Paulnock remains interim Arboretum director

Donna Paulnock will continue her service as interim director of the UW Arboretum, home to historic ecological restoration research and one of Madison’s most popular natural areas.

Martin Cadwallader, vice chancellor for research and dean of the Graduate School, recently informed the committee charged with identifying candidates to become the next permanent director of the Arboretum that personal issues forced the university’s top choice for the job to withdraw from consideration.

“We are very grateful for the steady leadership Donna provides and for the rapport she has built with the Arboretum staff and community,” Cadwallader says. “The Arboretum is a vital site for studying the ways we may mitigate our impact on Wisconsin’s natural landscapes, and will remain in excellent hands through this transition.”

Paulnock, associate dean for biological sciences in the Graduate School and a professor of medical microbiology and immunology, stepped in as interim director in 2012 when soil science professor Kevin McSweeney returned to the faculty after more than seven years as Arboretum director.

Cadwallader will make his own return to the faculty this summer. Marsha Mailick, incoming interim vice chancellor for research and dean of the Graduate School, will take up the search for a permanent Arboretum director after her appointment begins in September.