UW In The News

Can a TV sitcom reduce anti-Muslim bigotry?

Countering prejudice might be as easy as kicking back with the right sitcom. That’s according to new research that suggests media that depict Muslim characters in a positive, relatable way, can counter prejudiced attitudes toward Muslims. “Entertainment media…are likely to be one of the most effective ways to improve intergroup relations and promote diversity,” says Sohad Murrar, a doctoral candidate in Social Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Can We Stop Mosquitoes From Infecting the World?

Researchers are working on a number of new weapons for combatting insect-borne disease. One potential is a common bacterium, wolbachia. Mosquitoes infected with it in laboratory studies are unable to transmit dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are being introduced in Medellin, Colombia, part of a project aimed at eliminating dengue. Matthew Aliota, a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, will be studying the method’s prospect for controlling Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Greenland

One of the most significant efforts to study changes in the climate has been taking place near the top of the world. It’s a place called Petermann Glacier in Greenland, one of the largest glaciers in the Arctic Circle and a glacier that has experienced dramatic melting. It is a harsh and dangerous environment, and it has drawn some of the world’s leading climate scientists who are only able to work there a little over a month a year.

UW-Madison’s Lori Berquam, Susan Riseling and Dr. Sarah Van Orman: We’re constantly improving sex assault discipline process

A recent article, “UW-Madison sex assault discipline process leaves both sides crying foul,” raised questions about how the university responds to allegations of sexual violence.

Memorial Union reopened after small roof fire

Madison firefighters were at Memorial Union shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Thursday to combat the fire which was extinguished by 4 p.m., said Madison fire Department spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster. According to Schuster, the fire was discovered underneath roof tiles of the Union. A portion of tiles had to be removed to put out the fire and some water damage occurred on the fourth floor of the building as a result. The cause has not been determined and the fire remains under investigation.

Study: Wisconsin’s Rural School Districts Face Declining Enrollment, Less Funding

Wisconsin’s rural school districts are facing a “perfect storm” of declining enrollment and uncertain funding that pose tough questions about their future, according to a new report. A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher said that the information she compiled in her report are the kind of problems that won’t go away any time soon.

‘How to Haze a Coyote’ video shows scare tactics to keep the animal away

UW Urban Canid Project leader and professor of forest and wildlife ecology David Drake provides strategies and tips for hazing coyotes.

There’s a Secret World Under the Snow, and It’s in Trouble

Quoted: “Typically the way people have predominantly viewed snow was almost like a simplifying agent of the landscape,” says Jonathan Pauli from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A lot of what was known about winter only really considered what happened to the animals traversing its surface, even among ecologists, he adds.

Murdoch v Trump: Fox and The Hair

Noted: The row with the GOP frontrunner arguably lends weight to the notion that Fox News is politically neutral but James Baughman, a professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says this would not have factored in Mr Ailes’ decision. (Subscription required.)

Marvin Lipofsky, Ceramist Who Elevated Blown Glass to Fine Art, Dies at 77

At the University of Wisconsin in the early 1960s, Mr. Lipofsky was a student of Harvey K. Littleton, a ceramist who created the first glassblowing classes in the United States. “He asked me if I was interested in glass, and I said, well, I’ve never heard of it,” Mr. Lipofsky recalled in an interview at the Oakland Museum of California, describing his first day in Mr. Littleton’s ceramics class.

Energy Experts Are Split On Whether Wisconsin Should Lift Ban On New Nuclear Power Plants

Quoted: Michael Corradini, professor of engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he hopes the bill will pass because he feels nuclear power is a better alternative to fossil fuels and ultimately help in the fight against climate change.

Facebook Hires Former Attorney General Van Hollen To Lobby In Wisconsin

Quoted: Katy Culver, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who researches social media, said she has a hunch.”I would suspect it’s mainly issues of privacy law and data security,” she said.

Michael Wagner, also at UW-Madison,  said he thinks Facebook hired Van Hollen to handle lawsuits.

ALEC pushes for access to abuse-deterrent opioids | Politics and Elections | host.madison.com

Quoted: Joseph Glass, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in addiction and treatment, said expanding access to ADFs is not a panacea for the problem.

Creativity unchained: UW affiliated program teaches humanities to local inmates

Vergara was working with a unique demographic — his students ranged from 18 to more than 80-years-old. Instead of a UW classroom, they gathered in an all-male minimum security corrections facility. His students were inmates at the Oakhill Correctional Institute, about 30 minutes south of Madison.

