Noted: Martha Maurer, a policy program manager and researcher at the Pain and Policy Studies Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, agreed that opioid abuse in the United States was an epidemic.
Category: UW Experts in the News
Tick-borne virus found in Wisconsin
Quoted: “A fairly high proportion who get sick and go to the doctor end up with permanent neurological damage,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison Entomology Professor Susan Paskewitz.
CDC issues Zika virus recommendations for pregnant women
Quoted: “In Wisconsin, I think we can rest relatively well assured that Zika virus transmission is pretty unlikely,” said Dr. Kathleen Antony, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with UW Health.
Google’s TPU for machine learning being evangelized by David Patterson
Noted: “Now that I think back, there was no evidence for the assumption that he was retiring except that it was called a retirement celebration,” said Mark Hill, a PhD student of Patterson’s in 1987, and one of the speakers at his party.
Wisconsin lawmakers toe party lines on historic health care vote, advocates express concern
While Wisconsin had the second-highest per-capita participation among 35 states with high-risk pools, HIRSP was too expensive for many people and left more than half a million residents uninsured, said Donna Friedsam, health policy programs director at UW-Madison’s Population Health Institute.
Annette Ziegler sends refunds to campaign donors
UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said he can’t remember another time a candidate returned donations so quickly after a campaign, either.
Caution Urged To Avoid Tick-Borne Illness
Noted: University of Wisconsin-Madison entomology department chair Susan Paskewitz said other less common tick-borne diseases like Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis and Powassan virus have been on the rise as well.
Kindergarteners to College: 5-year-olds ask UW professor tough questions
UW political science professor Ken Mayer asked a group of kindergarteners to come up with the toughest question they could think of. Here’s what they asked
Your air conditioning habit makes summer smog worse
Noted: “But it had kind of been bothering me that nobody looked at how energy use on hot days also contributes to ozone,” said study author Tracey Holloway, a researcher at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “How do you control air pollution on the dirtiest days? And how much are our power plant emissions changing when we have those hot chemically reactive days?”
Focus on the Family Revives Brio, a Christian Magazine for Teenage Girls
Noted: The magazine’s promotional materials are directed more at adults shopping for young people than at teenagers themselves. That’s because nostalgia is an important ingredient in the magazine’s relaunch, said Susan B. Ridgely, a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Banned pesticide found at medical marijuana company
Noted: But a top U.S. toxicologist disputes that assessment, noting that “trace amount” isn’t a scientific term, and is often used subjectively to play down any problems. Minute levels of chemicals can have dangerous effects on the body, said Dr. Warren Porter, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Another expert told The Globe that levels above 1 ppm are not considered trace amounts.
Brazil Yellow Fever Outbreak Spawns Alert: Stop Killing the Monkeys
Noted: Karen Strier, an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin who has studied monkeys in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil since the 1980s, said she had never seen monkeys die from disease in such high numbers. She described a “sense of emptiness” in a reserve near Caratinga in Minas Gerais State, where howler monkeys had largely vanished.
Focus on the Family Revives Brio, a Christian Magazine for Teenage Girls
Noted: The magazine’s promotional materials are directed more at adults shopping for young people than at teenagers themselves. That’s because nostalgia is an important ingredient in the magazine’s relaunch, said Susan B. Ridgely, a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Donald Trump Is Making American Consumers Great Again
Quoted: “We know the CARD Act reduced the use of credit cards by young people,” says Andra Ghent, an associate professor at the Wisconsin School of Business. “But the public policy benefits of that change are less clear.”
Global Rise Of Authoritarian Leaders
Noted: Interview with Alfred McCoy.
Haynes: What Walker says, and what’s really happening with the Wisconsin economy
Noted: To find out, I got in touch with Prof. Steven C. Deller at the University of Wisconsin-Madison-Extension, who has followed the state’s economy closely and who dug up a wide range of data for me to review. I also took a close look at a recent Politifact Wisconsin report by Tom Kertscher that rated Walker’s statement — “Wisconsin’s economy is in the best shape it’s been since 2000.” — as only half true.
