It?s been a high-profile year for Kevin Reilly, who will leave his job as president of the University of Wisconsin System on Dec. 31.
Kevin Reilly ending chapter as UW System president
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Author: jplucas
African storyteller professor left imprint on students
Wisconsin State Journal
Looking back, Harold Scheub sees nothing in his urban northern Indiana boyhood that prepared him for a decade of tramping around the African continent, tape recorder in hand, gathering thousands of spoken stories.
A Campus More Colorful Than Reality: Beware That College Brochure
NPR Weekend Edition
Diallo Shabazz was a student at the University of Wisconsin in 2000 when he stopped by the admissions office.
Big Ideas 2013
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Each year, great ideas emerge from Wisconsin?s research labs. Today, we highlight some of the most interesting. (Several are from UW-Madison.)
Soyeon Shim wants to see UW-Madison solve big problems
Capital Times
On a frigid, snowy morning last week, the UW-Madison campus is nearly deserted and Dean Soyeon Shim is using the rare silence in Nancy Nicholas Hall to do some thinking about a paper she?s planning to write. As might be expected for the building that houses the university?s interior architecture program, the space is bright, comfortable and exquisitely designed.
To Smoosh Peas Is to Learn
New York Times
Noted: The psychologists who did this research were interested in the question of how babies learn about ?nonsolid? objects. ?We had noticed in our lab work before that children are much better at learning names for new solid objects that they didn?t know before,? said Lynn Perry, now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and lead author of the study.
Two UW-Madison profs among 102 promising young researchers honored by Obama
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
President Obama on Monday named 102 researchers — including two from the University of Wisconsion-Madison — as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on promising science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.
Kevin Reilly ending chapter as UW System president
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
It’s been a high-profile year for Kevin Reilly, who will leave his job as president of the University of Wisconsin System on Dec. 31.
CFPB Pushes Financial Institutions To Disclose Arrangements With Colleges
Huffington Post
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau urged a number of financial institutions on Tuesday to disclose how much money they are paying colleges and universities to directly market their products and services to students.
IT expert says US could have safer credit/debit cards
WKOW-TV 27
As America continues to deal with the Target cyber-security breach that compromised the financial information of 40 million people, several IT security experts are pointing out that the technology exists to avoid such problems.
UW DNA facility may help bring final member of WWII unit home
WISC-TV 3
MADISON, Wis. -They were like family. Young men who went to war, they fought together, they spilled blood together, and some died together. When World War II ended most came home.
Edvest Assets Increased By 14 Percent In 2013
Wisconsin Public Radio News
Administrators of Edvest, Wisconsin?s college savings program, are reminding parents of the end-of-year deadline to contribute to their children?s accounts.
Legislature Considers Changing UW Food Purchasing To Favor Price, Proximity
Wisconsin Public Radio News
A bill in the legislature would change how UW campuses buy food, putting more emphasis on price and increasing flexibility to buy from local vendors.
UW-Madison awards $3.65 million in community grants
Madison.com
UW-Madison?s medical school has awarded $3.65 million to 16 communities for projects designed to improve the health of the citizenry.
Two UW-Madison profs among 102 promising young researchers honored by Obama
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
President Obama on Monday named 102 researchers — including two from the University of Wisconsion-Madison — as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on promising science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.
School Spotlight: MSCR, UW-Madison seek to interest students in science
Madison.com
A partnership between Madison School Community Recreation and UW-Madison is engaging elementary students in science with the hope that they see it as fun.
To Smoosh Peas Is to Learn
New York Times
The psychologists who did this research were interested in the question of how babies learn about ?nonsolid? objects. ?We had noticed in our lab work before that children are much better at learning names for new solid objects that they didn?t know before,? said Lynn Perry, now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and lead author of the study.
Bugs That Live Under Your Skin and Other Creepy Discoveries This Year
Wired
The tick in your nose could be a new species. ?When you first realize you have a tick up your nose, it takes a lot of willpower not to claw your face off,” veterinary epidemiologist Tony Goldberg said in a statement.
How WARF Plans to Stay Relevant in Lean Times for Tech Transfer
Xconomy.com
Quick, name one of the oldest?if not the oldest?university tech transfer institutions in the country. If your brain automatically took you to a spot in New England or sunny California, think again. It?s the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF, which was founded nearly 90 years ago in 1925.
Gordon’s return pleases Andersen
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MADISON–Melvin Gordon?s decision to delay his dream of playing in the National Football League and return to Wisconsin next season?made before he received an evaluation from the NFL draft advisory board?didn?t surprise coach GaryAndersen.
Seeking the Why of Giving
New York Times
Noted: Can charities use the phenomenon of warm glow to increase donations? Amanda Chuan, a doctoral student in applied economics at the University of Pennsylvania, and Anya Samak, an assistant professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, sought to answer that question by conducting a field study involving holiday donations to a Chicago charity that provided blankets to people in need.
Scientific American ‘s Top 10 Science Stories of 2013
Scientific American
Noted: #6. The First Neutrinos from Outside the Solar System. For the first time this year astronomers caught neutrinos originating in distant galaxies, an advance that heralds the start of a new era in astronomy?the era of seeing with particles, not just light.
