The Wisconsin Week Wire — March 19, 2008
Top News
Seriously funny: An interview with alumnus Ben Karlin
For Ben Karlin, walking away from success at Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” was the logical next step in a career that’s been anything but cautious.
Research
Increased ethanol production to worsen Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’
New research shows that the rush in the United States to produce corn-based ethanol as an alternative fuel will likely worsen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and expand the annual “dead zone” that kills fish and other aquatic life.
Technology to predict strain gets a perfect model: Michelangelo’s ‘David’
For statues, stress injuries come from standing in place for hundreds of years. Using a novel technique, researchers have now developed a way to predict such fracturing.
On Campus
Events calendar
Abigail Adams biography adds to popular interest in American Revolution
Abigail Adams’ chapbook marks the female debut in the America’s Founders history chapbook series by John Kaminski, a researcher and author in the Department of History.
Study: Obama dominated TV ads in Ohio
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama spent nearly twice as much on TV advertising in the Ohio primary campaign than did Hillary Clinton, according to a report by the Wisconsin Advertising Project.
Art department mourns loss of faculty member
Art department professor Gelsy Verna passed away on March 11.
‘Gaia Project’ creates environmental learning project for faculty, staff
The UW–Madison Gaia Project, a program devoted to helping faculty and staff get involved in topics related to climate, energy and sustainability, launched this semester with more than 100 subscribers already on board.
UWPD offers resources on campus violence
The University of Wisconsin Police Department has developed a set of training resources for faculty and staff in the wake of recent campus shootings at Virginia Tech, Louisiana Tech and Northern Illinois University.
Send your comments about chancellor search
Wisconsin Week has published a series of stories presenting campus and community perspectives on the challenges and opportunities awaiting UW–Madison’s next leader. We invite your comments as well; e-mail them to leadershipideas@wisc.edu. To read submissions we’ve received so far, visit Choosing a chancellor: Reader comments.
Milestones
UW–Madison team ‘zaps’ competition with electric snowmobile
The UW–Madison Clean Snowmobile team blew the competition out of the snow at the Society of Automotive Engineers Clean Snowmobile Challenge in Houghton, Mich.
Community
Stem-cell summit to convene in Madison
Researchers, business representatives, philanthropists, bioethicists and educators from around the world will be invited to Madison for the World Stem Cell Summit at the Alliant Energy Center on Sept. 22–23.