It takes a tremendous effort from the staff, University of Wisconsin students sent from the School of Pharmacy, and even volunteers from the community.
Local pharmacies take part in the vaccine rollout
NBC-15
Author: gbump
Pandemic provides new challenges, changes, in navigating college application process
NBC-15
UW-Madison is offering virtual tours, rather than in-person tours. Kirstin DeMartino, Director of Campus and Visitor Relations, said virtual tours via Zoom are available on a weekly basis.
UW announces new student mental health initiative
Badger Herald
UWPD, University Housing, Dean of Students Office and UHS begin partnership to enhance mental health services, crisis response protocols on campus.
UNC epidemiologist speaks on guiding COVID-19 research principles
Badger Herald
Robinson says three principles helped guide where to spend her efforts — bring your best self, go where the people are, continuously reevaluate yourself and the field.
Bus Pass budget raises questions about SSFC staggering increases in student wages
Badger Herald
’This is an important conversation to be having,’ SSFC representative says.
ASM holds special session on COVID-19 Student Relief Fund Referendum
Badger Herald
’For the administration, blocking this fund is not about policy compliance, it is about maintaining their power,’ Mitnick says.
ASM introduces $2 million COVID-19 student relief referendum
Daily Cardinal
If the referendum—crafted by ASM Chair Matthew Mitnick, 10 other representatives and chairs and the UW-Madison BIPOC Coalition— receives a vote of confirmation at Tuesday’s meeting, the general student body will be able to show their support for or against ASM’s COVID-19 Student Relief Fund when they head to the student government ballots in March.
UW-Madison introduces new student organization promoting entrepreneurship
Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison students welcome Side Hustle Society as a student organization on campus during the spring semester. The organization aims to facilitate a community with forums for students to discuss their “side hustles” — or extracurricular hobbies and passions that earn additional income.
John Miller appointed to UW Board of Regents
Daily Cardinal
Miller attended the University of Wisconsin Law School and graduated with his degree in 2006. He previously worked as a congressional staffer for Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District and became president and CEO of his family’s company, Miller-St. Nazianz, Inc. in 2008.
Civil rights veteran Dion Diamond says his protest days are over. But he’s cheering on Black Lives Matter.
The Washington Post
Diamond took time off as a student at Howard University to devote his full attention to the movement, through voter registrations and sit-ins throughout the country. He later transferred to the University of Wisconsin, where he studied history and sociology.
Ready for takeoff: Three simple guidelines for flying after vaccination
The Hill
It will take years until all air travelers are immunized, but we do not have to wait years until it is safe to fly.
-Dr. Laura A. Albert is a professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the College of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is a prominent member of INFORMS. Her research applies optimization and analytical methods to public sector applications including aviation security.
The Mysterious Cause of a Deadly Illness in Sanctuary Chimps Revealed
Smithsonian Magazine
“It was not subtle—the chimpanzees would stagger and stumble, vomit, and have diarrhea, sometimes they’d go to bed healthy and be dead in the morning,” says Tony Goldberg, a disease ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to Ann Gibbons for Science.
UW Health releases COVID-19 vaccine dashboard
WKOW-TV 27
UW Health is launching a new online tool to track their current vaccination progress. The COVID-19 vaccination dashboard shows up-to-date information on where vaccination efforts stand as eligibility expands across Wisconsin.
In single digit temps, Wisconsinites answer ‘How cold is too cold?’
NBC-15
UW-Madison officials called it “inclement weather,” postponing all in-person activities at the Winter Carnival. “There are the dangers of exposed skin with frostbite,” Joe Webb, the director of Outdoor UW, said. “More or less it’s just not comfortable. These events are supposed to be fun.”
UW Health has 8X as many vaccine appointments as it has shots, new dashboard shows
NBC-15
With fewer than 3,700 COVID-19 vaccines on hand and nearly 30,000 patients already scheduled to receive a dose, the UW Health announces it will need to start rescheduling appointments to allow time to restock its shelves. Sr. Medical Director Dr. Matt Anderson explained the hospital’s capacity for delivering the coronavirus vaccine is growing, however its staff is being hamstrung by supply issues.
