Devesh Ranjan will step into his new role on June 16. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and won the Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award for outstanding achievement in Mechanical Engineering in 2023.
Author: gbump
‘Lily’s on Saturday, midterms on Monday’: Lily’s Classic draws hundreds to Lake Mendota ice for charity hockey tournament
Lily’s Classic celebrated its 11th year as hundreds of attendees slip-slided their way onto Lake Mendota, raising money through a four-versus-four “boot hockey” tournament to benefit Lily’s Fund, which supports epilepsy research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Editorial | Lifesaving UW-Madison research threatened by funding cuts
It is beyond comprehension that any responsible American policymaker would take actions that might undermine — or even destroy — efforts that have already yielded tremendous progress for ailing Americans. And that have the potential, in relatively short order, to make historic breakthroughs in the fight against diseases and conditions that have caused immense pain, heartbreak and death.
UW System pauses release of new copyright policy, creates working group after faculty backlash
The University of Wisconsin System has temporarily paused the release of an updated copyright policy that would broaden the amount of intellectual property the university can claim from academic staff after faculty criticism.
Wisconsin football hires Badgers administrator as general manager
Marcus Sedberry is set to become the Badgers football general manager, a BadgerExtra source said. Sedberry has been in the Wisconsin athletic department since February 2022 serving as the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer, with football being his top sport as an administrator.
Tom Still: NIH-funded research produces cures, treatments and jobs, even if it takes time
Howard Temin was a UW-Madison scientist who shared the 1975 Nobel Prize for his discovery of “reverse transcriptase,” which described how tumor viruses act on the genetic material of cells to make copies of themselves before integrating into the host genome.
Wisconsin football names Sedberry as first-ever team GM
Wisconsin Athletics announced Monday that Dr. Marcus Sedberry has been appointed General Manager of Wisconsin Football. His appointment to general manager is a new trend in college football and he is the first-ever general manager of the UW football team.
Regents give Rothman more appointment power under compromise
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents unanimously approved a compromise policy change Feb. 7 giving UW System President Jay Rothman more power to appoint top leaders while retaining some regent involvement.
Capital Cafe open Monday after ‘deep cleaning’ removes potential Typhoid exposure
UHS and Environment, Health & Safety said they were notified of a typhoid fever case in a campus member who worked at Capital Café, inside of Grainger Hall, while infectious. UHS sent the email to campus members who visited Capital Café on Jan. 29 or 30.
Brady Williamson, Madison legal giant defending free speech, dies
Williamson also taught periodically at UW-Madison’s Law School and worked on constitutional and election law projects internationally, including in Iraq, Sudan and Ukraine. In addition, he was a trustee for the William T. Evjue Charitable Trust.
‘Bucky’s mom’ has been caring for UW-Madison’s beloved mascot for 25 years
Josette Jaucian has been “Bucky’s mom” — or on the occasion he misbehaves, “Bucky’s unofficial parole officer” — since 2000. She took over leading the Spirit Squad in that year, which consists of not only wrangling the multiple performers who bring the Bucky costume to life, but also overseeing the university’s dance team and cheerleaders, more than 60 students total.
Wisconsin men’s basketball star graduate guard wins multiple weekly awards
Following a 32-point performance in Wisconsin’s 94-84 upset win over Purdue, graduate John Tonje collected both the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Men’s College Player of the Week as well as Big Ten Player of the Week, according to a release from the Big Ten.
Kohl Center court has a new sponsorship sticker for Wisconsin basketball games
The basketball court now has Culver’s logos on two spots after a sponsorship deal went into effect in January.
Dr. E. K. (Ken) Greenwald
Ken was cajoled out of retirement to join the University of Wisconsin engineering faculty. In that capacity, he lectured around the world.
Stephen L. Barclay
Steve was a professor in the Bacteriology Department at the University of Wisconsin.
Molly Rose (Morrison) Philosophos
In 2016, Tim and Molly moved to Madison, Wis., where their three Badger children also lived, and she began her dream job as a fundraiser for the UW-Madison School of Business through the UW Foundation and Alumni Association. Her commitment to her craft and passion for the university translated into professional exceptionalism in her role as managing senior director of development.
How much police escorts to Madison hotel, airport cost Wisconsin football in 2024
Three law enforcement agencies billed Wisconsin a total of $17,627.34 after the season. The cost from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, which coordinated the escorts and brought in officers from Madison and Fitchburg, was $11,328.03.
Beloit College undergrads organizing student worker union
A group of students who work on campus at Beloit College are encouraging their classmates and coworkers to sign on to a union effort. Administrators are hoping to channel the effort into a learning opportunity and expressing caution about changes to pay.
