As more than two billion people worldwide still lack access to safely managed drinking water, new research from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW–Madison investigates the effects of early-life exposure to citywide water filtration on longevity in the early 20th century.
Author: Nathan Steagall
Food insecurity higher at UW-Madison than other colleges, survey finds
University of Wisconsin-Madison students experienced a higher rate of food insecurity than the national average last school year, and more than a third of Badgers lacked stable, safe, adequate and affordable housing.
Woods Equipment Invests In The Next Generation
As part of its 80th anniversary celebration, Woods Equipment is making financial contributions to agriculture programs at universities and local organizations across the Midwest. Among the universities is UW-Madison.
“For 80 years, our equipment has worked alongside farmers and the next generation of land stewards,” said Jillian Love, Marketing Manager at Woods Equipment. “These partnerships are our way of giving back and making sure there is a next generation ready to carry that work forward.”
Mental health legal rights for youth in Wisconsin
A teenager knows something isn’t right. They want to talk to a therapist but don’t want their parents to know everything they say. In Wisconsin, whether the teen can control that decision depends on a set of laws, hinging on the age of the minor, that most teens and many parents do not fully understand.
Morgridges gift $85.2 million for major renovation of UW-Madison’s historic Science Hall
UW-Madison’s Science Hall will undergo an extensive renovation to restore its historical features while adding modern updates, assisted by an $85.2 million gift from philanthropic couple and class of 1955 alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, the university announced Thursday.
Madison growth strains housing supply near UW campus
For more than a half-century, Madison has been considered one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. Since 2020, Dane County has added nearly 30,000 residents.
The engine driving much of that growth is in the heart of Madison.
“You can’t discuss housing in Madison without first understanding the impact of the university,” said Paul Soglin, who served as Madison mayor for nearly a quarter-century.
‘Pets for Life’ brings vaccines, supplies to Lac du Flambeau pet owners
“Pets for Life” is a monthly wellness clinic hosted in Lac du Flambeau, in partnership with UW-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine, offering veterinary services that have been scarce in the community.
For the last year, staff from the university’s School of Veterinary Medicine have been making the trips, offering veterinary services that have been scarce in the community.
Golden oyster mushroom begins to invade Boone County. It’s not pretty
No one could have predicted the massive spread of golden oyster mushrooms in the United States.
The golden oyster mushroom, or Pleurotus citrinopileatus, seems like an innocent and edible fungi, but it has become a rapidly spreading, invasive species throughout the central and northeastern United States.
In the last 15 years, it has been found in moist woodlands throughout Missouri, especially the upper part of the state and in Boone County.
What a former UW athletics director thinks of the job today
To get around these days, Pat Richter has been using a cane, a concession to the toll on his 84-year-old hips and knees from playing football.
But he has taken it all in stride.
Even if that stride, in his words, has been reduced to “slow but sure” steps.
Some would suggest that’s the approach the University of Wisconsin should take in hiring its next athletic director, a title Richter once held for 14-plus years.
Fifth annual Dairy Symposium encourages sharing findings, exploring ideas
The Dairy Innovation Hub held its fifth annual Dairy Symposium on Tuesday, May 12, at the Memorial Union on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. During the day-long event, which drew over 200 attendees, scientists shared and discussed their Hub-funded work with researchers, students, campus colleagues, and others.
DeForest students participate in German+ Program at UW-Madison
On Monday, April 20, 2026, the German+ Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison hosted its 34th “German Day” in Union South on the UW–Madison campus. Since 1990, students of German from high schools and middle schools have been showcasing their knowledge of German through poetry, spelling, skits, Pictionary, charades, solo and ensemble music performances, posters, and memes.
UW-Madison students reveal solar-powered race car
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s solar racing team is unveiling a new solar-powered vehicle built by students.
What is Badger Solar Racing?
Badger Solar Racing is a student-run team at UW-Madison that designs and builds solar-powered vehicles to race in competitions. The organization began focusing on creating solar vehicles in 2021.