10 years later: Wisconsin’s Act 10 has produced labor savings, but at a cost
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison professor emeritus of public affairs and applied economics Andrew Reschovsky said data show a growing gap in student achievement between white and Black students in Wisconsin, which already ranks among the worst states in the nation on the racial achievement gap. “If you reduce compensation for teachers and you reduce the power of teacher unions, it’s not as if you can say, ‘Ah, that’s a tool. Everybody can cut spending,’ as if there’s no consequences to that,” Reschovsky said.
Segar, William E. “Bill”
Wisconsin State Journal
His medical career included time at Riley Hospital for Children, Mayo Clinic and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics from 1974-1985.
Science mom: UW scientist joins campaign to teach fellow mothers about climate change
Wisconsin State Journal
Holloway, a professor of atmospheric science at UW-Madison, is one of half a dozen leading climate scientists (and mothers) who’ve banded together to motivate other moms to take action on the threat of climate change.
10 years later, workers still seek a seat at the table despite lack of collective bargaining
Wisconsin State Journal
After years of wage freezes, a union representing 225 UW System trade employees negotiated a 1.81% raise for this year, which ended up being less than the 2% raise their non-union colleagues received … “There’s been a range of responses to Act 10,” David Nack, a professor in the UW-Madison Department of Labor Education said. “Workers often want to or need to find a way to effectively represent their interests with their employer. Act 10 doesn’t change any of that.”
McCarty, Donald James
Wisconsin State Journal
During the turbulent years of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Don served as Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, after which he returned to his role of Professor of Educational Administration.
Haberland, Ruth Ann (Green)
Wisconsin State Journal
She retired from the U.W. Meat and Animal Science Department in 1995.
Q&A: Sofia Snow’s hip hop pedagogy puts students at the center
The Capital Times
Snow serves as the director of UW’s Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives, which also oversees the First Wave Hip Hop and Urban Arts Learning Community.
Small donors ruled 2020; will that change post-Trump?
OpenSecrets
Eleanor Powell, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said it’s unclear whether corporations will prolong their political donation boycotts, though she doesn’t expect contribution halts to be permanent. But continued individual contributions would help minimize the harm that a drought of corporate PAC contributions could cause to Trump’s allies, she said.
House Exiles Marjorie Taylor Greene From Panels, as Republicans Rally Around Her
The New York Times
Removal from committees is usually reserved for lawmakers who are facing indictments or criminal investigations or who have otherwise broken with their party in a particularly egregious way, according to Eleanor Neff Powell, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wisconsin researchers worry fatal disease that kills chimpanzees will hit humans
Deseret News
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently expressed concerns that a fatal disease known for killing chimpanzees could jump to humans because of the similarities in hereditary material, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Researchers worry chimpanzee-killing bacterium could jump to humans next
Fox News
The disease causes both gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms that are “not subtle,” lead researcher Tony Goldberg told Science.
UW Health: What to know after you get the vaccine
WKOW-TV 27
Just because you have been vaccinated, does not mean you can cease taking precautions, UW Health said. Doctors ask that you continue to wear a mask, social distance, and avoid large gatherings.”We’ll need to do this until most people have been vaccinated,” UW Health said in a release.
WisContext: A Year Into The Pandemic, What’s Driving Varied Coronavirus Rates Across Wisconsin?
WisContext
The possibility of such a scenario is one reason that epidemiologists like Patrick Remington, a professor emeritus of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, urge caution when comparing local COVID-19 rates. The amount of testing is just one source of potential inaccuracies in official figures, he said.
UW System adopts universal medical withdrawal policy
WISC-TV 3
A new policy taking effect this fall will make it easier for students in the University of Wisconsin System to suspend their coursework without academic or financial penalty under certain medical circumstances.
Debunking vaccine misinformation and myths
NBC-15
Ajay Sethi, associate professor, population health sciences, and faculty director, Master of Public Health Program at UW focuses his educational mission on addressing public health misinformation and has been tracking vaccine myths.
UW-Madison’s new saliva-based testing regimen creates difficult transition for spring semester
Madison365
Krista Nagel, a senior undergraduate at UW-Madison, said she thinks increased testing is a smart idea. However, Nagel said getting tested twice a week seems like “overkill,” and she feels that weekly testing would be sufficient.
