Quoted: Douglas Jorenby of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Drug shows promise in helping smokers kick habit (Chicago Tribune)
Duluth News
Author: jplucas
UW quits $26 million software overhaul (AP)
Duluth News
MADISON – The University of Wisconsin System on Wednesday announced its decision to scrap a project to implement a new computer program to manage its payroll and benefits for employees after already spending $26 million on the effort.
Bird Flu May Have Entered Nigeria 3 Times, Study Says (AP)
CBSNews.com
Quoted: Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virologist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Tokyo
EC On Campus (Choice Magazine)
Clark University sophomore Julia Charvat and her boyfriend make a point to always use a condom when they have sex ââ?¬â? always, that is, except for one lapse in judgment last fall during the semester break.
Ron Rattner: UW probe chills academic freedom
Capital Times
Dear Editor: As an attorney and UW-Madison graduate during the McCarthy era, I am deeply disturbed about the provost’s politically instigated “investigation” of Kevin Barrett. When teachers are intimidated against seeking and speaking truth on a campus known for its liberal and progressive traditions, we are in trouble.
Crop dusting no fly-by-night operation (Portage Daily Register)
Quoted: Tom Kriegl, agricultural economist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Dairy Profitability.
Feeling Her Pain (Washington Post)
Washington Post
Quoted: Judith Leavitt, a professor of science and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wild Wisconsin weather on the way?
Capital Times
Quoted: John Magnuson, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor emeritus
Riding the roller coaster of autism (Portage Daily Register)
Quoted: Dr. Tina Iyama, an associate professor of pediatrics at UW-Madison.
Letters: Professor’s teaching shames university (Appleton Post-Crescent)
Appleton Post-Crescent
I should think the Wisconsin Muslim community would be embarrassed. I should think the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and its administration would be embarrassed.
UW Alumni Club of FdL presents $1,000 grants (Fond du Lac Reporter)
Fond Du Lac Reporter
Seven high school seniors representing five schools in Fond du Lac County are recipients of $1,000 UW Alumni scholarships to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall.
In Apparent Suicide, Chancellor Dies in a Fall
Chronicle of Higher Education
Denice D. Denton came under fire immediately and often during her 16-month tenure as chancellor of the University of California at Santa Cruz, which ended with her apparent suicide late last month when she fell to her death from the roof of a San Francisco building.
Pentagon Surveillance of Student Groups as Security Threats Extended to Monitoring E-Mail, Reports Show
Chronicle of Higher Education
The Department of Defense monitored e-mail messages from college students who were planning protests against the war in Iraq and against the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy against gay and lesbian members of the armed forces, according to surveillance reports released last month. While the department had previously acknowledged monitoring protests on campuses as national-security threats, it was not until recently that evidence surfaced showing that the department was also monitoring e-mail communications.
Standoff at Arboretum
NBC-15
Madison and University Police had their guns drawn for a standoff at the Arboretum this afternoon.
Around 3 pm, police say witnesses saw a man with a gun inside the Arboretum.
UW Instructor Defends Plan to Teach 9/11 Conspiracy Theory in Class
WKOW-TV 27
“Why would our government do this? To trigger a War that will not end in our lifetime.” Says Kevin Barrett, a lecturer for UW-Madison who will teach a course on Islam this Fall.
Review Of UW-Madison Instructor’s Radical 9/11 Views
WKOW-TV 27
A top UW-Madison official is reviewing an instructor’s plans for a fall course on Islam after the instructor said the U.S. government was responsible for the World Trade Center’s collapse.
Videotapes Stolen in Burglary of UW Primate Research Lab
WKOW-TV 27
UW-MadisonÃ? police suspect a convicted drug dealer is responsible for breaking into the UW Primate lab and stealing videotapes of testing on animals.Ã?Â
UW official refutes claims of animal abuse (Wisconsin Radio Network)
Wisconsin Radio Network
A UW official disputes claims of animal neglect, and praises his research facility. Joe Kemnitz, Director of the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, hopes that someday animal research would no longer be needed, but he says, for now, this type of research is necessary to discover new techniques to ward off and to cure diseases that affect many people.
WARF signs licensing pact with BD Biosciences
Wisconsin Technology Network
Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has finalized a commercial licensing agreement with BD Biosciences to develop new research tools for embryonic stem cell researchers and life scientists.
Downtown Violence Spikes Over Holiday Weekend
WISC-TV 3
MADISON, Wis. — Two men are in police custody in connection with one of four violent incidents that occurred in downtown Madison during the holiday weekend, police said.
