Featured artists and speakers include Armando Ibarra, a professor in the School for Workers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
LOUD to host Wisconsin Conference of Latino Arts and Culture
Madison 365
Category: Community
Carla Vigue on Native students and ‘Relatives’ at UW-Madison
PBS Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison Tribal Relations Director Carla Vigue describes how a group called “Relatives” offers different types of support to Indigenous students on campus and to student groups.
How UW-Madison’s aid for Native students addresses history
PBS Wisconsin
The Tribal Education Promise at UW-Madison, which provides financial aid to Indigenous students from Wisconsin’s Native nations, is intended to help address a history of coercion through treaties.
Got problems in the garden? Meet two experts from Garden & Green Living Expo
PBS Wisconsin
PBS Wisconsin spoke with two plant specialists — Lisa Johnson, Dane County Horticulture Educator, and Brian Hudelson, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic — to explore resources that are available to gardeners year-round.
Wisconsin Film Festival announces 170 films in 8 days this April
The Cap Times
The Wisconsin Film Festival is presented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Communication Arts and is now entering its 26th year. Ben Reiser, director of operations, said Madison has supported the festival’s growth.
“The film-going community in Madison has embraced it as a chance to see all these films that you do hear about from other film festivals,” Reiser said, and particularly, “as a chance to see them in movie theaters.”
From the field to the classroom: UW athletes read with Madison second graders
The Daily Cardinal
Student athletes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have visited second grade classrooms in the Madison school district every Monday since September 2024 as part of the Role Model Reading Program, a partnership between the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and the 2nd & 7 foundation created by Badgers head football coach Luke Fickell.
COVID changed how we talk, think and interact. Now, how do we go forward?
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
It was March 2020 when Dr. Ajay Sethi got a call from his best friend in Maryland. His friend’s father had died from COVID-19, one of the earliest U.S. casualties of the virus.
“Because I’m an epidemiologist and I think about numbers, the emotions behind those numbers, how is it I know someone so early who’s died from COVID-19?” said Sethi, who serves as the faculty director of the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The odds are so unusual, I remember thinking then, it must be big.”
Madison’s State Street Pedestrian Mall Experiment may be extended
The Capital Times
City planners recommend adding a fire hydrant, lighting upgrades and raised pedestrian crossings on State Street, which stretches from the state Capitol to the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. They also favor adopting one-way traffic, automatic retractable bollards and bike lanes.
Bucky Badger helps make our Diaper Drive Drop-off event a huge success
WMTV - Channel 15
“Having Bucky here was definitely a perk for the kids!” said Kelly Lyke. She stopped by with her two daughters to toss some diapers in the red bin.
UW Health, SSM Health staff identify diaper need in postpartum patients
NBC-15
Six months ago, UW Health started conducting a diaper needs assessment survey at postpartum appointments at OB-GYN clinics in Madison.
Study: Americans vastly underestimate public support for diversity and inclusion
PsyPost
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison became interested in this topic because they wanted to understand a puzzling contradiction. On one hand, many people express support for diversity and inclusion. On the other hand, discrimination and exclusion remain persistent problems in society. The researchers wondered if part of the problem might stem from inaccurate perceptions of what others believe.
The study, “Diversity and inclusion have greater support than most Americans think,” was authored by Naomi Isenberg and Markus Brauer.
More Wisconsin communities rejecting fluoride in water. Health groups say fears unfounded.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Patrick Remington, emeritus professor at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health who began his career at the CDC, said some who oppose fluoride because of its risks aren’t weighing them against the benefits — something people do every day when they choose to drive a car, have a drink or make other choices.
The benefits of fluoride are clear: less tooth decay, Remington said, while the science doesn’t yet show neurodevelopmental problems for children who ingest fluoride at the level in the U.S. water supply.
UW System turns to business community to advocate for budget request
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The UW System is asking for roughly $855 million over two years from the state and urged support for that funding during a discussion with members of the Hoan Group, a private group of about 160 business and community members in the Milwaukee and Madison area.
A UW-Madison historian’s work became a key feature of Bad Bunny’s new album. Here’s how
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, an assistant history professor, revived the Puerto Rican history course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison last spring. It hadn’t been taught in seven years, and the university planned to cut it, he said.
