A state lawmaker wants changes in how the UW System uses its powers of eminent domain. The UW Board of Regents would be required to take plans to seize private property before the Legislatureâ??s finance committee, under legislation from State Representative Amy Vruwink (D-Milladore). The JFC would then have to hold a public hearing on the proposal and the UW could advance with an eminent domain action only after three-quarters of the 16 member panel approves the plan.
Author: jplucas
New Wave of Student Activism
Students at California public universities have been staging protests against budget cuts and fee hikes all fall, capturing local and national attention with administration building sit-ins, 24-hour library occupations and large outdoor rallies.
Residents, Lawmakers Oppose Afghan Surge
Quoted: But Jeremi Suri, a UW professor and foreign affairs expert, said there isnâ??t an easy solution to peace in the Middle East.”I donâ??t think thereâ??s really an option to just pick up ship and leave right now. Weâ??ve invested too much in this area,” he said. “If things get worse in Pakistan, we will have no choice but to intervene. If that happens, we will have to send more force in more hazardous conditions in the region. This is a way to try to prevent that from happening.”
Boost credits to grow state biz
The Wisconsin Legislature is pushing an economic growth package with some strong provisions worthy of support. This includes expanded tax credits for investors in early-stage companies and more support for commercializing university research at campuses beyond just UW-Madison.
On Campus roundup: UW-Whitewater student wins elevator pitch contest
A UW-Madison cafeteria is using cooking oil as an energy source.
Doug Moe: Poking fun at students and their excuses to not take exams
Itâ??s the “Dead grandmother problem” — an all-too-common occurrence before a big exam is scheduled. Last spring, students at the School of Human Ecology could walk into their school’s building on Linden Drive and see in the entry an exhibit detailing just how perilous exam time is for the grandmothers of college students.
UW-Madison moves forward with plan to replace Gordon Commons dining hall
It was built in 1965 as an all-you-can-eat cafeteria, serving three meals a day to a line of hungry college students. But UW-Madison officials want to build a new dining hall to better feed todayâ??s army of undergraduates. Plans to tear down Gordon Commons, 717 West Johnson St., and build a new $34 million cafeteria next to it will be presented before a city of Madison committee Wednesday.
Poll shows Wisconsinites divided on health care
A new poll shows that Wisconsin residents are nearly evenly divided over national health care reform. The poll released Tuesday done by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center shows that 46 percent of respondents oppose the changes being developed in Washington, D.C., based on what theyâ??ve heard or read. Forty-four percent support the changes.
Bill would require legislative approval before UW could condemn property
A new bill would require the UW Board of Regents to get approval from the state Legislature before condemning private property for university use. The proposed legislation follows a lawsuit from the owners of Brothers Bar and Grill, who sued the Regents in October in an effort to stop the university from condemning the Madison location of their bar.
Audit: Wis. cable rates rose 21 percent in 2 years
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison telecommunications professor Barry Orton.
Board to consider dispute over UW-Madison dorm
A state board is expected to consider whether to award $1.7 million in damages to a contractor embroiled in a dispute over a University of Wisconsin-Madison residence hall project.
Case concerns student loans, bankruptcy
Four years after Francisco Espinosa took out student loans to attend an Arizona trade school, he had not advanced beyond his job as an airline ramp agent in Phoenix and faced $13,250 in student debt. He declared bankruptcy, and a judge allowed him to pay off part of the loan and wipe out the remaining debt. Tuesday, Supreme Court justices considered Espinosaâ??s case in a closely watched dispute that could affect debtors and creditors nationwide when student loans cannot be repaid.
As teams achieve, college football coaches see payoffs
The remaining few games of the pre-bowl major-college football season will determine champions, bowl assignments and the distribution of millions and millions of dollars to conferences, schools â?? and coaching staffs.
Taking on Bullies (Middletown, Pa. Press and Journal)
Quoted: Gwen McIntosh, a pediatrician with the American Family Childrenâ??s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said the broader reach of bullies via the Internet and social networking sites can also broaden the pain caused by the words. It gives bullies an unlimited audience, she said.
Rising: Zola Jesus (Pitchfork)
Zola Jesus is Nika Roza Danilova, an opera-trained caterwauler from Madison, Wisconsin who makes noise music that scrapes and glistens in equal measure. She loves Ian Curtis and Lydia Lunch, and their uncompromising tendencies can be heard throughout her bruising, beautiful recent album, The Spoils. The ambitious 20-year-old is currently studying French and Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin, but hopes to wrap up her studies “as soon as possible” so she can devote all of her time to creating more haunting atmospherics
Poll shows Wisconsinites divided on health care (AP)
A new poll shows that Wisconsin residents are nearly evenly divided over national health care reform.The poll released today done by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center shows that 46 percent of respondents oppose the changes being developed in Washington, D.C., based on what theyâ??ve heard or read. Forty-four percent support the changes.
