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Category: UW-Madison Related

For first time in decades, UW changes rules for campaigning in dorms

The Cap Times

Wisconsin’s state universities are set to have new policies on campaigning in residence halls for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The Board of Regents, which oversees the Universities of Wisconsin system, last reviewed and approved the schools’ policies in 1988, when Ronald Reagan was president, floppy disks were popular and the movie “Die Hard” was released in theaters.

Phish, Shinedown coming to Kohl Center this year

Channel 3000

It’s gearing up to be an action-packed summer at the Kohl Center.

UW Athletics and FPC Live announced this week that Shinedown and Phish will perform at the venue later this year. Shinedown is coming to town on May 16 while Phish will have shows on July 7 and 8.

Tickets for Shinedown will go on sale on Friday and tickets for Phish go on sale Feb. 27.

International teaching assistants raise concerns over required fluency test

The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has required international students with partial or full teaching assistant appointments to prove their English fluency for decades, but now, amid heightened federal funding uncertainty, some international graduate students say departments are using the test to force them out.

Consequences for failing the language test differ by department and year, and this year, some students say those consequences have become increasingly punitive.

UW master’s programs in education, engineering programs ranked among best in nation

The Badger Herald

University of Wisconsin online master’s in Education and Engineering were ranked 8th and 11th best in the U.S., according to U.S News and World Report rankings.

The UW education program’s No.8 national ranking makes it the highest-ranked program in the Midwest. UW also ranked well in specific online master’s degree programs, including holding the No. 2 in Educational Administration and Supervision.

Wisconsin and UW-Madison partner to study future of nuclear energy

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

State utility regulators and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are partnering to explore potential nuclear energy projects in Wisconsin.

UW-Madison and the Public Service Commission will conduct a siting study to evaluate the suitability of various sites and the impact of projects on local economies. The study will also look at different reactor technologies, including both traditional nuclear power, advanced small modular reactors and fusion energy.

Hypermobile EDS afflicts thousands in Wisconsin

The Cap Times

Rudin has incorporated lectures about EDS into the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s medical school curriculum, hoping to expand awareness in academia. He’s also given lectures to various clinical departments to “sensitize” them to the condition and helped create an addition to UW Health’s electronic records that can help assess, diagnose and begin treatment for people with EDS.

Land-grant schools spark ag future

Agri-view

Like most schools, UW started out small with just a couple of buildings – North Hall and South Hall – on Bascom, a hill in Madison where the campus was established. And though agriculture was part of the mission from the beginning, the School of Agriculture at the university we now take for granted began much later.

Wisconsin Athletics asks state for funding in NIL bill to head off ‘difficult decisions’

Wisconsin State Journal

The University of Wisconsin athletic department traditionally has been self-supporting financially, but that could change under a bill going through the state Assembly. Wisconsin would get $14.6 million annually from the state toward athletics facilities debt service under a measure that also would codify in state law name, image and likeness policies already in place at the school.

Measles cases spread on college campuses

Inside Higher Ed

A student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison also tested positive for measles last week; an update from the university on Friday confirmed that the student was no longer contagious and provided a list of times and places, both on and off campus, “where they may have inadvertently exposed others to measles.” The university called for exposed unvaccinated students to quarantine for three weeks in accordance with local public health guidance.

UW-Madison makes Time Magazine’s list of World’s Top Universities

NBC 15

UW-Madison took second place among public universities on Time Magazine’s list of World’s Top Universities, UW officials said Tuesday.

The school took spot #20 for the overall worldwide list.

The rankings, generated by Statista, focused on academic capacity and performance, innovation and economic impact, and global engagement.

“UW–Madison’s value lies not just in our direct teaching and research, but also in the impact our graduates have when they go out into the world and our contributions in advancing knowledge across the globe,” says UW interim Provost John Zumbrunnen. “It’s encouraging to see this value acknowledged in the Time rankings.”

Minnesotan Badgers grieve for their home state amid increased ICE activity

The Daily Cardinal

University of Wisconsin-Madison community members from Minnesota say the recent escalation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis has left them feeling frightened, angry and helpless — while also prompting renewed conversations about community, resistance and collective action.

Many Badgers come from Minnesota due to an in-state tuition reciprocity agreement, with about 10%of the UW-Madison undergraduate population calling Minnesota home.

UW-Madison dean named interim chancellor to succeed Jennifer Mnookin

Wisconsin State Journal

The Universities of Wisconsin has named a temporary successor for UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin.

College of Letters and Science Dean Eric Wilcots will serve as interim chancellor starting May 17 as Mnookin begins her departure to lead Columbia University, UW system President Jay Rothman announced Wednesday.  

UW-Madison tallies $27 million in federal research cuts under Trump

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has lost at least $27 million in federal research money since President Donald Trump upended the funding landscape in academia.

It’s the first time the state flagship has put a price tag on its losses since the Trump administration began cutting existing projects, delaying grant reviews and reducing the number of new projects getting funding.

UW Madison Habitat for Humanity holds 30th annual Souper Bowl fundraiser

Channel 3000

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Habitat for Humanity organization celebrated a milestone on Saturday with its 30th annual Souper Bowl fundraiser, bringing together community members and students for a family-friendly tradition that supports affordable housing in Dane County.

