Hendricks’ $1.75 million gift funds research in breast cancer and reconstructive surgery
Madison, Wis. — Gifts from Beloit businesswoman Diane Hendricks will support research into better treatment options for breast cancer and innovative microsurgical techniques in reconstructive surgery.
Diane Hendricks is the owner and chairman of ABC Supply, a wholesale distributor of exterior building products, with its national headquarters based in Beloit, Wisconsin. In addition to ABC Supply, Hendricks presides over a large national portfolio of industrial and commercial real estate and is chairman of Hendricks Holding Co., Inc. which includes a diverse portfolio of domestic and international companies in various industries.
The Hendricks Chair in Breast Cancer Research is Dr. Lee Gravatt Wilke, professor of surgery and director of the UW Health Breast Center. Wilke, an active member of the UW Carbone Cancer Center, is also the-leader of the breast cancer research and clinical trials team. In addition to developing devices to better visualize breast tumors, her research focuses on treatments for influencing the environment around a cancer as well as the cancer itself. She is also active locally and nationally in research focused on the screening and prevention of breast cancer.
The Hendricks Chair in Reconstructive Surgery Research is Dr. John Siebert, professor of plastic surgery and an internationally recognized expert in both esthetic surgery as well as microsurgical free tissue transfer for reconstruction of the face and breast. His pioneering work in the treatment of hemifacial atrophy or Romberg’s disease brings patients to UW from all over the world. His research centers on mechanisms of soft tissue repair in order to better understand disease mechanisms causing facial atrophy and deformity. This complements his long-time research to reduce scarring in wound healing. In addition, his research on how to better connect tiny blood vessels is aimed at improving outcomes in microsurgical reconstructions.
The Hendricks’ donations were matched by donations from alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, who announced in November 2014 that they would match up to $100 million – the largest individual gift in the history of the university – in donations to endow new and enhanced professorships, chairs and distinguished chairs in an effort to recruit and retain a world-class faculty. In sum, the “Morgridge match” effort will generate nearly $250 million in new endowment dollars for the university. By the time these gifts are paid, the number of fully endowed professorships and chairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will more than double from 142 to 300.
