UW will not remove Abe Lincoln statue or defund UWPD, chancellor says.
‘We are facing three crises:’ UW chancellor reflects on COVID-19, BIPOC student needs, upcoming football season
Badger Herald
September 30, 2020
Top Stories
Chancellor Blank speaks on ‘crises’ facing UW
Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank met with representatives of the school’s two student newspapers Tuesday afternoon to answer questions and share her views on the current semester. “We’re in the midst of three crises,” the Chancellor told the Daily Cardinal and Badger Herald, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, the university’s financial woes and the “social revolution” brought on by the killing of George Floyd and enduring cycles of racial injustice.
Research
Transplants of stem-cell-grown neurons repair Parkinson’s damage in mice
New Atlas
Stem cells are a promising experimental treatment for a variety of diseases. Now researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that transplanting neurons grown from stem cells into the brains of mice with Parkinson’s disease repaired the damaged brain circuits, improving the animals’ motor skills.
UW’s Badger Seal promises to make masks work better
Wisconsin State Journal
The innovation came after a study by two University of Wisconsin-Madison mechanical engineering professors revealed that various existing masks and face shields allow tiny particles to escape, both through the material and at the edges. If the wearer is infected with the novel coronavirus, that means the virus could travel from the wearer’s mouth or nose and infect those around them.
UW study looking at telehealth to increase safety in nursing homes during pandemic
WISC-TV 3
A new research study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health hopes to lower the amount of coronavirus spread in nursing homes throughout the state by expanding telehealth infrastructure.
Higher Education/System
Failed search for new UW System President results in loss of $216,000
Badger Herald
UW System is not able to recoup losses because contract with company did not specify nonpayment if hiring process failed, according to Wisconsin State Journal.
Campus life
Starship Robots Now Delivering Groceries for Save Mart in Modesto, CA
The Spoon
While this is the first U.S. grocery partnership for Starship, the company has been doing robotic grocery delivery in the U.K. for a while now. Here in the U.S., Starship is mostly known for its college campus food delivery, and has lined up a number of partnerships with higher-education institutions including George Mason University, University of Pittsburgh and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Colleges Use Targeted Lockdowns, Online Classes to Preserve Fall Semester
WSJ
Providence is among colleges taking drastic steps to try to slow the spread of Covid-19, essentially pressing pause to salvage the rest of their fall term for face-to-face instruction and campus activities. The University of Arizona urged students to shelter in place for two weeks, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Colorado Boulder quarantined thousands of students and moved classes online for weeks, too.
UW-Madison student government declares ‘no confidence’ in UW Police Department
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison’s student government on Tuesday declared it has “no confidence” in the university’s police force because the department helped Madison police during protests over the summer.
Nicholas Recreation Center finally opens doors to students after long wait
Badger Herald
Extra safety precautions are being taken to make sure center can stay open.
Witte, Sellery residents speak on challenges during two-week quarantine
Badger Herald
’It felt like I was in a different sort of world,’ student says.
UW Distinguished Lecture Series hosts renowned epidemiologist Celine Gounder
Badger Herald
Gounder emphasizes history of health inequity within Native American populations.
ASM votes ‘no confidence’ in UWPD, votes to support UW BIPOC Coalition
Badger Herald
No confidence vote signifies distrust in UWPD, call to reform, ASM rep. says.
Morgridge Center encourages engagement through the pandemic
Daily Cardinal
Despite limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Morgridge Center for Public Service continues to connect student volunteers with community partners and non-profits.
Crime and safety
UW-Madison student council passes vote of no confidence in UWPD
NBC-15
Samuel Jorudd, the member of ASM that originally brought the vote forward, said “We have given a voice to those who have fought too long to be heard, and I’m looking forward to working with UWPD on how to renew trust between them and students.”
UW-Madison student council passes Vote of No Confidence in UWPD
WKOW-TV 27
The College Republicans of the University of Wisconsin-Madison put out a statement Tuesday in support of UWPD.
Extension
UW Extension to host tractor, farm machinery safety course in Columbia Co.
WISC-TV 3
The class is open to individuals 12 years old and up. Wisconsin law requires that youth under age 1 complete a tractor and machinery certification course before driving tractors on public roads.
Community
New south side mural aims to teach science through art, convey “invisible beauty”
The Capital Times
It’s the fifth mural produced by Science to Street Art, a first-of-its-kind project of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery that pairs artists with UW–Madison scientists to create science-themed street art. The new painting, installed on the side of Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District’s Pumping Station 8 on Plaenert Drive (between South Park St. and the Arboretum) is set to be completed Wednesday.
UW Odyssey Project’s ‘A Celebration of Voting’ goes virtual ahead of important 2020 election
Madison365
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell will be special live guests as the UW-Madison Odyssey Project hosts “A Celebration of Voting” on Saturday, Oct. 3 as the event goes virtual this year with a packed program of student voices, artwork, actors from American Players Theatre reading passages on voting designed to get out the vote.
Opinion
Column: Among other measures, UW must include additional training dedicated to racial inclusivity
Badger Herald
Following conclusion to Breonna Taylor investigation, UW should mandate additional racial sensitivity training to faculty, students.
UW Experts in the News
Compact Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is ‘Very Likely to Work,’ Studies Suggest
New York Times
“Reading these papers gives me the sense that they’re going to have the controlled thermonuclear fusion plasma that we all dream about,” said Cary Forest, a physicist at the University of Wisconsin who is not involved in the project. “But if I were to estimate where they’re going to be, I’d give them a factor of two that I give to all my grad students when they say how long something is going to take.”
Infected by a Virus, a Killer Fungus Turns Into a Friend
The New York Times
“There have been some reports about how viruses are able to manipulate hosts, but this one is so unique,” said Aurelie Rakotondrafara, a plant pathologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was not involved in the study. “You can’t help but ask: How is this possible?
IRS Estimates More Than 111K Wisconsinites Might Have Not Claimed Coronavirus Stimulus Checks
Wisconsin Public Radio
Tim Smeeding, a professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty, said trying to reach the remaining people by mail might be a challenge because those with low incomes tend to move more often and might not have current addresses on file with the IRS.
How scientists can attribute parts of 2020’s hurricanes and wildfires to climate change
Vox
Climate change is also tipping the scales toward larger fires. Monica Turner, a fire researcher and a professor of integrative biology at the University of Wisconsin Madison, said in an email that climate is a big driver of megafires, those burning through an area larger than 100,000 acres.
At-Home Learning, When Home Is in Ashes
New York Times
Schools can step in and provide support when parents themselves are traumatized. Familiar adults at school can also provide a buffering effect against trauma, said Travis Wright, an associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
WATCH: UW-Madison political expert breaks down first presidential debate
WKOW-TV 27
Mike Wagner, a journalism and mass communications professor at UW-Madison, joined the Wake Up Wisconsin team Wednesday morning to take a closer look at some of the night’s biggest moments.
UW-Madison Related
Why Vote? Voices from the UW Odyssey Project
The Capital Times
Current and past students were invited to submit short essays, poems, songs and artwork designed to persuade others to vote. This year, teens in the Odyssey Junior program were also encouraged to apply.