Dear colleagues,
It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news that Luke Tonstad passed away on November 7, 2025, after a tough battle against a rare illness. Luke was an important part of our university community and will be sorely missed.
At the time of his passing, Luke was working as a Data Lifecycle Consultant with Research Cyberinfrastructure. Although Luke had only been working at DoIT since July, he made strong connections with his colleagues. He was a thoughtful individual who brought creative ideas and problem-solving approaches to his work, in addition to being a wonderful coworker to talk to and work with. He made valuable contributions to the Research Cyberinfrastructure Team’s knowledge and processes. He will be greatly missed by his teammates.
A celebration of Luke’s life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers or memorials, his family asks that you consider donating blood, as you never know who may need it. Read more at this obituary page.
You may be hearing this sad news for the first time, or you may already be aware. In either case, it’s normal to experience a wide range of feelings and reactions, and support is available for you and your team. UW–Madison’s Employee Assistance Office (EAO) is a campus-based office that provides short-term individual counseling and support, and can also help you connect with additional resources, should you need or want them. If you are interested in any of these services—or just want to learn more—please feel free to reach out to EAO at 608-263-2987 or eao@mailplus.wisc.edu.
Those of you who knew Luke and feel his loss have my deepest sympathy.
—Didier Contis, Chief Information Officer & Vice Provost for Information Technology