Category: UW-Madison Related

Madison will know whether it will become part of the Olympic tradition today after the International Olympic Committee selects the host city for the 2016 summer games.

Wisconsinâ??s government and business leaders and sports fans have their fingers crossed in anticipation of the potential bounty for the Badger State if Chicago wins its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Wisconsin officials are awaiting the International Olympic Committeeâ??s decision Friday whether to award the 2016 games to Chicago or one of three other finalist cities.

We are less than 24 hours from a decision that could change the Madison area’s future.

But even if we aren’t chosen as a host for the 2016 Olympics a lasting impact has already been made.

The biking culture is nothing new for the Madison area.

A bill that would ensure geographic diversity on the UW Board of Regents moved one step forward Wednesday.

The state Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee voted to approve the legislation on a vote of 8-4.

The Madison area could host some cycling events if Chicago is selected for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games, and excitement is building among some local young athletes.

For some of the area’s talented young athletes, the goal isn’t only about winning a medal someday. Many said an Olympics in Chicago could bring hope to reaching all of life’s accomplishments.

We will learn Friday if the Isthmus, Old Sauk Road, Blue Mound State Park and Tyrol Basin become Olympic venues.

Sounds surreal, doesn’t it?

But if officials in Copenhagen select Chicago over Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid for the 2016 Summer Games, road cycling and the mountain biking events will be hosted in Dane County. That means thousands of spectators, Olympic officials and athletes will need places to sleep, eat and be entertained.

With student rallies fighting pay increases for top university officials at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and confusion among students over the faculty raises across the Big Ten conference, it now seems apparent pay increases have not been given this year due to tough economic times.

Dear Editor: As the first book in the new “Go Big Read” program, “In Defense of Food” stirred as much controversy as it intended. Beyond the remarks local farmers take issue with, including the condemnation of conventional agriculture that isnâ??t necessarily representative of Wisconsin farmers, Michael Pollanâ??s perspective is simply not viable in an area like ours.

Pesticides, herbicides, preservatives and additives are not helping the nationâ??s overall health. There is a lot wrong with the way Americans eat. Pollanâ??s ideology reflects that, and many of his ideas are sound. But here in the upper Midwest, things are not always that easy.

Madison police are investigating five robberies that occurred in the past few days.

Madison police said the latest incident happened Monday night at the Toppers Pizza on Regent Street.

Workers told police the robber entered the store with a pair of scissors, demanded cash and fled on foot.

I have regularly attended UW football games since 1967. In recent years, student conduct before and at games has eroded to the point that many fans are considering other activities on Saturdays.

During the recent high school band day, with a thousand or so high school students in attendance in addition to thousands of other fans, we were once again regaled by the students’ chant “eat s—, f— you.” It’s loud enough to be heard on national TV, and surely loud enough for young ears to catch. This chant occurs at every game. And as a loyal, ticket-purchasing fan, I’m offended by this student conduct.

Chemist Ahmed Zewail — the 1999 Nobel laureate in chemistry and a current member of the Presidentâ??s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology — will give lectures on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Monday and Tuesday.

It’s not just about 2016.

It’s bigger than that.

If Chicago lands the 2016 Olympics this week, get ready for more than an incredible spectacle of road cycling and mountain biking in Madison and southwestern Dane County.

The objection I have over Michael Pollan and those who support him are their vilification of traditional agriculture so they can promote organic farming. They claim that products derived from traditional agriculture are unsafe because chemicals are used. Whereâ??s the proof? There is none.

The veteran president of the University of Wisconsin Foundation says he will retire at the end of 2010.

Andrew “Sandy” Wilcox has led the University of Wisconsin-Madison fundraising business for 21 years. He told the board of directors of his plans to retire Friday, saying he wanted to give the company time to find a successor.

The president of the UW Foundation has announced he will retire at the end of 2010.

Andrew “Sandy” Wilcox has spent 21 years as head of the foundation, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s $2.5 billion endowment.

I am baffled by the criticism of Michael Pollan’s works and views. I’ve read these books and find their arguments fairly unassailable. One wonders whether the critics have even read “In Defense of Food.”

It’s pretty clear what industrialized agribusiness on the Archer Daniels Midland model has wrought.

In one week we find out if we’ll play host to the 2016 Olympics.

It is a worldwide event on the grandest scale and a village of 700 has been lost in the shuffle.

It’s rare to see much commotion in the Village of Blue Mounds.

University of Wisconsin institutions are reporting unusually high enrollment this fall.

A record high of 13,807 students are in classes at the 13 freshman and sophomore campuses of the University of Wisconsin Colleges, as of Sept. 16. Thatâ??s an increase of 4.6 percent over last fall.

Tuition at the UW Colleges will remain frozen this year, while it increased by 5.5 percent at the four-year campuses.

The president of the UW Foundation has announced he will retire at the end of 2010.

Andrew “Sandy” Wilcox has spent 21 years as head of the foundation, the University of Wisconsin-Madisonâ??s $2.5 billion endowment.

As a physician trained at UW-Madison, I understand the necessity of the scientific method touted by professor Ric Grummer in a Thursday letter critiquing Michael Pollanâ??s “In Defense of Food.” As an alumnus, I am proud of the contributions of our academic community to the disciplines of agriculture and nutrition science.

