UW-Madison’s Shawn Robinson shares his journey with dyslexia and creation of the “Doctor Dyslexia Dude” comic book superhero.
A dyslexic superhero’s real alter ego, and a prolific Wisconsin author reaches a milestone birthday
Wisconsin Public Radio
Author: knutson4
UW-Madison one step closer to harnessing the power of the sun through fusion research
Wisconsin Public Radio
For the first time, a fusion device at the University of Wisconsin in Madison has generated plasma, inching one step closer toward using nuclear fusion as a a new source of carbon-free energy.
The university’s physicists and engineers have been building and testing the device at a lab in Stoughton for the last four years, which is referred to as the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror or WHAM. The magnetic mirror device became operational on July 15.
UW scientists break new ground on nuclear fusion, which could be the future of energy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists has taken a major step toward creating a clean, reliable and powerful source of energy.
Four years in the making, it is part of a broader approach to using nuclear fusion energy that, unlike existing nuclear technology, does not create large amounts of radioactive waste.
‘Entirely unprecedented’: Biden’s exit, Harris’ rise scrambles race in Wisconsin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“In the short run, I think it trips up the Republicans, who have had a really wonderful week (with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee),” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.”(Biden’s) age, his feebleness, his mental capacity, those were the things that the public had major concerns about. … that’s now gone as an issue.”
UW-Madison one step closer to harnessing the power of the sun through fusion research
Wisconsin Public Radio
For the first time, a fusion device at the University of Wisconsin in Madison has generated plasma, inching one step closer toward using nuclear fusion as a a new source of carbon-free energy.
Who is Kamala Harris and what is her connection to Wisconsin? Vice president’s age, ethnicity, parents
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Both of Harris’ parents worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during her childhood.
Do Wisconsin Democratic delegates have to vote for Biden? Your delegate questions answered
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“It seems like Biden has released (the delegates from their pledges). He didn’t say that formally, but they’re also not formally bound to him,” Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Members of Wisconsin football team visit camp for kids
WKOW
Members of the Wisconsin football team made a stop at the Salvation Army of Dane County’s day camp.
Team members played games with the kids. Cornerback Amare Snowden says the goal is to give back to the greater Madison community.
The Badgers will open their 2024 season on Friday, August 30 when they take on Western Michigan at Camp Randall.
Wisconsin women’s basketball assistant ‘speechless’ after realizing Power 5 dream
Wisconsin State Journal
Coaching at the Power Five level has been on Fro Jerro’s radar ever since she began coaching career over three decades ago.
Opportunities to make the jump from the mid-majors and personal matters never seemed to coincide, however.
When the University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team was in search of a new assistant following the departure of Tiffany Morton in late April, Jerro felt compelled to make another push.
As UW branch campuses close, counties are left with empty buildings and property. Here’s what they plan to do
Wisconsin State Journal
The closure of six Universities of Wisconsin branch campuses has left their counties with an extensive, and expensive, problem: Finding a purpose for the buildings and land the UW system left behind.
‘Illegal immigrants’ are reinforcing Social Security, not draining it
Wausau Pilot & Review
“If anything, we’re gaining from undocumented immigrants,” said Karen Holden, a UW-Madison professor emerita of public affairs and consumer science who focuses on Social Security.
Lifelong Learner: Educational resources for low-income students foster opportunity
Wisconsin State Journal
Despite recent reports of the problematic rollout of the 2024-25 Free Application for Student Financial Aid, commonly known as FAFSA, the revised form does have some good news for low-income students.
Developer proposes 15-story student housing project Downtown
Wisconsin State Journal
Another 15-story student housing development could go up on the corner of North Frances and West Johnson streets Downtown.
Chicago-based Core Spaces announced plans Thursday for 392 apartments, a rooftop pool and other “premier” amenities at 305 N. Frances St., where the Saxony Apartments stand today.
Wisconsin women’s basketball headed to Cancun for Thanksgiving tournament
Wisconsin State Journal
The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team will spend Thanksgiving in a warm climate for the second straight year.