Using Cheese, Molasses Brine To Treat Roads With Less Salt
Noted: Hilary Dugan, the study’s lead researcher and an inland water researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said that eventually the chloride will kill plants and animals that aren’t able to adapt.
Airbnb rentals in San Francisco may dive with new host rules
Noted: “This is a big deal, it’s a big deterrent if other cities follow suit. But Airbnb isn’t dead, it certainly has more to its business model,” said Andra Ghent a professor of real estate and urban land economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Top Workplaces: The key to saving for retirement: Start now
Quoted: First, it becomes a habit, said Cliff Robb, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Second, you get the advantages of compounded returns. “You are at a unique advantage at a young age,” said Robb, faculty director of Consumer Finance & Financial Planning at the School of Human Ecology.
Top Workplaces: Many jobs mean much more than a paycheck
Quoted: Many, and maybe most, jobs bring rewards that go beyond just earning a living. Most entail making a product or providing a service, notes Barry Gerhart, a professor of management and human resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Questions surround proposed victim rights amendment
UW-Madison Law School professor Frank Tuerkheimer, a former U.S. attorney, said requiring prosecutors to consult with victims throughout the criminal trial process would be a big departure from current practice. “Whoever drafted this was kind of careful not to transfer power from prosecutors to victims, but simply create a rather continuous right of input,” Tuerkheimer said. “I think it would be somewhat onerous for the prosecutor.”
Scholars Find AERA Meeting Perfect for Seeking Answers
Quoted: “You’re looking for your place as they are looking for their next faculty member,” said Dr. Taucia Gonzalez, an assistant professor of education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Finding the right fit is important.”
Can zapping your neck help you quickly learn a foreign language?
Noted: “It’s not just activating the brain, it’s getting the right cells within that area,” said Justin Williams, chair of biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who is leading one of the teams under the DARPA initiative. “That’s where we think that activating the periphery might have some benefit.”
Fighting Compulsive Gambling Among Women
Noted: “Casinos are trained to make you feel welcome, while you lose your life,” said Sandra Adell, 70, a literature professor in the Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who recounted her experiences as a compulsive gambler in the book “Confessions of a Slot Machine Queen.” In an interview, Professor Adell said that advertisements aimed at older adults often show smiling people, dressed up and looking glamorous, “to create an illusion that plays to people’s weaknesses.”
Lake levels highest they’ve been in nearly 15 years, just reaching their long-term average
“It’s now about a 20-year period,” Watras said.
The UW Trout Lake Station in Boulder Junction has kept records of lake levels since the 1940s. Those levels followed a consistent cycle for much of that time, but in the 2000s, when levels should have gone up, they continued to go down until the lakes reached their all-time low in 2013.
“We’ve just completed roughly 15 years of declining water levels,” said Watras.
New analysis relocates the “hobbit” on the human family tree
Noted: The discovery of the hobbits themselves was “uncovering something that seems to have a history of a million years that no one had even guessed at,” says John Hawks, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
States Try To Rein In Prescription Drug Prices
Noted: The United States spends more than any other country on health care and prescription drugs are one reason why, says Kevin Look, a University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy assistant professor.
Why Bill Nye’s show won’t save the world
Netflix’s new talk show, Bill Nye Saves the World, debuted the night before people around the world joined together to demonstrate and March for Science. Many have lauded the timing and relevance of the show, featuring the famous “Science Guy” as its host, because it aims to myth-bust and debunk anti-scientific claims in an alternative-fact era.
Dating apps pose risk to teenagers, expert says
Noted: In the age of technology with literally everything at your fingertips, meeting people online has never been more popular but it also comes with risks, according to Jonathan D’Angelo, a University of Wisconsin-Madison communication technology researcher.
Dairy Co-Op Asks Members To Hold Steady On Milk Production
Noted: But Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that could be changing.
Incredible discovery places humans in California 130,000 years ago
Noted: University of Wisconsin, Madison paleoanthropologist John Hawks was flummoxed. He told Ars, “I’m not usually at a loss for words, but this one has left me and many of my friends speechless.”
Paper Explains Role of Racism in Math Education
Noted: Echoing this observation, Erika Bullock, an assistant professor of math education at University of Wisconsin-Madison, welcomed the whiteness paper’s framing of racism in institutional terms.
