Business students with ambitions to get a job on Wall Street after graduation may need to revise the dream, at least temporarily.

Big investment firms, like Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan, are skipping their usual fall recruitment visits to UW-Madison's campus amid the financial crisis on Wall Street, said Steve Schroeder, director of the Wisconsin School of Business career center.

"Our message to students is you may have to change plans," Schroeder said.

The trend is happening across the country and at elite universities like Princeton, Harvard and Stanford, according to a recent New York Times article.

There are typically about 20 to 25 UW-Madison students each year who get full-time jobs with Wall Street firms, said Jamie Marsh, finance adviser.

Schroeder and Marsh are counseling students to consider mid-market boutique firms, corporate finance or consulting firms, which are still hiring.

The tumult in the markets has resulted in alumni getting laid off, which puts them in the same job market as new grads, Schroeder said. He said he thinks the firms will be back in the spring, although primarily looking for interns.

"A student may not get to Goldman Sachs at age 22," Schroeder said. "It doesn't mean they won't get there eventually."

'Survivor' casualty
UW-Madison alum Jacquie Berg was a recently voted off of the 17th season of the reality TV show "Survivor."
Berg, 26, who now lives in Santa Barbara, Calif., was voted off the 4th episode of the show on Oct. 9.
She graduated from UW-Madison in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Lawrence announces fundraising drive

Lawrence University announced a $150 million fundraising effort on Friday, the most ambitious in the Appleton college's 161-year history.

The campaign, which began a "quiet phase" in 2005, has already raised $104 million toward its goal.

Half of the campaign's goal will be directed to Lawrence's endowment. The campaign also aims to raise $50 million for capital projects, some of which have already been started or completed. The rest will go toward operating expenses and new initiatives, including a final project for graduating students called the Senior Experience.

MATC gets $600,000 in funding

Madison Area Technical College was awarded $600,000 in federal funds to continue its Business Procurement Assistance Center (BPAC), a 72 percent increase from last year's grant.

The additional federal funding will help BPAC add staff and develop online training modules to help Wisconsin business models compete.

UW-Whitewater scientists get grants

Two UW-Whitewater scientists received grants from the National Science Foundation worth more than $140,000.
Climatologist David Travis will work to develop a model to help airline pilots avoid creating jet vapor trails in order to combat global warming.

Geography and geology professor Peter Jacobs will look at the role wind-blown dust plays on soil development and sustainable land management.