WISELI News
News – 2013
Wendy Crone recognized for experimental mechanics work
Wendy Crone, associate dean for graduate education and professor of engineering physics, has been honored by the Society for Experimental Mechanics. Dr. Crone is the recipient of the M. M. Frocht award. To learn more, click here.
Molly Jahn co-directs project to minimize greenhouse gas emissions
Molly Jahn, professor of genetics and agronomy, is co-directing a project intended to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses associated with dairy production practices, in order to be more resilient to the effects of cliate change. UW News reports that "the project is led by UW-Madison and involves researchers and extension staff from seven universities, five federal labs of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy." To read more about the project, announced on the UW-Madison campus by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, click here.
Margaret McFall-Ngai, Jennifer Reed, and colleagues receive major research award
Margaret McFall-Ngai,PhD and Edward Ruby, PhD, professors in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology are recipients of a $2.5 million dollar award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to investigate the genetic material and processes of individual bacteria. Their collaborators include Jennifer Reed, PhD, Asst. Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering. Read more here.
Finalists announced for dean of College of Letters & Science
Four finalists have been named in the search for the new dean of the UW-Madison College of Letters & Science. The finalists are John Coleman, David McDonald, John Karl Scholz, and Jane Tylus. Read more about each of the finalists here.
Naomi Chesler providing virtual internships to attract women to engineering
Naomi Chesler, a professor of biomedical engineering, is collaborating with the UW-Madison Epistemic Games Group to provide virtual internships to first-year students, in the hopes that it will attract them to engineering majors. UW News explains that the Epistemic Games Group "develops computer simulations that help students learn to think like professional scientists and engineers." In the virtual internships, students will engage in technical and nontechnical activities in the hopes that the experiences will motivate them to pursue enginering degrees. To learn more, click here.
Pupa Gilbert studies vaterite crystal structure
Pupa Gilbert, professor of physics, and her colleagues have discovered that vaterite's crystal structure is composed of two different crystal structures that "coexist within a pseudo-single crytal," according to UW News. How the vaterite, a form of calcium carbonate, maintains its crytal structure has been studied by scientists for over 100 years. To learn more, click here.
Yan Liu publishes study on stem cell transplant, learning in mice
Yan Liu, a postdoctoral associate at the Waisman Center, is the first author on a new study being published in Nature Biotechnology, in which she and her colleagues report that human embryonic stem cells were transformed into nerve cells that helped mice regain the ability to learn and remember. UW News reports that the study iis the first to show that "human stem cells can successfully implant themselves in the brain and heal neurological deficits." To learn more about Dr. Liu, the study, and her colleagues, click here.
Mary Ellen Rudin passes away
Mary Ellen Rudin, professor emerita of mathematics, passed away on March 18. After earning her doctorate from the University of Texas, Dr. Rudin spent 54 at UW-Madison, moving from lecturer, to professor (in 1971), to professor emerita (1991). To learn more about Dr. Rudin, please visit the memorial page created by her colleagues, found here.
Marisa Otegui receives Educational Innovation funds
Marisa Otegui, assistant professor in the Department of Botany, is one of six campus Educational Innovation recipients. The funds, intended to help faculty members extend their sabbaticals in order to further an educational innovation project, will allow Dr. Otegui to develop a new module and gather new materials for several of her Botany courses. She also plans to restructure some graduate-level course offerings in the department. To learn more about Dr. Otegui and the other recipients, click here.
Margaret McFall-Ngai leads study on microbes and host biological clocks
Margaret McFall-Ngai, Professor of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, and colleagues have published a new study showing that a microbe can regulate the daily rhythm of its host. As UW News notes, "the work is important because it hints at a deeper and more extensive biological interplay between host organisms and the microbes that are ubiquitous companions and symbionts to all plants and animals, including humans." To learn more, click here.
Carol Menassa receives distinguished young alumni award
Carol Menassa, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, will receive a distringuished young alumni award from the American University of Beirut, according to College of Engineering News. Dr. Menassa, an alumna of the institution, will receive her award on May 8. To learn more about her work, click here.
Cheryl Martin to speak at Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) symposium
Cheryl Martin, Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, will open the "From Innovation to Application" symposium at the WEI on Friday, April 5, 2013. The symposium will highlight energy research at the Institute and on campus. To learn more about Dr. Martin and the event, visit the WEI events page.
Women scientists among winners of Cool Science Image contest
Several women scientists from various departments are among the winners of the 2013 UW-Madison Cool Science Image contest. To learn more about them, their images, and the other winners, click here.
Elena D’Onghia and colleagues research spiral galaxies
Elena D’Onghia, an assistant professor of astronomy, and her colleagues have developed new models to explain the formation of spiral arms in disk galaxies. The results were reported in the April 1 issue of The Astrophysical Journal. To learn more, click here.
Earth Day Conference Features World-Renowned Scientists
Céline Cousteau and Jane Goodall are featured speakers at the 7th Annual Nelson Institute Earth Day conference. The conference will be held on April 15th at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register, visit the conference website.
Regents panel recommends Rebecca Blank as next UW-Madison chancellor
A special committee of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents has recommended Rebecca Blank as the next chancellor of UW-Madison. Currently the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Dr. Blank was one of four finalists for the position. The Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on the recommendation on Friday, April 5. To learn more about Dr. Blank, visit the chancellor search page here.
Jennifer Reed profiled in The Scientist
Jennifer Reed, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, has been profiled in The Scientist. In the article, she discusses her career pathway and her successes in the field of metabolic modeling. To learn more, click here.
Naomi Chesler named ELATE fellow
Naomi Chesler, associate professor of biomedical engineering, has been named an ELATE fellow by Drexel University. According to College of Engineering News, the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering (ELATE) program is a national initiative designed to advance senior women faculty. To learn more, click here.
Marina Emborg and colleagues transplant neural cells from primate skin to brain
Marina Emborg, an associate professor of medical physics, along with her colleague Professor Su-Chun Zhang, have successfully transplanted neural cells derived from a monkey's skin to its brain, a first in the field. According to UW News, the "proof of principle" study and its results could have implications for the treamnet of patients with Parkinson's disease. To learn more about the study, click here.
Caprice Greenberg publishes editorial in JAMA
Caprice Greenberg, MD, MPH, Department of Surgery, published an editorial in JAMA on the need for better methods to assess the quality of care delivered by surgeons. The editorial has policy and fiscal implications for Medicare coverage of bariatric surgery. Read more here.
Elena D'Onghia, Jennifer Schomaker awarded Sloan Fellowships
Elena D'Onghia, assistant professor of astronomy, and Jennifer Schomaker, assistant professor of chemistry, are among 126 national receipients of two-year, $50,000 grants from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. To learn more about the awards and all of the UW-Madison recipients, click here.
Patricia Keely, Marisa Otegui receive Romnes Faculty Fellowships
Patricia Keely, professor of cell and regenerative biology, and Marisa Otegui, associate professor of botany, are among eight recipients of this year's Romnes Faculty Fellowships. According to UW News, the Romnes awards recognize exceptional faculty members who have earned tenure within the last four years. Fellows are selected by a Graduate School committee and receive an unrestricted $50,000 award for research, supported by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). To learn more about all of the recipients, click here.
Sumona Saha, Patricia Loew receive faculty grants
Sumona Saha, of the Department of Medicine in the School of Medicine and Public Health, and Patricia Loew, of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, are among several faculty recipients of grants from UW-Madison. Dr. Saha is a Research-Service Grant recipient, while Dr. Loew will receive a Faculty Professional Development Grant. To learn more about these grants and all of the recipients, click here.
Cris Marsh leads content management of Wildlife Data Integration Network (WDIN)
Cris Marsh, the content manager for the Wildlife Data Integration Network (WDIN), recently shared some of the project's successes and potential benefits to a variety of users with UW News. Intended to support both disease control and prevention and to protect wildlife and domestic animals, along with human health, the WDIN serves as a repository with a wide number of articles and tools available to the public. To learn more, click here.
Whitney Witt publishes new study
Together with her colleagues, Whitney Witt, PhD, MPH, Asst. Professor of Population Health Sciences, has published a new study in the journal of Academic Pediatrics. The study demonstrates that parents of children with cancer or a brain tumor under report their stress levels; they exhibit physical symptoms of stress even when they report they are not experiencing stress. Read more here.
Caroline Alexander - Research Profile
The research of Caroline Alexander, PhD, Assoc. Professorof Oncology, is profiled on the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's news page. Dr. Alexander studies differences in how tumor tissues behave and what treatments are most effective. Read more here.
Brianna Schuyler and colleagues study amygdala response to, recovery from negative stimuli
Brianna Schuyler and several colleagues at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds in the Waisman Center have published a new study in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, in which they examine how the amugdala responds to and recovers from negative stimuli. The study's results imply that changing the way people recover from negative occurrences may be a good way to improve their emotional and overall well-being, reports UW News. To learn more, click here.
Pam Kreeger studies protein, cell behavior
Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Pamela Kreeger and her students are studying protein networks in cells as a part of their efforts to understand and contribute to cancer therapy choices, according to UW Engineering News. Dr. Kreeger and her students are using these explanatory models to understand everything from cancer therapies, to wound healing, to endometriosis therapies. Read more here.
Douglass Henderson wins Regents' Diversity Award
Douglass Henderson, professor of engineering physics, has received one of the University of Wisconsin Regents' Diversity Awards. Among many other accomplishments, Dr. Henderson is being honored for his leadership of the Graduate Engineering Research Scholars (GERS) program, which offers students a support network of peers among engineering graduate students, faculty, and staff, according to the release. Read more here.
Pupa Gilbert wins science image challenge
Pupa Gilbert, professor of physics, "earned top honors in the 2012 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the journal Science", according to UW News. The images were of individual calcite crystals in sea urchin teeth. Read more and see the winning image here.
Gina Green-Harris and Jill Boissonault receive awards
Gina Green-Harris, MBA and Jill Boissonault, PT, PhD, WCS are the first recipients of the UW School of Medicine's "Faculty and Staff Equity and Diversity Awards." Boissonault was recognized for ensuring that issues of culture and diversity were incorporated into the curriculum she wrote for the Dept. of Physical Therapy's seminars. Green-Harris was recognized for her successful efforts to include African-American participants in Alzheimer's disease prevention research and for her leadership in Milwaukee's African American community.
Karen Timberlake releases report on improving health in Wisconsin
Karen Timberlake, JD, Director of the UW School of Medicine's Population Health Institute, together with colleagues Anne Roubal and Bridget Booske Catlin, has released a report describing how Wisconsin rates on important indicators of health. The report, "Opportunities to Make Wisconsin the Healthiest State," demonstrates what Wisconsin is doing well and identifies areas needing improvement. Useful comparisons are made between health indicators for Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Karen Young receives 2012 Educator Award
Karen Young, clinical professor of clinical pathology at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), has received the 2012 Educator Award from the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP), according to SVM News. SVM peers and students nominated Dr. Young in recognition of her work as a collaborator, mentor, and instructor. Read more here.
Karen Pridham will receive Lifetime Achievement Award
Karen Pridham, Professor Emerita of Nursing, will receive the 2013 MNRS Lifetime Achievement Award from the Midwest Nursing Research Society in March, according to School of Nursing News. The award will recognize Dr. Pridham's record of excellence in research and education, and her career-long work to advance nursing as a profession. Read more here.
Melissa Rosenkranz leads study on alleviating chronic imflammation with meditation
Melissa Rosenkranz, an assistant scientist at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, located within the the Waisman Center, is the lead author of a study on the effect of mindfulness mediatation on chronic inflammation. According to UW News, the one finding of the study is that mindfulness-based stress reduction was effective than other interventions at reducing stress-induced inflammation. Read more here.
Pascale Carayon speaks at a joint healthcare and engineering initiative
Pascale Carayon, Industrial and Systems Engineering and Proctor & Gamble Professor in Total Quality, spoke about systems approaches to improving safety in healthcare at a national meeting, according to an Engineering News release. The meeting, cosponsored by the Institutes of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering, was the first event for a new initiative, the IOM/NAE Systems Approaches for Improving Health Innovation Collaborative. Read more here.
Sarah Van Orman discusses influenza vaccine effectiveness in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Dr. Sarah Van Orman, executive director of University Health Services at UW-Madison and vice president of the American College Health Association, discussed the effectiveness of this year's influenza vaccine in The Chronicle of Higher Education, in a piece discussing the steps colleges and universities are taking to cope with the spread of the virus as classes soon resume. Dr. Van Orman reported that the effectiveness rate is about 60 percent. Read more about the Chronicle's piece here, or more about Dr. Van Orman here.
Ossorio, Shapiro call for new ethical guidelines for research on social networking
Pilar Ossorio, UW-Madison professor of law and bioethics and bioethics scholar-in-residence at the Morgridge Institute, along with R. Benjamin Shapiro, has published a call for new ethics guidelines regarding online research involving adolescents. They raise concerns about privacy, informed consent for participating in online research, and the effect of interventions on participants. According to a UW News release, the full piece was published in the January 11 Policy Forum of journal Science. Read more here.
Dominique Brossard and Dietram Scheufele encourage accurate science reporting
Dominique Brossard, professor of life sciences communication, and Dietram Scheufele, the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication, have published a Perspectives piece for the journal Science, encourage scientists to join an effort to make sure the public receives full, accurate and unbiased information on science and technology. According to a UW News release, Broussard and Scheufele caution while that the internet has increased access to scientific information, the ways in which people look up information online may actually restrict what they encounter. They encourage scientists and others to engage in discussions of how to most effecively reach public audiences. Read more here.
Gerda Lerner, women's studies pioneer, passes away at 92
Gerda Lerner, Robinson Edwards Professor Emerita of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died on Wednesday, Jan. 2. She was 92 years old. Dr. Lerner pioneered the field of women's history. She created the first master's program in women's history at Sarah Lawrence College in 1972. In 1980, she joined the faculty of UW-Madison's and, among many other accomplishments, established a doctoral program in women's history that remains among the top ranked in the field today. In addition to being remembered as a pioneer in the field of women's and gender scholarship, Prof. Lerner was a tireless advocate for the advancement of women in higher education. To read more about Dr. Lerner and her life, visit UW News or the New York Times.
News – 2012
Nature Magazine names Jo Handelsman one of "ten people who mattered" in 2012
Jo Handelsman, PhD, co-founder and former co-director of WISELI and currently Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University, was named one of "ten people who mattered this year" by Nature Magazine. Dr. Handelsman received this honor in recognition of research she and her colleagues recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Handelsman's study asked academic scientists across the nation to review a job application for a lab manager. The application was randomly assigned a male or female named. Scientists, male and female, rated the female applicant as less competent than the male, would offer her a lower starting salary, and expressed less interest in mentoring her. The article suggests that such biases and practices could be one factor preventing the advancement of women in science. Read more here.
Trisha Andrew named in Forbes "30 Under 30 in Energy"
Trisha Andrew, assistant professor of chemistry, has been named to Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 in Energy. Her energy research focuses on using unique nanoscale materials to develop new types of solar cells, which can convert solar energy into electrical energy, according to a UW News release. Read more about the list and Professor Andrew's research here.
Barbara Klein publishes research findings in JAMA
Barbara Klein, MD, MPH, Professor of Opthalmology, together with her colleagues, will publish research findings demonstrating that regular use of aspirin is associated with a increased risk of age-related macular degeneration. The article will be published in the December 19 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read more here.
Margaret "Gretchen" Schwarze surveys surgeon's views of post-operative life support
Margaret "Gretchen" Schwarze, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, released survey findings indicating that a majority of the 900 vascular, cardiothoracic, and neurological surgeons participating in her national study were reluctant to operate on a patient who explicity expressed a wish to limit post-operative life support. A majority also indicated a willingness to negotiate an informal contract with patients outlining mutually agreeable limits on aggressive postoperative treatments. Dr. Schwarze hopes the study will lead to better negotiations between surgeons and patients. Read more about the study and explanations for surgeons attitudes here.
Five graduate students of color named to the Bouchet Society
Five University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate students of color— Patrick Brown, Sharee Light, Gregory Mosby, Chidi Obasi and Myeshia Price — will be inducted into the UW-Madison chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society in March 2013, and inducted into the national Bouchet Society in April 2013, according to a UW News release. Read more about the society and this year's UW-Madison inductees here.
Patricia Flatley Brennan studies virtual healthcare
Patricia Flatley Brennan, Moehlman Bascom professor of industrial and systems engineering and nursing, is studying home health care using virtual reality in a "CAVE". According to an Engineering News piece, the CAVE uses a series of projectors in a cube-shaped room to create virtually any space imaginable, including a patient's home environment like a kitchen or bathroom. Along with colleagues, Brennan is studying ways to stimulate changes in the brain to help people more effortlessly choose health-promoting behaviors, starting in the CAVE. Read more here.
Patricia Kiley named Chair of Biomolecular Chemistry
Following a national search, Patricia Kiley, PhD, has been appointed as chair of the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Kiley received her MS and PhD degrees in microbiology from the University of Illinois and joined the UW-Madison department as a faculty member in 1990. Promoted to full professor in 2002, she is nationally recognized as an outstanding scientist, academician, mentor, and leader. Read more here.
Computational Electrodynamics text by Susan Hagness and Allen Taflove seventh most cited in Google Scholar
UW Engineering News reports that Computational Electrodynamics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method, co-authored by Philip Dunham Reed Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Susan Hagness and Northwestern University Professor of Electrical and Computer Science Allen Taflove, is the seventh most cited physics publication in Google Scholar. Currently, the text has been cited 10,436 times. Read more about the book, now in its third edition, here.
Tessa Peters awarded organic plant breeding fellowship
Tessa Peters, graduate student in the plant breeding and plant genetics program, has been awarded one of nation's first organic plant breeding fellowships. UW News reports that Peters is currently working with her advisor Bill Tracy, professor and chair of the agronomy department, who selected her for the fellowship. Read more about Ms. Peters and her research plans here.