This year, he’s teaching Puerto Rican history to a global audience
26 books that teach young kids about diversity, inclusion, and equality
Pop Sugar
Luckily, there’s still plenty of children’s literature that can aid in the process, though children’s literature itself has long suffered from a lack of diverse representation. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has tracked the number of children’s books by or about Black and Indigenous people and other people of color since 2018, and while the numbers have mostly increased, it remains much harder to find children’s books that are widely representative than it should be.
Study finds immigration crackdown could slow housing market
Newsweek
The study authored by Howard together with Mengqi Wang and Dayin Zhang of the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that the “staggered rollout of a national increase in immigration enforcement” could send “negative shocks” through the construction sector.
Wisconsin child care costs soar, but thousands miss out on state aid
The Capital Times
“If you’re eligible for a subsidy and there’s just no child care in your community, or no providers that accept subsidies, that’s going to make it a lot harder for you to actually participate in (Wisconsin) Shares,” Pilarz said.
The state’s providers could care for up to 33,000 more children if they had staff to operate at full capacity, according to a 2024 UW-Madison study commissioned by the Department of Children and Families. The study found nearly 60% of Wisconsin child care providers had unused space, including closed classrooms.
UW-Madison researcher wants to improve the Hmong experience in Midwestern nursing homes
Wisconsin Life
Medical anthropologist Mai See Thao, an assistant professor in UW-Madison’s Department of Anthropology and Asian American Studies, researches what life is like for refugees long after they’ve resettled in a new place.
Business owners, community leaders line up to support new career-focused charter school
Wisconsin State Journal
Organizers are also seeking a charter agreement with the UW Office of Educational Opportunity, although UW won’t make its decision until May.
Madison’s drinking water is getting saltier, road salt likely to blame
The Capital Times
For 80 years, Madison’s lakes have gotten saltier, according to Hilary Dugan, an associate professor and researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology.
The salinity of Madison’s lakes was close to zero a century ago and road salting has been the biggest source of contamination, she said. Researchers like Dugan closely monitor chloride levels in local waterways because it’s easier to track the environmental impacts than sodium.
Wisconsin physicians are learning about firearms to prepare them for talking to patients about gun safety
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Two years ago, Dr. James A. Bigham, a clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, began teaching medical students on the issue, not just providing statistics around firearms injury but also arranging for instruction from firearms trainers on how guns function and why someone may want to own one.
Wisconsin focuses on reading, but Madison students struggle with math
The Capital Times
Knowing basic math is crucial to set up students for success later in life, according to Lisa Hennessey, a UW-Madison educator helping to organize the tutoring program. Research shows understanding the subject in middle school prepares students for more advanced math in high school and ultimately leads to higher-paying jobs in adulthood.
Milwaukee immigration advocates stress need to know rights as first Trump orders roll out
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Meanwhile, about five to 10 University of Wisconsin law students are preparing for a visit to the Dodge County Detention Facility, where people facing deportation are detained. Erin Barbato, director of the UW Immigrant Justice Clinic, said the goal is to be thoughtful in the information they share with clients about the Trump orders.
Here’s how the Madison area will be celebrating Martin Luther King Day
Wisconsin State Journal
Martin Luther King Jr. Community Dinner: The MLK Jr. Coalition hosts this annual event and buffet dinner, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Friday at UW Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 W. Dayton St. Meet neighbors, share in the spirit of Dr. King and hear music from WYSO Music Makers at 6:15 p.m.
MLK Symposium 2025: Donzaleigh Abernathy, the youngest daughter of Civil Rights Movement co-founder Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy and goddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr., is the featured speaker in this special event honoring King’s legacy, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, in Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St. Hosted by the UW-Madison Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement.
New student living set to open fall of 2026 by UW-Madison breaks ground
WISC — CBS Channel 3
What sets this apartment complex from others, you may ask? For example, a podcast room and expansive rooftop decks are two additional amenities that will be featured.
List of new names for Southside Elementary narrows to 4
Wisconsin State Journal
Ada Deer was a decades-long champion of Native American rights, Deer was the first Native American woman from Wisconsin to run for Congress. She was also the first Menominee citizen to graduate from UW-Madison and led the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Deer died in 2023.
