After a nearly yearlong delay, the University of Wisconsin System is inching closer to an updated hiring policy that will minimize the chance of employees who engage in misconduct at one campus from being hired by another.
Author: knutson4
UWM sells Purin Hall for $2.15 million–one week after selling its former chancellor’s mansion
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has sold it oldest, smallest residence hall as a cost-saving measure.
The 17-unit Purin Hall, 2600 E. Kenwood Blvd., was sold for $2.15 million to three Milwaukee investment groups: 2600 S LLC, 2600 S 1 LLC and 2600 H LLC, according to a deed posted online by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
Dig into Aztalan’s mysterious history with this ‘University Place Presents’ Q&A and episode
The goal of archaeologists and anthropologists today is, in some way, to bring back Aztalan, and that’s what host Norman Gilliland does during his conversation in University Place Presents Aztalan: A Place of Mystery with guest Sissel Schroeder, a professor of anthropology and archaeology and certificate advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Video gives a glimpse of what happened behind closed doors at Kamala Harris’ UWM stop
Vice President Kamala Harris met with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students Thursday during a campaign event at the university that, at the last minute, was closed to the news media.
Being CEO of the household is weighing women down
While most markers of gender equality reached their peak around 2000, they have not budged much since. “The invisible, amorphous cognitive labor that goes on behind the scenes has been especially slow to change,” said Allison Daminger, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison whose book on the subject will be published next year.
Pocan, Olsen talk TikTok ban, abortion in UW-Madison debate
The two met Wednesday on the UW-Madison campus for their first debate, moderated by UW-Madison political science Prof. Barry Burden.
The debate was co-hosted by the Morgridge Center for Public Service, BadgersVote Coalition, Elections Research Center, Associated Students of Madison, College Democrats and College Republicans of UW-Madison.
These tiny worms account for at least 4 Nobel Prizes
“It’s an experimental dream,” said Judith Kimble, a nematode researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The more we do with it, the more of a wonderful dream it becomes.”
Civic Media is betting on local pro-democracy radio. Will it work?
Mike Wagner, a journalism and mass communication professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said conservative talk radio remains “the dominant talk format that deals with civic life and politics” in Wisconsin.
Listener feedback has reinforced that locally focused strategy, said Lewis Friedland, a University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism professor emeritus who Weil consulted to research what radio audiences look for in their programming.
Madison’s Spanish-speaking radio station gives ‘a way of life’ to the Latino community
“Community radio plays a really important role in creating the range of voices … from minority communities who wouldn’t have any voice in mass media at all otherwise,” said Lewis Friedland, an emeritus professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Clinical psychologist, researcher holds event to shed light on issues fathers face
A researcher and clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has made it his mission to focus on the challenges fathers face and rebuke stereotypes around Black fathers. Event co-chair Alvin Thomas told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that it is important to discuss and address the problems fathers face.
“We know that if the parent relationship is not a very strong one or not a very healthy one, that more likely than not, the attachment between the child and the father is going to be compromised,” Thomas said. “Which of course will lead to potential negative outcomes for the child, but also for the dad.”
UW-Milwaukee sells former chancellor’s Lake Drive house for $1 million
The former home of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee chancellor recently sold for $1 million, according to state property records.
Obituary: Former longtime Greater Milwaukee Committee President Robert Milbourne dies at 77
After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Milbourne became a policy advisor to Gov. Pat Lucey − later serving as state budget director.
Wisconsin ends 2024 fiscal year with $4.6B surplus, down from $7B record but above projections
At the same time, the Universities of Wisconsin system is calling for an $855 million state funding increase in the next two-year budget. And some expect Republicans in the Legislature will push for tax cuts.
UW-Oshkosh chancellor to step down in June 2025
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt announced Wednesday that he will step down next year, becoming the 4th chancellor in the Universities of Wisconsin system to either announce plans to resign or be fired since December 2023.
More sightings of praying mantids, and the rediscovery of wild cacao
A previously elusive ambush predator insect is seen frequently in Wisconsin this year, entomologist PJ Liesch tells us.
Wisconsin women share stories of suffering and pain before new guidance on IUD insertion
Dr. Molly Lepic, an OB-GYN with UW Health who teaches medical students, said pain is a varied response. Also, patients who have previously had a vaginal delivery typically feel less pain during IUD insertion because their cervix has dilated before.
“Everybody’s pain tolerance is different,” she added.
After layoffs, financial woes and no-confidence vote, UW-Oshkosh chancellor to step down
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt is stepping down at the end of the school year to return to teaching after a decade at the helm of the Fox Valley institution.
