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Author: jplucas

Baggot: Power play at UW full of intrigue

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Wisconsin State Journal

If youâ??re going to dive into this debate about the role of the University of Wisconsin Athletic Board, you might want to keep a reliable flotation device handy because the waterâ??s deep and the current is deceptively strong.

Both sides want us to believe that theirs is a simple premise, which is a sure sign that we should, at the very least, slap on a pair of water wings. What looks and sounds benign is anything but in this case. There are emotions and egos and agendas apparent in both camps, just as there are good, earnest people driving the discussion.

Obama Seeks $31-Billion for NIH, $7-Billion for NSF in New Budget

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Chronicle of Higher Education

President Obama on Thursday proposed a $30.9-billion budget for the National Institutes of Health for the 2010 fiscal year, including basic and clinical research. It sets a baseline 4.7 percent higher than the agencyâ??s final budget under President Bush in 2008.

The announcement is the latest in a series of budget swings for the NIH, which is the largest source of money for academic research. The agencyâ??s budget doubled over five years, from $13.6-billion in fiscal year 1998 to $27.1-billion in 2003. After that, Mr. Bush presided over a six-year trend during which the NIH received annual increases below the rate of inflation.

For Higher Education, President’s Budget Adds Little, Subtracts Little

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Chronicle of Higher Education

President Obama’s budget for the Department of Education for the 2010 fiscal year would leave spending on most student-aid programs unchanged, but would largely spare higher education the program eliminations seen elsewhere in his budget.

The president’s plan, released Thursday, fleshes out a budget blueprint the White House unveiled in February. The budget would provide no increase for Federal Work-Study or the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, financing the programs at the current levels of $981-million and $758-million, respectively.

Parkinson patients have hope, wait for treatments to develop

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WKOW-TV 27

Actor Michael J. Fox is one of the best known Parkinson sufferers. As of 2006, his foundation gave more than $50 millions dollars to Parkinson research. About $1.2 million of that went to the University of Wisconsin’s stem cell studies.

In 2005, Fox visited the Waisman Center on campus. If the cause isn’t known, Fox hoped at least a treatment, or methods of early detection, could be found.

“I realized the best role for me to play was research, and dole out those dollars to researchers,” he said during a news conference at the center on February 1, 2005.

UW Madison on alert for swine flu outbreak

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Wisconsin Public Radio

So far, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has no reported cases of swine flu on campus. But University officials are drawing on past experiences with viruses to manage their response to the current situation.

Dr. Sarah Van Orman is Executive Director of University Health Services at UW-Madison. She says their response to pandemics is shaped by national guidelines, and they’re working with local health officials in developing contingency plans in case the virus hits campus.

â??Most campuses have a lot of experience with how to control an infectious disease in its community, whether that be a residence hall or more broadly,â? says Van Orman, â??Now the specifics of how you do that really vary depending on what youâ??re dealing with.” (4th item.)

UW System President: No hard numbers on new cuts, but expect cuts

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly said he has no hard numbers on how universities will be affected by Gov. Jim Doyle’s announcement Thursday that the state’s budget deficit had exploded by an additional $1.5 billion.

Still, he expects some kind of impact on the UW System.

“I certainly can’t imagine we could be totally exempt from it,” he said at the Board of Regents meeting Thursday in Milwaukee.

Doyle calls for layoffs, furloughs, cuts to fill $6.5 billion hole

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gov. Jim Doyle said Thursday that the budget deficit has exploded to up to $6.5 billion – a historic gap he wants fixed by laying off up to 1,100 employees, furloughing non-emergency workers eight days a year, rescinding 2% pay raises and making new cuts in aid to schools and local governments.

Doyle said the $5 billion deficit he and lawmakers faced in March has soared because tax collections are running far below estimates. The potential $6.5 billion gap will occur over a three-year period ending June 30, 2011.

“We are facing tougher choices than ever about what level of state services we can sustain at a time when people need them most,” Doyle said. “I am fighting to protect the middle class, education, public safety and health care.”

UW System conduct code revisions still need tweaking

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A committee of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on Thursday voted to delay until June the consideration of proposed revisions to the student conduct code.

A key issue was a provision that would allow students to have a lawyer speak on their behalf during disciplinary proceedings where they face suspension or expulsion or have been charged with a crime in connection with their conduct.