The Badgers will compete in the Cancun Challenge Nov. 28-30 at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico, the program announced Thursday.
UW-Madison chancellor pay to top $1 million in 2025
The Daily Cardinal
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents approved chancellor pay raises and bonuses for student retention in a closed session meeting Monday.
The new compensation plan will see UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s current $811,512 annual salary increased to $892,663. She will also receive a philanthropic bonus of $150,000 for staying at UW-Madison through mid-2025 and $50,000 for each year she stays afterward until June 2029.
State committee considers future of Universities of Wisconsin
WKOW
A committee convened by the state Legislature met Thursday to set the scope of its work evaluating changes to be made to the Universities of Wisconsin.
The Study Committee on the Future of the University of Wisconsin System is a bipartisan group of legislators, business representatives, educators and government officials. They represent a cross section of the state stakeholders in public campuses.
Study committee meets for first time to consider future of the University of Wisconsin System
Wisconsin Examiner
A study committee made up of lawmakers and members of the public will spend the next few months discussing the future of the University of Wisconsin system and solutions for ongoing concerns, which appeared to be wide ranging during the panel’s first meeting on Thursday.
Police from across the country coming to Milwaukee to help during RNC
WISN
All of the extra police officers need to stay somewhere. The city of Milwaukee requested 4,000 dorm rooms but has said that not all of them will be filled with officers. The city requested rooms at Concordia University Wisconsin, Carroll University, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Mount Mary University.
COVID on the rise in Dane County: What you should know
The Cap Times
COVID-19 is “still circulating and continuing to mutate on a fairly regular basis,” said Dr. Jim Conway, medical director of the UW Health immunization program.
Wisconsin sees promise in ‘housing first’ support of domestic violence survivors
Wisconsin Watch
“It opens up a whole new world of possibilities,” said Kate Walsh, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and part of a team assessing the effectiveness of the statewide pilot project.
The UW-Madison team is gathering survey data from 68 housing recipients across the program’s nine pilot sites. More than half of the participants across the nine sites reported a reduction in exposure to domestic violence and higher satisfaction with their living situations, according to preliminary findings.
Pasture-based farming leads Wisconsin cheesemakers to award-winning taste
Wisconsin Public Radio
Hatch said the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has a network of people who want to see small producers succeed.
“There are so many resources in Wisconsin, you just need to start introducing yourself and asking questions,” he said.
How Hmong women in Wisconsin are tackling domestic violence in their communities
Wisconsin Watch
Lo would ultimately escape the abuse and get back on her feet with help from The Women’s Community, Inc., a Wausau-based nonprofit that serves domestic violence and trafficking survivors. Her life would come full circle years later. She would go on to earn a master’s degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before returning to Wausau to help Hmong women through challenges like she faced.
2 cranes try their hand at parenting despite species difference
Wisconsin Public Radio
Anna Pidgeon, an avian ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said cross-fostering is used in many different ways among domestic and wild species. In this case, a common species chick — a sandhill crane — is raised by a vulnerable species — blue cranes — to help them gain parenting skills.
“Figuring out how to work as a pair, as coparents, is something that just like in humans or other species where it takes two, they get better with time and with practice,” Pidgeon said.
Winds from black holes are speeding up, UW-Madison study says
The Daily Cardinal
Eight years and 130 observations: that’s all it takes to prove the winds coming from supermassive black holes have accelerated.
Led by University of Wisconsin-Madison Assistant Astronomy Professor Catherine Grier and recent graduate Robert Wheatly, a team of researchers compiled years of data to find that quasars, the cores of galaxies where supermassive black holes are messily feeding, are emitting winds that are speeding up over time. This research may mark the first step in understanding how black holes communicate with the galaxies they’re in, according to Grier.
‘Clouds of mosquitoes’ to swarm Madison after wet June
The Cap Times
All that rain will “certainly” affect how many mosquitoes are buzzing around, said Lyric Bartholomay, a medical entomologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“People are saying to me, ‘Seems like the mosquitoes are a lot worse this year. What’s going on?’” Bartholomay said.
