When asked the advantage she would provide as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, Carolyn “Biddy” Martin cited her inexperience with the UW system.

“A fresh pair of eyes, and a new look at things,” said Martin, the provost at Cornell University. “A less strong sense then people that have been here for longer that things have to be done in the way they have always been done.”

Martin, who received her doctorate in German literature from the University of Wisconsin, has been a faculty member at Cornell since 1985. However, she still has a soft spot for Madison.

“It's always an advantage to know a place and to love a place,” says Martin. “Then to have had experiences elsewhere and to know from first-hand experience how things can be done differently.”

Discussing international opportunities, Martin stated the importance of professor retention.

“We've entered a period of extraordinary competition, not only nationally but internationally for the best faculty,” says Martin. “Competition won't just be between and among research universities in the United States, but with universities that are growing all over the world.”

Martin is aware of the stigma that faces the University of Wisconsin regarding their pay to other schools. If she becomes chancellor, she hopes to change the perception.

“I think it's absolutely essential to keep pace with peers when it comes to salary,” says Martin. “It's always good to be at the median when that's possible.”

Martin’s plan to increase funding involves working with the state legislature while changing the current funding model. Philanthropy and finding new sources of income are also key.

Martin says it is important to continue to fund the humanities as well as big science on campus. If she becomes chancellor, she plans to promote the significance of the arts.

“I think that can be a chancellor’s job -- among many other jobs -- to be a translator of the importance of arts and humanities to a wider public,” says Martin. “It's not easy for humanities research to find translation into terms that non-specialists can readily appreciate.”

“The challenges for higher education are extraordinary, but the opportunities are also great,” says Martin.