Tag College of Letters & Science
The power of a story: Hundreds expected for Oral History Association conference
Wisconsin, and Madison in particular, will be front and center during the Oral History Association’s 48th annual meeting. The meeting will take place at the Madison Concourse Hotel from Oct. 8-12. This year’s theme, “Oral History in Motion: Movements, Transformations, and the Power of Story,” speaks to the rich history of Wisconsin, and Madison, says Ed Van Gemert, University of Wisconsin–Madison vice provost for libraries and university librarian.
Study shows role of media in sharing life events
To share is human. And the means to share personal news — good and bad — have exploded over the last decade, particularly social media and texting. But until now, all research about what is known as "social sharing," or the act of telling others about the important events in our lives, has been restricted to face-to-face interactions.
Rare texts, technology tell Shakespeare’s story in seminar
Harnessing today's technology and rare books dating back to the 16th century, students and a faculty member will bring to life the works of William Shakespeare on Saturday, June 21 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Buried fossil soils found to be awash in carbon
Soils that formed on the Earth’s surface thousands of years ago and that are now deeply buried features of vanished landscapes have been found to be rich in carbon, adding a new dimension to our planet’s carbon cycle.
Babbling brooks adding to climate change?
Studying stream bubbles isn't exactly a walk in the park - what with the mud and ticks, the long days hiking and swimming through mucky streams, the sun exposure and scratching brush.
Journalism scholarship established in honor of David and Elliott Maraniss
The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism is pleased to announce the creation of a graduate student scholarship fund in honor of David and Elliott Maraniss.
Sociologist, former L&S dean Sandefur to leave UW–Madison after 30 years
Gary Sandefur, a longtime faculty member and administrator at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is headed back to his home state of Oklahoma.
National Academy of Sciences adds three UW–Madison researchers
Three University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the organization announced today.
Lighting up the lab: Team harnesses light for controlled chemical reaction
When chemist Tehshik Yoon looks out his office window, he sees a source of energy to drive chemical reactions. Plants “learned” to synthesize chemicals with sunlight eons ago; Yoon came to the field a bit more recently. But this week, in the journal Science, he and three collaborators detail a way to use sunlight and two catalysts to create molecules that are difficult to make with conventional techniques — a finding that may eventually have implications for drug making and materials science.
Students take top honors at Chinese speech contest
Eight University of Wisconsin–Madison students spent Easter weekend showing off their Chinese speaking skills. The UW–Madison team won a haul of medals at the Midwest Universities Chinese Speech Contest Saturday at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
Bridging the uncanny valley between humans, robots
There might be a day in the not-so-distant future when, instead of cat photos and selfies, we humans are showing off our robots.
Study suggests some fathers elevate their games
As parents, we all take cues from mom and dad in the rearing of our own children. But can we improve as parents based on our perceptions of how we were reared?
First in the nation: UW–Madison establishes post-doc in feminist biology
Feminist biology - which attempts to uncover and reverse gender bias in biology - will be the focus of a new, endowed fellowship in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Made-in-Wisconsin atom probe assisted dating of oldest piece of earth
It's a scientific axiom: big claims require extra-solid evidence. So there were skeptics in 2001 when University of Wisconsin–Madison geoscience professor John Valley dated an ancient crystal found in Australia to 4.4 billion years ago. The date, after all, was only 100 million years after Earth started to solidify from a ball of molten rock.
Scholarship will allow UW junior to do graduate studies in art history
is among twenty college juniors nationwide selected to receive a Beinecke Scholarship, which provides $34,000 for graduate study leading to a terminal degree in the arts, humanities or social sciences.
An update on Ethnic Studies programs in Letters & Science
In recent weeks, there have been discussions on campus surrounding the future of the four Ethnic Studies units in the College of Letters & Science. These four units include the Department of Afro-American Studies (AAS), the American Indian Studies Program, the Asian American Studies Program, and the Chican@ and Latin@ Studies Program.
Hair from infants gives clues about their life in the womb
Like rings of a tree, hair can reveal a lot of information about the past.
UW Varsity Band Concert: 40 years of fun
It's hard to believe it's been 40 years. But later this month, the Badger band celebrates four decades of UW Varsity Band concerts.
Prominent climate scientist Mann to speak at UW–Madison
Michael Mann, creator of the well-known “hockey stick” graph depicting a sharp recent increase in our planet’s temperature, will deliver the fifth annual Len Robock Lecture on Thursday, April 17 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.