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Author: Nathan Steagall

UW Health: Begins offering proton therapy to treat cancer

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WisPolitics

Today, UW Health officially began offering proton therapy at Eastpark Medical Center.

The new treatment gives patients with cancer access to a highly precise form of radiation therapy designed to target tumors while limiting radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue.

This milestone is meaningful to patients and team members alike at UW Health, according to Dr. Zachary Morris, professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and radiation oncologist at the UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center.

Five UW–Madison projects receive DOE funding

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In Business Madison

The University of Wisconsin–Madison will receive five awards ranging from $500,000 to $750,000 to support projects that seek to address the nation’s most important energy, scientific, and engineering challenges.

The grant awards, aimed at advancing nuclear energy, critical mineral extraction and commercial fusion energy, were announced July 22 by the U.S. Department of Energy during the first annual Genesis Mission Summit in Washington, D.C.

New UW Research Shows Farmers Markets Build Community

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Q106

A trip to your local farmers market may be doing more than filling reusable bags with fresh produce. New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows those visits are also helping build a stronger, more connected community.

The study, published in Information, Communication & Society, found that people who regularly attend farmers markets report higher levels of community participation. They also have a stronger sense of belonging than those who rarely or never attend.

Realta Fusion settles in Madison’s former Oscar Mayer plant

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The Daily Cardinal

Nuclear fusion startup Realta Fusion will begin construction on their research and development facility and corporate headquarters in OM Station, a former Oscar Mayer plant on Madison’s north side, by the end of this year. The project will receive up to $55 million in financial incentives from the city and state.

Realta plans to create over 600 new jobs and will look to UW-Madison as a major “talent pipeline,” Kieran Furlong, CEO and co-founder of Realta Fusion, told The Daily Cardinal.

UW-Madison faces lawsuit over ‘discriminatory’ scholarships, grants

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The Cap Times

A conservative legal group celebrated last month when the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled a state grant program aimed at helping students of color attend college was unconstitutional. Now, the group is targeting a similar program for Universities of Wisconsin students.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Waukesha County Circuit Court against five administrators at UW-Madison, including interim Chancellor Eric Wilcots and Provost John Zumbrunnen.

Getting to the root of common plant diseases

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WPR

Gardening season is in full bloom in Wisconsin, but while your perennials and their pollinators are peaking, so too are those nasty plant diseases that can filter into your flowers and victimize your vegetables.

Brian Hudelson, the director of the University of Wisconsin Extension’s Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic, recently joined Jill Nadeau on WPR’s “Garden Talk” to discuss what ailments may be plaguing your plants.

Bryna Godar on WEC’s ruling on ‘spoiling’ absentee ballots

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PBS Wisconsin

We turn to Bryna Godar, attorney with the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School, and thanks for being here. So I want to just back up a little bit to set those court cases up. It was a 2022 lawsuit where a Waukesha County judge ruled that the elections commission had to rescind its guidance, allowing for the spoiling of ballots. A state appeals court eventually repealed that ruling.

Trump administration nixes UW-Madison pediatric healthcare research it had touted

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Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison’s research on artificial intelligence to improve the experience for children and their families was “the poster child” in a federal Health and Human Services presentation on innovations in pediatric care, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, said.

A month later, its federal funding evaporated, as the department rescinded the grant for being “inconsistent with agency priorities,” a catch-all phrase often used in President Donald Trump’s second term to terminate funding the government had already approved.

At UW Health and other hospitals, apprentices are increasingly common

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The Cap Times

Violet LaClair was ready to leave her job.

As a certified nursing assistant at UW Health in Madison, she used the skills she developed while caring for her dying grandmother for nine years. Her co-workers had supported her through her gender transition. She’d even won an award for providing “extraordinary” care.

She loved her workplace, but after four years, she wanted a change.

Discovery Farms gives Wisconsin farmers a voice in research and policy

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Wisconsin State Journal

For 25 years, Discovery Farms has bridged the gap between science and practice by putting data collection directly into the hands of farmers, creating a legacy of water stewardship that is both data-driven and practitioner-led.

A part of UW–Madison Extension, Discovery Farms is a farmer-led research program that conducts studies on farms across Wisconsin to better understand the complex relationships between agricultural practices and water quality.

Legal expert details independent investigation of deadly Madison police shooting

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Channel 3000

Ion Meyn, a UW Law professor who teaches civil and criminal procedure, told News 3 Now that the investigation protocol is “not as independent as it may seem.”

Meyn explained that investigators often follow different procedures when examining police-involved shootings compared to standard criminal investigations. One significant difference involves the timing of officer interviews.

UW-Madison Extension to Host Nitrogen and Soil Management Field Day in Menomonie

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WHBL

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, the field day will provide attendees with practical information on soil conservation, nitrogen management, and strategies to improve soil health and farm profitability. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from Extension specialists and conservation professionals who are working directly with Wisconsin farmers and agricultural landscapes.

Blood test may predict Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline years before symptoms appear

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CBS 7 Wausau

Dr. Jessica Caldwell, multi-principal investigator of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention at UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, said the results carry implications for both research and patient care.

