Quoted: Kathy Schultz, senior marketing consultant for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Organ Procurement Organization.
Category: UW Experts in the News
Skin Deep-New Year’s resolutions
Quoted: Dr. Ladan Mostaghimi, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Mostaghimi published a study in 2005 in the Journal of Sleep Research reporting that severely sleep-deprived lab rats developed lesions on their paws and tails while rested rats did not.
‘Strong possibility’ of lawsuit over nativity scene (Baraboo News Republic)
Quoted: Ann Althouse, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor that teaches a course in religion and the constitution.
Justice Department disciplines employees (AP)
Quoted: Mike Scott, a University of Wisconsin-Madison law school associate professor who specializes in police discipline, said it’s difficult to draw conclusions from such a small number of cases.
Feingold says diverse presidential campaign is “wonderful”
Quoted: UW-Madison Political Scientist Charles Franklin.
Prof: Don’t hold breath for new services under state cable law
Gov. Jim Doyle’s signing of the state cable franchising bill isn’t likely to mean AT&T — a leading backer of the bill — will bring its U-verse TV service to the Madison area anytime soon, one prominent observer said.
“I don’t see it in Madison in any widespread way in 2008,” said Barry Orton, a UW-Madison professor of telecommunications who has advised many communities in their dealings with cable companies.
Orton noted that AT&T has been reducing its rollout projections for U-verse in recent announcements.
Stem-cell technique shows promise in fixing breasts (AP)
Quoted: Dr. Karol Gutowski of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Forgiveness: Absolution can lead directly to better psychological and physical health (Quad Cities Times)
Quoted: Robert Enright, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tough Calls (Investor’s Business Daily)
Quoted: Stuart Knechtle, who heads the liver transplant program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Black shoes rule in the American woman’s shoe closet (AP)
Quoted: Beverly Gordon, the chairwoman of the environment, textiles and design department at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Doyle toughens, then signs cable bill
Quoted: Barry Orton, a University of Wisconsin-Madison telecommunications professor and consultant to local governments.
Governor signs cable competition bill
UW-Madison telecommunications professor Barry Orton says the changes will help a little, but basically take a very bad bill and improve it a little.
Curiosities: Onion’s defense against pests makes people teary
Q. Why do onions make us cry when we cut them?
A. Chopping onions unleashes a “chemical defense that onion plants have to protect themselves against insects and microbes, ” said UW-Madison horticulture professor Irwin Goldman. We ‘re just innocent bystanders, it seems.
Outdoors: Global warming a hot topic at Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference
The 68th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference was held in Madison last week, drawing more than 1,200 fish and wildlife professionals from Midwestern states to hear reports on recent research and management experiences.
….John Magnuson, emeritus professor in the Center for Limnology at UW-Madison, gave a keynote address followed by presentations on how climate change is affecting natural resources. Magnuson made the point that people see and know how to deal with short-timeline problems and solutions, but something that changes in terms of decades is much more difficult to realize and to deal with.
(Also included in this article is Chris Kucharik of the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.)
Nuclear power gets Assembly hearing (Wheeler News)
Quoted: As for the ending of Wisconsinâ??s ban, University of Wisconsin nuclear engineering chairman Michael Corradini says folks shouldnâ??t sweat it.
He says the Public Service Commission would still have to weigh all the pluses and minuses before acting on each proposal, one at a time.
Social-Skills Programs Found to Yield Gains in Academic Subjects (Education Week)
Richard J. Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted that the findings dovetail with his own work on emotion and the brainâ??s structure and function. While studies have long shown that negative emotions, such as anxiety and fear, can interfere with learning, Mr. Davidson, who was named one of the worldâ??s most influential people by Time magazine in 2006, has documented that in people who undergo regular training in meditation or other practices akin to social and emotional learning, the brain circuitry actually changes.
Will MTV’s Tila Tequila choose boy or girl? (ABC News)
Nonphysical attributes such as respect, familiarity, willingness to work hard, and shared goals may contribute as much or more to the perception of attractiveness than youth or beauty, said Kevin Kniffin, an evolutionary anthropologist and honorary fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
For his research study, Kniffin showed students some photos from a yearbook. The photos were of people they know and didn’t know. The participants consistently rated the people they had positive feelings for as more attractive. And the people they didn’t like — as unattractive.
“Our findings confirm that for some people at least there’s more to beauty than meets the eye,” said Kniffin.
Doctor testifies about Beloit murder victim’s autopsy (Janesville Gazette)
Quoted: Doctor Michael Stier, the University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of forensic pathology who performed the autopsy, was allowed to examine the photographs in the courtroom.
Races could be short
Quoted: Charles Franklin, a UW-Madison political science professor who studies elections.
Do-It-Yourself Diagnosis on the Web (NPR)
Quoted: Robert Hawkins of the University of Wisconsin. “It’s a very chaotic, tough world out there on the Internet on health.”
