Written by John Shutske, a professor of biological systems and engineering and also an Extension specialist at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Author: knutson4
Students can earn 60 credits at Moraine Park tech college, start as UW-Milwaukee juniors
College students who earn two-year degrees in certain programs at Moraine Park Technical College can transfer 60 credits, or half of a four-year degree, to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee under a new articulation agreement between the two schools.
A college degree is worth the investment. But Wisconsin high school grads increasingly seek other options.
Wisconsin colleges have a well-documented demographics problem. Smaller and smaller graduating high school classes have left colleges scrambling to fill seats, squeezing budgets and making painful cuts.
What First Amendment lawsuit means for designated protest zones at RNC in Milwaukee
Howard Schweber, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, thinks the judge still has enough time to rule on this case, which he expects will be in favor of the city of Milwaukee.
Schweber spoke to WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” about the First Amendment arguments in the case and the lack of clearly defined legal guidelines on the issue.
New charter school looking to open in Waukesha County
Charter schools can be run either by public school districts or independently. Independent charter schools can be authorized by the Milwaukee Common Council, the chancellor of any Universities of Wisconsin (UW System) institution, each technical college district board, the Waukesha County Executive, College of Menominee Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, and the UW Office of Educational Opportunity, according to the DPI.
A sex historian weighs in on former UW-La Crosse chancellor’s porn scandal
Sex historian and journalist Hallie Lieberman, who received her doctorate from UW-Madison, has been following the story closely. She worries if Gow is dismissed for sexual activities he pursued in his free time, it will set a dangerous precedent to fire professors for saying and doing things the public doesn’t like.
“When they go after porn and sex, it’s low-hanging fruit. What comes next?” she said. “Freedom of speech is for the speech we hate, it’s for the thought we hate.”
‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Rich Barnhouse, Chris Larson, John Blakeman
Here’s what guests on the June 21, 2024 episode said about the closing of two-year Universities of Wisconsin campuses, the financial scandal at Milwaukee Public Schools and the past and present of Donald Trump campaigns in Wisconsin.
Late surge earns Wisconsin swimmer Phoebe Bacon spot on U.S. Olympic team in 200 backstroke
This continues to be Phoebe Bacon’s year.
The University of Wisconsin swimmer qualified for her second Olympic Games on Friday night with a second-place finish 200-meter backstroke at the USA Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Third Olympic berth puts former Wisconsin track and field standout Zach Ziemek in exclusive company
Zach Ziemek earned a return trip to the Olympics on Saturday and put himself in a class by himself when it comes to athletes who have come through the University of Wisconsin men’s track and field program.
Ho-Chunk artist, Wisconsin native Harry Whitehorse honored with wood sculpture festival
Decades earlier, Whitehorse began mentoring Gene Delcourt, then a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on his wood sculpting craft. He encouraged Delcourt, who is Abenaki and Filipino, to attend symposiums in Europe dedicated to the art form. Each time Delcourt returned from a symposium, he thought, “I’d really love to put one of these on.”
Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns OWI conviction of man who fell asleep at drive-thu
“It’s the idea that law enforcement kind of wears several hats,” said Rachel Burg, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. “One is monitoring and investigating crime and preventing crime but also protecting people and property and doing welfare checks on folks. So the community caretaker exception allows law enforcement to to take action if they have a concern about the welfare of a person.”
Wisconsin’s partial veto has stood for nearly a century. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will give it another look.
University of Wisconsin Law School State Democracy Research Initiative Attorney Bryna Godar told WPR governors have gotten creative with how they’ve used partial vetoes, “but we now have this very long standing practice that is really codified in state law.”
Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar on addiction and imprisonment
UW Health Behavioral Health and Recovery Clinic addiction medicine physician Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar examines how incarceration impacts people struggling with mental health and substance abuse.
Eradication of insect pests and invasive plants
UW-Madison entomologist PJ Liesch is back. We talk with him about what’s hampering the spread of spongy moths in Wisconsin. We also talk about how climate change is aiding the spread of joro spiders to northern regions. Then, two WDNR invasive species specialists share success stories from across the state.
Fathers suffer from postpartum depression, too, UW-Madison professor’s research shows
University of Wisconsin-Madison social work professor Tova Walsh is glad more people are paying attention to postpartum depression in moms. She said that’s a big improvement.
Live updates: Faculty hearing for Joe Gow begins Wednesday at UW-La Crosse
Joe Gow was removed as University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor for creating sex videos posted on porn websites. Should he also be fired from his faculty position?
