Not many. But that doesnâ??t mean itâ??s safe to be in the water. The low numbers are likely due to awareness campaigns and good safety programs.
Ask the Weather Guys: How many swimmers are killed by lightning?
Wisconsin State Journal
Author: jplucas
On Campus: UW Regents approve most expensive project in UW-Madison history
Wisconsin State Journal
The UW Board of Regents approved the most expensive single building project in UW-Madison history Friday: the $245 million rebuild of the Charter Street power plant. The university needs to bring the plant into compliance with the Clean Air Act under a 2007 court agreement. The project will replace coal-fired boilers with new natural gas boilers and a boiler that runs on fuel derived from wood and agricultural waste, or biomass.
Nebraska becomes the Big Ten’s newest member
Madison.com
UW-Madison chancellor Biddy Martin used the words “positive” and “enthusiastic” to describe a Friday afternoon conference call involving the 11 members of the Big Ten Conferenceâ??s Council of Presidents/Chancellors. The group was elated to welcome Nebraska as the leagueâ??s 12th member and showed it by voting unanimously to accept the Cornhuskersâ?? application for admittance into the Big Ten. “I think this is a great thing for the Big Ten,” Martin said. “I think it stabilizes things and enhances the league. I hope that our fans will feel great about it.”
Local animal rights activists are making strides with new tactics
Wisconsin State Journal
After many years of laboring against animal research, the animal rights movement has gained momentum in Madison in recent months. Research opponents won a favorable court ruling earlier this month, packed a room for a public debate in March, and got the Dane County Board to take up the issue. But despite increased public attention, animal rights activists say there has been little change when it comes to the use of monkeys and other animals in scientific studies. “What weâ??re up against is still huge,” said Rick Marolt, a research opponent and member of the Madison-based Alliance for Animals. “Real change is still difficult and could be quite a ways off. But there is something rare going on.” Their efforts have also been buoyed by some high profile cases at UW-Madison.
Executive Q&A: Nancy Peckham, offering insights on telecommunications
Wisconsin State Journal
Ever wonder if your business is spending more than necessary on the basic expenses of telephone, data and Internet services? Thatâ??s where Valicom Corp., Fitchburg, comes in.Founded nearly 20 years ago by Nancy Peckham, Valicom analyzes clientsâ?? telecom costs and recommends ways to make them more efficient and less expensive. A Brookfield native, Peckham earned a bachelorâ??s degree in psychology from UW-Madison and began working in the telecommunications industry just as it was shaking up, with deregulation spurring a flurry of competition followed by a trail of mergers and acquisitions.
A Madison-area company has become a leader in aquaponics
Wisconsin State Journal
Rebecca Nelson and John Pade are developing, educating and selling of products for aquaponics that their company â?? Nelson and Pade Inc. â?? seeks to make a difference in the way people grow or acquire food. Aquaponics is the combination of two practices: aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Nelson and Pade are putting into practice the research of James Rakocy, director of the University of the Virgin Islands Agricultural Experiment Station. Rakocy, a Milwaukee native and a 1967 UW-Madison graduate, has been developing aquaponics for 30 years.
Curiosities: Why can birds eat hot peppers?
Wisconsin State Journal
Birds may be able to eat peppers because they have so few taste buds: Chickens have just 24 taste buds, and pigeons have 37, says Anna Pidgeon, an assistant professor of forest and wildlife ecology at UW-Madison.
Lucas: Dueling Big Reds have a history
Madison.com
The University of Wisconsin football program went 73 years between victories against Nebraska.Will the Badgers have to wait that long again to reprise one of their most memorable wins in Camp Randall Stadium history? And who will ultimately gain the bragging rights to being the Big Red in the Big Ten Conference? The Nebraska Big Red? Or, the Wisconsin Big Red?These questions can be raised Friday in light of the prospects of the Cornhuskers soon becoming the 12th member of the Big Ten. That, in turn, could lead to the imminent continuation of the series between UW and Nebraska.
UW athletics: Smith named director of compliance
Madison.com
Katie Smith has been promoted to director of compliance at the University of Wisconsin, where she will be charged with keeping the athletic department in line with NCAA rules and regulations.