Shuchi Chawla one of four UW-Madison Kavli Frontiers of Science fellows
Computer Sciences Professor Shuchi Chawla is one of four UW-Madison faculty members who have been named Kavli Frontiers of Science fellows and have been invited to participate in a symposium of the same name. UW News reports, the symposium, sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and the Kavli Foundation, "brings together outstanding young scientists to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in a broad range of disciplines." Read more about all four fellows from our campus here.
Izabela Szlufarska publishes research on static friction and silicon dioxide surfaces
Izabela Szlufarska, associate professor of materials science and engineering, and Ph.D. student Yun Liu (now a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) are publishing their research on static friction and silicon dioxide surfaces in the journal "Physical Review Letters." Szlufarska and Liu have "learned that chemical reactions between two silicon dioxide surfaces cause the bonds at that interface to "age," or strengthen gradually over time," according to a UW News release. Read more about the discovery here.
Melanie Matchett Wood, Georgia Benkart, Mary Ellen Rudin named American Mathematical Society Fellows
Melanie Matchett Wood, assistant professor, Georgia Benkart, emeritus professor, and Mary Ellen Rudin, emeritus professor have all been named fellows by the American Mathematical Society. According to a UW News release, "the society’s fellows designation recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilization of mathematics." Read more about all 22 of the UW-Madison fellows here.
Lauren Wisk and Whitney Witt publish new article
Lauren Wisk, PhD student in the Department of Population Health Sciences, and Whitney Witt, PhD, MPHM, Assistant Professor in the same department, published an article in the journal Pediatrics. Their research demonstrates that families experiencing financial stress, whether or not they have health insurance, delay or avoid seeking health care for their children in order to save money. They suggest policy solutions to avoid compromising children's health. Read more here.
Naomi Chesler and team to study link between BPD and adult heart disease
Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Naomi Chesler, along with Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Marlowe W. Eldridge, has won a $3.27 million grant from the National Institutes for Health. Professors Chesler and Eldridge will study how bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a common condition in low-birth-weight infants, acts as a predictor of right heart failure in adulthood, according to a College of Engineering News item. Read more here.
Angela Jones, Martha Rathbun build chemistry education materials
Angela Jones, a postdoctoral researcher in the chemistry department, and Martha Rathbun, an Illinois teacher, have collaborated with faculty, instructors, and the Discovery Center Museum in Illinois to spark children's learning about nanoscience. A playground at the museum modeled after carbon structures is intended to create interest and enthusiasm in the nanoscience concepts, while the signs, website, hands-on materials and curriculum activities created by Jones and Rathbun can promote learning about carbon, chemical bonds and molecular structure. Read more about all of the activities in the initiative in a UW News release here.
Lisa Naughton receives CIES Fulbright Scholar Program grant
Lisa Naughton, professor of geography, is one of four UW-Madison faculty members who have received grants through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). Professor Naughton will be traveling to Chile to focus on environmental studies. Read more about all of the UW-Madison faculty and student Fulbright recipients here.
Tanya M. Higgins wins Early-Career Achievement Award
Tanya M. Higgins, a UW-Madison Engineering Masters alumna, will be presented with the Early-Career Achievement Award by the College of Engineering on Friday, October 26. She is one of seven being honored by the College on its annual Engineers' Day. A UW News release reports that Higgins "focuses on quality in company processes, products and talent and serves as a mentor for women in science and engineering at the company and in the community." Read more about all seven honorees here.
Elizabeth Petty and Cynthia Haq receive new grant
Elizabeth Petty, MD, Sr. Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, and Cynthia Haq, MD, Professor of Family Medicine and Population Health Sciences, are co-investigators together with Patrick Remington, MD, MPH, Assoc. Dean for Public Health, on a new $1.5 million grant to plan for the integration of public health into the curriculum for students pursuing MD and PA degrees. Read more here.
Jacqueline Gerhart provides overviews of weight loss, breast health recommendations
Dr. Jacqueline Gerhart, a clinical assistant professor of family medicine, has recently provided overviews of current recommendations for both long-term weight loss and breast health screenings to local media. In one article, she provides three tips that she provides to patients who want to lose weight, while in another she answers a number of questions about when women might see their physician for breast health and mammogram concerns. Read more about Dr. Gerhart's suggestions for weight loss here and information about breast cancer awareness here.
Lucille Marchand teaching Healer's Art class
Lucille Marchand, a professor of family medicine at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, is teaching a Healer's Art course in which medical students are asked how they take care of themselves. Practicing physicians who have already taken the course also participate, acting as mentors to younger students taking the course. The goals of the course include helping physicians to remain open and sensitive, reports David Tenenbaum of UW-Madison News. Read more about the course here.
Naomi Chesler awarded NSF grant for internship program
Naomi Chesler, associate professor of biomedical engineering, has been awarded a $600,000 Course, Curriculum, Learning and Instruction grant from the National Science Foundation. According to a College of Engineering news item, the funded program will develop and test a new internship simulation, run as part of a freshman-level engineering course, with the intention of retaining students who might otherwise leave the field. Read more here.
Pam Kreeger awarded ACS grant to study ovarian cancer
Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Pam Kreeger has won a $720,000 grant from the American Cancer Society to study cell interactions ovarian cancer, reports a College of Engineering newsnote. Read more about the three-year planned study here.
Cora Marrett receives Distinguished Alumni Award
Cora Marrett, deputy director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), has been honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association. Dr. Marrett earned her master's and Ph.D. in sociology at UW-Madison in 1965 and 1968, was a faculty member at UW-Madison from 1974-1997, served as senior vice president for academic affairs for the University of Wisconsin System, and is now in a leadership role with the NSF. Read more about Dr. Marrett and the other award recipients here.
Brenda Pracheil studies freshwater fish migration
Brenda Pracheil, a postdoctoral fellow at the UW-Madison Center for Limnology, and her colleagues from at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission have studied the migration of freshwater fish in the United States, and are publishing the results of their study in the journal Fisheries, according to a UW-Madison news release. Pracheil and her team found that freshwater fish, like the American paddlefish, can migrate across great distances and are therefore subject to the widely varying harvesting regulations of individual states. She and her colleagues therefore recommend a more comprehensive approach to fishery regulations and management in order to protect potentially threatened species. Read more about the study and its results here.
Recipients of UWCCC Awards announced
Kari Wisinski, MD, Asst. Professor in the Dept. of Medicine, (Hematology-Oncology), is one of six PIs to receive awards from the UW Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) to launch pilot research studies. Wisinski's co-investigators are Jill Kolesar, PharmD; William Schelman, MD, PhD; Anne Traynor, MD; and Jens Eickhoff, PhD. Ellen Hartenbach, MD, Assoc. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Michael Newton, PhD are co-investigors on another UWCCC award to PI Manish Patankar, PhD. Read more about the UWCCC awards and recipients here.
Sunduz Keles wins major grant
Sunduz Keles, PhD, Associate Professor of Statistics and Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, together with her co-investigators Colin Dewey, PhD, and Emery Bresnick, PhD, has received a new $1.1 million grant from the Nathional Human Genome Research Institute to analyze important, but poorly studied, areas of the human genome. The team will rely on new computational tools they developed to conduct this research. Read more here.
Professors Sesto, Wiegmann, Tevaarwerk, and Heidrich featured in local media
As a College of Engineering news brief notes, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and Industrial and Systems Engineering Assistant Professor Mary Sesto, Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Associate Douglas Wiegmann, Oncology Assistant Professor Amye Tevaarwerk and School of Nursing Emeritus Professor Sue Heidrich were featured in an article in Madison Magazine highlighting their research and application of human factors engineering principles to improve cancer survivors’ ability to return to work. Read more about their research and the tool that they developed here.
Carla Pugh, Caprice Greenberg part of interdisciplinary collaboration for surgical excellence
Dr. Carla Pugh and Associate Professor Caprice Greenberg of the UW-Madison Department of Surgery are part of an interdisciplinary team that will develop a coaching program to help Wisconsin surgeons achieve and maintain surgical excellence, according to a College of Engineering news release. Read more about the coaching program here.
Lauren Garrison earns best student paper award
Nuclear engineering graduate student Lauren Garrison earned a best student paper award for her research, “The effects of 30 keV He irradiation on single crystal tungsten,” at the American Nuclear Society Technology of Fusion Energy conference, held in Nashville, Tennessee, according to a College of Engineering news brief. Read more about the paper here.
Jean Bahr named to the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Jean Bahr, professor of hydrogeology, has been appointed by President Obama to the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. According to a UW-Madison News article, the board "is charged with providing independent scientific and technical oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy's program for managing and disposing of radioactive waste." Professor Bahr, along with seven other new board members, will serve four-year terms with possibility of a single four-year renewal. Read more here.
Carol Menassa, Nancy Wong join NSF-funded sustainability project
Carol Menassa, the M. A. Mortenson Company Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Nancy Wong, an associate professor of consumer science, will join colleagues on a newly NSF-funded sustainability project. As members of an interdisciplinary team from UW-Madison the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, professors Menassa and Wong will "investigate a holistic concept for future green buildings by researching ways to combine multiple dimensions of building control systems with analysis of how human beings factor into making a building energy efficient," according to a UW News report. Read more here.
Sheila McGuirk, veterinary medicine students provide service to World Dairy Expo
Sheila McGuirk, professor of large animal internal medicine and food animal production medicine, and a cadre of veterinary medicine will be providing invaluable service at the upcoming World Dairy Expo at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison for the coming weekend. The students will process the heath examination papers and status of each animal before they are unloaded, milked, and given a place to bed down after sometimes lengthy journeys. The help of volunteers will not only help the check-in process run more smoothly for Expo participants, but will also help prevent the spread of disease among the cattle. Read more here.
Christine Seibert selected as ELAM fellow
Christine Seibert, MD, Associate Dean for Medical Education and Associate Professor of Medicine, has been selected as a fellow of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program. She joins a cadre of seven other leaders at the UWSMPH who have previously participated in this prestigious program that aims to enhance the leadership skills of senior women faculty. Read more here.
Advances for UW-Madison women in science highlighted
Research investigating the role of women in science shows that in 2011, 31 percent of the UW-Madison faculty was female, an increase from 18 percent in 1990. Bringing together perspectives of several campus leaders, a UW-Madison News article suggests some reasons for the progress and considers ongoing challenges to the advancement and promotion of women faculty in the sciences and engineering. WISELI Executive and Research Director Jennifer Sheridan, describes some of WISELI's efforts to increase the representation of women in science and engineering. Amy Wendt and Molly Carnes, WISELI's directors, also share perspectives. Read more here.
Heidi-Lynn Ploeg studying stronger bone mechanics
Heidi-Lynn Ploeg, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Bone and Joint Mechanics Laboratory, is studying the mechanics of the human skeleton and working to improve bone health. In particular, she and her reearch team focus on tissue, the mechanics of tissue strength, and how samples respond to pressure. Read more about her research here.
Linda Greene named new Vice Chancellor at UC-San Diego
Professor Linda Greene, who served as "Internal Advisor" to WISELI in its early years and has always been a strong advocate for women faculty at UW-Madison, has accepted the post of Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UC-San Diego. Currently the Evjue Bascom Professor of Law, she has served UW-Madison in faculty and administrative leadership roles for more than twenty years. Read more about Professor Greene and her new position here.
Irena Knezevic awarded grant from Department of Energy
Irena Knezevic, an associate professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the US Department of Energy to study nanoscale power research. Read more about Professor Knezevic and her work here.
USDA honors Molly Jahn
Molly Jahn, UW-Madison agronomy and genetics professor, will be honored today by the USDA at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC. The Secretary's Honor Award, the highest recognition bestowed by the department, will honor her and her work on the "Your Two Cents" program. Read more about Professor Jahn and the program here.
Care for mildly ill children changed to in-home provider
Care for mildly ill children of eligible UW–Madison students, faculty and staff will now be provided by Maxim Healthcare, a contracted in-home provider. Read more about the change and available services here.
Denise Thomas honored by Wisconsin Women of Color Network
Denise Thomas, program assistant for WiscAMP and WISELI affilitate, will be honored for her work with AISES students by the Wisconsin Women of Color Network at their September conference. Read more about the WWCN and the conference here.
Arbuckle honored as one of UW-Madison’s 2012 Outstanding Women of Color
Jacquelynn Dawn Arbuckle, a lecturer and surgical instructor active in the Department of Surgery’s Women and Surgery Club, is one of UW-Madison's four Outstanding Women of Color for 2012. Read more about Dr. Arbuckle and the other honorees here.
Distinguished Alumna, Alice McPherson, MD '51 honored
One on only four women in the 1951 graduating class of the UW School of Medicine, Alice McPherson went on to become a distinguished and pioneering researcher in her chosen specialty of opthalmology. She pioneered the use of xenon, laser, and other therapies to treat diseases of the retina, including diabetic retinopathy. Currently a professor of opthalmology at the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. McPherson has generously provided endowments to foster research on eradicating blindness. These include a substantial endowment she later provided led to the establishmentof UW Eye Research Institute in 2005. In honor of her work and her generosity, this institute was recently renamed the McPherson Eye Research Institute. Read more here.
Margaret McFall-Ngai completes Guggenheim Fellowship year
Margaret McFall-Ngai, PhD, a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, recently completed a John Simon Guggenheim fellowship that included a sabbatical year at CalTech and interaction with scientists in several European countries. McFall-Ngai's recent and upcoming publications and her research on symbiosis and its implications for the Human Microbiome Project, immunology, and our understanding of evolution are profiled here.
Gevens, Charkowski and colleagues study, provide resources about potato blight
Scientists from UW-Madison are looking for ways to combat potato blight, as part of the nation's largest group of potato researchers. Assistant professor Amanda Gevens, who has joint appointments with University of Wisconsin-Extension and the UW-Madison Department of Plant Pathology, is researching a pathogenic strain of potato blight, called US-23. Professor Gevens provides expert advice on disease management in potatoes and vegetables and coordinates 'Blitecast' via her wok with the UW Extension service. Meanwhile, professor of plant pathology Amy Charkowski runs the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program, which ensures that seed potatoes are disease-free, and oversees the state seed potato farm near Rhinelander. Read more about their work and available resources here.
Brennan and colleagues map costs of participating in Health Information Exchange
Patricia Brennan, Moehlman-Bascom professor of nursing and engineering, and colleagues have written a new paper calculating the costs for various stakeholders when emergency departments use health information exchanges (HIEs) to look up patients' electronic records from other institutions. Read more about the research and results here.
Holloway receives award for education and mentorship in clean energy
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies associate professor Tracey Holloway is the recipient of the first-ever Clean Energy Education and Empowerment Initiative, or C3E, award. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative, the program is designed to help increase the number of women engaged in clean energy disciplines, from science and academia, to industry, to policy, to advocacy. Read more here.
Blackwell and colleagues study A. baumanni bacteria
Helen Blackwell, professor of chemistry, and colleagues have identified a handful of compounds that effectively disrupt the signaling pathway of A. baumanni, a pathogen that is difficult to treat and contributes to thousands of deaths per year. Current research suggests that the bacteria must accumulate into large colonies or aggregate into "biofilms." The process by which this iis accomplished is called quorum sensing, where chemical signals are used by the bacterium to gather and sense a critical mass of cells, which then act in unison to exert virulence. Read more about the findings here.
Reed, colleagues recipients of Keck Foundation grant
Jennifer Reed, professor of chemical and biological engineering, and three UW-Madison colleagues have received a one million dollar grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to fund research into creating synthetic genome "foundries." Read more here.
JoAnne Robbins to receive prestigious award
JoAnne Robbins, PhD, Professor of Medicine, will receive the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's most prestigious award, the Honors Award, on November 16, 2012. The award recognizes individuals whose work has "changed the course of their profession." Robbins, who also holds appointments in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Nutritional Sciences, is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in the area of swallowing disorders and dysphagia rehabilitation. Read more here.
Barbara Bendlin presents research on metabolic syndrome
Barbara Bendlin, PhD., Assistant Professor of Medicine-Geriatrics recently presented research demonstrating a linkage between metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that often lead to heart disease and type-2 diabetes, and reduced blood flow to the brain. Future research will investigate whether people with metablic syndrome risk loss of memory and cognitive skills. Read more here.
Masters to participate in NAE symposium
Kristyn Masters, associate professor of biomedical engineering, has been selected to attend the National Academy of Engineering U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium in September. One of only 78 in the nation invited to attend, Masters will travel to the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan for the event. Read more here.
Roberts to step down as dean of School of Pharmacy
Jeanette Roberts, dean of the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy, plans to step down in September 2013 after serving 10 years in the position. Roberts says she plans to retain her faculty status and potentially return to UW-Madison to teach on public health care policy following work in Washington, D.C. Read more about Dean Roberts, her leadership successes in the School of Pharmacy, and her plans for the future here.
McMahon, Beversdorf warn of algae toxicity dangers
Katherine McMahon, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and graduate student Lucas Beversdorf have noted a transition in blue-green algae found in local lakes that takes place during June or early July, and related levels of toxicity. The algae, called cyanobacteria, changes from relatively harmless bacteria to those that can contain toxins that attack the liver or nervous system. Read more about the discovery, led by Bevensdorf, and ongoing research for both scientists here.
Female scientists among inter-institutional research grant recipients
Several female faculty members were among the recipients of Intercampus Research Incentive grants, a program between UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. The program is funded by UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee donors, and projects are selected by a committee of faculty and administrators from both institutions. Read more here.
Shaw graduates from the Rockwell Automation Diversity Scholars program
Julia Shaw, an industrial and systems engineering alumna, along with Jay Flores, has graduated from the Rockwell Automation Diversity Scholars program. The program provides full scholarships and internship opportunities to promising UW-Madison engineering freshmen who are under-represented minorities and who come from one of five Milwaukee public high schools. Read more here.