Allowances don’t teach kids about money – you do
Noted: Parents don’t have to be money experts to talk about the importance of delayed gratification or the difference between wants and needs, says report researcher Elizabeth Odders-White, associate finance professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Wisconsin seeks to mandate drug tests for Medicaid recipients
Noted: “This would have a disastrous effect on people’s lives,” said Dr. Richard Brown, a health policy professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison. “This will have all sorts of devastating ripples for families that are already stressed and trying to do the best they can with limited resources.”
Study: Global warming may get Americans off the couch more
Quoted: Dr. Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, faulted the study for not taking into account people who have jobs that require lots of physical activity nor the growing popularity of winter sports.
Chris Rickert: Party of self-sufficiency milks feds for dairy farmers
Noted: Domestic milk production is outstripping domestic demand, meaning export markets are increasingly important to U.S. dairy producers, according to UW-Madison professor of agricultural and applied economics Brian Gould.
Blue Sky Science: How does a curveball curve?
Noted: Blue Sky Science is a collaboration of the Wisconsin State Journal and the Morgridge Institute for Research.
Habitat homes are economic catalysts for neighborhoods
Quoted: “Unfortunately, there isn’t enough public housing for everyone,” said Timothy Smeeding, Lee Rainwater distinguished professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Milk plants asked to help save Wisconsin dairy farms
Quoted: “In the short run, we have got to put the brakes on milk production. Processors are telling farmers, ‘We can work through this … but don’t compound the problem by expanding milk output dramatically,” said Bruce Jones, an agricultural economist at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
White students at Campbell Park Elementary ‘should be in the same class,’ principal emails staff
Noted: Gloria Ladson-Billings, the Kellner Family Distinguished Professor in Urban Education and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, called Hoffman’s email “baffling.”
Dairy setting up to be contentious issue in future trade talks
Quoted: Canada has indicated its prices would be competitive with the world market but offered no specifics, according to Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at UW-Madison.
Donald Downs: UW doesn’t always protect controversial speakers
Dear Editor: In his op-ed, “UW doesn’t need state law to ensure free speech,”Tom Loftus raises an important point about the problems that can arise with legislative intervention regarding the internal decisions of higher education. Academic freedom partly entails sufficient institutional autonomy.
First endangered bumblebee emerges from slumber this spring in Wisconsin
Quoted: Susan Carpenter, the Arboretum’s native plant gardener, said queen bees that hibernated over the winter are beginning to emerge.
Teachers are using online games and tech tools to bridge the partisan divide.
Noted: Even if students don’t engage directly with policy, simply engaging with each other about public issues takes solid preparation. According to Paula McAvoy, a co-author of The Political Classroom and program director of the Center for Ethics and Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, “the main challenge teachers face is finding resources that are current, present multiple and competing views, and are at the right reading level.”
Dairy Experts: Trump’s Promised Trade Changes May Not Come Soon Enough
Noted: “Dairy is a very small part of the total trade with Canada, there’s an awful lot more that happens even within agriculture than just dairy,” said Mark Stephenson, director of Dairy Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “So if you’re renegotiating trade agreements like NAFTA, then you’re looking at renegotiating everything.”
Editing the Constitution: Wisconsin conservatives are pushing for a constitutional convention. What are their motives?
Quoted: “The danger is that a true Article 5 convention arguably has no limits,” said UW-Madison political science professor Howard Schweber. “We’re in very uncharted territory here. It’s not at all clear there’s any way to call such a convention and limit its mandate to considering questions of debt. Once such a convention is called, it’s very plausibly argued that it can do anything. The outcome could be quite radical.”
Wisconsin Business and Labor Leaders Looking to Trump to Aid Manufacturing Sector
Noted: The state once had a thriving manufacturing economy, according to Laura Dresser, a labor analyst at UW-Madison. But, she says the job numbers have dropped dramatically since the beginning of the millennium.
Wisconsin Ag Officials Hope For Stronger Ties With Mexico
Noted: As President Donald Trump calls for negotiating trade with Mexico through the North American Free Trade Agreement, Bob Cropp from the University of Wisconsin-Madison said Wisconsin is not the only one looking to reinforce trade relationships.