The event, held at Madison West High School, offered attendees the opportunity to purchase tickets and choose from more than 100 handmade ceramic bowls to fill with soup and take home as keepsakes.

UW student builds impressive igloo on Lake Mendota with hand-cut ice blocks

ABC 27

University of Wisconsin student Henry Fries has built an igloo on Lake Mendota using hand-cut ice blocks.

Fries, an igloo builder and architect, drew inspiration from his childhood.

“I kind of started out with ice force and steel force as a kid, and really enjoyed it, but came to university here at UW and there has been a lot of snow, so I ended up getting an ice off for Christmas, and I on a win said, You know what? Go cut some ice and build an igloo,” Fries said.

UW–Madison’s Winter Carnival thrills crowds with student-led fun

ABC 27

The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently held its Winter Carnival on Saturday, a cherished campus tradition organized by Hoofer clubs.

The event featured Rail Jam, a freestyle skiing and snowboarding competition that attracted large crowds of competitors and spectators. Dave Elsmo, director for Outdoor UW, highlighted the event’s deep roots and organization.

How to Improve Your Vocabulary as an Adult

The New York Times

Almost every day for the last 24 years, my father and I have traded emails about Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day. We started the tradition when I was in fifth grade and he was 38, just a few years older than I am now. The rules are simple: Once we review the chosen word and its example sentences, whoever reads the email first forwards it to the other, including a short sentence typed up to put the day’s special word to use.

Infleqtion And University Of Wisconsin–Madison Show Faster, More Reliable Qubit Readout

The Quantum Insider

Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum sensing and quantum computing, announced research results from a collaboration with the University of Wisconsin–Madison that demonstrate a more reliable way to measure individual quantum bits, or qubits, without interrupting ongoing circuits. The work addresses one of the central challenges in quantum computing by enabling faster computation cycles while preserving fragile quantum states.

UW-Madison professors increasingly integrating AI despite lingering concerns

The Daily Cardinal

As students return to campus this semester, professors are once again evaluating how artificial intelligence can, and cannot, be a tool for learning in their classrooms.

Despite concerns about generative AI impeding learning, some professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are choosing to address and even integrate AI into their course syllabi.

UW System president says AI can help move Wisconsin forward

WPR

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman says artificial intelligence is no longer an abstract idea, but is now transforming how the state’s public universities operate.

Rothman penned an op-ed on the future of AI and higher education Monday ahead of the Thursday Board of Regents meeting where he said there will be a “robust discussion” on the topic.

Their goal is gold: Madison sends 7 athletes to compete in Milan

The Cap Times

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will send five current players from the women’s hockey team and seven past players, the most the school has ever sent to a single Olympics (UW-Madison sent 11 players to the 2022 Games in Beijing). Four of the current players will suit up for Team USA; one, freshman Adéla Šapovalivová, will play for Team Czechia.

Public Health identifies 2 more measles exposure locations in Madison

Wisconsin state Journal

Two locations have been added to the list of possible exposure to measles in Madison, Public Health Madison & Dane County announced Tuesday, after the county recorded its first measles case of 2026 Monday.

A UW-Madison student living in an off-campus apartment tested positive for measles, the university said Monday, and 4,000 people who may have been exposed have already been notified.

Tariffs, inflation have hiked cost of Lakeshore visitor center by $4.7 million, UW-Madison says

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison is seeking approval to increase the budget for its Lakeshore Nature Preserve visitor and research facility by $4.7 million, citing setbacks from higher tariffs and inflation on building materials.

The UW Board of Regents on Friday will consider raising the budget for the Frautschi Center, named after the late UW-Madison alumnus and Madison philanthropist W. Jerome Frautschi, who died Jan. 10.

 

Smith: Snapshot Wisconsin expands to add snow, temperature, sound data

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“We’re working to gather a better-than-ever understanding of seasonal changes and how flora and fauna respond, not just in winter but year-round,” said Kyra Shaw, DNR research scientist and Snapshot Wisconsin phenology project coordinator.

Shaw, who holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, helped roll out this latest initiative of the project over the last year or so.

Interns help make the newsroom go. You can help us expand our program

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Our newest hire, as of mid-January, is Francesca Pica, a super-sharp graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a native of Rice Lake. You may recognize her byline. Last summer, she put her data skills to use on our investigative team, including work on an excellent story about the millions spent by state lawmakers on private attorneys.

The schoolchildren of Minneapolis

The New Yorker

She recalled the first time she did a drop-off. “I see a literal ice agent walking around, and he just walks right past me. I’m just not on his radar,” she said. She is white, and had on a red University of Wisconsin T-shirt. “But, yeah, I go up to this apartment, and this mom was on the verge of tears, who’s been at home with her kids in a stuffy apartment for, like, a month, you know?”

With Netflix Miracle on Ice doc coming, Mark Johnson had star role

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Miracle on Ice” remains a lingering light over any American triumph in the winter games. A Netflix documentary called “Miracle: The Boys of ’80” debuts Jan. 30 to again stir up the emotions of that incredible victory for the USA men’s hockey team over the Soviet Union in the medal round of the 1980 games.

