UW-Madison continues distinguished Peace Corps legacy

UW-Madison continues to add to its legacy as one of the top producers of Peace Corps volunteers.

With 77 alumni currently serving in the Peace Corps worldwide, the university was ranked seventh in 2009 rankings, released Feb. 4. The University of Washington topped the list with 101 volunteers.

Since 1961, more than 2,906 UW–Madison alumni have served in the Peace Corps, making it the No. 2 university all-time producer of volunteers, surpassed only by the University of California, Berkeley, with 3,412.

“Our students and alumni have created a remarkable tradition of service that starts the moment they set foot in Madison, and continues throughout their entire lives,” says Dean of Students Lori Berquam. “This is one more concrete example of the success of the Wisconsin Experience.”

The Wisconsin Experience is the idea that students create and apply learning inside and outside the classroom to make the world a better place.

Currently, there are 7,671 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 76 host countries around the world.

“For nearly 50 years, enthusiastic college alumni have contributed to the success of Peace Corps programs and our mission to promote world peace and friendship in host communities around the world,” says Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams, who received his MBA from UW–Madison.

UW-Madison also offers Peace Corps Master’s International programs in the areas of life sciences communication, agronomy, horticulture, urban and regional planning, animal science, and forest ecology and management.

This program, which UW–Madison introduced in 2000, allows students to combine Peace Corps service with graduate studies for credit. Recently, the Division of International Studies became its administrative home.

“Our graduates’ contributions to the Peace Corps have set us apart as a great global, public university,” says Gilles Bousquet, Dean of the Division of International Studies. “We look forward to upholding this commitment to service.”

For more information on applying, contact John Sheffy, a UW–Madison graduate student who served in Togo, at 262-1121 or peacecorps@international.wisc.edu. Information about this program is also available at http://www.peacecorps.wisc.edu.

Information sessions will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 10, March 2, March 10, April 14 and May 12 in the Red Gym’s first-floor Media Room.

To view the rankings, visit http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1531