For most University of Wisconsin students, the end of the semester marks the beginning of a month-long hibernation punctuated by the occasional party and obligatory family get-together. For 90 UW students participating in this year’s winter Alternative Breaks program, however, that hibernation will be awakened by a week of service… Read more »

The founder and chief executive officer of the national non-profit organization One Heartland will headline the graduation commencement ceremony Dec. 20, UW announced Thursday.� Neil Willenson graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1992 and founded One Heartland — a charity that provides services to children and families living… Read more »

Part of a national push on college campuses for use of geothermal technology, one University of Wisconsin building is being outfitted with the first geothermal energy system on campus, aiming to improve UW’s energy efficiency and put a small dent in the $50 million it pays each year in energy… Read more »

Chancellor Biddy Martin requested in writing Friday that Nike address issues of workers’ rights abuses at two of its Honduras-based subcontractors within the next four months or allow its contract with the University of Wisconsin to expire. In a letter to the Labor Licensing Policy Committee — an advisory… Read more »

A group of around 50 protesters marched silently down State Street Wednesday in a symbolic memorial of the casualties from the war in Afghanistan, demonstrating their opposition to President Obama’s call Tuesday for the deployment of 30,000 more U.S.troops to Afghanistan. Organized by several Madison-area anti-war groups, the protest was… Read more »

A very small group of students offered suggestions for improving what they consider a sometimes hostile environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students at the University of Wisconsin and expressed interest in a new LGBT Campus Center in a listening session with Dean of Students Lori Berquam Tuesday. Tuesday’s… Read more »

While most University of Wisconsin students cheering for the Badgers on Wildcat terrain Saturday endured the 150-mile car ride from Madison to Evanston, Ill., nine members of a UW fraternity made the trek relay-style on a Schwinn. The two-day bike ride was part of the 16th annual Tour de Touchdown,… Read more »

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have received a $9.5 million grant that aims to prevent another pandemic of swine flu proportions by identifying virus mutations that could infect humans and spread worldwide. The five-year grant, provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will assemble scientists under lead… Read more »

University of Wisconsin students are going international, according to a study released Monday ranking UW students among the top in the nation for their participation in study abroad programs. The Open Doors Report, a study by the Institute of International Education, ranked UW sixth in the nation for overall student… Read more »

University of Wisconsin students joined U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Thursday to rally support for health care reform that includes a government insurance program and provides broad coverage for college students and recent graduates. Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group hosted the Health Care Reform Extravaganza, drawing 10 student organizations… Read more »

A cautionary e-mail sent to medical and biochemistry researchers last week, prompted by missing equipment, has accused a private microscope service representative of fraudulent behavior, though the representative claims he has done nothing of the sort. The mass e-mail — distributed by Clinical Science Center assistant professor Erik Ranheim and… Read more »

A panel of experts told a University of Wisconsin crowd Tuesday while it is difficult to predict trends of nuclear proliferation, some existing models can reveal which countries may succeed in producing nuclear weapons. The panel members — researchers from the University of Illinois, North Carolina State University and UW… Read more »

Grammy award-winning rapper Ludacris stirred debate at the University of Wisconsin Friday after calling upon hip-hop fans to help solve the problems of violence, glorification of money and profanity associated with the genre’s culture. Former Editor in Chief of The Source magazine Jonathan “Fahiym” Ratcliffe and MTV News correspondent Jonathan… Read more »

Researchers from three politically disparate nations in the Middle East, headed by a professor from the University of Wisconsin, have united to study air quality issues in one of the world’s most historically conflicted regions. With the academic and scientific guidance of UW professor of civil and environmental engineering James… Read more »

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health have begun administering a national clinical trial aimed at determining the proper swine flu vaccine dosage to immunize asthmatic patients against the H1N1 virus. Evidence suggests the H1N1 vaccination dosage that is administered to the general population does… Read more »

In preparation for this year’s Halloween festivities, a Madison-area lawyer met with University of Wisconsin students and community members Wednesday evening to arm them with strategies for “surviving Freakfest.” The annual “Know Your Rights Workshop,” co-sponsored by the UW American Civil Liberties Union Student Alliance and the UW Legal Studies… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin’s own “eco-style” pimp my ride has struck the University of Wisconsin as students in the College of Engineering begin a project that aims to turn the red Bucky Wagon into an energy-efficient machine. The Bucky Wagon is a fire engine that tours the UW campus on… Read more »

The number of reported H1N1 cases on the University of Wisconsin campus has reached a semester low following four weeks of steadily declining reported flu cases, University Health Services said Tuesday. From Oct. 4 to 10, UHS reported 43 students contacted them with influenza-like illness, down 26 percent from the… Read more »

