Quoted: Surprisingly, there isn’t even a good map of the Internet’s highways and byways to clearly show locations that, if taken out, would severely hamper the system. “Everybody assumes somebody knows, but after a while you find out nobody actually knows,” said Paul Barford, a professor of computer science at the University of Wisconsin who has made it his mission to find out where the vulnerabilities are.
Category: UW Experts in the News
What does the future hold for manufacturing in WI?
Quoted: “Madison lost out on this one,” Steven Deller said.Deller teaches Agriculture and Applied Economics at UW and he says this week’s job loss could be a sign where this state is going.”I think the days of big manufacturing plants that employ thousands of people in Wisconsin are limited,” he said.
Department of Workforce Development, Madison College team up to help displaced Oscar Mayer workers
Quoted: Oscar Mayer has not confirmed what type of severance packages or benefits they will provide to the displaced workers, Barry Gerhart, University of Wisconsin professor of management and human resources, said. But regardless of the compensation, the closure will be a major challenge for displaced employees.
Forum at Edgewood College to explore achievement gaps
Noted: Panelists will include: Gloria Ladson-Billings, faculty member in the UW-Madison School of Education.
Food manufacturing jobs dropped 40 percent in Dane County between 2001 and 2014
Noted: In an October 2014 report on the area’s agriculture, food and beverage industry cluster prepared for the Madison Region Economic Partnership, Matt Kures of the UW Extension Center for Community and Economic Development wrote that a loss in food manufacturing employment was a result of changes at individual companies rather than declining regional competitiveness.
Oscar Mayer plant’s height could have been its undoing, union leader says
Quoted: UW School of Business professor Robert Krainer said he thinks more than a consolidation, the changes represent a contraction. “They are producing a product that fewer and fewer people are consuming,” he said.
Turkey prices up this year
Expect to pay more for your Thanksgiving dinner turkey this year, thanks to the outbreak of the bird flu last spring. UW-Madison poultry expert Ron Kean says prices will probably be up 10 to 15 percent, to around $1.15 to $1.20 per pound.
Walker: Oscar Mayer has ‘nothing to do with Wisconsin’
Quoted: “Not sure the state could do much of anything to convince Kraft Heinz to change their minds,” said Steven Deller, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who specializes in community development. “From a purely corporate perspective I can understand K-H wanting the top administrative offices … located at the K-H Chicago headquarters.”
Tony Dorsett turns to controversial stem cells thanks to old friend
Quoted: People considering such foreign treatment “should understand they are taking a shot in the dark,” said R. Alta Charo, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin. “There is nothing proven about what these guys are doing.”
Airbnb flexes new political muscle with plans for 100 home-sharing clubs
Quoted: New technologies such as “sharing economy” companies such as Airbnb and Uber tend to create windows of opportunity for new business models during which the old regulatory regime no longer fits and new regulations will be needed, said Hart Posen, a professor of business at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Paul Ryan’s speakership could pose some risks back home
Quoted: “It does mean Paul Ryan (as speaker) needs to continue to pay attention to the district,” says political scientist David Canon of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. If Ryan is “painted into a corner” by conservatives in his caucus, “that might not play very well back home,” says Canon.
Warm Wisconsin weather expected through November
Quoted: University of Wisconsin meteorology professor Jonathan Martin said a stronger-than-normal El Nino pattern in the Pacific will push warmer temperatures into the Midwest throughout the rest of the month. But he said it will likely not be as warm as the 70 degree days Wisconsin will enjoy this week.
This is the first time in nearly two decades such a strong weather pattern has hit the Great Lakes states.
“[In ’97-’98] you could throw rocks into Lake Mendota,” Martin said. “The ice was gone Feb. 28, so I went down with my kids and threw rocks in the lake, and I told them, ‘This will never happen again.’ Well, it might this year.'”
Gazette Economic Dashboard: Unemployment rate lowest in years
Quoted: If a prediction can be based on national and statewide trends, the answer is probably “yes,” said Noah Williams, an economics professor at UW-Madison.
For Offenders Who Can’t Pay, It’s a Pint of Blood or Jail Time
Noted: Ordering defendants to give blood used to be more commonplace, particularly during wartime, according to “Flesh and Blood,” a history of blood transfusions and organ transplantation by Susan Lederer, a professor of medical history now at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
And That’s My Opinion!
Quoted: Paula McAvoy, the program director for the Center for Ethics and Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — and, I should note, my son Amato’s fiancée — recently suggested a different idea: “Why don’t they spend their money on infrastructure instead?”
