Anyone who has been in Lake Superior knows the water is cold year round.It may not be quite as cold in the future. Recent studies from U.M.D. and U.W. Madison indicate surface temperatures have been going up around two degrees per decade since the 1980â??s.
Author: jplucas
Campus Connection: Anyone thankful for furlough?
Capital Times
After closing on Thursday for Thanksgiving, the University of Wisconsin-Madison also will be shut down Friday as a state-mandated furlough day for most of the schoolâ??s employees. This unpaid day off is one of eight required of state workers in each of the next two years of the 2009-11 budget cycle. Each year, four of those off days for UW-Madison employees are designated as campus-wide furlough days. Workers have much more leeway in deciding when to take the other four days off.
Obeyâ??s war tax not likely to advance
Wisconsin Radio Network
Quoted: How serious is a Wisconsin congressman about a â??war taxâ? to cover the costs of the Obama administrationâ??s stepped up war in Afghanistan? UW Madison political scientist Charles Franklin doubts whether Wausau Democrat, U.S. Representative Dave Obey, will see his proposal come to a vote in the House.
Fired UW dorm contractor seeks $1.7 million in damages (AP)
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.
Fact of life: You canâ??t escape TV sex
Janesville Gazette
Quoted: Marie-Louise Mares, professor of communication arts at UW-Madison, noted that the Rand Corp. data show most kids who see sex on TV donâ??t go out and have sex, but there does seem to be an effect for a minority.
Obama faces a tough sell on Afghanistan surge
Wisconsin Radio Network
Quoted: Shortly after taking office he bumped troop levels by 20-thousand, an action UW-Madison political scientist Charles Franklin says had strong public backing, noting 60-percent support last spring for Obamaâ??s handling of the war.
Score one for sweatshop foes at UW-Madison
Capital Times
For more than a decade thereâ??s been a small but vocal group of students on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus willing to give it the old college try when it comes to tackling anti-sweatshop issues.
Editorial: End ties with Nike
Daily Cardinal
Recently, the UW Labor Licensing Policy Committee voted 7-2 to suggest Chancellor Biddy Martin take written action against Nike for their violation of UW labor codes.
Trying to Explain a Drop in Infant Mortality
New York Times
Quoted: â??This kind of dramatic elimination of the black-white gap in a short period has never been seen,â? Dr. Philip M. Farrell, professor of pediatrics and former dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said of the progress in Dane County.
UW-Hillel dedicates its new space (The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle)
The new state-of-the-art Hillel building at the University of Wisconsin, Madison was officially dedicated with a series of special events during UW Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 16-18.
Obama faces a tough sell on Afghanistan surge
Wisconsin Radio Network
More troops are headed to Afghanistan as the President battles waning public opinion. President Obama ran on a campaign calling Afghanistan the â??right warâ? to fight. Shortly after taking office he bumped troop levels by 20-thousand, an action UW-Madison political scientist Charles Franklin says had strong public backing, noting 60-percent support last spring for Obamaâ??s handling of the war.
Coasties and controversy: Madison slur raises questions (Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle)
There was an extraordinary number of Ugg boots pounding the pavement of Madisonâ??s State Street this Halloween. The sheepskin boots were part of what seemed like the costume of choice at this yearâ??s Freakfest â?? the Coastie.
How Effective Are Hand Sanitizers?
WISC-TV 3
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison pharmacist Warren Rose admitted that it can sometimes be an overkill, and he said heâ??s surprised at the how popular theyâ??ve gotten in the last year.
UW win over Illini in ’03 added to Greatest Games list
Madison.com
The University of Wisconsin menâ??s basketball teamâ??s 60-59 victory over Illinois on March 5, 2003 that gave the Badgers their first outright Big Ten Conference title since 1947 is one of 16 new games to be aired on the “The Big Tenâ??s Greatest Games,â??â?? which is broadcast every Monday on The Big Ten Network.
Holiday Cheer: Tudor holiday dinners
From the wassail to the flaming figgy pudding, Tudor Dinners at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union present an evening thatâ??s positively feudal.
Man exonerated in Wisconsin murder denied parole
The man exonerated in the 1980 rape and murder of a University of Wisconsin-Madison student will remain behind bars in New Mexico. WKOW-TV reports the parole board in New Mexico has denied the release of Ralph Armstrong.
Officials aim to eliminate illegal sex at Olin-Turville Park
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: UW-Madison psychology professor Janet Shibley Hyde, who studies human sexuality.
