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December 6, 2022

Research

How many GM EV1s still exist, and do any of them still run?

Posted on
Hemmings

Status: owned by University of Wisconsin MadisonAccording to a 2006 article on the University of Wisconsin Madison’s EV1, members of that campus’s hybrid car team decided to get the car running in September 2004, replacing the removed battery pack with NiMH batteries from an electric Ranger that Ford donated to the school, then installing a Ballard Power Systems Integrated Powertrain in place of the original motor and controller. As seen in the video above, it was running and driving on private property in 2010 or so.

Madison tech startup would detect deadly explosives in Ukraine, other countries: Spin-out from UW-Madison uses nuclear technology to detect concealed explosives

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A technology startup has developed a novel approach to detecting landmines and concealed explosives that could save lives.

Clandestine Materials Detection Inc., a spin-out of University of Wisconsin-Madison, says it’s been contacted by Ukraine for help in finding explosive devices that are a threat to civilians and soldiers. Some areas have thousands of landmines set to be triggered by footsteps, vehicles or farm equipment.

Higher Education/System

Report: 2023-25 budget gives Wisconsin officials unprecedented opportunities

Posted on
The Capital Times

The WPF analysis also noted that funding budget requests from the UW System and the Wisconsin Technical College System would cost about $377 million. Increasing general K-12 school aids by 1% in each year of the budget would cost about $157 million, and increasing shared revenue to local governments by 1% in each year would cost about $25 million.

Campus life

State news

State Rep. Brandtjen — who called for decertifying 2020 presidential election — is joining race for state senate

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

Quoted: Republicans closely tied with Trump have been losing support in suburban areas, said Barry Burden, a political science professor and director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Elections Research Center. He said that goes for the 8th Sen. district as well.

“Now, I think the party has become somewhat concerned about Trump’s presence in the party, given how the Republicans did in this midterm election,” Burden said. “But there still is a lot of enthusiasm for him among the base, especially the activists who turn out in primaries and who give money to candidates.”

More broadly, Burden said election deniers running for statewide office in swing states this year were roundly defeated in November.

“But Brandtjen will be running in a district that is a little redder than the state as a whole. And so there might still be room for someone with her profile to be successful,” Burden said.

With Republicans in the Senate minority, Ron Johnson says he’ll coordinate with House on investigations

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Quoted: Patrick Remington, a former epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s preventive medicine residency program, noted that vaccines “save tens of thousands if not millions of lives each year.” Remington added that the scientific community’s knowledge of COVID has continued to evolve. While vaccines might not prevent infection from COVID, he said, they have been shown to reduce risk of serious illness or death.

“I would encourage any investigation to be non-partisan but also focused not simply on identifying problems, but understand what’s worked,” Remington said. “If a hearing went into identifying the reasons for the success that we’ve seen, then that hearing could be balanced with opportunities for improvement.”

Community

Madison seeking public feedback on new train station location

Posted on
The Capital Times

The city’s passenger rail station study will leverage these opportunities to identify a recommended location for a potential future Amtrak station, looking at six potential areas: near the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, downtown, First Street, the near east side, where the former Oscar Mayer plant used to be located, and lastly, near the airport.

 

Athletics

UW Experts in the News

Scientist Betül Kaçar On The Value Of Early Space Science And Astrobiology Education

Posted on
Forbes

The focus of Betül Kaçar’s research is on the origin and early evolution of life, including fascinating topics such as the influence of geology on the development of biology. A Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the principal investigator at Kaçar Research Lab, she was one of the plenary speakers at the NASA-sponsored biannual meeting Astrobiology Science Conference, AbSciCon22. Along with her research, Kaçar is deeply interested in science education and the best ways to bring science to school-aged children.

UW-Madison Related

Four Menomonee Falls High School alumni will be added to the school’s Wall of Recognition

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Noted: Carolyn Yeager, a 1978 Menomonee Falls graduate and valedictorian, went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Colorado.

She worked for several technology companies developing custom software. That work helped her earn NASA’s Space Act award in 2006 for work she did for the International Space Station, Yeager’s wall description read.

In 2008, she started a mentoring program for human trafficking survivors after noticing the pain and suffering survivors experienced, as well as the lack of resources available for them. She received the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies’ Outstanding Advocacy and Service Award in 2014.

She also turned her career toward developing software for trauma recovery, according to Yeager’s wall description. Yeager became the first to graduate with a doctorate in trauma psychology from the University of Colorado and received the university’s Outstanding Ph.D Clinical Graduate Student award in 2018.