Shim named new dean of School of Human Ecology
Soyeon Shim, a professor and director at the University of Arizona in Tucson, has been selected as the new dean of the School of Human Ecology at UW-Madison. Read more about Dr. Shim and her plans for her new position here.
Study by Jelenchick, Moreno featured in local media
A new study by Lauren Jelenchick, a researcher at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, and Megan Moreno, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, has been featured in the Wisconsin State Journal. The study investigated whether a link exists between Facebook use and risk of depression in adolescents, and did not find evidence of increased risk of depression among social media users for certain lengths of time. Read more here.
Carla Pugh joins panel of distinguished speakers
Carla Pugh, MD, PhD was among nine distinguished presenters invited to participate in a research symposium celebrating the 10th anniversary of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Dr. Pugh, vice chair of education and patient safety in the Department of Surgery, is the recipient of the 2011 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Others presenting at the meeting included Nobel laureates and recipients of National Medal of Science awards. See more here.
Wu plays leading role in search for Higgs boson
Sau Lan Wu, the Enrico Fermi Professor of Physics at UW-Madison, played an important role in the discovery recently announced by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Independent international teams of scientists, which include Dr. Wu and two other professors from UW-Madison, have narrowed the search for the elusive Higgs boson, discovering a new particle with a mass in the region of 125 GeV. The scientists have not yet confirmed whether the new particle is the Higgs boson, but the preliminary data are consistent with Higgs predictions. Read more here or in On Wisconsin.
Gill shares doctoral research via social media
Jacquelyn Gill, a doctoral candidate in geography, has found success in communicating about her research both on Twitter and on her blog. Ms. Gill, who studies climate change and the extinction of large animals, is set to defend her dissertation on July 5 before beginning a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. Read more here.
Jamison, Garrison selected to attend Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
Laura Jamison, a doctoral candidate in the Materials Science Program, and Lauren Garrison, a researcher in Engineering Physics, are among four graduate students from UW-Madison selected to attend the 62nd annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting held on Lake Constance in Lindau, Germany. Read more about all four attendees from UW-Madison here, or more about the experience at Ms. Garrison's blog.
Moriello translates research into practice volunteering at animal shelter
Karen Moriello, a clinical professor specializing in dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, has spent the last year working with volunteers at an animal shelter to benefit from the techniques she uses in her research lab. Dr. Moriello, who specializes in screening for and treating ringworm, has established a ringworm-control system at a large shelter in Nevada where the fungus had run rampant. Read more about Dr. Moriello and her work here.
White to lead environmental justice teaching and outreach
Monica White has been named assistant professor of environmental justice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in a position shared by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Read more about Dr. White and her plans for the program here.
McCoy wins best poster award
Chloe McCoy, a biomedical engineering MD/PhD candidate working with Associate Professor Kristyn Masters, received the best poster award at the 5th Biennial Conference on Heart Valve Biology and Tissue Engineering, held in Mykonos, Greece. Read more about the research and forthcoming PLoS One publication here.
Haq, Jahn named Wisconsin Academy fellows
Professor Cynthia Haq, Department of Family Medicine, and Professor Molly Jahn, Laboratory of Genetics and Department of Agronomy, have been named 2012 Fellows to the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. The highest level of recognition conferred by the Academy, "Fellows are elected for their extraordinary levels of accomplishment in their fields as well as a lifelong commitment to intellectual discourse and public service." Read more about the Academy and the Fellows here.
Seltzer studies Fragile X gene
Marsha Mailick Seltzer, director of the UW-Madison Waisman Center, led a new study on the mutation of a gene that can cause Fragile X syndrome. The study is being published in American Journal of Medical Genetics, and uses samples from participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. Read more about the study and findings here.
Dobrinski a finalist for School of Veterinary Medicine Dean position
Ina Dobrinski is one of four finalists for the position of Dean in the School of Veterinary Medicine, replacing outgoing Dean Daryl Buss. She is currently head of the Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine in the faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. Read more about the search here.
Reed receives early career award
Jennifer Reed, an assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, and Garret Suen, an assistant professor of bacteriology, each received five-year, $750,000 early-career awards from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research to explore new possible ways to produce biofuels. Reed, a faculty researcher in the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, is developing ways to make blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) produce the biofuel butanol from sunlight and carbon dioxide. Read more here.
Barbara Bendlin publishes findings related to early detection of Alzheimers
Barbara Bendlin, PhD., Assistant Professor of Medicine-Geriatrics recently published research demonstrating that proteins related to Alzheimer's found in cerebrospinal fluid predicted degeneration in the brain's white matter. These findings may lead to earlier detection of Alzheimers and enable earlier intervention. Bendlin and her team recently receive a large NIH grant to study connections between Alzheimers and brain white matter. Read more here.
Jeppson studies Japanese earthquake
UW-Madison geoscience graduate student Tamara Jeppson, as part of the Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project, is trying to understand factors that led to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and resulting tsunami. Her work is on location aboard the Japanese drilling vessel Chikyu, as part of an international team. Read more on her personal blog or the study's site.
Chemistry instructor Reich to retire
Ieva L. Reich, an instructor in the Department of Chemistry for 42 years, has announced her plans to retire. Read more about Dr Reich's work, including her award-winning teaching techniques, here and here.
Finalists announced for dean of School of Human Ecology
Three finalists have been named in the search for the new dean of the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology. The finalists are Jeanne M. Hogarth, Laurie Kramer, and Soyeon Shim. Read more about each of the finalists here.
Gretchen Schwarze publishes article in Annals of Surgery
Margaret "Gretchen" Schwarze, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, has published an article showing that surgeons who make a technical error during an operation are less likely to honor patients' requests to withdraw life-support than when post-operative complications are not known to be caused by surgical errors. Read more here.
Georgiana Wilton receives Champion in Women's Health Award
Georgiana Wilton, PhD, Associate Scientist in the Department of Family Medicine, is one of seven recipients of the Champions in Women's Helath Award presented annually by the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation. Read more here.
Wetterneck inaugurated as Wisconsin Medical Society President
Tosha B. Wetterneck, MD, MS, FACP, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, was inaugurated as the President of the Wisconsin Medical Society during the Society's Annual Meeting in April. Read more here.
UW-Madison student wins Luce scholarship
Lauren Buckley, a UW-Madison undergraduate student majoring in chemistry, biochemistry and French, was recently named a 2012 Luce Scholar, one of 18 individuals chosen nationally. Read more here.
Professor emerita Jaya G. Iyer passes away
Professor emerita Jaya G. Iyer, who worked in the Department of Soil Science at UW-Madison from 1968 to 2003, passed away on May 2, 2012 at the age of 78. She was the first female faculty member in that department. To read more about Dr. Iyer's remarkable work as an advisor, educator, recruiter and researcher, click here.
Bartz to speak at UW-Madison commencement
Carol Bartz, the former CEO and president of Autodesk and Yahoo! and UW-Madison alumna, will speak to the graduates at the commencement ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20 at the Kohl Center. Read more here.
Whitney Witt receives new grant
Whitney Witt, Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences has received a new grant from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Read more here.
Eileen Cullen chairs committee on corn rootworm
Eileen Cullen, Associate Professor of Entomology and Extension Specialist, is charing a committee of scientists working on corn rootworm, a corn crop pest. Following the discovery that more Western corn rootworms are resistant to the toxin contained in widely planted transgenic corn, Cullen and others wrote an advisory letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggesting changes in the management approaches used. Read more here.
Margaret McFall-Ngai elected to AAAS
Margaret McFall-Ngai, Professor of Medical Microbiology and Immunology is one of three UW-Madison faculty elected into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences(AAAS). The other electees are Robert Fettiplace, Steenbock Professor of Neural and Behavioral Science, and Steve Stern, Alberto Flores Galindo and Hilldale Professor of History. Read more here.
Lisa Steinkamp receives award
The Wisconsin Physical Therapy Association honored Lisa Steinkamp, PT, MS, MBA, director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, with their Mentor Award. Read more here.
Christopher Coe, Carol Ryff, and Gayle Love win research award
Christorpher Coe, Professor of Psychology, Carol Ryff, Director of the Institute on Aging, and Gayle Love, Researcher at the Institute on Aging together with colleagues from other institutions in the US and Japan received the inaugural annual prize for the Best 2011 Research in Health & Society at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They were awarded for their published research on racial differences in aging. Read more here.
UW Alumnae working at NASA featured in On Wisconsin
UW Alumnae Karina Eversley, Angie Lenius, and Nikki Williams were featured in this month's On Wisconsin for their work at NASA. Read more here.
Booske Catlin featured in The New York Times
Bridget Booske Catlin, a Senior Scientist at the UW Population Heath Institute, recently had her work featured in The New York Times. Dr. Booske Catlin's study has found that Americans' longevity is increasing, but disproportionately so among the better educated. Read more here.
Knight, McDermott, and Pfatteicher honored with Academic Staff Awards
Susan Knight (Center for Limnology), Nancy McDermott (Social Science Computing Cooperative), and Sarah Pfatteicher (CALS Undergraduate program) have all been honored with 2012 Academic Staff Awards. Read more here.
Leyuan Shi to edit industrial engineering journal
Leyuan Shi, professor of industrial and systems engineering, has been named an editor for the IEEE journal Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering. Read more about Dr. Shi and her work on her faculty webpage, found here.
Pascale Carayon to edit leading ergonomics publication
Pascale Carayon, professor of industrial and systems engineering, will be co-editor-in-chief of Applied Ergonomics. She will share the editorship with United Kingdom engineers John Wilson and Ken Parsons. Previously, Carayon served as the publication’s North American scientific editor. Visit Dr. Carayon's faculty webpage found here to learn more about her work.
Molly Jahn serves on Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change
Molly Jahn, Laboratory of Genetics and Department of Agronomy professor, is the U.S. representative to the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. Comprised of independent scientists from 13 countries, the Commission released a report proposing "specific policy responses to the global challenge of feeding a world confronted by climate change, population growth, poverty, food price spikes and degraded ecosystems." Read more here.
Anna Pidgeon uses Twitter as teaching tool
Anna Pidgeon, assistant professor of forest and wildlife ecology, is using the social media site Twitter as a teaching tool for her Terrestrial Vertebrate Ecology course. Students in the class are required to report at least 10 wildlife sightings or behaviors over the course of the semester, sharing their observations by using the #FWE306 hashtag. Read more here or on Twitter.
Nasia Safdar leading infection control study site
Dr. Nasia Safdar, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and infection control specialist, is leading a CDC-sponsored national study site. Taking place in the UW Hospital and Clinics, the study requires enhanced "gown and glove" procedures for all ICU patients, whether they have an infection or not. In September, the infection rates of UWHC patients and those of nine other sites that used universal gloving and gowning will be compared to sites that only used the procedure for selected infections. Read more here.
Teresa Adams named to ITS program advisory committee
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has named Teresa Adams, professor of civil and environmental engineering, to the Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee (ITSPAC). Read more here.
Blackwell, Britland, Keles, and Knoll honored with Romnes Faculty Fellowships
Helen Blackwell, professor, chemistry; Karen Britland, professor, English; Sunduz Keles, associate professor, statistics and biostatistics & medical informatics;and Laura Knoll, associate professor, medical microbiology and immunology, have all been honored with Romnes Faculty Fellowships. The Romnes awards recognize exceptional faculty members who have earned tenure within the last four years. Read more here.
WISE residential learning community supports STEM degree completion
The UW-Madison Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) residential learning community is playing a key role in retaining women in STEM disciplines through graduation, new data shows. Read more here.
Teresa Adams named to World Road Association committee
Teresa Adams, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education, has been named to the Freight Transport Committee of the World Railroad Association. Read more here.
Roseanne Clark receives Distinguished Teaching Award
Roseanne Clark, Assoc. Prof. of Psychiatry, is one of ten recipients of UW-Madison Distinguished Teaching Awards and has been awarded the Van Hise Outreach Award. Read more here.
Maureen Smith shows that publicly reporting outcome measures improves patient care
Maureen Smith, professor of Population Health Sciences, and her colleagues recently published their study on the influence of publicly reporting outcomes of treatment innovations for patients with diabetes in the journal of Health Affairs. Read more here.
Ruth Benedict studies intervention for children with cerebral palsy
Ruth Benedict, professor of occupational therapy, and her team have been studying functional effects of a baclofen pump for children with cerebral palsy (CP) . Read more here.
Sheila McGuirk honored as Dairy Industry Person of the Year
Sheila McGiurk, a professor of medical sciences in the School of Veterinary Medicine, is the 2012 recipient of the World Dairy Expo's Dairy Industry Person of the Year Award. Read more here.
Abiola O. Keller named to Bouchet Society
Abiola O. Keller, a doctoral candidate in the Population Health Sciences program, has been named to the Madison Chapter of the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Student Honor Society. Read more here.
Cathy Middlecamp to lead Nelson Institute Community Environmental Scholars Program
The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies has been awarded UW-Madison's first-ever National Science Foundation S-STEM grant for undergraduate scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Cathy Middlecamp, associate professor of environmental studies and Howe Bascom Professor of Integrated Liberal Studies, is the project leader of the five-year, $600,000 grant. Read more here.
Megan Moreno featured in the New York Times
School of Medicine and Public Health professor Megan Moreno was recently featured in the New York Times, discussing how teen Facebook postings can serve as signs of depression and an early warning system for timely intervention. Read more here.
Cat Burkat provides ocular surgery to patients and training to physicians in Vietnam
Cat Burkat, MD, an assistant professor of Opthalmology and Ocular Science, uses her expertise in oculoplastic reconstructive surgery to provide humanitarian service to patients and physicians in Vietnam. Originally born in Vietnam, Dr. Burkat was a very young child when her family fled Saigon and found security in a refugee camp in Pennsylvania. Read more about Dr. Burkat and her work here.
Kristen Bernard, Shelby O'Connor interviewed by local media
Kristen Bernard (Pathobiological Sciences) and Shelby O'Connor (Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) were recently interviewed by the Wisconsin State Journal on the topic of biological research and safety on campus. Read more here.
3 STEM Women Earn Vilas Associate Award
Andrea Arpaci-Dusseau (Computer Science), Irena Knezevic (Electrical & Computer Engineering), and Wei Xu (Oncology) are among the 26 recipients of 2012/13 Vilas Associate Awards.
Pupa Gilbert and colleagues report new uses for mother of pearl
In a new report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Professor Pupa Gilbert and her colleagues show that nacre, or mother of pearl, can be deployed in the interest of science as a hard-wired thermometer and pressure sensor, revealing both the temperature and ocean depth at which the material formed. Read more here.
UW Carbone Cancer Center announces recipients of research awards
Jenny Gumperz, Christina Kendziorski, Pamela Kreeger, Noelle LoConte, Deane Mosher, Heather Neuman, Amye Tevaarwerk, Kari Wisinski, Yongna Xing, and Jing Zhang are among the prinicipal investigators awarded UWCCC IIT Awards for population health and clinical translational research. Read more here.
Katrina Forest named HHMI fellow
Professor of Bacteriology Katrina Forest has been selected by the Institute for Biology Education as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Faculty Fellow for 2012. Read more
Carla Pugh hired to lead UW Health's new Clinical Simulation Program
Carla Pugh, MD, PhD, a specialist in acute care and emergency general surgery, recently received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for her research on the application of simulation technology in clinical education. She will join the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's Department of Surgery and lead the UW Health's new Clinical Simulation Program. Read more here.
Ei Terasawa uncovers pathway to early puberty
Professor of Pediatrics Ei Terasawa's study is the first to document a connection between diet, growth and puberty in nonhuman primates. Read more here.
Fariba Assadi-Porter uncovers new method to reveal early signs of disease
Research published by Senior Scientist Fariba Assadi-Porter (Biochemistry) demonstrates a simple but sensitive method that can distinguish normal and disease-state glucose metabolism by a quick assay of blood or exhaled air. Read more here.
Sabine Pellett and colleagues use assay to detect botulinum neurotoxin
Sabine Pellett, a researcher in the Department of Bacteriology, and colleagues have devised an effective assay for detecting botulinum neurotoxin, the agent widely used in an increasing number of applications. Read more here.
Video clip highlights research of the Kristyn Masters' Lab
Kristyn Masters, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and members of her lab discuss their work on diseased heart valves in this video clip.
Constance Steinkuehler, Sr. Policy Analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Constance Steinkuehler, Asst. Professor in the School of Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction, is currently funded by the MacArthur Foundation to work in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Her expertise in online games for learning will help to shape "the Obama administration's policies around games that improve health, education, civic engagement and the environment." Steinkuehler's work was recently featured in USA Today.
Wendy Crone named Associate Dean for Graduate Education
Wendy Crone, Professor of Engineering Physics and Interim Associate Dean of Physical Sciences in the UW-Madison Graduate School, has been named as the Graduate School's Associate Dean for Graduate Education. Read more here.
JoAnne Robbins receives Lifetime Clinical Career Award
JoAnne Robbins, Professor of Medicine, has received the 2012 Frank R. Kleffner Lifetime Career Award from the Wisconsin Speech and Hearing Association for the significance of her contributions to the practice and study of swallowing and swallowing disorders. Read more here.
Judith Kimble Selected to Serve on President's National Medal of Science Committee
Professor of Biochemistry Judith Kimble will help choose the next winners of the National Medal of Science, the nation's most prestigious science award. Read more here.
Nancy Mathews, Tally Moses, and Audrey Tluczek win Awards
Nancy Mathews, Professor of the Nelson Institute and Director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service; Tally Moses, Assoc. Prof. of Social Work; and Audrey Tluczek, Assoc. Prof. of Nursing are three of the four winners of travel grant awards from the Global Health Institute. Read more here.