Kyle Ma, the president of Badger Solar Racing, said over 100 current and former Badgers are involved in the organization.
UnityPoint Health – Meriter, UW Health given 5-star rating from federal group
UnityPoint Health Meriter and UW Health were recently found to be among the highest-quality healthcare providers in the nation by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The agency gave the hospital and healthcare system a five-star rating for its quality of care including patient experience, safety and clinical outcomes.
World KidWind Competition brings 500+ students to Madison for clean energy challenges
The World KidWind Competition brought more than 500 students from around the globe to UW Madison today to take on clean-energy challenges.
Students from 4th grade through 12th grade competed in events ranging from solar home design to wind-tunnel testing.
Wisconsin students use prediction markets as experts warn of “public health crisis”
A University of Wisconsin-Madison business student predicts politics on prediction market platforms, wagering on foreign election outcomes and what President Trump will say during the State of the Union. In the past five months, Jack Campion says he’s made about $110,000.
“I’m making money doing what I love, like I’ve always loved reading the news,” Campion said. “It’s working. Doesn’t work for everybody though.”
Opinion: College basketball player outearns UW president by millions
A sign of our crazy times: It wasn’t even noteworthy when we learned during the bruhaha over the firing of Jay Rothman, the president of the Universities of Wisconsin, that the position’s market value is millions of dollars below that of a good college basketball player.
Wisconsin Originals: Kathryn Clarenbach co-founded National Organization for Women
Born Kathryn Dorothy Frederick, Clarenbach was raised in Sparta. After graduating from Sparta High School as valedictorian at age 16, Clarenbach went directly to UW-Madison to study political science. By 1946, the 22-year-old had earned her bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D.
She began her women’s rights career while devising a continuing education program for women through the University of Wisconsin-Extension. While she saw success with the program, her husband, a real estate agent, was able to rework his schedule to stay home with their kids.
UW Health launches WorkForward to bolster the nation’s health care workforce
UW Health has announced the creation of WorkForward, a new non-profit organization that is designed to bolster the national health care workforce.
“Building on the health system’s nationally recognized leadership in developing innovative career pathways in health care, WorkForward is the first employer-based intermediary in health care, aligning employers, educators, governing bodies and other organizations around shared workforce development goals and outcomes,” UW Health said in a news release.
App allows students to buy surplus food for low cost
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a group of students and staff are working to reduce the amount of food wasted. They’re using a tool that a graduate of the university helped develop.
At Badger Markets, food that doesn’t sell right away now gets a second chance.
Christian Capitini onboards as director of the Carbone Cancer Center
Mention the “Dream Team” to a longtime sports fan, and they will assume you’re referring to the 1992 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team, a powerhouse with a roster that included Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
Wisconsin high schoolers, did you apply to UW-Madison? We want to hear from you
May 1 marked Decision Day for high school seniors. The date is the traditional deadline for high school seniors to commit to a college or university for the fall semester.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is doing some reporting on which Wisconsin students do – and do not – get into the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The state flagship is the most competitive school to gain admission.
UW researchers identify revolutionary biomarkers for early detection of Huntington’s disease
University of Wisconsin-Madison professors, Jane Paulsen and Michael Newton discovered that two proteins decline in the human brain as Huntington disease develops, furthering improvements for treatments of the disease.
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a rare, genetic disease that causes neurons in the brain to degenerate over time, affecting a person’s movement, cognition and overall quality of life.
Psychedelic researchers confront the hard questions as medical research expedited
To understand psychedelics — those powerful and cryptic agents of the mind — scientists are exploring uncharted landscapes. “We don’t yet really know why psilocybin or other psychedelic drugs seem to have the effects that they do,” Professor Paul Hutson, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances, told the Wisconsin Examiner.
Wisconsin hospitals receive delayed reimbursement for COVID-19 response
A federal disaster recovery program is reimbursing some Wisconsin hospitals for costs related to COVID-19 response, years after the start of the pandemic.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced $5.4 billion in funding awarded from its Public Assistance program to states, local governments and health care systems across the country.
