Evers highlighted his “Year of the Kid” designation and said a focus needs to be on schools during the budget season. An ongoing battle over literacy funding from the last budget is yet to be squared away and he called for setting aside funds for youth mental health. Though funding for public schools, the University of Wisconsin and the state’s technical schools is large, it’s a necessary investment, especially because of the uncertainty at the federal level, he said.
Category: UW-Madison Related
Ohio State and Brown have the most Fulbright Scholars and students this year
- The top doctoral universities for Fulbright Scholars were:
- Ohio State University 14
- University of Florida 12
- Pennsylvania State University 12
- University of Wisconsin, Madison 12
Madison school to be named after education advocate Lori Mann Carey
Deer, who died nearly two years ago, was a member of the state’s Menominee Tribe. She taught classes in social work at UW-Madison and led the American Indian Studies program. Deer also headed the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Clinton administration.
Federal layoffs in Madison hit dairy research, VA hospital
On Feb. 13, Arther opened an email from human resources telling her she was out of a job, alongside other workers still in their probationary period, which at the Dairy Forage Research Center is three years.
Milwaukee’s U.S. Attorney is out amid Trump’s effort to ‘clean house’ at Justice Department
A University of Wisconsin Law School graduate, Haanstad joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin as an assistant U.S. attorney in 2002.
Near East Side home of early Black leader in Madison is up for landmark status
The Buttses, who lived in the house at 633 E. Johnson St. between 1892 and 1907, used the residence to host Black students at UW-Madison and other Black newcomers to the city, where the Black population numbered about 19 households at the time.
Opinion | Madison Peace Corps alums work to counter Trump policies
Some background: The city of Madison, specifically the University of Wisconsin, is a long-established hotbed for Peace Corps recruitment. The campus produced more volunteers than any other American university in 2023, and Dane County has a huge concentration of returned Peace Corps volunteers, second only to Washington, D.C. among U.S. cities. Since the Peace Corps was founded 64 years ago, UW-Madison has produced 2,766 volunteers, second-most nationally.
10th year of 100,000 meters for pediatric brain cancer research
UW Madison’s rowing team hosted its tenth annual erg challenge on Thursday at the Porter Boathouse to raise money for pediatric brain cancer research. Teams raised funds by completing a 100,000-meter rowing relay in partnership with the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation.
Lab workers key to California’s bird flu response are poised to strike
Since last summer, senior managers have hired technicians, and scientists from the University of Wisconsin and Cornell University have completed rotations at the lab, Ontiveros said.
Previously abused dog ‘Poppy’ cleared for life-changing double surgery
“Right now she is extremely healthy in comparison to where she was before,” UW Veterinary Care Dr. Vanessa Bruneau said. Dr. Bruneau has been on Poppy’s case from the beginning. “We definitely had some moments where we weren’t sure if she was going to be there for us.”
Native Americans are underrepresented across the UW System. Educators are working to change that
Across the country, fewer students of all demographics are attending college — in the University of Wisconsin System only UW-Madison and UW-La Crosse did not experience drops in enrollment and end the 2023 fiscal year in a budget deficit. Declining enrollment, years of stagnant tuition and waning state funding has led to system-wide budget cuts and closures of two-year branch campuses.
Wisconsin bill would designate observance day in schools for civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips
Phillips was also a trailblazer in the world of law. She was the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1951 and the first female judge in Milwaukee County.
2025 Milwaukee Film Festival will screen only at Oriental and Downer theaters
The first titles announced for the 2025 film festival include: “Separated,” University of Wisconsin-Madison alum and Oscar winner Errol Morris’ 2024 documentary examining the impact of the federal government’s family separation policies at the border in 2017 and 2018.
‘Every Brilliant Thing’ a spotlight moment for lovable nerd James Carrington
He earned his bachelor’s degree in theater with an acting specialty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A formative experience there was being one of the few undergrads cast in director Norma Saldivar’s production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
America is about to enter an apartment crunch
Apartment prices surged most this month in college towns like Syracuse, New York; New Haven, Connecticut; Lexington, Kentucky; Madison, Wisconsin; and Lincoln, Nebraska. Those towns, all of which were in the top 10 of year-over-year rent growth in August, are home to Syracuse University, Yale University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, respectively.