Column: While UW messaging stands firm on COVID-19 prevention, continuation of UW athletics tells different story
Badger Herald
From a rapid reversal on the Big Ten’s decision to play to going against Dane County orders, UW athletics distinguishes itself as the exception to the strict COVID-19 regulations students face.
Column: With another hybrid semester in full swing, use these tips to stay motivated, practice self-care
Badger Herald
As quarantine wears on, stay connected and motivated through virtual learning, challenging times.
UW project to promote diversity in the sciences receives $5 million award
Badger Herald
Project focuses on learning primarily from the experiences of Black and Native peoples to improve anti-racism education in STEM.
COVID-19 Came To Wisconsin 1 Year Ago. Here’s A Look Back At The State’s Pandemic Year.
Wisconsin Public Radio
“It’s really complicated to go from zero to 100 mph and be writing the rules as you go,”— Patrick Remington, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s preventive medicine residency program, on vaccine rollout, Jan. 25, 2021
“The vaccine’s on the horizon, there’s going to be an end date to this pandemic. It’s really easy to start thinking it’s over, let’s celebrate. It’s just not, quite yet.”— Dr. Jeff Pothof, UW Health Chief Quality and Safety Officer, Jan. 27, 2021
Letter to the Editor: We need better policing, not less policing
Daily Cardinal
The solution to police brutality is better policing; not less policing. We should be training our officers more. By paying more and training more, we can improve the performance of our local police officers.
Letter to the Editor: Law School Right to Affirm Commitment to Free Expression
Daily Cardinal
While it may be an unpopular minority opinion within the law school, I agree with Dean Daniel Tokaji and the law school administration’s position and handling of the matter. The law school only needs to ensure that no discrimination exists in employer hiring practices. It would be inappropriate for the law school to censor the political activities of prospective employers.
Rescue dog breeds take DNA tests for the Puppy Bowl on Super Bowl weekend
Popular Science
But as some experts put it, defining doggie ancestry can be tricky. “To a large degree, the accuracy of breed composition tests very likely depends on the degree to which a dog is ‘mixed,’” Lauren Baker and Susannah Sample, both of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wrote in an email to PopSci. “From a veterinarian’s standpoint, we find these ‘breed identification’ tests are fun for many owners. But having not been evaluated by the scientific community, they shouldn’t be used to alter medical decisions.”
UW Administration: Moving forward with ASM relief fund “is still not possible”
Daily Cardinal
Heller says that along with legal issues, there are also challenges concerning the income taxes that students who benefit from the relief policy would have to pay, along with employer payroll taxes and fringe costs that ASM would be responsible for.
UW Arboretum Designated A National Historic Landmark
Daily Cardinal
The land, established as an outdoor laboratory to investigate the repair of damaged ecosystems in the 1930s, was added to the list last month.
Facing ‘financial disaster’ from COVID-19, UW System pushes for borrowing ability
Wisconsin State Journal
COVID-19 has caused the “biggest financial disaster” the university has ever seen, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said. Through federal stimulus money, furloughs, pay cuts for leadership, travel restrictions and targeted budget cuts to different units, Blank said she’s optimistic the financial gap can be resolved over the next two years. But she also renewed her case for giving the university borrowing authority.
Controversial homegrown vaccine risks derailing India’s coronavirus vaccine rollout
Chicago Tribune
“Indian companies are targeted by everyone in the world,” said Ella, who has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It hurts us as scientists — we don’t deserve that type of bashing.”
Some Skip COVID-19 Tests Out Of Anxiety. Health Experts Say Shaming Won’t Reach Them.
Wisconsin Public Radio
Testing positive means missing work, and for those without paid leave that means missing paychecks, too. It’s a strong disincentive to get tests, said Kathleen Murphy-Ende, a clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics’ Department of Psychiatry. Patients have brought this up in her practice.
Chimps first, then humans? Scientists worry about new fatal bacterium.
USA Today
“There are very few pathogens that infect chimpanzees without infecting humans and very few pathogens that infect humans without infecting chimpanzees,” said Tony Goldberg, one of the authors of the paper and a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of epidemiology.
