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Author: knutson4

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl 2026 halftime show could finally bring Puerto Rican history into the spotlight

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Teen Vogue

To purposely further adhere his politics and his art, Bad Bunny involved University of Wisconsin-Madison associate professor of history Jorrell Meléndez-Badillo in the DtMF album rollout. The distilled history lessons from Meléndez-Badillo’s acclaimed book “Puerto Rico: A National History” were used as visualizers and displayed onscreen during the Residencia. His anti-colonial storytelling clarifies moments like the SCOTUS Insular cases, which afforded Puerto Rican U.S. citizens only some constitutional rights. He also emphasizes that these decisions were made in the early 1900s, when both journalistic coverage of Puerto Ricans and public intellectual discourse of them (including the President), was almost unilaterally disparaging and racist. This proliferated the idea that Puerto Ricans could never be American because of their “ignorance, laziness, and inferior ability to self-rule” (Melendez-Badillo, ch. 6).

‘Affordability’ becomes a watchword as Democrats look to 2026 elections

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Wisconsin Examiner

Nathan Kalmoe, a University of Wisconsin political scientist, said via email that emphasizing poor economic conditions could be risky for Wisconsin Democrats running in state elections. While Republican lawmakers “may take some blame, the governor is a Democrat,” and voters tend to hold the chief executive responsible for economic conditions, he said.

Kalmoe added that focusing on the economy exclusively at the expense of concerns for the most marginalized or concerns about Trump administration actions that threaten democracy would be “disturbing, and dangerous.”

What the Pacific ‘blob’ + La Niña means for winter in the US

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CNN

Atmospheric scientist Elizabeth Maroon of the University of Wisconsin-Madison told CNN there are large uncertainties in how this marine heat wave will affect the atmosphere above it, but there is no question that the blob will have an impact.

For example, she said there is the question of, “Will the marine heat wave get amplified by La Niña conditions, which is a very distinct possibility?” Those two would then work together to change winter weather patterns, she said, calling it one of several scenarios.

Wisconsin’s successful cranberry industry won’t be immune from Trump’ tariffs, growers say

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin’s cranberry industry generates nearly $1 billion annually and supports over 4,000 jobs in the state, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. While 2025’s production of the fruit saw a slight decrease from the 6.01 million barrels harvested in 2024, the forecasted 5.3 million barrels will make up roughly 65% of the total U.S. supply.

These UW-Madison faculty have been awarded MacArthur fellowships

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Wisconsin State Journal

wo more MacArthur fellows were added Wednesday to UW-Madison’s growing list of faculty who have received the prestigious award.

Since 1985, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has granted eight UW-Madison professors the fellowship, which often is referred to as a “genius award.”

2 UW-Madison professors named MacArthur Foundation ‘genius’ fellows

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Wisconsin State Journal

Two UW-Madison professors have been named MacArthur Foundation fellows, called “genius awards,” for their work in studying weather patterns in the tropics and investigating the effects of nuclear weapons.

UW-Madison professors Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, who is an atmospheric scientist, and Sébastien Philippe, a nuclear security specialist, were selected Wednesday for the prestigious fellowships. Fellows receive $800,000 paid out over five years for any use.

MacArthur 2025 ‘genius’ grant winners include 2 UW-Madison professors

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation named atmospheric scientist Ángel Adames Corraliza, 37, and nuclear security specialist Sébastien Philippe, 38, as recipients of the prestigious MacArthur fellowship. Also known as the “genius grant,” the national award is given annually to a small group of people across a range of disciplines who show exceptional creativity in their work and future ambitions.

Prodigy Greg Zelek joins UW-Madison Concert Choir for harmonious organ-chorus performance

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The Daily Cardinal

The Overture Concert Organ Series opened on Oct. 2 with a performance by Madison Symphony Orchestra Principal Organist Greg Zelek and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Concert Choir, conducted by Director of Choral Studies Dr. Mariana Farah.

At 31, Zelek is an organ prodigy and has played all over the world. He is one of a handful of full-time symphony organists in the US and has the privilege of performing on the Overture Center’s own stunning, custom-made organ.

