Sharing your bed with your cat increases the risk of transmitting zoonotic diseases, which are ones that are transmissible from animals to humans. According to Calico Schmidt, a veterinarian and clinical instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, this is especially true if you have an outdoor cat.
Category: UW Experts in the News
Wisconsin farmers re-evaluate weed management after rainy spring, dry summer
“Fall is the best time to look at perennial weed control,” said Jerry Clark, a northwestern Wisconsin crops and soils educator who serves Chippewa, Dunn and Eau Claire counties through the Division of Extension at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Men are carrying the brunt of the ‘loneliness epidemic’ amid potent societal pressures
Authors: Alvin Thomas, Associate Professor, Phyllis Northway Faculty Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Quinn Kinzer, Graduate student and PhD Candidate, Department of Consumer Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Madison Montessori school teachers file for union election
In the child care sector specifically, unions are an anomaly, said Laura Dresser, a labor economist and associate director of the UW-Madison think tank High Road Strategy Center.
“Child care unions are really rare in Wisconsin … and unions are rare in child care nationally as well,” Dresser said.
Study finds streamlining energy regulations could ease poverty on tribal lands
A group led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found historic federal policies deprived tribes of lands rich in natural resources like precious metals and fossil fuels. Even so, tribes were often left with lands most favorable for wind and solar development.
More than radio: expanding multimedia opportunities for students
Written by Kelsey Brannan, Director of Student Radio, University of Wisconsin-Madison, General Manager, WSUM Madison Student Radio.
How a Florida lawyer with a checkered past became the go-to attorney for Wisconsin prisoners
The types of allegations Story has laid out can lead to expensive and difficult-to-win lawsuits, according to Steven Wright, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and former attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
“These are very hard cases to bring, both in terms of they’re expensive to develop the facts. The law is against your side,” said Wright. “It’s unequivocal that horrible things are happening at Waupun … But I am not certain, as somebody who’s a civil rights lawyer and who has worked for federal judges, that this is a problem that the federal courts are going to weigh in to solve.”
Invasive caterpillars can make aspen forests more toxic for native insects – a team of ecologists explains how
Co-authored by Richard L. Lindroth, Vilas Distinguished Achievement & Sorenson Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Muskego school board removes gender identity from harassment policy
Public Investigator consulted Suzanne Eckes, education law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about the school board’s decision. A former lawyer and public high school teacher, Eckes researches how civil rights laws impact education policies in public schools.Although some Muskego-Norway schools are included on Moms for Liberty’s growing list, Eckes said the district cannot exclude transgender students from protections. “Whether they kick it out of their policy or not, they still need to follow the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision,” said Eckes, who clarified that she is speaking on her own behalf, not the university’s.
What is myopia? Experts now calling nearsightedness a disease
“It was long overdue,” said Dr. Terri Young, committee co-chair and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Autumn events and activities; Psychologist explains the ‘Olympic mindset’
First, it’s a roundup of fall events and activities with Anne Sayers, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Then, psychologist Shilagh Mergain of UW-Madison is back to help you build an “Olympic mindset,” and tackle whatever comes your way.
Janesville plans to take ownership of GM Assembly Plant site by early 2025
Carolina Sarmiento, who studies urban development’s impacts on working-class cultural spaces at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said redevelopment plans rarely include supports for existing businesses.
‘Rest is not necessarily best’: A new approach to concussion treatment
Long before anatomist Julie Stamm wrote a book about youth concussions, she was an athletic trainer. One fall, during her undergraduate training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she treated a high school football player who got a concussion, and didn’t get better.
Dead butt syndrome, and fueling intimacy in long-term relationships
Gluteal amnesia, or dead butt syndrome, can result from spending long hours sitting and being inactive. We talk about the symptoms – tight hip flexors and lower back pain – with the physical therapy sisters, Lori Thein Brody and UW-Madison Professor Jill Thein-Nissenbaum, .
Survey: Demand for child care outpaces providers’ capacity
Hilary Shager, author of the report and associate director of the University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty, said not having enough staff was a primary reason for not expanding capacity, mostly among group providers. She said providers pointed to low compensation as one of their top issues.
Bugging the bugs: UW-Madison entomologist invents ‘insect eavesdropper’ to spy on pests
About two years ago, University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Emily Bick went down a research rabbit hole.
Voter frustration fueled by lack of policy details on issues like health care, climate
The town hall meeting featured a panel discussion with two faculty members from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison who focus on climate change and health care policy, Morgan Edwards and Yang Wang, and Laura Olson, chief business development officer at Eneration, a subsidiary of Gundersen Health System that helps health care companies reduce their energy costs.