On Campus: H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines available for UW students
Wisconsin State Journal
The H1N1 vaccination is now available to all UW-Madison students under the age of 24 at University Health Services.
On Campus: UW-Madison will be closed Friday
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison will be essentially closed for business on Friday. It’s a mandated furlough day, or unpaid day off, for most of the university employees.
UW’s John Clay is named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
Madison.com
At one point this season, University of Wisconsin sophomore running back John Clay talked to his offensive linemen and told them he would go as far as they would take him. They took him all the way to the consensus Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year, as selected by both the media and coaches, in voting announced Monday night.
State reports 3 percent drop in contracts
The state spent 3 percent less on contractual services in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, according to a report submitted to the state Legislature’s budget committee by the Department of Administration. Contracting by the University of Wisconsin System was down 3 percent.
Scientists zero in on reason for mammoths’ demise — latimes.com
Los Angeles Times
The research focused on the amounts of the fungus Sporormiella present in the sediments, according to Jacquelyn Gill, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a co-author of the paper appearing in todayâ??s issue of the journal Science.
Sean Carroll: Darwinian Details on Origins of Snakes and Snails
New York Times
Charles Darwin seems to have had a boundless interest in the many forms life takes on earth. He could find something about any animal or plant that piqued his insatiable curiosity, and masses of such observations fueled his prodigious output of books and scientific papers.
Don Voegeli, Composer Of The ‘All Things Considered’ Theme, Has Died – The Two-Way
National Public Radio
Thereâ??s sad news to pass along. Don Voegeli, composer of the themes that All Things Considered listeners have heard since the show debuted in 1971, has died. He was 89, according to an obituary posted online at Madison.com.
UW-Madison students eligible to receive H1N1 vaccine
Daily Cardinal
Young adults and school-age children are now eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced Monday. The increase allows people from six months to 24 years of age to get vaccinated.
UHS receives 2,000 swine flu vaccines for students; flu cases decrease
Badger Herald
Just as University Health Services saw a drop in the number of people reporting swine flu-like symptoms for the second straight week, it announced Monday the H1N1 vaccine is now available to all students. UHS Director Sarah Van Orman said 2,000 doses of the vaccine are currently available and she expects more to arrive in the coming weeks.
Commentary: Putting learning first in Wisconsin
Racine Journal Times
The passage of recent school reform legislation in Wisconsin (SB370-SB373) has positioned the state to compete for Race to the Top funds and, more importantly, to address the pernicious achievement gaps in Wisconsin.
Noted: Carolyn Kelley is a professor of educational leadership and policy analysis in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They are co-authors of the book “Learning First,” Thousand Oaks, Calif., Corwin Press, 2009.
Starting the shopping season early
Wisconsin Radio Network
Promoting early holiday shopping is one way retailers are trying to adapt to the down economy, according to an expert at the Wisconsin School of Business. â??This week there are many, many firms both online and in the brick and mortar stores saying â??come on outâ? says Deborah Mitchell, Executive Fellow, Center for Brand and Product Management at UW-Madison.Â
Parole denied to Ralph Armstrong in N.M.
WKOW-TV 27
He was imprisoned in Wisconsin for 29 years for the murder of a UW-Madison student. Then his conviction was overturned. Yet Ralph Armstrong will continue to serve at least one more year behind bars. This time in a different state.
State expands H1N1 vaccine group
Wisconsin Radio Network
The state Department of Health Services expands the H1N1 vaccination group to include healthy school age children and young adults.
State Health Officials Expands H1N1 Vaccination Target Group
WISC-TV 3
Wisconsin health officials have expanded the group that can receive vaccination for the H1N1 flu virus to include all school-aged children and young adults up to age 24.
Minimum Mark Up Affects Your Turkey This Week
WISC-TV 3
Quoted: “The minimum markup law has been around for decades, and in Wisconsin its gotten most attention around gasoline,” said Deborah Mitchell with the UW School of Business. “What most people dont know is it goes beyond just gasoline.”
Obituary: Duard Lee Walker
Madison.com
Longtime Madison resident and University of Wisconsin Emeritus Professor Duard Lee Walker, MD, died Monday, Sept. 14, 2009.
Obituary: Katherine M. Coronna
Madison.com
Katherine M. Coronna, age 90, passed away on Sept. 19, 2009. Katherine was a lifelong Madisonian and an employee of the University of Wisconsin.