Wisconsin leaders push for state role in growing nuclear fusion industry
UW-Madison ranked third in the nation in the 2025 U.S. News and World Report’s Best Nuclear Engineering Programs. Four fusion companies spun out of the university — Xantho Technologies, SHINE Technologies, Type One Energy and Realta Fusion — and nearly 600 plasma physics PhD students have graduated from UW-Madison since its founding, interim chancellor Eric Wilcots said in opening remarks.
How two-thirds of Badgers graduate from UW-Madison debt free
UW-Madison budget cuts accelerate closure of 2 libraries
UW-Madison is closing a pair of libraries this summer as a result of campuswide budget cuts.
Friday was the last day students, faculty, staff and the public could visit the Geology and Geophysics Library. The Social Work Library shutters Aug. 14.
Meet the person stepping into Jennifer Mnookin’s shoes
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is signing off as the university’s head this week, making way for an interim leader.
Eric Wilcots, the dean of UW-Madison’s College of Letters and Science, the largest division on campus, is succeeding Mnookin as the university’s temporary leader after her last day on Saturday.
Locals sounds the sirens when NWS identifies imminent weather threats
Question: Who or what triggers the decision to sound a tornado siren?
Answer: The National Weather Service is responsible for issuing forecasts, watches and warnings for a variety of weather and water hazards. A “warning” is issued when hazardous weather poses an immediate threat to life or property.
World KidWind Challenge begins in Madison
Kids from around the country will compete to build wind turbines at the UW-Madison campus.
The Smashing Pumpkins to bring tour to Kohl Center in October
Another iconic music group is making a stop in Wisconsin this year. The Smashing Pumpkins will perform at the Kohl Center on Sunday, Oct. 11, UW Athletics announced Monday.
The alt rock band, known for hits like “Tonight, Tonight” and “1979,” are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their third studio album, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.”
‘Casting for Kids’ surpasses $1 million raised for pediatric cancer research
Hundreds of anglers took to south central Wisconsin lakes Saturday for the annual Casting for Kids tournament, raising money for children fighting cancer at the UW Carbone Cancer Center and American Family Children’s Hospital
UW-Madison’s Bascom Hill filled with dozens of decoy turkeys to mark 50th anniversary of wild turkey reintroduction
It wasn’t pink plastic flamingos that filled Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Sunday morning. It was decoy turkeys.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the reintroduction of wild turkeys to Wisconsin, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) planted 50 decoy turkeys at the base of Bascom Hill.
Rising gas prices in Madison impacting cost of groceries
Gas prices have jumped nearly 78 cents a gallon in Madison over the past month, and experts say the increase is driving up grocery costs.
Regular gas is running at $4.57 per gallon on average in Madison, according to AAA.
At Jenifer Street Market on Madison’s east side, co-owner David McKenzie says prices continue to climb, particularly when it comes to produce.
What a former UW athletics director thinks of the job today
To get around these days, Pat Richter has been using a cane, a concession to the toll on his 84-year-old hips and knees from playing football.
But he has taken it all in stride.
Even if that stride, in his words, has been reduced to “slow but sure” steps.
Opinion: Jennifer Mnookin’s UW-Madison leadership deserves high marks
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and I met for a sendoff lunch this week as she departs the University of Wisconsin-Madison after nearly four years.
I asked her how it feels to be moving to a job — the presidency of Columbia University in New York City — once held by Dwight Eisenhower, a future U.S. president.
She smiled and said the story told at Columbia is that Eisenhower, who joined the university in 1948 as a World War II hero, left to run for president in 1952 because, well, the politics required to run the entire nation would be simpler than Columbia’s.
Happy 75th, Unitarian Meeting House!