“This finding is exciting for the research community as well as the medical community,” Caldwell said. “It isn’t just a marker of the protein, it’s a marker of people who are potentially likely to go on to have cognitive problems.”

FEDERAL COURT SAYS CHANGES IN POLICY PRIORITIES DON’T JUSTIFY USDA GRANT TERMINATIONS

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Brownfield Ag News

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition says a recent federal court ruling clarifies that agencies cannot terminate funding because a new administration has different policy priorities.

Deputy Policy Director Sophia Kruszewski tells Brownfield, “The court says in its opinion that authority applies to the priorities as they were at the time the agreement was entered into.”

“It doesn’t create this broad authority for the agency to change its mind and then hold existing agreements to new and changing priorities,” she explains.

Research: Some Rural Residents Are Trading Nutrition for Shelter

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The Daily Yonder

In a study by the Rural Livability Project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a national pattern shows that housing stress negatively affects rural health in high-poverty rural places, with higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes, stroke, and coronary heart disease. When rural residents face dual stress, the two constraints–housing financial stress and food insecurity–amplify each other’s negative effects on health (Figure 3).

Is buying into a prediction market OK if you’re voting in Wisconsin?

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission is warning voters that they shouldn’t buy into prediction markets like Kalshi or Polymarket on the results of a Wisconsin election and then vote in that same race.

That’s because voters could be violating a decades-old Wisconsin statute that carries felony-level consequences – though it doesn’t appear the state has recently enforced it or proactively plans to hunt down lawbreakers.

UW leader and former federal science advisor slams research cuts

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WisBusiness

Federal research funding cuts are having “unacceptable” impacts on scientific progress, according to the vice chancellor for research at UW-Madison.

Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska spoke yesterday on a panel in Milwaukee organized by the Wisconsin Technology Council, focused on how shifting federal priorities are impacting innovation in the state.

UW-Madison innovates, collaborates to meet AI challenges

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Wisconsin Economic Development

As business leaders grapple with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and integrate the technology into their workplaces, leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are finding innovative ways to serve their needs.

Faced with technical, ethical, and business questions, Wisconsin’s flagship university is meeting   the rapidly evolving technology with a multidisciplinary approach and changing to meet the demands of employers and society.

3 things that stood out from Wisconsin men’s basketball’s final summer open practice

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Wisconsin State Journal

If the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team is to take a leap next season, perhaps the biggest factor is its own players taking a leap of their own.

Transfers Trey Autry, Eian Elmer and Victory Onuetu bring experienced play at key spots after the Badgers lost eight players from last season’s roster. But the best play of Tuesday’s final opportunity for media to view Wisconsin practice over the summer came from a pair of sophomores.

UW-Madison researcher warns proposed federal grant changes could reshape scientific funding

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Channel 3000

Proposed changes to how the federal government awards research grants are raising concerns among scientists across the country, including researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who say the changes could affect how medical discoveries are funded for years to come.

The Office of Management and Budget is proposing revisions to the federal rules that govern research grants, a move that has prompted more than 400,000 public comments from researchers, universities, patients and advocacy groups.

As Democrats aim to retake the Wisconsin Legislature, here are the races we’re watching in the Aug. 11 primary

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Wisconsin Watch

The upcoming Wisconsin midterms could shift the balance of power in the state Legislature, and the August primaries will determine which candidates voters want to see on the November general election ballot.

Democrats are aiming to flip both the Assembly and Senate in hopes of securing a trifecta in the state government. The party must flip two of the four competitive Senate seats to win a majority. The Assembly is a larger challenge as Democrats must flip five seats to claim a majority for the first time in 16 years.

Canadian wildfire smoke devastates Madison businesses during Maxwell Street Days

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Channel 3000

What should have been one of the busiest weekends of the summer for downtown Madison businesses turned into a major disappointment as Canadian wildfire smoke created hazardous air quality conditions throughout the region.

The smoke essentially formed a black cloud over Maxwell Street Days, significantly impacting vendors and their bottom lines. Business owners reported drastic declines in foot traffic and sales during what is typically a peak revenue weekend for small businesses in the area.

 

UW Madison Drops Flock Safety, Reconsiders License Plate Readers

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GovTech

Now that UW-Madison police have cut ties with Flock Safety, privacy advocates and others on campus say the community needs to be more involved in deciding which automated license plate readers, if any, the department uses in the future.

When eight of the company’s cameras first appeared on campus in July 2025, many people were taken by surprise, said Annette Zimmermann, a UW-Madison data science professor.

Wisconsin welcomes back Mimi Colyer as LOVB Madison adds star volleyball player

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Channel 3000

Just last week, Mimi Colyer, former University of Wisconsin volleyball standout, announced she is coming home and joining LOVB Madison.

Colyer spent only one season at Wisconsin, but it was a memorable one. In her senior year, she helped lead the Badgers to the Final Four before the program fell short in a semifinal loss in Kansas City in December.

Shawano native Leah Nordin settling into first summer as Wisconsin Badger

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NBC 26 Northeast Wisconsin

For Leah Nordin, the transition from Shawano High School to the University of Wisconsin has meant a new campus, new teammates and a new level of basketball.

