Award-winning sports columnist Jason Gay will deliver the keynote address at UW-Madison’s spring commencement, the university announced Wednesday.
Badgers-loving columnist Jason Gay to deliver UW-Madison spring commencement address
Channel 3000
Author: knutson4
Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay named UW-Madison spring commencement speaker
Wisconsin State Journal
Jason Gay, a UW-Madison alumnus and sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal, will be back in Madison for an encore presentation as the university’s spring commencement speaker.
National business leaders grapple with AI’s future at TEDxUW-Madison
The Daily Cardinal
At Memorial Union’s Grand Hall, a room of 100 University of Wisconsin-Madison students gathered to hear 14 speakers from the worlds of tech, medicine and business share business tips and their views on the evolving application of artificial intelligence (AI) in their industries.
Memorial Union welcomes back iconic sunburst chairs
WMTV - Channel 15
On Wednesday, April 16, the Memorial Union will welcome back the famous orange, yellow and green starburst chairs to the terrace.
Why is Laila Edwards, one of the top young forwards in the world, playing defense?
The New York Times
The 21-year-old first made headlines when she became the first Black woman to play for the U.S. senior women’s national team in November 2023. At worlds in Utica, N.Y., last year, she scored a tournament-leading six goals in seven games. This season, as a junior at the top-ranked University of Wisconsin, Edwards led the NCAA in scoring and was a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best women’s hockey player in college hockey.
Science on our sleeves: the research that inspires our tattoos
Nature
Liz Haynes, an biologist in the Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, also got a tattoo to mark a pivotal moment in her scientific career. The image, of the plant she studied in her undergraduate laboratory, serves as a reminder of the positive experience and the lessons she learnt from her mentor at the time.
“One of the things that I took away was that I really wanted to be that for someone in the future, help show them the pathway on this career, help guide them into grad school, influence them positively and really give them a home in the lab,” she explains.
Wisconsin and Great Lakes research could suffer under proposed cuts to NOAA
Wisconsin Public Radio
At Wisconsin Sea Grant, the program’s director Christy Remucal said NOAA funding is the largest source of revenue for the program that’s operated for 57 years on state and federal support. Federal funding makes up 32 percent of the program’s funding, or $2.4 million. Wisconsin Sea Grant and its 30 staff support conservation of Great Lakes resources and communities through research, education and outreach.
“We have staff that are working directly with communities and really making a difference on so many different things whether it’s flooding or clean marinas or invasive species,” Remucal said.
Researchers, lawmakers look to turn Wisconsin into the ‘Silicon Valley’ for nuclear energy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Realta Fusion, a Madison-based nuclear startup, have developed a fusion device in Stoughton that creates the same kind of reaction that fuels the sun and stars. The process is much different than fission, the nuclear reaction that powers current nuclear reactors and the atomic bomb.
Judge says UW-Madison international student with terminated visa can’t be deported for now
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A federal judge barred the government from taking any action against a University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering student from India, delivering a temporary blow to the Trump administration’s sweeping campaign to revoke international student visas.
Judge: UW-Madison international student can’t be deported for now
Wisconsin Public Radio
A federal judge has put a hold on immigration officials’ move to deport an international student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Visa cancellations sow panic for international students, with hundreds fearing deportation
Associated Press
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Wisconsin issued a similar order, ruling the government could not take steps to detain or revoke the visa of a University of Wisconsin-Madison gradate student.
Judge temporarily halts deportation of University of Wisconsin student after Trump visa cancellation
The Hill
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily halted the removal of a University of Wisconsin-Madison student from India whose visa was terminated from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) database.
Wisconsin sees record start to the fire season as climate change drives more blazes
Wisconsin Public Radio
Volker Radeloff, a forest and wildlife ecology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the interface of wild land and urban areas accounts for roughly 10 percent of the state that’s potentially at risk of wildfires.
Impact of tariffs on tech prices, the promise of quantum computing, and new state historic places
Wisconsin Public Radio
President Donald Trump imposed and then last week rolled back tariffs he imposed on much of the world. But he increased tariffs on products made in China, which include most electronic devices. We talk to UW-Madison’s Beth D’Angelo about what this means for American consumers.
And then, able to solve problems exponentially faster than classical computing, quantum computing could potentially revolutionize entire industries. We learn the basics of quantum computing from Swamit Tannu, a UW-Madison assistant professor of computer sciences.
