[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 88 (Monday, June 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S3409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO CARL GULBRANDSEN

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Carl Gulbrandsen on 
his retirement from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF. 
After 19 impressive years at the foundation, 16 years as managing 
director, Carl committed his career to ensuring the success of WARF and 
its mission to support, aid, and encourage UW-Madison research by 
protecting its discoveries and licensing them for use around the world.
  Carl's journey began when he enlisted in the military during the last 
years of the Vietnam war. Carl was stationed at a medical post in 
Germany, leading him to later obtain a Ph.D. in physiology from the 
University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1978. That same year, he began law 
school, as his medical background ignited an interest in the law and 
its impact on medical regulations.
  After serving as a litigation lawyer at the firm of Ross and Stevens 
for several years, Carl decided to expand his legal practice, taking 
the patent law exam in 1985. Carl's first case secured a patent for 
vitamin D metabolism, a discovery made by Heinrich Schnoes and Hector 
DeLuca of UW-Madison's biochemistry department, who went on to become 
WARF's most prolific patent holder.
  Guided by his academic background, Carl's patent litigation career 
flourished. Carl firmly believed in the ``Wisconsin Idea'': the 
scientific research and work done at the University of Wisconsin should 
benefit the State as a whole. After a decade working in private 
practice, Carl joined WARF in 1997 as a legal adviser. In 2000, Carl 
took over as managing director, determined to create a transparent 
organization known for its deep and broad ranging expertise. Over the 
last 16 years as managing director, Carl's leadership has often called 
for grace under fire. In 1998, Dr. James Thomson's breakthrough 
research on human embryonic stem cells was considered one of the 
discoveries of the century, while at the same time sparking controversy 
and debate over the ethics of stem cell use. Carl's leadership ensured 
WARF's success amidst controversy, allowing researchers to continue 
their important research. Today, Dr. Thomson's work continues through 
the nonprofit WiCell Research Institute, which provides stem cell 
resources to more than 300 labs worldwide, assisting scientists in the 
discovery of new breakthroughs in stem cell applications.
  Under Carl's direction, WARF achieved significant global impact and 
continues to give back to the UW community and the Wisconsin economy as 
a whole. Since 2000, WARF's endowment has doubled to $2.86 billion, 
enabling it to gift $895 million to the UW-Madison, ensuring its 
continued success as a top research institution. Additionally, Carl 
helped establish WiSys Technology Foundation to guarantee that the 
impressive scientific advances at campuses throughout the UW System go 
beyond campus laboratories and into the marketplace.
  As his tenure as managing director comes to a close, Carl's work and 
expertise has firmly established WARF as one of the Nation's most 
respected scientific organizations. Under his leadership, WARF helped 
shape stem cell policy, brought forth new cancer therapies, and created 
countless technologies that will improve and even save lives. Although 
I am sure he will be missed by colleagues and those whose lives he has 
impacted, I am excited that he will have the opportunity to pursue 
other goals. I wish him, his wife, Mary, and their family well as they 
write the next chapter of their lives.

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