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Category: Community

Becoming an organ donor: Difficult decision leads to tremendous gift

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Even after 20 years of performing kidney transplants, Dr. Nikole Neidlinger is still awestruck and humbled by the role she plays between the donors and recipients of these organs.

“The operation takes two to three hours,” said Neidlinger, director of Organ and Tissue Donation at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “When we attach a kidney and open it up to blood flow, it just starts functioning. I’ve seen it thousands of times now, but every time I’m like, ‘This is a miracle. This is amazing.’”

UW-Madison alumni group kicks off Black History Month with community celebration

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Channel 3000

The Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Black Affinity Group launched Black History Month with Legacy and Libations, an event celebrating the Black community in Madison.

This year’s theme, “Taking Flight,” highlighted UW-Madison student projects and alumni-owned businesses. The event featured the SoulFolk Collective, a recently established research department at UW-Madison focused on documenting Madison’s Black community stories through research.

PBS Wisconsin honored with national Public Media Award for innovation

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PBS Wisconsin

The award honors PBS Wisconsin’s station-wide culture of innovation – from immersive storytelling and collaborative experimentation to cross-departmental strategies that reimagine how public media can serve, engage and evolve. The award recognized a range of projects that have expanded the organization’s reach, deepened its engagement and sparked new collaborations across platforms, including:

  • Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Computer Sciences department. Over the past two years, PBS Wisconsin has partnered with student teams to prototype tools that enhance how it serves and engages audiences. These include a personalized recommendation engine, augmented reality experiences and an AI-assisted caption-to-transcript tool currently in development for public launch.

Ag leaders: Trade could make or break Wisconsin farms in 2026

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Leaders in Wisconsin agriculture are warning the state’s farmers to brace for another tough year for trade and market conditions.

The discussion at the annual Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused both on the economic hardships weighing on farmers and what some producers are doing to try to get ahead.

Hundreds rally at Library Mall in solidarity with Minneapolis, demand sanctuary status from ICE at UW

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The Badger Herald

Hundreds gathered in negative windchill in solidarity with the city of Minneapolis and rallied for no Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence on UW’s campus at Library Mall, Jan. 27.

Madison Students for a Democratic Society held the rally in response to the presence of ICE operations across the U.S. and ICE agents killing two Minneapolis residents, according to their Instagram.

City and Town of Beloit to consider fire, EMS consolidation study as staffing shortages grow statewide

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WMTV - Channel 15

Professor Laura Albert, a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has studied EMS deployment and logistics for decades. She said many departments are being asked to stretch limited resources further than ever before.

“So often these public service agencies like EMS departments are asked to do more and more with less,” Albert said. “You can do that up to a point, but this is kind of hitting a crisis point.”

Milwaukee logged lowest number of births on record in 2025, what’s behind the trend

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Statewide, school enrollment data tells a similar story: throughout the 2000s and 2010s, enrollment in suburban school districts increased, while rural school enrollment continually declined, according to Sarah Kemp, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Applied Population Lab. Urban school districts, including Milwaukee, saw relatively steady enrollment through the 2010s, but the pandemic brought a sharp decline in student enrollment in most Wisconsin cities.

“There’s maybe not housing available for those young families to move into, or maybe the opportunities aren’t there for young families to find employment, and that may then show up in the school districts with declining enrollment,” Kemp said.

UW-Madison’s new center for aging research studies metabolism, biology, genetics and more

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The Daily Cardinal

“We don’t have the fountain of youth— nobody ever found it,” said Dudley Lamming, co-director of the Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center (WiNSC) and professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “but can we find ways [to] get to the end of our lives, still fit and functional?”

UW senior auditors program fosters lifelong learning, connections

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The Daily Cardinal

Through the Senior Guest Auditor Program, Wisconsin residents aged 60 and older take UW-Madison courses free of charge alongside students less than half their age. This fall, the program reached a record enrollment of more than 1,000 auditors, double the number enrolled a decade ago, according to program administrator Anne Niendorf. The program places older adults alongside traditional undergraduates in lecture halls across campus, creating multigenerational classrooms.

Aging Wisconsin: Wisconsin’s baby boomers are state’s fastest growing age range

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Demographer David Egan-Robertson kicked things off in an interview with “Wisconsin Today,” looking at the big trends in the state’s population. Egan-Robertson has followed this story for years in his work with the Applied Population Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Education has seen unprecedented changes in Trump’s second term

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Last year, just as she was finishing a teacher residency program through the University of Wisconsin-Madison, federal funding for the project was cut by the Trump administration.

