The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program through TRIO helped me earn my Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and led to my becoming dean of the Dougherty Family College (DFC) at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. DFC is a mentoring student-focused two-year college, and I have incorporated my research and experiences in TRIO programs into the college’s design.
Author: knutson4
Fossil corals reveal that sea-level rise occurs in rapid bursts
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Florida led the project, working with colleagues at the University of Sydney, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Victoria University of Wellington, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“This is not good news for us as we head into the future,” said Andrea Dutton, a professor of geoscience at Wisconsin.
UW-Madison glioblastoma vaccine research threatened by federal cuts
Neurosurgeon and professor Mahua Dey is concerned her team’s effort to develop a glioblastoma vaccine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison could stall as sweeping actions by the Trump administration to curb federal health funding trickle down to individual labs.
Leslie Schroeder’s flax-to-linen dream weaves its way into Wisconsin
The Emerging Crops Accelerator program through Extension at the University of Wisconsin-Madison included fiber flax production in its November 2024 strategic plan. The team has supported Schroeder’s studies through supporting her grant applications and finding her farming equipment.
Minnesota shootings, Wisconsin hit list prompt increased security in state Capitol
Reached on June 16, Kapenga told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he looked at a few security systems after the 2023 incident and put together a proposal to implement a weapons detection system used by the University of Wisconsin.
“There was not enough support in my caucus to get that put in place, unfortunately, but I hope this opens their eyes to the real, unfortunate threat that’s out there,” Kapenga said. “We live in a different world.”
A Wisconsin dairy farmer saw his cows self-groom. That inspired his automated dog groomer
Comfortable cows have less stress and fewer health problems, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison research.
Moreover, nearly everything in a dairy cow’s life these days is monitored by technology.
Richard Kosmacher, co-owned Joy of Ireland and helped launch car-sharing operation, dies
He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1981 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Are plastic cutting boards useful kitchen tools or a breeding ground for microplastics? Here’s what to know
It’s important to note, however, that the study’s findings are limited — researchers conducted testing on mice and only tracked health effects for about three days after exposure. Plus, microplastics are difficult to quantify — if another team of researchers did the same study, their findings may vary, says Hoaran Wei, an assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Ask the Weather Guys: Does North America have a hurricane season?
FEMA Director David Richardson recently claimed he was unaware that there is a hurricane season in the United States. There most certainly is such a season.
The Atlantic hurricane season climatologically runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, with the most active part of the season being mid-August through mid-October.
A history of Wisconsin punishments for NCAA major infractions cases
The University of Wisconsin athletic department was involved in seven NCAA major infractions cases in a 20-year stretch from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.
The NCAA punished the Badgers for illegal recruiting tactics, car rides and payments as well as the actions of boosters. The violations led to administrative changes within the athletic department to ensure compliance with regulations.
How Wisconsin track and field athletes fared at the NCAA Outdoor Championships
The University of Wisconsin men’s and women’s track and field teams ended their spring seasons with several athletes heading to Eugene, Oregon, for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
UW-Madison to add Korean major amid popularity of K-pop and K-dramas
When Ava You applied to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she looked to see if she could major in Korean.
“Honestly, I was a little disappointed considering they had a Chinese and a Japanese major already, but not Korean,” said You, an incoming sophomore at the flagship campus.
That will soon change when UW-Madison introduces a bachelor’s degree in Korean Language and Culture this fall. The Board of Regents, which oversees UW-Madison and the state’s 12 public universities, granted final approval this month. UW-Madison will be the first school in the Universities of Wisconsin to offer an undergraduate program in Korean.
Dealing with Sunday scaries? Here’s how to address that anxiety.
A person can feel anxious on a Sunday for two reasons, said Jack Nitschke, a psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. You’re anticipating plans for the upcoming week, and the future is inherently uncertain.
Museums house clues to our polluted past, biologist says. Can we probe the artifacts?
Now an assistant professor of biology at the University of Texas at Arlington, DuBay is advocating for scientists to consider using museum specimens as tools for public health and environmental research. He and fellow scientists at the University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Yale University and the University of Wisconsin published a perspective last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences detailing the need to view museum specimens in a new light.
Wisconsin man’s case raised the competency standard for execution. He died at 67 on death row.
Panetti died from acute hypoxic respiratory failure on Texas’ death row the morning of May 26, the macabre space he called home for more than 30 years. There, he was known as The Preacher, according to his longtime lawyer, Greg Wiercioch, now a clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Panetti was 67 years old. He had four children.
Wisconsin military historian says situation in Los Angeles could ‘absolutely’ happen here
“[The president] has made clear that his definition of what constitutes unlawful combinations, in terms of protests, is relatively low,” said John Hall, a military historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel. “So where protests emerge, he has threatened he will take similar measures to respond to those protests.”
