I&D

• Concerts, exhibits, plays among spring events Jan. 28, 2008 There’s no end in sight for the strike at the Writers Guild of America, but that doesn’t mean you need to sit around boo-hooing, watching reruns or mind-numbing reality TV. Much finer entertainments are in the works on campus for the spring semester. See a play, visit a gallery, take in a film and attend a concert, or two or seven. Campus arts groups will present the works of the world-renowned as well as our student artists-in-the-making.
• Professor helps schools meet the demands of high-stakes accountability Jan. 24, 2008 Richard Halverson, an education leadership and policy analysis professor, is focusing his research on examining how schools are approaching the tough standards established by the federal No Child Left Behind law.
• Bioethicist Fost debates use of steroids in sports Jan. 23, 2008 Norman Fost, professor in the departments of pediatrics and medical history and bioethics, and director of the Program in Bioethics, particpiated recently in an Intelligence Squared U.S. debate as an advocate for the motion “Should We Accept Steroid Use in Sports?”
• Students sell steaks to get a taste of the meat industry Jan. 23, 2008 So it's Saturday, and you've just learned that an RV full of Badgers fans is on its way to your place for a post-basketball game victory party. You need meat, and fast. But where around campus can you find good, fresh steaks?
• Low vaccination rate of U.S. puppies and kittens poses larger risks Jan. 22, 2008 It's hard to believe that in an advanced country like the United States, fewer than half of all puppies and kittens are being vaccinated. Yet that's exactly what was found in a study recently completed by UW-Madison and Dane County veterinarians.
• In diatom, scientists find genes that may level engineering hurdle Jan. 21, 2008 Denizens of oceans, lakes and even wet soil, diatoms are unicellular algae that encase themselves in intricately patterned, glass-like shells. Curiously, these tiny phytoplankton could be harboring the next big breakthrough in computer chips.
• Ebola virus disarmed by excising a single gene Jan. 21, 2008 The deadly Ebola virus, an emerging public health concern in Africa and a potential biological weapon, ranks among the most feared of exotic pathogens.
• Study: Brain connections strengthen during waking hours, weaken during sleep Jan. 20, 2008 Most people know it from experience: After so many hours of being awake, your brain feels unable to absorb any more-and several hours of sleep will refresh it.
• Wisconsin Idea grants bring a community focus to current affairs Jan. 16, 2008 The 2008 Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment will provide more than $900,000 in support for 15 projects targeting issues related to education, health, the economy and the environment.
• Negative campaign ads contribute to a healthy democracy, political scientist argues Jan. 14, 2008 Political attack ads, widely demonized by pundits and politicians, are instead a kind of multi-vitamin for the democratic process, sparking voters' interest and participation, according to a new book co-authored by University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist Kenneth Goldstein.
• Students take leadership venture to South Africa Jan. 7, 2008 After more than 40 hours of traveling, 30 University of Wisconsin-Madison students arrived last week in Cape Town, South Africa to start a two-week adventure in South Africa's capital city that will include a leadership seminar and service projects.
• Mark Johnson profile: It’s [still] a great day for hockey Jan. 4, 2008 He’s the son of a legendary hockey coach who went on to make his own history as a college player and an Olympian. But Mark Johnson isn’t about to rest on his laurels.
• Persistence, genius mix for chemist Jan. 2, 2008 Chemistry professor Laura Kiessling is featured in the Milwuakee Journal Sentinel’s series on “groundbreaking thinkers in Wisconsin” series.
• http://wisconsinidea.wisc.edu/features/arnold-alanen-documenting-the-story-behind-wisconsin%e2%80%99s-cultural-landscape Jan. 2, 2008
• Engineer James Dumesic named to ‘Scientific American 50’ Dec. 17, 2007 James Dumesic, Chemical and Biological Engineering Steenbock Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has received a 2007 Scientific American "SciAm 50" award for his innovative alternative fuels research.
• Moments in time: 2007 photographers’ choice Dec. 17, 2007 In and out of the classroom, from the research lab to the athletic field, through all four seasons — the staff photographers in University Communications have captured the scenes that defined this energetic public research university during 2007. From thousands of photographs made this year, they have selected these as favorite moments in time at UW-Madison. After you play this multimedia slide show, learn more by clicking on “captions” in the bottom bar and viewing the photos one by one.
• Greener pastures: Dairy science reverses history with enrollment surge Dec. 12, 2007 Since enrolling 189 undergraduate students in 1982, dairy science has seen a steady decline in popularity. But the program is gorwing again now after retooling its cirriculum and its approach to student recruitment.
• E-lectorate: Can new media get out the vote? Dec. 11, 2007 The battle for The White House is happening on the ground, but it’s also playing out on the Web, in video debates and among bloggers. There’s a dizzying array of new technologies– twittering anyone? – and a UW-Madison professor and two young alumni are out front in this precedent-setting campaign. For voters, it’s never been easier to get informed, become involved, or be entertained.
• Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane Dec. 10, 2007 Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study by UW-Madison researchers examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change.
• Arsenic contamination lacks one-size-fits-all remedy Dec. 10, 2007 Though a worldwide problem, arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution, recent work by UW-Madison researchers has shown.