Colleges: Ranking the state’s best Division I programs, by APR standards
Madison.com
The University of Wisconsin volleyball team scored a perfect 1,000 on the Academic Progress Rate for the 2008-09 academic year, one of three Division I programs in the state to achieve that lofty standard. A rating of 925 equates to a 50 percent graduation rate, which is calculated over a six-year period leading up to a given academic year, while a rating of 900 translates to a 40 percent graduation rate. Other UW programs with outstanding scores include womenâ??s golf at 993 and womenâ??s rowing at 991, which rank fifth and sixth on the list, respectively. Of the marquee sports at Wisconsin, womenâ??s basketball carried a 986, followed by womenâ??s hockey (983), football (968), menâ??s hockey (967) and menâ??s basketball (966).
Nebraska ‘optimistic’ Big Ten will accept request to join league
Madison.com
University of Nebraska officials said Friday that they will apply for membership in the Big Ten Conference and expect to be accepted.Chancellor Harvey Perlman disclosed the plan during a meeting of the universityâ??s Board of Regents, proposing that play in the new conference begin in 2011 after one more year in the Big 12. He said he believed Nebraska is more “aligned” with the Big Ten when it comes to academics, culture and athletics.He also said the move offered stability “that the Big 12 simply cannot offer.”
Wis. governor’s aide to become top UW official
Madison.com
A top aide to Gov. Jim Doyle accepted a position Friday as chief operating officer for the University of Wisconsin System, where his pay will increase by $108,000. Michael Morgan, Department of Administration secretary since December 2006, will earn $245,000 as senior vice president for administration and fiscal affairs for the system of 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges. His salary as administration secretary, where he oversaw the state budget and advised the governor on policy, was $136,944.
Barrett tells Democrats he’s got substance
Madison.com
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who hopes to make Wisconsin history by keeping the governorâ??s office in Democratic control for more than two terms, told party faithful Saturday that he has more substance than his Republican opponents. Barrett said he would also defend embryonic stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin, while the Republicans would try to shut it down.
NCAA track and field: Two Badgers earn All-America status
Madison.com
Jack Bolas and Craig Miller earned All-America status by finishing fourth and seventh, respectively, in the 1,500-meter race at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships Saturday.
Baggot: Blackhawks’ title sparks memories for Suter, Dean
Madison.com
All three Madison products to skate for a Stanley Cup champion â?? a group that includes Gary Suter, Kevin Dean and now Adam Burish â?? played for Chicago during their NHL careers.
Lucas: Alvarez’s alma mater enhances Big Ten brand
Madison.com
University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez had not given much thought to his alma mater, Nebraska, being an expansion candidate for the Big Ten prior to commissioner Jim Delany bringing up the topic during an informal discussion in January. “Itâ??s funny because it really hadnâ??t crossed my mind until Jim and I talked about it after the Rose Bowl,” said Alvarez, who was in Pasadena, Calif., to be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. “He asked me a lot of questions about Nebraska and whether I thought the school would be a fit.
Badgers eye Huskers as end-of-year rival
ESPN.com
Who will become Nebraskaâ??s top rival in the new Big Ten? Wisconsin is poised to make the first move.
Big Ten expansion: Nebraska being a member of Association of American Universities was vital
Chicago Tribune
The passionate fan base, storied football program and geographic proximity to the rest of the conference â?? all these factors helped make Nebraska an attractive candidate for the Big Tenâ??s expansion plans.
Big Ten Q&A: Nebraska chancellor Perlman (Chicago Tribune)
Despite what must be a whirlwind couple of days for both of them, as they announced Nebraska will join the Big Ten, chancellor Harvey Perlman and athletic director Tom Osborne took some time out of their busy weekend to speak with the Tribune about their decision to move Nebraska to the Big Ten.
Big 12 Conference: Missouri tries to keep Big 12 together
Chicago Tribune
Missouri curators will meet behind closed doors Sunday night for the fourth time in as many days as the school turns its attention to saving the Big 12 Conference after its apparent bid to join the Big Ten failed.
Nebraska, Big Ten good for each other
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
No matter how big the Big Ten eventually becomes – the guess here is somewhere between 16 and 20 teams by the time it and the Pac-10 are done picking the Big 12â??s bones clean – it will always be called the Big Ten.
Big Ten adds Nebraska as 12th team
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany was beaming like a proud father after seeing Nebraska added as the leagueâ??s 12th school.
