UW In The News

AAPI Month: What kids, parents should be reading

Leslie Bow, English and Asian American Studies professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, says, “It’s important to expose children to racial diversity in children’s books because studies have shown that familiarity with children of color in stories reduces negative biases against racial groups.”

FDA clears the way for adolescents ages 12 to 15 to get vaccinated

According to 2019 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, people younger than 18 account for about 22 percent of the American population. That’s why “it is really important for kids to be included” in vaccination efforts, says Malia Jones, an associate scientist in health geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Applied Population Laboratory. Their inclusion is “good news for herd immunity.”

UW-Madison commencement returns thousands of graduates to Camp Randall Stadium

After a senior year challenged by the pandemic, UW-Madison’s Class of 2021 enjoyed a semblance of normalcy Saturday as the university held its first in-person commencement ceremony in a year and a half. Camp Randall Stadium was again the scene of smiling, robe-clad grads taking selfies with friends, jumping around and throwing mortarboards into the air.

That’s so Fetch: Wes Schroll, ‘unicorn’ CEO, to speak at Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference

The keynote speaker at next month’s Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Conference owes his $1 billion company, Fetch Rewards, to an idea that came to him when he was a University of Wisconsin-Madison soon-to-be sophomore learning to do his own grocery shopping.

Flight 93 families hope heroism award helps keep story alive

Jeremy Stoddard, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, has studied since 2003 how 9/11 and its aftermath are taught in middle and high schools around the country.“There hasn’t been a lot of good data on that, it’s very anecdotal,” Stoddard said.

For a Peek Inside Wisconsin’s Watery Past, Thank the Microbes

Knowing they had found something special, Gunderson and Meyer frantically shaved off slabs of the fossil-bearing rock, preventing them from being pulverized in the pursuit of limestone. They donated their find to the University of Wisconsin–Madison Geology Museum, where thousands of Waukesha specimens now fill drawer after drawer.

Global heating pace risks ‘unstoppable’ sea level rise as Antarctic ice sheet melts

Andrea Dutton, an expert in sea level rise at University of Wisconsin–Madison, who was a co-author, said the paper “addresses an important and pressing question” of what the Paris climate targets will mean for future sea level rise.

World risks runaway Antarctic ice melt if Paris targets not met

What they’re saying: “This study is a stark reminder that the fuse is short for deep and sustained cuts to greenhouse gas emissions,” study coauthor Andrea Dutton of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said via email.

Antarctica’s ice could cross this scary threshold within 40 years

“Once you hit this threshold, you can’t go back,” says study co-author Andrea Dutton, a sea level researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “You’re committed. That’s the big takeaway.”

COVID-19 nearly caused UW-Madison graduate to drop out; a painful loss brought her back

Opinion: How President Biden’s rescue plan could help poor kids in Wisconsin

Written by Tim Smeeding, the Lee Rainwater Distinguished Professor of Public Affairs and Economics at the La Follette School of Public Affairs and former director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Invasive “jumping” worms are here to stay

The Amynthas species we have in the US (most commonly Amynthas agrestis and Amynthas tokioensis) are primarily from Japan and the Korean peninsula. In their home habitats, they evolved along with the local ecosystems — and the ecosystems along with them. But here, “just like any other invasive species that are displaced into a brand new habitat that might not have controls, they’re able to take advantage of that and go gangbusters,” says Brad Herrick, an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum.

Meghan Markle Wrote a Children’s Book—Here’s Everything We Know About The Bench

That perspective is inevitably important to the many, many multicultural households across America. The children’s book industry has a noted lack of diversity: According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center, only 30% of titles in 2020 featured racially diverse characters. “My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the makeup, as much as it does with mine,” Meghan says.

UW–Madison meal service offers suhoor for fasting students

UW–Madison is one of a growing number of universities across the country offering special meal plans for Muslim students during Ramadan. University Housing’s Ramadan Meal Service offers Muslim students a breakfast bag of halal food options for suhoor that is delivered to a nearby dining hall for evening pick-up.

Bacteria wars are raging in soil, and it’s keeping ecosystems healthy

“The finding that growth and carbon uptake are higher in bacteria that may have predatory lifestyles than in other bacteria is interesting, and supports the idea that bacterial predators can play meaningful roles in the soil food web,” wrote Thea Whitman, a soil ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was not involved in the study, in an email to Popular Science

This Scientist Returned To Sierra Leone To Study Ebola And Educate Next Generation

Alhaji N’Jai left Sierra Leone to pursue a scholarship in the US, which also served to get him out of the country during its civil war, but in recent years he has been able to return, both to study Ebola and help educate the next generation of STEM talent there.