As workers age, officials worry they’re not saving enough
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison associate professor J. Michael Collins called myRA an “exciting proposal” although it has its limitations: its capped at $15,000.
End of China’s ‘One-Child’ Policy Draws International Reactions
Quoted: Yi Fuxian, a Researcher at the University of Wisconsin, urges the Chinese government to follow up with better population policies.
Music to Cats’ Ears
Quoted: Owners often leave the radio or a playlist on for cats alone in the house, assuming they will share human musical tastes, be it classical, country or the lyrical tones of NPR hosts. But cats’ hearing develops differently and “we mindlessly turn on music” for them, said Charles Snowdon, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who worked with Mr. Teie on the project. With its special instruments and tonal mixing, “Music for Cats” aims to bridge that sensory gap, he said.
Jefferson Award winner helps thousands through free medical clinics
Noted: Award recipient Ted Goodfriend, professor emeritus of medicine and pharmacology, founded MEDIC, a group of student-run medical clinics for underserved populations including the homeless.
Bees found farming fungus for first time to feed larvae
Quoted: There may be more farming bees to be found. “Given the substantial diversity of bees, many of which are poorly studied, it is likely that other bees engage in similar associations,” says Cameron Currie of the University of Wisconsin.
Pediatricians Unveil Game Plan for Safer Youth Football
Noted: The majority of studies have shown that the injury rate for youth football is quite low, and is actually significantly lower than the injury rates of high school or college football, said Dr. Gregory Landry, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, and the lead author of the policy statement.
Appleton Planned Parenthood suspends abortions
Quoted: “We have seen that clinic closures lead to burdens for women in a variety of states,” said Jenny Higgins, an assistant professor in gender and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a board member with the Guttmacher Institute. “This is true for Planned Parenthood, but is also true for any clinic that offers abortion care.”
Is There a Silver Lining to Citizens United?
Noted: Kenneth R. Mayer, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin, warned against drawing firm conclusions from these preliminary examples in a paper, “Public Election Funding: An Assessment of What We Would Like to Know”
UW-Madison ecologist leads national society through changing scientific sphere
As scientific fields rapidly evolve, putting more emphasis on effective communication skills and accessibility, the newest president of the Ecological Society of America, Monica Turner, the Eugene P. Odum Professor of Ecology and Vilas Research Professor of Zoology at UW-Madison, said she will use decades of experience as an ecologist to navigate the organization through changing times.
UPDATE: WHO claims processed meats linked to cancer
Quoted: Jeff Sindelar, an extension meat specialist at UW-Madison, said consumers should “certainly take note” of the WHO’s findings.
But he said the method used by the IARC in determining cancer risk levels based on red or processed meat consumption does not consider other factors, in many meat eaters, that may also be contributing to that risk.
“Lifestyle, genetics, other foods they’re eating and other habits, like smoking, drinking, etc., those all come into play,” Sindelar said.
GOP Changes Make It Harder To Investigate Political Crimes In Wisconsin
Quoted: Even before these proposed changes, elected officials received special treatment under Wisconsin law. While the average citizen is tried for crimes where they allegedly occur, public officials are tried for violations of ethics and election laws in their home counties. Law professor Ben Kempinen, who runs the Prosecution Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that requirement coupled with the move to grand juries will present big challenges to a DA from a small county.
Study: Processed meats linked to cancer
Quoted: “To be included in the same category doesn’t mean it’s as bad for your health as smoking or obesity or lack of exercise or using tanning beds,” said Dr. Sam Lubner, with the UW Carbone Cancer Center. “It simply means that the evidence shows that the link is real.”
The study also doesn’t mean that occasional steak or brat will kill you. Lubner said it just highlights the need for a balanced diet.
“Is eating a steak going to immediately cause cancer? Absolutely not,” he said. “[But] don’t eat four pounds of meat a day and expect to live a healthy life.” .
UW expert says report linking processed meats to cancer no cause for alarm
A new report links processed meats to cancer, although one University of Wisconsin expert is urging consumers to consider a more moderate approach before tossing out the bacon.
High School Football Tackling Rule Significantly Knocks Down Concussion Rates
Noted: Findings show that the rate of sports-related concussions sustained during high school football practice was more than twice as high in the two seasons prior to the rule change as compared to the 2014 season, said University of Wisconsin–Madison senior scientist Timothy A. McGuine, PhD, ATC.
“This study confirms what athletic trainers who work with high school football programs have long believed regarding the association of full contact drills or practices and the likelihood a player will sustain a concussion,” Dr. McGuine said. “This is probably also true for other football injuries such as sprains, fractures and dislocations.”
