UW physicist receives American Ingenuity Award for IceCube effort
Francis Halzen, the University of Wisconsin–Madison physicist who was the driving force behind the giant neutrino telescope known as IceCube at the South Pole, has been named a winner of the 2014 American Ingenuity Award. Read More
UW-Madison chemist named Packard Fellow
Trisha Andrew, a University of Wisconsin–Madison assistant professor of chemistry, is one of 18 early career scientists from around the country named a Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering. The award includes a grant of $875,000 over five years to pursue research and is given in recognition of the potential significance of scholarship and innovation from the nation’s most promising young scientists and engineers. Read More
Climate change alters cast of winter birds
Over the past two decades, the resident communities of birds that attend eastern North America’s backyard bird feeders in winter have quietly been remade, most likely as a result of a warming climate. Writing this week in the journal Global Change Biology, University of Wisconsin–Madison wildlife biologists Benjamin Zuckerberg and Karine Princé document that once rare wintering bird species are now commonplace in the American Northeast. Read More
Newsmaker who called out Microsoft president to speak at UW–Madison
Last week, when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told women in tech fields to wait to be rewarded rather than ask for raises, he was quietly but forcefully challenged by his interviewer, Maria Klawe. The next day, facing a storm of criticism, Nadella backpedaled, saying by email, “Maria’s advice was the right advice. If you think you deserve a raise, you should just ask.” Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College will speak Friday at Union South about increasing women’s participation in science and technology careers on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Read More
WCER: Five decades of improving teaching and learning
One of the first centers of its kind, the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) is preparing to celebrate 50 years of educational policy research and initiatives. Read More
Media Advisory: Newsmaker who called out Microsoft CEO to speak Friday
Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, will discuss ways to increase women's participation in science and technology careers on Friday, Oct. 17. Read More
Media Advisory: Coverage opportunities at Wisconsin Science Festival
This tip sheet highlights key events of the 2014 Wisconsin Science Festival, held Oct. 16-19, and opportunities for coverage. All events below will be in the Discovery Building at 330 N. Orchard St. Read More
WARF grants more than $70 million to support UW–Madison
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the nonprofit foundation that helps steward the cycle of research, discovery, commercialization and investment at UW–Madison, has granted the university $59 million for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Read More
Highlights start early in four-day Wisconsin Science Festival
You name it, and the fourth annual Wisconsin Science Festival has it all — dance, star-gazing, fossils, art, museum and stage shows — spread over four days and venues in 25 Wisconsin cities. While the curious of all ages are immersed in hands-on exploration, and visitors marvel at the research underway and specimens on display around campus and the state, several of the festival’s marquee events may be of interest to faculty and staff on campus. The festival runs from Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 16-19. Read More
Media Advisory: Great Lakes commits $7.2 million to support UW–Madison initiatives to increase number of STEM graduates nationwide
On Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 1:30 p.m., University of Wisconsin–Madison Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf and Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation President and CEO Richard D. George will announce a major commitment to support initiatives aimed at increasing the number of students who graduate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors and pursue professions in these fields. Read More
Media Advisory: Panasonic executive Julie Bauer to address e-business conference
Julie Bauer, a University of Wisconsin–Madison alumna and president of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, will be among the more than 600 business executives and technology leaders at the 16th annual Business Best Practices and Emerging Technologies Conference, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014, hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison E-Business Consortium (UWEBC). Read More
UW to help Wisconsin companies develop international internships
To compete in today’s global marketplace, Wisconsin companies need people who have the skills to operate abroad. Studies, however, indicate that this need is not being fully met. A $50,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) will enable the University of Wisconsin–Madison to work with eight to 12 small- and medium-sized Wisconsin companies on developing the global talent they need, while creating more opportunities for UW–Madison students to cross the bridge from academics into practice. Read More
Peace prize winner is Go Big Read author
Malala Yousafzai (YOU-chef-zy), author of this year's Go Big Read selection, "I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban," is the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. At 17, the Pakistani activist is the youngest-ever Peace Prize winner. Read More
Balancing birds and biofuels: Grasslands support more species than cornfields
In Wisconsin, bioenergy is for the birds. Really. In a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE, University of Wisconsin–Madison and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) scientists examined whether corn and perennial grassland fields in southern Wisconsin could provide both biomass for bioenergy production and bountiful bird habitat. The research team found that where there are grasslands, there are birds. Grass-and-wildflower-dominated fields supported more than three times as many bird species as cornfields, including 10 imperiled species found only in the grasslands. Read More