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Category: UW Experts in the News

UW to be site of bioenergy center

UW-Madison will be the site of one of three bioenergy research centers designed to find new ways to turn plants into fuel, officials said Monday.

The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center on UW-Madison’s campus, along with centers in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and near Berkeley, Calif., were described by the Department of Energy as three startup companies with $125 million each in capital, said two officials with knowledge of the grants, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made. They will involve numerous universities, national laboratories and private companies as partners.

City to increase some chlorine levels

Capital Times

Starting next week, the Madison Water Utility will be attempting to maintain a level of 0.3 milligrams per liter of chlorine in all the water leaving all of the city’s 21 active wells.

….Dr. Greg Harrington, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who helped develop the new policy, said the change was being made to provide a margin of safety, to facilitate system operation and to prepare for the requirement of a federal groundwater rule that utilities will have to comply with starting in 2009.

Curiosities: Worms come out to breathe after heavy rains

Wisconsin State Journal

Q. After rains, why do worms slither out onto the pavement and “commit suicide?”
A. After a strong rain, the corpses of worms strewn across the pavement are a disgusting sight — or a pathetic one, depending on your sympathy for these slithery invertebrates.

But what’s the advantage of suicide? Teri Balser, an associate professor of soil and ecosystem ecology at UW-Madison, says the answer starts with the fact that worms breathe through their skin.

Recognizing Abuse: A 27 News Parenting Project Report

WKOW-TV 27

In light of the 27 News investigation which uncovered abuse of an 18-month old baby by a local child care provider, there is concern about how parents can know if there children are being mistreated. Knowing what to look for is key.

Dr. Barbara Knox is the Medical Director for the UW’s Child Protection Program. She’s been the point person for law enforcement investigating a recent, high-profile child abuse cases â?? investigative paperwork released to 27 News states she examined the 11-year-old boy recently found severely abused in a home in Portage.

New Tactic on Stem Cell Studies (Inside Higher Ed)

Inside Higher Education

The Senate Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved a 2008 spending bill Thursday that, as expected, would increase funds for the National Institutes of Health by $1 billion but keep most higher education at their 2007 levels. But the committeeâ??s action Thursday may be most noteworthy because of two tactical policy proposals made by committee members.

Local scientist calls global warming theory ‘hooey’

Capital Times

Reid Bryson, known as the father of scientific climatology, considers global warming a bunch of hooey.

The UW-Madison professor emeritus, who stands against the scientific consensus on this issue, is referred to as a global warming skeptic. But he is not skeptical that global warming exists, he is just doubtful that humans are the cause of it.

Credential Creep

Chronicle of Higher Education

While a Ph.D. takes on average about 12 years to complete from the start of college, the new degrees, sometimes mocked as a “Ph.D. lite,” typically take six or seven years. (The occupational-therapy degree is often completed in five and a half years, though new standards will require six years as of January.) Generally the new degrees do not require a major research project.

“For the last 15 or 20 years,” says John D. Wiley, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, “we’ve been under pressure to take what is basically a master’s degree and call it a doctorate.”

Milwaukee Airport Cab Limit Struck Down (AP)

Forbes

University of Wisconsin law professor Peter Carstensen, who represented the cab drivers, said the ruling should prompt the county to stop giving citations to taxi drivers picking up specific passengers. He said the county might also amend the ordinance to give those taxis a specific waiting area.

Prof: Control environment to control allergies

Capital Times

….More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and the numbers continue to grow despite advances in antihistamines and other drugs. So why have we failed to reverse this trend?

“It’s time to look at the underlying causes of asthma and hay fever instead of only treating the symptoms,” says Gregg Mitman, a professor of medical history and history of science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Following his own advice, Mitman wrote the book “Breathing Space: How Allergies Shape Our Lives and Landscapes.” In it, he traces the impact allergic disease has had on American life, culture and landscape since the 19th century.

Loew: Wilson championed women’s athletics

Wisconsin State Journal

By PATTY LOEW: Last month when Jay Wilson left WKOW TV Channel 27 after 27 years (how appropriate), Wisconsin sports lost, not only one of its finest sportscasters, but also one of the nicest guys in the business.

In an industry that attracts big egos, I’ll remember Wilson as one of the most genuine and humblest TV personalities I’ve encountered. And witty? I always enjoyed his self-effacing banter and admired his ability to keep sports in perspective. But that’s not the only reason I’ll miss him.