Syndicated to: Wisc.edu
Political scientists seek ways to promote civic participation
September 20, 2005As Americans turn a cold shoulder to politics and civic involvement, a group of 19 leading political scientists - including UW–Madison's Katherine Cramer Walsh - have recommended a package of reforms to improve democracy and heighten civic involvement. Read More
A new research ranking places UW–Madison No. 1 in nation
September 19, 2005UW-Madison has been named the nation's top research university in a new college guide that attempts to measure higher education's contributions to society. Read More
Freshman to be featured on AOL ‘reality’ show
September 19, 2005UW-Madison freshman Sarah Whiteaker of Milwaukee is one of six first-year college students from across the United States who will be featured in America Online's "Project Freshman," a new documentary series that will be Web cast on AOL RED for teens starting Friday, Sept. 23. New episodes will air every Thursday. The primary audience is 13- to 18-year-olds. Read More
Lawyer jokes reveal frustration with ‘legalization of life’
September 15, 2005A sweeping look at jokes that lampoon lawyers and the tensions between Americans' respect for law and disdain for attorneys is the focus of "Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and Legal Culture," a new book by UW Law School emeritus professor Marc Galanter. Read More
Status report on UW–Madison employees convicted of felonies
September 15, 2005UW-Madison has been criticized over its handling of disciplinary matters related to three employees convicted of serious felonies. In each case, there were calls from state legislators and the media that the employees be immediately fired and that the university's response time for discipline or dismissal was too slow. The university community shares in the horror and anger over these reprehensible crimes, which include sexual assault of children, stalking and child enticement. And the university shares the same frustration over the time that is required to legally resolve them. Read More
Study: Abused children stay highly attuned to anger
September 14, 2005Even the subtlest hints of anger or hostility in their environment set physically abused children on prolonged "alert," even if a conflict has nothing to do with them. The tendency to stay attentive of nearby discord is probably a natural form of self-preservation in children who routinely face aggression. But it may also explain why abused children are often so distracted at school, write researchers from UW–Madison. Read More
Key neural system at risk from fetal alcohol exposure
September 14, 2005In a study of adult monkeys who were exposed to moderate amounts of alcohol in utero, scientists have found that prenatal exposure to alcohol - even in small doses - has pronounced effects on the development and function later in life of the brain's dopamine system, a critical component of the central nervous system that regulates many regions of the brain. Read More
College of Letters and Science to celebrate 50 years of IT
September 13, 2005Fifty years ago, instructional technology consisted of 16 mm films, slide projectors and phonograph records. While you are trying to recollect what those might have been, Read Gilgen will be only too happy to tell you where IT is now, and where it's going in the future. Read More
Study: Marketplace important player in literacy
September 12, 2005If you came of age in the 20th century, you were part of a profound change in the way that Americans learn to read and write, according to a literacy researcher at UW–Madison. Read More
Hispanics in Hollywood: More roles, but more of the same
September 8, 2005According to Mary Beltrán, assistant professor of communication arts and Chican@ and Latin@ studies at UW–Madison, Hispanics, both in the United States and worldwide, are becoming a demographic force that Hollywood must reckon with. Read More
Looking to the Future: Helping 33 million smokers quit
September 7, 2005An article published in the Sept. 8, 2005 New England Journal of Medicine sheds new light on the $130 billion smoking cessation plan proposed in the Department of Justice suit against the tobacco companies. The tobacco cessation plan was embroiled in controversy when Department of Justice attorneys reduced the amount proposed for the smoking cessation remedy from $130 billion over 25 years to $10 billion over five years. Read More
Giant optical telescope in South Africa comes online
September 1, 2005Five years after breaking ground on a South African mountaintop near the edge of the Kalahari desert, astronomers today released the first images captured by the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), now the equal of the world's largest optical telescope and a prized window to the night skies of the southern hemisphere. Read More
Study examines public attitudes on nanotechnology
August 30, 2005Scientists have a rare opportunity to define public discourse over nanotechnology, if they provide citizens with easily digestible information about the emerging technology, a UW–Madison journalism professor says. Read More
New criminal justice commission formed for Wisconsin
August 30, 2005In an effort to improve Wisconsin's criminal justice system by identifying and remedying problems that have led to wrongful convictions, legal officials from around the state have formed a new Wisconsin Criminal Justice Study Commission. Read More
Study: Brain structures contribute to asthma attack severity
August 29, 2005The mere mention of a stressful word like "wheeze" can activate two brain regions in asthmatics during an attack, and this brain activity may be associated with more severe asthma symptoms, according to a study by UW–Madison researchers and collaborators. Read More
Advance planning may ease move-in day challenges
August 25, 2005Construction projects around campus will make the move of some 6,700 students into residence halls this month more challenging than usual, say housing officials at UW–Madison. University employees and visitors are likely to experience additional traffic congestion and delays during the biggest days of the move-in. Read More
Gender hormones may lend to social disorder therapies
August 24, 2005Researchers at UW–Madison have made the surprising finding that estrogen-and even dopamine, a neurotransmitter-also play critical roles in the development of aggressive social play behaviors. The work may one day help diagnose new autism cases and potentially pave the way for new hormone-based therapeutic approaches that counteract the social difficulties of autism. Read More
Countdown to new Space Place launch this weekend
August 23, 2005Astronomy buffs of all ages are invited to celebrate the launch of Space Place, UW–Madison's astronomy outreach center, at its new Villager Mall location on Sunday, Aug. 28. Opening week activities continue through Thursday, Sept. 1 and are free and open to the public. Read More
UW-Madison shows progress on student drinking
August 22, 2005Despite the Princeton Review's label of UW–Madison as one of the nation's top "party schools," university officials say they are making progress with aggressive efforts to control high-risk drinking among students. Read More
Africans in India reveal their histories in quilts
August 17, 2005Madison will get a sampling of Siddi quilts in an exhibition in the Gallery of Design at the School of Human Ecology. "Stitching History: Patchwork Quilts by Africans of India" will feature about eight large quilts and a dozen crib-sized quilts, all done by members of the Siddi Women's Quilting Cooperative, which professor of art history Hnery Drewal founded in 2004. Read More