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Alumni in Action

WSB Wraps Up 125th Anniversary Celebrations with UW–Madison Community in Seoul

By Alumni Relations

June 15, 2026

On June 5, more than 115 friends and alumni of UW–Madison and the Wisconsin School of Business gathered for a unique international event.

The Wisconsin School of Business 125th Anniversary Celebration: Seoul united Badgers across South Korea with a show of community, school pride, and a 125-year legacy of business innovation. The evening featured dinner and a presentation from Vallabh “Samba” Sambamurthy, WSB’s Albert O. Nicholas Dean.

“This anniversary is the perfect opportunity to celebrate with Business Badgers across the world, and we’re grateful to our alumni and friends across Korea for joining us tonight,” said Sambamurthy. “Our alumni network is a true asset for WSB—and it’s more vital than ever.”

Other presenters joining Sambamurthy on stage were Seoghoon Kang (MS, PhD ’91), president of the Wisconsin Alumni Association in Korea, and Frances Vavrus (PhD ’98), vice provost and dean of UW–Madison’s International Division.

In the lead up to the Seoul anniversary event, WSB also partnered with the Korean Innovation Research Center (KIRC) for a roundtable event on June 3. The KIRC-Wisconsin Joint AI Research Roundtable brought together leaders from industry and academia to build new partnerships while helping advance impactful and responsible AI research.

Academic panelists for that event included WSB’s Page Moreau, associate dean for research and John R. Nevin Chair in Marketing, and Min-Seok Pang, the Karen A. and William S. Monfre Professor in Business.

Dean Samba chats with guests as the Wisconsin School of Business 125th Anniversary Celebration: Seoul event kicks off on June 5 at the Westin Seoul Parnas.
Alumni and friends gather for conversation and networking before dinner is served.
Three Badgers team up for a unique display of University of Wisconsin–Madison pride.
The stage presentation gets underway with introductory remarks from Lora Klenke (BA ’94) of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.
Seoghoon Kang (MS, PhD ’91), president of the Wisconsin Alumni Association in Korea, addresses the crowd.
One of the WSB faculty members in attendance, Professor Min-Seok Pang also participated in the KIRC-Wisconsin Joint AI Research Roundtable on June 3.
From left to right, Frances Vavrus (PhD ’98), Lora Klenke, Dean Samba, and Seoghoon Kang lead a toast to WSB’s 125 years.
The more than 115 alumni and friends who attended the event raise their glasses in celebration of WSB’s major milestone.
It’s all smiles as UW–Madison’s Frances Vavrus (center) joins a group of alumni for a festive toast.
A table of event attendees displays the “W” as the evening’s presentation comes to a close.

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