The Shawano native arrived in Madison on June 7 as part of Wisconsin’s incoming freshman class and has spent the last month getting acclimated to college life while preparing for her first season with the Badgers.

UW-Madison cut ties with Flock. Now what?

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Wisconsin State Journal

Now that UW-Madison police have cut ties with Flock Safety, privacy advocates and others on campus say the community needs to be more involved in deciding which automated license plate readers, if any, the department uses in the future.

When eight of the company’s cameras first appeared on campus in July 2025, many people were taken by surprise, said Annette Zimmermann, a UW-Madison data science professor.

UW-Madison’s six-wheeled food delivery robots leave campus

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The Daily Cardinal

Starship Technologies has withdrawn its tiny, white food delivery robots from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus alongside other universities in the United States, the company announced early June.

The robot delivery company, based in Estonia and San Francisco, said they reduced their campus operations to focus on retail grocery chains and hot food delivery in cities across Europe and the United States.

UW-Madison scientists warn that Trump’s grant changes threaten research

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Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison researchers are calling the Trump administration’s plan to rewrite the rules for awarding and managing federal grants “catastrophic” and “a dagger to the heart of science.”

Those are among a flood of nearly 500,000 public comments from researchers and higher education groups over the last few months, overwhelmingly opposing the Office of Management and Budget’s proposal released in late May.

The ‘other’ Madison athletic director oversees unprecedented success

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The Cap Times

It turns out Shawn Eichorst isn’t the only athletic director in town with good intentions and a plan to put student-athletes in the best possible position to succeed.

This past week, Eichorst officially took over the University of Wisconsin athletic program, a 23-sport Big Ten enterprise that casts a long shadow over the community.

UW’s Luke Fickell impressed with sincerity, authenticity of AD Shawn Eichorst

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Shawn Eichorst and Luke Fickell are still getting to know each other, but a couple of things stand out to Wisconsin’s football coach about the new athletic director.

“Since the time he’s walked in, since the time I talked to him on the phone, since the time I met with him, there’s a sincerity, there’s a authenticity that I would say is really easy to figure out,” Fickell said July 16.

AC/DC plays Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium this weekend; time, tickets

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An iconic rock ‘n’ roll band is coming to Wisconsin this weekend during the final leg of its stadium tour.

AC/DC is playing at Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium Sunday, July 19 as part of its PWR UP Tour.

The stadium tour is named after the 2020 AC/DC album of the same name and has been going on since 2024. The rock band’s website describes the tour as “powering up for the last time!” though it’s unclear if it’ll actually be AC/DC’s final tour.

Wisconsin men’s basketball coach ‘fired up’ that Shawn Eichorst is back

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Wisconsin State Journal

Shawn Eichorst wasn’t far during the origin of University of Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Greg Gard’s coaching journey. The new Badgers athletic director graduated from UW-Whitewater in 1990 — three years before Gard joined Bo Ryan’s staff at UW-Platteville while still a student in 1993. In some respects, they just missed each other: Eichorst’s first major athletic administration role as the Director of Athletics at  UW-Whitewater in 1999 was Gard’s first year with Ryan at Milwaukee.

UW-Madison water main break fuels Regents’ concerns over system’s aging infrastructure

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Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison’s June water main break that continues to disrupt campus air conditioning has prompted broader concerns from the UW Board of Regents about the aging infrastructure at the state’s 13 public universities.

Several Regents at a virtual meeting Thursday said the Universities of Wisconsin needs to plan for fixing other potentially failing campus infrastructure.

 

Danger not over as wildfire smoke gives Madison first-ever ‘hazardous’ air quality

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Wisconsin State Journal

Dane County has seen more frequent air quality warnings over the past decade, but the area had yet to experience hazardous levels. That was until Thursday.

As more than 100 wildfires burn in Canada and northern Minnesota, southeast winds carried smoke across the Midwest this week. Shortly before noon on Thursday, a monitor in Madison recorded an air quality index of 450.

Tom Still: State’s fusion energy future hinges on mix of old and new

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WisPolitics

The company, a UW-Madison spinoff courted by several other states, will occupy part of the massive former Oscar Mayer plant on Madison’s northeast side – itself a symbol of the old and the emerging new. Private investors, the governor, state legislators, the state’s economic development arm, local officials, university leaders, utility experts and technology advocacy groups were all part of advancing the deal.

Homeland Security caps international student stay to four years

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The Daily Cardinal

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced today that international students will now only be allowed to stay in the United States for four years under their visa.

The new ruling will officially be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, July 17. The ruling guts a 1978 policy, known as ‘duration of status,’ that allowed international college and university students to stay in the U.S. until their program ended.

The science behind the smoke: What’s driving wildfires that are sending thick smoke to Wisconsin

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ABC 27

The smoke blanketing Wisconsin Thursday wasn’t subtle. You could see it, smell it and sometimes feel it while breathing. It was the product of wildfires burning in northern Minnesota and Ontario. Dr. Mayra Oyola, an atmospheric scientist at UW-Madison, said dry and windy conditions are fueling those fires. Typically, rain is helpful to fight fires, but Oyola said storms can pose a new challenge: lightning. Lightning strikes can ignite more fires.