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A first look at The Center for Black Excellence and Culture

Posted on
The Cap Times

Leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are excited about the Center, Gee said. The chancellor and provost recently toured the building.

He said the Center is developing partnerships with six university departments and that UW leaders “believe we can help sell the university as a place for students, researchers and faculty.” “I love that, but the other piece is if we connect (with) Milwaukee, Beloit, Racine, and we unite those Black communities so that we set agendas together, we dream together, we celebrate together.”

Here’s why Wisconsin Republican lawmakers pass bills they know Gov. Tony Evers will veto

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Wisconsin Watch

Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center and political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said political messaging votes can have impacts on elections, especially in what will be some of the close Senate races in 2026.

“It’s kind of a messaging opportunity, not really a policymaking opportunity. It’s also maybe a way for Republicans to let off some steam,” Burden said.

How much will Thanksgiving dinner cost in Wisconsin in 2025?

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It’s more uncertain this year somewhat because of the government shutdown but also because of some other factors moving around in some of these markets,” said Jeff Hadachek, assistant professor of agriculture and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Generally, I anticipate prices will be higher, but the question is: ‘How much higher?’”

UW research examines AI’s role in journalism

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

Tomas Dodds, journalism professor and founder of the Public Media Tech Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hopes to help local journalists understand the implications of AI in the newsroom by providing a variety of resources, such as training sessions and workshops.

“In the newsroom, you don’t know how your colleagues are using AI,” Dodds said, adding that the Public Media Tech Lab would facilitate discussions in the newsroom where coworkers could disclose how they use it and create AI usage policies from these discussions.

Kids are expensive. Do they have to be?

Posted on
NPR

Families across the country are asking that same question when it comes to childcare, as the yearly costs for daycare are becoming comparable to a year’s rent in many places. How did childcare become so expensive, and how might everyone benefit if the government provided more support to parents? Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Jessica Calarco, and Senior Fellow at the Think Tank Capita Elliot Haspel are here to help Brittany find out.

New UW gen ed policy may ease transfer process. But will it erode campus autonomy?

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The state budget passed this summer increased the UW system’s budget by $256 million but came with strings, including requiring all core general education courses be transferable between UW campuses and satisfy general education requirements at the receiving institution by fall 2026.

Q&A: UW Marching Band member details tradition, performance within the ensemble

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

Assistant drum major Arista Whitson helps lead the University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band in collaboration with drum major Caleb Monge. For every Badger football game played at Camp Randall, the band performs a pregame, halftime and fifth quarter performance celebrating their legendary tradition with energy and precision.

What are international students doing for Thanksgiving?

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The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is home to over 7,000 international students from more than 120 different countries. For some students, visiting home means a long flight and an uncomfortable middle seat. But with fall break just around the corner, many international students are bringing fresh perspectives to Thanksgiving.

UW-Madison toes the line between burnout culture and mental health

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

November is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison is once again covered in wellness graphics, posters and reminders to slow down and take care of ourselves. The intention is good, but the timing is almost ironic, because if there’s one thing students don’t have in November, it’s the time — or bandwidth — to actually “prioritize wellness.”

Dick Cheney’s power, controversies and legacy

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USA Today

Dick Cheney was a Westerner. He grew up in Wyoming. He was a college dropout at one point, seemed a little at loose ends. Then he married Lynne Cheney, his wife, who set him straight. She was a very disciplined person from then, at that point and forever. He went to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin seeking a Ph.D. never got the Ph.D. He got an internship in Washington, and there he found his path working first as a congressional aide and then as the youngest White House chief of staff ever working for President Ford.

UW-Madison’s new center studies the link between aging and diseases

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Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison researchers at a new federally funded center on campus will examine how aging influences diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s.

The Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging will fund new research that examines how metabolic changes associated with aging are linked to disease. The center’s researchers aim to develop improved treatments or methodologies that physicians can use to better address their patients’ conditions.

UW-Madison School of Nursing Dean Linda Scott, a leader in her field, dies at 69

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Linda Scott, who served for nearly a decade as dean of the UW-Madison School of Nursing and was a leader in her field, died Monday. She was 69.

A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Scott’s ambition to work in nursing started during her childhood, inspired by her mother’s career as a nurse attendant. This year was Scott’s 10th in the role at the School of Nursing as its eighth leader and the program’s first Black dean.

