The president of the University of Wisconsin system said in letters obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday that he has been told to either resign or be fired, but has been given no reason and won’t step aside.
Jay Rothman, president of the multicampus 165,000-student university system since 2022, said in a letter addressed to the head of the Board of Regents dated March 26 that he has been given no reason why regents want him to leave.
Jay Rothman’s tenure as Universities of Wisconsin president hasn’t been without controversy, but it’s not clear yet why the UW Board of Regents has asked him to resign or be fired.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that Rothman wrote in a letter to the Regents that he is resisting the board’s request for him to step aside as leader of the 13-university system because they didn’t give him a reason.
Genevieve Simmons grimaced the more Mitch Reuter tightened a tourniquet around her arm.
“Definitely don’t have a pulse,” Simmons chuckled as Reuter checked her wrist.
Reuter was demonstrating how to use a tourniquet as he led a Stop the Bleed training last month at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Students filled a classroom in Birge Hall to learn how to pack a wound and apply pressure in a medical emergency.
While facing a tough job market, the majority of recent UW-Madison graduates found employment or planned to pursue another degree after graduation, a new university survey found.
Within six months of graduation, about 62% of recent UW-Madison graduates had a job lined up, and nearly 27% planned to continue their education, according to the survey the university released Tuesday.
For most of his childhood, Shaawan Francis Keahna considered himself to be a fundamentally unattractive kid — “too giggly and too gangly and too smart,” as he put it to me recently, “with a face that was really, really adult, despite my youth. My biggest problem, of course, was that I was just plain weird.” Growing up in Hayward, a former logging town on the Namekagon River in northwestern Wisconsin, he was often teased by white classmates for his Native ancestry and for his love of poetry and art. “It became a self-fulfilling thing,” he said. “I internalized it and basically came to see myself exactly the way they saw me.”
The University of Iowa has a National Advanced Driving Simulator, one of the largest in the world, which will assist the team in building a lunar terrain vehicle.
There is something revealing — almost too revealing — about how quickly a university can move from the language of education to the language of enforcement.
Within hours of a student government vote calling for divestment, the University of Wisconsin–Madison administration issued a statement denouncing the resolution as “flawed, unrelated and illegal.” Not misguided. Not debatable. Illegal.
A former assistant professor at Wisconsin’s flagship public university has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed he was discriminated against when he was denied tenure.
The case was scheduled to go to trial Monday in the Western District of Wisconsin and was expected to last five days. But over the weekend, the parties notified the judge they reached a settlement, court records show.
The leading candidate in Wisconsin’s race for governor is unhappy with a new law that defines antisemitism and looks to fight it at the University of Wisconsin.
State Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, who is leading the Democratic race for governor, and who calls herself a Democratic Socialist, took to social media recently to criticize a new law that Gov. Tony Evers signed.
“I am disappointed that Gov. Evers has signed into law a controversial definition of antisemitism that will compromise free speech across the state and academic freedom at our universities,” Hong wrote.
The UW-Madison Police Department announced they will be conducting their annual test of the WiscAlert system.
The test will take place on Tuesday at noon.
The UW-Madison Police Department stated that the timing of the test during spring break is intentional to avoid disrupting classes and studying.
The UW-Madison Police Department will stop sharing its campus Flock camera’s data with Wisconsin counties that are cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, Chief Brent Plisch said at a meeting Monday.
The eight AI-powered surveillance cameras, installed on campus in July, have been a flashpoint at UW-Madison in recent weeks, sparking calls from staff and faculty on leaders and police to remove them, over concerns about mass surveillance and data sharing with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This March and April, the UW Cinematheque is featuring a new series on the work of legendary American film director John Ford in the 1930s, in conjunction with the publication of John Ford At Work: Production Histories 1927–1939. Professor Lea Jacobs, who wrote this new book, out now with Indiana University Press, is also giving short presentations after each screening. The titles in the series—five in all, three of which are on rare 35mm prints—were curated by Director of Programming Jim Healy, Director of the Cinematheque Jeff Smith, and Professor Jacobs herself.
When University of Wisconsin-Madison student Ella Stoltz was considering signing a lease with her friends just a few months into her freshman year, she planned to share her room — a personal sacrifice she believed necessary when faced with an unaffordable rent.
That fall, Stoltz applied for a House Fellow position instead, a decision she made with housing at the front of her mind.