That’s the question facing a group of Gow’s colleagues this week. They will hear Gow and the university administration make their case in a two-day public hearing that will closely resemble a trial with witnesses, cross-examinations and closing statements.
Fresh ideas, new perspective, plenty of kringle. Journal Sentinel newsroom interns arrive.
One of the most compelling series of stories last summer concerned the evacuation of two apartment buildings contaminated by cancer-causing chemicals, and the discovery that some Milwaukee officials knew residents were living there – yet said nothing.
What made the work especially remarkable was that it was largely reported by two college interns, Yash Roy from Yale University and Sophia Vento from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
First Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival celebrates the art’s past and future
One of Delcourt and Levin’s main goals in creating the festival was to prevent Whitehorse’s work from being forgotten. Whitehorse, who was born in a wigwam in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, studied anatomy at UW–Madison, fine arts at the Arthur Colt School of Fine Arts in Madison and welding at a local technical college. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Whitehorse returned to Madison where he experimented with many different kinds of art, including metalwork and custom car design, before landing on wood carving in the 1980’s. He died in 2017 at age 90.
US Supreme Court ruling on abortion pills, The murky market for legal weed products, How pagans celebrate summer solstice
With a wave of new hemp-derived THC alternatives hitting the market in Wisconsin, we check in with a cannabis historian about what these products are and how they’re shaping policy discussions around marijuana in the state. Interview with Lucas Richert, professor in the School of Pharmacy at UW-Madison.
In Focus with Courtney Bell: Teachers, students in Wisconsin
Murv Seymour talks with Courtney Bell at the Wisconsin Historical Society about leading the Wisconsin Center for Education Research in its work on classroom innovations, challenges and inequities.
New federal grant sends more OBGYNs to train in rural areas
New federal funding will help place more OBGYNs in training in Wisconsin’s rural communities.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health will receive a $750,000 grant over the next three years to expand their rural OBGYN residency track.
UW-Madison sociologist’s new book says women fill gaps in US social programs
University of Wisconsin-Madison sociologist Jessica Calarco believes her profession is an act of “un-gaslighting people.” She said she wants to help others see the challenges they face in their lives as products of large social structures and forces. In particular, she said she wants women to let go of guilt they might feel when they face struggles because of the unfair burden of social structures place on women.
In her new book, “Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net,” Calarco said women are often tasked with more of the unpaid or underpaid care work that keeps the economy moving.
Artist Harry Whitehorse honored with new wood sculpture festival in Monona
After the war, Harry Whitehorse returned to Wisconsin to pursue a career as an artist. He went to the Arthur Colt School of Fine Arts in Madison to study oil painting and studied human and animal anatomy at University of Wisconsin. He also got his degree in welding and metal fabrication at Madison Area Technical College to become an auto mechanic.
Pleasure Practices with Sami Schalk: The pleasure of endings
I am back this month to say goodbye. This will be my last “Pleasure Practices” column for Tone Madison. I had discussed ending the column earlier this year to make some space for my new book projects during my upcoming sabbatical, but my recent experience with police violence has accelerated my timeline for wrapping up this series.
UW-Madison to strengthen first OB-GYN rural track program in the US
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $750,000 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Thursday, directed toward the establishment of new residency programs in rural communities.
UW-Madison police cite 19 people from Library Mall encampment
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department issued citations to 19 people Thursday related to the pro-Palestinian encampment on Library Mall at the end of the spring semester.
Best student checking accounts
“When looking for a new checking account, students should take their time to identify accounts specifically tailored to their needs – frequently these are promoted on college campuses in the fall,” says Anita Mukherjee, an associate professor in Risk and Insurance Department at the Wisconsin School of Business. “Many banks offer student-specific checking accounts that come with perks such as no monthly fees, lower minimum balance requirements, and free online banking.”
UW-Oshkosh closing Fox Cities campus in spring 2025, Outagamie County exec says
The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Fox Cities will shutter at the end of next school year, according to Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson.
It’s the sixth UW campus to close because of budget problems and declining enrollment.
For our children’s mental health: Ban cell phones in Ripon schools (editorial)
Answering the political science professor’s query was Dr. Jenny Higgins, director of UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“How do you feel, right now, being here in person?” Higgins asked the audience in the Great Hall of Harwood Memorial Union.
“I see some nods,” Higgins said. “Now think about trying to communicate that with somebody on your phone or even on Zoom.”
