Category Society & Culture
UW Band Director Leckrone announces 50th season will be his grand finale
The beloved Leckrone, who has been known to make his entrance riding a camel, an elephant, or a Harley, has won myriad awards during his remarkable career as an educator and conductor.
TV series highlights alumna’s struggle for equity at her school
Jessica Stovall, now a teacher in suburban Chicago, is one of the subjects in a documentary series that follows students, teachers and administrators over the course of a year.
UW-Madison spinoff releases app dedicated to ‘Live Undiscovered Music’
As users engage with LÜM, they are rewarded with tokens that they can use or buy to raise the visibility of a favorite artist.
UW–Madison, Green County launch UniverCity partnership
Developed with the Wisconsin Idea in mind, UniverCity Year brings together faculty, students and members of Wisconsin communities to address local challenges through engagement, university research and state-of-the-art technology.
How do you Bucky on Parade?
The Bucky on Parade project placed 85 life-size Bucky Badger statues throughout Madison and Dane County, and they've proven to be a big draw for many.
Girls learn skills at “Nick” construction site
As part of a "Build Like a Girl" outreach event on Aug. 10, hosted by Miron Construction, nearly 15 4th- through 6th-grade girls from the Boys and Girls Club of Milwaukee helped out on to the construction site for the Nicholas Recreation Center at UW–Madison.
Tong family makes $1 million gift towards Hoofer marina project
A new donation will help fund a project to improve the marina and lakefront promenade near the Memorial Union. Improvements include new piers, better storage and a new greenspace on shore.
Professor’s innovations changed how children learn math
Emeritus professor Tom Carpenter, whose student-centered ideas about teaching math to young children from all backgrounds and skill levels helped transform the field of mathematics education, died Aug. 7
Competition attracts future grants, jump starts research and student careers
Recipients of Fall Research Competition awards are thankful for the funding to help them acquire the resources they need, but perhaps most important, they say, is the student support they are able to provide.
UW Arboretum’s Native Gardening Conference to be held Sept. 16
The conference offers a day of expert-led workshops and tours to help all gardeners, from beginner to experienced, learn to create beautiful restorative landscapes that play a broader ecological role and support biodiversity.
Dutch elm disease claims “Elmer,” a campus tree more than a century old
An elm tree affectionately known as Elmer, a landmark on campus for more than a century, has been taken down, a victim of Dutch elm disease.
In “Imaging Self,” high school students explore the arts in a college setting
Imaging Self, a new UW–Madison summer program for arts-oriented high school students, helps them learn more about themselves through personal expression in visual art, dance, and theater, as well as making connections among various art forms.
“Crazy Rich Asians” movie offers pressure and possibility, says UW expert
"Racism in Hollywood has also taken a toll in particular on Asian Americans. Asian Americans are an extremely small slice of the national population, so their needs and demands are rarely taken into consideration,” says Lori Kido Lopez.
Could computers help close partisan divides?
Researchers are using artificial intelligence to develop a comprehensive picture of how people communicate about politics, and how those conversations are shaped by media, social networks and personal interactions.
A video game can change the brain, may improve empathy in middle schoolers
In the experimental game, a robot crash lands on an alien planet. In order to rebuild the spaceship, players must, as the robot, build rapport with the aliens by deciphering their emotions.
Bucky on Parade feature: S.V. Medaris
Artist S.V. Medaris was inspired to create Retro Bucky, a display of the various Bucky logos since the 1930s, by her love for the Bucky logo. "I had a Bucky Badger sweatshirt that I wore, like, always," Medaris said after her family moved to Wisconsin from Southern California. "I was in love with that logo/image from the start."
Green County cheesemaker opens major expansion
Klondike Cheese Co. of Monroe is expanding production as it enters its second century of cheesemaking, under the leadership of six Master Cheesemakers certified by UW–Madison’s Center for Dairy Research.
Bob Dylan’s electric guitar and leather jacket inspire a dissertation
The singer-songwriter’s controversial performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival inspired Rivka Maizlish to look into the debate over how Americans have defined "folk."
Away with words: Emoji help brands communicate with customers
A UW–Madison professor's research examines how emoji are used to convey meaning and emotion in written communications, especially on social media. Her favorite? The eye roll.
Students use cool tools to solve local problems in summer Makerspace course
In the UW–Madison Makerspace, students design and build whatever they can imagine in a collaborative environment with cutting-edge tools. Some of their designs solve local challenges.