Category State & Global
Heather L. Reese named Wisconsin Public Media interim director
Reese will lead the division at UW–Madison that oversees Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin, following the recent death of director Gene Purcell. She is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the UW Law School.
Pat Connaughton of NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks to speak at celebration for 2020 graduates
As previously announced, UW–Madison will welcome graduates of spring, summer and winter 2020 back to Madison Sept. 17-19 for a celebration of their achievements.
New carnivorous plant must balance trapping prey and being pollinated
In the summer, Triantha occidentalis shoots up tall flowering stems coated with sticky hairs that trap small insects like gnats and midges.
Study shows virus abundant in COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin, even among fully vaccinated
Vaccination remains critical, researchers David O’Connor and Thomas Friedrich say, since the available vaccines are effective, successful, and help prevent new, dangerous cases.
Badgers well-represented in list of Native American leaders
UW–Madison alumni — including the president of the UW System Board of Regents and several campus and system employees — are included on Madison365’s “Most Influential Native American Leaders” in Wisconsin list for 2021.
Latest COVID-19 Response Grants target mental health, ongoing pandemic effects
The Wisconsin Partnership Program has announced 14 awards totaling $2.7 million to community organizations and researchers to address the impact of the pandemic.
Wisconsin Public Media remembers Director Gene Purcell
The head of the UW–Madison division that provides statewide access to public media through Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin died Saturday from injuries suffered in a traffic crash.
UW researchers join three national artificial intelligence institutes
The institutes, funded by a new federal program to broaden access to AI to solve complex societal problems, will promote sustainable food systems and advanced wireless networks.
Cicadas’ arrival is music to artist’s ears
Jennifer Angus, a professor in the School of Human Ecology, has created "Magicicada" — an exhibit of her exquisite, ornamental patterns and imaginative vignettes using cicadas.
Research aims to give everyone a fair shot at accessing COVID-19 vaccines
A UW team's work will inform government and community groups’ efforts to address vaccine access and hesitancy, with the ultimate goal of increasing immunization rates.
Badger Talks program adds podcast to lineup of popular public discussion events
Host Ben Rush "is a master at casually, yet thoughtfully, presenting topics and experts who provide thought-provoking insights on topics important to listeners.”
UW named as inaugural site for National LGBTQ+ Health Care Fellowship Program
The American Medical Association Foundation initiative is aimed at transforming the health equity landscape for the LGBTQ+ community.
An update on the Public History Project
Director Kacie Lucchini Butcher discusses the UW–Madison Public History Project — "a multi-year effort to uncover and give voice to those who experienced, challenged and overcame prejudice on campus" — as it builds toward a public exhibit in fall 2022.
As residence halls prepare to welcome back students, survey finds more than 92% plan to be vaccinated
“We’re pleased to see so many students choosing vaccination, which is the most effective way to prevent COVID-19,” says Jeff Novak, director of University Housing. “Having a highly vaccinated community helps protect everyone, including those who cannot be vaccinated.”
Educators publish free workbook to help instructors teach climate change science
The online workbook integrates existing science curriculum subjects — such as heat, light, energy, and acids and bases — into a discussion of the properties and effects of greenhouse gases.
Badger Talks: The delta variant
“Luckily, our vaccines ... have been shown to be effective even against this delta variant, so we continue to have protection when we are getting vaccinated,” Devlin Cole says. “But we do now have even more increased risk of getting very, very sick if we’re not vaccinated.”
COVID-19 vaccine boosters: ‘Too soon to know’ if they’re needed
For now, the priority needs to be continuing to provide vaccines to the unvaccinated, says the director of the UW Health Immunization Program.
Nuclear engineering research and education pioneer Max Carbon dies at 99
As founding chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering, Carbon authored "Nuclear Power: Villain or Victim? Our Most Misunderstood Source of Electricity."
Hunting and hidden deaths led to estimated 30% reduction in Wisconsin’s wolf population
The findings are the first estimate of Wisconsin’s wolf population since the public hunt in February that followed the federal delisting of wolves.
Covid questions: Mask-wearing, birth rates
Readers ask: Should I still wear a mask? And, how will the pandemic impact birth rates, as well as marriage and divorce? UW–Madison experts respond.