Skip to main content

Author: gbump

Sharon James

Wisconsin State Journal

She left her tenured position to return to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she entered higher education administration, serving as both Assistant and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs for UW Systems.

UW-Madison pauses some spending amid federal funding uncertainties

WKOW-TV 27

The university announced a pause on any uncommitted expenditures, including purchases, hiring, and out-of-state travel. In a memo from Provost Charles Isbell and Vice Chancellor Rob Cramer, it was stated that no new obligations on existing federal awards would be created, meaning hiring on federal funds is currently on hold.

Big reveals are unlikely in Trump-ordered Kennedy and MLK document drops, experts say

NPR

Kathryn McGarr, a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, says she doesn’t think there’s much more to learn. “We already know quite a bit about how much the government was surveilling and looking at [MLK] … and how many enemies he had within the government,” she says. “I don’t think that the narrative is going to significantly change, although of course, we could get some more details here and there.”

Can the U.S. head off a potential bird flu pandemic? UW-Madison researchers weigh in

Wisconsin State Farmer

As the bird flu strain continues to threaten animals and public health, the U.S. government has stepped up its response. But Tom Friedrich, a professor of virology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine, isn’t sure the scale and speed of the response are equal to the potential impact of the problem.

Wisconsin literacy center gives community to immigrants and refugees

Wisconsin Public Radio

Whether the Trump administration will restart the U4U program is an open question, according to Yoshiko Herrera, political scientist professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert on Russia.

“I think they wanted to show that they were acting quickly on immigration right from the start. So my sense is that they just are like, ‘OK, we’re pausing everything’,” said Herrerra. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if … in the next couple of weeks, (they) decide that United for Ukraine is OK.”

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.

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.

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.

Some missing Madison ballots could have been counted, if clerk’s staff had acted in time

Wisconsin State Journal

Other provisions may also allow the election commission to require the county to correct its canvass, said Bree Grossi Wilde, executive director of the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Wisconsin law appears to allow for the “ability to make a correction” if the county board of canvassers or the Wisconsin Elections Commission becomes aware of an error, she said.

Moms on Medicaid would get a year of postpartum care under bill

The Capital Times

Dr. Amy Domeyer-Klenske is an OB-GYN at UW Health, assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the legislative chair for the Midwest region of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The current coverage period for Wisconsin Medicaid — 60 days after birth — is “arbitrary,” she said.

“There’s no physiologic magic writing that says that, you know, all pregnancy complications end at that point,” Domeyer-Klenske said.

Boo-U changes campus director ahead of consolidation

Wisconsin State Journal

Matthew Fencl, a professor of health and human performance at the campus and the Sport Administration Graduate Program Coordinator for UW-Platteville, took over as campus director at the beginning of the year. Former director Stephen Swallen returned to his full-time role as an associate chemistry professor at the Baraboo Sauk County campus.

You may have felt the earth move, Madison, but that was no earthquake

Wisconsin State Journal

“The energy is pretty powerful near the center of the quakes, but it kind of decays away further out,” UW-Madison seismologist Luke Zoet said.

Madison’s recent booms can be explained by three main factors, Zoet said: A sudden cold snap, ground water close to the surface and a lack of snow, which tends to insulate the soil from the cold air like a blanket.

John Olson

Wisconsin State Journal

In addition to his coaching career, John served as Assistant Principal at Madison Memorial and later as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was employed for 44 years in public education as a teacher, coach, and administrator, teaching at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. He also prepared aspiring teachers and coaches for careers in education for seven years while teaching at the School of Education at UW-Madison.

School cell phone bans could be coming to Wisconsin

The Capital Times

Adolescents report better moods in the short-term when using their phones compared with not using them, according to a study last year by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers. However, the U.S. Surgeon General warns social media is a major contributor to a nationwide youth mental health crisis.

Madison’s drinking water is getting saltier, road salt likely to blame

The Capital Times

For 80 years, Madison’s lakes have gotten saltier, according to Hilary Dugan, an associate professor and researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology.