VP Kamala Harris to campaign at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Thursday
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris will be at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday for a “meet and greet,” according to student media.
Wisconsin’s public companies must disclose how much they pay CEOs. Here’s who topped the list.
Of the 25 companies, none of the CEOs’ actual salaries exceeded $2 million. Most of the time, the salary makes up a very small portion of a CEO’s pay package.
Many companies instead award their CEOs with shares of the company’s stock and other forms of equity to give CEOs “skin in the game,” said Fabio Gaertner, professor of accounting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert on executive compensation.
Conservative talk radio continues to be a powerful political tool in Wisconsin
Although less popular than local television and some other forms of media, local radio generally gains strong trust from those who listen, according to Mike Wagner, a University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism and mass communication researcher and professor. In Wisconsin, during the 2016 election, radio stations were airing around 200 hours of conservative talk every day, according to one UW-Madison study.
Sykes’ WTMJ show was Walker’s primary connection to a statewide audience, according to Lew Friedland, distinguished journalism and mass communication professor emeritus and researcher at UW-Madison. “Without Charlie Sykes, I don’t think there would have been a Scott Walker,” Friedland said, calling Sykes “one of the top three most important political actors” at the time.
Journal Sentinel’s Main Street Agenda town hall meeting discusses inflation. Here’s what we learned.
Yes, inflation has gone down, says Menzie Chinn, a UW-Madison economics and public affairs professor. But there’s a catch. He said that, though the rate of prices going up has slowed, it doesn’t mean prices are coming down. “Prices are flattening out,” Chinn said. “They are not going up as fast as they were, but they are still going up.”
J. Michael Collins, UW-Madison professor at La Follette School of Public Affairs and School of Human Ecology, said inflation hits people differently across the state, with one in four saying they’ve had trouble meeting expenses, especially rent, which can be a third to half of a person’s income.
Here’s how early education experts, Wisconsin legislative candidates plan to tackle child care issues
While employers can help, they alone cannot save the day, Schmidt said, referencing figures from a recent report by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It found that if the providers surveyed could operate at full capacity — many cannot because of staffing shortages — they could serve a total of 33,000 more children. To fill those slots, the state would need roughly 4,000 more early childhood educators, Schmidt said.
Former UW-Superior chancellor says diversity of experience is key for successful college presidents
he average tenure of university presidents is on the decline.
Nine of the 13 Universities of Wisconsin chancellors assumed their post over the past four years. That tracks with data from The American Council on Education, showing the average tenure of college presidents is roughly six years, down from 8.5 years in 2022.
A new book by a former UW-Superior chancellor digs into why college leaders are vacating these powerful positions. The book profiles seven presidents who stayed at their institutions and brought them through difficult times.
Last-minute campaigning: A tradition in presidential politics in Wisconsin
Hoover, the Republican incumbent, made nine appearances in Wisconsin that day, including one before a crowd of about 14,000 at the University of Wisconsin Field House in Madison. According to The Milwaukee Journal, the president was “an unmistakably tired man.”
The Main Street Agenda project uncovers top issues among Wisconsin residents
The Main Street Agenda is a project done in partnership between the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. La Follette Director Susan Yackee told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” the project aims to get people from different political backgrounds talking with one another.
“We need to be able to talk to each other to get to the mission of the La Follette School, which is evidence-based policymaking,” she said. “That oftentimes takes political compromise and we just can’t get to political compromise if people aren’t talking to each other anymore.”
Watch our Main Street Agenda town hall meeting on inflation
The Journal Sentinel partnered with the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconsin Public Radio on the Main Street Agenda, a 2024 election project designed to focus on the issues Wisconsin voters care about most. Panelists included Menzie Chinn, professor at the La Follette School of Public Affairs and Department of Economics at UW-Madison, and . J. Michael Collins, professor at the La Follette School of Public Affairs and School of Human Ecology at UW-Madison.
Dual use of combustible and electronic cigarettes is worse for your health
“Very few people these days just smoke cigarettes,” said Megan Piper, a director of research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention. Piper is currently conducting a study of dual users to figure out effective ways to help them quit cigarettes.
Jane Rotonda and Jessica Calarco preview the 2024 Wisconsin Book Festival
Interview with Jessica Calarco, a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
School lunches could be a learning experience for students
Interview with Jennifer E. Gaddis, an associate professor of civil society and community studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of The Labor of Lunch. She is an advisory board member of the National Farm to School Network.
Review of Wisconsin talk radio finds stark divides, misinformation
Divided Americans are often described as living in different media bubbles, so for this story University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism students listened to several radio hosts across the political spectrum to report on just how different those bubbles are.