“Moreover, he seems to be suggesting that states and municipalities that, in his judgment, are interfering with ICE’s mass deportation efforts right now are themselves obstructing the laws of the United States,” Hall continued.
Man sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting UW-Madison student
Brandon A. Thompson, the man accused of physically and sexually assaulting a University of Wisconsin-Madison college student in Sept. 2023, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to court records.
Sasha Maria Suarez on revitalizing Indigenous languages
UW-Madison history professor Sasha Maria Suarez describes programs by tribal nations, K-12 schools and higher education institutions to teach Wisconsin’s Indigenous languages to learners of all ages.
Essay: A Move That Wasn’t. In the midst of a major move, a single phone call changed everything for Hanns Kuttner and his wife, Rebecca Blank.
Written by Hanns Kuttner, a guest essayist to Madison Magazine.
This is the Wisconsin basketball coach emulated by Jeff and Greg Gard
University of Wisconsin-Platteville coach Jeff Gard got the sad news while in Greece with his basketball team during a nine-day exhibition tour to Thessaloniki and Athens.
His older brother, Greg Gard, the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach, called and informed him that Jerry Petitgoue had passed away last Saturday. Petitgoue was 84.
Wisconsin Republicans back $1.3 billion tax cut plan that lowers bills for 1.6 million residents
Evers said in a statement that he had agreed to support Republicans’ half of the deal including their top tax priorities, while Republicans could not reach consensus within their caucuses to back the governor’s proposals, including funding increases for K-12 education, child care and the University of Wisconsin System.
An Evers spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the June 12 vote.
Bud Selig, Shel Lubar, Steve Marcus receive Herb Kohl Service Award–highlighting their friendship
Allan “Bud” Selig, Sheldon Lubar and Stephen Marcus each received the Herb Kohl Service Award from the Milwaukee Jewish Federation on June 11. Roughly 550 people from the Jewish community, and the greater Milwaukee community, attended the Pfister Hotel event.
Each award winner knew Kohl personally from their childhood, or from attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Man gets 30 years in prison for brutal assault of UW-Madison student
A Dane County judge sentenced a man who brutally attacked a University of Wisconsin-Madison student to 30 years in prison, calling him an “extreme risk” to the public.
I found power, confidence and calm at a poker table full of men
Poker puts into focus the same gender dynamics that can create anxiety for women in a patriarchal society, says Jessica Calarco, a sociologist, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of ”Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net.” “You’re expected to read the room, stay composed, and manage risk — much like women do every day in a world that asks them to carry everything without appearing to struggle,” she tells me.
How viruses can help the fight against antibiotic resistance
“One approach is to create more antibiotics but this only postpones the problem. New antibiotics also can lead to new forms of resistance, creating a never-ending cycle. An alternative and promising solution is phage therapy, which uses viruses called bacteriophages (or simply phages) to kill specific bacteria,” said Dr. Anantharaman, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Get answers on rare blooms, tree diseases and lawn care
You will find good information online from the Pacific Bulb Society and, of all places, Extension Horticulture of the University of Wisconsin.
UW-Madison lake researchers face uncertainty over potential cuts to the National Science Foundation
UW-Madison researchers, who study Wisconsin’s lakes, are grappling with uncertainty as cuts to the National Science Foundation (NSF) could threaten decades of freshwater research.
Professors Emily Stanley and Hilary Dugan from the UW-Madison Lab for Limnology have dedicated their careers to studying freshwater systems, with Lake Mendota serving as a key research site.
Many falls are preventable. These tips can help.
Many falls can be prevented, said Dr. Gerald Pankratz, a geriatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That makes him “optimistic about this issue,” he said.
In his practice, Dr. Pankratz said, it is not unusual for people assessed as having a 50 percent chance of falling over the next year to cut their risk in half by taking action to avoid slips and trips.
Jon Hickey explores belonging and tribal politics in debut novel, ‘Big Chief’
In an interview with WPR’s “Wisconsin Today,” Hickey, a University of Wisconsin-Madison alum, said it wasn’t easy writing about the nuances of tribal politics, especially because it was inspired by his own tribal community. He was worried about how the book would be received — whether he was going to get called out for getting something “completely wrong.” Instead, people embraced the story.
Wisconsin state lawmakers, industry experts share concerns about proposed limits to AI regulation
University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Annette Zimmermann is a political philosopher of AI and co-lead of the school’s Uncertainty and AI research group.
“Much like many other experts working in this area, I’ve been deeply concerned about imposing such a heavy handed blanket ban on any sort of state-based efforts to effectively regulate this space,” Zimmermann said. “Right now, unfortunately, we’re in a regulatory landscape where we are heavily relying on individual states to think very hard about how to protect ordinary citizens and consumers from these kinds of harmful outputs.”