Ivory Coast votes in 1st post-violence election
Noted: Low turnout could weaken Ouattara’s mandate going forward, said Scott Straus, an Ivory Coast expert at the University of Wisconsin.
Gorgeous fall may lead into milder winter
Noted: That’s not necessarily good news for everyone, notes Ed Hopkins, an assistant state climatologist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Apart from its positive economic effects for snow removers and ski resorts, those crisp, white flakes also help protect a farmer’s soil come spring.
Wisconsin sells 72 acres of Peninsula State Park’s trees for $15,000
Quoted: University of Wisconsin Forestry and Wildlife Ecology Professor Mark Richenbach says there are pros and cons to the current system.
Consuelo Lopez Springfield: Incarcerated citizens should be allowed to vote
Noted: Consuelo Lopez Springfield, of Madison, is an emerita assistant dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a retired senior lecturer on gender and women’s studies and Chican@Latin@ studies.
What Makes Patricia the Most Powerful Hurricane Ever?
Quoted: “This is the type of worst case scenario that we fear,” said Derrick Herndon, an atmospheric scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday. He’s never seen a storm grow so powerful so quickly.
Thank El Niño and Climate Change for Huge Hurricane Patricia
Quoted: “You can think of it like the ice skater analogy,” says James Kossin, atmospheric research scientist at NOAA’s Center for Weather and Climate in Wisconsin. “When the skater pulls their limbs in, they move faster and faster.”
Wisconsin Microfinance head says a little means a lot to developing countries
Five years ago, the experience of a Haitian student in one of Tom Eggert’s business classes triggered a chain of events. That chain has led to hundreds of Haitians and Filipinos starting and sustaining small businesses, all supported by University of Wisconsin-Madison students and Midwestern donors.
As Federal Clean Power Plan Officially Takes Effect, Walker Makes Good On Vow To Sue
Last week, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Tracey Holloway welcomed hundreds of people to an annual energy summit. Carbon emissions and climate change were at the top of the agenda and EPA Midwest Administrator Susan Hedman delivered the keynote speech.
No Doe? Experts say still ways to chase political misconduct
Quoted: State grand juries will be cumbersome – they require 17 people – and bringing one into court day after day requires space and is expensive, said University of Wisconsin-Madison law professor David Schultz.
Still, other states have been able to pursue political corruption cases without the John Doe process. Wisconsin prosecutors still have considerable powers and there are more statutes on the books that can be broken now than ever before, said Donald Downs, a UW-Madison political science professor and an expert on criminal law and politics.
Ask the Weather Guys: What is a Category 5 hurricane?
Noted: Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, are guests on WHA radio (970 AM) at 11:45 a.m. the last Monday of each month.
Blue Sky Science: How fast could a human theoretically sprint?
Noted: Bryan Heiderscheit is a professor in the departments of orthopedics and rehabilitation and biomedical engineering at UW-Madison and director of the Badger Athletic Performance research program.
Is RushCard Really the Problem?
Quoted: “For somebody who has a low balance and doesn’t actively manage their bank account, having a traditional bank account can be pretty costly,” explains Michael Collins, a financial literacy expert at the director of the Center for Financial Security at the University of Wisconsin. “If you’re only trying to save $300 [over the long term] and you’re paying $10 a month in fees, it becomes really hard to justify having a bank account.”
Prosecutors face limited options under law targeting John Doe probes
Quoted: State grand juries will be cumbersome — they require 17 people — and bringing one into court day after day requires space and is expensive, said University of Wisconsin-Madison law professor David Schultz. Still, other states have been able to pursue political corruption cases without the John Doe process. Wisconsin prosecutors still have considerable powers and there are more statutes on the books that can be broken now than ever before, said Donald Downs, a UW-Madison political science professor and an expert on criminal law and politics.
Gentrification challenges communities of color
Gloria Ladson-Billings is the Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Educational Policy Studies for the University of Wisconsin.
The M List celebrates visionaries
Noted: Sustain Dane selected three individuals as this year’s Badger Bioneers for their leadership and courage in making our region more sustainable. They are Shannon Bunsen, who created her position as the sustainability program coordinator at UW Health and is responsible for shaping the organization’s overall vision and strategy for sustainability. . . . and Jason Vargo, who helps direct the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s activities toward healthy cities and sustainability across Wisconsin and abroad through his work with the university’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Global Health Institute.
Zebra mussels are in Lake Mendota — but what took them so long?