There will be no “climate haven”
Richard Keller, a UW-Madison history professor and expert on the health impacts of climate change, says he’s been “joking with relatives in Texas as far back as 2003 that as their [climate change] problem was going to be getting worse, ours was going to be getting better.”
Trump, Harris drop big ad money in Madison media market
According to UW-Madison political science professor Kathy Cramer, political ads aim to achieve two primary goals.
“One is activate people who are already leaning towards them or their party — and ads can definitely help kind of remind people both that an election is coming up and reconnect them with their party and the leading candidate. But the other thing that they do is persuade people on the margins,” Cramer told the Cap Times.
Instagram Unveils Sweeping Changes for Users Under Age 18
Dr. Megan Moreno, a pediatrics professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine who studies adolescents and problematic social media use, said Instagram’s new youth default settings were “significant.”
How threats are escalating for Wisconsin’s public officials
Melissa Kono trains other municipal clerks around the stateas an associate professor with UW-Madison Extension Trempealeau County.
“There are outright threats, right? But there are also comments and things that are said that feel threatening,” she said.
A UW-Madison student’s racist video stirred outrage. Now, new ideas have been offered to improve campus climate
A racist social media video featuring a University of Wisconsin-Madison student consumed the campus in spring 2023. A Black student advocacy organization formed. Protests staged. A petition signed, to the tune of 67,000 signatures. And an ad-hoc group formed to study the Black experience on campus.
Childhood poverty ticked up to 14%, latest Census data show
“So essentially when the cost of things go up, that reduces the amount of money that people have in their pockets at the end of the day,” said Michael Collins, a poverty researcher at the University of Wisconsin Madison. The biggest driver of the higher poverty rate is also the source of inflation the Fed has struggled with most: “Rent is more expensive, and so rent took away more money out of people’s budgets, and so — as a result — they had less money left over for everything else,” Collins said.
GOP efforts to crack down on noncitizen voting extend to state ballot measures
The proposed amendments “perpetuate a misimpression that noncitizens are currently voting,” said Bree Grossi Wilde, the executive director of the nonpartisan State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School.In the case of Wisconsin, she said, that’s because the ballot measure doesn’t mention that the state constitution already includes “citizen” in the language about who has the right to vote in Wisconsin. (None of the other seven measures do either)
New policies suppress pro-Palestinian speech (opinion)
In the same breath, colleges claim that they remain committed to academic freedom, the right to protest and freedom of expression. In another extreme example, University of Wisconsin at Madison updated its expressive activity policy in a manner seemingly straight out of 1984, banning any speech activity short of “individuals speaking directly to one another” within 25 feet of a building, a policy UWM constitutional law professor Howard Schweber called “clearly unconstitutional” because it covers “an enormous and almost incalculable amount of First Amendment–protected expression in ways that have nothing to do with ensuring access to university buildings.”
Rural Wisconsin Naloxone boxes, Understanding Noncompete decision, 1982 Brewers Doc
Last month, a district court judge in Texas struck down a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission banning noncompete clauses in employment contracts. A legal scholar from the UW School for Workers explains what this means for workers in Wisconsin.
Democrats & Republicans eye Dane County, Wisconsin and it’s booming voter turnout
NBC News Correspondent Shaquille Brewster reports from Madison, Wisconsin on the rapidly growing population of Dane County and how both Democrats and Republicans are trying to increase their vote share. (Barry Burden)
August CPI shows inflation sticking around in service sector
The parts of the economy where inflation is taking a while to come down are in the services sector. For instance, inflation actually picked up last month in the food away from home category.“Which reflects what? Well, that’s, like, restaurants. And what’s a big component of restaurant costs is labor costs,” said Menzie Chinn, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Do presidential debates actually matter?
“It’s hard to say,” said UW-Madison Journalism Professor Michael Wagner. “Most of the literature in political science has suggested that debates don’t tend to matter in terms of who people vote for.”
Alcohol is being sold at Camp Randall this year for the first time. How is it impacting campus law enforcement?
This year, Wisconsin Athletics started selling alcohol at Camp Randall Stadium to the general public for the first time.
Wisconsin Master Naturalists, Ho-Chunk Nation to host ‘Caring for Grandmother Earth’ volunteer summit
For more than a decade, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension has been offering the opportunity for people to become Master Naturalists by attending expert-led training sessions and volunteering their time to conservation efforts. Altogether, Master Naturalists volunteer over 25,000 hours of service each year to over 700 organizations across the state.