Public data removal impacts university research
When this kind of data is taken away from journalists, researchers and the public, it can have big consequences for what we are able to learn, University of Wisconsin School of Journalism and Mass Communications professor Michael Wagner said.
“Being able to use public data to write stories that can hold the powerful to account is the lifeblood of good journalism and so journalists need to have access to public data to tell their audience how our leaders are using,” Wagner said. “And so to take these down and prevent journalists and researchers from using them, makes it a lot harder for us to hold power to account.”
Mary Ann Test
In 1978 Dr. Test joined the social work faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW PEOPLE Program not impacted by national DEI policy changes
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Jan. 20 designed to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs beyond the federal government, and it alludes to potential legal action against private entities with DEI programs.
Bucky’s Pell Pathway gives students support for ‘their full financial needs.’ Recipients say it doesn’t go far enough
The program, Bucky’s Pell Pathway, gives Pell-grant eligible Wisconsin residents enrolled in on-campus programs grants, scholarships and work study “sufficient to meet their full financial needs,” according to UW-Madison.
James Edward Kirchstein
He earned a BSEE from UWMadison and later worked as an electrical engineer for UW and the State of Wisconsin.
Outsourcing in Wisconsin state government expands under Evers
Andrew Reschovsky, a professor emeritus of public affairs at UW-Madison, said sometimes it makes sense for a state agency to contract out services when it doesn’t have the staff or knowledge for the work. Without the outcome of cost-benefit analyses or other information, it is impossible to know when contracting out makes sense without querying each agency, he said.
UW researcher warns that federal funding cuts could halt vital work
“We really rely on NIH funding,” Jon Audhya, a professor and associate dean at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health said. “That reduction would have a huge negative impact on the institution. The university really couldn’t fill the gap.”
Meet the UW–Madison professor that collaborated with Bad Bunny
Jorell Meléndez-Badillo tells the story of Puerto Rico’s colonial history in the visuals for the Grammy Award-winning rapper’s new album.
UW’s entrepreneurship plan aims to empower founders
UW founders first approach plans to transform entrepreneurship, drive statewide economic growth.
UW researchers highlight new strategy for reducing opioid usage
New strategy offers roadmap to limiting opioid prescription.
New UW System platform to streamline administrative processes for employees
University of Wisconsin System Chief Information Officer Steven Hopper said Workday’s implementation will be smooth and will create a foundation for growth.
Vos calls for ‘intellectual diversity,’ decentering racial DEI at UW-Madison
Assembly Speaker Robin Vosaims to remove racial DEI efforts and steer toward conservative inclusion at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW football to play Iowa on Homecoming Oct 11
The Badgers have won 10 of its last 11 homecoming matchups and last hosted Iowa for Homecoming in 2021. Wisconsin won 27-7 over the No. 7 Hawkeyes.
UW nurses urge Wisconsin Supreme Court to recognize union
The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether UW Health has to recognize efforts by UW nurses to re-create the union they lost in 2014.
Sterilization rate at Madison hospital doubled after abortion ruling, study finds
The number of people who sought surgical sterilization at UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital in Madison more than doubled after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned decades-old abortion protections in 2022, according to a recent study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.
UW-Oshkosh selling DEI building, moves to new central location
The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is selling its previous Campus Center for Equity and Diversity building following the state legislature’s DEI reconstruction decision.
UW-Madison professor highlights product placement and coffee culture in Korean dramas during talk
University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of Korean Studies Grace Jung discussed the prevalence of food product placement and coffee culture in K-dramas during her talk sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies.
Exclusive: Vos says Legislature will not increase state funding to UW-Madison to address potential annual $65 million loss
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the National Institute of Health (NIH) decision capping research funding might be a “little painful in the short term” but said it would be beneficial in the long-run.
‘Real brutal capitalism.’ Wisconsin nursing home sales surge, quality drops
“We tend to be going more and more towards a real brutal capitalism, I think everywhere,” said Barbara Bowers, a professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Nursing. “And it’s fine if it’s about the quality of your television set. But it’s a different issue when it’s the quality of somebody’s life. I think we treat this as any other commodity, which is really unfortunate.”
Paying UW student athletes big bucks is out of whack | Timothy Eisele
Letter to the editor: I read in the Wisconsin State Journal about football player Nyzier Fourqurean, who had used up his eligibility. But because he had played for a Division II team earlier in his college career and was not paid, he petitioned a court to allow him one more year of eligibility.
UW-Madison leaders: NIH cuts threaten medical research for public good
University of Wisconsin-Madison leadership is warning of potential negative impacts over the Trump Administration’s decision to cut funds related to medical and public health research.
UW professor’s collaboration with Bad Bunny highlights Puerto Rican history
Jorell Meléndez-Badillo contributed to 17 videos based on Puerto Rico’s history for the artist’s most recent album.
