Category State & Global
A year of COVID: Panel reflects on what’s transpired
A review of how the UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health rose to the challenge and responded to the pandemic.
WARF’s UpStart program supports women and BIPOC entrepreneurs
Free entrepreneurial training program cultivates new businesses launched by women and people of color, contributing to Wisconsin’s economy
Remembering Rachel Feldhay Brenner
Rachel Feldhay Brenner, the Elaine Marks WARF Professor of Jewish Studies at UW–Madison, died Feb. 4. Born in Poland, Brenner moved to Israel with her family before coming to Madison, where she became an internationally recognized scholar of Hebrew, Polish and Canadian literatures.
Mystery disease at Sierra Leone chimpanzee sanctuary linked to bacterial infection
The study suggests that the bacterial group Sarcina may be more common, and capable of more serious infections, than previously thought. Yet there is little concern over animal-to-human transmission, and for now the disease remains rare in humans.
UW–Madison launches new online degrees in business and marketplace studies through UW–Madison Online
UW–Madison Online is adding four more degrees in an ongoing effort to increase access for nontraditional students and meet demands of employers across the state and beyond.
Viral sequencing catches mutations, guides effective public health response
As the tallies of COVID-19’s effects in the United States have mounted to a dizzying scale, a team of UW scientists has kept its focus on the tiniest shifts in the virus’s genetic material.
Kutzbach’s role in climate science ‘expansive and foundational’
John Kutzbach, an emeritus professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, died Jan. 29. His contributions “helped all of us better understand important aspects of our universe — in particular, those of the Earth’s climate system."
UW–Madison Arboretum designated a National Historic Landmark
The designation is based on the Arboretum’s pioneering work in restoration ecology, its place in the history of conservation, and its commitment to Aldo Leopold’s land ethic.
New Badger Precollege programs offer enrichment, community-building, college readiness for youth
Badger Precollege is ramping up for an all-online summer 2021, revising options and ready to offer an array of programs for a wider diversity of students — from advanced learning and STEM classes to music clinics and college readiness programs.
UW–Madison initiative to promote university-industry research and education partnerships
“The goal of this initiative is to spark new collaborations with industry, stimulate innovative thinking among students, and promote translation of fundamental research," says Steve Ackerman, vice chancellor for research and graduate education.
UW–Madison watching for new variants of virus that causes COVID-19
UW–Madison is working closely with public health agencies to prepare for the arrival of the variants, and the university has close ties to laboratories conducting surveillance and genomic sequencing for these virus types.
Two vice presidents have Madison in common
Kamala Harris and Dick Cheney don’t have much in common, as they’re on different sides of the political spectrum. Except one thing: The new vice president and the former vice president both lived in Madison at the same time in the late 1960s, each with a close connection to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Next group of vaccine eligibility begins March 1
UW–Madison will identify and notify faculty and staff who have direct contact with students of their eligibility and provide next steps for vaccination as this information becomes available.
Dark Energy Survey catalogs nearly 700 million astronomical objects
Astronomical researchers around the world can access these unprecedented data and mine them to make new discoveries about the universe.
ISS and IFSS to join the International Division
International Student Services and International Faculty and Staff Services will merge into a new unit as part of an effort to streamline and enhance immigration services offered to students, faculty and staff.
Collaborative effort will look at ways to enhance campus response to mental health crises
The primary goal is to further ensure the well-being and safety of students, de-escalate potentially high-stress situations, and promote a shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Gov. Evers announces new public health emergency, issues new face coverings order
Gov. Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #104 and Emergency Order #1 establishing a new statewide public health emergency and face coverings requirement as the…
UW Health encourages patients 65 and older to visit uwhealth.org/vaccine
Following today's announcement from the state Department of Health Services that individuals age 65 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, here is more information about the process for scheduling appointments.
‘Caste’ author Isabel Wilkerson to headline MLK Symposium
“Isabel Wilkerson is a distinguished author with writings that synthesize history and personal narratives to help our generation consider the implications of a system of oppression and racism,” says Cheryl Gittens, interim deputy vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.
UW researchers develop tool to equitably distribute limited vaccines
The School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health have developed a tool that incorporates age and socioeconomic status to prioritize vaccine distribution among people who otherwise share similar risks due to their jobs.