Suzanne Pingree, Hawkins’ colleague at the University of Wisconsin, says the cancer patients were overwhelmed by all the information they found.
Don’t get carried away with spending (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Quoted: Don’t touch – or don’t try it on. If you try it, you’re more likely to buy it, said Joann Peck, professor of marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Social networks have risks (Deseret Morning News)
Quoted: Thomas Reason, associate director of admissions at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, told me that neither he nor his staff have time to research applicants using such sites, but that if information about an applicant “ended up in my face, it would be hard to ignore.” Reason also said that they would not make a decision based on something they saw on Facebook or MySpace, but instead would “inquire of the student to get a better understanding of the situation.”
Doctors: Liposuctioned Stem Cells Eliminate Need for Implants in Breast Reconstruction (AP)
Quoted: Dr. Karol Gutowski of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Cable bill critic certain it will become law
A leading critic of a controversial cable TV bill is predicting Governor Doyle will sign the measure.
UW-Madison Telecommunications Professor Barry Orton says Governor Doyle has been supportive of the bill deregulating the cable industry by saying he likes the idea of the measure. Orton says Doyle has also received a large amount of campaign contributions from AT&T, the main proponent of the bill. Orton says he would be “shocked” if the Governor vetoed the measure
Legislators Act to Curb Controversial Privilege
A UW political scientist says the state senateâ??s vote Tuesday night to limit the veto powers of the governor came as a strong message that the senate democrats count their role as lawmakers over their loyalty to Democratic Governor Jim Doyle. Steve Roisum reportsâ?¦(Audio.)
Bringing it all together
Stumbling out of bed every morning, Elijah Rolli begins his day like many college students: He boots up his computer and gets on the Internet.
Research finds rapid evolution
Research conducted by a University of Wisconsin professor found human evolution has advanced faster in the past 40,000 years than ever before.
Curiosities: Plate tectonics dictate flow of the Mississippi
Q. Why does the Mississippi River flow south?
Submitted by Eryn Bain, 7th grade,
Cherokee Middle School
A. A river’s path is primarily determined by the shape of the land, says Jim Knox, a UW-Madison geography professor who studies rivers.
How women bend over backwards for baby (Nature)
Quoted: Aside from the more obvious biological factors, this makes women more suited to carrying a baby. “I would advise all of my male colleagues not to become pregnant,” jokes Karen Steudel, a biological anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
The Team That Put the Net in Orbit
Quoted: Lawrence H. Landweber, a computer scientist at the University of Wisconsin who in 1980 made the pioneering decision to use the basic TCP/IP Internet protocol for CSNET, an academic network that preceded NSFnet and laid the foundation for â??internetworking.â?
Culture Speeds Up Human Evolution
Quoted: anthropologist John Hawks of the University of Wisconsinâ??Madison.
New Evolution Findings About Humanity, not Races
Modern medicine and social safety nets haven’t slowed human evolution; instead, thanks to changes in diet, climate and lifestyle, evolution appears to be speeding up, and it’s happening in different ways in different groups of people.
So said a team of U.S. anthropologists earlier this week. Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, received widespread press coverage — some of it responsible, and some less so.
Drinking Drama
Quoted: Dr. Richard Brown, assistant professor in UW’s Department of Family Medicine.
Art & democracy: UW prof’s book shows why they go together
Even with the Iowa caucuses less than a month away, you don’t hear much in presidential candidates’ stump speeches and broadcast debates about the arts.
That’s not the way that Caroline Levine thinks it should be.
Levine, who teaches English literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recently published “Provoking Democracy: Why We Need the Arts.”
Researchers: Human evolution speeding up
By tracking the footprints of evolution along the human genome, a team of researchers on Monday reported for the first time that the pace of evolution is quickening with the passing generations.
Lead author is John Hawks, Depts. of Anthropology and Zoology
AT&T U-verse access debated
Quoted: Barry Orton, a telecommunications professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and a paid cable-television consultant to municipalities.
40 years later, fans still love Otis Redding
Quoted: Craig Werner, chair of the Afro-American Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bill would require labor teaching (AP)
Quoted: Chip Hunter, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of management and human resources.
UW student found dead in New Mexico
University of Wisconsin police and Madison police are working with Las Cruces, New Mexico detectives investigating the death of UW sophomore Michael Mowers, 22, whose partially burned body was discovered near a concrete culvert in Las Cruces Nov. 21.
Researchers use stem cels to diagnose diseases
University of Wisconsin researchers have successfully used human embryonic stem cells to diagnose diseases and predict the effects of certain drugs in the human body.
Sweet future in renewable fuel sources?
Sugar may now be OK to put in your gas tank.
In a Gilson Discovery evening seminar Thursday, president and CEO of Virent Energy Systems Eric Apfelbach presented current developments in converting biomass, including sugarcane, into hydrocarbon fuels, providing renewable energy as a replacement for oil products.