Wisconsinites have lower blood PFAS levels than found in other states, new study finds
Wisconsinites have lower concentrations of “forever chemicals” in their blood than residents of other states, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Why Are US Agricultural Emissions Dropping?
‘There’s so much uncertainty in those predictions that I would hesitate to really read too much into any small variation from year to year, outside of demonstrable changes and practices out on the landscape,” said Steven Hall, a professor in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The emissions inventories published by EPA are subject to substantial uncertainty.”
Wisconsin eggs cause multi-state salmonella outbreak
Ron Kean, poultry specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said many farms will choose to cull an infected flock after a recall to ensure the bacteria does not continue spreading.
As election cycle heats up, WisconsinEye calls on Baldwin campaign to pull ad footage
BJ Ard, a copyright expert at the University of Wisconsin Law School, said four factors determine whether the material is being used fairly. That includes the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the work being copied, the amount and substantiality of the work being copied and the market impact of the copying.
“There’s not a specific rubric spelling out which of these factors takes priority,” he said.
In Focus with Corey Pompey: Directing the UW Marching Band
Murv Seymour talks with Corey Pompey at the Hamel Music Center about leading the University of Wisconsin Marching Band and crafting its musical direction in practice and on the field for Badgers fans.
How to increase our cybersecurity, and former UW Band leader releases memoir
For 50 years ending in 2019, Mike Leckrone directed the UW Marching Band. In his new memoir, co-authored by Doug Moe, Leckrone recalls the creation of the Fifth Quarter celebration that now follows every home football game, and where he got his penchant for sequins and spectacle.
UW-Madison students show gratitude for program that expands study abroad access
During the 2022-23 school year, more than 2,500 UW-Madison students participated in a study abroad program, according to the university’s International Academic Programs annual report for that year.
“We really see it as an opportunity for growth,” said Dan Gold of UW-Madison’s study abroad office. “When you look at it conceptually, basically it’s just: What can you do that’s not on campus that will help your academic goals?”
Take a fall-colors, art-loving journey to see these 7 Wisconsin art exhibits this autumn
“Weaving a Legacy” features nearly 200 works of black ash baskets made by more than 40 Ho-Chunk makers from the mid-1800s to the present. The exhibit, which runs through Nov. 10, is curated by Tom Jones, a University of Wisconsin-Madison photography professor, who has collected and studied thousands of Ho-Chunk baskets for more than decade.
These Americans are trying to make ‘underconsumption core’ trendy
“It’s really pushing back against this idea that you need to constantly be buying things to have a happy and fulfilling life,” said Megan Doherty Bea, assistant professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The debate elevates 2024’s central question: Who’s paying attention?
It’s also probably the case that viewership trended upward since 1996 in part because of increased partisan identification. The University of Wisconsin’s Barry Burden made this point before that Biden-Trump debate and it tracks: Higher investment in partisan success would suggest more interest in seeing how well each candidate does.
Healthy lawns; update from the UW Arboretum
Turf expert Doug Soldat is back with his annual fall lawn tutorial. We talk with him about the latest in lawn care research.
In the last half hour Native Plant Garden Curator at the UW-Madison Arboretum, Susan Carpenter is back. She’ll have updates on classes and tours, and what’s happening in the fall native gardens.
Wisconsin towns are trying to limit CAFO growth. Big Dairy is fighting back.
“Demand for dairy products overall, both United States domestic and export demand, continues to grow,” said Charles Nicholson, an agriculture and economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Wisconsin’s Bizhiki spotlights powwow music and Ojibwe culture, with Justin Vernon’s help
“We try not to romanticize our culture, but we are unapologetically Indigenous,” said Jennings, who is close to finishing the PhD program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies. “There are a lot of statistics about our communities and a lot of negative statistics. Our goal is to showcase and highlight the good things in our communities — the good people, those traditional values our communities still rest upon.”
Can chief heat officers protect US cities from extreme heat?
“There’s very little authority behind these positions,” said Richard C. Keller, a historian of medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who wrote a book about extreme heat in Europe. “They can issue recommendations, they can help establish policy, but they’re going to have a very hard time enforcing those policies.”
Bat die-off led to more insecticide use and more infant deaths in US
“This study shows that bats can save human lives just by doing what they do best – eating insects,” says Jennifer Raynor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Many wild animals are important for human health and well-being, and we are now beginning to understand that technology cannot always replace these benefits when they are lost,” she says.
Quagga mussels found in Wisconsin inland lake for first time
Jake Vander Zanden directs UW-Madison Center for Limnology — the study of lakes. He says both zebra and quagga mussels feed on phytoplankton, the base of the aquatic food chain.