Edible CRISPR Could Replace Antibiotics
Noted: Now scientists want to turn it into ultra-precise antimicrobial treatments to “specifically kill your bacteria of choice,” says food scientist Jan-Peter Van Pijkeren of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After flexing muscle, U.S. needs diplomacy on multiple fronts
Noted: Such displays can play a valuable role in the negotiating dance that nations do. “You don’t really have a seat at the table unless you’re willing to apply force,” said Andrew Kydd, a political-science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Russia, East Europe and Asia. “That has not been the case in previous years, and that’s why [Secretary of State John] Kerry’s diplomacy was doomed to fail.”
Missouri’s college scholarship programs underfunded at time of rising tuition
Noted: Boosting funding to the scholarship would help more low-income kids go to college, according to Nick Hillman, a higher education policy expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Mapping America’s biggest climate-related health risks
Quoted: “I think Americans consider climate change as an ’over there’ problem or confined to poor countries,” said Dr. Jonathan Patz, a professor and director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconson-Madison.
As possible re-election run looms, Scott Walker says Wisconsin economy is best it’s been since 2000
Said Andrew Reschovsky at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: “A growing economy is characterized by rising real per capita GDP and rising real wages. This growth is to be expected, and reflects increased labor productivity over time. Although Wisconsin’s economy is larger now than it was in 2000, the fact that the poverty rate is higher and that there is growing income inequality indicates that the benefits of our growing economy have gone mainly to those with the highest incomes.”
Training for Tech Jobs
Noted: Chertavian is an “unusually dynamic individual” who is able to convince employers to take a chance on kids without a lot of experience, said Timothy Smeeding, a professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has studied anti-poverty programs. Chertavian figured out that training that works isn’t necessarily about teaching people how to do a certain job, Smeeding said, but rather, about how to prepare people to navigate the working world. In addition to hard skills, students in Year Up learn how to solicit and give feedback, how to network, how to make small talk. These skills are often learned through experience: Speakers come to the classrooms every Friday, and students must figure out how to follow up with them afterwards to make a connection. Chertavian “takes a lot of kids who have no role model, ” Smeeding said, adding, “What he gives them are social behavioral skills.”
State, federal lawmakers ask for help on milk issue with Canada
Quoted: Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at UW-Madison, believes it won’t be easy to find a solution because there is an excess of milk and not a big enough market.
Did the Media Report the Criminal History of the Wrong David Dao?
Quoted: Katy Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the paper probably wrote the story without the expectation that it would be the next “outrage of the day” to go viral. But she also questioned the public interest value of the information provided, and said the way it was initially presented had a blame-the-victim feel.
The New Yorker Cover That’s Being Replicated by Women Surgeons Across the World
Noted: After the magazine was released, the cover took on a life of its own when Susan Pitt, an endocrine surgeon at the University of Wisconsin, issued a challenge to her fellow female surgeons: to replicate the image in real life, bringing visibility to the women and other minority groups working in a traditionally white, male-dominated field.
To Help Wisconsin Bees, Lawmakers Look To Make Beekeeping Cheaper
Quoted: “Beekeepers basically have to rebuild their dwindled populations in the early spring,” said Claudio Gratton, an entomology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Historically the rate of loss of bees over the winter used to be around 10-15 percent. So when we’re seeing rates that are twice that high, that’s a cause of concern and clearly there’s something going on.”
What Can Fish and Frog Pee Say About Climate Change?
Noted: Vanni, of Miami University in Ohio, and his coauthor, Peter McIntyre, of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, had plunged into the project for their own research. But they soon realized the giant dataset they put together could be a resource for other scientists, too—all that work on animal waste didn’t have to go to waste itself.
Scott Walker wants to let schools cut down on class time. That’s really risky.
Noted: But educational research has found that the number of hours in the classroom matters. “I think it’s a bit counterintuitive based on research we know on instructional time,” Julie Mead, an education policy professor at University of Wisconsin Madison, said. “In these budgetary times, those districts without the means could cut instructional time, which would exacerbate the differences between the haves and the have-nots.”