Wisconsin football seniors reflect on career disappointments, points of pride

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Wisconsin State Journal

Sighs, long pauses and stares into the distance accompanied many of the answers to a difficult question posed to University of Wisconsin seniors over the past three weeks.

The class, which will be celebrated Saturday night when the Badgers face Illinois for the final game at Camp Randall Stadium this season, finds itself celebrating something different than most senior days.

New UW faculty workload policy could hinder faculty recruitment, professors say

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The UW Board of Regents on Nov. 19 approved controversial changes to a teaching workload policy despite some criticism and concern from faculty.

Under the proposal, full-time instructors would be required to teach at least 24 credits every school year, or four three-credit classes each semester. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, where professors are expected to produce more research, the minimum load is 12 credits per year, or two classes per semester.

It’s time to break up the programmatic accrediting agency monopolies

Posted on
Inside Higher Ed

As John D. Wiley, former provost at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, correctly noted almost 20 years ago, “We are already seeing this very phenomenon of degree inflation, and it is being caused by the professions themselves! This is particularly problematic in the health professions, where, it seems, everyone wants to be called ‘doctor.’ I have no problem whatsoever with the professional societies and their accreditors telling us what a graduate must know to practice safely and professionally. I have a big problem, though, when they hand us what amounts to a master’s-level curriculum and tell us the resulting degree must be called a ‘doctor of X.’ This is a transparently self-interested ploy by the profession, and I see no conceivable argument that it is in the public interest. All it does is further confuse an already confusing array of degree names and titles, to no useful purpose.”

The polar vortex is about to bring a wild weather pattern change

Posted on
CNN

It’s still not certain there will be a major winter blast, but scientists are watching for colder than normal conditions to develop in the mid-latitudes — where most of the world’s population resides — over the next month or so. Once the polar vortex is disrupted, it can take a month or more to recover, said Andrea Lopez Lang, a meteorologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“We can see more active and shifted storm tracks and increases in cold air outbreaks in regions across the Northern Hemisphere,” she said in an email.

Honda invests in soil carbon removal credit scheme to offset emissions

Posted on
Newsweek

University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension’s Crops and Soils program defines a carbon credit as, “a certified, tradable carbon offset that is exchanged under a cap and trade system of emissions regulation.” Under that system, companies are allotted a certain number of credits to offset their emissions impact. Farmers who have generated their own credits may sell them to companies who, in turn, may release more harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

What the Trump administration’s latest moves to dismantle the Education Department mean for schools and students

Posted on
Time

Experts also expressed concerns that the process of disseminating funding or services may change once they’re moved to other federal agencies. Nicholas Hillman, a professor in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says he wonders, for instance, if a college that is seeking funding from an OPE grant will now be asked different questions and will have to undergo a different review process, which could potentially create “additional hurdles” for colleges that are “already stretched pretty thin.”

California State University embraces direct admissions

Posted on
Inside Higher Ed

“My work, in partnership with states and national nonprofit organizations, shows that direct admissions programs can not only increase students’ early-college going behaviors but also subsequently raise their college enrollment outcomes,” said Taylor Odle, a professor of education policy studies at the University of Wisconsin. “These benefits are particularly large for students of color, those who will be the first in their family to attend college, and those from lower-income communities. States who have implemented direct admissions also consistently report higher enrollment levels following implementation.”

Naturalized US citizens thought they were safe. Trump’s immigration policies are shaking that belief

Posted on
Associated Press

What citizenship has meant, and who was included, has expanded and contracted throughout American history, said Stephen Kantrowitz, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He said that while the word “citizen” is in the original Constitution, it is not defined.

“When the Constitution is written, nobody knows what citizenship means,” he said. “It’s a term of art, it comes out of the French revolutionary tradition. It sort of suggests an equality of the members of a political community, and it has some implications for the right to be a member of that political community. But it is … so undefined.”

Researchers examine the professional skepticism of audit partners

Posted on
Forbes

The research team examined the audit reports of 19,200 financially distressed companies in Belgium between 2008 and 2017. The vast majority of the companies examined were private companies, as is the case with most Belgian companies. The study is authored by Kris Hardies from the University of Antwerp, Sanne Janssen of the Court of Audit, Ann Vanstraelen of Maastricht University, and Karla M. Zehms from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

WHYsconsin: Where can kids get the 2025 COVID vaccine?