The salinity of Madison’s lakes was close to zero a century ago and road salting has been the biggest source of contamination, she said. Researchers like Dugan closely monitor chloride levels in local waterways because it’s easier to track the environmental impacts than sodium.

What will UW-Madison scientists learn from hundreds of people vaping?

The Capital Times

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison launched a new study this month to reveal the lasting effects vaping may have on people’s hearts and lungs.

“Although e-cigarettes have been on the U.S. market for over 15 years and used by millions of Americans, we do not really understand their long-term health effects,” said Dr. James Stein, a professor of medicine at the university.

Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul joins lawsuit challenging Trump’s order on birthright citizenship

Wisconsin State Journal

On Trump’s proposal for mass deportations, Evers pointed to an April 2023 survey by UW-Madison’s School for Workers that found more than 10,000 undocumented immigrant workers in the state perform an estimated 70% of the labor at Wisconsin’s dairy farms. The researchers behind the survey said, without those workers, “the whole dairy industry would collapse overnight.”

New Wisconsin QB coach’s passion brought him back to familiar ground

Wisconsin State Journal

Kenny Guiton’s time as a professional translator is over. Make no mistake, the University of Wisconsin assistant football coach has had to teach a variety of techniques and details to wide receivers during his 11 years as a receivers coach. But one of his great skills leading receivers was he could teach them how his team’s quarterbacks wanted things done because he played quarterback.

 

Wisconsin focuses on reading, but Madison students struggle with math

The Capital Times

Knowing basic math is crucial to set up students for success later in life, according to Lisa Hennessey, a UW-Madison educator helping to organize the tutoring program. Research shows understanding the subject in middle school prepares students for more advanced math in high school and ultimately leads to higher-paying jobs in adulthood.

Most of Gov. Tony Evers’ Cabinet is unconfirmed. Here’s why it matters

The Capital Times

While agency appointees in Wisconsin are afforded the same powers as someone who is confirmed, their job security is much less stable. Going years without being confirmed undercuts the legitimacy of agency leaders, said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I think there’s a kind of public confidence or clout that gets associated with someone who’s been through that (confirmation) process,” Burden said. “They have gotten the stamp of approval from the Legislature, even if the powers don’t change the day that happens. There’s a perception I think that makes them more effective in their jobs.”

Here’s how the Madison area will be celebrating Martin Luther King Day

Wisconsin State Journal

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Dinner: The MLK Jr. Coalition hosts this annual event and buffet dinner, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Friday at UW Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 W. Dayton St. Meet neighbors, share in the spirit of Dr. King and hear music from WYSO Music Makers at 6:15 p.m.

MLK Symposium 2025: Donzaleigh Abernathy, the youngest daughter of Civil Rights Movement co-founder Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy and goddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., is the featured speaker in this special event honoring King’s legacy, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, in Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St. Hosted by the UW-Madison Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement.

Number of WPR listeners, PBS Wisconsin viewers shrinking

The Capital Times

“We are watching all of those things very closely to ensure that we’re meeting Wisconsinites where they want to consume public media,” said Jordan Siegler, interim executive director of the Division of Public Media at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which along with the Educational Communications Board oversees PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio.

An ice castle rises in Wisconsin’s North Woods

Wisconsin State Journal

“I put it together and then we talk about it. It’s not like we have an architect,” said Anderson, who shared the design with his classmates in an MBA program he’s in at UW-Madison. “The comradery we have in our leadership corps really helps in our construction process. But our volunteer firefighters are really what makes this happen.”

Trump’s ‘mass deportation’ likely to face legal challenges

The Capital Times

Knowing your rights in your own home is just as important, said Raffi Friedman, an attorney and clinical instructor with the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For example, some immigrant households are made up of mixed-status families — parents who are undocumented and children who were born in the United States and are legal citizens.

“Those who are U.S. citizens should definitely apply for U.S. passports and have them on them,” Friedman said.