UW-Madison professor and PhD candidate counter white-nose syndrome
Channel 3000
The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced Thursday one of its professors, along with a PhD candidate, have made scientific gains in studying how a type of invasive fungus kills North American bats.
UW said Prof. Bruce Klein and PhD candidate Marcos Isidoro-Ayza worked to shed light on the mystery of how the fungus initiates infection and causes “white-nose syndrome,” which has devastated several North American bat species over the years. The pair discovered how the fungus covertly hijacks cells at the surface of bats’ skin.
The dairy farm of the future could employ robotics
Wisconsin Public Radio
Dennis Hancock is center director at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center, which will administer the new facility in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. He said part of the decline in Wisconsin dairy farms can be attributed to workforce shortage and a possible solution is replacing some of the workforce with technology.
“One of the ways to save smaller farms, in my opinion and those that have actually made the conversion would agree, is through the use of robotics,” Hancock recently said on WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” “Robotics are quite expensive, but they do save a lot of labor.”
Wisconsin farmers face profitability challenges with wet weather and soggy field conditions
Wisconsin State Farmer
“We had the warmest February on record and our soil moisture was down to 16% in some areas. And now we’ve gone from one of the most severe deficits to one of the most severe surpluses (of moisture) in just a couple of months,” said Kevin Jarek, University of Wisconsin Division of Extension Crops and Soils educator for Outagamie County. “In my 25 years with Extension, this is unbelievable.”
Just how ‘horrible’ is Milwaukee’s crime? A look at the midyear stats.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“When people talk about crime and the proliferation of crime among some communities rather than others, there often is an attempt to explain it very simplistic,” said Alvin Thomas, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It’s more than just that. There’s racism. There’s the historical impact of racism and race, and how that affects policy, how policy impacts access to resources, impacts access to social mobility, impacts where people live, what kind of schools people go to, the perception of any kind of personal agency, the ability to rise beyond where you’re born.”
Joint Finance Committee releases aid for communities losing 2-year UW schools
Wisconsin Public Radio
Communities that have lost a two-year Universities of Wisconsin branch campus will be eligible for up to $2 million in grants.
The state Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved releasing $20 million to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for a grant program to assist communities in redeveloping shuttered campuses.
Summer skin care; How to succeed later in life
Wisconsin Public Radio
Acne can happen to anyone, even those of us far removed from our teenage years. Dr. Apple Bodemer, a dermatologist from UW Health, tells you what’s causing your adult acne, and what to do if you notice a pimple. Plus, we cover sun protection just in time for the hottest months of the summer.
Marquette, Wisconsin go head-to-head in Celebrity Softball Slam benefiting charity
TMJ-4
Tickets are on sale now for the Celebrity Softball Slam, pitting long-time rivals Marquette University and University of Wisconsin-Madison against each other.
Celebrity players include Brian Butch, Travis Diener, Chucky Hepburn, Steve Novak, new Badgers football player Darrion Dupree, Marquette soccer player Molly Keiper, and Oconomowoc native, UW Softball player Molly Schlosser.
Lawmakers approve money for biohealth tech hub, communities affected by UW shutdowns
Wisconsin Examiner
The state budget committee on Tuesday approved the release of $27 million for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to cover grants aimed at creating a regional tech hub and to help communities affected by UW shutdowns. The committee also approved money for the Department of Corrections to cover the costs of youth who are serving adult sentences.
Study finds foam on Wisconsin rivers and lakes has higher PFAS levels than waters below
Wisconsin Public Radio
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that naturally occurring foams on state waterways have PFAS levels as much as thousands of times higher than waters that lie below.
The findings are part of a new study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. She said the PFAS concentrations in foam were “jaw-dropping.” Samples of foam collected from Lake Monona showed PFAS levels up to roughly 328,000 parts per trillion.
A rural church’s vision: Be essential to the whole community, focus on more than just Sundays
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Whether a church is involved in the broader community is a predictor of its success, said Steven Deller, a professor of applied economics and an expert in rural economic development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Congregations that are internally focused and closed off to new ideas and newcomers are “going to struggle,” Deller said.