Hundreds of University of Wisconsin community members convened Thursday at an all-day conference to evaluate campus diversity and strategize ways to position UW as the country’s leader in campus diversity issues. The “Seeding Inclusive Excellence” conference aimed to provide a learning environment for professional development, encouraging participants to discuss diversity… Read more »

Spring for most undergraduates marks a frenzied search for summer internships, but a poll released Tuesday indicates for prospective law school students the yearly scramble may be overrated. According to a survey conducted by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, 61 percent of law school admissions officers representing 152 law schools… Read more »

Safety on the University of Wisconsin campus has seen major improvements over the past two years with total crime at an all-time low, according to the annual University Campus Safety Guide for 2009 released Thursday. According to the report, robberies on campus in 2008 fell 80 percent from the previous… Read more »

An $8 million, three-year grant announced Monday will give three Wisconsin colleges the resources to collaborate in an effort to solve the mysteries of the human genome. The National Human Genome Research Institute announced it has awarded the University of Wisconsin, Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin grants… Read more »

The United States’ bleak economy and struggling newspaper industry have combined forces in recent months to give journalism schools across the country a surprising boost in applicants. A recession-induced surge in journalism school applicants is the trend on many college campuses, indicating the skills journalism schools teach students remain indispensable… Read more »

Two citizens’ rights groups filed paperwork Tuesday to intervene in a lawsuit seeking to declare the state’s recent authorization of domestic partner registry unconstitutional. Fair Wisconsin, represented by Lambda Legal, and the American Civil Liberties Union filed separate motions to intervene in the lawsuit filed by Wisconsin Family Action, a… Read more »

University of Wisconsin’s Associated Students of Madison will kick off its fall semester this evening, when it will provide students interested in becoming a part of the student government with information and overviews about ASM and its corresponding committees. According to ASM Vice Chair Tom Templeton, the organization hopes to… Read more »

An innovative business competition launched this fall will give students a starring role in a new mtvU show, $25,000 in cash and the honor of ringing the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. The business competition, called “Movers and Changers,” asks college students across the country to design… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin’s new Go Big Read common book program, which begins this fall, announced its first book selection Wednesday. “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” by Michael Pollan was chosen from nearly 400 other titles as the inaugural book of UW’s Go Big Read program. The program,… Read more »

As part of the university’s reaccreditation process, students urged the University of Wisconsin Monday to broaden student and professor diversity on campus and raise the standards for tenured professors. Members of the Higher Learning Commission’s reaccreditation team met with students, faculty and staff in forums to discuss the results… Read more »

“Are men and women really different?” was posed to University of Wisconsin students Monday night by a relationship lecturer who visited campus as part of the annual Greek Week. Her answer was a resolute “yes.” Lori Ebert, a CAMPUSPEAK, Inc. lecturer, talked about “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin group Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment set up shop on Library Mall Wednesday as part of the national Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action. Representatives from a number of campus organizations set up tables in Library Mall with facts about sexual violence. Students who attended signed… Read more »

Several members of the University of Wisconsin Faculty Senate voiced a call for further investigation into an ad hoc committee’s report that defines the roles of the Athletic Board and outlines faculty authority in intercollegiate athletics. The report is the result of the committee’s investigation into allegations last fall of… Read more »

Four female Wisconsin legislators encouraged University of Wisconsin students Wednesday to work collaboratively with UW police to prevent sexual assault on campus. UW College Democrats hosted the panel discussion featuring Rep. Ann Hraychuck, D-Balsam Lake, Rep. Sandy Pasch, D-Whitefish Bay, Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, and Rep. Donna Seidel, D-Wausau.… Read more »

A dress made of air filters, a “drunk tank” that captures party crashers, a water purification system and a terrarium made of test tubes became winners Monday of the University of Wisconsin’s third annual 100-Hour Challenge. The challenge, funded by a $5 million grant UW received in 2006 from the… Read more »

Human rights activist, environmentalist and alternative medicine proponent Juan Almendares stressed the importance of improving public health in Honduras and other Central American countries Wednesday to an audience at the University of Wisconsin. “Public medicine and public health are so political. We have to learn that. There is no other… Read more »

Beginning this spring, University of Wisconsin students can combine their passion for beer with their love of learning in a course designed to teach them advanced brewing techniques. The one-of-a-kind course, to be offered in next semester’s timetable, features beer taste-testing and allows students to study the science behind one… Read more »

With a new director on board, the University of Wisconsin La Follette School of Public Affairs is headed toward program expansions and the possibility of building a new home by 2013. UW public affairs and economics professor Carolyn Heinrich is replacing Barbara Wolfe as director of the school. She said… Read more »