“I think if I was going to a university that had lower tuition and more housing prices, I wouldn’t be a House Fellow,” Stoltz said.
“Is the Mosse Humanities building a historical building?” student government Rep. Amelia Alvarez asked at a March meeting where representatives debated symbolic legislation aimed at saving a building the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been trying to demolish for at least two decades. “It depends. Up to personal interpretation,” the legislation’s co-sponsor, Rep. Amitabha Shatdal, replied.
The University of Wisconsin said Wednesday that it is disappointed with the passage of an Associated Students of Madison resolution, according to a UW press release. The resolution issued a number of flawed, unrelated and illegal demands, according to the press release.
The Associated Students of Madison voted 15-5-3 Wednesday to pass anti-discrimination divestment legislation introduced at the last meeting held March 18.
The legislation calls for divestment from BlackRock index funds containing holdings in companies that manufacture weapons for Israel’s military operations and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, as well as corporations that have contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the legislation.
UW-Madison is reimagining its sailing facilities and outdoor classroom along the shoreline of Lake Mendota, with major proposed upgrades.
The university is planning to build an estimated $2.7 million facility for its Outdoor UW equipment rental facility and Wisconsin Hoofers outdoors club for boat storage, events and education, according to a preliminary design proposal.
Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison must strike a difficult balance between building the perfect resume to achieve their postgrad goals while also focusing on the classes and college experience in front of them.
College students like UW-Madison junior Abby Madonia say they feel pressured to pursue work experience, while also juggling coursework, part-time jobs and a balanced social life. This pressure is beginning to take its toll.
Dane County’s low unemployment rate, and its role as driver of Wisconsin’s economy, is tied in part to Madison-based Exact Sciences, according to a University of Wisconsin report.
“The Economic Impact of Exact Sciences on Dane County and Wisconsin” was published by UW-Madison’s Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy before Exact Sciences was acquired on March 23 by Abbott for $23 billion.
If Wisconsin adopts a specific definition of antisemitism — as proposed in a bill recently passed by the state Legislature — the change could collide with First Amendment rights, said Howard Schweber, who studies free speech and constitutional law.
The definition wouldn’t necessarily violate the First Amendment, he said. But issues could “easily arise” if the definition is put to use, said Schweber, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an affiliate faculty member in the Law School.
UW-Madison on Wednesday swiftly denounced the university student government after it approved a measure demanding the school divest from companies linked to Israel, calling the demands “flawed, unrelated and illegal.”
The Associated Students of Madison passed the bill at a special meeting Wednesday evening after hearing from nearly 40 students who spoke both in favor and against the legislation. The meeting followed several hours of debate at a forum earlier Wednesday.
Jordan Siegler has been named Executive Director of Wisconsin Public Media (WPM), a division at the University of Wisconsin–Madison that delivers the services of PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) to statewide audiences.
The appointment was announced today by UW-Madison Provost John Zumbrunnen.
“There is no prize for second place,” said Greg Keenan of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. “It is critical that the U.S. win the race for quantum technologies. Fortunately for us, UW-Madison is home to some of the world’s most significant breakthroughs in quantum science.”
University of Wisconsin-Madison students, alumni and professors who came to Washington to lobby for more research funding got schooled on just how important that funding is.
University researchers explained how federally funded work in quantum physics and mechanics led to the invention of GPS, lasers and MRI technology.
About a dozen people stood on the steps of Bascom Hall Tuesday. They chanted together and held a banner that said, “No ICE on campus!”
“No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” Bradley Keenan, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said into a megaphone.
Each year, to recognize their contributions to teaching, research and service, the faculty divisions honor four University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty members with the Hilldale Award.
Faculty members representing the arts and humanities, biological sciences, physical sciences and social sciences are selected from nominations submitted by department chairs. The winners will be recognized at the April 6 Faculty Senate meeting.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison will award an honorary doctorate degree to Tia Nelson, an internationally recognized champion for environmental stewardship and conservation.
“Tia Nelson embodies the Wisconsin Idea in its fullest sense. Through her lifelong dedication to environmental stewardship and public service, she has helped shape both conversation and action around global sustainability efforts,” says Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “Her work reminds us that environmental stewardship is both a shared responsibility and a profound opportunity. It is a privilege to recognize her unwavering commitment that stands as an inspiration for us all.”
Civil rights activist Ruby Bridges will be on the University of Wisconsin campus for “A Fireside Chat With Ruby Bridges,” according to the Wisconsin Union Directorate. The event will take place at Memorial Union in the Shannon Hall April 8 at 7 p.m. as part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate Lecture Series.
