About the Hilldale Lectures

The Hilldale Lecture Series, inaugurated in 1973-74, is sponsored by the faculty's four divisional committees - Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Studies - and funded by the university's Hilldale Fund. The series gives each division the unique opportunity to present to the university community distinguished thinkers whose contributions to contemporary culture and science have received international recognition and acclaim. All lectures are free and open to the public.

A lecturer's presence on campus provides a special opportunity for faculty, staff and students to engage around topics of mutual interest. Each lecturer is invited to deliver a public talk, which is followed by a hosted reception to give attendees access to the speaker. Smaller and more focused interactions are also scheduled for selected faculty and students.

Nominate a Hilldale Lecturer

The call for nominations for the 2013-14 Hilldale Lecture Series is now available. The nomination deadline is January 31, 2013 at noon.
Although a divisional committee each year may invite a distinguished scholar to present the division’s Hilldale lecture, at its option the committee may decide to direct several years of its lecture budget allocation toward a single lecturer in order to attract higher profile individuals.

About the Hilldale Fund

Created in 1962 through a gift to the board of regents through the University of Wisconsin Foundation, the Hilldale Fund is dedicated to the support of projects that advance scholarly activity at UW-Madison. The fund has benefitted over the years from income realized from the operation of the Hilldale Shopping Center, which was constructed on university-owned land, and more recently from proceeds from the sale of that real estate.

2012-2013 Hilldale Lectures

October 8, 2012 - Biological Sciences
Polyploidy, Diploidization and Angiosperm Diversification: Insights from Nicotiana (Solanaceae)
Mark Chase, Keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

February 18, 2013 - Physical Sciences
Simple Building Blocks of Complex Biological Systems
Uri S. Alon, Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institue of Science

April 10, 2013 - Arts and Humanities
Islam and Ecology: Environmental Values as Faith-Based Stewardship
Frederick M. Denny, Professor Emeritus of Islamic Studies and the History of Religions, University of Colorado at Boulder

Social Studies - No lecture for 2012-13

Past Hilldale Lectures