Roseanne Clark earns Distinguished Teaching Award
Roseanne Clark, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, has earned the Van Hise Outreach Distinguished Teaching Award. Read more here.
Carey Gleason receives grant award from the Wisconsin Partnership Program
Carey Gleason, Assistant Professor of Medicine, has received a grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program through its New Investigator Program. She will explore racial disparities in Alzheimer's Disease. Read more here.
Molly Jahn to Address White House
Molly Jahn, Professor of Genetics and former dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, will speak on the civic mission of higher education at an event on Tuesday, Jan. 10, hosted during the Morrill Act's anniversary year by the White House Office of Public Engagement with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Jahn will represent the land grant universities created by the act, which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. Read more here.
News – 2011
Beth Meyerand Elected AIMBE Fellow
Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering Beth Meyerand has has been elected a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in recognition of her contributions to medical imaging, clinical neuroengineering, graduate and undergraduate education, functional magnetic resonance imaging and human brain connectivity research.
Janet Mertz's Study Debunks Myths About Gender and Math Performance
Janet Mertz, senior author of the study and a Professor of Oncology, uses international data on school mathematics performance to cast doubt on some common assumptions about gender and math achievement–in particular, the idea that girls and women have less ability due to a difference in biology. Read more here.
Angela Byars-Winston Receives White House Award
Visiting Associate Professor Angela Byars-Winston is one of 12 Champions of Change, part of President Barack Obama's Winning the Future initiative. Dr. Byars-Winston is receiving the honor for her efforts to enhance job opportunities for young girls, women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Read more here.
Erica Bickford Demonstrates How to Improve Air Quality in Midwest
Nelson Institute graduate student Erica Bickford will present findings of her study of emission reductions achieved in a switch from truck-borne freight to rail at the American Geophysical Union meetings. Read more here.
Whitney Witt demonstrates links between mental health, pregnancy complications, and low birth weight
Asst. Prof. in the Department of Population Health Sciences, Whitney Witt and colleagues publish research suggesting that effective treatment of mental health issues before pregnancy can reduce risks for pregnancy complications and low birth weight babies. Read more here.
Ana Martinez-Donata addresses health needs of underserved communities
Award-winning scientist, Ana Martinez-Donata, Asst. Prof. in the Department of Population Health Sciences, focuses on health needs and health literacy of underserved communities. Read more here.
Nansi Jo Colley and Team Discover Possible Key to Degenerative Nerve Diseases
Nansi Jo Colley, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, published their discovery of a new protein they call XPORT in the journal Neuron. Read more here.
Molly Jahn Co-Authors Report Issuing Food Security Policy Recommendations
Professor of Genetics Molly Jahn serves as the U.S. representative for the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. This Commission recently issued an important report on food security policy, read more here.
Pascale Carayon Receives Distinguished Service Award
Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Pascale Carayon will receive the 2012 Triennial Distinguished Service award from the International Ergonomics Association. Read more here.
Wendy Crone Receives Slesinger Mentoring Award
Professor of Engineering Physics and Associate Dean for Physical Sciences Wendy Crone is the recipient of the 2011 Slesinger Award, which recognizes excellence in mentoring women faculty. Read more here.
Karen Strier Finds Monkey Mothers to be Key to Sons' Reproductive Success
Professor of Anthropology Karen Strier has published a study of wild muriquis monkeys in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. Read more here.
Margaret Harrigan and Douglass Henderson are Champions for Women
Margaret is a Senior Policy & Planning Analyst in the Office of Academic Planning & Analysis, and Doug is a Professor of Engineering Physics and Director of the Graduate Engineering Research Scholars Program. Both awardees will have $5,000 from the UW Women's Philanthropy Council to give to the organization of their choice on campus. Read more here.
Maggie Grabow Finds Increased Use of Bikes for Commuting Offer Economic, Health Benefits
PhD candidate in the Nelson Institute Maggie Grabow is first author on a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives that details the economic, health, and environmental benefits of replacing short car trips with biking in the summer months. Read more here.
UW-Madison's new Global Health Institute Awards Seed Grants
Recipients of grants funded by the Global Health Institute include Monica Grant, Asst. Prof. of Sociology, for research on "Mobile Phone-Disseminated Health Information," and Nancy Kendell, Asst. Prof. of Educational Policy, for a joint research project with Claire Wendland, Asst. Prof. of Anthropology, on "Participatory Action Research and Programming to Improve Young Women's Reproductive Health." Read more here.
Adena Rissman Studies the Efficacy of Conservation Easements
In a study published in late September in the journal Society and Natural Resources, Assistant Professor of Forest & Wildlife Ecology Adena Rissman compared two large easement projects to assess whether such arrangements meet conservation goals. Read more here.
Marisa Otegui Brings Powerful New Electron Microscope to UW-Madison
Assistant Professor of Botany Marisa Otegui is part of a team that received $1.5M from the National Science Foundation to bring a powerful electron microscope to UW-Madison. Read more here.
Patricia Devine Receives 2011 Scientific Impact Award
Professor and Chair of Psychology Patricia Devine received the 2011 Scientific Impact Award from the Society of Experimental Social Psychology. This prestigious award honors the author(s) of a specific article or chapter offering a theoretical, empirical, and/or methodological contribution that has proven highly influential over the last 25 years. Read more here.
Monica Grant, Nancy Kendall, and Claire Wendland Receive Global Health Institute Seed Grants
Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences Monica Grant, Assistant Professor of Educational Policy Studies Nancy Kendall, and Associate Professor of Anthropology Claire Wendland have all received start-up funding as part of the UW-Madison's focus on Global Health. Read more here.
Christi Hess Studies Language Progress After Two Cochlear Implants
Christi Hess, a Ph.D. student in Communicative Disorders, is part of an ongoing study of 45 deaf children who had two cochlear implants finds that their language skills are within the normal range. Read more here.
Kathryn VandenBosch Named Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Kathryn VandenBosch, professor of plant biology at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, has been selected as the new dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read more here.
Gloria Ladson-Billings Honored by American Educational Research Association
Professor of Curriculum & Instruction Gloria Ladson-Billings will deliver the 8th annual Brown Lecture, an opportunity to convey the significance of education research to addressing issues of equity and equality in education, in Washington DC on Thursday, Oct. 27. Read more here.
Denise Ney Leads Effort to Produce PKU Diet Foods
Professor of Nutritional Sciences Denise Ney has been leading an 8-year, multidisciplinary effort to bring PKU-safe foods to the market. Read more here.
Amy Wendt Leads Effort to Teach the Societal Side of Engineering
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Amy Wendt is working closely with teachers, counselors and administrators at six Wisconsin middle schools to develop a new kind of engineering outreach program. This effort is funded by a $1M grant from the National Science Foundation. Read more here.
Susan Coppersmith, Karen Strier Awarded Vilas Professorships
Among the highest honor for a tenured faculty member at UW-Madison, Professor of Physics Susan Coppersmith and Professor of Anthropology Karen Strier have been awarded the Vilas Professorship. Read more here.
Mary Sesto Awarded $600,000 from National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research
Department of Biomedical Engineering Assistant Scientist Mary Sesto was awarded the grant for improving work ability among breast cancer survivors. She will evaluate the effectiveness of a patient-centered, web-based, decision-support tool to minimize work disability in breast-cancer survivors. Read more here.
Melanie Buhr-Lawler Coordinates the UW Hearing Aid Recycling Program
Audiologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the department of Communicative Disorders Melanie Buhr-Lawler leads a hearing aid recycling program that helps provide services to low-income individuals. Read more here.
Carol Menassa Receives Multiple Awards
Civil and Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Carol Menassa has received approximately $450,000 in total funding from the National Science Foundation and from the Wisconsin Energy Research Consortium to develop decision-making models for sustainably retrofitting buildings to improve their energy efficiency, to model occupant energy use in buildings, and to develop a virtual retrofit model for aging commercial buildings in a smart grid environment.
Anna Huttenlocher Awarded $1.75M NIH Grant
Medical Microbiology and Immunology Professor Anna Huttenlocher, with colleague David Beebe (Professor of Biomedical Engineering) receive the award to study cell migration via microscale in vitro models.
Elizabeth Burnside receives $1.3 Million Grant
Elizabeth Burnside, Associate Professor of Radiology in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, receives a $1.3 million R01 grant from the U.S. National Library of Medicine to improve diagnosis of breast cancer. Read more here.
Sharon Haase receives the American College of Physicians' Laureate Award
Sharon Haase, Clinical Professor of Medicine in the UW School of Medicince and Public Health, is recognized by the Americal College of Physicians for excellence in medical care, medical education, and outstanding service. Read more here.
Gretchen Schwarze earns Dean's Teaching Award
Gretchen Schwarze, Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health is one of four receipients of the Dean's Teaching Award. Read more here.
Enid Montague Elected Editor
Industrial and Systems Engineering Assistant Professor Enid Montague has been elected newsletter editor for the Health Care Technical Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
Janet Branchaw Receives Underkofler Award for Teaching
Dr. Janet Branchaw, faculty associate and interim director of the Institute for Biology Education, received the UW System's 2011 Alliant Energy Underkofler Award for Teaching, along with Dr. Katy Culver, faculty associate in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Read more here.
Laura Kiessling Improves Cell Growth Surfaces
Professor of Chemistry Laura Kiessling is making progress in creating cell-growth surfaces that allow scientists more control over cell growth and differentiation. Read more here.
Naomi Chesler Awarded $2.5M to Study Effects of Exercise on Pulmonary Hypertension (PAH)
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Naomi Chesler was awarded a four-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the relationships between small artery narrowing, large artery stiffening and their interactions with the right side of the heart in patients with PAH. Read more here.
Residence Hall Renamed After Civil Rights Pioneer
The former Friedrick Hall and each of its floors have been named to honor famous women of the university. The dorm will be named after Wisconsin civil rights pioneer Vel Phillips, and one of the floors will be named after Ruth Bleier, who was among the first American scholars to examine gender bias in the modern biological sciences from a feminist perspective. Read more here.
Izabela Szlufarska Awarded $1M DOE Grant
Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering Physics Izabela Szlufarska will study the effects of radiation on fission product transport in silicon carbide with the $1,055,456 grant from the Department of Energy. Read more here.
Sapna Sharma Studies Effects of Climate Change on Cisco Populations
Sapna Sharma, a researcher at the UW-Madison Center for Limnology, finds that 30 to 70 percent of cisco populations could be extirpated in Wisconsin due to climate change. Read more here.
Donna Katen-Bahensky Named to AHA Board of Trustees
Katen-Behensky, President and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, joins the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association. The board develops policy for the AHA and oversees its direction and finances. Read more here.
Patti Brennan Receives Leadership Award
Moehlman Bascom Professor Patricia F. Brennan has been selected to receive the Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award, one of two research awards presented by the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Honor Society of Nursing.
Kristyn Masters and Colleagues Receive $1.12M NIH Grant
Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Kristyn Masters and collaborators BME Assistant Professor Pam Kreeger and Associate Professor Justin Williams have received a four-year, $1.12 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The team will study cellular “decision-making” in the context of dermal wound healing.
Karen Timberlake to Lead UW Population Health Institute
Former secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has been has been named director of the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UW SMPH). Read more here.
Galen McKinley Finds That Climate Change Reduces Ocean's Carbon Dioxide Upta
Combining existing 30 years of existing data, methodologies, and locations spanning most of the North Atlantic into a single time series, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences Galen McKinley and colleagues found that rising temperatures are slowing the carbon absorption across a large portion of the subtropical North Atlantic. Read more here.
Jill Baumgartner Links Indoor Air Pollution to Increased Cardiovascular Risk
A recent PhD in Population Health Sciences, Dr. Jill Baumgartner (now a global renewable energy leadership fellow at the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota) discovered that cooking and heating with biofuels in the home (e.g., cooking over a wood fire) is associated with increased blood pressure among older women. Read more here.
Robin Douthitt To Step Down as Dean of the School of Human Ecology
Robin A. Douthitt, longtime dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology, will step down in the summer of 2012. Read more here.
Chancellor Martin Leaving UW-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin, who built a reputation as a visionary thinker and defender of the university’s role as global public research institution, announced that she’s leaving the university to become president of Amherst College. Read more here.
Molly Jahn to Discuss Role of Research in Global Food Security
Prof. of Genetics Molly Jahn participated in the Africa College Food Security, Health and Impact Knowledge Brokering Conference at the University of Leeds, discussing the need for new approaches in agricultural research in the quest to achieve global food security. Read more here.
Wendy Crone, WISELI Win WEPAN Awards
Professor of Engineering Physics and Associate Dean for Physical Sciences in the Graduate School Wendy Crone has earned WEPAN's Educator's Award. WISELI has won the Women in Engineering Program award for 2011. WEPAN is the Women in Engineering Pro-Active Network. For more information, click here.
Cora Marrett Confirmed as National Science Foundation Deputy Director
Emeritus Professor of Sociology Cora Marrett was confirmed by the US Senate as Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation on May 26, 2011. Read more here.
Adena Rissman Guides Graduate Seminar Examining the Use of Conservation Easements in Wisconsin.
Assistant Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology Adena Rissman created a graduate seminar to study the question of how well conservation easements work to protect land in Wisconsin. The preliminary results will be presented on June 6. Read more here.
Katherine Curtis and Annemarie Schneider Study Human Impacts of Rising Oceans
Assistant Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology Katherine Curtis, along with colleague Annemarie Schneider (Assistant Professor at the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies) have published a paper looking at the human impacts of rising sea levels. Read more here.
Margaret Raymond Named Dean of the Law School
A 17-member search committee selected Raymond is William G. Hammond Professor of Law at the University of Iowa College of Law Margaret Raymond as the next dean of the UW-Madison Law School. Read more here.
Yongna Xing Named Shaw Scientist
Assistant professor of Oncology Yongna Xing is a recipient of the Shaw Scientist designation, an award that comes with $200,000 in unrestricted research support. Read more here.
Outstanding Women of Color Awards Given to Three Who Promote Women of Color in Science, Technology, and Medicine
Erica Laughlin, Director of the Information Technology Academy (ITA); Ana Martinez-Donate, Assistant Professor of Population Health Sciences; and Manuela Romero, Assistant Dean for Student Diversity and Academic Services in the College of Engineering have all been awarded a 2011 UW-Madison Outstanding Women of Color Award. Read more here.
Laura Kiessling Awarded WARF Professorship
H. Emil Fischer Professor of Chemistry Laura Kiessling was appointed as a WARF Professor, a five-year and $75,000 honor. She is awarded for her work focusing on exploiting the biological roles of proteins — including coaxing bacteria into aiding in the production of surfaces on which human stem cells can grow. Read more here.
Natalie Abts and Molly Snellman Receive AAUW Fellowships
Industrial and systems engineering graduate students Natalie Abts and Molly Snellman have received Selected Professions Fellowships from the American Association of University Women. Given to only 22 master's degree students from around the country, the fellowship comes with an $18,000 award to support research in fields where women are traditionally underrepresented. Read more here.
Pupa Gilbert, Galen McKinley Win Teaching Awards
Professor of Physics Pupa Gilbert received a 2011 Chancellor's Award for Teaching, while Assistant Professor of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences Galen McKinley received the Class of 1955 Award. Read more here.
Lynn Allen-Hoffmann's Spinoff Company Highlighted as an "Economic Winner" for Wisconsin
Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Lynn Allen-Hoffmann began her start-up firm, Stratatech Corporation, in 2000. Hers is one of several biotech startup firms highlighted as bringing jobs and growth to the recovering Wisconsin economy. Read more here.
Engineering Alumnae Working at NASA Will Come to Campus
With funding from WISELI's Celebrating Women in Science & Engineering grant program, Engineering Expo is bringing Engineering Mechanics alumnae Karina Eversley, Angie Lenius, and Nikki Williams to campus on Friday, April 15, 12:30-2 p.m. in Engineering Hall. Read more here.
Katy Huff Leads "Boot Camps" for Scientific Computing
Third-year graduate student in Engineering Physics Katy Huff is president of a student organization called "The Hacker Within," a student organization that supports both undergraduate and graduate students as they learn and explore different scientific computing topics. Read more here.
Lynn Nyhart Named Guggenheim Fellow
Professor of History of Science Lynn Nyhart was named a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow. Nyhart is an historian of modern biology, currently researching the history of concepts of biological individuality. Read more here.
Sara Howden Moves Gene Therapy One Step Closer to Clinical Reality
Dr. Sara Howden, postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professor James Thompson at the Morgridge Institute for Research, is lead author on a study showing that the process of gene correction is compatible with therapeutic use. Read more here.
Women Faculty in Sciences & Engineering Earn Prestigious Awards
The Hilldale, Romnes, and Kellet awards for 2011 were recently announced. Marsha Mailick Seltzer (Waisman Center), Lingjun Li (Pharmaceutical Sciences), Susan Hagness (Electrical & Computer Engineering), Hazel Holden (Biochemistry), and Anna Huttenlocher (Pediatrics/Medical Microbiology and Immunology) are awardees. Visit: Hilldale, Romnes, and Kellett announcements to learn more.
Molly Jahn Selected for International Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change
Professor of Genetics and former Dean of the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences Molly Jahn is one of thirteen eminent scientists (an the only American) selected to serve on a newly created Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change--a group of international experts on agriculture, climate, food, economics and natural resources. Read more here.
Gloria Hawkins Named YWCA Madison Woman of Distinction
Dr. Gloria Hawkins, Assistant Dean for Minority/Disadvantaged Programs in the School of Medicine & Public Health, has been named one of five "Women of Distinction", an annual award of the Madison YWCA. For more information, visit here.
Jennifer Reed Wins NSF CAREER Award
Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering Jennifer Reed is has received a 2011 Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the NSF to fund her work designing and conducting new experiments that will more quickly reveal answers about the metabolism of organisms like the Shewanella bacterium. Read more here.
