UW-Madison Epidemiologist Ajay Sethi and UW-Madison Economist Tiffany Green join the program to discuss lasting lessons from the pandemic.
Capital City Sunday: Evers reflects on pandemic anniversary, COVID-19’s lasting effects on society
WKOW-TV 27
March 15, 2021
Top Stories
Student COVID-19 positivity rate falls to all time low
The Daily Cardinal
Over the last week UW-Madison recorded its lowest ever seven-day COVID-19 student positivity average for tests administered on campus, marking a milestone for the university’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus.
Research
Scientists launching cat-and-mouse game with COVID because ‘we’re seeing variants arise like crazy’
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “We don’t know if we have to do it for the long-term, like with influenza, but it’s smart for vaccine companies to be gearing up,” said Kristen Bernard, a professor of virology at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s school of veterinary medicine.
Coyotes among us: Wily survivalists spotted throughout Madison, but few conflicts reported
Wisconsin State Journal
“They’re here,” said David Drake, a UW-Madison professor and extension wildlife specialist who uses radio collars to track and study Madison’s coyotes. “A lot of people don’t even know they’re wandering through the neighborhood.”
Stem cell therapy reverses Parkinson’s symptoms in monkeys, UW-Madison study says
Wisconsin State Journal
Using stem cells from monkeys with a condition like Parkinson’s disease, UW-Madison researchers grew brain cells that produce a chemical depleted by the disease. When they injected the cells into the monkeys’ brains, the animals’ Parkinson’s-like rigid movements were replaced by more fluid walking and climbing.
Higher Education/System
FOX 11 Investigates college enrollment declines
WLUK Fox 11
While UW-Eau Claire, Milwaukee and Platteville saw drops in students attending, UW-Green Bay and UW-Madison had more students walking their campuses.
Campus life
Spring break: UC Davis offers $75 to students not to travel
AP
Texas A&M University opted for a three-day weekend instead of a whole week off. The University of Alabama and the University of Wisconsin-Madison also did away with spring break but are giving students a day off later in the semester. University of Mississippi also canceled spring break but will end the semester a week early.
Spring commencement to be held in-person at Camp Randall
The Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison’s spring 2021 commencement ceremony will be in-person at Camp Randall Stadium instead of the virtual format it has taken the last two semesters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
State news
Cases, deaths are down. Vaccines are way up. Here’s where Wisconsin stands on COVID-19 — and what we still don’t know.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “At some point, we are going hit a wall on vaccine rollout where we will not have as much acceptance,” said Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Community
UW Health holds trainings for emergency responders
Channel 3000
UW Health’s Emergency Education Center has continued to train front line responders for all medical emergencies over the last year, including COVID-19.
Athletics
Former Badger James White launching The Sweet Feet Foundation to offer college scholarships
Wisconsin State Journal
James White sees the transformative effect his time at the University of Wisconsin has had on his life every day.
Former Badger starts foundation to help kids attend college
WKOW-TV 27
James White and his wife, Diana, announced Monday morning the start of The Sweet Feet Foundation. It will provide college scholarships to kids, allowing them to pursue a higher education and providing mentorship along the way.
Opinion
UW should work with tech colleges — Margaret Kolbek
Wisconsin State Journal
Letter to the editor: As a former technical college instructor and wife of a 30-plus-year University of Wisconsin System branch campus instructor, I’ve had a long affiliation with both systems. Our three children attended the two-year UW System campus in our county.
Business/Technology
Here’s what we know about when Wisconsin offices, restaurants, festivals and events could return to normal
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “It clearly has some impact on transmission,” said Ajay Sethi, an epidemiologist and professor of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW Experts in the News
Here’s what was behind Wisconsin’s record-breaking 2020 turnout — and what it means for the war over voting rules
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “Turnout (overall) was very high because both Biden supporters and Trump supporters turned out at very high rates,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist Barry Burden, who studies turnout and election administration.
Experts offer advice on how to make voting easier in Wisconsin
The Courier
The state would also need to maintain certain existing practices, such as online voter registration, no-excuse mail-in voting and same-day voter registration. Same-day registration, enacted in Wisconsin in 1975, has been the “single most important best practice,” said David Canon, a political scientist at University of Wisconsin-Madison, contributing to the state consistently having among the highest voter turnouts in the nation.
EXPLAINER: Ex-cop trial to include ‘spark of life’ on Floyd
AP News
“I’ve never encountered this before,” said John Gross, an associate law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has worked as a public defender in New York City and taught criminal defense strategies at Syracuse University and the University of Alabama. “It’s pretty obvious how much potential prejudice that could have on the jury. It’s a little surprising to me this is potentially fair game in Minnesota. If it isn’t evidence of guilt, why is it there?”
USDA Expands Pandemic School Meal Access Through The Summer
Wisconsin Public Radio
The USDA already had programs for free summer meals, but it’s the greater latitude in how they’re distributed that’s key, said Jennifer Gaddis, a faculty fellow in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s department of Civil Society and Community Studies. She is also the author of “The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools.”
Weather Guys’ Jonathan Martin authors book on Reginald Sutcliffe and invention of modern weather science
Wisconsin State Journal
Jonathan Martin, UW-Madison professor of atmospheric and oceanic science and one of the writers of the “Ask the Weather Guys” column, is the author of a new book, “Reginald Sutcliffe and the Invention of Modern Weather Systems Science.”
How the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness is helping people weather the pandemic
The Capital Times
Tiffany Green, an assistant professor in the Departments of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said these disparities are emblematic of long-running issues, many of which are not limited to the hospital.
Expert shares tips on transitioning kids back to school
NBC-15
Dr. Heather Kirkorian, an associate professor at UW-Madison specializing in the relationship between childhood development and technology, says some kids struggled with remote learning while others thrived. This is why she says individualized transition plans are so important.
UW-Madison Related
UW considers further ‘tenure clock’ extensions for research disrupted by pandemic
The Capital Times
With increased vaccinations and plans for more in-person teaching this fall, the future of the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly optimistic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Still, the past year’s disruptions to research and teaching will continue to have ripple effects for years down the line, leading universities nationwide to ask: How can we help make up for lost time?