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Category: Top Stories

Researchers, lawmakers look to turn Wisconsin into the ‘Silicon Valley’ for nuclear energy

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A group of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Realta Fusion, a Madison-based nuclear startup, have developed a fusion device in Stoughton that creates the same kind of reaction that fuels the sun and stars. The process is much different than fission, the nuclear reaction that powers current nuclear reactors and the atomic bomb.

Education Minnesota, Wisconsin join 19 states in suing Trump administration over canceled student visas

CBS News Minnesota

At least 40 student visas have been revoked at schools within the University of Wisconsin school system, with more than two dozen from UW-Madison alone.

A spokesperson from UW-Madison wrote, “As of April 9, UW-Madison is aware of the automatic sevis termination of 26 total records. This includes 15 current students and 11 recent alumni on employment authorization … A sevis record termination generally means that a nonimmigrant individual no longer holds lawful nonimmigrant status and should depart the U.S. immediately.”

More than $12M in UW-Madison research funding cut by Trump administration

Wisconsin Public Radio

More than $12 million in research grants destined for the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been cut by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a lawsuit filed by Wisconsin and 15 other states. Democratic state Attorney General Josh Kaul says the administration is “sabotaging medical and public health research.”

‘Challenging times here’: UW-Madison lobbies for research funding in Washington, D.C.

Spectrum News

Members of the UW-Madison community gathered Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C. ahead of their lobbying day on Capitol Hill.

“The reality is we’re certainly facing some interesting, challenging times here at the federal level,” said Craig Thompson, vice chancellor of university relations at UW-Madison. “There’s obviously potential cuts to research and other programs, and there’s just a great deal of uncertainty on campus.”

Uncertainty over visas, political climate worry prospective UW-Madison international students

Wisconsin Public Radio

Director Samantha McCabe runs International Student Services at UW-Madison. She said international students are worried about a potential travel ban, their visas and federal funding uncertainty. She is concerned recent federal actions could ultimately shrink the international student population at UW-Madison.

U. Of Southern California, U. Of Wisconsin unveil cost-cutting plans

Forbes

The University of Southern California and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are the latest universities to announce plans to trim their spending as they attempt to cope with increasing financial challenges stemming from the funding cutbacks and policy demands coming from the Trump administration.

Last Friday, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, Provost Charles Isbell Jr. and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Rob Cramer advised academic administrators to exercise several budget controls for the remainder of fiscal year 2025, including reducing non-essential spending on travel, supplies, equipment, and events as well as reviewing all vacancies to determine if filling them is critical. Even more significant, all UW-Madison schools, colleges and administrative divisions were instructed to develop 5% and 10% budget reduction plans for the upcoming fiscal year.

Wisconsin women’s hockey has to work overtime to add to its record NCAA title haul

Wisconsin State Journal

Mark Johnson has been musing about golf, fly fishing and, eventually, hockey the past few days while sitting behind a microphone at the Frozen Four, and one of the constant themes was life lessons.

Wise people, the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey coach said on the eve of his 12th appearance in an NCAA championship game, learn from the experiences that life throws their way. Wiser people, he continued, take knowledge from the journeys of others.

‘I’m just so incredibly excited’: UW Med students placed in residencies on Match Day

WMTV - Channel 15

Match Day — the long-awaited moment when medical students nationwide learn where they’ll begin their residencies — arrived Friday at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

For Samantha Bush, it wasn’t just about where she’d spend the next few years of her training, it was about continuing a mission she started years ago.

UW-Madison professor’s climate change project halted by federal funding freeze

Channel 3000

Days before his flight to Argentina, a UW-Madison researcher lost a Fulbright award from a federal funding freeze.Under President Trump’s administration, the U.S. State Department froze funds in February for international education programs. That includes the Fulbright Program, which allows scholars to conduct research overseas.

For one UW-Madison researcher, the freeze put more than a year’s worth of planning down the drain. “There’s a lot of anxiety in the scientific world now,” said UW-Madison professor emeritus, Richard Lindroth.

Trump’s funding changes are costing UW-Madison’s Fulbright winners

Wisconsin State Journal

Hillary Jones Henry was banking on the American government keeping its promise.

A native of Kenya, Jones Henry was accepted into the federally funded Fulbright Foreign Student program for the 2024-25 academic year, teaching Swahili at UW-Madison in exchange for a monthly stipend of $1,320 to help cover costs, like rent. But on Feb. 22, his scheduled payment didn’t arrive. He tried to donate blood and plasma as a quick way to make money but was denied due to the prevalence of malaria in Africa.

