The director of the Wisconsin Advertising Project predicts candidates in the 2008 election campaign will spend more on television ads than any campaign in history. This year marks the 6th campaign that UW-Madison researchers have tracked TV election spending . Gil Halsted reports. (Audio.)
UW Provost Pat Farrell is pushing for an increase, saying it’s needed for the Madison campus to remain competitive. He says a $2,400 boost would make Wisconsin’s tuition average in the conference.
Governor Doyle is giving the proposal a big thumbs down. Doyle says he doesn’t think they should have that kind of increase. He understands the need to be competitive, but feels it’s better for Wisconsin to take pride if having one of the lowest rates.
The Dane County regional airport in Madison was decked in Holiday Red and Green Tuesday, but at the security check point, all you saw was red and white.
“We’re doing this for a reason, we love to play so you have to take the consequences with it as well,” says senior wide receiver Paul Hubbard.
Consequences like missing out on Christmas. Tuesday the Badger football team headed to Tampa Florida for the Outback Bowl against the University of Tennessee.
Madison, Wis. – A coalition of consumer advocacy and public interest groups, including two organizations that are challenging stem cell patents held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), have filed legal papers in support of proposed new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rules that would curtail what they believe is abusive behavior by patent applicants.
In a friend-of-the-court brief filed recently in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., the groups urged that an injunction blocking the proposed rules be lifted and that they be implemented immediately.
UW-Madison telecommunications professor Barry Orton says the changes will help a little, but basically take a very bad bill and improve it a little.
All of you frustrated sports fans out there have friends at the Capitol. More than a dozen lawmakers are sponsoring a bill that tries to end the stalemate between large cable companies and the Big Ten and NFL networks. Similar bills have been introduced in about a half dozen other states.
University of Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst was in a unique position to offer junior tight end Travis Beckum some valuable insight on his NFL prospects.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Open government advocates are blasting UW-Madison for refusing to release the name of an employee who broke university policies in leading study abroad trips.
Interests on both sides of the debate on why the Big Ten and NFL networks aren’t on several cable TV networks comes to the Capitol. Representative from networks, the NFL, UW-Madison, and the cable industry were on hand for a legislative hearing at the Capitol Thursday, on a bill that would create an arbitration process for disputes between video providers and networks.
Commencement speaker James Madsen, a graduate from UW-Madison with a B.S. in applied math, engineering and physics.
Some have questioned how the Big Ten Network is able to pay millions of dollars to all of the universities without support from major cable companies.
Collins is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Q. Why do onions make us cry when we cut them?
A. Chopping onions unleashes a “chemical defense that onion plants have to protect themselves against insects and microbes, ” said UW-Madison horticulture professor Irwin Goldman. We ‘re just innocent bystanders, it seems.
The time for buying a holiday gift is swiftly coming to an end.
Arts-wise, let me offer a few last-minute suggestions.
Peter Greenberg has a newly released list of the world’s great, unspoiled and affordable vacation spots. He also is a 1972 University of Wisconsin graduate who may be one of the city’s most influential cheerleaders.
The bill aimed at getting more Packers and Badgers games on cable television would set a bad precedent for government meddling in the free market.
Paul received a master’s degree from U.W. Madison.
Obituary: UW alumnus Richard F. Trotta.
Between cranky relatives and overcooked ham, the holiday season provides plenty of fodder for writers. In that spirit, here are a few writing-oriented events to get literary types through the holiday season:
Robert R. Lavine, age 80, died Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. He was the director of Analytical Chemistry Laboratories at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for more than 30 years.
In a word: Wow!
John and Tashia Morgridge keep topping their tremendous generosity to higher education in Wisconsin with bigger and bigger donations.
Before this week, Jordan Trentin had never heard of John or Tashia Morgridge.
He knows who they are now.
Trentin, a freshman at Madison Area Technical College in the nursing program, hopes he may be one of the beneficiaries of the Morgridges ‘ $175 million gift to set up the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars.
A fierce moral debateâ??whether the therapeutic potential of stem cells could justify destroying embryos to get themâ??appeared to vanish when scientists in Wisconsin and Japan announced that they had figured out how to convert adult skin cells into near-perfect copies of the wonder cells. More research remains to be done, but this might be the most delightful discovery since common bread mold birthed the age of antibiotics.
College binge drinking has been on the public health radar for years, but new research sheds light on the extent of the problem on campuses today â?? especially “pre-partying,” participating in heavy, rapid drinking before attending a real party where the drinking continues.
The biggest biomedical breakthrough of 2007 was the transformation of adult skin cells into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells by adding only four genes. Dr. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University ignited this revolution first by himself using mice cells, then later in the year in competing papers with Dr. James Thomson of University of Wisconsin in human cells.
Until these results, embryonic stem cells – which have the potential to become any cell in the body – could only be generated by destroying either eggs or embryos. The research holds the promise of eliminating the ethical minefield that has so hampered what many scientists see as the great potential for stem cells to treat all sorts of diseases, including Parkinson’s, diabetes and spinal cord injury.