On the Aisle: SPLASH! at UW Dance
Wisconsin State Journal
Innovative choreography, live music and new collaborations will mark the UW-Madison Dance Program Fall Faculty Concert (“SPLASH!”) this Saturday, 8 p.m. at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Blood test backlog bogs down system
Wisconsin State Journal
The state lab that tests the blood of suspected intoxicated drivers for drugs is facing a backlog of nearly 1,000 samples – and mounting – that threatens public safety, prosecutors and lab officials say. Delays at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene mean both innocent drivers and serial offenders at risk of harming other motorists are waiting several months longer than needed to receive justice. The hygiene lab, which is part of UW-Madison, does a variety of tests, from testing for swine flu to screenings of newborns for genetic diseases. The drug testing delays at the hygiene lab are similar to a DNA testing backlog at the state Crime Laboratory that drew headlines in recent years.
Doug Moe: Some dreams have fine print
Wisconsin State Journal
Jim Doing was dying to turn 50, and now that heâ??s almost there, heâ??s dying inside. Golf, even at the highest level, can do that to you – or maybe especially at the highest level. Doing, an acclaimed opera singer and voice teacher at UW-Madison, went to California earlier this month to pursue his dream of qualifying for the Champions Tour, the pinnacle of senior professional golf.
City investigating possible overcrowding in neighborhoods
Wisconsin State Journal
For the first time in decades, the city is setting straight how many people can legally live in houses in the Greenbush and Vilas neighborhoods south of UW-Madison. The new information is motivating neighborhood homeowners to push for inspections and get quick action at properties suspected of illegal overcrowding.
Off the Wall: Doris K. Hembrough Photography
Wisconsin State Journal
Doris K. Hembrough opened her fine art gallery, the Hembrough Gallery, in Mazomanie in June 2008. A photographer with an eye for sharp, contrasting textures in ordinary scenes, Hembrough said she is sensitive to patterns in light. Hembrough returned to Wisconsin, where she earned a degree in art history at UW-Madison, from Taos, N.M., in 2006.
Greyhound’s station away from downtown can be difficult to get to
Wisconsin State Journal
Now that the Badger Bus Depot at South Bedford Street and West Washington Avenue has been levelled, the trek to catch a Greyhound bus may be the most trying part of the journey. Most Madison passengers are students and senior citizens.
Curiosities: Is it true that laughing is good for your health?
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: Robert McGrath, a clinical psychologist specializing in mind/body wellness at University Health Services at UW-Madison, on whether laughing is good for your health.
Thanksgiving for all faiths
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: Joe Elder, a UW-Madison professor of sociology and Asian studies and a practicing Quaker on Thanksgiving celebrations in Israel, China, Korea, Vietnam and south India.
Waunakee’s female kicker seeks tryout with UW
Madison.com
Kassy McCarthy isnâ??t stopping at a state title — she wants to be a Badger.Moments after her Waunakee team put the finishing touches on the schoolâ??s first WIAA championship since 2002, the senior kicker told reporters she intends to seek a tryout with the University of Wisconsin football team.
For Trevon Hughes, his biggest challenge may be himself
Madison.com
Basketball coaches have challenged Trevon Hughes, the Badgers point guard, to play consistently this season.
UW-Eau Claire’s pitch for higher tuition part of a bigger picture
Wisconsin State Journal
At UW-Eau Claire, campus leaders say they must close three computer labs, offer fewer classes, and leave faculty positions open because of tight budgets. Thatâ??s why administrators are proposing a tuition increase of $1,500 over four years. Called the Blugold Commitment, itâ??s how UW-Eau Claire hopes to maintain services in the face of stagnant state support. If the initiative sounds familiar, itâ??s because UW-Eau Claire is the third University of Wisconsin System school in as many years to introduce a campus-wide tuition increase, a move called differential tuition.
Scrapbook
Madison.com
Two Madison residents have been named distinguished fellows by the William T. Grant Foundation, based in New York. One is Maria Cancian, a professor of public affairs and social work at UW-Madison, who will use her award working with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
UW bowl picture still unclear after loss
Madison.com
The good news for the Badgers after their loss Saturday to Northwestern is their bowl prospects didnâ??t seem to change much. If the Big Ten Conference lands two teams in the Bowl Championship Series, the Badgers appear likely to go to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., to face a Southeastern Conference opponent on Jan. 1.
Wis. mulls Harley-Davidson, cheese microbe honors
Madison.com
Choppers and cheese may soon become official Wisconsin symbols. Bills to honor Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Lactococcus lactis — a bacterium used in the making of cheese — with the state symbol designation were introduced in the Legislature last week. Bill author Rep. Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie) said naming Lactococcus lactis the official state microbe would honor not only Wisconsinâ??s cheese-making history but also increase publicity about how important microbes and the stateâ??s biotech industry is. Bacteriologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been urging support for the microbe via their Web site.