The Madison Initiative: More questions on the plan emerge, despite broad support

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A higher education researcher at UW-Madison is among a small group of voices urging the Board of Regents to delay approving the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, which is up for consideration Friday and has received widespread support.

The Regents are meeting Thursday and Friday at UW-Milwaukee.

Noel Radomski, director of the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education, argues the initiative has not been adequately vetted, and its possible unintended consequences not thoroughly considered.

UW group protests cancellation of pay raise, pushes for collective bargaining

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Five members of the Association of University of Wisconsin Professionals staged a demonstration during the Board of Regents meeting Thursday to protest Gov. Jim Doyleâ??s cancellation of a planned 2% pay raise for state employees, including UW faculty and staff.

The 2% raise was scheduled for state employees as part of Doyleâ??s 2007-â??09 budget.

The Association of University of Wisconsin Professionals represents some of the faculty and staff at UW campuses.

Layoffs, furloughs, cuts to local government seen in new budget crisis

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Wisconsin State Journal

State workers will have to shoulder furloughs, up to 1,100 layoffs and a rollback of expected raises to fix an additional budget shortfall of $1.5 billion, Gov. Jim Doyle said Thursday. But the Democratic governor said he wouldnâ??t propose more tax hikes.

â??Our state employees are people who have dedicated much of their lives to public service and to them we owe our gratitude,â? Doyle said at a Capitol news conference today. â??The harsh sacrifices they now face are part of the effect of this national economic downturn.â?

Doyle proposes furloughs, layoffs and spending cuts

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Wisconsin Radio Network

Extreme cuts, layoffs, and furloughs are needed to fix the overexpanding budget hole.

Declining revenues could add another 1.5 billion dollar gap to the current 5 billion dollar deficit and, as a result, Governor Jim Doyle says up to 11-hundred state employees could be laid off. Doyle also proposes 16 days of furloughs for all state workers over the next two years.

Special Assignment: Tackling Technology

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NBC-15

Educators at the UW are using video games as teaching tools.

But not video games like the ones you play on a console.

Video games like this one that was developed at the UW.

This is Melody Mixer.

It was developed by Dr. Jamie Henke and Engage.

“We’re involved in trying to develop new horizons of how to teach and how to teach better.”

Engage is made up of educators from all disciplines and other tech professionals.

The program is run by the University’s Division of Information Technology or DOIT.

It’s Your Money: Interest Rates

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WKOW-TV 27

Quoted: “We’re actually paying much higher interest rates than they have in the past because, basically, there’s been a breakdown in the credit markets and people don’t know who to trust.  And so almost all of us are paying a premium for that lack of trust in the economy,” says University of Wisconsin financial specialist Michael Collins.

Scientists Shed Light On Inner Workings Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

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Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have made a significant discovery in understanding the way human embryonic stem cells function.

They explain nature’s way of controlling whether these cells will renew, or will transform to become part of an ear, a liver, or any other part of the human body. The study is reported in the May 1 issue of the journal Cell.

The research team includes James Thomson, who provided an important proof to the research effort. Thomson, an adjunct professor at UCSB, is considered the “father of stem cell biology.”

This year, ‘senioritis’ may have dire consequences

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USA Today

“Senioritis” â?? skipping class, missing tests, attending parties instead of athletic practice, and generally slacking off at the end of the last year of high school â?? is practically a rite of spring. But this year there may be serious consequences â?? including having college acceptance withdrawn â?? for those who don’t finish with a strong academic record.

Take pride in Wis. legal system

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Wausau Daily Herald

Last week, on May 1, we celebrated the 51st anniversary of Law Day. While this celebration didn’t result in a large party or a day off from work, it does provide a good opportunity to take stock of the current state of our legal system.

A recent publication entitled “Civil Justice in Wisconsin: A Fact Book,” authored by two members of the University of Wisconsin Law School, does an excellent job of looking at the civil justice system in Wisconsin. Most readers would be a bit surprised by what it finds.

Biddy Martin: Her year in review

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Badger Herald

On a table in the office of University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin is a little white Badgers-themed piggybank. Interim Provost Julie Underwood gave Martin the piggy bank Wednesday morning as a way to help UW survive the stateâ??s budget troubles.

Martin laughs after she says this, since she has a different thing in mind for raising money â?? a plan to increase tuition that will either succeed or die Thursday, when the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates is scheduled to go before the UW System Board of Regents.