UW Students Sew, Solder And Sync To Build Wearable Computing
Wisconsin Public Radio News
UW-Madison graduate student Alper Sarikaya says he didn?t have much textile experience going into a class he took this semester about wearable computing. But that didn?t stop Sarikaya, who wanted to gain real world prototyping experience and learn how to integrate a computer and clothing: ?I wanted to take it so I could understand how these two things can be merged together, done together well.?
Blum: Fashion at a Very High Price
New York Times
From cheerful red handbags to festive green belts, colored accessories are often mandatory for the style-conscious during the holiday season. But what many fashionistas don?t know is that many of these products may be tainted with high levels of lead ? and the brighter and shinier they are, the greater the risk.
Can videogames create mindful teens? UW-Madison researchers look into the therapeutic possibilities
Isthmus
Teenagers spurning family time and conversation for Candy Crush during the holiday season is nearly as common a sight these days as turkey and baked ham.
Badgers stun Texas in Volleyball Final Four
FOX6Now.com
With University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez on hand, the Badgers Women?s volleyball team stunned #1 Texas in the Final Four Thursday, and became the first 12 seed to reach the championship match in the 33 year history of the event.
Jignesh Patel?s Big Data Revolution
Madison Magazine
“It?s kind of like finding a needle in a haystack.”Jignesh Patel is sitting in a Madison café talking about big data. Between sips of coffee, the University of Wisconsin computer sciences professor uses the familiar expression to explain just what this buzzy tech phrase is all about before launching into a remarkable story about Madison?s connection to its past, present and future.
UW president panel to hand over recommendations
AP
A committee screening University of Wisconsin System president hopefuls is set to hand over finalists? names to a selection committee this week.
Wilson, the Senate and Cloture: Room for Debate
New York Times
Column is by John Milton Cooper Jr. is the E. Gordon Fox professor of American institutions emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of “Woodrow Wilson: A Biography.”
UW-Green Bay chancellor to step down after 5 years
AP
The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay plans to step down in August, saying he plans to return to teaching in the next few years.
Toe Fossil Provides Complete Neanderthal Genome
New York Times
Scientists have extracted the entire genome of a 130,000-year-old Neanderthal from a single toe bone in a Siberian cave, an accomplishment that far outstrips any previous work on Neanderthal genes.
Evanston resident wins scholarship to study abroad in Ireland
Evanston Review
University of Wisconsin?Madison students are among more than 700 undergraduates from 341 colleges and universities across the United States awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State?s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, for study abroad during the spring 2014 semester.
Wisconsin basketball is unchanged, but its success is unparalleled
USA Today
When high school coaches across this state visit Wisconsin to watch practice every winter, the same sequence occurs: They see the Badgers pair up ? just two players and a ball ? and engage in the most rudimentary activity, monotonously passing and catching a basketball.
UW-Madison alums decry Teach for America’s connections to charter schools
Isthmus
Last year, 45 seniors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison went off to classrooms across the country for two-year tours with Teach for America. Founded in 1990, the program sends recent college graduates into under-served rural and urban school districts to bolster thin teacher corps and help improve the education of students in poverty.
Health Of Wisconsin Residents Ok But Lagging Reports Say
Kenosha News
Two new reports on the health of the people of Wisconsin show the state is doing OK overall but moving backward when it comes to issues like obesity, binge drinking, exercise and the health of vulnerable populations.
Despite targeted raises, UW faculty pay continues to lag
Gannett Wisconsin
Devinder Sandhu, an associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, gets a steady stream of job offers for at least $25,000 more in salary, and some of his peers are paid nearly double what he is.
#UWSecretSanta leaving gifts for UW-Madison students
WISC-TV 3
It is something very simple that is having a positive impact on students during a trying time. During finals week on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, students spend long hours studying in the libraries.
Who Made Those Cop Shows?
New York Times
Noted: In contrast to today?s cop shows, the early programs were very pro-police, without much moral ambiguity, says Michele Hilmes, a University of Wisconsin historian of television and radio.
NCAA asks judge for O’Bannon case decision without trial
USA Today
Noted: Wisconsin chancellor Rebecca Blank?s statement says in part if this were the case: “the athletic opportunities at Wisconsin would shrink substantially.”
Vulnerable User case: Tow truck driver ticketed in crash that killed cyclist, UW computer specialist
The Active Pursuit
A traffic ticket issued to the tow truck driver who made a deadly left turn into the path of a bicyclist on Mineral Point Rd. in Madison carries a $1,311 fine, the largest imposed in the death of a bicyclist in recent years.
Two Reasons Why Millennials Are Uniquely Positioned to Spur Positive Social Change Worldwide
Huffington Post
While some wonder if millennials can even survive in the real world, Steven Olikara, president of the Millennial Action Project (MAP), believes that millennials are actually the best-equipped to overcome the current polarization in Washington, and spur positive social change worldwide.
UW System starts interviews for new president
AP
MADISON ? University of Wisconsin System officials are movingcloser to choosing outgoing president Kevin Reilly?s successor.
