Getting Prairie Springs passed took all of us, and we will all feel the benefits

Posted 10:36 a.m. Tuesday , Sept. 2 , 2025

Getting Prairie Springs passed took all of us, and we will all feel the benefits

In 2018, we completed the first half of the Prairie Springs Science Center - a facility that promised to transform science education and workforce development in the state of Wisconsin.

And it has achieved those goals, but only halfway.

For years, our campus community has worked tirelessly to secure the funding necessary to complete the second half of the facility.

Now, we are thrilled to say that work on completing Prairie Springs will soon be underway, and a missing puzzle piece on our campus will slide into place.

We could not have done it without you.

Securing funding for a major project is never easy, especially with so many deserv- ing interests statewide. However, we were determined to see this through because we knew that finishing Prairie Springs would lift up our entire state and position UWL for future success. So many of you shared that belief and supported our cause.

I would like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to the countless alumni, friends, and business and community partners who called or wrote to their representatives, testified at legislative hearings and used their voice to express why this project is so important. It is because of you and the dedication of our campus community that we have reached the finish line. Thank you.

Now, we look ahead. We look ahead to having a completed, world-class science education facility right here at UWL.

But this is more than a building. It is an investment in our students and the future of our state.

The story of the Prairie Springs Science Center is only beginning, and its true impact on our communities and our work- force has not yet been felt. It is my hope that this project, once completed, will help you as much as you have helped us.

Thank you for all you do to support UWL. This is truly a remarkable and excellent university, a jewel in the state of Wisconsin.

In Maroon & Gray,

Chancellor James Beeby