Channel 3000, Mini-Marathon Among Top Madison Web Searches
Noted: Google said the top search for Madison is “eCOW2,” which leads to a Web-based course management system for the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering.
MIU proposals ready for review
The second round of proposals for Madison Initiative for Undergraduates funds have been accepted and are now ready for review, the university announced Tuesday. With 114 proposals coming in this round â?? compared to 29 in the first â?? allocating the limited funds will be difficult and competitive, said Aaron Brower, University of Wisconsin vice provost for teaching and learning.
Trial for life: ALS slowly draining Racine lawyerâ??s world
Noted: As she adjusted to the disease, Cynthia connected with the ALS Association, an organization formed to advocate for medical research and to help families and patients deal with the disease. At the end of March a group of people toured the Wasiman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and met with Gov. Jim Doyle to ask for more state funding for research.
Cynthia didnâ??t go; itâ??s too difficult, she wrote to the governor, to see other people in other stages of the disease – the stages where she may go.What she also asked for was more money for research, and the Waisman Center, which investigates human development and neuro-degenerative diseases like ALS, is involved in stem cell investigations where much hope is now focused.
Hawaii balked at Alvarez’s proposal to come to Madison
Athletic department officials tried hard to turn the University of Wisconsin football teamâ??s longest trip of the season into a home game.
Chicago canal to be poisoned to kill invasive carp (The Detroit News)
Quoted: Phil Moy, a researcher with the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute and co-chairman of the Dispersal Barrier Advisory Council, estimated the rotenone application would kill up to 250,000 pounds of fish.
Audit: New Wisconsin law fails to keep cable rates down (AP)
Quoted: “This isnâ??t a surprise because cable rates go up every year no matter what happens in a state Legislature,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison telecommunications professor Barry Orton. He lobbied against the changes and predicted then that they wouldnâ??t live up to the hype. Orton said Tuesday that the audit proves he was correct.
President’s Afghanistan strategy raises debate
Quoted: Jon Pevehouse, a UW-Madison political science professor, says, “The bottom line is, in a counter insurgency warfare, you need to have the average Afghani believing in the government you want them to support.. If that doesnâ??t happen… all the American troops there in the world wonâ??t help.”
Board to consider dispute over UW-Madison dorm
A state board is expected to consider whether to award $1.7 million in damages to a contractor embroiled in a dispute over a University of Wisconsin-Madison residence hall project.
UW researchers work on AIDS vaccine
Tuesday is World AIDS Day. Itâ??s the day we think about the people who have died from the disease, as well as the 33 million people living with HIV and AIDS.
A University of Wisconsin lab, however, could help create a future with a cure.
Campus Connection: â??Why Primate Research at UW is Unethical’
Rick Marolt will be giving a talk titled “Why Primate Research at the UW is Unethical” on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. “Whether or not you agree with me, I hope that you will attend and will encourage your friends and colleagues to attend because this topic is very important,” Marolt wrote in an e-mail promoting his lecture.
Stanley Kutler: Obama risks losing his judicial prize
Written by Stanley Kutler, a UW-Madison professor emeritus
UW Hospital heart care ranked in top 100 in U.S.
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is one of the top 100 hospitals in the country when it comes to cardiovascular care, according to Thomson Reuters Healthcare. The 2009 list of the best heart care hospitals came out last week. This is the sixth time UW Hospital has been included in the 11-year history of the list.
Doug Moe: Is being a part of history worth freezing for?
In the first-ever hockey games at Camp Randall on Feb. 6, the UW menâ??s team will play Michigan in a game preceded by the Badger women against Bemidji State. The dilemma: Be a part of history, or stay warm.
Campus Connection: Survey says …
The University of Wisconsin Survey Center will post Badger Poll results in each of the next three days on a range of interesting topics. The polls will be released at 10 a.m.
Upgraded Planned Parenthood opens in revamped Villager Mall
Planned Parenthoodâ??s newest health center is set to open today in a brand new building owned by the Urban League of Greater Madison in the revamped Villager Mall. But at least one Planned Parenthood client is unhappy that the new facility will be supplanting the downtown location. “I feel like there should be a Planned Parenthood on every college campus, especially one thatâ??s rated one of the top 10 for party schools,” says Flannery Pendergast, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student who learned of the move in a letter from Planned Parenthood. She says the move will also affect high school students, other college students and homeless individuals.