Madison Initiative for Undergraduates enters fifth year
The Badger Herald
A tuition surcharge for an undergraduate initiative allows University of Wisconsin to provide services that state and other funding cuts would have otherwise eliminated.
Bangor students meet with Nobel Prize winner
LaCrosse Tribune
The 18 Bangor High School students in Ryan Strunz? English 4 class recently got to experience something few people do as they traveled to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to meet and talk with an author who won the 2006 Nobel Prize for literature.
Lake Effect on Display: Cold Winds Over (Relatively) Warm Waters
New York Times
Noted: There?s more on this imagery, generated with data collected by NASA satellites on Wednesday, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center. Visit the center?s Web site to see animated views of the cloud bands.
Entomologist Names Wisconsin ‘Bug Of The Year’
Wisconsin Public Radio News
No two years are the same, and while insects are always around, some stand out as particularly interesting or surprising. Phil Pellitteri, an entomologist and head of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, said that when he assessed this year, he realized that while he exceeded the previous year in number of specimens submitted to the lab, 2013 ?didn?t seem that buggy.?
Red Smith Banquet to honor Wisconsin coach Nuttycombe
Appleton Post-Crescent
The 2014 Red Smith Award will be presented to longtime University of Wisconsin track and field and cross country coach Ed Nuttycombe.
U.S. Colleges Finding Ideals Tested Abroad
New York Times
Members of the Wellesley College faculty reacted strongly when word spread that Peking University might fire Prof. Xia Yeliang, a critic of the Chinese government. Professor Xia, an economist, had visited Wellesley over the summer after the college signed a partnership agreement with Peking University.
Huge Fines for Violators of One-Child Policy, but Little Accounting
New York Times
Noted: Some of the funds go to supporting the infrastructure that enforces the one-child policy, said Yi Fuxian, a University of Wisconsin scientist. ?Local family planning committees never use the money for children,? he said. ?They use this money as bonuses, or to upgrade office equipment, or even for foreign travel. Not even the central government knows what the money is used for.?
Winter Weather, Holidays Pose Risks To Pets
Wisconsin Public Radio News
Dr. Sandi Sawchuk, a professor of veterinary medicine at the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, shared that all pets aren?t the same when it comes to dealing with the snow and cold.
Charges against UW-Madison researcher dismissed
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Two charges against a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher have been dismissed after a plea of no contest to a third charge of disorderly conduct, according to state court records.
Lovell?s leadership growing UWM?s impact: Executive of the Year-Honorable Mention
The Business Journal of Milwaukee
Michael Lovell hit the ground running after he was named in 2008 as dean of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee?s College of Engineering & Applied Science and has accelerated his pace and influence since he was elevated to chancellor in May 2011.
Derrick Rose, Rob Gronkowski, and the Rise in ACL Tears
Grantland
Noted: And then came Dr. William Clancy. Clancy had been recruited in 1974 to head a sports medicine program at the University of Wisconsin. While attending a lecture on ACL reconstruction by a Swedish physician, he had his Eureka! moment
Silver Football: Wisconsin’s Borland is no nonsense
Chicago Tribune
Before we all sat down to lunch, a Wisconsin official told a story about Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
What Anesthesia Can Teach Us About Consciousness
New York Times
Noted: The subject of the story is particularly excited now about a study published in August by an international team of researchers based at the University of São Paulo and the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Susan Boyle among those who find autism diagnosis a relief
TODAY.com
Quoted: The diagnostic criteria for autism has changed dramatically, even in the last 20 years, explained Megan Farley, a psychologist at the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Until the mid-1990s, there wasn?t an autism “spectrum” ? there was just autistic disorder. “It was this very strict type of diagnostic category,” Farley says. That captured the “classic” cases of autism, but people with more subtle signs of the disorder slipped by unnoticed until 1994, when Asperger?s syndrome was introduced. (Asperger?s syndrome is no longer an “official” diagnosis, and what used to be Asperger?s is now the mildest level of autism spectrum disorder.)
Wisconsin senior wins Rhodes Scholarship
Big Ten Network
Funny how some of the most important moments in life go by in the blink of an eye.That?s how University of Wisconsin-Madison fifth-year senior Drew Birrenkott felt about the process of applying for, and eventually receiving, a Rhodes Scholarship earlier this month.
Anne Vandenburgh
Sioux City, Iowa Journal
Anne was a librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for more than 30 years. She spent 4 years at Steenbock (Agriculture) Library, 7 years at Memorial (Humanities) Library. Then, she worked 2 years at the Medical Library and 18 years at Wendt (Engineering) Library. She loved the intellectual challenge that the engineers gave her.
Busta benefit has record-setting year, generates $55,000
The Chetek Alert
The 11th annual David Busta Basketball Tournament and Silent Auction once again proved successful as the benefit attracted many families, friends and community members to the Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High School Saturday, Nov. 30.
Manure spills in 2013 the highest in seven years statewide
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin farms this year generated the largest volume of manure spills since 2007, including an accident by the University of Wisconsin-Madison?s flagship research farm in Columbia County that produced a mile-long trail of animal waste.