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October 3, 2025

Research

Wisconsin lawmakers propose ban on hemp-derived THC

Posted on
WKOW - Channel 27

“I feel like closing loopholes is kind of like this idea of putting Band-Aids on big wounds … it doesn’t seem like it will solve a problem,” said Shelby Ellison.

Ellison, a hemp researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at UW–Madison, proposes that the state could implement age limits, require testing and labeling, and prevent packaging that appeals to children.

“There’s lots of things to do with packaging and marketing that there are no restrictions on in Wisconsin that many other states have … but just that you can’t make it look like Skittles, right?” Ellison said.

UW Health, CDC differ in COVID-19 vaccine guidance for Wisconsin

Posted on
Spectrum News

While the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women, UW Health is recommending the vaccine for everyone 6 months old and older.

“We’ve always leaned into the professional societies’ recommendations,” said Dr. Jim Conway, the medical director of the UW Health immunization program and an infectious disease physician with UW Health Kids. “The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians [and] the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology have all endorsed, based on data, that every person over 6 months is eligible and should consider getting these vaccines.”

Wisconsin moves to bring PFAS limits in line with contested federal standards

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

The EPA could take enforcement action against Wisconsin if the Legislature decides not to approve the rule or comply with federal standards, said Steph Tai, an environmental law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“They could initiate what’s called an administrative order to tell the state to comply, or they could do a civil action against the state,” Tai said.

Strifling added the EPA could offer water systems assistance with co

Swap your boiler for a money-saving heat pump

Posted on
Popular Science

While heat pumps in the US have traditionally been associated with warmer locations, they are starting to become more feasible for colder climes. “You can pretty much buy a heat pump for most climates in the US and it can lower your energy bills,” Allison Mahvi, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells Popular Science. Some of Mahvi’s research focuses on  how to make more efficient heat pump systems for cold climates.

Higher Education/System

UW-Madison, city partner to locate cheaper apartments for students

Posted on
Isthmus

City and UW-Madison officials want to make it easier for low-income students to find cheaper housing options.

Under a city zoning change enacted in 2024, downtown developers may exceed maximum story limits as long as they stay under the maximum height permitted under city ordinances and state law. In exchange, developers building student housing are expected to commit a negotiated amount of affordable beds for low-income applicants.

College rankings were once a shocking experiment

Posted on
The Atlantic

Manly’s list attracted wide notice, and a bit of controversy. But like Embree’s, it was a one-off. A few public institutions made Manly’s top 10—UC Berkeley, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin—but the Ivy League and private schools that topped the list remained clubby domains that catered to their traditional clientele by selecting for intangible qualities, such as “character,” over academic excellence.

Campus life

The flamingos are coming back to Bascom Hill. Here’s what to know

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

A flock of pink lawn flamingos will again dot the front lawn of UW-Madison’s Bascom Hill next week.

Support from the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association fundraiser, called Fill the Hill, which has happened at UW-Madison for over a decade, is more significant this year than ever amid cuts to federal funding, its organizers say.