UW-La Crosse Receives $3 Million in Donations to Expand Science Programs: Mike and Kathi McGinley Support Endowed Professorships, Rada Family Supports River Studies Center

UW-La Crosse received nearly $3 million in donations on Thursday from two families to expand science programs at the college. Interim chancellor Betsy Morgan made the announcement, with one of the gifts being a $1.5 million donation from Mike and Kathi McGinley.

Mike, a 1982 graduate of the campus, hopes that the endowed professorship will continue valuable research programs at UWL. He and his wife have previously supported students with scholarships and fellowships, but now felt it was time to support the faculty as this ultimately benefits the students.

The other donation came from former UW-L faculty member Ron Rada and his wife Jane, who are donating $1.3 million to provide funding for the university’s River Studies Center. Rada, a long-time member of the UWL faculty, hopes that the center can use this money to enhance its reputation by building upon its multi-disciplinary base of freshwater knowledge and education. Both donations are scheduled to go into effect a year from now at UW-L.