“So we were in the spring semester and we were all like, are we going to be able to continue?” Lind said. “Are we going to still be able to get our teaching license? Are we going to have to pay this back?”

Bill aims to restore federal funding for Wisconsin abuse shelters, hotlines

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The bill is “is a Band-Aid to stop the bleeding,” said Ryan Poe-Gavlinski, director of UW-Madison’s Restraining Order and Survivor Advocacy Clinic. She said it could fill a critical funding gap until lawmakers figure out a long-term solution.

But the number of victims in need of services is continually on the rise. Wisconsin broke records for domestic violence-related deaths in 2024.

“We’re going to always have victims who need assistance, and there’s just not enough people to help the victims,” Poe-Gavlinski said.

Agrace to launch ‘dementia village’ aimed at providing ‘kinder’ approach to memory care

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Wisconsin State Journal

The village will be named for Madison philanthropists Ellen and Peter Johnson, who helped Agrace expand two decades ago and created an endowed professorship at UW-Madison dedicated to improving palliative care. They’re the lead donors with a $7 million donation, as they view the dementia village as a “kinder approach” to memory care.

How Trump made life difficult for international students and Wisconsin

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The New York Times

One of the first signs of trouble came last spring, when the Trump administration abruptly moved to deport scores of international students, including a handful at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University officials were alarmed, well aware that around 8,000 students, 15 percent of its enrollment, were from abroad. And they worried that the looming deportations might spook prospective international students, said Frances Vavrus, the dean of the international division at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Madison families with transgender kids scramble after hospitals halt gender-affirming care

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Wisconsin State Journal

Parents of transgender children in the Madison region are scrambling for alternatives after two of Wisconsin’s largest pediatric hospitals halted gender-affirming care for minors, leaving scarce options in the state.

Madison-based UW Health and Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee confirmed this week that they are pausing gender-affirming care for those under 18 years old. The health systems’ decisions follow pressure from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement on Dec. 18 of new rules and a warning that the federal government could pull funding from hospitals if they offered gender-affirming care to minors.

Who was Amelia Frank, forgotten UW contributor to Nobel Prize winner?

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Wisconsin State Journal

John H. Van Vleck, who grew up in Madison and attended and taught physics at the University of Wisconsin, won the Nobel Prize in 1977 for his work on magnetism. In his Nobel lecture, amid a discussion of rare earth elements, one sentence leaps out:

“Miss Frank and I made the relevant calculations.”

Who was Miss Frank? Van Vleck credits her with key work on the quantum mechanics of magnetism, but she is almost absent from the history books.

Bill proposes funding one charter school as pilot to improve academic achievement

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

To prove whether its methods work, the demonstration school would be required to participate in longitudinal studies through the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The school must also share its practices with other schools.

A charter school would be eligible for the designation as a demonstration school only if it is authorized by the Universities of Wisconsin’s Office of Educational Opportunity, which would select the demonstration school. Wittke said lawmakers chose the Universities of Wisconsin as the sole authorizer because it already has the infrastructure to support new techniques and conduct studies through UW-Madison’s education department.

UW-Madison set to finish two new buildings in 2026, start another

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The Cap Times

tudents are on track to take classes in a new humanities building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall. And the athletics department plans to finish an indoor football practice facility next to Camp Randall Stadium this summer.

As those two projects wrap up in 2026, Wisconsin’s flagship public university also plans to break ground on a visitor and education center at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, near Picnic Point.

Dr. Justice Castañeda, Jamaal Eubanks to be honored with 2026 City-County MLK Humanitarian Awards

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Madison 365

The awards are given annually to community members who embody “the values of service, equity, and justice that Dr. King championed.” Gift Akere, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, pursuing a degree in electrical engineering, will be honored with an MLK Humanitarian Award in the category of “Youth Leader.”

White students more likely to exit Madison schools via open enrollment

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The Cap Times

A University of Wisconsin-Madison class started the fall semester with a big question to tackle: Which families are opting not to enroll their children in the Madison school district, and why?

After a semester of conducting background research, analyzing data and reaching out directly to Madison families for interviews, one key finding was that nearly 1,600 middle and high school students open enrolled out of Madison schools into another public school district over the last three years — with white families being the most likely to leave.