FDA wants ‘significant’ amount of extra data on AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine

Dr. William Hartman, principal investigator for the AstraZeneca vaccine trial site at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said the delays are frustrating to clinical trial teams in the U.S. who “put in a tremendous effort” to study the vaccine.

But he supports FDA’s extra efforts. “They are looking under every stone, making sure that this is the safest product that can be put out there,” Hartman said.

How much sleep is enough? Study says focus on consistency, too.

The specific mechanism by which sleep timing affects overall mental health is still not completely understood, said Fang, the researcher who studied the medical residents. But the link between inconsistent sleep schedules and mental health outcomes may have to do with sleep quality, said David T. Plante, a psychiatrist and medical director of the Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  “If you change the timing of when you’re sleeping, you can really affect the quality of your sleep,” he explained. Over time, “it can have a downstream effect on your overall well-being and mental health as well.”

Summer Camp F.A.Q.: C.D.C. Guidelines and Answers From Experts

The experience taught camps “what you don’t want to do,” said Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health who has been working to develop Covid-19 protocols for camps, including one in Wisconsin.

Invasive garlic mustard hurts native species—but its harmfulness wanes over time

But it may not be necessary to eradicate it to save forests. “In many ways its presence is more of a symptom of a disease rather than the cause,” says Richard Lankau, a researcher at University of Wisconsin. “Things like disturbance, overabundance of white-tailed deer, exotic earthworms—those things often seem to set the stage for bad garlic mustard invasions.”

Another boon from vaccinating millions of Americans: Jobs

“A massive vaccine rollout certainly creates new jobs — from clinic clerks and managers to nurses, medical assistants/techs and pharmacists,” said Dr. Christine B. Whelan, a clinical professor in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin. “There are the truck drivers to transport the vaccines and the computer folks to create the sign-up portals.”

‘I’m fine with being called an activist’: Angie Thomas on her The Hate U Give prequel

What about publishing? In the US there’s been a boom in books featuring diverse characters. A study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that more than 12% of children’s books starred African American characters in 2019, compared with 5% in 2012 (in the UK, 5% of children’s books have black, Asian or minority ethnic protagonists, up from 1% in 2017).

UW-Madison breaks ground on Divine Nine plaza to honor legacy of Black fraternities and sororities

In one of the first campus events since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, UW-Madison took a step towards creating visible spaces for Black involvement on campus.

Thomas Brock, Whose Discovery Paved the Way for PCR Tests, Dies at 94

After retiring from the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Brock focused on ecological strategies to restore oak savanna, prairie and marshland on 140 acres that he and his wife had purchased in Black Earth, Wis., about 35 minutes from Madison.

Opinion | After Covid, Your Health May Depend on Living With Germs

This idea is controversial. “I’ve always felt that people don’t do enough to prevent cold and flu, and so in a sense many of these changes have been healthy,” says Jo Handelsman, an infectious-disease researcher and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She says it’s unclear whether shaking hands or spending time in crowded places meaningfully contributes to microbiome health, and so avoiding such risky practices may be all upside — a view that many infectious disease experts share.

After Derek Chauvin verdict, will police prosecutions change?

“It’s one case out of thousands of cases involving police use of force, so we shouldn’t read too much into it,” said Keith A. Findley, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin. “But it’s nonetheless very important, because it is one in which, with the whole world watching, the justice system stepped up and acted to hold the police officer responsible for an unlawful use of deadly force.

5 Things You Should Do First Thing In The Morning To Be Happier All Day

But research suggests that even if you don’t actually meet up with someone or send them an email or text, it can be enough to simply send good thoughts their way. “You can start with a simple appreciation practice,” Cortland Dahl, a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds, previously told HuffPost. Just bring a friend or loved one into your mind, then consciously focusing on the things you really cherish about them.

Biden progress on school reopening uneven

Advocates for reopening have pointed to data showing significant learning losses during the pandemic, particularly for students of color. But parents of color are far more concerned with loss of life, said John B. Diamond, an education professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Thomas Brock, Whose Discovery Paved the Way for PCR Tests, Dies at 94

Brock was a microbiologist at UW–Madison. In 1966, he found heat-resistant bacteria in a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park. That led to the development of the chemical process behind the test for Covid-19.

The Years We’ve Lost to Covid

There’s good reason to use it, Dr. Murray and others said. “We’ve had clear difficulties figuring out what works best, when, and in what contexts,” said Adeline Lo, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin who was an author on the international study. “This at least puts another fact on the table that may be helpful.”