On Feb. 4, 1951, Max Otto delivered the inaugural sermon at the new Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Unitarian Meeting House. The UW-Madison philosophy professor and congregation member said that the striking building on Madison’s near west side, distinguished by a soaring glass and wood “prow,” “will truly be our own if our religious undertaking, ennobled by the beauty of its new home, has vitality and meaning enough to transcend the fame of the building in which it is housed.”
UW-Madison eyes new dorm by 2028, requests developer proposals
UW-Madison is taking another shot at building a new dorm to alleviate its campus housing crunch.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration, on behalf of the university, posted a request for proposals on Thursday, asking developers to submit plans for student housing with 1,500 to 2,000 beds and a 400-seat dining space.
Hack at UW, elsewhere exposes dangerous weakness in online education
College students might imagine many nightmare scenarios during finals week:
- A damaged laptop entombs an important essay.
- The least useful member of a group project accidentally deletes the shared Google document.
- A burrito consumed on the eve of a crucial presentation fulfills an untimely revenge.
But what if these horrors weren’t yours alone? What if all students and their professors found themselves living a shared nightmare at the worst possible time?
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin leaves UW-Madison for Columbia University
UW Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is leaving the university to serve as the 21st president of Columbia University.
She received a farewell party at the Memorial Union Terrace for her last week, including music by the University of Wisconsin Marching Band. She later posted a farewell letter saying serving has been one of the greatest privileges of her life.
Her last day on campus is May 15.
College graduates navigate the job market as AI continues to develop
Thousands of students will graduate from colleges in Wisconsin this month, and while concerns about artificial intelligence loom, a college dean and a Madison college student said personality and durable skills are irreplaceable.
Alejandra Beal is a student studying radiography at Madison Area Technical College. She also works as a peer coordinator specialist for the college’s career and employment services department, helping students navigate resources, schedule appointments and approve jobs on Handshake.
Opinion: Has the University of Wisconsin Really Abandoned DEI?
Universities across the country have wound down their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in recent years, following criticism of the programs’ patterns of racial discrimination and compelled speech. In some cases, DEI roles were not removed but simply renamed and moved to other departments. In fact, a recent Inside Higher Ed survey found that 43 percent of universities have rebranded their DEI initiatives. The names change; the agenda remains the same.
Fire department responds to malfunctioning freezer at UW-Madison
A malfunctioning freezer at the UW-Madison Zoology building prompted a response from the fire department Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Madison fire, firefighters were dispatched to 1117 W. Johnson Street after 12:35 p.m. for a smoke odor on the third floor.
UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs: New UW-Madison study shows drinking water filtration systems may add months to lifespan
As more than two billion people worldwide still lack access to safely managed drinking water, new research from the La Follette School of Public Affairs investigates the effects of early-life exposure to citywide water filtration on longevity in the early 20th-century.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin announces farewell and celebration
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin is saying goodbye.
She posted a farewell letter Wednesday, calling her time as chancellor one of the greatest privileges of her life.
Mnookin is leaving to become president of Columbia University in New York City.
CAP Antibiotics May Not Benefit Nonsevere COVID-19 Infections
Patients hospitalized with nonsevere COVID-19 infections who received empiric antibiotics targeting community-acquired pneumonia may not experience clinically meaningful improvement in outcomes and could have a slightly increased risk of clinical deterioration or in-hospital mortality.
UW professor talks war in Iran, rising fuel prices
Jon Pevehouse, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in international relations, discussed the Iranian war, its effects and what its outcome might look like in the United States in an interview with The Daily Cardinal.
The U.S. began bombing Iran in February 2026. The campaign, Operation Epic Fury, was intended to upheave Iranian leadership, destroy their military and end Iran’s nuclear program, according to President Donald Trump.
UW-Madison names 9-member committee to find next athletics director by summer
UW-Madison has officially launched a search for its next director of athletics.
Incoming Interim Chancellor Eric Wilcots is leading the search process after outgoing Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin asked him to take charge, given her time as chancellor ends May 16.