New Research Identifies Best Method To Kick Smoking Habit
WISC-TV 3
University of Wisconsin tobacco researchers said that they have encouraging news for smokers trying to quit.
Rethinking the honor system (Minnesota Daily)
At the University of Wisconsin, a university-wide conflict plan has been in place since the late 1990s.Under the policy, about 9,000 employees are reviewed at least once a year by the schoolâ??s Conflict of Interest Committee. While about 8,000 report nothing, the remaining 1,000 are broken down, and management plans are created if a conflict is identified. While the University of Minnesota is heading in this direction with the new policy, there are still instances of ambiguity in the documentâ??s language.
Scientists zero in on reason for mammoths’ demise
Los Angeles Times
About 15,000 years ago, North America was home to an astonishing number of large plant-eating mammals — giant sloths, mastodons, mammoths. A thousand years later, they were all gone, wiped from the face of the Earth with sudden finality.
As jobs remain elusive, foreclosures rise again
Boston Globe
Quoted: Morris A. Davis, an assistant professor in the Department of Real Estate and Urban Land Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, said the government needs to act quickly before the foreclosure crisis worsens.
Wis. mulls Harley-Davidson, cheese microbe honors (AP)
Noted: Hebl said naming Lactococcus lactis the official state microbe would honor not only Wisconsinâ??s cheese-making history but also increase publicity about how important microbes and the stateâ??s biotech industry is. Bacteriologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been urging support for the microbe via their Web site.
Wisconsin woman nominated as Rhodes Scholar (AP)
WKOW-TV 27
A Wisconsin woman is among 32 men and women from across the U.S. selected as Rhodes Scholars for 2010. Harvard College senior Eva Z. Lam is one of 32 scholars chosen for the all expenses, two to three year study at the University of Oxford in England.Â
Madison hosts GIS exhibit
Wisconsin Public Radio
Today people from all around Wisconsin will gather at the UW-Madison to show off high-tech mapping skills that tell communities everything from the location of fire hydrants to crime patterns. As someone who works with geographic information systems for the UW- Madison, Karen Tuerk, says she never had a job she could easily describe to her mother. She says very simply, GIS is a way to make maps, but â??itâ??s a lot more than that.â? (9th item.)
BBC News – Dung helps reveal why mammoths died out
BBC News Online
Mammoth dung has proved to be a source of prehistoric information, helping scientists unravel the mystery of what caused the great mammals to die out. An examination of a fungus that is found in the ancient dung and preserved in lake sediments has helped build a picture of what happened to the beasts. The study sheds light on the ecological consequences of the extinction and the role that humans may have played in it.Researchers describe this development in the journal Science. The study was led by Jacquelyn Gill from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in the US.
Fungus Provides Clues To North American Extinctions (NPR)
National Public Radio
One of the great mysteries about North America is what killed off woolly mammoths and other exotic animals that roamed the land after the last ice age. Ideas have ranged from a comet impact and climate change to human hunters. A study published Friday in Science Magazine provides new clues about this â?? cleverly deduced from samples of a fungus that grew on the animalsâ?? dung.
Doug Moe: TurboTap inventor back home, taking it slow
Wisconsin State Journal
About half the sports stadiums in the country now use the TurboTap, invented by UW-Madison graduate Matt Younkle. The TurboTap was Younkle’s 1996 winning entry created for the Schoofs Prize for Creativity competition held annually by the College of Engineering. It pays a $10,000 top prize and is open to any UW-Madison undergraduate.
On Darwin anniversary, new institute evolves at UW
UW-Madison is on the cusp of creating a new institute to study evolution. The J. F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution would bring together 70 faculty members from seven colleges, formalizing an existing network of researchers who study evolution.
Microbes and motorcycles gain Legislature’s attention
Wisconsin State Journal
A pair of contenders hoping to join the state symbol club would honor two equally famous Wisconsin traditions: cheese and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. One bill, introduced last week, aims to celebrate Lactococcus lactis, a tiny organism that makes the state’s estimated $18 billion per year cheese industry possible, by naming it the official state microbe. The other would designate Harley-Davidson the Wisconsin state motorcycle. The microbe already has a big fan base at UW-Madison, where bacteriologists have started pushing for the bill by creating a Web page that proclaims, “Support Lactococcus lactis as the Wisconsin State Microbe.”