Jerry Apps, chronicler of Wisconsin history and rural life, dies at 91

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Wisconsin State Journal

The “Old Timer” is gone.

Jerry Apps told the Wisconsin stories of barns, cheese, one-room school houses and circuses. He encouraged children to eat rutabagas, made regular appearances on Wisconsin Public Television and Radio and, when he was not writing from his home in Madison or teaching at UW-Madison, could be found on his farm property in Waushara County, where deer roamed and he grew potatoes in his garden.

Apps, an award-winning author and one of the most prolific storytellers in Wisconsin history, died Tuesday at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg. He was 91.

After UW-Madison demotes DEI leader, Deloitte recommends changes

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The Cap Times

The consulting firm Deloitte is recommending changes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison following the demotion of the school’s diversity leader over financial concerns.

UW-Madison paid Deloitte $395,000 to evaluate its financial and budgetary controls between March and July 2025, according to Mark Pitsch, a spokesperson for the broader UW system, which signed the contract with the firm.

Fight the urge to hibernate with these 9 indoor activities in the Madison area

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Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison’s Geology Museum

Glowing rocks, dinosaurs and meteorites await visitors to this free museum, offering visitors an up-close look at the minerals and stones that comprise the natural world around them. Dinosaurs and fossils guide guests through physical history, beckoning those who want to know more about extinct species. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Madison Hillel joins other universities in adding new role to respond to antisemitism

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The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Aaron Seligman, a Madison native who previously worked for the Universities of Wisconsin, joined the cohort in February when taking on the new title of director of community relations at Madison Hillel.

The 13 professionals “take on the work of being that adult in the room that models and leads in relationship building with administrators, faculty and other Jewish communal professionals,” Simon said.

Seligman is focusing on areas the University of Wisconsin-Madison found specific needs for in the more than two years since Oct. 7. So far, Seligman has been “collaborating with the university administration on campus policies” and “engaging in media around campus climate and antisemitism,” Seligman said.

Chazen showcases local influence in newly acquired photos

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Wisconsin State Journal

The Chazen Museum of Art has added 28 photos taken by acclaimed photographer Irving Penn to its collection.

The photos were donated to the museum by the Irving Penn Foundation in Penn’s name. It was a gift in honor of UW-Madison alumnus and former Museum of Modern Art photography director John Szarkowski, according to a statement from museum spokesperson Kirstin Pires.

Filipinx American Student Organization advocates in response to discontinuation of UW Filipino language program

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The Badger Herald

Starting in the fall 2026 semester, the University of Wisconsin’s Filipino language program will no longer be offered, according to Filipinx American Student Organization Communications Chair Ethan Ham.

The program’s elimination follows federal funding cuts by the Trump administration and the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education’s International and Foreign Language Education program that administers Title VI funding.

Title VI funding was established as part of the Higher Education Act and is used to support foreign language programs.

Wisconsin’s 32 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2025, Part 4

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Madison 365

Deana Wright is the director of older adult programs for MTZ Charitable Organization, Inc., where she oversees programming and services for nearly 300 Black older adults in Madison, and is the founder and president of The Wright Place, a nonprofit focused on culturally responsive, participant-centered programming for aging adults. She previously served as diversity and inclusion manager at NewBridge Madison, where she expanded access to culturally responsive programming, and later worked in outreach with the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, supporting recruitment of Black older adults into brain health research studies. Wright is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and serves as an appointed commissioner on the City of Madison Equal Opportunities Commission.

Wisconsin’s 32 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2025, Part 3

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Madison 365

Dr. Michelle Robinson is the chief programs and partnerships officer for the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness. Her recognitions include awards from Church Women United, the Progress Center for Black Women, the Urban League of Greater Madison, the State Council on Affirmative Action, and UW–Madison’s Outstanding Women of Color in Education honor. Robinson holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a B.A. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin.

 

How much did you read the Cap Times in 2025? Take our news quiz!

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The Cap Times

Which performers headlined concerts at Camp Randall Stadium in 2025, marking the venue’s first concerts in decades?

After a 28-year hiatus, UW-Madison reintroduced concerts at the football stadium in June with a two-night performance by country singer Morgan Wallen. Less than a month later, Coldplay took the stage, marking the British band’s first show in Madison.

Under the terms of her employment contract, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin received a bonus this year for staying in her job and for “satisfactory” performance. How much did she receive from the bonus?