Martin to propose new initiative to UW System Board of Regents

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Daily Cardinal

Chancellor Biddy Martin will officially propose the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates to the UW System Board of Regents Thursday.

Martin will attend the meeting in Milwaukee and submit her proposal to the Business, Finance and Audit Committee, according to John Lucas, a spokesperson for UW-Madison.

â??The recent reports about the stateâ??s budget make the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates even more important,â? Martin said in an e-mail. â??We must begin immediately to increase need-based aid and build new partnerships between students and their families on the one hand and alumni and friends on the other.â?

America Must Put Community Colleges First

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Chronicle of Higher Education

President Obama has embraced an audacious ambition â?? to renew America’s status as the world leader in college attainment. That goal is daunting, and it leads many people to conclude that we should focus federal investments on four-year colleges. If we want to realize the president’s goal, that would be a terrible mistake.

Located in neighborhoods across the nation, charging lower-than-average tuition, public two-year colleges have the potential to lead the charge to significantly increase the number of Americans holding college degrees. But to succeed, they need a renewed government commitment to their support and leadership. The country has for too long put elite four-year colleges and universities on a pedestal, focusing the hopes and plans of students and families on them. But those institutions reach only a small portion of the populace, whereas community colleges touch much larger numbers of students as well as many other people in their towns and regions.

N.C.A.A. Bars Teams With Poor Academics

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The N.C.A.A. released its academic reform data Wednesday, and for the first time issued postseason bans for poor academic performance. The association penalized the Centenary menâ??s basketball team and the Jacksonville State and Tennessee-Chattanooga football teams. Jacksonville State is appealing its ban.

A total of 85 Division I teams were punished in football and menâ??s basketball, but only 10 came from the six Bowl Championship Series conferences.

Regents to consider student conduct code changes (AP)

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La Crosse Tribune

University of Wisconsin System students facing charges of misconduct could have lawyers represent them at disciplinary hearings under a change praised by student advocates but opposed by some deans of students.

The UW System has spent two years considering changes to its student code of conduct, including giving universities the authority for the first time to punish students for off-campus, nonacademic misconduct.

The system announced several revisions to the proposal last week after student leaders, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and others complained an earlier plan went too far.

Madison Initiative tuition surcharge needs more vetting, state legislator says

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

State Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) is pushing for the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to delay approval of the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, a plan that would add a tuition surcharge for students at UW-Madison to increase financial aid and improve undergraduate education.

The initiative is up for approval this week at the Board of Regents meeting in Milwaukee.

UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin has spent more than a month talking about the plan on campus with students, faculty and staff and has gotten a largely positive reception for the initiative.

The Starter Garden – A Manure Primer

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New York Times

Quoted: â??Itâ??s kind of a nebulous term,â? explained Carrie Laboski, a professor and extension soil scientist at University of Wisconsin, Madison. â??Manured soil over time may have a little more structure to it. Water penetrates it nicely, and it drains nicely.â?

Obituary: Ann Druck

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Madison.com

Ann Druck, age 83, passed away on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. Ann was an auditor for the University of Wisconsin System.

A larger Kindle could upend textbooks, periodicals

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USA Today

Amazon.com is widely expected to unveil a new Kindle electronic book device with a larger screen Wednesday, which would be geared for textbooks, magazines and newspapers and possibly shake up the economics of multiple industries at once.

If Amazon reveals a bigger device better suited for digital textbooks and periodicals, the rollout could help students get educational materials more cheaply and give newspapers and magazines a better way to sell digital versions of their content.

Hugs and Handshakes Banned at UW-Oshkosh Commencement (WSAW-TV, Wausau)

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Fear over the H1N1 virus prompts school officials at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to ban hugs and handshakes during their spring graduation ceremonies.

1,400 seniors will have to find another way to celebrate their college degree.

The University says thousands of parents and relatives are expected at the Kolf Sports Center for commencement.

Police to plant GPS ‘Bait Bikes’ on campus (Minnesota Daily)

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Noted: University of Wisconsin-Madison police implemented Bait Bikes in 2008, and has since seen a significant drop in bike thefts.

The University of Wisconsin experienced 50 bike thefts this year â?? Bait Bikes included â?? which is down 30 percent from the 2007-08 academic year, University of Wisconsin police Sgt. Jason Whitney said.

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Pfizer, WARF reach accord on stem-cell drug therapies

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Wisconsin State Journal

Pfizer Inc. on Tuesday announced a licensing agreement with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF, for the development of drug therapies using human embryonic stem cells.