UI lags in RAsâ?? IDs (The Daily Iowan)
Noted: While on duty, all RAs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to wear a picture ID badge, which says their name, department affiliation, and the name of the school, said Kay Reuter-Krohn, the associate director of housing.â??Itâ??s really done from the standpoint of trying to create a safe environment,â? she said. â??Students shouldnâ??t have to ask.â?
Abdominal CT scans overused
Noted: The University of Wisconsin-Madison team led by Dr. Kristie Guite studied 978 CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis done on 500 patients that were sent to the university to be interpreted. They used American College of Radiology guidelines to determine whether they were appropriate.
UW Visitor & Information Programs collect food for Second Harvest
The University of Wisconsin-Madisonâ??s Visitor and Information Programs (VIP) wants to help Dane Countyâ??s hungry. This week, VIP is holding a food drive to benefit Second Harvest.
UW-Madison sees decline in international students
Although more international students are enrolling at American universities, the UW-Madison has actually seen its numbers drop this year.The Institute of International Education reports foreign student enrollment nationwide has gone up eight percent, for an all time high of about 672,000 students. (Eighth item.)
Researcher explores new ideas to manage prison population
A young researcher at the University of Wisconsin Law School is launching an ambitious project to find more effective ways of managing criminals who arenâ??t dangerous enough to send to prison. A recent study of Wisconsinâ??s Prison system found that the driving force in Wisconsinâ??s growing prison population is people on probation or parole who violate the terms of their parole or commit new crimes and end up in prison. (Fifth item.)
Obamaâ??s Afghan balancing act
Quoted: President Barack Obama is scheduled to lay out his Afghan strategy in a speech at West Point tonight, and an expert at the UW says heâ??s got his work cut out for him. Political scientist, professor Jon Pevehouse, thinks the Obama administration ought to be setting a low bar as far as whatâ??s realistically achievable in Afghanistan.
Obituary: Robert W. (Bob) Simmons, Jr.
Robert W. (Bob) Simmons, Jr., passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 22, 2009, at the age of 76. He was a member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, from 1962 until 1970, in the Linguistics Department, teaching Slavic languages and literature.
Obituary: Donald J. Voegeli
Donald J. Voegeli, age 89, well known Madison musician, Professor Emeritus of the UW Extension, died on Saturday, November 21, 2009, due to complications after a fall. Professor Voegeli had a joint appointment with the Department of Communication Arts and School of Music, where he taught part-time.
Report: 5.3 percent of stateâ??s labor force lost jobs during this recession
Wisconsin has lost a bigger percentage of its work force during the current recession than it did during other recent recessions, in 2001, 1990 and 1981, according to a report from the UW-Madisonâ??s Center on Wisconsin Strategy.
Floundering economy alters shopping habits
Quoted: Jerry Oâ??Brien, director of the Center for Retailing Excellence at UW-Madison.
City studying ways to save mural
The City of Madison is exploring if, and how, it can preserve a 75-foot-mural at the Madison Central Library by noted artist Aaron Bohrod when the library is demolished and replaced with a new $37 million facility.The mural, which features a series of fantasy-like animals in soft earth tones, is valued for its place in the library and for being a creation of Bohrod, a UW-Madison artist in residence and nationally-known figure who was prolific as a painter, sculptor, print maker, ceramicist and illustrator.
Ask the Weather Guys: ‘Steam devils’ one of nature’s most awesome spectacles
Steven A. Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic science, write about “steam devils.”
After Supreme Court clerkship, UW grad returns to teach at law school
The ultimate feat for an ambitious law student is a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship, an opportunity bestowed on only the top graduates – often from Ivy League law schools. So when Cecelia Klingele was chosen for the elite job, she was the first UW-Madison Law School graduate in more than 60 years to make it to the high court’s inner chambers.
Wisconsin Public Radioâ??s morning host ready to hang up his mic
Thousands of people all over the state wake up every morning with Jim Fleming. But after Thursday, Dec. 3, Wisconsinites will have a new morning companion. Fleming, after nearly 41 consecutive years at Wisconsin Public Radio, is retiring.
Know Your Madisonian: Tom Mosgaller, an expert in quality
Tom Mosgaller, 63, Â says there’s been a common thread that has run through his different careers: helping people and organizations improve how they do the things they do. He has worked as a community organizer, corporate vice president, quality improvement director for the city of Madison and now as director of change management for the Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS) at UW-Madison.
