Category State & Global
Oldest fossils ever found show life on Earth began before 3.5 billion years ago
Critics argued they were just odd minerals that only looked like biological specimens. However, geoscientist John Valley says the new findings put these doubts to rest. “I think it’s settled,” he says.
2017 winter commencement: A day of selfies, victory laps and avoiding ‘hollow bunnies’
“When you find that place where what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about come together, that is where your life’s work awaits you,” Chancellor Blank said. “Choose opportunities that put you there.”
‘Amazing Grace’ chorus members take a vacation from Alzheimer’s with singing
The Amazing Grace chorus mixes caregivers and people with dementia; to encourage social contact, the pairs seldom sit side-by-side at performances.
Living in the past: Director of University Archives retires
Under David Null’s care and expertise, the UW Archives have become one of the premier academic archives in the country.
Monkey study shows a path to monitoring endangered species
“We think this may be one of the most comprehensive efforts to analyze the data monitoring needs for ensuring the survival of an endangered animal,” says Karen Strier, who has observed muriquis in Brazil for 35 years.
2017 UW–Madison winter commencement takes place on Sunday
Just more than 1,000 students will take part in the 2017 University of Wisconsin–Madison winter commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Kohl Center.
Chimpanzee deaths in Uganda pinned on human cold virus
Scientists investigating an outbreak of respiratory disease in a community of wild chimpanzees in Uganda were surprised and dismayed to discover that rhinovirus C was killing healthy chimps.
In new partnership, Badger Volunteers help care for children with disabilities
Badger Volunteers has started a new partnership this semester with Gio’s Garden, a respite center for young children with developmental disabilities.
App software firm with UW–Madison roots starts selling “pro” version
“We are uniquely positioned to help teams build apps with the same exact code that will work on the web, and on the App Store and Google Play,” Ionic CEO Max Lynch says.
Decades-past logging still threatens spotted owls in national forests
Researchers say despite protections put in place in the 1990s, owls may still be paying an “extinction debt” that was created by historical logging of large trees.
Campus remembers graduate student Ian Santino
“Even as he was facing the many challenges of his illness, he went out of his way to befriend and support others,” his advisor says. “I will remember him always as a kind, caring person, an excellent TA who served as a mentor to many a talented scholar.”
Camp Randall season: Plenty of singing, dancing, cheering — and wins
It was quite a year at Camp Randall Stadium, where the Badgers won every regular-season football game on their way to the Big Ten West Division title. And the home fans supported them loudly, vigorously and humorously.
Increased vegetation boosts rainfall in the Sahel, researchers find
The large semiarid region of Africa just south of the Sahara routinely experiences pronounced droughts that can last decades, threatening food security in the area.
Research to relieve stress of police officers expands
The new work by the Center for Healthy Minds will expand on a pilot study that suggests a positive relationship between mindfulness training and measures such as sleep quality, officers’ perceived stress and symptoms of burnout.
Campus mourns loss of graduate student, advisor Colin Rohm, 26
UW–Madison graduate student Colin Rohm is being remembered by his campus colleagues as a scholar of uncommon talent and wide-ranging passions who nurtured the intellectual curiosity of thousands of his fellow students as a gifted advisor.
UW-Madison makes it easier to pursue a career in data science and analytics
A new website makes it easier for professionals to tap into UW–Madison graduate programs that prepare them for careers in the burgeoning field of data science and analytics.
Veterinary students work with endangered cranes
Each year, a group of Veterinary Medicine students perform health checks on the captive flock residing at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. These critical check-ups are essential for providing the best care possible, and the experience also provides a unique opportunity to get firsthand experience working with an endangered species. Video by Craig Wild/University Communications
Icebound detector reveals how ghostly neutrinos are stopped cold
An international team of researchers at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has made a critical measurement that may one day help predict new physics beyond the Standard Model, which seeks to explain the fundamental forces of the universe.
Health access program bridges micro-finance, health for Uganda’s poor
Former Badger Kevin Gibbons runs a non-profit that merges microfinance and health-care access in Uganda by helping taxi drivers buy motorcycles.
Celebrating the life and legacy of Jackie DeWalt
Jacqueline A. DeWalt, long-time community and education advocate at UW–Madison, will be remembered for her dedication to preparing and helping under-represented students to succeed in higher education, graduate school, and well beyond into adulthood.