Quoted: As for the ending of Wisconsinâ??s ban, University of Wisconsin nuclear engineering chairman Michael Corradini says folks shouldnâ??t sweat it.
He says the Public Service Commission would still have to weigh all the pluses and minuses before acting on each proposal, one at a time.
Two University of Wisconsin at Madison alumni are donating $175-million to the institution for a program to help low-income students attend college, reports the Associated Press.
The donation was made by John Morgridge, former chairman of Cisco Systems, which supplies computer-networking products, and his wife, Tashia. They both graduated from the university more than 50 years ago.
Richard J. Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted that the findings dovetail with his own work on emotion and the brainâ??s structure and function. While studies have long shown that negative emotions, such as anxiety and fear, can interfere with learning, Mr. Davidson, who was named one of the worldâ??s most influential people by Time magazine in 2006, has documented that in people who undergo regular training in meditation or other practices akin to social and emotional learning, the brain circuitry actually changes.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A judge says a U.S. Senate candidate arrested for campaigning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison student union did not have his constitutional rights violated.
U.S. District Judge John Shabaz dismissed a lawsuit Ben Masel brought against university employees and police after his 2006 arrest.
Nonphysical attributes such as respect, familiarity, willingness to work hard, and shared goals may contribute as much or more to the perception of attractiveness than youth or beauty, said Kevin Kniffin, an evolutionary anthropologist and honorary fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
For his research study, Kniffin showed students some photos from a yearbook. The photos were of people they know and didn’t know. The participants consistently rated the people they had positive feelings for as more attractive. And the people they didn’t like — as unattractive.
“Our findings confirm that for some people at least there’s more to beauty than meets the eye,” said Kniffin.
Sometimes the rights to use university technology are granted to major corporations or other established companies.
Though that might not be the ultimate aim, it can be a lucrative practice generating millions of dollars for universities.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, received $43.5 million in 2006 licensing income. The University of Wisconsin received $42.3 million. The University of California system received more than $193 million.
During the 2000 presidential election, the Republican and Democratic parties paid for 50% of advertising in the 70 largest cities, according to a study by the Wisconsin Advertising Project at the University of Wisconsin. In 2004, that figure fell to 17%. Outside groups accounted for 20% of the advertisements in the 2004 presidential campaign, double the amount of 2000, according to the project.
The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention are planning a special offer for state residents who want to quit smoking.
CHICAGO (AFP) â?? It was the kind of breakthrough scientists had dreamed of for decades and its promise to help cure disease appears to be fast on the way to being realized. Researchers in November announced they were able to turn the clock back on skin cells and transform them into stem cells, the mutable building blocks of organs and tissues.
Then just earlier this month a different team announced it had cured sickle cell anemia in mice using stem cells derived from adult mouse skin.
So, you might be wondering: Who was the commencement speaker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison? (Trust us, you were wondering this.) Well, it was, of all people, our old pal Scott Van Pelt … and we’re not ashamed to say it was a pretty amusing speech.
Quoted: Doctor Michael Stier, the University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of forensic pathology who performed the autopsy, was allowed to examine the photographs in the courtroom.
MADISON â?? A check of someoneâ??s fingerprints failed to match those of a fugitive wanted in the 1970 bombing of a University of Wisconsin-Madison building, the FBI said Tuesday.
Prosecutors had requested the check in a sealed court filing last week, prompting speculation that authorities might have Leo Burt in custody after 37 years and wanted to confirm his identity.
Badgers men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan has built buzz for himself and the Wisconsin program when online videos featuring him performing the “Hambone” and “Soulja Boy” slam dunked over the last year, but these aren’t the only instances where he has stepped into the world of non-sports entertainment.
Ryan is also the producer of a trailer for Geeks From Space, a proposed reality TV series that was created by Megan Kaiser and Quintin Strack. Both graduates of UW-Madison, they have been immersed in the world of reality TV in recent years.
In a word: Wow!
John and Tashia Morgridge keep topping their tremendous generosity to higher education in Wisconsin with bigger and bigger donations.
The UW-Madison alums announced Monday an early Christmas gift of $175 million for college grants. The money will help high school graduates from low-income families in Wisconsin pay for college or university tuition and related expenses.
John Morgridge choked up Tuesday as he spoke about the older brother who helped pave his way to college.
He was a metaphorical genie, Morgridge said, granting his wish to attend school away from their Wauwatosa home.
Now Morgridge hopes to grant such wishes many times over.
MADISON, Wis. — Two philanthropists announced Tuesday that they are donating $175 million to found the “Fund For Wisconsin Scholars,” which will work as a complement to Gov. Jim Doyle’s Wisconsin Covenant program.
The donation from John and Tashia Morgridge will fund a permanent endowment for Wisconsin high school graduates to attend colleges and technical schools in the state.
An FBI official told 27 News a federal prosecutor’s request to obtain someone’s fingerprints in order to compare them with those of fugitive Leo Burt from the 1970 Sterling Hall bombing produced “negative results.”
“We still want to bring him in in a big way,” FBI spokesman Leonard Peace in Milwaukee told 27 News.
