Director of the Wisconsin Idea Seminar Stepping Down

Miriam Simmons, assistant dean for professional development and engagement for the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin, has announced her retirement. For the past 19 years, Dr. Simmons has been director of the Wisconsin Idea Seminar. Each year Simmons has taken between 35 and 40 new faculty or staff on a bus tour of Wisconsin so that they learn about the people of the state and how the university serves Wisconsin residents. While the itinerary changes from year to year, stops on the bus tour have included dairy farms, prisons, manufacturing sites, and a Native American reservation.

Dr. Simmons is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse and earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.