Editorial: July Fourth? Freedom isn’t easy (Channel 3)
WISC-TV 3
It is perhaps unavoidable that freedom — that most precious gift and right which we celebrate on this Independence Day holiday — is among the most difficult concepts to define and on which to agree.
Baggot: This plan covers all the bases
Wisconsin State Journal
I had a little free time on my hands over the holiday weekend, so I made some calls, did some research, crunched some numbers and came up with a plan to bring baseball back to the University of Wisconsin.
Now, before the UW athletic director bails on me after one sentence, he should be advised that he will come out of this looking better than Eva Longoria poolside.
Controversial UW instructor spurs academic freedom debate
Wisconsin State Journal
Controversy surrounding the belief of a UW-Madison lecturer that the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were orchestrated by the U.S. government is renewing debate about academic freedom.
Some faculty members said instructor Kevin Barrett should be able to present the belief that the attacks were planned by government officials and the CIA – which Barrett said is shared by hundreds of scholars and a growing number of people around the world – along with the “official” version that Islamic terrorists were responsible for the attacks, said Donald Downs, a professor of political science, journalism and law.
The new pork: It’s now the other ââ?¬Ë?lite’ meat
USA Today
USDA study: It can be leaner than chicken.
Mentioned: UW-Madison.
New Underwater Treadmill Helps Dogs Get Back On Four Legs
Wisconsin State Journal
It’s not exactly a canine version of a health club but a new doggy treadmill at the UW-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine is proving a popular option for helping patients get back on four legs after surgery.
The treadmill is unique because it is underwater, which allows dogs to get a head start on exercise after surgery because the water helps support their weight.
Man Takes Rifle Into Uw Arboretum
Wisconsin State Journal
A man with a rifle led to the UW Arboretum being closed Monday afternoon.
Dna Lesson At Uw-madison
Wisconsin State Journal
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to actually hold DNA or use some of the tools that UW-Madison researchers work with every day?
At this week’s Wednesday Nite @ The Lab, 7 p.m. at the UW-Madison Biotechnology Center, the public is invited to connect with the university at a hands-on workshop in an exploration of DNA through models and experiments.
Beds full at sleep centers
Wisconsin State Journal
Last month, St. Mary’s and Dean Health Care opened a $2.2 million sleep center in Fitchburg, moving the center from the hospital. Meriter Hospital and UW Hospital are discussing expanding their sleep centers by opening a joint center.
Baggot: Bad teams don’t deserve All-Stars
Wisconsin State Journal
My tongue-in-cheek column about the Big Ten Conference developing sitcoms and dramas for its new TV channel apparently created some confusion on high. The league office called. So did University of Wisconsin chancellor John Wiley. And it all seemed so far-fetched. …
Cloning milestones
USA Today
Human embryonic stem cells are isolated and cultured by researchers at the University of Wisconsin.
Groundbreaking birth 10 years ago opened up research
USA Today
Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, was born 10 years ago today, a birth met with elation by scientists who see cloning as a potential cure for illnesses and alarm by those who are fearful of a future populated by less-than-human clones.But Ian Wilmut, the scientist whose team at Scotland’s Roslin Institute cloned Dolly ââ?¬â? born July 5, 1996, and euthanized in 2003 because of lung disease ââ?¬â? says the most interesting thing about the past decade is what has not happened.
Oates: UW hasn’t aced exam yet
Wisconsin State Journal
There were plenty of pats on the back two weeks ago when the University of Wisconsin puffed out its chest Bucky Badger-style and proudly proclaimed that its men’s basketball team had compiled a 3.2 grade-point average during the second semester.
In the wake of the mass academic ineligibilities that hit the program in January and wrecked the second half of the season, that was welcome news for all concerned. Athletes, coaches, athletic department administrators, Bascom Hill academic types and UW fans can rest easy knowing the Badgers likely will be playing with a full deck at the start of next season.
Readers Weigh In On Nass, Barrett
Wisconsin State Journal
What a pair — state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, and UW lecturer Kevin Barrett deserve each other. Apparently Nass has no clue as to what the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution means. Then, of course, the meaning of the following also obviously escapes him:
Police Arrest Masel At Uw
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison Police arrested Ben Masel, an activist and potential U.S. Senate candidate, around 11 p.m. Thursday at the Union Terrace while he collected signatures to place his name on the 2006 ballot.
Masel, whom the police pepper-sprayed before arresting him, received citations for disorderly conduct, resisting a police officer and trespassing, and remaining after noticed to leave, all misdemeanors, said UW-Madison Police Lt. Bill Larson.