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Dr. Jim Conway, the medical director at UW Health’s immunization program, said some pharmacies may be concerned about a state law which generally requires a prescription before a pharmacist administers a vaccine to someone under 6 years old. Even so, Conway said the state directive was intended to clear that up, by specifying that prescriptions aren’t required for the COVID vaccine.

“It’s not just flipping a switch,” Conway said. “We had to get vaccine ordered and get it shipped in and then get it distributed to the clinics. So that was happening … and then everything was finally in place and we were ready to go. We’re very excited.”

 

This geologist gives new life to animal bones

Posted on
Madison Magazine

Woznick traces his love of nature back to middle school, when he joined an after-school nature club. On Wednesday afternoons, the group would walk to Warner Park and learn about the plants and animals living there. That nascent fascination would inform Woznick’s career path: He double-majored in geology and environmental studies as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison before completing a master’s degree in geoscience at Utah State University.

UW-Madison pioneers cancer detection research

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

According to University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Zachary Morris, the university has experts in nearly every area of a rising field of cancer research called theranostics.

Morris, a faculty member at the School of Medicine and Public Health and Chair of the Department of Oncology, leads the UW-Madison Initiative for Theranostics and Particle Therapy. He told The Daily Cardinal the theranostics field has quickly been gaining traction over the past decade, and UW-Madison is poised to be at the forefront.

Effigy mounds on UW-Madison campus get national historic nod

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Dugout canoes discovered in Lake Mendota have been getting much attention in recent years, but a series of burial mounds on the lake’s shoreline are now getting their turn.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has announced that a grouping of burial mounds on the UW-Madison campus has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Time to end enormous buyouts for UW coaches

Posted on
Isthmus

Remember when the Badgers football team competed for the Big Ten championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl? If so, your memory would have to go back a few years. Remember when the Badgers lost to a so-so, 20th ranked Michigan team by 14 points and that was considered a moral victory? You’d have to think all the way back to last Saturday for that one. It might be fresher in your mind.

Most Wisconsin schools protect students from discrimination against everything but this.

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A study of Wisconsin school board policies has found that nearly all districts have policies protecting students from discrimination based on sexual orientation and the vast majority protect students from discrimination based on gender identity.

“I don’t think there’s enough work that describes the environment that we’re in.  But then the project gained some urgency when we started hearing from educators across the state about the need for some sort of description of the state of guidance affecting teachers and students,” said Mollie McQuillan, lead author of the school board policy research and an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at UW-Madison.

Wisconsin joins clinical trial to see if AI can catch more breast cancer cases

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The trial, led by the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Davis will look at hundreds of thousands of mammograms at UW Health and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s medical school, as well as academic medical centers in four other states. Wisconsin researchers say it’s an important foray into better understanding both the potential benefits and drawbacks of using AI in cancer screenings.

State Democrats introduce bills to reduce tuition costs for students

Posted on
WKOW - Channel 27

State Democrats introduced legislation Thursday in an effort to ease the financial burden on Universities of Wisconsin students.

The “Higher Education Powers Wisconsin Package” includes a bill to extend Bucky’s Tuition Promise.

Under Bucky’s Tuition Promise, the program covers all tuition and fees for UW-Madison students from Wisconsin whose household income is less than $65,000 per year.

Waukesha County takes steps in redevelopment process for former UWM-Waukesha campus

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

At a time of the year when colleges are usually teeming with autumn activity, the University of Wisconsin system’s former Waukesha campus stands silent, a closed venue still awaiting a plan for its future.

As previously envisioned, that future will likely involve some form of mixed-residential development on 71 of its 76 acres on the City of Waukesha’s north side. Now, nearly a year since the fate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha campus buildings was sealed, a clearer view of that future could emerge on Oct. 27, when the county may decide which developer will be the county’s partner in the effort.