Mnookin’s base pay surpassed $892,000 by 2024 after pay raises for UW system employees and “catch-up base salary increases” for multiple chancellors. Her annual bonus for staying is set to increase each year, from $150,000 this year up to $350,000 in 2029.

UW-Madison secures $1M in Abbott’s blood drive

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WKOW - Channel 27

The American Red Cross of Wisconsin is extending heartfelt thanks to blood and platelet donors for their role in helping the University of Wisconsin-Madison secure $1 million through Abbott’s “We Give Blood” competition.

The campaign by Abbott highlights the critical need for regular blood donations. The $1 million award will support health initiatives at UW-Madison, showcasing the power of community action for lifesaving causes.

UW-Madison, school district team up on cellphone ban

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Wisconsin State Journal

he Madison School District will partner with the UW-Madison School of Public Affairs to come up with a policy for implementing the state’s new ban on cellphone use during instructional time.

The ban, signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers in October, requires school districts to come up with such policies by July 1. The law includes exceptions from the ban for emergency situations, a student’s ability to manage their health and educational purposes authorized by teachers.

Two UW–Madison sophomores launch campaigns for District 8 Common Council seat

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Channel 3000

Madison’s District 8 Common Council seat is up for grabs after current Alder MGR Govindarajan announced he will not seek reelection.

The district, which encompasses the UW–Madison campus and much of the State Street area, is currently the focus of two student-led campaigns. University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomores Ellen Zhang and Robert “Bobby” Gronert have both announced bids to represent the district.

UW Health doctors detail response improvements one year after ALCS shooting

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WMTV - Channel 15

“Between our child life specialists talking with siblings with our social workers’ help with identification, that was absolutely critical,” said Dr. Nicholas Kuehnel, vice chair of clinical operations for UW Health’s Dept. of Emergency Medicine. “Even our environmental services teammates that worked to help us turn the room over, get beds into place, get the linens on. None of this would be able to happen as smooth as it does without these individuals really helping each step along the way.”

The Oscar Rennebohm Foundation marks $100 million for Madison

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Madison Magazine

Oscar Rennebohm — who would go on to a magisterial career that included serving as Wisconsin governor and president of the UW-Madison Board of Regents — opened his first Madison pharmacy in 1925. There were eventually more than two dozen Rennebohm’s that were purchased by Walgreens in 1980.

Across the years, major beneficiaries have included the UW School of Nursing, Edgewood University, Access Community Health Centers, the Henry Vilas Zoo — the list is long.

Wisconsin’s 32 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2025, Part 2

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Madison 365

Dr. Earlise Ward is faculty director for the Cancer Health Disparities Initiative (CHDI) and co-director of the T32 Primary Care Research Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She conducts community-engaged clinical intervention research focused on African American adults’ mental health and culturally competent mental health services. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Baruch College, master’s degree in counseling and Brooklyn College and PhD in counseling psychology at UW-Madison.

Donald Dantzler is an alder for the City of Fitchburg, candidate for Dane County Board, and a Survey and Research Specialist for the Madison Metropolitan School District. He was previously faculty and adjunct faculty for UW-Whitewater, and has also worked as a research associate at Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory and a project assistant for the UW System Administration Office of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Success.  He earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW-Whitewater and is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program at UW-Madison.

Winter commencement speakers stress uncertainty, disruption and a wavering job market

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The Daily Cardinal

On one of the coldest days of the year, 2,151 graduates packed into the Kohl Center Sunday to walk the stage and celebrate their UW-Madison graduation. The ceremony featured speeches from UW Regent and former American Family Insurance CEO Jack Salzwedel, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, keynote speaker Grace Vanderhei and student speaker Jeeva Premkumar.

Mental health, community key on 1-year Abundant Life shooting anniversary

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Child survivors of gun violence, and their parents, require special attention in the aftermath of a school shooting, said Janet Hyde, professor emeritus of psychology and gender and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Under the right circumstances, returning to school can be a form of exposure therapy, especially if schools can emphasize learning, social activities and have an open channel for students to express their feelings, Hyde said, who authored the book, “The Psychology of Gun Violence.” It can also build resilience, which helps kids cope and manage stress.

Wisconsin’s 32 Most Influential Black Leaders for 2025, Part 1

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Madison 365

Maurice Thomas is chief operating officer at Greater Holy Temple Christian Academy, a 4k-8th grade Christian school in Milwaukee. He is an alum of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and expects to earn a master’s degree in education leadership from Harvard in 2027.