UW Health, SSM Health change language related to DEI on parts of websites
UW Health and SSM Health said removing and changing DEI language on parts of their websites doesn’t change their commitment to care — but advocates for marginalized communities say it’s cause for concern.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin set to receive $150K bonus
Jennifer Mnookin stands to earn an extra $150,000 if she stays in her role at the helm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison through the end of the month.
The Board of Regents, which oversees UW-Madison and the state’s 12 other public universities, approved the “retention incentive” for Mnookin last summer. The goal was to create “continuity at our flagship university where total compensation is not competitive with its peers,” UW system spokesperson Mark Pitsch said at the time.
What’s next for University of Wisconsin athletics after the House vs. NCAA settlement
Major college athletic departments can now pay their student-athletes directly but also must comply with more stringent rules for NIL deals and adhere to uniform guidelines for roster sizes.
At Wisconsin the job will be to adjust to those changes while managing an athletic program that features 11 men’s and 12 women’s teams and attempting to maintain the standards of an athletic program that has been pretty competitive across the board.
Nearly quarter of WI college students are single moms. They need child care help.
While the daycare dilemma is large and complex, colleges have a unique role. Student parents (and faculty and staff) can be supported with resources by the university. Tuition paid by students should cover the costs of child care, if provided on campus.
According to an analysis by the American Council on Education, nearly one in every five undergraduate college students, about 18%, are parents, typically to preschool-aged or younger. In Wisconsin alone, 22% of all undergrads are single moms.
Not flying pride flag an act of acquiescence by Wisconsin Historical Society
Noted historian Gerda Lerner, who practiced and helped build the field of women’s history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, just yards from the doors of the Wisconsin Historical Society, asserted that historical knowledge was power. Only by reclaiming their history could women empower themselves.
Wisconsin health officials say RFK Jr. ‘destroying trust’ with purge of CDC vaccine panel
Dr. Ajay Sethi, a professor of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told the Journal Sentinel in May he worries changes in federal guidance may encourage adults who were already on the fence about the COVID-19 booster to skip it.
Milwaukee’s Summerfest 2025 adds two headliners — and loses another one
Summerfest also said that rapper, frequent visitor and University of Wisconsin-Madison alum Yung Gravy has been added to the lineup, headlining the Miller Lite Oasis at 10 p.m. June 21.
RFK ousts all 17 members of a vaccine advisory panel
“ACIP has been, across the entire world, the paragon of good, solid, well-thought-out, evidence-based vaccine policy. I hate to say this. We are heading in the direction of U.S. vaccine policy becoming the laughingstock of the globe,” said Dr. Jonathan Temte, former chair of the ACIP and a professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Ivies, index funds, and incarceration: How universities became financial stakeholders in the prison economy
In some states, public universities have a history of being mandated by their state government to buy prison made furniture. According to the 2020, Inside Higher Ed report, University of Wisconsin campuses have in the past been required to purchase from Badger State Industries, Wisconsin’s prison labor enterprise.
Clinical psychologist explains how ADHD drugs work, addresses unscientific harm concerns
James Li is the A. A. Alexander Associate Professor of Psychology and an investigator at the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that Kennedy’s statements on the harms of medications like Adderall aren’t based in science.
“The evidence is quite clear that the medications that are currently FDA-approved and prescribed to treat ADHD in particular are fairly well tolerated. They don’t lead to early mortality … and they are generally very beneficial when used properly under doctor’s orders,” Li said.
UW-Parkside is merging its 4 academic colleges into a single college, saving administrative costs
Facing an uncertain financial future, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside is merging its four academic colleges into a single college led by one leadership team.
From Badger to Fighting Illini: UW-Madison provost leaving for new job
Charles Isbell Jr. will leave the University of Wisconsin-Madison after serving for less than two years as provost.
Isbell was named Thursday as the new chancellor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and vice president of the University of Illinois System. He is set to start July 16.
Provost Charles Isbell Jr. departs UW-Madison for University of Illinois
University of Wisconsin-Madison Provost Charles Isbell Jr. has been named the 11th chancellor of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and vice president of the University of Illinois System.
UW-Madison provost leaving to become chancellor of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
UW-Madison Provost Charles Isbell Jr. is leaving to become the next chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the university announced Thursday, ending a near two-year tenure that saw a torrent of federal and state attacks on UW-Madison’s diversity programs, research apparatus and the university’s academic mission.
Driver arrested for alleged OWI after hitting bicyclist near UW-Madison campus
A person was arrested for allegedly driving a vehicle while drunk after hitting a bicyclist near the UW-Madison campus on Wednesday, the Madison Police Department reported on Thursday.
UW-Madison provost named next chancellor of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
UW-Madison Provost Charles Isbell, Jr. is moving south and getting a big promotion. He’ll be the next chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Isbell, who has been a provost at UW since 2023, will also serve as the vice president of the University of Illinois System. He starts work on July 16.
