Alumnus Winslow Sargeant delivers Multicultural Homecoming keynote

As the University of Wisconsin–Madison celebrates its Multicultural Homecoming, with the theme “Back to Where It Al Began,” alumnus Winslow Sargeant returns to his alma mater to deliver the keynote address.

Sargeant’s talk, “What It Really Means to Bring the Victory Home for Diverse Alumni,” takes place on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in the DeLuca Forum of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, 330 N. Orchard St.

The address is part of a full weekend of events for multicultural alumni to reconnect with friends and colleagues. To register or view a full schedule — including undergraduate career panels, receptions and a step show competition — visit http://uwalumni.com/mchc.

Sargeant received his doctorate in electrical engineering from UW–Madison in 1995. In 2002, he gave back to the university by funding a graduate fellowship in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The five-year fellowship includes tuition, stipend, health care and fringe benefits, providing mentorship and financial assistance to a high-achieving African-American doctoral student.

Sargeant is chief counsel for advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration, appointed by President Obama in 2010. As chief counsel, he directs advocacy operations, which include conducting research on the U.S. small business sector, advocating for small businesses within the federal government’s agencies and rulemaking processes, reaching out to regional and state small business advocates and policymakers, and fostering public awareness of small business contributions and concerns.

From 2001 to 2005, he was program manager in electronics for the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, while also serving as adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He also served as managing director of Venture Investors, LLC, in Madison, helping fund high-potential health care and IT companies.

The full slate of Homecoming activities is co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Association, the Office of the Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer, the Office of the Chancellor and the Multicultural Student Center.