Higher pollen counts and a longer, earlier pollen season are brought on by warmer temperatures. From 1990 to 2018, the overall amount of pollen increased by up to 21%, according to a study by the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Texas and the Midwest experienced the largest increases.
March 15, 2024
Research
Sen. Baldwin secures $1 million for UW agriculture research facilities
Funding falls short of Baldwin’s original request of $7 million, will go towards improving facilities in conjunction with USDA.
Higher Education/System
5 UW campuses are gone, showing lapse in public duty, trust
From the UW Board of Regents to the Legislature and governor, those chargedg with the care and preservation of the public’s investment in higher education watch idly by while UW system President Jay Rothman wields his ax to make the system’s budgetary ends meet.
A small, northern Wisconsin college must raise $12 million in 3½ weeks — or face closure
Raising the money by the board’s April 3 deadline would give leadership the fiscal stability for the 2024-25 school year to reimagine a “new” Northland with a yet-to-be-seen sustainable model. Without the infusion of cash, the 132-year-old college will be forced to close at the end of the year, displacing hundreds of students and dozens of faculty and staff.
Campus life
Recycled plastics and cooler cows: Undergrads share their work at Research in the Rotunda
Over 160 undergraduate students from across the state showcased research at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
Badger Recovery launches survey to improve support for students in recovery
Survey asks students to report addiction experiences, resource preferences.
SACM leads Pi Day festivities at UW
The Student Association for Computer Machinery celebrates everything math, and for Pi Day, it brought the celebration of not only pi, but also pie to campus.
State news
UW-Madison seeks renovations for aging facilities in 2023-29 capital project requests
Renovations and buildings requested at UW-Madison included: A Camp Randall sports center replacement at $285 millionA replacement engineering building at $347.3 million Music Hall restoration at $39.8 million.
Crime and safety
Sexual assault reported at a UW-Madison fraternity
The incident was not reported to UWPD, per an email crime warning alert sent to students.
Sexual assault occurred in Langdon Street fraternity Friday
Students notified via email, sexual assault was not reported to UWPD.
Community
West Madison plan sparks outrage over city’s answers to big question
To Kurt Paulsen, a professor of urban planning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, there’s no question the city faces a critical shortage of housing to meet the needs. Paulsen’s research focuses on housing and land use.
“It absolutely is accurate to call it a crisis,” he said. “It’s the basic facts: Jobs are growing really quickly. Lots of young people are moving here. All those things mean housing demand is off the charts.”
Health
COVID-19 misinformation continues to pose danger 4 years post-pandemic
Jesse Ehrenfeld, an anesthesiologist at a Wisconsin hospital, asked a patient about to have heart surgery if she would consent to a blood transfusion should it become necessary.
Business/Technology
UW programs address fear of job displacement due to artificial intelligence
Researchers, students at UW identify ways to regulate use of AI in workforce.
UW Experts in the News
COVID-19 misinformation continues to pose danger 4 years post-pandemic
Many people are disparaging or dismissive when talking about people who believe misinformation, but it can happen to anyone, said Sedona Chinn, an assistant professor in the life sciences communication department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Obscure legal theory could weaken voters’ protections from racist laws
The ruling is part of a suite of attacks in recent years aiming to chip away at section 2, said Daniel Tokaji, an election law expert who is dean of the law school at the University of Wisconsin. “These are judges who are not terribly friendly to the voting rights and in particular to protections that racial minority groups have long had to wait for,” he said.
Powerful Realtor Group Agrees to Slash Commissions to Settle Lawsuits
“This will be a really fundamental shift in how Americans buy, search for, and purchase and sell their housing. It will absolutely transform the real estate industry,” said Max Besbris, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of “Upsold,” a book exploring the link between housing prices and the real estate business.
UW-Madison Related
‘I’m essentially breaking even every month’: Wisconsin renters struggle with rising prices
David Rivera-Kohr, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, rents a two-bedroom apartment in the city for roughly $1,200 per month. When his current lease ends, Rivera-Kohr said his rent is set to increase to around $1,500, plus utilities.
“Even at my current rent, I’m essentially breaking even every month,” he said. “I haven’t really been able to save money on a grad student income for quite a while.”
UW’s Tandem Press director is retiring after leading it for 30 years
Paula Panczenko, director of the UW-Madison’s Tandem Press for more than 30 years, will retire this summer, the university announced this week.