The pharmaceutical giant said it would use embryonic stem cells, discovered by UW-Madison researcher James Thomson in 1998, to improve drug safety, screen new drugs and develop cell therapies.

Local Officials: Probable Flu Case Found In Madison

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WISC-TV 3

Public Health Madison and Dane County on Tuesday said the first probable case of the swine flu has been identified in Madison. But the state Department of Health Services isn’t yet calling the case probable and said it is “under investigation.”

Dr. Tom Schlenker, the director of Public Health Madison and Dane County, said the case is a 5-year-old Madison boy who became ill while visiting Mexico and is suspected of having the so-called swine flu, or H1N1 virus.

Swine-Flu Scare Offers Lessons for Study-Abroad Programs

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Chronicle of Higher Education

The number of newly reported swine-flu cases appears to be ebbing, but the recent health scare, which led some institutions to pull students and faculty members out of Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak, and to cancel study-abroad programs there, can have some lasting lessons for colleges, says Gary Rhodes, director of the Center for Global Education at Loyola Marymount University.

Thai Leader Struggles at the Center of a Storm

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New York Times

Quoted: â??Iâ??m not sure he knows or accepts that he came to power through the support of one side of the conflict,â? said Thongchai Winichakul, a specialist in Southeast Asian studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. â??Iâ??m not sure he has enough guts and that he has gathered enough political clout to break away from the people who brought him to power.â?

H1N1 could get serious if not prepared

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Wisconsin Radio Network

State Health experts discuss the flu virus at a public hearing at the state capitol.

Dr. Dennis Maki, head of Infectious Diseases at the UW Medical School, tells members of the Assembly Health Committee the H1N1 Influenza A is serious.

Field House may get Madison landmark status

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Wisconsin State Journal

So much has happened behind its massive sandstone clad walls. Now, the Field House may become an official Madison landmark.

The city Landmarks Commission on Monday recommended landmark status for the five-story University of Wisconsin-Madison structure, designed in Italian Renaissance style, built at a cost of $434,000 and opened in 1930.

Poor economy could add $1 billion to state’s deficit, lawmakers warn

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Wisconsin State Journal

The stateâ??s financial shortfall could grow by $1 billion or even more over the next two years, lawmakers said Tuesday.

Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, a member of the Legislatureâ??s budget committee, said that a worsening economy and falling tax collections could add as much as a $1.2 billion to a projected state budget deficit that was already nearly $6 billion earlier this year.

A growing budget shortfall could lead to everything from higher taxes to furloughs or layoffs of state workers or cuts to programs such as education and health care.

On Campus: Medicare not to pay for tests related to warfarin

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Wisconsin State Journal

Medicare wonâ??t pay for genetic tests to determine patientsâ?? best dose of the blood thinner warfarin, discovered at UW-Madison and named after the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Monday there isn’t enough evidence that the tests improve patientsâ?? health â?? though the agency agreed to pay for tests in studies that could lead to more such evidence.

High rate of suicides in Milwaukee Country may increase

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Milwaukee County’s suicide rate among males is higher than other metro areas around the country. That was true even when the economy was better. Now that itâ??s worse, some wonder if those numbers could go higher.

For every 100,000 males in large metro areas across the United States 15.7 will commit suicide. In Milwaukee County, itâ??s 18.1. The numbers come from the National Center for Health Statistics and were reviewed by UW-Madison medical student Zachary Baeseman. They were taken during a six-year period ending in 2005. (10th item.)

Wisconsin companies provide innovation in the fight against flu

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Wisconsin Technology Network

It’s a new twist on an age-old question: What came first, the chicken or the fertilized egg?

So far as flu vaccine production is concerned, the answer is definitely the egg. Millions of contaminant-free, fertilized eggs are needed each year to produce vaccines against predicted strains of influenza. Absent sufficient numbers of â??cleanâ? fertilized eggs, there is no current way to produce the flu vaccines public health experts believe we’re most likely to need.

Light, Space And Room To Breathe

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Wisconsin State Journal

For painter Matt Martin, the contrast couldn’t be more stark: a dark, tiny basement in Sterling Hall, destined to be demolished, versus his studio now, a bright, airy space, full of ambient light and white walls.

Martin doesn’t work differently in the new Art Lofts building on Frances Street, which has its grand opening this week. He just doesn’t mind the work as much.
“This is brand new, so there’s a little of that brand-newness fear, you know, like – don’t mess it up!” Martin said with a laugh.