It’s not time to protest, it’s time to strike
Peter Rickman is the president of the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization now, but in 2011 he was a grad student and a member of the Teaching Assistants’ Association at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He remembers it was a Thursday when the governor “dropped the bomb”—which is what Walker himself called his bill dismantling unions. Rickman was in a meeting with other organizers at the time: “We all sort of looked around at one another and were like … this is our fight.” After all, teaching assistants were state employees, too.
The 16 best bourbons—according to bartenders
My favorite bourbon, J. Henry & Sons Patton Road Reserve, comes from a family-run distillery just outside my hometown in Madison, WI. Third-generation farmers, Joe and Liz started distilling bourbon in 2008 and use an heirloom red corn, developed at the University of Wisconsin in 1939.
What caused Wisconsin Public Radio’s 3½-hour disruption Tuesday?
Atechnical issue caused Wisconsin Public Radio to go off the air in the Madison area from about 5:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesday, network representatives said.
Ancient Lake Mendota canoes take another step for eventual display
Between now and when the canoes and fragments are removed from the tank, Thomsen, along with Sissel Schroeder, a professor of archaeology in the anthropology department at UW-Madison, will be evangelizing about the canoes. Two of their talks will be during Canoecopia at the Alliant Energy Center, one on March 7 and the other March 9.
What did some ag-related organizations spend on lobbying in 2023-2024?
The rest of the top ten lobbying spenders in 2024 are rounded out by the Wisconsin Property Taxpayers Association, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ATC Management Inc. – a transmission lines company, the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, according to the report. All of these organizations spent at least $350,000 lobbying state officials in 2024.
‘Bucky’s mom’ has been caring for UW-Madison’s beloved mascot for 25 years
Josette Jaucian has been “Bucky’s mom” — or on the occasion he misbehaves, “Bucky’s unofficial parole officer” — since 2000. She took over leading the Spirit Squad in that year, which consists of not only wrangling the multiple performers who bring the Bucky costume to life, but also overseeing the university’s dance team and cheerleaders, more than 60 students total.
Shortsighted DOGE USAID cuts hurt Wisconsin farmers, weaken national security
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a key partner for USAID’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab, helping train agricultural researchers around the world and research new seeds. In the past decade, Feed the Future has reduced hunger and poverty by 20 to 25 percent in targeted areas, with over 6 million producers newly using better agricultural practices in 2023 alone.
Of course, these innovations not only support communities abroad, but can also be put to use right in UW-Madison’s backyard to make farmers more resilient to increasing hazards such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation.
No one throws a righteous tantrum like Carrie Coon
She trained as an actor, getting her master of fine arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and spent years performing in regional theater, traveling back and forth between Chicago and cities in Wisconsin.
UW PEOPLE Program not impacted by national DEI policy changes
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Jan. 20 designed to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs beyond the federal government, and it alludes to potential legal action against private entities with DEI programs.
Bucky’s Pell Pathway gives students support for ‘their full financial needs.’ Recipients say it doesn’t go far enough
The program, Bucky’s Pell Pathway, gives Pell-grant eligible Wisconsin residents enrolled in on-campus programs grants, scholarships and work study “sufficient to meet their full financial needs,” according to UW-Madison.
How colleges can kick their addiction to consultants
American universities are spending far too much on consulting firms. Recent investigations reveal staggering numbers: $51 million at the University of Wisconsin, $4.7 million at the University of Florida, and similar seven- and eight-figure contracts across the nation.
Red-state universities push back against NIH funding cuts
On Monday, higher education groups joined an association of public universities with schools in states that supported Trump in last year’s election to file their own legal challenge that described $65 million in losses for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a 70 percent reduction in funding for the University of Florida.
Why the NIH cuts are so wrong
These up-front losses generate much greater future value of nonmonetary as well as monetary kinds. Look at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Harvard University, et al. in Table 22 above. The sector spent nearly $28 billion of its own money generously subsidizing sponsors’ research, including by subsidizing the federal government itself.
Iceboats can go 80 mph on Wisconsin’s frozen lakes
Sam Bartel, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Chinese studies, aims to help change that. He’s now director of racing and operations at the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School in suburban Minneapolis.
