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Two faculty members named Steenbock Professors
University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty members Jin-Yi Cai and Robert Hamers have been named Steenbock Professors.
Climate conundrum: Conflicting indicators on what preceded human-driven warming
When the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently requested a figure for its annual report, to show global temperature trends over the last 10,000 years, the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Zhengyu Liu knew that was going to be a problem. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science today, Liu and colleagues describe a consistent global warming trend over the course of the Holocene, our current geological epoch, counter to a study published last year that described a period of global cooling before human influence.
Recent sightings: On the grill
Fresh corn-on-the cob, chicken, hamburger patties, hot dogs and other food cooks on the grill at the Memorial Union Terrace's Brat Stand at the University of Wisconsin–Madison during a summer evening on Aug. 7, 2014.
Science in the Northwoods: Trout Lake Station open house
The first of August was a gorgeous day in northern Wisconsin: temperatures were in the mid-70s, the waters of Trout Lake were remarkably calm and clear, and the mosquitoes, for the first time this summer, were nowhere to be found. It was the perfect day for Trout Lake Station's 4th annual open house.
Water’s reaction with metal oxides opens doors for researchers
A multi-institutional team has resolved a long-unanswered question about how two of the world’s most common substances interact. In a paper published recently in the journal Nature Communications, Manos Mavrikakis, professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and his collaborators report fundamental discoveries about how water reacts with metal oxides
McKenna to retire from Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
They say blood is thicker than water. So much so, that even the volume of water in all of Madison's lakes is still too thin for Thomas McKenna, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL). After seven years in the role, he is officially retiring from the lab and moving to Massachusetts to be closer to his grown daughters.
UW-Madison breaks record for collecting school supplies at state fair
Going back to school after summer vacation can be rough. It's even harder for students who don't have the necessary school supplies.
Fundamental plant chemicals trace back to bacteria
A fundamental chemical pathway that all plants use to create an essential amino acid needed by all animals to make proteins has now been traced to two groups of ancient bacteria. The pathway is also known for making hundreds of chemicals, including a compound that makes wood strong and the pigments that make red wine red.
Summer Collegiate Experience eases students into UW
Around the office, it's referred to as "The Foundation." For outsiders, it's known as the Summer Collegiate Experience, or SCE.
Population Health Institute offers Wisconsin data on Affordable Care Act
Data on Wisconsin’s experience with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its reform of the Medicaid and BadgerCare program are now easier to understand through a new chartpack released today by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, in partnership with the Covering Kids and Families program within the UW’s School of Human Ecology.
Movers encouraged to donate and recycle to reduce waste and mess
As the mid-August downtown leases turn over, overflowing dumpsters and buried curbs contain many items that can be reused or recycled. In an effort to reduce landfill waste and increase community benefit, the UW–Madison WE CONSERVE program and Office of Sustainability are partnering with the City of Madison, Goodwill Industries, Society of St. Vincent de Paul and student organization REthink Wisconsin to collect and donate reusable items.
UW-Madison continues trend of large entering class from Wisconsin
The University of Wisconsin–Madison will likely welcome its second largest class of Wisconsin-resident freshmen since 2005 this fall, with enrollment of state residents expected to be near 3,700.
American Family Insurance deepens partnership with latest gift to Wisconsin School of Business
American Family Insurance has gifted $675,000 to the Wisconsin School of Business.
Mangelsdorf looks forward to listening, leading
Sarah Mangelsdorf has been told about “Jump Around.” She’s enjoyed time on the Terrace for cheese curds and a view of Lake Mendota. And she’s run to Picnic Point a few times. “I consider myself doing an ethnography,” Mangelsdorf says. “You really can’t come in from the outside and have a vision for a place you don’t yet truly understand.”
Turnout for first-ever classified congressional election surpasses expectations
The results are in from the first-ever classified staff congressional election. Voting took place July 7 through July 21.
Bus passes and transportation permits on sale online
Online sales of employee bus passes and transportation permits for the 2014-15 academic year has begun at the Transportation Services website.
Mining bacterial blueprints yields novel process for creation of fuel and chemical compounds
A team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has identified the genes and enzymes that create a promising compound — the 19 carbon furan-containing fatty acid (19Fu-FA). The compound has a variety of potential uses as a biological alternative for compounds currently derived from fossil fuels.
Research team warns against overlooking Great Lakes’ currents
The history of the Great Lakes is one of people who underestimate their destructive power, often with tragic results. From two massive waves that smashed into Chicago’s harbors in 1954 to a rip current that drowned a young swimmer in Port Washington, Wisconsin, in 2012, Lake Michigan and its neighbors have a track record of catching people off guard with dangerous currents.
Pre-college programs open doors for leadership roles
Whether their connections were social, academic or professional, former participants in UW–Madison's summer residence programs through University Housing say the camps were essential for creating future opportunities.
Drilling in the dark: Biological impacts of fracking still largely unknown
As production of shale gas soars, the industry's effects on nature and wildlife remain largely unexplored, according to a study by a group of conservation biologists published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment on August 1.