Governor Jim Doyle has high praise for the generosity of John and Tashia Morgridge: $175 million to support a Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, and provide need-based financial aid for thousands of students. Still, Doyle wants to make sure the Legislature doesn’t get the wrong idea. Doyle says the generous gift doesn’t let the state off the hook for providing financial aid.
Faculty and academic staff from eight UW System campuses told a state Senate committee Monday at UW-Eau Claire they feel like second-class citizens because they are among the few workers in Wisconsin without the right to bargain collectively.
Twenty-one faculty, academic staff and students testified in favor of Senate Bill 353, which would give UW System faculty and academic staff the right to decide whether they want to collectively bargain. The public hearing was before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Higher Education.
MADISON, Wis. — Fans with season tickets for University of Wisconsin-Madison basketball will have to pay more for a parking space near the Kohl Center.
Season ticket holders received a letter earlier this month informing them of changes to the parking program.
Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals â?? the company formed by UW-Madison vitamin D expert Hector DeLuca to bring 2-MD, a bone-building drug, to market â?? is plunging ahead with two new drug compounds, thanks to a hefty infusion of cash.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) A couple who graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison more than 50 years ago said Tuesday they would give $175 million to help high school graduates in the state advance their education.
The donation from John Morgridge, former chairman of Cisco Systems which supplies computer networking products, and his wife, Tashia, a retired elementary special education teacher, is to provide about 2,000 grants of $1,000 to $5,000 for the 2008-2009 school year, and more than 3,000 grants annually after that.
The Morgridges, who long have donated to educational causes, are establishing the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars with their contribution for lower-income, talented graduates of Wisconsin public schools attending a Wisconsin public post-secondary school.
A UW-Madison student who reported being sexually assaulted in the Ogg Hall dorm has decided not to press charges after telling police she couldn ‘t remember exactly what happened.
Alcohol is believed to have played a significant part in the Nov. 30 incident, police said.
If the fire alarms go off at UW-Madison ‘s Witte Hall these days, no one is sure if it ‘s fire or really a matter of crying wolf.
That ‘s because the fire alarms there have blared on 15 occasions this semester.
If something is stirring in the case of Leo Burt, missing for decades after he allegedly took part in a Vietnam-era bombing on the University of Wisconsin campus, federal prosecutors and the FBI weren ‘t saying on Monday.
The largest gift to low-income students in Wisconsin history will provide $175 million for grants to graduates of public schools to attend the state ‘s public colleges and universities and will boost the state ‘s Wisconsin Covenant program, officials revealed Monday night.
The donation from John Morgridge, former chairman of Cisco Systems, and his wife, Tashia, a retired elementary special education teacher, will give about 2,000 grants of $1,000 to $5,000 for the 2008-09 school year, and more than 3,000 grants annually after that.
Rosemary K. (Huemmer) Kubicek, age 79, of Monona, died on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. Rosemary worked at UW Extension Services after high school graduation in 1945.
Albert “Rollie” Buskager, age 78, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. He retired from the University of Wisconsin in the student loan department.
“What does it sound like?”
“It’s the most ungodly sound in the entire world!”
“It’s annoying..it’s loud.”
What these UW Madison students are describing isn’t your typical alarm clock.
In fact it’s a malfunctioning fire alarm system that has been going off all semester in the Witte dorms downtown.. forcing students to evacuate their rooms.
MADISON, Wis. — News 3’s Jessica Arp sat down with Gov. Jim Doyle and talked about the UW’s future, among other things.
It is a happy holiday in the governor’s mansion after 2007 brought some of Doyle’s long sought-after initiatives to fruition.
He said Wisconsin education was one of the biggest boosts of the year.
MADISON, Wis. — UW Housing officials are conceding they’ve been dealing with a troublesome fire alarm problem at Witte Hall on campus.
Housing officials told WISC-TV that an inspection on Monday showed the system is finally back on track, but not before 18 false fire alarms were reported this semester.
The semester-long problem has some students wondering why it took so long to get action and answers.
MADISON, Wis. — Two philanthropists are backing Gov. Jim Doyle’s Wisconsin Covenant program.
John and Tashia Morgridge, who donated $50 million last year for the Institutes of Discovery and Research Center, are donating $175 million to fund a permanent endowment for Wisconsin High School graduates to attend colleges in the state.
E. Reade Washington Rettig, age 82, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007. She was employed at the general library at the University of Wisconsin for 40 years.
Jane R. Henkel, age 65, died Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007. In her first career she was a computer programmer at the National Accelerator Lab/Physical Science Lab and then at the University of Wisconsin Computing Center.
Donald S. Ermer died on Thursday morning, Dec. 13, 2007. When he joined the faculty at UW-Madison in 1971, he and his family welcomed the opportunity to return to their alma mater and native state. During the next years, as a member of the ME department at UW-Madison, he established strong and lasting ties with the Far East, especially Singapore. One of his major achievements was helping to establish and promote the State of Wisconsin Forward Award. Don retired in 2002 from the UW ME and IE departments, where he was Proctor and Gamble Professor in total quality.