Letter to the editor: Sifting and winnowing requires evidence, shared governance requires responsibility
The Daily Cardinal
Co-authored by James H. Stein, MD and Robert Turell Professor of Cardiovascular Research at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Chad Alan Goldberg, PhD and the Martindale-Bascom Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW-Madison boosts aerospace engineering program with focused class for freshmen
Wisconsin State Journal
Pioneering doesn’t always come with a lot of flash.
In a darkened auditorium on the UW-Madison engineering campus Friday, a bright green laser beam shone over a model airplane wing.
Earth Fest at UW-Madison celebrates sustainability, climate justice
The Daily Cardinal
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will host its second annual Earth Fest from April 21 to 29, a celebration of the planet over the week of Earth Day prioritizing environmental education, sustainability practices and climate justice.
UW Madison students protest revocation of international student visas under Trump administration
The Daily Cardinal
Nearly a hundred students and community members protested the federal government’s termination of University of Wisconsin-Madison student visas and alumni visa employment extensions in a protest on Library Mall Saturday, urging the university to do more to protect its students.
Republicans take skeptical view of UW system’s ‘make-or-break’ funding request
Wisconsin Watch
At an April 1 hearing, in a sign of what the most contentious issues will be in this year’s state budget, the Republican-controlled budget committee only heard from two state agencies: Corrections and the Universities of Wisconsin system.
UW-Madison international student speaks out on visa terminations
Channel 3000
International students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say many of them are still trying to figure out why their visas are being terminated by the government and how to protect themselves.
UW joins other Big Ten schools in implementing fiscal controls amid federal funding cuts
The Badger Herald
The University of Wisconsin will implement fiscal controls for the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year including hiring reviews, reductions in non-essential spending and the development of 5% and 10% budget reduction scenarios for fund 101 — a fund dedicated to state tax, federal indirect cost and tuition allocation.
Trump’s crackdown on frivolous lawsuits: The pot meeting the kettle.
The Hill
Written by John Gross, a clinical associate professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and director of the Public Defender Project.
What soaring uncertainty means for the U.S. economy
NBC News
Menzie Chinn, a professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Wisconsin, said, “People are maximally confused.”
To show how uncertainty plays out, Chinn gave an example of potential homebuyers: Lowering interest rates might entice them, but worries about a big drop in home prices over the next year — the kind that might arise from a recession — might scare them away.
“It’s better news, but washed out by this bad uncertainty,” Chinn said.
Fugitive immigrant convicted in Md. murder highlighted in 2024 campaign
The Washington Post
“Many politicians, law enforcement personnel and ordinary citizens are nonetheless incensed because this person should not have been in the country and thus capable of committing a crime,” said Michael Light, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who has studied the issue. “This view that the person’s undocumented status is an aggravating factor is also likely a reason why these crimes generate such strong responses.”
Everything we believe about kids and phones might be wrong, study finds
HuffPost
Dr. Megan Moreno, the principal investigator of the social media and adolescent health research team at the University of Wisconsin Department of Pediatrics, called the USF survey a “groundbreaking” addition to ongoing research, because too many studies do not include the possibility of there being positive outcomes to kids having phones. “It is just so rare for studies to consider both benefits and risks,” she said.
Can two ancient practices unlock our mental health crisis?
Psychology Today
Co-authored by Cortland Dahl, Ph.D., a scientist at the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the author of A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism; Otto Simonsson, Ph.D., is with the Karolinska Institutet, and Simon Goldberg, Ph.D., is with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wisconsin audits find lack of tracking of DEI spending at university system and state agencies
The Associated Press
Republican-ordered audits released Friday found that Wisconsin state agencies and the University of Wisconsin system have failed to track the millions of dollars they spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, making it difficult to fully assess the initiatives.
Survey: An end to child care stabilization funds could mean fewer child care providers and higher costs to parents
Appleton Post-Crescent
The survey was conducted by DCF and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty. They collected answers from over 3,600 providers who received CCC stabilization funds in November 2024.
State audit finds University of Wisconsin campuses aren’t tracking DEI spending
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A highly anticipated state audit found University of Wisconsin System campuses do not track how much they spend on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, or whether the millions spent on these initiatives pay off.
Wisconsin is home to one of the best college towns in the US, a new report says
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin is home to one of the best college towns in the U.S., according to a recent report from RentCafe.
Audits say Wisconsin fails to track DEI spending, GOP renews call to end the programs
The Daily Cardinal
State agencies and the University of Wisconsin System failed to adequately track millions of dollars spent on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to audits released Friday, fueling ongoing Republican efforts to dismantle such programs.