26 books that teach young kids about diversity, inclusion, and equality
Luckily, there’s still plenty of children’s literature that can aid in the process, though children’s literature itself has long suffered from a lack of diverse representation. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has tracked the number of children’s books by or about Black and Indigenous people and other people of color since 2018, and while the numbers have mostly increased, it remains much harder to find children’s books that are widely representative than it should be.
Fetch Super Bowl commercial 2025: Rewards app giveaway
Fetch was founded in 2013 by Schroll and Tyler Kennedy. It was inspired by an idea Schroll had as a University of Wisconsin undergrad.
‘Influencing culture’ at UW-Madison
After most recently working as the adult faith and evangelization coordinator for St. Christopher Parish in Verona and Paoli — part of Divine Mercy Pastorate — where she is also currently a parishioner, Swanke has accepted a position at the Lumen Center, an ecumenical think tank on the UW campus. The Lumen Center, an initiative of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, has a mission to influence the university “at the level of ideas,” Swanke explained.
Trump’s federal aid freeze could hurt Head Start, health centers, more
Baldwin toured the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy Monday morning to learn about opioid treatment efforts — programs that could be halted by the president’s funding freeze.
“The work being done here will save lives,” Baldwin said, “and that’s why I’m sending a loud and clear message that the president cannot cut off funding for vital programs like these.”
Madison company running national Super Bowl ad with $1.2 million giveaway
Schroll, 31, got the idea for Fetch as a 20-year-old studying business at UW-Madison.
Morgan Wallen concert expected to bring economic boost to Madison businesses
Destination Madison is expecting to see a big economic impact on the city this summer as country artist Morgan Wallen will perform for two nights at Camp Randall on his upcoming summer tour.
UW-Madison paleontologist seeks to rewrite history, tradition
UW-Madison geology museum scientist Dave Lovelace’s 21st birthday was a bit unconventional.
UW-Madison DEI chancellor removed over concerns about financial mismanagement
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion has been removed from his position after an internal review found “concerns about financial operations and fiscal judgements,” according to the school.
UW-Madison removes chief diversity officer after financial review sparks concerns
The University of Wisconsin-Madison removed its chief diversity officer from his position after an internal financial review sparked concerns, university leaders announced Wednesday.
UW-Madison demotes DEI chief after internal review of department finances
UW-Madison has demoted its director of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement after an internal review of the department’s finances, sought by Republican legislators, uncovered unspecified problems.
UW-Madison announces leadership change in its diversity division
Dr. LaVar Charleston, who has led the division for the past three years, will leave his role as vice chancellor and return to his backup appointment as a clinical professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the School of Education.
UW removes chief diversity officer
Current DDEEA staff will report to Isbell on a temporary basis and day-to-day operations will be overseen by a four-person leadership cabinet, according to the email. Fiscal authority for the division has been moved to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration.
UW removes chief diversity officer
Dr. LaVar Charleston removed from role for ‘concern about financial operations, fiscal judgments in division,’ will return to backup position as professor.
UW-Madison removes chief diversity officer, citing financial concerns
The University of Wisconsin-Madison removed Dr. LaVar Charleston from his position as chief diversity officer due to “concern” about Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement “financial operations and fiscal judgment.”
Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul joins lawsuit challenging Trump’s order on birthright citizenship
On Trump’s proposal for mass deportations, Evers pointed to an April 2023 survey by UW-Madison’s School for Workers that found more than 10,000 undocumented immigrant workers in the state perform an estimated 70% of the labor at Wisconsin’s dairy farms. The researchers behind the survey said, without those workers, “the whole dairy industry would collapse overnight.”
These were the most popular pet names at UW’s vet clinic last year
Give a bark for Bella and a lick for Luna, which also deserves a tail wag for cross-species appeal.
Pet monkey jumps through drive-thru window and attacks Starbucks worker, AL cops say
Aotus monkeys, a genus of nocturnal monkeys, are native to Central and South America, according to the University of Wisconsin’s National Primate Research Center.
“I could see my house on fire”: UW Madison alumni impacted by California wildfires
Several wildfires continue to burn in California, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving thousands without homes, including two UW-Madison graduates.