UW program aims to fill need for doctors
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
To Katie Davis Fritz, the boys and girls in a 4-H Club in Milwaukeeâ??s central city are helping her become a doctor.
Joan Hinton, Physicist Who Chose China Over Atom Bomb, Is Dead at 88
New York Times
Noted: Ms. Hinton was recruited for the Manhattan Project in February 1944 while still a graduate student in physics at the University of Wisconsin. At the secret laboratory at Los Alamos, N.M., where she worked with Enrico Fermi, she was assigned to a team that built two reactors for testing enriched uranium and plutonium.
Criticism Flowing Like Oil, but Obamaâ??s Rating Is Steady
New York Times
Quoted: â??I see current approval about in line with the fluctuations weâ??ve seen all year for each pollster,â? said Mr. Franklin, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin. â??Little evidence of real change.â?
Doyle aide to become top UW System official (AP)
A top aide to Gov. Jim Doyle accepted a position Friday as chief operating officer for the University of Wisconsin System, where his pay will increase by $108,000.
Just How Risky Are Nuclear Industry, NASA Missions?
Wall Street Journal
Quoted: Doug Wiegmann, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has studied human error in cockpits, operating rooms and other contexts. â??The general human-factors issues are the same whether youâ??re in a cockpit or anywhere elseâ?: communications, technology design and a checklist chief among them.
The Animal-Cruelty Syndrome
New York Times
Noted: It turns out that just as recent brain-imaging studies have begun to reveal the physical evidence of empathyâ??s erosion, they are now also beginning to show definitive signs of its cultivation as well. A group of researchers led by Richard Davidson, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, published a study in a March 2008 edition of the Public Library of Science One, showing that the mere act of thinking compassionate thoughts caused significant activity and physical changes in the brainâ??s empathic pathways. â??People are not just stuck at their respective set points,â? Davidson has said of the studyâ??s results. â??We can take advantage of our brainâ??s plasticity and train it to enhance these qualities. . . . I think this can be one of the tools we use to teach emotional regulation to kids who are at an age where theyâ??re vulnerable to going seriously off track.â?
In Midlife, Boomers Are Happy â?? and Suicidal
New York Times
Noted: Perhaps a youth-obsessed culture has difficulty believing such tidings. Yet a study by Midlife in the United States, a research project run out of the Institute on Aging at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, concluded a decade ago that â??for most of us, at least some portion of the middle years may be the â??prime of life.â?? â?
The Dictionary of American Regional English to Be Finishedâ??Maybe Next Year
Wall Street Journal
Itâ??s axiomatic that even on the East Coast long sandwiches go by a host of names: hero (especially New York City), grinder (chiefly in New England), hoagie (mainly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey) and submarine (everywhere). Only if youâ??re an aficionado of the Dictionary of American Regional English are you likely to know that when kids still play hopscotch, they may call it “potsy” in Manhattanâ??but itâ??s “sky blue” in Chicago.
Common Blood Pressure Pills Linked To Cancer
Forbes
James Stein of the University of Wisconsin-Madison said that the result was only barely statistically significant, and could be due to the fact that patients on ARBs lived longer and were more likely to get diagnosed with cancer. Moreover, there is no known biological reason these drugs would increase cancer risk.
Builders Reach Milestone In Construction Of New Union South
WISC-TV 3
Builders reached a new milestone in the construction of the new Union South building on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Friday.
It’s official, Nebraska joins the Big Ten
WKOW-TV 27
Nebraskaâ??s membership in the Big Ten Conference is official.
UW System will pay close attention to the governorâ??s race
Wisconsin Public Radio
The University of Wisconsin System is likely to take a keen interest in the fall elections, after another round of tuition hikes.In Milwaukee Thursday the UW Board of Regents voted to raise tuition more than 5-percent this fall, for most in-state students at four-year campuses. The university says the additional revenue is needed to partly offset decreases in state aid.
Big Ten expansion: Conference realignments could force Notre Dames hand quickly
Chicago Tribune
One question has been answered. Now there are countless others:Will the Big Ten stop at 12? Will Notre Dame finally cave and join Rutgers to form a 14-team conference? How long will Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany wait before closing the curtain on this expansion? Is it a certainty that a conference title game will be created?