“Wisconsin Athletics plays a vital role in the life of our campus and our community; its success matters,” Wilcots said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Hantavirus: What Madison experts want you to know
A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has alarmed health officials worldwide, but Madison infectious disease specialists say the risk to Wisconsin residents is extremely low, as long as residents haven’t been exposed to a passenger of the cruise ship.
What will Jennifer Mnookin’s legacy at UW-Madison be? Opinions vary
After nearly four years at the helm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said she feels a bit like the thousands of students wearing caps and gowns who just graduated at Camp Randall Stadium.
Nuclear fusion facility could come to Madison’s former Oscar Mayer plant
A nuclear fusion company that got its start at UW-Madison is nearing the end of a nationwide search for the right place to advance the technology it hopes will power the future.
It didn’t have to look far.
After some promising successes using powerful magnets to shape plasmas, Realta Fusion is ready to build a prototype fusion device, which it will use to test whether the plasma inside will perform as expected at a commercial scale.
Colts GM part of search committee for next UW athletics director
UW-Madison on Tuesday announced the launch of its search for a next director of athletics, with a search committee including the Indianapolis Colts’ general manager.
Outgoing Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin asked interim Chancellor Eric Wilcots to take the lead on the search process, given that her time as chancellor concludes on Saturday. The new athletics director is expected to begin their role this summer.
For Andi Bill, Horses and Civil Engineering Work go Hand-In-Hand
If there’s two things that Andrea “Andi” Bill likes, it’s problem solving and applying it to the human experience. It’s part of what led her to a career in Civil Engineering, but those same skills have also been invaluable in her second career as a trainer and owner of Sugar Creek Stables in Brooklyn, Wisconsin.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin reflects on tenure
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin reflected on her accomplishments leading the state’s flagship campus Monday while acknowledging what she calls a period of “significant challenge” during her four-year tenure.
Mnookin’s last day on campus is Friday.
Opinion: School cellphone bans alone won’t reverse test score drops
In his article in The Atlantic, grimly titled, “America is sliding toward illiteracy,” Idrees Kahloon uses data largely from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, to reflect on the recent degradation of American education. Kahloon uses this data to test theories as to why K-12 test scores have plummeted since 2007 after a brief but substantive window of improvement.
Warm weather and April showers bring … more foliage
Question: Are we ahead of schedule with the spring greening?
Answer: We all just lived through a historic April here in Madison, and broadly across the region.
In Madison and Milwaukee, April 2026 was the wettest April since record keeping began in 1869 and 1871, respectively. Madison received 7.26 inches of rain during the month, more than half of that amount coming on just three days (1.34 inches on April 2, 1.53 inches on April 14 and 0.98 inch on April 17).
Tom Still: These ‘moonshots’ are grounded in engineering know-how
The term “moonshot” most often reminds people of the Apollo space program that first landed astronauts on the moon in 1969 or April’s Artemis II mission, which was the first crewed flight beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972.
Devesh Ranjan, the new dean of UW-Madison’s College of Engineering, is hoping people will also associate “moonshots” with lofty research goals in the coming decade.
UW-Madison Chancellor Mnookin is leaving after 4 years. Here’s what she says went right — and what didn’t
After four years leading UW-Madison, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s exit this week is like a graduation of sorts.
“Like many of our seniors, I feel like I am graduating after four years, and so I, too, know the enormous life-changing impact that a place like this can have,” Mnookin said during an interview Monday in Bascom Hall.
UW System presidential search continues despite legislative questions
The University of Wisconsin system is moving forward with its search for a new system president as state lawmakers remain interested in why the opening exists.
The Board of Regents named UW-Superior Chancellor Renee Wachter the interim president while naming a presidential search committee that will be led by Regent Ashok Rai.
Neurodegeneration in Down Syndrome Begins at Birth
Signs of neurodegeneration in individuals with Down syndrome may start as early as birth, a critical stage of brain development, a new study shows. The research, from investigators at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides an atlas of early brain development in Down syndrome that could inform potential targeted treatments to address the developmental and degenerative aspects of the condition.