A 2023 UW-Madison School for Workers survey found that over 10,000 undocumented workers perform around 70% of the labor on Wisconsin’s dairy farms. “Without them, the whole dairy industry would collapse overnight,” the researchers concluded.
January 14, 2025
Research
UW-Madison scientists help discover North America’s oldest dinosaur
With the discovery of a new dinosaur species, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have challenged a long-held belief about where dinosaurs originated and how the ancient reptiles spread throughout the planet.
Wisconsin waters have a road salt problem. Here’s what to know, and how to help.
Freshwater organisms are sensitive to salt, so when too much road salt gets flushed into waterways it has lethal consequences, said Jessica Hua, an associate professor at UW-Madison who studies human influence on aquatic ecosystems. Even small amounts can build up over time.
State news
Public charging tax now in effect for electric vehicle owners in Wisconsin
Others like Chris McCahill, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and managing director of the State Smart Transportation Initiative, point out one negative to the tax — is electric vehicle owners already pay more than those with gas powered vehicles when registering their vehicle each year.
“So now with this new surcharge, the folks will be paying the state twice to try and compensate for those lost gas tax revenues,” said McCahill.
Health
Mumps case in Clark County highlights vaccination concerns
A confirmed case of mumps in Clark County, which has one of the state’s lowest rates of vaccination against measles, mumps, and rubella, or MMR, has public health officials on alert.
Dr. Jonathan Temte, a professor of family medicine and the associate dean of Public Health and Community Engagement for the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, spoke with WPR’s Shereen Siewert to explain the symptoms of mumps and the broader implications involved.
Online privacy protection tips, and hearing aid enhancements
Hearing aid technology has advanced significantly. Many of these devices are now AI-enabled, track other aspects of your health and can be purchased over the counter. We talk to UW-Madison audiologist Rachel Lee about the latest in hearing aids.
Athletics
Wisconsin men’s basketball monitoring Los Angeles fires as West Coast trip nears
Plans for the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team to travel to California this weekend for a set of upcoming games remain unchanged amid concerns over wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area, Badgers coach Greg Gard said Monday.
Business/Technology
Tom Still: Getting more business ‘starts’ for Wisconsin requires action on several fronts
As the 2024 “Empowering the Wisconsin Idea” report noted, UW-Madison is sixth in the nation in research and development spending but not as vibrant in fostering startups. Other universities with R&D budgets comparable to Madison are the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Washington. All four generate far more startups
In fact, all but three of 14 universities examined by the report were tied to more startups — including some with a fraction of the UW-Madison’s research budget.
UW-Madison Related
Madison Police veteran John Patterson named interim chief following Barnes’ exit
Now, Patterson will take over for the time being. But Patterson is no stranger to Madison. In addition to serving in his current role for about six years, he’s also been captain, lieutenant and sergeant for the Madison Police Department. In total, he’s spent over 26 years with the department, his LinkedIn page indicates. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.