Karen Strier Studies Primate Aging
Professor of Anthropology Karen Strier's work shows that aging rates and the mortality gender gap are similar across primates. Read more here.
Wendy Crone Earns NIH Retraining Grant
Professor of Engineering Physics and Associate Dean for Physical Sciences in the Graduate School Wendy Crone has been awarded an NIH Career Enhancement Award for stem cell research that will enable her to take courses, participate in training workshops, and engage in stem cell research over the next two years.
Kandis Elliot Wins International Visualization Challenge
Senior Artist in the Department of Botany Kandis Elliot uses art to illuminate scientific concepts. She recently won first place for informational graphics in the 2010 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge for her "Introduction to Fungi" poster, along with colleage Mo Fayyaz. Read more here.
Tracey Holloway to Use Satellites to Enhance Air Quality Understanding
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences and Civil & Environmental Engineering, and also Director of the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Tracey Holloway and colleagues received a grant from NASA aimed at applying satellite data to air quality issues. Read more here. Dr. Holloway also has been named as a Leopold Leadership Fellow, prestigious environmental leadership and communications training program.
Cathy Middlecamp Focuses on Education for Real-World Sustainability Challenges
Catherine Middlecamp, Distinguished Faculty Associate in the Department of Chemistry, advocates for teaching chemistry to undergraduate students in context. One approach is to teach chemistry through the lens of environmental sustainability. She argued this approach at the recent AAAS meetings in Washington, DC. Read more here.
Susan Coppersmith and Marsha Mailick Seltzer Receive WARF Professorships
Physics Professor Susan Coppersmith and Waisman Center Director Marsha Mailick Seltzer are among eight UW-Madison faculty to receive WARF professorships in 2011. Read more here.
Azadeh Davoodi Wins NSF CAREER Award
Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Azadeh Davoodi is one of the first people to look at solutions for timing errors in integrated circuit chips, and she has received a 2011 Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) and grant to support her work. Read more here.
Douglass Henderson and Jo Handelsman Honored with Presidential Awards for STEM Mentoring!
Professor of Engineering Physics Douglass Henderson, Director of the successful Graduate Engineering Research Scholars program in the College of Engineering, and Professor Jo Handelsman, Professor of Microbiology at Yale University and former Co-Director of WISELI, have been selected as PAESMEM awardees. They will receive the award from President Obama this week at a White House ceremony. Read press releases for Dr. Henderson and Dr. Handelsman.
Wendy Crone Selected as Interim Graduate School Dean (Physical Sciences)
Effective January 2011, Engineering Physics and Biomedical Engineering Professor Wendy Crone will fill the role of interim associate dean for the physical sciences in the UW-Madison Graduate School. She will coordinate the physical sciences division of the Graduate School Research Committee, handle special graduate student and program issues in the physical sciences, and coordinate research funding and program review.
Helen Blackwell Named AAAS Fellow
Associate Professor of Chemistry Helen Blackwell is one of eight UW-Madison faculty members selected as a AAAS Fellow in 2011. Read more here.
Lisa Forrest Part of New Radiation Therapy Clinic Team
Professor of Surgical Sciences Lisa Forrest participated in the first clinical trials of the new Radiation technology. Read more here.
News – 2010
Pupa Gilbert Uncovers Secret of Sea Urchin Teeth
A team led by UW-Madison professor of physics Pupa Gilbert describes the self-sharpening mechanism used by the California purple sea urchin to keep a razor-sharp edge on its choppers in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. Read more here.
Leyuan Shi named IEEE fellow
Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Leyuan Shi has been named a fellow of the IEEE, the world's largest professional association for the advancement of technology. Shi was recognized for her contributions to nested partitions optimization methodology.
Pascale Carayon's CQPI recognized by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
The Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement, directed by Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Pascale Carayon, has been recognized by the AHRQ for computerized provider order entry (CPOE) project conducted at Geisinger Health System.
Brenda Ogle awarded American Heart Association grant
Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Brenda Ogle and Associate Professor Paul Campagnola were awarded a two-year $150,000 grant from the American Heart Association to support research with multiphoton excitation photochemistry for 3D cardiac tissue engineering.
Polly Newcomb and Amy Trentham-Dietz find age at first pregnancy is associated with breast cancer risk
Senior Scientist Polly Newcomb and Associate Professor Amy Trentham-Dietz led a study of about 50,000 women born between 1912 and 1986 to find correlates of lobular breast cancer diagnoses. Read more here.
Pamela Herd finds that good grades in high school lead to better health
Associate Professor of Public Affairs and Sociology used the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study data to find that people with high grades in high school have lower incidence of health problems at retirement age. Read more here.
Helen Blackwell studies "quorum sensing" in bacteria
Associate Professor of Chemistry Helen Blackwell is working on issues of antibiotic resistance by studying how bacteria communicate with each other. Read more here.
Kim Johnson wins public health award
NIATx co-Deputy Director Kim Johnson was honored with the Community-Based Leadership Award from the 2010 Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) section of the American Public Health Association.
Manuela Romero awarded NSF grant to help Menominee Nation students transfer to the College of Engineering
Assistant Dean for Student Diversity and Academic Services Manuela Romero is the principal investigator on a five-year, $825,000 grant from the National Science Foundation that will help build a bridge for students to transfer from the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) to the College of Engineering.
Wendy Crone publishes book for early career faculty
In October 2010, Morgan and Claypool Publishers released the paperback “Survive and Thrive: A Guide for Untenured Faculty,” by Engineering Physics, Biomedical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering Professor Wendy Crone.
Teri Balser named "U.S. Professor of the Year"!
Associate Professor of Soil Science and Director of the Institute for Cross-College Biology, Teri Balser is being honored in Washington D.C. with this award. The U.S. Professors of the Year program is sponsored by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Started in 1981, it is the only national program that recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Prof. Balser is the awardee in the "doctoral and research universities" category. Read more here.
Ana Martinez-Donate Receives received 2009 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers
Population Health Sciences Professor Ana Martinez-Donate received the prestigiuos award for her NIH-funded work, studying the rate of HIV infection and the factors that contribute to infection risk among Mexican migrants and immigrants. Read more here.
Laura Kiessling Develops Stem Cell Culture System
Chemistry Professor Laura Kiessling and her team develop a fully defined culture system for stem cells that promises a more uniform and, for cells destined for therapy, safer product. Read more here.
Heidi-Lynn Ploeg Teams Up with Trek for Cycling Research
Mechanical engineering associate professors Heidi-Lynn Ploeg and Darryl Thelen led a UW-Madison team measuring hand pressure during cycling, and studying potential solutions to reduce that pressure. Read more here.
Julia Wilbarger Examines Sensory Disorders
Assistant Professor Julia Wilbarger studies treatments for people who suffer from sensory defensiveness, or sensory processing disorders. Read more here.
Regina Murphy Honored as Bioengineering Fellow
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering has inducted Smith-Bascom Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Regina Murphy into its College of Fellows. This elite group comprises 1,000 people who are the outstanding bioengineers in academia, industry and government. These leaders in the field have distinguished themselves through their contributions in research, industrial practice and/or education.
Amanda Lang Earns Energy Scholarship
Based on her work as a summer intern at Idaho National Laboratory and her career plans, nuclear engineering sophomore Amanda Lang received a highly competitive Center for Advanced Energy Studies scholarship of $3,000. Lang interned at the INL Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility and spent summer 2010 developing computer code that determines the radiation dose a person would receive after handling specific materials irradiated in the reactor.
Brenda Ogle to Apply Stem Cell Fusion Knowledge in Breast Cancer Study
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Brenda Ogle and her colleagues $563,000 to test
Molly Jahn, Dean of the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, to Step Down
Dr. Molly Jahn, who has led CALS for four years, will step down as Dean effective January 1st, 2011. She will serve half time as a special adviser to the provost and chancellor for sustainability sciences, a post she will hold through July 31. At that time, she will return to the faculty full-time. Read more here.
Graduate Student Georgia Wolfe to Present at Geological Society of America Meeting
Georgia Wolfe, a graduate student in environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will describe her study of mud cores taken from Madison's Lake Wingra at the upcoming Geological Society of America meeting in Denver. Read more here.
MacDonald Traces the 'Blurry Line' Between Hospital and At-Home Care
With a grant from the National Institutes of Health, Macdonald interviewed 30 families from Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before bone marrow transplants, during their hospital stays, and once patients returned home, following the families for more than two years. Read more here.
Damschen Study Shows Mountain Vegetation Impacted by Climate Change
"We have lacked the historic data from multiple communities in a single region to be able to test if there are differences in how they respond to climate change," says University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of zoology Ellen Damschen. "The results are profound in that the shifts we will see as a result of climate change may differ over very small spatial scales." Read more here.
Ryff Studies Effects of Psychological Well-Being on Health
Study co-author Carol Ryff reports that psychological well-being is powerful enough to counteract the pull of socioeconomic status on the long-term health of the disadvantaged. Read more here.
Bier a Leader at California Terrorism Risk Center
The Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California has been re-funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the next five years with a $15.3 million grant. Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Vicki Bier is the theme leader for the "Management of risks from intelligent, adaptive adversaries" project. Additionally, Bier is performing research on target-oriented utility theory to produce a method to help risk analysts and decision-makers predict and account for terrorist reactions to proposed risk-mitigation strategies. Bier is also studying how to use the probabilistic inversion method to mathematically rank attacker objectives, which could help quantify uncertainty about what attributes are important to terrorists—even if those attributes are unknown to defenders.
Materials Science Program student Sarah Khalil wins Fellowship
Materials Science Program student Sarah Khalil won a Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) Fellowship, which will support her for up to three years to complete her work on understanding diffusion of fission products through SiC for improving TRISO fuel particles.
Carolyn Heinrich elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration
La Follette School of Public Affairs director Carolyn J. Heinrich has been elected to become a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, one of the youngest members to ever be elected since Congress chartered the academy in 1967. She is professor of public affairs, an affiliated professor of economics and a Regina Loughlin Scholar at UW-Madison. Read more here.
WISELI Co-Director Molly Carnes Wins NIH Director's Pathfinder Award to Promote Diversity in the Scientific Workforce
The three-year, $2 million grant will fund several researchers and students to work with Carnes and collaborators to develop an interactive video game that will place faculty in situations where they can recognize the self-defeating nature of implicit bias. Read more here.
Sara Lindberg and Janet Hyde Publish Gender & Math Meta-Analysis
The new study looked systematically at 242 articles that assessed the math skills of 1,286,350 people. They find that the mathematical skills of boys and girls, as well as men and women, are substantially equal. Read more here.
Lauren Garrison receives Department of Energy Graduate Fellowship
Selected from more than 3,000 applicants, the DoE Fellowship allows Lauren to pursue her interest in fusion reactions as she completes her PhD. Read more here.
Ice Cube spies unexplained pattern of cosmic rays
Researcher Rasha Abbasi and colleagues study cosmic ray data as part of the Ice Cube project. Read more here.
Supporting women in science: One professor's solutions
It is Prof. Nick Balster's personal mission to make a successful science career possible for graduate students with children. Read about his approach here.
Confronting toxic blue-green algae in Madison lakes
Dr. Trina McMahon, with colleagues Colleen Mouw and Paul Hanson, are working to understand the when, where and why of dangerous blue-green "blooms" in Madison lakes. Click here for full story.
Ph.D. Student Gretchen Hansen wins Young Student Award from the International Association for Great Lakes Research
Hansen received the award for her work on the management of sea lamprey, a primitive, parasitic fish that has infested the Great Lakes. Click here for story.
Incidence of malaria jumps when Amazon forests are cut
Sarah Olson is the lead author of the new report in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, presenting the most enumerated case to date linking increased incidence of malaria to land-use practices in the Amazon. Dr. Olson is a postdoctoral fellow at the Nelson Institute, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. See Press release.
Nancy Mathews named director of the Morgridge Center
Dr. Nancy Mathews, a professor of environmental studies and chair of Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been named faculty director of the university's Morgridge Center for Public Service. For more information, click here.
De-Ann Pillers receives Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award
Dr. De-Ann Pillers, a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, recently received a Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award from The Hartwell Foundation, based in Memphis, Tenn. She won her award for her study of "Genetics of the Innate Response of the Infant as a Potential Biomarker for Premature Birth." See the UW–Madison press release for more information.
Cora Marrett named Acting Director of the National Science Foundation
Cora Marrett, an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been named acting director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Marrett assumes her new duties June 1. See the UW–Madison press release for more information.
Kreeger receives NSF CAREER award to study endocrine disrupters
Pam Kreeger, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was granted a prestigious NSF CAREER award to help develop her research into endocrine disrupters. Her current research focuses on how the signals cells send out are affected by estrogen-like compounds. See the press release for additional details.
Palmenberg receives Hilldale Award
Ann Palmenberg, professor of biochemistry and molecular virology, received the 2010 biological sciences Hilldale Award. The award is the highest faculty honor at UW-Madison and is awarded annually to one professor in each of four divisions. The award recognizes Palmenberg's groundbreaking research in RNA replication and her commitment to teaching excellence. Read the full story here.
Emeritus professor wins lifetime achievement award
The Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation recognized Dr. Gloria Sarto, emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology, with its 2010 lifetime achievement award. In her long career at UW-Madison, Sarto defied many gender barriers eventually taking on many leadership positions in the field. Sarto also and worked relentlessly to promote women's health issues. Read more about Sarto's achievements here.
Ogle using CAREER award to develop technology for studying cells
Brenda Ogle, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and 2009 NSF CAREER award recipient, is working to develop new technologies to enable researchers to study how cells interact and behave in groups. Current technology allows scientists to measure and observe single cells; Ogle's work seeks to extend this technology to accommodate groups of cells and their interactions. Read more here.
Kreeger studies cell signaling to understand cancer
Pam Kreeger, a new assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is studying the chemical mechanisms that cells use to communicate with one another in hopes of better understanding and treating cancers. Kreeger has an interest in women's health issues and is currently focusing on breast and ovarian cancers. See the full story here.
Kristyn Masters wins teaching award
Kristyn Masters, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was awarded the 2010 Emil H. Steiger teaching award at a reception held by the Wisconsin Alumni Association on April 21st. The honor recognizes Masters' exceptional dedication to both teaching and advancing science education. Read more about her many teaching efforts here.
Understanding cell fusion may help repair the damage of a heart attack
Together with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, Brenda Ogle, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is seeking to understand the mechanisms of cell fusion. In particular, Ogle is researching how stem cells fuse with heart muscle cells. While the research is in its early stages, Ogle and her colleagues hope that their work will some day enable doctors to use stem cells to repair the damaged heart muscle cells left after a heart attack. See the full press release for more details.
Stanimirovic studies the 'stuff' of outer space
Snezana Stanimirovic, an assistant professor of astronomy, is working to understand the mix of gasses and dust that fill-in the spaces between galaxies and stars. Her work on the interstellar medium aims to discover the processes by which this mix becomes a star. This research interest was for Stanimirovic inspired by a childhood fascination with the cosmos. Read the full story here.
New report identifies opportunities and challenges in bringing local food to market
Michelle Miller, associate director of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at UW-Madison, and colleagues have published a new report examining how local food products are distributed to consumers. The report identifies several key challenges that producers and distributors face in getting their products to market and highlights ways that several businesses have addressed these challenges. Read the press release or the full report.
Ferrier teaches machines to process visual information
Nicola Ferrier, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is working to develop technologies in computational image analysis, which allows machines to "see" by processing visual information. These technologies could be used in a wide variety of applications, from manufacturing to medicine. Read more about Ferrier's work here.
Millar among leaders at the new Morgridge Institute
Susan Millar, senior scientist with the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research (WCER), was selected to lead the biology education initiative of the new Morgridge Institute for Research. The private, non-profit arm of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, the Morgridge Institute seeks to foster collaboration and the translation of research into tangible ways to improve health care. Read the press release here.
Math graduate students models behavior of bacteria
Julie Simons, a graduate student in mathematics, has been working to better understand how populations of bacteria interact with their environment. In collaboration with a team of biologists, Simons has been studying the chemotaxis patterns of the Rhodobacter. Using mathematical modeling techniques, Simons has shed new light on how populations of these bacteria behave in a given environment, which may contribute to a growing interest in using the Rhodobacter to abate pollution. Read more here.
Researchers re-evaluate the value of combating global warming
A team of UW-Madison researchers including Tracey Holloway, associate professor of environmental studies and director of the Center for Sustainability in the Global Environment, has re-evaluated the way that costs and benefits of combating global warming are considered. The team argues that the social benefits - including cleaner air and healthier lungs - should be weighed against the cost of implementing programs to minimize climate change. Current practice does not factor in these social benefits, which the team argues understates the value of abatement programs. Read more about the story here.
McFall-Ngai documents symbiotic cycles in squid
Margaret McFall-Ngai, professor of medical microbiology and immunology, and her team studied the daily cyclces of Hawaiian bobtail squid and bacteria they host on a molecular level. They found that the daily biochemical processes in the squid and hosted bacteria follow complimentary patterns. The research suggests that symbiotic relationships in nature may involve a much deeper level of interaction than previously thought. Read the full press release.
Valdez wins dissertation grant
Ruth Valdez, a PhD candidate with the department of industrial and systems engineering, was awarded a dissertation grant by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The federal grant will support Valdez's efforts to improve under-represented groups' access to new healthcare technologies.
Research finds birds affected by climate change
A team of UW-Madison scientists led by Anna Pidgeon, assistant professor of forest and wildlife ecology, has closely examined populations of North American migratory birds and their response to drought and hurricanes. The research revealed negative impacts on bird populations as a result of these climate change related environmental stressors. Read the full story here.
Litovsky uncovers benefits of dual cochlear implants
Ruth Litovsky, associate professor of communicative disorders, and colleagues have found that dual cochlear implants can help the deaf to regain some binaural hearing, which is crucial to understanding and interpreting everyday communication. Litovsky's research suggests ways to make communication with the hearing world more accessible to those with profound hearing impairments. Read the press release.