Acclaimed filmmaker David Lynch had long ties to Madison, exhibited here
He was also a prolific painter, musician and print artist who came to Madison every summer starting in the late 1990s and developed a long-term collaboration with UW-Madison’s Tandem Press, then-director Paula Panczenko recalled in 2022.
Number of WPR listeners, PBS Wisconsin viewers shrinking
“We are watching all of those things very closely to ensure that we’re meeting Wisconsinites where they want to consume public media,” said Jordan Siegler, interim executive director of the Division of Public Media at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which along with the Educational Communications Board oversees PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio.
An ice castle rises in Wisconsin’s North Woods
“I put it together and then we talk about it. It’s not like we have an architect,” said Anderson, who shared the design with his classmates in an MBA program he’s in at UW-Madison. “The comradery we have in our leadership corps really helps in our construction process. But our volunteer firefighters are really what makes this happen.”
These Wisconsin specialty license plates were the most popular in 2024
Anyone can show their love for the Wisconsin Badgers with this plate — it’s not just available to alumni. While the UW-Madison plate is the most popular, you can choose a plate logo for any of the other UW System campuses.
The annual donation associated with the plate is $20, less than the typical $25. Proceeds support scholarship programs at the selected campus.
UW Madison student, alum evacuate due to California fires
Since the fires started, roughly 200,000 have received an evacuation notice. Among those who chose to leave their home were UW Madison Alum Raleigh Harris and UW Madison freshman Clementine Harris.
Wisconsin Innocence Project gets $1.5M to free wrongfully convicted
Founded in 1998, the Wisconsin Innocence Project is a law clinic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s law school. Students and staff work to exonerate Wisconsinites who claim innocence in primarily serious cases, such as sexual assault and homicide, Burg said.
Madison Police veteran John Patterson named interim chief following Barnes’ exit
Now, Patterson will take over for the time being. But Patterson is no stranger to Madison. In addition to serving in his current role for about six years, he’s also been captain, lieutenant and sergeant for the Madison Police Department. In total, he’s spent over 26 years with the department, his LinkedIn page indicates. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Professional volleyball league in Madison offers opportunity for athletes to play closer to home
A new professional volleyball league, known as League One Volleyball (LOVB), is starting this year. LOVB Madison Volleyball setter Carlini said being able to play professionally in front of her home crowd in The Field House at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a dream come true.
Directors with Miami ties examine Oct. 7 attacks in Israel at Jewish Film Festival
“On Oct. 7, I was visiting my daughter, Lexi, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” says Sachs. “Our phones started lighting up with messages and then we started to see the horrendous videos that were being put up on social media. And I think like so many in the Jewish community, we felt gutted.”
Jean Milant, founder of Cirrus Gallery and Cirrus Editions, dies at 81
Milant was born in Milwaukee in 1943, and earned a degree in fine art from the University of Wisconsin before beginning his career as a painter. He spent time in a master’s program at the University of New Mexico in 1967, before heading to Los Angeles to begin his printmaking work at Tamarind. He founded Cirrus with $1200 in a Hollywood space that Ruscha helped him find near his studio. The collector Terry Inch later bought shares of Cirrus, becoming a behind-the-scenes partner.
First Foxconn, now Microsoft: Wisconsin town dissed by big tech
Whether the pause will affect employment in the area isn’t clear either. Microsoft did say that goodwill projects in the area, like the “AI Co-Innovation Lab” the tech giant is building with the University of Wisconsin, will continue.
Why you shouldn’t ‘heat up’ your car’s engine in cold weather
In 2016, Business Insider spoke with former drag racer Stephen Ciatti to get to the bottom of this widespread myth. Ciatti has a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked on combustion engines for nearly 30 years, so he knows a thing or two about how to best treat your car. According to Ciatti, idling your machine in the cold only leads to a shorter lifespan for your engine.
They’re Adorable. And endangered. Meet the world’s smallest monkey: the Pygmy Marmoset
When de la Torre began her doctoral work in the mid-1990s, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the renowned primatologist Charles Snowdon, she thought she would study how tamarin habitats affect their vocalizations, but she soon switched to pygmy marmosets. Their smaller home ranges—often less than 2.5 acres—made it easier to collect data.