New alliances, league affiliation ready to reshape college sports
USA Today
The first ripple in a money-driven, potentially seismic shift in college sports came Thursday when the Pacific-10 Conference announced the University of Colorado will become its 11th member, beginning with the 2012-13 school year. The Big Ten Conference, which has had 11 members since Penn State joined in 1990, could be next with a major move. Regents at the University of Nebraskaâ?? which like Colorado has been a member of the Big 12 â?? could announce as early as Friday that the school is joining the 114-year-old league.
Tuesdays with Gilda
Wisconsin State Journal
Dr. Lucille Marchand, an integrative medicine specialist at UW Health, gave a breast cancer patient nutrition advice tailored to her specific condition.
Program helps â??students in the middleâ?? graduate, go to college
Wisconsin State Journal
This fall, Jeanet Ugalde will attend UW-Madison on a full scholarship to study nursing. But first, sheâ??ll be among the initial group of students receiving a diploma as part of a Madison School District program designed to give first-generation college-bound students the training to succeed in high school and post-secondary education. â??When I got the (UW acceptance) letter … I cried and I couldnâ??t believe it. I still canâ??t believe it. When I get the (tuition) bill around July and it says â??zero,â?? I will be so amazed,â? Ugalde, the first person in her family to graduate from high school, said of being accepted to college.
UW regents approve 5.5 percent tuition increase
Madison.com
Tuition will go up by 5.5 percent on University of Wisconsin campuses this fall under a budget approved Thursday that protects key academic programs and services. During a meeting at UW-Milwaukee, the 18-member Board of Regents voted unanimously for the increase as part of a $5.6 billion operating budget for the system of 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges. Regents said they had no choice but to approve the increase, given what they called a shortage of resources to pay for higher education.
On Campus: UW Regents approve 5.5 percent tuition increase
Wisconsin State Journal
The UW Board of Regents approved a 5.5 percent tuition increase for the 13 four-year universities in the University of Wisconsin System and a tuition freeze for the two-year colleges. The approval was part of $5.59 billion University of Wisconsin System operating budget. The tuition increase means in-state students at UW-Madison will pay $638 more next year, or $7,933 in tuition.
NCAA men’s track: UW’s Bolas, Miller secure berths in 1,500 finals
Madison.com
The two University of Wisconsin seniors qualified on Thursday for Saturday’s final in the 1,500 meters at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in Eugene, Ore.
Richter: Addition of Nebraska raises the bar; Irish could be next
Madison.com
Pat Richter believes Nebraska — particularly its football program — will be a nice fit in the Big Ten Conference. The former University of Wisconsin athletic director also doesnâ??t think the Cornhuskers will be the final piece of the leagueâ??s expansion puzzle.
Regents to discuss report on lagging UW salaries
Madison.com
University of Wisconsin System regents are expected to discuss a report Friday that recommends salary increases and changes to the universityâ??s compensation system. A commission of business and higher education leaders appointed by System President Kevin Reilly found that average salaries for most academic employees in Wisconsin lag far behind what comparable schools pay.
Lucas: Dueling Big Reds have a history
Madison.com
The University of Wisconsin football program went 73 years between victories against Nebraska. Will the Badgers have to wait that long again to reprise one of their most memorable wins in Camp Randall Stadium history? And who will ultimately gain the bragging rights to being the Big Red in the Big Ten Conference? The Nebraska Big Red? Or, the Wisconsin Big Red? These questions can be raised Friday in light of the prospects of the Cornhuskers soon becoming the 12th member of the Big Ten.
Millionaires make a comeback
Los Angeles Times
Quoted: “Itâ??s been a recession where everyone took a hit â?? with the bottom taking a bigger hit,” said Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin professor who studies economic inequality. But “the wealthy alone have bounced back.”
Clash of the Titans
Inside Higher Education
Before he leaves to head the nationâ??s premier sports governing body, Mark Emmert may have a showdown with the worldâ??s leading athletics apparel provider. Emmert, who now serves president of the University of Washington and will soon become chief of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, has been urged not to renew the universityâ??s licensing agreement with Nike. In a Tuesday letter to the president, the universityâ??s Advisory Committee on Trademarks and Licensing relayed its unanimous decision that the agreement be severed, barring a satisfactory resolution to an ongoing labor dispute between Nike and Honduran workers.