The “Fireside Chat” consists of a 60-minute moderated Q&A and a 30-minute audience Q&A, according to the Wisconsin Union. Prospective attendees can submit questions for Bridges through the Wisconsin Union website.
Only a small fraction of those who showed up Monday evening to see former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speak in the Great Hall at the Memorial Union, which seats about 300, were able to get in.
But those who arrived at least 90 minutes early experienced a freewheeling, good-natured lecture on world affairs. He defended the Trump administration’s recent aggressive foray into foreign policy, including the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
When considering the expansion, Westby sought advice from the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Greenwalt commented that in Europe, cottage cheese is made in closed vat systems, but it isn’t commonly done that way in the United States. The CDR helped the co-op to find the right systems for its expansion.
It can be difficult to remove rodents once they’re inside your home. To keep them out, the University of Wisconsin’s rodent and pest bird management guide recommends sealing any exterior entry points larger than a quarter-inch.
Her path to us is fascinating. A native of the New York City area, she came to Madison as a poetry fellow with the Wisconsin Institute of Creative writing at the University Wisconsin-Madison. Eilbert has written books of poetry and taught creative writing.
Morning workouts. Skills training. The weight room. Watching game tape. They’re all part of the program for college athletes.
University of Wisconsin-Madison athletes have one more item on their training list: meditation.
Chad McGehee tells athletes that meditation is “strength and conditioning for the mind.”
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s McBurney Disability Resource Center has seen an almost 250% increase in the number of students receiving accommodations over the past 10 years, according to their director Mari Magler.
Nearly one in 10 UW-Madison students was affiliated with the McBurney Center between summer 2024 and spring 2025, with 5,791 students connected to the center and a fall 2024 enrollment of 51,791.
Following the sports and money theme, the Senate will also consider a bill that would give more than $14 million to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for athletic facility costs in order to offset the money the school pays student athletes in NIL deals.
West Bend has been working with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Applied Population Lab, which found the district’s enrollment changes are primarily driven by demographic trends, particularly declining birth rates not made up for by new arrivals. The report also notes that kindergarten classes have not replaced the number of graduating seniors in recent years.
Daniella Molle, an education researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is challenging incumbent Blair Mosner Feltham, a former Madison school teacher seeking her second term in the Seat 6 race.
Before she was commissioned by the Obamas, she made her mark in Milwaukee contributing work to Shepard Fairey’s “Voting Rights are Human Rights” mural on the north side of the Colby Abbot building, 759 N. Milwaukee St.
In 2010, she received her master’s in fine arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Two years later, she became the first Black woman to win the Mary L. Nohl Fellowship for individual artists. In 2015, she won the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Love of Humanity award.
“The World According to Allee Willis” will be screened as part of the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 10 at the Chazen Museum of Art. Fenton, an award-winning creative visualist and writer (she’s won three Emmys and a Grammy) and Willis’ longtime partner, will lead a discussion after the screening.
Willis grew up in Detroit in the 1950s during the height of Motown and was heavily inspired by the music coming out of the city. She studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before moving to Los Angeles.
The dry spell is a swift reversal from back-to-back blockbuster years for concerts at American Family Field in 2023 and 2024.
It’s also happening as another Wisconsin stadium has entered the concert picture.
Camp Randall Stadium, home of the University of Wisconsin Badgers football program, hosted its first concerts since 1997 last year with Wallen and Coldplay, and has an AC/DC concert scheduled July 19. On top of that, Lambeau Field is back in the live music business – hosting its first concerts since 2019 with Luke Combs May 15 and 16 – with the Green Bay Packers’ new CEO and President Ed Policy vowing to book more events.
A new report by Alex Tahk, director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, reveals the results of an important survey of UW Madison faculty. But there are serious problems with the survey questions, and we need to be careful not to adopt Tahk’s claims about “ideological imbalance and its consequences” uncritically.
Ada Deer was an esteemed Native American leader from Wisconsin and the first woman to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
She grew up in the Menominee tribe and graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in social work, later establishing the American Indian and Indigenous Studies program.
“As I argue in a new essay for Inquisitive magazine, institutional neutrality as originally formulated by the University of Wisconsin in 1894 is a concept that protects academic freedom by prohibiting colleges from punishing or condemning faculty for their political views. The issue of affirmative institutional statements is a much later, and more minor, concern. But when a university condemns certain political stands, it inevitably creates the danger of suppressing those ideas.”
