“Pardons remove all of the formal legal consequences of criminal conviction,” UW-Madison associate law professor Cecelia Klingele said. “It’s sort of like it’s the magic wand that erases all of the consequences (of) that conviction — except the informal ones. No pardon can make people not be biased against you, unfortunately.”
Quoted: “The average person shouldn’t be worried about monkeypox. It’s more about knowing when and where it’s been found and monitoring your own health,” said Dan Shirley, medical director for infection prevention at UW Health in Madison. “If you have anything that seems like monkeypox, report it right away.”
Quoted: “We’ve built a supply chain system that includes factories, that includes distribution centers, that includes transportation methods and all that stuff. We’ve built that to handle a certain capacity that we thought was coming at us,” said Jake Dean, director of the Grainger Center for Supply Chain Management at the University of Wisconsin School of Business.
Quoted: Our reliance on the internet quadrupled during the pandemic, said Barry Orton, professor emeritus of telecommunications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“The bar keeps getting raised higher,” Orton said, with increased demands for faster speeds, especially in uploads.
Noted: Wisconsin is seeing “warmer and wetter” weather, like much of the world, according to Stephen Vavrus, a senior scientist for the Nelson Institute for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over the past decade, heavy rains and flooding have become more common, leading to flooded lawns and basements, and leaking roofs for homeowners.
That movement, as businesses scramble to attract and retain talent, is part of a new “zeitgeist” and resurgence around unionization spurred by the pandemic, said Michael Childers, UW-Madison professor of in the Department of Labor Education.
More than 50,000 premature deaths each year could be prevented if air pollution emissions from energy-related activities in the United States were eliminated, according to a new study from University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.
Quoted: “We call them essential but we treat them as expendable,” says Tiffany Green, a health economist and professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “They’re less likely to be covered by benefits like health insurance.”
A new, more effective option for radiation therapy is coming for cancer patients at UW Health, one that experts hope will not only make treatment more affordable, but also more empowering for patients.
Quoted: Barry Burden, the director of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Elections Research Center, said the Republican candidates’ focus on elections or Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers’ push to show himself as a goalie fending off anti-democratic legislation could resonate, but the complicated nature of the issue might blunt the impact when compared to other matters that animate voters.
“Most of the public would say they think there were things that could be done to improve the election system and to tighten it up. That tends to be what you see in surveys. But, as I said, people were also contradictory,” Burden said. “They want voting to be easy, and they like getting ballots by mail … and I think the average member the public just hasn’t put all these pieces of the system together to think about how it all interacts.”
Eliminating air pollution from energy-related activities in the U.S. could prevent more than 53,000 premature deaths each year, according to a newly published study from University of Wisconsin researchers.
Noted: On May 24, the Wisconsin Technology Council is hosting a luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel, on John Nolen Drive in Madison, to learn more about the Dairyland project and the larger debate over nuclear power. Panelists will include Ridge, who’s also the CEO of the cooperative; Jeffrey Keebler, chairman, president and CEO of Madison Gas & Electric; and Paul Wilson, Grainger Professor of Nuclear Engineering, and chair of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s department of engineering physics.
Research happening in Wisconsin studying the biology of early Earth shows there is the possibility of life on other planets. Betül Kaçar, a bacteriologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, tells us about the research and talks us through its ethics.
Co-authored by Barry C. Burden, a professor of political science and director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Quoted: Professor Nicholas Hillman is recognized in the acknowledgments of the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report. He said the data is sobering, but does not mean the worst for Wisconsin students. He said it should, however, be a wake-up call to lawmakers.
“I do think it’s a chance for these issues to be prioritized, like how do we pay for college and how do we prioritize finances so people who want to go can go,” he said. “Reduce those barriers, at the least.”
Hillman said a primary reason for rising college tuition is because running a university is expensive. Those expenses range from paying faculty to maintaining costly facilities.
Hillman helped create UW-Madison’s Bucky’s Tuition Promise. The program began four years ago and covers tuition costs annually for Wisconsin-based students. Their household income must be $60,000, or less.
Noted: The new maps, drawn by the Wisconsin State Legislature, are considered the most partisan-biased, court-adopted maps in the nation. That’s according to a new analysis from the University of Wisconsin Law School. The maps heavily advantage Republican politicians, all but guaranteeing Republican-rule in the state Legislature, regardless of what most voters want.
The analysis looked at four metrics: partisan-bias, efficiency gap, mean-median difference and declination.
