Visionary Badger Jeff Lyons ’78 has been fascinated by politics since canvassing at the age of 12 for his alderman father. Jeff’s passion for politics has endured throughout his life, ultimately leading him and his wife, Susanne, to become the first donors of the UW–Madison Elections Research Center in 2014 with the Lyons Family Chair in Electoral Politics. The center — a collective of faculty experts who foster innovative examination of state and national elections to better understand the factors that impact election outcomes — has solidified the UW as a leader in the study of American elections.
UW–Madison political science professor Barry Burden is an acclaimed political expert who currently holds the Lyons Family Chair in Electoral Politics. Burden has become a sought-after scholar of campaigns and elections and is also beloved among UW students. While searching for the best college for her interests, Jess Esplin MA’23, PhDx’26 reached out to election reform experts throughout the country, who all pointed her in Burden’s direction. Badgers who’ve taken his courses describe him as empathetic, considerate, and scrupulous.
“He was the whole reason I chose the UW,” Esplin says. “He always makes an effort to be available to his students.”