Bat Brigade: The UW group contributing to bat conservation

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The Daily Cardinal

A University of Wisconsin-Madison collective is working to establish a long-term data set of little brown bat populations on campus with national implications for conservation.

The UW-Madison Bat Brigade is a collaboration between students, professionals and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to monitor and study bats on campus. The Brigade is part of Biocore, an honors biology program.

How does the government shutdown impact UW-Madison research?

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The Daily Cardinal

Some University of Wisconsin-Madison research will be affected due to the federal government shutdown, according to a message from both the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration and of Research.

UW-Madison ranked sixth nationally for research expenditure in 2024 and is at risk for delayed research project funding after the shutdown.

Meet the 22 artists, scientists and authors who will each get $800,000 MacArthur genius grants

Posted on
Associated Press

For Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the award is also a recognition of the talent and grit coming from Puerto Rico, where he is from, despite the hardships his community has endured. His research has uncovered many new findings about what drives weather patterns in the tropics, which may eventually help improve forecasting in those regions.

Adames said usually one of his classes would be ending right when the foundation would publish the new class of fellows, so he was planning to end the lecture early to come back to his office. He said he’s having trouble fathoming what it will be like.

“I am low-key expecting that a few people are just going to show up in my office, like right at 11:02 a.m. or something like that,” he said.

Many 2025 ‘Genius’ Fellows affiliated with universities

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Inside Higher Ed

Since the fellowship launched in 1981, fellows have included writers, scientists, artists, social scientists, humanists, teachers and entrepreneurs. While no institutional affiliation is required, the award went to the following 2025 fellows with ties to a college or university:

  • Atmospheric scientist Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, an associate professor in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for investigating the mechanisms underlying tropical weather patterns.
  • Nuclear security specialist Sébastien Philippe, assistant professor in the Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for exposing past harms and potential future risks from building, testing and storing launch-ready nuclear weapons.

A year after $22 million referendum, Madison mayor’s budget calls for modest changes

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Wisconsin State Journal

In 2026, the city anticipates an $8.6 million increase in property tax revenues and a $5.2 million increase in other local revenues, including a $3 million increase in earnings from city investments due to higher interest rates. The city is also expecting $5 million more in state aid, partly because the most recent state budget raises payments for providing some municipal services to state and Universities of Wisconsin facilities.

Why this player with heavy Minnesota ties committed to play for Wisconsin women’s hockey

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Wisconsin State Journal

“Just getting on campus and getting to see the school and going through the process, it became very clear to me that Wisconsin is where I wanted to be and that was going to be my home,” Emily Pohl said. “And I’m really excited about it.”

Pohl, who described herself as a power forward with a high compete level, led Hill-Murray to the Minnesota state high school championship last season as a sophomore with 41 goals and 74 points in 31 games.

Fishing is impacting fishery populations more than climate change, new study finds

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Channel 3000

It’s no secret that Wisconsinites love fishing. But who knew the effects of local anglers on our fisheries were outpacing that of climate change?

That’s exactly what a new study from postdoctoral researcher Luoliang Xu and Prof. Olaf Jensen at UW-Madison’s Center for Limnology found. The discovery was published last week in the journal Science Advances.

“Warming and fishing are happening at the same time, and they both can strongly affect the fish populations,” Xu said. “So the intention of our study is to try to tear apart these two factors.”

UW scientists prepare for final IceCube expedition

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Isthmus

This fall, as temperatures plummet to -50°C (or -58°F) at the South Pole, a team of UW-Madison scientists and engineers will embark on an adventure to the frozen desert. Their goal: drill seven holes through a mile and a half of Antarctic ice to complete a revolutionary upgrade to the world’s coldest neutrino telescope.

“Whoever had the idea of drilling holes a mile and a half into a glacier was crazy,” says Vivian O’Dell, project manager for the IceCube Upgrade. “Completely nuts. And yet it works.”

UW-Madison plans to move Athletic Hall of Fame to Kohl Center

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The Cap Times

While the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Athletic Hall of Fame is set to move next year, commemorative bricks purchased by Badgers fans will stay near Camp Randall Stadium, an administrator said Tuesday.