UW notes: Extra TV cash to help with Camp Randall renovation debt
Wisconsin State Journal
If you received a sizable, unexpected windfall, chances are you would entertain a frivolous thought or two.
Not so where the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department is concerned.
Last month it was announced UW could expect $13 million annually from two new Big Ten Conference television deals with Fox and ABC/ESPN. The arrangement with Fox is particularly noteworthy because it involves the creation of the Big Ten Channel, which will debut in 2007.
Ruling may save colleges millions
Wisconsin State Journal
Contrary to earlier fears, colleges and universities nationwide likely won’t be forced to spend millions of dollars redesigning their computer networks to help the federal government monitor e-mail traffic for terrorist activity.
Instead, a June court ruling suggests the most those institutions will need to spend under the new federal requirement is $30,000 to $100,000 to modify equipment that connects their campus networks to the Internet – and they may not have to spend even that, depending on certain conditions, higher education experts said.
Naperville Man Sentenced In Anti-Gay Hate Crime (Naperville Sun)
MADISON, Wis. The last of four men arrested last year for their roles in an anti-gay hate crime at the University of Wisconsin at Madison was sentenced Thursday for his part in that incident.
Baggot: Big Ten’s must-see lineup?
Wisconsin State Journal
You’re probably not going to believe this, but there is a lot more to this new Big Ten Channel than what the big hitters are letting on.
When Big Ten Conference commissioner Jim Delany announced last week the league was forming its own TV outlet – a cutting edge venture that would drop $7 million into the coffers of each member school every year – all anyone talked about was how sports would dominate the 24-7 programming plan.
Curiosities: Time of the day is key to tornado-green sky
Wisconsin State Journal
Q: Why does the sky turn green before a tornado?
A: Scott Bachmeier, a research meteorologist at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies at UW-Madison, says that particles in the air scatter light. In the day, the particles scatter more violet and blue light, but our eyes are more sensitive to blue light – that’s why the sky appears blue.
Firing of UW lecturer urged for 9/11 comments
Wisconsin State Journal
A state representative is calling for the immediate dismissal of a UW-Madison lecturer who said on a radio talk show Wednesday that U.S. government officials and the CIA orchestrated the attacks of Sept. 11.
Rep. Steve Nass, R- Whitewater, said Kevin Barrett should be barred from teaching an introductory course on Islam this fall because of remarks he made on a WTMJ-AM (620) show hosted by Jessica McBride.
Plastics get fruity (Nature)
http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060626/full/060626-8.html
Apple juice and corn, rather than petroleum, could be the raw materials for some of the plastics and pharmaceuticals of the future, thanks to a new chemical process devised by researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
No Logoff in Fight Over Laptops in Class (National Law Journal)
Ann Althouse, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School
West Nile Found In Several Wisconsin Counties (AP)
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Phil Pellitteri.
Canadian researchers find even a placebo drug can lower your risk (CBC News)
Quoted: Betty Chewning, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wis. lawmaker wants lecturer fired for 9-11 conspiracy views (AP)
Duluth News
MADISON, Wis. – A state lawmaker is calling on the University of Wisconsin-Madison to fire a part-time instructor who has spoken out on his beliefs that figures in the U.S. government, not al-Qaida, were behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Stunned Campus Mourns Its Chief, an Apparent Suicide
New York Times
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., June 29 ââ?¬â? They packed into a recital hall Thursday, hundreds strong, many in tears, remembering Denice Dee Denton, the chancellor of the shocked University of California campus here, who fell to her death from a skyscraper in San Francisco on Saturday, apparently by jumping.
Madison Woman Appears on Jeopardy
NBC-15
She may not have all the answers in life, but she’s got several of the questions.
Madison resident Susannah Jacobson will appear on the game show Jeopardy on Friday.
Conklin: Slipper Club slips away
Wisconsin State Journal
Canon advises congress
On very short notice last week, UW-Madison poly sci prof David Canon found himself in Washington, testifying in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, urging senators to renew and strengthen the Voting Rights Act — the four-decades-old law that ended poll taxes and literacy tests that had disenfranchised voters, particularly African Americans.
The hazards of books
University Communications’ Susannah Jacobson fulfilled a life-long goal by competing on “Jeopardy!” (It airs at 4:30 today on Ch. 15.) She was worried because “with only a few weeks between the call and the taping, I crammed over my lunch hour using a book of lists made for game show prepping. A few days before the show I realized that the book was full of glaring errors.”
However, her final showing was more-than-credible, she reveals.
