UW System Clipsheet

February 13, 2009

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UW System

"A model for growth," Editorial, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 12.

Academic research is a $1.1 billion enterprise in the state of Wisconsin, but the state and its businesses should be getting more bang for the buck frm all that brain power. University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly said last week that his Research to Jobs task force would examine ways to open new conduits for university research and expertise. Applying The Wisconsin Idea to business growth isn't necessarily easy or seamless, so we're glad that Reilly seems committed to pushing harder to take advantage of the university's knowledge base, especially during this time of economic distress...

On Campus

"Law says UW schools must release students' personal information," La Crosse Tribune, Feb. 13.

Parents of some University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students have said they are concerned about the school selling their children’s personal information for a small fee, officials said. But Diane Schumacher, UW-L’s administrative specialist in records and registration, said the university doesn’t have a choice — it’s the law and happens at all UW System schools...

"Fired UW-Eau Claire professor: 'I did show up!'," Associated Press, Feb. 12.

An accounting professor fired for missing faculty meetings at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire says he was recovering from eye surgery...UW-Eau Claire officials say Siegel could never substantiate claims that he notified the university of his absence and his contract required him to be at the meetings...

"University of Wisconsin-Madison prof elected to engineering academy," Capital Times, Feb. 13.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Guri Sohi was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Sohi is among 65 engineers and nine foreign associates elected in 2009. Those named to the academy were peer-elected for their exceptional contributions to engineering research, practice or education...

"University of Wisconsin-Madison virologist helps sequence genetic instructions for common cold," Wisconsin State Journal, Feb. 13.

...Researchers at UW-Madison and other institutions have sequenced and analyzed the genetic instructions for the 99 known strains of rhinovirus, the most frequent cause of the cold. The result: a textbook of viral vulnerabilities that could become targets for new drugs...

"New kind of stem cells can turn into heart cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers show," Wisconsin State Journal, Feb. 13.

A new kind of stem cells developed by UW-Madison researcher James Thomson performs like his old kind in a lively way. The new cells can be turned into heart cells that beat in a lab dish, other scientists on campus have shown. The achievement could lead to a better understanding of heart disease and therapies crafted from the skin of patients with heart problems...

"Alarm clock application for iPhone wins award for two University of Wisconsin-Madison student inventors," Wisconsin State Journal, Feb. 13.

When this alarm clock wakes you from your slumber, you will hopefully never have cause to glare angrily at it while hitting the snooze button. That’s because the Proactive Sleep tool, invented by two University of Wisconsin-Madison students, is smarter than the average alarm clock. It is calibrated to wake people during a light phase in sleep...The invention won the $10,000 Schoofs Prize for Creativity on Thursday, the top prize given out at Innovation Day, an annual competition held by UW-Madison’s College of Engineering...

"Wisconsin parses 4.4 percent application decrease," U.S. News & World Report, Blog, Feb. 12.

University of Wisconsin officials are scratching their heads as to why their application numbers are down 4.4 percent this year, especially since many admissions officials expected interest in public universities to increase as the economy continued to founder. Even more confounding, applications from out-of-state students actually increased by 211, while the number of in-state prospective students went down at least around 900...

"First head of University Research Park dies at 79," Capital Times, Feb. 12.

Wayne McGown, a man who held top positions under six state governors and four University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellors before being chosen as the first director of the University Research Park, passed away Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 79...

"Three UW-Eau Claire students rescued from ice chunk," Leader-Telegram, Feb. 13.

Three UW-Eau Claire students floating down the Chippewa River on a chunk of ice at 2 a.m. Friday were rescued by Eau Claire Fire Department personnel and then "lectured on how incredibly stupid this joy ride was," according to a Fire Department report...

State

"Stimulus package to mean $3.5 billion for Wisconsin, Doyle says," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 13.

Gov. Jim Doyle on Thursday estimated that Wisconsin will receive about $3.5 billion of the $789 billion federal stimulus package, and almost $2 billion of that would help fix state government's budget deficit...But, Doyle added, "This is not going to solve all the budget problems"...

"Obey says money will stimulate state," Marshfield News Herald, Feb. 13.

The economic stimulus bill poised to pass Congress today would create jobs and provide necessary benefits to Wisconsin families, including tax cuts of up to $800 a couple, Rep. Dave Obey said Thursday. "It not only creates jobs directly, but by creating or preserving those jobs you generate more revenues for state budgets, and you keep the economy from sagging further," said Obey, D-Wausau...

"Applications down at UW-Madison, some other colleges," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 13.

Freshman applications are down at several University of Wisconsin campuses and a few private colleges in the state this year, reflecting a slowdown after years of growth and some impact of the struggling economy on students and parents. UW-Madison's freshman applications are down 5% from last year - the first time in five years that the university has seen a decrease, said Joanne Berg, registrar and vice provost for enrollment management. Meanwhile, UW-Milwaukee is down 7% in freshman applications, its second year of declining numbers...

"Groups warn of dangers to financial aid cuts," Wisconsin Radio Network, Feb. 12.

A coalition of students and colleges in Wisconsin are calling on the Governor to protect financial aid in his state budget. The governor has warned that all state programs could face cuts in his upcoming budget. If financial aid takes a hit, Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities President Rolf Wegenke warns that it could force many students to give up on higher education. If that happens, he predicts many will never finish college...

"Wisconsin will get $3.5 billion from stimulus," Badger Herald, Feb. 13.

Wisconsin lawmakers and officials are already looking for ways the state may benefit from the nearly $800 billion stimulus package expected to be on President Barack Obama’s desk Monday...Education throughout the state will be improved through a variety of measures in the proposal, including an increase in funds for Pell Grant recipients and a $2,500 partially refunded tax credit for 63,000 Wisconsin families, Doyle added...

"Doyle counts on stimulus funds, but cuts to come," Wisconsin Radio Network, Feb. 12.

Wisconsin could get about $3.5 billion from the federal stimulus compromise. Much of Wisconsin's share of the latest $789-billion economic stimulus plan would go to education, healthcare, road projects and jobless benefits. About 70,000 jobs would be created or saved in Wisconsin...

"College president named," Beloit Daily News, Feb. 12.

The people entrusted to find the 11th president for Beloit College knew what kind of leader they wanted - energetic and committed, for example. They found those qualities in economist H. Scott Bierman...

National

"Biddy Martin: How to talk about the recession," Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 13.

College chiefs have to be careful to adopt the right tone when discussing the recession with trustees and professors. Carolyn A. (Biddy) Martin, new chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, describes how she navigated a series of public forums on the university's financial situation..

"The final stimulus bill," Insider Higher Ed, Feb. 13.

As the dust began to settle and details slowly emerged about the composition of the compromise economic stimulus bill crafted by Congress (the bill text is now available, here and here), the picture for higher education was generally positive — with students and colleges poised to receive somewhere between $50 billion and $75 billion, based on our rough estimate. But exactly how it looked very much depended on where you sat...

"Colleges and students cheer Congress's economic-stimulus deal," Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 13.

The compromise, $789-billion economic-stimulus bill that Congress is planning to try to deliver to President Obama by Monday contains large sums of money for student aid and biomedical research, and would give states billions of dollars to ease budget cuts to colleges and schools... (paid subscription required)