“Is this the kind of community that the common response is, ‘Well, you’re not from here, so you don’t understand?'” Deller said. “That kind of attitude can be the kiss of death.”
New UW-La Crosse chancellor focused on future, serving needs of the state
Wisconsin Public Radio
The new chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse says he’s focused on “turning the page” after a tumultuous six months for the university.
Three candidates make their case to represent student-heavy Assembly seat
Wisconsin Watch
A Dane County supervisor, a public health expert and a pharmacist are making the case they can best represent some of the state’s youngest voters in an Assembly district anchored by UW-Madison.
UW Regents approve up to 15 percent raises for system chancellors
Wisconsin Public Radio
Chancellors in the Universities of Wisconsin system can receive up to 15 percent raises annually, based on a performance metric, according to a new proposal approved by the Board of Regents Monday.
New bonuses approved for UW leaders, pushing UW-Madison chancellor pay past $1 million
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor will earn more than $1 million by the end of this coming school year.
The UW Board of Regents created a retention bonus system for its chancellors in a closed-door meeting Monday with no public discussion or vote. The board also approved pay boosts for eight of the 13 chancellors to bring their compensation closer to peer universities.
A judge ruled parts of Act 10 are unconstitutional. What comes next
Spectrum News
Professor Michael Childers specializes in labor education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He said he thinks the likelihood of the case going to the Wisconsin Supreme Court is all but guaranteed.
“This finding — if it was allowed to stand — would, in essence, remove the changes to collective bargaining laws and allow for the provision for all the public sector workers to again collective bargain similar to all the private sector workers in Wisconsin are able to do,” Childers said.
‘I’m staying in the race’: A defiant Joe Biden rallies support to his campaign in Madison
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
James Tinjum, an engineering professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison who said he had concerns about Biden’s energy levels during the debate, was reassured Friday. He said he has faith in Biden’s ability to “get things done” and noted concerns about Trump’s age, as well. Trump turned 78 last month.
“He had more confidence, more strength in his voice and a positive message that I’m looking for,” Tinjum said.
Defiant Biden tells Wisconsinites ‘I’m staying in the race!’
Wisconsin Examiner
Olivia Saud, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who came to the rally at Sherman Middle School to see Biden in person, said she watched the debate and “I understand the concern.”
“I also understand the concern of Trump being president,” she said, adding, “I’m one of those people who subscribes to anything that’s blue I’m going to vote for at this point.”
Scam-free ticketing app coming to Minnesota in the fall
The Minnesota Daily
Charlie Pietz, a 2024 University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate joined the Student Seats team as Chief Marketing Officer two years ago. He helped Student Seats grow to over 5,000 users in Wisconsin with his work on campus and social media.
‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Zac Schultz, Anthony Chergosky, Natasha Paris
PBS Wisconsin
Includes interview with Natasha Paris, Regional crops educator, UW-Madison Extension.
Public Investigator Tamia Fowlkes on taking tips, chasing leads and telling stories about her community
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
As someone who grew up in Milwaukee, attended school here and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and took some of my first swings at investigative reporting as an intern at the Journal Sentinel in 2021, I take great pride in coming to work every day.
US Supreme Court ruling weakening federal agencies may affect Wisconsin regulations, legal battles
Wisconsin Public Radio
Steph Tai, law professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, said the decision means that litigants, regardless of whether they’re conservative or liberal, will likely bring cases before courts that align with their own political preferences despite claims that judges are impartial.
“They’re going to pick judges that are more likely to be sympathetic to their argument that whatever federal regulation should be overturned,” Tai said.
Pro baseball; Wisconsin rowing to be represented in the Olympics
Wisconsin Public Radio
Four Badger women’s rowing alumni will go to the Olympics this summer. We talk with the program’s head coach Vicky Opitz about the secrets to elite rowing success and introducing novices to the sport. Plus, we go over the basics of rowing for new spectators.