Chimpanzee-Killing Disease Linked by Researchers to New Species of Bacterium
Science Times
Led by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the disease was reported on February 3rd in the journal Nature Communication.The study suggests that the disease is caused by a newly discovered bacterium that comes as the world struggles with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Factually: fact-checkers in Myanmar have internet but no Facebook or reliable sources
Poynter
Feb. 8, 9 a.m. Eastern: IFCN Talks #1 – “Is deplatforming a solution for misinformation?”. Come chat on Zoom with Francisco Britto Cruz, director at InternetLab (Brazil) and Lucas Graves, professor and researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison. It’s free!
Why were Sun Prairie sixth-graders asked how they would punish a slave? District still mum on origin of lesson.
Wisconsin State Journal
The lesson was taught on the first day of Black History Month. “I thought it was profoundly thoughtless, hurtful, lacking in empathy or any kind of wisdom or forethought,” said UW-Madison professor Christy Clark-Pujara, an expert on African American history. “There is no excuse for it.”
NCAA proposes volleyball, women’s hockey tournaments at single sites
Wisconsin State Journal
The NCAA continued to consolidate its championships to single sites Wednesday, announcing a proposal that all games of the women’s volleyball and women’s hockey tournaments be played at the venue that had been previously selected to host the finals.
UW-Madison students call on law school to uninvite anti-trans group to upcoming job fair
Wisconsin State Journal
QLaw, a student group that advocates for the school’s LGBTQ student population, is spearheading the effort encouraging administrators to remove the Women’s Liberation Front from its lineup of public interest and government employers interviewing students for internships or post-graduation jobs.
UW student government continues push for COVID-19 relief fund
The Capital Times
Administrators opposed the legislation, saying it violates UW System Policy 820’s approved uses for segregated fees. The policy prohibits lump sum payments to student organizations or “direct financial aid” to individual students, except for certain situations including employee wages and scholarships or stipends to student government leaders.
UW Health fights for racial equity in vaccine distribution
WKOW-TV 27
UW Health is sending out COVID-19 vaccine scheduling invitations to two groups: patients age 69 and older as well as patients age 65 and older in specific high-risk categories. This includes patients who are Black, Latinx and Native American.
UW Madison grad, U.S. Navy D-Day veteran celebrates 100th birthday
NBC-15
A 1943 University of Wisconsin- Madison graduate and U.S. Navy D-Day veteran is celebrating his 100th birthday Wednesday.
Those considered high-risk could be next for COVID-19 vaccine
NBC-15
UW Health Immunization Program’s Dr. James Conway said this population especially needs to be vaccinated because some of those health conditions can cause unpredictable immune system responses.
With mental health and physical activity correlated, UW Recreation & Wellbeing offers virtual training during pandemic
Badger Herald
’We want to provide every opportunity to the Badger community to get fit and live well,’ UW Recreation & Wellbeing coordinator says.
ASM passes amendment to establish mask ambassador position
Badger Herald
The Associated Students of Madison unanimously passed legislation to create mask ambassador positions intended to aid students in receiving funds from segregated fees.
National Park Service names UW Arboretum a National Historical Landmark
Badger Herald
The Arboretum plays a large role in the Madison community for both students and the public.
Rights to privacy versus safety on college campuses
Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison has also seen an upgrade in surveillance with the Safer Badgers app for the 2021 Spring semester, but in an email statement Chancellor Rebecca Blank has promised, “the app does not track your current or location history in any way, on or off campus.” Instead, UW-Madison has offered Bluetooth exposure notifications that notify students in extended periods of contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. “Participation is optional but strongly encouraged,” said Blank in a Jan. 13 update.
ASM Approves Amendment to COVID-19 Student Relief Fund
Daily Cardinal
The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) continued to fight for approval of their COVID-19 Student Relief Fund at an emergency meeting on Tuesday night. The student council voted unanimously to pass legislation creating the Mask Ambassador position — opening a possible loophole for the fund to be enacted despite university concerns over its legality.
Kutzbach, John Elmer
Wisconsin State Journal
John joined the University of Wisconsin faculty in 1966. As Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Director of the Center for Climatic Research, he pioneered the use of climate models to investigate the causes and effects of large-scale changes in past climates.
UW Arboretum designated as National Historic Landmark
Wisconsin State Journal
UW said the designation is based on the Arboretum’s “pioneering work in restoration ecology, its place in the history of conservation, and its commitment to Aldo Leopold’s land ethic.”