Skip to main content

May 20, 2024

Research

‘Climate Trackers: Superpowered by Ecometeorology’ shows the power of combinations and collaborations

PBS Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences professor Ankur Desai and his lab conduct ecometeorological research, a cross-pollination of meteorology and ecology. At Seven Seeds Farm, they investigate how cattle farming on silvopastures impacts climate.

Higher Education/System

UW-Milwaukee must reverse course on concessions to pro-Palestinian demonstrators

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

I feel the need to express my extreme disappointment with UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone’s decisions relating to his “negotiations” with the pro-Palestinian demonstrators whose protests so disrupted UWM campus life and the safety of its Jewish students.  Their actions went far beyond “free speech” and their demands are simply outrageous.

State news

We know Trump will be the RNC nominee, but here’s why conventions are still important

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Conventions as we know them today — major events held in large cities attended by party insiders — began in the early- to mid-1800s. State parties needed to coordinate their activities and nominate someone who would appear on the ballot across the country, explained University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Barry Burden.

“All that changed 50 years ago, when the parties changed their nomination systems to emphasize primaries and caucuses as the ways that delegates would be selected,” Burden said.

Community

Kendi, a Milwaukee County Zoo giraffe, required surgery for a unique breeding injury

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ultimately, a team of specialists came together to help Kendi, from the zoo’s animal care staff to veterinary professionals from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, the Kettle Moraine Equine Hospital and Regional Equine Dental Center and the Henry Vilas Zoo. Also, the zoo’s grounds, forestry and maintenance departments modified the giraffe barn with extra padding to set it up for the procedure.

Health

Athletics

Opinion

Letter | UW fosters volunteerism with Peace Corps

The Capital Times

Letter to the editor: Standing in stark contrast to this academic wasteland is the announcement that UW Madison has, over several years now, produced more Peace Corps volunteers than any other campus in the country. This accomplishment does not happen by chance but is the product of vision and hard work by the International Division of the University, our campus recruiter, and the tireless work of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin–Madison in volunteer recruitment. Congratulations to them. They are still able to find students with hearts to serve and to inspire them to follow their dreams.

Memories from behind a police line on UW-Madison campus in 1967 — Andy Anderson

Wisconsin State Journal

Letter to the editor: I was behind the police line at the Commerce Building riot at UW-Madison in 1967. Crossing Bascom Hill, I had encountered small clusters of young people helping bloodied demonstrators away from the packed crowd. The police had just cleared the building of sit-in demonstrators, and around 15 officers had formed a defensive semi-circle outside the main doors.

Business/Technology

No credit check loans guide

WalletHub

“These loans can be appealing to those with poor or limited credit histories, yet they carry inherent risks,” says Anita Mukherjee, a professor at the Wisconsin School of Business. “Specifically, they often come with significantly higher interest rates and fees due to the increased risk lenders assume by not checking credit. The allure of accessibility should be carefully weighed against these loans’ short repayment terms, which can make monthly payments more challenging.”

UW Experts in the News

Workers discover cannabis plants amid the tulips outside the state Capitol

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Shelby Ellison, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at UW-Madison, said the plants looked purposefully planted in the flower beds that contained mostly tulips but that it was unclear whether the plants could be used as marijuana without further testing.

“It is impossible to determine if they were hemp or marijuana without testing for THC content. I do think they were likely intentionally planted just because there were so many of them,” she said.

Is Biodegradable Plastic Really a Thing?

The New York Times

“It’s complicated, because biodegradability changes depending on where you’re at and what happens to your plastic,” said George W. Huber, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who works on solutions for plastic waste. “And there are companies who make claims about biodegradable plastic that aren’t backed up.”

Obituaries

David Lee Wilson

Wisconsin State Journal

For several decades, he worked happily in two half-time jobs at UW-Madison, the first as a technical writer at Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE), an academic unit that he first joined in 1966. In 1974, he began concurrent employment as a computer programmer at the Waisman Center, a UW research hub on developmental disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases.

UW-Madison Related

Job Market for College Grads Looks Tougher This Year. Try Healthcare, Sales.

Barron's

Ben Brussat, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison on May 11, is one of those feeling confident about his job prospects. After narrowing down his focus to business-development and sales-development roles, he sent out about 30 applications and received six positive responses so far. He said he is currently in the final round of interviews with one employer, about a month after submitting his initial application