Kimble team finds regulatory system governs stem cells
A group of researchers led by Judith Kimble, professor of biochemistry and an HHMI investigator, has identified a regulatory system that appears to govern the development of stem cells. The research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science suggests that this system that induces some stem cells to differentiate while others do not. Understanding this regulatory system is critical for future cell engineering work. Read the full story here.
Carnes' profile featured in local magazine
The most recent edition of Wisconsin Woman magazine prominently highlights the accomplishments of Molly Carnes, a professor with the School of Medicine and Public Health. In addition to her work as a physician, Carnes also acts as a co-PI for WISELI and as director of the UW Center for Women's Health Research. Both organizations are concrete manifestations of Carnes' efforts to increase the participation of women in science, engineering, and medicine. Read the full profile here.
News – 2009
Sea urchins help reveal biomineralization processes
A team of UW-Madison researchers including Pupa Gilbert and Susan Coppersmith, both professors of physics, have identified the process by which sea urchins are able to transform ordinary calcium carbonate into their tough exteriors. Gilbert and Coppersmith suggest that the biomineralization process they observed in the urchin is likely to be found in other creatures. Read the full press release.
Two UW women scientists elected fellows of the AAAS
Caitilyn Allen, professor of plant pathology, and Judith Burstyn, professor of chemistry, were among the ten UW-Madison faculty elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The honor recognizes their contributions to the advancement of science. Read the press release here.
Sarto receives lifetime achievement award
Gloria Sarto, emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology, received a life-time achievement award from the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation.
Carayon elected to influential National Academies committee
Pascale Carayon, professor of industrial and systems engineering, has been elected to the Committee on Human-Systems Integration. The Committee is organized under the aegis of the National Academies and is partially sponsored by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. The group advises these organizations, as well as the public, on issues such as ergonomics and human subjects engineering.
Middlecamp engages students with a practical approach
Cathy Middlecamp, distinguished faculty associate in the department of chemistry, brings a unique, practical perspective on chemistry and its relevance for students. Emphasizing chemistry's relevance to day-to-day life as well as important social problems, Middlecamp is able to cultivate interest in her students. Her work as an educator has earned Middlecamp a number of prestigious scientific and teaching awards. Read the full story here.
Balser honored for teaching
In recognition of her outstanding efforts in the classroom, Teresa Balser was awarded the Association of Public and Land-grant Universites' 2009 National Teaching award. Balser is an associate professor of soil science who also directs the Institute for Cross-college Biology Education. The institute's aim is to improve the teaching of biological sciences on the UW-Madison campus. Read the press release.
Wu seeks the elusive Higgs boson particle at CERN
San Lan Wu, professor of high energy physics at UW-Madison, is working to detect the Higgs boson at the newly operational Large Hadron Collider, the new particle accelerator operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Wu has been seeking the elusive particle for more than two decades. Her work at CERN has primarily focused on developing methods to analyze the massive amount of data being produced by the collider. Read the full story here.
Initiative puts core engineering lectures online
Wendy Crone, associate professor of engineering physics, and Naomi Chesler, associate professor of biomedical engineering, are leading a new effort to make video lectures on core engineering topics available online. The new initiative, part of the College of Engineering's Engineering Beyond Boundaries program, received high marks from students in a 2009 pilot. In addition to offering flexibility for individual learning, the new method of lecture delivery also frees-up class time for more interactive activities. Read more about the initiative here.
Ogle developing new cellular analysis technology
Brenda Ogle, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is developing a new technology that will enable researchers to study stem cells from a new perspective. The technology, multi-photon flow cytometry, will allow researchers to study groups of stem cells or tissues in-depth. Curently technology only allows for the in-depth study of individual cells or a surface analysis of groups of cells. From this new vantage point, researchers should be able to gain new insight into dynamic processes such as stem cell fusion. Read more about Ogle's research here.
Brennan leads effort to redesign medical health records
Patricia Brennan, professor of nursing and industrial engineering at UW-Madison, is leading a massive new effort to reconceptualize how people manage, integrate, and utilize information about their own health. The goal of Project HealthDesign is to integrate various types of health information to enable patients to make more informed health choices and to assist clinicians in better managing chronic conditions. Read the press release here.
Study of Lake Superior connects warmer water to higher winds
In a study published in Nature Geoscience, a group of UW-Madison researchers found that warmer water temperatures in Lake Superior are resulting in higher winds on and around the lake. The paper included Galen McKinley, assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, as a junior author. The research suggests several important implications for environmental health. For instance, higher winds may alter the distribution of airborne pollutants or patterns of snowfall. Read more here.
50th anniversary of the Expanding Your Horizons program
The Expanding Your Horizons program at UW-Madison celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. The program, originally undertaken by the UW-Madison Graduate Women in Science, introduces young women to careers in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Now a national program, Expanding Your Horizons at UW-Madison now targets middle-school aged girls in south-central Wisconsin. Read more here.
Project HealthDesign wins media award
Project HealthDesign, led by nursing professor Patricia Brennan, was selected to receive a media award for a video production, Grantee Videos. The award is an international award given by Sigma Theta Tau, an honor society for nursing. Read more or watch the videos.
Hagness receives grant to study nanotubes and breast cancer
Susan Hagness, professor of electrical and computer engineering, was awarded a $360,000 grant from the Department of Defense's Breast Cancer Research Program. Hagness will use the award to study the use of nanotubes in the treatment and detection of breast cancer.
KamalRossa showcases assistive technology at AT Expo
Monica KamalRossa, research intern at UW-Madison and coordinator of the Spinal Cord Injury Group, is helping to raise awareness about the advances in assistive technologies for persons with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. Through the 25th Annual AT Expo at UW-Madison, she helps to showcase technologies that improve the quality of life for and empower persons with disabilities. Read the full story.
Handlesman awarded Women's Philanthropy Council Champion Award
Jo Handlesman, professor and chair of the Department of Bacteriology, was selected as the female recipient of the 2009 Women's Philanthropy Council Champion Award. The award is presented annually by the Women's Philanthropy Council, part of the UW Foundation. Read the press release.
Bacteriologist studies crystalline protein structures
Katrina Forest, professor of bacteriology at UW-Madison, has spent much of her career studying the surfaces of bacteria. Of particular interest to her are the proteins found on those surfaces that enable microbes to move and interact with other bodies. Using x-ray crystallography, Forest is able to identify the physical structures that compose the surface proteins to better understand their function. Read more about Prof. Forest's work here.
Chemical engineering graduate student wins innovation award
I-Hsin Lin, a graduate student and research assistant in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, was awarded a 2009 Baxter Innovation Award for her research on crystal droplets.
Holden gets middle schoolers involved in research
Hazel Holden, professor of biochemistry at UW-Madison, is getting middle schoolers into the laboratory in an effort to pique interest in chemistry before high school. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Holden undertook to create ProjectCRYSTAL to bring six middle school students from Edgewood Campus School into her lab to assist with state-of-the-art research. Additionally, the project has been working to develop and disseminate innovative, hands-on teaching modules for middle school classrooms. Read more about the project here.
Glass works to keep food safe
Kathy Glass, associate scientist and associate director of the Food Research Institute, researches how food borne pathogens move through the food chain. In particular, she has been studying newer strains of e coli bacteria, for which she hopes to identify new techniques to minimize their danger. Working together with manufacturers, she aims to keep food safe. Read more about Glass' work here.
Handlesman named Wisconsin Academy Fellow
Jo Handlesman, professor of bacteriology, was named a 2009 fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Read the press release here.
Jahn accepts major post with the USDA
Molly Jahn, who served as the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences since 2006, was appointed the undersecretary of research, education and economics at the United States Department of Agriculture. In her new appointment, Jahn will oversee several research units and a multi-billion dollar budget. Read more here.
Zweibel and Forest to lead new Plasma Dynamo Facility
Ellen Zweibel, professor of astronomy and physics, and Cary Forest, professor of physics and engineering physics, are to lead a new Plasma Dynamo Facility on the UW-Madison campus. The facility, a first of its kind in the world, is funded by a $2.4 million federal grant, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Zweibel, Forest, and colleagues will use the new facility to study the origins of magnetic fields in the universe. Read more about the story here.
Nelson Institute offers $100,000 prize for climate change solutions
The Climate Leadership Challenge, overseen by Professors Tracey Holloway and Greg Nemet of the Nelson Institute, encourages UW-Madison students to come up with innovative ways to address climate change. Read the press release.
$1 million grant for nanotube research
Padma Gopolan and colleague Mark Eriksson, both members of the faculty at UW-Madison, were recently awarded a $1 million grant from the US Department of Energy to study the optical properties of nanotubes.
Team of professors awarded $4.5 million to study computer education
Naomi Chesler, associate professor of biomedical engineering, Wendy Crone, professor of engineering physics and biomedical engineering, and David Williamson Shaffer, professor of educational psychology were together awarded $4.5 million from the National Science Foundation. The grant will establish a consortium to study how students learn math and science through "epistemic" computer games. A major aim of the grant will be to develop computer-based mentoring to improve the effectiveness of these educational tools. Read more about the project here.
Stanimirovic named 2009 Cottrell Scholar
Snezana Stanimirovic, assistant professor of astronomy, was named a 2009 Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The scholarship, which recognizes excellence in research and teaching, includes a $100,000 research grant. Read the press release.
Knuteson reaches out to potato farmers
Through her work as a field coordinator for the Healthy Grown Potato Program, Deana Knuteson has led the dissemination of healthier, more environmentally friendly farm management practices to potato farmers in the state. The Program, a collaboration between UW-Madison, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers' Association, has also taken a leading national role in promoting sustainable potato farming with the development of its Health Grown eco-labeling program. Read more here.
Professor helps farmers battle corn pest
Eileen Cullen, associate professor of entomology, is working to help farmers state-wide address a growing crop concern: western corn rootworm. Recently, the pest has become resistant to traditional management techniques so Cullen is reaching out to farmers to help them adopt a new approach Integrated Pest Management. Read the full story here.
Saffran appears on Big 10 Network program
Jenny Saffran, a professor in the Department of Psychology, appeared on the Big Ten Networks' program Office Hours. The weekly, half hour program is produced at UW-Madison and hosted by Ken Goldstein, professor of political science. In her appearance, Saffran discussed the findings of new research into how infants acquire language. Watch the episode or read the press release.
Thompson works to manage runoff and protect streams
Anita Thompson, an associate professor of biological and systems engineering, is researching ways to better manage runoff, which is often much hotter and faster moving than sensitive coldwater streams, in an effort to protect the health of streams and the aquatic life they support. Read the full story here.
Staff member leads efforts to track birds on UW campus
Mara McDonald, an assistant administrator in the Department of Genetics, spends her weekends as an ornithologist: catching, measuring, and tagging wild birds. McDonald's work is part of a project she started eight years ago, the Biocore Prairie Bird Observatory. Along with a cadre of volunteers, the group is collecting valuable data on bird populations and their long-term health. Read the press release here.
Team awarded NSF grant for stem cell research
Padma Gopalan, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, and colleague Bill Murphy, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, were awarded $325,000 by the National Science Foundation for their work relating to stem cells. The grant will be used to develop a material upon which stem cells can be further studied.
Two women scientists receive grants under the economic stimulus plan
D&oml;rte D&oml;pfer, an assistant professor with the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Regina Murphy, professor of chemical and biological engineering, both received grants to fund their scientific work under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. D&oml;pfer and colleagues will study the O157:H7 e coli bacteria while Murphy will study the role of a brain protein in Alzheimer's disease. Read more about their research here.
Plant pathologist tackles late blight in Wisconsin
Amanda Gevens, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, is helping Wisconsin farmers to tackle a re-emergence of so-called late blight in Southern Wisconsin. The disease, known technically as Phytophthora infestans, has been found in potato and tomato plants in the state. For more about this story or information on how to address blighted crops, read the full story.
Shi awarded NIH grant to improve radiation therapy for cancer patients
Leyuan Shi, professor of industrial and systems engineering was awarded a $1.2 million grant by the National Institutes of Health. Prof. Shi will use the funding to study the process by which radiation treatment is administered in an effort to improve its quality. The research could potentially help the majority of U.S. cancer patients who receive radiation therapy.
Ogle wins NSF CAREER award
Brenda Ogle, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was awarded a prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. The award will enable Ogle to advance her research in system regeneration, which she hopes to translate into clinical applications.
Middlecamp elected fellow of the American Chemical Society
Cathy Middlecamp, distinguished faculty associate in the Department of Chemistry, was elected to the first class of fellows of the American Chemical Society. The honor recognizes Middlecamp's contributions to improving chemistry education. Read the press release here.
Researchers identify gene linked to cataracts
Barbara Klein, professor in the department of Opthalmology and Visual Sciences, and colleagues have identified a gene mutation that is correlated with age-related cataracts. The new findings utilized data from a longitudinal study of the eye health of residents of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin in the Beaver Dam Eye Study. The findings complement previous studies, suggesting that the defective EPHA2 gene is a likely cause of cortical cataracts. Read the full story here.
Theis brings locally grown produce to campus
Monica Theis, an instructor in the Department of Food Science, has started an initiative to integrate food grown on campus into food produced by on-campus dining services. The food - including greens, radishes, and onions - is grown in a plot at Allen Centennial Gardens and served at Frank's Place, in Holt Commons, and the Babcock Dairy Store. Theis hopes that her collaboration with dining services will help foster innovation in bringing local foods to high-volume food production operations. Read more about this story here.
Interdisciplinary workshop addresses safety and food imports
Vicki Bier, a professor of industrial and systems engineering, and Lorna Zach, a scientist with the Center for Human Performance and Risk Analysis, took part in organizing a multi-disciplinary workshop on import food safety. The workshop, "Food Import Safety: Systems, Infrastructure and Governance," brought together faculty from across campus as well as leaders from industry and the European Union.
Carayon named fellow of the International Ergonomics Association
Pascale Carayon, professor of industrial and systems engineering, was named an International Ergonomics Association fellow. The fellowship recognizes Prof. Carayon's significant contributions to the field of ergonomics.
New state budget includes domestic partner benefits for UW-Madison
Under the 2010 State of Wisconsin budget, UW-Madison will be able to begin offering domestic partner benefits for the first time. The new law will take effect in January 2010. Read more about the story here.
Brennan chosen to join new Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
Patricia Brennan, professor of nursing and industrial and systems engineering, was selected as one of five faculty members who will take a leading role in the new Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery (WID). Brennan's work at WID will focus on bringing technology to health care more quickly. Read the press release.
Research on carbohydrate chain formation sheds light on TB
Laura Kiessling, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, together with her students, has uncovered how a crucial enzyme helps the tuberculosis bacteria build carbohydrate chains. This process had previously not been described in the literature. Kiessling's team's findings should help shed light on the general process of carbohydrate chain formation, a basic but not well understood biological process. Additionally, their work suggests a novel means for attacking the TB bacteria. Read the full story here.
McFall-Ngai wins Guggenheim Fellowship
Margaret McFall-Ngai, a professor of medical microbiology and immunology, was awarded one of 180 Guggenheim Fellowships for 2009. The award will support McFall-Ngai's research into the symbiotic relationship between vertebrates and microbes, which may help to provide a more accurate picture of how animals' immune systems function. For more information, read the press release.
Graduate student identifies differences in pesky mollusks
Suzanne Peyer, a graduate student in zoology at UW-Madison, examined physiological differences between two related, invasive mussel species: the zebra and the quagga. Peyer found that differences in the way the two mussels attach themselves to surfaces may explain why the zebra and quagga mussels are often found in different places. Understanding these differences should enable waterway managers to more effectively combat the invasive mussels. Read more here.
Researchers find that culture, not biology, underpins gender differences in math ability
Janet Hyde and Janet Mertz, professors of psychology and oncology respectively, have published new findings that suggest that differences in male and female performance in mathematics is the result of culture not biology. Looking across countries of the world, they found that gendered differences in math ability varies across cultures. Furthermore, they found that in some cultures there is parity in girls' and boys' math skills. Mertz and Hyde's research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read the press release and the abstract of the published article.
Knoll awarded Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award
Laura Knoll, associate professor of medical microbiology and immunology, was chosen as one of twelve scholars to receive 2008 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards, which provide $100,000 in research funding over three years. Knoll plans to use the funds to investigate the relationship between obesity and inflammation. Read more here.
Deer ticks and lyme disease widespread across state
Research led by Susan Paskewitz, a professor of entomology who specializes in ticks, identified deer ticks in most areas of the state of Wisconsin. Fifteen years ago the deer tick population was limited to more western parts of the state. Today however the deer tick population has encroached on most of Wisconsin's most populated areas, placing more citizens at risk of contracting Lyme disease. Paskewitz's research is helping to inform public health efforts. Read the full story.
Strier elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Karen Strier, Hilldale Professor of Anthropology, was one of four UW-Madison faculty elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2009. Read more here.
Susan Coppersmith elected to the National Academy of Sciences
Susan Coppersmith, professor and former Chair of the Department of Physics at UW-Madison, was among the 72 scientists and engineers elected into the National Academy of Sciences on April 28th. This prestigious honor reflects Prof. Coppersmith's many scientific accomplishments. Read the full story here.
Study finds sleep helps to 'clean' synapses
A study published in the journal Science, which was authored by Associate Professor of Psychology Chiara Cirelli and colleagues, finds that sleep plays an important role in brain function by allowing the neurological system to 'clean' the extra proteins that build-up in synapses during waking hours. This study confirms other findings by the team. Read the press release.
Team receives funding from EPA for water-saving project
A team of civil and environmental engineering students, including Stephanie Bianco and Anna Bradford, was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their project, "Groundwater Depletion: The Buried Problem." The students designed a system for collecting rainwater to use for watering the grounds of the planned Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, part of the School for Medicine and Public Health. The team was awarded the grant under the EPA's People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability, held annually. Read more here.