“In effect, what they do is they will undermine the basis of the food web, and that can have impacts on fisheries,” Vander Zanden said. He added that the mussels create good conditions for algae growth, which gets smelly when washing up on beaches.
Wisconsin’s low-wage workers have seen gains in recent years, but challenges remain
Wages for the lowest-paid workers in Wisconsin have risen faster than pay for higher earners in recent years, but workers still face challenges.
That’s according to the new “State of Working Wisconsin” report from the High Road Strategy Center, an economic think tank at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The report is released annually around Labor Day to provide insights into how workers are doing in the economy.
Wisconsin social studies teachers face restrictions, complaints for teaching elections
Whether information on elections and current events comes from a dedicated civics course or another type of social studies class, University of Wisconsin-Madison education researcher Jeremy Stoddard said covering those topics is vital to creating informed, engaged citizens. It can also reduce political polarization.
“Schools might be the only place where they actually get exposed to different views on key issues of the day,” Stoddard told “Wisconsin Today.” “Otherwise, people get their news filtered in through one way … If they’re not doing it in schools, that’s a real problem.”
Is a Postmodern building historic? The answer might determine a downtown office tower’s fate
The building’s homage to Flemish Renaissance Revival architecture − City Hall’s design − resonated with board member Sissel Schroeder.
“I think that’s what made this stand out compared to other Postmodern buildings in Milwaukee,” said Schroeder, a University of Wisconsin-Madison anthropology professor who voted to support 100 East’s nomination.
Here’s how the economy is doing in the handful of counties that could decide the election
The area’s labor “shed,” or the areas in which the workforce now lives, “is getting bigger and bigger … and spilling into neighboring communities,” said Steven Deller, distinguished professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s department of agricultural and applied economics.
Wisconsin’s prison population swells as other states limit incarceration
Extended periods of supervision after release from prison do little to improve public safety, according to Cecelia Klingele, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School professor of criminal law. The long terms “may interfere with the ability of those on supervision to sustain work, family life and other pro-social connections to their communities,” she wrote in a 2019 study examining 200 revocation cases.
“Fewer, more safety-focused conditions will lead to fewer unnecessary revocations and more consistency in revocation for people whose behavior poses a serious threat to public safety,” she added.
J. Michael Collins on the US economy and low wage workers
UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs professor J. Michael Collins discusses low unemployment, higher pay and stock market growth as economic indicators amid experiences of low wage workers.
10 diverse children’s books with Wisconsin connections
But the number of diverse children’s books and creators has significantly increased since then, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center found. The CCBC is based in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education and receives funding from the state Department of Public Instruction. It reviews the diversity of both content and creators of about 3,500 children’s and young adult books each year.
“Children are curious learners, and are most naturally interested in themselves and also in understanding the world they live in,” CCBC Director Tessa Schmidt said. “Books should offer children the opportunity to see themselves, as well as people in their local and global communities.”
Wisconsin voter ID law still causing confusion, stifles turnout in Milwaukee, voting advocates say
“It’s a small factor compared to not liking the candidates or not caring about the outcome,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the Elections Research Center. His university colleagues published a 2017 study on the effect of the law.
A probiotic called Akkermansia claims to boost health. Does it work?
While there’s a “much larger body of evidence” suggesting beneficial metabolic effects of akkermansia, the studies pointing to potential downsides should not be ignored, said Federico Rey, a microbiologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who studies the relationship between the gut microbiome and cardiometabolic disease. “The overwhelming data suggests that akkermansia is good for your metabolic health, but there’s also data suggesting that it might not be good for other conditions,” he added. “There’s a lot of moving parts we still have to understand before making general recommendations.”
A Democracy With Everything but a Choice
“The distribution of offices does not align with the distribution of voters,” said Barry C. Burden, who heads the Election Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Laura Dresser on the state of working in Wisconsin in 2024
UW-Madison labor economist and High Road Strategy Center associate director Laura Dresser discusses the group’s State of Working Wisconsin 2024 report on job numbers, wage growth and gender pay gaps.
America Must Free Itself from the Tyranny of the Penny
Sarah Halpern-Meekin, a sociologist at the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told me that “the majority” of people with low incomes make cashless transactions — on apps like Cash App, for instance.
Notes App Lists You Should Keep In Your Phone To Be Happier
“We have little insights and micro-epiphanies all the time, but we usually forget about them a few moments later,” Dahl, who is also a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds, told HuffPost. “Taking a few moments to step back and make note of the ways we are learning and growing is a great way to build some muscle memory around self-discovery.”