Category: UW-Madison Related

Noted: Roberts, who grew up in Wisconsin Rapids but was in Wausau with Ruder Ware for 43 years after graduating with a University of Wisconsin-Madison law degree in 1973, said government service is a new phase for him but one he’s thought about for a while.

Madisonians throw out names from Wisconsin history daily—and often without even realizing it. We trek to Camp Randall for Badgers game day, skate on the frozen lakes of Tenney Park and trudge up the incline of Bascom Hill. But who are the faces behind the names?

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is moving in the wrong direction, away from making college affordable for low-income students, says a new report by the New America think tank.

Suzy Favor Hamilton was back in Madison Tuesday for the first time since her secret life as a Las Vegas escort was revealed.

The former Olympian and University of Wisconsin runner was the keynote speaker for this year’s awards banquet for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Hefti will read from the book Friday at A Room of One’s Own.

An excerpt from the first three chapters of “The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker,” published by The University of Chicago Press in April, written by Katherine Cramer, director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service and a professor in the Department of Political Science.

After making an immediate impact with the Badgers in 2002 — being named a second-team freshman All-American — Brandon Williams became one of the leading receivers in the Big Ten as a senior, surpassing 1,000 yards receiving and returning two punts for touchdowns. Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2006, he also played for the Steelers and Rams before returning to Madison. Since then he’s become a financial guru and sports commentator, and host of the popular Gridiron GQ podcast.

Noted: Shane Driscoll retired in 2014 from his job as a detective with the UW-Madison police department. With more time on his hands, he thought about what to do with the old skiff.

Students enrolled in the AVID/TOPS program in Dane County have continued to show promising results, according to a new report from the Wisconsin HOPE Lab.

Freelancers get flexibility in their schedules, the freedom to travel when necessary and the ability to choose projects they care about. But they also face a constant hustle, all-too-frequent low pay and countless business decisions — from setting prices to filing taxes. Freelance is now a commonly chosen path for journalism students (like freelance photographer Jake Naughton, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s undergraduate journalism program). Unfortunately, it’s not as commonly a part of teaching in journalism schools.

The politics behind Gov. Scott Walker’s defunding of the University of Wisconsin and his moves to curtail tenure are explored in “Starving the Beast: The Battle to Disrupt and Reform American’s Public Universities,” a documentary that will have its world premiere March 13 at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

A founder of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, Matthew Braunginn works to close the achievement gaps as a coordinator with UW’s PEOPLE program. He’s also a regular columnist for Madison365.

Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson is getting another degree from UW-Madison.
Thompson will receive an honorary degree at the spring commencement
He got his bachelor’s and a law degree from UW in the 1960s.
The university will also give honorary degrees to photojournalist Lynsey Addario and biochemist William Rutter.

Noted: Doughty called the Read Up! funding project “fantastic” and said she and her husband were quickly motivated when they read about the first two years of the Madison summer school program. Wood is a computer science professor at UW-Madison, and Doughty is a former computer database specialist who is “effectively retired” after stepping out of the work world to raise the two boys.

Noted: Among the changes, the DNR would transfer management of some properties to other organizations and turn over work to others. One example would be to transfer genetics forest work to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It might also merge some duties with the state Department of Transportation. DOT handles registration of trailers; DNR registers boats, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.

A computer science major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison working towards a degree in computer science, QuHarrison Terry recently quit school to pursue his dream. He’s finding out real quick that being a full-time entrepreneur is an exhilarating – yet intimidating – life decision. His company is supported by Gener8tor.

Noted: A UW-Madison School of Nursing graduate, Murphy worked as a nurse for many years at the old Methodist Hospital and in the emergency room at its descendant, Meriter Hospital.

As a basketball player for the University of Wisconsin in the late 1980s, Trent Jackson was in on the beginning of the transformation from Big Ten doormat to Final Four contender. Following a basketball career in Europe, he served as CEO of the Boys and Girls Club and later founded the ROUGH Foundation and ROUGH Sportswear to help athletes and other youth through their journeys, no matter how rough. (Jackson is senior director of development at the UW Foundation.)

Noted: She received her master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and as a parent came to see food as a great way to get people involved in science.

Leon Varjian, the celebrated Madison prankster who died last year, earned his spot on the calendar Tuesday as City Council members unanimously voted to declare Feb. 23 Leon Varjian Day.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is about to take a closer look at the use of nonhuman primates in all federally funded U.S. research labs. ScienceInsider has learned that, in response to a congressional mandate, the agency will convene a workshop this summer to review the ethical policies and procedures surrounding work on monkeys, baboons, and related animals.

Noted: Meissner went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and forge a 20-year career at General Motors and Harley-Davidson analyzing the complexities of pickup trucks and heavy motorcycles.

Noted: According to his law firm bio, Hanrahan has extensive experience in commercial litigation and has done work in employment law, shareholder rights, personal injury and divorce. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Reset of letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from Matt Hora, an assistant professor of adult teaching and learning in the department of liberal arts and applied studies.

Noted: While expensive, it’s projected to have already saved nearly $10 million, according to an analysis by the Robert M. LaFollette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

UW-Madison alumna and freelance journalist Anna Day left Bahrain on Tuesday, one of four arrested Sunday for covering demonstrations in the Middle Eastern country commemorating the fifth anniversary of Arab Spring.

A lawyer for four American journalists who were detained in Bahrain, including UW-Madison graduate Anna Day, says they are leaving the country soon despite facing charges.

Noted: According to an article from the Summer 2014 issue of OnWisconsin, Anna Therese Day is a 2010 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jim Leary, the UW-Madison professor of folklore and Scandinavian Studies and Mount Horeb resident, was nominated in the category of Best Album Notes. Leary’s project, “Folksongs of Another America: Field Recordings from the Upper Midwest, 1937-1946” was released by the University of Wisconsin Press and Dust-to-Digital in July. The Grammy went to Joni Mitchell for “Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to be Danced”