Madison Rep. Mark Pocan hopes to double federal Pell Grant
Spectrum News
Pocan is proposing to double the size of need-based Pell Grants, a federal assistance program that began in the 1970s. Pocan received Pell Grants himself when he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
How Wisconsin is creating the future of precision medicine
PBS Wisconsin
Every patient is a unique individual. They have their own genetics, their own exposures to the environment that they have been in,” said Dr. Muhammed Murtazais, associate director of the Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicineat the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “And, so, precision medicine is this approach that could we actually learn more about each individual patient, so that each patient gets the right drug at the right time.
This popular doughnut chain is bringing customizable treats, doughnut sandwiches to Madison
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Duck Donuts, the North Carolina-based doughnut shop franchise known for its unique menu offerings and build-your-own donuts, is opening its first Wisconsin location near the University of Wisconsin-Madison this summer. According to the shop’s Facebook page, it plans to open in late July at 3308 University Ave., Madison.
New Alice in Dairyland Halie Heinzel hopes to connect consumers with agriculture
Wisconsin State Farmer
I recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Life Sciences Communication. With the opportunity to serve as Alice in Dairyland, I am so excited to travel across Wisconsin for a memorable and rewarding year, connecting communities with agriculture and learning more about this diverse industry across our state.
With all eyes on Wisconsin, a new class of clerks prepares to run elections
Wisconsin Public Radio
“They’re under more scrutiny in a presidential race, when Wisconsin will be one of the key swing states in the Electoral College,” said Barry Burden, who directs the Election Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “An error, a small mistake, or a delay caused by a clerk can lead to suspicion or misinformation or even conspiracies about something that’s going wrong in the election.”
Legislation aimed at helping children in poverty, Using ecstasy to treat PTSD, Traveling Shakespeare theater
Wisconsin Public Radio
UW-Madison researchers on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, including MDMA. Madison was the only Midwest site for phase 3 trials of a psychedelic-assisted therapy treatment for Post-traumatic stress disorder. We learn about the potential for these substances in improving mental health.
Here’s what last year’s dry summer and a mild winter mean for this year’s Japanese beetles invasion in Wisconsin
Green Bay Press-Gazette
PJ Liesch, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, began seeing reports of Japanese beetle activity the last week of June, which is typical. Numbers will increase during their prime feeding months of July and August when they damage (but usually don’t kill) roses, grape vines, basil, raspberries, crabapples, birches and ornamentals, among others, by skeletonizing the leaves.
Study tracks how wolf reintroduction at Isle Royale affected foxes, martens
Wisconsin Public Radio
The reintroduction of wolves has only had temporary effects on other small carnivores at Isle Royale National Park on Lake Superior, according to new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
More efforts are underway to limit social media. How do you separate good from bad?
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Heather Kirkorian is a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who studies how kids and parents interact with digital media. Warning labels are good for raising awareness, she said, but “my sense is that most teens and parents have heard about the potential risks and are aware that that might be a concern.” Treating social media “as analogous to cigarettes is unhelpful, because there are potential benefits of using social media as well, and I don’t think we can make that same argument for smoking cigarettes.”
Wisconsin’s Sarah Franklin hurts ankle in final; USA volleyball wins silver
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin star, who was the national player of the year last season, suffered an apparent ankle injury midway through a five-set loss to the Dominican Republic and did not return.
With the RNC coming to blue Milwaukee, historical tensions brew in the background
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Republicans are having a harder time when it comes to picking a city for their national conventions. Big cities have become more Democratic in recent years and the GOP’s messaging is increasing about the ills of big cities, including problems like crime, culture and failing schools,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center. “Being in a big city is an opportunity for Republicans to emphasize their arguments about Democrats having failed to govern urban centers effectively.”
‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran talks about her time at UW-Madison, from Badger games to working at Eno Vino
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Years before upcoming “Bachelorette” and former “Bachelor” contestant Jenn Tran was looking for love on TV, there was something else she was trying to find:
A college with “a lot of school spirit.” She’d find it — in Wisconsin.
Guns fuel domestic violence with Mariel Barnes
WORT FM
Mariel Barnes, a founding faculty member of UW–Madison’s Sexual Violence Research Initiative, joined host Allen Ruff to talk about the Supreme Court case as well as statistics of domestic violence in Wisconsin.