“On every one of these standard partisan fairness metrics, these new maps are the worst, court-adopted maps that we’ve seen anywhere in the country,” says Rob Yablon, an associate professor at the law school, who published the analysis.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say a second wolf hunt last year would have risked Wisconsin’s wolf population dropping to undesirable levels that include the wolf possibly becoming endangered or extinct in Wisconsin.
Quoted: The expansion of “test-to-treat” clinics is key, said Ajay Sethi, an associate professor of population health sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Test-to-treat locations are federally-designated one-stop shops where patients to get tested for COVID-19 and, if medication is deemed appropriate, get a prescription filled right away. There are 16 test-to-treat locations in Wisconsin so far.
“When we can scale that up to a point where we can feel confident that, ‘Hey, I’ve got symptoms, let me pop into that CVS, get tested, it’s positive, pharmacist gives me Paxlovid,’ that’s the next chapter,” Sethi said. “I think it’s the distribution issues that are keeping this from being a page-turner.”
The next director of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Global Health Institute has decades of experience studying viruses, including those that jump from animals to humans, and ways to prevent their spread.
Jorge Osorio is an expert in epidemiology, virology and vaccines and a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine. He takes over his role in May, according to the news shared Tuesday by UW-Madison, and replaces Jonathan Patz, a professor and director of the institute since its founding in 2011.
Noted: Susan Carpenter, plant curator at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, suggested putting these plants in your yard to nourish native bees:
Quoted: Featured in the episode is University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor of agronomy Valentin Picasso. Picasso’s research team works with Kernza to help farmers develop best practices for crop growing.
“Being able to work with a large team of people to develop a crop that can bring reconciliation between food production and the environment really makes me excited and gives me hope for humanity,” said Picasso.
Quoted: Patrick Remington, an emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, severely criticized Johnson and called his persistent questioning of medical science irresponsible.
“If he had a medical license these would be grounds for malpractice,” said Remington, a former epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But since he’s not trained in medicine, he should stay in his lane and focus on things he knows about.”
Quoted: Jenny Higgins, a professor and director of the Collaborative for Reproductive Equity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says it’s more difficult to get an abortion in Wisconsin than it is in many other states.
“We have gone from a supportive state to a hostile state in a relatively short period of time,” she said.
An investigation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers found when using video chat platforms, your microphone is still on when you’re muted.
Quoted: “This is a hugely important issue,” UW-Madison law professor David Schwartz said. “I would expect a preemptive lawsuit seeking a declaration clarifying the ban is still valid and enforceable. I think it will be a big mess.”
Noted: There is disagreement about whether such old laws could immediately take effect or whether they would need to be re-enacted, said University of Wisconsin-Madison law and bioethics professor Alta Charo, because they have been rendered ineffective for decades.
Co-authored by Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, a professor of gender and women’s studies and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.
University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist Barry Burden said legislative departures are often higher in redistricting years, when the Legislature redraws lawmakers’ district lines to reflect population changes. This year’s maps were delayed as Democrats and Republicans fought over them in court. The state Supreme Court didn’t finalize the maps until earlier this month on the day candidates could pull nomination papers. The districts remained largely unchanged but Burden said the delay likely made it difficult for incumbents to plan.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Francine Hirsch studies Russia and the Soviet Union, yet even she didn’t know the war in Ukraine would be so arduous.
“It has been a completely brutal war of aggression with all kinds of war crimes and crimes against humanity. I don’t think anyone expected that,” Hirsch said.
A crucial tool that meteorologists use to forecast hurricanes is being upgraded just in time for the start of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
The University of Wisconsin announced the significant upgrade to the Advanced Dvorak Technique (ADT) and says it will use full-resolution images from weather satellites, better identification of the storm eye location and the ability to analyze hurricanes occurring outside tropical regions.
ADT was developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS).
“The ADT itself is not a prediction tool, but it does help describe the current state of tropical cyclone intensity, which provides the critical starting point for both forecaster and model-based predictions of future track and intensity,” says senior scientist Christopher Velden, who leads the CIMSS Tropical Cyclone Group.
Noted: Books written by historically underrepresented authors increased by 3% in 2020, to 26.8%, while books written about racially diverse characters increased by only 1% to 30%, according to Kathleen Horning, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center. This progress has been further threatened by right-wing efforts to banish the discussion of race from classrooms altogether.
Quoted: Steven Deller, who studies rural economies at the University of Wisconsin, says many smaller cities and towns have moved away from the traditional methods of marketing to outsiders.