Jerry Jordan is a nationally-known painter working in the style of contemporary realism. He counts the unsung artists of the Harlem Renaissance as his artistic role models. By day, Jordan is an academic and multicultural advisor with the UW-Madison School of Education. He holds a degree in art from UW-Whitewater.

Dr. Bashir Easter is founder of Melanin Minded, a company that aims to empower Black and Latino communities by culturally appropriate resources and support for individuals affected by Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. He began his career in elder care nearly 15 years ago with Milwaukee County as an elder abuse investigator, human services worker, and dementia care program specialist, and later served as associate director of the All of Us Research Program at UW-Madison.

 

CPS lunchroom workers near six months without a contract: ‘No one sees us’

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Chicago Tribune

Across the country, many school districts are experiencing high vacancy rates and turnover in cafeterias — largely because of low wages, according to Jennifer Gaddis, a University of Wisconsin Madison associate professor who studies food labor and policy. A 2024 study found that school food service workers make an average of $3.16 less than custodial staff.

“It is much harder to not only improve meal quality, but also to provide a really caring, constructive environment for young people in schools when you’re dealing with that much turnover,” Gaddis said.

Moms’ ‘mental load’ is pushing them to the brink, new survey shows

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USA Today

“Our collective expectations of fathers have shifted. We expect dads to be more involved with their kids,” says Allison Daminger, author of “What’s on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life” and a professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

“At the same time, the expectations on breadwinning and dads hasn’t changed. We’ve added to their job description. I think younger dads are starting to feel that strain.”

‘Pride in ourselves’: Indigenous UW-Madison students learn to sew ribbon skirts

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The Cap Times

“It’s important to be able to express ourselves through our clothing and kind of use it not only as a statement … that we’re still on campus, but also just have some pride in ourselves and our traditional attire,” said Miinan White, an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe.

Early-career trans researchers reconsider their futures amid lost funding and fear

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STAT News

Researchers with a few more years of experience are more protected, but still facing setbacks. Fátima Sancheznieto is an associate researcher at the University of Wisconsin who studied biomedical sciences for her Ph.D., but now focuses on education and social science research. Before the Trump administration began cutting federal research funding, she was looking for faculty positions as an assistant professor — now she’s put that search on hold.

“You always have the — I don’t want to call it imposter syndrome, but — imposter phenomenon of, ‘Do I really belong here?’” Sancheznieto said. “When you start to notice maybe that you’re not getting as many job offers or career advancement opportunities and things like that — is it because I’m out and transgender?”

State health leaders condemn change in hepatitis B vaccine recommendation

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

Dr. Jonathan Temte, associate dean of public health and community engagement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, said Friday’s vote was not based on new scientific evidence. And he believes it will have consequences for people’s health care.

“This creates a great deal of confusion for parents, for clinicians, for public health providers, for vaccine managers,” Temte said. “I believe there have been purposeful approaches to create as much havoc and a great deal of parental concern over safety when none of this is necessary.”

UW-Madison earns $1 million for winning Big Ten blood drive competition

Posted on
WMTV - Channel 15

The University of Wisconsin-Madison won the Big Ten “We Give Blood Drive” competition, earning $1 million that will go toward student or community health initiatives.

The competition, sponsored by Abbott, challenged all Big Ten schools to collect the most blood donations to help address the nationwide blood shortage.

Matchmaking website could connect retiring farmers with younger farmers

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

“If we want land to be available to new or beginning farmers, figuring out ways that the land can be affordable for them and still provide the income that the owner generation needs is key,” said Joy Kirkpatrick, a farm succession outreach specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

University of Wisconsin wins Big Ten blood drive, securing $1M for health initiatives

Posted on
WKOW - Channel 27

The University of Wisconsin won in the second season of Abbott and the Big Ten’s We Give Blood Drive, overcoming Nebraska in a close contest.

Running from Aug. 27 through Dec. 5, the “We Give Blood” competition, was announced at the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Fewer Wisconsinites got the flu shot this year. Some blame Trump.

Posted on
The Cap Times

Dominique Brossard, a professor of life science communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and principal investigator at the Morgridge Institute for Research, says it’s likely the people who get the flu vaccine every year likely did so again this year but the public confusion might have dissuaded those who were undecided. 

“People that are hesitant might actually become reluctant,” she said.