UW-Madison in the Media

A selection of media coverage about the university and its people.

• Climate change is public health issue - US experts Reuters Nov. 7, 2007 WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Climate change should be treated as a public health issue, especially by the United States, the world's biggest long-term emitter of greenhouse gases, health and ecology experts said on Tuesday. An Earth transformed by climate change could lead to more climate-related diseases, especially those transmitted by insects and those borne by water supplies, the experts said at a meeting of the American Public Health Association. The United States and other rich countries bear special responsibility because their climate-warming emissions will have a disproportionate impact on poor countries that emit the least and have the fewest resources to deal with public health problems, said Jonathan Patz of the University of Wisconsin.
• Developing Countries Poised to Lead the Biofuel Market Wired.com Oct. 30, 2007 Malaysia, Thailand, Colombia, Uruguay and Ghana are poised to become the world leaders in biodiesel production, according to a new study. That's surprising, since the United States is the world's leading producer and exporter of soybeans, a major source for biofuel -- a promising short-term alternative to fossil fuels. The U.S. harvested 3.1 billion bushels of soybeans last year. But when Matt Johnson and Tracey Holloway of the University of Wisconsin at Madison's Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment studied which countries are best positioned to enter the burgeoning market for biodiesel, they came up with a list of developing countries with a strong agricultural base, stable governments and low debt.
• Put the kettle on: It's good for you USA Today Oct. 29, 2007 How refreshing. Tea, something that people around the world enjoy consuming, might actually be good for you. "The most fascinating thing is, to my knowledge, there is no other natural product known that has such diversified effects," says Hasan Mukhtar, vice chair of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Potential biodiesel nations are identified United Press International Oct. 25, 2007 MADISON, Wis., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggested that Thailand, Uruguay and Ghana might become the world's leading producers of the emerging renewable fuel known as biodiesel. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies said biodiesel can be easily manufactured from vegetable oils and animal fats, making it one of the most promising, near-term alternatives to fossil fuels.
• In Study of Human Patterns, Scientists Look to Bird Brains New York Times Oct. 23, 2007 Last month, a bird known as a bar-tailed godwit took flight from Alaska and headed south. A day later, it was still flapping its way over the Pacific. An airplane pilot would have a hard time staying awake after 24 hours of flight (the Federal Aviation Administration allows pilots to fly just eight hours in a row). But the godwit kept flying for an additional week. After eight days and 7,200 miles, it landed in New Zealand, setting a record for nonstop flight. “If they spend so many hours flying,” said Ruth M. Benca of the University of Wisconsin, “where do they find the time to sleep?”
• Dance review: Jin-Wen Yu Dance program inspired Capital Times Oct. 22, 2007 When inspired choreography, dancing and music come together, they grab hold of an audience and don't let go. All three elements meshed on Thursday night as a packed house at UW-Madison's Lathrop Hall basked in 90 minutes of "Concert 10" by Jin-Wen Yu Dance. The evening could have gone on longer, and the viewer's mind was so entranced it rarely wandered beyond the stage.
• Depression, anxiety tied to allergies in kids Reuters Oct. 22, 2007 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Research in psychiatrically ill children and adolescents suggests that those with depression, anxiety and other so-called "internalizing" disorders are more likely to have allergies. "These findings add to the growing body of evidence supporting an association between anxiety, depressive, and allergic disorders," write Dr. Mauricio Infante and colleagues from University of Wisconsin, Madison in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
• 'Brilliant' minds think alike for good of mankind USA Today Oct. 15, 2007 Included: Helen Blackwell, chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• N.H. voters warming to Clinton Boston Globe Oct. 9, 2007 Quoted: Charles Franklin, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
• Robert Seltzer column: Applying to UW-Madison? Here's some advice Appleton Post-Crescent Oct. 9, 2007 As I travel around Wisconsin, I consistently hear one question from high school students, parents and counselors: What does it take to get into the University of Wisconsin-Madison? Because I analyze every part of an application, from grades and class rank to personal statements and special talents, there isn't one magic answer to that question. However, during the past 30 years that I've worked in college admissions, I've seen hundreds of thousands of applications. I've also experienced the process firsthand, as my son ventured into his own college search.
• Put the kettle on: Tea is steeped in health benefits USA Today Oct. 8, 2007 Quoted: Hasan Mukhtar, vice chair of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• A small flame of hope burns in Burma San Francisco Chronicle Oct. 8, 2007 Quoted: Ingrid Jordt Applbaum, a former Buddhist nun in Burma and now a professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, when I asked to speak to her.
• Heart disease diagnostic gaining popularity Associated Press Oct. 8, 2007 MADISON, Wis. -- What if your doctor could swipe a wand over your neck and reveal whether you have hidden heart disease? That is now possible in places other than the sickbay of the starship Enterprise. Miniature ultrasound machines are starting to make their way into ordinary doctors' offices, where they may someday be as common as stethoscopes and EKGs. A pocket-sized one weighing less than 2 pounds hit the market last week.