Wisconsin prisons lag in treating substance use disorders
“At the time of reentry, we know that rates of returning to use – to substance use – are very high. That in combination with someone having no really no tolerance puts them at super high risk for having an overdose if they return to use,” explained Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, an addiction medicine physician and professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She treats patients with substance use disorders at UW Health’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Clinic.
Robert Plant surprises Madison record store with a visit
After about 20 minutes, Plant approached Manley again. He wanted to know what was playing over the store’s speakers. It was the 2023 LP “The Window” from Chicago indie group Ratboys.
Manley told WPR it was exciting to introduce a newer band — who had recently played on the nearby UW-Madison student union terrace — to “the biggest rockstar in the world.”
UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities latest branch campus to close
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said Thursday the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is closing the Fox Cities campus in Menasha.
This will be the sixth two-year campus in the UW system to be marked for closure as the state continues to grapple with lower enrollment in its university system.
State Supreme Court creates committee to address attorney shortage ‘crisis’
Rossell said student loan debt from getting a four-year college degree and then completing law school are also a challenge in getting more people to join the legal profession. Even at the state’s public law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, student debt can range from $150,000 to $200,000, he said.
Worried about losing Medicaid access in Wisconsin? Here’s what to know
Some people face disenrollment despite still qualifying for Medicaid. So before looking for new coverage, first check on whether you still qualify for Medicaid, said Adam VanSpankeren, navigator program manager for Covering Wisconsin, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension program that helps people enroll in publicly funded health care.
UW Health nurses using AI to improve patient messaging
As the health care industry continues to struggle with staffing, UW Health is looking to artificial intelligence to help nurses respond to patient messages more efficiently.
Universities of Wisconsin set to close another 2-year school, this time in Fox Cities
Universities of Wisconsin officials plan to close another two-year school in the face of declining enrollment, this time in the Fox Cities.
Lori Nickel: An Italian fencer from Hartland, who also is a master scuba diver, will compete for the U.S. in the Olympics? Bellissima!
Greater Milwaukee Foundation names Greg Wesley as president and CEO. He’s a Medical College exec
Wesley, 54, grew up in Gary, Indiana, and moved in 1997 to Milwaukee after earning his law degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison. This is where he started his career at Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP, met his spouse, and raised a family.
Polarization and party future: UW experts make predictions for RNC in Milwaukee
Protests, polarization, voter outreach, and the future of the Republican Party. Political experts from UW-Madison on Tuesday shared their expectations for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The latest in eye health; How one woman helped her friend by donating a kidney
More than 12-million Americans aged 40 and over have some level of vision impairment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. David Gamm, an ophthalmologist from UW Health, joins us to talk all about the eyes — from macular degeneration to glaucoma.
Anti-affirmative action organization targets Minnesota State University Moorhead scholarships in complaint
One complaint has resulted in an official Department of Education investigation, he said — a complaint against the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a fellowship program for people of color.
New Wisconsin Public Radio station honors late Executive Director Gene Purcell
Wisconsin Public Radio is launching a new music station with call letters honoring Gene Purcell, Wisconsin Public Media’s late executive director.
WEPP, which will start broadcasting Thursday on 90.7 FM in Rice Lake, Wis., gets its call letters from Purcell’s given name, Eugene Patrick Purcell. He died due to injuries from a traffic crash in 2021 after more than a decade at the helm of the organizations behind Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin.
Tackling child care challenges: How Milwaukee Succeeds is making a difference
More than 40% of mothers in Wisconsin report having to cut back on work hours, or quit their jobs entirely, due to the high cost of early childhood education, according to University of Wisconsin-Madison research quoted by Vincent Lyles, the executive director of Milwaukee Succeeds .
‘Army of hope:’ UW Health opens walk-in clinic specializing in opioid use disorder
The clinic opened in January and specializes in opioid use disorder. It offers walk-in appointments and free services to people with or without insurance. Patients can get prescription medication for opioid use disorder and medical treatment like basic wound care, family planning or hepatitis C treatment.
Constant rain showers delay planting for Wisconsin farmers, impedes weed management
“You would have to go back to the big drought year of 1988 to find a drier May, and before that, all the way back to the thick of the Dust Bowl in 1934,” said Steve Vavrus, a climatologist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW experts weigh in on which issues could win Wisconsin in November
If there is just a single issue that matters to most voters, it’s the economy. However, experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at Tuesday’s WisPolitics event said don’t count out what each party is pushing either.
As apparel makers move work from China to Central America, jobs could dent migration crisis
The garment industry has long been criticized for low wages and harsh working conditions. As recently as 2010, the University of Wisconsin-Madison ended a licensing agreement with Nike over a wage dispute in Honduras. Pressure from UW-Madison and other universities resulted in Nike making changes that included a $1.54 million contribution to a workers’ relief fund.