University of Wisconsin psychology professor Gary Lupyan: If you talk to yourself out loud, you’re probably this type of person

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As

Talking to oneself out loud—known in psychology as “self-talk” or “thinking out loud”—is a common and beneficial behavior, not a sign of irrationality. Rather than indicating madness or social isolation, self-talk serves as a powerful cognitive tool with a range of psychological benefits. Gary Lupyan, associate professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin, explains that this practice can improve memory and concentration, challenging the stereotype that talking to oneself is a symptom of instability.

In one experiment, participants who named objects out loud were able to locate them more quickly than those who remained silent. As Lupyan explains, “Even though we all know what a banana looks like, saying the word out loud helps the brain activate additional information about that item, including what it looks like.” Verbalizing names or thoughts engages both visual and contextual processing in the brain, enhancing identification and recall.

 

How to relieve nausea during pregnancy, according to an OB-GYN

Posted on
Business Insider

“Because this idea of ‘morning sickness’ is common, a lot of women don’t report their symptoms,” says Cynthie Wautlet, MD, an OB-GYN at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Reporting your symptoms is especially important since early detection and prevention are the best ways to control nausea.

“Eating every two hours — just a small amount — can be easier on the stomach,” says Wautlet. To feel full from these smaller meals, she adds that high-protein, nutrient-dense foods will help. But you should avoid foods with smells or spices that may trigger your nausea.

Wisconsin rarely grants compassionate release as aging, ailing prisoners stress systems

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

“In Wisconsin overcrowding is a huge issue. Assigning more people to a room than they’re supposed to, which, of course, affects your sleep,” said Farah Kaiksow, associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, who has researched aging and care in prison.

13th annual ‘Fill the Hill’ at UW-Madison kicks off, raising thousands for student causes in 24 hours

Posted on
WKOW - Channel 27

‘Fill the Hill’ at UW-Madison kicked off at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9. The event is the university’s largest fundraising day, allowing donors to gift money to student groups for 24 hours.

To celebrate the event, a flock of flamingo rubber duckies will be dumped into the fountain at Library Mall at 9 a.m. on Friday Oct. 10. Participants can rescue them with a net and keep the ones they catch.

Here’s how Trump’s new tax law affects people with low incomes

Posted on
Wisconsin Watch

Benefits that people with low incomes do receive may be outweighed when considered alongside other provisions in the bill, said Andrew Reschovsky, professor emeritus of public affairs and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This is especially true of cuts to safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, Reschovsky said.

“This is the dilemma – if you count those things in with the tax side, the net will be that a lot of people are going to be worse off.”

A big corn crop in 2025 creates a tricky price situation for Wisconsin corn growers

Posted on
PBS Wisconsin

“Corn is one of the biggest contributors to the dairy industry, both in corn silage crop and a corn grain crop, which is also used for foraging,” said Harkirat Kaur, a corn agronomist with UW-Madison Division of Extension Crops and Soils program. Harvesting grain differs from producing silage because it focuses on using the corn plant’s kernels for human food and animal feed, as well as the basis for ethanol biofuel.

Two UW–Madison professors awarded prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius grants’

Posted on
WKOW - Channel 27

Two University of Wisconsin–Madison professors have been named MacArthur Fellows, receiving one of the nation’s most prestigious honors.

Angel Adames Corraliza studies tropical weather patterns, focusing on atmospheric physics and climate model simulations. He says his research helps improve understanding of the planet and can ultimately save lives.

Sébastien Philippe, the second recipient, studies the harms and risks of building, testing and storing nuclear weapons. Using archival research, data modeling and his experience as a nuclear safety engineer, he examines the damage caused by nuclear testing. His work has influenced policy and improved compensation for people exposed to nuclear radiation.

In the 608: ‘Fill the Hill’ returns to UW-Madison with flock of pink flamingos

Posted on
Channel 3000

Thousands of pink plastic flamingos will once again cover Bascom Hill as the University of Wisconsin–Madison celebrates its 13th annual Fill the Hill fundraiser.

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association hosts the event each fall as part of the University’s day-of-giving campaign. Each donation of $5 or more adds another flamingo to the growing flock on the hill.

Fishing plays greater role on Midwest fish populations than warming, study finds

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Despite worries over rising temperatures, it turns out anglers have a greater effect on fish populations than global warming. That’s according to a new study led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“We found that for the majority of the populations so far fishing has far more greater impact than warming on the fish populations,” said Luoliang Xu, postdoctoral researcher at UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology.