Yes!
Chancellor Biddy Martin (UW-Madison) and Chancellor Robert Holub (UMass-Amherst) both received their PhDs from the UW-Madison German Department, and both wrote their dissertations under emeritus Vilas Research Professor Jost Hermand.
The list doesn't end there: the incoming president of the German Studies Association is Stephen Brockmann (PhD'89) -- another UW-Madison alumnus mentored by Hermand.
Who is Professor Hermand? He's widely considered a legend in his field and has been a icon in Madison for many years.
Hermand turned 80 this year, and to celebrate his birthday and years of accomplishments, the German Department is sponsoring its 43rd Wisconsin Workshop on a topic dear to Hermand’s heart: Utopian Imagination.
Chancellor Martin (PhD'85) will open the conference with remarks on Thursday evening, September 9, in the Pyle Center, and host a special, invitation-only event for the department’s grad alumni at her residence that has been organized by a committee headed by Brockmann.
Chancellor Holub (PhD'79) will present a paper on Saturday afternoon, and give the laudatio for Hermand that evening at the conference banquet. The department is proud of its alumni, many of whom will join us for this conference, and especially of these national leaders who found their springboards at the UW-Madison. This is the Wisconsin Idea at its best!
For the conference program, see:
http://german.lss.wisc.edu/new_web/?q=node/212
Or contact the German Department at (608) 262-2192.