“Rather than focus on promoting businesses they’re looking at making their communities a better place to live, to attract people,” he said.
Co-authored by Adeline Lo, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She researches factors that motivate or mitigate conflict between groups and designs statistical tools for prediction and measurement.
Quoted: “The half-day format is a nightmare for at least a third of all the parents we surveyed,” said Beth Graue, director of the Center for Research on Early Childhood Education at the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Although April has been cold and wet, University of Wisconsin-Madison agronomists say farmers shouldn’t start stressing out just yet.
“Despite the fact that we are about two weeks behind where we were a year ago, we are still on track for maximum yields for corn and soybeans,” says Shawn Conley, UW Soybean and Small Grains Extension Specialist.
According to Joe Lauer, UW-Madison Agronomy Professor, “last year we were earlier than normal – in fact, it was one of the earliest planting seasons on record.”
Quoted: “Michels’ entry mostly signals a sense of discontent among Republicans with frontrunner Rebecca Kleefisch,” says University of Wisconsin political scientist Barry Burden. “She is the leader for the nomination in terms of traditional indicators such as fundraising, visibility, and conservative credentials. In an earlier political era, her connections to Scott Walker and success as a statewide candidate would have made her a no-brainer for the nomination. Many in the GOP are now pining for someone who will challenge the party establishment and take on other familiar institutions.”
Noted: Tana Johnson is a faculty member in the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
From Mars missions to moon colonies, the human species has some ambitious travel plans in the works — ones that stretch way beyond our planet.
“Space exploration is the big challenge of this century,” said Elena D’Onghia, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Quoted: Lisa Naughton is a professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an expert in tropical biodiversity conservation who has also studied wolf recovery in the state.
“We have to work with private landowners. That inevitably involves some compromise, but it’s urgent,” she said. “We need to keep an eye on biodiversity beyond protected areas. We need to keep our eye on agricultural land use and industrial land use that may have cascading effects for biodiversity.
“And with effort, we can push back,” she continued. “We can turn things around for some species.”
The use of liquid brine is more effective at keeping highways safe during the winter months, a new report says.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Traffic Operations and Safety (TOPS) Lab looked at data from 143 storms occurring in 10 counties across Wisconsin. It compared brine-cleared routes to those nearby cleared with a traditional granular rock-salt method. The researchers found use of liquid brine in winter highway maintenance cleared Wisconsin highways faster, provided better friction on roadways, and reduced overall salt usage.
From Mars missions to moon colonies, the human species has some ambitious travel plans in the works — ones that stretch way beyond our planet.
“Space exploration is the big challenge of this century,” said Elena D’Onghia, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
DeVon Wilson, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the School of Letters and Science at UW-Madison, experienced deep loss and grief near the beginning of the pandemic with the passing of one of his best friends. He says, “grieving during a pandemic is difficult … I learned that I couldn’t do it alone.” In this episode of Black Oxygen, DeVon discusses his journey to Wisconsin, the difference in community needs between Beloit and Madison, and his experience of navigating grief after losing a dear friend. Near the end of the episode, DeVon shares, “grief is an indicator of the positive impact folks had on your life.”
When it comes to the climate crisis, Gregory Nemet has some good news and some bad news.
“The climate problem is getting worse,” said Nemet, a professor at UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs. “But the solutions are getting better.”
Quoted: Robert Yablon, University of Wisconsin-Madison law professor and redistricting expert, said the court’s decision had reinforced a map that was “strikingly” gerrymandered.
“And it means that although this state is often a 50-50 state one where Democrats have frequently managed to win statewide races, they are going to have virtually no chance of taking control of the Legislature,” Yablon said in an interview with PBS Wisconsin.
Here’s what guests on the April 15, 2022 episode had to say about the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling on legislative redistricting, the difficulties faced by homebuyers and a model for K-12 summer school programming in Green Bay.
For years, Ahna Skop didn’t feel like she fit the mold of a scientist.
She comes from a family of artists. Her father, Michael Skop, was a pupil of a famous Croatian artist, Ivan Meštrović, and her dad brought in students from all over the world to an art school they had at their house. Her mother, Kathleen Prince Skop, is a ceramicist and retired high school art teacher.
“Here I am as a scientist,” said the geneticist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “You might assume that I inherited the recessive gene for science.”