Bioethicist says stem cell war not over
Last month, after UW-Madison and Kyoto University researchers announced a new technique that turns skin cells into cells that look and function like embryonic stem cells, the world seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. At last, the end to the nearly decade-long stem cell war was in sight. Or, so it seemed.
Cranberry Board outlines research priorities (Tomah Journal)
Quoted: Prof. Daniel L. Mahr of the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison presented a proposal for a new research project. According to the proposal, the project would last three years including publication, and would survey the beneficial natural enemies occurring in cranberry beds, and determine if the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices has resulted in the increase of natural enemies of cranberry pests
When hate disrupts the classroom
When a noose appeared on the office door of a black professor at Columbia Universityâ??s Teachers College this October, students and professors were outraged at the blatant act of racism.
Curiosities: A combination of factors makes the holidays dicey
Q. Is it true that the death rate increases around the holidays?
A. Christmas Day, Dec. 26 and New Year’s Day are the deadliest days of the year, says Patrick Remington, professor of population health sciences at UW-Madison. Nationwide, the mortality rate is about 5 percent higher on these days.
Revived Madison poetry club begins a new verse
Quoted: Ron Wallace, a poet who started the creative writing program at UW-Madison in 1978; and Judith Mitchell, director of the masters of fine arts program in creative writing at UW-Madison; and UW-Madison professor Heather Dubrow, who specializes in lyric poetry and Shakespeare.
Manufacturing slowdown forecast
Quoted: Scott Converse, director of technology and innovation programs for executive education at the UW-Madison School of Business.
Solar power: California’s latest gold rush
Quoted: Gregory Nemet of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Iâ??m Not Really Running, Iâ??m Not Really Running…
Quoted: Bill Morgan, an emeritus professor of kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin, likes to tell the story, which he swears is true, of an Ivy League pole vaulter who held the Division 1 record in the Eastern region.
Celldance prizes presented
Quoted: Steve Paddock of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, also received an honourable mention for a video that took a somewhat artistic tack. Sluder calls it â??non-canonicalâ?, as it doesnâ??t present scientific data, or even a particularly scientific idea, but is visually arresting and fun nonetheless.
University primate research funding comes under scrutiny
A national watchdog group that opposes animal research accused the Wisconsin Primate Research Center of â??wasting tens of millions in federal tax grantsâ? Tuesday.
Court leaves deaf parents in the dark
Quoted: Michele LaVigne, a University of Wisconsin-Madison law school professor
For college students, if it’s Facebook, it’s love (Reuters)
Quoted: Dave Berkman, who does mental health counseling at the University of Wisconsin clinic, finds that some students feel compelled to define themselves on a Facebook page, or to compulsively update their status over and over again.
Teacher’s words on blog refresh free-speech issue (AP)
Quoted: Donald Downs, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and expert in free speech, said that “all sorts of unsavory, controversial speech” are protected by the First Amendment.
Progress should not be made at cost of ethics
Ever since last weekâ??s monumental breakthrough by UW-Madisonâ??s own researcher Dr. James Thomson, which turned human skin cells into stem cells without using a human embryo, people have misunderstood its significance.
Faculty start new environment project
Beginning spring semester, the University of Wisconsin will launch an initiative to promote environmental sustainability on campus, UW administrators announced Monday.
Mothers Scrimp as States Take Child Support
Quoted: Maria Cancian, director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. David J. Pate Jr., an assistant professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Redding presentation planned for Thursday
Otis Redding died at a time when many others were dying, both in the U.S. and Vietnam, and his “music gave people a sense of hope,” said UW-Madison Afro-American studies professor Craig Werner.
He and journalist Doug Bradley will be presenting a Redding memorial program called “Echoes From Vietnam: (‘Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay'” on Thursday evening. Werner and Bradley have interviewed hundreds of Vietnam veterans about the era’s music for a collaborative book, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place: Music and the Experience of Vietnam Vets.”
Richard Nolte, Three-Week Ambassador During Six-Day War, Dies at 86
Mr. Nolteâ??s interests extended well beyond the Middle East. From 1988 to 1996, he was chairman of the American Geographical Society. The organization has provided geographical counseling to foreign policymakers since 1851, advising on matters like the Panama Canal and European borders for the Versailles Peace Treaty after World War I.
Mary Lynne Bird, the current executive director of the society, said Mr. Nolte led negotiations with the University of Wisconsin in 1978 when ownership of the societyâ??s collection of maps, journals by explorers, artifacts from explorations and surveys went to the university, transferred to its library in a caravan of 20 trucks.
You Don’t Have to Be Smart to Share (ScienceNow)
Quoted: Charles Snowdon, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is working on a similar experiment with cotton-top tamarins, another monkey that breeds cooperatively. He says he’s “excited” about Burkhart’s paper and that it confirms some of his predictions about altruistic behavior in cooperatively breeding primates.