan and is a visiting senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., was on the President's Council of Economic Advisers under former President Clinton in 1997-99.