Quoted: “It is an honor and a privilege to be here today to celebrate a revolutionary change, a revolutionary paradigm shift,” said Dr. Tiffany Green, assistant professor of population health sciences and obstetrics and gynecology at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and co-chair of the Black Maternal & Child Health Alliance of Dane County. “It is a program and this is a process that’s going to center the lives of Dane County’s Black women and birthing people in solving our persistent and frankly shameful disparities in birth outcomes.”
Noted: The virus’s spread has accelerated northward with the spring migration of many North American bird species, explained Ron Kean, a poultry specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.
Quoted: “I do believe the U.S. has one of the more convoluted structures and also requires a lot more effort to understand,” says Cliff Robb, who teaches about personal finance and human behavior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.. “It forces individuals to engage much more directly with the tax system than other industrialized countries.”
Even for people who don’t pay fees to a tax preparer or for tax prep software, there’s a significant “opportunity cost” to filing, he says.
“Most people are going to take a weekend or a couple of days,” says Robb. And it’s not just time. “It creates more stress than is necessary, I believe.”
Quoted: “It’s a very limited stopgap,” said Barry Orton, professor emeritus of telecommunications at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“These public programs have really choked the wages in a lot of ways,” said Laura Dresser, a labor economist and associate director of UW-Madison think tank COWS who has spent decades studying low-wage work. “It’s a matter of public policy that home health workers are paid so little. We haven’t created good public jobs out of care work.”
“They’ve been hit hard over the years and especially recently,” said Moses Altsech, a marketing lecturer at the UW-Madison Wisconsin School of Business. “Their costs have increased tremendously both for labor, for fertilizer, for a lot of things, so increased prices for corn certainly is welcome news for farmers.”
Rising oil prices, sanctions caused by the war in Ukraine and post-pandemic travel have caused gas prices to skyrocket, but experts like Andrea Strzelec with the UW-Madison College of Engineering say that allowing E-15 gas to be sold this summer may change that. “E-15 is still gas… it’s gasoline that has 15% ethanol by volume mixed into it,” said Strzelec.
Quoted: The big mammals — mammoths, mastodons and giant beavers — came later. They were Ice Age creatures, living in Wisconsin from between 2.5 million and 11,500 years ago.
“It’s a little bit like yesterday for a geologist,” Brooke Norstead, assistant director of the University of Wisconsin Geology Museum, said.
And just like yesterday, there was a big animal roaming that huge ice sheet — so vast you could walk to the North Pole on it without touching land — that may sound familiar.
“There was an animal called a stag moose,” Norstead said. “Imagine a supersize moose, with even more interesting antlers.”
Warren Porter is a professor emeritus of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who studies animal shape and size.
“One of the evolutionary benefits of being a large or very large animal is … that you don’t have to deal with as much threat of predation and may be able to better defend your young,” Porter said.
A team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has created a material that is tougher than Kevlar, which is found in bulletproof vests.
It’s a project they hope can help save lives.
The material in small scale is almost comparable to the look of electrical tape. However, it’s much different and much stronger. So what’s inside that makes it so strong? Engineering and physics assistant professor Ramathasan Thevamaran has the answer.
“It’s a nano fiber mat made out of carbon nanotubes and Kevlar nano fibers,” Thevamaran said.
One of the more important steps backyard gardeners can take to help disappearing native bees is to grow native plants that provide continuous blooms throughout the season, according to Susan Carpenter, plant curator at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.
Quoted: Native plant curator Susan Carpenter with the University of Wisconsin Arboretum in Madison said they detected the rusty patched at the Arboretum about 10 years ago. “That started us on this voyage of discovery,” she said. When the rusty patched was declared endangered, she said, “people just went crazy on that.”
Wisconsin doctors are seeing a steady increase in the number of children diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes — a disease that primarily affects adults — which may be linked to COVID-19.
Data released last week by UW Health Kids shows a nearly 200 percent increase in the number of cases of Type 2 diabetes over the past four years.
While this is a trend medical experts have noticed for years, Dr. Elizabeth Mann, a pediatric endocrinologist and director of the Type 2 Diabetes Program at UW Health Kids, said it’s taken a worrisome turn recently.
Among 120 life-size, orange statues of women scientists that stood last month on the National Mall in Washington D.C. was the likeness of Ahna Skop, a UW-Madison geneticist and artist. We talk to Skop about the connections between art and science.
A University of Wisconsin-Madison study finds many cannabidiol, or CBD, products sold in southwestern Wisconsin don’t deliver what they promise on the label. One of the study’s authors says a lack of regulation and oversight is to blame.