The athletics department plans to relocate the Hall of Fame outside of the Kohl Center, where the school’s basketball teams play. About a mile east of UW-Madison’s football stadium, the Kohl Center is a “prime location” on campus that attracts thousands each year, said Jason King, UW-Madison’s senior associate athletic director for capital projects and operations.

Glacier melt will lead to ice-free peaks in California for first time in human history

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The Guardian

“We’ll be the first to see the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “This has ecological implications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is very abstract, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re iconic features of the American West.”

UW research resumes on social media effects after funds frozen

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Badger Herald

Funding for a long-term study on the effects of social media on 325 Wisconsin teenagers aged 13-15 resumed on Monday after funding for the study was frozen by the Trump administration in March of this year, according to UW News.

The study is operating on a five-year $7.5 million grant from the National Institute of Health who terminated the grant on the basis that the grant no longer “effectuates agency priorities,” according to UW News.

Wisconsin Badgers changed the brats they’re serving at games. Here’s the backstory

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Wisconsin State Journal

Part of the shipment of food to be prepared for the next week’s University of Wisconsin football game arrived, as usual, at Camp Randall Stadium on a Thursday. The collection was short in one product that in Wisconsin almost certainly would get noticed if concession stands ran out early: There weren’t enough brats.

In the short term, a search gathered enough supply of the brats to get Wisconsin through the football season before pivoting. Over the following months, chefs went through a taste-testing process that informed how they were planning to move forward.

A “country cap” at universities shouldn’t worry international families

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Forbes

While the proposed caps might not immediately affect most colleges, some of the “elite” private colleges and large state schools would be impacted. Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Southern California, along with the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, all surpass the proposed limit. The high concentration of international students at these institutions is more related to brand recognition and recruitment efforts than to student success. Families should keep this in mind.

UW, state leaders unveil Morgridge Hall, ushering in ‘AI revolution’

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The Daily Cardinal

Morgridge Hall, the new home of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Computer, Data and Information Sciences (CDIS) programs, which may soon separate from Letters & Sciences, is officially open for business.

After a two-and-a-half-year construction project which cost $260 million, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and a host of other speakers cut the ribbon on Morgridge Hall Friday, ushering in a “new AI revolution” that will sweep the campus.

Lake Winnebago wild rice restoration project continues despite federal funding cut

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Wisconsin Public Radio

For Jessica Skeesuck, vice chair of the Brothertown Indian Nation, restoring wild rice goes beyond just helping the environment.

“It is an important food from a nutritional value perspective, but also from a very important cultural perspective for many tribes, including Brothertown Indian Nation,” Skeesuck told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”

Skeesuck and Jessie Conaway, an outdoor educator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are co-leads on the Intertribal Lake Winnebago Wild Rice Revitalization Project.

About that column I didn’t write as a UW professor

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Wisconsin State Journal

“I am not going to be that professor who posts on social media and is promptly pilloried for expressing an opinion.

“Like many academics these days, I have been wanting to weigh in on recent crises and tragedies that are at the top of the news cycle. But such a course hardly seems wise.”

Written by Russ Castronovo, a professor of English and the director of the Center for the Humanities at UW-Madison.

Tool developed at UW-Madison helps map health disparities nationwide

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Wisconsin State Journal

Where someone lives can shape their health, just as much as the care they receive. That’s why Dr. Amy Kind of her team at UW-Madison have developed the Area Deprivation Index (ADI).

The tool maps health disparities using the impacts of income, housing, education and employment on health.

UW-Madison cuts diversity-related unit in human resources office

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Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison has shuttered the equity and well-being department in its human resources office, which worked to retain LGBTQ+ and employees of color.

The university established the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Employee Well-Being in spring 2021 to offer consultation and promote inclusive policies and environments, with a focus on support for traditionally marginalized communities.

UW-Madison lab creating archive of historic, significant locations for Black Madisonians

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Spectrum News

New research going on at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is focused on how Black residents find and build community in the City of Madison, which is predominantly white.

About a dozen students are part of the first research lab within UW-Madison’s Department of African American Studies. It’s called the Soulfolk Collective.