PHOTOS: 2025 Winter Carnival returns to the ice!
Photos from UW-Madison’s Winter Carnival.
UWPD investigating increase in electric bike and scooter thefts over 2 week period
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department received five reports of stolen electric bicycles and scooters over the past 10 days, according to a crime warning email sent to UW-Madison students and faculty Tuesday.
UW Board of Regents approves $4.7 million for electrical projects, Chancellor Mnookin discusses new construction
The $4.7 million in recently approved funds will go toward two projects, one at UW-Stevens Point and one at UW-Madison. At UW-Stevens Point, they’ll replace emergency generators which are “undersized to provide adequate capacity,” and at UW-Madison, they’ll replace electrical distribution equipment at the West Campus Electrical Substation owned by both UW-Madison and Madison Gas & Electric.
UWPD reports surge in e-bike, e-scooter thefts on campus
UWPD investigating five reported thefts, urges campus community to stay alert.
UW joins lawsuit against NIH funding cuts
NIH funding cuts could severely impact future research at UW.
Wisconsin, other states win reprieve in cuts to medical research funding
Afederal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a Trump Administration cap on federally funded medical research that UW-Madison said Monday could cost the the university $65 million in already-pledged funds.
Tom Still: Wisconsin scientist sees bright future for fusion as well as fission
Greg Piefer, the founder and chief executive officer of Shine Technologies in Janesville, wouldn’t frown over that punchline. But he’s the first to say fusion for other purposes ranging from fighting cancer to national security, and from inspecting industrial components to recycling nuclear waste, comes first and is no laughing matter.
UW-Madison grad students ‘are very afraid’ of federal funding turmoil
A federal judge last month blocked efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to halt the flow of billions of federal dollars. Wisconsin officials worried the freeze would have wide-ranging effects, including at the state’s flagship university.
Then over the weekend, the National Institutes of Health announced a “dramatic” cut in funding for some research expenses at UW-Madison and other institutions, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and other university leaders said in a statement.
UW-Madison leaders: NIH cuts threaten medical research for public good
In a joint statement sent to members of the UW-Madison community, Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin, Provost Charles L. Isbell, Jr., Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs Robert N. Golden and Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota A. Grejner-Brzezinska, explained how the indirect costs are essential to the university.
St. Norbert, a Catholic college, may nix theology in latest round of budget cuts
St. Norbert — a small liberal arts college in the Green Bay suburb of De Pere — is planning to eliminate about a dozen majors and to restructure a handful more as it contends with an anticipated $7 million budget gap for 2026.
Takeaways from Palestinian-American author, comedian Amer Zahr’s WUD lecture
Growing up Arab in the U.S., media biases, Islamophobia, war in Gaza.
Regents compromise on giving UW system president more power to appoint top leaders
The UW Board of Regents unanimously approved a rare policy compromise Friday that grants Universities of Wisconsin presidents more appointment authority but also gives Regents a larger role in the process than current President Jay Rothman had requested.
Cybersecurity, budgets, internal audits: 8 takeaways from Friday’s Board of Regents meeting
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents discussed fraud and legal risks based on an internal audit and passed resolutions for a new AI major and funds for maintenance at today’s meeting.
UHS alerts students to possible hepatitis A exposures linked to Rheta’s dining hall
UHS is responding to a confirmed case of hepatitis A linked to a Rheta’s Market dining hall employee.
Lighting Lakeshore Path? More time between classes? ASM adds 5 non-binding referendums to spring election
ASM added five non-binding referendums to the spring student elections Wednesday with the intention of using positive results to bolster advocacy efforts.
CHASA’s Lunar New Year party goes off with a bang
Chinese students and community members celebrated the Lunar New Year with friends, family and good food Saturday night.
Madison LGBTQ+ residents, rattled by Trump orders, weigh options
As it stands, there have been no moves by the Trump administration or the Supreme Court to do away with equal marriage rights for LGBTQ+ couples. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, said Howard Schweber, a political science professor and law school affiliate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Abrupt shift in federal funding will jeopardize medical research, UW-Madison says
UW-Madison will experience significant disruptions to lifesaving research under the Trump administration’s new rules for federally funded medical research, officials said Saturday.
UW Health Med Flight reports lasers pointed at crews
UW Health is condemning anyone pointing lasers at aircraft after noting two crews were hit by lasers Tuesday night in different areas.
Influenza-A leads record respiratory illness spike in Dane County
Health officials say that the peak in respiratory illnesses hit Dane County late this year, leaving hospitals and urgent care facilities packed.
“It did start late and it really came on like wild fire,” said Dr. Jim Conway, pediatric infectious disease doctor with UW Health Kids and medical director of UW Health’s immunization program.