The best dog GPS trackers in 2025
Business Insider
Even if your dog wears a GPS tracker, Dr. Jessica Pritchard, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, says microchipping is still essential. Your dog’s collar could become detached, or they may wander into an area without a signal. Pritchard, who previously used a tracker with her dogs, says that microchipping and GPS trackers work together like locking your doors and installing a home security system.
Wisconsin state agencies, university system failed to track DEI spending, audit reveals
Fox News
The University of Wisconsin system and several state agencies failed to specifically track spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Wisconsin’s Legislative Audit Bureau (WLAB) recently revealed.
Education Minnesota, Wisconsin join 19 states in suing Trump administration over canceled student visas
CBS News Minnesota
At least 40 student visas have been revoked at schools within the University of Wisconsin school system, with more than two dozen from UW-Madison alone.
A spokesperson from UW-Madison wrote, “As of April 9, UW-Madison is aware of the automatic sevis termination of 26 total records. This includes 15 current students and 11 recent alumni on employment authorization … A sevis record termination generally means that a nonimmigrant individual no longer holds lawful nonimmigrant status and should depart the U.S. immediately.”
Passover begins at UW: A celebration of community, tradition, student leadership
The Badger Herald
For many students, being away from home can be especially challenging during major holidays — and Passover is no exception.
But, thanks to the efforts of student leaders like Sophie Genshaft, the engagement intern and holiday chair at UW Hillel, Jewish students at the University of Wisconsin can look forward to a warm, welcoming and meaningful Passover experience this year.
‘Really unprecedented situation’: More UW-Madison student visas canceled by federal government
WMTV - Channel 15
At least 40 student visas across the UW System have been terminated as of April 10, according to university officials. The number has doubled since April 7.
Wisconsin volunteers flock to count sandhill and whooping cranes this weekend
Wisconsin Public Radio
Paul Robbins, dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a former board member for the ICF, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that counting cranes might seem like a simple task, but it’s the only way to get a snapshot of the population around the state.
“Conservation is really based on pretty small numbers of beings in the world, so you actually have to find them and see them,” he said. “And that really requires people to be on the ground.”
Home improvement: What to think about before updating your home’s exterior, Women’s hockey wins
Wisconsin Public Radio
There’s never been a better time to be a Wisconsin women’s hockey fan. Both the UW-River Falls Falcons and the UW-Madison Badgers took home national titles in their respective divisions. We talk with the teams’ coaches about the stories behind their success.
Survey of child care providers forecasts closures, tuition hikes without state support
Wisconsin Examiner
The report was commissioned by the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) and produced by the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Trump administration cancels visas for more than 40 University of Wisconsin
WKOW - Channel 27
The number of University of Wisconsin students whose visas were canceled by the Trump administration has risen.
According to a spokesperson for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as of April 9 a total of 26 students have now had their visas revoked. Fifteen current students and 11 recent alumni on employment authorization were impacted.
More than $12M in UW-Madison research funding cut by Trump administration
Wisconsin Public Radio
More than $12 million in research grants destined for the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been cut by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a lawsuit filed by Wisconsin and 15 other states. Democratic state Attorney General Josh Kaul says the administration is “sabotaging medical and public health research.”
‘We are outsiders already’: International students fear for future in America amid deportation threats, program cuts
The Daily Cardinal
Between cuts to research funding and crackdowns on students participating in campus demonstrations, some international students at University of Wisconsin-Madison plan to find education elsewhere.
UW-Madison celebrates 85th anniversary of Engineering EXPO
WKOW - Channel 27
University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering students are inviting the public to learn more about the field at the upcoming Engineering EXPO 2025.
More international student visas revoked, worrying UW-Madison students
The Cap Times
As the number of international students facing visa terminations swells this week, student leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are growing more concerned.
Do UW–Madison students vote even when the candidates are uncontested?
The Daily Cardinal
University of Wisconsin-Madison students contributed to a record-high turnout for uncontested local candidates in the spring 2025 elections, boosted by the marquee state Supreme Court race.
UW Marching Band, Jordy Nelson, bike parade, national anthem singer announced for NFL draft festivities at Lambeau
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The NFL has announced a round of entertainment and other activities planned for the draft in Green Bay, but specifics are still to come on some on concert performers and other participants.