Women put UW on map as renowned research institution

The Badger Herald

Women at the University of Wisconsin conduct groundbreaking research every day to advance their fields of study and contribute to a better understanding of the world.

UW ranks sixth in the nation for research universities among private and public universities, according to the National Science Foundation’s annual ranking. Women in research, specifically in STEM areas, are still underrepresented in research funding, according to a study by JAMA.

Tom Still: Research funding has produced real human benefits, with the promise of more

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison Professor Sterling Johnson leads one of the world’s largest and longest-running studies of people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. His team aims to diagnose the disease years before people develop symptoms and then identify ways to slow its progression.

“A key problem we are trying to solve is how we can diagnose the disease earlier, before people even develop symptoms,” Johnson said during a campus news conference. “Early diagnosis allows time for individuals and their families to take control of their situation, maintain good quality of life, take steps to protect brain health and learn about treatments.”

New UW-Madison police chief discusses ICE, pro-Palestinian encampment

The Capital Times

After nearly 20 years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brent Plisch officially became the new leader of campus police Sunday.

Plisch temporarily led the department after Kristen Roman resigned last year amid an investigation into her conduct as chief. Plisch then competed against a handful of outside candidates to fill the permanent position.

‘This building has to go’: Evers visits Chadbourne Residence Hall, Mosse Humanities to hear student concerns

The Daily Cardinal

Gov. Tony Evers visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison Thursday, touring Chadbourne Residence Hall and the Mosse Humanities Building to hear student concerns about the building and to highlight his 2025-27 Executive and Capital Budget investments.

UW-Madison has not received DOE complaint about DEI practices, spokesperson says

The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is reported to be under federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas denied receiving a complaint.

Trump administration cuts threaten UW-Madison ag studies, state farmers

Isthmus

Wisconsin farmer Andy Diercks sits on a red Memorial Union Terrace chair in the middle of a farm field, holding a potato in his left hand. “It’s amazing all the work that goes into growing this little guy,” he says to Amanda Gevens, UW-Madison chair of plant pathology, who sits across from him. “The research you’ve done over the past decades is critical to grow a good quality crop.”

UW-Madison under second investigation by Trump administration amid federal DEI crackdown

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

For the second time in a week, the federal education department placed the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a warning list.

The U.S. Department of Education said Friday it had opened an investigation into UW-Madison and 44 other universities nationwide over alleged racial discrimination. The notifications came exactly a month after the department issued sweeping guidance threatening to pull funding from colleges that do not eliminate all considerations of race from policies and programs.

Layoffs gut Federal Education Research Agency

Inside Higher Ed

“Some of these surveys allow us to know if people are being successful in college. It tells us where those students are enrolled in college and where they came from. For example, COVID impacted everyone, but it had a disproportionate impact on specific regions in the U.S. and specific social and socioeconomic groups in the U.S.,” said Taylor Odle, an assistant professor of educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

“Post-COVID, states and regions have implemented a lot of interventions to help mitigate learning loss and accelerate learning for specific individuals. We’ll be able to know by comparing region to region or school to school whether or not those gaps increased or reduced in certain areas.”

NIH cuts off more research funding, including for vaccine hesitancy. mRNA may be next

NPR

“It appears that there are forces intent on destroying our existing vaccine enterprise,” says Dr. Jonathan Temte, a professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin who studies vaccine hesitancy. “Defunding research on vaccine hesitancy is the latest example of this effort.”

Feds warn UW of “potential enforcement actions” over alleged antisemitism at campus protest

Madison 365

The federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating the University of Wisconsin-Madison for antisemitism, according to a press release issued Monday.

UW is one of 60 institutions that received letters “warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities,” according to the release.

Democratic lawmakers introduce new bill to address gaps from federal funding freeze

The Daily Cardinal

Wisconsin receives roughly $654 million per year in National Institutes of Health grants, which supports more than 7,700 jobs and $1.4 billion in economic activity, according to United for Medical Research.

Without additional funds from elsewhere, UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said the capping of indirect costs would have a “ripple effect” on the state’s economy.

‘It’s gut-wrenching’: life-saving neurological research on line with NIH funding cuts, UW leaders say

Channel 3000

Life-saving work in biomedical research is on the line, University of Wisconsin System and UW-Madison administrators said, if the National Institutes of Health makes cuts to its funding to the system.

“Taking a meat cleaver to this funding is simply wrong,” Universities of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman said Thursday.