At the time, Vergara was the program coordinator for the Oakhill Prison Humanities Project. It received its first major grant in 2013, giving numerous inmates at the Oakhill facility the chance to take classes in the humanities. About 20 UW graduate students and faculty teach courses in history, literature, art, drama, creative writing and philosophy.

Michel: We need another Carson Gulley

Unless you’ve eaten at Carson’s Market on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus or watched local cooking shows on television in the 1950s, you’re probably unfamiliar with the name Carson Gulley. Born the son of Arkansas sharecroppers in 1897, Gulley moved to Madison in 1926 and eventually became head chef of the UW residence halls. Among his many achievements was being the first African American to star in his own local TV program.

Enterprising brothers run inner city innovation technology workshops

Noted: Que El-Amin, 31, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an art degree and received a master’s degree in geography from Chicago State University. Khalif El-Amin, 29, has a sociology degree from the UW-Stevens Point.

Codman Academy inspires Zuckerbergs

Quoted: “Students living in poverty are not arriving to school in the morning on a level playing field,” said Seth Pollak, one of the study’s authors and a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison. “They are hungry, tired, stressed. No one is reading to them at home. The children we were studying didn’t even have crayons or Magic Markers at home.”

Wisconsin Planned Parenthood clinic provided fetal tissue to UW-Madison

A Wisconsin Planned Parenthood clinic in 2010 provided heart and brain tissues from aborted fetuses to University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers for studies aimed at understanding the growth of babies with and without birth defects.

UW students fire back at state Sen. Steve Nass over political correctness remarks

The United Council of University of Wisconsin Students fired back at a state senator Monday, saying the efforts to improve the climate on campus for students of color are important for all students … State Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, vice-chairman of the University and Technical Colleges Committee, last week criticized UW System President Ray Cross for acknowledging that UW campuses had work still to do to improve the experience of students, faculty and staff of color.

University of Wisconsin professor named in Forbes ’30 under 30′

Many would describe using science to defy the laws of physics as a rare feat. But for University of Wisconsin assistant professor Mikhail Kats, it’s just another day in the lab.

February Temperatures Expected To Be Above Normal, Experts Say

Looking ahead to February, temperatures are expected to be above normal in Wisconsin, according to a University of Wisconsin-Madison meteorologist.

Bill provides ticket amnesty for UW System students who report sexual assault

Legislation being proposed at the Capitol provides “ticket amnesty” for underage drinkers who report sexual assaults on UW campuses. With sexual assault remaining the most under reported crime, Attorney General Brad Schimel backs the legislation.

UW Included In Cybersecurity Grant To Protect Scientific Data

Computer scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are tasked with protecting data from some of the nation’s most prolific science research programs, and they’ve just gotten a financial boost to bolster their efforts.

Refugee Politics: Angela Merkel Faces a Leadership Test in Germany

Noted: Politicians getting so far out ahead of public opinion is “pretty unusual,” said Barry Burden, a political-science professor and the director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “When we see examples of true leadership it’s usually on topics that matter only to a segment of the population, or that have a technical element that makes [the issue] difficult for most of the public to understand.”

Keeping the jobs in Madison after a tech acquisition not a sure thing

Madison tech companies that get acquired don’t need to close up shop if they can convince their buyers there’s more benefits from the acquisition than the technology itself, leaders of life sciences companies said at a WARF panel.

“Madison-don” takes over Lake Monona

Tim Browning was at it again Sunday morning near the Monona Terrace, putting together his latest display. This year he built a large, wooden sculpture he’s calling a “Madison-don”, a play on a mastodon on exhibit at a UW-Madison museum.

Requiem in Pink

Don Featherstone’s flamingos are forever linked to UW–Madison thanks to a couple pranksters, a columnist and an official ruling.

UW retail expert says proposed sales tax holiday would be boon for consumers

Quoted: Jerry O’Brien, director at UW’s Kohl’s Center for Retailing Excellence, said the proposal would benefit consumers.

“Consumers get more bang for their buck, retailers get an opportunity to draw more people into their store,” O’Brien said “It might be easier to plan sales, you know that’s going to be a big day.”

Investment Trends – Healthy U.S. consumers may be ready to spend

Quoted: Those consumers just might be one of the answers to investors’ woes, said David Silberman, who is pursuing a master’s degree in finance and participating in the Applied Security Analysis Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Parental debt can affect children’s sense of well-being, according to study led by profs at UW and Dartmouth

While past studies have examined the ways in which debts affect the mental health and well-being of adults, new research led by professors at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Dartmouth College examines the problem from the child’s point of view.