As homelessness rises in Dane County, housing services are limited
Capital Times
Founded in 2021, the Eviction Diversion and Defense Partnership is intended to prevent evictions through court navigation, landlord mediation, rental assistance and no-cost legal representation for tenants, according to Hannah Renfro, executive director of the Tenant Resource Center. The partnership is run through the center in collaboration with nonprofit law firms Community Justice Inc. and Legal Action of Wisconsin, as well as UW-Madison’s law school.
How Madison’s economy could change in 2025
The Capital Times
The nearly 150,000-square-foot Element Labs opened at University Research Park in March 2024, with space for up to 20 bioscience companies. A similar-size project, called Velocity Station, is slated to replace the former Clock Tower office park at 6411 Odana Road, but no timeline has been announced.
He dropped out of UW in 1999. A new program covering college costs for Native students brought him back
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Schuyler, who is an enrolled Oneida Nation citizen, earned a scholarship to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the 1990s. He dropped out when he was 21 credits short of earning his bachelor’s degree.
The radio broadcast described a new UW-Madison program launching in fall 2024.It would cover not only tuition but room and board, books and other expenses, to enrolled members of Wisconsin Native American tribes.
“That was my sign,” Schuyler said.
New mentorship program to support Indigenous graduate students at UW–Madison
Wisconsin Public Radio
A new program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is aimed at supporting Indigenous graduate students through the hoops and hurdles of academia.
Coyotes, red foxes ‘coexist peacefully’ in Madison, researchers say
The Capital Times
David Drake leads the Urban Canid Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 2014, researchers with the project have studied where coyotes and red foxes live in the Madison area, when they are active and how they interact with each other, in addition to humans and pets. University students help Drake set up traps around the city from November to March, so they can put radio collars on animals and track them.
“We’ve gotten some really good data,” said Drake, a professor and Extension wildlife specialist at UW-Madison’s Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology.
Abundant Life school shooting prompts calls for support, action
The Capital Times
One resource people can turn to for their own healing is the Healthy Minds Program, Davidson said. The free, evidence-based app was created by Healthy Minds Innovation, a nonprofit affiliated with UW-Madison’s center.
Madison school shooter was 15-year-old girl, police say
The Capital Times
Fifteen ambulances responded to the shooting. Four victims were transported to St. Mary’s and three to University of Wisconsin-Madison hospitals, Madison Fire Chief Chris Carbon said.
Officers from the Madison Police Department, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol and Dane County Sheriff’s Department were on site. Barnes said he also had been in contact with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
UW-Madison Pharmacy School joins new efforts to stop overdose deaths
The Capital Times
A new University of Wisconsin project aims to train pharmacists on responding to overdose deaths that, despite recent declines, continue to be seen as a public health issue in Wisconsin.
Big changes are coming to West Mifflin Street, Madison’s best-known student neighborhood
Wisconsin State Journal
Miffland, as the neighborhood around West Mifflin Street is known, doesn’t look all that different from a half-century ago. Many of the single-family and multifamily houses with distinctive porches, balconies and yards that were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s are still there — and are still sought after by students. But now the way the neighborhood looks is changing, too.
10-story student apartment building would go between 2 Downtown landmarks
Wisconsin State Journal
The 10-story apartment building that Trinitas Ventures of Lafayette, Indiana, plans to build at 619 and 699 W. Mifflin St. would add hundreds of student beds near the UW-Madison campus, where housing is in high demand.
These disability doulas are helping people navigate life more comfortably
HuffPost
When I ask Sami Schalk, associate professor of gender and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of “Black Disability Politics,” how disabled people should prepare for the next Trump term, she says, “The state is going to abandon disabled people more than ever. Informal networks of care and support are the only way we survive.”
What to know about Madison’s plan to charge for parking at some parks
Wisconsin State Journal
Only preliminary possibilities have been floated so far. One idea is to charge for parking at Vilas Park during home UW football games.
Learn more about ‘American Indians and the American Dream’ with this ‘University Place’ Q&A and episode
PBS Wisconsin
In this episode of University Place Presents, host Norman Gilliland and his guest Kasey Keeler, assistant professor of American Indian and Indigenous Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discuss the topic, American Indians and the American Dream, which she explores in her book of the same title.
