UW In The News

Russia Trying to Stoke U.S. Racial Tensions Before Election, Officials Say

Independent researchers continue to identify social media accounts with Russian links. Race was among the top issues that such accounts tried to foster division over, said Young Mie Kim, a University of Wisconsin professor who studies political communication online. Others included nationalism, immigration, gun control and gay rights.

What Are The Telltale Signs Of A Department Layoff?

If you want to know if your job is in jeopardy, consider whether management has laid people off recently, said Charlie Trevor, a professor of management and human resources at the University of Wisconsin–Madison school of business.

In Human Nature, Crispr’s Origin Story Comes to Life

Noted: There’s no doubt Human Nature will contribute to improving the public’s literacy about Crispr, including the differences between editing cells that can pass down those changes to future generations (germline cells, like sperm, ova, and embryos) and ones that can’t (somatic cells, or those from other body tissues). That’s critical for the future of the technology, says Alta Charo, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who appears in the film for her work on the National Academy of Sciences’ reports on the ethics of gene editing.

Review: Waiting for wounds to heal and ‘Real Life’ to begin

Wallace is a graduate student at an unnamed large Midwestern university (Taylor holds a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison).

UW-Madison health researcher gives advice on fighting coronavirus

I’m not an expert on the COVID-19 virus by any stretch, but I study epidemics and have general knowledge and training that is applicable. Here are my thoughts on what’s happening and what we should do.

With Childhood Diabetes, Close Family Ties Lead to Flourishing Adults

Carol Ryff, director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, who developed the scales of wellbeing used to assess flourishing, called the study a “model of innovative health science for the future” and a “breath of fresh air.”

Report: Russian Social Accounts Sow Election Discord-Again

The report from University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Young Mie Kim found that Russia-linked social media accounts are posting about the same divisive issues — race relations, gun laws and immigration — as they did in 2016, when the Kremlin polluted American voters’ feeds with messages about the presidential election.

The Rise of Location Trackers for Kids as Young as 3

Quoted: This is not to say that smartwatches for kids don’t have any benefits. As Heather Kirkorian, associate professor of| human development and family studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that, for example, their texting and phone call functionality can be useful in a world where pay phones aren’t available the way they used to be.

2020 Democratic Primary Turnout Is a Problem

Quoted: Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin who studies voter turnout, says Trump’s huge levels of support defy historical trends about sitting presidents who run for reelection. “A sitting incumbent running for reelection — that shouldn’t stimulate much interest,” Burden says. “It all runs a little contrary to what I think we would’ve expected.”

Newell Brands Is Investigated by SEC

Quoted: “The goodwill impairment test is one of the most second guessed of the accounting tests that exist,” said Thomas Linsmeier, professor of accounting and law, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Why are so many more children nearsighted?

The question should be, “How does the technology work for the kids?” said adolescent physician Megan Moreno, a professor of pediatrics at University of Wisconsin, Madison. “Why aren’t the kids getting outside? What is the reason? Is it the screen’s fault or part and parcel of our society? Taking away screens isn’t part of the solution.”

Democratic primary voters care about more than electability

To explore this possibility, my colleagues at the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s Elections Research Center and I presented Democratic primary voters with a longer menu of reasons for their choice of candidates. In statewide surveys of 3,600 adults across the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, we asked respondents whether they planned to vote in their states’ primaries.

Airplanes and Coronavirus: How to Disinfect Your Space

Quoted: “Wiping down surfaces on a plane won’t hurt, as long as it doesn’t give you a false sense of security,” Andrew Mehle, associate professor of medical microbiology and immunology at the University of Wisconsin Madison, said, stressing that sanitizing your space on a plane should be done in conjunction with washing hands and following other best practices.

Poet Amaud Jamaul Johnson’s ‘Imperial Liquor’ Draws On Themes Of Protectiveness, Racism, Empathy | Wisconsin Public Radio

A new book from University of Wisconsin-Madison poet Amaud Jamaul Johnson — “Imperial Liquor” — taps into themes of paternal protectiveness, the pervasiveness of racism and the possibility of empathy.