Wisconsin Public Media remembers executive director Heather L. Reese
Wisconsin Public Media (WPM) is saddened by the death of Heather L. Reese, executive director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison division that, in partnership with the Educational Communications Board (ECB), provides statewide access to public media through PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR).
Change is on the Air: New series explores state of Wisconsin talk radio ahead of November election
In a new series, student journalists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, led by Wisconsin Watch State Bureau Chief Matthew DeFour, explore all of those changes. The students who collaborated on this series include: Benjamin Cadigan, Hallie Claflin, Meryl Hubbard, Ray Kirsch, Frankie Pica, Ashley Rodriguez, Andrew Schneider, Sophia Scolman, Paige Stevenson and Omar Waheed.
Far from the border, immigration a top GOP issue in swing state Wisconsin
Trump regularly invokes anecdotes about immigration and crime. But despite some high-profile individual cases, University of Wisconsin-Madison sociologist Michael Light says research shows increased immigration is not tied to higher crime rates.
“Criminologists have been studying the issue of immigration and crime for over a century and, generally speaking, what we find is that immigrants tend to have lower crime rates than native-born U.S. citizens,” he said. “It’s a fairly consistent finding.”
Garden Talk: Overview of this year’s gardening season; Growing ferns
This has been an unusual growing season. Garden Talk regulars Lisa Johnson and Brian Hudelson are in to talk about what they’ve seen regarding plant disease, insects and the effects of a wet spring and dry fall. And then we talk to an expert about how to grow ferns – both inside and out – and learn a little of the history of this ancient plant.
Jewish students, faith leaders at UW-Madison celebrate Yom Kippur
Rabbi Andrea Steinberger of Hillel at University of Wisconsin-Madison she set tables for a pre-fast meal Friday and prepared for services that hundreds of students were expected to attend.
‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Nathan Kalmoe, Jim Flaherty
Hateful political rhetoric has become commonplace in the 2024 presidential campaign and much of it is directed at migrants coming over the southern U.S. border — UW-Madison political science researcher and author Nathan Kalmoe said that kind of rhetoric can tip into violence.
Opinion: How do we rebuild trust? One simple answer is to ask people what they think.
Written by Denia Garcia, an assistant professor with the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. Garcia’s work examines the role of space and organizations in shaping how inequalities are experienced and reproduced.
A top Department of Justice official decides to retire two weeks after being put on leave
Kaul also asked two University of Wisconsin System attorneys to look into allegations Virgil raised against three top administrators. The report did find some problems in the agency but concluded the three officials did not contribute to a hostile workplace environment.
USDA offering help for beginning farmers as dairy farming struggles
Beginning farmers will be eligible for financial planning and technical assistance under new U.S. Department of Agriculture projects delivered through the University of Wisconsin System, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, and the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship.
Young voters could be important in the election. Here’s what some Wisconsin students say
“The number of people who could fit into the Kohl Center would be enough to tip the outcome of the election in Wisconsin, and potentially in the electoral college,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the university’s Elections Research Center. “Students, if they choose to vote in Wisconsin, have a lot of power.”
Opinion: UW-Milwaukee won’t retain top status with more cuts. Wisconsin could fall behind.
A modern, thriving Wisconsin requires universities rated in the top tier of research institutions, ones that produce productivity enhancing innovations making modern life possible, while also imparting knowledge enabling citizens to create and think. Thus armed with these capacities, graduates of these Research One, or R1, universities find success in the arts, professions, sciences and as entrepreneurs.
Voters in Wisconsin are weighing which candidate better understands their economic anxieties.
The middle class is an amorphous concept that neither candidate has really defined. But one thing is clear, said Katherine Cramer, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — the days when “middle class” meant “stability” are long gone.
“Now, there’s just so much precarity in terms of people not being sure of whether the jobs that they’re currently in are going to be there in the future,” Cramer said. “They’re not sure of their ability to maintain their standard of living, whether it’s meeting their mortgage payments or rental payments.”
Why some farmers are making the big switch from dairy to beef production
While beef-on-dairy production continues to grow in the U.S., it was a novel concept in 2018 when it came to the attention of Ryan Sterry, regional dairy educator with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
“A few colleagues and myself were noticing more chatter about this, more farms were experimenting with it,” Sterry recalls.
International students can get hands-on training and experience in their chosen field with CPT.
“There are consistent general eligibility requirements, such as maintenance of valid F-1 status and practical training directly related to the degree program. However, federal regulations on CPT are quite vague, so it is up to each institution to develop its own CPT policy and procedure that match institutional policies and procedures,” says Samantha McCabe, international student services director at the University of Wisconsin—Madison.
