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January 29, 2025

Top Stories

Here’s what’s at stake in Madison and Wisconsin if federal grants are blocked

Wisconsin State Journal

The pause in federal funding is “significant and concerning” for UW-Madison, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and other leaders said in a statement.

UW-Madison is encouraging most federally funded research to continue, outside of a “small number” of unspecified stop-work orders aimed at a handful of researchers, the statement said.

Research

Higher Education/System

Madison, state officials still confused by Trump funding pause

The Capital Times

UW-Madison’s Office of University Relations created a working group to track and respond to the latest executive orders and congressional activity that affects higher education.

The group includes representatives from across campus, including strategic communication, the provost’s office, legal affairs, research, student affairs, human resources, the international division, enrollment management, campus police and others.

Campus life

Donzaleigh Abernathy headlines 2025 MLK Symposium

Badger Herald

Given her proximity, Abernathy’s speech gave personal insight into King’s impact on her life. “He [King] had like a light bulb on inside of him, and when he walked into the room, everyone turned because you noticed him,” Abernathy said. “He was special. I don’t know any other way to tell you … and as a kid, I loved him.”

Athletics

UW Athletics issues statement regarding mistreatment accusations from former Wisconsin women’s basketball player

WKOW – Channel 27

“We are aware of comments shared online by former Badger student-athlete Tessa Towers and will be looking into this matter. We care deeply about the physical and mental well-being of all of the student-athletes on our teams, during and after their time on campus. While we would like to share additional context around Tessa’s comments, federal privacy laws prohibit us from publicly addressing the health-related claims made on Tessa’s social media account.”

UW Experts in the News

UW Madison professor weighs in on Trump’s executive order

WSAW-TV Wausau

The White House order indicates Medicare and Social Security should not be impacted, but what about Medicaid? Which is health insurance for people who can’t afford it. The political science expert NewsChannel 7 talked with said that could be a different story. “It does apply to grants that go to States and are then administered by the states to individuals, and that’s how Medicaid works,” Howard Schweber, professor emeritus of Political Science at UW-Madison, said.

What is causing the dramatic ice heaves on Madison’s lakes?

Wisconsin State Journal

The formations, called ice heaves, often happen in the spring along the shorelines as ice begins to melts and wind pushes it up into solid, jagged waves. But they can also be seen where water levels and temperatures fluctuate, said Hilary Dugan, professor with UW-Madison’s Limnology Department. As water freezes it expands, with sections pushing against one another to create pressure ridges between a few inches to a few feet high, Dugan said.