4 takeaways from UW-Madison’s new enrollment numbers this fall

Posted on
The Cap Times

Overall enrollment held steady. The number of graduate and international students declined, as anticipated. And the University of Wisconsin-Madison welcomed roughly 1,000 of the state’s top students through a new program this fall.

Those were among the key takeaways after Wisconsin’s flagship university released its latest enrollment numbers, based on a student census conducted on the 10th day of classes.

VIDEO: Fight and gunfire outside UW Madison frat house

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WKOW - Channel 27

Madison police responded to reports of a fight with a shot fired on Friday in the 200 block of Langdon Street outside Pi Kappa Alpha on UW-Madison’s fraternity row. Authorities took an 18-year-old into custody nearby and recovered physical evidence at the scene.

“We live right over here, and like, past three, four years, we spend so much time on this street. And just to like, the fact that it happened is super scary,” said Jimmy Lynch, a UW-Madison student.

Here’s what the return of nuclear power to Kewaunee County means for Wisconsin’s workforce

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Wisconsin Watch

Bringing a new power station online means Wisconsin would need more nuclear engineers to design and operate the plant.

Department Chair Paul Wilson and Assistant Professor Ben Lindley believe there is a ready pipeline of qualified workers in the state to keep up with that added demand. UW-Madison “pumps out” nuclear engineers, but Wisconsin has only one nuclear plant located in Two Rivers, Lindley said. This leaves some graduates to look for employment in other states.

“A lot of them want to stay in the state, and so having more job opportunities would certainly help,” Lindley said.

Trump education cuts quietly declare that opportunity should be rationed on race

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Written by Anthony Hernandez, a faculty member in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He received a research award from the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation for his study on leadership in higher education.

A Milwaukee woman thought her insurance covered flood damage. It was a $60K misunderstanding.

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Many residents in high-flood-risk areas, like coastal or riverside communities, have shifted to private flood insurance programs that can cover more damage, said Ben Collier, an associate professor of risk and insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The NFIP covers up to $250,000 for homes and buildings and up to $100,000 in personal property. Collier said costs can easily exceed that in the most severe flood situations.

“The National Flood Insurance Program has been priced too low and has run deficits for many years,” Collier said. “The coverage limits are not especially high.”

Man charged with homicide in fatal beating of former co-worker in UW parking lot

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Wisconsin State Journal

Arecently fired co-worker of a man severely beaten last month outside Camp Randall in Madison has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the man’s death.

Keith A. Jones, 58, of Madison, attacked Mark A. Tiggelaar, 62, of Fitchburg, in a University of Wisconsin Athletics parking lot in the early morning hours of Sept. 20, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.

Federal budget cuts could affect tremendous progress in weather forecasting

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Wisconsin State Journal

“Recent budget reductions to NOAA are reducing the observations needed to support these accurate weather prediction models. This budget impact results in fewer observations of the atmosphere and elimination of future satellite systems.”

Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

How salary for new Wisconsin women’s tennis coach compares to predecessor

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Wisconsin State Journal

Marek Michalicka will make $125,000 this year in base salary, according to records released to BadgerExtra by the university through a public records request. This is his first college head coaching position.

He was hired for the job after Kelcy McKenna left for Southern Methodist in August just before the start of what would have been her 10th season in charge. She made $153,816 last season after starting with a $95,000 salary in 2016.

UW system plan nixes ethnic and cultural studies requirement

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Wisconsin State Journal

Universities of Wisconsin proposal to redesign general education curriculum would eliminate requirements that students take an ethnic or cultural studies class.

UW system administrators are trying to standardize general education requirements to comply with reforms approved during the biennial budget negotiations aimed at making it easier for students to transfer credits between the 13 universities.

John Searle obituary

Posted on
The Guardian

Having studied for two years at his local university, Wisconsin-Madison, he had won a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford – unaware, he later insisted, that philosophy at the university was going through “a golden age”.

 

Trump’s tariffs are hurting the people who voted for him

Posted on
HuffPost

“The tariffs are an insult to injury,” said Paul Mitchell, a professor of agriculture and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mitchell says farmers are now quietly rethinking the Trump administration’s strategies.

“We already have enough problems,” as he puts it. “Why are you making more for us?”