Almost everything around Camp Randall is a parking space for Wisconsin football games
Wisconsin State Journal
The money that property owners and managers get from packing in cars can add up fast. On South Randall Avenue near the intersection with Regent Street, a landlord had about 35 spaces going for $40 apiece. Some were reserved for friends and one was for the owner’s tailgate party, but it’s still roughly $1,200 of income per game day that goes into the bank account.
Historic Mifflin Street house should be moved, other buildings can be razed, Plan Commission says
Wisconsin State Journal
Madison Development Corp., a local nonprofit that develops and manages workforce housing, is proposing a four-story, 40-unit apartment building at 423–427 W. Mifflin St. near the UW-Madison campus.
UW survey made correct call on all three Madison referenda
The Capital Times
A University of Wisconsin Survey Center poll conducted in the weeks before the Nov. 5 election correctly projected the outcomes of a city of Madison referendum and two Madison school district ballot measures — from the narrowest margin of victory to the widest.
Proposed Madison charter school would train for ‘high-demand’ careers
The Capital Times
The Universities of Wisconsin’s Office of Educational Opportunity is also evaluating the Forward Academy’s charter application, McKenzie said. Organizers plan to begin holding community engagement sessions for the school in December.
Madison police say residents should take caution around coyotes
Wisconsin State Journal
The University of Wisconsin Canid Project, which studies coyotes and red foxes in the area, has also fielded calls about the coyote. In a post on the Project’s Facebook page Thursday, officials said they believe there are two coyotes roaming the West Side: The one with the leg injury and another with an unknown illness. Recent reports with the Project suggest that the animal with the leg injury might be moving better.
Opinion: Wisconsin legislators lay out priorities. Here’s what to know from leaders of both parties.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Written by Susan Webb Yackee, a professor of public affairs and director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison.
It’s official: 20 years of construction on University Avenue is finally over
Wisconsin State Journal
More than two decades of construction on the Near West Side’s main thoroughfare has finally wrapped up, a process that’s certainly added to commutes but is leaving the area better protected from intense flooding.
Pursuit Unlimited: Odyssey Beyond Wars program helps veterans make the leap into higher education
Spectrum News
For many veterans, higher education can seem out of reach. However, a special program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is helping change that narrative.
Volleyball popularity spikes among Madison teens after Badgers success
The Capital Times
With increased visibility of women’s volleyball and the success of the University of Wisconsin-Madison women’s volleyball team, the sport has flourished among girls too, said Franco Marcos. He anticipates Madison’s new professional women’s volleyball team, which launches in January, will continue to bolster the popularity.
Should UW-Madison light, pave Lakeshore Path? University wants input
The Capital Times
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is, once again, considering whether to light and pave a portion of the Howard Temin Lakeshore Path along Lake Mendota.
UW-Madison community celebrates 114th Homecoming Parade
WMTV
Hundreds of UW-Madison students, alumni and Madison community members flocked to campus to watch the 114th UW Homecoming Parade on Oct. 25.
UW-Madison nets more than $511,000 in annual flamingo fundraiser
Wisconsin State Journal
A sea of pink flooded Bascom Hill Friday as Badger donors brought in nearly $511,877 during the annual fundraiser paying homage to one of UW-Madison’s most memorable pranks.
UW journalist in residence sees a shift underway in Wisconsin’s traditional political strongholds
Wisconsin Public Radio
POLITICO columnist Jonathan Martin talks about the challenges of covering Trump, why bipartisanship could be the winning move for Harris
Madison hosts seventh annual Science on the Square fest
Badger Herald
Hands-on science stations lined the street, one belonging to a group working in Song Jin’s Lab at the UW Department of Chemistry.
Madison’s Spanish-speaking radio station gives ‘a way of life’ to the Latino community
Wisconsin Watch
“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
Wisconsin Public Radio
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.”
Journal Sentinel’s Main Street Agenda town hall meeting discusses inflation. Here’s what we learned.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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.
Greetings! Madison Public Market art projects take shape
The Capital Times
Some art projects are still in the works, Wolf said, like a collaboration with UW-Madison Design Studies teaching professor Monika Thadhani and her class to make an engaging “food culture” wall of historic images.
The Main Street Agenda project uncovers top issues among Wisconsin residents
Wisconsin Public Radio
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
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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.
Jane Rotonda and Jessica Calarco preview the 2024 Wisconsin Book Festival
WORT FM
Interview with Jessica Calarco, a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.