Lynsey Marie Addario, a 1995 graduate of UW-Madison and a photojournalist who has “exposed the tragic consequences of human conflict,” has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, also called “the genius grant.”

WAUKESHA, Wis. — A former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student who was killed earlier this month was stabbed dozens of times.

Waukesha County Medical Examiner Lynda Biedrzycki testified on Wednesday that Samantha Peterson, 21, was stabbed and cut 36 times. Arteries in her neck and chest were cut and her lungs were punctured. Biedrzycki said that Peterson died as a result of blood loss and respiratory impairment.

Steep investment losses have caused painful cutbacks at some of the nationâ??s best-known universities over the most recent fiscal year and have prompted questions about whether their endowments are taking too much risk.

A University of Wisconsin alum was arrested and charged Monday for using a computer to intentionally facilitate a child sex crime after undercover detectives executed a successful sting on the defendant.

Several friends from outside Wisconsin sarcastically questioned why Wisconsin scheduled a football game against Wofford.I understand that UW-Madison needs a seventh home game to make enough money to pay the bills. But instead of paying Wofford $500,000 to come to Camp Randall, why not keep the money closer to home. Instead of Wofford, why not pay Whitewater to come and play?

A vacant big box grocery store in Oshkosh has a new lease on life. UW-Oshkosh is re-using the store as a home for campus maintenance services. And it’s making room on the school’s main campus for an energy efficient classroom building.

Big box stores get criticized for draining shoppers away from mom and pop shops downtown. When they go out of business or move to a new, even bigger box they create vacant eyesores that can attract vandals or squatters. But sometimes they do get re-used. An old Best Buy in Green Bay is now a Goodwill and coffee shop. A former IGA in Oshkosh is a St. Vincent De Paul. Now, another old grocery store, a CUB Foods across town has been transformed into a Campus Services center for UW- Oshkosh. (Third item.)

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin System is awarding more than $1 million in grants for 18 projects to help graduate more students.

The projects are meant to boost pre-college preparation, promote partnerships between UW faculty and high school math teachers, improve services for veterans and increase access and achievement among minority students and others.

I have been following the Go Big Read program, including Chancellor Biddy Martinâ??s Friday guest column on her reasons for the selection of the book, “In Defense of Food: An Eaterâ??s Manifesto.”

Noted: The College Destinations Index ranked the top 75 cities from various metropolitan areas, but only displayed the top 15 or 20 in each size category.

New York City snagged the top spot in the major metro category, while San Jose, Calif. won the midsize metro category. Boulder, Co. earned the No. 1 spot for small metro cities and Ithaca, N.Y. proved to be the best college town destination.

The only Wisconsin city to make the list was Madison, which ranked fifth in the small metro cities category.

UW-Madison officials would like your help spending millions of dollars.

Remember the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates? Thatâ??s the tuition surcharge of $250 this year for in-state UW-Madison students – which will ultimately grow to $1,000 in four years – to boost undergraduate education and financial aid.

An oversight committee, made up of students, faculty and staff, are looking for proposals to make use of the funds generated by the initiative.

The Madison City Council approved liquor sanctions and a suspension against a local bar Tuesday, and it referred two other alcohol related policies back to city committees for further drafting of language.

Iâ??ve noticed that a number of Division I schools are playing schools of lesser size and ability.UW-Madison has one of those games coming up against Wofford College. I do not plan on attending that game, and if the UW continues to include teams like this on its schedule, I will consider dropping my season tickets after 45 years as a ticket holder.

Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee organized Monday to rally students to fight the tuition increase and budget cuts passed this summer by the UW System Board of Regents.

Even the best seeds can take a while to germinate. A case in point is the proposal to open seven â??emerging technology centersâ? on University of Wisconsin System campuses to better serve industry while engaging faculty and student research talent.

Some changes may be in store for the University of Wisconsin system, including campuses in our area. For the last two days, the UW Board of Regents met and reviewed a number of ideas, including one that could bring some new resources to Northeast Wisconsin.John Katers, an environmental engineer, works at ENCAP , a Green Bay company that turns waste from paper companies into mulch products.

Critics of $20 million in budget cuts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plan a noon rally Monday. The protesters, which are expected to include students and staff, are calling for a cut in tuition, for rescinding a pay cut for university employees and rescinding budget cuts.

On the first day of classes this fall, some UW-Whitewater students did something no one has experienced on this campus in more than 20 years.

Over $74,400 in inappropriate purchases made by state employees on items, including a vacation package to Las Vegas, a personal laptop and expensive tickets to a theater production, were identified by the Legislative Audit Bureau Wednesday in an audit of purchasing card use.

The Mifflin and Dayton neighborhood could see some major changes in the future, with Madisonâ??s Planning Department considering redevelopment of the historic area.

A group that was hired by the University of Wisconsin System to perform a multimillion dollar overhaul to the Human Resource payroll computer system, and which is currently under review by the Securities and Exchange Commission, presented its case at the UW System Board of Regents meeting Thursday.