Regents approve 5.5 percent tuition hike
Associated Press
Tuition will go up by 5.5 percent on University of Wisconsin campuses this fall under a budget approved Thursday that protects key academic programs and services.
Taking Diversity to the Next Level (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
Quoted: Dr. Damon Williams, vice provost and associate vice chancellor for diversity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, sees movement and hopes to see more. Williams has done considerable research making a case for expanding the role and reach of diversity officers. Both men have spoken to audiences around the country about the merits of the idea.
Madison committee wants speedier action on lower State Street makeover
Isthmus
A downtown design committee showed interest Thursday night in getting a planned redeveloping of the 700 block of State Street done a year earlier than originally planned.
Democrats Confident Heading Into State Convention (WUWM-FM, Milwaukee)
WUWM
Quoted: Democrats are supporting Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for governor, their only candidate in the race. In a surprise move earlier this week, he proposed making $1 billion in cuts to state government, if elected. UW-Madison Political Science Professor Charles Franklin says Barrett might be trying to appeal to moderate voters.
While Nebraska appears Big Ten bound, what happens next is unclear
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Less than 24 hours before Nebraska officials were expected to announce the school would leave the Big 12 Conference and apply to join the Big Ten, expansion speculation reached dizzying heights.
An ugly primary for Wisconsin Republicans
Wisconsin Radio Network
A UW-Madison expert sees some problems, and possible advantages, in the GOP race for Governor. The race has grown gotten increasingly nasty between former Congressman Mark Neumann and Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. Political science professor Charles Franklin says that upsets what had seemed to be a clear cut path to the nomination for Walker, after he received the endorsement from the Republican Party at its state convention.
UW Regents OK tuition hike
Wisconsin Radio Network
UW Regents have cleared a tuition hike for state universities. Prior to the vote regents heard the presentation breaking down the proposed $5.6 billion dollar annual operating budget. Regent and current student Aaron Wingad talked of how the UW system has to make up for shortfalls from state government. Although far from perfect, Wingad said the budget does â??a reasonable job of spreading the burdenâ?¦among students, faculty and programs alike.â?
Regents to discuss report on lagging UW salaries
Associated Press
University of Wisconsin System regents are expected to discuss a report Friday that recommends salary increases and changes to the universityâ??s compensation system
Richter: Addition of Nebraska raises the bar; Irish could be next
Madison.com
Pat Richter believes Nebraska — particularly its football program — will be a nice fit in the Big Ten Conference. The former University of Wisconsin athletic director also doesnâ??t think the Cornhuskers will be the final piece of the leagueâ??s expansion puzzle.
Dr. Ryan Wubben, Dr. Michael Abernethy: More to story of Med Flight crash
Wisconsin State Journal
To add key information to the May 31 article about the 2008 Med Flight crash, when Med Flight left La Crosse â?? according to the same National Transportation Safety Board report the story references â?? visibility was greater than three miles and there was no report of fog at the airport.The fog alluded to in the report occurred much later in the evening, write Dr. Ryan Wubben, medical director, and Dr. Michael Abernethy, chief flight physician, UW Hospital Med Flight
On Campus: Proposal on monkey research not productive, chancellor says
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin called a Dane County Board proposal on monkey research “not a productive one” in a letter to board supervisors. “The proposal that a panel be constituted to continue a discussion on a topic that has been exhaustively debated – and where reasonable people will continue to disagree – is not a productive one,” she wrote in a letter this week.
Blog: UW revoked 22 season ticket accounts in 2009-10
Madison.com
The University of Wisconsin Athletic Department revoked the season ticket privileges of 22 patrons in 2009-10, the most since it instituted a behavorial policy at Camp Randall Stadium and the Kohl Center in 2006-07. All the revovations involved UW students, including 18 for football games, three for menâ??s hockey and one for menâ??s basketball.
Reports: Nebraska to join Big Ten
Madison.com
Several media outlets are reporting that the Cornhuskers will accept an invitation to become the conference’s 12th member as early as Friday, as the Big 12 faces an uncertain future.
UW regents to consider 5.5 percent tuition hike
Madison.com
University of Wisconsin System regents will meet at UW-Milwaukee on Thursday to consider raising tuition by 5.5 percent at most state universities. The Board of Regents will consider the increase as part of a proposed $5.6 billion operating budget for the system of 13 four-year universities and 13 two-year colleges.