Swing-state GOP leaders amplified election denial in 2020 − and may do so again
Co-authored by PhD candidates in sociology, and William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea & Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication.
For University of Wisconsin hurricane researchers, Hurricane Milton offers a learning opportunity
More than 1,000 miles from where Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday night, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are using data from the storm to refine the way they study hurricanes.
University of Wisconsin continues to expand Wisconet network
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is continuing to grow its Wisconet system, which is a statewide network of weather and soil monitoring stations.
The university’s weather network, called Wisconet, is expected to be a game changer for farmers, climate researchers and many other industries in Wisconsin — especially those in remote areas.
Nation’s longest-serving congresswoman in reelection fight with Ohio state lawmaker
Kaptur grew up in Toledo. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in history and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan, according to her congressional website.
Verizon is purchasing Frontier. How will that affect customers in Wisconsin?
The federal government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supported by all the congressional Democrats from Wisconsin, and none of the Republicans, has provided billions of dollars to bring faster internet to unserved and underserved areas. So big money is available for companies, communities and co-ops to make upgrades. But that comes through a “very long and convoluted pipeline,” said Barry Orton, a telecommunications professor emeritus with UW-Madison and fierce critic of Frontier.
6 things to eat to reduce your cancer risk
Almonds and walnuts, in particular, have cancer-fighting powers. “Nuts increase your fiber intake, and they have vitamin E and antioxidants that may help with cancer prevention,” says Bradley Bolling, an associate professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin. Bolling found that eating 28 grams of nuts per day—about a handful of almonds or walnuts—is linked to a lower risk of getting and dying from cancer. Dried fruit without added sugars may have a similar effect, though data are limited, Bolling adds.
‘That’s a bloodbath’: How a federal program kills wildlife for private interests
“It’s been scientific consensus since 1999 that indiscriminate killing is damaging,” said Adrian Treves, a professor of environmental studies and director of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
How strict new voter ID laws in key swing states could play a deciding factor in the 2024 election
“These laws, they do nothing but make it more difficult to vote,” said Kenneth Mayer, a professor of American politics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has conducted research on the effects of voter ID in his state. “And for every possible case of voter impersonation that you might prevent, you’re talking about thousands or tens of thousands of people who face these burdens.”
Teen Vogue Generation Next 2024: Meet the winning designers
Robyn George: I’m 22 years old and I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin … I entered college at UW-Madison as a political science major which really heavily informed the way that I use the medium to digest the world around me, it also pushed me to create spaces like The Issue on campus where art and culture can combine to create something new and unrestricted.
Wisconsin has among the lowest kindergarten vaccine rates in the U.S. That worries doctors
Dr. James Conway, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and medical director of UW Health’s immunization program, said the personal convictions exemption tends to be applied loosely.
“It’s been allowed to be interpreted as, basically, if you don’t want it, you don’t have to get it,” he said.
Fact check: Eric Hovde says opponent Tammy Baldwin ‘gave stimulus checks to illegals.’
Michael Wagner, director of the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal and professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said voting against the Young/Cotton amendment is not tantamount to supporting “giving stimulus checks” to nonresident immigrants.
“Stimulus checks only went to people with a Social Security number,” Wagner said in an email to PolitiFact Wisconsin. “Some noncitizens legally employed by DHS can get a Social Security number, and a small number of people in the U.S. on legal temporary working visas may also have been eligible for stimulus checks.”
‘I am 100% more Latina than Hispanic’: Wisconsin Latinos discuss how they describe their identity
Today, many people and institutions use “Chicano” or “Chicana.” The University of Wisconsin-Madison, for example, has the Chicana and Latina Studies degree program.
Wisconsin hospitals monitoring IV fluid supply after hurricane damages manufacturer
In Madison, a spokesperson for UW Health said they are “actively managing the situation” and there are no impacts to patient care at this time.
Deer collisions have cost Wisconsin more than $16M since 2001
“This issue, it’s economical, it’s social, it’s animal welfare, it’s emotional,” said David Drake, an urban wildlife expert and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “There’s all sorts of different perspectives on this, and that’s what makes it so difficult.”
James Webb discovers a new type of exoplanet: an exotic ‘steam world’
“It was a very surreal moment,” said Eshan Raul, now a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We were searching specifically for water worlds because it was hypothesized that they could exist. If these are real, it really makes you wonder what else could be out there.”
Florida-based fund managers ride out Hurricane Milton and remain committed to the state
Average homeowner premiums in Florida rose 57% between 2019 and 2023 according to data from Benjamin Keys of the University of Pennsylvania and Philip Mulder of the University of Wisconsin, a steeper rise than anywhere else in the nation.