It’s a triumph that almost certainly doesn’t happen without major contributions from Wisconsin.

Hard times have come for the PhD degree

Forbes

In October, Harvard indicated it would significantly reduce the number of new PhD students it admitted. Yale, Columbia, Brown, the University of Southern California, Boston University, and the University of Pennsylvania are examples of schools that also scaled back, rescinded, paused or stopped new admissions. Large public universities — such as the University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University and the University of Washington— took similar steps.

IKEA comes to Madison but without the Swedish meatballs

Wisconsin State Journal

IKEA has dozens of other pickup locations around the country, including at Loyola University in Chicago and near the campuses of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan State University in East Lansing and at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For UBS, located on the eastern edge of the UW-Madison campus, it gets a flat fee from IKEA for each order.

Brutal cold exposes growing need across Madison

Spectrum News

The University of Wisconsin–Madison began its spring semester during the coldest stretch of the year, sending students back to campus bundled in layers.

One UW Ph.D. student from South India said the frigid temperatures made her feel “like an onion,” layered again and again to stay warm. Her friend from Kentucky said she was not used to wearing boots or layering so much clothing.

Agrace to launch ‘dementia village’ aimed at providing ‘kinder’ approach to memory care

Wisconsin State Journal

The village will be named for Madison philanthropists Ellen and Peter Johnson, who helped Agrace expand two decades ago and created an endowed professorship at UW-Madison dedicated to improving palliative care. They’re the lead donors with a $7 million donation, as they view the dementia village as a “kinder approach” to memory care.

Dane County police agencies collect thousands from property seizures

The Cap Times

Dane County’s drug task force seized a sedan as part of a narcotics investigation, while Madison police seized $7,700 in cash in another case.

The task force is a collaboration of the Madison Police Department, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department with a focus on dismantling and disrupting drug trafficking.

Former Badger Freddie Owens reflects on basketball, Milwaukee roots in new memoir

Madison 365

Former University of Wisconsin basketball player Freddie Owens is preparing to release a memoir next month that traces his path from Milwaukee’s North Side to the NCAA tournament and, eventually, a long career in coaching.

The book, “Echoes of Stark Park,” draws its name from the Milwaukee park where Owens spent much of his childhood and where he says basketball became both a refuge and a guide.

Conservative students call for investigation into UW-Madison race-based scholarships

Channel 3000

Nonprofit conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) filed a federal complaint against UW-Madison for what it claims are race-based scholarships.

The organization filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, claiming UW-Madison operates 22 race-based scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year that exclude students based on their racial background according to claims by the organization.

Conservative student group files federal civil rights complaint against UW-Madison

Wisconsin State Journal

A national conservative student group has filed a civil rights complaint against UW-Madison, asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the university’s use of race-based scholarships.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, on behalf of its client Young America’s Foundation, filed the complaint on Monday with the U.S. Office for Civil Rights, alleging UW-Madison is offering at least 22 illegal race-based scholarships during the current school year.

Who was Amelia Frank, forgotten UW contributor to Nobel Prize winner?

Wisconsin State Journal

John H. Van Vleck, who grew up in Madison and attended and taught physics at the University of Wisconsin, won the Nobel Prize in 1977 for his work on magnetism. In his Nobel lecture, amid a discussion of rare earth elements, one sentence leaps out:

“Miss Frank and I made the relevant calculations.”

Who was Miss Frank? Van Vleck credits her with key work on the quantum mechanics of magnetism, but she is almost absent from the history books.

What to know about child grooming, E-Verify and other passed bills

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The other proposed amendment would prohibit governmental entities from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting or public administration, according to the resolution memo.

Bill author David Murphy, R-Hortonville, said the proposed amendment was meant to bring “merit, fairness and equity back to the state of Wisconsin.”

What to know about wild turkeys in Wisconsin: restoration, records, population

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The first shipment of 29 wild turkeys was flown to Wisconsin on Jan. 21, 1976.

It was received at the La Crosse airport by about a dozen people, including DNR wildlife biologists Carl Batha and Ron Nicklaus, a few members of local conservation clubs and Tom Yuill, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who specialized in wildlife diseases.

Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame to induct Lunney, McCaffery and Paine

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame has selected William Lunney, Keith McCaffery and Neil Paine as its 2026 induction class.

Payne grew up in Sheboygan County and was the first of his family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor of arts in zoology in 1961 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, master of science from Virginia Tech in 1964 and a doctorate in wildlife science from Utah State University in 1975 (dissertation on beaver).

Bill proposes funding one charter school as pilot to improve academic achievement

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

To prove whether its methods work, the demonstration school would be required to participate in longitudinal studies through the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The school must also share its practices with other schools.

A charter school would be eligible for the designation as a demonstration school only if it is authorized by the Universities of Wisconsin’s Office of Educational Opportunity, which would select the demonstration school. Wittke said lawmakers chose the Universities of Wisconsin as the sole authorizer because it already has the infrastructure to support new techniques and conduct studies through UW-Madison’s education department.