Graduate student leads study on malaria patterns
Sarah Olson, together with Prof. Jonathan Patz and others, has found that the pattern of malaria infection following rainfall varies based upon landscape features. The study, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, shows that malarial infections in wet areas of the Amazon decrease following rainfall while they increase following rainfall in drier areas. Read the full story.
Ney identifies natural protein safe for phenylketonurics
A team led by Professor of Nutritional Sciences Denise Ney has identified a natural protein which can be safely digested by people with phenylketonuria (PKU), an enzyme deficiency. Prior to this discovery, there were no known natural proteins that were considered safe for those with PKU. The finding is being used to develop special food products for phenylketonurics. View the press release here.
Research finds hurricanes have limited long-term impact on global warming
Galen McKinley, an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, and colleagues studied the long-term impact of hurricanes on the ocean's ability to capture carbon dioxide and found that the effect was much less significant than previously thought. The team's research was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Read the journal article and the press release.
Zoologist finds that all runs are not created equal
Research conducted by Karen Steudel, Professor of Zoology, and colleague has found that the optimal pace for a mammalian runner varies across individuals. This finding is in contrast to previous thinking, which held that running a given distance at any speed required the same amount of energy. Read more here.
Ogle receives funding from National Hearth, Lung and Blood Institute
Brenda Ogle, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was awarded more than $400,000 to support her research that aims to use tissue regeneration techniques to treat heart attacks. The grant was awarded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Funding renewed for Project HealthDesign
Funding for Project HealthDesign, led by Prof. Patti Brennan, received more than $5 million in continued funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Project, which aims to improve the design and functioning of the medical health record system, founded in 2006 will continue its work through 2012. Read the press release.
Biologist collaborates to identify the chemistry of genetically altered fungi
Nancy Keller, a professor who studies the genetics of fungi, is collaborating with researchers at the Small-Molecule Screening Facility to help understand the chemical properties of specially altered fungi. Read the full story here.
Assistant professor studies genetic variation in yeast
Audrey Gasch, assistant professor of genetics, is studying genetic variation in wild yeast collected around the world. Her research has helped to identify strains of yeast with desirable properties. Gasch forsees that her research could be utilized in various industrial contexts, including biofuel production. Read the interview with Prof. Gasch.
Szlufarska team uncovers properties of nanoscale friction
A team lead by Izabela Szlufarska, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, has shed new light on how friction acts on a nanoscale. As compared to the smooth interaction previously envisioned by scientists, the Szlufarska team used computer simulations to show that at the nanoscale atoms generate much friction because of their uneven surface. The findings were published in the journal Nature. Read the Nature article and the press release.
Geochemist wins Romnes Faculty Fellowship
Nita Sahai, an associate professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, was awarded one of nine Romnes Faculty Fellowships. The fellowship provides $50,000 in research funds for early-career, tenured faculty. Read more here.
Palmenberg elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology
Ann Palmenberg, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and chair of the Institute for Molecular Virology, was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. View the press release.
Assistant professor wins Sloan Fellowship
Suchi Chawla, an assistant professor in the Department of Comupter Sciece, was awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. The two-year, $50,000 award will support Prof. Chawla's research into algorithms. Read the press release.
Academic staff member prepares veterinary students for real-life encounters
Patricia Sharp, a senior instructor with the School of Veterinary medicine, utilizes hands-on techniques to help prepare veterinary students for the types of pathobiological issues they will encounter in the field. Continually updating her instructional materials, Sharpe is able to keep her courses relevant. Read the full story here.
Team led by UW professor unravels the structure of the common cold
Ann Palmenberg, professor of biochemistry, has together with colleagues mapped the genetic code for each of the 99 known strains of the common cold. The research, published in the February 13 issue of Science, provides a comprehensive baseline for future work on the virus. Read the press release here.
Research finds evidence of an 'Obama effect'
Work conducted by Patricia Devine, professor of psychology, and her colleague, E. Ashby Plant, found a reduction in implicit racial bias during Barak Obama's presidential campaign. Their work further suggested that people had also developed a stronger association between the concepts of 'blackness' and government during the campaign. Read more about this story here.
Adams nominated fellow of American Society of Civil Engineers
Teresa Adams, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was nominated as a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. This honor recognizes Adams' research in the field of infrastructure asset management.
New faculty member investigates E. coli
Dorte Dopfer, an assistant professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, is taking a novel, interdisciplinary approach to studying E. coli. Together with colleagues, Dopfer will combine mathematical modeling with applied microbiology and epidemiology. The team's aim is to better understand the factors contributing E. coli outbreaks. Read the full story here.
Emeritus professor named acting deputy director of the NSF
Cora Marrett, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, was named as the acting deputy director for the National Science Foundation (NSF). Marrett, who has also served as the UW System's senior vice president, took up her new post on January 18. Read the press release here.
News – 2008
Assistant professor's paper named most influential
A paper authored by Pam Kreeger, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and colleagues was identified as one of the most influential pieces of reproductive research published between 2004 and 2008. Campus users can read the full Nature Medicine article here.
Hagness named fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Susan Hagness, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The highest membership status in the IEEE, the fellowship acknowledges Hagness' research in computational and applied electromagnetics.
Teaching Fellows Program featured in Science
A program funded through a grant from the Howard Huges Medical Institute, UW-Madison's Teaching Fellows Program helps to train graduate students and postdocs to incorporate more effective teaching strategies into biology education. The program, led by Jo Handlesman, was featured in the November 28 issue of Science magazine.
Innovative engineering course receives national attention
A new, integrative engineering course aimed at pre-engineering and undecided majors was featured in the November 2008 issue of the Society of Women Engineers Magazine. The course, "Introduction to Society's Engineering Grand Challenges," was designed by Susan Hagness and highlights the interface between humanity and engineering. Read the SWE article on page 34.
Paskewitz team tracks deer ticks to help understand spread of Lyme disease
Susan Paskewitz, professor of Entomology, led a team that collected ticks from deer carcasses brought in by hunters through out the state. The survey aims to provide a clearer picture of the spread of deer ticks in Wisconsin, which in turn will help to inform public health education efforts. Read the press release here.
Professor of Psychology changes thinking about prejudice
Patricia Devine, Professor of Psychology, has conducted groundbreaking research on prejudice since the 1980's. Her work has helped to clarify how biases and prejudices operate and has also suggested new approaches for educating people about prejudice. More information about Prof. Devine's work can be found here.
Knezevic wins Air Force Young Investigator award
Assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Irena Knezevic, was awarded a 2009 Air Force Young Investigator Research Program grant to study the thermoelectric properties of nanowires and nanoribbons.
Professor unlocks secrets of biomineralization
Pupa Gilbert, professor of physics at UW-Madison, together with colleagues have recently identified a key transition in the biominerailzation process, in which living organisms transform minerals into a unique structure. Studying sea urchins, the team found that the process of crystallization occurs in a random fashion. Gilbert and colleagues hope that their findings will aid in the development of biomineralization technologies. Read the full story here.
Graduate student takes second prize in the 2008 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge
Jenna Eun, a biochemistry graduate student, won second place in the National Science Foundation and Science magazine sponsored contest for her photo "Polymazing." The bending and twisting captured in the photo is a common phenomenon, one which also causes fingertips to wrinkle when wet.
Soil science professor named director of Institute for Cross-College Biology Education
Teri Balser, associate professor of Soil Science at UW-Madison, took over as director of the Institute for Cross-College Biology Education (ICBE) in fall 2008. The institute aims to improve life-sciences education across campus. Read the full press release here.
Geologist changes thinking on the formation of the solar system
Noriko Kita, a senior scientist in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, and collaborators studying comet dust collected by NASA's 2004 Stardust mission have come to surprising conclusions. Contrary to expectations, the dust was found to contain isotopes of oxygen indicating that the dust was composed of materials from both the inner and outer reaches of the solar system. This finding suggests that previous theories on the formation of the universe may be incomplete. Read the full story here.
Veterinary researcher finds success in trials of new pet pain-killer
Lesley Smith, clinical professor in the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, has found early success in her clinical trials of a new, injectible pain reliever for dogs. If these preliminary results hold up, the new drug may help avoid long vet hospital stays for animals following surgery. Read the full story here.
Infant's sent lowers testosterone in male marmosets
Toni Ziegler, Senior Scientist at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and colleagues have identified a previously unknown physiological response to offspring in male marmoset monkeys. Ziegler and colleagues found that experienced marmoset fathers exhibited a decrease in testosterone levels when exposed to the scent of their own infant. Read the full story here.
Prof. Susan Paskewitz monitors mosquitoes to protect public health
Susan Paskewitz, professor of Entomology at UW-Madison, along with her graduate student, has been working to monitor the presence of West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes in the state. Read the full story here.
Engelstad lab receives major donation of technology
SEMATECH, a consortium of semiconductor manufacturers, donated highly specialized equipment to Prof. Roxann Engelstad's lab. The machine, a Zygo frequency-shifting interferometer, will help the lab research the micro-scale lithographic substrates used in manufacturing computer chips.
Biomedical Engineering professor awarded a Fulbright scholarship
Prof. Naomi Chesler was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to conduct research on pulmonary hypertension at the University of Ghent, in Belgium. Chesler will conduct her work between February and June 2009.
Monica Turner recognized for contributions to ecology
Monica Turner, Eugene P. Odum Professor of Ecology, was awarded the 2008 Robert H. MacArthur award. The prize, awarded by the Ecological Society of America, honors mid-career scholars for their contributions to the field of ecology. Prof. Turner's work at Yellowstone National Park, begun in 1988, helped to establish the field of landscape ecology. Read more about Turner's research here.
Prof. Leslie Smith inducted as American Physical Society fellow
Leslie Smith, professor and former chair of the Department of Mathematics at UW-Madison, was inducted as one of 226 American Physical Society fellows for 2008.
Researchers question the expansion of bio fuels in the tropics
Holly Gibbs, a graduate student with the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, led a study examining the effects of replacing tropical forests with bio fuel crops. Together with her co-authors, she finds that such behavior may actually exacerbate the global warming bio fuels are meant to alleviate. Read the full story here.
Program seeks to expose diverse high school students to medicine
The Research Apprenticeship Program, directed by Gloria Hawkins, assistant dean for multicultural affairs, offers high school students from under-represented groups the opportunity to immerse themselves in academic medicine for seven weeks each summer. Read more about the program here.
Research examines the interplay between microbes and host
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team led by Prof. Margaret McFall-Ngai examines the relationship between animals and microbes. Their findings suggest that microbes can affect gene expression in animals and also highlights the importance of the interaction between microbe and host. Read more about this story here.
Engineering professor's op-ed piece calls for female engineers on TV
Wendy Crone, Associate Professor of Engineering Physics, recently published an op-ed piece that was featured on the Discovery Channel's web site. Prof. Crone suggests that a multidimensional, lead woman engineer in popular television would do much to help attract girls to engineering. Read the full op-ed here.
Biomedical engineering professor wins Denise Denton Emerging Leader Award
Naomi Chesler, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, was named the Denise Denton Emerging Leader for 2008. The award, which aims to recognize young scholars who exhibit excellence in both research and efforts to promote diversity, is given by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology. Read the full story here.
New research examines girls in mathematics
Janet Mertz, Professor of Oncology at UW-Madison, along with colleagues, studied the demographic compositions of various programs for profoundly gifted math students. In particular, the study looks to international math competitions to examine how boys and girls fare across cultures. Prof. Mertz and colleagues conclude that cultural factors tend to push U.S. citizens away from math and that this effect is more pronounced for girls as compared to boys. The study provides more evidence to suggest that nurture, not nature, accounts for women's under-representation in math and science. Read the full study, published in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society. See also the UW-Madison press release and a related LA Times article.
Szlufarska wins NSF CAREER award
Izabela Szlufarska, assistant professor of Materials Science and Engineering, was among several UW-Madison faculty to win 2008 Faculty Early Career Development Awards (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prof. Szlufarska will use the award to work on researching new biosensor technologies. She also plans to develop an outreach program to help bridge the gap between public perceptions of bioscience and the research being done at the UW. Read the press release here.
Post doc receives two-year fellowship to study asthma
Lisa Lenertz, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, won a two-year fellowship from the Hartwell Foundation. The award will allow Lenertz to continue her research on the connection between the P2X7 protein and childhood asthma. Read the whole story here.
WISELI affiliate releases book on women's participation in meetings
A new book, "Women Speaking Up: Getting and Using Turns in Workplace Meetings," authored by Prof. Ceci Ford, a WISELI affiliate, was recently published. The book, which draws upon observational studies of women in academic science, engineering, and medicine, highlights differences in how men and women communicate in meetings. Prof. Ford's findings suggest several strategies that women use to successfully participate in meetings. Read the full story here.
Prof. Janet Hyde debunks myth of gender differences in math ability
A new study led by UW-Madison psychology professor Janet Hyde finds no significant gender differences in math performance among American children in grades 2 through 11, providing new evidence against the notion that males have an advantage in mathematics. The research compared boys' and girls' performance – both on average and in the highest ranks – and found only negligible differences. The study, published in the journal Science on July 25th, has garnered extensive media attention. Time magazine and the New York Times among others have run recent stories covering the study. Read the full press release here.
College of Engineering recognizes two women academic staff
Kelly Burton, coordinator for the Graduate Engineering Research Scholars program, and Traci Nathans-Kelly, faculty associate in Engineering Professional Development, were both recognized for their outstanding contributions at the College of Engineering's annual Appreciation Day held May 8, 2008. Burton received the Bollinger Academic Staff Distinguished Achievement Award and Nathan-Kelly received a Polygon Teaching Award. Read more here.
Post-doc leads research on synaptic growth
Kate O'Connor-Giles, a postdoctoral fellow in the Neuroscience Training Program, is leading research on synaptic growth that may provide insight into a variety of neurological disorders. The team's work was recently published in the journal Neuron. See the press release for more details.
Breast cancer researcher wins Shaw Award
Wei Xu, an assistant professor of oncology at UW-Madison, was awarded the Shaw prize to recognize and support her groundbreaking research on estrogen receptors and breast cancer tumors. The prize, awarded by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, will provide $200,000 in funds for Xu's work. Read more here.
Prof. Nancy Langston: Environmental historian
Initially trained as an ecologist, environmental studies and forest ecology professor Nancy Langston completed a path-breaking PhD in environmental history in the early 1990's. As a UW-Madison professor, she has continued to pursue interdisciplinary research on critical environmental issues that bring together the social and scientific. Read the full press release.
Innovative new engineering course brings real-world to the forefront
A new freshman engineering course, Introduction to Society's Engineering Grand Challenges, brings engineering disciplines and real-world problems together for students. Designed by Prof. Susan Hagness, the course received funding from the College of Engineering 2010 Initiative. Read the full story here.
Martin named Chancellor-designate
The Board of Regents has confirmed that Biddy (Carolyn A.) Martin will be the next UW-Madison Chancellor. Martin will take up the position from the outgoing Chancellor, John Wiley, in September 2008. Martin's long list of accomplishments include her work as Principal Investigator on Cornell University's ADVANCE grant, which was awarded in 2006. Additional details about Prof. Martin's experience can be found here.
Linda Greene awarded Outstanding Woman of Color Award
Linda Greene, Evjue-Bascom Professor of Law and WISELI Leadership Team member, has been awarded the UW System's 13th Annual Outstanding Woman of Color Award. Prof. Greene's accomplishments were celebrated with a reception held in the Memorial Union on Monday April 7th. Additional information about Prof. Greene's numerous contributions to academic and public life can be found here.
Kiessling, Wolfe named 2008 Guggenheim Fellows
Two female professors in the sciences, Laura Kiessling (Chemistry and Biochemistry) and Barbara Wolfe (Economics, Population Health Sciences and Public Affairs), were among those named 2008 Guggenheim Fellows. Prof. Kiessling will use the fellowship to further her research into alkene metathesis, a line of work that might have valuable biological applications. Prof. Wolfe will use her fellowship to study connections between income, socioeconomic status, and health. Her work aims to inform and improve social policy.
New Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate named
Damon A. Williams, PhD has been named the new Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate. Dr. Williams comes to UW-Madison from the University of Connecticut, where he has held an appointment as Assistant Vice Provost for Multicultural & International Affairs since 2002.
WISELI co-director chosen as a 2008 Association for Women in Science Fellow
Dr. Molly Carnes, professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Industrial & Systems Engineering and WISELI co-director, has been named an Association for Women in Science (AWIS) 2008 Fellow. The fellowship recognizes Dr. Carnes' outstanding commitment and contribution to the cause of gender equity in STEM fields.
Prof. Emily Stanley wins Romnes Award for research on inland water management
Emily Stanley, associate professor of Zoology and member of UW-Madison's Center for Limnology, received one of seven Romnes Awards given on the UW-Madison campus. The award, which carries a $50,000 prize, recognizes the outstanding potential of recently tenured UW-Madison faculty.
Biochemistry professor elected to National Academy of Sciences Council
Judith Kimble, Vilas Professor of Biochemistry, was elected to join the National Academy's governing body, the Council. Prof. Kimble will assume this major leadership role, as one of 12 elected Councilors, in July.
Assistant professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering wins best paper award
Prof. Jessica Y. Guo, along with her co-authors, was awarded the Pyke Johnson Award for their outstanding paper in the field of transportation systems planning and administration.