“Universities ought to return to the 1894 University of Wisconsin approach to the opinionated university, where academic freedom is so important that even denouncing a professor violates standards of neutrality. But when the concept of institutional neutrality is abused by politicians and administrators to silence faculty, then it becomes a cure worse than the disease. Soucek’s book recognizes these dangers and provides a thoughtful approach to trying to address the problems inherent in the inevitable opinions of a university.”
Desmond is a professor of sociology at Princeton University whose research focuses on poverty, housing insecurity, public policy and urban inequality. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He won a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” in 2015.
Wisconsin native JJ Watt will be forever enshrined in the place where he became an NFL superstar. Watt was named the first member of the Houston Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Thursday, the Harris County Sports Authority announced.
CILC’s legal director, Aissa Olivarez, grew up in the Rio Grande valley near the U.S.-Mexico border. After five years teaching first grade, she attended law school at UW-Madison with the intention of practicing immigration law. She has stayed in Wisconsin because she saw a greater need here than in her home state of Texas, where there’s already robust infrastructure to assist immigrants.
Eighteen of the 700 companies on Forbes’ “Best Large Employers” 2026 ranking were headquartered in Wisconsin. Here are the businesses that made the list:
5. University of Wisconsin-Madison (rank No. 251; Madison)
The 2026 report is an update to the group’s more comprehensive 2021 assessment of climate change impacts on Wisconsin. Formed in 2007, the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts is a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department’s Chief of Police Brent Plisch spoke with University Committee members Monday about the presence of eight Flock Safety cameras on campus, addressing their privacy concerns.
After a nine-month search to replace the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s second-highest academic official, three finalists — Anna Stenport, John Zumbrunnen and Charles Martinez Jr. — are presenting their visions for the future of campus this week.
The All–Campus Leadership Conference returns this year for an event with several professional and networking opportunities along with leadership skill building.
Imagine getting into a car, putting the directions into your phone, then just sitting back with ease while no one is behind the wheel. That is now reality as self-driving/autonomous cars are now fully operating on busy roads across the U.S.
Kirsten Simms and Ava McNaughton were eager to get back on the ice less than 12 hours after the end of their journey from Milan to Madison. Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey were eager to give themselves a day off before getting back into the routine with the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team.
As a group of University of Wisconsin–Madison students made their way from campus to the Madison Municipal Building earlier this month, they walked on sidewalks, crossed downtown streets and rode the bus.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s sustainability-focused hiring and research initiative will have a new home at the Wisconsin Energy Institute led by professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences Chris Kucharik.
The RISE-EARTH initiative is one of several hiring and research priorities from campus administration across disciplines like artificial intelligence and human health.
The visit follows a partnership announcement between the Public Service Commission and UW’s Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics to study nuclear energy opportunities in the state.
Inside the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor Tuesday morning, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers peered over the shoulders of student operator Nick Tierney, a senior majoring in nuclear engineering, to eye the array of instrumentation on the reactor control panel, then climbed the stairs to look down into the reactor’s cooling pool.
The Morgridge Institute for Research’s leader, Brad Schwartz, is retiring after more than a decade, the UW-Madison-based nonprofit announced Tuesday.
The Morgridge Institute is a private biomedical research hub housed in the taxpayer-supported Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.
While serving as CEO for 13 years, Schwartz expanded its research footprint in partnership with UW-Madison and recruited top scientists.
Attention is also put on the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The university is noted for its First Wave Hip Hop and Urban Arts Scholarship Program, which provides a four-year, full tuition scholarship for incoming students for artistic programs.
The University of Wisconsin La Follette School of Public Affairs is set to move into the historic UW Music Hall, set to be renamed Herb Kohl Hall in honor of the late Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., according to UW News.
According to UW News, Herb Kohl Hall is expected to open in 2029 and will represent Kohl’s legacy and honor the contributions he has made to the La Follette School and his commitment to furthering education.
The inspiration for one of four new public art proposals on the edge of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus came from a 6-year-old boy named Luke.
“We go birding when we’re in Madison,” said artist Jason Klimoski, who with his wife, Lesley Chang, founded the architecture firm StudioKCA. “When we go to the Arboretum or Vilas Park, robins make that ‘cheerio’ sound: ‘Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio.'”