Why Illinois’ governor is counting on Wisconsin to maintain a ‘blue wall’ in the Midwest
“Wisconsin is going to be a hugely important element of what I think will be the bringing of the next generation of forward thinking and important technology to the United States,” Pritzker explained of the partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and institutions in Illinois. “Quantum technology, if the Chinese win at this, will mean that the United States will become a second-tier power, but if we win, and I think we will, it will be the Midwest that carries the day.”
Wisconsin’s system to block ineligible voters misses some on felony probation
Ion Meyn, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, said voter disenfranchisement laws typically affect people of color disproportionately.
“If you take a map of where Black people live, in terms of concentration … and then you map over that rates of incarceration, it maps out exactly,” he said. “And then if you put that same map and put in … the highest disenfranchisement rates — exact same place.”
Summer books and summer science
UW-Madison emeritus professor of chemistry Bassam Shakhashiri is back to talk about the science behind fireworks and, in this election year, how science is part of the political process.
Gov. Tony Evers talks about potential UW budget increase on ‘Wisconsin Today’
Last week, Gov. Tony Evers announced he’s seeking an $800 million budget increase for the Universities of Wisconsin in the state’s next two-year budget. He described it as the largest increase in state funding in the UW system’s history.
Here’s what to know about the life and legacy of Marquette University President Michael Lovell
Marquette University President Michael Lovell died on Sunday following a three-year battle with cancer and a decade of service to the university, the university announced over the weekend.
Could a revamped AmFam Championship lure Tiger Woods back to Wisconsin?
University Ridge Golf Course was a fine host for the AmFam Championship from 2016-24, but the University of Wisconsin’s home course was never meant for the volume of spectators it attracted. And it surely wouldn’t be able to hold hundreds of thousands that would no doubt make the pilgrimage from around the Midwest to see the greatest golfer of all time return to where he turned pro.
What to know about Milwaukee’s Hillside neighborhood
The community commitment in Hillside gave rise to Vel R. Phillips, a Hillside resident who has been described by many as a trailblazer, a culture shifter and a woman who made history again and again. Phillips was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin law school, the first woman — and first African-American — elected to the Milwaukee Common Council, the first woman judge in Milwaukee County and the first Black person elected to statewide office, as secretary of state.
UW-Milwaukee chancellor, others reflect on Michael Lovell’s legacy at Marquette
The last time University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone saw Marquette University President Michael Lovell in person was about a month ago. Over beers at Cafe Hollander on Downer Avenue, they caught up on their high-pressure jobs, their families and their futures.
Both leaders were diagnosed with cancer in recent years: Mone announced he had lymphoma in 2020 and Lovell revealed he had a rare cancer known as a sarcoma in 2021. The experience bonded the leaders of Milwaukee’s two largest universities even closer together.
Madison police say rooftop party was unauthorized
Madison police continue to seek a suspect in a weekend shooting at an unauthorized rooftop apartment party in the city’s downtown that left 12 people hurt.
The shooting took place at a rooftop party with more than 25 people attending at the high-rise Lux Apartment building near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and came as two other weekend shootings occurred in the city. At a Monday press conference, Madison officials said they’re still determining a motive and have yet to arrest anyone.
How It’s Made: Wisconsin Dairy Products
June is Dairy Month in Wisconsin! Learn how your favorite Wisconsin dairy products – from cheese curds to ice cream – are made with these episodes from PBS Wisconsin.
Wisconsin scientist: Plants respond to biting insects faster than you might think
Simon Gilroy, a University of Wisconsin-Madison botany professor, is among a handful of scientists uncovering how plants respond to the world. But Gilroy hesitates to use the word “intelligence” when talking about them.
“One of the things that we do as humans is we anthropomorphize all the time. Inanimate objects, we attribute them human characteristics. And it’s just built into our DNA of how we interact with the world … so that must be how everything else operates,” Gilroy told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” recently. “That can sometimes totally get in the way.”
UW-Madison professor traces the ways women are pushed to serve as a social safety net
Jessica Calarco, a sociologist and associate professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, says writing her book “Holding It Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net” was a “labor of fury” and a “labor of love.”
What to know about the AmFam Championship: Wisconsin players, TV schedule, ticket info
The PGA Tour Champions event has been held at the University of Wisconsin’s home course since the tournament began in 2016, and Stricker is the defending champion after setting a tournament record with an 18-under 198 last summer.