7,700 UW students could see aid packages reduced

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Star Tribune

Nearly 8,000 University of Wisconsin System students could see their financial aid packages for next school year reduced by an average $310 after action by the Legislature’s budget committee.

The Joint Finance Committee cut Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposal to increase funding for Wisconsin Higher Education Grants by $21.2 million over two years. About 27,000 UW System students receive the grants, which are the largest source of state financial aid.

Panel to review UW Athletic Board

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Wisconsin State Journal

A committee of seven to nine University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty members will be created to review the operations of the Athletic Board, following a vote by the faculty senate Monday.

The committee, proposed last month by former Athletic Board Chairman Bruce Jones, was in response to a self-study conducted by the board, which

Police, Organizers Hail ‘Different’ Mifflin Street Block Party

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WISC-TV 3

While 2009 marked the event’s 40th anniversary, this year’s installment of Mifflin Street Block Party was worth celebrating in more ways than one.

About 15,000 people attended the annual springtime street party in downtown Madison last Saturday, but things were far tamer than they’ve been in years past — much to the relief of police and the event’s sponsors.

How to beat stress and angst through meditation

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Chicago Tribune

Quoted: One study of individuals who were new to meditating showed measurable brain and behavior differences after just two weeks of daily 30-minute sessions, says Richard Davidson, director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But meditation is like any other workout: To reap the benefits, don’t stop.

Reader views: Women, not girls

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Wisconsin State Journal

They’re women, not girls

Madison West High School has a “girls'” basketball team. The University of Wisconsin has a “women’s” basketball team. It’s not much of a surprise when Joe Sixpack fails to honor this distinction. It’s mildly disconcerting, however, when the high-salaried athletic director of a major university fails to do so.

In a recent State Journal article concerning UW-Madison women’s basketball coach Lisa Stone’s one-year contract extension, Barry Alvarez is quoted referring to the “girls” who played for her this past season. A careless mistake, or does his gaffe beg a more complex character analysis?

Either way, I suspect many of UW’s female student-athletes would appreciate the dignity of being referred to as the women they are, rather than as the girls they are not.

— Ray Johnson, Evansville

Selig To Deliver UW-Madison Commencement Speech

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WISC-TV 3

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will give the commencement address to University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates later this month.

The school said Monday that Selig will speak at all four spring commencement ceremonies for undergraduates on May 16 and 17 at the Kohl Center.

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H1N1 cases on the rise

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Wisconsin Radio Network

Another jump in possible Wisconsin cases of the H1N1 flu strain.

As of Monday afternoon, Wisconsin was up to three confirmed and 102 probable cases of Influenza-A, also known as the Swine Flu. The number of probable cases is up from 65 on Sunday, although the number of confirmed cases did not increase.

Milwaukee County currently has the highest number of suspected cases, with 48 probable infections. There are also two confirmed cases in that area. The state’s other confirmed case is in Adams County.

Sponsors key to a better Mifflin Street Block Party

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Wisconsin State Journal

Congratulations to city officials and private sponsors for reducing problems and protecting participants as well as taxpayers at the Mifflin Street Block Party on Saturday.

Arrests at the 40th annual event fell dramatically to 164. Most arrests were for minor alcohol violations. Just three people were taken to jail.

Bud Selig UW-Madison commencement speaker

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WKOW-TV 27

A powerful sports figure will give the commencement address to UW-Madison graduates later this month.

The school said Monday that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will speak at all four spring commencement ceremonies for undergraduates on May 16 and 17 at the Kohl Center.

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Students Get Peek At Veterinarian Medicine

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Wisconsin State Journal

Clearly, some kids had never been in a dairy barn before.

They stood ready to spring out of the way of a flying cow pie.

They watched, astonished, as Dr. Harry Momont’s arm disappeared into the rear end of a cow.

The high schoolers tried to act professional and not show that they were grossed out.

Posted in Uncategorized

On Campus: Selig will be commencement speaker at four UW-Madison undergraduate ceremonies

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Wisconsin State Journal

Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. â??Budâ? Selig will deliver the commencement address at four UW-Madison undergraduate ceremonies on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, at the Kohl Center.

Selig, former owner and president of the Milwaukee Brewers, graduated from UW-Madison in 1956 with a degree in political science and American history.

Posted in Uncategorized