A committee of University of Wisconsin System regents approved plans Thursday for an $81.4 million payroll system despite concerns over the cost and uncertainty surrounding the consulting firm on the project.

A key UW Board of Regents committee voted to support an $81 million dollar computer overhaul to the UW systemâ??s payroll program, after the top executive with the projectâ??s chief consultant told members his firmâ??s work was sound, despite a continuing federal investigation.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of American colleges and universities are reporting cases of influenza-like illnesses among students, with the highest rates in the Southeast and Midwest, the American College Health Association says.

A consulting firm set to win millions in business from the University of Wisconsin System is facing an investigation and numerous lawsuits over accounting irregularities, and the systemâ??s top official is reviewing the firmâ??s participation in a planned computer project.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater cannot sue a former dean accused of misusing school money because it waited too long and failed to prove any purchases were for his personal benefit, a judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller last week threw out the university’s countersuit against former College of Letters and Sciences Dean Howard Ross. The judge ordered a trial on Ross’ claims that he was singled out by a racist auditor and later demoted because he is black.

Madison police said a pedestrian who is recovering from injuries suffered in a crash on campus Tuesday could receive a ticket.

Police said the victim was not using a crosswalk and walked into the path of a car at the intersection of Babcock Drive and University Avenue.

Researchers at UW-Madison have discovered that monkeys respond emotionally to music (see www.news.wisc.edu/17030). This study provides more evidence – in addition to very much that we already have about cognition, emotions and relationships – that monkeys are so similar to people that this research cannot be considered ethical.

MADISON, Wis. — A federal judge said the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater canâ??t collect damages from a former dean accused of misusing school money.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller said the university waited until after a two-year statute of limitations expired to sue former College of Letters and Sciences Dean Howard Ross over the alleged breach.

A number of higher education institutions have assigned Judge Denny Chin some reading for Tuesday.

Chin, the federal judge who is presiding over Authorâ??s Guild et al. v. Google, Inc., has been inundated with letters and amicus briefs in advance of the September 7 deadline for participants in the class action to opt out of a settlement over the company’s controversial Google Books project that has received preliminary approval from the court. A handful of the documents have come from professors, university libraries, and advocacy groups.

Most — including the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Abilene Christian University, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, the United States Distance Learning Association, and the United States Student Association — have written in support of the settlement.

The University of Wisconsin at Madison, like Michigan a partner library, wrote in support, stating, â??[a]s a contributor to the project for several years, UW-Madison is familiar with the concerns expressed about the settlement and the project overall. We remain supportive, however, of this settlement as a unique compromise providing mutual benefits to the named parties and interested groups that could not be obtained through advanced litigation.â?

The University of Wisconsin System plans to spend $81.4 million to implement a more efficient payroll and benefits computer system, with the majority going to outside consultants, officials said Wednesday.UW System President Kevin Reilly gave lawmakers the price tag and a projected completion date of 2012 for one of the most complicated information technology projects in state history.

There are certain majors students pursue in college that tend to make parents shudder with fear.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow had an unorthodox start to his annual all-university address.

“My parents told me not to use the ‘f’ word in polite conversations and certainly not at events like this,” said Gow. “That word is furloughs.”

A new semester started at the University of Wisconsin Rock County on Wednesday morning, and in 40 years the two-year college has never seen so many students come through the door.

Early Monday morning, a 19-year old downtown resident called for police after returning home to find her apartment on the 600 block North Frances Street burglarized. The victim, and her roommates, had left around 10:00 p.m. to go out. Surveillance footage shows a suspected burglar entering the hallway of the residence shortly after 11:00 p.m. He appears to be turning door handles looking for an unlocked apartment. When he finds the victimâ??s apartment unsecured, he listens to hear if anyone might be inside. Determining not, he enters. The victimâ??s wallet – containing money and credit cards – was stolen.

At a busy Madison Common Council meeting on Tuesday night, council members voted to make the plastic pink flamingo the official city bird.

At Tuesday nightâ??s meeting, the mayor introduced his proposed capital budget and council members discussed funding for the plastic bag recycling program. The new mascot was debated for five minutes, and then the Common Council voted 15-4 to make the plastic pink flamingo the official city bird.

The idea was by a 1979 prank on Bascom Hill when the Pail and Shovel Party on campus put out 1,008 of the birds.

Bravo to UW-Madison for ending their advertising contract with MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch InBev. That decision puts the university and state in a position to deal more effectively with alcohol abuse.

Ending this advertising contract for the radio broadcasting of UW sporting events caused the UW Athletic Department to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in income. However, now the department has advertising space to sell, which gives businesses the opportunity to be good corporate citizens.

Three roads that have been closed for most of the summer due to construction on University Avenue are open, but the overall project will continue to clog traffic through mid-September, city of Madison officials announced.

Madison-Dane County Public Health announced its plans to fight the virus’ spread.

It’s estimated nearly 2-million Americans could find themselves in the hospital this Fall, suffering from the H1N1 virus. The message from Madison-Dane County Public Health – get vaccinated.

“Maybe about 40 percent of people who are recommended to get seasonal flu shot have gotten them historically. We would like to see it much higher than that… hopefully around 70-80 percent.”