News – 2007
December 2007
- Prof guides future generations of female students
- Stem cells show power to predict disease, drug toxicity
- Chancellor Wiley to step down in September 2008
- UW-Madison hydrogeologist, Madeline Gotkowitz, finds disinfecting wells can help control arsenic contamination
- Nelson Center team identifies effect of foreign air pollution on U.S. pollutant levels
November 2007
- Ahna Skop wins White House science award
- Engineer featured in DoIT academic technology video
- CoE SWE section recognized at national conference
- CEE graduate student, Andrea Bill, receives prestigious fellowship
- WISELI executive and research director, Dr. Jennifer Sheridan, receives Women's Philanthropy Council Champion Award
- Behan appointed associate dean at School of Veterinary Medicine
- New Antarctica research season kicks off
- Two young researchers win White House science award
October 2007
- Jane Mahoney: Reducing risk of falls among the elderly
- AAAS honors five UW-Madison members
- Center offers care option when kids are sick
- College honors 16 at Oct. 26 Engineers' Day festivities
- Team launches advanced-reactor materials study
- ECE student, Xujiao (Suzey) Gao receives best paper award
- CEE alumna, Lindsey Bergsven, wins student paper competition
- University group receives nearly $1M for undergrad mentoring
- Study of bacterial communities may provide climate-change clues
- Primate study shows excess vitamin A can be stored during fetal development
September 2007
- 'Jumping genes' could make for safer gene delivery system
- Hormone-driven effects on eating, stress mediated by same brain region
- Study reveals possible genetic risk for fetal alcohol disorders
August 2007
- Building green for less green: Design team plans lower-cost, energy-efficient housing
- ECE student, Mariya Lazebnik, awarded fellowship
- Hagness wins most-cited paper and early career teaching awards
- NIH MERIT award advances fetal alcohol research
July 2007
- Phosphorus management system balances farms, water quality
- Carla Alvarado receives best abstract award
- Team to study how people learn engineering
- Mother-of-pearl: Classic beauty and remarkable strength
June 2007
- WISELI Documentary Part 3 premiering June 13 on ResearchChannel
- On the June 24th anniversary of the death of Denice D. Denton, the women in science & engineering community remembers and celebrates her achievements
- Research may yield improved treatment for diseased lungs
- Midwest transportation coalition addresses regional freight challenges
May 2007
- Two faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences
- NSF CAREER award: Resident bacteria may help clean phosphorus from atrophied lakes
- Mutant parasites unable to infect hosts, highlight virulence genes
- New technique dissects stem cells' picky likes, dislikes
April 2007
- Gene that governs toxin production in deadly mold found
- UW-Madison announces 2007 Distinguished Teaching Award winners
- Arming the fight against resistant bacteria
- Bier and Okpara earn best paper award from Risk Analysis
- Project to study nurses' role in medication management
- Study finds microwaves are sensitive to different types of breast tissue
- Crone touts nano outreach to materials meeting attendees
- DARPA gives $1.1 million for quantum-box semiconductor lasers
- Shi receives Air Force award for large-scale optimization
March 2007
- Targeting tumors the natural way
- Abrupt climate change more common than believed
- Campus leader on climate, diversity issues to retire
- Incentives for security investment featured in IE magazine
- Romnes Awards support UW-Madison's emerging stars
- Nelson Institute director announces resignation
February 2007
- Study profiles rate of autism in Wisconsin
- Study looks at benefits of two cochlear implants in deaf children
- Researcher seeks 'missing piece' in climate change models
- Berquam named UW-Madison dean of students
- Geography professor honored with lifetime achievement award
- IEEE Robot Team places in competition
- Six faculty receive Kellett Mid-Career Awards for research
January 2007
- Study helps nanotech researchers hone outreach skills
- Nutrition researchers provide the skinny on trans fats
- Tracey Holloway awarded EPA grant
News – 2006
December 2006
- Professor leads national effort to improve medical records
- New research program tackles Parkinson's Disease
- Amy Barger is recipient of 2007 Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award
- Five UW faculty inducted into National Academies
- Wisconsin scientists land major infectious disease awards
November 2006
- Five UW-Madison faculty named AAAS fellows
- New maps emphasize the human factor in wildfire management
- The Gerontological Society of America Confers 2006 Joseph T. Freeman Award to University of Wisconsin's Carnes
- Plant gene imaging team receives NSF grant
- Researchers Pascale Carayon and Raj Veeramani to study computer and information security
- Veterinary Medicine student establishes animal rescue organization
- Laura Kiessling receives prestigious Harrison Howe Award
- National Academy of Sciences: Broad national effort urgently needed to maximize potential of women scientists and engineers in academia
- Shi, Duffie explore new paradigm of production planning with funds from NSF
- Pfatteicher and El-Guebaly named research professors
October 2006
- Grant offers child care help to classified employees
- New drug blocks influenza, including bird flu virus
- Microbial "blueprint" may unlock mysteries of wastewater treatment
- Szlufarska receives Air Force funds
- Professor receives prestigious award for contributions to chemistry
- IPM program now includes berry growers, covers more parts of state
- Informatics education team receives NSF grant
- MRSEC outreach event draws middle-schoolers to campus (see photos)
September 2006
- Most widely used organic pesticide requires help to kill
- Five research universities awarded $250,000 grants to demonstrate innovative faculty career flexibility programs
- Women in Engineering Exhibit entitled "Petticoats and Slide Rules" to open in Wendt Library
- Forum to focus on 'moving forward together'
- NSF funds Susan Hagness and colleagues in development of 3-D sensing system
- Conference to advise businesses on pandemic preparation
- BME assistant professor Kristyn Masters receives NIH funding
- Campus leaders reflect on Denice Denton's life, career
August 2006
- Astronomers provide fresh peek at nearby galaxy
- Young chemist wins hefty corporate award
- Seltzer named interim director of Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
- Gariela Cezar's stem cell research targets birth defects and cancer
July 2006
April 2006
March 2006
- UW-Madison tops nation in number of 2006 Sloan Research Fellowships
- Patrick Farrell to become UW-Madison's next provost
- Educators win national recognition for teaching and mentorship
February 2006
- Experts question prevalent stereotypes about autism
- Scientists discuss evolutionary roots of social behavior
- National Academy of Engineering elects UW Geologist
- Scientist tracks behavior's neural roots in tiny brains
- Virologist Kenney to join UW School of Medicine and Public Health
- Concentrating solar collector earns first place in creativity, prototype competitions
- Study explains unexpected conductivity of nanoscale silicon
- UW-Madison Midwest Regional University Transportation Center (MRUTC) sponsors award-winning scout project
- Brennan receives grant to create tools for managing personal health information
- World's fastest image processor to aid search for long-sought form of matter
- UW professor Vicki Bier helps analyze terror risks as part of project funded by U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Like their pregnant mates, primate dads-to-be pack on pounds
January 2006
- Study: Mentors make or break student success
- Canine cancer vaccine shows early promise
- Mining for gems in the fungal genome
- Wisconsin athletic program earns diversity award
- Scientists link another gene to degenerative blindness
- Fellowship Program led by Wendy Crone and Terry Devitt to Help Public Understand Nanotech
- Advance points way to noninvasive brain cancer treatment
News – 2005
December 2005
- Three candidates recommended for UW-Madison provost
- Brennan appointed to national advisory council on healthcare research and quality
- Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate student Andrea Bill receives Outstanding Student of the Year honor from Midwest Regional University Transportation Center
- Engineering students Nicole Rybeck and Amy Nagengast recognized by UW-Madison Student Organization Office with student leadership awards
- Vet school faculty, staff help Katrina's lost pets
- AWIS Membership Chair Middlecamp Named 2006 ACS National Winner
November 2005
- Two receive Women's Philanthropy Council 'Champion' awards
- Scientists map one of biology's critical light-sensing structures
- Six UW-Madison faculty elected AAAS fellows
- Jahn chosen to lead College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
- IE professor Pascale Carayon to serve as reviewer of British and Canadian Research Councils
- ME professor Roxanne Engelstad gives plenary talk at International Conference on Micro- and Nano-Engineering
October 2005
- UW-Madison Establishes Center for Global Health
- UW study shows deer in CWD zone stick to home
- Professor makes an impact in Sudan human rights
- Mellon, Paulnock named to Graduate School posts
- Counseling psychology honored for minority achievement
September 2005
- UW-Madison, Medical College of Wisconsin to lead a $16 million children's health initiative
- Analysis: Differences between the sexes largely exaggerated
- Key neural system at risk from fetal alcohol exposure
August 2005
- Scientist wins major grant to study little-known immune cells
- UW-Madison's Morton Ann Gernsbacher named APS president-elect
- Ethanol treatment may be instrumental in fighting IV-based infections
- Despite gains, women still face bias in science careers
June 2005
- New vet school oncologist offers innovative cancer treatment options
- Bier named to Homeland Security Committee
- BME assistant professor Kristyn Masters to begin cardiac study
- $4.9 million Muri Grant funds mismatched materials research
- Two scientists land leadership roles with national psychology group
- Assistant professor in Chemistry, Helen Blackwell, receives Cottrell Scholars Award
- Professor Teresa Adams named director of Midwest Regional University Transportation Center
May 2005
- UW-Madison selects Underwood as School of Education dean
- Counseling Psychology assistant professor Angela Byars-Winston receives Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant
- Engineer tapped for national mentoring award
- Wendt and Ramanujam Win Vilas Associate Awards
- CEE student Andrea Bill receives Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship
- Ladson-Billings elected to National Academy of Education
- School of Veterinary Medicine personnel receive awards
- Kiessling to lead new chemical biology initiative
- Compounds in cranberries may have heart healthy effects
- UW primate authority elected to national academy
- Hagness team receives $1.25 million NIH grant
- BME graduate student Amy Beth Silder awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Award
- IE undergraduate student Naraphorn Haphuriwat wins University Book Store academic award
- Society of Women Engineers receives Most Outstanding Contribution to Membership award
- The Boston Globe covers WISELI and the NSF ADVANCE Program: "A woman's place in the lab: Harvard studies efforts to boost women faculty at U-Wisconsin"
April 2005
- Women in science and engineering fields honored with Academic Staff Awards for research, teaching, and leadership
- Wisconsin researchers identify sleep gene
- CEE scientist receives UW-Madison academic staff award
- Engineering student Joanna Storm chosen for Iron Cross Society
- Transportation grad student Janille Smith attends Eno Leadership Development conference
- Nelson Institute head is a master at merging worlds
- Hirsch and Fowler receive classified staff awards
- Cecilia Ford receives Chancellor's Award for teaching excellence
- Strong link seen between Chlamydia and heart attack in young men
- Supersizing is no bargain, UW-Madison study shows
March 2005
- An open letter on campus diversity
- A scientific (teaching) revolution
- Study: Marmoset Dads Don't Stray
- To control germs, scientists deploy tiny agents provocateurs
- In solution, tiny magnetic wires scatter light
- Baldwin grants fund seven innovative projects
- Study: Eye contact triggers threat signals in autistic children's brains
- MIT groups honors NimbleGen, Ramanujam
February 2005
- Women's health expert to address state issues
- Muetze and Gopalan receives NSF CAREER awards
- Two prominent women scientists among eight at UW-Madison elected AAAS Fellows
- Carayon named P&G Professor in Total Quality
- Vet tech's knowledge helps malamutes embark on show careers
- Two honored with Outstanding Women of Color award
- Ramanujam receives $2 million for breast cancer studies
January 2005
News – 2004
November 2004
- WAA honors Molly Carnes with Cabinet 99 recognition award
- In a tiny squid, bacterial toxin governs organ development
- Symposium encourages American Indians to enter health, science
September 2004
August 2004
- MRSEC internship program funding renewed
- IE student Ayse Gurses receives dissertation grant
- IE student Sara Kraemer selected to participate in Academy of Management workshop
- Sandefur to lead Letters and Science
- ACE Mentor Mary Behan Sees Mentoring as Critical to Success in Academia
- UW veterinarians try new drug for equine heart fibrillations
- A changing landscape may have dire implications for birds
July 2004
- Study: Too few doctors ask teens about smoking
- Hagness honored for biomedical achievements
- Health Systems researchers Jenna Marguard and Anne Moen win poster award
- Viewing breast biopsy in a new light
June 2004
- New 'Research Channel' to reach and teach larger audiences
- Leyuan Shi receives $100,000 award from NSF for her research on large-scale practical scheduling and sequencing problems
- New Materials Science and Engineering Department Chair, Susan Babcock, begins term July 1
- UW-Madison scientists find a key to cell division
May 2004
- Women scientists among four UW-Madison faculty members to win Hilldale Awards
- Women scientists among eight faculty honored with named professorships
- Two faculty win Shaw Scientist awards
- Population Health Professor Mari Palta elected 2004 ASA Fellow
- Chemists find a new chink in TB's armor
- McMahon and Benson to study prion fate in wastewater
- Brennan to lead health-care computer effort
- BME student Erin Gill receives CoE fellowship
- Elizabeth Schmerr Chumanov awarded NSF graduate fellowship
- Jackie Gerhart named one of three UW-Madison outstanding undergraduate student leaders of the year
April 2004
- Bye-Bye Bio 101: Teach science the way you do science
- Zoologist elected to National Academy of Sciences
- Evelyn Howell receives the Chancellor's Award
- Susan Hagness named fellow of University of Wisconsin-Madison Teaching Academy
- Wendy Crone receives a $333,000 grant from Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- NIH awards Nimmi Ramanujam $940,359 R01 grant
- Kathleen Schell receives Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research
March 2004
- Westley to lead Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
- Microbe's trick provides a template for willowy crystals
February 2004
- Bacteria and environmental factors linked to cranberry stem gall
- BME senior Jacqueline Gerhart in USA Today top-20 academics
January 2004
- Leavitt, Hyde receive feminist scholars fellowship awards
- Bier to lead UW portion of new homeland security grant
- BME students Carmalyn Lubawy and Melissa Skala receive DOD breast cancer fellowships
News – 2003
December 2003
November 2003
- Lecture to address girders under glass ceiling
- Device may help keep dog knees limber
- 29 UW-Madison faculty among most cited
- Carayon and Wetterneck to study medication error reduction
- Sex a necessary evolutionary commodity, new study shows
- Discovery provides reminder of bacteriology professor
- Educators ponder teaching biology as a scientific enterprise
- Eleven UW-Madison Faculty Named AAAS Fellows
- Carayon Nominated To IEA Executive Committee
October 2003
September 2003
- Nimmi Ramanujam named one of 100 Top Young Innovators by Technology Review magazine
- Study to focus on Upper Midwest freight transportation needs
- Open communication: Shared code could facilitate health-care information transfer
- Martha Casey, PhD, retires from her position as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Planning and Analysis
- NSF Releases Report on Girls in Science and Engineering
- Katherine Compton (ECE), Padma Gopalan (MSE), Kristyn Masters (BME), and Heidi-Lynn Ploeg (ME) are among 11 new faculty hired for 2004
August 2003
- New ombuds office created to help resolve conflicts
- Whitaker Foundation funds hypertension research
- ECE student Mariya Lazebnik wins NSF graduate fellowship
- Bier co-chairs NAE meeting
July 2003
- Professor of Plant Pathology Caitilyn Allen's research highlighted in the Wisconsin State Journal: "Tracking Down An Evil And Costly Plant Killer"
June 2003
- UW-Madison School of Pharmacy dean selected
- Wendy Crone and colleagues awarded a $100,000 NSF grant
May 2003
- CQPI'S Alvarado honored for health efforts
- Handelsman elected to American Academy of Microbiology
- Laura Kiessling elected Fellow of AAAS
April 2003
- Women in science receive three of the four Hilldale Awards
- Pamela Douglas inducted as vice president of the American College of Cardiology
March 2003
February 2003
- Theresa Adams, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, spearheads and chairs new interdisciplinary graduate-level certificate: The Transportation Management and Policy Program
- Hagness to receive UW-Madison Teaching Award
- Bier receives NSF Grant, has book published
- Demont named Chair of National ASEE Division
- Farrell elected SAE fellow
January 2003
- Provost Peter Spear recently fielded questions from Wisconsin Week staff on climate improvement effort, and announced new Campus Climate Network website
- Durand to help lead diversity, climate efforts
- Sparke elected APS fellow
News – 2002
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
- Wolfe elected to National Institute of Medicine
- Laura L. Kiessling named AAAS fellow
- Dean Paul Peercy has named Deanna Dietrich Associate Dean for Research and Policy Administration for the College of Engineering
- Johns Hopkins asks itself, why so few women?
- UW News profiles Nita Sahai, Assistant Professor in Geochemistry
- Caitilyn Allen, Professor, Plant Pathology and Women's Studies, is named Faculty Science Adviser for the Office of International Studies and Programs
- Janet Hyde, Professor, Psychology and Women's Studies, receives three-year grant from NSF
- Shaima Nasiri, doctoral student, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, has receives first Suomi-Simpson Graduate Fellowship, sponsored by UW-Madison and NASA
- Leyuan Shi, Professor, Industrial Engineering, and Harriet Nembhard, Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering, have received a grant from the National Science Foundation to support their project, "An Evaluation Approach for Flexibility in Manufacturing Enterprises"
- Amy Stambach, Assistant Professor, Educational Policy Studies and Anthropology, receives Spencer Small Research Grant
- Barbara Wolfe, Thomas Kaplan and Robert Haveman, Institute for Research on Poverty, are co-principal investigators on a study of the implications of BadgerCare for work and earnings
- Gary Sandefur, a WISELI Leadership Team member, is co-organizer of the "Many Wisdoms in Higher Education: Communicating Our Changing Cultures, Communities and Challenges" symposium
September 2002
- Grant aids biologist's teaching
- Engineering Physics Assistant Professor and WISELI affiliate Wendy Crone Wins Teaching-Strategy Paper Award
- Marsha Mailick Seltzer named director of Waisman Center
August 2002
- Laura Knoll receives Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Shaw Scientist Award
- WISELI announces "Celebrating Women in Science & Engineering Grant Program"
May 2002
- Report finds disparities in hiring at U.S. labs
- NSF Division of Science Resources Statistics releases "Science and Engineering Indicators 2002"