Super Tuesday: Democrats are looking to consolidate a broad coalition

Quoted: “Whatever the magic was in 2008, it’s not been re-created this year in terms of bringing out voters,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Who will win the California primary? Counting mail-in votes can take days or weeks.

Quoted: Barry Burden, who is the director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin Madison, says that mail-in ballots also take longer to count in some cases: Checking that ballot signatures match, problems with mail-in envelopes, and myriad other issues can all slow things down.

Will US troops leave Afghanistan?

One possibility is that Trump will end up asking the Taliban for deeper concessions to reassure voters. But the big question is whether Trump’s hawkish reputation is enough to offset public skepticism about a peace deal with the Taliban.

Jessica L.P. Weeks is associate professor of political science and Trice faculty scholar at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

How daily life will change as coronavirus outbreak enters new phase

Quoted: “An outbreak is not going to happen simultaneously, everywhere,” said Dr. Jonathan Temte, who studies vaccinations and immunization policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Super Tuesday is upon us: Very soon, Democrats must unite or surrender to authoritarianism

Quoted: Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “What benefit you see is probably because once you are on the rolls you are visible to canvassers and campaigns, making it possible for them to reach out to you,” he says. “Registering people to vote is not a silver bullet.”

As Wisconsin Lakes Warm, Walleye Are Feeling The Heat

When it comes to climate change there’s a lot of talk of species moving north as temperatures change — but don’t expect a lockstep northward march of species, said Jack Williams, a University of Wisconsin-Madison expert on ecological responses to climate change.

Cranberries, Wisconsin’s Most Profitable Fruit, Face An Uncertain Future

“When you change the conditions and those winters become more extreme, the plant is disoriented,” said Amaya Atucha, fruit crop specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Potato Farmers Grapple With Climate Change’s Impact On Nitrogen Management

Nitrogen management is a huge struggle for potato farmers, said Chris Kucharik, chair of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Agronomy Department.

The Feeling You Get After Surviving Layoffs Has A Name

After a layoff, “employees see less of an obligation to be loyal to the company, resulting in more of a free agent mentality,” said Charlie Trevor, a professor of management and human resources in the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “With this mentality comes the freedom to actively seek another job where, hopefully, one’s future will be less tenuous.”

The Daily 202: Bernie Sanders built a diverse coalition to win Nevada. South Carolina offers a tougher test.

The University of Wisconsin at Madison-YouGov surveys of likely Democratic primary voters showed Sanders garnering 25 percent in Michigan, which holds its primary on March 10.

The Daily 202: Bernie Sanders built a diverse coalition to win Nevada. South Carolina offers a tougher test.

New surveys show Sanders leading in three key Midwestern states that vote after Super Tuesday. The University of Wisconsin at Madison-YouGov surveys of likely Democratic primary voters showed Sanders garnering 25 percent in Michigan, which holds its primary on March 10.

Hmong Leaders Rally Against Trump Administration’s Deportation Push

Quoted: Yang Sao Xiong, a professor of Asian-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says Hmong history as war allies of the U.S. military has long shaped the way the community sees itself. But the story of broader Hmong acceptance in the U.S. has never been simple.

Wisconsin Experts Disagree On Dairy Industry Impact Of Dean Foods Sale

Quoted: But Peter Carstensen, professor emeritus from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, said the deal could end up hurting dairy farmers by giving DFA too much power over the market.

Bernie Sanders leads Pa. primary in poll, with close race against Trump

“All three states are up for grabs in 2020,” said Barry Burden, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Elections Research Center, which conducted the poll. “Trump is in a more difficult position in Michigan than the other two states, but each of the Midwest battlegrounds could be won by either party, almost regardless of who becomes the Democratic nominee.”

Bernie Sanders leading Democratic field in Michigan new poll says

“Sanders is well-positioned to pick up the lion’s share of delegates in these states unless another Democrat breaks away from the pack to challenge him,” said Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin and and director of the Elections Research Center.

Bloomberg News Wrestles With Coverage of Candidate Bloomberg

Quoted: Kathleen Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin, said she fears less that reporters are being held back internally than externally, where some readers feel the name of their organization speaks more about their independence than the work they do.