Quoted: “I’m surprised (at finding them), but I’m mostly surprised that it’s only showing up now,” said Center for Limnology professor Jake Vander Zanden, whose students discovered the mussels about two weeks ago along the Lakeshore Path, not far from the limnology lab.
Know Your Madisonian: UW-Madison’s Nick Smith boosts state’s wine and cider industry
Nick Smith is enologist for the UW-Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, an expert on fermented beverages who leads the university’s efforts to support Wisconsin producers of wine and cider.
New breast cancer screening guidelines means less screening
(Video) UW Breast Cancer Center Director Dr. Lee Wilke talks to News 3 This Morning about new breast cancer screening guidelines released this week.
Zebra mussels found in Lake Mendota
Quoted: “You’re likely to cut your feet when you’re walking in the water,” UW limnology professor Jake Vander Zanden said. “Another concern is that it tends to increase the prevalence of blue-green algae blooms, which can be toxic.”
Vander Zanden said zebra mussels have not been found in Lake Monona, and boaters can help keep it that way by drying their boats.
“It’s really important to make sure we are not transporting water from one lake to another because they have microscopic larva,” Vander Zanden said.
At the crack of dawn
Quoted: Stephen Small, a professor in the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology and an expert on adolescent development, says it’s not surprising that most middle-schoolers don’t get enough sleep because they’re coping with the biological changes of puberty, a natural change in sleep cycles, and busier lives as they get older.
What’s with all of the ladybugs?
Quoted: “This is a fairly normal phenomenon for the time of the year,” said P.J. Liesch, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab.
Scientist gives “outlaw” particles less room to hide
Quoted: Francis Halzen from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is intrigued by the study. “I find it amazing that each time we detect a higher-energy event, we actually improve the precision on a fundamental measurement,” he said.
UW organization behind Apple lawsuit
(Video) The head of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation visits News 3 This Morning to explain what the organization does and a successful WARF lawsuit against Apple.
UPDATE: East Madison residents gather for meeting on coyotes following reports of attacks on small dogs
Noted: Dr. David Drake, who studies urban coyotes and foxes through the UW-Madison’s Canid Project, said the problem of aggressive coyotes is not new. He said most coyotes in the Madison area can live peacefully among people. But Drake said there were instances of aggressive coyotes reported on Madison’s West Side in 2009 and 2011.
UW’s dairy mobile app helps farmers worldwide
At the University of Wisconsin’s Arlington Farm Research Station, they’re using modern technology to track herd health. In the past, that took a lot of time and paperwork. “We had lots of paper records and we wanted to turn that into something more functional,” says Prof. Nigel Cook, of the UW School of Veterinary Medicine.
With the help of the “DoIT” center on campus, the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine developed a series of digital teaching tools, which continue to play a role in preparing the next generation of food animal veterinarians. “We now have an app with pictures, with a scoring system, with just a touch screen system to be able to screen for a lot of cows very quickly,” says Cook.
Uninsured Will Face Higher Tax Penalties Next Year
Quoted: Tom Oliver, professor of population health at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said that the hike is meant to encourage people to get health insurance.
Do BuzzFeed’s native political ads cross a line?
Quoted: “I suspect that the average visitor to the BuzzFeed website does not really see the difference, maybe doesn’t care about the difference between sponsored and non-sponsored information,” says Barry Burden, a political scientist and director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The why and how of forgiveness
Noted: An interview with Professor Robert Enright.
At some point we have all been wronged and have also wronged others, but how do we find forgiveness? A leading authority in the scientific study of forgiveness outlines steps to deal with anger and build a pathway to emotional healing.
City officials say keeping leaves off streets saves lakes
Noted: Autumn’s falling leaves can often run off into lakes and streams, where they release phosphorus into the water. That helps more algae bloom, according to Steve Carpenter of UW’s Center for Limnology.
“[Algae] can be toxic, [making] people sick or pets sick,” he says.
Hoyt uses storied voice to raise cancer awareness
Jim Hoyt is professor emeritus and former director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication; former chair, UW Athletic Board; and a former TV news reporter and producer. He is working to raise awareness for gynecological cancers as a planning committee member and supporter of UW Hospital’s Sparkle of Hope event.
Watch A UW-Madison Climatologist Discuss El Niño
Predictions about the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle and the complexity of the phenomenon itself can easily create confusion about its impacts on weather and the economy in the U.S. and around the world. Dan Vimont, an associate professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shared a sobering perspective about ENSO in a Sept. 4, 2015 interview on Wisconsin Public Television’s “Here and Now” program.