At the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, our primary goal is to determine how we can produce and facilitate effective public leadership.
Faculty Research Grants
The Thompson Center funds faculty research across the University of Wisconsin System to advance public leadership and help leaders to address pressing policy challenges. Wisconsin’s future in transportation, energy, prison to work initiatives, improving independence for people with disabilities, and more.
Speaker Grants
Speaker funding may be applied for by student organizations, faculty, or departments of any UW System campus outside UW-Madison to promote local discussions of leadership and policymaking solutions in Wisconsin and beyond.
News
Alexander Tahk Appointed Thompson Center Director
June 18, 2021: The Public Leadership Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Alexander Tahk as Director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership. In this new role, Professor Tahk’s responsibilities …
Experts Debate Use Of Technology To Curb Pandemic
April 23, 2021: Wisconsin Public Radio Wisconsin Public Radio reported on the recent Thompson Center conference, The Opportunities & Challenges of COVID-19 Tracking Apps as Pandemic Control Mechanisms.
Wisconsin Supreme Court weighs balance of power in key environmental cases
April 11, 2021: Wisconsin State Journal The Wisconsin State Journal discussed the recent Thompson Center conference, Legislative Power Over Administrative Agencies: A Retrospective on 2011 Wisconsin Act 21.
Ryan Owens to Step Down as Director of the Thompson Center
February 19, 2021: Ryan Owens announced today that he will step down as the inaugural Director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership at the end of the academic school year. The announcement …
Thompson Center on Public Leadership to Fund Faculty Research and Speakers
February 3, 2021: The Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership will provide faculty research grants and fund speakers across the UW System in the 2021-22 academic year to address three topics: Preparing for Public …
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Upcoming Events
Rachel Tobac – Exploiting Trust: The Human Element of Security
The Academy and the Economy: Connecting Higher Education and Economic Development
Jonathan Reichental – Smart Community Imperative: What Cities and Their Citizens Need to Know
Starting Up: Fostering Venture Capital in Wisconsin
Daniel Siegel – Supporting Connection in Children, Adolescents, & Young Adults
Janina Fisher – Understanding How the Body Responds to Pandemic Stress
Our Mission
Wis. Stat. § 36.68 declares that the mission of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership shall be “the facilitation of research, teaching, outreach, and needed policy reforms regarding effective public leadership that improves the practice of American government.”
Our Pledge
The Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership provides a multi-disciplinary, non-partisan environment to study, discuss, and improve leadership. Students, faculty members, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders come together to share knowledge and learn about successful public leadership. We pledge to pursue leadership, to foster collegiality, and to be problem-solvers.