Here’s how 10% tariffs could affect coffee prices and coffee shops in Wisconsin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Under the tariffs, the price of a drink at a coffee shop could go up 3-5 cents per dollar, while the price of coffee at the grocery store could rise 10%, said Andrew Stevens, University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor of agricultural and applied economics.
Bipartisan bill to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage deserves vote in Assembly
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Co-authored by Kateri Klingele Pinell is a clinical mental health professional and co-founder of the Wisconsin Student Parents Organization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘I’ve been nothing but transparent’: Former UIC student speaks out after his visa was revoked
Chicago Tribune
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a student one month away from graduating seemingly had her visa revoked for a previous traffic violation. In Florida, a student from Colombia was taken into custody by immigration agents after he was stopped by Gainesville police with an expired registration and driver’s license. He signed his self-deportation and returned home.
AI’s next role? Screening for opioid use disorder
Politico
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health used artificial intelligence to screen the electronic health records of patients admitted to the UW Health University Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, between March and October 2023, for any sign that they were at risk of or had an opioid use disorder.
5 takeaways from a conference on free speech in higher ed
Inside Higher Ed
Michael Wagner, who leads the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, said that universities could make a greater effort to get the work of misinformation researchers into the public’s hands.
Universities must do “a more aggressive job of promoting the work, even when it highlights partisan asymmetries, even when it highlights other kinds of things that might leave universities open to attack from those who don’t like the fact that universities exist,” said Wagner, who noted that his center has been subpoenaed by Congress. “[That] is something they need to do a better job of, to help the researchers who are trying to do this stuff get their work out there to folks so that they can engage with it and decide how they want to incorporate that information into how they live their lives.”
Trump HHS eliminates office that sets poverty levels tied to benefits for 80 million people
CBS News
The poverty guidelines are “needed by many people and programs,” said Timothy Smeeding, a professor emeritus of economics at the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin. “If you’re thinking of someone you fired who should be rehired, Swenson would be a no-brainer,” he added.
UW Botany Greenhouse prepares for spring plant showcase
The Badger Herald
Managed by the Department of Botany, the greenhouse plays a crucial role at the university, assisting with classes and research initiatives. It is now under the leadership of UW’s Living Collections Manager III, Cara Streekstra, who has been with the department for over 12 years.
“We help further botany, education and teaching,” Streekstra said. “That’s the main focus of what we do in the botany greenhouses, teaching support. We grow plants specifically for use in lab courses and for horticulture, agronomy and also art classes and English classes.”
UW fails to uphold multiple terms of its agreement with Students for Justice in Palestine
The Badger Herald
Last Spring, the University of Wisconsin chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine led an encampment protest on Library Mall that lasted from April 29 to May 10, 2024, which UW temporarily disrupted using police force on its third day.
McFarland to rename Elvejehm Elementary
Civic Media
A local district is changing the name of a school. McFarland’s Conrad Elvejehm Primary School will get a new name. Its original namesake, Conrad Elvejehm, was a UW-Madison professor and the university’s thirteenth president. He was born in McFarland.
According to a report given to the McFarland School Board, Elvejehm also signed a petition to keep Black people from living in his neighborhood. He also blocked a film about racial discrimination toward renters from being shown, according to reporting from the Wisconsin State Journal.
Letter to the Editor: Speech for me, but not for thee: How disruption has replaced campus dialogue
The Daily Cardinal
The disruption of Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s (’75 MPA) talk reveals a growing trend of selective free speech among pro-Palestinian activists.
Man arrested in UW Arboretum assault on UW-Madison student Anna Hansen 5 hrs ago
Wisconsin State Journal
A Madison man was arrested Friday after allegedly strangling a UW-Madison student in the UW Arboretum earlier in the week.
ACLU attorney raises concerns over terminated student visa
The Badger Herald
The recent visa record terminations of six University of Wisconsin students and seven alumni have caused concerns regarding international students.
The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union Senior Staff Attorney Tim Muth says it is unclear what allowed the federal government to terminate these visas.
Update: UW-Madison discovers another 13 student visas have been canceled
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison has found 13 more international student visas canceled by President Donald Trump’s administration, bringing the total number up to 40 announced across the Universities of Wisconsin this week.
Madison man charged in UW Arboretum assault
WKOW - Channel 27
A Madison man has been charged in connection with an aggravated assault at the UW-Madison Arboretum.
The victim reported being strangled and forced to remain in a vehicle on the morning of March 31, according to the UW-Madison Police Department. They were treated at a local hospital.