Pressure mounts on UW animal research
Dr. Eric Sandgren, a professor emeritus at the UW-Madison who headed the university’s animal research operations for a decade, ending in 2016, calls these directives “nothing new.” Researchers, he says, have for some time been moving away from the use of animals as other models have become viable. “This just formalizes something that’s happening already.”
State health officials urge kids, pregnant women to get COVID-19 vaccine despite federal pullback
Federal vaccine recommendations matter not just because the public pays attention to them, but because it can affect which vaccines insurers decide to cover, said Patrick Remington, emeritus professor at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health.
Immigrant advocates say Trump travel ban adds to uncertainty for Milwaukee families
International students, a particular target of the Trump administration in recent months, could also be affected by the travel ban. Iranians made up the fourth-largest international student contingent at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in fall 2024, according to university data, with 61 students. At UW-Madison, there were 57 Iranian students last semester.
Don’t rinse raw chicken: nine food safety tips from microbiologists
Dr Jae-Hyuk Yu, a professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recommends using a bleach solution (one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water), an Environmental Protection Agency-registered kitchen disinfectant, or an alcohol-based spray for sanitizing hard surfaces, especially after preparing raw meat. And when handling cleaning chemicals, use gloves and ventilate well. He recommends cleaning fridge shelves monthly and ensuring your fridge is consistently under 40F (4C) to prevent bacteria from lurking around.
What to know about Fusarium graminearum, the biological pathogen allegedly smuggled into the US
Breakouts of Fusarium graminearum infections already naturally occur in dozens of U.S. states — basically any state that produces wheat and barley — and has been established in the U.S. for at least 125 years, Caitlyn Allen, a professor emeritus of plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told ABC News. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture keeps a list of potential agroterrorism agents, and Fusarium graminearum is not on that list, Allen said.
“We’re not talking about something that just got imported from China,” Allen said. “People should not be freaking out.”
Tick tock: Timing out a busy tick season in Wisconsin
“Ticks have been active for quite a while now,” said P.J. Liesch, the director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab. “It’s something that can often catch folks off-guard. We might not be thinking about ticks in those winter months — January, February, March — but once temperatures get above freezing consistently and we maybe hit 40-degrees with no snow on the ground, ticks can be active.”
A Wisconsin wildlife update, and we meet DNR Secretary Karen Hyun
Bats, birds, turtles, coyotes and more are the subject of study and conservation efforts, especially in the spring when they can be readily seen. We talk again to David Drake and Jamie Nack, wildlife specialists with UW-Extension, about these and other Wisconsin critters.
UW-Madison’s queer student organizations celebrate Pride Month amid political turmoil
LGBTQ+ students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are preparing to acknowledge and celebrate June’s pride month, despite looming political threats from the Trump administration and cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) funding.
A hidden gem on campus: Inside UW-Madison’s Zoological Museum
All that most students see of the University of Wisconsin Zoological Museum (UWZM), located in the Noland Zoology Building, is the fourth floor staircase’s sign prohibiting entrance from all other than museum staff.
Behind the locked doors, however, the museum’s extensive collections of animal skins and skeletons serve as a powerful resource for research and learning.
Wiscards as valid voter ID? Student voting organization campaigns to make voting more accessible
The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) passed legislation advocating for Wiscards to become valid forms of Wisconsin voter ID on April 16, bolstering the Student Voters Unions (SVU) campaign to reduce voting barriers for University of Wisconsin-Madison students.
A UW-Madison researcher studied social media’s impact on teens. The Trump administration cut the grant.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison lost at least $12 million in federal research grants since the start of the Trump administration, forcing faculty and researchers to shut down projects, lay off staff and scale back scientific progress.
Dr. Ellen Selkie, an assistant professor at UW-Madison and principal investigator on a now-defunded National Institute of Health-funded study, said her team enrolled more than 325 adolescents from across Wisconsin and collected comprehensive data to explore a question they believed to be at the center of national concern: How does social media affect youth mental health?
UW-Madison professor predicts new tariffs will cost dairy farmers a quarter of their income
University of Wisconsin-Madison agriculture and economics professor Chuck Nicholson explained why the Trump administration’s recent tariffs will lower the price of milk while slashing incomes for American dairy farms, harshly impacting Wisconsin’s dairy industry.
How students spend their summer in Madison
During the school year, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus is filled with the neverending buzz of over 52,000 students. When summer comes, many students leave for home, but for the thousands that decide to stay, the summer months are about staying busy and making campus a home-away-from-home.
Want to be a Badger? UW-Madison may hike application fees again
The Board of Regents, which oversees UW-Madison and the state’s 12 other public universities, is set to hear a proposal Thursday that would increase UW-Madison’s undergraduate application fee from $70 to $80 starting in August.