Executive Q&A: Todd Streicher, from 5Nines Data
Todd Streicher and his partners started 5Nines in 2003 as an outgrowth of Matador Consulting, founded two years earlier to provide advice on Internet marketing and computer applications for business use. 5Nines offers a data center, is an Internet service provider and handles computer support. Streicher has a bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison in psychology.
Is Wisconsin’s race for governor already down to two main candidates?
Quoted: UW-Madison political science professor Ken Goldstein, who’s done polling on the governor’s race.
Curiosities: Why are so many experiments done on mice?
Quoted: Eric Sandgren, a cancer researcher at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.
Lodi’s Internation Education Week broadens students’ horizons
When Max Love attended the annual International Education Week at Lodi High School as a student there, it fueled his interest in global learning and led to his desire to serve in the Peace Corps in Eastern Europe. A 2009 Lodi High School graduate, he returned to the event this year as a guest speaker on multicultural and international education. Now a UW-Madison student in Middle Eastern studies, he received a scholarship to study Arabic and wanted to let students know about the opportunities that exist.
Scrapbook: honors, awards
Debbie Crave, vice president at Waterloo’s Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, recently received an Honorary Recognition award from UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Crave, a UW-Madison forestry and horticulture graduate, has spent her career promoting state agriculture products
Simone Dinnerstein stakes a personal claim on the classics
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein has been playing, recording and living with J.S. Bach’s music for years. When Dinnerstein comes to the Wisconsin Union Theater on Friday, Dec. 4, she’ll play a program including Aaron Copland’s Piano Variations, four impromptus by Franz Schubert, Phillip Lasser’s Twelve Variations on a Chorale by J.S. Bach and Bach’s own French Suite.
Judge delays trial for former UW-Whitewater dean
A judge has delayed a civil trial for a former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater dean who claims he was audited and demoted because of his race.
Layoffs in state government coming
Since the summer, 211 state workers have been given notice that they are at risk of being laid off — a number that will rise in the coming months, state officials said. The cuts are not nearly as excruciating as many of the layoffs seen at private employers around Wisconsin. After accounting for positions added under the two-year budget that began July 1, state agencies excluding the University of Wisconsin System saw their work force shrink — but only by a slight 105 jobs, from 30,368 in July to 30,263 at the end of October. Numbers for the UW System could not be obtained because of the Thanksgiving holiday and furlough day.
Fired UW dorm contractor seeks $1.7M in damages
A well-known University of Wisconsin-Madison residence hall is long gone, but a multimillion dollar dispute over its demolition, which culminated when a falling concrete block crushed a car, lives on. Dore & Associates of Bay City, Mich. is asking the state for $1.7 million in damages for losses stemming from its work tearing down Ogg Hall, a campus fixture that had housed generations of students. The state caused expensive delays in its work and then unfairly fired Dore from the job, the company claims.
Analysis: For-profit colleges haul in federal aid
An Associated Press analysis shows surging proportions of both low-income students and the recently boosted government money that follows them are ending up at for-profit schools, from local career colleges to giant publicly traded chains such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan and Devry.
Only U.S. can inject momentum into climate talks
Quoted: â??The subset of Americans that cares about this issue has been watching the President and hoping he would make an appearance at Copenhagen,â? noted Sharon Dunwoody, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who specializes in environmental communication. â??What Iâ??ve been hearing is: â??Weâ??re the odd country out. Everybodyâ??s doing something, while here in the U.S. weâ??re doing nothing.â??â?
Ray LaHood: Distracted driving can be deadly
Noted: John D. Lee, director of the Center for Human Performance and Risk Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says texting is an especially serious problem, presenting a “perfect storm” of driver distraction: Drivers take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel and their mind off the critical task of controlling a car.
Hot and healthy â?? Café O offers Jewish penicillin for flu sufferers (The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle)
To help combat the painful symptoms of the H1N1 virus, Sharon Siegel Langer, owner of the brand new â??Cafe O,â? has begun delivering chicken soup with matzah balls by the quart (prepared from scratch in Hillelâ??s kosher meat kitchen) to campus area residents.
Lawmaker: Abuse should prompt oversight (The Daily Reporter)
The UW Systemâ??s use of eminent domain to acquire a downtown Madison building is prompting a legislative call for more oversight of the process. But the bill that would create that oversight focuses only on the UW System and its use of eminent domain, or condemnation.