Wineke: Stop the ‘clowns’ – and all of the hype
Wisconsin State Journal
Look, I don’t denigrate the danger posed by clowns. I lived in Madison in 1970, when four inept young men tried to blow up the ammunition plant near Baraboo by flying over in a single-engine airplane and dropping a Molotov cocktail onto the snow- covered roof of one of the buildings.
A few months later, these same guys managed to blow up Sterling Hall on the UW- Madison campus, killing one researcher and destroying the work of dozens. I don’t think we should wait until clowns manage to get lucky and kill people before we stop them.
SAEN again points to torture at UW Primate Center (Wisconsin Radio Network)
Wisconsin Radio Network
A new report claims the UW research lab is among the top nationally-known labs to torture animals. The advocacy group SAEN — Stop Animal Exploitation Now — says the University of Wisconsin National Primate Research Center is among the “Top 20” worst US research facilities for violations of federal law, which can often invalidate the research itself.
Plan would convert about 500 UW jobs to permanent status (AP)
Duluth News
MADISON, Wis. – About 500 limited-term jobs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison would become permanent work under a proposed plan, officials said.
Many of the employees who would be affected work for the athletic department and Wisconsin Union. Many of the workers perform jobs similar to permanent employees without the same pay, benefits and job security.
July 1 Deadline Looms For Student-Loan Consolidation
WISC-TV 3
MADISON, Wis. — July 1 is the deadline for a decision that could mean big money for those with student loans.
Each year, thousands of students decide whether to consolidate their student loans, but this year, it’s thousands of dollars ride on making that decision by the Friday deadline.
“I had no idea that I had to consolidate until a few weeks ago when I got all these notices in the mail,” said recent UW graduate Katie Doherty. She has about $30,000 in loans, so saving money in repayment is important.
The ââ?¬Ë?millennials’ come of age
USA Today
Demographers differ on just what ages they include in this next generation. Some include those born since 1980; others start with 1982 and go to about 2000. Most researchers have focused on the ââ?¬Å?first-waveââ?¬Â millennials ââ?¬â? those roughly ages 16 to 25. Although there’s no one set of traits that everyone shares, research has suggested some commonalities in areas ranging from home life and education to workplace behavior and leisure-time interests.
Big donors don’t always follow through. Like Ellison’s Harvard gift, some dry up
USA Today
Larry Ellison’s decision not to fulfill a $115 million pledge to Harvard University may go down as the biggest gift that got away, but it’s not the only one.Donors have reneged on pledges to the arts and higher education for years.
Prose and Politics (Inside Higher Ed)
Inside Higher Education
As college officials, higher ed policy wonks and other interested observers digested
a draft report released late Monday by the federal higher education commission, some of them focused on ideas that should have been included but werenââ?¬â?¢t. Others analyzed the reportââ?¬â?¢s political prospects. But again and again, virtually all of them returned to the paperââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Å?toneââ?¬Â ââ?¬â? which partisans of higher education found distasteful (or worse) but others suggested was purposely designed to create a sense of public urgency about the problems facing academe and the country.
Conklin: Boo U?
Wisconsin State Journal
Ever been haunted by a ghost on campus? John Allen, associate editor of On Wisconsin, is collecting campus ghost tales.”I’ve gotten about 50 stories so far,” says Allen, perusing his e-mail. “Ghost stories are a favorite urban legend. I’m hoping to get a list of what is out there.”
Paying Attention to ADHD Meds (WPR)
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: Craig Berridge is a professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Camp Randall Disabled Parking Plan Draws More Criticism
WKOW-TV 27
There’s more criticism of a new Camp Randall disabled parking policy which requires a $1700 donation to UW Athletics to retain a stall with the best access to the stadium.
The criticism comes from a stadium, parking partner.
The States’ Failure to Support Higher Education
Chronicle of Higher Education
Universally accessible and affordable public higher-education systems have become an economic and social necessity for all advancing nations. Unfortunately, however, on the whole, many policy makers in this country have not demonstrated much interest in providing the requisite financial support for public colleges and universities. Many state institutions are coping with rapidly growing numbers of applicants, as well as increasing legislative demands for greater performance and productivity. Yet the gap between such expectations and the resources to meet them is creating a looming crisis.
Warf Should Stop Impeding Research
Wisconsin State Journal
WARF is a nonprofit foundation affiliated with UW-Madison that manages inventions made by the university’s professors. You cannot do anything with human embryonic stem cells in the United States unless the foundation gives approval. It controls three patents. One on all primate embryonic stem cells, which includes humans, was issued in 1998. A second, specifically on human cells, was granted in 2001. And a third on human cells was issued in April.