• Taking a closer look at psychopaths Scripps Howard News Service Oct. 3, 2007 Quoted: Joe Newman, chairman of the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Hitting the High Notes BusinessWeek Oct. 3, 2007 How this Wisconsin grad's specialized MBA from the Bolz Center helped him bring a competitive edge to a nonprofit performing arts organization
• Making learning look like child's play Wisconsin State Journal Sept. 24, 2007 Note: This is a new weekly profile series that will focus on UW-Madison's groundbreaking researchers. The early language transformation has intrigued UW-Madison psychologist Jenny Saffran for more than a decade.
• Pinch of sushi with a fruit twist Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sept. 24, 2007 They turned up their noses at raw fish. No frou-frou sauce or frilly shapes either. Ten University of Wisconsin-Madison students settled on fruit and rice as key ingredients. Their creation, sushi with a striking resemblance to a maki roll, nabbed second place in the biggest student product development competition this summer.
• Hospital flies in hygiene guru from the US - to tell doctors how to wash their hands Daily Mail (UK) Sept. 21, 2007 A top London hospital flew in an expert from America to explain to doctors the importance of washing their hands. It came after fears that senior medics at University College Hospital were not taking hygiene seriously. Specialist infection nurses invited Dennis Maki, from the University of Wisconsin, to try to force senior staff to pay more attention to superbugs.
• Bielema wants a sea of solid red Wisconsin State Journal Sept. 11, 2007 First, it was all-red uniforms. Now, University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema wants all red in the stands for the Badgers ' home games, too.
• Admissions Advice: Wisconsin MBA BusinessWeek Sept. 5, 2007 The University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Business is unique, say its administrators, for its specialized courses in the second year. Students can focus on disciplines from brand management to entrepreneurship. Some students who responded to the 2007 BusinessWeek survey praised the school for its practical, applied lessons and personalized touches.
• Dollar bounces back, but economists say slide will resume Chicago Tribune Aug. 27, 2007 Quoted: Menzie Chinn, professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Wisconsin and co-author of a much-cited academic report on the topic.
• How Viagra makes men loving as well as lusty Daily Mail (UK) Aug. 27, 2007 Anti-impotence drugs can turn men into more loving partners, new research suggests. As well as its original aim of improving sexual performance, Viagra boosts levels of a "cuddle chemical" in the brain that increases a man's love for his partner.
• The mechanical computer that is smaller than a grain of sand Daily Mail (UK) Aug. 13, 2007 Quoted: Robert Blick, a professor of electrical and computer engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
• Interview with Chancellor John Wiley People's Daily Online (China) Aug. 6, 2007 Chancellor Wiley of University of Wisconsin-Madison recently returned from an 11-day trip to China, South Korea and Japan, during which he visited Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo. As the chief executive officer of this distinguished public university in the United States, what is his vision of the future collaboration with Chinese institutions? How can UW distinguish itself from other top American universities? Recently, Ning Ma, a recent graduate from UW law school and Xing Zong, a rising fifth year Ph.D. student from Duke University took an exclusive interview with Chancellor Wiley.
• Suri: A 'China opening' to Iran? International Herald Tribune July 30, 2007 In July 1971, Henry Kissinger, acting as President Nixon's special representative, secretly traveled to Beijing. Kissinger's voyage provided the basis for a dramatic opening in relations between the United States and China - two nations estranged from one another for more than 20 years. Convulsed by internal upheavals and surrounded by regional threats, Chinese leaders viewed relations with Washington as a possible anchor for stability.
• Oh, Henry! Washington Post July 30, 2007 Perhaps because of the pungently Nixonian odor of the Bush White House -- the patriotism politics, the "l'état, c'est moi" declarations, the war -- this season has delivered a bounty of books about the men of Watergate. The current climate has vitalized anxieties about the imperial presidency, drawing fresh scrutiny to the Nixon years from such eminent writers as Robert Dallek, Elizabeth Drew, Margaret MacMillan, James Reston Jr., and Jules Witcover -- not to mention a Nixon biography from the scandal-plagued tycoon Conrad Black and the Broadway drama "Nixon/Frost." Joining this lengthening queue is Jeremi Suri, a historian at the University of Wisconsin, with a useful, idiosyncratic study, Henry Kissinger and the American Century.
• Stalin still a hero to Russia's youth The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland) July 26, 2007 Russia's youth admire the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin - who presided over the deaths of millions of people - and want to kick immigrants out of Russia, according to a poll released yesterday. When asked if Stalin was a wise leader, half of the 1,802 respondents, aged from 16 to 19, agreed he was. "Fifty-four per cent agreed that Stalin did more good than bad," said Theodore Gerber, a sociologist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who presented the poll.
• The Story of Our Lives ABCNEWS.com July 25, 2007 UW-Madison study Follows 10,000 Wisconsin High School Grads From Happy Days to the War on Terror.
• Tracing Kissinger's world view Montreal Gazette July 23, 2007 Author Jeremi Suri looks at the influences that shaped the former U.S. Secretary of State, and then examines the pivotal moments of his career.
• Study stirs up debate over human origins MSNBC.com July 19, 2007 Quoted: John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.